The next edition of Konami's perennial FIFA competitor just got a release date: Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 comes out on September 12th. This year's version adds new online co-op modes and immersive touches alongside a UI overhaul. Best of all it's also coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, which is great news for last-gen holdovers.
Source: Konami
If you missed out on Google's I/O 2017 keynote earlier today, don't fret. We've cut down all of the noteworthy news on Google Lens, AI, Google Assistant, Google Home, Daydream, Android O and more into a quick TK-minute clip. Just sit back, relax and catch up on all of the news in way less time than we spend taking in the 2-hour presentation this afternoon.
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.
Despite its launch issues and rollercoaster early sales projections, Nintendo's portable console can safely be declared a legitimate hit for the company at this point. In March, the Switch became the best-selling piece of game hardware, outselling Nintendo's own projections, and selling more copies of Breath of the Wild than there were consoles to play them on. Although sales slowed in the month after launch -- dropping from 906,000 units in March to 280,000 units April -- the Switch still continued to top the charts.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Businesswire
As mentioned in the UK version of today's Nintendo Direct presentation for Arms, several Splatoon-themed Nintendo Switch accessories and a system bundle are coming to Europe in the near future.
While I already ended up nabbing a second Pro pad for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I do like the look of this model. There's no word on any of these peripherals making it over to North America, but all of this stuff is also confirmed for Japan, including a Splatoon 2 bundle with the neon pink and green Joy-Con pair.
[任天堂HP] Nintendo Switchの「本体ラインナップ」のページを更新しました。「Nintendo Switch スプラトゥーン2セット」を希望小売価格35,960円＋税で発売します。 https://t.co/uLaJskVuzc http://pic.twitter.com/zvHpQzAVE8
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) May 17, 2017
Don't make us wait too long, ya hear?
For those waiting with bated breath for a hot processor deal to begin their next gaming rig build, eBay has a short-running coupon for cheap Ryzen 7 and Intel Core i7 deals, plus some additional hardware discounts worth window shopping. The coupon runs now through all day May 18, which is an unusually long period for an eBay coupon as of late.
The code will slash 20% off purchases of $25 or more with a max discount of $50. This means the best deals to be made are those offers that rarely see discounts, i.e. PC hardware.
Discounts are only valid from select retailers on this list. There are hundreds of "deals" available, but after panning out the sand from the river of deals, we've come up with the list of gold nuggets below.
For PC hardware enthusiasts, the higher-end versions of the Ryzen 7, the 1700X and 1800X, are hitting new low prices after the eBay coupon code, which cuts $50 off their already discounted price on eBay. Other noteworthy picks include a bunch of refurbished electronics from smartphones to a Gear VR headset for only $32.
Use coupon: P20FINDYOURTECH
Desktop Processors
Monitors
Smartphones
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Back in March, Bethesda explained exactly how Quake Champions' monetization model would work. The gist of it is that the game is free-to-play but those players only have access to one character. There's also the option to pay a one-time fixed fee to have everyone unlocked permanently. Third and somewhere in between those two, characters can be temporarily unlocked through use of an in-game currency, a process that's essentially renting them.
Today, Bethesda released a trailer that shows off Quake Champions' Duel mode. It's a 1v1 showdown where each player picks three different characters to use. When one is dead, they resume as the next champion in the roster. The goal is to kill all your opponent's champions to win the round. Full matches are the best of three rounds.
The problem with this is obvious: Free-to-play players will almost certainly be at a disadvantage over paying customers. Bethesda has described Quake Champions' character match-ups as like "rock-paper-scissors." That is to say, all the champions are strong against some characters but weak against others. The people who have everyone unlocked just need to stock up on whoever matches well against the ranger (the sole free-to-play champion). There's the added caveat that maybe rented characters can even this out, but we don't yet know how easy they'll be to acquire and how long they'll stay unlocked for.
Bethesda has also said that free-to-play and paying players will all compete against one another. There's no separation based on who has what unlocked. It sure seems like the non-paying players will be behind the eight ball. Quake Champions may not be pay-to-win, but it certainly looks like it might be pay-to-have-an-advantage -- at least in Duel mode, that is.
Quake Champions is in the middle of a tech test right now. Anyone who would like to try the game out (including Duel mode) can get in by signing up on the Quake site.
Today's Nintendo Direct presentation for Arms is heavy on specifics, almost to the point of being overwhelming. But now that I've gotten such a good sense of this stretchy, long-limbed fighting game, I'm no longer sitting on the fence. That Nintendo polish is really starting to come through.
