News:: 'Destiny 2' gets a Ghost Alexa skill and replica speaker

Whether you're a Destiny 2 newbie sampling its free trial or a hardened vet griping about player progress, one thing we can all agree on is the general awesomeness of the game's Ghost AI. The floating intelligence is a tipster, guide, and mechanic all rolled in to one. Activision is so enamoured with the virtual assistant that it's pairing it up with Amazon's Echo speakers. Yes, a Ghost Alexa skill is now available for players that want to bark voice orders at a real-life version of the virtual assistant. With it, you'll be able to ask Alexa to ask Ghost to equip load-outs, scout levels, and join a clan.

Source: Amazon Alexa

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News:: My Nintendo rewards include games again!

For the first time in what seems like forever, My Nintendo has games you can download by redeeming gold coins! Gold coins are acquired by registering retail releases through the website or Switch dashboard and haven't really had much use since the relaunch of Nintendo's loyalty program.

On the 3DS, you'll be able to nab Retro City Rampage: DX (80 Coins) and Toki Tori 3D (20 Coins) while for Wii U you can get Tengami (80 Coins) and XType Plus (30  Coins). There are also two 3DS themes available for gold coins with one based on Breath of the Wild (20 Coins) and the other Animal Crossing (20 coins). The games will be available until January 27, 2018 while the themes have differing dates (2/10/18 for BoTW and 12/1 for AC).

The website still lists the Switch section as "coming soon," so who knows when that is going to become active. As neat as free games are, I pine for the days of Club Nintendo. I miss those physical rewards.

Featured Rewards [My Nintendo]

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News:: 'Destiny 2' updates will give veterans a reason to keep playing

While it's safe to say that Destiny 2 has sold well and is a solid improvement over its predecessor, there are still plenty of concerns. Seasoned players quickly ran out of new things to do, and there are gripes that its experience point system punishes some players. However, it looks like Bungie is tackling the issues head-on. In addition to tweaking experience points and cancelling a planned Curse of Osiris livestream (which would have seemed tone deaf), the studio has detailed exactly how it plans to extend the game in December and beyond. From a cursory look, it's good news if you find yourself twiddling your thumbs.

Source: Bungie

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News:: Splasher is back on the Nintendo Switch eShop

If you caught Kevin's review of Splasher and thought it sounded like the sort of platformer you'd dig on Nintendo Switch -- I mean, he scored it a nine outta ten! -- then here's a double dose of good news.

First, the game is back on the eShop. It was recently taken down due to an "age rating issue" with the ESRB, and now that it's been reclassified under the Teen rating category (for "Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Language, Use of Tobacco"), it's once again available for purchase on the Switch.

Second, Splasher has returned with a discount in tow. It's $11.99 (20 percent off) in North America. While it's fairly common to hear about games being delisted over licensing issues and what have you, it's not every day you see a game disappear and resurface because of its age rating.

[Via Nintendo Everything]

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News:: Bungie outlines big changes for Destiny 2 in December and beyond

As promised, Bungie has shared its plans for the future of Destiny 2 in a blog post today.

Aside from going over upcoming "systems, features, and updates [...] being designed specifically to focus on and support players who want Destiny to be their hobby," the developer also admitted that it needs to be "more open" with its fans lest they get tired and move on from the game.

Most notably, on December 12, Bungie will be introducing Masterworks, which are Legendary weapons that track and show your kill count, generate orbs upon multi-kills, and add "stat bonuses that are selected randomly from a small pool and are re-rollable." You'll be able to earn Masterworks as drops from any source of 250 Power weaponry (especially Trials of the Nine and the Raid), and you can upgrade to them using existing Legendary gear. ("Unwanted Masterworks can be dismantled.")

Masterworks should give players more of an incentive to keep, well, playing -- and not feel bad about it. And while this system only applies to weapons to start, Bungie plans to extend it to other gear.

There's a lot of other ground to cover, including account-wide armor ornaments; better vendor rewards; more worthwhile incentives for Prestige activities and Strikes, Adventures, and Lost Sectors; private matches and Ranked play in the Crucible; and more uses for Tokens and Legendary Shards.

The much-derided scaling XP system that recently made headlines is still being addressed. Leveling is "too slow for some activities" as it currently stands. "Expect to see a lot of conversation from our team on this front, as XP rewards are updated and brought back in-line with player expectations."

