News:: The pro 'StarCraft' scene is alive and well

StarCraft used to be the belle of the ball when it came to eSports, but times have changed. While it still has a viable competitive scene, you're more likely to hear about Dota 2, League of Legends or even a classic rival like CS:GO. Don't tell that to Blizzard, though -- at least in South Korea, it looks like the StarCraft series might be in for a revival among pros. The developer just held an eSports history event in Busan to mark the impending launch of StarCraft: Remastered, and... well, just look at the photo above. Blizzard tells us over 10,000 people watched in person, and 500,000 watched through both streaming and TV broadcasts. That's not exactly what you'd expect from a game whose competitive appeal is on the decline.

Source: StarCraft (Facebook)

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News:: Mistborn: Birthright officially canceled, developer to pick up Unsung Story

It's never a good day when a game gets canceled, no matter how long or troubled the development process is. Many projects sit in limbo for years before the developers officially decide to drop them, and this happened last week to Mistborn: Birthright, a PC and console prequel game to the Mistborn series of fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson, published by Tor Books.

As per the official Facebook page for the project, which was originally announced to be completed in 2013, and then pushed back further to 2015, Birthright appears to have had a troubled development cycle and a hard time getting off the ground. After losing half their internal development team in 2012, Little Orbit attempted to source other developers to keep the project afloat.

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News:: Live Show: The GTFOMLG Show - Episode 1.0

You may be asking yourself, what the hell is a GTFOMLG? Well, in short, it's the first of many themed shows to be hitting the Dtoid.TV channel. It stands for "Get The Fuck Off My Lawn Gaming," a showcase of all things retro filled with old commercials, music, and nostalgic conversation that I will be hosting four nights a week. I'll be ranting about the good ol' days while playing the games of yesteryear that the community can choose in daily polls. Tonight, it all begins with an old ditty called Panic Restaurant.

Keep in mind, the show needs a lot of work (retro-themed intros, layouts, notifiers, etc.), and will be finding its legs over the next couple of weeks. With that said, please tune in and not only watch it evolve, but help us shape it into something greater. And be sure to come by and follow the channel, as we are in the process of going back to our '24/7' format featuring near-endless content full of different personalities and themes. Trust me when I say, it's going to be big, and you won't want to miss a minute of it!

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News:: Taco Bell's new contest means an Xbox One X is just a quesarito away

At E3, we learned that the price of the Xbox One X is $500. Five Franklins. It's a lot of dough. But, some lucky folks who are willing to eat Taco Bell's dough can nab it for just one percent of the normal cost.

Taco Bell and Microsoft just revealed a promotion where they're giving away an Xbox One X every 10 minutes from August 31 to October 4. That's more than 5,000 consoles. Each prize pack will come up the Xbox One X, a copy of Forza Motorsport 7, and a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass.

The $5 steak quesarito box is prominently featured in this promotion, as each meal comes with a unique code to text in for an entry. For those who aren't keen on Taco Bell's food, there will be a legally-mandated alternate method of entering the contest (and it won't cost any money).

This is hardly Taco Bell's first foray into giving away the hot new video game tech. In past years, the fast food chain has also run similar contests for the launch of the PlayStation 4 in 2013, Destiny PS4 bundles in 2014, gold PS4s in 2015, and PlayStation VR in 2016. Now it's Microsoft's turn to help move some taco boxes off the strength of the newest Xbox.

Xbox and Taco Bell Join Forces to Bring Xbox One X to Fans [Xbox Wire]

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News:: Senran Kagura has a busty amount of games coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and mobile

It's nuts how much the popularity of the Senran Kagura series has exploded over the years. Marvelous' has been riding such a positive wave, surely pushed forward by its dedicated fanbase, that it's going to cater to its fans through way more avenues than before. 

Along with a remake of its 3DS game coming to PlayStation 4, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, Marvelous announced a ton of other titles. First off, the next entry in the mainline series, Senran Kagura 7EVEN: Shoujo-tachi no Koufuku (or Girls’ Happiness) is releasing in Japan next Fall. There's unfortunately not much information about it at the moment. 

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News:: Bloggers Wanted: Fake it until you make it

This month's bloggers wanted prompt is something we stole. You see, by stealing this idea, you have no idea how truly inept I actually am. By pretending to know what I'm doing, I have clearly used my ill-gotten status to meet such big-time celebrities as Darlington Woolie "Pie Stealer" Madden or Sara from [insert pixel indie game studio here].

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News:: You'll get to honk car horns in PUBG's August update

Early Access behemoth PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is always changing. Since first storming onto the scene, the game has seen its fair share of performance improvements and gameplay tweaks with each passing month. It's still not quite finished, but the upcoming August update fixes one of PUBG's most glaring issues: the lack of a functioning car horn.

