News:: You've gotta see these unused Bloodborne creatures

I didn't expect to have another reason to bring up Bloodborne so soon after that recent rare Chalice Dungeon find, but here we are again. Folks have been digging through the game files and returned with eye-catching results, including never-before-seen monsters and a goofy-lookin' NPC.

With assistance from id-daemon and luxos18, YouTube user Sanadsk has begun overviewing an assortment of unfinished or otherwise unused content. You can catch his first video right here:

My favorite discovery is without a doubt the golden-haired beast, both because it's easy to envision what that fight could've looked like in-game (just think back to Vicar Amelia or the howling Cleric Beast) and because without its poofy radiant locks, the creature's body looks downright comical.

Here's a size comparison to put things into better perspective:

Something I forgot to show in the last video, these are the sizes of the Cut Models I showed in my last video, compared to the player character (Far Left) http://pic.twitter.com/NqSXqLJFOf

— Sanadsk (@SanadskYoutube) December 1, 2017

According to Sanadsk, this initial video is only the beginning of what's hiding in the files.

"I will try to balance as much as I can between uploading videos and exams and show you the unused content in Bloodborne," he explained. "There are still [other] things that blew my mind."

The next video is said to showcase "one of the best-looking bosses in the entirety of the Souls series."

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News:: Rockstar is holding a contest for some pretty hideous L.A. Noire themed consoles

L.A. Noire's remaster just released on each new console, but some people might not own them. Maybe they also just really like the adventures of Cole Phelps and want their platform of choice to reflect that. If you somehow fall into either of those categories, take a gander at these "lovely" beasts.

Rockstar is holding a contest where each week, a new console will be up for grabs. You can enter into the drawing for an Xbox One X from now until December 7th, a PS4 Pro between December 8th and the 14th, a Nintendo Switch between December 15th and the 21st and a nice micro-PC from December 22nd to the 28th. You just need a "Rockstar Social Club" account and you're good to enter. My only beef happens to be that hideous color scheme.

That being said, Nintendo should definitely release some black joy-con. That front side looks really slick.

The L.A. Noire Custom Consoles Giveaway Series: Enter Now to Win the Xbox One X [Rockstar Social Club]

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News:: Cuphead got patched so now we can't make a million Mugmen anymore

Cuphead, already a very fine game, got a little more polished today. Developer StudioMDHR released patch version 1.1.3 and it does away with some of Cuphead's unintentional quirks. That includes a bug that's actually pretty fantastic.

When playing multiplayer, it was possible to replicate co-protagonist Mugman many times over. It involves dropping out and rejoining, which only added another character on screen rather than erasing them and then re-adding them. The result was a Mugman army, an unsettling number of little blue dudes marching across the level select screen. Here's a video of it in action:

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News:: Blizzard is tweaking Overwatch's Doomfist, who suffers from incredibly low use in competitive play

Overwatch has had a Doomfist problem for months, especially in the competitive side. Despite his intriguing fighting game style design people just don't want to play him, as he has one of the lowest pick rates across all modes. 

It's a combination of things that are scaring off people (his esoteric combo-oriented playstyle, his shortcomings when it comes to gap closing when people know how to counter him, some lingering bugs and hitbox issues), but like I always say -- perception is reality. If practically no one is picking your hero, something needs to be give.

Blizzard is doing just that, as they explained on their official forums that he'll be getting some new changes. Wall slamming logic is improved, cutting back on that hitbox issue I was talking about, rocket punch can demolish breakables, and seismic slam is a little less finicky. The team is currently "investigating" a seismic slam bug and two other bugs related to his rocket punch.

I had the chance to catch the actor who played Doomfist at BlizzCon during a voiceover panel (actor Sahr Ngaujah), and he was the most entrancing member there. He explained how he channeled the work he's done raising awareness for the diamond trade into the character, and the entire room fell silent as he told his story. Seeing Doomfist (and by proxy, Ngaujah) in Overwatch more will be a good thing if Blizzard can pull these fixes off.

They're currently available for testing now in the PTR.

