News:: Blade Runner 2049: Replicant Pursuit will have you dreaming of electric sheep in VR

Blade Runner is one of the most important sci-fi films of all time. It not only laid the groundwork for a plethora of classic sci-fi films in the '80s, but it inspired a generation of film makers to pick up cameras and get to shooting. It also became a victim of Hollywood's meddling with its original release, but subsequent home releases have fixed any narrative issues that had been imposed by executives, leaving the mesmerizing core untouched.

Oddly, we haven't seen much in the way of video game adaptations for the film. There was an odd title released for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC that was "inspired" by the soundtrack as well as an adventure game developed by Dune developer Westwood Studios, but the film has mostly acted as inspiration for game makers instead of being the actual subject of their creations. That looks set to change this Friday, July 21, when Alcon Interactive Group will be unleashing Blade Runner 2049: Replicant Pursuit for the Samsung Gear VR.

Developed by Turtle Rock Studios (of Left 4 Dead fame), the game looks to be an on-rails experience. Why it is only coming out for mobile devices is beyond me, but apparently an Oculus Rift release is on the cards for closer to the new film's premiere in October. This is also only one of three games that will be coming out to flaunt the sequel to Ridley Scott's masterpiece.

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News:: Hack into a world of cyberpunk horror next month in 'Observer'

If you think things are unendurably awful in the world today, maybe don't play Observer when it hits PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux on August 15th.

Observer follows one of the darkest paths at humanity's feet, imagining a 2084 where corporations are the highest authority and much of society lives in Blade Runner-esque squalor. In Poland, Detective Dan Lasarski is tasked with hacking into the minds of murderers and degenerates, witnessing their crimes in twisted detail, first-hand.

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News:: All multiplayer DLC will be free with Doom's 6.66 update

Doom's latest update marks some big changes for its multiplayer mode. A blog post from Bethesda explains how the the progression system receiving a total overhaul and, more notably, how all the previously released DLC (a season pass originally priced at $39.99) will be given to every imp and ghoul for free.

All in all, the freebies include a bunch of maps, three guns, three playable demons, and some other customization options.That's one hell of a bonus (assuming you didn't already pay for it), which overlaps nicely with the game's new and reduced $14.99 price.

Unlocks and progression for multiplayer is moving away from a random drop system. Instead, there will be a new level and challenge system for guiding unlocks. The idea is to give players a bit more control over what goodies they snag. Of course, this also means everyone is being reset back to level 0.

Veteran players aren't totally out of luck. They'll be keeping all of their previously unlocked gear and receive a badge showing they were playing before it was cool. The most dedicated players who have maxed out their rank will receive... another badge.

Frankly, I'm a little surprised that there wasn't anything else in store for the loyal vets already invested in Doom's multiplayer. I know if I had paid for the season pass and worked my way up the ranks, I'd be more than a little unhappy to see my level wiped and the DLC just given away. Then again, how many players out there fit that description? I loved Doom as much as anyone, but never even looked at the multiplayer. From what I hear, that's a pretty common story.

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News:: Patapon Remastered hits PlayStation 4 August 1

Oh, Patapon, you've eluded my grasp for far too long, but no more! That's right, Patapon, the 2007 rhythm game originally on the PSP, is getting a remaster.

We already knew that, but now we know when. You'll be playing what many think is one of the PSP's best games on your PlayStation 4 starting August 1, 2017.

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News:: Who was Doomguy? John Romero has a funny story about that

Behind-the-scenes Doom stuff is my jam, and I like to think plenty of you feel the same way. With that in mind, John Romero has shared an anecdote about the box art that you need to see. It's a good one.

The original plan, back in 1993, was to bring in a male model to "strike various poses for the marine who would be on the cover of the box," according to Romero. Easy enough, right?

"The body model took his shirt off and started posing with our plasma gun toy. [Illustrator Don Punchatz] asked us for suggestions so I started telling him that the Marine was going to be attacked by an infinite amount of demons. It would be cool if he was on a hill and firing down into them. The model was holding the gun in various positions and none of them were interesting to me."

"I kept telling the model what to do but he couldn't see the scene in his mind," Romero continues.

"Frustrated, I threw my shirt off and told him to give me the gun and get on the floor – grab my arm as one of the demons! Defeated, he deferred. I aimed the gun in a slightly different direction and told Don, 'This is what I'm talking about!' Don took several pictures. I moved the gun some, the demon grabbed my leg, other arm, etc. At the end of it we all decided the arm-grabbing pose was going to be the best.

