News:: Pokken Tournament DX will get online team battles soon on Switch

When Pokken Tournament arrived on the Wii U, it kind of just fizzled out when it came to long term support. It's a far cry from the arcade version that got patched multiple times a month, but Bandai Namco seems to be righting that wrong on the more popular Switch with its DX rendition.

According to the game's official website, online team battles are coming, taking the local-only restriction off of popular team battle mode. You'll also be able to record gameplay in training, then play it back to practice on whatever strategies and tactics you like.

If it keeps selling there's a distinct possibility that we could get more quality of life changes like this, as well as additional characters. Given that the Pokken controller I bought on Wii U works here, I say bring it on. It hasn't been that much of a hassle to upgrade, and now I have more people to actually play with.

Update [Pokken Tournament DX via Gematsu]

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News:: Bungie says it hears your Destiny 2 endgame feedback

As part of its weekly community update, Bungie has shared the final system specs for the PC version of Destiny 2. If you played during the beta phase back in August, these requirements should look familiar.

Recommended

    CPU
    Intel - Core i5-2400 3.4 GHz or i5 7400 3.5 GHz
    AMD - Ryzen R5 1600X 3.6 GHz

    GPU
    Nvidia - GeForce GTX 970 4GB or GTX 1060 6GB
    AMD - Radeon R9 390 8GB

    RAM
    8GB

Minimum

    CPU
    Intel - Intel Core i3-3250 3.5 GHz or Intel Pentium G4560 3.5 GHz
    AMD - FX-4350 4.2 GHz

    GPU
    Nvidia - GeForce GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB
    AMD - Radeon HD 7850 2GB

    RAM
    6GB

Operating system

        Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit (Recommended)

Storage

        68GB available hard drive space

Even though Destiny 2 runs and plays like a dream on PC, I couldn't wait for its staggered launch, so I sprang for the console game and now I'm left with characters and PlayStation Network friends I won't be able to easily ditch come October 24. I knew this would happen but I did it anyway. Drat.

Elsewhere in the post, Bungie said that the Leviathan prestige raid is set for October 18 at 10:00am Pacific... but that exploit that caused it to be pushed back in the first place? It hasn't been patched up yet. "The last thing we want to do is fix an exploit some players are using, only to break other parts of the game for everyone. Because of this, we are pushing the fix off to a later date." That said, Bungie has come up with "a way to verify a clean finish," so it can "detect if any teams use this exploit to gain an advantage" and "will be able to crown the winners with the confidence they deserve." The race is still on.

Lastly, the studio left a general "we're listening!" note.

"We're reading as much of your chatter as we possibly can. There are millions of you, after all. One thing we have noticed is a lot of discussions about the Endgame and how it can be improved. Right now, these discussions are also happening in our studio. We are listening, but need time to digest everything and draw up the best plans for the future. We will have more to say on this soon."

This Week At Bungie – 10/12/2017 [Bungie]

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News:: Discord is going to allow studios to manage their own verified servers, starting with Minecraft

As this generation moves on, studios want to control the message more and more. The rise of influencers is an obvious example, as are verified, controlled environments on otherwise "wild west"-esque social channels. Naturally this would lead to things like verified Twitter accounts, and now Discord is getting in on the officially sanctioned action.

According to the official Discord site, they're now adding a new feature for verified servers, which allow studios like Microsoft to take control of their own communities for games like Minecraft. As a developer you'll be able to completely run said community, with full administrative power.

This has the potential to be fairly big if more influential studios actually use it as a form of communication and ditch other more public-facing models. I don't think that'll happen though as the power of marketing still requires as many eyes as they can possibly get, but I can see little updates here and there being an alluring factor if the servers get big enough (like small hotfix communication and the like that wouldn't warrant a grandstanding blog post).

Verification [Discord]

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News:: Review in Progress: The Evil Within 2

I'm about eight hours into The Evil Within 2. I've just hit a point that, based off of my surroundings, looks to be an aesthetic departure from what's come before. It's jarring, but I'm eager to see what kind of mess former detective Sebastian Castellanos gets himself into next.

Read more...

