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Fortnite 5.10 update includes jetpacks, guided missiles

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 10:41 PM CDT

Fortnite has received another update that includes some more goodies to keep players entertained, with Fortnite 5.10 content update including Guided Missles once again, a new jetpack, and the new Fly Explosives Limited Time Mode.

Fortnite 5.10 update includes jetpacks, guided missiles

There's a bunch more included in the update, with a new Spyglass Sniper Rifle added into the original Save the World version of Fortnite, you know, the version of Fortnite that isn't battle royale. Epic has tweaked Fortnite plenty with the new update, with some major editions in not just the battle royale version of the game, but the Save the World, Fly Explosives and Playground modes.

Fortnite has influenced EA into opening up their flagship franchises with cross-play options, while Samsung is reporting going to offer Fortnite as a 30-day exclusive to their impending Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. Fortnite is making $2 million per day on mobile, right after it celebrated its first birthday with developer Epic Games announcing Fortnite has made over $1.2 billion since its release, with an astounding 125 million players loving the game so far.

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Logitech acquires Blue Microphones for $117 million in cash

Anthony Garreffa | Audio | Aug 1, 2018 10:06 PM CDT

Logitech has announced it will be acquiring Blue Microphones for a cool $117 million in an all-cash deal, which will see the microphone maker behind Snowball and Yeti joining the ranks of Logitech.

Logitech acquires Blue Microphones for $117 million in cash

The company took a blog post and said: "For Logitech, this is a new space. But, at the same time, it's not at all. Gamers are already using our Logitech G webcams to stream. People are video calling with friends and family thanks to Logitech every day. And in business, our audio and video know-how is apparent every time a video meeting takes place at the office. Joining up with Blue and their microphone lines is a logical adjacent opportunity with great synergies".

Blue Microphones was founded in 1995 and make microphones starting from $60 right up to studio-grade microphones worth a huge $4000. Blue is infamous with musicians, podcasters, streamers, and everyone in-between who want high-quality microphones that blow their built-in microphones away. Logitech secures one of the best in this acquisition, so it'll be interesting to see what they do from here.

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Monster Hunter World sells 8.3 million copies

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 6:20 PM CDT

Monster Hunter World is a smash success that's dramatically spiked Capcom's earnings.

Monster Hunter World sells 8.3 million copies

Thanks to games like Monster Hunter World, Capcom started off its new fiscal year with a monumental 647% profit increase. In its financials, Capcom confirmed that the online monster-slaying game has now sold more than 8.3 million copies worldwide. In the three-month period ended June 30, Capcom sold 4.35 million copies of its new and catalog games, representing a sizable jump of 74% year-over-year.

But raw sales aren't everything. Every online game needs a way to continually engage its playerbase with new content, promos, events, and other community-driven strategies. And, of course, ways of making long-term revenues via in-game purchases. Capcom seems to be handling things quite well and likely has a strong internal roadmap, and asserts that Monster Hunter World is "gaining further popularity through the expansion of its user base."

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PS Plus subscribers down slightly in Q1

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 5:18 PM CDT

Sony sheds 300,000 PS Plus subscribers in its first quarter, but network services are up.

PS Plus subscribers down slightly in Q1

Sony just kicked off its Fiscal Year 2018 timeline with strong Q1 game segment earnings: its Games and Network Services branch raked in 472.1 billion yen, up about 36% from last year, and operating income was up a staggering 331% year-over-year to 65.7 billion yen. Game sales were up a mighty 70% YoY, pulling in 268 billion yen, and software made up 57% of the segment's total earnings. However, punctuating this good news is a slight dip in PS Plus subscribers.

PlayStation Plus is a big part of Sony's Network Services branch. The premium sub neatly folds into the company's biggest cash crop (gaming) and powers a strong, ever-churning engagement wheel that sees millions interacting on the network and buying from the PS Store. One of Sony's biggest challenges isn't just to get new PS Plus subscribers, but to retain them, and ultimately this hasn't been a problem. Even when numbers drop they typically don't do so dramatically, and in Q1 Sony only lost about 300,00 subscribers.

