Gaming - Page 1010

The rumors on Nintendo's next-gen NX console are flying thick and fast, but the latest rumor has me intrigued: Nintendo will be moving back to cartridges for its NX console, according to The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ says that "people familiar with the matter" said that Nintendo will "adopt cartridges for its next-generation" NX console.

Physical media in the games industry is still a very large business thanks to cheap manufacturing and storage of discs, versus every single gamer who purchases every single game needing to download tens of gigabytes of data for a single game. Industry insiders have said that cartridges were a reasonable choice for Nintendo's next-gen NX console, because the Japanese giant goes after a much wider range of consumers compared to Microsoft and Sony.

Atsushi Osanai, an ex-Sony employee said that "no doubt today's best format to physically distribute games", and with cartridges being tougher than discs that can be scratched, Nintendo might have a big win with NX.

Sony should just come out and at least announce it has a PS4 Slim on the way after all of these leaks, but that's what the PSM event on September 7 is all about. Until then, we have a new teardown video on the PS4 Slim to enjoy:

The PS4 Slim video provides a detailed look inside of the new PS4, which will replace the current model. The refreshed PS4 is slimmer, will run cooler and hopefully quieter, and rocks a new 16nm-based APU from AMD.

Sony will announce its new PS4 Slim and the upcoming PS4 Neo at its PlayStation Meeting event on September 7.

Now that the insane wave of interest in Pokemon GO is going down, Sony is talking about how much of a "game-changer" the game was.

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai has said that his company plans to "aggressively" get into mobile gaming, saying: "It's quite a shift from being just a console-based business to being on mobile phones as well". Hirai added: "Pokemon Go is a real game-changer. I'm very interested in the fact that it has the potential to really change the way people move, literally".

Hirai continued saying that the use of augmented reality used in Pokemon GO was a "great innovative idea that's going to lift all boats for the video game industry", adding that he'd like to see AR components added to its own mobile games.

Duke said he was out of gum, and it looks like he was right, because he's back for a cash-in with Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour.

Gearbox Software announced that it's taking pre-orders for Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour, which is a remastered version of the iconic 1996 shooter Duke Nukem 3D. The game will feature a full remaster of the original game, powered by Gearbox's "True3D Rendering" mode which will provide the ability of toggling between the original, and new graphics on-the-fly.

Duke Nukem 3D's original designers, Allen Blum III and Richard "Levelord" Gray have created a fifth episode called Alien World Order, which features 8 new levels with a new soundtrack from Lee Jackson, who was the composer on the original game, and the author of the Duke theme song. Gearbox even has Jon St. John, who is the voice actor for Duke himself, back in the voice acting seat for some new "Duke Talk".

Sony's new thinner and cheaper PS4 Slim console refresh features a shrunken 16nm APU chip to reduce total console power draw, boost power efficiency, and save on space.

After watching Tech-Links' recent PS4 Slim teardown video I noticed something interesting: the PS4 Slim's APU had a different serial number than the current PS4 model. After some digging around, I compared the PS4 Slim's chip with the PS4 in a side-by-side comparison, noticing an obvious size discrepancy when comparing transistor relation size. The PS4 Slim's chip was smaller, and I wasn't the only one who noticed it.

The PS4 Slim's APU has been reduced to 16nm from the PS4's original 28nm chip size, culminating a reduction of about 57%. This means the new slimmer model will draw less power and run cooler than current PS4s, which is a pretty big deal for console owners. The PS4 Slim's PCB has also been redesigned and is much more minimal, and the console only draws 160W of power versus the vanilla PS4's 200W. Although the PS4 Slim enjoys a smaller chip that's more power efficient, don't expect any actual jumps in power: the PS4 Slim does match the Xbox One S' 16nm chip size, but it doesn't have an overclocked GPU, play 4K video, or upscale games to 4K.

Sony Korea has just confirmed that a new PlayStation 4 model will be unveiled during the company's PlayStation Meeting on September 7.

While we pretty much knew it was happening, Sony has now officially confirmed that the release date and price for a new PlayStation 4 console will be unveiled on September 7. While the Sony Korea blog post didn't explicitly say the words "Neo" or "Slim," Sony officially confirmed the existence of the high-end PS4 "Neo" console before E3 2016, and the Japanese console-maker is expected to announce the PS4 "Neo's"pricing and release date info during the meeting, which starts on Wednesday, September 7 at 3PM EST.

According to past evidence, leaks, and reports, Sony's high-end PS4 "Neo" will feature an upgraded GPU possibly based on AMD's new Polaris graphics architecture to enable native 1080p 60FPS gaming, upscaled 4K resolution gaming, and enhanced VR support. An alleged worker at a Foxconn manufacturing facility has sketched out a rough draft of the PS4 "Neo", possibly revealing key features of the console's design.

