That's right, GameStop stores will be open on Thanksgiving day this year. The company informed their staff during a conference call this morning.
Kotaku spoke with two people who were on the call, saying it's a change in policy that has upset some employees of the video game retailer.
Apologies upfront: The Defiant Honor add-on for Nioh released last week and we're just getting around to posting the trailer now. That's because PlayStation's European YouTube channel uploaded it timely, but the US channel just got around to it today; the European one slipped by us.
But, it's still worth a tardy post for posterity's sake. Chris says that Nioh: Defiant Honor is very good, keeping in line with the quality we've come to expect. Also, it's about storming a castle in Osaka, and Osaka is a baller city. (Disclosure: I've only seen modern day Osaka, not 1600s Osaka.)
Nioh better watch itself. It might fuck around and accidentally end up on a bunch of game of the year lists.
Space is a lawless place. On earth, the infrastructure's generally there to discourage and prevent felony grand theft auto. The same can't be said for space. It's like international waters: Anything goes.
Also, there aren't any cars to steal in space. Look past that for a minute.
A group of modders is working on taking Grand Theft Auto V from San Andreas to the final frontier. With an Armageddon-like plot, this mod sends humans to space to halt impending doom for mankind. There are aliens up there (they look like Xenomorphs with assault rifles) and they plan to invade earth. Bullets should stop them.
Grand Theft Auto Space looks to be much more than just an affront on aliens, though. The two-minute trailer that was uploaded earlier this month also shows solar system exploration, moon buggy driving, and NPC interaction. There's a cinematic pacing to the trailer that has the mod looking like more of a story than a sandbox.
What's interesting about this is how it runs parallel to another GTA development. Recently, after four years of searching, dedicated players have discovered a UFO supply run mission. In theory, Rockstar will eventually have us protecting earth from invading aliens. This mod is sort of like a retelling of that before it even happens: We protect earth by taking the fight to space.
As these things go, there's no projected release date for Grand Theft Auto Space. The development group simply says it'll launch "when we think it's ready." Space will have to wait a while.
Awesome GTA 5 Mod Takes Players To Space To Battle Aliens [GameSpot]
Pokemon Go developer Niantic recently held its first ever Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago in celebration of the game's one-year anniversary. It was an unmitigated disaster by most all standards. The swell of people in one spot overwhelmed the cell towers and rendered the game unusable. A bunch of fans paid with the sole intention of playing Pokemon Go and the one thing they couldn't do is play Pokemon Go.
Understandably, Niantic is doing everything it can to avoid a repeat performance. That means that some upcoming Pokemon Go events in Europe are getting delayed. In a recent post on the game's site, Niantic announced that both the August 5 Safari Zone events in Copenhagen and Prague, and the August 12 Safari Zone events in Stockholm and Amsterdam are being pushed back to sometime in the fall.
To help make good on the postponements, Niantic has released some Pokemon in certain cities that are rarely seen in Europe. Those appear to be Farfetch'd, Heracross, Kangaskhan, and Mr. Mime. However, it's possible that there are more rare Pokemon being released in Europe.
As for Niantic, it's now faced with the titanic task of rectifying what happened in Chicago. Apart from delaying other events, it's also working to refund Chicago customers (and give them $100 worth of in-game credit) and to defend itself against class action lawsuit. For the second straight year, July's a whirlwind month for Niantic; it's just that this year, nothing's going nearly as well as it did last year.
An update on the upcoming Pokémon GO Safari Zone Events in Europe [Pokemon Go]
In a back-to-school themed mindset, eBay is running a 10% off coupon for select goods from select retailers. So what does that have to do with you, our fellow gamers? Well, when these random 10% off coupons show up they are often best used on rarely discounted and high-ticket items like the PlayStation VR headset, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PC graphics cards.
With VR continuing to spread adoption, the PlayStation VR core headset is seeing a $40 drop to $360 thanks to the aforementioned discount. Out of the flurry of hardware deals we're spotting at Newegg/eBay, this is our crowning pick given how rarely the virtual reality headset goes on sale.
Continuing on, you really can't go wrong with a $40 drop on the PlayStation 4 Pro. There was a Black Friday drop to $340 on Amazon -- a deal available for mere minutes -- but otherwise its $400 list price has not really been cracked in any significant way in 2017.
Beyond console equipment, the best deals here are on GPUs. Since the cryptocurrency mining craze returned in May of this year, video cards have been selling at inflated prices. A few of these cards are returning to more sane price levels at Newegg (which is also selling them through eBay).
