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An announcement has seen Electronic Arts and developers Velan Studios agree to a new publishing deal for an original IP to debut all platforms.

The news comes from a press release that was announced on the Velan Studios official Twitter account. The press release explains that Velan Studios is happy to announce that EA Partners will be taking the reins in publishing for the developers new upcoming original IP planned for all platforms. While the Velan Studios name might not be widely known, the company is was created in 2016 by Vicarious Visions founders Guha and Karthik Bala. Both of these developers worked on titles such as Guitar Hero, Skylanders, Rock Band, Super Mario Maker, Metroid Prime, Destiny, Uncharted and more.

The new IP that Velan Studios is working on was not disclosed in the press release, all we have to go off of is that the game will be a "new and entertaining way to experience team-based action" in a "unique game world". Here is what Guha Bala had to say about the announcement, "In EA Partners, we found a team devoted to bringing breakthrough ideas to players everywhere. They believe in our creative vision and will use their best-in-class resources to support the success of our game. We started Velan Studios to make community-centered play experiences that are daring and distinctive from what's being played today. We can't wait to share the details of our first original game in the future."

The Apple event has finished and as expected the company unveiled their brand new video streaming service called Apple TV+. The new service is planned to go up against that of Netflix.

Apple is attempting to hit convenience right on the head with their new video streaming app Apple TV+. Apple TV+ is a premium version of the already released Apple TV but instead includes all of Apple's exclusive content and third-party content in one simple app. The announcement of the premium version was accompanied by a reboot announcement of Amazing Stories from Steven Spielberg's production company. Oprah Winfrey is also joining in on Apple's new service, while Steve Carrell, Jenifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon are working on a new comedy called The Morning Show.

Apple have said that they plan to release this new premium service "this fall" in over "100" countries around the planet. It should also be noted that the new service will be ad-free and everything can be downloaded to enjoy when offline. What TV channels will Apple also be including? Yesterday I reported that HBO, Showtime and Starz would be arriving on the streaming service, and each of these channels would cost $9.99 each, more on that story here. Apple is touched on Apple News+ which is the news version of their streaming service. Instead of video content, Apple will make "over 300" publications available in one convenient newsworthy place, for just $10 a month. For more information, visit this link here.

EA has had mega success in Apex Legends over the last month, but it's time for Battlefield V to shine with the launch its exciting new battle royale mode, Firestorm. Check out the trailer below directly from the official Battlefield Twitter account:

In what seems to celebrate the release of Firestorm, EA is dropping the base version of Battlefield V by 50% today, with the standard edition costing $30 while the deluxe edition costs $40. You'll get a bunch of extra stuff in the deluxe version of Battlefield V, which includes 5 paratrooper outfits, special assignments, and 20 weekly Airlifts with customization items. PC users will get the Firestorm ranger set, paratrooper gear, and instant access to Battlefield 1 weapons.

If you haven't read up on Firestorm, it's the new battle royale mode for Battlefield V that seems teams of players dropping down into Halvoy, a map that is 10 times bigger than Hamada, which is the biggest map in Battlefield V. Firestorm will see 64 players drop into Halvoy in either solo or 4-player squads, with the usual battle royale mode chaos ensuing.

If you've got a PC with an ASUS motherboard and ASUS Live Update installed, you might want to read into this story. Security firm Kaspersky has reported that hackers have been able to get backdoor access in up to millions of PCs.

How? Through firmware updates through ASUS' own Live Update software. Live Update lets ASUS upload drivers, software, and firmware updates to compatible PCs. This includes pre-installed versions of Live Update on ASUS-powered laptops and desktops, and as a standalone downloads to countless ASUS motherboard owners.

VICE Motherboard published a story recently, which Kaspersky replied in a blog post detailing more of what happened with ASUS. The security firm said over 57,000 users of its anti-virus software have downloaded, and installed the compromised version of Live Update. Make note of that: this is for people using Kaspersky anti-virus software, there would be many magnitudes more that don't use their software, and thus weren't considered in these 57,000 people.

