Apr 23, 2018 | Game ON news

Monday, April 23, 2018

News:: Review: The Invisible Hours

What's it like to be a fly on the wall -- an innocuous bystander to everything else happening in the room? The Invisible Hours role-plays this fantasy, as it experiments with pure voyeurism and complete lack of agency. All the world's a stage but you're nothing more than a spectator.

It's an effective way of telling a story from multiple vantage points. But, getting a full view of the narrative comes at the cost of affecting the outcome in any way. It's a worthwhile trade-off.

Review: The Invisible Hours screenshot

News:: Here's your Summer Games Done Quick 2018 lineup

The Summer Games Done Quick 2018 schedule is up and I can't wait to live vicariously through someone who's way better at Celeste than I am. There's a huge list of games, but at a glance, I know I'll also want to make time to catch the 3v3 blind level race in the delightfully evil Super Mario Maker and the 70 star race in Super Mario 64. Seeing skilled speedrunners play side-by-side is a treat.

As for bonus games, we've got titles like Pepsiman and Super Mario Odyssey.

The live-streamed video game marathon runs from June 24 to July 1 in Minneapolis, so there's plenty of time to figure out if you want to go as a fan; attendee registration will be open until May 30.

Last year's SGDQ brought in $1.79 million in charitable donations.

SGDQ2018 Schedule [Games Done Quick]

Here's your Summer Games Done Quick 2018 lineup screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/here-s-your-summer-games-done-quick-2018-lineup-500067.phtml

News:: GOG gets social by adding user profiles

GOG is introducing user profiles, which will bring a touch of social interaction to the DRM-free games marketplace. The platform has hesitantly modernized over the years to compete with Steam, adding films and in-development titles, and the new profiles bring more awareness of what friends and community are doing.

Via: Rock Paper Shotgun

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/23/gog-gets-social-by-adding-user-profiles/

News:: PUBG's Miramar will be heading to Xbox One test servers tomorrow

While the PC version of PUBG is expecting a third map, Xbox One player's have been stuck with the original since the launch late last year. While originally touted as coming in May, console players will finally get the chance to experience Miramar as early as tomorrow thanks to the test servers.

Similar to how the PC version of PUBG functions, Xbox One gamers will need to download a test server build of the game that will give them access to the work-in-progress map. Anyone that owns PUBG should find this version of the game in their download list starting at 12 am on April 24th for their local timezone. After that, the new map will be available during specific periods on each day (listed below).

PUBG's Miramar will be heading to Xbox One test servers tomorrow screenshot

News:: Kevin Feige says Nova has 'immediate potential' to be a movie

When the Nova Corps popped up in Guardians of the Galaxy I think everyone had the same thought: "What the hell is the Nova Corps?" But if you're a bit more knowledgeable about Marvel comics than the general public you may have asked: "Well, where the hell is Nova?" Evidently he's sitting on a board of characters that Kevin Feige, grand master of all things MCU, wants to make movies about.

"Nova is… if we have a big board with a bunch of characters that have more immediate potential, Nova is on that board," Feige said to Comicbook.com. "Because of the connection to the Guardians universe, because there are more than one examples to pull from in the comics that are interesting. And you’re absolutely right, he was in the earliest drafts of the [Guardians of the Galaxy]."

We, of course, have no idea when they'd even do a Nova movie, but with Guardians 3 coming up, and the two Avengers movies set to drastically change the MCU maybe Nova will be the way that Marvel keeps the bigger universe in the Marvel films since it would most likely be set off earth. He's not a big name outside of comic circles, but Marvel has already shown multiple times that that doesn't matter at all for them.

