News:: Shanghai may sign Overwatch League's first female player

Shanghai Dragons is reportedly fixing a problem with Overwatch League: the lack of female players for a game with an impressively diverse cast of characters. According to ESPN, the team has signed South Korean player Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon, who's so good at playing Zarya (pictured above), she was once accused of using cheats. After Geguri livestreamed a game to prove her critics wrong, she played in the Overwatch Apex tournament in her home country last year. Now, she might be bringing her skills to an even bigger platform.

Source: ESPN

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/06/overwatch-league-first-female-player/

News:: EVO 2018 Championship lineup revealed

The EVO championship is the biggest fighting game tournament of the year, and it's also the best time to watch any of your favorite games in the hands of professional players. It's also been broadcast on ESPN the past two years, and seems to get bigger every year. 

But the most important thing that determines which fans tune in, is the line-up.

Here's the full EVO 2018 line-up with the five titles ending on Sunday labeled below

• Tekken 7 (Sunday Finals)
• Super Smash Bros for the Wii U
• Street Fighter V Arcade Edition (Sunday Finals) 
• BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
• Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 (Sunday Finals) 
• Injustice 2
• Super Smash Bros. Melee (Sunday Finals) 
• Dragon Ball FighterZ (Sunday Finals) 

The line-up this year includes some major surprises like BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and Dragon Ball FighterZ (which gets a lovely Sunday spot). Super Smash fans get both of their tournaments this year, but Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is sadly missing out on this year. 

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/evo-2018-championship-lineup-revealed-486584.phtml

News:: This week's Year of the Dog event in Overwatch will bring a new map

Thursday marks the return of Overwatch's Lunar New Year celebration with a Year of the Dog event. As explained by game director Jeff Kaplan, the limited-time event will bring a new map set in Thailand, a rework of capture the flag, and six fresh legendary skins for characters like Mercy and Genji.

The new map, Ayutthaya, is the first one designed "specifically for capture the flag."

Blizzard is also sprucing up the the mode's rules and mechanics. Draws are a thing of the past thanks to a new sudden-death mechanic that, in the event of a would-be tie, pushes the teams' flags closer to the center of the map. What's more, flag pick-ups are now instantaneous and certain abilities (such as those providing invulnerability or great mobility) will cause the player to drop the flag.

The capture rate is "much higher," according to Kaplan. "The games are now much more offensive, and much more action-packed. It's actually very rare for games to even go to sudden death now."

The Year of the Dog event will run for a full four weeks and also include a competitive season for capture the flag with sprays and icons up for grabs.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/this-week-s-year-of-the-dog-event-in-overwatch-will-bring-a-new-map-486573.phtml

News:: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 rumored for this year

How do you follow up Call of Duty: WWII? If you're Activision, you switch back over to Black Ops.

Citing multiple sources, Eurogamer is reporting that the next game in the franchise will be Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, a more "grounded" entry in light of the reception to 2016's Infinite Warfare.

These rumors began a few days ago with Marcus Sellars, a writer who suggested Black Ops 4 was next in line and that it would arrive on Switch courtesy of an unnamed company familiar with the series.

COD 2018 is Black Ops 4 and is coming to PS4/Xbox/PC/Switch. It is set in the modern times and is boots on the ground. The Switch version will support DLC, HD Rumble and motion controls. The Switch version is also being ported by a company which is familar with COD games.

— Marcus Sellars (@Marcus_Sellars) February 4, 2018

For what it's worth, Eurogamer's sources have backed up Black Ops 4's existence but the outlet has yet to receive confirmation of a planned Switch version. With the way the console has been going lately though, Activision would be smart to make Switch a priority on this one. It's worth the effort.

Since it wouldn't be Call of Duty without leaks, I'm sure we'll hear details soon enough.

Sources: This year's COD is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 [Eurogamer]
Marcus Sellars [Twitter]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/call-of-duty-black-ops-4-rumored-for-this-year-486565.phtml

News:: Review: The Cloverfield Paradox

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the Cloverfield continuum, The Cloverfield Paradox happened. The third installment in the Cloverfield trilogy / continuum / universe offers nothing new and little that's exciting. It's not exactly a self-contained film, it's not really a monster film, and it's not truly a sci-fi film just because it happens in space. It just is. Clover field didn't deserve a sequel. 10 Cloverfield Lane was great, outside of the last 10 minutes that tried to tie it to the original. The Cloverfield Paradox needs an identity and a do-over. Do yourself a favor and scroll to another title in your mom's Netflix library, then watch it instead. 