The coupon stacks for an additional 10% savings on these GPUs, meaning GTX 1070 cards are selling for $423, Radeon RX 580s are under $300, and GTX 1060s are under $200. In fact, there was a very hot GTX 1080 deal but that is now out of stock so uh... we probably shouldn't have mentioned something you missed out on...
Use coupon: PCOLLEGE10
PlayStation Deals
More Console Hardware
Video Cards
Desktop Processors
Solid State Drives
Gaming Monitors
The eBay coupon does not have a long life to it. All deals will run only through Tuesday, August 1 at 11:59pm Pacific. The coupon requires you to pay with PayPal at checkout as per standard operating procedure with eBay coupons. You can only use one code per PayPal account, so choose your discount wisely.
When things go disastrously wrong, I like to think I can get my boys out of a jam. I strive to be dependable like that. I wanna be Their Guy during their time of need. After reviewing today's D-Team run in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, however, I realize that I have serious work ahead of me.
We recorded this sucker early last week and as I skimmed to the end to see how Steven, Brett, and Ray did, I realized that I was also in this recording. And the bit where things go wrong? Totally my fault!
Ray's disappointed sigh says it all, but I'll make this right. I swear. Step one will be to never get into the driver's seat again.
I can't remember where we stand on that glacier white PlayStation 4 Pro. For it? Against it?
Sony is bringing that console variant to Europe as part of a Destiny 2 bundle on September 6, along with a few jet black PS4 bundles and a limited-edition themed controller that'll be available standalone.
Here's the thing, though. It looks like this:
NetherRealm and Warner Bros are taking a well-tread route to raising money for esports: They're selling cosmetics. The Injustice 2 roster just got a little more flashy.
It was announced today that Injustice 2 will get tournament shaders that outfit each of the superheroes in gold. A portion of the proceeds will go toward tournaments and community events. The new skins were released this afternoon.
Technically, all of the tournament shaders can be obtained through normal gameplay since they're unlocked with source crystals. But, that would take an incredibly long time (and diametrically opposed to the purpose of these shaders). Initial reports are that each gold outfit will cost 5,000 source crystals. When the roster eventually swells to the planned 38 characters, it'll cost 190,000 source crystals to unlock all of the tournament shaders. That comes out to approximately $70 for all of them.
Of course, everything here is optional and cosmetic. And, it's well within the trend in recent years of partially leaning on the community to fund the competitive scene. Help grow the prize pool by a couple of bucks and look good while doing it.
Titanfall 2 is now a part of EA Access and Origin Access, as promised. It's freely playable for members.
Assuming you've held onto your subscription (or are thinking of trialing it one of these days), this game's cool. You should take the time to clear some space, download it, and get into mech-on-mech shootouts sooner than later. If nothing else, run through the campaign during this way-too-hot weekend.
The timing here is nice, especially if you're the sort of player to skip competitive multiplayer. Respawn just launched Frontier Defense, a four-player cooperative horde mode. Maybe give that a try too.
And for the rest of you who never really stopped playing Titanfall 2: enjoy the fresh meat.
On (or before) August 28, Rock Band Blitz will be leaving digital marketplaces for good Harmonix announced today. While not specifically mentioned, this is probably due to music licenses expiring. Blitz launched five years ago and record companies love to be greedy and not sign life long contracts.
If you're wondering about the songs that were exclusive to Blitz, then you don't really have anything to fear. The entire soundtrack was eventually released as standalone DLC for use in Rock Band 3 and 4, though obviously grabbing Blitz for export would be cheaper than buying 25 songs. I guess use this as your final chance to potentially get some songs on the cheap.
While I was intrigued by the idea of Blitz for allowing gameplay without instruments, the track list basically did nothing for me. I wasn't keen on how a couple of songs from Rock Band 2 that didn't import out were included and the only other song I cared about was Iron Maiden's "The Wicker Man." You could use your previous DLC, though, so I should have just bought the damn game.
Also, Harmonix does mention that the title will not be getting backwards compatibility support on Xbox One. If you were planning on nabbing the game to try on your newer hardware, then put that thought out of your mind. Seems like a real shame, since most people never even knew this existed.
Rock Band Blitz being taken off PlayStation, Xbox stores [Polygon]
Titanfall 2, the criminally underrated man-vs.-mech multiplayer game that reliably releases new free content nearly every month, is now available for subscribers of EA's subscription services. Users on both EA Access on Xbox One and Origin Access on PC can play the game at no cost -- which is perfect timing, since the game's latest DLC introduced a new players-vs-computer horde mode that has likely reeled in a bunch of lapsed fans. Seriously, it's a game where wallrunning players try to dodge enemies in gun-toting mechs -- go play it already if you've already ponied up for EA's unlimited gaming services.
