Quantum Break's new PC patch fixes lots, weighs a huge 27GB

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 8:49 PM CDT

Quantum Break has been Quantum Broken on the PC since it launched, with Remedy Entertainment pushing out a new 'title update' for Windows 10 version of the game.

Remedy's PR boss Thomas Puha said that Title Update 2 for Quantum Break on Windows 10 is now available, with the new patch weighing an insane 27GB. Seriously, that's more than what full games weigh in at, with the new patch giving you the ability to turn on/off the film grain, upscaling, and fixes the niggly frame pacing problems.

There are plenty of other fixes, with the full details below:

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No Man's Sky VR would be a 'really good fit', says creator

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 12:07 PM CDT

No Man's Sky creator Sean Murray echoes what fans have known since the reveal: virtual reality would be a fantastic platform for the procedurally generated, planet-hopping space sim.

No Man's Sky VR would be a 'really good fit', says creator

Hello Games' Sean Murray is definitely optimistic about virtual reality, so we could see a VR adaptation of No Man's Sky sometime in the future. In a recent interview with IGN, Murray said that VR is a "really good fit" for No Man's Sky: "I think VR in general is incredibly exciting. I would say I'm a believer. I have this optimism about it. But it doesn't have a killer app yet--I haven't found anything that makes me want to spend hours upon hours in VR yet.I really hope everyone gets it right."

So could No Man's Sky be the "killer app" that virtual reality needs? Could Hello Games' space sim take the mantle as the one singular must-have VR experience and kick off a new wave of excitement for the platform? Murray was still guarded about No Man's Sky on VR, choosing not to directly answer if the game is coming to VR or not.

Continue reading: No Man's Sky VR would be a 'really good fit', says creator (full post)

Guillermo del Toro teases Silent Hills successor

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 9:16 AM CDT

Guillermo Del Toro possibly hints that a spiritual successor to the haunting P.T. could be in the works.

Guillermo del Toro teases Silent Hills successor

Last night Guillermo Del Toro Tweeted a single image of P.T.'s ghost Lisa that haunts us in two ways: it reminds us that Konami's cancelled Silent Hills (P.T.) will never surface, and cruelly teases us about a possible successor.

We're not sure if Del Toro is actually teasing a new P.T. game, or if this is his way of saying goodbye to the game. The Tweet was accompanied by "Buenas Noches", which translates to "goodnight", so this could just be his macabre way of saying goodnight to his followers. Or maybe, just maybe, Del Toro is indirectly revealing a new horror collaboration with Hideo Kojima.

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Leaked 1666: Amsterdam gameplay footage is darkly enchanting

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 6:33 AM CDT

1666: Amsterdam gameplay footage has leaked, revealing a fascinating look at THQ's canned supernatural adventure.

Leaked 1666: Amsterdam gameplay footage is darkly enchanting

The reel is from a two-year-old pre-release 1666: Amsterdam tech demo, and shows the basic mechanics of what the game has to offer. It takes place in Amsterdam during the 17th century, and players assume the role of a devilish cloaked wizard who uses sorcery to wreak havoc on the city of Amsterdam. The footage shows shapechanging and controlling the minds of animals to cause mischief across the very Assassin's Creed-like cityscape.

While this version of 1666: Amsterdam may not ever release, the game itself isn't dead. Patrice Desilets, a former THQ dev who invested tons of time into the project, has now been given full rights to the game by Ubisoft. I'm beyond excited for this game, and I find something darkly enchanting about the whole idea of a malevolent devil traipsing around 17th century Amsterdam and causing all kinds of despair and destruction. Certainly the game would have its own narrative, and that would be even more mysterious and macabre.

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Doom's ultra nightmare mode is so hard id Software can't beat it

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 6:08 AM CDT

id Software ups the ante with Doom's new Ultra Nightmare difficulty, and it's so ruthlessly cruel that none of the developers have even come close to beating it.

Doom's ultra nightmare mode is so hard id Software can't beat it

Longtime fans of the Doom series know all about the Nightmare difficulty, and how fraught with danger the mode can be. But it's nothing compared to Doom's new Ultra Nightmare mode--the horrendously sadistic difficulty that punishes you with merciless glee. What makes Ultra Nightmare so cruel is its permadeath feature, which completely resets the game if you die a single time. I couldn't imagine beating the first boss, let alone massive hulking behemoths or Spider Mastermind.

id has told IGN that no one in the entire studio has even come close to beating Ultra Nightmare mode. The devs are using the difficulty as a kind of internal competition, but even the masters that created the hellish FPS are getting slaughtered, so what hope do we have?