'Nova' Movie Has "Immediate Potential" At Marvel Studios [Comicbook.com]

Kevin Feige says Nova has 'immediate potential' to be a movie screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/kevin-feige-says-nova-has-immediate-potential-to-be-a-movie-500044.phtml

News:: 'Fortnite' is coming to China

The popular battle royale game Fortnite is coming to China, thanks to a partnership between its creator Epic Games and Tencent. The Chinese tech giant, which owns over 40 percent of Epic, will handle distribution and publishing. Tencent will reportedly spend $15 million on Fortnite in China on marketing to its domestic playerbase and clamping down on piracy and illegal clones, the latter of which is a problem in the country.

Via: Rod "Slasher" Breslau (Twitter)

Source: South China Morning Post, DoNews

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/23/fortnite-is-coming-to-china/

News:: Demon's Souls running at 4K is a sight to behold

It seems like a remake or remaster of FromSoftware's breakthrough hit, Demon's Souls, won't be happening anytime soon. So why just sit around and wait for inevitable sadness when you can emulate the game at 4K? The RPCS3 emulator has made real strides in recent months, but seeing Demon's Souls in 4K at 30 FPS is just incredible. This is a game that had some ugly performance issues on original hardware, but those are mostly a thing of the past.

Seeing as how the servers for the game are no more, I don't see a lot of reason to stick to original hardware to experience the game. PS3s are going to be dying out sooner, rather than later, so having the game be playable with better performance than original hardware is a plus, in my book.

Demon's Souls running at 4K is a sight to behold screenshot

News:: Injustice 2 April update is now live, patch notes available here

The April patch is live for DC Comics crossover fighter Injustice 2. Taking the game to Version 1.19, the new update fixes a host of in-game problems and makes individual balances tweaks to just under half the game's expansive roster of heroes and rogues.

The in-game changes include the ability to regenerate Story Mode gear to level 30, adjusting the conditions of certain tutorial missions, adjusting a bug that saw loot box unlocks lean toward Hellboy and Black Manta, as well as other minor UI and text fixes across the board.

As for the guys and gals themselves, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had numerous tweaks to the attributes of their special attacks. Firestorm, Captain Cold and Doctor Fate have also received numerous frame adjustments. The full list of Version 1.19's changes can be seen below.

Injustice 2 April update is now live, patch notes available here screenshot

News:: Amazon Japan has some exclusive Nintendo Labo goodies

If you've yet to grab Nintendo Labo, you might want to hold off on running straight to your local store. Amazon Japan actually has some exclusive little goodies for Labo, should you decide to import the kit from the land of the rising sun. Included in both the Variety and Robot kits, you'll receive some nifty masking tape and a cut out of Danbo the robot from the manga Yotsuba&! In a nice touch, the masking tape is actually modeled after the tape Amazon uses for packages in Japan.

These goodies don't amount to a whole lot (and could easily be replicated with some ingenuity), but they are certainly a bonus not available in the West. I like how plain Danbo's face is, so I'd definitely wear that if I had the kit. Maybe I should just import this (and spend more on cardboard).

Amazon Japan Has Exclusive Nintendo Labo Tape And A Bonus Set For Danbo From Yotsuba&! [Siliconera]

Amazon Japan has some exclusive Nintendo Labo goodies screenshot

News:: Twitch's custom extensions can now ask for Bits

You didn't think Twitch would offer streamer extensions without finding a way to generate money from them, did you? Sure enough, the customization feature now accepts Bits (the microtransactions you normally use to tip streamers) for on-page games and other features. Chip in a few cents and you can participate in games with broadcasters (such as arcade or trivia titles), predict who's likely to win and mess with the streamer by voting in polls that decide what they do next.

Source: Twitch (Medium)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/23/twitchs-custom-extensions-can-now-ask-for-paid-bits/

News:: Fire Emblem Heroes receives new characters in this week's Wings of Fate update

New additions are still rolling into Nintendo's mobile-battler Fire Emblem Heroes. This week sees three more heroes added to the game's roster, along with a new story chapter. You can check out the trailer released to showcase the content below.

