PS5 2019 reveal isn't likely

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 1:46 PM CST

Sony telegraphs its next moves in recent earnings reports and interviews, sending signals that a PlayStation 5 reveal may not happen in 2019.

PS5 2019 reveal isn't likely

Sony is indeed working on its next-generation PlayStation 5 console. The system should be a powerhouse (key sources tell TweakTown it'll be powered by a discrete GPU) that leverages AMD's new Navi graphics architecture and Zen 2 CPU technology, and there's even evidence it'll support and play existing PS4 games. Devkits are out, and first-party teams are leveraging them to make their games. But when will the PS5 be out? When will it be revealed? No one knows for sure, but the Japanese titan hints a 2019 announcement isn't in the cards.

First let's look at SIE Worldwide Chairman Shawn Layden's recent comments about E3 2019, and why Sony is skipping the show. In an interview with CNET, Layden said Sony's June event will now be focused on celebrating gaming rather than "dropping the next bomb." The exec further said the company wouldn't really have anything new to show off by June, so they're skipping E3 in favor of a more centralized showcase that Sony has more control over.

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Neill Blomkamp making Anthem short film

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 12:00 PM CST

Neill Blomkamp's surprise Anthem project is a short live-action film based around the IP, complete with his own visual style and themes.

Neill Blomkamp making Anthem short film

Remember yesterday when we predicted Neill Blomkamp's mystery project was a short film? Turns out he's making just that, and it should do for Anthem what Halo: Landfall did for Halo. Today EA announced Anthem: Conviction, a prequel live-action short set decades before Anthem that chronicles the war between the Freelancers and the Dominion.

"I was really blown away by this incredible world BioWare created the very first time I saw Anthem," said the director. "Conviction sets the stage with a narrative that touches on Anthem's beautiful and immersive world, which is ripe for exploration by these powerful Javelins. A world where danger is lurking on every ledge and in each valley."

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Hollow Knight 'Hornet' DLC announced for Valentines Day

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 5:00 AM CST

Team Cherry Games has announced that they will be getting into the Valentines Day's spirit by releasing their first paid DLC package for Hollow Knight.

Hollow Knight 'Hornet' DLC announced for Valentines Day

Hollow Knight developers have teased the release of a new DLC for their hit indie title Hollow Knight. The developers will be releasing the DLC in celebration of Valentines Day and it will be titled 'Hornet'. Very little is known about the DLC for the moment, besides a few teases here and there from the developers.

According to their blog post, The Hornet update will come with the playable character Hornet and also a brand new enemy titled 'Steel Assassin Sharpe' which I have provided an image below. A short description for the DLC has also been provided; "Sharpe is a hunter from a distant land. He's tasked with eliminating Hornet and he's not come alone. Sharpe brings companions on his deadly quest. Who are they? And why are they pursuing Hornet? We'll leave you to guess at their full nature. Just know, Hornet's gonna be fighting for her life against this highly trained trio." The Hornet DLC will be releasing on February 14th, or better known as Valentines Day. Hollow Knight is available for the Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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Amazon scouts 'Lord of The Rings' TV show spots in Scotland

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Feb 12, 2019 4:00 AM CST

The upcoming prequel TV show for Lord of The Rings has certainly been all the talk since its Amazon confirmed they would be at the helm. Now, news has surfaced regarding the location the company will be choosing for filming, reportedly Scotland might be choice.

Amazon scouts 'Lord of The Rings' TV show spots in Scotland

According to The Daily Record, an "insider" claims that there was Amazon location scouts spotted around Dunskey Castle, Portpatrick, Callander in Perthshire and Balloch Castle Country Park near Loch Lomond. The newspaper said that these scouts didn't make themselves known and were secretive to what their motives were; "When Amazon people scouted locations, they didn't make themselves known, acted as tourists and connected straight away with local communities."

It might seem like a stretch and it very well could be, but Scotland would seem like a very good choice for Amazon's studios to begin filming as the scenery there is quite incredible. The Lord of the Rings movies Directed by Peter Jackson were filmed in New Zealand, so if this news is true it is interesting that Amazon has chosen a completely different location. It should also be noted that confidentiality agreements prevented the Scottish newspaper from confirming any of this news with Amazon. The Lord of The Rings TV show is expected to start filming this year and plans on releasing the series by 2021.

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Tencent invest $150m in Reddit pushing its value to $3b

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 3:00 AM CST

'The Front Page of the Internet', or better known as Reddit has done quite well this investment round as Reddit.inc has said they are pleased to announced that they have managed to raise an additional $300 million in funding.

Tencent invest $150m in Reddit pushing its value to $3b

The funding comes from what is called a 'series D funding round' and sees China's Tencent adding a considerable amount of fortune to the $300 million, infact the Chinese conglomerate threw in $150 million. Other investments came from Sequoia, Fidelity, Tacit, and Snoop Dogg. While Reddit currently has $330+ million active users each month it only generates $0.30 per user per year. This is considerably lower than other massive platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. Twitter managed to bring in over $3 billion in 2018 and finds there annual revenue per user to sit around the $9.48.

Tencent and other investors are looking to help Reddit better monetize its already large user-base, but many people have claimed that this is a massive conflict of interest for the Chinese conglomerate. Tencent own 40% of Epic Games who are the Fortnite developer, and they also wholly own Riot Games, League of Legends developer. Tencent has been reported to earn a staggering $900 million USD per quarter just from their gaming companies, giving them quite a considerable amount of pull in the gaming market. Tencent has also has very close ties with the Chinese government which could make some people anxious when they are investing into Reddit as there could be hidden motives we are not aware of.

