News:: Ubisoft launches 'Operation Health' in support of Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft is dedicated to making sure Rainbow Six Siege can reach its fullest potential. While the online hasn't been the greatest thus far, that is soon going to change. In an initiative called "Operation Health," Ubisoft will be tweaking server response time, implementing faster matchmaking services and will be utilizing an On/Off switch to quickly rollback any changes that don't work out.

Along with that, the devs will also be getting more involved with community feedback to better smooth out the experience moving forward. The goal is to keep the community informed of all planned updates and to give fans more chances to help shape the game they love. If this sounds like a lot of work to you, know that Ubisoft is so dedicated to improving Siege that they are even pushing back DLC plans (insane!).

As noted on the Ubiblog, "Because of this new focus, the planned Hong Kong season will be pushed back to Season Three in August, while November’s Season Four will feature South Korea. Poland will no longer have its own season in Year Two, but its GROM Operators will be available at the start of seasons three and four."

There is a Q&A listed on the blog that goes through some of the more pressing questions (specifically, Ubisoft did something like this in season one, so how is this different?). If you fancy reading through all of it, then more power to you. I got a bit tired of Ubi's bs to finish the list, but they do seem genuinely interested in bettering the game.

Whether or not this will change public opinion of Rainbow Six Siege is yet to be seen, but I certainly hope something comes of it. I'm tired of online only games that can't even deliver a consistent online experience. I don't mind the lack of a campaign mode, but I would prefer to not be lagging out of matches constantly.

Rainbow Six Siege Launching Operation Health to Improve Experience [Ubiblog]

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News:: Zombie shooter Arizona Sunshine coming to PlayStation VR

Chris and I were just chatting about next week's Farpoint and the accompanying Aim Controller designed for PlayStation VR shooters. Will there be much support for the new peripheral? I'm doubtful. But the controller is landing at least one other notable title in the near future: Arizona Sunshine.

The zombie game has been out for Vive and Oculus Rift since last year, and I've heard it described as a must-play for VR owners. I can't speak to that, but I'm sure it's better than it looks in videos.

In this version of Arizona Sunshine, you'll be able to play with a DualShock 4, Move controllers, or the Aim, if you end up splurging on that. "As for the Aim controller, since the game was initially created with dual-wielding guns in mind, we've thoroughly tested ways to get the support for it right. And while using the Aim controller limits you to using a single weapon at a time, it makes up for that by increasing accuracy and control, upping your chances for critical, dismembering hits."

This is one of those cases where I'm not inherently stoked based on the premise, but I've heard so many good things that I can't not want to try it for myself. The big unknown is how the experience will translate to PlayStation VR, and whether the tech and implementation will be "good enough."

Arizona Sunshine Hits PlayStation VR in June [PlayStation Blog]

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News:: Here's a slow-ish look at a new-ish Sonic Mania level

Almost every look that we've gotten at Sonic Mania thus far has been great but also mostly the same. Green Hill Zone and Studiopolis over and over as we wait for new content. Always good but always familiar -- even if familiarity is something that Sonic Mania semi-thrives on.

In March, we finally saw a different level as the silver lining to somewhat unfortunate news. As word came out that the game would be delayed from spring to summer, Sega also gave us a glimpse at the Flying Battery Zone.

Today, we get an extended video of Flying Battery Zone (well, "extended" in that it's longer than the last one) as Knuckles eventually makes his way across the level. It's new-ish in two senses: It's more than we've seen before even if the stage has already been introduced once; and, it's a setting that's from Sonic 3, a game that released in 1994.

It also doesn't necessarily showcase the speed that we've come to expect from Sonic titles. Knuckles' approach to the Flying Battery Zone quickens in short bursts, but it's often slow and methodical. Gliding over obstacles, climbing up walls -- it's less reckless-looking than most Sonic gameplay usually is. Maybe he just has too many chili dogs in his gut that are weighing him down.

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News:: Looks like Total War: Warhammer II is off to a good start

You had me at "Lizardmen," if I'm being honest.

They're one of the four playable races in Total War: Warhammer II, with High Elves and Dark Elves also confirmed, but let's not stray away from the subject at hand -- it's the Lizardmen's day in the sun.

This is the first of what will surely be many, many in-engine trailers for the game. I wish they had gone with the shortened "Total Warhammer" naming scheme, but Total War-War is pretty dang amusing.

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News:: Green Man Gaming turns seven and celebrates with a sale!