From tomorrow, April 24, players will be able to pick up the diminutive Dragon Princess, Kana, Lance Flier Shigure and Sky Warrior Hinoka. The three Fire Emblem Fates characters are available as part of a new Summoning Event, which kicks off tomorrow morning at 00:00 PT, 03:00 ET and 07:00 BST.

Along with the new heroes, a new story chapter, Rite of Frost, will also be made available. In related news, a male variant of Kana will star in the upcoming Grand Hero Battle, which begins May 3.

Fire Emblem Heroes is available now on iOS and Android devices.

Fire Emblem Heroes receives new characters in this week's Wings of Fate update screenshot

News:: The first screens of Fused Zamasu in Dragon Ball FighterZ are looking hot

Fused Zamasu, one of the chief characters of the fourth arc of Dragon Ball Super, was recently confirmed to be making an appearance in Dragon Ball FighterZ by way of magazine scans.

Now Bandai Namco is showing him off proper with some real official screens, and he's looking like a formidable addition indeed -- I really dig the use of purple in his abilities. Fused Zamasu is the third piece of confirmed DLC for Dragon Ball Fighter Z's season pass, the first two of which are Broly and Bardock, who are already implemented.

Strangely, the pricey $34.99 season pass notes that there will be "no less than eight additional characters" added to the game, so we have "at least" five more to go.

Bandai Namco [Facebook]

The first screens of Fused Zamasu in Dragon Ball FighterZ are looking hot screenshot

News:: Swords of Ditto's launch trailer is a real cutie patootie

Devolver Digital's gearing up for the imminent release of The Swords of Ditto, a cutesy rogue-like adventure about an entire lineage of heroic world-savers. As such, we get this gem of a launch trailer.

There's some real ace stuff in this trailer. A kazoo-playing girl summons a magical teleporting school bus. An ambitious lad nimbly cuts through some minions before being effortlessly crystalized by ultimate baddie Mormo. My favorite: The hero who slaps a matchstick sticker to her shirt, instantly transforming her sword into a firesword.

The Swords of Ditto launches on PC and PS4 tomorrow for $20. We'll have a review ready in the morning. This trailer is all you need to know the game is cute as heck, though. Really, the cuteness was never called into question.

Swords of Ditto's launch trailer is a real cutie patootie screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/swords-of-ditto-s-launch-trailer-is-a-real-cutie-patootie-500053.phtml

News:: Brave Neptune has delightfully wacky subtitle, is coming to PS4

Hyperdimension Neptunia's Executive Producer Norihisa Kochiwa has released a video to reveal a little more detail on Brave Neptune, the first-ever title in the franchise to be developed in the West, by Canada's Artisan Studios.

Among the new info was the game's full title: Yuusha Neptune: Sekai yo Uchuu yo Katsumoku Seyo!! Ultimate RPG Sengen!! which (very roughly) translates to: Brave Neptune: World & Universe! Pay Attention!! Ultimate RPG Declaration! According to Kochiwa, the title came to him while in the bath, beating out over 50 other potential names.

In the video (according to Siliconera's translation) Kochiwa mentions that the game is coming to the PS4 format, and that more information will be revealed in this week's issue of Dengeki PlayStation, which is being published April 26.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the gameplay concept and mechanics, and how Artisan Studios will be stamping their own mark on the game, which is looking to be an entirely new experience within the wonderful universe of Gamindustri.

Brave Neptune: World & Universe! Pay Attention!! Ultimate RPG Declaration! is in development for PS4.

Brave Neptune has delightfully wacky subtitle, is coming to PS4 screenshot

News:: Tencent is doing Red Alert Online for mobile

Well, here's a peculiar and seemingly out-of-nowhere development. Tencent has announced Red Alert Online, an upcoming mobile adaptation of the Command and Conquer: Red Alert series.

This is just a cinematic trailer, but the game's official site has some screenshots (which look exactly like you'd expect them to). Yuri's up there in the key art, and Tanya makes an appearance as well.

So yeah, this exists. It would be nice to see someone make better use of the IP for fans.