Doomfist Update [Battle.net]

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News:: Time-bending murder mystery The Sexy Brutale launches on Switch next week

The Sexy Brutale is one of 2017's sleeper hits. It's a macabre murder mystery game that tasks players with stopping a series of increasingly twisted deaths inside of a grand casino. With great art, intriguing characters, and time-rewinding mechanic that encourages creative thinking, the inventive puzzler deserves a bit more attention.

Luckily, it's headed to the Nintendo Switch next week.

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News:: Epic outlines its long-term roadmap for Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite's main co-op component has been completely overshadowed by the success of their free battle royale mode, which pits players against each other in the ever so popular "100-person free-for-all" situation. As I explained this week I've started to play a lot of this mode recently given the ease of recruiting people with a free download, but it's clear that there's some work to do. Epic Games recently outlined some of those hurdles with a new roadmap.

First up, some regions can't actually play together, a problem that Epic desperately wants to fix as soon as possible. Team killing is also a problem and is being investigated with a wider net on bans, the framerate on consoles is going to be locked at 30 for the foreseeable future, the inventory system is being greatly expanded (with a drop key and a better UI), bullet physics are changing so that they're a little more accurate, the audio system is getting a tune-up, servers are being optimized, the map is being updated aesthetically, and the post-match death/score recap is being overhauled.

It's all boiler-plate stuff for a shooter, but it's a lot of stuff, especially for a game mode that just debuted a few months ago.

Battle Royale - State of Development V3 [Epic Games]

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News:: The rest of the Jak and Daxter games will be hitting PS4 next week

Months ago, Sony released a PS2 classic version of Jak and Daxter on the PS4 with intentions to complete the series at some point. Whatever the reason for the delay, Naughty Dog's PS2 series will finally reach its conclusion next week.

On December 6, the Jak II, Jak 3 and Jak X Combat Racing will be available for download on your PS4. You can nab each game individually or together as a bundle. I'm not sure if that bundle includes the first game or not, but at least you can finally put the series to bed.

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News:: Bloodstained is still alive, developers explain that the lead will have multiple costumes

Oh hey Bloodstained, didn't see you there.

I haven't thought about it regularly since the team explained that they were "only 20 to 30 percent done" with the game back in May (read: this was Kickstarted in 2015 and was originally slated for March 2017), but the project is still very much around, and the team is eager to share their newest development -- cosmetics.

Protagonist Miriam will be able to equip different fashion statements and looks, including new hairstyles, weapons, and a "maid headband." They also showed off a new animation of a "Giant Rat" enemy.

So yeah, development is slowly coming along...and we might get Bloodstained sometime in 2018 on PC, PS4, Vita, Switch, and Xbox One.

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News:: Assassin's Creed Origins' December is mostly about making the game tougher

Assassin's Creed Origins' take on ancient Egypt is full of peril. Nearly everything is deadly, including but not limited to: Hippos, asps, lions, crocs, and fellow man. Heat stroke and diseases that are incurable with primitive medicine are foes we can't swing a sword at (and thankfully don't have to worry about).

Ubisoft's focus for December is centered around making Assassin's Creed Origins even tougher for the players who want it. In a post that details the roadmap for the month, it's revealed that the game is getting a Nightmare difficulty. There's also the option for enemy level scaling, meaning that enemies in all areas will match your level; currently, enemy level is determined by the region they're in, and early game areas retain extremely easy opponents by end-game standards.

There's also some additional content that comes with the free title update. Ubisoft is also implementing a horde mode that will take place in the Cyrene arena. We're also told that the third Trial of the Gods challenge will be made available, as Sekhmet (a lioness warrior goddess) makes her presence known. For anyone who missed the first two limited-time battles against gods, they'll return alongside the Sekhmet fight.

As for the introduction of paid add-ons, those have to wait a little bit. As Ubisoft outlined in October, the first story DLC, The Hidden Ones, is set to release in January. For now we have to settle for killing the gods.

This Month in Assassin's Creed Origins -- December [Assassin's Creed]

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News:: New selection of clips from Monster Hunter: World's 'guide' series

Capcom have put another batch of their weird "six second clip" series, which showcase the habitat and wildlife of Monster Hunter: World, coming in 2018 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

In the latest selection of videos, we focus on some of the abilities of the Palico, the cutesy sidekick which will join you on your fantastical, and deadly, adventures. We get to see the Palico utilise a variety of hunting abilities -- including a sweet balloon-based lure -- and provide encouragement to the hero with a range of musical instruments.