Green Man Gaming may not be as well known as GOG.com or Humble Bundle, but they have been a pretty big force in digital sales for a while now; seven years, as a matter of fact! To celebrate the near decade of existence, GMG is holding a sale with new deals for the next six days.

Currently, you can grab Shadow of Mordor: Game of the Year Edition for $9.99 and then get an additional 20% off by using the code 7YEARS. Some other highlights include:

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News:: Playing Hooky: Four Men and a Criminal

[Ricky Namara was a bad, bad boy. So bad, he decided to take two days off of work to enjoy the finer things in life - video games! Join him in his roller coaster of emotions as he regales us with his tale of anticipation, heartache, and inevitable triumph as he tells work to eat it while he chows down on some FFXV. Wanna see your work featured by Destructoid? Be more like Ricky, and tell us of a time you played hooky for this month's Bloggers Wanted. We promise not to tell anyone. Unless, of course, you get featured. Then we're telling everyone. - Wes]

Our offices are situated in two different parts of town, and often times we would have to commute between them to attend meetings and get things done. The fastest route to get from one office to the other is to cut through this rather upscale shopping district. You know the type: It's the place where every store displays their goods on the windows without fear of them being smashed by some thieving goons.

I was on my motorbike on the right-turn lane waiting for the light to turn green so I could attend some meeting at the other office, and my eyes wandered to distract myself from the unruly motorists honking their horns over some road rage matter. That's when I saw her inside a shop's window display case. The Queen of Temptations. The Mistress of the Dark. The Mother of Harlots beckoning me to her dark embrace.

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News:: Watch Microsoft’s Build Day 2 keynote in under 7 minutes

While yesterday's Build keynote was almost purely developer focused, today's presentation fest dove deeper into Microsoft's consumer offerings. We learned about the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the next big upgrade for the OS that'll bring in a slew of features connected to the Microsoft Graph. The key takeaway? They should make it even easier for you to work across Windows, iOS and Android hardware. We also got a brief glimpse at Microsoft's new style paradigm, Fluent Design System, which makes it simpler for developers to build apps that work across new types of devices (while packing in some new visual flourishes).

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News:: Dungeons 2 is free right now on the Humble Store

If you happen to be in the dungeon-building mood, 2015's Dungeons 2 is currently free through the Humble Store. Considering it goes for $30 these days, that's worth a glance at the very least.

Nic reviewed the game for us, and... he wasn't all that into it. "If Dungeons 2 was just a competent dungeon builder held back by a few technical bugs and some bad interface design, it might be something worth checking out. As a dungeon builder horrifically Frankensteined to one of the lamest RTS experiences I've played in years, its an unfortunate monstrosity that should be safely avoided."

That said, you might find those design choices more tolerable, especially since it's free.

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News:: Two of Ska Studios' older games finally get ported to Steam tomorrow

Come tomorrow, two of Ska Studios' most well-known titles will no longer be confined to a single platform. Charlie Murder and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile are currently only available on Xbox 360, as they were both fairly high-profile titles on Xbox Live Arcade. On May 12, fans of the developer will finally be able to enjoy these games on PC.

Ports of both Charlie Murder and Dishwasher: Vampire Smile are set to hit Steam tomorrow. We reported in April that these two games had Steam pages set up for them that indicated they'd launch "pretty dang soon." As it turns out, that cheeky vaguity ended up being about five weeks.

Ska tells us that these are "pretty straightforward port(s)," seemingly meaning that there aren't any major alterations. However, Ska does note that both games have keyboard support and controller remapping. Some small changes have been made like art fixes on icons in Vampire Smile.

Both Charlie Murder and Vampire Smile will be priced at $10. However, there will be a bundle called "The Skallection" that features the two new ports plus 2016's Salt and Sanctuary for a 15 percent discount. The cost of that bundle should be about $32. It also seems like anyone who already owns Salt and Sanctuary will get the discount when purchasing the ports.

Charlie Murder and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile on Steam May 12th! [Ska Studios]

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News:: Battlezone is worth checking out on Vive and Oculus Rift

For me, Battlezone was and still is a highlight of the PlayStation VR library, albeit with the caveat that it's best experienced with a full four-person group. The roguelike campaign structure and at times fierce difficulty both necessitate strong teamwork, and it's also just inherently more enjoyable (and much more efficient) to blast enemy tanks, drones, and heavily-armored structures with a crew.

Rebellion launched the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift versions of Battlezone today on Steam.

