News:: Check out the first Windows VR headsets from Dell, HP and Acer

Just a few days after Lenovo unveiled its Windows 10 VR headset, Microsoft showed off what HP, Dell and Acer are working on at a CES media event. Unfortunately, they were all under glass, so all we could do was ogle at the hardware. Still, the designs look pretty interesting. Acer's looks like it comes straight from its gaming design crew, while HP's has a cool black aesthetic. I was particularly surprised by Dell's headset, which resembles the PlayStation VR in a few ways.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2iHkuhR

News:: Tales from the Yawning Portal is the next Dungeons & Dragons book

The first addition to Dungeons & Dragons this year is Tales from the Yawning Portal, a new campaign book that takes ideas and dungeons from the past five decades and brings them to the fifth edition.

It's framed as a collection of tales being told at the Yawning Portal inn:

"When the shadows grow long in Waterdeep and the fireplace in the taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson glow, adventurers from across the Forgotten Realms, and even from other worlds, spin tales and spread rumors of dark dungeons and lost treasures. Some of the yarns overheard by Durnan, the barkeep of the Yawning Portal, are inspired by places and events in far-flung lands from across the D&D multiverse, and these tales have been collected into a single volume."

Included adventures are Against the Giants, Dead in Thay, Forge of Fury, Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, Sunless Citadel, Tomb of Horrors, and White Plume Mountain. I really like the idea of all these mini-adventures being in one place, because even though I really enjoy adventure books like Curse of Strahd and Storm King's Thunder, the rate at which my group plays doesn't work well with full campaigns. I'm going to start my own homebrew campaign soon, and I'd love to pepper in the Tomb of Horrors somewhere in the middle of our game. Plus, it's sometimes hard to run these book adventures because cover-to-cover knowledge helps, and that's easier with smaller chapters.

Tales from the Yawning Portal will release April 4, 2017 for $49.95.

_{[The header image is the cover from Princes of the Apocalypse because as of right now, there are no images from Tales from the Yawning Portal that work for our header dimensions!]}

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hWzrsm

News:: PAX South's keynote is brought to you by the letter 'D'

PAX South is merely three weeks away, and the list of panels and exhibitors has been finalized. This is the third year for the newest PAX, which is held annually in San Antonio, Texas. Along with the panels and exhibitors, the keynote speaker was also announced, and this year's address will be given by Christopher Perkins, the principal story designer for Dungeons & Dragons.

Perkins has a long relationship with the founders of PAX, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, who write and draw Penny Arcade. Perkins first served as the Dungeon Master for Holkins and Krahulik as well as PVP artist Scott Kurtz in a series of podcasts that began in 2008. The podcasts followed the exploits of the trio as the founding members of Acquisitions Incorporated, a group of adventurers for hire. These proved popular enough that a live version was incorporated into PAX West, and eventually led to a series of YouTube videos precipitating a session that was live-streamed to theaters across the country. This will be the first year that Acquisitions Incorporated performs at PAX South, with a panel hosted by Perkins on Saturday, January 28.

In addition to the keynote and the live D&D game, attendees will be able to check out lots of other panels and concerts, spend time checking out upcoming games from AAA and indie developers on the show floor, or just hang out and play video or tabletop games with others. PAX South will be one of the first venues where the public will be able to check out the Nintendo Switch in person.

The schedule has been posted at the PAX South website, and the Penny Arcade Q&A panel on Friday, January 27 promises "the most significant PAX announcement since the reveal of PAX South." Holkins and Krahulik have expressed interest in expanding PAX to Europe in the past, so there may be an announcement of a fifth PAX show in the immediate future. We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

_{[Kyle MacGregor, who represents PAX for Stride PR, was previously employed at Destructoid. As always, no relationships were factored into this writeup.]}

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2ihbkWs

News:: Players are encountering alien ships in Elite Dangerous

As compiled above, clips of run-ins with a mysterious alien vessel in Elite Dangerous are starting to come in. For a player base that has long hoped to make contact, this is a big, energizing surprise.

It's unclear what conditions are needed to experience the unsettling moment in-game (those sound effects are stellar!), when this even became a part of Dangerous, and what lies ahead, but fans have begun speculating in full force. Interestingly, every clip I've seen so far has ended peacefully.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2ih7MmY

News:: Resident Evil, Street Fighter PC titles up to 80% off in lingering sale

Green Man Gaming is closing out its Winter Sale with Capcom titles on tap for up to 80% off. The sale brings some decent deals for those who missed discounts available during Steam's Winter Sale (which ended earlier this week on Monday).

In fact, many of the deals are now cheaper than what was at Steam. Choice picks include Mega Man Legacy Collection at only $6 and Resident Evil titles at up to 80% off. Unsurprisingly, all available Resident Evil games on the PC are on sale, given Resident Evil 7 will arrive soon on January 24.