Batman fans have yet another date to look forward to this month with Telltale Games releasing the second episode for Batman: The Telltale Series digitally worldwide starting on the September 20. This announcement was made for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, as other devices and consoles will have to wait for now until further dates are revealed.

The new episode is called Episode 2: Children of Arkham, and it hasn't had much detail leaked about it so far, but will no doubt entertain Bat-fans regardless.

The five-episode series will also be available to purchase at retailers starting September 13 in North America, sold as a special Season Pass Disc to customers. This means that anyone who purchases this disc, will be able to see episodes before they are released digitally.

Disney have announced that they will be discontinuing the Marvel: Avengers Alliance app for smartphones. With hopes for a second edition to last longer, it now has a shutdown date scheduled for the 30th September, 2016. Both Avengers Alliance 1 & 2 games have failed performance expectations.

With May, 2016 seeing the end of Disney's Infinity collection after it was stated then that the last two products to hit store shelves would be Finding Dory and Alice through the Looking Glass. This poses the question as to whether or not Disney is strong enough to survive in the gaming world?

The website listed that it will no longer be accepting new purchases or downloads, but the games will be available to play until the end of September. The reason given for terminating the two games was to divert Disney's development focus towards other online and mobile play applications.

The sequel to the Disney Magical World is about to hit retailers next month, with The Magical World 2 to release exclusively for Nintendo 3DS in Europe and North America on October 14th.

The Magical World 2 will include new exciting adventures with characters Anna, Elsa and Olaf from the smash hit musical 'Frozen'. Players will also have the ability to dance with Disney princesses, ride with Mickey in the Magical Dream Parade, and take on ghostly mysteries throughout 6 different Disney-themed worlds.

The Disney Magical World 2 simulation lets you live amongst more than 100 Disney characters in Castleton, a magical town created where gamers can decorate and design dream homes, run a café, and buy hundreds of Disney-themed items.

Developers Hangar 13 and publisher 2K Games have announced the post-release content for Mafia 3, with confirmation made at the Mafia 3 panel over the weekend at PAX West. The release is scheduled for October 7 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

This will include new content for all players, with a 3-story expansion available individually, or via the Mafia 3 Season Pass. This can be purchased on its own or through the Mafia 3 Deluxe Edition or Collector's Edition.

The time frame and theme for the mob game is late 1968, and will be set in New Bordeaux, Lousiana. Similar to the New Orleans version, this title will possess era-related transportation, fashion and music from the late 60s.

It feels like every second day Hello Games is pushing out an update for No Man's Sky, and since two days have passed - we're here again with a new, and massive update to the game - which is seeing gigantic slides in player base numbers.

There are some PC-only fixes for No Man's Sky, including crash fixes for editing the settings file, as well as frame capping synchronization with V-Sync, which should result in framerate-related issues being fixed, and more. The full list is much more detailed:

Objectives and stuck without Hyper-drive Issues

Sony is set to unveil the refreshed PS4 and next-gen PS4 Neo console, but there's now a juicy rumor that is set to have the internet alight - Rockstar will unveil Grand Theft Auto 6 at the same time. The last we heard on GTA 6 was our report on the possibility that GTA 6 or Red Dead Redemption 2 could be unveiled soon, and then our report from early last year.

Rockstar is rumored to unveil GTA 6 at Sony's PlayStation Meeting this month, with it being teased by industry insider 'Tidux' on Twitter. Tidux tweeted a cryptic tease, with a little guitar and a star, followed by #PSM. Now, that might not sound like much - but the guitar could be 'rock' and the star is... well... a star. Rock + Star = Rockstar Games, thus the birth of refreshed GTA 6 rumors. Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive has confirmed the studio is working on some "exciting future projects" that culminate in a "robust development plan that extends well beyond the current fiscal year," causing the company to inflate its projected earnings for the next fiscal year.

If GTA 6 is unveiled next week, it would make for some interesting times regarding its release. Could we see GTA 6 on the PS4 and Xbox One, while the PS4 Neo and Xbox Scorpio could run a 1080p 60FPS or 4K version of the game, looking closer to the PC version of the game. It happened with GTA 5, which looked worlds better on the PC in high resolutions than it did on the potato boxes. Sony's PlayStation Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 7 starting at 3PM EST, and Sony has promised to livestream the event.

After two long years and who knows how many lawyer and court fees, the Supreme Court has officially dismissed Lindsay Lohan's lawsuit against Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive.

Two years ago Lindsay Lohan kicked off a legal battle against Rockstar Games for allegedly using her unauthorized likeness for Lacey Jonas, a character featured in Grand Theft Auto V that was used in promotional materials and box art. In March of this year it looked like Lohan had a legal leg to stand on when Judge Joan Kennedy motioned for the case to move forward.