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God of War made $131 million digitally at launch

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 4:31 PM CDT

God of War made quite an earnings splash when it released in April, according to findings from analyst firm SuperData.

God of War made $131 million digitally at launch

More and more publishers and games-makers are pushing into digital storefronts to sell their games. Not only is direct download cheaper for companies, but platform-holders like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo get to keep 100% of every first-party game sold on their wholly-owned marketplaces. Even though physical games still make up the industry-wide bulk of sales, more and more gamers are embracing digital. Sony's latest God of War game is a case in point.

In a single month, Sony Santa Monica's massively acclaimed story-driven Norse adventure raked in $131 million from digital sales on the PlayStation Network. These launch month figures eclipse major games like Uncharted 4, and as SuperData reminds us, shows a strong hunger for strong narrative games.

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Software makes 57% of Sony's game sales revenue

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 3:31 PM CDT

Sony's software sales are up in its first quarter earnings, indicating its first-party strategy is paying off.

Software makes 57% of Sony's game sales revenue

Like other platform holders such as Nintendo and Microsoft, Sony typically makes most of its gaming revenue from software sales on its online storefront. The Japanese tech giant's gaming segment is its strongest asset and software is a boon for quarterly earnings: in Q1 Sony saw a strong 70% year-over-year earnings spike from both digital and game sales, raising sales to about ¥268 billion.

What's interesting is just how big a piece software is to Sony's gaming pie. Software sales (both PS Store and physical) made about 57% of total segment sales revenue in Fiscal Q1'18, with total game sales sitting at 40.6 million units. These numbers were driven by both strong first-party games like God of War as well as third-party titles.

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PS4 shipments hit 82.2 million

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 2:52 PM CDT

Sony's PlayStation 4 family of consoles have now shipped more than 80 million units globally, the company recently announced.

PS4 shipments hit 82.2 million

Japanese tech titan Sony recently announced its Q1 earnings for the Fiscal Year 2018 timeline, reporting strong growth in its games segment driven by game and hardware sales. In the three-month period ended June 30, Sony sold 3.2 million PS4 consoles, effectively bringing the system's global cumulative sell-in figures (shipments, not sell-through or actual sales) to 82.2 million.

While Sony is putting emphasis on network services with subscriptions like PS Now, PS Vue, and PS Plus, the company is taking a different tact than Microsoft. Rather than doubling-down on engagement strategies like Microsoft, Sony is putting strong effort into robust first-party games like God of War, Insomniac's Spider-Man, Death Stranding and The Last of Us II in an effort to both sell consoles and software.

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Nintendo Switch closes in on the 20 million unit sale mark

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 5:00 AM CDT

Nintendo have just released their results for the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year, it appears that the Nintendo Switch is closing in on the 20 million unit sales margin.

Nintendo Switch closes in on the 20 million unit sale mark

From the released results it is reported that Nintendo Switch sales for the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year come in at 19.67 million units, just pushing on the verge of the 20 million mark. This means that the Nintendo Switch is closing in on the total sales for the Nintendo GameCube which only sold 21.74 million units.

With titles such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the numerous other games planned for release at the end of the year, we should see another spike in Nintendo Switch sales. It should be noted that after 16 months the PlayStation 4 sold 20.2 million units worldwide, the Nintendo Switch on the other hand managed to sell 19.67 units in just 15 months. Another factor to calculate in, is that the PlayStation 4 experienced 2 holiday seasons while the Nintendo Switch has only gone through one. Nintendo could have on their hands a console that has a very healthy life-span. For further information the fiscal results, visit Nintendo's statistics website here.

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Pre-purchase Overcooked 2 today and receive exclusives

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 4:00 AM CDT

Team 17 are gearing up for the release of their sequel to Overcooked, and in celebration of only being a week out from release they have announced that for anyone that pre-orders now on the Nintendo Switch will receive bonus content.

Pre-purchase Overcooked 2 today and receive exclusives

Overcooked 2 will be adding a bunch of more content to the kitchen nightmare. Players will now have the ability to throw their food across the room or to another players, this will make overcoming or managing obstacles much easier. At the same time though, Overcooked 2 will have dynamic levels which means new obstacles and environments will periodically happen around players making things much more difficult.