"And that's the story of how the cover composition was created."

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News:: Major League Baseball has a problem with the Overwatch League logo

Last week the Overwatch League finally started to take shape. They announced their first seven teams, some of them even owned by traditional sports team owners, so it's clear people with the capital are willing to back this venture.

Blizzard might be running into trouble regarding the Overwatch League's logo. According to the Morrison/Lee law firm blog, Major League Baseball is getting ready to oppose the trademark registration for the League.

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News:: PlayStation Network's Totally Digital sale has some gems

This week's PlayStation Network sale in North America might be on the smaller side relatively speaking, but it's worth a look for PS4 players with gaming time to spare (or a willingness to bloat their backlog).

It's a digital-centric lineup, with titles like Cosmic Star Heroine ($10.04), Darkest Dungeon ($12.49), Inside ($11.99), Salt and Sanctuary ($10.79), Snake Pass ($11.99), Soma ($8.99), and The Witness ($19.99). If you like your PS4 okay and don't really get into PC gaming these days, there's a lot to consider.

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News:: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age kicks the door in, New 2DS XL roars past Nintendo Switch to top Japan charts

Role-playing games, cute characters, handheld gaming: the trifecta of sales success in Japan. We got all three this week fellas, with the remake Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and the newest Pikmin title, Hey! Pikmin releasing to over 100,000 and 65,000 sales in their opening week to lead the way.

The New 2DS XL (LL in Japan) also launched, hitting 43,000 despite the age of the platform, temporarily putting it ahead of the Nintendo Switch which saw its own mini-boost of 5,000 since last week. As you can see below, quite a few consoles saw an increase in sales over the last week. Summer break is starting for students, and big hitters such as Dragon Quest XI and Splatoon 2 are really next week. Will be interesting to see those numbers.

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News:: Destructoid Community Interviews: The Blonde Bass

_{[I'm pretty sure I spoiled Bass' surprise from changing his name to Inspector Gadget by waiting too long to promote this. Oh well! Here it finally is, another edition of community interviews! Photo from Yuri Araujo's Twitter feed. He's from Capcom-Unity! ~Marcel]}

Hey brothers and sisters! Hope you're all having a rad weekend. Welcome back to the Community Interview series, where we place a member of our nearest and dearest under the spyglass to find out a little about what makes them tick. Thanks as always for stopping by, because your time, support and comments are always appreciated. Without further adieu, let's get it on.

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News:: There's a Mega Man movie on the way from the 'Catfish' directors for some reason

With the kinds of properties getting film adaptations lately, like Sonic the Hedgehog, Gears of War, Detective Pikachu, Streets of Rage, and even friggin' Tetris, some properties slip through the cracks. First announced two years ago when 20th Century Fox first bought the rights to a movie based on Capcom's Mega Man series, Fox is finally moving forward with Chernin Entertainment and Masi Oka from Heroes (what). 

It's too early in production to have any clear details as to what form of adaptation it'll take, whether it be CG, 2D, or some kind of CG/live-action hybrid, but the film will be written and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. They're the duo who brought you such classics as the original Catfish documentary (which later morphed into a MTV series), Nerve, Paranormal Activity 3, and uh...Paranormal Activity 4. 

I know it's unfair to judge a film literally before it exists, but this just seems like yet another Mega Man project in the wrong hands. Too bad. 

'Catfish' Helmers in Talks to Direct 'Mega Man' Movie [THR]

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News:: Twitch vs. YouTube Gaming: A ‘Destiny 2’ snapshot

YouTube Gaming hit the 'net in August 2015, promising to compete with the live-streaming world's dominant force, Twitch. Two years later, both sites have evolved. Twitch offers a raft of non-gaming streams -- including anime and '90s-TV marathons, cooking shows, and creative corners -- plus it instituted an in-chat tipping system and enabled game sales directly on individual channels. Twitch has its own bustling economy.

Meanwhile, YouTube Gaming produced live shows, reorganized its UI a few times and rolled out "sponsorships," allowing viewers to send cash to streamers each month.

Today, YouTube Gaming is dragging behind Twitch when it comes to actual viewer numbers, as demonstrated by the hottest new release: the open beta for Destiny 2. The beta went live on July 18th and it's been a hot topic across the video game community, with dedicated fans clamoring to consume every shiny new weapon, map and mode. Destiny 2 represents big-budget, AAA games with massive audiences -- the gaming industry's bread and butter. So, how is it faring on the two largest live-streaming sites?

