Friday, February 23, 2018

News:: Review: Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)

It seems that in recent years there has been an uptick in the amount of manga based stories getting live-action treatments. Some of them good, some not so good, some really bad. So it's no surprise that the show that was voted as the most popular anime of all time would end up getting a live-action remake.

Because of budgetary and tech concerns, the Fullmetal Alchemist live-action adaptation has been languishing around in development hell for the past five years. While the wait might not have been totally worth it, the movie does its best try at a concise adaptation of the lengthy series before falling flat on its face in the third act.

Review: Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-fullmetal-alchemist-2017--491192.phtml

News:: A politician in Rhode Island has proposed a 'violent video game' sales tax

Robert Nardolillo III, a member of the Rhode Island State House, has proposed a new bill that would put a tax on the sale of all "violent video games." The goal of this bill is to funnel any extra funds into a separate pool to be used for providing better mental health services and counseling for students within the state. The extra tax would apply only to M-rated games sold in Rhode Island and would be a 10% increase in price.

Nardolillo stated, "There is evidence that children exposed to violent video games at a young age tend to act more aggressively than those who are not. The bill would give schools the additional resources needed to help students deal with that aggression in a positive way." Nardolillo's intended goal is for children to have better methods of dealing with aggression so that we can move into a more peaceful future.

I could almost see where Nardolillo is coming from, because mental health service in this country is in a dire state. As someone who has a history of depression and anxiety, it took me years to realize what I was suffering through wasn't everyone else looking to hurt me, but more a chemical imbalance that had been overlooked for too long. If this country didn't frown upon people with such problems, I could have gotten help a lot sooner. That being said, sticking this solely to video games is scapegoating a much larger issue, not to mention it further stigmatizes mental health issues.

It also ignores how other forms of media could potentially be causing issues, if we're going to believe the myth that media has a direct impact on our thoughts and actions. Why are only video games being blamed by this bill? Why is taxing only M-rated games the answer and not T or E10 games that contain forms of violence? Will this also apply to digital sales (which never comes up in Nardolillo's proposal)?

I know Nardolillo's heart is in the right place, but his method of going about this feels self-serving. It should be mentioned the politician has a 93% approval rating from the NRA, which more than likely explains why he isn't targeting gun control laws.

Rhode Island politician proposes violent game tax [GamesIndustry.biz]

A politician in Rhode Island has proposed a 'violent video game' sales tax screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/a-politician-in-rhode-island-has-proposed-a-violent-video-game-sales-tax-491317.phtml

News:: Twitch’s live game show ‘Stream On’ premieres March 8th

Last December, Twitch announced that it would be making a live-streaming reality show, Stream On. In it, Twitch creators who need a boost to make streaming a full-time gig compete against one another in a series of challenges, Survivor-style, for a grand prize of $60,000, delivered across 12 months. Now the details are out, with the live game show set to debut with 14 competitors on March 8th at 3:00 pm PST.



via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/twitch-stream-on-premiere-march-8th/

News:: Comments of the Week 39: Post Hoc, Ergo, Proper Hoc

Winter is almost over here and thank God, for I do not know how much longer I cam bare this cold (I say as those in Scotland, Canada, Greenland, Sweden etc. all laugh heartily).

Though the weather may be stereotypically English, that won't stop me from doing the thing that I'm here for... that being bringing you the best comments of the last week. Let's get to it.

Comments of the Week 39: Post Hoc, Ergo, Proper Hoc screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/comments-of-the-week-39-post-hoc-ergo-proper-hoc-437514.phtml

News:: Nintendo now allows Switch user reviews on game pages

You no longer have to head to a reseller's site or post a social media diatribe to let others know what you think about a Switch game. Nintendo has updated its website to enable customer reviews on Switch games' product pages -- so long as you sign into your Nintendo Account, you can tell would-be buyers whether or not a title is worth their time. They're not just the usual star ratings and comments, either. Similar to Steam, you can tag your review with qualities that describe a title (such as "kid appropriate" or "challenging") to help people find titles with similar traits. You can even summarize your overall experience with games, whether you're a "core gamer" (read: you play games often) or a parent gauging your child's reaction.

