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Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus' theme is 'catharsis'
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is based on a singular narrative concept: catharsis.
Back when Bethesda teased Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus at E3 2016, I predicted it'd take place in Nazi occupied America (the New Colossus is the name of Emma Lazarus' poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty). That name alone gave me an idea of what the game would be about, as did my prediction--and that was no mistake. According to Machine Games creative director Jens Matthies, the Nazi-blasting sequel is focused on catharsis.
"We always have a theme for each game in terms of the narrative," Matthies said in a recent interview with Stevivor. "In The New Order, the theme was dogma and what it means; the dogmatic sort of philosophy of life, and the consequences of that. And that theme reads through all of the characters and all of the character arcs in the game and the story as a whole."
Continue reading: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus' theme is 'catharsis' (full post)
G.SKILL amps RGB RAM with new 32GB DDR4-4266MHz kits
G.SKILL has supercharged its new enthusiast-grade TridentZ RGB RAM kits with big capacities to match the 4000MHz+ frequency speeds.
G.SKILL today announced the fastest 32GB RGB RAM kit on the market with its new TridentZ DDR4 configuration. The kit, which is yet another example of G.SKILL constantly pushing the RAM bar further, includes 4x 8GB modules clocked at 4266MHz with CL19-23-23-43 timings and 1.4V of power draw. And of course each module is flavored with scintillating prismatic flux via RGB lighting, adding a splash of beauty to any build.
As company the touts, this RAM breakthrough was achieve just a week after Intel's 8th gen Core processors and the new Z370 chipset motherboards came to market. The new 32GB TridentZ RGB DDR4-4266 kit was stress tested on an ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero motherboard alongside a new Intel Core i5-8600K CPU.
Continue reading: G.SKILL amps RGB RAM with new 32GB DDR4-4266MHz kits (full post)
Riot Games founders are 'back in the trenches'
The founders of billion-dollar titan Riot Games have shrugged off managerial duties to focus on their passion: making great games.
After years of handling the business of running a colossal video games company like Riot Games, Marc 'Tryndamere' Merrill and Brandon 'Ryze' Beck are happy to be back in the trenches of games development. In a recent announcement post the founders happily proclaimed they are switching things up: instead of tackling the numbers side of things, the duo will be more intimately involved with League of Legends on the ground level, going back to their roots and focusing on the magic that makes the game tick.
The Rioters note that the company has grown to 2,500 employees across 20 offices across the globe, and this growth acts as a cushion for widespread support not only for League of Legends, but Riot's other projects as well. "But this growth also meant that the majority of our time is allocated to "managing" the company rather than focusing on creating incredible experiences for players, which is what we really love to do," the founders said in the joint statement. "In our new roles we're going back to focusing on what is ultimately the most important thing we do: making great games."
Continue reading: Riot Games founders are 'back in the trenches' (full post)
GIVEAWAY: Rosewill Nebula GX10 and GX30 Gaming Headsets
Global entry! We have teamed up with Rosewill to give away four Nebula GX10 gaming headsets and five Nebula GX30 gaming headsets to nine lucky winners.
You can buy the Nebula GX10 gaming headset and Nebula GX30 gaming headset from Newegg.
How to Win
Continue reading: GIVEAWAY: Rosewill Nebula GX10 and GX30 Gaming Headsets (full post)
Epic Games are suing two Fortnite cheaters for $150,000
Epic Games are serious about cheating, so much so that they're suing two individual for developing software and distributing it to cheating services that enables people to purchase cheating software for their game Fortnite. Epic Games are suing individuals Brandon Broom and Charles Vraspir for copyright infringement that carries a penalty of up to $150,000 each.
Broom and Vraspir are said to be associated with subscription-based cheating service, AdditedCheats.net. This lawsuit has a unique nature to it as Epic Games aren't suing the cheating-service, but rather the individuals themselves. This is similar to the lawsuit that Blizzard Entertainment sued cheating service 'Bossland GMBH' based on the premises of copyright infringement. For the record, Blizzard were successful and the court ordered Bossland GMBH to pay a total of $8.6 million in damages.