Note that while all the deals below are solid, we'll suggest skipping out on Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition at the current price of $20.99 as it went for as cheap as $8.99 during Steam's Winter Sale. Best to wait till that discount circles around later this year.

Capcom Deals

Use code: DEALZON15

• Street Fighter V - Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $36.37  (list price $90)
• Street Fighter V (Steam) — $24.28  (list price $60)
• Street Fighter V - 2016 Season Pass (Steam) — $18.33  (list price $30)
• Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition (Steam) — $20.22  (list price $50)
• Mega Man Legacy Collection (Steam) — $6.19  (list price $15)
• Umbrella Corps Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $16.14  (list price $40)
• Umbrella Corps (Steam) — $12.14  (list price $30)
• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) — $14.70  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil Deluxe Origins Bundle (Steam) — $16.82  (list price $40)
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $12.14  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil: Revelations (Steam) — $5.58  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster (Steam) — $8.13  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil 4 HD (Steam) — $5.77  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil 5 (Steam) — $5.77  (list price $20)
• Lost Planet 3 (Steam) — $10.19  (list price $25)
• Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (Steam) — $10.19  (list price $25)
• DMC: Devil May Cry (Steam) — $6.19  (list price $30)
• Remember Me (Steam) — $4.92  (list price $30)
• Strider (Steam) — $3.64  (list price $15)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iNLoFt

News:: 'Pokémon Snap' takes one last photo tour on the Wii U

The past few months have been bittersweet for fans of the Nintendo 64. On the one hand, Nintendo has been steadily filling its virtual console service with some of the N64's best games -- but with the Nintendo Switch on the horizon, the Wii U is on its last legs. Still, it's nice to see games like Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Excitebike 64 land on the eShop before it gets replaced. Today, Nintendo added yet another fan favorite: Pokémon Snap.

Source: Nintendo

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2hW3WDV

News:: I can't stand this new look at Bloodstained, but I can't quite figure out why

There's some new footage of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and it's bugging the hell out of me. For its eighth development update, we get protagonist Miriam platforming her way through a town. It's an innocuous 30 seconds.

But, for some reason, I can't stand the way it looks, but I also can't quite put my finger on why that's the case. Are the jumping or running animations slightly off? Are the backgrounds too static? Does it have something to do with the shadows? Does it feel like Miriam's not interacting with the world she's traversing? I can't figure it out!

Ideally, it won't really matter because this shouldn't necessarily be indicative of the final product. Bloodstained won't release until 2018 at the earliest. Whatever's weird here should be ironed out by then.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2igWejR

News:: Razer's triple-screen laptop is bananas

Project Valerie, a concept laptop Razer is showing off at CES 2017, almost seems like retrofuturism. It's like a what-if scenario of how technology could have developed, only predicted way too soon.

This "mobile desktop" has three 17.3" 4K screens in total, two of which can slide out with an automated system not unlike something you would've seen on MTV Cribs. Resolution-wise, that's 11520 x 2160, with a GeForce GTX 1080 crammed in for good measure. This video demonstration features Titanfall 2 -- a fairly good showcase for multi-screen gaming -- but the real draw of Project Valerie, I think, is the sheer screen real estate for multi-tasking and, as boring as it sounds, work purposes.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iNsQVD

News:: Blizzard's freezing out those who used Mei's ice wall glitch

For weeks now, enterprising and unscrupulous Overwatch players have been using an exploit to give themselves an almost unbeatable edge in the game's new three-on-three Last Team Standing mode. There's a bug where players can use Mei's ice wall to get outside the map while still being able to shoot at people who are inside the map. This video nicely demonstrates how it works:

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iGB5SX

News:: Long War 2 mod is coming to XCOM 2

Long War Studios, the fellers wot brought you the Long War mod for 2012's XCOM reboot, are replicating those actions for the sequel. A rebranding has led to the team calling itself Pavonis Interactive, and its official site mentions both Long War 2 and its Kickstarted original creation, Terra Invicta.

If you're unfamiliar with the Long War mod, here's a primer: bigger squads, more of a focus on fostering an entire roster of soldiers instead of picking favorites (due to fatigue and injury systems), a much longer, grueling campaign, and all sorts of new weapons, classes, and skills. Many of these ideas were picked up by Firaxis for XCOM 2 proper, which Pavonis helped provide mods for at launch.

I quite liked XCOM 2 despite numerous performance issues even on a beefy computer, and it's been long enough that I'll inevitably get sucked back in with this mod. According to the official XCOM site, we'll know more in the coming weeks.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hXrRkO

News:: The delightfully odd Pizza Tycoon is now on GOG.com

I've never heard of Pizza Tycoon (also known as Pizza Connection) before today, and now I'm looking back on my life wondering where it all went wrong. This is a mid-'90s management sim in which you can work with organized crime to further your pizza business because of course we want to do that.

