News:: Celebrate Overwatch's second anniversary with a Double XP weekend

As the celebrations for the second anniversary of the super-successful arena-shooter come to a close, Blizzard have announced that Overwatch will see a rare Double XP event this weekend.

From June 8 until June 11, all XP earned in all modes will be doubled, with only a few omissions (such as the "First Win of the Day" bonus). But XP for wins, kills, medals, backfills and more will all be doubled, and this can be stacked by using bonuses, such as playing in a team with friends or "Randos" as the hip kids say.

This is a great opportunity to grind for loot, and maybe bag some of those skins, emotes dances and more. Fortunately, there isn't a single other video game based event taking place this very weekend, so you'll have all time in the world to grind for goodies.

The Overwatch Double XP weekend runs June 8-11, worldwide and on all platforms. Check out this handy map to see when your territory goes live.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/celebrate-overwatch-s-second-anniversary-with-a-double-xp-weekend-506490.phtml

News:: Zelda: Breath of the Wild hits one million Switch copies sold in Japan

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a success story that a lot of you are probably tired of hearing about. It's one of the best reviewed games of all time, it's sold well across the world, and it helped kick off a massively successful console that pulled Nintendo out of a slump, as well as tastefully assist them in putting the Wii U out to pasture.

It's accomplished a lot, and now it just unlocked another achievement. Just this past month by way of Media Create data, we've learned that the Switch edition has sold over one million units in Japan alone -- and that's at retail. The Switch is still going strong in the region too and between May 28 and June 3, the Switch sold 40,587 units (compared to 18,171 from PS4 and 6,818 from the 3DS.

This is just in over a year, and Nintendo still has their work cut out for them if they're going to pull off their "multiple Switch units per household" plan.

Media Create Sales: 5/28/18 – 6/3/18 [4Gamer.net via Gematsu]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-hits-one-million-switch-copies-sold-in-japan-506541.phtml

News:: Hitman 2 is coming this November and it won't be episodic

IO Interactive is following up 2016's excellent Hitman with a direct sequel, Hitman 2, on November 13, 2018. Unlike the last game, which followed an episodic release, this one is coming "all at once," according to IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak. There will be "tons and tons of post-launch content."

Today's reveal trailer shows off Miami, one of the game's "six new exotic locations." My mind is already racing with the possibilities for mayhem on an active raceway. And for folks who were invested in Hitman, it sounds like IO is keen to directly continue the Shadow Client storyline.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/hitman-2-is-coming-this-november-and-it-won-t-be-episodic-506621.phtml

News:: Avalanche Studios unveils nostalgic '80s robot shooter 'Generation Zero'

If you've caught the '80s nostalgia bug after Stranger Things, this could be the game for you. It's 1989. Machines have taken over rural Sweden, and it's unclear how or why. And it's up to a group of young adults to stop them. That's the gist of Generation Zero, an open-world shooter announced by Just Cause and Mad Max developer Avalanche Studios just a few days before E3 kicks off.

Source: Generation Zero

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/avalanche-studios-generation-zero-e3-trailer/

News:: Check out these fun trailers for the roster of SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

SNK released a series of short-but-sweet trailers for the revealed roster so far of their cheesecake fighting title SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, which is head to PS4 and Nintendo Switch later this year.

All the girls are here, from ice-loli Kula Diamond and smug wrestler Shermie, to walking migraine Sylvie Paula-Paula and Best Girl in Video Games Leona Heidern.Each trailer showcases the character, along with some of their alternate costumes, accessories and some goofy-ass photo session.

SNK Heroines certainly isn't shaping up to be Third Strike, that's for true, but as a long time SNK devotee I'm looking forward to having some fun with it. I'm probably gonna go with Leona and Luong... or Nakoruru... unless Vanessa gets announced. Who you got?

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy launches on PS4 and Nintendo Switch September 7.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/check-out-these-fun-trailers-for-the-roster-of-snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-506576.phtml

News:: 76ers team president out after Twitter burner account investigation

Philadelphia 76ers basketball operations president Bryan Colangelo is no longer employed by the Sixers, league sources told ESPN on Thursday. The news of his departure comes just a week after sports news website The Ringer linked him with five burner Twitter accounts used to trash the team's players and at which time the team launched an investigation into the accusations.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/76ers-team-president-out-after-twitter-burner-account-investigat/

News:: After ages of teasing Freedom Planet is finally confirmed for Switch

At this point pretty much anyone who wants to get their game on the Switch, especially indie studios who don't need concessions for massive AAA-powered game engines, can do it.

It might be a longer road for some than others depending on their relationship with Nintendo and their ability to access developer kits, but I've spoken to many very small outfits that have either launched a game on Switch or are in the process of porting for it -- the horizon looks good for Nintendo. Anyway, all of those "[x] sells best on Switch" instances have helped emblazon developers like GalaxyTrail, who can now officially confirm the release of Freedom Planet on the system.

This is after months of teasing, mind, and no guarantees, but now that a window is set in stone it's pretty much a done deal. That window is "this fall," and to prove it Freedom Planet Switch will be playable at E3. How about that!