Via: Polygon

Source: Nintendo



via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/nintendo-now-allows-switch-game-user-reviews-on-its-pages/

News:: Contest: Win a copy of sci-fi mystery game, The Station

We've got things to give out, damn it, and nothing is going to stop us from doing so! Unless, of course, we discover alien life out in space which challenges our very notion of thinking, bringing the collective of human thought and engineering to the common goal of understanding what lies beyond this blue sphere of ours.

Which is more or less exactly the plot of The Station, a new sci-fi mystery game from devs who worked on BioShock Infinite, League of Legends, and Kingdoms of Amalur.

Contest: Win a copy of sci-fi mystery game, The Station screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/contest-win-a-copy-of-sci-fi-mystery-game-the-station-491258.phtml

News:: The Heel-Turn: Atlas Shrugged

[I had a couple of ideas for the heel-turn prompt, but for some reason I never thought of this one. It's a good choice really. What better heel-turn is there than this character, who literally is your ally and turns on you right at the pivotal moment? I applaud Gamemaniac's choice and look at how Atlas works as the de facto heel-turn of BioShock but, spoilers, I guess? ~Marcel]

At the repeated insistence of local Kevin Deadmoon, I finally decided to see about writing a blog for this month's bloggers wanted. I wasn't sure what I'd pick at first - nothing immediately came to mind and I kept chewing on whether or not I could think of a good heel to muse on. Eventually after some ruminating though, I managed to stumble upon what I think is a good one that I still think holds up today. Spoilers within, but by this point the game's so old that you’re probably aware of what I’m going to discuss here.

The Heel-Turn: Atlas Shrugged screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/the-heel-turn-atlas-shrugged-490322.phtml

News:: Call of Duty: WWII has free multiplayer on PC this weekend

Sledgehammer is trying to give Call of Duty: WWII a shot in the arm on PC with a free weekend event.

The game has opened up its multiplayer until Sunday, February 25 at 1:00pm Pacific, if you feel so included. All of your progression including items and unlockables will carry over to the full version of WWII, which is currently down to $38.99 on Steam thanks to a 35 percent off sale.

You won't be able to access the story campaign or Zombies mode in this particular trial. That's a shame, because those are the two aspects I'd be more interested in testing out. (Hackers gonna hack.)

If you're interested, though, you can initiate the hefty download with this link.

FREE Access to Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer This Weekend! [Steam]

Call of Duty: WWII has free multiplayer on PC this weekend screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/call-of-duty-wwii-has-free-multiplayer-on-pc-this-weekend-491305.phtml

News:: Spike Chunsoft to announce new titles at GDC in March

Spike Chunsoft, the studio responsible for series such as Danganronpa and Fire Pro Wrestling, will announce four new titles in March, as part of a press conference taking place at GDC 2018.

The conference is being held in part to celebrate the opening of the studio's North American branch, whose website went live this week. Key figures from both the Western and Eastern divisions will be on hand at the event to show off their wares for the near future.

Spike Chunsoft's various social media sites are also planning prize giveaways leading up to the event. If you wish to check out the announcements for yourself, you're in luck, as the press event will be live streamed on the company's official Twitch channel. The broadcast is currently scheduled to take place March 23 at around 17:00 PT / 19:00 ET.

New Spike Chunsoft titles TBD at GDC [Official site]

Spike Chunsoft to announce new titles at GDC in March screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/spike-chunsoft-to-announce-new-titles-at-gdc-in-march-491299.phtml

News:: Zelda was the big winner at the D.I.C.E. Awards

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took home four more awards last night during the 21st annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Nintendo's open-air adventure was the big winner overall, claiming the coveted Game of the Year title along with Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, and Adventure Game of the Year. This game must have quite the trophy room.

The next-most-awarded game is a bit more unexpected. Cuphead won three awards -- one for Art Direction, Animation, and Original Music Composition. I find that surprising not because it's undeserved -- I adore Cuphead! -- but because Horizon Zero Dawn had more nominations than anything else.