Most of the footage contains character profiles for the existing roster and their mix-and-match "signature arms," as well as the new crew: the slithering Kid Cobra, the robocop and robodog duo Byte & Barq, and the movie star Twintelle. I don't know that there's any topping Min Min and her adorable ramen hair, but I'm sure some of you will respectfully disagree with that assessment.
Nintendo says it plans to release new fighters, stages, and arms for free, presumably along the lines of its post-release strategy for Splatoon. That was to be expected, but the confirmation is appreciated.
The Direct also detailed a bunch of modes, including two-on-two Team Fight, in which you're tethered to your best mate, and V-Ball and Hoops, which play out like wild variants of volleyball and basketball. Any mode in which you get to literally dunk your opponent is a good mode.
Lastly, Nintendo is taking another cue from its success with Splatoon by holding limited-time beta tests for Arms. The first of these "Global Testpunch" events is set for the weekend of May 26.
The full game will launch for Switch just a few weeks later on June 16. You feeling this?
At the end of today's Arms direct, Nintendo showed off some of the single-player from Splatoon 2. While it doesn't look like a massive improvement over the first game, extra enemy variety and some nifty environments make it look great. There is also a distinct Jet Set Radio vibe from some of the grinding you can do.
For many, the Switch represents the Nintendo's return to form. It's the console that sheds both the name and the gimmicky motion controls that defined the Wii era of gaming. With traditional games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe leading the way, motion controls seem to be all but a thing of the past. Or they did, until Nintendo announced Arms -- a gesture-based boxing game for the Switch that seems to lean heavily on Wii Sports' legacy. It seems like a bizarre step backward, but don't worry: It turns out that Arms isn't repeating the mistakes of the Wii; it's showing how Nintendo has learned from them.
Sharpen your guillotines, folks, because the rich are at it again! High-end watch outfit RJ-Romain Jerome has a new collaboration with Pokemon and the baffling result will only cost you $258,000 US, American dollars despite looking like something I paid $5 for in Chinatown 15 years ago.
Features, as listed on the product page, include: "Pikachu," "Lightning bolt," "Oscillating weight," and "Pokemon colors" (the sparse blue and yellow stitching). A "Tourbillon bridge shaped as Pokémon’s symbolic lightning bolt?" Wow!
This is the second RJ-Romain Jerome Pokemon watch -- and the second missed opportunity to make it a pocket-watch. The first, Pikachu-heavy, only cost $20,000.
The company has also made Pac-Man and Space Invader watches, none of which look worth the price of a decent sedan. I'm not saying we should eat the rich, but -- no, wait, I am.
Standalone VR headsets that don't require a PC, a phone, or a whole mess of wires are going to make virtual reality so much more approachable. Pricing is one thing, but there really is something to be said about ease of use and setup. Google is about to get into this "built-in" territory with Vive and Lenovo, both of which are working on VR devices for the company's Daydream platform.
"These devices build on what's already great about smartphone VR, and they make the whole experience even easier and more comfortable," says Google.
"Standalone headsets don't require a phone or PC. Instead, getting into VR is as simple as putting the thing on. The hardware is fully optimized for VR, and features a new headset tracking technology called WorldSense. WorldSense enables positional tracking, meaning the headset tracks your precise movements in space – and it does this all without any external sensors to install."
Vive's headset is coming "later this year." The company intends to "deliver the most premium standalone headset and user experience," and says it'll have more information "soon." The specifics -- for pricing, software, and input support at the very least -- will be crucial to know. As is, though, I'm glad to see standalone headsets come into the market. We need this next step sooner than later.
The latest on VR and AR at Google I/O [Google]
It's been a dizzying some-amount-of-time since Podtoid 369 (nice!) wherein we talked about curse words and a mysterious lawn mower thief. Give it a listen, but not before giving us your questions for the next show.
That's right, folks! We're recording another Podtoid this afternoon. So ask away. Down in the comments or write in to podtoid[at]destructoid.com. If we stop recording we will die. Please give us more things to talk about.
As revealed in the new issue of Famitsu, Inti Creates is prepping another Mighty Gunvolt.
This new project, Mighty Gunvolt Burst, is headed to both Nintendo Switch and 3DS (the system is still hanging in there!). It'll have Gunvolt and Mighty No. 9's Beck as playable characters along with a Burst Combo system and, in the Switch version, HD Rumble support for item dowsing.
Something tells me a whole lot more people are going to give this one a chance. Mighty Gunvolt wasn't as fleshed-out or substantive as it could have been, so here's hoping Burst steps it up a bit.
Inti Creates is also expected to announce another Switch project at BitSummit this weekend.
