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Red Dead Redemption 2 - Full map leaked through image
The launch for RockStar Games' highly anticipated title Red Dead Redemption 2 is imminent and just two days out from the official launch the full map has been leaked.
The image has been leaked through Reddit users 'Mco_yum_yum' and 'tomcruise_momshoes', who have shared an image from the titles official game guide. From the image, we can see that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be containing some of the first games map, we can see Flat Iron Lake, Tall Trees and Armadillo.
In the entirety of this post, Reddit user tomcruise_momshoes has provided an image with the map of the first Red Dead Redemption attached to the leaked image. This gives a great comparison estimation to how much bigger in scale the game will be in terms of map size, of course no one will officially know until players jump into the world for themselves. Since Red Dead Redemption 2 has weighed in at 105GB for the PS4 and 88.15GB for the Xbox One, the title will be shipping on two discs, check that story out here.
Continue reading: Red Dead Redemption 2 - Full map leaked through image (full post)
Red Dead Redemption 2 official companion app announced
Just days before the official launch of Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2, the developer has taken to their blog to announce a Red Dead Redemption 2 companion app.
The app which will be released on October 26th alongside the official launch of the game will assist players through directly connecting to their Xbox One or PS4. Players will be delivered with real-time "interactive information to your smart device" that will allow for map zooms, waypoint setting, marking area's of interest and more.
It should also be noted that the app will allow for players to experience in real-time Arthur Morgan's core info and statistics. This will in turn render the HUD on your playing display useless, which means the option to completely remove it from the screen has now been made available. The app also allows for better access to Morgan's journals, gives easier navigation through the digital game manual and Social Club. The Red Dead Redemption 2 Companion App will be released onto iOS and Android devices alongside the official launch of the game on October 26th. For more information visit the official Rockstar Games blog post here.
Continue reading: Red Dead Redemption 2 official companion app announced (full post)
Drake & Nadeshot now co-own eSports team '100 Thieves'
Drake, the grammy award-winning, platinum selling rap artist has just announced that he will be getting in on the popularity of eSports. by becoming co-owner of the eSports team 100 Thieves.
In a recent announcement from growing eSports team 100 Thieves, CEO, Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag has taken in another round of investors, some of which are quite considerable names to add to the brand. Scooter Braun, a philanthropist and investor has joined Drake in investing into the eSports team, Drake and Braun will now serve as co-owners of the business.
As you could imagine, Drake won't be very hands-on with the team when it comes to gameplay and shot calling, instead he will serve as a strategic advisor for the company. This isn't the first time 100 Thieves and Drake have collaborated, in the past Drake and the eSports team have come together to supply the rapper with portable custom gaming stations for his most recently released album tour 'Scorpion.' It is also mentioned on the 100 Thieves website that Drake will be involved within "apparel collaborations" to assist in the increasing scaling of the business. If you want to read the full announcement visit the 100 Thieves website here.
Continue reading: Drake & Nadeshot now co-own eSports team '100 Thieves' (full post)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy launch trailer scorches November 13
So you are a fan of the iconic purple dragon? Well, prepare your fire blankets as the Spyro Reignited Trilogy has scorched its way into the release date of November 13th with its new launch trailer.
For those that have not been all caught up with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, players will have available to them the three original Spyro games but completely remastered. The titles that will be included within the Reignited Trilogy will include: Spyro, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.
The above launch trailer showcases the graphical improvements that have been made by developers Toys for Bob. The trailer gives us a great comparison between the original games and the upcoming trilogy release, which showcases further to players the amount of effort Toys for Bob has poured into this remaster, it truly is impressive. Old school players should note that there is an option to switch between the classic Spyro music and the remastered tracks, so if you want to go full retro audio wise, you are more than welcome too. Spyro Reignited Triology is planned for release on November 13th on the Xbox One and PS4.
Continue reading: Spyro Reignited Trilogy launch trailer scorches November 13 (full post)
League of Legends is 26.42% of global gaming traffic share
League of Legends has beaten the almighty Fortnite in global gaming traffic share, according to a recent report released from the statistical company Sandvile.
Sandvine, a company that deals in global statistics through cycling through a data "base of over 2.1B subscribers worldwide across over 150 Tier 1 and Tier 2 fixed, mobile, Wi-Fi, and satellite operators" has released their Global Internet Phenomena Report. Within the report it is showcased that League of Legends has taken first place for Global Gaming Traffic with 26.42%, beating that of Fortnite which has come in at 14.85%.