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News:: I like it hard: Videogames, difficulty, and Cuphead

“Cuphead, it’s just like Dark Souls!” came the cries from both game critics and players alike, manifesting itself like an annoying chorus from the world’s most petulant musical ever. The ensuing “Cuphead’s hard!”, “No, it’s not!” quickly became the worst set of duelling chants to ever happen since “Let’s go Cena!”, “Cena sucks!” and I had to throw my phone into the bin just to get away from the high-pitched whine of it all. The moment’s peace before my wastepaper basket began to vibrate with promises of hot takes about the unrelenting nature of the game did get me thinking, though. Difficulty in games in the present day versus how it “used” to be.

I did see some sense in what the Internet was saying, and immediately after my brain scan, I considered the thought process again. I’ve always had below average skills at games. I’ve been playing since I was 3 years old, and I haven’t been consistently good enough to beat them until I was 18. I’m 21 now, go figure. Reminiscing, I thought back to my gaming history. Crash Bandicoot. Spyro the Dragon. Super Mario 64. Grand Theft Auto III. These are all games I failed miserably to beat, simply because I plainly lacked the skills to do so. Then my mind raced to newer titles which I seemed to sail through, like Uncharted, Call of Duty, and the LEGO series of games.

Why did these games seem to come a lot easier than some of the medium’s greatest successes, almost as if victory were promised and not something to be worked studiously at? 

Read more...

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News:: Review: Golf Story

My expectations were a bit skewed going into Golf Story. I heard "golf role-playing game" and painted a picture in my mind of a grand, sweeping, save-the-world story in which problems are resolved (for some reason) with clubs and balls rather than swords and spells.

It turns out Golf Story is a story about golf. As a golf RPG, it is more golf than RPG. But with solid mechanics and consistently sharp writing, it's engaging from beginning to end, even if it isn't the game I expected.

Read more...

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News:: Try the Xbox One X before it launches at select Microsoft Stores

With less than a month to go before you can get your hands on the new, more powerful Xbox One X, Microsoft is giving the unconvinced a chance to try it out at the company's retail outlets. You can try the new console connected to a 4K display at flagship Microsoft Store locations like the one in New York and Sidney, along with spaces at Bellevue Square Mall and University Village. You'll also get to try out Forza Motorsport 7 on the new console, win prizes and see special guests.

Source: Microsoft

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News:: Monster Energy Supercross is bringing high-flying thrills to PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

Tomorrow is the Monster Energy Cup in sunny Las Vegas where one million dollars will be on the line for riders in the AMA Supercross circuit. So what better time than now for Milestone S.r.l. to announce Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame. If you enjoy sport racing you probably already know Milestone from its Moto GP and MXGP racers, or the countless other racing games it has made over the past 17 years. 

Monster Energy Supercross will feature real riders from AMA Supercross, including Chad Reed, Ken Roczen, and Ryan Dungey -- hey I actually recognize that last one! Players will be able to customize their racers and bikes as they fly across official Supercross tracks from the 2017 season through a career mode in 250SX and 450SX classes. We'll also be able to create our own courses to race and share online, which is always my favorite feature in these types of games.

Read more...

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News:: Roundup: The best PC deals for The Evil Within 2

Tango Gameworks' The Evil Within 2 went live last night and the fanfare is decidedly on the low-end of the spectrum. But thus far user reviews are 93% positive on Steam as the survival horror FPS sequel loads up across the web. Sales are a bit more timid in comparison as the Bethesda-published game has not displaced the recently released Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

If you're a PC gamer looking to pick up the Steam copy of The Evil Within 2 during release week after chugging through various reviews, you'll have a variety of options in deals - though discounts aren't that significant now that the game is released.

The Evil Within 2 (PC/Steam Deals)

• Green Man Gaming — $48.59  (list price $60) <- use code SUCHWOW10
• GamesPlanet — ~$47.87  (list price $60) <- GBP to USD
• GamersGate — $50.39  (list price $60)
• DLGamer2 — $50.99  (list price $60)

So far prices are similar across the board. You're either looking at 19%-20% off, or you're looking at 15%-16% off. In general everywhere else legitimate has The Evil Within 2 with a discount of about 15%, so GMG's deal is only bigger because of a stacking site-wide code they are running, while comparatively, GamesPlanet has the best rate due to the current conversion advantage.

