News:: Gintama is finally getting a pure action game

If there is one anime that deserves to have a dedicated action game, it's Gintama For those unfamiliar with the anime and manga, it's basically a mostly comedic Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) but with Space Aliens instead of Westerners ending the age of the Japanese samurai (Don't let the space aliens part turn you away, they completely forget the space aliens part later in the show/manga).

Fans of Gintama have had the chance to see the lead character Gintoki in action games such as Jump Ulitmate Stars and J-Stars Victory VS (and a guest costume in God Eater 2 that the west never got) but this new game revealed in this week's Jump Magazine promises to be the first pure action Gintama game. Dubbed as project "Last Game", this game promises to have "Super Beautiful Modeling" and "Serious Quality". While those claims seem like bad translation, Gintama fans might see through it as sort of a joke, since saying such phrases in a promotion is just rather silly.

This Gintama game will be released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. No release date yet and more info to come in the future.

Gintama is indeed a comedy most of the time but when it gets serious, expect a 4 to 6 episode arc that contains plenty of great action and character development that a Dragon Ball Z or Naruto can only achieve in 20+ episodes. I have been dreaming of this for a long time now, and I hope it turns into a beat-em-up of sorts with plenty of comedy and references to the show.

Anime tip: If you plan to watch the anime, skip the first two episodes which are bad filler meant to introduce the large cast.

A New Gintama Action Game Is In Development For PS4/PS Vita, Code-Named “Last Game” [Siliconera]

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News:: LawBreakers developer talks about difficulties of a Switch port, claims not enough buttons

So here's a story you don't see everyday. During an interview with Dan Nanni, the Lead Designer for the upcoming LawBreakers, GamingBolt brought up that the game would not be coming to the Switch. Dan was quick to remind them that the lack of a Switch port wasn't exactly set in stone, to which they further asked if a port could happen should the system continue to sell well.

That's when Dan gave one of, if not the, weakest excuses for why a port would be difficult, while showing he doesn't fully know the platform.

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News:: Online sandbox RPG Citadel lets you fly on a broomstick and cast spells with friends

Citadel: Forged with Fire has a lot of familiar elements, at least in this announcement trailer.

People have been quick to draw comparisons to everything from Skyrim to Harry Potter to BioShock. I can see it all, and I can also see the appeal of an open-world RPG that lets you fly around "using a broomstick, a dragon, an eagle, or alchemy." That aspect and the emphasis on spellcasting have me interested, but there's also house and castle building with a "dynamic destruction" component.

Unsurprisingly, this Steam Early Access-sounding game is in fact headed to Steam Early Access -- on July 26, 2017. It's also planned for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but those versions will arrive later.

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News:: This Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 PS4 theme is dope, and there's a story behind it

Recent Mega Man games have been killing it with their art. Just look at the concepts for 9 and 10. Now, Legacy Collection 2 joins the fray.

As revealed by the PlayStation Blog, pre-ordering Legacy Collection 2 on PS4 will net you a free theme, which features artwork from Udon's Jeffrey "Chamba" Cruz. The text gives us a bit of background on Chamba's career and his experience with various childhood franchises, and why he gravitates toward Mega Man's robot masters -- there are even individual breakdowns of several facets of the piece.

I really have to agree with the praise for the character design, as I always felt that Mega Man artists drew some of the most emotive eyes in the industry. I have a memory of fighting nearly every one of them from the very first time I took down Bomb Man through Sheep Man in 10.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 2: New PS4 Theme Designed by Udon, Free for Pre-orders [PS Blog]

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News:: You can now crowdfund a reprint of Super Noah's 3D Ark

In the '80s and '90s, video game companies were all about appealing to kids, at least more so than they are now. What better way to get parents on board with that then by adapting bible stories into electronic entertainment? This gave rise to the company Wisdom Tree, who made a bunch of unlicensed NES and SNES games for consumers to buy and learn about the Bible with. Its kind of odd how, being a Christian based company, they used unlawful methods to produce their titles, but we can just gloss over that.