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News:: 'Doom' 6.66 unloads a host of hellish updates free of charge

Hell is about to be unleashed for a very affordable price. Bethesda's "ultimate" edition of Doom rolls out to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 with the new 6.66 update. How's that for a nice, round, hellish number? The update unlocks all the multiplayer DLC for everyone, offers skill-progression Runes in multiplayer and also comes with a new progression system. Instead of random loot unlocks in multiplayer, you'll get to work toward specific upgrades. Not only that, but you can grab the whole new edition, including the SnapMap level editor and arcade mode, for $14.99. If you just want to try it out, there will be free weekends on each platform this month, as well.

Via: Polygon

Source: Bethesda

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News:: Survival looks tough in The Evil Within 2's latest gameplay trailer

I'm looking forward to The Evil Within 2. The first game had plenty of issues, but I dug the way it blended a bunch of horror influences to make a batshit crazy story that never stopped to see if the player was paying attention. Plus, its use of 'Clair De Lune' during the hospital segments was super good in a super creepy way.

The Evil Within 2 looks a bit more focused than its predecessor. Publisher Bethesda Softworks dropped a new trailer for the upcoming game that features disgraced detective Sebastian Castellanos, his (possibly deceased) daughter, and their struggle to survive against a whole host of monsters.

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News:: This is some incredibly bad PUBG luck

A successful round of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds requires a near-perfect blend of skill, strategy, and luck. (Not that I'd necessarily know; I'm still chicken dinner-less.)

That's what makes this video so heartbreaking for anyone who has ever seen the late-game and its unforgiving circle. Judging by the position they're in, this squad played the skill and strategy parts to a tee. Luck wasn't on their side though and that's all that really matters.

Get these guys a consolation prize. Maybe a Hungry-Man TV dinner. Or a horseshoe made out of four-leaf clovers.

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News:: Get Big in Japan with official Street Fighter V gym equipment

The chain of Don Quijote shops are sort of like Japanese Wal-Mart, and as weird as you'd expect that to be. The multi-level shop has everything, you name it. Fresh produce, fake Mario costumes, bikes, Gucci purses, the sweetest cushion you've ever seen, evil-looking liquor, camping gear, Russian roulette drinking games, Black Man thongs, and today I found ... Street Fighter V gym equipment they made last year. I was killing time, looking for random nonsense and noticed Zangief looking up my shorts. What in the hell?

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News:: Nintendo Switch's voice chat only works when the phone screen is on

The Switch's voice-chat-through-telephone is already a convoluted system, one that Nintendo seemingly went out of its way to make needlessly archaic. Instead of connecting a headset directly to the console (like PlayStation and Xbox have done for more than a decade), the Switch's solution involves passing it all through a mobile device for it to work. This tweet sums it up nicely.

However, one new detail has come to light that makes the process even more laborious. As GameSpot points out, the phone screen has to stay on or else the voice chat cuts off. The online app can't run in the background; it has to be the phone's primary use. That means no checking texts, taking calls, or looking stuff up in a browser.

While this seems like it makes for a hilariously bad user experience now, this is something Nintendo plans to tie to its subscription service when that launches next year. Some people will put up with it, but it also seems reasonable to assume that it's enough hassle to cause others to shy away from voice chat. Alternatively, some savvy folks will turn to third-party apps like Discord in order to circumvent Nintendo altogether.

But, for anyone who sticks with Nintendo's method, there's going to be a mess of cords and drained batteries. Of course, you could always plug your phone in while playing, but that's just going to add to the tangle of cables. It's a bad system no matter which angle you approach it from.

Nintendo Switch Online App Requires Your Phone To Be Unlocked To Use Voice Chat [GameSpot]

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News:: Why the hell haven't you played Afro Samurai?

Every time I see a discussion of underappreciated or underrated games, it's always the same ole usual suspects: Spec Ops: The Line, Binary Domain, Ninja Blade, Deadly Premonition, and so on. Whenever I bring up Afro Samurai there's never anyone else who chimes in about it.

Sure, the sequel was so horrendously broken they canceled it after episode one, refunded everyone's money, and took it off all digital stores. But the first is a goddamn classic and shame on you if you haven't played it.