The download size is 25.5GB and when unpacked you'll need about 40GB of hard drive space. If you're someone who uses an SSD with limited space (or someone with a slow-ass Internet connection), take this into account before you spring for the game.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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News:: It's Friday the 13th, y'all! Tell us your scariest game memory

"Let's play a horror game. I got this in a used sale at GameStop," Eric said one Saturday afternoon, many moons ago. Why the hell not? The two of us, with his little brother in tow, stared at the cover of an unfamiliar title. Clock Tower 3. The front had what looked to be a school girl gasping at a risque joke told by her drunk uncle, Terry, and the back had some nonsense about terrifying excursions. Looked goofy.

We turned the game on, and were treated to some pretty standard horror tropes. There was a young and frightened protagonist, a spooky and mysterious location, and some little girls with bloodfaces playing pianos. Ho-hum. As I ran around and hid in closets from supernatural perverts I couldn't help but think how silly the game was. By the time I was asked to use celestial arrows to pin down the handsy departed, I had totally let my guard down.

You shouldn't do stuff like that.

Read more...

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News:: 'South Park' game's main DLC items won't be available this year

After a few delays, South Park: The Fractured But Whole will finally be released next week. If you're curious what the super-hero-themed RPG's season pass offers before laying down another $30 (assuming GameStop hasn't already guilted you into buying it), we've got you covered. Come launch day on October 17th, you'll only have access two two things: a costume and perks pack and Towelie, the pothead towel, who will give you tips in-game. Both will be sold separately; the former will cost $4.99 on launch day, and the latter will be $1.99 a week later.

Source: UbiBlog

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News:: How to get the Destructoid achievement in Juanito Arcade Mayhem

It was the indie sleeper hit of the summer, and now we're in it. Just watch the video, how pretty is this? Just don't git gud at Juanito Arcade Mayhem just yet or you might miss Mr. Destructoid's latest video game cameo. Here's the trailer:

How to get it:

All you've gotta do to unlock it is die a miserable death three times in the Arkanoid-inspired level and Mr. Destructoid will pop up.  It's one of the many anti-achievements in the brutally difficult run-and-gun 2D shooter by Game Ever Studio. The game's a love letter to classic titles like Pacman, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Snow Bros -- all which are directly featured in the game's insane boss fights. The game just got a 2.0 release which includes co-op!

Check out the gallery below for a deeper look at the pajama-intensive visuals. The game's 20% off through the 16th. Grab it on Steam for $7.99 this weekend. 

Read more...

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News:: Contest: We've got 15 PAX Australia passes to give away!

So, did you want to check out PAX Australia later this month, but were bummed out when you noticed on PAX's website that the 3-Day passes were completely sold out? Well, fret no more! Thanks to the fine folks at PAX, we've got fifteen of these 3-Day Weekend Passes to PAX Australia to give away to our readers.

If you want a chance to get your hands on one of these passes, all you have to do is leave a comment down below prior to October 16 (Monday) at 11:59PM AEST saying what your favourite Australian-made video game is and why. It could be any game from any era and by any publisher, so long as it's by an Australian development team.

Are you a fan of L.A. Noire? Would you rather play Framed — the game that Hideo Kojima referred to as his game of the year back in 2014? Do you have anything else in mind? Let us know!

Soon after the deadline hits, we’ll start notifying contest winners via the comment section with instructions on how to redeem their PAX Australia passes. It's really that simple.

Oh, and I guess it goes without saying that this contest is for our Australian readers. If you won't be in Melbourne — or if you're unable to make it to Melbourne — on the weekend of October 27-29 (when PAX Australia takes place), please don't bother entering.

Good luck!