Pizza Tycoon and its follow-up Pizza Tycoon 2 (also known as Pizza Connection 2, also also known as Fast Food Tycoon 2) are now on GOG.com, which is how I'm only now hearing about them.

The screenshots are just wild:

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iGv5cZ

News:: There's a Treehouse stream on January 13, and that might be better than the Switch event

Everyone's looking forward to Nintendo's Switch presentation next week (it's January 13 in Japan, late on January 12 in the US). It's where we're expected to learn the specifics, where the questions will finally be answered. It's an important event, for sure.

Here's the thing, though. A lot of the Switch show will be able to be condensed into bullet points. "This is the price. This is the release date. These are the launch titles." It'll probably be worth watching, but it'll probably be just as fine to read about later. That event serves to get the information out there, and that's going to happen. Nintendo tends to be efficient at this type of thing, sometimes overly so.

However, there's another Nintendo show shortly thereafter that's maybe more critical. Treehouse is streaming an in-depth look at the Switch titles that were highlighted in the official presentation. That's taking place on January 13 at 9:30am Eastern.

This won't have the pomp and circumstance inflating the mood, but it'll be a more laid-back look at everything. It'll have longer sequences of gameplay, presumably framed how a Regular Joe might use the system. That's important in determining if this is a product you're interested in, maybe more important than the launch lineup and price. 

@NintendoAmerica [Twitter]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hVVwaB

News:: Oh hey, Mass Effect 2 is free on PC

For a limited time, Mass Effect 2 is free on PC through Origin, and you should probably get on that. Before we know it, Andromeda will be here in late March. If you've flirted with the idea of getting into this oft-talked-about series, it's not too late. Thane, Tali, Garrus -- the gang's all here waiting!

It's been a while, so my memory is mostly fuzzy, but this is my favorite game in the series by far. I really dig Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man, the way the story kicks off, and the whole anxious vibe of recruiting a squad of folks you end up caring deeply about to help you on a suicide mission.

It's a shame it's still a pain to get all of the great DLC, though. This freebie is just the base game.

On the House [Origin]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2jfif6G

News:: Diablo III just got PS4 Pro support with its anniversary patch

So the Diablo III anniversary patch hit all platforms yesterday, including consoles, and it brought the limited time Diablo I event into the fold. Yes you heard that right -- it's a limited time thing, and will happen every January from now on until Blizzard decides to stop supporting the game. Which, based on their track record, might be a very long time.

But about that console update -- it actually did a little something extra on PS4. If you go update now you'll find that 4K support was added for the PS4 Pro, though some folks have noticed that it smoothed out the resolution for everyone, including those with 1080p sets. If only upscaling was the limit of what developers could provide for Pro owners.

PS4 Pro enhancements [NeoGAF]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hWW57t

News:: Strider's favorite games of 2016, if they were Stands

Here we are! My absolute favorite time of year for video games. We get to reflect back and say to ourselves, "Yes, these are the games I loved the most, let's go."

It feels like it was only recently that I enjoyed thinking back on my time for 2015 and the games of that year. Lots of people want to adopt a negative attitude of the past year but, I mean whatever, right? I got married in 2016 douchebags, so I'm living it up.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iIJ4Np

News:: Nintendo Download: Pokemon Snap

We're just a week away from the second Switch reveal, but for now, here's what's happening on Nintendo's legacy console and peppy portable.

On Wii U, Pokemon Snap hits the Virtual Console, in addition to Spheroids, Cup Critters, and Zombie Brigade: No Brain No Gain. On 3DS you'll find Quiet Please!, a cute little indie game that was originally released on mobile a while back. It's only $2.99 and is actually a compilation of three games.

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hVpX0z

News:: Get into the 'RE experience' with a Resident Evil 7 branded candle

Resident Evil 7 is pretty nifty, at least from the demo version. I don't think it is entirely groundbreaking, but I'm guessing in VR, the experience is terrifying. That first-person viewpoint will more than likely be utilized very well, but there is always going to be one sense missing; smell! When I see a dead, decaying corpse, I want to smell the damn thing!

Fear not, as manufacturer Merchoid has created an officially licensed incense candle based on the upcoming game. While the product is dubbed the 4D candle, I think someone forgot that the fourth dimension isn't smell. Either way, I guess I understand what they were going for, seeing as how yet another sense is being added to the equation of this game.

According to the post on Eurogamer, Merchoid has stated, "The 4D candle is 100 per cent officially licensed Resident Evil merchandise; this means Capcom have smelt the candle and found it scary to enough to give their seal of approval." While that is fine and all, I'm not sure I trust Capcom's approval as of late.