The main differences are visual -- "ultra-high resolution textures, customizable super-sampling, higher resolution shadow maps" -- and for Rift owners, there's Oculus Touch controller support.

It seemed like the price point kept PlayStation VR owners away, at least initially, and while the PC version is still going to normally cost $40, launch-week discounting brings it down to $34 until May 18.

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News:: A new Thief game is reportedly in production

Last year, we heard about a planned Thief movie, but there's apparently even more in store for the shadowy franchise. Production company Straight Up Films has a listing page for the "action adventure" feature-length film that also mentions an as-yet-unannounced new Thief game:

"Widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever created, a fifth sequel is currently in development to be released in step with this motion picture adaptation. Steeped in the steam-punk world created by the video game, the film will tell a new chapter in the storied world of the series' hero."

Ordinarily, I wouldn't think twice about a new installment popping up in a long-running series, but given how disappointed people were with 2014's Thief, this is a curious one. Do they continue down that reboot path, or change course? Guess we'll see how E3 goes.

Thief [Straight Up Films via Game Informer]

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News:: Blizzard broadly disputes report of $20M entrance fee to its Overwatch League

Yesterday, we reported on Blizzard's upcoming Overwatch League and rumors that buying a team would cost somewhere in the ballpark of $20 million. ESPN was the original outlet to run the story, and it purports to have multiple sources who have inside knowledge about the negotiations that are currently happening. We concluded our article by acknowledging that we've reached out to Blizzard for comment on some specific matters, but that the developer hadn't responded by time of publication.

Blizzard got back to us today, sending over a four-paragraph statement that's impressively vague given its length. Instead of addressing the specific concerns we asked about, Blizzard's comment broadly dispels the notion that anything's wrong, and says that it'll discus details when the time is right.

Here is Blizzard Entertainment's statement to Destructoid, in full:

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News:: Hot today-only deal: VR-ready refurb gaming desktop only $449

Remember that HP VR-ready desktop we wrote about earlier this year?

Well, the deal is back and it's even cheaper in refurb format. Looks like Woot has some refurbished units in stock because the HP Pavilion 560 VR-ready gaming desktop is now only $449.99 with a flat $5 shipping from Woot. This deal is today only.

HP Pavilion 560 Deal

• HP Pavilion 560 VR-Ready Gaming Desktop: Quad Core i5-6400, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Radeon RX 480 — $449.99  (list price $800)
• Flat $5 shipping, today only deal, 90-day warranty

The specs are exactly the same as last mentioned and won't exactly propel you to PC stardom, but this is a $450 rig equipped with a 7th gen Quad Core i5-6400 that clocks in at 3.30Ghz, 8GB of RAM, and a nice 128GB SSD combo with a 1TB HDD. The main attraction of this machine, of course, is the AMD Radeon RX 480 GPU, which is still priced around $170 as of writing.

The current generation GPU will let you play most VR titles without a hitch. This is relatively good timing considering both the Vive and Oculus have seen price drops in recent months. Even if you DON'T care about VR, this is still a very affordable gaming desktop that can run most modern titles at respectable settings. It was a great deal at $599 earlier this year and in our opinion an even better deal at $449 - refurbished or not.

Deals from the crew at Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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News:: Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is headed to Nintendo Switch

WayForward isn't done with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, and that's fine by me. The latest development? A Nintendo Switch version! It's in the works for a summer release, with "full details coming soon."

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer! Feel the beat with all new HD Rumble! Full details coming soon!! http://pic.twitter.com/WNTSGxYiSg

— WayForward (@WayForward) May 11, 2017

Love that color palette.

Unlike so many other Wii U games that were shelved in favor of a Switch version, in Half-Genie Hero's case, you could theoretically own the game on both systems. I imagine some of you will.

WayForward [Twitter]

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News:: The Chinese-Western video game exchange sounds difficult

This week at the Los Angeles Games Conference, experts on the Chinese video game industry spoke to a room of games professionals (and me) about how to find success overseas. "Maybe this panel should be called How to Lose Less in China," said Michael Zhang, the founder and CEO of mobile publisher Firefly Games.

The panel also featured Isabel Gan, Director of Strategic Development at Mattel and Bill Wang, President of Overseas Business at 360 Games, and was moderated by Michael Cai, the President of Video Games at market research firm Interpret.

Over the course of the panel, the four executives dispelled rumors about publishing games in China. Since China still has an active censorship board, companies need to obtain a license to publish games. According to Zhang, it usually takes foreign companies around eight months to get the paperwork approved, so it often makes sense to partner with a Chinese third-party.

