Quantic Dream partners with NetEase for next-gen games

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 2:29 PM CST

Chinese mobile juggernaut NetEase has partnered with Quantic Dream to make next-gen games on multiple platforms.

Quantic Dream partners with NetEase for next-gen games

For years Quantic Dream's games (Heavy Rain, Detroit: Become Human, etc) have been exclusive to PlayStation. But the studio has always had a bigger vision that expands into all platforms, not just Sony's hardware, and that's why it signed a partnership deal with NetEase. Studio head David Cage confirms NetEase bought a minority stake in Quantic Dream, giving the devs a long-term investment to help make new games on all systems. This deal is similar to NetEase's $100 million investment into Bungie's new "bold vision."

"We're very excited to report that NetEase has taken a minority share in the capital of Quantic Dream," Cage said in a recent interview with VentureBeat. "This investment will allow us to invest in future technologies and games in order to prepare for the next generation of platforms, with the same ambition regarding creativity and innovation."

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Resident Evil 2 ships 3 million in first week

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 1:31 PM CST

Resident Evil 2 Remake has shipped 3 million copies worldwide on all platforms, Capcom today announced.

Resident Evil 2 ships 3 million in first week

Capcom's new Resident Evil game isn't just the best horror title I've played, but it's among the best remakes ever made. The games-maker put considerable efforts to open a new dimension of horror with tons of tweaks, optimizations, graphical overhauls with the new REngine, and new spatial sound. Now everything is paying off big time with strong shipments and sales.

Resident Evil 2 Remake has shipped 3 million units in its first week of availability, Capcom says, bringing to over half of the original 1998's total sales. In fact, RE2make may be on track to beat Resident Evil 7's current 6 million lifetime sales. The company says it hopes to elongate the remake's lifecycle with long-term sales. To do so Capcom will use the free Ghost Survivors story DLC to help engage players over a greater period of time, and we could see other bonus paid content similar to RE7's post-launch roadmap.

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Dragon Ball action-RPG 'Project Z' is an 'epic' DBZ tale

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 5:00 AM CST

Yesterday Bandai announced a new Dragon Ball game to fall under the action-RPG genre, the announcement revealed the placeholder name 'Project Z' and now further details have been released for the title.

Dragon Ball action-RPG 'Project Z' is an 'epic' DBZ tale

In a recent press release from Bandai Namco, we get some more details about what to expect for the coming action-RPG Dragon Ball title. 'Project Z' will be taking players on "the most dramatic and epic telling of the Dragon Ball Z story", with this now new information we can assume that players will be able to play missions from the following saga'; Raditz and Vegeta Sagas, Namek and Captain Ginyu Sagas, Frieza Saga, Garlic Jr., Trunks, and Androids Sagas, Imperfect Cell and Perfect Cell Sagas, Cell Games Saga, Other World, Great Saiyaman. and World Tournament Sagas, Babidi and Majin Buu Sagas and Fusion, Kid Buu, and Peaceful World Sagas.

It will be very interesting to see if Bandai decide to cover every story arc throughout each of the Dragon Ball Z sagas, as I'm very sure many Dragon Ball fans would love to start right at the beginning and work their way through all the way to the end. Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at Bandai Namco Entertainment America said "Combining the fabled story of DRAGON BALL Z with a proven video game development studio is a surefire way to create an awesome DRAGON BALL adventure. We can't wait to unveil the official name for the game and share more gameplay details with players!"

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Dragon Ball FighterZ Fighter Pass 2: new trailer & details

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 4:00 AM CST

Yesterday Bandai teased that Dragon Ball FighterZ would be receiving some news, they also mentioned that the "fighter from Universe 11 is joining the fight". A new trailer has confirmed what was expected, and also comes with some well met surprises.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Fighter Pass 2: new trailer & details

The above video was released onto the Bandai Namco America YouTube Channel and begins with the official reveal of the "fighter from Universe 11" - Jiren. As I mentioned yesterday, we see a display of moves from Jiren resembling that of what he does in TV show. Next, we are introduced to Gohan's wife Videl, we see a variety of combos from Videl before she calls on the assistance of Gohan.

Closer to the end of the video, Bandai tease fans further by showcasing that four more fighters are yet to be revealed. Two of these fighters are named to be "Broly (DBS)" and "Gogeta (SSGSS)". No gameplay was shown for each of these characters, just an image saying that they have joined the fight. The new fighters pass headed for Dragon Ball FighterZ will release on January 31st. Dragon ball FighterZ is available on the Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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Marvel's Spider-Man hit with new Fantastic Four suit update

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 3:00 AM CST

After the tease of Fantastic Four content coming to Marvel's Spider-Man, we now have some brand new 'Fantastic Four' themed suits for players to enjoy.

Marvel's Spider-Man hit with new Fantastic Four suit update

The news comes from the official Spider-Man Twitter page for the game, above we can see images of the "Bombastic Bag Man Suit" and the "Future Foundation Suit". If players are unsure of where the reference to the Fantastic Four is within both of these suits, Spider-Man writer Christos Gage gave a explanation; "There have been too many cool Spidey/Fantastic Four moments to count, but one of the most memorable was in Amazing Spider-Man #258, when Spidey swung by the Fantastic Four's headquarters for help with the alien symbiote he was wearing as a costume. The Fantastic Four got it off, but then Spidey was left in his underpants, so he borrowed a Fantastic Four costume...but they don't have masks!"