There's an official Resident Evil 7 "4D VR candle" [Eurogamer]

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hWFT62

News:: Poochy & Yoshi shorts are cute as hell, easy to take out of context

There's something to be said about emotive art. Whether it's gibberish talk like Banjo Kazooie or pantomiming, I love that a common development issue like a lack of a budget can lead to some amazing characters that say so much without speaking at all.

That's what Nintendo did with this pair of Yoshi skits promoting Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, which drops on the 3DS next month in the west. They're just under a minute each (one is Japanese, but that doesn't matter much), and worth watching.

And if you're wondering about the header image, he's just trying to get Poochy to flip him up for a ride. Don't get any ideas!

Read more...

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2iMfzg0

News:: Report: Localizing Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Europe is a tall order, might not make it in March

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's release date has been a hotly debated subject. Multiple leakers have reported that even Nintendo doesn't know the exact date at any given time, and there's been suggestions that it might not even make it onto the Switch at launch. Obviously Nintendo wants this to happen, but now we have some idea of why there's been so many problems in one particular region.

Eurogamer's Tom Phillips, who has been rock solid with information regarding the Switch so far, states that the situation is confusing, even for Nintendo. According to his sources, Nintendo is having issues getting the game ready in time in Europe, mostly because it needs to localize it in several languages.

Allegedly as long as it shipped in North America and Japan they were okay with delaying it in Europe, which might actually happen if they can't get the work done in time. Another option is to ship the game without every language, then patch it in, just like Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Given Nintendo's long history of releasing projects later in Europe though, it's a possibility that we'll see a delay. Hopefully we'll get rock solid confirmation at the Switch event.

What's going on with Zelda: Breath of the Wild's release date? [Eurogamer]

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2hV1FbW

News:: These VR-enhanced exercise bikes are coming to an arcade near you

VirZOOM's stationary, VR-friendly exercise bike is a little out there, but we (and our thighs) can confirm it's a fun, seemingly effective way to squeeze in a workout. The best part of the experience is firing up the multiplayer mode and going head-to-head against other fitness buffs careening through a virtual forest on the back of a virtual pegasus, and it won't be long until you can do just that in the comfort of your local arcade. That might sound like a strangely tech-savvy Spin class, but it's actually a push to make so-called "vSports" a thing.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2iHRKn9

News:: Those Mega Man mobile games are out, are $1.99 each, and are awful

I woke up this morning to the news that the six Mega Man mobile games have hit both the iOS and Android marketplaces. They're $1.99 each, so $12 in total, and I thought to myself -- hey, $12 for all six classic games, on the go, whenever I want? That sounds like it could be okay. But no, these ports are basically unplayable.

For science I bought the first game on iOS to test it out, and yes, those severe framerate issues from the trailer they put out are actually present in the game. A few colleagues have confirmed that the rest of them are the same way. There's an option to set the game speed to "high," which helps, but still runs poorly.

It kills me how Capcom constantly shuts down projects for this series, says there isn't enough demand, and just dumps this on us. The Legacy collection was actually good, recreated from the ground up, and had a lot of living little extras in it. Digital Eclipse did right by the series, and Capcom should just hire them to curate it full-time.

These mobile cash-ins only ruin the actual legacy of the Blue Bomber. Don't buy them unless they're heavily fixed.

via destructoid http://ift.tt/2ieUUxU

News:: Razer built a laptop with three screens because why not?

Multi-display setups are increasingly common for desktop gaming rigs as they provide valuable extra visual real estate. But no matter how graphically powerful gaming laptops have been in the past, the onscreen action has always been limited to just that -- a single screen. At CES in Las Vegas today, Razer unveiled a prototype that could change the way we play. Behold: Project Valerie, the world's first laptop to incorporate three -- count 'em, three -- built-in monitors.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2iHFVxf

News:: Razer puts its Chroma system in a projector

Razer has packed its full-spectrum lighting system into everything from its headphones to keyboards to mice over the past few years. Now, that 16.8-million-color platform is expanding into third-party products as well, the company announced at CES today.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2iHI648

News:: The Das Keyboard 5Q brought notifications to my fingertips

Well-regarded mechanical keyboard maker Das Keyboard is taking its peripherals in a new direction. This is an internet-connected keyboard series where each key can light up with notifications -- if you want them to, that is. Not only does it connect to the internet, but the Das Keyboard 5Q is the first keyboard I've heard of that has its own open API, which gives you an idea the level of customization that's possible for those very enthusiastic typists out there.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2ieyVXG

News:: The Morning After: Thursday, January 5th, 2017

Welcome to Thursday!

Another busy day at Engadget as CES hits its stride. If you're interested in the future of TV, there's a whole lot to take in from LG, Samsung and Sony. We saw ASUS smartphones aimed at photographers and early adopters. Plus, we took a nap in the bed of the future. Our CES live stage broadcasts start today, so expect plenty of interviews as well as a little bit of frivolity along the way.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttp://ift.tt/2iLlnGY