News:: Destructoid Wrestling Episode 1: Jordan Devore, The Bye Bye Man, and more

As you're basking in the post-WrestleMania glow, please enjoy the first episode of Destructoid Wrestling! In our inaugural installment, Jordan Devore bleeds, Brett Makedonski has trouble with the tables, and Zack Furniss puts the killing thing between his lips. Also, the Bye Bye Man (the villain from the film The Bye Bye Man) is here, because we said his name.

Make sure to update your brackets as the Destructoid Championship Tournament continues, here at the Destructoid Titans of Wrestling Federation: DTF (the "Wrestling" is silent).

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News:: toco toco hangs with NieR director Yoko Taro for the day

NieR: Automata director and all-around lovable scamp Yoko Taro is the latest subject of toco toco, a wonderful documentary series that interviews creators in and outside of the video game industry.

Since this episode debuted two days ago, I've started Automata, finished my first playthrough, and am now properly digging into it again -- a process I'll surely repeat at least a few more times. I knew it was going to be good, but as my first Yoko Taro game, I didn't expect to be quite so enthralled.

"Looking at AAA titles, of course I find them beautiful or interesting, but after 20 minutes of gameplay, I wonder whether it is going to be the same for the following 20 hours," he says. "I am a bit tired of this. If possible, I would like to make games that are unexpected, games that keep changing forms."

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News:: Marvel says the Spider-Man game's coming in 2017, Insomniac immediately says 'nah'

The Insomniac-developed PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man game has been at the center of a tangled web of misinformation today. For a bit -- just a very little bit -- it was announced to be releasing later this year. Then it was immediately countered.

On a live stream (and as reported on reddit), Marvel vice president and executive editor of digital media Ryan Penagos casually mentioned that Spider-Man would ship in 2017. This was news to everyone, as a release date had never been stated.

However, Insomniac took to Twitter as soon as this started making the rounds. Responding to a user, the developer said "No release timeframe has been announced." The release date news was squashed almost as quickly as it leaked.

So, is this whole situation a net zero for information? Yeah, kind of (but we ran an article anyway). Insomniac never said that Spider-Man isn't coming in 2017, just that a window hasn't been announced. If Spider-Man actually is set for this year, it's certainly the type of thing that's being saved for a more grand reveal than an off-handed comment on a live stream.

Alternatively, maybe Spider-Man won't ship this year and Penagos just misspoke. That's definitely a possibility. Or, and this is probably the most likely of them all, development's still up in the air enough that Insomniac isn't sure if it'll finish in time to release by the end of 2017.

We're no closer to knowing when Spider-Man on PS4 will release. It's just that everything got considerably more confusing, the waters a lot muddier. Video games are funny like that sometimes.

Marvel's Vice President & Executive Editor Ryan Penagos: Insomniac Spider-Man releasing in 2017 on PS4. [reddit], @insomniacgames [Twitter]

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News:: Knuckle Sandwich looks weird as heck

I have no idea what's going on in Knuckle Sandwich. It looks goofy, full of people with weird noses and boring day jobs. But apparently, there are monsters and cults, random low-poly character models, and knives too. 

Basically, Knuckle Sandwich looks like a messy ball of creativity. I dig it.

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News:: We Happy Few is being adapted into a feature film

We Happy Few is the title of an upcoming dystopian drug-addled video game, but it's also a phrase that could describe the audiences of video game movies. Films based on gaming properties have a well-deserved reputation for sucking, the exceptions being far too rare to undo that perception.

Maybe though, just maybe, We Happy Few can do something to chisel away at that mindset. According to a report from Variety, Gold Circle Films and dj2 Entertainment have partnered to produce the film adaption. No names have yet been attached to the project.

What We Happy Few has going for it is an honest-to-goodness lack of expectations. Video game movies often fall flat because they can't measure up to the memories players hold dear from when they first experienced Doom or Assassin's Creed or World of Warcraft or Street Fighter or [insert literally any game that's good but movie that's bad here].

