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Microsoft vows to fix Windows Store for better PC gaming
Microsoft's Xbox division wants to bridge farther into PC gaming, but to do so it must address the wonky Windows 10 Store to make it worthwhile.
PC gaming is Microsoft's biggest asset over Sony. The company's Xbox platform merges both console and PC gaming with a host of cross-save/compatible games, services, and content that can be played on both hardware realms. But the Windows Store is still a strange, wonky, and often frustrating place to buy, launch, and play PC games, and Microsoft is keen on fixing that so it can not only enable key UWP cross-features but also rake in more money from direct game sales.
At the recent XO18 event in Mexico, Xbox exec Phil Spencer outright said he plans to fix the store and make it a place where PC gamers want to actually buy and play games. "I think we've got a ton of work to do on Windows, and Windows is something I'm very committed to," Spencer said at the event.
Continue reading: Microsoft vows to fix Windows Store for better PC gaming (full post)
GIVEAWAY: Two awesome Antec chassis prize packs up for grabs
Global entry! We have teamed up with Antec to give away two awesome P5 and P8 chassis prize packs to two lucky winners.
The first prize pack consists of the Antec P5 chassis and Antec NeoECO 550W Gold PRO power supply with a total combined MSRP value of $149.98.
The second prize pack consists of the Antec P8 chassis and Antec Prizm 120 ARGB fans (three pack + controller) with a total combined MSRP value of $149.98.
Continue reading: GIVEAWAY: Two awesome Antec chassis prize packs up for grabs (full post)
Everything you need for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Now that we are a little less then a month out from the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, many fans that haven't already pre-ordered the title are starting to pick up what they need for the best Smash experience possible. Here is a complete list of everything you will need from Amazon.
A close friend and myself decided to pre-order Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a few days a go, while we were doing this we quickly realized that there is quite a lot of things that players are going to need to pick up to get the best experience possible. Firstly, players are obviously going to need a Nintendo Switch to play Ultimate, currently on Amazon the Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition is going for $423.99. This pack includes the Nintendo Switch system, a specially designed dock with images of the fighters located on the front and a full game download. A standalone copy of Ultimate can be acquired for $59.88.
If you don't desire to pick up the Nintendo Switch Ultimate Edition, a classic Nintendo Switch is currently going for $299. Moving on, the next thing that should be added to your cart is the $51.94 Super Smash Bros Edition GameCube Controller. Nintendo are re-releasing the classic GameCube controller for Ultimate and as most Smash fans know, Smash Bros. is best experienced and played on a GameCube controller. Now that you have picked up your controller, you are going to need to grab the GameCube to USB adapter to plug into the back of your Nintendo Switch dock. The adapter is $19.99 and will be needed to connect your GameCube controller to your Nintendo Switch.
Continue reading: Everything you need for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (full post)
Ronald McDonald 'will not' be in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Super Smash Bros. fighting roster can now rule at least one character out for the possibility of being apart of the planned DLC pack, and that is unfortunately Ronald McDonald.
The news comes from Canada's McDonalds Twitter account, a Twitter user named Chris said "I've heard rumors about Ronald McDonald being in Smash Bros Ultimate? Could you confirm if this is true or not?." This Tweet received quite a lot of support, which then resulted in McDonald's Canada confirming that Ronald McDonald "will not be making an appearance in the new game as of right now."
McDonalds did also say that it would "be pretty neat" to be able to see "Ronald McDonald battle other characters in Smash Bros" which suggests that they wouldn't be opposed to the inclusion of Ronald in the game. Courtesy of Dualshockers for the above image of Ronald if he were to be introduced, it truly would be hilariously fun if Nintendo surprised us the McDonalds mascot as a new fighter. Many people may not like the idea, but regardless, it would be pretty funny to see Ronald duking it out on the battlefield. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on December 7th. For more information about Ultimate, visit the official Smash Bros. website here.
Continue reading: Ronald McDonald 'will not' be in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (full post)
New Kingdom Hearts III trailer: Winnie the Pooh/Jack Sparrow
A new Kingdom Hearts III trailer has been released onto the Xbox YouTube channel, throughout the trailer we get introduced to Winnie the Pooh and also spotted Captain Jack Sparrow.
The trailer was revealed to fans through the Microsoft XO18 event and shows the 100 Arce Wood world with Winnie the Pooh getting a kind introduction by Sora. We can also see glimpse of Captain Jack Sparrow, Organization XIII, Big Hero 6, Tangled and more. It's strange that Microsoft or Square Enix decided to just name the trailer "Winnie the Pooh" when so many other characters were also showcased throughout video.