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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare officially trademarked by Activision

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 5:50 AM CDT

Activision has officially trademarked Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, pretty much confirming the next entry in the hit FPS franchise.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare officially trademarked by Activision

Activision filed two separate trademarks for "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" and "Infinite Warfare" at the United States Patent Office on April 26, meaning the patents are actually four days old.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was originally outed by an accidental listing on the PlayStation Store, along with leaked pre-order adverts and in-store promos. The game is believed to take place in space, and may be set in the distant future. A special $80 Infinite Warfare Legacy Collection comes with a free copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered, which features the full campaign and 10 multiplayer maps.

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Vivendi buys more Ubisoft shares, takeover rumors begin

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 30, 2016 5:24 AM CDT

Vivendi has just purchased a larger stake in Ubisoft, where until now they had a 10% stake in Ubisoft, but have recently purchased more - now holding 17.73% of Ubisoft's capital, and 15.66% of voting shares.

The company filed documents this week which were reported on by Reuters, with the company saying that it had "no plans" to try and push for an Ubisoft takeover, nor would it make an offer for Ubisoft's outstanding shares. Rewinding back to 2015, Vivendi increased its hold on Ubisoft from 6.6% to 10%, which Ubisoft said was "unsolicited and unwelcome".

Ubisoft has since met with investors and the Canadian government to "fight to preserve our independence". Vivendi used to own Activision Blizzard, but sold its majority stake in 2012, and then fully in 2013. It still owns around 12% of the company in 2013, and now it has less than 6%.

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San Jose's Cogswell College announces VR/AR certificate program

The future is VR, with the San Jose Cogswell College announcing its new Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) Certificate Program with the school adding that it's the first of its kind to do so.

Jerome Solomon, Cogswell's Dean of the College & Director of Game Design and Development, explains: "We look forward to helping the industry make sense of the exciting recent developments in virtual reality. We recognize the pain of developing around emerging VR/AR systems while at the same time the gaming industry has always led the way in finding applications for new technologies".

The new program will also cover Perceptual/Cognitive Aspects of VR/AR; HCI Design; Design for VR; and Project-Based Iterative Application. Timothy Duncan, DMA, Professor, Director of Digital Audio Technology said: "VR and AR are quickly emerging as leading areas for content and technology development. In keeping with Cogswell's 130-year tradition of educational excellence, we are offering this brand new set of VR & AR classes to help our students bridge the preparation gap by working with these trending and ground-breaking new technologies today".

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Nintendo NX will launch with a 'full software lineup'

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 30, 2016 1:23 AM CDT

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima promises the new NX console will launch with a full assortment of launch games, and that the system will have a long lifespan. In fact, the main reason Nintendo is releasing the NX in March 2017 instead of 2016 is so the NX has enough launch games. Nintendo is rightly choosing to expand the NX's debut library instead of rushing the console out for the holiday season.

Nintendo NX will launch with a 'full software lineup'

"The NX's software lineup will be built-up. Having a full software lineup when the hardware launches is one reason for the #NX launch timing," Kimishima said at Nintendo's investor's meeting (as translated by Cheesemeister 3K)."Also, we must be in a state to release titles not just at launch, but continually afterwards."

Nintendo has learned a lot from the Wii U business model. The company is taking its time to formulate a new plan of action based on careful consideration and methodical evaluation. One of the many changes sees Nintendo abandoning inconsistent, fractured games releases, instead pushing out a steady stream of content for NX owners.

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Apple stock is tanking, with large investor pulling his money out

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 30, 2016 1:11 AM CDT

Wealthy investor Carl Icahn, has pulled his entire investment out of Apple stock. With Icahn being one of Apple's biggest backers, claiming multiple times that Apple stock was undervalued, and offers more to investors than meets the eye - well, Icahn has pulled his stock and it's making headlines.

Just a month ago, Apple stock was trading at $110, and now it's sitting at $93.74 at the time of writing. How much did Icahn hold in Apple stock? Well, he owned around 0.83% of Apple stock - which is a huge portion of stock for a single investor, which was valued at an insane $4.5 billion. Late last year, Icahn sold around $700 million worth of shares, but this time it was a much bigger chunk.

The reason Icahn sold his Apple stock? Apple is facing issues in China, which are struggling to create devices for the middle class - you know, the people who can't afford $1000 smartphones. This is why Apple has shifted into devices like the iPhone SE, but it hasn't been enough. Apple recently reported that their revenue decreased for the first time in 13 years, due to falling iPhone demand across the world.

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