We Happy Few has none of that going for it because it's not even a complete dang game yet. It's still in beta on PC and in the preview program on Xbox One. Instead, it's the ideas and themes that the producers will try to transfer to film, a direction that affords itself a hell of a lot more creative license. We still don't know how We Happy Few will turn out as a video game, and for that reason it probably stands a better chance at being a decent movie.

"We Happy Few" Videogame Getting Movie Adaption (Exclusive) [Variety]

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News:: Blizzard is building up to the next Overwatch event

What's this? An incoming Overwatch event?

Initiating archive declassification…
Mission files unlock: April 11

RETWEET to confirm. http://pic.twitter.com/GUvthyskCm

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 3, 2017

Blizzard is teasing a mysterious something for April 11, and with key points like "King's Row Uprising" and "Entered into record 7 years ago," it's hard not to be curious about what's in store for us.

If you focus, you can make out a few more details: a strange Tracer skin, the King's Row map looking a tad different (or is that just my imagination?), and a banner for "Mandatory Robot Registration."

I'm not expecting a new hero reveal quite yet, but what a pleasant surprise that would be.

Overwatch [Twitter]

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News:: Dishonored 2's getting a free trial that's made up of the first three missions

Five months after the fervor has subsided, Bethesda's looking to cash in on a few more residual Dishonored 2 sales. The "try before you buy" model has proven itself proficient in the past -- especially when there's no real threat that it might scare off customers who were willing to pay -- so that's the route Bethesda's going.

On April 6, Dishonored 2 will get a trial on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It'll consist of the game's first three missions (although I suppose savvy samplers could play it as both Emily and Corvo, essentially turning it into a six mission demo). For anyone who's keen to buy it afterward, progress from the trial will carry over to the full game.

Strangely, this trial doesn't seem like it'll coincide with a sale. That's how these things usually go this far after release -- a one-two punch of gameplay they like and then a splash screen declaring a $20 discount. There's still time for Bethesda to stealthily slash Dishonored 2's price; we'll have to wait until Thursday to see.

Dishonored 2 Free Trial [Bethesda]

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News:: PlayStation classic 'Jak and Daxter' will be re-released on PS4

Sony isn't slowing down in its quest to bring seemingly every classic PlayStation series to the PS4. The gaming giant has revealed that Naughty Dog's PS2-era Jak and Daxter games (The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing) will be available on the PS4 as a download later in 2017. Don't get your hopes up for a Crash Bandicoot-style makeover, though. They'll be rendered at 1080p and support modern features like Remote Play and trophies, but they won't receive graphical overhauls or any new features. If you want to duke it out with a friend in Jak X, you'll have to share a TV.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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News:: Miniature documentary on fighting game taunts leads with teabagging

Core-A Gaming recently put up an cool little mini-doc on YouTube that deals with the philosophy of taunting in fighting games.

It goes over some examples in the community, the reasoning behind why it works, and shifts into a great breakdown of how to condition your opponent. As someone who has been playing fighting games for over two decades, I know the feeling of playing someone who can't deal with a particular tactic and spamming it to victory and tilting them with taunts. I'm a fan of zoners for the same reason -- it's easy to provoke players into making a mistake.

Even if you're up to snuff on the Psychology 101 type stuff in the video, it's worth a watch just to see some of the historical uses of the concept in FGC history. 

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News:: After Rime, Tequila Works' next project is a VR murder mystery

We all get to see how Rime, a game that was shown off in 2013, worked out in May. But Tequila Works is already looking to the future, as The Sexy Brutale is due for release this month, and their next project, which is VR related, has been revealed.

There's no date in sight, but The Invisible Hours is an intriguing murder mystery concept that sees players reliving the death of Nikola Tesla in a "whodunnit" fashion. We've already seen several "board game" type projects in the VR space, so I hope this one continues to iterate on what we've seen so far from the tech.

Right now it's far from setting the world on fire, amidst turmoil at the Oculus camp and the tepid pace of the Vive. At the moment Sony is poised to take advantage with PlayStation VR, but right now there are very few games that have stone cold dates for it, and even fewer exclusives.

