News:: First Oddworld: Soulstorm image surfaces

Enterprising Oddworld fans have helped unearth an image for Oddworld: Soulstorm, this year's follow-up to Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, as part of an alternate-reality game. You can see the high-res version below, but a word of warning: don't fixate on the cracked fingernails like I did. Ahh, too late.

Admittedly, I wasn't aware an ARG was even happening, but with so many developers creating these community-bonding brainteasers for their games, it's easy to lose track of who's doing what and when. In this case, though, it's fairly easy to catch up after the fact -- there's an official recap and everything. The community still has several more images to unlock, so the puzzle-solving is far from over.

As for Soulstorm, Oddworld Inhabitants describes it as "a complete story retake inspired by our original tale." I know some of you are way into Oddworld -- especially when it comes to Exoddus -- and with that in mind, it's just terrific to see Lorne Lanning and co. continue to do their thing.

Image Leaks Show A New Threat To Mudokons! [Oddworld]

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News:: Oculus explains how room-scale VR taxes your USB ports

We've been dealing with USB for about two decades now, and to be honest, we're not usually asking that much from it. Plug in an adapter, microphone or game controller, then keep it moving. All of that changes, however, when it comes to virtual reality. As Oculus explains, plugging in a bunch of room scale sensors sends enough data through the ports to potentially overwhelm the 400MB/s capacity of the controller chip on your motherboard.

Because of this, the answer isn't to simply plug in a hub and get more high-speed USB 3.0 ports, in fact, Oculus says you should probably get good results by using two USB 3.0 connections, plus one older USB 2.0 port if you need to go beyond two sensors to get some more mobility in your VR experiences. The blog is currently helping gamers get through the setup process, so go ahead and check out all of the posts to make sure everything is positioned and working correctly.

Source: Oculus Blog

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News:: GameStop clearance sale brings $3 Battlefield 4 and cheap console games

We always enjoy these random clearance sale from GameStop, where they aggressively price slash overstock items for dirt cheap prices. For example, you can now find the PC DVD copy of Battlefield 4 for only $2.97. Other goodies include some relatively rare deals such as PS3 copies of Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Lionheart Edition and The Disgaea Triple Play Collection for cheap.

There's even the GameStop exclusive 3-pack amiibo for only $15. Other good picks are the recently released Steep for 50% off and DiRT Rally for $20. While the clearance sale is specifically geared towards collectibles and apparel, unsurprisingly the top-selling items are games.

Note: Use coupon SAVER for free shipping on purchase over $25.

PC Game Deals

• Battlefield: Hardline (Origin) — $5.97  (list price $9)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (Origin) — $5.97  (list price $8)
• Watch Dogs (Uplay) — $4.97  (list price $5)
• Battlefield 4 (Origin) — $2.97  (list price $6)
• Dishonored: Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $2.97  (list price $6)

Console Game Deals

• Watch Dogs 2 (Xbox One, PS4) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Steep Day One Edition (Xbox One, PS4) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Fallout 4 (Xbox One, PS4) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• UFC 2 (PS4, Xbox One) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• DiRT Rally Legend Edition (PS4, Xbox One) — $19.99  (list price $30)

PS4

• Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess (PS4) — $15.99  (list price $21)
• Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack (PS4) — $9.97  (list price $10)

Xbox One

• Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox One) — $15.97  (list price $20)

PS3

• The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Lionheart Edition (PS3) — $29.97  (list price $37)
• The Disgaea Triple Play Collection (PS3) — $15.97  (list price $22)

Nintendo

• Bayonetta 2 (Wii U) — $24.97  (list price $30)
• The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes (Nintendo 3DS) — $19.97  (list price $20)
• Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo 3DS) — $14.97  (list price $20)
• amiibo Retro 3-Pack Exclusive — $14.97  (list price $15)

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News:: Ninja Theory's Dexed hits PlayStation VR next week

I hadn't heard of Dexed until today, just ahead of its PlayStation VR launch on Tuesday, but knowing that it was made by Ninja Theory (Enslaved, Hellblade) and inspired by Panzer Dragoon has me curious.

It's a straightforward premise, with players holding an ice blaster in one hand, a fire blaster in the other, and painting targets that are susceptible to one elemental attack but not the other. This trailer gets that point across, so I'll just add that there's a standard relaxing "Zen Mode" option as well.

