News:: Overwatch League sells out 20,000 tickets for inaugural Grand Finals

Blizzard have announced that the Grand Finals for the Overwatch League 2018 has sold out, thus will see every seat in the New York Barclay's Arena occupied by a bum. (A literal bum).

The tickets went on sale May 18 and closed last week, having shifted some 20,000 seats for the online-shooter's big day, making it the most successful e-sports event to be held at the arena, which is home to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.

"We knew the Overwatch League had amazing, enthusiastic fans, but this is something else," said Commissioner Nat Nanzer. "We’re incredibly excited to play to a packed house at home of the world’s premier sports and entertainment arenas."

The two top teams in the league will face off in the finals on the weekend of July 27-28. If you want to check out the payload-avoiding action, the whole event will be streamed live on the official Overwatch Twitch channel, and also on MLG and the Overwatch League app.

It's a good start for the OWL's inaugural finals, although there is still some way to go before it comes close to other competitive scenes, such as League of Legends which, last year, sold out 80,000 seats in less than two minutes. Regardless, It is sure to be a big day for Blizzard, Overwatch and the entire community. As an aside, can you imagine how much fucking dollar they're going to rake in on the merchandise front? It'll be astronomical.

The Overwatch League Grand Finals takes place July 27-28 in New York City.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/overwatch-league-sells-out-20-000-tickets-for-inaugural-grand-finals-506069.phtml

News:: Lego is basically building AR ‘Sims’ for its playsets

Lego is infusing its bricks with digital magic in a series of new augmented reality experiences using Apple's updated ARKit 2. The Lego AR experiences, due out later this year, combine real-world Lego buildings with digital landscapes. Build a physical Lego structure, such as the Assembly Square building that appeared on-stage at Apple's WWDC 2018 conference, and hold up a tablet or phone running the AR app to see the entire thing come to life. Streets appear at its base, alongside trees, grass, digital buildings, little Lego people and cars.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/lego-apple-ar-augmented-reality-wwdc-arkit/

News:: Apple’s augmented reality is shared and persistent

Apple has been flirting with augmented reality for a bit. Now, the company is ready to take it to the next level. ARKit 2.0 is just that. Apple even tapped Pixar for a special file format, USDZ. Cupertino's plans for AR go beyond just file formats, though. Using the new Measure app, you can take full measurements of an object using nothing but your iPhone's camera. Lowe's and Mercedes are probably frothing at the mouth for this update. Senior Vice President Craig Federighi used it to measure his college suitcase and a photo of him as a baby.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/apple-arkit-2-wwdc/

News:: Heroes of the Storm introduces its first Draenei and a Horde vs. Alliance Warcraft event

For the past several years fans have been clamoring for a Draenei character in Heroes of the Storm. To date it's one of the only major races from any of the represented games that hasn't been part of the Nexus universe -- that's finally changing very soon.

And what better way to ring in a major facet of Warcraft's lore than with a Warcraft event? I had the chance to speak to several key members of the Heroes of the Storm team and get the lowdown on one of the game's biggest content updates of 2018.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/heroes-of-the-storm-introduces-its-first-draenei-and-a-horde-vs-alliance-warcraft-event-505700.phtml

News:: Life is Strange will rewind the drama this Summer on Android

A new trailer has been uploaded to promote an upcoming release of the original Life is Strange for Android devices. The video will strike a chord with fans of the tightly-held adventure.

Originally released in 2015 for PS3, PS4 and PC, before being ported to today's platforms, Life is Strange tells the story of photography student Max Caulfield, who, along with her dear friend Chloe Price, investigates the disappearance of a student in the town of Arcadia Bay, a locale whose peace is about to be shattered by a terrible oncoming storm.

The game has received plaudits ever since for its high drama, characterisation, tense confrontations and handling of sensitive topics. Life is Strange would go on to win multiple awards and new fans as time passed, eventually spawning a prequel and an upcoming sequel.

Launching for Android devices this Summer, the port will feature a Photo Mode, new UI interface, controller support and social media integration to allow you to see how your version of Max's story plays out alongside your friends. Life is Strange is available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/life-is-strange-will-rewind-the-drama-this-summer-on-android-506094.phtml

News:: Rockstar reveal multiple DLC-laden special editions for Red Dead Redemption 2

Not only have Rockstar Games confirmed the pre-order bonuses, that briefly popped up online this weekend, they've also gone and unearthed a whole range of special editions for their six-shooter sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead 2 will indeed feature the War Horse, Cash Bonus and Outlaw Survival Kits for all of the game's pre-order customers. Rockstar have also opened pre-orders on a Special Edition, Ultimate Edition and Collector's Edition for the anticipated open-world adventure. Hope you like DLC extras, pardner.