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News:: Jak and Daxter PS2 games, not HD versions, get PS4 port

Naughty Dog will "up-render" Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing for digital release on PlayStation 4 sometime this year. That means it's the original PS2 versions rather than the PS3 HD renditions for the first three games. Jak X: Combat Racing will release for the first time since its original launch in 2005, though it will not feature online multiplayer.

Yes it's a lot of work, but if Naughty Dog is not going to port the HD versions alongside a properly-made HD remaster of Jak X with online multiplayer, then why bother? Jak X may not be a big deal, but Naughty Dog decided it was a big enough deal to port it. They're just not giving anyone a reason to pay to emulate it on PS4.

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News:: Cave Story+ comes to Nintendo Switch this June

With all the teasing out of Nicalis, Cave Story on the Nintendo Switch has been a matter of when, not if. The unforgettable platforming adventure game is indeed getting a Switch port, both at retail and on the eShop like The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ before it, and it'll be out June 20, 2017 for $30.

According to Nintendo Everything, this port, Cave Story+, has "seven play modes such as Wind Fortress and Boss Rush, more than twenty boss battles, fifteen levels, ten unique weapons, and four unique endings." More than that, I'll be curious to see what goodies make it into the physical edition.

As Chris said, I hope this one ends up being the honest-to-goodness definitive version. I'm fond enough of Cave Story to entertain that price point, and knowing that it has everything would seal it for me.

Cave Story+ launching on Switch in June [Nintendo Everything]

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News:: Nintendo Switch owners report yet another issue: warping

The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling console in the company's history, sure, but it hasn't been all roses. For example, gamers have encountered significant problems with the dock and Joy-Con controllers. But wait, there's more: Remember when the iPhone 6 famously experienced bending issues in 2014? Now, it's the Switch that has warping troubles.

Via: TechnoBuffalo

Source: Reddit

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News:: Catwoman doesn't seem half bad in her full Injustice 2 gameplay trailer

Every time I cover Injustice 2 for this site, I bounce back and forth between hype and confusion. And for those of you following its character reveals and story trailers, I'm pretty sure it's been the same situation for you. The latest gameplay trailer highlights Catwoman, and she seems a little better off than she was in the first game. 

I didn't play her a lot in the first title, so unfortunately I can't dig too deep into her changes but I like what I see here. Her cat trait seemed slower, and it threw off Poison Ivy's rhythm (who we should've seen in full already, honestly), so I wonder how that's going to affect her combo potential overall. Injustice 2 seems a lot more close range friendly than the last go around, so I'm impressed. 

Too bad about those Source Crystals though. 

Injustice 2 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One May 16.

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News:: Modders are angry at Valve's recent handling of Dota 2

Going back as far as the '90s, there has been a small collective of modders in the community that either have a successful side hustle, or a full-time gig providing content on top of what the development team already offers. Valve is pretty much the perfect mark, as they have a built-in audience of millions and facilitate that content creator/overlord relationship, but that's changing with Dota 2, and people aren't happy about it.

Over on reddit one post is getting a lot of traction. The chief allegation is that Valve is paying out less cash for items that are sold on their marketplace, and haven't told people ahead of time that the change would take place. Originally that involved getting a 25% cut, but that changed to 12.5% (with a 12.5% cut for Battle Passes), and now, supposedly 12.5% across the board without concessions for passes.

Another issue is that Valve has made the space even more crowded with this cut, so people are competing like crazy to make ends meet. Content creators also state that immortal items ruin the market, as players who obtain immortal items (including Axe players, who has an immortal in every equippable slot) won't buy anything else. In case you were wondering, yes some folks make a living off of these mods, so this alteration has been pretty life-changing for them.

Even if you aren't remotely interested in Dota 2, MOBAs, or skin economies, the entire breakdown is a fascinating read. We've reached out to Valve for comment and will update if we hear anything back.

Dota 2 [Reddit]

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News:: Australia? Europe? US? Peach Beach to reach each for 'summer' splash

Summer is the season for beaches, peaches, and water gun fights. What better time for Marvelous Entertainment to finally deliver Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash to the west? Well OK Australia is not considered west but we all count them with America and Europe anyway.