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News:: Yoji Shinkawa, legendary Metal Gear artist, lends his talents to Call of Duty

"Wow,' is the first thing I thought when I saw these.

That's my usual reaction to anything Yoji Shinkawa, best known for his Metal Gear art does, especially his work for Zone of the Enders. But now he's working on a decidedly more western project in Call of Duty, tapped to do promotional art for the Zombies Chronicles DLC for Black Ops III. His work includes renderings of all four of the "main" characters from the proper zombies timeline, including (from left to right in the header) Tank, Takeo, Nikolai, and Richtofen.

The actual Zombies Chronicles add-on will drop on May 16 on PS4, and in June on PC and Xbox One (wow, that exclusivity deal is lengthy!). As a reminder this is DLC for Black Ops III, a game that came out in November of 2015 -- to see a Call of Duty game supported past the one year mark isn't normal.

Treyarch [YouTube]

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News:: 'Payday 2' puts you inside the bank heist with free VR mode

Popular multiplayer bank heist shooter Payday 2 has been around since 2013, but it's about to get a new life as a virtual reality game. Developer Overkill showed off the new mode at its Starstream event, with players using an HTC Vive VR headset and dual wielding weapons via the motion controllers. It uses a full body system, letting players duck or lean to shoot around walls or other obstacles.

Via: Polygon

Source: Overkill (YouTube)

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News:: Payday 2 is getting the 'Ultimate' treatment

It seems like Payday 2 just won't go away. After a surprise announcement for the Switch, Overkill Software is now giving the PC version an "Ultimate" edition. Set to launch on June 8 for $45, this version of the game will, naturally, bundle all existing DLC into one package to get you jumped started on your heists.

If you already own some of the previous DLC, you'll be given a discount on Steam to buy the upgrade. All the DLC is also currently 85% off until the release of the "Ultimate" edition, after which it will go away and you'll be left with the full fat upgrade.

If you think this means that Payday 2 will be getting no further support, then you're wrong! Overkill has stated that they intend to push support for their shooter well into 2018. Any extra updates beyond the "Ultimate" edition will be offered for free to everyone. They are also working on getting these updates to console owners, though nothing has been stated about that just yet.

Overkill Software to Remove All Payday 2 DLC from Steam Store for Ultimate Edition; Future Updates Will Be Free [GameZone]

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News:: Watch the set of a musician who composes music to competitive Smash Bros.

Nicholas Caleb Goss has quite a future ahead of him.

Recently he unveiled his project "Musical Mango," which, through the help of a jazz band, is a composition inspired by competitive Smash Bros. battles by Jose "Mango" Marquez. Goss goes a bit further in his inspiration than most, as he times various crescendos based on the rhythm of the fight and what's happening.

Seeing folks create art around eSports is not just experimental, but inspirational. It's also insane that this many people still support and swear by Melee. No matter how much effort Nintendo puts into making people like their shiny new entries, people will always stand by that game.

Musical Mango [YouTube via Kotaku]

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News:: Cult action game 'Vanquish' powerslides its way onto PCs

A month after SEGA brought Bayonetta to Steam, the publisher has now seen fit to throw PC owners another Platinum Games-shaped bone. Coming to the platform on May 25th, $20 will net gamers a souped-up version of third person slide-em-up -- Vanquish. The long-awaited port will support unlocked framerates and resolutions, allowing sadistic PC players to make this game look slightly shinier, and feel even faster. As well as support for 4K (and higher) resolutions, Vanquish on PC also offers keyboard and mouse control, along with all the inbuilt Steam functionality you'd expect.

Source: Platinum Games Blog

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News:: Review: Gundam Breaker 3

What if I use horse legs to make a centaur with dual swords? Or what if I take this part which has a skirt, combine it with the wings, and create an angel with a giant bazooka? Oh oh, what if I use tank treads, and give it a massive backpack and weapon, making it look like a piece of artillery?

But wait. What if I mix all those together, resulting in a half-angel/half-tank with a unicorn-head abomination that's loaded to the teeth with weaponry? Truly the Mona Lisa of our time.

When that line of thought crosses your head, you know you've got something special on your hands.

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News:: Supernatural indie hit 'Oxenfree' is, well, free with Twitch Prime

Last year's supernatural indie hit Oxenfree was arguably one of 2016's best games-- and today, Twitch is giving it away for free. Amazon Prime users and Twitch Prime subscribers can claim their copy of the indie hit here, launching it through Twitch's desktop app.