After back-to-back late nights spent with Resident Evil 7, I could use a palate cleanser. The user reviews for the already-released Oculus Rift and HTC Vive versions of Dexed sound decent enough: short, sweet, and well-polished. About what I would expect from a built-for-VR arcade title.

Best of all, this is reasonably priced at $10. There's simply not enough of that in the VR space.

Dexed hits PS VR Tuesday: A Vibrant VR Shooter From Ninja Theory [PlayStation Blog]

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News:: Watch enough ads and you might eventually beat the Flappy Bird guy's newest game

Dong Nguyen isn't a name most people will recognize, but he's responsible for a gaming phenomenon that most everyone knows of. Nguyen is the man behind Flappy Bird, a simple mobile game about navigating a weird-looking creature through sets of pipes. Depending on who you ask, it's either an addictive time-waster or a blight on the entire medium of video games.

Nguyen has just released his newest mobile title, Ninja Spinki Challenges, on both iOS and Android. Ninja Spinki is a series of six mini-games collected together as a series of 30 challenges. They're straightforward and uncomplicated tasks like dodging projectiles, jumping over fruit, and throwing shuriken at targets. The game is effortless enough at first.

However, as you progress, Ninja Spinki gets quite difficult. The obstacles come at a much faster clip and the time you must endure is much longer. Most people will find themselves failing many times over in their quest to eventually complete all 30 challenges.

There is, though, a devious implementation of advertising to help you get through the game. Upon failing, there's a choice between retrying or continuing by watching (or, in some instances, playing) an ad. Doing that will pick up the unsuccessful run where you left off. But, this can only be done once per attempt. You can't watch 10 ads to get through one 30-second challenge.

This is a particularly insidious business model because players can't brute force their way through the game. They will fail many times even when watching an ad; that's the nature of this game. Limiting it to one per try means that the cumulative ad views will surely be higher than if Ninja Spinki took an unlimited approach. That carrot on the stick is more tempting when you feel like you earned it. That's why so many people will chase it.

As for the game itself, it's simple but decent -- certainly more refined than Flappy Bird. But it also feels as if it was designed in order to make the user watch ads. It's free and doesn't feature any microtransactions, but most people would be hard-pressed to agree that this approach is any better.

Ninja Spinki Challenges [iTunes, Google Play]

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News:: New Double Dragon IV trailer sets up the story

Double Dragon IV is coming out in a few days! I didn't realize how close we were to the launch date, but I'm not so sure I'm going to even pick this up. Having couch co-op is a big plus, but the lack of online co-op definitely hurts. The PS4's "Share Play" feature does nothing for me on PC, which is the only place I'd have a chance of playing with one of my friends. UGH!

Still, the game looks pretty solid. The graphics are definitely ugly and do nothing for me (why not opt for SNES style sprites?), but everything looks smooth and doesn't have the flicker that nearly all NES games contained. I also like that there seem to be actual combos instead of loosely strung together moves.

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News:: At least 65,000 people are playing Resident Evil 7 in the best possible way

Resident Evil 7 is usually a scary game, but even when it's not scary it's always tense. The Baker compound is full of untold horrors but those horrors aren't constantly on the screen. In the moments where protagonist Ethan is alone, there's an unrelenting sense of dread because it seems as if something terrible is always only seconds away.

Yes, Resident Evil 7 is a masterclass in atmospheric design. That's especially true for anyone playing in virtual reality. In his review, Zack commented "My heart has become stone because of all of the horror media I've consumed, and I can usually predict scares. Something about being in VR threw that all out the window, and I was jumping and uneasy almost the entire time I played."

VR, because of its immersive nature, is surely the best way to experience Resident Evil 7. Almost 10 percent of tracked players have squared off against the Bakers while donning a helmet on their heads. According to Resident Evil's website, 684,849 people are playing the game and 65,819 are doing so with PlayStation VR. Those numbers are at the time of writing and are constantly increasing.

Read more...

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News:: Michel Ancel's animal adventure Wild is still happening

News:: Gears of War 4 adds cross-play in competitive multiplayer

At last year's E3, Microsoft's big focus was Play Anywhere gaming. That's the initiative that's rooted in the mindset that people can play first-party Microsoft games on both their Xbox or PC; the transition should be seamless. But, an interview with 343 Industries revealed a key detail: Play Anywhere doesn't necessarily mean play with anyone.