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News:: Unlike dinosaurs, Ark servers won't be wiped away at 1.0 launch

The end of ARK: Survival Evolved's pre-Early Access days comes with a whimper, not a bang, as developer Studio Wildcard has announced that the game's 1.0 release will not wipe out server data as initially planned. This is good news for dedicated Ark players, but a slap in the face to dinosaur aficionados everywhere, because our prehistoric reptilian friends did not have a choice when faced with extinction. 

Ark's 1.0 release is scheduled for August 8, on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. According to Studio Wildcard, both PS4 and Xbox One players will have access the official "Ragnarok" mod, as well as private, rentable servers once the game releases in proper.

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News:: RBI Baseball 17 will release on Switch when the season's nearly over

Ah, September baseball. The air's a little crisper, the nights are a little colder, and the games are a little more important. Well, a lot more important actually. The weather's cooling down but the playoff races are heating up.

It's also, apparently, the time to release a baseball game. Toward the tail end of the big league season, RBI Baseball 17 will launch on Nintendo Switch on September 5. Major League Baseball is making a to-do about how this will be the first officially licensed sports game on Switch.

Curiously, there's a Switch tax of sorts at play. This port of RBI Baseball 17 will be priced at $30; the PS4 and Xbox One versions originally released at $20. There doesn't seem to be a good explanation for a $10 price hike on the Switch, other than it's a sports game on a platform that is lacking in that area. We've reached out to MLB for comment about this and will update this article if/when we receive a response.

But maybe the price doesn't matter much because RBI Baseball 17 doesn't seem to be a very good game. Not many outlets reviewed it (including us), but it's currently sitting at a 23 percent on Open Critic. Over on Metacritic, all the scores are rated as negative. Maybe MLB's audience is less in the discerning video game consumer and more in the impulsive fan who's subjected to advertisements between innings on MLB TV.

Sports-loving Switch owners will have to ask themselves if they're so starved for games that they're willing to buy an overpriced tardy version of a game that was widely considered bad in the first place. That's enough to make anyone balk.

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News:: Review: Fallen Legion

There's usually two sides in a story: there are the good guys, and there are the bad guys. But once you really think about it, it's all perspective. You can be the hero of your story but that doesn't mean you can't also be the bad guy of another person's story.

Fallen Legion tries to tell a story from two different perspectives. While this isn't the first time a game has done such a thing, this time each perspective is on a different platform. Take a look at my views on this game, and you might find something we agree on. If not, we just might have a different way of looking at things.

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News:: Hollow Knight's Hidden Dreams update is now set for August

So far, so good. I'm still holding out on Hollow Knight until it comes to Nintendo Switch. Any of you cave? If you did (or already had the game on PC), there's some news on the update front: Hidden Dreams is now looking at an August 3 launch, a bit after the previous July estimate for the content pack.

According to Team Cherry, "the update needed a little more testing and fine tuning before we send it out. Plus, we may have managed to squeeze a few little unannounced surprises in there!"

Hidden Dreams is said to add two bosses, two extra tracks, the Dream Gate upgrade for traversal, and another Stag Station, one that was "walled away, hidden from bugs and forgotten by stags, until now."

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News:: Dad goes absolutely berserk in Japanese Dragon Quest XI commercials

Are you excited for Dragon Quest XI? Japan sure is. As you know commercials over here are completely 100% normal, and the latest "CMs" for the blockbuster franchise are no different. A dad and son are shopping for and playing DQXI, with a bit of role reversal.

The dad is throwing a tantrum on the floor in the middle of an electronics store begging to get the game, On the other hand, the son acts as the calm and collected one, eventually giving in to buy it which excites dad. Excites him until the next commercial, that is, when he impatiently watches his son play before leaping in to play together.

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News:: Final season of Telltale’s ‘The Walking Dead’ game debuts next year

Telltale's roster of graphic adventure games has slowly expanded over the years to include serious AAA properties, like the Guardians of the Galaxy adaptation they released back in April. But the title that pioneered their wildly successful style when it launched in 2012, The Walking Dead, is finally coming to a close. The first episode of its final 'season' will debut sometime in 2018 -- and so will new adventures for Batman and The Wolf Among Us.

Source: Telltale Games

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News:: ESPN had an EVO finalist change Cammy's revealing outfit for broadcast

This past weekend was the Evolution Championship Series tournament where fighting game players from all over the world showed how cool fighting games can be at a high level. But, in that same breath, it also showed off how skimpy some of the costumes can be. 