The report also mentions other popular gaming titles such as Overwatch with 12.05%, Minecraft with 7.01%, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds at 6.02%, Destiny with 4.56%, World of Warcraft with 3.27%, Warframe at 2.91%, Black Desert Online with 2.57% and finally Clash of Clans with 2.40%. All of these percentages have been measured within the metric of downstream percentage to each of the titles. If you are interested in checking of more of the statistical data released by Sandvine, visit the official Sandvine Global Internet Phenomena Report here.
Continue reading: League of Legends is 26.42% of global gaming traffic share (full post)
Intellivision's new $150 console has online store, new games
With its new $150 Amico console, Intellivision aims to do what Atari's doing with its new Atari VCS platform.
In a sea of retro nostalgic throwbacks like the upcoming $100 PlayStation Classic, the Intellivision Amico wants to do something different. Rather than making a static, offline-only system with old-school games, Intellivision is creating its own gaming ecosystem with its Amico console as the nexus (a light example would be how Sony's PlayStation Store and subscriptions all revolve around the PS4).
As far as a plan goes, the Amico shares lots of similarities with Atari's VCS business strategy. The Amico will connect to an online storefront that sells digital games, like the VCS, and actually has a kind of online framework to engage users with online multiplayer, leaderboards, and achievements.
Continue reading: Intellivision's new $150 console has online store, new games (full post)
Steam grows to 90 million monthly active users
Valve's PC gaming marketplace and launcher is getting bigger and bigger every year, showing that PC gaming is still quite competitive.
Despite competitors like Gog.com and the newly launched Discord store, Steam continues its long-running reign as the king of PC gaming. As per the recent Melbourne Games Week event, Valve's gamefront now attracts 90 million users every month, up more than 34% from a year ago.
In fact all of Steam's usage metrics are up. DAUs, or daily active users, are up to 47 million in 2018, representing a mighty 42% YoY increase. Peak concurrent users--the most amount of gamers online at the same time--is up 42% year-over-year to 18.5 million. As for actual game sales, Valve says gamers buy about 1.6 million new games every single month.
Continue reading: Steam grows to 90 million monthly active users (full post)
Intel M.2 Optane SSD 905P Appears On Newegg
The long awaited M.2 version of Intel's Optane SSD 905P tipped up on Newegg last night.
The M. 22110 (the long one) drive will initially ship with 380GB. Newegg opened up a preorder for the drive last night. You can find it with the model number SSDPEL1D380GAX1 or just follow our link.
This is the first time we glanced at the final design of the drive and it does come with a surprise. The all black heat sink shown at Computex, the same used on the enterprise version, was replaced with a dark gray heat sink from EK. We wonder if EK will release a liquid cooled heat sink at some point as an aftermarket upgrade. There is a credible rumor from a leaked slide showing a 765GB M.2 905P but Newegg doesn't show that size as an option. We may see such a drive for the first time at CES in January 2019.
Continue reading: Intel M.2 Optane SSD 905P Appears On Newegg (full post)
Soulcalibur VI physical sales crater, the rise of digital
Bandai Namco has just recently released their latest instalment into the long time running Soulcalibur series. Despite the series' popularity, the physical sales of the title have hit what seems to be rock bottom.
The physical sales charts from the UK have been released and from them we can see a drastic dip in physical sales for Bandai's Soulcalibur VI. When compared to the previously released title, Soulcalibur V, Soulcalibur VI has seen a huge 55% decrease in physical sales. This really isn't that surprising though, as Soulcalibur V was released back in 2012 which was a time when we didn't really see as many digital sales as we do now.
Most gamers now days are looking for convenience and good deal, most online purchasing platforms for games provide them with both of these things. It seems the days of going to down to your local game retailer are coming to an end, I personally don't believe physical media will be pushed out for quite some time yet, but the numbers don't lie, retailers will need to make way for the rise of digital sales. Soulcalibur VI is currently available for the PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Continue reading: Soulcalibur VI physical sales crater, the rise of digital (full post)
Dynasty Warriors 9 online and local co-op update/demo Nov 1
Dynasty Warriors 9 will soon be receiving a free online and local co-op update, the update will be released on October 23rd.
Dynasty Warriors 9 players will be glad to know that Koei Tecmo is about to roll out an update that will allow for players to jump into the massive open world of Dynasty Warriors 9 with a friend. The update will allow for local co-op split screen as well as online multiplayer. Players that were hoping for cross-play between platforms should note that this won't be the case, at least for the time being.
For gamers that were considering picking up Dynasty Warriors 9, but weren't sure if they would enjoy it should know there is a "free co-op & demo version" of planned for release on November 1st. The demo will feature online co-op play and give players a choice between three different officers from the rosters 90. There is about four hours of solid gameplay included within the demo, which should be enough time for players to decide whether they want to pick up the full release or not. Dynasty Warriors 9 is currently released on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Continue reading: Dynasty Warriors 9 online and local co-op update/demo Nov 1 (full post)
CD Projekt RED's Thronebreaker - 'No plans' for Switch debut
So you wanted to see CD Projekt RED's Thronebreaker card game on your Nintendo Switch? I hate to be the barer of bad news, but CD Projekt RED won't be making that a reality.