Cross-play isn't something that Microsoft promised as a part of Play Anywhere, but one of its studios is trying it anyway. After a successful trial weekend in late December, Gears of War 4 is introducing a cross-play playlist in competitive multiplayer. If all goes smoothly for a couple months, it'll be added as a permanent feature.

The change was revealed in a post on Xbox Wire. The test run seems to have assuaged any concerns that platform-specific nuance would give one side a significant advantage. According to The Coalition's findings "Windows 10 and Xbox players had closely-matched results when comparing Average (kill to death ratio), score, and kills per match based on skill ratings." The sample size was more than 750,000 matches, and the breakdown of players was 91 percent on Xbox One to just 9 percent on Windows 10 PC.

Although cross-play is coming to Gears 4's competitive multiplayer, things will stay more traditional where they really matter. The cross-play playlist is in social quickly only. Core and competitive play will remain platform independent. The Coalition commented on this by saying "Despite the closely matched performance between users on both platforms seen in our cross-play test weekend, we always want to ensure our ranked experiences are as closely matched and competitive as possible."

Gears of War 4 has actually had cross-play implementation since launch, but it was confined to cooperative ventures in the campaign and in Horde mode. Adding it to competitive multiplayer is a big step forward for Microsoft and Play Anywhere. But, we still probably shouldn't expect other developers to follow suit anytime soon.

Gears of War 4 Introduces Versus Social Cross-play Between Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs! [Xbox Wire]

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News:: Overwatch just hit the 25 million player mark

It's closing in on the one year anniversary of Overwatch in May (!), and I feel like Blizzard's first new IP in over a decade managed to already accomplish so much. It has a legion of fans behind it creating crafts, cosplay costumes, and a whole lot more, and it's ripping up the eSports scene and even debuted an Overwatch League this year with guaranteed salaries. Just how popular is it? Well, Blizzard just shared a new milestone of 25 million players as of last night.

I really wonder what percentage of that playerbase spends money on Loot Boxes, either as a one-time purchase or on the regular. Because somehow, if even 50% of that population was dropping $10 a month on them, it would be akin to buying a monthly subscription fee during World of Warcraft's peak.

That's...an insane amount of money even if they didn't sell any boxes, but since I know people who have dropped a few hundred bucks on their own, I think Blizzard is happy.

Overwatch [Twitter]

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News:: Hitman's new bonus episode revisits Sapienza

Pack your bags! We're going back to Sapienza! In Landslide, the next bonus episode of Hitman, IO Interactive is altering the town's scenery to make way for a concert near the harbor and a bustling marketplace in the main square. The target? "Marco Abbiati, a snake-tongued wealthy businessman-turned-politician who is returning to his hometown to run for mayor." He sure sounds like the type.

Folks who own the "Complete First Season" or the "Upgrade Pack" will get this bonus episode at no extra cost. But if you're anything like me, you still have tons of progress left to make in the game. Things to do, people to see, bodies to pile. I mean hell, I even have unfinished business in Paris!

Landslide will also be a part of the physical version of Hitman, which releases on January 31, 2017. Otherwise, you'll be able to nab it on the same day in the Bonus Episode add-on (formerly referred to as the Summer Bonus Episode) which also includes The Icon and A House Built on Sand.

Landslide Reveal [Hitman]

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News:: 'Pillars of Eternity II' breaks crowdfunding goal in 24 hours

The sequel to Obsidian's critically acclaimed isometric RPG Pillars of Eternity is officially a go. The studio announced Thursday that it's campaign to crowdfund development on Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire reached its $1.1 million goal in less than a day.

Source: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire on Fig

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News:: Duh: Bringing Missingno into Pokemon Sun and Moon will bork your game

As you would probably expect, importing the infamous glitched Pokemon Missingno into Pokemon Sun and Moon with the newly minted Bank update will have some sort of negative impact on your save file. Although its far-reaching effects haven't been fully documented, at the very least it'll mess up your nicknames for Sun and Moon, which counts them as "transferred" nicknames, leaving you unable to change them.

On one hand, I get how dumb it would be to bring a glitched Pokemon into Sun and Moon. Outside of the people trying it for science (like the one below), you have to expect something to happen. But on the other, Nintendo kind of knew this would happen and could have tested it, or just removed that functionality from the Bank. I mean, you don't need to use an outside device or even hack the game to get it.