Elsewhere, we catch a glimpse of a slinky, burrowing, worm-like creature and see footage of the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku out on the hunt, stunning its prey with a crippling screech. All of the videos can be seen below.

Monster Hunter: World launches on PS4 and Xbox One January 26. A PC version will follow thereafter.

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News:: Google's Santa hub has you taking 'elfies' around the world

Google has brought back Santa's Village for another year, and this time it's particularly trendy. Fire up the Santa Tracker app on your Android phone and you can play Santa Snap, a game that has you flying around Google Maps to take "elfies" at famous landmarks around the world. Basically, it's Amélie with Santa's helpers in place of gnomes. Other activities will pop up daily between now and December 24th, including a equally of-the-moment AI drawing game (a festive take on Quick, Draw), an elf dance coding game and a virtual snowball fight.

Source: Google, Google Play

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News:: Review: Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics

Man, Carcassonne! That name just brings back so many memories. It was essentially my wife's gateway into hobbyist board games, and much more accessible than the one I originally wanted to get her into (and failed): Warhammer 40K.

It's crazy to think that through the myriad of other games I've played with similar elements (like Terra Mystica), I can still come back to this classic. Sadly, it hasn't been preserved very well by the various publishers that have taken up its flag.

Exozet, previously in charge of the game side, kind of let Carcassonne rot, which is a huge problem in this ever-evolving digital era that requires OS compatibility. Since then Asmodee Digital has taken over, and re-launched the Tiles & Tactics version across multiple platforms.

I think this one is going to be sticking around longer.

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News:: PUBG's mobile spin-off gets a gloriously awful CG trailer

Given the popularity of the battle royale sub-genre and the multitude of knock-offs on mobile devices, it was basically a given that PlayerUnknown and PUBG Corp would eventually port over Battlegrounds to the mobile platform. If you were wondering how a 100 man free-for-all could even work on mobile, this new trailer won't really show you much.

This mostly reminds me of the kind of CG crap that Sony showed off for Killzone 2 at the reveal of the PS3. It looks so goofy and terrible, but also kind of neat. The biggest thing I'm taking away from this is that apparently helicopters are apparently coming to PUBG, which would be all kinds of crazy. Maybe we'll see these features end up in the regular versions.

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News:: Overwatch player allegedly stalked by someone who spectates their games and says 'holy whiskers you go sisters'

Every blue moon you run into a situation that's incredible, even if the person is making it up -- that's definitely the case here as I almost spit out my iced tea reading it. Over on the Overwatch reddit, a user named Apterygiformes innocently asked for help regarding an issue they had with a troll.

They allege that even though they blocked someone they "played one game with in quick play," they've been stalked in spectator mode, and cheered on with the phrase "holy whiskers you go sisters."

The entire post reads: "I played one game with a stranger in quick play and now he keeps finding me and spectating my games and whenever I do anything he types "holy whiskers you go sisters" and it's really irritating. I tried blocking him but he still finds me and comments on my games and I just want it to end." As expected responses vary from actual suggestions to change up your chat settings to accusations that it's fake, but my big takeaway from this is that I'm stealing that phrase (and using it with dear friends, not internet strangers).

The original post was removed by Reddit mods, but you can find a backup here. I've reached out to the author to see if he can provide proof and asked why the post was taken down.

How can I stop someone from spectating me in every game? [Reddit] Thanks Trevor!

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News:: Super Mario Run is Android's most downloaded game of 2017

Google Play have released lists of the year's biggest-selling and most downloaded books, games, movies, music and more. In the video game category, Nintendo's Super Mario Run has dashed headlong into first place.

The runner title originally launched on iOS late in 2016 and was an instant smash, bagging over 30 million downloads in its first week. The simple-but-addictive game was eventually ported to Android devices in March of this year, where it remained an incredibly popular download.

Super Mario Run beat out Bubble Witch 3 Saga and Magic Tiles 3 (me neither) to take the top slot of the charts. 2017 also saw the release of Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch, a game which received a stupendous amount of critical acclaim and shifted over two million copies in three days, becoming the fastest selling Super Mario title ever.