Source: Polygon
Nihon Falcom, unbeknownst to many, is one of the oldest gaming companies in existence.
Since 1981 they've been churning out classic JRPGs, most notably the beloved Ys series that just celebrated its 30th anniversary last month. They're also one of the few studios out there who's still actively supporting legacy platforms like the PS3 (and some would say, the Vita). In many ways, they're an enigma. While western AAA studios are chasing the latest bleeding-edge tech and inventing new ways to make open worlds bigger with more map icons, they're sticking to what they know.
I had the chance to chat with company president Toshihiro Kondo about the past, present, and the future of his company, and learned a few things in the process.
Atari has been in the news a lot lately, whether it be their new console, presence in the Blade Runner sequel, or not at all incredibly stupid speaker hats. This time the story is less about Atari's new brand and more about the old one.
Redditor Lo64N was shopping at a thrift store in Oceanside, California, when he came across an Atari console he didn't recognize. Luckily we live in the age of the internet, so a quick Google search told him that it was a very rare prototype for the Atari 2700.
Did you happen to catch Rick and Morty's season three premiere last night or on April Fool's Day? If you didn't, there was one running gag in the episode involving the canceled production of a Disney's Mulan-inspired chicken nugget dipping sauce, and the titular Rick lusted for it so much it became a huge thing on the Twitter because of course it did.
After fans petitioned for a possible revival of the Mulan Szechuan dipping sauce (which would probably make more sense whenever the live-action Mulan remake hits theaters), McDonald's has done the inevitable and brought it back in a small way.
They sent Rick and Morty creator, Justin Roiland, a friggin' gallon of the Szechaun sauce with a cute note full of references:
Holy shit. http://pic.twitter.com/vNEIfHTmNU
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) July 30, 2017
The more cruel part? Not only did they just bring the sauce back for Roiland, only three other fans are going to get to taste the sauce again after McDonald's held a little Twitter event last night:
Revenge plots are overused in our media. I’m sure off the top of your head, you could come up with about 15-20 films that have a character going on a vengeance streak for the wrongs done against them. You could probably also name a handful of video games, since killing off a family or humiliating a character is an easy way to build up bad guys as “evil.”
Redeemer doesn’t try to break that mold, which is fine for a short bit. This is a game about being brutal, bloody, and difficult and it gets that right for the first third. Soon, though, things go south and the game never really recovers.
Well here's a surprise. While the big news of the day is Dragon Quest XI is coming to the PlayStation 4, it would appear that another game in the franchise will also be making its debut on the system at some point.
Hope you like retro, as the original Dragon Quest appears to be heading to PlayStation 4.
Guys, The Emoji Movie made $25.6 million this weekend. That puts it on track to easily eclipse its $50 million budget, and turn Sony a profit. That more than likely means there will be a sequel. There is a high chance that there will be a second Emoji Movie.
What is wrong with us? Why do we do this? What are we teaching our children when we pay massive amounts of money to see a movie this bad? Who do I yell at? I know it's not cool to judge people for going to see a movie, but I'm judging. A lot of people went to see this movie. I mean, yes, there isn't a lot of kid friendly stuff in theaters right now, but you can watch a ton of Disney stuff on Netflix and at least buy into a corporate overlord who puts some effort into their movies.
So by law of averages someone here has to have bought tickets to this movie. Why? Please, just tell me why.
Thank god Dunkirk took number one or I'd probably be dead on the floor right now from a brain aneurysm.
The Professor Layton franchise is probably my favorite thing to come out of the Nintendo DS era. A well-written, wonderfully animated adventure game with puzzles that truly tested my logic skills was just what I needed after years of more mindless entertainment. I happily picked up every installment in the series, including the two spin-offs, and while it arguably peaked with The Unwound Future, I was never really disappointed in anything Level-5 threw my way.
Until now.
After the release of Dragon Quest VIII way back in 2005/2006, international fans of the franchise have had to turn to Nintendo platforms for their RPG fix. Meanwhile Sony fans were stuck with excellent spinoffs such as Dragon Quest Builders and Dragon Quest Heroes. With the upcoming Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age however, that changes.
Welcome to IRL, our series dedicated to the things that Engadget writers play, use, watch and listen to. This week, Features Editor Aaron Souppouris explains his switched to Windows and a new laptop, after an extended stint dedicated to MacBooks and Mac OS. How did that work out?