And oh yeah, when it's summer in the U.S. and Europe, it'll be winter down in $6-coke land. So, when they say the game release "this Summer within Europe and Australia (and U.S.)," are they suggesting it'll come out around June-August in the U.S, and Europe and then November-February for Australia?

Probably not. It's more likely the Australian version will launch around the same time as its northern hemisphere buddies. Then again, I've seen weirder things happen, like the final boss of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

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News:: Blind player competes in Street Fighter V tournament, kicks some ass

If you needed a heartwarming story today, this is it.

Over in Spain, the Street Fighter V community held a tournament called Sonic Boom, and a blind player managed to kick some ass. Known as "Sven," he managed to use the game's sound effects to his advantage, and used Ken's rushdown strength to constantly keep the pressure on his opponent, Musashi, who was commandeering the glass cannon Akuma -- he won that bout. Although he didn't go on to win the tournament, he still plans on competing even more in the future, and I look forward to following his career.

Sven states by way of a post-game interview that he became blind as a child because of cancer, but didn't give up playing games. He heralds Street Fighter V s a milestone in sound engineering, stating that with a headset, he can hear the difference between left and right cues, and that after a lengthy period of study he has most of them down.

I had the chance to attend Overwatch's sound panel at BlizzCon 2016, and it's crazy to literally hear how advanced some teams are getting.

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News:: Try 'Dishonored 2' for free on April 6th

It's common to see big game studios offer free multiplayer weekends in a bid to reel you in, but you don't see that quite so often for single-player titles. You either have to trust reviews or go in blind. Bethesda is offering an olive branch in the case of Dishonored 2, at least: the publisher is offering a free three-mission trial of the stealth action title on April 6th. PC, PS4 and Xbox One owners can all participate, and any progress you make as part of the trial will carry over to the full game if you decide to buy.

Source: Bethesda

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News:: Rick and Morty pays Pokemon homage with pixel art battle

There's already an entire, supposedly good Pokemon parody Rick and Morty game you can play -- Pocket Mortys -- but perhaps the stealth April 1 premiere of season 3 of the show has you jonesing for a full minute of Mr. Meseeks mayhem as animated by Paul Robertson? I thought so.

And shucks, here's another pixel art tribute for good measure:

Folks, this show is some damn fine watching.

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News:: Final Fantasy XV will eventually explore the origin of Ardyn

I was kind of fine with Ardyn's appearance in Final Fantasy XV being mysterious, but director Hajime Tabata is keen on pulling back the veil.

In a recent interview Tabata, it was confirmed that Square Enix has "plans," for exploring more of Ardyn's backstory, and to "please look forward to it," among hitting on a few other topics like multiplayer teases and the entire development process.

At this point XV has almost become a service, much like the MMO Final Fantasy XIV. It might be single player (for now), but we're getting a steady stream of quality of life, performance, and content updates just like an online game. It's weird, but given how much I enjoyed XV, refreshing. It's nice to see that the studio is committed to improving the game rather than just letting it rot.

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News:: Wow, Brazzers put no effort into its Mario porn parody

It's clear that Metal Rear Solid: The Phantom Peen was a passion project because Brazzer's latest video game porn parody, The Princess's Peach: A XXX Parody, is lazy as hell, if the trailer is any indication. Outside of the Super Mario font and coin box in the title sequence, it's just a woman in a little crown and pink tutu getting ass fucked by a guy who doesn't even look like Mario, Luigi, Bowser or any god-fearing denizen of the Mushroom Kingdom.

At least give the dude the leftover jacket from the Aladdin porn parody and a bike helmet and pretend that Toad is taking Peach to pound town, good lord. Solid Snake had a complete fake prosthetic hand and got his snake eaten in the desert, meanwhile this porno flick has some fake stone pillars and is lit like a god damn Virgin airlines.

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News:: That new Mega Man cartoon is coming in 2018 on Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network has carved out a little niche for videogame flavored material, including the successful (much more so than the game series anyway) Sonic Boom TV series.