In one of the matches in the Street Fighter V Top 8, Ryota "Kazuhiko" Inoue had given his Cammy her default outfit, which cruised to the crews like connect the dots. Now I remember folks on Twitter calling out how awkward ESPN (and their parent company Disney) had probably felt broadcasting this Cammy who's not just urban she likes the pop, and Compete confirmed in a report that Kazunoko was asked to change her costume to one that wasn't livin' la vida loca:

...an Evo staffer halted the match and pulled both players back into the Character Select screen. After listening to what the staffer had to say, Kazunoko changed Cammy’s costume. Kazunoko’s agent confirmed to Compete that the costume change was a request from the Evo staffer: “He says he was asked to change costume by tournament organizer and he’s not sure why they asked.”

Compete got a statement from an ESPN rep. confirming the change was made for "broadcast standards," and it parallels last year's hubbub about R. Mika's thighs like what, what, what. 

I can understand both sides of the argument as Cammy's outfit has gotten a bit more cheeky as the series rolled on, but ESPN is no stranger to beach sports showing nearly the same amount of cloth. 

Coincidentally Sisqo, who only eats on square plates, recently released a remixed version of his 1999 hit single. 

ESPN Makes Street Fighter Player Change Character's Thong Due to 'Broadcast Standards' [Compete]

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News:: Quote from man banned: 'What are you gonna do, ban me?'

https://t.co/QsnrAws8HT

That wasn't hard at all! Thanks for the info, and enjoy your ban!

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@BattleRoyaleMod) July 18, 2017

The above "PlayerUnknown" is the eponymous creator of recent-Early-Access-hit PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Brendan Greene. He does not countenance joking off, especially when it comes to killing your teammates in his game, which is against the rules. Unfortunately there is no rule against accidental team-killing, so Brett won't be banned yet.

The above fun exchange stems from a somewhat more serious interaction Greene had with "one of the game's most popular streamers," according to Waypoint, Dr. DisRespect.

During a stream, Dr. DisRespect's four-person squad found a motorcycle and sidecar that could only seat three. For comedic effect, he blasted away one of his squad mates, sorting out the calculus of how to proceed. Not long after, he caught a ban for team-killing.

The ban was only temporary, and Dr. DisRespect shared some banter with Greene on Twitter.

I'll break the rules anytime, anywhere I go.... and look good doing it.

— Dr DisRespect (@DrDisRespect) July 18, 2017

If I could do the splits I'd roundhouse kick you in the neck.

But since I can't, I'll just front kick you in the chest instead.

Lightning.

— Dr DisRespect (@DrDisRespect) July 18, 2017

The banter soured after Dr. DisRespect's presumed joke about kicking Greene in the chest, as Greene has actually been kicked in the chest before. He explains in a statement, prefaced with the clarification that he is indeed a fan of Dr. DisRespect's normal shtick:

"When I was in college, many years ago, I had a disagreement with my flat mate. Instead of talking it out like men, he decided to get aggressive and while I was backing away from him, he kicked me in the chest and put my head through a plate glass door. ... The point of that story is to attempt to explain why I think even the threat of violence is not something that should be joked about. ... All I ask from anyone that reads this is to consider that your words, however flippant they may be, could have unintended effects on those reading them."

Until we nationalize PUGB, it's Greene's battlegrounds, and we inhabit it by his grace.

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News:: Drive Girls pulled over, delayed, in North America

The Vita is still kicking and so are the anime girl transformers, Drive Girls. However, while the game was originally slated for an August 11 release in the United States, it has been pushed back nearly a month and will now release on September 8, 2017.

No particular reason has been disclosed yet, but I like to imagine they were simply going too fast. As if they were behind a cop car in a school zone while kids are being let out and the school zone signs are flashing, then pull out and zoom past the cop at 50 miles an hour. Yeah, I actually witnessed such a thing. The shocked lady should've transformed if she wanted to pull as stunt like that.

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News:: Banner Saga Vita port finally canceled

After over two years in development, The Banner Saga publisher Versus Evil announced via a blog post that the game's PlayStation Vita port has officially been canceled. 

They sent word out in a tweet last night.

We regret to announce #BannerSaga on the Vita is canceled - details here at the @vs_evil site: https://t.co/5AEqC7YjRy

— The Banner Saga (@BannerSaga) July 19, 2017

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