Here's the full rundown:

Zelda was the big winner at the D.I.C.E. Awards screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/zelda-was-the-big-winner-at-the-d-i-c-e-awards-491295.phtml

News:: Xbox One gets the Turok 1 and 2 remasters next week

Nightdive Studios' remasters of Turok and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil will soon find their way to Xbox One.

The enhanced editions first launched on PC in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Peter reviewed Turok 2 for us last year. While he found the campaign bloated and messy at times, he dug the multiplayer, noting "the prospect of getting friends involved for a night of classic fragging is really tantalizing."

These new Xbox One versions are releasing next Friday, March 2 for $20 a piece.

I can't claim to have much nostalgia for Turok, but I'm happy for those of you who do.

As for the inevitable "Nintendo Switch version when?" question, there's currently "no news on Switch yet, but it would be cool," according to Nightdive. They aren't wrong!

Xbox One gets the Turok 1 and 2 remasters next week screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/xbox-one-gets-the-turok-1-and-2-remasters-next-week-491288.phtml

News:: Review: Annihilation

Annihilation is one of the best recent print to film adaptations. Strangely enough, this is not because it’s entirely faithful to the source material. Far from it. Sure, the bones might be same, as they are between any two human beings, but they’re still two very different people through their flesh and their minds. Yet, in spite of that, this is a wonderful adaptation. Director Alex Garland holds tight to his success from Ex Machina and builds further momentum with Annihilation. He forgoes material (a lot of it) that’s cerebral in a way not meant for action, science fiction, or horror films, and embraces and enhances other material that strengthens what’s left.

"So what is left," interested readers of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy might ask. Concentrate. One hundred-forty proof concentrate delivered in (near) hyperrealism. Garland takes those bones and throws meat on in proportions. With a cast diluted down to the bare necessities, but packed with acting chops any director worth their monogrammed chair would envy, Annihilation works on nearly every level, delivering a mysterious and riveting experience that should shake you at least once, if not again.

Review: Annihilation screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-annihilation-491229.phtml

News:: What's the point of pop culture references?

Like a huge percentage of people, I went to go see Black Panther last weekend. It's a pretty damn good movie and I had a ton of fun watching it. It's probably up there in my Top 5 favorite Marvel movies if only because it had a great conflict, solid action, some legitimate drama, and a villain who actually has emotional depth to them. But if there was one moment that really confused me, it would have to be early on in the movie when T'Challa visits his sister. 

While his sister, Shuri, is showing the newly appointed king of Wakanda all of her tech and his new Black Panther suit, she stops in the middle of her conversation just to say "WHAT ARE THOSE?!?!?!" at T'Challa's sandals. He says that they're traditional footwear for newly appointed kings and... that's it. There's nothing else that aside gives us. I didn't laugh at it. I didn't even roll my eyes at it. I was just confused as to why we got that line. Why did Shuri say that? Why was that line still in the script? It didn't ruin the movie for me, I would be a moron if it did, but it got me thinking about pop culture references in movies and how pointless they really are at the end of the day. 

Oh sure, we may laugh at them now, but take a look back at them a few years later and it's just going to date the movie. Pop culture is something that is inescapable in media, especially when it comes to film. No one movie exists in a vacuum and other movies can impact not only other movies, but an entire genre. Since this is something that we can take years to discuss, I'm just going to boil down this discussion to pop culture references and why the hell people think they're a good idea. 

So pop culture references have been around for an eternity. We've always had them in movies, whether we've known them or not. Do you like Sapceballs? It works as a comedy because it makes fun of not only Star Wars but AliensLooney Toons, and Pizza Hut. In order to really get the joke, you need to be familiar with what they're referencing. If you put someone in front of Spaceballs and they never saw Star Wars, it's possible they could enjoy it, but probably not as much as someone who got the references. 