Last week we saw the trailer for Rapunzel's Tangled world, throughout the trailer we got a look at the magical Kingdom of Corona and Flynn Rider. If you happened to miss out on that trailer, check it out here. There also has been a Big Hero 6 trailer released, visit that here. Kingdom Hearts III will be arriving on the Xbox One and PS4. There has unfortunately been no word of a PC or Nintendo Switch port for Kingdom Hearts III, we do hope that the game does make it to these platforms though as I'd imagine there would be many gamers (including myself) disappointed if it didn't.
Continue reading: New Kingdom Hearts III trailer: Winnie the Pooh/Jack Sparrow (full post)
Hollow Knight physical released canceled by Skybound Games
Skybound Games has announced that they will be no longer be able to bring gamers the physical release of Team Cherry's Hollow Knight.
The news really is quite saddening as many fans of Hollow Knight would of loved to see the indie hit make its way to a physical release. The announcement comes from Skybound Games' Twitter account, the above post says "We are saddened to share that we'll no longer be working with Team Cherry Games to bring Hollow Knight to new platforms". The post continues and Skybound Games wishes Hollow Knight developer Team Cherry the best for their game in the future.
Additionally, Team Cherry has also addressed the announcement saying that "As a team of three people still in intensive production of Hollow Knight, taking the game into the retail space (even with the extensive assistance of Skybound) proved more work than we could reasonably manage." Team Chery does say that a Hollow Knight physical release isn't entirely out of the question, but will more so be possible in the future and in "smaller quantities." For more information, visit the official Team Cherry statement here.
Continue reading: Hollow Knight physical released canceled by Skybound Games (full post)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate commercial brings banner to life
Nintendo has just released what could be considered as one the best pieces of promotional content for Super Smash Bros. UItimate, the banner we have all seen has just been brought to life.
The trailer has been released onto the Nintendo YouTube Channel and is at the time of writing this currently unlisted. It begins with a normal person looking up towards the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate banner on a billboard in a city, the camera then zooms in on Mario's eye, beginning the brawl between the entire roster.
While the fighters scrap with eachother we can see that trailer has kept the same grainy theme as the banner, but of course has been beautifully brought to life with Nintendo's CGI. It may also be noticed that the commercial contains no music, instead Nintendo has decided to replace the music with each of the fighters move sounds. We can hear the likes of Fox's X-Wing flying in, Kirby's star, Mewto's Shadow Ball, Charizard, Bower's fire and much more. The trailer concludes itself with a Inkling jumping up into the air and aiming down her paint gun, only for a for fiery Smash logo to then appear in her eye. For those that didn't know the Smash logo in the Inklings eye is a wink back towards the first trailer Nintendo released for Smash Ultimate, check that out here.
Continue reading: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate commercial brings banner to life (full post)
Tencent reigns gaming industry's 1H'18 earnings
Chinese juggernaut Tencent towers above industry competitors with 2018 revenues, and Apple slides ahead of Microsoft.
So far total games revenue growth from the top 10 earners has been quite small compared to previous years (about 12.3% growth versus nearly 30% from last year). According to findings from analyst firm NewZoo, industry earnings for the first half of 2018 are seeing interesting fluctuations. While Tencent reigns supreme with $10.2 billion, mobile gaming's muted rise was offset by stellar console gaming performance. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all saw strong 20% spikes in revenue earnings, and accounted for about 21.% of total top 10 industry earnings for the period.
"Together, the three companies accounted for $10.8 billion in console revenues. Digital revenues, which include subscriptions to PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live, were an important growth driver," the firm said in its latest report. "Nintendo's efforts to grow its digital revenues are slowly but surely bringing results, representing 24% of its half-year revenues."
Continue reading: Tencent reigns gaming industry's 1H'18 earnings (full post)
Microsoft buys Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment has been acquired by Microsoft, the company announced at its big XO18 event in Mexico.
The reports were true: Obsidian is now fully-owned by Microsoft and has been folded into the growing Microsoft Studios banner. The developer joins studios like Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Undead Labs, and Compulsion games to help build Microsoft's lacking slate of first-party titles. Obsidian is best-known for high-caliber singleplayer RPGs and poses an interesting opportunity for Microsoft to pivot slightly from microtransaction-ridden live service games.
Back in 2017 sources told TweakTown that Obsidian is currently making a unique RPG set in a new IP. Fallout creator Tim Cain is leading the project, sources say, and ex-Blizzard dev Leonard Boyarsky is also attached. Take-Two Interactive signed a deal to publish the game and it's unknown how this will affect Microsoft's acquisition or the project itself.
Continue reading: Microsoft buys Obsidian Entertainment (full post)
Here we go again for our Mamma Mia! movie Blu-ray giveaway!