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-the-cloverfield-paradox-486506.phtml

News:: Game of Thrones creators sense disturbance in force, jump ship to create new series of Star Wars films

One of the biggest hopes with Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars properties was that the cinematic universe would expand. No longer would we wait 20 or more years for the next iteration of films, and so far, this has proven true. And friends, it's about to get a whole lot truer. True-ish? Let's just say, you won't be disappointed to hear that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, creators and show-runners of HBO's mega-smash Game of Thrones, will write and produce a new series of Star Wars films.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/game-of-thrones-creators-sense-disturbance-in-force-jump-ship-to-create-new-series-of-star-wars-films-486547.phtml

News:: Comments of the Week 35: Vince Gilligan's Number One Fanboy

Apologies for the late blog folks, my better half had to go into hospital the other week due to complications with her health. A stressful few days to say the least.

On the upside, she's fine and we spent the last two days chilling at home finishing off Breaking Bad. I always forget how well-written that show is. Truly one of the great television shows of our time, right up there with The Wire, Fargo, The Leftovers and Twin Peaks. What I have always loved is the writing, and my lady was blown away by the quality of "Say my Name," "Ozymandias," "Granite State," and "Felina" in particular.

Speaking of great writing, I'm here for one real purpose: to bring you the best written comments of the week. Okay, maybe not the best written, but still, hopefully they're written well enough to get a chuckle out of you. So, let's hop to it.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/comments-of-the-week-35-vince-gilligan-s-number-one-fanboy-483913.phtml

News:: Show and tell: Subtlety and bluntness in storytelling

One of the most important rules in storytelling is to show, not tell. Actions speak louder than words because it’s more convincing to see somebody act out a storyline than to have them face the camera and recite every letter of their thought process. Yet Persona 5, which is unanimously acclaimed for its writing, takes the most over-explanatory approach to storytelling I’ve seen out of any GOTY nominee from last year. That’s not to say I believe it shouldn’t be so acclaimed. Heck, it’s easily my favorite RPG from last year, for reasons including that story! But that aspect felt like a head-scratching paradox. What did Persona 5 do to break this rule and still succeed so well?

During my Palace-heisting days, I sometimes felt that the dialogue was hammering every single main plot point into my head, no matter how long ago I already got it. Characters constantly discuss the nature of the Metaverse and its symbolic manifestations of how others view the world. Every plot dump is followed up by a text message recapping that same plot dump. It feels as if the characters take too much time to over-explain things. When at its worst, all of this explaining feels patronizing. I might be nitpicking at a story I love, but it’s enough to make me occasionally lose interest or want to skim text.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/show-and-tell-subtlety-and-bluntness-in-storytelling-486526.phtml

News:: Pillars of Eternity II is coming to consoles later this year

CRPG stands for computer role-playing game, and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is one of the most highly-anticipated in the genre right now. But, a new development indicates that the "C" could just as easily stand for "console."

A report from Game Informer says that Pillars of Eternity II is coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One later this year. The port is being handled by developer Red Cerberus -- a Brazil-based studio that specializes in localization and porting. It seems as though the company is relatively new and that this will be its biggest project to date.

Pillars of Eternity II's PC release is soon on April 3. Consoles will have to wait a while longer. Those versions are said to be aiming for a launch in "Holiday 2018." We've reached out to a representative of Obsidian to confirm the news, but haven't heard back at time of writing.

Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire Coming To Consoles [Game Informer]

 

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/pillars-of-eternity-ii-is-coming-to-consoles-later-this-year-486551.phtml

News:: Will there be winners in Fate/Grand Order's Garden of Sinners?

Another month, another mobile game event designed to try to get people to roll for sweet, sweet JPEGs. It's just your luck that I happen to be playing a lot of Fate/Grand Order, and so you get to find out what's going on there. Luckily, the new event is also good for fans of Type-MOON's other work as well.

The event in question is called The Garden of Sinners: The Garden of Order, and features FGO's first-ever crossover storyline, involving the characters of The Garden of Sinners. For the uninitiated, The Garden of Sinners was a novel series and one of the foundational texts of Type-MOON's various releases, including Fate, Tsukihime, and others. It was adapted into a seven-part feature film series by Ufotable, which remains arguably the best thing they've done to date.