As much as it hurts to say this, I'm also going to give a good nod to the Scary Movie franchise and its creators, the Wayans brothers. On paper, it's a great concept. Take all of the most popular scary movies of the past couple of years, make fun of them in one massive parody, and reap the rewards. All of the movies that they chose to reference were huge successes, and even if you didn't get the references, the story and atmosphere still provided the laughs. The first Scary Movie is usually called the best one because of how it's self aware of the jokes that are being made, but chose the jokes selectively. It didn't just throw random movies into a blender and play connect the dots with the jokes like in Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, The Starving Games, Scary Movie 4, Scary Movie 5, or anything else that Seltzerberg might touch. It was deliberate what they chose. 

Now do these movies hold up today? Spaceballs still does because Stars Wars is still massively popular thanks to our supreme overlords over at Disney, but Scary Movie? Unless you remember I Know What You Did Last Summer pretty easily, not so much. That's because pop culture references date your movie to a specific time period. If you're parodying something that's timeless, the references can work. If the jokes are great without the need for a reference like how Blazing Saddles parodies Westerns effortlessly and examining race relations, the references can work. If your movie doesn't fall into either of these two categories, and more often than not they will, your movie will feel dated on future viewings. 

If you want to look at dated pop culture references and how they can drag a movie down, just take a look at a majority of Dreamwork's library. Ever since the success of Shrek, Dreamworks has tried to make the lightning strike twice again and again with little success. I can't really recall any animated films before Shrek where a majority of the humor were pop culture references. Oliver and Company was set in modern New York (or at least 80's modern New York), but the pop culture featured in that movie were all for the setting. They weren't anachronistic. The pop culture references in Shrek are designed to be anachronistic. Why are classic fairytale creatures at Starbucks? Was there a Starbucks in the middle ages? Does Shrek get a Grande Bold and Pike? Was what I even said English?

If you look at all of the agreed upon "bad" Dreamworks movies, you'll notice a trend of lame pop culture references strewn about in an attempt to be hip and cool with the youths, yo. Shark Tale has a Will Smith fish, Shrek the Third pushed the references too far, Home had some of the most cringe worthy dancing to pop songs I had ever seen, Mr. Peabody and Sherman had Zumba, and Trolls went with a Justin Timberlake song that I've tried to repress for years (side note, I know that some people liked Trolls, but it's definitely on the meh side for me. To each their own). Watch them and see if they've aged. If pop culture references are all you have to support your movie, you've got a problem. 

For the better Dreamworks movies, like How to Train Your DragonMegamind, Kung Fu Panda, and Prince of Egypt, they rarely rely on pop culture references to engage viewers. They rely on good characters and an interesting story to get people to care. Now does that mean that pop culture references are dirty in kids films and lowers the enjoyment of them? Of course not. Shrek 2 is still a great movie. The pop culture references work there because they're still being delivered by characters that would be just as enjoyable without them. If the only character trait of the Will Smith fish is that he's the Will Smith fish, your references are going to flounder and date your movie.

So just based off of everything so far, you'd think that a good pop culture references can only be used in parodies. Poke fun at the thing by referencing the thing. On the other side, a bad pop culture reference would be used anywhere else. Reference a popular thing in our world in a world where it isn't popular. Why are the squirrels in The Nut Job doing the Gangnam Style in a world that isn't set in 2012? You get the idea. 

Well there's also another way that pop culture references can be used to enhance a movie, and these are probably the most complicated ones to implement; pop culture references as world building. 

You may think to yourself "Oh but Jesse, you Star Wars hating ne'er do well, all of the pop culture references you've listed before are examples of world building!" Yes, the pop culture references used in Shrek 2, Spaceballs, and Scream do inform us about the world that the characters inhabit, but that wasn't their original purpose. The purpose of most of those references was to get a reaction out of the audience. Pizza the Hut is not meant to be a smart introduction to the world of Spaceballs and show us the cynical and commercial nature of the criminal underworld, it's literally just a jab at how disgusting Pizza Hut pizza is. 