Looking ahead, the developers say they "plan to continue this dialog as openly and frequently as possible" and it'll be "an ongoing process." But as far as next month goes, we're looking at:

• [DEC 12] Legendary Weapons will drop as or be upgraded to become Masterworks versions
  
  • Masterworks will have a few advantages over the baseline Legendary weapon:
    • Track and display the number of kills with that weapon (with choice between total count or Crucible-only count)
    • Generate orbs for you and your allies on multi-kills
    • Add weapon stat bonuses that are selected randomly from a small pool and are re-rollable
  • Masterworks drop from any source of Legendary weapons for characters above 250 Power
    • Unwanted Masterworks can be dismantled into materials that can upgrade an existing Legendary Weapon into a Masterwork
    • Raid and Trials of the Nine Weapons will have a very high chance to be Masterworks
  • We have future plans to extend Masterworks to other gear and expose your kill counts in more places (e.g. Crucible kill screen)

• [DEC 5] Armor Ornaments will be added to some existing Armor sets for more visual customization without losing your Shaders or Mods
  
  • These ornaments will be unlocked by completing objectives specific to each set, and are permanently unlocked account-wide, just like Exotic Weapon ornaments
  • They will be applied to the base pieces that you may already have collected, and can now unlock on Vendors if not
  • In Season 2, the following sets have ornaments unlocked in their respective activities:
    • Vanguard Faction Armor
    • Crucible Faction Armor
    • Trials of the Nine Armor
    • Iron Banner Armor
    • Dead Orbit Armor
    • Future War Cult Armor
    • New Monarchy Armor
    • Eater of Worlds Raid Lair Armor

• [DEC 12] Faction Armor and Weapons will be unlocked for purchase for Legendary Shards and Faction Tokens on most Faction Vendors
  
  • All five Armor Slots will always be present, and Weapons will rotate weekly on Factions that have them
  • Slots will be unlocked by claiming Reward Engrams from the respective Faction
  • You will get credit for engrams you may have already claimed since launch

• [DEC 12] Xur has some new offerings for players collecting Exotics:
  
  • Every week, you’ll be able to acquire one of the new Fated Engrams using Legendary Shards that will decrypt as Exotics that aren’t already in your collection
  • A simpler Three of Coins that boosts Exotic drop rates from any source for 4 hours
    • No obscure stacking mechanics or need to re-apply before every boss
    • These cost Legendary Shards and you can have as many as you like

• [DEC 5] Banshee has some updates on the Weapon and Armor Mod front:
  
  • For players wanting to clear some Mod inventory space, Rare quality Mods will dismantle into Gunsmith Materials and have a chance to produce Legendary quality Mod Components
  • For players chasing specific Legendary Mods (including Legendary Kinetic Mods), Banshee will offer a selection of specific Legendary Mods for direct purchase, with a selection that will rotate daily and cost Legendary Shards and Mod Components

• [DEC 5] For players chasing a world Legendary or looking for Masterworks, Master Rahool will sell some of his rumored hoard of Legendary Engrams for Legendary Shards

• [DEC 12] Commander Zavala and Lord Shaxx will sell Gift consumables for Legendary Shards that can be used during a Strike or Crucible Match that will serve the following functions:
  
  • Grant bonus rewards to everyone in that activity upon completion, friend or foe alike
  • Award anything from Faction Tokens to a round of Exotics for everyone in the match

• [DEC 12] Exploit safeguards on Chests and Resource Nodes are greatly relaxed and players should encounter them less frequently
  
  • Even if they do, drop rates for Tokens is only reduced to 30% instead of 0%, and Glimmer will be unaffected
  • We want to associate a visual indicator with this in a future update, but we weren’t able to pull that off in this update (but we hear you!)

• [DEC 12] Vendors will now beckon you to hand in your Reputation Tokens only when you’re carrying enough to earn a Reward Engram

• [DEC 5] Changes affecting Reputation Tokens:
  
  • Daily Challenges will have Reputation Token awards increased across the board
  • Cayde’s Treasure Chests still offer variable rewards, but now guarantee (at minimum) a payout of destination appropriate Reputation Tokens
  • Strikes will drop a larger number of Vanguard Reputation Tokens
  • Common quality Destination Resource Tokens will have their drop rates increased to 100%, and values per Token increased as well (by 50% for common quality Tokens and 250% for rare quality Tokens)
  • On the balance, Reputation required per Reward Engram will increase for Destination Factions (+37%) and Gunsmith (+50%)
  • Leviathan Raid Tokens will be redeemed at Benedict immediately upon obtaining a Token, instead of requiring a full clear before unlocking

I haven't felt the urge to play Destiny 2 much lately but I'll have to pop back in next month. Whether or not Bungie can carry that momentum into 2018 and stay communicative remains to be seen.