Other features included within Overcooked 2 are: online multiplayer, more level mechanics, interactive world map, more recipes and chefs. Players that pre-order the title now on the Nintendo Switch will receive the 5 extra chefs and an exclusive Platypus Chef when the game releases. Overcooked 2 will be released on August 8th and will be coming to the Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. For further information about the title visit the Overcooked website here.

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South Park: The Fractured But Whole DLC launch trailer

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 3:00 AM CDT

South Park fans will be glad to know that Ubisoft have released the 'Bring the Crunch' DLC to South Park: The Fractured But Whole. A brand new launch trailer has also been released, it showcases the new content that the DLC will be bringing players.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole DLC launch trailer

The 'Bring the Crunch' DLC will add a brand new storyline that will introduce to players new enemies, old friends and new powers. Bring the Crunch will be focussed around players saving the Lake Tardicaca summer camp which all of the counsellors have mysteriously gone missing. Players will also be able to enjoy the additional new class that will be added, and with it a brand new set of powers and abilities.

South Park: Fractured But Whole 'Bring the Crunch' DLC released on July 31st and will cost $11.99, for players that have already purchased the season pass the DLC will be completely free. South Park: Fractured But Whole is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Fore more information about the title, check out the official website here.

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Sea of Thieves debuts 'Cursed Sails' - now beware of the sea

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 2:00 AM CDT

Rare has released the latest update to their working-progress of a title Sea of Thieves. The update will now be pushing players to feel a lot more in danger on the high seas than they once did.

Sea of Thieves debuts 'Cursed Sails' - now beware of the sea

Players will now have to worry about skeleton crews that will be present in each of the zones, the crews have no mercy and prey on any ship that happens to enter their zone. This means that players will have the option of choosing whether to go out and find the ships to battle, or be unluckily enough to encounter the cut-throats while they are simply exploring.

The skeleton crew will emerge from the depths below and engage players immediately, they will be operating cannons and some crews will even have magic cannon balls or other bounses based on their respective location. Kotaku reports that they encountered a skeleton ship in 'Foul Grog' which had special cannon balls that caused players to be drunk if they connected with the ship. If you are interested in the other content that has been added through the 'Cursed Sails' update visit the official release notes here.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: a default Fortnite dance off?

Jak Connor | Gaming | Aug 1, 2018 1:00 AM CDT

A stroke of comedic genius has brought us to a combination of the Fortnite default dance and a wondering of what Nintendo characters would look like performing it. Look no further, your curiosity can be subsided as it has already been done, the entirety of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate line-up is now grooving.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: a default Fortnite dance off?

Ishmael205, an animator with the exact same curiosity has taken the idea to the next level, bringing to reality all of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters performing the default Fortnite dance. Some could say the results are quite varied, as its really odd to see characters that are usually small be stretched out and doing the very iconic dance.

Most of the animations are very well done, even if you find the video somewhat disturbing. Ishmael205 has done a fantastic job with injecting majority of the characters into the dance routine, keeping the proportion of most of the characters but some copping a worser job than others (Lucas). The developer has promised his fans that if the video reaches a certain amount of views he will release each of the individual character dances with transparent backgrounds, allowing for future developers or other comedic geniuses to express their creativity.

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HubblePhone: displays, dual CPUs, 5G, 60MP camera for $2749

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Jul 31, 2018 11:50 PM CDT

Turing Space Industries has teased its new concept smartphone dubbed the HubblePhone, which if it ever makes it to market would be the most elaborate smartphone ever made. We're talking dual CPUs, quad LCDs, and 5G connectivity... just for starters.

HubblePhone: displays, dual CPUs, 5G, 60MP camera for $2749

HubblePhone will pack four screens (three screens really, as the "main" display wraps aaround the back of the device) but at the end of the day you can only use two of the displays at once. Inside, there's not one but two Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chips, a huge 60-megapixel rear-facing camera with 15x optical zoom. Connectivity wise, TSI is promising 5G.