If for some reason you have a strong case of nostalgia for titles such as Super Noah's 3D Ark, then this new Kickstarter campaign is for you! Wisdom Tree (who is somehow not dead) is seeking funding to reprint a trio of titles from their back catalog on classic gaming systems.

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News:: Street Fighter IV's mobile port gets a new version

It has been roughly six years since Street Fighter IV graced mobile devices with a new update. The last release, Street Fighter IV Volt, came out in 2011. With Street Fighter V being the latest entry in the series, you'd think Capcom would be done trying to whore out their series revival, but you'd be incorrect. Just launched today, Street Fighter IV: Champion Edition (making a call back to Street Fighter II) is available on iOS for $4.99.

The new update includes improved widescreen support for modern devices, gamepad compatibility and brings three new characters. You'll have access to Dudley, Ibuki and Poison, bringing the total roster up to 25 fighters. Online multiplayer is included with this release, so you'll be able to test your mettle against the world (if anyone actually buys this).

Having bought both of the previous versions on iOS, I'm surprised this isn't just an update for Volt. That being said, I did quite enjoy the conversion to mobile devices, so I'm eager to see how well this new update holds up. Maybe with full gamepad support, the game won't have to be simplified to make sense.

Street Fighter IV: Champion Edition Launches On iOS Devices [Siliconera]

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News:: Clearance sale on $699 VR-ready HP Omen as new models arrive

When you think of budget gaming PCs, your mind would not automatically conjure up an image of HP's Omen series. They are marketed as premium gaming machines and usually carry price tags that go along with a premium PC.

Like all other laptop series though, there is always new tech to acquire and a refresh of old models is necessary.  Last year's Omens now need to be moved off shelves to make way for what's new. That's what we're seeing this week on last year's HP Omen machines, and they're getting significantly more reasonable in pricing.

An insane HP Omen desktop deal popped up today at Woot with the Omen 870 series with a GTX 1060 video card for $699.99. With cryptocurrency mining driving GPU pricing up in recent months, prices of the GTX 1060 have gone from $200 to over $400 (before things normalized in recent days). For those wanting a VR-ready rig and not interested in building or paying for inflated GPU prices, this is a great deal.

Caveat? It's a today-only offer, so you'll need to move fast to pick it up from Woot.

HP Omen Desktop Deals

Omen 870

• HP Omen 870-120 i5-6400, GTX 1060, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $699.99  (list price $900)
• HP Omen 870-110 i3-6100, RX 460, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $649.99  (list price $700)
• HP Omen 870-115se i5-6600K, GTX 1060, 16GB, 2TB HDD — $849.99  (list price $1,550) <- Coupon: STK100

Omen 880 (Mid-2017)

• HP Omen 880-010z Ryzen 5 1600, GTX 1050, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $849.99  (list price $900)

HP Omen Laptop Deals

Omen 15 (Last Gen)

• HP Omen 15t i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $849.99  (list price $950)

Omen 15 Mid-2017

• HP Omen 15t i7-7700HQ, RX 550, 8GB, 1TB HDD — $999.99  (list price $1,000)

The rest of the cheap HP Omen series desktops are found directly on HP's website. The cheapest you can go is the Omen 870 with a Radeon RX 460 video card and Core i3 processor (much weaker than the featured deal for $699 from Woot). Still, a very good deal is the Omen 870 with a better Core i5-6600K processor for $850 after a $100 off coupon code STK100 applied at checkout. This also gets you more RAM and storage.

The other Omen desktop deal is 2017 released Omen 880 with a GTX 1050 and Ryzen 5 processor for $850. Yes, you're getting a new chassis with all the bells and whistle, but the price for performance value just quite isn't there. We've included it in the list for reference.

When it comes to laptops, HP refreshed the Omen series with a new fancier design. The old Omen 15t Gaming Laptop with a Core i7 processor and GTX 1050 video card is on sale, dropping from $950 to $850. In comparison to the old configuration that can now be found under $900, the new Omen 15t with a Radeon RX 550 is now starting at $1,000.