Epic Games lawsuit claims that Vraspir has been banned at least nine times for cheating in Fortnight and is developing software that is sold via AddictedCheats.net, this software allows others to cheat. Court documents stat that Broom has modified AddictedCheats.net software "so that it is specifically designed to circumvent Epic's technological measures and instructed subscribers to the cheat provider website to do the same."
Continue reading: Epic Games are suing two Fortnite cheaters for $150,000 (full post)
Hunt: Showdown set for Steam Early Access
Hunt: Showdown is the upcoming multiplayer survival horror game from Crytek that appears to finally see the light of day, despite it's slow and uncertain development process. Set to enter Steam's Early Access program, no official date has been released.
"You want to create an experience that goes from the game into the player. These guys are really into your world and they're having fun right? And that's what I want, too," creative director Magnus Larbrant told IGN. "I think Early Access for our game is the best thing that could ever happen."
For those unfamiliar with Hunt: Showdown's history, the game was originally announced in 2014 under the title 'Hunt: Horrors of the Golden Age' and was slated as the spiritual successor to Darksiders. But due to Crytek's financial difficulties and closure of Crytek USA, the game remained dormant despite Crytek claiming it will enter beta testing in late 2014. Clearly this never happened until Crytek recently announced that the game was back, with a new direction and title- Hunt: Showdown, a multiplayer horror in which teams compete to hunt down monsters in the gloomy and scary swamps of Louisiana.
Continue reading: Hunt: Showdown set for Steam Early Access (full post)
DJI launches Zenmuse X7 camera with four lenses
DJI have announced the arrival the world's first super-compact 35 digital film camera, the Zenmuse X7. Aimed for professional cinematographers and video production enthusiasts, the Zenmuse X7 features an integrated gimbal and can capture 6K CinemaDNG RAW and 5.2K Apple ProRest at 30FPS or 3.9K Cinerma DNG RAW and 2.7k Apple ProRes at 60 FPS.
Taking advantage of new FSI-Cu technology, the X7's sensor features thinner interconnections, this increases photo-sensitivity and enables a more compact lens mound to be used. Utilizing DJI's new Cinema Color System, this innovative system preserves accurate colors for easier post-processing while maintaining color accuracy.
Four lenses are currently available with focal lengths at 16mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm, all capable of resolution up to 8K. They're not cheap however, prices start at at $1,199 to $1,299 for the 50mm. When attached to the DJI Inspire 2, flight times are marginally impacted. This is a result of the Zenmuse X7's weighing only 631 grams, with expected flight times of up to 23 minutes.
Continue reading: DJI launches Zenmuse X7 camera with four lenses (full post)
Thermaltake's new Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum PSU
Thermaltake have announced the release of their new Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum series power supply range, the latest addition to their power supply family features a 256-color Riing 14 RGB fan that is capable of 5 lighting modes and even features built-in memory function to remember your previous lighting settings.
The fully modular designed power supply is available in 850W, 1050W and 1200W outputs and is 80PLUS platinum certified. Thanks to the PCB layout with PFC and LLC integrated circuits, the Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum series is able to efficiently reduce ripple noise and provide improved voltage rail control.
Backed with Thermaltake's 10-year warranty, the Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum series power supply range is an excellent choice for users who demand superior performance and quality, but also want to express themselves with RGB lighting.
Continue reading: Thermaltake's new Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum PSU (full post)
Chinese '8K' VR headset is 'most immersive' headset ever
We've been eyeing off this purported '8K' VR headset for a few weeks now, but thanks to Endgadget we know much more about it. Pimax is building a new 8K virtual reality headset that features 2 x 3840x2160 panels, meaning we have a total resolution of 7680x2160.