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News:: Tinybuild will likely need to reduce the size of Mr. Shifty to patch it on Switch

Ever since launch fans have pointed out problems with Mr. Shifty on Switch, most notably its variable framerate, and publisher tinyBuild has vowed to right that wrong. The only problem is it's been several weeks, and there's still no sign of the update.

Company CEO Alex Nichiporchik, who has been rather upfront through this entire process, explains that the patch is so big that they can't actually implement it yet, but they're "still working on it." To get it pushed live they may have to even cut down on the size of the entire game, so there was no timeline given.

My issue isn't so much with the performance (it was playable to me), but the game itself. It felt like a boring take on Hotline Miami with superpowers, which isn't something I thought I'd ever say. Thankfully Switch owners who do enjoy it should eventually get their patch, as Alex and crew have been updating users every step of the way.

Alex Nichiporchik [Reddit]

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News:: Microsoft unveils Windows Mixed Reality Controllers

What good is a modern VR headset without decent motion controllers? Well, not much. So it's no surprise that Microsoft has announced its first Windows Mixed Reality Controllers, which will support the MR/VR headsets from the likes of Acer and other PC makers. Like HoloLens and the Windows powered headsets, the controllers will rely on inside-out tracking technology, so you won't need to set up any special sensors to use them.

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News:: Nintendo Download: Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition

It's not a particularly exciting week for Nintendo platforms, but some of you may appreciate these ports, especially if you didn't grab them before this week.

Switch is getting its own version of Minecraft, which basically makes the Wii U version obsolete. You can also download Garou: Mark of the Wolves as part of the ACA NeoGeo collection, just note that it doesn't sport online play (if you care about that sort of thing).

In other portable news, the 3DS is getting Elliot Quest. That's it! I told you it wasn't the greatest week.

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News:: I would rock this Nintendo Switch arcade dock

Knowing someone who owns an original X-Men arcade cabinet, six players and all, is a real treat. As more and more "funzone" type arcades pop up in various places and adopt smartphone variations like Flappy Bird and Temple Run variants, it's a joy to be able to play classic beat 'em ups with people all in the same place.

It's not quite the same, but evidently someone over in Italy created his own custom Switch dock that's shaped like a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe cabinet. If you look at the amiibo and Joy-Con for a size comparison it's rather small, but given that it holds the actual Switch unit, it gets the job done.

It doesn't seem all that difficult to make as long as you're semi well-versed in woodwork though, so maybe one day I'll just craft my own.

Nintendo Switch Custom Arcade Dock [Nov-art via Nintendo Life]

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News:: EA once again talks the talk about getting involved with the Switch

EA hosted its financial earnings conference call this week, which clued us into some of the publisher's upcoming business strategies, chief of which might involve a complete restructuring of BioWare.

But hidden underneath most of the financial reports are some comments from CEO Andrew Wilson regarding the Switch -- or more plainly, their consistency in staying in "wait and see mode." Other than throwing the system a bone with FIFA 18 there hasn't been any real movement on that front, but given the positive reception the publisher might be changing their tune.

In the earnings call Wilson was a bit more optimistic, referencing Nintendo's sales numbers and stating that they were more strongly "considering" publishing games on the Switch. Remember that "unprecedented partnership" on the Wii U? Me neither!

Events & Presentations [EA]

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News:: Dynasty Warriors 9 sounds rad, as long as the open world isn't busywork

As promised, Koei Tecmo blew the lid off of Dynasty Warriors 9, which is said to be the first true open world entry in the franchise.

China will be featured as a "single map," which will still allow you to roam about the countryside slaying thousands -- and will have various landscapes like deserts, jungles, and snow capped mountains, as well as actual Chinese landmarks. "Critical Missions" will pop up as story quests that allegedly can be approached in different ways, as well as side missions.

The combat system has also been enhanced with three concepts (trigger, flow, and finish), and traversal is greatly enhanced now that you can scale walls, climb mountains, swim, and use a grappling hook. New characters will entry the fray alongside of classic ones, for a grand total of 83 officers in all. PS4 is the only announced platform at this time.

I mean...I'm really into this. The screens give off a really cool sense that the open world will actually be full of things to do, or at the very least, people to kill. I just hope that said sandbox is more Breath of the Wild emergent story oriented and less Assassin's Creed busywork.

Dynasty Warriors 9 [Koei Tecmo]

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