Xbox Series X prototype shown again in latest renders

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 8:46 PM CST

Microsoft's new Xbox Series X is getting more and more detailed, with a new video from Italian designer and newly-minted LetsGoDigital staffer Giuseppe Spinelli now made into gorgeous 3D renders.

Xbox Series X prototype shown again in latest renders

My previous post on the Xbox Series X renders from LetsGoDigital had USB Type-C connectors, but these new ones do not. These renders, if you'll notice, see the USB Type-A port on the front of the Xbox Series X console is not labelled 'SS' which means it is not a SuperSpeed port.

On the back of the Xbox Series X render we have a HDMI output, 2 x USB ports (both SuperSpeed), an Ethernet connector, digital optical audio output, and the power connector at the bottom.

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Sony working on new horror IP for PlayStation 5

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 8:07 PM CST

Sony is working on a new horror IP for its next generation PlayStation 5 console, with new rumors teasing that the new horror game is being worked on "by a very well respected horror game director".

Sony working on new horror IP for PlayStation 5

The new rumor is coming from entertainment insider Emre Kaya, who looks to have a fresh contact at Sony and some big, big news. The new "horror IP" is headed to the PlayStation 5, but the follow-up tweet with a GIF of legendary (and PlayStation exclusive) game developer Hideo Kojima is a huge hint.

This isn't confirming that Kojima himself is making the new game, but we could see a next-gen version of Silent Hills for example. Whatever it is, a new horror game with a totally next-gen console that has all sorts of new technology and features that will provide some of the best lighting, shadows, and possibilities in a game yet? Color me excited.

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Stardew Valley is a massive success with 10 million copies sold

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 3:49 PM CST

In four years time, Eric Barone's charming pixellated farming sim has become a titan in the games industry, conquering other indies on sales charts and even beating some AAA games too.

Stardew Valley is a massive success with 10 million copies sold

Stardew Valley has sold over 10 million copies across its six available platforms, making it one of the most successful indie titles in gaming. The figure was nonchalantly added to the game's presskit page: "Since release, the game has sold over 10 million copies worldwide."

These numbers are absolutely massive for any game, whether it be an independent creation like Barone's or a high-budget AAA RPG like Final Fantasy XV (yes, Stardew Valley beat FFXV's sales and even Battlefield V's). Sure it helps that Stardew Valley is sold on practically every device you can play games on, including Switch, PC, consoles, and mobile phones, but the game's Harvest Moon-esque charm has enraptured and engaged millions worldwide.

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Modern Warfare made $78.8 million in monetization in one month

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 2:54 PM CST

Modern Warfare has pulled in over $78 million from digital spending one month, proving Activision's new anti-season pass model for Call of Duty is doing tremendously well.

Modern Warfare made $78.8 million in monetization in one month

Call of Duty's new monetization scheme is pulling in serious cashflow. According to analyst firm SuperData, Modern Warfare made $78.8 million from player spending on microtransactions and battle passes across consoles and PC. The game generated these revenues in December alone, putting it just $20 million shy of what Black Ops 4 made in an entire quarter.

Modern Warfare conquered December 2019's top-grossing charts, marking a dynamic shift for the franchise insofar as digital in-game purchases. Activision has invested tremendously in this new engagement model, which sees lootboxes being eradicated and content being added to the game for free with exclusive features like skins and CoD Points gated off by battle passes.

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Hideo Kojima reiterates multi-game transmedia focus

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 12:54 PM CST

Hideo Kojima wants to stay busy in between big game releases, and plans to create smaller-scale projects to fill the void.

Hideo Kojima reiterates multi-game transmedia focus

Kojima games typically take a long time to make. Metal Gear Solid V took about 5 years to make, and Death Stranding was in dev for roughly 4 years. That's a long time not to release anything, especially for an indie studio. Kojima wants to change that and plans to focus on shorter episodic experiences in between huge AAA titles. But what exactly will Kojma Productions work on?

Speaking to Famitsu, Kojima says he's open to creating all sorts of things--even manga and anime. This isn't the first time Kojima has talked about transmedia content. A bit ago he said KojiPro would make smaller films, possibly kicking off a whole new era of interactive film-game hybrids for Sony's new PlayStation Productions label.

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Resogun dev Housemarque to reveal big new AAA game in 2020

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 11:11 AM CST

Housemarque turns 25 this year, and to celebrate they plan to reveal their big new game that's been 3 years in the making.

Resogun dev Housemarque to reveal big new AAA game in 2020

Resogun and Alienation dev Housemarque has spent the last few years working on a singular project, and secured a big partner to help make it happen. Now in Summer 2020 that game will be revealed. The indie team is mostly known for making smaller-scale games for PS4, but this new experience aims to break into AAA territory with huge ambitions. The new project is actually so big that Housemarque has everything else on hold, including Stormdivers.