The State of Destiny 2 [Bungie]

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News:: Square Enix vaguely promises a 'big' 2018 for Final Fantasy

This year was an important one for Final Fantasy. It marked the 30th anniversary of the series, and not many video games can claim that number yet. However, Square Enix says it wants to make the 31st just as good.

In an interview with Edamame Arcade Channel, Final Fantasy brand manager Shinji Hashimoto claims that 2018 will be a bring a lot from the revered franchise. "They are gearing up for a big year next year," Hashimoto said, adding that several studios are working on different Final Fantasy projects.

Although many of those are still yet to be revealed, Square Enix did pull back the veil a bit today. In a Final Fantasy live-stream today (and as reported by Gematsu), FFXV director Hajime Tabata says that he wants to release three "Episode" add-ons next year, with Ardyn being first. He also knows that fans want an installment for Luna.

Additionally, we know that FFXV is coming to PC next year, and that Episode: Ignis releases in two weeks. As for non-FFXV news, who knows what's next. Maybe some new games, maybe some updates to existing ones. But, it's still a longshot that the first part of the Final Fantasy VII remake will be ready to go next year.

Exclusive Interview: Final Fanatasy Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto [Edamame Arcade Channel via Gematsu]

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News:: Take-Two is claiming the games industry will be 100% digital in 5-20 years

At one point or another, the video game industry is going to shift away from physical releases and become strictly digital. The time frame on when that will happen is up for debate, but Take-Two Interactive's president, Karl Slatoff, believes we'll be seeing it within 5-20 years.

Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Slatoff stated, "I think over the long-term, it will be 100% [digital]. I just can't predict whether that's five years, 10 years, or 20 years. It's probably less than 20 and maybe more than five, but I think it ultimately gets there." What could possibly be pushing people into accepting it more? Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, of course!

"Why I think it's a little quicker than people imagined is honestly, Sony and Microsoft have done a really nice job with their services," Slatoff proclaims. "You've got more people on Xbox Live, more people on PSN, and it helps. The friction is going away at a quicker rate because these platforms have been really well developed, and the consumers love it." Tell that to all the angry comments about PlayStation Plus' game lineup each month.

What of the here and now? Are physical Take-Two-published games going to disappear? "The truth is physical retail is still the majority of our business, and very important partners of ours," Slatoff stresses. "We want to do everything we can to support that environment... They're very strong marketing and distribution partners for us." He then concedes that the shift in the market is out of Take-Two's control and that the future is looking a bit more electronic.

I can't say I disagree with his estimation, though. Digital storefronts have gotten very convenient since the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One and Steam's domination on the PC front has led to each console manufacturer actually utilizing sales to drive up consumer interest. There are always concerns over security after Sony suffered that massive hack not seven years ago, but features like two-factor authentication have provided users with more measures to keep their information safe.

Do I see it happening in five years? Absolutely not, but mostly because of how rigid cable companies are with internet speeds and the looming threat of Net Neutrality being repealed. 10 years, though? I'm almost certain that will be the case. I wouldn't be surprised if the announcement of a PlayStation 5 stresses how Sony is going all digital for the next generation.

Do I want such a future? An emphatic hell no! As with any form of entertainment, having the ability to physically hold something can lead to a much deeper appreciation of a product, not to mention that you can then sell your copy of a game/movie/album to someone if you aren't keen on it. A digital-only future is something that will take away a lot of consumer rights, which is not something I can stand for.

The rest of the article focuses on how digital distribution has allowed publishers and developers to incorporate microtransactions and how Slatoff believes customer dissatisfaction is based more on the lack of content around those transactions rather than the actual transaction itself. "In terms of the consumer and the noise you hear in the market right now, it's all about content. It's about over-delivering on content and making sure you're focused on engagement." Yeah, definitely over-delivering...