And you know what kind of movies love to throw out pop culture references as elements of world building? Movies aimed at nerds, or techies, or Millennials. Movies that are completely reliant on pop culture. 

I don't think I need to remind everyone how terrible The Emoji Movie is and I'm pretty sure that it's a cardinal sin to even talk about that here, but let's just try and examine it under a microscope. One of the biggest problems that critics and humans had against The Emoji Movie was that it put the pop culture references first in order to sell a product. You weren't watching characters go on an adventure, you were watching advertisements for Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Dropbox, and a whole host of apps. But if there's one thing that The Emoji Movie did right, it was established it's setting immediately. Roll me with on this.

We knew that we were watching characters in a phone. The characters were all emojis that people use regularly and their characters are defined by their emoji. We know what these emojis represent to us, so we already know their characters just based off their design. We know when we're in the world of Candy Crush because of the bright colors and we know when we're watching Youtube videos because the Youtube in the movie is the same Youtube as the one that we use. Pop culture references create the world of The Emoji Movie. Don't get me wrong, the movie is everything wrong with corporate Hollywood marketing to children based on what's cool with the youths, but at least they decided to use references that we understood to create the world. 

In that case, pop culture references are neutral. They serve their purpose to connect use to the world and the characters in it. So, what's the downside to that? Well it substitutes characters and meaning behind what we see. The smiling emoji always smiles, and that's her character. Never really goes above and beyond that because it's mired to the reference. If you break that reference, then theoretically, the audience won't be able to understand the character because they're doing something different than how we perceive them. It's a dumb theory that trashes writers because it believes that iconography is ore important to character development and personality than, you know, actual good writing. 

And that brings us to Ready Player One. Full disclosure, I'm not looking forward to this movie. Nothing in the trailer has impressed me, I find the story to be okay at best, and I think the world looks dull and could have been much more interesting than "generic sci-fi future". Now I haven't read the book and I'm fully open to the movie surprising me, but I kinda doubt it. But Ready Player One is weird with how it uses it's pop culture references. You can see the Iron Giant, Tracer, Chun-Li, and the RX-78 pretty clearly in the trailers... but what do they mean? Why are they there?

Now I'm fully aware that my questions or my problems may be addressed in the movie, and I'm fully expecting them to be, but consider this as a reading from an outsider looking in. Really think about the pop culture references shown in the trailer and how they relate to the world created by them. This is a fully online world where people have opted to immerse themselves in VR and takes place in the year 2044. Why would people care about characters from a then 50 year old kid's movie and a 2016 video game? It's because those references don't actually relate to the characters or to the world itself. The plot of the book, from what I could gather, has more in common with arcade games from the 80's than it does modern nerd culture. The pop culture references are window dressing to me. They're to appeal to generations that grew up with those franchises and sucker us into seeing the movie because we think we're going to see the Iron Giant live again or see Tracer on the big screen when in actuality, they may not serve a real purpose in the movie. Hell, they may not even get a line of dialogue. They're there because we recognize them as a part of nerd culture, not because they're fundamental to the plot.

That's the vibe I'm getting from it at least and maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe the OASIS can only be saved by watching Lara Croft steal a weapon from the villain to give to our hero. Maybe in a race against time, our heroes need to hitch a ride on the RX-78 to get to a place before the world explodes. But I doubt it. Pop culture references are tools that can be used for a variety of purposes. You can make a parody with them, a movie that's trying way too hard to be relevant, a love letter, a farce, a good movie, a bad movie, funny jokes, lazy jokes, a cynical way to get people into seats, or a way to show how much you care about the properties you're mentioning. Are pop culture references bad? It depends on how you use them.

So going back to Black Panther, why does Shuri yell "WHAT ARE THOSE!?!?!?" at T'Challa? Probably to help connect us to the characters of Black Panther easier. They're just like us. They make the same jokes as us. We can relate to them. Marvel could have really forced a lame pop culture reference on us, but thankfully they just went with a one-off joke that didn't really land for me. I'll take that over them having her telling T'Challa to "Cash me outside, howbow dah." Then I probably would I have cut my losses and go into the fetal position.