[Via Nintendo Everything]
It has taken us longer to get to South Park than originally planned. There has been a detour or two along the way, just like with Stick of Truth a few years ago. Waiting for a South Park game is a lot like flying Spirit Airlines: Expect delays because they're probably coming.
We might be in the clear now, though. Ubisoft sent out a press release today that dates South Park: The Fractured but Whole for October 17 -- exactly five months from now. Accompanying that announcement is this new trailer which is very on-brand for South Park.
Whether this is actually the light at the end of the tunnel remains to be seen. Another delay wouldn't be a tremendous shock, especially given the series' history. Stick of Truth turned out brilliantly despite having its launch date pushed back a handful of times. Whatever it takes to make The Fractured but Whole similarly good.
Besides, waiting for The Fractured but Whole only allows me to further ruminate about the time Ubisoft talked me into strapping on a fart mask. Deep personal reflection is needed after such a traumatic and foolishly self-inflicted experience.
Developer Blizzard keeps making frequent, regular updates to its popular team-shooter video game Overwatch. Players have gotten new battle arena maps, interesting new characters and various time-limited events to keep them coming back for more of what is, essentially, the same game over and over. To keep interest high, Blizzard is launching a one-year anniversary event from May 23rd to June 12th. You'll also be able to buy a new Game of the Year Edition when the event launches, which will include 10 bonus Loot Boxes, extra Hero skins, and various virtual trinkets for other Blizzard games.
I really like the idea of playing a metroidvania game like Hollow Knight on Nintendo Switch, even if there's a significant wait involved. Some good news on that front: Team Cherry has "taken a big step to speed things up" by working with another team to expedite the porting process.
"Please welcome Shark Jump Studios," reads Team Cherry's blog post. "They're an Adelaide based coding/development team, and we've brought them on-board specifically to help us get Hollow Knight's Switch version tested, polished and ready for its console debut. Between the two teams, expect Hollow Knight to land on Switch in a not crazy (though still unspecified!) period of time."
I'll be right here waiting! Anyone else?
HK Done Quick! Over 100,000 sold! Art! Pizza! Thumbs up! [Team Cherry]
I can't say I know a lot about the Star Ocean series. It's a JRPG set in space and is published by Square Enix. I know the series has been going on for awhile and that the last sequel is considered one of the worst. That really is the extent of my knowledge of these games. I guess the news that a PS2 classics release of Till the End of Time coming to PS4 will be great for fans looking to rekindle their love for these titles.
Releasing next Tuesday (May 23) for $20.99, the game will feature higher resolution output, trophy support, remote play and share play. While this is a straight port of the PS2 game, it will be the "Director's Cut" version that is getting released. I don't know exactly what that adds, but more content is always nice.
Google's I/O 2017 developers conference isn't just about its search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube's 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. "It's not just about the size of the screen," YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella, "it's about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can't match."
Have you taken our Disgaea 5 Complete quiz yet? Well, you should!
If you don't have time for it (or maybe scored something in the neighborhood of 25-74) you can check out the demo instead, which is now live on the North American eShop. Yep, just North America for now, as the European demo isn't scheduled to go live until May 19.
Or you could just use the magic of cross-regional accounts and create a North American profile right now to download it for free. The actual game will ship on May 23 in the US if the demo does grab you.
It should! It's a great SRPG, and since most Disgaea games are only tangentially related (if at all) you can dive right in without having played any previous iterations.
Google has another way to differentiate its mobile VR platform from Samsung's: Standalone headsets that have all the hardware you'd need built right in, without the need for a phone. At Google I/O today, the company revealed that we'll be seeing standalone Daydream headsets from HTC Vive and Lenovo later this year. They'll be based on Qualcomm's 835 VR platform and use Google's Tango technology for positional tracking without the need for any external sensors.
Hard to believe, but we're coming up on one year of Overwatch.
If you thought Blizzard would hold an in-game event, yep, you're right! But that's not all. The Anniversary Event itself will run from May 23 to June 12, though we don't yet know what specific shape it'll take. The company is also planning a Free Weekend around that time, from May 26 to May 29.
Lastly, Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition -- a particularly deserved "GotY Edition," I'd say -- is launching on Tuesday, May 23 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Here's what that comes with:
As before, the free-play event will hold onto your progress should you decide to buy the full game.
I mean, you know Advanced Wars is coming at some point on the Switch. My guess is Intelligent Systems is going to wrap on the new Switch Fire Emblem (no, not the Warriors game) then at least send a side squad to investigate it, if they aren't already. The pass and go or local play possibilities are too great not to have it happen at some point.
