Titanfall battle royale Apex Legends is already a success

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 10:12 AM CST

Respawn's big new free-to-play battle royale game launched today and it's already an engagement monster.

Titanfall battle royale Apex Legends is already a success

Apex Legends, the new 60-player battle royale shooter with Overwatch-like heroes, has amassed a massive 1 million unique players in just 8 hours. Respawn studio head Vince Zampella confirmed the news on Twitter: "I'm so overwhelmed right now. Apex Legends broke a million unique players in under 8 hours. Thank you so much for showing up and being part of this with Respawn you are amazing!!"

These are huge launch numbers for any F2P game and EA is likely quite happy about all the positive buzz floating around Apex Legends. Respawn's free-to-play gambit has paid off, and is actually built on the remnants Titanfall 3, which is no longer in development. The FPS has all the trademarks of a Titanfall game: slick action, fluid combat, and explosive visuals all wrapped around iconic characters with unique abilities.

Continue reading: Titanfall battle royale Apex Legends is already a success (full post)

Switch made 85% of Nintendo's nine-month FY18 earnings

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 8:36 AM CST

Following a massive holiday sales spike, the Nintendo Switch is dominating earnings and driving sales revenues to strong heights.

Switch made 85% of Nintendo's nine-month FY18 earnings

After scanning Nintendo's latest nine-month financial earnings, the numbers told me something interesting (as they're wont to do). The Switch isn't just making most of the company's quarterly revenue, but a disproportionate amount of it, eclipsing other segments by quite a bit. Switch hardware and software earned 849 trillion yen in the nine month period from April to December 2018, or 85% of Nintendo's total net sales revenues of 997 trillion yen ($3.7 billion). The handheld-console hybrid made 88% of total dedicated video game segment sales.

Nine month Switch platform earnings are up 30% year-over-year, and Switch software and hardware only made 44% of last year's nine month sales revenues.

Continue reading: Switch made 85% of Nintendo's nine-month FY18 earnings (full post)

Antec launches budget-friendly GX202 chassis

Anthony Garreffa | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Feb 5, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Antec has now releases its new entry-level and budget-friendly gaming chassis into the market, with the new GX202 available from leading retailers and online merchants for $44.99.

Antec launches budget-friendly GX202 chassis

The new Antec GX202 sports s slick mesh pattern on the front which allows for plenty of air intake, with the front panel itself detachable. On the front, we have 2 x USB 3.0 ports, power, and 3.5mm audio jacks. Antec has used mostly SPCC steel with plastic on the GX202 while there's a fully transparent side window that lets you peer into your gaming case.

There's room for up to 8 storage drives which is split between 1 x 5.25-inch (people still use these?), 4 x 2.5-inch SSD drive cages and 3 x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD drive cages. Antec's new GX202 will support long graphics cards up to 375mm in length, while large CPU coolers up to 160mm will be fine alongside 200mm long PSUs. There's plenty of room for water cooling with a 240mm radiator supported at the front of the GX202.

Continue reading: Antec launches budget-friendly GX202 chassis (full post)

Netflix paid $9m for Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Feb 5, 2019 6:00 AM CST

Netflix are following up with the currently extremely hot serial killer content that has been recently released onto their platform. The streaming service has now been reported to of purchased the upcoming Ted Bundy movie 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'.

Netflix paid $9m for Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron

The Hollywood Reporter has come out and said that Netflix have purchased 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile', a Ted Bundy movie starring actor Zac Efron for $9 million dollars. If you are unaware of who Ted Bundy is he was American's most notorious serial killer, he kidnapped, raped and murdered 30+ women and was known for his charming persona and psychological intellect. Zac Efron will be starring Ted Bundy and Lily Collins will be taking the role of Bundy's girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer.

The movie who is directed by Jeff Berlinger will be concentrating on the perspective of Bundy's girlfriend. This deal from Netflix certainly does make sense considering the streaming service recently added "Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes". That four-part documentary series which is also directed by Jeff Berlinger recently received some controversy surrounding Bundy's acclaimed 'hotness' despite his disgusting history. Check that story out here.

Continue reading: Netflix paid $9m for Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron (full post)

Kingdom Hearts III topples Resident Evil 2 in UK sales chart

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 5:00 AM CST

Disney debuted the newest installation into the Kingdom Hearts franchise last week, the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III has knocked off Capcom's Resident Evil 2 Remake in the UK sales charts.

Kingdom Hearts III topples Resident Evil 2 in UK sales chart

The release of Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts III and Resident Evil 2 are both undoubtedly a success. Both of these titles take first and second place for the biggest titles to release in 2019 so far. Now, GFK Chart-Track has released updated sales statistics for the UK digital sales, the charts are measured in for the 'Top 40 Entertainment Software' for the 'Week Ending 2nd of February 2019'.

According to the sales data, Kingdom Hearts III has knocked off the previously leading Resident Evil 2 Remake. The title has also topped the likes of Rockstar's Resident Evil 2, FIFA 19, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Grand Theft Auto V. It should be noted that these sales statistics only represent in-store sales. In other news about Resident Evil 2, check out the coming Netflix T.V show that has been planned here. There is also a new gameplay video for Kingdom Hearts III, check that out here.

Continue reading: Kingdom Hearts III topples Resident Evil 2 in UK sales chart (full post)

Crypto exchange CEO dies with passwords to $190 million lost

Anthony Garreffa | Cryptocurrency & Mining | Feb 5, 2019 4:20 AM CST

Gerald Cotten, the founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX died from complications with Crohn's disease on December 9, 2018 while travelling in India. In his passing, a huge $190 million in various cryptocurrencies is locked away as Cotten was the only one with the passwords.