Players who participate in the event will be rewarded with the 4-Star Assassin-class Servant Shiki Ryogi, who is also the lead character in The Garden of Sinners. Shiki's "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" allow her to perceive invisible seams in all of creation that, if traced by her knife, allow her to instantly kill pretty much anything, including ghosts, inanimate objects, and gods. Folks willing to take their chances on the premium gacha machine could also win a 5-Star, Saber-class version of Shiki, in this incarnation wearing an excellent selection of kimonos. 

The event kicks off on Thursday, for those poor souls who are interested.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/will-there-be-winners-in-fate-grand-order-s-garden-of-sinners--486477.phtml

News:: Review: Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)

Shadow of the Colossus is a timeless masterpiece. Some of the greatest games exist as the best representatives of an era or a genre. They were groundbreaking and influential in ways that guided and evolved future game design. They're remembered fondly but maybe they don't hold up as well as they used to.

That's not the case with Shadow of the Colossus. It's widely regarded as a popular candidate for the best game ever, and its design hasn't aged a day in the 12 years since its original release. That's not hyperbole and more than a decade of affection speaking either; this is the part where I feel obliged to confess this is my first time ever playing Shadow of the Colossus. This remake's fresh coat of paint isn't there to hide any flaws, it's there to highlight its perfections.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-shadow-of-the-colossus-ps4--484182.phtml

News:: Upcoming PS4 update includes custom wallpapers, parental controls, and more

Sony has detailed the next PlayStation 4 firmware update, and for those of you signed up to test it, the beta is rolling out today. We knew about one of the planned features -- a new Supersampling Mode for PlayStation 4 Pro owners who haven't yet upgraded to a 4K display -- but there's plenty more.

• Play Time Management is a new set of parental controls for monitoring game time. Parents can impose a time limit or time of day and the PS4 will send notifications so the child knows when to save and quit. The feature is also accessible via web browser.

• A couple new organizational tabs in your game library. You'll be able to sort through your games with new groupings like "PlayStation Plus," "This PS4" (everything currently installed), and one that has everything you've purchased with your PSN ID.

• The ability to hide apps, including things like betas and demos you no longer have any use for, and the option to delete notifications. Thank goodness.

• New Quick Menu features like shortcuts for controlling music playback and a pulldown menu for quick access to friends, plus background music functionality while streaming games through PlayStation Now.

• Custom wallpapers using your own images imported from a USB stick. And for all you tournament organizers out there, you'll be able to customize your Tournaments page with a logo or background.

• Supersampling Mode on PS4 Pro, which will help certain games look better depending on your setup. Essentially, "games that render to a higher resolution when connected to a 4K TV will downscale to match the HDTV – allowing PS4 Pro owners to leverage the benefits of an image clarity boost even if they don't own a 4K TV." It's intended for games that support PS4 Pro but don't have supersampling built-in.

I am way too excited about the prospect of deleting notifications and hiding old applications.

New Features Coming to PS4 in System Software 5.50 [PlayStation Blog]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/upcoming-ps4-update-includes-custom-wallpapers-parental-controls-and-more-486523.phtml

News:: New facts surface as Counter-Strike co-creator is charged with commercial sexual abuse of a minor

On January 31, Counter-Strike co-creator Jess Cliffe was taken into custody by King County police in Washington for allegations of sexual exploitation of a child. At the time, Cliffe wasn't formally charged with anything and details about the arrest were sparse. Yesterday, prosecutors charged Cliffe with commercial sexual abuse of a minor; he was released on $150,000 bail.

Accompanying the charges is a statement of probable cause that explains the details of Cliffe's alleged crimes (as reported by Ars Technica). Cliffe is said to have used SeekingArrangement.com to meet up with a 16-year-old woman. SeekingArrangement.com is a site that connects "sugar daddies" and "sugar mamas" with "sugar babies." It projects an outward appearance of creating relationships, but it seems as if it really serves as a workaround for booking escorts.

Detectives began their investigation into Cliffe in May 2017. Prior to that, Cliffe is alleged to have hired the minor three times at a rate of $300 per hour. On their last encounter, Cliffe is said to have filmed the two having sex against her consent.

The juvenile recounts that as Cliffe was driving her home after the third meeting, she alluded to the illegality of prostitution. Cliffe responded that it's technically legal because he's paying her for her time, not for sex. She then says she considered accusing him of filming child pornography, but ultimately didn't because she feared it would upset him and that he might become violent.

The juvenile also isn't certain whether Cliffe knew or didn't know that she was underage. After being arrested, he told investigators that he believed she "appeared to be 23 years old." It's unknown what the juvenile's SeekingArrangement profile lists her age at, but it's extremely unlikely (and almost certainly illegal) for the site to allow a minor to make an account.