If there's one thing that could bring more gamers together it would be a gigantic network that isn't closed off by invisible borders created because of network latency, so this is something that companies like Network Next is working on.

Earlier this year the company talked about its plans to build an 'internet fast lane' for gamers, saying that the internet in its current form is 'broken' for gamers, and I totally agree. Network Next then announced it was teaming with Rocket League developer Psyonix for its first use of its new network technology that reduced latency for gamers.

In an interview with WCCFTech, Network Next teased it is already seeing some incredible results with some gamers having their latency reduced from 120ms down to just 20ms, with their normal latency caused from a bad route to the game server. This is where Network Next's technology kicks in, but this is more of a best case scenario. Still, in its best case this is almost like magic. A normal case of Network Next's networking technology sees a 20-30ms reduction in latency, something the company explains it also reduces packet loss and jitter.

NVIDIA has just released a new batch of Game Ready GeForce drivers with the new GeForce 419.67 drivers dropping, with optimizations for Battlefield V's new battle royale mode Firestorm. You can download the new GeForce 419.67 drivers right here.

Not only that, but we have optimizations for the new Shadow of the Tomb Raider update that offers RTX features like ray-traced shadows and DLSS. There's also optimizations for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and support for two more G-Sync compatible monitors in the ASUS VG278QR and ASUS VG258.

NVIDIA users can enable NVIDIA Surround with G-Sync compatible displays, if you do the following:

With the flurry of emotions over developers making their games exclusive to certain digital distribution platforms lately, especially with the money-making machine that is Epic Games and its newly-formed deals getting games onto the Epic Games Store. Well, Bethesda has come to its senses as you can see in the tweet below:

The publisher has announced that some of the largest games of 2019 in DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot will all be released on both Steam and Bethesda.net in a move that should have gamers squealing with glee. Bethesda also confirmed that Fallout 76 would be coming to Steam "later this year".

This is great news, especially with RAGE 2 arriving on May 14 and DOOM Eternal as well as Wolfenstein: Youngblood dropping later this year.

Sony today announced it's PS4-powered PlayStation VR headset has sold over 4 million units worldwide, proving that dedicated VR is still a small market.

VR took center stage at Sony's new State of Play stream showcase, confirming the games-maker is far from done with virtual reality gaming. The company is still dedicated to providing a steady stream of interesting and varied content to engage PSVR owners and spark headset sales, including the massively anticipated No Man's Sky VR. But despite it's efforts, Sony has only sold 4.2 million PSVR headsets worldwide across the PS4's massive 90 million-strong installed base, meaning 4.6% PS4 owners actually bought a VR headset.

Patents indicate Sony plans to release a more powerful PlayStation VR headset to accompany its new next-gen PlayStation 5 system.

Bethesda celebrates 25 years of Elder Scrolls by giving away the best game in the series.

Morrowind's game of the year edition is currently free on PC, but there's a catch: you have to download and install it via the Bethesda.net launcher. And it's only free for today. To get a free copy simply type the code TES25TH-MORROWIND into a myriad of redemption portals. The code wasn't working for a good portion of the day--gamers knocked the servers offline for a bit--but it now redeems the game just fine.

You can actually redeem the game without having to download the Bethesda.net launcher, instead tying it to your Beth.net account for later use. To do so simply navigate to the Bethesda.net website, log into your account, then click your profile and select Redeem Code. To unlock Morrowind from the actual PC launcher, fire up Bethesda.net, log in, and click the menu button in the upper left hand corner and select Redeem Code.

UPDATE: Hello Games confirms No Man's Sky Beyond will bring free VR to PC players too via Steam VR.

Hello Games wasn't kidding when they said No Man's Sky Beyond would deliver "radical new ways to explore the universe."