It's been a great year for Nintendo's iconic hero. It seems that age, technology, nor the ever-fickle taste of the audience, provide any obstacle for Mario's success.

Google Play 2017's Most Popular [Google Blog]

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News:: Bloggers Wanted: The gift of fanfic

Fan fiction. These two words, hair-raising to the average individual, nonetheless apply to a variety of things that do appeal to a large audience. Between the oddity of the Frasierverse, to these confusing Minecraft books for kids, to the rule 34 stuff you probably checked in secret once or twice, there’s fan-created content for everyone. And, of course, there’s the variety of tasteful and... less tasteful stories you can find on the web that immediately jump to mind as well.

Obama chuckled. "You mean the Chaos Emeralds?"

— Fanfiction_txt (@fanfiction_txt) April 30, 2013

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News:: '80s adventure Crossing Souls locked in for February

The eighties-set Californian adventure Crossing Souls has settled into a February 13, 2018 release for PC and PlayStation 4. You might remember this one for its animated cutscenes or publisher Devolver Digital's involvement. It's about five friends who become entangled in a government conspiracy after finding an artifact that lets them travel between two planes of reality. Put another way, it's '80s as hell.

We're seeing a number of shows and games that fall into this same sort of theme to the point where I'd understand if you're feeling oversaturated (I'm getting there fast), but Crossing Souls looks pretty good to me. I just hope it doesn't lose itself in all the winks and nods to pop culture.

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News:: Nintendo reveals Mario cereal amiibo functionality

Yesterday Nintendo confirmed the existence of the Mario amiibo cereal in a vague tweet, noting that it would hit shelves on December 11.

Since then the actual product was revealed, with the back of the box stating that you'll "power up your adventure" in a generic sense. Given that it could mean anything, the actual blog post explains that tapping the amiibo box to an NFC point on the Switch will unlock "gold coins or a heart" for players in Super Mario Odyssey. Yep, that's it -- it's like like underwhelming cup from Dexter's Laboratory that never spills.

But that's good! A lot of you out there hate that amiibo figurines are becoming more and more prevalent when it comes to big bonuses, so you aren't really missing out. In the meantime you can also take a look at the back of the box below.

Super Mario Cereal from Kellogg's makes breakfast a playful experience [Nintendo]

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News:: There's going to be a ton of Kid Buu online in Dragon Ball FighterZ

With as fierce as Kid Buu looks here, I'm pretty sure you're going to see a lot of Kid Buu online. Probably as a front runner to deal as much damage as quickly as possible, then most likely followed up by the character you're most likely comfortable with as an anchor. 

Who knows? Maybe Kid Buu could be a good anchor? Though usually fast and hard hitting types like this are major glass cannons. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC January 26. 

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News:: PlayStation 4 is getting a nostalgic PS2-style theme

I'm not sure how many of you mess around with alternate themes, but this new "Legacy Dashboard" dynamic theme for PlayStation 4 is going to turn some heads. It brings back fond PS2 memories.

This theme was put together by Truant Pixel "with input from [Sony Interactive Entertainment] US, Japan, and Naughty Dog," and it'll be $2.99 when it releases on December 6, 2017.

"After multiple prototypes over the last two years, each of which were designed to mimic functional aspects of the PS2 Dashboard, we have been given the opportunity to combine multiple disparate elements into a single piece of theme software which mimics the sights, sounds, and functionality of the PlayStation 2 Dashboard. [...] Additionally, original audio has been taken from the PS2 hardware and recreated in the background ambience and custom keynotes for this theme."

This seems like a real labor of love, but the end result was worth it.

PS2 Legacy Dashboard Dynamic theme coming Dec 6 [ResetEra]

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News:: Sega's pachinko business is struggling, but its games arm is fine

Sega's fiscal year report is in, and it's doing just fine -- in the games department that is. Sega reports that it raked in $44.6 million in profits, and $2.94 billion in sales, down from a profit forecast of $98.1m.

The culprit? Pachinko, apparently, as that part of their business is down 30% from its forecasted revenue, but with their games division doing so well they aren't too worried. Sonic Mania and Total War: Warhammer 2 are mentioned as the driving forces of these figures.