What's the point of pop culture references? screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/what-s-the-point-of-pop-culture-references--491195.phtml

News:: New Valkyria Chronicles 4 trailer introduces more members of the Federation Army

Sega continues its marketing drive as the release of strategy sequel Valkyria Chronicles 4 approaches. A new trailer introduces us to more heroes from the Federation Army, set to take the fight to the Eastern Imperial Alliance.

The new trailer catches glimpses of grumpy hipster Minerva Victor, tank expert Dan Bentley, out-of-place child Angelica Fanarby and Medic Karen Stewart, complete with her jaunty-hat-sporting sidekick, Ragnarok. Also making an appearance are the cheerful Miles Abegg and the no-nonsense tank commander Ronald Albee.

So far, all of these trailers and reveals paint the game as little more than a tweaked, expanded and improved sequel to previous Valkyria Chronicles titles. They aren't reinventing the wheel here. But those games are pretty damn good, so I guess it's just a case of "If it ain't broke". Now, if only we had a PC announcement...

Valkyria Chronicles 4 launches in Japan in March on PS4 and Summer on Nintendo Switch. It is scheduled for release in the West on PS4, Xbox One and Switch later in 2018.

New Valkyria Chronicles 4 trailer introduces more members of the Federation Army screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-valkyria-chronicles-4-trailer-introduces-more-members-of-the-federation-army-491231.phtml

News:: The Sea of Thieves beta is back for the weekend

It's almost March, and that means it's almost time for Rare's shared-world pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves. If yesterday's look at skeleton forts left you counting the days until March 20, some good news: there's another chance to mess with the beta. Rare is holding a second scale test this weekend.

Like last time, the idea here is to suss out issues pre-release by "throttling performance at certain times, testing the game in different data centres around the world, and simulating deliberate outages." As a result, you should fully expect to see some technical hiccups from time to time.

This second Sea of Thieves scale test runs from today until Sunday, February 25 at 2:00am Pacific. It's accessible for closed beta players and Xbox Insiders (check for it in the Insider Hub).

Announcing the Sea of Thieves Scale Test [Sea of Thieves]

The Sea of Thieves beta is back for the weekend screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/the-sea-of-thieves-beta-is-back-for-the-weekend-491281.phtml

News:: Sci-fi inspired Luna Blaster Neo coming to Splatoon 2 today

Friday has snuck up on us once again, so it's time for a new weapon to hit Nintendo's online shooter Splatoon 2. This week we're going a little space-age, which the return of the retro-chic Luna Blaster Neo.

The Luna Blaster, which is reminiscent of something that would be wielded by Space Channel 5's Ulala, is ideally equipped purely for close encounters. Although it has terrible range, the Luna Blaster makes face-to-dace combat a breeze, splatting a hapless opponent in one or two point-blank hits, with a fairly generous spread.

The Luna Blaster Neo comes equipped with an Ink Mine sub and Suction Bomb special. As always, it is expected to go live in North America this evening, with Europe and Japan to follow early tomorrow. Now get out there and make a mess, squid-kids!

Sci-fi inspired Luna Blaster Neo coming to Splatoon 2 today screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/sci-fi-inspired-luna-blaster-neo-coming-to-splatoon-2-today-491247.phtml

News:: 'Ghostbusters World' AR game is coming to Android and iOS this year

Using AR to promote movies isn't entirely new. We've already seen official movie tie-in augmented reality apps for Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Jon Hamm vehicle, Marjorie. Now, though, Sony Pictures is taking things a bit farther with Ghostbusters World, a mobile AR game based on the popular film, television and comic book franchise. The title is currently in development with 4:33 Creative Lab and should launch sometime this year on iOS and Android.

Source: Sony



via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/ghostbusters-world-ar-game-android-ios/

News:: Final Fantasy XV director hopeful that Square Enix can push two million more copies on PC

We all know the story when it comes to Square Enix and their sales demands. While many studios would be happy with a modest level of sales the Japanese-based company often demands absurd numbers -- like their target of Final Fantasy XV's 10 million units.

