Gaming News - Page 97

All the latest gaming news, with everything related to PlayStation releases (PS4 & PS5), Xbox, PC Games, Nintendo Switch & plenty more - Page 97.

Follow TweakTown on Google News

Blizzard is busy banning Diablo 4 players who used the 'unplug your internet' exploit

Darren Allan | Aug 8, 2023 8:16 AM CDT

Diablo 4 has a well-known (at this point) exploit that was facilitated by temporarily disconnecting yourself from the net, but it has now been fixed - and Blizzard is taking action against those who abused the trick.

Blizzard is busy banning Diablo 4 players who used the 'unplug your internet' exploit

For the uninitiated, the exploit came in with the new season, and allowed for swapping items or gold from the Eternal Realm to Seasonal Realm.

This could be done by grouping up with a friend on the Seasonal Realm, then briefly unplugging your internet, allowing you to log back in as an Eternal Realm character with all their goodies - which can then be transferred.

Continue reading: Blizzard is busy banning Diablo 4 players who used the 'unplug your internet' exploit (full post)

Baldur's Gate 3 expansion sounds unlikely - and if it happens, it'd take a long time to arrive

Darren Allan | Aug 8, 2023 6:27 AM CDT

Might Baldur's Gate 3 get an expansion? Those hoping to play a further adventure, post-level 12 - the cap for the RPG - might have their fingers crossed, but it sounds like it's unlikely to happen given what we've just heard from the developer.

Baldur's Gate 3 expansion sounds unlikely - and if it happens, it'd take a long time to arrive

PC Gamer reports that despite the theoretical potential for an expansion that allows characters to level up beyond the current cap of level 12 in Baldur's Gate 3, Larian founder Swen Vincke very much played down any possible such outing.

In an interview, Vincke told PC Gamer:

"Honestly, we haven't started on an expansion."

Continue reading: Baldur's Gate 3 expansion sounds unlikely - and if it happens, it'd take a long time to arrive (full post)

Square Enix pays off Final Fantasy XVI's dev costs, causes Q1 profits to drop

Derek Strickland | Aug 7, 2023 1:07 PM CDT

Square Enix's kicks off a new fiscal year with plummeting operating profits and net profits, but there's a good reason for this significant drop.

Square Enix pays off Final Fantasy XVI's dev costs, causes Q1 profits to drop

Square Enix's Q1 FY24 report gives key updates on the status of the Japanese publisher. The company saw a strong uptick in net sales, delivering 85.669 billion yen ($592.619 million) primarily due to the Digital Entertainment segment, which benefited from the performance of Final Fantasy XVI, MMO revenues, and multiple smartphone/PC games. Net sales grew +14.4% year-over-year on a yen basis and +7.7% YoY on a USD basis.

That's where the good news really stops, at least insofar as numbers. Square Enix's Q1 operating income and net profits were down heavily during the quarter. The publisher reported operating income of 3.097 billion yen ($21.423 million), representing a nearly 80% year-over-year decrease, and total net profits were also down by 65.7% to 18.355 billion yen ($43.58 million).

Continue reading: Square Enix pays off Final Fantasy XVI's dev costs, causes Q1 profits to drop (full post)

Linux is now more popular than macOS with gamers - for an obvious reason

Darren Allan | Aug 7, 2023 11:20 AM CDT

Steam's latest hardware survey for last month (July) showed that Linux has overtaken the Mac as a gaming platform.

Linux is now more popular than macOS with gamers - for an obvious reason

In July, the survey shows us that Linux gamers now total 1.96%, which exceeds macOS on 1.84%. The month showed a pretty big increase for Linux, which found itself up 0.52%.

Of course, both are still absolutely miles behind the popularity of Windows with Steam gamers, which holds 96.2% of the available share across its various versions. But it's interesting to see Linux gathering momentum quickly - propelled largely by a single factor.

Continue reading: Linux is now more popular than macOS with gamers - for an obvious reason (full post)

Red Dead Redemption coming soon to Switch and PS4, but isn't a remake

Derek Strickland | Aug 7, 2023 9:34 AM CDT

Rockstar Games today announced that Red Dead Redemption is coming to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 later this month, but this apparently is not a big remake and instead a re-release to fill out the platform base for RDR1.

Red Dead Redemption coming soon to Switch and PS4, but isn't a remake

It's official: Red Dead Redemption is getting re-released...but not in remake form. In fact, the game may not have been remastered all that much and may instead rely on the PS4's upscaling tech. There was no mention of graphical upgrades or extra effects on RDR1's website, and the game is being developed by Double Eleven Studios, not Rockstar Games.

Red Dead Redemption will release digitally on August 17, and the game will also be re-released in physical format on October 13. RDR1 will come packed with the Undead Nightmare and costs $49.99 on both Switch and PlayStation 4.