"We are working on our biggest and most ambitious title yet and have amazing support from our yet-to-be announced partner," said Housemarque CEO Ilari Kuittinen. "We have now spent almost three years working on this game, and now we are in full scale production and super excited to reveal more in the coming months."

Continue reading: Resogun dev Housemarque to reveal big new AAA game in 2020 (full post)

New Everquest game is in development under fresh studio

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 9:23 AM CST

Daybreak Game Company, the team behind a number of free-to-play hits like Everquest II, today announced a new three-pronged plan to handle its biggest franchises.

New Everquest game is in development under fresh studio

Daybreak (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) has formed three new game studios that will each initially focus on one game at a time. First there's Dimensional Ink Games, who will continue supporting the popular DC Universe Online MMORPG with tons of free content updates. The studio is being helmed by Star Trek Online and Neverwinter alum Jack Emmert.

Daybreak's second studio is Darkpaw Games, who will continue supporting Everquest I & II with updates, as well as work on a brand new Everquest title. "Darkpaw's mission is to continue to expand upon the unique and amazing fantasy adventure that is EverQuest and EverQuest II and develop the next innovation for the franchise."

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update 7.0.0 will add Byleth on January 28

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jan 23, 2020 4:29 AM CST

Nintendo has announced the next major update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, update 7.0.0. This new update will contain the next DLC fighter Byleth and a bunch of changes.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update 7.0.0 will add Byleth on January 28

Nintendo has been following the pattern of adding a new DLC fighter with each significant update that rounds off to a whole number. For example, update 3.0.0 contained Joker, 4.0.0 contained Hero, 5.0.0 had Banjo & Kazooie, and 6.0.0 had Terry Bogard. It only makes sense that Nintendo is going to be following the same sequence, and considering Nintendo said that Byleth would be released on January 28th, I'd say that's when patch 7.0.0 will drop.

It's not unusual for Nintendo to make some fighter tweaks when adding in a major update as well. Nintendo does usually make slight changes to a range of different characters as well as fixes some bugs that may have been noticed by either players or the development team. I will follow up with another article when Byleth drops and all the tweaks that Nintendo makes to the rest of the cast, if there is any.

Continue reading: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update 7.0.0 will add Byleth on January 28 (full post)

Google assisted in this extremely high-resolution map of brain neurons

Jak Connor | Science, Space, Health & Robotics | Jan 23, 2020 4:12 AM CST

Google has helped out Janelia Research Campus with its recently released breakthrough in being able to map the brain.

Google assisted in this extremely high-resolution map of brain neurons

Above is now the largest and most highest-resolution map of brain connectivity we as humans. The video was published on the Janelia website, and showcases a 3D model of 25,000 fruit fly neurons on a range of different cellular structures in various parts of its brain. So how was this done? The research team sliced the fruit fly's brain into extremely thin pieces and imaged those slices using electron streams from an electron microscope.

The team then stitched the image back together and created a brain map of the fruit fly. While this achievement might sound minuscule because the map is of a fruit fly and not a human - the achievement still harbors high levels of recognition as this is still a large step towards understanding the brain. Scientists can now trace individual neurons back to their source of functionality. It should be noted that a fruit fly has 100,000 neurons in its entire brain, while 25,000 is still small when compared to the total, it's still a big step forward.

Continue reading: Google assisted in this extremely high-resolution map of brain neurons (full post)

Scientists think snakes are 'most probable' suspect for Wuhan virus

Jak Connor | Science, Space, Health & Robotics | Jan 23, 2020 3:39 AM CST

China is currently under threat by a never-before-seen coronavirus, and as the virus is spreading around the globe, researchers think they have figured out what animal it has come from.

Scientists think snakes are 'most probable' suspect for Wuhan virus

The virus, which is currently spreading in China, is called 2019-nCoV, and its a coronavirus. The virus broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the South China Seafood Wholesale Market. Researchers were quick to understand that the virus came from animals and then was being transferred 'human-to-human'. What they didn't know until now was what animal it came from.

In a new study published in the Journal of Medical Virology, researchers conducted a detailed genetic analysis of the virus and compared it to other known viruses, their origins, and their host species. What was concluded is that 2019-nCoV is a combination of coronavirus found in bats and another coronavirus of unknown origin. The researchers also found that the virus was most likely found in snakes before it made contact with humans.

Continue reading: Scientists think snakes are 'most probable' suspect for Wuhan virus (full post)