Read more...

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News:: The best PC game deals in Lunar New Year sales

If you didn't know, Chinese/Lunar New Year arrives this weekend on Saturday, January 28. You might've already seen events created to tie-in with the celebration. This has now been extended to video game sales, where select digital retailers have decided to spring up their own respective sales for PC games.

At Green Man Gaming, we're seeing over 500 titles on sale, while Bundle Stars has about 500 too, and Origin is running an "Action / Year of the Rooster Sale" aptly named depending on the region you're in.

If you're not in the mood to flip through thousand of games to find that extra backlog title, we've rounded up the top 110 deals base on price history and noteworthiness. Our picks from GMG include Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition for only $54; Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide for only $8.29, and the recently released The Dwarves for $35.89.

At Bundle Stars, you'll find Mortal Kombat XL for only $9.19; the Dreamcast Collection for $5; and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter for only $4.59 (be sure to use code LUNAR8 during checkout for an additional 8% off). Finally, at Origin, while it's not exactly the sequel fans were looking for, Mirror's Edge Catalyst is now only $13. Not bad.

Green Man Gaming Lunar New Year Sale

Top Picks

• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Digital Deluxe (Steam) — $54.57  (list price $80)
• Grand Theft Auto V — $23.99  (list price $60)
• The Dwarves (Steam) — $35.89  (list price $40)
• Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (Steam) — $8.29  (list price $30)
• Paradox Grand Strategy Collection (Steam) — $31.99  (list price $150)

2K Titles

• Grand Theft Auto V Megalodon Bundle — $43.57  (list price $136)
• Grand Theft Auto V Whale Bundle — $35.79  (list price $99)
• Grand Theft Auto V Great White Bundle — $30.57  (list price $76)
• Mafia III (Steam) — $33.79  (list price $60)
• Mafia II Digital Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $7.99  (list price $40)
• NBA 2K17 Legend Edition (Steam) — $41.79  (list price $80)
• NBA 2K17 (Steam) — $33.79  (list price $60)
• XCOM 2: Digital Deluxe (Steam) — $26.99  (list price $75)
• XCOM 2 (Steam) — $23.99  (list price $60)
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown The Complete Edition (Steam) — $7.99  (list price $50)
• Max Payne Complete Bundle (Steam) — $13.29  (list price $55)
• Max Payne 3 Complete (Steam) — $8.57  (list price $35)
• Max Payne 2 (Steam) — $2.79  (list price $10)
• Max Payne (Steam) — $2.79  (list price $10)
• Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $7.99  (list price $40)
• Borderlands Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $4.29  (list price $30)

More Top Picks

• Master Of Orion (Steam) — $12.79  (list price $30)
• State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition (Steam) — $14.89  (list price $30)
• Super Dungeon Bros (Steam) — $17.89  (list price $20)
• BioShock: The Collection (Steam) — $15.99  (list price $60)
• Umbrella Corps (Steam) — $11.99  (list price $30)
• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) — $14.57  (list price $30)
• Syndrome (Steam) — $11.29  (list price $20)
• Shenzhen I/O (Steam) — $10.79  (list price $15)
• Infinifactory (Steam) — $9.99  (list price $25)
• Hearts of Iron 3 Collection (Steam) — $8.29  (list price $45)
• DMC: Devil May Cry (Steam) — $5.99  (list price $30)
• Hybrid Wars: Deluxe Edition & Season Pass (Steam) — $6.57  (list price $25)
• Hybrid Wars (Steam) — $4.79  (list price $18)
• Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition (Steam) — $19.99  (list price $50)
• Dead Rising (Steam) — $12.79  (list price $20)
• Dead Rising 2 (Steam) — $4.79  (list price $20)
• Super Meat Boy (Steam) — $3.29  (list price $15)
• I am Bread (Steam) — $2.79  (list price $13)
• Press X to Not Die (Steam) — $1.29  (list price $3)
• Total Annihilation (Steam) — $1.14  (list price $5)
• The Binding of Isaac — $1.14  (list price $5)