Commercial sexual abuse of a minor appears to be a Class B felony in the state of Washington. If convicted, Cliffe would face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. While he's out on bail now, Cliffe's next hearing is on February 25. Valve had suspended Cliffe's employment status after the arrest, and it hasn't yet publicly said whether that has changed in light of the charges.

Charges filed, details emerge for arrest of Counter-Strike's co-creator [Ars Technica]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-facts-surface-as-counter-strike-co-creator-is-charged-with-commercial-sexual-abuse-of-a-minor-486535.phtml

News:: PUBG's anti-cheat patch gets a delay

The launch of newer, better anti-cheat measures for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has suffered a delay. Announced on Twitter, it looks like players will have to wait an undisclosed amount of time for the mega-popular PUBG to finally get on with finally tackling hackers.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/pubg-s-anti-cheat-patch-gets-a-delay-486512.phtml

News:: Rise & Shine's Switch port is 'hanging by a thread' due to Unity issues

We often hear about how great developer's experiences are with the Switch, but the creators of Rise & Shine (self-described "ex-Plants Vs. Zombies and Worms devs") are running into their own, possibly unique, problems. According to the studio on Twitter their Switch hopes are "hanging by a thread," due to "Unity plugin compatibility issues."

Right now they don't have the actual game running on Switch hardware, but got the "title screen working," which for them is a "huge step." They only just got Switch dev kits, and with the indie community being as supportive as it is, odds are they'll get some advice very soon as to how to jump over this hurdle.

We've reached out to SuperMegaTeam for more specifics, but if you were holding out for the Switch port you may have a long wait ahead.

Super Mega Team [Twitter]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/rise-shine-s-switch-port-is-hanging-by-a-thread-due-to-unity-issues-486496.phtml

News:: Dynasty Warriors 9 video reveals Japanese, store-exclusive DLC

Koei Tecmo have released a lengthy video featuring a selection of stylish outfits for upcoming hack 'n' slah adventure, Dynasty Warriors 9. The DLC is available to purchasers of the Japanese physical edition of the game, and is irritatingly rocking the whole "different DLC from different stores" schtick.

Seven different outfits are available in all, and I gotta say they're quite lovely, albeit hilariously unsuitable for the battlefield, with all the gals dressed up to the nines for a night out, rather than ready to engage in en masse evisceration. For the guys, only Zhao Yun gets new gear, with his ceremonial garb looking a little more fitting for battle.

Whether it looks great or not, this DLC is currently only available in Japan, and you only get one costume dependent on where you pick up the game. Gross. Here's hoping that fans who wish to grab all of these outfits worldwide will get the opportunity to do so.

Dynasty Warriors 9 launches on PS4 in Japan February 8. It will follow on PS4, PC, and Xbox One in Europe and North America February 13.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/dynasty-warriors-9-video-reveals-japanese-store-exclusive-dlc-486466.phtml

News:: Hyrule Warriors Switch will have updated amiibo support

There was very little doubt that Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition would be getting a new coat of paint so to speak when it comes to amiibo support, but it's nice to have official confirmation either way. We knew that old amiibo figures were in, but now based on the official site we have an idea of what's being updated.

Nintendo and Koei Tecmo are adding in the main trio from Breath of the Wild (Zelda, Archer, Horseback) for sure, though the Guardian amiibo are not confirmed yet. I'm curious as to whether or not they'll unlock the new Breath costumes, though I don't think Nintendo would flaunt them only to lock them behind amiibo -- usually there's another way to earn marquee items like that unless they say otherwise.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will arrive later this year in the spring in the west. It has a confirmed date of March 22 in Japan.

Introduction [Zelda]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/hyrule-warriors-switch-will-have-updated-amiibo-support-486484.phtml

News:: Angry Mob to release physical edition of Brawlout on Switch

Angry Mob Games' party-based fighting title, Brawlout, is to get a physical release on Nintendo Switch, the developer announced. The retail release will be published by Merge Games.

Brawlout is a manic slapfest in the style of the super-popular Smash Bros. series. It features a cast of colourful anthropomorphic characters duking it out in frenzied 4 player battles. The object of the fight is to where your opponents down with a flurry of combo-based attacks, then smash blast the, clean off of the stage in order to secure glorious victory.

