Fallout 76 beta comes first to Xbox One

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 6:15 PM CDT

One of Bethesda's critical learning points for Fallout 76 will come to Xbox One first, and then PS4 and PC later.

Fallout 76 beta comes first to Xbox One

Fallout 76, Bethesda's new experimental online-only survival game, is at its core an interactive live-based experience. Like any live service-powered game it's absolutely vital that the team hold beta tests to fully understand player feedback. Fallout 76 is being tested at the studio, of course, but that's not the same: players will always find ways to break the game with crazy shenanigans the devs couldn't even imagine. No, a series of live tests is needed to prepare the world for the first-ever online Fallout game.

Oddly enough Fallout 76's beta, which requires a valid pre-order of the game, will be coming to Xbox One first. It's odd not from a marketing decision--FO76 was shown on the Xbox E3 2018 stage--but for an overall standpoint of data collection. Live games require digestion and interpretation of a lot of data across all platforms that's used to morph and balance the game with continual updates. The game's beta test is an important opportunity to collect and glean feedback from the data/player habits to ready Fallout 76 for its debut in November.

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Cyberpunk 2077 is a FPS RPG, has strong emphasis on choice

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 5:27 PM CDT

At E3 2018, CD Projekt RED showcased a dazzling Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay demo that revealed tons of new info about the massively ambitious new project.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a FPS RPG, has strong emphasis on choice

Cyberpunk 2077 has been in development for quite some time (more than half a decade, give or take) and up until now the hype has been building to a crescendo. We've heard CDPR say the game is their biggest title ever, and that it'll feature flying cars and living, breathing AI. Based on everything we've heard about the E3 2018 demo, Cyberpunk 2077 isn't just living up to the hype--it's one-upping it.

While we didn't actually get to see the demo first-hand, there's tons of info floating about from second-hand sources. The demo confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person shooter infused with strong RPG elements--the same way the high-tech world is infused with punkish neon-lit grime-and-crime style--that puts incredibly strong emphasis on player choice and consequence. In fact CDPR says that Cyberpunk 2077 has the most choice in any game they've ever made, even The Witcher 3.

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AMD Threadripper 2990X 32-core monster detailed in leak

Steven Bassiri | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Jun 19, 2018 2:15 PM CDT

Earlier today news dropped about AMD's upcoming 2nd Gen Threadripper processors, and things are looking good for AMD. If these leaks are true then the top SKU will be the 32-core 2990X followed by a 24-core 2970X and a 16-core 2950X. According to the leak, the 32-core 64-thread CPU will have a base clock of 3GHz with a boost up to 4GHz and XFR allowing up to 4.2GHz with a 250W TDP. We see 64MB of L3 cache as well as 16MB of L2.

AMD Threadripper 2990X 32-core monster detailed in leak

The leak also mentioned that an unknown motherboard vendor said that AMD originally planned to launch the 16-core and 24-core variants, but is now considering nixing the 2950X.

The most tantalizing thing we see is the 6399 CINEBENCH score with the CPU overclocked. Supposedly overclocking the CPU was easy enough, but the fact that the 4.2GHz score is 300 points lower than the 4.1GHz score makes us think that the CPU was perhaps throttling under the H150i Pro they used. The overclock was achieved at 1.38v and resulted in a 4.12GHz OC on all cores.

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WWE 2K19 Special Editions revealed and release date unveil

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 4:00 AM CDT

2K Games has revealed a decent amount of information for the upcoming WWE 2K19, the publisher has showcased the games special editions as well as the titles release date.

WWE 2K19 Special Editions revealed and release date unveil

According to the announcement, fans of the series will have a choice between two editions when purchasing the game. Firstly, the WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition will give players access to the full-game, special packaging, the games Season Pass, pre-order digital content and the Collector's Edition digital content.

The WWE 2K19 Collector's Edition will be including the full-game, all content from the Deluxe Edition, plus "exclusive and rare collectibles" and a limited edition WWE SuperCard content. Currently, WWE 2K19 is planned for release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. WWE 2K18 first released on the other platforms then came to the Switch some months after. So in regards to WWE 2K19, we could expect a release on the Nintendo Switch maybe some months down the track after the initial debut on October 9th.

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Disney and Nintendo partner for a Nintendo Switch TV show

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 3:00 AM CDT

Disney has announced that they will be partnering-up with Nintendo to present a new TV show completely dedicated to a family playing the Nintendo Switch.

Disney and Nintendo partner for a Nintendo Switch TV show

According to Business Insider, the upcoming show will be titled "Nintendo Switch Family Showdown" and will bring four families together to compete with eachother in a selection of Nintendo Switch games. The games that will be played are Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Tennis Aces and Just Dance 2018.