I mostly get uneasy reading this from Take-Two when that same publisher has been looking into ways to turn players into recurrent spenders. Their bottom line seems to be more looking out for themselves rather than cultivating the creative aspects of gaming. Obviously they would love an all-digital future, so I'm not surprised to hear the president of the company give such a short time frame.

Games industry is going 100% digital - Take-Two [GamesIndustry.biz]

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News:: Xbox One X updates roll out for Skyrim and Fallout 4

Bethesda recently broke down its plans for Xbox One X support across a number of its games, including Wolfenstein II, The Evil Within 2, and Dishonored 2. One of the mild annoyances of owning the X (or the PlayStation 4 Pro) is knowing the exact benefits you're getting in these sorts of updates since that information isn't always available in one easy-to-glean spot. In this case, I appreciated the effort.

Today, two of the company's bigger releases -- Skyrim Special Edition and Fallout 4 -- were updated.

For Skyrim, there's 4K resolution support, which, simple enough. For Fallout 4, it's 4K support and an enhanced draw distance for trees, grass, objects, and NPCs, as well as enhanced God Ray effects. (Worth mentioning: both of these games employ dynamic resolution scaling.)

If you're curious, you can see a high-res image for the two titles here and here, respectively.

Bethesda Game Studios [Twitter]

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News:: Review: Battlerite

If you're an arena brawler or a MOBA, it's hard to get noticed. So many of them are dropping like flies trying to chase that Riot payday that it's tough to even keep track of the ones that actually do make it to their ship date.

Battlerite still has some work to do after exiting Early Access, but it has the makings of something that's going to stick around.

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News:: This year's PSX panels include Ghost of Tsushima, Dreams, and The Last of Us Part II

Ahead of PlayStation Experience kicking off next Friday, Sony has listed its panel schedule.

PlayStation VR Game Panel

11:00am Saturday, December 9
We can’t wait to tell you more about this one! Experience a candid conversation between two legends as they discuss developing their new PS VR title and lessons from VR development.

Media Molecule Presents Dreams

12:30pm Saturday, December 9
Join Media Molecule studio directors Siobhan Reddy, Mark Healey, and Alex Evans alongside a very special guest to take an in-depth look at the development of Dreams during their exclusive Saturday panel at 12:30pm.

IGN Ranks the Top 10 PlayStation Games of all Time

2:00pm Saturday, December 9
IGN’s Podcast Beyond crew is here to figure out the 10 best PlayStation games ever, and they need your help! Uncharted 2 or The Last of Us? Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Journey or Shadow of the Colossus? Is it too soon for Horizon Zero Dawn to make the list? Help us build the best of the best that PlayStation has to offer. Help us celebrate 20+ years of PlayStation at PSX!

Ghost of Tsushima: From Concept to Reveal

3:30pm Saturday, December 9
It’s been a month since we announced our newest title, Ghost of Tsushima. Here at Sucker Punch, we’ve watched so many reaction videos and read many of your comments with smiles on our faces, so we thought PSX was a great opportunity to share a little more with you all.

Join us on Saturday at 3:30pm as Nate Fox (Creative Director), Jason Connell (Creative/Art Director), Billy Harper (Animation Director), Ryuhei Katami (Associate Producer, Sony Interactive Entertainment) and moderator Brian Altano (IGN) discuss how we approached making the debut trailer and what inspired us to make this game. We’ll share epic concept art that’s driving the tone and visuals for the game, and share a little about our reference trips to Japan and working with new team members that are helping make Ghost of Tsushima even better. Also be sure to stop by our signing session after the panel and come say hi. Stay tuned for more info on time and location.

Uncharted 10th Anniversary Celebration

5:00pm Saturday, December 9
Join us as we celebrate the Uncharted 10th Anniversary at PSX 2017 with an unprecedented gathering of the cast from throughout the series! Nolan North, Emily Rose, Richard McGonagle, Claudia Black, Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Graham McTavish, and Robin-Atkin Downes reflect on the series and share their memories with guest moderator Greg Miller (Kinda Funny). We’ll also be hosting a special signing session with the cast prior to the panel. Keep an eye on the PlayStation Experience app for time and location!

The Last of Us Part II: Meet the Cast

6:30pm Saturday, December 9
Join Naughty Dog and the cast of The Last of Us Part II as they discuss the making of the cutscene teaser trailer that was revealed just a few short weeks ago at Paris Games Week. Director and writer, Neil Druckmann, co-writer Halley Gross, and key members of the game’s cast discuss the writing process, casting, performance capture, and more. For those attending the event, there will also be a signing session following the panel.