Tencent is doing Red Alert Online for mobile screenshot

News:: Big Overwatch PTR changes gut Hanzo's scatter arrow ability, tweak Genji, Tracer, and more

Overwatch, like most shooters, is in constant flux. What might be meta now could change in a matter of weeks or even days, and the current PTR (public test region/realm) is looking to shake things up once again.

Blizzard has announced that Hanzo is losing his scatter arrow ability, and will now utilize storm arrows, a succession volley attack of six shots -- as well as a new mid-air jump called lunge. In other news Genji's deflect hitbox has been reduced, Brigitte's shield bash has been tweaked to have a smaller cone angle (60 from 90), Junkrat's frag launcher has had its projectile size decreased slightly (and his Rip-Tire is a tad slower), Lucio's wall ride has been altered, and Tracer's pulse bomb now has a max damage of 300 instead of 400, because it was "too good at killing tanks."

You can also try a new map in PTR, an escort joint called Rialto, based in Italy. If you're a regular player and want to see the exact figures for everything you can find them at the link below.

Overwatch PTR Patch Notes [Battle.net]

Big Overwatch PTR changes gut Hanzo's scatter arrow ability, tweak Genji, Tracer, and more screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/big-overwatch-ptr-changes-gut-hanzo-s-scatter-arrow-ability-tweak-genji-tracer-and-more-500014.phtml

News:: Detroit: Become Human demo coming to PlayStation Store tomorrow

Quantic Dream have announced that their dramatic RPG, Detroit: Become Human, has gone gold and is ready for mass production. Tomorrow will see a demo of the cyber-soap opera land on PS4, allowing players a chance to check out the game's storyline and mechanics.

The demo will feature an early scenario from the game, Hostage. This scene, which I reported on back in October, features android detective Connor, who is called to a situation involving a shooting at a family residence. Connor must work quickly to piece together all the information in can find at the crime scene, before confronting the killer in an intense stand-off.

Quantic Dream have also released an Amazon Alexa "CyberLife" app, which can be used in conjunction with the demo (and the game itself). This will allow players to ask questions about characters and scenarios, and even works as an FAQ system for discovering the game's branching paths.

Detroit: Become Human launches on PS4 on May 25.

Detroit: Become Human demo coming to PlayStation Store tomorrow screenshot

News:: Astounding Splatoon 2 open tournament ends in a 0.1% victory

Random little Splatoon 2 tournaments are happening throughout the year, especially leading up to a showdown at this year's E3, and that includes the recent Inkling Open qualifiers this past weekend.

Just several days ago in one heated match the Beard Bois and team Komodo battled it out in Turf War, and the score came down to....0.1%. Yep, it was that precise. To sort of clarify things most Splatoon events don't typically run Turf War games in favor of other matches. Also, as a few spectators have pointed out over the course of the tournament -- walls do not count in the splat percentage.

It's also a good reminder to always be inking, even when you're spawning in, as it could make all the difference.

Astounding Splatoon 2 open tournament ends in a 0.1% victory screenshot

News:: The first major 'PUBG' tournament takes place in Berlin this summer

Player Unknown Battlegrounds, aka PUBG, has been pushing its way to the eSports realm for quite some time now. While it has moved beyond the straight-up battle royale genre it popularized with new gameplay like War Mode, it's the behind the scenes tech that will have the most impact on the game's success as an eSport title, including its 3D replay systems and help from chipmakers like AMD. Now, according to a report from Polygon, PUBG's first major eSports tournament take place July 25th through the 29th.

Source: Polygon

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/23/first-major-pubg-tournament-berlin-summer/

News:: It looks like the new Destiny 2 expansion has a horde mode

Bungie is almost ready to lift the lid on Destiny 2's next expansion, Warmind, but for the time being the studio has released a new teaser trailer. The next stop for Destiny 2 players is going to be the Hellas Basin on Mars, and there's also a brief look at something called the Hive Escalation Protocol.