That'll change once the update patch goes live. Players will be able to beep their horns and alert every nearby enemy with the simple click of a mouse. It might sound stupid -- unnecessary, even -- to some people but I, for one, couldn't be more excited.

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News:: Dormammu and Firebrand returning for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

A few months back, Marvel unveiled a few variant comic covers which featured a number of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite characters. I personally ignored it for the most part, thinking any characters featured could've been a poor tease or some kind of red herring. The most peculiar of which was the Spider-Man/Deadpool #20 cover featuring Firebrand and Dormammu. 

See, at the time of the initial announcement, the four characters hadn't been announced or confirmed. It was a complete toss up. Deadpool being the most peculiar of the four since the lack of X-Men characters this time around is looking more likely every reveal. But the Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Facebook page officially announced the return of the huge stars, Firebrand and Dormammu, teasing a gameplay reveal August 22 during Gamescom. 

What do you think of this announcement? Pretty stellar, right? Can you tell how excited I am? I can't believe how functional these characters will be. 

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News:: Beating Dragon Quest XI gives the greatest reward: A free game

On Monday, we reported that a PlayStation 4 trophy list for a free version of the original Dragon Quest had appeared. However, reports are now coming out of Japan that not only is the free version also available on the Nintendo 3DS, but it only takes one little thing to obtain it.

You have to beat Dragon Quest XI.

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News:: Cordelia and Female Robin join the fight in Fire Emblem Warriors

The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has shown off more new details about the upcoming Fire Emblem Warriors. In addition to giving more information on systems included, the magazine reveals two more characters being included in the game. Cordelia and Female Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening will both be joining the fight.

Why though, out of all the remaining characters from Awakening, did they choose Female Robin?

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News:: You are cordially invited to King Knight's debut at PAX West

_{[Header courtesy of Saraharcana on DeviantArt]}

Shovel Knight is the game that keeps on giving. Already packed to the brim with three individual campaigns to play, Yacht Club Games is following through on its Kickstarter promise of a fourth story mode featuring King Knight. Fans eager to see or try out the new story will get their first shot at PAX West in September of this year.

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News:: Get your first taste of 'Sunless Skies' on August 30th

Sunless Skies, the sequel to Sunless Sea that reached its Kickstarter goal in just four hours, will be available for Early Access play on August 30th. Kickstarter backers will get their key via email and anybody else who would like to play and provide feedback can get the game for 10 percent of its regular $25 price during the first week of release.

Source: Failbetter Games

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News:: Rockstar might be working on another Midnight Club

Midnight Club is a series that has been left in the dust. It's adored by a specific subset of racing fans, but developer Rockstar hasn't shown much interest in giving it any attention over the last near-decade. The most recent Midnight Club game released in 2008.

That opening paragraph sounds like a eulogy, but it's not. You can't eulogize what's not dead, and it sounds like Midnight Club might be making a comeback.

A user on reddit has discovered the presence of some sort of Midnight Club game on Xbox Live's servers. The screenshots (which are allegedly from a Rockstar developer testing the game) show the Xbox One buttons overlaid on Midnight Club screens.

The ambiguity here has led the community to posit all sorts of ideas. This could be a remaster, possibly in the same vein as Phantom Dust. (It's probably worth noting that the original Midnight Club didn't have licensed cars and one of these screenshots features a Nissan Skyline GTR.) Another theory is that this indicates a series reboot, which is supported by the title screen featuring a 2015 Ford Mustang -- a car that obviously didn't exist a decade ago. Or, this could simply be another new Midnight Club.

It's also worth taking into consideration that the Xbox account where all this activity stems from is now completely locked down. There's no tracing back the evidence, there's only taking the evidence at face value. But, if this is true, some sort of new Midnight Club is would be welcomed with open arms by a lot of people -- even if there are other good arcade racers on the market.

Midnight Club "Remaster" Leaked from Xbox Live website + Sources [reddit]

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News:: Review: Aztez

Aztez immediately caught my eye for a number of reasons. The most striking of which was its distinct look. Taking cues from Mexican culture, I was wary and excited at the same time. There aren't a lot of games influenced by my culture, so I'm usually pumped to play whatever comes my way. But on the other hand, I feel I have to keep these projects at arm's length just in case. 

Luckily, Team Colorblind honed in on the innate brutality of Mesoamerica and fine tuned it to such a fun degree. Aztez melds together so many of my favorite things: ancient Mexican culture, blood, stabbing things in the face, blood, sacrificing my enemies to Aztec gods, and blood.

It was pretty damn hard to not just write "Aztez is dope" over and over. 