Even if you aren't heading to Anaheim, California for the annual event, you'll still be able to follow along -- it'll be streaming on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook over the course of the weekend. If panels aren't your thing, note that the show's opening presentation is set for Dec. 9 at 8:00pm Pacific.

My headline gives away the games I'm most interested in learning more about at PSX. I've got seriously high hopes for Dreams and Ghost of Tsushima, both in terms of what they're tackling (an open-world samurai game about taking on the Mongol Empire, oh my god!) and how they're shaping up.

PlayStation Experience 2017: Panels, PlayStation Presents and More [PlayStation Blog]

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News:: The U.S. best selling product on Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday was the Nintendo Switch

There seems to be no stopping the good news for legendary game developers Nintendo. It is being reported that, in the United States, the highest selling item over the Thanksgiving weekend was the company's Switch console.

According to the digital sales stats, tracked by Adobe Insights, Nintendo's hybrid-platform topped the sales charts on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is despite the fact that many retailers chose not to discount the machine's price, though still featured it in marketing campaigns. Pretty sneaky, sis.

The Switch beat out other popular items including Chromecast, Roku units and Hatchimals, I'm not hip enough to be aware of the latter. The news of the console's Thanksgiving success comes in the same week that Nintendo were named the richest company in Japan, by business journal Toyo Keizai.

While no-one truly knows what the future holds, especially in an industry and an economy that can turn on a dime, it seems that for now, Nintendo are most assuredly not doomed.

Nintendo Switch best-selling item of Thanksgiving weekend [Adobe Insights]

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News:: Pokemon Go's good doggos go away tomorrow

Good dogs are one of life's few unconditional pleasures. "Hell yeah," you think when you see a dog walkin' down the street. Your day is better because of your proximity to that dog. "Is the owner gonna think I'm weird if I wanna pet this dog?" The owner will not think you're weird. The owner knows everyone wants to pet that dog. Everyone wants to pet every dog.

Niantic, the creator of Pokemon Go and total dog-tease, is removing dogs from its game tomorrow rather than adding them. Seems like a mistake. Pokemon Go's Legendary trio of canines leave their respective regions on November 30. It's your last chance to get Raikou, Suicune, and Entei (whose name is suspiciously close to hentei and not enough people are talking about this.)

The catch (hah!) is that you can't get all of them anymore. They've been rotating regions since September, and they're disappearing from their final area tomorrow. Suicune is in the Americas, Raikou is in Europe and Africa, and Entei is in Asia. All three are available at gyms as raid boss battles. But you should consider petting and cuddling good dogs instead of fighting good dogs.

@PokemonGoApp [Twitter]

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News:: You've got character: Vega (SFIV)

When it comes to competitive multiplayer games, we all have our favorite characters and classes. In this series, I'm putting some of mine under the microscope to see what makes them tick, how they fit into their games, and ultimately why I like them! Check out the previous entries - Kotal Kahn, Reaper, Lex Luthor, The Hunchback. The Spy

If you asked me who my favorite Street Fighter character was anywhere between 1992 to 2010, I wouldn’t have even blinked. “Ken. Of course, Ken. What are you, stupid?”

Ken was my guy. Let’s be honest, he was probably the guy for any punk kid who thought he was king shit of Street Fighter because he could toss a Hadouken on command. The flashier half of the shoto-bros, and the go-to foil to my brother’s Ryu. A natural pick for anyone with an interest in looking cool and hitting mugs with huge uppercuts.

But something strange happened in 2010. Somehow, Ken, my lifelong fighter in the streets slipped off my radar and I found another character to play. It wasn’t a natural shift either, like going from Ken to Akuma, or Sagat, or some other character of the fireball+uppercut persuasion. No, I found Vega. Vega, the preening, masked weirdo of the cast.

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News:: Okami HD still looks like a dream in these new trailers

There really isn't much I can say about Okami at this point. You've either played the game or you've heard stories of its majesty from other people. I'm actually not the biggest fan of Capcom's take on Zelda, but I can't deny how well the visuals have held up over the years. The PS3 HD port was already damn impressive, but this new version truly gets to shine thanks to full 4K rendering on each platform (provided you have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X).