2160 pixels wide means its not truly 8K, as native 8K is rendered at 7680x4320, double the vertical pixels of 4K, or here the dual 4K displays in Pimax's 8K headset. Still, it's an industry first, but calling it an 8K headset is misleading. Engadget proposed 'Pimax 4K Duo' or even just something like Pimax 4KX for extended, or something. I don't know, just not 8K, it's not correct.
Still, Pimax pushes forward with a new CLPL display, or customized low persistence liquid panels, versus LCD and OLED displays from Samsung, HTC, and Oculus. Pimax is claiming something quite incredible, with their CLPL display "completely eliminated ghosting and improved brightness". Pimax is rivaling the latest display tech like OLED with their new CLPL display, which is exciting, in a world dominated by South Korean giants Samsung and LG.
Continue reading: Chinese '8K' VR headset is 'most immersive' headset ever (full post)
Rick and Morty Szechuan Sauce traded for a CAR
Rick and Morty fans have been going crazy across the world to get their hands-on the is-it-real-or-not McDonald's Szechuan sauce promotion, but now one of these stories has gotten out of control.
The Drive is reporting that someone from Michigan put up a packet of their Szechuan sauce up for trade, with someone offering up their 2004 Volkswagen GTI in exchange for the Rick and Morty Szechuan sauce. The owner of the Volkswagen posted on Facebook after she traded her wheels for the sauce, saying "thank you for the insane trade on the VW Golf mk4 for the legendary Szechuan Sauce", continuing the post with "I hope you get lost in the sauce!". Hmmm, alrighty then.
I don't even know what to say, so I'm going to leave it to the comments to try and help me find my thoughts.
Continue reading: Rick and Morty Szechuan Sauce traded for a CAR (full post)
Apple ditches Touch ID, goes all-in with Face ID
Apple changed everything with its Touch ID home button, a fingerprint sensor that doubled as a home button, but now that Apple has collected enough fingerprints, it's moving onto collecting your face ID.
The company announced their iPhone X, the first iPhone to receive Apple's new facial recognition technology, Face ID. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple isn't likely to make a new iPhone with Touch ID in 2018. Kuo issued a note, saying that the biometric touch sensor in Apple's future iPhones is uncertain, saying that the decision to kill Touch ID has already been made by Apple.
Kuo said that 3D sensing is the "key selling point" on all iPhones for 2018 and "[Apple intends to] capitalize on its clear lead in 3D sensing design and production for smartphones", with Apple making a big point about that focus with the announcement of iPhone X. Apple made a very big point about the TrueDepth cameras and plethora of sensors inside of the iPhone X, and is now pushing all-in with Face ID, something Apple can capitalize on since they're one of the first with good facial recognition on a smartphone.
Continue reading: Apple ditches Touch ID, goes all-in with Face ID (full post)
Samsung CEO resigns, claims 'unprecedented crisis'
Samsung Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman, Kwon Oh-hyun, has just resigned from the company, where he will step down from his positions on the board, and as CEO of Samsung Display.
Kwon said in a letter to employees: "It is something I had been thinking long and hard about for quite some time. It has not been an easy decision, but I feel I can no longer put it off. As we are confronted with unprecedented crisis inside out, I believe that time has now come for the company start anew, with a new spirit and young leadership to better respond to challenges arising from the rapidly changing IT industry".
The letter to Kwon's employees continued: "There are no words to describe how proud I am that we built together one of the most valuable companies in the world. We have come a long way to create a company that truly changes how people live, work and communicate with each other. But now the company needs a new leader more than ever and it is time for me to move to the next chapter of my life".
Continue reading: Samsung CEO resigns, claims 'unprecedented crisis' (full post)
Razer gaming smartphone: Snapdragon CPU, 8GB RAM, 1440p
The hype train for Razer's purported gaming smartphone is heating up, with new rumors teasing that it might rock a desktop worthy 8GB of RAM, as well as a slew of other somewhat impressive specs.