He continued; "So, to conceal Peter Parker's secret identity, his frenemy, the Human Torch, gave Spidey a grocery bag to wear on his head. As The Thing might say, what a revoltin' development! Another chapter in their shared story came when Spidey actually joined the Fantastic Four, then calling themselves the Future Foundation, and they all wore cool black and white costumes." It is no doubt a shame that the teased Fantastic Four content wasn't a playable story of some kind, regardless though these are some very cool looking suits I'm sure web-head players will enjoy. The two suits are apart of the games update version 1.14, other patch notes are listed below.

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Capcom will remake 'Resident Evil 3' if fans want them to

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jan 29, 2019 2:00 AM CST

Capcom have no doubt staggered everyone with the release of the remade Resident Evil 2, the game has been so well received by the community that fans now want more, but which game in series will be getting the magic touch from Capcom? The fans decide.

Capcom will remake 'Resident Evil 3' if fans want them to

Capcom's Resident Evil 2 producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi spoke to Japanese website 'Game Watch' and was asked about the future of the Resident Evil franchise. It was revealed that Capcom begun the remaking of Resident Evil 2 by popular fan request, and this same principal can now be taken for any title within the series. Hirabayashi said that if fans want Resident Evil 3 or any of the Resident Evil titles remade with a modern Capcom touch, then all they have to is ask and make their voices well-known to Capcom.

It is very awesome to see a game developer as big as Capcom really listen to their audience, and give the fans of the Resident Evil franchise not only exactly what they wanted, but also give them the option for choosing what is coming next. Props to Capcom for this achievement in not only great game development for the remake of Resident Evil 2, but also for listening to the fans of the franchise and giving them the option of choosing which title will be in the pipeline next.

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Netflix responds to viral crush of serial killer Ted Bundy

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Jan 29, 2019 1:00 AM CST

Just last week Netflix debuted a new documentary series on the anniversary of the famous serial killer Ted Bundy. The series is a short four-part documentary titled 'Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes' and since its release its had quite a strange audience response, so strange that Netflix themselves had to step in.

Netflix responds to viral crush of serial killer Ted Bundy

Director Joe Berlinger debuted the documentary and then two days later released a biopic movie of Bundy, the movie starred actor Zac Efron and was titled Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. With two new pieces of Bundy content released to the world, the topic of Bundy's appearance - for some reason - became a huge area of discussion. Doing my own research, I searched on Twitter "Ted Bundy is hot", to my amazement I came across numerous people claiming that the appearance of Ted Bundy was attractive despite his recorded 30 murders, kidnappings and rapes.

It is unclear whether people are just saying these things to cause controversy on their Twitter accounts, as everyone knows its much easier to get a negative reaction out of someone than a positive one. Internet trolls will go to any length to anger the masses, or some people are actually genuine in finding Ted Bundy attractive. It is almost impossible to separate the two due to how outlandish the topic is. Either way, Netflix stepped into the situation with their official Twitter account saying "I've seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy's alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service - almost all of whom are not convicted serial murderers".

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Resident Evil 2's free survival mode kicks off Feb. 15

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 28, 2019 6:34 PM CST

Capcom plans to expand Resident Evil 2: Remake's storyline with a series of free episodic DLC updates that kick off next month.

Resident Evil 2's free survival mode kicks off Feb. 15

Resident Evil 2: Remake is the scariest game I've ever played. Capcom have proven they're the undisputed masters of horror with RE2make--everything about the game has this gritty nightmarish feel, this dream-like quality that seems real but also unreal, an encapsulating dread that's only amplified by the dire struggle and visceral death around you. As I play, I often wonder about the people who didn't make it. What were their lives like, what's their story? Now Capcom plans to flesh out its zombie remake with answers to those questions.

The Remake is getting a three-part series of free DLC called Ghost Survivors, which is a new mode that blends story with survival.

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Apple making game streaming service

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 28, 2019 5:21 PM CST

Tech titan Apple has begun early plans for a game streaming subscription service, sources tell Cheddar.

Apple making game streaming service

Like its competitors Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Verizon who are all working on cloud game streaming services, Apple is eager to bite off the new digital frontier of "Netflix for games" market. Five sources familiar with the matter say Apple started planning the service in 2018, which corresponds with the company's need to shift away from hardware to a more digital service-based approach.

There's a few ways this could manifest and dramatically change the industry. It's likely that Apple's streaming service, which will include a pool of games streamed remotely to iDevices for a monthly fee, will be a mix of all types of games. But they should be premium paid experiences--free-to-play games shouldn't show up. We're thinking AAA, AA, and indie games will show up on the service. Sources say Apple may become a publisher and partner up with key developers, which is an incredibly ambitious move. Armed with Apple's might, devs could make some pretty immersive experiences across iPhones, iPads, and Macs and maybe even tap AR/VR tech to boot. The downside is this could further spread an already-fragmented industry.

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Metro Exodus timed exclusive to Epic Store

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jan 28, 2019 3:08 PM CST

Metro Exodus will be sold exclusively on the newly launched Epic Store when it releases this February, Deep Silver today announced.

Metro Exodus timed exclusive to Epic Store

Although the Steam competitor's storefront just launched, Epic Games has wasted no time snapping up timed exclusivity deals with major games-makers. First they snapped up a deal with The Division 2 thanks to the Epic Store's attractive 88% - 12% revenue split, and now the next big Metro game makes the jump. Metro Exodus will be exclusively sold on the Epic Store on PC until 2020, and the game will be pulled from the Steam storefront later today.

Anyone who pre-orders on Steam will still be able to play it there and will still get access to Metro Exodus' upcoming expansions, bonus content, and season pass upgrades on Steam.

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