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News:: The latest Resident Evil: Revelations ports are out in August

Capcom is checking two more ports off its list on August 31 in North America (and "Fall 2017" in Europe) with the release of Resident Evil: Revelations for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It'll cost $20.

As Chris previously mentioned, we don't really need all the minute details on this latest Revelations re-release given how many times it's popped up before, but an overview has surfaced with more specifics.

In short, the game will run at 1080p, and the DLC for Raid Mode is included, so you'll have access to the Resistance and Enhancement weapon packs. Better yet, you'll be able to play as the bare-legged Lady Hunk (and the slimy, wretched, no-good Rachel Ooze, if that's your thing, ya animal).

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News:: New video shows gameplay from Mario Kart Arcade GP VR

Mario Karate Arcade GP VR (that's a mouthful) will be making its way to Bandai Namco's VR ZONE, when it opens in Shinjuku this Friday, July 14.

If the name isn't obvious, this is Mario Kart's jump into virtual reality. It runs on an HTC Vive and a Mario Kart Arcade racing rig. You can toss shells, banana peels, and even get smacked with that dreaded blue shell, all in virtual reality. 

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News:: One Piece is getting two new games, one of which is for PlayStation VR

Courtesy of Jump, we know that Bandai Namco has plans for two upcoming One Piece games.

The first is One Piece: Grand Cruise, a PlayStation VR title that'll be fully revealed during an event on July 22 at Tokyo Tower. According to early reports, you'll be able to explore a ship in Grand Cruise, though not much else is known for certain. If the gameplay is decently fleshed-out, I'd be interested.

The other project is an "unprecedented new One Piece game," code-named Dawn, that's being designed in collaboration between Bandai Namco, Shueisha, and Toei Animation, with involvement from One Piece's own Eiichiro Oda. Per Siliconera, it's said to have a new feel to set it apart from prior titles.

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News:: Hitman's final elusive target is named Mr. Giggles

After a rocky few months, Hitman developer IO Interactive have announced that the game's final Elusive Target, "The Entertainer," will launch on Friday, July 14. 

For the last contract of Hitman's first season, Agent 47 has to eliminate Mr. Giggles. Giggles, according to IO, will be located in Marrakesh. Players will have to take him down within ten days before he disappears forever. 

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News:: Insomniac's Spider-Man will be 'several times larger' than Sunset Overdrive

Insomniac's take on the Big Apple will indeed be big -- at least when compared to the studio's previous works. The PS4-exclusive Spider-Man will be Insomniac's largest game in terms of map size.

Actually, it dwarfs the developer's most recent open-world game multiple times over. Answering a fan on Twitter, Insomniac says that Spider-Man is "several times larger" than Sunset Overdrive. There isn't any real specificity to that statement, just the nebulous notion that the playable space is significant.

Truthfully, that's the only way Insomniac could really go with Spider-Man. With Sunset Overdrive, the developer had the freedom to create a city that complemented the gameplay. With New York City, everything needs to feel more authentic. There needs to be a wealth of landmarks and the crushing density that comes with being at the center of a major metropolis.

Making a believably big city is essential for an open-world Spider-Man game. Without drawing too many conclusions from a single tweet, it seems like Insomniac understands this.

@insomniacgames [Twitter]

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News:: Review: Shephy

I didn't think I'd ever be reviewing a solitaire card game literally about sheep fucking in alternate dimensions where plague doctors roam in packs, but here we are and there is no going back now.

It gets weirder, I promise.

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News:: That gaming cruise is going to the Bahamas next year

Last year, I went on a wacky videogame-themed cruise called GaCuCon (pronounced Gah-coo-con) and I lived to tell the tale. I got to party and eat 14 meals a day with one of the main creative guys from Riot, and later got my ass handed to me by eSports legend Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendell all week. It was their first year, so the expo was small, but it was totally worth it. I made some great friends I'm looking forward to catching up with again.

Next time they're sailing from June 20th through June 25th, 2018. 

If you can get to South Florida it's a fun way to spend a weekend in the Caribbean: There's a land event followed by four days of cruising and boozing, and docking for non-gaming activities around town. You'll need a passport to participate, and some areas on the boat are 21 and over. It's not ethical of me to mention that the legal debauchery age in the Bahamas is 18, nor is that totally not a head's up for your poor sweet mother. 