"Brawlout had such an amazing reception on Nintendo Switch, with a dedicated community of over 80K players in its first month alone." said Angry Mob CEO Bogdan Iliesiu in a press statement. "It's impressive, and humbling, to see people throw themselves so wholeheartedly into Brawlout, and we hope to cater to even more types of gamers with the physical release!

Brawlout should be hitting high-street stores in early May. In the meantime, the game is available to download on Switch and PC. PS4 and Xbox One editions are scheduled for release sometime this year.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/angry-mob-to-release-physical-edition-of-brawlout-on-switch-486471.phtml

News:: Japan is getting another Mega Man-themed cafe

Japan has random video game themed cafes at nearly every turn (especially in Tokyo), including a dedicated Capcom cafe that has Mega Man merch year round. But every so often a publisher like Capcom will open up a special pop-up for a limited time to celebrate an event -- like Mega Man's 30th anniversary.

According to Famitsu, an anniversary Mega Man cafe will be opening up in Aeon Lake Town in Koshigaya -- a place that sounds like it's from an anime but is actually Japan’s "largest eco-friendly shopping center" -- for a limite dtime.

You'll be able to get Mega Man food and merch there from February 22 until March 28, and Capcom is rather mum on what that merch actually is outside of the above teaser image.

Rockman x Cafe [Famitsu via Rockman Corner]

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/japan-is-getting-another-mega-man-themed-cafe-486482.phtml

News:: Toy-makers add fuel to Sonic All-Star Racing speculation

Last week, screen-grabs from a document, purportedly leaked from Sumo Digital, turned up on Resetera. The document showed the British developers were working on a "kart racer" featuring a "Global IP". This led many to surmise that Sumo were in the process of making another Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing title.

Sega's community manager Aaron Webber was quick to squash the rumour, taking to twitter to denounce that a new SART (Sonic/Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) game was en route. The plot thickens with German website Spindash' recent visit to the Spielwarenmesse toy fair in Nuremberg. At said event, British toy firm Zappie reportedly told Spindash that they were working on a brand new range of cars, to tie-in with an upcoming Sonic racing game.

Of course, none of the above is official confirmation of anything. Some fans have suggested that Webber was being sneakily literal with his tweet, and although he specifically said there wasn't a new "SART" game in the works, perhaps a similar title, but with a totally different name, is in development.

At any rate, Sega are holding a Sonic the Hedgehog panel next month at SXSW 2018. So if Sonic, Rose and chums are preparing to hit the racetrack once again, I'm sure we'll be hearing about it soon enough.

Toy firm Zappie suggest new Sonic racer in development [Spindash.de / Sonic Stadium]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/toy-makers-add-fuel-to-sonic-all-star-racing-speculation-486473.phtml

News:: Someone beat Super Mario World in under a minute with a credits warp glitch

Content creator and speedrunner SethBling managed to break Super Mario World and re-usher in a speedrunning category all at once. Although the previous record for a glitched credit Mario World run was set over a year ago, SethBling managed to cut "20 seconds" off of that time and hit 55.58 seconds.  How does he do it? He has multiple controllers running with multiple buttons pressed (taped) down, and exploits various glitches with red shells with "pixel perfect x coordinates."

I know some of you, possibly without having even read the entire article, are itching to type out "this isn't a speedrun, he's using glitches!" Well, any% runs and glitch runs are their own speedrunning categories. People love to immerse themselves in a given game and find a way to break it, creating their own categories to race each other in. Someone, somewhere, will try to beat SethBling's record and we'll probably learn more about how Super Mario World is coded along the way.

That's pretty awesome.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/someone-beat-super-mario-world-in-under-a-minute-with-a-credits-warp-glitch-486479.phtml

News:: Destructoid, THE CONCERT?!! March 10th @ EGLX Toronto, 8pm-3am

Grab tickets to the expo here (includes party entrance): https://www.eglx.ca/?tix=Dtoid

Kind of a big deal: We're hosting the FIRST EVER Destructoid Battle of the Bands. We've always wanted to do a concert, and this year celebrating our first time at EGLX and also 12 years of Destructoid!! 

It's a free afterparty for EGLX ticket holders. Please arrive early as space is limited to a couple of hundred people (and we're expecting 12,000+ people at the expo). Important: you gotta be over 19+ and over. We're not catering for you animals, so please grab something before you arrive.