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News:: IGN acquires pay-what-you-want game and book retailer Humble Bundle

Media conglomerate IGN has acquired Humble Bundle, the pay-what-you-want gaming, book and software collection retailer that raises money for charitable causes. In a blog post, Humble Bundle cofounder and CEO Jeffrey Rosen noted that his company will "keep our own office, culture, and amazing team with IGN helping us further our plans." Aside from noting that the retailer will get additional resources and help out of the deal, no details were disclosed.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Humble Bundle (blog)

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News:: Contest: Win the Super Nintendo Classic / Mini you deserve

Last week I woke up at the crack of dawn to grab an extra Super Nintendo Classic to give away on Destructoid and, sure enough, I was met with a line of people at every location I went to -- and few shy about their intent to list it on eBay the second they got home. While I have to hand it to these lanky youngsters for their enterprising attitudes, it royally fucks over the fan on a tight budget. Thus, this contest is for you.

Destructoid is giving away a very small Super Nintendo in 2017 in very high demand, a concept that still baffles the mind and puts a smile on my face. It's my favorite childhood system and I want more people to have them. I'll probably continue to give them away until the price returns to sanity.

How to enter: Just tell a friend about our humble blog and you're entered to win. If you're overseas we can't ship you one but you'll get the cash equivalent instead. If I'm lucky we'll also have the imported Super Famicom mini to give away as well next month, because Mystical Ninja was a criminal omission. No purchase necessary, see rules below for more details. The winner will be randomly drawn by the Gleam widget below. Good luck!

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News:: Epic Games is suing two alleged Fortnite cheats for use of aimbots

When Epic Games promised to have a zero tolerance policy against cheaters in their team-based shooter Fortnite, they weren't just whistlin' dixie. Two individuals associated to cheat-distribution site Addicted Cheats have been hit with complaints from the Fortnite publishers, filed in a North Carolina court, for the use of aim-bots whilst playing.

The actual law stated broken here is "copyright infringement". The argument being that the defendants broke into the game's copyright code in order to implement the hacks "Thus," states the complaint. "Materially altering the game that the code creates and the experience of those who play it."

The complaints are grounded on the basis that code has been tampered with, which is stated as prohibited in the game's End User Agreement. "In using cheat software to modify the game’s code in this way" continues the complaint. "Defendant and other cheaters who use the cheat create unauthorized derivative works based on Fortnite in violation of the Copyright Act."

Both defendants face charges in excess of $150,000 if the complaints are upheld. But, let's be frank, this isn't about the money, or these two specific defendants. It's Epic Games, during the most successful week Fortnite has seen so far, marking their territory with a stark, clear warning to any other players considering screwing with their title in future.

Epic Games Inc. vs  Vraspir / Broom Complaints [Torrent Freak]

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News:: Final Fantasy XIV is kicking off its Halloween themed All Saints Wake event on October 19

Although Final Fantasy XIV is supported by hefty content patches every three months or so (which follow the same pattern of catch-up, hardcore raid content, catch-up, and so on), it also sports random themed events from time to time.

That includes the annual "All Saints Wake" celebration, which is themed after Halloween and typically includes a short (hour max) questline, as well as the ability to earn various bits of spooky gear like vampire robes or cat outfits.

This year's event will run from October 19 until November 1, and will feature more beast/cat outfits based on the teaser image. Square Enix will share more regarding the details of the event soon, but for now you can mark your calendar. While I don't spend a whole lot of time on these, it's great timing with the recent arrival of 4.1.

Final Fantasy XIV [Twitter]

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News:: So, IGN acquired Humble Bundle

It seemed like only a matter of time before someone bought Humble Bundle, especially as it has expanded its business in recent years, but I can't say I expected IGN to be the one to make that deal.

The terms of the acquisition aren't known, but according to Gamasutra, the entertainment media company will support Humble "in terms of accelerating growth and raising more money for charity."

"If it's not broken, don't fix it," said IGN executive VP Mitch Galbraith. "The idea is just to feed them with the resources they need to keep doing what they're doing."

Humble co-founder John Graham added that they "want to stick to the fundamentals in the short term. We don't want to disrupt anything we're doing right already. Because of the shared vision and overlap of our customer bases, there's going to be a lot of opportunities."

It'd be silly to expect no changes, but my guess for the near future is that IGN will be looking to incorporate bundles with its IGN Prime subscription plans as an added perk. Opportunities like that.

Humble Bundle has been acquired by media giant IGN [Gamasutra]

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News:: Cuphead has cleared one million sales

If you've been enjoying Cuphead and want the talented folks at Studio MDHR to continue making games, real good news on that front: two weeks later, they've sold one million copies.