Continue reading: Red Dead Redemption coming soon to Switch and PS4, but isn't a remake (full post)

Great news, Steam Deck owners: Baldur's Gate 3 is now fully compatible with Valve's handheld

Darren Allan | Aug 7, 2023 8:32 AM CDT

Baldur's Gate 3 has reached 'verified' status for Steam Deck compatibility with the release of the first patch for the RPG.

Great news, Steam Deck owners: Baldur's Gate 3 is now fully compatible with Valve's handheld

Previously, the game was rated as 'playable' meaning that it was regarded pretty much as fine, but with some niggles here and there.

As PC Gamer, which spotted this development, points out, those issues mostly revolved around the Larian Launcher (and it being necessary if the Deck wasn't hooked up to a network), and problems with the Deck's keyboard not appearing when it should.

Continue reading: Great news, Steam Deck owners: Baldur's Gate 3 is now fully compatible with Valve's handheld (full post)

Blizzard reveals John Cena is joining Overwatch 2 as 'The Enigma'

Jak Connor | Aug 7, 2023 4:53 AM CDT

In what seems to be an unexpected appearance in Overwatch 2, Blizzard has showcased the newest edition called The Enigma.

Blizzard reveals John Cena is joining Overwatch 2 as 'The Enigma'

The confirmation of John Cena joining Overwatch 2 came after several popular Twitch streamers such as Shroud, Emongg, Kyedae, and Scump "leaked" the wrestling superstars' reveal. The official confirmation came from the overwatch YouTube account and other social media channels, which posted a trailer for its Invasion Story Missions showcasing "The Enigma" hunched over a computer.

The trailer explains that The Enigma has been working in the shadows while he watches the omic uprising in Rio, Gothenburg, and Toronto. John Cena then begins to connect with former agents of Overwatch to inform them that the invasion has begun. "Answer the call, heroes. It's time to fight back."

Continue reading: Blizzard reveals John Cena is joining Overwatch 2 as 'The Enigma' (full post)

Call of Duty may have over 5x more monthly active players than Apex Legends

Derek Strickland | Aug 6, 2023 6:46 PM CDT

EA's Apex Legends franchise is one of the most popular shooters on the market today, but Call of Duty still takes the cake.

Call of Duty may have over 5x more monthly active players than Apex Legends

Having spawned from the critically acclaimed Titanfall franchise, Apex Legends turned heads and broke into the battle royale genre when it launched in 2019. Since then, Apex made over $2 billion in revenues and had amassed more than 100 million players as of 2021. The latest stats from Electronic Arts highlight even more key figures for the franchise and how it stacks against the competition.

According to EA's Q1'24 earnings call transcript, Apex Legends has about 18 million monthly active users (MAUs). This is a pretty respectable number, but it pales in comparison to some of today's most popular games. Call of Duty, for example, takes up the bulk of Activision's segment MAUs, which were 92 million as of June 30.

Continue reading: Call of Duty may have over 5x more monthly active players than Apex Legends (full post)

Nintendo kicks off year with record Q1 sales, operating income, and profit

Derek Strickland | Aug 6, 2023 5:57 PM CDT

Nintendo starts out its new Fiscal Year 2024 period with record-breaking results driven by strong first-party game sales, respectable Switch shipments, and a surge in royalties from the Super Mario Bros movie.

Nintendo kicks off year with record Q1 sales, operating income, and profit

Nintendo's latest Q1 FY24 earnings are quite impressive for a number of reasons. One reason is that even though the Switch is now entering its 7th year on the market, Nintendo managed to ship 3.91 million Switch consoles and generate $1.2 billion from hardware sales.

Another reason is the astronomically high amount of copies that Zelda Tears of the Kingdom managed to sell, capping out at an incredible 18.51 million units. That's a lot of software, especially given the new Zelda sold for $69.99 on Switch. The game was such a big hit that it actually helped drive Switch sales as well.

Continue reading: Nintendo kicks off year with record Q1 sales, operating income, and profit (full post)

PlayStation 5 consoles steeply discounted as Sony executes record PlayStation shipments

Derek Strickland | Aug 6, 2023 3:04 PM CDT

Retailers are discounting Sony's PlayStation 5 console and accessories to lower-than-ever price points, possibly to make room for a new revised PS5 model.

PlayStation 5 consoles steeply discounted as Sony executes record PlayStation shipments

Reports indicate that Sony will launch a new disc-less PlayStation 5 model in 2023, and it may reduce the base MSRP of all new model PS5 consoles. There are currently two PS5 models on the market: the digital-only, or existing disc-less PS5 for $399, and the disc-based PS5 for $499.

Now retailers are shaving off $50 from the PS5's MSRP in the United States, bringing disc PS5s down to $449. This new price can be found practically everywhere including Best Buy, Target, GameStop, Sam's Club, and even Sony's own PlayStation Direct storefront. In some cases, the reductions are more dramatic, with the NAVY Exchange selling the system for just $429.

Continue reading: PlayStation 5 consoles steeply discounted as Sony executes record PlayStation shipments (full post)