Furthermore, HubblePhone will rock a dual OS with Android 9.9 and Sailfish 3, while there'll be dual batteries keeping everything up and working with a 2800mAh main battery in the upper deck, while the main 3300mAh battery takes care of the rest.

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Parents paying $20 an hour to train their kids in Fortnite

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jul 31, 2018 11:11 PM CDT

I'd like to say that I'm surprised to hear parents are paying people to train their kids at Fortnite, but it really doesn't surprise me at all. Fortnite has become one of the biggest games of all time, and now it has become a "social proving ground" at schools all across the planet.

Parents paying $20 an hour to train their kids in Fortnite

Now we have The Wall Street Journal reporting that some parents are paying Fortnite coaches to train their kids on how to win at Fortnite, with one mother in England paying $20 an hour to train her 10-year-old son on how to win at Fortnite. Ally Hicks explains: "There's pressure, not to just play it, but to be really good at it. You can imagine what that was like for him at school". Ally's son Rob added: "They'll probably think I'm cheating or something. That's how 10-year-old kids work".

Texas-based Nick Mennen is paying $20 an hour for Fortnite training for his son, Noble. Mennen wants more from Noble, as the return on his investment aims to see Noble get good enough at Fortnite that he scores a scholarship or wins tournament money. Noble trains six hours a month and has gotten better, where Nick says he has gone from winning "infrequently" to getting "10 to 20 wins" daily.

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AMD's new Threadripper 2990WX: 32C/64T will hit 4GHz on AIR

Anthony Garreffa | Processors | Jul 31, 2018 10:20 PM CDT

We just reported that AMD will be naming their upcoming multi-threaded beast the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, offering 32C/64T for what we're hoping is less than $2000, but what clock speeds can we expect out of the box?

AMD's new Threadripper 2990WX: 32C/64T will hit 4GHz on AIR

According to the latest leaks from WCCFTech (so prepare your salt) the second-gen Threadripper 2990WX will offer all 32C/64T of CPU power at 4GHz on air cooling with AMD's new XFR2 and the new Wraith Ripper CPU cooler that was co-designed with Cooler Master. AMD's new XFR2 (Extended Frequency Range) technology will help dynamically overclock the CPU based on a bunch of variables, something that will help drive the 64-threaded chip to 4GHz on air cooling.

Not only that, but AMD is tapping the new 12nm Zen+ process with the new Wraith Ripper CPU cooler can handle up to 250W of thermal load. This is an impressive feat given it's just an air cooler and not a fancier AIO liquid cooler. Expect more details on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX when it lands, with a full review on it coming soon from our CPU God, Steven Bassiri.

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AMD sold more CPUs than Intel in July, a first since Nov 17

Anthony Garreffa | Processors | Jul 31, 2018 9:09 PM CDT

AMD stock is performing well, Ryzen 2000 series CPUs are very popular, Intel is scurring from the mess of 10nm and re-releasing and continuously tweaking its 14nm++++++++ processors (I might have held my finger down on the + key a little long there, but not really)... all while AMD is making inroads into CPU sales against Chipzilla in 2018.

AMD sold more CPUs than Intel in July, a first since Nov 17

According to the latest data Mindfactory, AMD sold more CPUs than Intel in July 2018 - the first time since November 2017. As you can see things kicked off with the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600X in April, and then continued with the same sale strength through to July. Intel still sells boat loads of Core i7-8700K processors, but it's not enough to stop the Ryzen train.

The mid-range Ryzen 5 1600 sells incredibly well for AMD as well, the same goes for Intel's mid-range Core i5-8400. Both great mid-range options for tens of millions of gamers who are playing titles like Fortnite, PUBG, Overwatch, CS:GO, and plenty of other games at 1080p/1440p.