No Man's Sky's cyclopean new free expansion Beyond not only brings a huge overhaul to the space sim's online mode, but a feature we've wanted to see for a long, long time: VR support. During its new State of Play stream, Sony today announced that No Man's Sky Beyond will include PSVR support when it launches in Summer 2019.

The rumors were right: Apple's new game service is a lot like Xbox Game Pass, but for iDevices.

Apple today announced Apple Arcade, an all-you-can-play game service that mirrors Microsoft's Game Pass. Apple Arcade isn't a streaming service like Google's new Stadia platform. Instead it's a monthly subscription that gives users access to over 100 games for play on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and even Apple TV boxes.

Apple Arcade isn't just a service, though: Apple is investing directly into each game's development, and every new title is carefully curated for the service. Each game will be brand new and they'll be exclusive to Apple Arcade. Only premium titles will be offered--no freemium games or microtransactions are included--and users can download games for offline play, too.

Nintendo currently plans to release two new Switch models in 2019: a new higher-end version with boosted perf and specs, and a lower-end version aimed at everyday consumers, sources tell The Wall Street Journal's Takashi Mochizuki.

Sources say that Nintendo will have a family of Switch hardware by year's end. The Switch family will feature three different variants: a low-cost model, the current $299 handheld-console hybrid SKU, and a higher-end version aimed at enthusiast gamers. This directly conflicts with Nintendo's own statements.

We've heard reports of a Switch+ and a Switch Mini for months now, which sees hardware configurations adjusted for multiple price and specification points, however Nintendo could also upgrade the Switch consoles' dock to boost graphics and in-game performance.

Kojima Productions is making big progress on its bizarre new game Death Stranding, but the game isn't yet ready to be tested and debugged.

Death Stranding is currently in a playable state, and everyone who's seen it says amazing things: the game's been described as mind-blowing and Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Voigt-Roberts went so far as to call it a miracle. Powered by Guerilla's potent Decima Engine, the Kojima's latest open-world action game has come a long way since it was announced. But it still has a long ways to go before it's ready to ship.

In a recent Tweet update, Hideo Kojima confirmed Death Stranding is starting to coalesce together into a cohesive experience. The separate parts--motion capture, action sequences, graphics, audio, lighting, etc.--are being slowly combined to make an actual game. It's not ready for testing, but Kojima says parts of the game built on PS4 devkits are now being pieced together for play on a regular PS4. This is a critical point for the game's development progress.

If Valve has its way, it may use Brain Controller Interfacing (BCI) to merge man with machine for instantaneously fluid gaming experiences.

At GDC 2019, Valve's Experimental Psychologist Michael Ambinder (yes, Valve has their own psychologist working for them) made a case for implanting an intracortical chip in a person's brain for neural gaming. This process would essentially transform a person's brain into a controller--and a receiver for tons of other Braniac-style feats like typing with your thoughts, improved memory, and greater attention spans. The idea is to use your thoughts as inputs for the game rather than button presses and mouse clicks.

It's weird even for a sci-fi novel, but Ambinder lays out some interesting points.

Perhaps we won't be waiting that long for a new version of the Nintendo Switch, as a report from the Wall Street Journal has suggested that the market will see two new models as early as this summer.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that as early as this summer we could see two new versions on the Nintendo Switch. According to WSJ, "people familiar with the matter," and also know the "parts suppliers and software developers for Nintendo who have early access to a prototype of the machine." One of the consoles are said to be for the more hardcore gamers and the second option is for more casual ones, neither of the consoles will be as powerful as the Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro.

Here is what a source told the Wall Street Journal; "You would be wrong to think the enhanced version is similar to what Sony did with PS4 Pro and the other is just a cheap alternative that looks very similar to some past hand-held machines, say, Sony's PlayStation Vita." Also contained within the report was the claim that the people who have seen the new designs say they are "different from the original and you'd be surprised."

The Mortal Kombat 11 livestream that showcases the creation of Mortal Kombat 11 has revealed two returning characters, Shang Tsung and Noob Saibot.