Bundle Stars Lunar New Year Deals

Use code: LUNAR8

Steam Key Bundle Deals

• Mortal Kombat XL (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $50)
• Baldur's Gate: The Complete Saga (Steam) — $14.89  (list price $60)
• Batman: Arkham Knight Bundle (Steam) — $15.63  (list price $50)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Complete Bundle (Steam) — $14.71  (list price $50)
• Mount and Blade: Full Collection (Steam) — $10.34  (list price $45)
• Darksiders Franchise Pack (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $50)
• Gothic & ArcaniA Bundle (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $50)
• Company Of Heroes Franchise Edition (Steam) — $22.99  (list price $100)
• Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection (Steam) — $13.79  (list price $60)
• King’s Bounty: Collector’s Pack (Steam) — $6.89  (list price $30)
• Dreamcast Collection (Steam) — $4.98  (list price $30)
• Game of Thrones Bundle (Steam) — $6.25  (list price $20)

Top Pick Under $5 Deals

• Mad Max (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Bundle (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)

Party Games

• Tabletop Simulator (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $20)
• The Jackbox Party 3 (Steam) — $16.09  (list price $25)
• The Jackbox Party Pack 2 (Steam) — $13.79  (list price $25)
• The Jackbox Party Pack (Steam) — $10.34  (list price $25)
• The Jackbox Combo Pack (Steam) — $20.69  (list price $50)

Warhammer

• Total War: Warhammer (Steam) — $41.39  (list price $60)
• Warhammer 40k Dawn of War Master Collection (Steam) — $8.73  (list price $38)
• Warhammer 40k Dawn of War II - Grand Master Collection (Steam) — $18.39  (list price $80)
• Warhammer 40k: Space Marine Collection (Steam) — $13.79  (list price $60)

More Top Picks

• F1 2016 (Steam) — $33.11  (list price $60)
• Space Hulk - Deathwing (Steam) — $31.27  (list price $40)
• Quantum Break (Steam) — $27.59  (list price $40)
• DiRT Rally (Steam) — $22.07  (list price $60)
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Steam) — $18.39  (list price $40)
• Mordheim: City of the Damned (Steam) — $15.99  (list price $40)
• Blood Bowl 2 (Steam) — $14.07  (list price $45)
• Blood Bowl Legendary Edition (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Steam) — $11.03  (list price $40)
• LEGO Harry Potter Combo Pack (Steam) — $8.27  (list price $40)
• LEGO Marvel Avengers Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $11.49  (list price $50)
• LEGO Batman Trilogy — $11.49  (list price $50)
• LEGO Jurassic World Complete Pack (Steam) — $5.51  (list price $24)
• Farming Simulator 15 (Steam) — $11.49  (list price $30)
• Homefront: The Revolution (Steam) — $11.03  (list price $40)
• Grid Autosport (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $40)
• Dead Island Definitive Edition (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $20)
• Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $20)
• Dead Island Retro Revenge (Steam) — $2.29  (list price $5)
• Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Steam) — $9.19  (list price $20)
• Dead Age (Steam) — $8.82  (list price $16)
• Soul Axiom (Steam) — $7.35  (list price $20)
• Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (Steam) — $6.89  (list price $30)
• Styx: Master of Shadows (Steam) — $6.89  (list price $30)
• SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell (Steam) — $6.89  (list price $15)
• Kingdom New Lands Royal Edition (Steam) — $6.89  (list price $15)
• Mighty No. 9 (Steam) — $6.24  (list price $20)
• Broken Age (Steam) — $5.74  (list price $25)
• Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Mortal Kombat X (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Cities XL Platinum (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Ryse: Son of Rome (Steam) — $4.59  (list price $20)
• Shoppe Keep (Steam) — $4.31  (list price $7)
• Of Orcs and Men (Steam) — $4.13  (list price $15)
• Contrast (Steam) — $3.67  (list price $10)
• Condemned Criminal Origins (Steam) — $3.54  (list price $15)
• Deadlight: Director's Cut (Steam) — $2.75  (list price $12)
• Door Kickers (Steam) — $2.75  (list price $20)

Origin Year of Rooster / Action Sale

• Battlefield 1 Standard Edition (Origin) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Titanfall 2 (Origin) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• FIFA 17 (Origin) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 (Origin) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Star Wars: Battlefront Ultimate Edition (Origin) — $29.99  (list price $40)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition (Origin) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• Need for Speed Deluxe Edition (Origin) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• Need for Speed (Origin) — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Star Wars: Battlefront (Origin) — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Mirror's Edge Catalyst (Origin) — $13.32  (list price $20)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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News:: How many Pokemon can you name in 20 seconds?