They're partially there. As confirmed to 4Gamer, XV's director Hajime Tabata explains that the game has now sold seven million copies to date. But that's just not enough for Square Enix, and they're hoping that with the upcoming PC edition (which just got a Half-Life crossover for one final sales push) they'll be able to peddle two million more copies and potentially inch closer to that 10 million mark. Tabata specifically stated that they have no such goals in mind for the Pocket Edition.

Given that the "Royal Edition" isn't actually definitive, and that more DLC is on the way, I wonder how many people will bite. XV is a fantastic game as it is, but in this era of "GOTY" and "Complete" versions a decent chunk of their userbase might be sitting this one out until the next package arrives.

Final Fantasy XV [4Gamer.net via Siliconera]

Final Fantasy XV director hopeful that Square Enix can push two million more copies on PC screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xv-director-hopeful-that-square-enix-can-push-two-million-more-copies-on-pc-491242.phtml

News:: New Persona Dancing trailers let Makoto and Aigis bust a move

It's time to step up 2 the streets, as Atlus have released new trailers for Persona rhythm-action title Dancing Star Night, featuring student President and all-round Best Girl Makoto Niijima, along with a new preview for Dancing Moon Night featuring robo-gal Aigis.

The two new trailers, part of an ongoing character showcase, see the two girls kicking ass on the spotlight. They aren't alone either, as the FIST OF JUSTICE is eventually joined by fellow Phantom Thief Haru Okumura, while Aigis teams up with the popular Mitsuru Kijiro.

Also uploaded to the official site is a new video of actual gameplay footage of the Star Night's "Dancing!" mode, where you can see the Persona 5 protagonist preparing to hit the floor with best pal Ryuji. You can check out all the new videos below.

News and videos have been coming in thick and fast for this title, three months ahead of its Japanese street date. Hopefully a Western localisation announcement cannot be far behind. Until then, just sit back and watch some of Persona's coolest cats (not Morgana) strut their stuff.

Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night are set for release in Japan May 24 on PS4 and PS Vita. A box set,, which includes Persona 4: Dancing All Night, will also be available.

New Persona Dancing trailers let Makoto and Aigis bust a move screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-persona-dancing-trailers-let-makoto-and-aigis-bust-a-move-491246.phtml

News:: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy is headed to Switch

Whether you like it or not, Naruto games and an inevitably. CyberConnect2 and Bandai Namco have been pumping them out like candy for a long while now, and since 2008, they've been producing the Ultimate Ninja Storm series together.

Just last year they even released a trilogy with enhanced visuals (as all of the games were on PS3 and 360), and in addition to the original PC, PS4, and Xbox One launch, it's now coming to Switch. Bandai Namco has confirmed that right now it's only slated for Japan, but given that pretty much every Naruto game eventually arrives west, it's likely just a matter of time.

For reference this does seem to be the trilogy and not the "Legacy" pack, which includes the trilogy and the current generation Ultimate Ninja Storm 4.

Naruto: Ultimate Storm Trilogy Coming To Switch [Japanese Nintendo]

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy is headed to Switch screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/naruto-shippuden-ultimate-ninja-storm-trilogy-is-headed-to-switch-491236.phtml

News:: Bloomingdale's partner with Nintendo for 'Let's Play' range

Department store Bloomingdale's has announced that they will be partnering with Nintendo as part of the company's "Let's Play" Spring campaign, which will see video game-themed items hit the shelves in the New York-based retailer.

Selected stores will feature a range of clothing and accessories designed by companies such as Herschel, Bricktown, S'well and Sovereign Code, From ping-pong bats to boxer shorts, emblazoned with classic Super Mario Bros. themes. Some stores will also feature booths where shoppers can take time out to play some classic Nintendo games.

"With the 90’s nostalgia happening in fashion and pop-culture," buzzwords Group Vice-President Kevin Harter. "Nintendo is the perfect partner to take over the Bloomingdale’s Spring campaign. We are continually trying to enhance our customer experience and partnering with Nintendo on in-store activations and limited-edition merchandise reinforces the notion that fashion is about having fun."