Usually Nintendo Switch news regarding games is all positive, as most of the time its about a port of a title coming to the hand-held console. This time round though its the complete opposite. CD Projekt RED's trading card game Thronebreaker is releasing tomorrow and Nintendo Switch owners will be devastated to know that a port is not going to happen (at least the moment).
Confirmed by EuroGamer, CD Projekt RED revealed that there is currently "no plans to release Thronebreaker on any other platforms than PC (GOG.COM), PlayStation 4 and Xbox One." It appears from this announcement that there will be no port of Thronebreaker for iOS or Android either. Keep in mind though, there is always the potential possibility of the title doing exceptionally well on its respective platforms, which could then change CD Projekt RED's mind for a future expansion port. Thronebreaker is planned for release on October 23rd for the PC, Xbox One and PS4. For more information visit the official Thronebreaker website here.
Continue reading: CD Projekt RED's Thronebreaker - 'No plans' for Switch debut (full post)
Starlink: Battle for Atlas - 82% of unit sales on Switch
Ubisoft's Starlink: Battle for Atlas has just be released and it appears Nintendo Switch owners have taken quite a liking to the Fox featured title.
For those that aren't aware about Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Ubisoft has teamed up with Nintendo to bring fans an exclusive collaboration (for Switch owners only) with the classic character Fox McCloud. Players will be able to experience "heroic interstellar pilots, dedicated to saving the Atlas star system from the Forgotten Legion, an evil robot force."
Now that you have a quick run down of what the game offers, lets jump into how the sales are fairing for the title. According to the UK sales charts, the open world space game has made its way to number 14 on the physical release sales charts for Q4. Despite its slow start physical sales wise, we can already tell which platform the title is most popular on. According to Games Industry, 82% of the sales for Starlink: Battle for Atlas has been from the Nintendo Switch, just 10% have been on the PS4 and 9% on the Xbox One. It appears that the decision to feature exclusive Fox McCloud content on the Nintendo Switch version has paid off considerably well.
Continue reading: Starlink: Battle for Atlas - 82% of unit sales on Switch (full post)
Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends - West Switch release
Last week, we heard about the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition coming to the Nintendo Switch but the release was only planned for Japan. Plans have now been changed, Western Switch owners prepare your consoles.
As I reported last week, the Complete Edition will be arriving to Switch gamers with "almost all of the DLC released to date; including costumes and side-story scenarios for many popular warriors." Also included within the complete edition is bonus data in the form of costumes from the following games; Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, and Warriors Orochi 4. These bonuses will only be available to those that already own the previously mentioned titles.
Nintendo Switch owners should note that Dynasty Warriors will be coming to the Nintendo eShop for $39.99, but more importantly, players that purchase the title within the first week of release will be subjected to a 10% discount. Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on December 27th. For more information, visit the official Dynasty Warriors website here.
Continue reading: Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends - West Switch release (full post)
Samsung should unveil dual-screen, foldable phone NEXT MONTH
Can you feel it? That's the sound of the world's first foldable smartphone right around the corner.
Samsung is now officially teasing its upcoming developer conference as "the crossroads between the present and the future". The company tweeted out a video that says "Where Now Meets Next" for the upcoming developer conference in San Francisco on November 7-8.
We already know Samsung has its foldable smartphone around the corner, with company CEO DJ Koh saying last month that the foldable smartphone could be unveiled this year. There have been no concrete leaks apart from the purported Galaxy F name, but if there was a time and place to do it... November 7-8 seems like the go-er.
Continue reading: Samsung should unveil dual-screen, foldable phone NEXT MONTH (full post)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 gets into the Halloween spirit
The Black Market is now open. But don't think you'll be able to get access to it easily, as you'll need to play an average of 7 hours per day, every single day, in order to get access to the Black Market.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has exploded onto the scene making half a billion dollars since its launch barely a week ago, with the Black Market opening on the PS4. The new Black Market is a cosmetic shop for special items, with the first batch being Halloween-themed goods.
PS4 gamers get access to these cosmetic items first, while Xbox and PC gamers will have to wait a few more days until October 27. Treyarch explains the Black Market system as the "Contraband stream", which is something that slowly fills up before you breach a new tier, items are unlocked, and then it resets again.