Crypto exchange CEO dies with passwords to $190 million lost

Cotten was the "sole officer and director" of QuadrigaCX, and has the $190 million stuck behind his encrypted laptop without anyone knowing the password. The news comes from a debt filing from QuadrigaCX to which his widow Jennifer Robertson said in an affidavit that "Gerry died due to complications with Crohn's disease on December 9, 2018 while travelling in India, where he was opening an orphanage to provide a home and safe refuge for children in need".

QuadrigaCX has since experienced major issues of pumping out customers' funds to their accounts, with the crypto exchange saying it is going through "significant financial issues". The company added that it has "very significant cryptocurrency reserves", but it couldn't locate or secure said servers. So effectively, QuadrigaCX's CEO died with the customers' money on his encrypted laptop. All of those cold wallet private keys are lost.

Continue reading: Crypto exchange CEO dies with passwords to $190 million lost (full post)

Konami summons Yu-Gi-Oh! title to the Nintendo Switch

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 4:00 AM CST

Konami has taken to the website to announce that the Nintendo Switch will soon be getting its first Yu-Gi-Oh! game.

Konami summons Yu-Gi-Oh! title to the Nintendo Switch

In the announcement from Konami it is detailed that Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution will allow for players to duel against the classic characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Players will also be able to duel each other "nationwide with "New Master Rule" which is the latest rule of "OCG".

While this Yu-Gi-Oh game is already available on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC, it is still good to see the Nintendo Switch getting some love from Konami. At the moment there is no known release date for 'Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution' arriving on the Nintendo Switch, but more information is expected to be released in the next edition of V-Jump which is due to debut on February 21st.

Continue reading: Konami summons Yu-Gi-Oh! title to the Nintendo Switch (full post)

Steam Lunar sales live, discounts of up to 85% & free $5

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 3:00 AM CST

The Steam Lunar New Year Sale has officially begun and Valve are bringing major discounts to over 1000 titles across the Steam Store. Gamers that pick up some of these heavily discounted titles will be rewarded with tokens that can used in Steam's new 'Rewards Booth'.

Steam Lunar sales live, discounts of up to 85% & free $5

Valve has taken to their Steam Blog to explain what Steam users will be enjoying throughout these festive celebrations. To start off, Valve explains that "players will receive a one-time automatic $5 (or equivalent currency) discount on qualifying purchases over $30 -- this is limited to one cart purchase per account." Valve will not only be giving out a discount to players but they will also be rewarding players with tokens equivalent to their purchases.

These tokens can then be exchanged at the new 'Rewards Booth' for "shiny profile page, emotes, badges, and more instant discount coupons!" It should be noted that these token will expire once the Lunar New Year Sales are finished. Some of the titles that are discounted throughout the Lunar New Year Sale are; SCUM - 25%, Dark Souls III - 75%, XCOM 2 - 75%, Batman Arkham Knight - 75%, Far Cry 5 - 75% and The Talos Principle - 85%. I have provided screenshots of each of the discounted games below, if you would like to visit the official Steam Lunar New Year Sale website, a link can be found here.

Continue reading: Steam Lunar sales live, discounts of up to 85% & free $5 (full post)

Resident Evil 2 sold 1 million copies each day for 3 days

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 2:00 AM CST

Capcom just recently launched their remake of one of the most famous titles in the horror gaming genre, Resident Evil 2. The title has seen quite a high level of success, but how much exactly?

Resident Evil 2 sold 1 million copies each day for 3 days

Capcom, the developer and publisher for the title have revealed the sales statistics for the remastered game and according to their announcement Resident Evil 2 Remake managed to sell 1 million copies each day for three days. The official statement from Capcom reads as follows; "Resident Evil 2 released on January 25th, 2019 - Achieved more than 3 million units sold in first week (as of January 298th, 2019)".

While the Resident Evil 2 Remake may not equate the immense popularity and sales of Capcom's other big name titles such as 'Monster Hunter: World', the horror classic still has managed to make for a success in Capcom's books. Especially considering that Resident Evil 2 is a remake of an older game, a horror title, and was released just after the Christmas period. All of these reasons I just mentioned would usually defer gamers from picking up a copy, but it seems that Resident Evil 2 is an exception. Resident Evil 2 is currently available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Continue reading: Resident Evil 2 sold 1 million copies each day for 3 days (full post)

Smash Ultimate Piranha Plant bugs can't be found by Nintendo

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 5, 2019 1:00 AM CST

Many Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans are quite upset with Nintendo's efforts regarding the recent v2.0.0 update to come to Smash Ultimate. Many players are reporting issues with the now live update and despite this, Nintendo has said they cannot find any issues.

Smash Ultimate Piranha Plant bugs can't be found by Nintendo

At the beginning of February, Nintendo released an update to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As expected, the update contained numerous gameplay changes, tweaks to characters in the forms of buffs, nerfs and balancing. The update also contained the new fighter 'Piranha Plant' and was free to those players who pre-ordered the title. Unfortunately after the release of this update many users have said there save files have been corrupted after the use of Piranha Plant in Smash's 'All-Star' mode.

The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community was loud enough to get the Big N's attention, and now has issued a statement to Newsweek in response to the claims surrounding the update. Nintendo has said they cannot find any issues, but will continue looking; "We are aware that some users are posting about possible issues with the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update. After extensive testing, Nintendo has not been able to confirm that there is an issue, although we will continue to investigate and monitor the situation." It is very unfortunate that this update has caused many players to lose hours of gameplay footage, so hopefully Nintendo can issue out a hotfix once the problem has been located.

Continue reading: Smash Ultimate Piranha Plant bugs can't be found by Nintendo (full post)