The Mortal Kombat 11 livestream with developers NetherRealm Studios has finished and the 50 minute talk really showcased to fans how the developers go about making the game and what process they take. The developers touch on certain aspects such as the motion capping for the moves, artistic design of the characters as well as cohesive story progression. Throughout the livestream it is revealed that Noob Saibot would be making a return in Mortal Kombat 11 and that within this game there will be heavy concentration on the relationship between him and his younger brother Sub-Zero.

The livestream also revealed that Shang Tsung will be the games first DLC fighter, and will also be the players' guide when they adventure to the Kyrpt mode. Just last week I reported on the Mortal Kombat 11 beta that will be running from march 28th to March 31st, for more information on that visit this story here. Mortal Kombat 11 will launch on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC on April 23rd.

A new report has come out from the Wall Street Journal that shines a light on the coming new streaming service from Apple. The potential Apple TV replacement is set to feature HBO, Showtime and Starz shows.

According to The Wall Street journal, Apple is about to unveil a brand new TV streaming service with a new app. It is unclear whether or not this new app will replace Apple TV, or will be standalone. The contents of the app would be similar to that of Amazon Prime Video Channels, except it would have channels such as HBO, Showtime and Starz. It is said that each of these channels would cost a $9.99 fee.

The report also says that Apple is aiming to have all of their content featured in a uniform app. They ultimately believe that having a single app that allows for each individual user tick and untick what content they would like to see (News, new TV shows, popular apps etc) will ensure the most convenient user experience. Apple is set to unveil the new video streaming service and Apple News subscription this Monday.

So you have just picked up Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice on the PC and you understandably dislike the 60FPS framelock, here is how to solve that problem.

Thanks to PC modder 'Jackfuste' a new mod has already been created to remove the 60FPS framerate limiter that is currently installed in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It should be noted that if users do choose to implement this mod that it could possibly cause abnormalities in-game, such as glitches, bugs and other potential issues.

Another thing to take into account before downloading and installing this mod is that different PC components and configurations could influence how successful this mod is and how much frames are generated in-game. Now that the disclaimers are over, here is the link to the download. Users can unpack Sekiro.exe using Steamless, then run the patcher and update the Sekiro.exe with the new patch.

Just a couple of days ago it was announced that a selection of Quantic Dream titles will be coming to PC, now Detroit: Become Human has had its official PC requirements detailed.

Early last week, Quantic Dream announced that they would be bringing some of the original PS4 exclusives to PC through the Epic Games Store. The announcement comes from Quantic Dream co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere, in a brand new deal with Epic Games which brings not only Detroit: Become Human but also other Quantic Dream titles Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls.

Quantic Dream has updated the Detroit: Become Human listing on the Epic Games Store, it now showcases what requirements will be needed to run the former PS4 exclusive title. I have provided a screenshot of both the minimum and recommended requirements, or a link to official listing for the game can be found here. Detroit: Become Human will use the Vulkan API instead of Microsoft's DirectX 12. At the moment there is no known release date for the PC version of Detroit: Become Human.

If you thought your gaming addiction is bad, but when the game developer itself is having to impose time limits to try and stem gaming addiction? Yeah, that's when you know things are serious.

PUBG Mobile is super popular in India, so much so that gamers have been dying from playing the game too much, with other cases seeing a PUBG gamer stealing money from his family for DLC purchases. Some Indian cities went as far as banning the game over parents' concerns over their children having an addiction to the game. PUBG Mobile addiction and hysteria got so bad authorities arrested some teenagers because they were "playing the game in public".

The official Twitter account for PUBG Mobile in India tweeted that they were aware of the "Healthy Gaming System" was sending some gamers a warning that they had played the game too much (over 6 hours) and that they were banned from the game for a certain amount of time. Some gamers have said that they received warnings after 1.5 hours of playing PUBG Mobile, too.