If you want to see some new footage of this port, Capcom has uploaded a couple of videos going over the celestial brush techniques that Amaterasu acquires over her journey. There is also a "demon introduction" for one of the enemies you'll encounter along the way. Simply put, this port looks stunning.

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News:: Final Fantasy XV is adding character switching soon

Square Enix plans to support Final Fantasy XV well into the new year, but before that, we're getting a nice update in December that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. As announced today on-stream, we'll soon have the ability to swap between our best bros Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis during battles.

Here's a shot of the mechanic:

There will be some inherent restrictions on when and where you can switch to a different playable character (the full four-man party isn't present for every sequence in the game), but as far as open-world adventuring is concerned, you'll be totally free to give Noctis a break for a change.

The update will arrive around the release of Episode Ignis, and that's launching December 13.

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News:: December's PlayStation Plus lineup will take you to hell

As we round out 2017 and get ready for the new year, Sony is looking to the past to entertain PlayStation Plus users. The headlining games for December 2017 are Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (still a stupid name) and Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends. While I doubt anyone is clamoring for more Kung Fu Panda, at least getting Darksiders is fine enough.

The real big draw would be the Syberia collection on PS3. While the remaster is basically just a standard port, the package contains both Syberia I and II, so you'll have quite a lot of classic adventure action to work through. Everything else, I don't really know about.

• Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition (PlayStation 4)
• Forma.8 (PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita)
• Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends (PlayStation 4)
• Syberia Collection (PlayStation 3)
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (PlayStation VR)
• Wanted Corp (PlayStation Vita)
• Xblaze Lost: Memories (PlayStation 3)

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News:: Wolfenstein, Tekken and The Evil Within graphic novels on the way

Three new trade paperbacks have been announced by publishers Titan Comics, each one a tie-in to a popular video game franchises Wolfenstein, Tekken and The Evil Within.

Wolfenstein - Volume 1 is a prequel to the recently released Wolfenstein II - The New Colossus, and sees 1960 Billy Blazkowicz laying a beatdown on The Reich in his own inimitable way.

Tekken - Blood Feud follows the heroes of the long-running Namco fighting franchise as they prepare to face an awesome force that may not be of this world. Meanwhile, Jin Kazama is forced to face the devil within him as he battles with the Angel force.

Finally, The Evil Within: The Interlude is a grim tale which bridges the gap between the two video games, as Detective Castellanos is once again forced to face the demons and nightmares of his past.

All three TPBs go on sale on December 19, priced at $17 each. Hit the gallery below to check out sample pages from these new titles.

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News:: The Nintendo Badge Arcade might be dead, but real Mario 3 badges have risen from the ashes

As part of the Penny Arcade storefront, officially licensed Super Mario Bros. 3 pins are now a thing. They remind me of the glory of the Nintendo Badge Arcade on 3DS in the best/worst ways (RIP), and are currently selling at $22 a box.

The full set, if you can trade for them or somehow blind box them all, includes 20 characters. I'm not going to participate as I'm not big into the whole blind box concept (too much gambling for my tastes), but given that each box has two pins -- I wouldn't be opposed to someone giving me Kuribo's Shoe.

Or, Nintendo can just bring back Badge Arcade instead.

Super Mario Bros. 3 Blind Box [Penny Arcade Store]

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News:: Internal edit mode now available for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Developers Lizardcube have released and internal edit/debug mode for the PC release of 8-bit re-release Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. Tinkerers and modders are now able to poke around at the game's internal components for fun 'n' games.

The Edit mode is very easy to access, as Lizardcube announced today on Twitter. Within the game's Windows folder, you will find the "Settings.cfg" file. Simply change "Editor = false" to "Editor = true" and save. Once you boot the game, hit the "F" key to open up a whole world of adventure and baffling code.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of my absolute favourite releases of the year, I'm looking forward to see what comes of people's in-game fiddling. In related news, the Switch release of the game has sold over 100,000 units, more copies than the other platforms combined.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap internal edit mode [Twitter]

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News:: Stardew Valley on Switch is getting video capture, faster save times

ConcernedApe and Chucklefish do it, juggling so many different versions of Stardew Valley at this point, but bug fixes and the like usually come pretty quickly.

A significant update just dropped for Switch, which includes the coveted video capture feature (that's not standard for all Switch games sadly), faster save times, better controller syncing, and a number of other smaller bugs. We're still waiting for the big multiplayer update at the moment, which will hit both the PC and the Switch first before anywhere else.