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News:: I think I'm breaking controllers playing Rocket League

I have been told that I play Rocket League extremely loudly. Like, I just smash those buttons and hope good things happen. In today's episode of Red Rocket League, Steven compares it to the clacking sound that comes from a mechanical keyboard.

I can't help it! That's just how I play and I'm not going to change that just to duck some disturbing the peace citations. It's not my fault my clackers are so strong and meaty. Besides, we're starting to play better now and that's my only goal. No one complains when you put balls in the back of the net.

I'm not the only one smashing buttons around here. You can too. If you like what we're doing with Dtoid Fight, smash that subscribe button on YouTube and that follow button on Twitter. Do it and Jordan will take you out for Sunday brunch.

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News:: Torchlight team's new game Hob hits PC and PS4 this September

Heck yeah! We were just catching up with Runic Games' action-adventure title Hob a couple weeks back, and now here we are again with another trailer and a fast-approaching release date: September 26 for PC and PlayStation 4. Things are ramping up.

I'm curious how the "wordless narrative" approach will resonate here but, again, I do love that grapple.

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News:: 'Resident Evil' will haunt the Nintendo Switch this fall

Before Resident Evil 7 came along and blew everyone's expectations of what a survival horror game could be out of the water, the franchise was in a bad spot for awhile. The Revelations sub-series was a more back-to-basics approach to RE, existing alongside the increasingly awful numbered sequels leading up to this year's first-person adventure. Well, if you missed Revelations on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and are looking for something scary for your Switch, later this fall you'll be all set.

Source: Capcom

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News:: Microsoft shrunk the Xbox One wireless controller adapter for PCs

Microsoft has a few new accessories on the way for Xbox One and PC gamers. Along with three new Wireless Controllers in Xbox 360-style Grey/Green, hot red Volcano Shadow, and Halo-esque Patrol Tech variants, the gaming company has announced a brand-new Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10, a little USB stick that's 66 percent smaller than the original. You can purchase the miniature adapter -- which lets you use an Xbox One controller on your PC -- for $25 on its own, or grab it as a bundle with the plain black controller for $80.

Source: Microsoft

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News:: Senran Kagura Burst getting remade as 3D action on PS4

Video starts at 1:22:04.

The first Senran Kagura game to come west, Senran Kagura Burst, along with it's Japan-only predecessor Senran Kagura: Skirting Shadows are being remade for PlayStation 4 in one package as Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal. It arrives in Japan on February 22, 2018. Previously side-scrolling beat-em ups on the Nintendo 3DS, they will become 3D action games similar to the Versus games on PlayStation Vita.

A 10,810 yen "Nyuu Nyuu DX Pack" limited edition will include five illustrated cards, six character pair Lover's straps, a booklet, long drama CD, and special box and packaging. Early buyers will also get a download code for the “Prohibited Fruit Cutie Peach & Melon” costume.

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News:: Stardew Valley's multiplayer won't be out until early next year

Multiplayer in Stardew Valley has been a long time coming, and it'll be a while yet.

Chucklefish has detailed what we can expect from the cooperative mode now that the developers have "pinned down the main technical issues" bogging down their progress.

"Shortly after you begin the game, Robin will offer to build up to 3 cabins on your farm. Each cabin will house a farmhand, controlled by one of your friends.

Farmhands can do almost anything the main player can do. They can farm, mine, fight, fish, forage, marry NPCs and take part in festivals. Each player has their own inventory. When a farmhand is not connected, their inventory can be managed through a chest in their cabin.

Certain decisions can be made only by the main player: when to sleep, when to start and end festivals, and whether to side with Joja, for instance.

You won’t need to set up a server to run multiplayer. Friends can be invited onto the farm through Steam. The invite mechanism for non-Steam versions is TBD, but likely to be similar in most cases."

Chucklefish stressed that there won't be local multiplayer or split-screen (drat!), or PVP, at least not initially. The plan is to hold a beta test "at the end of the year for Steam users," followed by an "early 2018" release for the patch. "Consoles will get the patch too, starting with Nintendo Switch. This will be a bigger patch than usual, so be aware that it will take a while to roll out to each platform."

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News:: Nintendo has a fix for the Switch's battery bug

Nintendo has sold almost 2 million Switch units in the four months since the system launched in March, so it's safe to say the console is a success. But it's still plagued with a few system issues -- one of which Nintendo fixed (kind of). If users update the operating system to the latest version (3.0.1), the console will finally display the correct charge level on screen. Usually. If not, they can follow extensive instructions to charge then drain the battery, which will gradually fix it. Hopefully.