Razer's upcoming gaming smartphone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processors, while we'll have a large 5.7-inch display with a native 2560x1440 resolution. Razer is using mostly off the shelf components, without going into the manufacturing of its own... well, anything inside of this phone. The design and look of the phone are expected to be custom, I can't see Razer launching a new gaming smartphone and not wanting to impress.
I'm expecting RGB LEDs of some form, because if Razer doesn't unveil an RGB gaming smartphone, Corsair will be the ones with their own RGB smartphone soon enough.
Continue reading: Razer gaming smartphone: Snapdragon CPU, 8GB RAM, 1440p (full post)
WD promises 40TB HDDs in the near future
Western Digital is planning a new range of HDDs based on MAMR technology, with 14TB, 16GB, 20TB and beyond HDDs to surely arrive between now and then. But, WD has promised 40TB by 2025 thanks to microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR).
The company explained the news with an announcement from President and COO of Western Digital, Mike Cordano, saying: "Our ground-breaking advancement in MAMR technology will enable Western Digital to address the future of high capacity storage by redefining the density potential of HDDs and introduce a new class of highly reliable, 'ultra-high capacity' drives".
What is MAMR? MAMR, or microwave-assisted magnetic recording is a new storage technology that WD has been working on for years now, with the other being HAMR, or heat-assisted magnetic recording. This new breakthrough in MAMR technology that WD has reached is the new "spin torque oscillator" that is used to generate a microwave field that increases the reliability to record data at ultra-high density. WD can use this new breakthrough in MAMR tech to record over 4 terabits-per-square-inch over time.
Continue reading: WD promises 40TB HDDs in the near future (full post)
Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw leaves BioWare
BioWare has lost another big source of talent at the studio, this time with Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw departing the studio.
Mike Laidlaw, one of the main creative forces behind the Dragon Age series of games, has left BioWare after 14 years. His departure follows ex-studio head Aaryn Flynn leaving BioWare in July. While Laidlaw didn't reveal exactly why he departed, citing that "after 14 years and working on Jade Empire, Mass Effect and Dragon age, it's time for me to move on," his departure is interesting given BioWare is currently making a new Dragon Age project.
As for the future of Dragon Age, and the next project, Laidlaw says he's confident the series is in great hands with BioWare veteran Mark Darrah overseeing the team.
Continue reading: Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw leaves BioWare (full post)
PEGI can't designate lootboxes as gambling
PEGI, the Pan European Game Information board that assigns video games with age restrictions, says it can't actually formally designate lootboxes as gambling because it doesn't have the authority.
Much to the dismay of gamers, the ESRB yesterday declared that lootboxes aren't gambling because users are always guaranteed to receive something for their money and there's no actual monetary loss. Now the European ratings board PEGI delivers an answer on the contested topic, saying that even if it wanted to classify lootboxes as gambling they wouldn't be able to.
"In short, our approach is similar to that of ESRB (I think all rating boards do, USK in Germany as well). The main reason for this is that we cannot define what constitutes gambling," PEGI Operations Director Dirk Bosmans told WCCFTech. "That is the responsibility of a national gambling commission. Our gambling content descriptor is given to games that simulate or teach gambling as it's done in real life in casinos, racetracks, etc. If a gambling commission would state that loot boxes are a form of gambling, then we would have to adjust our criteria to that."
Continue reading: PEGI can't designate lootboxes as gambling (full post)
343i donating REQ pack proceeds to disaster relief
343 Industries today announced it's using a special $10 Halo 5 REQ pack to raise funds for humanitarian relief, giving gamers the opportunity to make an impact on those affected by Hurricane Maria and the recent wildfires.
I've been quite critical of Halo 5's REQ packs in the past, but I think it's absolutely amazing that 343 Industries and Microsoft are using these lootboxes to help real people. The special Relief and Recovery REQ Pack costs $10, and 343i will donate 100% of the proceeds to disaster relief organization GlobalGiving.