Continue reading: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 gets into the Halloween spirit (full post)
Devil May Cry 5 Ultra Limited Edition costs $8600
Devil May Cry 5 is due out for release on March 8, 2019 and between now and then the hype train is all we have. Part of that hype is a ridiculously expensive super-limited edition version of the game.
Capcom has revealed three new Devil May Cry 5 bundles that are exclusive to Japan, with the highest-end version coming in at $8600. Yes, that's eight thousand, six hundred US dollars. The Devil May Cry 5 Ultra Limited Edition will include the game itself, interchangeable box art, and Dante's leather jacket (for you to wear in real life).
If you don't want to spend $8600, there's the $7176 (or so) bundle that features Nero's jacket that comes in two varieties: slightly damaged, just like in some of the DMC games, or ripped up like it is featured in DMC 5.
Continue reading: Devil May Cry 5 Ultra Limited Edition costs $8600 (full post)
Epic delays full free-to-play version of Fortnite into 2019
Fortnite might be making hundreds of millions of dollars each month, but developer Epic Games did promise a full free-to-play version of the original game in its 'Save the World' game mode this year. Except, that won't be happening until 2019 now.
The developer said that the team is working on a "broad set of features, reworks, and backend system improvements before it pushes Save the World into free-to-play. Epic is working on a bunch of stuff in Fortnite, with the developer going into detail of what they've fixed and introduced into the game.
I've got that detailed below, but before you check that out Epic has kicked off a new Fortnitemares spooky event for Save the World to celebrate Halloween that is right around the corner. Fortnite is just $20 for the standard edition and $30 for deluxe, representing a swift 50% off. If you haven't purchased it, now would be the time.
Continue reading: Epic delays full free-to-play version of Fortnite into 2019 (full post)
Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe leaves company
Oculus co-founder Brenden Iribe, who helped lead various initiatives across the Facebook-owned company's VR sector, is departing the virtual reality pioneer.
With its Rift headset, Oculus helped form springwell of virtual reality we now have today--and the decades of mixed reality experiences that lay in wait in the future. But one of the key players has now left the digital stage. After six long years helping push the forefront of virtual reality, Oculus co-founder Brenden Iribe is stepping away from the platform he helped create.
While Iribe announced his exit from the VR business in a Facebook post, he didn't give exact details for leaving the company, but he did note this would be his first "real break in 20 years." Unnamed sources claim Iribe clashed with Facebook's current mobile-oriented strategy. Iribe, the sources say, wanted Oculus to push into more dedicated and powerful hardware instead of rolling backwards to more widespread consumer-oriented gear.
Continue reading: Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe leaves company (full post)
EA shakeup prompts Jade Raymond's departure
EA Motive, the studio that's helming the development of Visceral Games' cannibalized Star Wars game Project Ragtag, just lost its founder.
EA Motive has changed leadership, prompting studio founder Jade Raymond to leave the company and the new Star Wars project's development. EA triggered the shake-up by adding the Vancouver-based studio to Worldwide Studios executive Samantha Ryan's control. Ryan now leads all of the company's North American branches including BioWare, DICE, Motive, Maxis, and EA's mobile division. This shift caused Raymond to leave the studio she founded and once led.
"EA Studios is focused on bringing more creative new games and content to players. Laura Miele and her team have taken several steps internally to better support our game makers in this pursuit, such as expanding Samantha Ryan's portfolio to lead additional studios, including Motive," EA's communication exec John Reseburg told VentureBeat. "Samantha is known for driving creative design and supporting game teams so they can bring their visions to life. She is a deeply experienced game-maker with a gameography that spans from The Sims to Batman: Arkham City to No One Lives Forever to the highly-anticipated Anthem."
Continue reading: EA shakeup prompts Jade Raymond's departure (full post)
Fallout 76 has 150 hours of side quests, will grow over time
Fallout 76 is a live service game through-and-through, and that means content is king. Luckily for gamers, Bethesda game prepared.
I knew from the start that Fallout 76 would be a huge game. It's the first online-based Fallout game that taps Bethesda's flair for huge open worlds and content, and the game itself will ship with some 150 hours of side activities to complete (missions, quests, exploration events, content, etc). Based on everything we know about live games and Bethesda's promises, this should just be the beginning.
This makes a lot of sense considering Fallout 76's core principles have been altered from the original formula. Key NPCs and specific interactions have been removed (non-human NPCs are gone) or changed to fit an online scope. The footage I've seen led me to believe Fallout 76 will mostly be centered around traveling for materials to boost your gear and killing enemies along the way. It's absolutely imperative that players have neat little distractions that allow them to engage with the world around them--hence the 150 hours of side activities.
Continue reading: Fallout 76 has 150 hours of side quests, will grow over time (full post)






