Cost: Free with your EGLX pass or $10 at the door

When: March 10th, Saturday

Who: Destructoid.com presents EGLX's Official After Party, featuring:
You Bred Raptors?
Arm Cannon
Knights of the Round
followed by a brief break... and taking you into the early hours of the morning we have two DJ performances: Danimal Cannon with an electrifying live set and finishing off with our headline DJ all the way from San Francisco, GRIMECRAFT.

Where:  The Sheraton Hotel @ Ambrosia Ballroom
When:  8pm - 3am 

See you there!

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-the-concert-march-10th-eglx-toronto-8pm-3am-485673.phtml

News:: ‘Shadow of the Colossus’ remake is missing something vital

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus.

Shadow of Colossus on the PlayStation 4 has everything you'd expect in a modern game. Its sharp graphics are are a huge step above the original PlayStation 2 title, which was released in 2005. There's support for HDR and, if you own a PlayStation 4 Pro, you even have the option of 4K rendering. At last, there's a console capable of handling the scope of Fumito Ueda's grand vision.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/06/shadow-of-the-colossus-remake-is-missing-something/

News:: PS4 Pro will make more games look better on older TVs

The next PlayStation 4 firmware update will make the PS4 Pro a lot more like the Xbox One X. No, I don't mean the patch will malevolently shrink the breadth of Sony's first-party games lineup next time the console is in sleep mode, either. Instead, software version 5.50 adds a supersampling mode to the PS4 Pro.

Source: PlayStation Blog

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/06/ps4-pro-supersampling-update/

News:: Them's Fightin' Herds mule-kicks onto Steam later this month

After a lot of work and some legal wranglin', Mane 6's lawsuit-dodging hoof-fest Them's Fightin' Herds is almost ready for release, launching on PC later this month.

Originally starting out as a one-on-one fighter based on the super-popular My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic television series, the project quickly, and inevitably, found itself staring down the barrel of a cease-and-desist by Hasbro. Undaunted, Mane 6 (itself a FiM reference) swapped out Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna, et al for a selection of original four-legged superstars and continued to work on the title, even bringing on board FiM creator Lauren Faust.

The result of all this labour is a gorgeous and fun-looking fighter with a visual style that instantly recalls games such as Lab Zero's Skullgirls. To accompany the Marvel-esque action, TFH will feature a whole host of modes, cutesy 8-bit lobbies, and GGPO-supported online action. Whether the fighter has legs in a very competitive market remains to be seen, but it clearly has enough appeal to carve out a niche for itself, like a lot of indie fighters.

Them's Fightin' Herds launches on PC February 22. In a fun bit of cross-promotion, owners of Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, BlazBlue Centralfiction or Skullgirls 2nd Encore will be able to unlock exclusive lobby items.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/them-s-fightin-herds-mule-kicks-onto-steam-later-this-month-486467.phtml

News:: I hope the digital card game industry as a whole moves more toward the LCG model

I've been playing a lot of the Lord of the Rings LCG (Living Card Game). In the past two months I went from not even being aware that it exists, to creating my own decks in my spare time, to having a dedicated group to play with. It's one of the most enjoyable games I've ever experienced, tabletop or otherwise.

The reason it appeals to me so much (outside of the co-op angle) is the LCG aspect. Although it's been used many times over in other mediums, Fantasy Flight Games is utilizing this system to peddle cards in fixed sets. There's no booster packs, blind box randomization, or single-hunting on eBay, you know what you're getting in every box.

Fantasy Flight is keen to bring that same concept over to the digital edition that's set to arrive on Steam this year, and I hope every other studio follows suit.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/i-hope-the-digital-card-game-industry-as-a-whole-moves-more-toward-the-lcg-model-482095.phtml

News:: Sega seem to be teasing Puyo Puyo Tetris Steam release

Some clues have been dropped by Sega recently that may pre-empt a PC release of their quick-thinking, highly addictive puzzle title, Puyo Puyo Tetris.

On Steam yesterday, various Sega games received strange messages in their newsfeeds, posted by a mysterious account known simply as "segadev". Bayonetta, Vanquish, Jet Set Radio and many other titles received the posts, which all featured ASCII artwork of Puyo and Tetris blocks.

This isn't the first time Sega have played games with their Steam userbase to make an announcement, perhaps you can recall the mysterious 8-bit Bayonetta game, used to herald the witch's arrival on PC? It's more than likely that these ASCII shenanigans are in keeping with Sega's PC port style. We shall see.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is available now on PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, Wii-U and PS3... In fact, why in the blue hell isn't it on PC already?

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/sega-seem-to-be-teasing-puyo-puyo-tetris-steam-release-486468.phtml