At one point I could name every Generation 1 Pokemon in order. I'm a little rusty, but I can still mostly do it -- unless someone gave me a time limit.

That's just what Nintendo did with Game Freak producer Junichi Masuda, when he's asked to name as many creatures as he can in 20 seconds. He does admirably with 30, but he cracks near the end before spitting out "Mew!" With 801 in all at this point it's more of a test of how fast you can speak than it is memorization, but Masuda is fun to watch regardless.

Read more...

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News:: Pillars of Eternity II is definitely happening, reaches its goal in less than a day

Yesterday, we told you about Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, a new CRPG from Obsidian that would only happen if people were willing to fund it before development. Well, people were certainly willing to fund it before development. Like the original Pillars of Eternity, the sequel quickly surpassed its crowdfunding goal and will enter production as a game that's definitely happening. 

Deadfire actually has bragging rights over its predecessor. While the first Pillars took just more than 24 hours to earn $1.1 million, Deadfire raised the same amount in just under 24 hours -- 22 hours and 57 minutes, to be precise. At the time of writing, the campaign was up to $1.14 million with 28 days left.

The sequel certainly seems to be on the same trajectory as the first Pillars game. That's a trend Obsidian is surely ecstatic about, as that crowdfunding venture ended just shy of $4 million. Anything in the same ballpark would have to be considered a massive success.

For now, Obsidian is working on stretch goals for cumulative pledges above and beyond the original $1.1 million. The first such incentive is the addition of sub-classes at $1.4 million. Something tells me Obsidian is going to have to add a lot more than one stretch goal.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire [Fig]

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News:: Pursue startup success at any cost in 'The Founder'

If you've ever wanted to play through a cynical take on Silicon Valley in a Sims-like fashion, Francis Tseng has a game for you. It's called The Founder and this dystopian look at the founding and success of a startup comes in the form of a browser-based game. You start out in 2001, plotting to take over the world after naming your company, picking a business and adding your first employee. Of course, you're working in an apartment like all new companies do.

Via: Fast Company

Source: The Founder

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News:: Dead Rising 4 update adds new difficulty modes and Street Fighter costume DLC

Dead Rising 4 may not be that bad of a game, but it certainly is a terrible Dead Rising game. It eschews all of the hallmarks of the series to craft a generic open-world action title with little to no connection to the previous entries in the series. The biggest problem, for most fans, is the lack of a time limit and how easy that seemed to make the game.

While the time limit isn't coming back in the next update, the game will at least become a bit harder. Launching on January 30, "Hard" and "Ultra-Hard" modes will severely limit the durability of all weapons and make health items restore much less vitality. That does seem more in line with the older titles, which asked you to blend health items and carry magazines to beef up your arsenal.

In a show of good faith, Capcom is also giving out some Street Fighter-themed costumes for Frank to wear. These include outfits based on Guile, M. Bison, Zangief, Cammy, and T. Hawk. I'm glad these are being offered free as I used to enjoy unlocking alternate attire in games (something Dead Rising has always done really well).

If you're still curious about the game, Xbox One users will also have the chance to download a timed trial version of the full experience. Limited to one hour, this trial will allow you to experience as much of the game as possible and carry your data over into the full version. You can also earn Achievements, if that interests you.

Dead Rising 4 is getting new two new difficulty modes and a timed demo [Eurogamer]

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News:: Japan is getting a Final Fantasy XIV-inspired live-action TV drama

When you hear the term "live action Final Fantasy TV drama," you probably imagine something akin to Game of Thrones. But don't get your hopes up too much. Final Fantasy XIV: Daddy of Light is actually an upcoming Japanese TV drama that centers on the relationship between a father and son playing the popular MMO, reports Kotaku. It's based on a series of blog posts by a Japanese gamer who played FFXIV with his 60-year-old father, and it's also apparently the first time Final Fantasy has inspired a live action show. The series will also incorporate in-game segments from the MMO when it launches in April, so fans will still be able to get their Chocobo fix.

Via: Kotaku

Source: Model Press

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News:: Don't like Overwatch's Bastion? Well he might be getting a buff soon

Bastion, the character that can be easily countered and has always been a mid-tier winrate hero at best at all levels of play, has been a sore spot since his debut. Many players who don't go out of their comfort zone to try new counters think he's overtuned, but Blizzard actually thinks he needs a little more help.