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News:: This competitive season of Overwatch makes it harder to climb, and people aren't happy

People aren't thrilled with the way the competitive portion of Overwatch is playing out this season.

To recap, Blizzard purposefully made it so you need to "climb" (read: play more games) harder than you had to previously, as you'll now rank lower than you "should be." How much lower? well, according to principal designer Scott Mercer, around 50 games from last season -- if you're a light competitive player, you're probably going "screw that." I don't blame you, as this is the first season I've sat out to date.

The idea of having SR (skill rating) impacted by individual player performance as it is now is a great idea -- especially if you are performing above your losing team -- but it doesn't always play out as intended. For starters if you're picking a popular character and don't do as well as the "expected" average, you won't shoot up as much in the rankings even if you win. It's an even bigger problem for support heroes, as applying quantitative restrictions against them doesn't account for big nuanced plays that lead to wins.

This is done under the allusion that "climbing is fun," which might be true for a brand new player, but not someone who's been playing since day one of competitive and is used to slotting into a correct tier. Pro player Jake Lyon of Luminosity Gaming Evil (who mostly plays Genji, Soldier, and Pharah) recently spoke to the channel Your Overwatch regarding the issue, who really dislikes the stat weights system. He explains that in a real competitive/eSports situation, raw numbers like damage won't matter if you're not actually playing your role correctly or you don't understand when to swap heroes mid-match. The entire interview is worth watching if you're really into comp play.

While some people might dig the changes in Season 5, it's yet another thing the Overwatch team will have to bring back to the drawing board as they try to appease both casual and hardcore fans.

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News:: ARMS' 2.0 update is live, adds new modes, takes away one ranked level

While we already knew quite a bit about ARMS' 2.0 update, there was one small detail that was left out. In addition to all of the things like spectator mode, Hedlok mode and even a stats screen and some new arms, this 2.0 patch will be removing Kid Cobra's stage from ranked play.

If you aren't familiar with the level, called Snake Park, it basically replicates the '90s board game Crossfire by letting you jump on various platforms that ping across the map. It was a standout level, for me, in the main game, but I suppose it introduces too many extra variables for an even ranked match.

The new arms include the Nade, Roaster and Kablammer. I'm not sure what any of them do, but they certainly sound cool. While they are specific to new character Max Brass, you can eventually unlock them for the other characters.

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News:: What Remains of Edith Finch comes to Xbox One July 19

What Remains of Edith Finch, the critically acclaimed game from Giant Sparrow, will finally be making its way over to the Xbox One on July 19.

The title has previously only been available on PlayStation 4 and PC. Publisher Annapurna Interactive put out a new trailer to celebrate.

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News:: Rainbow Six: Siege receives loot crate system

Rainbow Six: Siege, the online shooter which sees hostage negotiation ring with a shotgun blast, has received an update implementing an all-new reward system.

The loot crates, or "Alpha Packs" are randomly distributed to players following match completion, though the winners will have an increased chance of obtaining a pack over the losers. The contents of the Alpha Packs is relatively unknown, though reports suggest they are purely cosmetic items, such as weapon skins.

These packs can also be purchased via the in-game currency, Renown, at a current rate of 5,000 Renown per pack. They are not currently purchasable with real-life cash. The system is being implemented across all platforms as part of "Operation Health": a general overhaul of Siege's engine, gameplay and user interface.

Rainbow Six: Siege Update 2.2.1 [Ubisoft]

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News:: First Sonic ring noises at gas stations, now this?

For years I've been hearing the Sonic "ring" noise at gas stations across the US. It's kind of an unspoken thing -- I haven't talked to too many people that have even acknowledge it, but every time I buy an iced tea or something on a road trip, it's there.

This car wash music posted by Guacamolefanatic in the Zelda subreddit is a little more obvious. According to this video the Song of Time is pretty much lifted wholesale, there's no doubt about it.