Dino-hunters will have a little longer to sharpen their spears and, uh, assault rifles as epic survival game Ark has been pushed back from its original retail release date of August 8.
In a statement from developers Wildcard, an apology was given for the last-minute delay. "It sucks," says the plain-speaking release. "It wasn't what we had wanted, nor planned but where we currently stand. We wanted to address this sooner but did not want to make any statements until we were completely sure of what was going to happen."
Between now and launch, Wildcard are getting to work on a plethora of game elements including PC optimisations, bug-fixes and tighter online security, as well as addressing the difficulty balance for the game's bosses, which have been causing problem's for the early access community.
Ark: Survival Evolved's deadly and expansive world should be set to explore upon its new launch date, August 29 for PS4, Xbox One, Mac and PC.
Given how obsessed the majority of us have been with Dragon Ball Z lately with the English airing of Super, the upcoming release of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on Switch, and Dragon Ball FighterZ looming on the horizon, this little bit of awesomeness slipped right passed us...for a few months.
Although this has been floating around since May, it deserves far more attention. Found by Tristan Cooper on Twitter, mad geniuses CaliKingz01 and LeonExodio have modded Kermit the Frog into the PC version of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
How does he look in action? Like a golden god according to this entertaining video from YouTube channel Dante's Gaming. Kermit the Frog should be in more fighting games, yeah? This is the best.
Alien: Isolation is a terrifying game, even before you add VR to the mix. But, for those of you dying to experience the survival horror in all its immersive (underwear-spoiling) glory, you can now play it on the current-gen Oculus Rift. An alpha version of the "MotherVR" mod that works with the original game is available to download right now. Installation is straightforward too: simply copy a DLL from the archive into the game folder and you're good to go. Just be sure you have the nerve to take it on first.
Via: Road to VR
Crash Bandicoot still reigns supreme in the top spot of the U.K charts this week, officially making it the PS4 game to spend the most time (overall) in the coveted number one position, just overtaking The Last of Us.
Crash managed to hold off advancing sales of acclaimed Switch sequel Splatoon 2, which maintains second place. An aggressive price promotion from Bethesda saw high top ten entries for Doom, Dishonored 2 and Fallout 4.
Newly-released Miitopia entered just outside the top five, debuting at seven, but times were tough for Hey! Pikmin, which barely scraped into the top 30 at number 29. Overwatch was pushed out of the top ten for the first time in a long time, but GTAV steadfastly holds its seemingly cemented top three home.
U.K. video game sales chart w/e: July 29 2017
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)
1. Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy - Activision Blizzard
2. Splatoon 2 - Nintendo
3. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
4. Fallout 4 - Bethesda
5. Doom - Bethesda
6. Dishonored 2 - Bethesda
7. Miitopia - Nintendo
8. Rugby League Live 14 - Tru Blu Entertainment
9. FIFA 17 - EA Sports
10. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands - Ubisoft
UK Charts [GFK Ukie]
Sansar, the VR platform by Second Life creator Linden Lab, is now available for everyone to explore. The public "creator beta" follows a private "creator preview," which allowed developers and aspiring level designers to try Sansar's building tools. That period was crucial given, like Second Life, Linden Lab is banking on the community to populate Sansar with interesting experiences. Today, there are "hundreds" of places to explore, including museums, theaters and tropical temples. Some are virtual postcards, while others have games and stories inside them. Everything is free to try too, whether you're playing on a PC, Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
Source: Sansar
If you've played Éric Chahi's classic action-adventure Another World (aka Out of this World), there's a good chance you remember the soundtrack. Large chunks of the game were punctuated by silence, but you knew something special was happening whenever Jean-François Freitas' ethereal, Vangelis-like score began to play. Now, you can relive those moments on your turntable. Black Screen Records is releasing a vinyl (plus a CD, we'd add) version of the soundtrack, making it available for the first time beyond the deluxe editions of the game's 20th anniversary release.
Source: Black Screen Records
It's been fun watching Oculus and HTC copy each other. First, Oculus backtracked on the bundled Xbox One controller with Touch. Then they sort of copied room scale (they call it 360 scale, and it's still experimental).
HTC has indirectly finally acknowledged that their offering was the least comfortable, and have since released a curious update called the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. For $100, on top of the $~750 price for the room-scale kit, you can swap out the Vive's horse-feeder strap for something for a weight-balanced skull grip. It's also a straight-up clone of the Oculus audio setup, with build-in headphones replacing the ever-tangled stock Vive earbuds.
I picked up a pair and here's a review of how my DIY installation went.