I pretty much experienced everything there is in Stardew when I tore into it last Christmas, but I still like going back to my town to check on it from time to time. A major patch like the multiplayer addition is just what I need to bring me back in.

1.2.36 Patch Notes [Stardew Valley]

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News:: New screens released for THQ Nordic's Biomutant

Some new screens have surfaced for Biomutant, THQ Nordic's upcoming "kung-fu fable", currently planned for a 2018 launch.

The screenshots show off some beautiful terrain, as well a some of the dangers lurking within. The project's entire vibe thus far has been that of a atmospheric, calming, almost zen-like experience, juxtaposed with high intensity combat and a dark, apocalyptic plot-line.

In Biomutant, your character has the constant ability to be genetically re-coded, allowing them access to new areas, weapons and equipment. The hero will traverse the landscape, meeting an array of weird and wonderful characters, with your actions ultimately determining the fate of existence itself.

Biomutant is scheduled for launch in 2018 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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News:: This Lost Woods project makes a perfect case for Legend of Zelda LEGOs

Seeing LEGO creations that I don't have the time or resources to create is soothing, and that includes Dardanele's take on The Lost Woods from various Zelda games. Perhaps the most intriguing element is the Master Sword, which was created in part with this obscure piece called an Epaulette. You can see how it slots into a larger LEGO "house" here.

This is far from the first entry in the LEGO Zelda history books though. Back in 2014 a Zelda set was almost going to be a thing thanks to LEGO's "Idea" campaign, but it failed the approval process. Since then many incredible projects have popped up like this one, or that great replica of Impa's house from Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild MOC [Reddit]

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News:: Ricki Ortiz will replace NuckleDu in Capcom Cup 2017

Yesterday, we reported on the surprising news that current Capcom Cup champion, NuckleDu, was bowing out of this year's tournament. Now confirmed by Capcom, NuckleDu is no longer a participant in the finals, to be replaced by Evil Geniusus' Ricki Ortiz.

In accordance with Capcom Pro-Tour rules, NuckleDu's auto-qualification entitlement is to be offered to the runner-up of last year's tournament. Ortiz has accepted the offer. These circumstances ironically come during a year in which Ortiz did not qualify for the Top 32, having not seen as much success as in 2016. This could, arguably, be down to seasonal adjustments made to her main, Chun-Li.

This official decision sees Ricki auto-qualify for the 2017 Capcom Cup, which will take place December 8-10 in Anaheim, California. Whether she rolls in with the fast-kicking Interpol agent, or shakes things up with her still-in-training Cammy, remains to be seen.

Ricki Ortiz will replace NuckleDu in Capcom Cup [Twitter]

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News:: One Piece takes on PlayStation VR with Grand Cruise

We've known for a few months that there were two One Piece projects in the works -- one for VR and one that's supposed to be Earth-shatteringly different -- and one of them was just properly revealed.

Bandai Namco just gave us a look at what to expect from One Piece: Grand Cruise, their PlayStation VR joint that inserts us as a crew member for the Straw Hat Pirates. You'll be able to witness the cast chat and battle in both indoor and outdoor areas.

I'm not sure what the gameplay actually entails, but it looks charming enough to be worth looking into for diehard fans. It's coming in 2018 but there's no word on a localization.

 

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News:: Over 300,000 consoles sold in the UK last week

Chart trackers Gfk Entertainment have announced that the recent Black Friday weekend was in the top 15 of the UK's best hardware sales weeks, with some 300,000 consoles being shifted.

Speaking to gamesindustrybiz, Gfk stated that Friday November 24 was the 13th biggest day for video game retail since records began, which is up in revenue from Black Friday 2016. It is believed that the sales came from a wealth of cut-price consoles and bundle packs, notably the Xbox One X, PS4 and PS4 Pro.

Gfk Director Dorian Block stated that the PS4 and Xbox One are still selling incredibly well at this point in their respective lives. "If we remove all handheld consoles and focus on home consoles," said Block. "Then actually Black Friday 2017 is the second best week by units (sold), just behind Black Friday 2013, when the PS4 launched."

A lot of retailers chose not to discount the Nintendo Switch as an individual unit, instead choosing to bundle games with the title to increase value. The most common bundle saw the console packaged with Super Mario Odyssey and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.

300,000 consoles sold in the UK last week [gamesindustry.biz]

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