"We have worked tirelessly over the past few years to deliver a game that remained true to our vision and we are both humbled and excited that so many people from around the world are playing Cuphead – it truly makes it all worth it," said co-creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer in a blog post.

Pre-release, I was confident I'd like this game, but I wasn't sure how much it would resonate with everyone else and I was nervous for the developers knowing how high the stakes were. It ended up clicking with me even more than expected -- Cuphead is one of my favorite games this year, easily -- and it's gratifying to hear that things are looking good not just critically but commercially too.

Cuphead goes platinum [Studio MDHR]

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News:: Stranger Things Season 2's final trailer gives us the goods

In honor of both Friday the 13th and Stranger Things' second season Halloween premiere, Netflix has released the final trailer for season two. It admittedly doesn't have the same pop as the Thriller backed first trailer, but this is our best overall look at the season yet. 

A year after the events from the first season, the gang is getting back to their normal lives but Will (Noah Schnapp) is still seeing visions of the Upside Down, and to make matters worse, there's a giant super octopus monster trying to break through into their world. I'm hoping the new characters from Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, and Sadie Sink bring some goodness into the mix too. 

Stranger Things season two hits Netflix October 27, 2017. 

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News:: This PlayStation Network flash sale has a few standout deals

It's time to strap in for another North American PlayStation Network flash sale.

You might be expecting a Friday the 13th theme but, nope, we're looking at an assorted group of games here. I'm just going to throw out some suggestions if that's cool with you: Alienation ($5.99), Hitman ($23.99; or $3.99 per episode), Mega Man Legacy Collection ($5.99), Mortal Kombat XL ($11.99), The Bug Butcher ($3.99), and WipEout Omega Collection ($23.99). The first and last pick are my favorites.

Also, while I'm not sure I'd personally recommend it, if you're thinking of getting into Street Fighter V now that Arcade Edition is confirmed for January, this sale has the "2017 Deluxe Edition" of SFV for $39.99. That's half the normal price and you'll get the Season 1 and Season 2 character passes.

Read more...

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News:: Square Enix tries to tell us why the Secret of Mana Remake isn't coming to Switch

With the Seiken Densetsu trilogy arriving very early on the Switch (in Japan at least), people kind of assumed that when the Secret of Mana remake project was announced, that it will arrive on that platform as well. That didn't seem to be the case though, as Square Enix only had PC, PS4, and Vita on their platform list, leading many to clamor for a Switch port -- as these situations often lead to.

Producer Masaru Oyamada has spoken out on the issue though, and explains why there's no Switch version in a pretty clear manner: "Development for the title began before the Switch was announced, so it was definitely beyond our expectations to see the level of anticipation for the release on the platform grow this much."

He goes on to say they are "unable to immediately state that it will become available" on Switch, and that he's fine with "continuing to listen to the various requests from our fans" to make it happen. I mean, it'll probably need to sell well on those other platforms to even be worth the effort, especially if they haven't started development on the Switch edition yet.

Secret of Mana is back in a big way lately though, with its recent inclusion on the SNES Classic, the aforementioned package trilogy on Switch, and its impending remake.

Secret of Mana is back but will it come to Switch? [Redbull]

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News:: Review: The Foreigner

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jackie Chan in US cinemas, especially as a lead, and I for one, am happy to have him back. Think on it for a moment:  Jackie Chan is still one the world’s biggest stars (currently ranking fifth on the Forbes list of highest paid actors), and ever since 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx, he’s been a mainstay in Hollywood, but I don’t think we’ve seen him in a major role since 2010’s The Karate Kid reboot (and he was not the star of that film). Sure, his voice has popped up in animated films like Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3, The Nutjob 2, and even The LEGO Ninjago Movie just this year, but his acting roles have been relegated back to China. And I say relegated in full jest as China’s box office is predicted to overtake Hollywood by 2021, and for most, acting in your native language is easier. However, Chan’s always aspired to be a global movie star, not just a Chinese or Hong Kong one, and he’d already made it.