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/after-ages-of-teasing-freedom-planet-is-finally-confirmed-for-switch-506539.phtml

News:: Rainbow Six Siege initiates Operation Para Bellum today

Today sees the launch of the latest seasonal update to Ubisoft's super-tense tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege; Operation Para Bellum goes live today bringing with it a host of new features and balance changes.

Of course the best part of each new update are the new Operators. Available today for Season Pass holders and June 17 for everyone else, Para Bellum introduces us to Italian technicians Alibi and Maestro. Alibi is a fast-moving infiltration expert, who can utilise holograms of herself to trick the enemy into giving away their position. Think Arnie at the end of Total Recall.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/rainbow-six-siege-initiates-operation-para-bellum-today-506451.phtml

News:: Zombie survival game 'Days Gone' hits PS4 next February 22nd

After being pushing the game into next year, Sony has announced when its zombie apocalypse game, Days Gone, will be released. Come February 22nd you'll be able to pick the PlayStation 4 game up at your favorite retailer (or download it online). To celebrate the news, Sony dropped a new trailer, rife with cougars, motorcycles and hostile human survivors. If that sort of thing is up your alley, or, if The Last of Us' themes and characters were a little too subtle for you, maybe you'll want to give this a shot early next year. Based on our early impressions of the game, though, it sounds like Sony delaying the game was for good reason.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/ps4-days-gone-release-date/

News:: Super Bomberman R will have the original voices of Master Chief, Ratchet & Clank for its guest characters

The initial announcement of guest characters Ratchet & Clank/Master Chief for the PS4 and Xbox One ports of Super Bomberman R respectively was pretty ace, but this new announcement from Konami is the cherry on top.

The publisher has just confirmed that not only will these guests be fully voiced, but they'll actually be accompanied by their original voice actors. Steve Downes will return as Master Chief, and Arnold Taylor/David Kaye reprise their roles as Ratchet & Clank. As a sort of consolation prize the Switch will get the character Max (Bomberman's ally historically in the series) at some point as a free update, but for now expect the awesome console-exclusive guests to hit their ports on June 12.

With all of the updates in tow from the Switch version, including the smoothing of the framerate, it should be a good time.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/super-bomberman-r-will-have-the-original-voices-of-master-chief-ratchet-clank-for-its-guest-characters-506606.phtml

News:: Days Gone gets a release date, new trailer

After confirmation of a delay into 2019, Sony has revealed that Days Gone will be hitting PS4's on February 29, 2019. Along with the news, developer Bend Studio has released a very short trailer that doesn't really show a whole lot of new stuff. This still looks like the same game we saw at E3 2016.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/days-gone-gets-a-release-date-new-trailer-506611.phtml

News:: 'Spider-Man' developer teams up with Oculus for 'Stormland'

Whether you're a fan of Ratchet and Clank or more of a Resistance person, or you're just looking forward to this year's Spider-Man title, you've got to admit that Insomniac Games makes some pretty great stuff. Now Insomniac and Oculus Studios have released a trailer for a brand-new VR game, Stormland.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/insomniac-games-oculus-vr-stormland/

News:: Insomniac reveals Stormland, a VR game about saving your robot buddies

The shroud of mystery surrounding last week's Insomniac tease has been lifted. Just now, Insomniac Games has announced a brand new game called Stormland for Oculus Touch.

The reveal comes via this three-minute announcement trailer. It does its job in introducing us to this lush-yet-mechanical world. Robots seem to be the only inhabitants despite there being plenty of vegetation.

As for style, the trailer kind of puts equal emphasis on movement and shooting sections. Insomniac calls it as an action-adventure game with the structure of first-person open-world exploration -- all in VR.

Because the trailer leaves us mostly to our own inferences, here's how Insomniac describes Stormland in a press release: "You're an android gardener on a lush alien planet, but The Tempest shattered your android body. Now you must journey through an ever-changing cloudscape to augment yourself and save your friends. Explore an expansive world with complete freedom -- bound up cliffs, glide across chasms, and fly through the slipstream with velocity. Detonate explosives, harness electricity, and wield makeshift weapons to overcome titanium sentries and monolithic guardians. Play single-player, or explore forgotten ruins together."

Stormland is currently set for a 2019 release on Oculus Touch. But there's a pretty big video game convention next week, and I bet we'll learn more about Stormland then.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/insomniac-reveals-stormland-a-vr-game-about-saving-your-robot-buddies-506499.phtml

News:: E3 leaks prompt Hi-Rez to just confirm Paladins on Switch

Amid many pre-E3 leaks, one in particular stood out -- the datamining of the eShop. That very act uncovered Paladins for Switch, right there in all its official glory, and Hi-Rez Studios have just confirmed it this morning by flicking a switch and making the Switch (ha) listing live in the UK (just log into your UK eShop account anywhere and check it).