They're taking yet another chance on a classic game franchise too in 2018, as Dentsu Entertainment has announced that the Mega Man cartoon will air on the network. A toyline as well as a global push is happening too, so expect a lot more Mega Man in your life, even if it's a rendition that you aren't particularly fond of.

Oh, and that recently leaked trailer? It seems to be the real deal, and Denstu is going to show us more "soon." It can't be worse than Ruby Spears, can it?

Mega Man [Denstu Entertainment via Rockman Corner]

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News:: Batman: Arkham VR is scowling its way to PC this month

If you were jealous of PS4 users for getting a VR Batman game, it looks like your time has finally come. Shedding the exclusivity set up last year, Batman: Arkham VR will be grappling over to PC on April 25 with support for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (along with Dualshock 4 and Xbox One gamepad support).

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News:: Red Dead Redemption 2 reportedly set to show off 4K on new Xbox One

At E3 2016 Microsoft showed off a new, slimmer Xbox One called the Xbox One S (which is already out) and announced "Project Scorpio," a souped up Xbox One meant to do 4K resolution bullshit for peoples whose TVs also do 4K bullshit. And supposedly better than the PS4 Pro does. It might also be more expensive! Who knows?

Well, we might soon. Windows Central reports Microsoft will unveil Forza Motorsport 7 "in the next few weeks" as the headliner of a 4K showcase for Project Scorpio. A bunch of glossy cars; I can just picture it on an endless loop on a wall of Costco TVs.

According to the report Forza 7, Crackdown 3, and State of Decay 2 will all be on display -- all first-party Microsoft games will run at native 4K on the Scorpio -- along with Call of Duty (presumably the newest one), FIFA, Madden, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Maybe we'll get a little more than we did in the teaser?

Microsoft will use Forza 7, Battlefront 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 to showcase 4K on 'Project Scorpio' Xbox (exclusive) [Windows Central]

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News:: 'Batman Arkham VR' finally comes to Oculus Rift and Vive

Your chance to don Batman's suit in the comfort of your own home is coming very soon. That is, if you have the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headset hooked up to a PC. Batman Arkham VR, previously available on PlayStation VR since October 2016, will be available for PC players on April 25th, and pre-ordering via the game's official website is "coming soon."

Source: Batman Arkham VR

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News:: On the eve of Persona 5, are you a Shin Megami Tensei or Persona person

Ah, the age old question -- Shin Megami Tensei or Persona. Well maybe not "age old," as Persona was introduced in 1996, four years after SMT -- it's barely two decades old. But right around Persona 3 is where I started to notice a turnaround for the series in terms of popularity, and perhaps a total eclipse of the Tensei heart once Persona 4 Golden rolled around.

But I'm that weird guy who still retained his love for SMT, despite how good recent Personas have been. Nocturne is to date remained my favorite, and I love the enhanced occult/apocalyptic themes more so than the social links and surrealistic aim of Persona.

Maybe after all of the strides made with Persona 5, Atlus will try something completely different. I mean, SMT can turn from a 20th century romp through Japan to a hacker-filled future affair on a dime, or in some cases, a combo of both! Little boys stuffed inside of bear suits is a tough sell, but true to its moniker, so is Strange Journey.

As always the real question is -- what do you prefer?

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News:: Agents of Mayhem tightens up the Saints Row formula with its own cast of lunatics

"I am private property, please step away." The high-pitched voice is emitting from a speaker lodged in a saucer-eyed, cartoon squid mascot for a fast-food sushi joint in Seoul, Korea. I am playing as Daisy, a roller derby skater with rockabilly hair who lives in a storage locker and only likes "fucking and fighting." She's also blotto and demanding the plastic statue serve up deep dish.

"Objective updated: Get frustrated." I oblige, bashing the squid until the cops arrive, and then blow them all away with her minigun, too.

Daisy is just one of the 12 playable characters from Volition's Agents of Mayhem, a third-person shooter set in the broader Saints Row universe that's coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 15. I played as her and eight others during my hour or so hands-on time last week.

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