This is a stark contrast to 2014, which had a booming increase in the pachinko arena, before cutting 200 jobs in 2015 (blamed on Bayonetta and Fist of the North Star machines, which under performed). Other companies like SNK Playmore have quit the business entirely while a few like Konami have doubled down on it with high cost machines.

Sega's game division holds strong despite 54.5% cut to company-wide profit forecast [Gamesindustry.biz]

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News:: Glooga Dualies, not a typo, coming to Splatoon 2 today

Another Friday sees another weapon land in Nintendo's arena-shooter, Splatoon 2. This week, players will be able to unleash their inner Invasion USA thanks to the coming of the brilliantly-titled Glooga Dualies.

These twin-fisted weapons spray ink within close proximity. They also increase in damage power if fired immediately after completing a Dodge-roll, instantly making them the most Hollywood of all of the Switch shooter's weaponry. They come equipped with an Ink Mine sub and an Inkjet Special.

As per usual, you can expect the Glooga Dualies to become available tonight in North America, with Japan and Europe following early tomorrow. Have fun, squid-kids!

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News:: 8Bitdo's wireless SNES controller is perfect for Switch retro gaming

The Nintendo Switch's controllers shouldn't work as well as they do. That might be why options beyond a Joy-Con in each hand (or the Switch's own Pro controller) are few and far between. 8Bitdo's latest wireless peripheral, the SN30 Pro, might be worth considering for your secondary controller needs. Beside that allure of nostalgia, the SN30 Pro particularly shines with older games and tries to balance a classic design with modern controls. I picked up the (obviously prettier) European / Japanese model, the otherwise identical SF30 Pro, and had a play.

Source: 8Bitdo (Amazon)

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News:: PlayStation tweet hints at the Mega Man 30th anniversary bash stream being collection related

Okay so now I'm kind of interested, but this is just marketing at its finest. Yesterday we learned that there would be a Mega Man 30th anniversary stream that we were told "not to miss," directly following a TGS anniversary stream where nothing was announced outside of merchandise.

So here some of us are, getting our hopes up again. Sony just tweeted out that they "were invited" (marketing) to the Mega Man event, and posted pictures of both PS4 anniversary collections. Now this seems innocuous, but it also likely proves that the announcement isn't just Nintendo/Switch related (some were expecting Legacy Collection ports), as we previously believed.

Now? My money is on a Mega Man X Legacy Collection. It's a big enough series with enough fans both in the casual sense and speedrunning arena where it would make a splash. Because really, do you expect Capcom to announce a new Mega Mani game? I might have to eat something in my collection if that happens.

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News:: New trailers feature Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite's costume DLC

Next week is a biggie for crossover fighter Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. December 5 not only sees a trio of new characters join the game, but there will also be around $25 worth of costumes available to buy.

Two videos have been released by Capcom to show-off the DLC skin packs that launch Tuesday. The Cosmic Crusaders pack will feature new gear for Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Nova, X, Zero and Strider Hiryu. The second pack is the Stone Seekers set, which houses alternate looks for Spider-Man, Ultron, Thanos, Jedah, Frank West and Haggar, who's gonna fight in his civvies, like the man's man that he is.

These premium outfits will cost $4 each, $12 per pack, or can be picked up as part of the $30 Premium Costume Pass, a term that is so fucking gross my fingers turned black momentarily whilst I was typing it. The same day will also see newcomers Black Widow, Winter Soldier and Venom available for purchase.

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

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News:: Despite the team's efforts to make PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds 60 FPS on Xbox One, it'll be 30 FPS at launch

Yesterday, PUBG head Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene stated that they were "definitely" aiming for 60FPS on the Xbox One X when the game launched on December 12, but he's since amended that statement every quickly.

Just this morning he explained that "While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices. We’re constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm more." Yep, within one day the outlook has changed.

To clarify that clarification, the Xbox One X will also be limited to 30 FPS at launch. The "aim" to eventually get to 60 on any platform they can, but in the meantime prepare for an underwhelming, non-optimized performance on your X. I hope Microsoft is able to work with Bluehole to get this sorted out sooner than later -- this is a marquee, system-selling game for the Xbox platform.

PlayerUnknown [Twitter]

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