The listing confirms that it's 60FPS with cross-platform multiplayer, and will arrive on June 12, clocking in at 5.8GB. Like other versions it'll sport a free-to-play base, as well as at least one "Founder's Pack" with bonuses. Amazingly that's during the E3 Nintendo Direct, when they likely would have announced "and it's live right now!" on stream.

Well, it's still kind of exciting I guess! Now you just know it's coming and can plan for it -- along with the inevitable Switch port of Fortnite.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/e3-leaks-prompt-hi-rez-to-just-confirm-paladins-on-switch-506604.phtml

News:: Review: Wizard of Legend

Wizard of Legend was Kickstarted back in 2016 and promised a fast-paced dungeon crawler inspired by the original procedurally generated exploration game, Rogue. Roguelikes have enjoyed an upsurge in popularity ever since Spelunky took the world by storm, and lots of indie games have come out since then which borrow elements from the formula like permanent death and randomized playspaces.

Wizard of Legend offers players a deliberate throwback look, hearkening back to the late 16/early 32-bit generation, just before polygons took over from pixels entirely. The resulting game looks amazing and (for the most part) plays beautifully, but the version I played has some issues that keep it from achieving greatness.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-wizard-of-legend-506391.phtml

News:: VR puzzler 'Moss' and its adorable mouse are coming to PC

Enchanting adventure Moss might have launched as a PlayStation VR exclusive, but developer Polyarc has confirmed it won't be tethered to Sony's console any longer. It's finally available on both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive for $30.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/vr-puzzler-moss-coming-to-pc/

News:: Chrono Trigger PC gets yet another touch-up patch amid fan outcry

Steam releases, especially for developers who are relatively new to the PC platform are so hit or miss it's crazy. Sometimes a studio will plop out an amazing PC edition that needs next to no updates, and on other occasions teams will leave complete disasters untouched.

Square Enix is scrambling to address their Chrono Trigger PC release to prevent the latter scenario from happening, and in just a few months it's hosting its third major update -- all of which are meant to clean things up. The UI is now more keyboard or controller friendly (previously it was linked more to the mobile edition which was not fun), and battles will be a lot smoother going forward, as well as the general speed of the game.

They still have a little ways to go if you can believe it!

Chrono Trigger [Steam]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/chrono-trigger-pc-gets-yet-another-touch-up-patch-amid-fan-outcry-506536.phtml

News:: MSI’s 25-inch gaming display is absurdly fast

MSI has unveiled a 25-inch, 1080p NVIDIA G-Sync-compatible display with a scorching 240 Hz refresh rate and 0.5 millisecond response time. As you'd expect with those specs, the Oculux NXG251 (yes, that's the name) is aimed at eSports professionals and wannabes, so the $599 price tag reflects its high-end purpose. For that sum, however, gamers can expect a near-instant, lag-free response time and ghost-free images, even at 200 fps gaming speeds.

Source: MSI

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/msi-oculus-nxg251-240hz-gaming-monitor/

News:: Review: Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido

Evil flexing muscle men, anime talking cats, a narrative framed around a great sushi war: I was in no way prepared to experience Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido on a purely spiritual level.

The rest of it is hit or miss mechanically, but I'll be thinking about this wacky world for quite a while.

Read more...

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/review-sushi-striker-the-way-of-sushido-505792.phtml

News:: The Morning After: Sonos built a smarter soundbar

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

We've got several new devices to tell you about this morning, including a new Sonos speaker that will work with AirPlay, Sony's latest rather-capable compact camera and a new drone, all bidding for your next paycheck or two.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/the-morning-after-sonos-built-a-smarter-soundbar/

News:: Luong signs up for SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

Yet another of SNK's wonderful array of ass-kicking princesses has been added to the roster of upcoming team-brawler SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. The sly, fast-kicking Luong has joined the battle, her trailer leaked accidentally as part of a batch of Japanese trailers released for the upcoming fighter.

Luong is a relative newcomer to the franchise, having made her debut in The King of Fighters XIV. As one of the KoF universe's femme fatales, Luong like to taunt and toy with her opposition, before bringing them down with a series of ultra-fast kicks and domineering leg-grabs. Sounds familiar. You can check her out in action here.

As I predicted a while back, it appears that every girl from KoF XIV, at least from the original roster, will be putting in an appearance here. It makes sense given that they have the models complete and ready to go, but it is a shame that, so far, we're seeing little in the way of outsiders from other SNK titles.

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy launches on PS4 and Nintendo Switch September 7.

Luong trailer leaks for SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy [Ruliweb / Gematsu]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/luong-signs-up-for-snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-506575.phtml

News:: Zotac cut battery life to make its VR backpack smaller

PC virtual reality means that you are always tethered to a desktop, limiting your motion and how much you can suspend your disbelief. Companies like Zotac, HP and MSI thought the solution was to put the PC in a backpack, the only limit being the life of the batteries you could carry with you. But all three were heavy and clumsy, with an understandably short lifespan. Two of those issues Zotac is hoping to remedy with its VR GO 2.0, the third? Not so much.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/06/07/zotac-go-vr-20-backpack/