The Special Edition includes a copy of the game and a bunch of story content, including exclusive hosses, weaponry, outfits and in-game events. Also included are character stat, cash and gameplay "boosts". One of the story extras is a "Bank Robbery Mission". Imagine a game, set in the wild west, where a bank robbery is a DLC quest.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/rockstar-reveal-multiple-dlc-laden-special-editions-for-red-dead-redemption-2-506097.phtml

News:: Amazon lists mysterious Fallout 76 for July, promptly pulls date

I don't know what it is about E3 season that spurs so many goofs. While the cynic in a lot of us should rightly assume that many of these "leaks" are calculated marketing tactics to build hype (all it takes is one famous influencer now to ignite the spark), some of them are likely plain old mistakes, and that could very well be the case here.

Amazon UK previously had a December 31 placeholder date for Fallout 76 listed for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One bound project, but just over the weekend it was changed to July 31, 2019 (a Tuesday). When the change started making the rounds it was promptly changed back to said placeholder date.

It could be nothing, but I can easily see a "it's coming soon!" bit at the end of the trailer when Bethesda is showing it off onstage at E3. This is particularly plausible if Fallout 76 isn't a full-scale open world RPG that requires a massive undertaking, but a more tempered online-centric project as rumored.

Fallout 76 [Amazon]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/amazon-lists-mysterious-fallout-76-for-july-promptly-pulls-date-506088.phtml

News:: FIFA 18 is back on top in the UK Charts and I don't know anymore

Another shake-up in the UK Charts this week has seen Electronic Arts' FIFA 18 return to the number one slot, no doubt amidst all the excitement of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2018 tournament, which kicks off (literally) in Russia this Summer.

Last week's debuting number one, Quantic Dreams' Detroit: Become Human, has shifted to second place, followed up be Sony's God of War and Ubisoft's Far Cry 5, which still refuses to go gently into that good night. Both Dark Souls Remastered and State of Decay 2 have also held fast in the Top Ten.

Retro-compilations Sega Mega Drive Classics and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection made strong Top Ten debuts, while celebrations continue for the anniversary of Blizzard's online shooter Overwatch, retaining seventh place from last week. Elsewhere in the charts, MadMind's edgelord survival horror title Agony debuted at number 31, while Microsoft's pirate adventure Sea of Thieves made a leap back up the charts, going from number 28 all the way up to number 15.

I still think God of War is destined for another turn at the top before sales peak, tune in next week to find out whether games from 2017 (and even 1991) continue to outsell titles from this year.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fifa-18-is-back-on-top-in-the-uk-charts-and-i-don-t-know-anymore-506065.phtml

News:: TERA's Gunner class is making its way to consoles soon

When TERA made its way to consoles recently it lacked a few features that are now standard with the PC edition -- most notably my favorite class, the Gunner.

Slowly but surely there's going to be parity though, as Bluehole Studio just teased the impending release of Gunners for PS4 and Xbox One with a short video clip. No specific date was given other than the nebulous and always popular "soon," but it seems like it's close enough.

As a note, currently TERA is still missing the Valkyrie and Ninja classes in addition to Gunne on consoles. Other than that though the PS4 and Xbox One editions have been pretty faithfully adapted -- I can't wait to dive back in now that my class of choice is on the horizon.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/tera-s-gunner-class-is-making-its-way-to-consoles-soon-506020.phtml

News:: No long wookie legs for Solo as it barely holds on to the top spot

Last week I opened a piece about viewers voting with their wallets by saying that Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn't truly bombing. I was wrong. The film tanked this weekend with only $29.2 million, a drop of 65 percent. In contrast, Deadpool 2, an R-rated film a week older than Solo, pulled in $23 million. For those that thought Solo could somehow survive the summer onslaught of major movie releases and turn into a sleeper hit this does not bode well.

Thanks to the movie's exploded budget due to the director change and reshoots the quickly dwindling box office is going to make this a massive flop for Disney instead of just a disappointing return. The film is on pace to only pull in $350 million worldwide at best, which will make it the worst box office for any Star Wars film by a longshot. There are going to be some serious discussions about how to move forward with the franchise because of this. Last time a movie bombed like this for Disney was The Lone Ranger in 2013 and that, coupled with John Carter, led to significant shakeups at the studio. 

If you're feeling sorry for Disney take solace in the fact that Infinity War just became the top-grossing Marvel film worldwide by pulling in $1.96 billion. Two billion dollars is perfectly reachable. So at least they got that going for them.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/no-long-wookie-legs-for-solo-as-it-barely-holds-on-to-the-top-spot-506073.phtml

News:: Microsoft discounts the Xbox One X for its E3 week sale

Microsoft is cutting the price of the 4K-friendly Xbox One X for the first time in what the company is calling its biggest Xbox sale of the year. All Xbox One models are dropping by $50, so the Xbox One X will set you back $449, while the Xbox One S costs $199 for the 500GB version, and $249 for 1TB. If you've been looking for a new controller, you can pick one up for $10 less.