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Ubisoft list Assassin's Creed III Remastered for Switch

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 2:00 AM CST

Last week we heard about Ubisoft officially announcing a remastered edition of Assassin's Creed III, it's scheduled to release next month. To everyones surprise we did not see an announcement for a Nintendo Switch version, but according to Ubisoft's website there is one coming.

Ubisoft list Assassin's Creed III Remastered for Switch

At the end of last month I reported on multiple European websites listing 'Assassin's Creed III Remastered' for the Nintendo Switch. Most of those listings dated that the Switch version of the game would release alongside the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The scheduled date for that release is March 29th, which coincides with the listing on Ubisofts own website.

The above image which was spotted by Twitter user @CrocOclock, showcases Assassin's Creed III Remastered for the PC, Xbox, PS4 and Switch. CrocOclock discovered this listing when logging into his Ubisoft Club account and visiting the Assassin's Creed III Remastered listing. It is unclear why Ubisoft would hold back from announcing the Switch version yet list it on their own website. Perhaps the company needs more time to bring it over to the Nintendo Switch, or maybe they are waiting for a possible Nintendo Direct that should be happening sometime in the not-so-distant future.

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Watch Dogs 3 patent found for next-gen PS5/Xbox Scarlett

Jak Connor | Gaming | Feb 12, 2019 1:00 AM CST

A new listing coming under the umbrella of Ubisoft has revealed that Watch Dogs 3 exists and is currently planned for next-gen consoles.

Watch Dogs 3 patent found for next-gen PS5/Xbox Scarlett

The news comes from Skullzi TV who found the listing last week after staying on top of new patents from Ubisoft. The listing says that a brand new trademark has been filled under the Watch Dogs IP which could suggest an entirely new spin for the franchise. The listing could also suggest that the coming Watch Dogs would be planned for next-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Next-Xbox X.

Some other information has surfaced that contributes to the existence of Watch Dogs 3. According to NerdMag, when asking the official Ubisoft "Sam" app about Watch Dogs 3 the following response is given; "Is there gonna be a Watch Dogs 3?" the app answers "Watch Dogs 3 is not finished yet, but from the last early build I tried it's very solid. The dev team works wonders! Can't wait for you to try it!" it is unclear when we will see an announcement for Watch Dogs 3, but I was to take a guess I'd say E3 this year would be our best bet.

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SuperMicro plans high-end gaming motherboards for 2019

Anthony Garreffa | Motherboards | Feb 12, 2019 12:30 AM CST

SuperMicro has made a surprising move that we might not feel for another 6+ months or so, but the company has announced plans of returning to the gaming and high-end motherboard business this year.

SuperMicro plans high-end gaming motherboards for 2019

The company has found success over the last couple of decades making some of the highest quality motherboards on the market, filling some of the most important systems in the world. Governments and companies that require 24/7 stability and 100% uptime will look to SuperMicro's various products and technologies, and while over the last few years the company has dipped its toes into the consumer/gaming motherboard market, it hasn't made a huge splash.

That is all about to change as a journey that started in 2016 and has already provided some fruit from the seed with a few gaming-focused motherboards, but nothing to compete against ASUS and GIGABYTE. SuperMicro VP Vik Malyala recently talked with KitGuru during a recent visit to their Silicon Valley-based HQ, where Malyala said the company is focused on making gaming-class motherboards that will compete with ASUS Maximus and GIGABYTE AORUS gaming motherboards, with expansions being made to SuperMicro's engineering division so they can tackle the new market they're pushing into.

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Apex Legends hits 25 million players in its first week

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Feb 11, 2019 10:31 PM CST

Apex Legends has just passed another huge milestone with over 25 million registered players now enjoying the free-to-play battle royale game in its first week on the market.

Apex Legends hits 25 million players in its first week

Epic Games racked up over 10 million registered players in the first 72 hours of Apex Legends' release, with Respawn boss Vince Zampella saying the game had "well over" 2 million concurrent players over the weekend. The official Twitter account for Apex Legends tweeted out to some of the 'amazing creators' out there in Shroud, Dr Disrespect, and others that started the pre-hype, stream hype, and post-launch hype for the game.

Zampella wrote in a blog post celebrating the milestone: "Since we launched Apex Legends last week on Monday we've seen the creation of an Apex Legends community that is excited, thriving, and full of great feedback and ideas. Our goal is to build this game with you, our community, so keep giving us your feedback because we really are listening".

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Crackdown 3 destruction WATERED DOWN: 2015 vs 2019 footage

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Feb 11, 2019 8:59 PM CST

Crackdown 3 is one of the biggest releases of 2019 on the Xbox and now that more and more people are getting their mits on the game, including influencers and reviewers, we're finding out how bad the shape of the game is.

Crackdown 3 destruction WATERED DOWN: 2015 vs 2019 footage

One of the largest problems is the watering down of the destruction in the game between the tease at E3 2015, which is now four years ago, versus the destruction that Crackdown 3 launches with. The destruction in Crackdown 3 is powered by Microsoft's cloud-based technology, and in 2015 it looked absolutely incredible. Finally, some true environmental destruction that betters what PC gamers enjoyed in the 90s with Red Faction.

Yeah well, just like the massive gimping that Ubisoft performed on Watch Dogs, yet another Microsoft Studios game looks to be a huge disappointment. I don't understand how Microsoft is okay with openly selling watered down games, especially when they're shown off as something that actually looks great for its time in 2015, to something that isn't just watered down with destruction but the graphics are pretty lackluster for a game that has been delayed so much, right into 2019.

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