Speaking on the forums, designer Geoff Goodman noted that he was looking into changing the hero, as a direct response to a thread that noted that Bastion was in a "bad spot." Since he's rarely used in tournaments outside of the Watchpoint: Gibraltar map and frequently at the bottom of tier lists and the like, Blizzard clearly wants him to see more play.

No timeline was given for these changes, but if you still somehow think Bastion is "overpowered," check out some guides before this update hits.

Bastion [Battle.net]

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News:: The Public Access Weekly: Feel the pain

Greetings and salutations all, and welcome to Friday. We're going to make it a quick one -- I've been unexpectedly laid up with back pain this week so the whole Public Access machine has sort of ground to a halt. That means a lot of you have been waiting too long to hear back about articles and registrations, and my sincere apologies for that. So, let's get this party started so I can get back to all of you (very patient) folks!

A quick note for Public Access users: There have been some issues lately with members not understanding what constitutes plagiarism so let me clarify. Publishing work that belongs to someone else is plagiarism. Do not publish someone else's work under your name -- even if they are a friend and ask you to help them out because they are having computer problems, or say they've been waiting too long for an article to be approved, or have forgotten their login info. If you did not write it, and your name is on it, that is plagiarism and we will bounce you. If you want to quote something that someone else has written or said, then you need to use quotation marks around the text you did not write and cite the source with a mention and a link. As always, if you have questions you can email us or click the "Start Conversation" button within the story template.

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News:: Death Squared will test your puzzle solving skills, and your relationships

The lobby of the San Francisco Hilton was congested as 9 to 5ers met over cocktails, conversed, laughed, and routinely checked their smartphones looking for a better time than the one they were currently having. Well off my normal path, I stopped by for an appointment away from the bustle and the noise in a somewhat quiet area where I would be meeting Ashley Ringrose of SMG Studios. Based out of Australia, SMG will be releasing Death Squared, its first console game, in a few weeks. I’ve been writing for Destructoid for well over a year, but this was to be my first face-to-face meeting with a developer.

Death Squared, which we have previewed here before, is a multiplayer puzzle game with a simple premise: move your robot to its color-matching goal point. Play by yourself and you control two robots with each of the control sticks on your controller. Play with a friend and you’ll each control one robot, working together to reach their respective goal points. The campaign has about 80 stages and can be played entirely in co-op. Bring in two more players and you can tackle special stages designed for four robots. Two players can also take on these stages, each controlling two robots.

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News:: 'Gears of War 4' makes cross-platform multiplayer official

Last December Microsoft tried out something it hadn't done in quite awhile: adversarial cross-platform multiplayer. For a single weekend, there was a test between folks playing against each other in Gears of War 4 on PC and Xbox One. Now, that's moving from a beta to an official release. Before you reach for the pitchforks, though, this is only for the brawny shooter's (unranked) Social Quickplay mode. From a post on the Windows 10 blog:

Source: Windows 10 blog, Xbox Wire

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News:: Vote for your favorite Fire Emblem character, get 200 My Nintendo points

I talked about it a bit in yesterday's Nintendo Download post, but the Big N is currently running a Fire Emblem-centric poll to decide what characters appear in the upcoming Fire Emblem Heroes mobile game. After one day they've shared the current results, with Ike at #1 (his Path of Radiance iteration), followed by Roy, Hector, and Chrom on the heroes side, and Lyn, Lucina, Tharja, and Camilla at the top on the heroine side.

Another tidbit has come to light since its debut as well -- if you participate, you'll earn 200 Platinum Points for your My Nintendo account. You won't really be able to buy anything with those points if you use it regularly, but that's a fairly hefty amount. If you're remotely interested either for the reward or the glory, you have until the end of January 31 to vote.

Nintendo of America [Twitter]

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News:: Check out Flixist's review of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Like most major horror franchises, the Resident Evil series has more films in it than it probably needed to. But unlike most horror film series, there's been a single story strung along through the franchise and it's finally come to an end after fifteen years. Is The Final Chapter a good film? Not really, no. But it's only meant as a reward for those who've stuck with the series for so long. 