Evidently, like the Sonic noise, this is also a thing at other locations. But unlike the Sonic ring which was licensed out to many retail stores due to Sega Sammy's involvement with the Pachinko racket, I doubt this song is approved by Nintendo.

Car wash [Reddit]

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News:: ESPN2 to broadcast the Street Fighter V EVO finals this year too

One of the coolest aspects of EVO last year was that it finally broke onto television. Although plagued by audio issues (as both ESPN commentary and native Twitch stream commentary bled over one another), it was heckin' neat to watch the Street Fighter V Top 8 on ESPN2. 

It must've been successful enough last time to warrant another year since the Street Fighter V finals will air on ESPN 2 (and the ESPN app) this year too. Starting at 10:00 PM EST on Sunday (kill me), let's hope the Top 8 will be as exciting as they were last time. I was rooting so hard for LI Joe, haha.

ESPN 2 to broadcast Street Fighter V finals at EVO [ESPN] 

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News:: Satoru Iwata remembered on second anniversary of passing

July 11 saw the second anniversary of the passing of one of the industry's most charismatic figureheads; Nintendo's Satoru Iwata.

Iwata was the head honcho at The Big N during one of its most successful financial periods ever. As president, Iwata would oversee the development and launch of the Nintendo DS, as well as the global phenomenon that was the Nintendo Wii, one of the greatest selling consoles of all time.

To the fans, however, Iwata will always be remembered as the face of Nintendo Direct, where his quirky presentation style and straight-faced comedy transformed him into a beloved cult figure. In an industry full of pedestal-sitting executives, Iwata's unassuming style and passion for video games made him warm, welcome and relatable. This also explains why he would deliver bad news head-on, preceded by his notorious catchphrase "Please understand.."

The man may be gone, but his dream and legacy continues in the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon GO, both of which he had influence in. When you consider all those that have passed within the industry, the fact we are still talking about Iwata, and keeping his image alive through artwork, memes and quotes, speaks volumes about how he was able to reach beyond the executive boardroom to touch the hearts of gamers everywhere.

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News:: The Switch is finally getting apps, starting with NicoNico this week

Earlier this year we asked you if you cared if the Nintendo Switch had any video apps, and the community was fairly split. A lot of you responded that you already had 10 or so devices that could do the same thing, so why would it matter? Another group stated that it was just another reason why Nintendo was behind the times, unable to capitalize on 

I was somewhere in the middle. Remember when Microsoft got lambasted for focusing so much on "all in one entertainment?" Well if Nintendo is going for a mostly gaming machine, that's fine. Of course, I'd love to be able to take my Switch with me while traveling and watch a video on it every now and then.

The time has finally come for an app rollout either way, as a NicoNico streaming app will hit the Japanese eShop. Time will tell if the west will get YouTube and Twitch, among other commercial video apps like Hulu and Netflix. Either way Nintendo has a huge launch ahead of them this month with Splatoon 2, which will herald the coming of the real online system and the new app.

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News:: Might & Magic Showdown beta closes, game removed from Steam

Ubisoft's Might & Magic Showdown, which has been in Steam Early Access, will close its servers July 31 after a very disappointing run and a consistently dwindling playerbase.

The arena combat game, which also featured a novel model-painting mode, has had problems building interest in the half-year it has been in Early Access. Its users had an average playtime of around six hours, and within the least few days the game has struggled to entice a single player online.

Anyone who bought into the beta is eligible for a refund, provided they apply before server closure July 31. Failure is generally never a happy scenario, and I hope the developers can move on to more successful projects. Might & Magic is a strong brand and hopefully it can return to it's former glory in the future.

Might & Magic Showdown closing [Steam]

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News:: Does anybody give a crap about their gamerscore anymore?

So Last week we ran a crazy story. After eleven years straight, Ray “Stallone83” Cox let his prestigious “highest Gamerscore” world record slip through his fingers. His rival, Stephen “smrnov” Rowe was able to snatch the title from his grasp because Ray was too busy *ahem* consummating his marriage to his lovely new bride to keep up a champion’s pace.

The world is so strange sometimes. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading.

There are people out there who still care about their gamerscores?

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