In the meantime Tiny Metal from developer Area 34 will fill that slot nicely. Although it's already set for other platforms (like Steam), they announced this week that it's coming to the Switch -- right now they're targeting October, and it'll sport a 10 hour-ish campaign.
I really dig the art style, so we'll see if the gameplay matches later this year.
Tiny Metal [Inside Games via Nintendo Life]
While I don't think anyone is particularly interested in the upcoming Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow mobile game, this trailer at least gives us a tiny bit more from the cast of characters we've grown to love. Getting all the original voice actors and animators to do something goofy is great fun; the trailer also manages to make the game look like a legitimate app instead of whatever The Simpsons: Tapped Out was.
Scrimping and saving as a janitor in high school, one of our first gaming PCs was from a Best Buy in town. The $1,100 in cash on hand wouldn't all fit in our back pocket, but even so, it couldn't cover the tax on the open-box PC someone had foolishly returned. The manager plucked away at a keyboard lowering the price and sold it to me anyway. That was seventeen years ago.
Fast forward to 2017 and the scrimpers and savers today won't need to pay that much to cover the cost of a brand new laptop capable of handling modern games. In fact, there are a number gaming laptops directly from the big three manufacturers (Lenovo, HP, and Dell) priced near or well under $1,000. Whether as a graduation gift to yourself or a new laptop for a new school year, we've rounded up the current best gaming laptop deals from the big three as we head into Summer 2017.
Below we've waded through much of the junk on HP, Dell, and Lenovo (stay away from the Dell Inspiron AMD laptops even if they are touted as gaming rigs). Below, you'll find the best bang for your buck gaming laptop deals - all with the latest 7th gen Kaby Lake processor and a decent mid-range GPU.
Lenovo Legion Deals:
Lenovo's Legion Y520 and Y720 are the new flagship gaming laptops Lenovo is hawking to the consumer and are arguably the best offers on the market. How so? This week Lenovo has dramatically reduced prices by hundreds, making its cheapest Y520 gaming PC with a Quad Core i5 CPU and GTX 1050 Ti GPU down to only $717 ( a new low by $132). That's pretty decent for a thin and premium gaming laptop with a decent Full HD IPS panel display.
Even their new Legion Y720, which is less than a month old is getting a huge $290.40 drop to $1,029. The Y720 comes with a better GTX 1060, and while not worth it at the $1,320 list price, is certainly a consideration at $1,029.59. Don't let the labeling confuse you because the Y720 is a 15-inch gaming laptop too - the major difference being the bulk of the laptop when compared to the smaller Y520.
HP Power Laptops Deals:
HP's Power Laptops are the decisively budget gaming machines offered up at their website. For this week, both base models for the HP Pavilion Power laptop 15t and 17t are both on sale for $150 off (until this Saturday). Honestly, at $649.99 you're getting quite a bit of a gaming laptop for your money with the latest generation Quad Core i5 and a GTX 1050. If you don't care for a premium feel and just care about the best price to performance ratio, it's hard to beat the 15t from HP.
Dell Inspiron Gaming Deals:
Heading over to Dell, their Inspiron series Gaming Laptop are also priced respectably this week. The base model Inspiron 15.6-inch machine with an i5 7th gen CPU GTX 1050 and an impressive 256GB SSD is only $733 after coupon. For the money, that's as good as you can expect for an SSD spec's laptop with a discrete graphics card. Dell's biggest drawback are the display panel choices they've decided to toss into these Inspiron - so we'd suggest reading reviews to see if you can live with its pros and cons.
It looks like the cowboy-centric Wild West Online won't be coming to Kickstarter after all. Last week, Destructoid reported that the online Western game would take to the popular crowdfunding site to raise additional funds ahead of its release. Publisher 612 Games, however, today announced that the game's initial investors have stepped in to fund the entire project.
The investment announcement means that Wild West Online will bypass an Early Access launch for a single, full release.
Two major features are coming to Hearthstone, one of which basically should have been in since the beginning.
For years now I've seen fancy deck setups on reddit and YouTube and the like, and have wanted to experiment with them. But individually finding each card for every class, in every occasion, eats up a lot of time. According to a Blizzard update though you'll be able to share and copy entire decklists by way of a clipboard button (in-game), which generates an easy to use code that can be shared anywhere. When you copy another code the game will automatically detect it from your clipboard and ask if you want to import it -- neat!
Also arriving soon is a friendly challenge system that lets you complete quests with someone you know -- a feature from the "Friendly Fued" event last year. These are both great changes, especially the former.
New Features [Hearthstone]