Described as a "cooperative endgame activity," the Escalation Protocol seems to be a wave-based survival mode. You'll notice that the HUD says to "clear the Hive before the time expires" and the person playing in this trailer footage has reached Level 6. I'm definitely intrigued to hear more.

Our full look at Warmind will begin tomorrow at 10:00am Pacific on Bungie's Twitch channel.

It looks like the new Destiny 2 expansion has a horde mode screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/it-looks-like-the-new-destiny-2-expansion-has-a-horde-mode-500045.phtml

News:: Fan survey wants your input on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

The beat goes on in studio Koji Igarashi, as his team sink their fans into the development of not-Castlevania-but-it-is-really adventure title Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. A new survey has been released to garner fan feedback on the game's Kickstarter, social media skills, and future DLC options.

The survey is less about what you want in the game itself, more about the marketing and post-release of the hotly-anticipated title. The questions pertain to topics such as news announcements, backer goals, developer communication and the any future DLC plans.

You can include your own thoughts on such matters by filling in the survey right here. It's certainly been a long road for Bloodstained, but now the moon is fat and the end is nigh, with the game scheduled for release this year on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night fan survey [Official]

Fan survey wants your input on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fan-survey-wants-your-input-on-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night-499983.phtml

News:: Influence the next design of Destructoid.com, win $1,000

Redesign time! Later this year we're giving Destructoid a fresh coat of paint. You know the drill, we do this every few years as web and mobile technologies change so quickly. UX and UI improvements aside, we're also doing a little back-end work to speed things along.

Its important to us that we get a ton of community feedback about what you like and don't like about our current site even before we get started, and that's where you come in. Let's kick this off right: Drop your comments below and show us the way.

Of course, a comments thread is probably not the best way to get this done long-term, so we set up a dedicated project site where you can post ideas, sketches, and inspire the next Destructoid. The most valuable person who helps our new site to life, as voted by our corporate overlords sponsoring this contest, will win $1,000.

What we're looking for: Inspiration.

We're not looking for a final design per se, though code examples and sketches are certainly welcome. We're primarily looking for aesthetic feedback, so maybe a first start is to take a look at popular gaming themes around the web and tell us what elements you like the most.

We'd also like to hear things like "I would use the site more often if we changed X" or "these colors/fonts would look better" or "I would like to be able to do X on my phone" or "doing X right now on the site is difficult" or "I prefer the design of these web sites", stuff like that. Help point out where the site isn't its best yet and what we should do to fix that. Your most popular ideas will be sent to the talented team at LeverageIT to execute the final design, and Enthusiast Gaming bossman Menashe will award the cash prize to his favorite participant.

How to get involved: Join our project site and start posting away! If you prefer to share your ideas privately, send them on down to community@destructoid.com with the subject line "New Destructoid Inspiration". Good luck!

Influence the next design of Destructoid.com, win $1,000 screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/influence-the-next-design-of-destructoid-com-win-1-000-495724.phtml

News:: New Mario Tennis Aces merch may have confirmed three more characters

Mario Tennis Aces is slowly approaching its June 22 release date on Switch, and we haven't heard much about it outside of several splashes of info from various Nintendo Directs and such. That's sort of changing as more information is leaking out, including this new semi-spoilery (if you care about that kind of stuff) reveal of a few cast members.

Over on the Geo-Online marketplace you can find an official Aces bag, a piece of merchandise that is adorned with badges representing characters. You have to squint really hard, but three newly revealed badges clearly confirm three previously unrevealed roster members -- the Koopa Paratrooper, Birdo, and Diddy Kong.

I'm sure folks are jazzed that Birdo is back in particular, but again we'll need full confirmation first.