Via: Polygon

Source: Nintendo (Issue resolution page)

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News:: .hack//G.U. Last Recode will contain a brand new episode four

When originally announced, .hack//G.U. Last Recode was going to be a complete remaster of the trilogy of games from the PS2. Now it looks like this collection will actually contain some brand new content in the form of an episode four, titled "Perhaps a Dream of World-Weaving Snakes." Taking place roughly a year and a half after episode three, the new story will detail what happened to the cast following the conclusion of the original trilogy.

A scan from Famitsu magazine (courtesy of Siliconera) reads:

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News:: Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You! gets limited international screenings

If you're still keen on seeing the new Pokémon movie even though it doesn't feature Brock, Misty, nor Ash's correct hat then you may have the opportunity to see in theaters for a brief time this fall. While locations are not announced, the Pokémon Company has announced that limited screenings will be available internationally on November 5 and 6, 2017 thanks to Fathom Events.

While the origin story is not totally faithful to the original anime, the Pokémon Company described it as "the perfect way for a new generation of Pokémon fans to experience the beginning of Ash and Pikachu’s friendship, and it offers longtime fans an exciting new look into the start of their epic adventures.'

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News:: Aquaman gutted like a fish in Injustice 2's first big balance patch

Injustice 2's first big balance patch has arrived. While previous patches focused on bug fixes and minor adjustments, this patch represents a major shake up for NetherRealm's funny book fighter, aimed at taking the edge off some of the top-tier characters while boosting some of the weaker ones. You can read the entire patch notes on the Injustice 2 official boards, but I'll tell you right now that some characters made out better than others.

Unsurprisingly (if you've been following message board chatter and the tournament scene), the two characters hit the hardest are Aquaman and Black Adam. Royalty just can't catch a break it seems. The king of Atlantis can no longer combo off a meter burned Tentacle Strike, his Trident Rush does less chip damage on block, and some of his safest and most spam-able combo strings have been adjusted to make him a little more vulnerable on recovery. Meanwhile, Black Adam has received damage nerfs pretty much across the board and some of his best tools (IE, Black Magic) have been given more recovery and less advantage. 

I'm sure players who main those characters will be disappointed, but for those of us who have lived in constant trembling fear of the monarchy since release, this is a welcomed revolution. Sharpen up the guillotine.

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News:: Agent 47's Hitman origins being adapted into comic series

Agent 47, anti-hero of IO Interactive's popular Hitman games, is to receive his own comic-book series later this year courtesy of publisher Dynamite Entertainment.

The series will look into the silent assassin's complex and conspiratorial past, as well as his initial entry into the International Contracts Association, including his introduction to his equally-infamous handler, Diana Burnwood. Written by Christopher Sebala with artwork by Jonathan Lau, the globe-trotting story will also uncover Diana's troubled past and her own experience with cold-blooded murder.

"I am incredibly excited to be working with Chris and Jonathan on this," says Dynamite editor Anthony Marques. "The creative team couldn’t be more well suited for this title and is sure to deliver all of the action and thrills of the Hitman universe that fans have come to know and love from the games."

Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman #1 goes on sale October 11, available through comic book stores and digital suppliers such as Comixology, iBooks and Kindle.

Hitman comic adaptation [The Beat] 

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News:: Mothra, Battra, and more invade City Shrouded in Shadow

This crazy game that has you evading giant monsters is developing a Super Smash Bros. style roster of all-stars. Mothra, Battra, Gyaos, and Ultraman Tiga will join a cast that already includes Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, Evangelion Unit-01, King Ghidorah, Nise Ultraman, Alien Zarab, the Fourth Angel (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Legion, and Soldier Legion.

All these tokusatsu (Japanese term for media focusing on special effects, typically refers to monster movies, Super Sentai, etc) films are things I would love in indulge in if I had the time, but if this game is as good as it looks it would be a better introduction to them than the 2014 Godzilla game. We'll get a first look at gameplay on August 3.

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News:: Command a spaceship fleet in the 'Dreadnought' PS4 open beta

Ever dreamed of commanding a whole fleet of giant spaceships? You now have your chance. Six Foot, Yager and Grey Box have launched the PS4 open beta for Dreadnought, their long-in-the-making tactical space battler. The test expands on the long-running closed tests on PC and PS4 by giving everyone access to eight new maps, a new vessel (the Trident Hero Ship), an in-game friends list, squads and a slew of PS4-specific additions like PS4 Pro support and Remote Play. An expanded beta like this wouldn't normally garner so much attention, but the closed betas (and the open beta on PC) have racked up some positive buzz -- this is a game concept that appears to work well in practice.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Grey Box

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News:: The SNES Classic will be available for pre-order in late August

If you're still pretty bummed about Walmart taking away your SNES Classic pre-order then I have good news. They'll be available for actual pre-orders later this month.

Nintendo took to social media today to inform fans who might be starting to lose hope of getting one. 

                               

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