Here's an excerpt from Flixist's review: 

The Resident Evil films have always been a special kind of terrible. While not great films in their own right, each film is part of a larger ambitious tale further spurned on by both fan and creator devotion. Each one might not fare well critically, but it's never deterred husband and wife duo, Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich, from telling their story. The fact a series of barely qualifying video game adaptations has gotten this far is unprecedented. 

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is neither for fans of the Resident Evil video game series, nor is it for general horror fans. It's a film made purely for its own hardcore fan base. They're the only ones who are going to get anything out of this. 

Read the full review here. 

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News:: FBI releases redacted report of its GamerGate investigation

It's one thing to have read about (and reported on) the various threats of violence perpetrated by GamerGate, but seeing the FBI's collection of documents regarding the harassment campaign is entirely different. The Bureau recently released a 173-page document that compiles a plethora of emails and tweets received, seemingly, by targets including culture critic Anita Sarkeesian and game developer Brianna Wu. There are also internal reports, police reports and letters of request to various gaming and tech companies. I only say "seemingly" because names, email addresses and identifying information has been redacted throughout the report. But lining up the emails with dates and news stories, it's plainly obvious who the trolls were writing to.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

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News:: The Capcom Bar in Shinjuku just added a bunch of Mega Man menu items

I've walked right past the Capcom Bar in Shinjuku, but I never went in. I heard it wasn't that great, but I'll have to return to it someday, even if it's just to briefly check it out on the interior -- hopefully when that day comes, it'll be Mega Man themed.

As of this week the Capcom Bar has added some new Mega Man food and drink items, including "Cut Man stew" and a "Blues Shield cocktail." Although I missed this one I have been to many "themed" restaurants and know that a lot of this stuff is overpriced, but occasionally you can find something worthwhile (the presentation on the Cut Man stew is awesome), and the atmosphere is usually pretty inviting.

Capcom Bar [Rockman Unity via Rockman Corner]

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News:: Tabletop-centric PAX Unplugged announced, set for Nov 2017 in Philadelphia

Today, during PAX South 2017, Penny Arcade announced PAX Unplugged, the latest in its ever-expanding series of Penny Arcade Expos. As the name suggests, PAX Unplugged will focus on tabletop gaming, taking the community-forward nature of your average PAX and applying it to the house that the Monopoly Man built. Unplugged will take place in Philadelphia, PA and will run from November 17-19, 2017.

"This show is borne out of demand. The industry as a whole is asking for more," Ryan Hartman, Penny Arcade's Director of Events and Soldier: 76 main said in a phone interview conducted earlier this week. "This is our chance to throw new things at the wall. This is gonna be a PAX, it's gonna have a PAX feel, it's gonna have our vibe and our fingerprints all over it, but [Unplugged] has its own spin and flavor. It's not a cut and paste of other shows we've done."

"It's on-brand for a gaming convention, because we're going to play around with that space," Penny Arcade co-founder and Zarya main Jerry Holkins said. "My suspicion is that because Unplugged is a different beast, we're going to learn a thing or two there that we can bring back [to the other shows.]"

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News:: 'A Normal Lost Phone' is a game set entirely inside a smartphone

"A Normal Lost Phone." That's precisely what you think after launching this curious new indie game. The text messages, calendar app and music player -- everything is made to look and feel like a smartphone. You're free to poke around, but with no credit or internet connection your options seem limited. That is, until you start reading the texts. You'll quickly discover who the owner is and begin to piece together their life, including their relationships and inner demons. I'll say no more -- any further details would give away the story -- but it's a brilliant blend of writing and puzzles.

Source: A Normal Lost Phone

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News:: 'Flappy Bird' creator returns with another infuriating game

While game companies are spending millions developing and marketing addictive mobile games, every once in a while an indie hit appears out of nowhere and captures the public's imagination. In 2013, that game was Flappy Bird, a notoriously difficult endless runner-style game that thrust its Vietnamese creator, Dong Nguyen, into an unwanted spotlight.

Nguyen ended up pulling the game from Apple and Google's app stores a few months later (despite making a ton of money), because it had become an "addictive product" that was causing him and its players issues. It also allowed him to focus on making more games. With seven titles now behind him, including Swing Copters, Nguyen is back with a new game called Ninja Spinki Challenges!! -- and it's every bit as difficult as you'd expect.

Via: Venturebeat

Source: Ninja Spinki Challenges (App Store), (Google Play)

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