To celebrate the release of 'Mammia Mia 2: Here We Go Again' on home video, we have ten Blu-ray copies of the film to give away thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment!
Discover Donna's (Meryl Streep, Lily James) young life, experiencing the fun she had with the three possible dads of Sophie (Amanda Seyfriend). Sophie is now pregnant. Like Donna, she'll be a young mother, and she realizes that she'll need to take risks like her mother did.
To go into the running to win a prize, post this article to your social media profiles, answer the below question in 25 words or less and send your postal address to ben at TweakTown dot com before the competition closes on November 16.
Continue reading: Here we go again for our Mamma Mia! movie Blu-ray giveaway! (full post)
Razer to show 'Designed for Xbox' keyboard/mouse at CES 2019
Razer has announced it will be showing off its range of 'Designed for Xbox' keyboards and mice at CES 2019 starting January 8, 2019 with Razer boss Min-Liang Tan talking about the new peripherals during the XO18 Inside Xbox live broadcast.
The company teamed with Microsoft on the upcoming keyboards and mice for the Xbox One consoles, but there are plenty of other peripheral makers that will be releasing 'Designed for Xbox' mice and keyboards that will work on both the Xbox One, and Windows 10 rigs.
We don't know what to expect other than something like the current Razer Turret "lapboard" that lets you game on your couch, with the Turret rocking the usual RGB goodness through the dynamic RGB lighting support on the Xbox.
Continue reading: Razer to show 'Designed for Xbox' keyboard/mouse at CES 2019 (full post)
Xbox One keyboard/mouse support launches November 14
If there's one thing that console gamers need it would have to be keyboard and mouse support surely, with Microsoft set to unleash the best control method for gamers on November 14.
One of the early games to support keyboard and mouse on the Xbox One is Fortnite, which is home to 8.3 million concurrent players... and now a large chunk of them can have infinitely better aim and controls on the Xbox One. Fortnite's matchmaking process will set you up with other keyboard and mouse gamers on the Xbox One, so you don't obliterate normal gamers who are using controllers.
Most keyboards and mice will work on the Xbox One, but Microsoft is also launching a new "Designed for Xbox" program that will see keyboards and mice designed specifically for the Xbox One. These upcoming peripherals will include a dedicated Xbox key, and rock support for the Xbox One's unique Dynamic Lighting feature that will change hues in-game.
Continue reading: Xbox One keyboard/mouse support launches November 14 (full post)
Metro Exodus Spartan Collector's Edition will cost $235
Deep Silver has just announced a super-limited edition version of its upcoming game Metro Exodus, with the Spartan Collector's Edition just announced and costs $235.
The Metro Exodus publisher has explained the Spartan Collector's Edition as "The Spartan Collector's Edition ships in a gigantic, barrel-shaped package, based on an in-game design that adds to the authenticity". The main part of it is the hand-painted statue of Artyom, the main character in the series, and it stands at a mighty tall 10.5 inches.
There's also the option of buying the Spartan Collector's Edition as a standalone item, or with a copy of The Aurora Limited Edition which includes a copy of the game, an expansion pass for Metro Exodus, and comes packaged inside of a custom metal outer case inspired by Metro Exodus' in-game locomotive which is called The Aurora. The Spartan Collector's Edition costs $149.99 on its own, or $234.99 when bundled with the Aurora Edition.
Continue reading: Metro Exodus Spartan Collector's Edition will cost $235 (full post)
Crackdown 3 release date confirmed for February 15, 2019
Can you believe it's been over 4 years since Crackdown 3 was unveiled at E3 2014, and then it went into hiding for a few years before it was meant to be released last year in November 2017. Well, we now have official release date by the company with Crackdown 3 dropping on February 15, 2019.
Crackdown 3's release date was announced during the XO18 broadcast in Mexico City, with the Xbox team announcing the news there. It's in a good spot as both Anthem and Metro Exodus launch just a week later. Microsoft took the time to announce a new multiplayer mode for Crackdown 3 known as Wrecking Zone, which looks like an insane amount of fun.
Wrecking Zone is a 5v5 deathmatch with its own dedicated arena, and if you check out the trailer above you'll see the destructible environment being the soul of the game mixed with the Wrecking Zone game mode, Crackdown 3 could be seriously addictive... kind of like crack, I guess?
Continue reading: Crackdown 3 release date confirmed for February 15, 2019 (full post)
Fallout 76 day one update is bigger than the actual game
Bethesda just can't win right now with Fallout 76 not looking so great in its current Beta state ahead of the official launch on November 14. The beta was plagued with issues and even after its 30GB patch it was technically limited at 63FPS on the PC because of constraints within the Creation Engine.