Mario Tennis Aces [Geo-Online via Nintendo Life]

New Mario Tennis Aces merch may have confirmed three more characters screenshot

News:: Quantic Dream is suing French media over negative reports of the studio

A few months back, reports started coming out that developer Quantic Dream, known for titles Heavy Rain and Fahrenheit, had been running a fairly toxic workplace. There were claims from former employees of sexist and racist jokes being thrown around the studio as well as a pretty disgusting report about employees heads being photoshopped onto naked bodies. It made the studio seem like a real hellscape and founder David Cage's response didn't really help matters. His "judge me by my work" retort made no sense in the context of the reports and mostly seemed to ignore the allegations against his studio.

It seems Quantic Dream wasn't just sitting idly by while these claims started circulating through various channels. According to a report on Kotaku, the company is now suing two French media outlets -- website Mediapart and newspaper Le Monde -- over their reports on the allegations. Kotaku writer Cecilia D’Anastasio discovered this information during an interview with Cage, where the founder bluntly stated, "we're suing their journalists."

Canard PC, one of the other outlets that broke news about Quantic Dream, is not being sued. While the outlet received threatening letters before and after their story went live, nothing yet has come from those messages. Publishing director for the site, Ivan Gaudé, told Kotaku the two sites being sued will now have to prove to the judge that their outlets used appropriate caution when reporting the story and had reached out to all parties involved in an attempt to offer their perspectives.

Detroit Developer Quantic Dream Sues French Media Over Articles On Toxic Work Conditions [Kotaku]

Quantic Dream is suing French media over negative reports of the studio screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/quantic-dream-is-suing-french-media-over-negative-reports-of-the-studio-500022.phtml

News:: More info revealed on The Witcher's upcoming TV series

At Netflix' "See What's Next" media event, held this weekend in Rome, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich gave some sparse new deets regarding the television adaptation of the video game and book series, The Witcher, which was first announced about a year ago.

Although there was unfortunately no cast revelations as of yet, we do know that Netflix is planning an eight episode season (which sounds about right to me) with the script for the pilot episode ready for polishing. Hissrich gave a release date of 2020 on Twitter, but then immediately followed up with "Who knows?!".

The show will be shot in Eastern European locations and although we have little to go on regarding narrative, Hissrich confidently assures us that "Quality comes before speed. You'll get it as soon as humanly possible, and it'll be good." Hissrich is no stranger to TV adaptation, having produced Marvel's Defenders and the second season of Daredevil.

The Witcher is currently in production at Netflix.

More info revealed on The Witcher's upcoming TV series screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/more-info-revealed-on-the-witcher-s-upcoming-tv-series-499976.phtml

News:: Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain and Vanquish are part of the Xbox Games with Gold program in May

May's Xbox Games with Gold offerings are confirmed, and as usual it's a pretty good mix. The big highlights are easily Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, a game that everyone needs to have played at some point, as well as Vanquish, the Platinum classic. Also on offer are Super Mega Baseball 2, and Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage.

The latter two are by way of Xbox 360 backward compatibility -- one of the nifty perks of the Xbox platform, as 360 games in the Gold program are automatically upgraded to work on Xbox One.

Game preservation!

Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain and Vanquish are part of the Xbox Games with Gold program in May screenshot

News:: No surprise at where God of War is sitting in the UK Charts

It's not as if we didn't see it coming. Sony's sombre father and son adventure, God of War, has handily strolled straight into the number one spot of the UK Charts. Sega also have reason to celebrate, as their roaming brawler Yakuza 6: The Song of Life debuted at number three.

In both cases, God of War and Yakuza 6 had the best launches their respective series have ever experienced in the UK. While both titles are expected to ride high, God of War in particular is likely to stay firmly planted in the upper echelon for some time.

Elsewhere in the charts it was a good week for Nintendo, as both Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild made re-entries into the Top Ten, with Switch shooter Splatoon 2 also creeping back into the Top 20. Space opera Destiny 2 also popped it's cyber-armoured head back into the charts at number 25.

No surprise at where God of War is sitting in the UK Charts screenshot

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Monday, April 23, 2018