Nintendo Switch Family Showdown will be streamed on the Disney Channel, Disney XD and the DisneyNOW app. Personally, I don't think that this show will 'take-off' very well at all, instead of Disney and Nintendo making a show based around playing the Nintendo Switch they should make a show featuring the Nintendo universe and all of its amazing characters. I feel as this idea would apply to a much larger audience and would not only attract younger generations to buying/playing Nintendo Switch games, but it will also older generations that would love to see their favorite characters in a Disney level TV show.

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Gift Unravel Two on Xbox One and get 1 month of EA Access

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 2:00 AM CDT

One of the titles that have been drowned out throughout the bombardment of E3 announcements has got to be the next installment to the Unravel series. Welcoming Unravel Two, now take your friends on a string of adventures.

Gift Unravel Two on Xbox One and get 1 month of EA Access

Unravel Two has already been launched and for players that choose to gift this adorable title to a friend will receive 1 month of EA Access completely free. Those that are not aware of what EA Access is, it is a monthly paid service that allows for players to play demos of some big EA titles, while also giving full access to over 100 games in what is called The Vault.

Unravel Two is quite self-explanatory, the first title was only a single-player game but now, as you could have guessed players will now have the choice to take a friend on their adventure. Judging from the trailer we can see quite a great range of unique puzzles that players will have to traverse, here is the official description for the title "Unravel Two builds off of the original game and centers on the bond between two Yarnys, which can be played as a single player or local co-op drop-in/drop-out experience. The two Yarnys will need to support one another as they work through tricky trials and traverse between beautiful natural landscapes and intricate urban environments, with the surroundings blossoming into new life as they embark on an adventure together."

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, playable in 2 weeks at CEO 2018

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 1:00 AM CDT

Just as we move past E3 2018, lovers of the anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will have another chance to try out the new fighter, and its only 2 weeks away.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, playable in 2 weeks at CEO 2018

According to the above Twitter post from CEOgaming, which is the official Twitter account for the fighting community called Community Effort Orlando, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be playable at the Nintendo booth.

The fighting event is being held in just two weeks, beginning on June 29th and continuing until July 1st at Daytona Beach, Florida. If you are wanting more information regarding the event check out the CEO website here.

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WHO classifies 'gaming disorder' as mental health condition

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 19, 2018 12:22 AM CDT

Most people know someone who loves games, and is even obsessed with games - and now the World Health Organization recognizes having a "gaming disorder" as a mental health condition.

WHO classifies 'gaming disorder' as mental health condition

WHO said that by classifying "gaming disorder" on its own, it will help gamers, families, governments, and health care workers to be more aware of gaming disorders. But having a gaming disorder, by the classification of WHO, is very rare - with less than 3% of gamers affected by their definition of a gaming disorder.

British Psychological Society spokeswoman Dr. Joan Harvey explained that the designation of a "gaming disorder" might panic parents in the wrong way. She explains: "People need to understand this doesn't mean every child who spends hours in their room playing games is an addict, otherwise medics are going to be flooded with requests for help".

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ASUS ROG Maximus XI teased, rocks new Intel Z390 chipset

Anthony Garreffa | Motherboards | Jun 18, 2018 11:53 PM CDT

Intel didn't unveil its new Z390 chipset during Computex 2018, but that doesn't mean it disappeared and won't be released, as the purported ASUS ROG Maximus XI motherboard has been teased.

ASUS ROG Maximus XI teased, rocks new Intel Z390 chipset

VideoCardz is behind the new report, stating that they "finally got info from my moles at ASUS. It appears that ASUS will bump the Roman numeration for Intel's upcoming high-end chipset". The site also confirms that there will be at least four Maximus XI motherboards on their way, while confirming four ROG STRIX motherboards.

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AMD trolls: will trade Core i7-8086K for Threadripper 1950X

Anthony Garreffa | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Jun 18, 2018 10:19 PM CDT

AMD is a master troll, and this time the company is targeting Intel's super-exciting and 40th anniversary CPU, the Core i7-8086K.

AMD trolls: will trade Core i7-8086K for Threadripper 1950X

Intel is giving away 8086 limited edition processors as part of the celebration of the 8086 processor from 1978, and AMD has now swooped in offering to swap Core i7-8086Ks that people win in the sweepstakes (there are 40 being given away) with its flagship Ryzen Threadripper 1950X processor.

There is a big win here for anyone who swaps the 8086K, as it is a 6C/12T processor that retails for around $469, while the Threadripper 1950X retails for $946, nearly $500 more.

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