"For every purchase of the "Relief and Recovery REQ pack" from Halo 5: Guardians between Oct. 12, 2017 to Oct. 23, 2017, Microsoft will donate all proceeds of the Relief and Recovery REQ pack to GlobalGiving (www.globalgiving.org)," reads the official listing. "The Relief and Recovery REQ Pack unlocks five permanent REQs selected from the most popular visual customizations in Halo 5: Guardians - all of them Ultra Rare or better rarity (if available), plus ten boost cards of Rare or better rarity."
Continue reading: 343i donating REQ pack proceeds to disaster relief (full post)
Battlefront II uses premium currency, prices revealed
As I predicted weeks before official confirmation, Star Wars: Battlefront II will be monetized with its own premium currency that's sold for real money that allows players to buy in-game loot boxes.
Battlefront II's monetization scheme has been heavily criticized for being "pay to win", but the writing was on the wall way before DICE and EA officially confirmed mTX was in. We've covered how EA makes billions from its online-based service games, especially from games like FIFA, and typically any time they discuss non season-pass approaches to service games that means heavy lootbox-style pay-to-win monetization. Futhermore, all post-release DLC and content for Battlefront II will be free, which is another huge clue of loot box mTX monetization. Now thanks to a recent Amazon leak, we know how much gamers will pay for Battlefront II's premium currency.
The game's premium currency is called "crystals", and if you played the beta you likely saw the icon in the upper right between credits and crafting parts. Crystals will be sold at tiers ranging from $5 for 500 crystals to $100 for 12,000 crystals. The exact crystals-to-lootbox exchange rate remains unknown at this time, and we probably won't see that until the game drops in November. Expect to spend crystals on everything from lootboxes to crafting parts.
Continue reading: Battlefront II uses premium currency, prices revealed (full post)
Nissan modifies a GT-R so a PS4 controller can drive it
To celebrate Nissan's 20th year involvement with Gran Turismo and the upcoming release of Gran Turismo Sport, Nissan modified a Nissan GT-R to be compatible with a DualShock 4 controller. That's right, this GT-R was fitting out with robots and a micro-computer and was driven around Silverstone's National Circuit using an unmodified DualShock 4 controller and nobody behind the wheel!
Professional racer Jann Mardenborough was chosen to drive the Nissan GT-R, or GT-R/C as it's officially known as, around the race track. The Nissan GT-R/C is fitted with four robots that controls the race car- Steering wheel, transmission, brakes and throttle. A micro-computer receives the inputs from the DualShock 4 controller and then processors the data for the robots to control the car.
So this begs the question, who is faster? The man, or the controller? Jann was hoisted above the race track in a helicopter to provide the perfect viewing point. His fasted lap around the circuit was 1 minute and 17.47 seconds, reaching a top speed of 131 MPH and average speed of 76 MPH.
Continue reading: Nissan modifies a GT-R so a PS4 controller can drive it (full post)
Japan love the SNES Mini - over 360,000 units in 4 days
No one can deny Japan's passion and loyalty for the Nintendo brand, it should then come as no surprise that Nintendo's latest retro mini-console, the SNES Mini (Mini Super Famicom in Japan) is selling extremely well.
Nintendo have sold 368,913 units in Japan since the SNES Mini has been on sale, that's only 4 days! In comparison, the NES mini sold 262,000 units over the same period. Both are impressive statistics considering the SNES mini is essentially a 16 year old miniature console. No figures have been released regarding the rest of the world's sales figures, but due to a stock shortage you can bet the SNES Mini is selling well across the globe.
The NES Mini sold 2.3 million units during its 6 months before it was discontinued, you can expect the SNES Mini to surpass that figure and open the door for the N64 Mini to be produced.
Continue reading: Japan love the SNES Mini - over 360,000 units in 4 days (full post)






