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AMD's new 32C/64T chip to be named Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Anthony Garreffa | Processors | Jul 31, 2018 8:05 PM CDT

AMD is not far away from releasing its new 32C/64T flagship Ryzen Threadripper CPU, with sources of TweakTown (and other sites are now cottoning on) that the flagship chip will be called the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

AMD's new 32C/64T chip to be named Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

We have seen WX branding on other AMD products before, with the company using the WX branding on workstation level graphics cards like the Radeon Pro WX series of graphics cards. Well, the new Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX will arrive as a beast: 32C/64T at up to 4GHz using the new Wraith cooler. This is an incredible feat, considering Intel can't touch AMD on core count right now and while they might beat AMD in sheer frequency, that's not everything to professionals who need CPU cores over frequency.

What we are to expect from AMD with the second-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs is the following:

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Environmental gameplay released

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jul 31, 2018 5:00 AM CDT

As we move closer to the release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have revealed a further 35 seconds of gameplay footage. This time they are showcasing the titles numerous gorgeous locations and environments.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Environmental gameplay released

Just last week, Square Enix decided to release 10 minutes of gameplay footage of Shadow of the Tomb Raider to their YouTube Channel. The footage revealed the immersion players will be in control of and also the largest hub world ever created for a Tomb Raider game, the city of Paititi. This new gameplay footage that was released yesterday showcases to players the many different environments Lara will have to tackle, we can see thick jungles, mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, temples and small towns.

According to the description of the video, the world will be absolutely stunning but will also be equally as dangerous. Main story line wise, the title is reported to be coming in at a length of 13 - 15 hours, which isn't including side missions. So it is completely up to players whether they want to stick it out in harsh environments and explore, or just rush to the end to stop the Maya apocalypse. Shadow of the Tomb Raider recently just went 'gold' for development and is ready for manufacturing, if you missed out on that story catch up on it here. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is set for release on September 4th on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

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Resident Evil 2 Remake gameplay showcases a bloody rampage

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jul 31, 2018 4:00 AM CDT

Capcom has revealed through a live stage event at the Ani-Com & Games convention in Hong Kong, 16 minutes of gameplay footage from their Resident Evil 2 Remake title. The gameplay showcases gore, zombies, guns and just everything you want from Resident Evil 2 but now in HD.

Resident Evil 2 Remake gameplay showcases a bloody rampage

We last heard about the Resident Evil 2 Remake back at the end of June throughout E3 2018, Capcom Brand Manager Mike Lunn discussed whether the title had any plans on coming to the Nintendo Switch. Sadly, that isn't the case at the moment as the developers are concentrating on the PS4, Xbox One and PC launch.

During the Ani-Com & Games event, we get to see the producer of the title, Tsuyoshi Kanda sit down in front of a live audience play through some of the game. What we have displayed to us are numerous different environments, blood, gore, guns, zombies taking damage to specific gun shot locations and much more. Resident Evil 2 Remake is planned for launch on the 25th of January, 2019 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. For further information regarding the title visit the official Resident Evil website here.

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Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 opening cinematic to gameplay video

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jul 31, 2018 3:04 AM CDT

Spider-Man fans will be glad to know that a video has been leaked of the opening cinematic of Marvel and Insomniac Games' upcoming title. The video showcases the entirety of the opening cinematic all the way through to the first gameplay experience.

Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 opening cinematic to gameplay video

The video has been uploaded to the YouTube Channel 'Egorgian Beast' and originates from the VK Fest in St. Petersburg, Russia. Insomniac Games arrived at the event and had on display the latest preview of Spider-Man, Egorgian Beast was lucky enough to capture a very decent video of the preview and post it online. From the video we can see Peter Parkers apartment which looks like one of those mystery solving pin boards with string, combined with sci-fi level technology experimentation. Exactly what you would expect from a slightly older Spider-Man.

Eventually, we see Parker arise and get ready for his day, he leaves his urgent rent notice on the floor and swings out into the world. The cinematic seamlessly transfers to gameplay, and at this moment this is where the game will begin for all players. It should be noted, that if you take your time watching the video and notice Parker's post-it notes, there is a note that says "Call T.S back re job offer." Could this be a reference to Tony Stark? Could he be included within the game or is this just a wink towards the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Marvel's Insomniac Games and Marvel's Spider-Man will be releasing exclusively on the PlayStation 4 September 7th.

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