The "Let's Play" campaign launches March 10. Some of the items will also be made available at the official website.

Bloomingdale's partners with Nintendo for Spring catalogue [mr-mag]

Bloomingdale's partner with Nintendo for 'Let's Play' range screenshot



via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/bloomingdale-s-partner-with-nintendo-for-let-s-play-range-491243.phtml

News:: In search of pixel perfection with the Analogue Super NT

The 16-bit aesthetic is the new vinyl. It taps into a growing vein of '90s nostalgia, and it also reflects a longing for a tactile past world that just predates full-scale digitization. Fat, colorful sprites represent an era when technology was still analogue and full of exciting possibilities. The Super Nintendo is as much an emblem of this retro near-futurism as it is a game machine. But boy, is it also a great game machine.

Hence, nostalgia for the Super Nintendo is currently at its absolute peak. There are half a dozen or so clone consoles on the market and advanced emulators such as Higan that run with near-cycle perfection on high-end PCs. Then there's Nintendo's own incredibly popular SNES Mini. In short, there is no shortage of ways to play these classic games right now. All options have their strengths and drawbacks, but Analogue's new Super NT retro console easily blows them all out of the water, delivering sprites with pixel-perfect accuracy, zero lag and considerable polish.



via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/analogue-super-nt-snes-console-review/

News:: Ni No Kuni 2 has gone gold, only an act of God can delay it now

Some people have been waiting what feels like ages for Ni no Kuni II. Given that Wrath of the White Witch dropped in 2011 in Japan (and the DS original in 2010), it has been close to an age. 

Ni no Kuni II promises more Level-5 goodness, more Ghibli style charm (note that Studio Ghibli is not directly involved this time, but the project's character designer was formerly with the company) and what seems to be a giant world to explore -- naturally, for folks who adored the original, all the delays have been painful.

That all changes this week, as Ni No Kuni II has officially gone gold. As a reminder that means the final build is done and ready to ship, and all we have to do now is wait until its March 23 release date.

Ni No Kuni 2 has gone gold, only an act of God can delay it now screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/ni-no-kuni-2-has-gone-gold-only-an-act-of-god-can-delay-it-now-491241.phtml

News:: Overwatch teases 'White Dome' hero reveal with enigmatic report

A mysterious after-action report has popped up on Overwatch's social media sites, assumed to be the lead-in for the next hero to join the ranks of Blizzard's mega-popular team-based shooter.

The report refers to a past mission, known as "White Dome". The supposed mission was undertaken (and apparently failed) by operatives Ana Amari, Reinhardt, Torbjorn and "Private First Class Emre Sarioglu", the latter of course been a new name in the Overwatch universe, leading fans to believe we now have a name for the game's newest addition.

In fact, it's pretty much set in stone, as Game Director Jeff Kaplan had previously popped up on the official forums to hint that new hero info was incoming. As to what form Emre will take, what class they will play, or whether they still believe in truth, justice and the Overwatch way, remains to be seen.

Overwatch is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Overwatch teases 'White Dome' hero reveal with enigmatic report screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/overwatch-teases-white-dome-hero-reveal-with-enigmatic-report-491252.phtml

News:: Detective Pikachu looks like a wild ride

I haven't been following the development of Detective Pikachu too closely, and for good reason; I want to be utterly surprised when I play it for the first time.

That's not to say that I won't catch the occasional clip, and as we enter the roughly one month 'til launch mark, seeing a few familiar faces isn't such a bad thing. Detective Pikachu charges you with "cracking the case of the rampaging Pokemon" in Ryme City, and you'll evidently battle, dance, and befriend a handful of classic Pokemon.

If you're going in blind I would avoid the below video for spoilery appearances, but otherwise it doesn't give too much away!

Detective Pikachu looks like a wild ride screenshot

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/detective-pikachu-looks-like-a-wild-ride-491239.phtml