Source: Microsoft

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/xbox-one-x-discount-e3-week-pubg-sea-of-thieves/

News:: Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order bonuses appear online

At the weekend, Microsoft posted, then quickly removed, retail listing for Rockstar's open-world wild-west adventure Red Dead Redemption 2. Although the listing was removed faster than a Wes Flowers' quick-draw, crafty folk on Reddit where able to snap the details.

In what should come as a a surprise to nobody, the highly-anticipated sequel will feature some pre-order bonuses, namely the Outlaw Survival Kit a cash bonus for Red Dead 2's story mode, an in-game treasure map and a "War Horse", which I assume isn't that one made of paper and sticks from the Broadway show.

Pre-order customers will also bag half a million dollars in Itchy & Scratchy money for Rockstar's magnum opus, Grand Theft Auto V, because everyone in the world owns that game, it seems. Although this listing appeared on Microsoft's site, it stands to reason that the PS4 edition will have a similar pre-order package available.

Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on PS4 and Xbox One on October 26.

Pre-order bonuses appear for Red Dead Redemption 2 on Xbox One [Reddit]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/red-dead-redemption-2-pre-order-bonuses-appear-online-506063.phtml

News:: It's the beginning of the end for 'Evolve'

When Turtle Rock Studios made asymmetrical shooter Evolve free-to-play, it looked like the game had found its second wind. Player numbers grew dramatically, extra maps and overhauled skill sets were introduced to keep things fresh, and the player-base stabilized at a healthy 15,000 per month. However, just a couple months later, player interest vanished.

Via: IGN

Source: 2K

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/evolve-servers-shut-down/

News:: There's going to be an official Crash Bandicoot controller for Switch

It's so weird to see Crash Bandicoot on other systems.

I mean ever since Activision got their hands on the IP years ago it's been happening, to the point where it shouldn't be a surprise, but witnessing the original trilogy on a Nintendo console? It's still weird to me as someone who grew up listening to that iconic PlayStation bootup noise every time I popped a Crash game into my system.

Either way it's coming very soon, and PowerA is celebrating with a special Switch controller for it. As listed on GameStop (where it's evidently exclusive in the US), a wired Crash controller is coming to the tune of $24.99. It's out on June 29 alongside of the non-PS4 editions of the trilogy.

As for the remote iteself: while the smaller greyscale designs are ace, I really have to ask what the deal with the color scheme is! They couldn't get the rights to blue and orange?

Crash [GameStop]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/there-s-going-to-be-an-official-crash-bandicoot-controller-for-switch-506019.phtml

News:: ‘FIFA 18’ let me live out my World Cup fantasies

It took a few tries, but I was finally able to lift the World Cup trophy with my beloved Mexico in FIFA 18. It wasn't an easy feat, either; I had to get past football superpower Germany in the final. But it happened, a 3-2 win! And that's probably the only way I'll ever get to see Mexico win soccer's most important competition. Over the past few days, I've spent most of my spare time playing FIFA's new Russia 2018 World Cup mode, which EA Sports made available free to all owners of the game on PC, PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. That gesture alone deserves a lot of credit, since during the last World Cup in 2014 the developer released a standalone game for the tournament that was $60. And that was just for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The latest-generation of consoles only got a disappointing, stripped down version.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/fifa-18-world-cup-review/

News:: ASUS slims the bezels on its ROG Strix II gaming laptops

Just as we expected, ASUS is keeping up with the gaming laptop competition with its new ROG Strix II gaming laptops. Available in two models, "Hero" and "Scar," the Strix II machines have been upgraded with thin bezel displays running at 144Hz. We've seen those features from all of the major gaming notebook makers this year, but ASUS is going a step further by including a 15.6-inch 1080p panel with a low 3ms response rate, compared to the 7ms screens other companies are using. That should make the Strix II notebooks ideal for fast-paced games.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/asus-rog-strix-ii/

News:: ASUS ROG's ridiculously high-spec gaming phone was made for 'PUBG'

Thanks to the likes of PUBG and Fortnite arriving on mobile, gaming smartphones seem like a no-brainer for brands that want to break into the crowded smartphone world, with the Razer Phone setting the bar for others to follow. ASUS thinks it can do better. Here at Computex, the company surprised many by unveiling the ROG Phone, its first-ever handset made specifically with gaming in mind.

Needless to say, this aggressive-looking device is specced out as a powerhouse, but it's also packed with many unique and thoughtful features that aim to deliver a better gaming experience. Not to mention the handful of dedicated accessories as well -- including an external cooling fan that clips onto the back, plus an optional handheld dock that adds a second screen to the ROG Phone.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/asus-rog-gaming-phone-hands-on/

News:: The Morning After: Apple's WWDC starts today!

Good morning there! Apple's big developer showcase starts later today. We're there, and we'll be liveblogging along with it right here. We also handle RED's first smartphone, argue that the major camera companies have a problem and bid adieu to Square Enix's well-regarded Go games.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/04/the-morning-after-apple-wwdc-computex/