This is an incredibly long-winded way of saying that for domestic audiences, denying them one of the world’s veritable superstars, and a self-made one at that, one who’s paid every due possible to pay to get to the top, and also one of the greatest action/martial arts stars the world’s ever known, is a shame. I’m happy there are minds outside Hollywood deciding which films to back financially, and although The Foreigner was produced by Chinese and British backers (including Chan himself, who owns Sparkle Roll Media), it did get a domestic distribution deal as Chan proves here that he’s got more to offer the world than doing his own stunts.

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News:: Friday the 13th gets update to celebrate Friday the 13th

As it's Friday the 13th today, it makes sense that survival-horror game Friday the 13th would be celebrating its namesake. Indeed they are, as the slasher title will be getting some new content, as well as some spooky new weather effects and an XP boosting weekend.

The update is titled "The Final Chapter" which was the subtitle given to the fourth Friday the 13th movie, before going on to have six sequels, as well as numerous spin-offs and a (pretty good) remake.

The game will receive a new map based on the location of The Final Chapter: the home of hero Tommy Jarvis (played in the movie by young Corey Feldman). A new counselor, the tye-dye-sporting hippie Mitch Floyd and, of course, a new Jason, sporting his chubby, mutated look from the 1984 movie and wielding his grisly new tool, the "pig-splitter". Eww.

Sadly, no reference appears to have been made to Crispin Glover, nor his earth-shattering dance sequence from the movie.

If that wasn't enough, the game will also be getting some new weather effects, and a double points boost for all players for the duration of the weekend. So get out there and get stalking those teenagers (in the game, obviously.)

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter weekend [Official site]

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News:: Chat app Discord opens official game channels

Gaming-focused chat app Discord is partnering with developers on official chat channels. Verified Servers are places where a game's community can hang out, talk and get news straight from the teams that made the games. Think of them like official forums, but with real-time communication versus asynchronous. Just look for the checkmark badge next to a server profile and you should be good to go. Developers can even add Discord badges to their website's social links and directly to their game's main menu. As Polygon notes, so far Minecraft, Offworld, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Supercell have set up shop.

Via: Polygon

Source: Discord

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News:: Dungeons 3 releases into the Overworld today with accompanying livestream

Do you like sitting in the cold and the dark? Do you slap things that work inefficiently? Is most of your time spent making up Excessively-Hyphenated-Names and speaking in the third person?

Then boy, do I have the game for you. Totally-not-Dungeon-Keeper-management-sim Dungeons 3 arrives on PC and Linux today, with console versions taking a more leisurely route to show up on the 17th. I assume it's to look cool, but who are they really kidding? Themselves, that's who.

In order to celebrate the release, Kalpyso will run a livestream today in order to show the final build of the title and answer questions.

Read more...

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News:: Given that new housing in Final Fantasy XIV sold out in minutes, Square is adding more

The new unveiling of the Japan-themed Shirogane housing district in Final Fantasy XIV didn't go so swimmingly -- I should know, I was there!

Right at reset at the wee hours of the morning (US), folks were waiting in the queue to jump into the game and grab their new house. Except...most of them were foiled, as all of the wards sold out in minutes. Even with the relocation program in place (where people could easily move from their existing plots in the other three areas to Shirogane), the plots were simply taken instantaneously in some cases, and God forbid you had work that day.

As a result, the game's producer Naoki Yoshida has responded on the official forum for XIV, explaining that they will add more wards after hearing fan feedback. Yoshida agrees that added stress on the servers was a factor that impacted some logins, leading to long queues where players literally couldn't even claim their desired plot (that, or the reclocation feature didn't work) -- and they're adding more wards to all four zones "by patch 4.2." It's good news! Final Fantasy XIV's housing situation is a hotly debated topic among players and observers alike, but they're trying to make the situation they have now right.

As for my take, I actually like the limited situation. It took me two years to find a small house in Mist, but I adore my seaside cottage and the idea of static neighborhoods. I live near some real life friends of mine and have seen people come and go -- it's a unique feeling, and something that would be lost with instanced housing (which exists right now with apartments and tenant abilities for existing houses). A few recent stories I've read capture my thoughts perfectly.

In regard to housing in patch 4.1 [The Lodestone]

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