Now there's news coming from PlayStation Universe that the day one update for Fallout 76 for the PS4 is a whopping 54GB, which is 9GB more than the base install size of 45GB. This means if you downloaded the Fallout 76 beta and its 30GB update, as well as the 45GB base install of the game and the even bigger 54GB day one update, Fallout 76 has cost you 130GB in bandwidth usage.
Fallout 76's pre-load is available on all platforms with 45GB required, with current BETA players enjoying their progress from the game into the full game.
Continue reading: Fallout 76 day one update is bigger than the actual game (full post)
Xbox One X is $399 for Microsoft's Black Friday sales
Microsoft has kicked off its Black Friday sales by dropping $100 from the price of its Xbox One X console, dropping it from $499 to just $399. The sales run between November 18-26.
The company is also offering $100 discount from the Xbox One S Minecraft bundle, and a large $70 discount from other bundles in their Xbox family of consoles including Forza Horizon 4 console bundles. Xbox One also receives some discount loving with 50% off Forza Motorsport 7 and Sea of Thieves, as well as 35% discount on a bunch of first-party games. This particular deals run between November 22-30.
Even the Xbox Game Pass subscription has been reduced for the first month of new subscriptions, from its original $9.99 price per month top just $1 - with this deal running between November 10 and January 3, 2019.
Continue reading: Xbox One X is $399 for Microsoft's Black Friday sales (full post)
NVIDIA releases new GeForce drivers ready for Battlefield V
Battlefield V has arrived through Origin Access Premier subscriptions ahead of its November 15 debut, with NVIDIA quick to action with a new GeForce Game Ready 416.81 WHQL driver with support built-in for Battlefield V.
NVIDIA fixed a bunch of issues with the new GeForce 416.81 WHQL drivers with multi-monitor idle power draws reduced on Turing-based GeForce RTX setups. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, ARK Survival, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider all received stability improvements in the new drivers, too. There were also fixes to a few issues in Witcher 3, Monster Hunter World, and Far Cry 5.
You can read up on the full release notes from NVIDIA on the GeForce 416.81 WHQL drivers here.
Continue reading: NVIDIA releases new GeForce drivers ready for Battlefield V (full post)
Go small for our big 'Ant-Man' 4K sweepstakes!
To celebrate the release of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' on home video, we have five amazing 4K gift packs to give away thanks to our friends at Disney Home Entertainment. Each pack contains a copy of the film on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, a keychain, phone stand, notebook, T-shirt, watch and duffel bag.
Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.
To go into the running to win a prize, post this article to your social media profiles, correctly answer the following question and send your postal address to ben at TweakTown dot com before the competition closes on November 16.
Continue reading: Go small for our big 'Ant-Man' 4K sweepstakes! (full post)
Starfield, Elder Scrolls 6: same crappy engine as Fallout 76
Bethesda has a problem on its hands with its newly-released Fallout 76 beta seeing a hard lock at 63FPS on the PC because of the aging Creation Engine that the developer built the game on, but news has hit that Bethesda is also using the same engine for its next-gen games Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6.
The news broke on Reddit from an interview between Todd Howard from Bethesda and Gamestar all the way back in June, but it is more relevant than ever before with the technical limitations we're seeing more and more of in Fallout 76. During the interview, Howard told Gamestar: "For Fallout 76 we have changed a lot. The game uses a new renderer, a new lighting system and a new system for the landscape generation".
He continued: "For Starfield even more of it changes. And for The Elder Scrolls 6, out there on the horizon even more. We like our editor. It allows us to create worlds really fast and the modders know it really well. There are some elementary ways we create our games and that will continue because that lets us be efficient and we think it works best".
Continue reading: Starfield, Elder Scrolls 6: same crappy engine as Fallout 76 (full post)
Sony launches quad-layer 128GB Blu-ray discs
Sony's new Blu-rays hold a whopping 128GB of data on a single disc.
The industry's first quad-layer Blu-ray discs are here, and could help push both consumer and professional-grade storage to new heights. Sony's latest quad-layer BDXL discs can store up to 128GB of content, are write-once media, and require specific Blu-ray drives to write the data. Before this development, Blu-rays were capped at triple-layer capacities of about 100GB. Sony notes the new discs are also four times as fast at recording data as regular Blu-rays.
Sony's new BDXL Blu-rays could eventually help usher in a new age of convenience for consumers, especially gamers. Today's games are getting bigger and bigger--Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped on two dual-layer Blu-rays, for example--and often require expansive download patches along with 50GB+ disc installs. We probably won't see quad-layer Blu-ray drives in video game consoles any time soon due to pricing of both the media and the drives, however.
Continue reading: Sony launches quad-layer 128GB Blu-ray discs (full post)




