Now half a year later, the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division has dismissed Lohan's case, citing that Grand Theft Auto V is a work of fiction and satire and therefore doesn't "fall under the statutory definitions of advertising or trade."

After decades of waiting, Shenmue fans might get their wish after all: SEGA is seriously contemplating remastering the original RPGs.

Earlier this year, SEGA said it wanted to bring back classic Dreamcast games. The publisher was instantly inundated with requests for Shenmue I & II remastered ports, with practically the entire gaming sphere discussing how awesome it'd be to replay the beloved series again (this nostalgic spirit manifested itself in the wildly successful Shenmue III Kickstarter). Now SEGA says that Shenmue remasters have its full attention.

"There is definitely a desire [to resurrect classic games]," SEGA Europe boss Jurgen Post told MCV. "Even online, people are constantly talking about products they would like to see come back, and Shenmue 1 and 2 are probably in the top two places. We are looking into it. It is an old IP, it is a beloved IP - and not just by consumers, but also within Sega, we have people saying that if we could do Shenmue 1 and 2 all over again, we'd definitely go for it."

Blizzard has surprised Xbox One and PS4 gamers with an Overwatch free-to-play weekend announced for next weekend, September 9-12, with all 22 characters and maps being made available.

During the free weekend, you can earn Loot Boxes and level up various characters to your hearts content, maintaining your progress if you decide to buy Overwatch after the free play weekend. PS4 owners won't need PlayStation Plus subscription in order to play online, while Xbox One owners will need a subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

Why you should play it: Overwatch is Blizzard's very first FPS, after so many RPS and MMORPG work in the years of Diablo and Warcraft, and with its team-based gameplay, the game has an incredible sense of achievement and teamwork. Most of all, it's damn fun - until you lose in the last 0.1m, and scream your house down.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, is finally available to download on the Wii U eShop. The game announcement was made at Nintendo's Direct Show, it was also revealed by the gaming company that they will be releasing 4 brand new, exciting Zelda influenced amiibo as well, scheduled for release soon.

In celebration of The Legend of Zelda series 30th anniversary, the amiibo available will be 8-bit Link, Ocarina of Time Link, and a double pack that includes Toon Link and Toon Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. These Zelda character amiibo will function just as previous ones had done so.

The upcoming Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launching next year will be the only one to have its own special functionality. The game is set to launch for the new console, NX, and Wii U in 2017, but as for an official release date, that has not yet been revealed to audiences.

I've been playing the Battlefield 1 open beta for the last few days, with some truly great 'only in Battlefield' moments that had me screaming with either glee or pure anger.

DICE has really amped up the feeling of presence in Battlefield 1, something that is crucial to VR gaming, but I felt it in BF1. There are so many things that are happening around you, that the improved graphics lend an even more lending hand to making you feel like you're right there in the middle of the desert, or in a room, or laying down in a ditch shooting and dodging fire from all sides.

Battlefield 1 is definitely some of the most fun that I've had in a Battlefield game so far, but also some instant classic gaming moments that most refer to the "Battlefield Moments", of which there are plenty in Battlefield 1. Do you know how many times I've been killed or hurt by a horse in BF1 so far? More times than I'd like to admit.

Games played on Sony's new PS4 Neo and Microsoft's "monster" Project Scorpio consoles will just be ordinary games remastered in higher 4K resolution.

Although both Sony and Microsoft have been explicitly clear that their new 4K-ready consoles won't have exclusive games, instead upscaling regular Xbox One and PlayStation 4 games to 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution, some people have had trouble conceptualizing what this actually means. Thanks to Gamingbolt's recent interview with Ride 2 developer Matteo Pezzotti, we have an easy way to loosely explain how the new consoles will play games.

Basically think of Project Scorpio and PlayStation 4 Neo as "remaster machines." The consoles are just remastering normal PS4 and Xbox One titles to achieve higher resolution and improved frame rates--the same way our current-gen systems remastered tons of Xbox 360 and PS3 games. So just think of the new consoles as the next evolution of console remasters: same exact game, just with better performance, ie improved frame rates, resolution, visuals, graphical settings, etc. thanks to new internal hardware.

A new exciting console is coming to store shelves this Fall! The highly anticipated Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition, or as it's been nicknamed, the 'NES Mini' will be available for purchase, November 11, 2016.

The newly developed miniature NES console will include 30 classic pre-loaded games, along with a single NES controller. Some of the games include Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, plus more!

Nintendo has now revealed that the emulator running the NES Mini is a brand new creation, developed differently from the emulator used for console games on the standard Wii and Wii U. This now means the NES Mini will provide different modes of display, from regular, to upscaled and even a "pixel perfect" mode, giving the old school vibe amongst gamers on their TVs.

Studio Wildcard has just set a new sleazy precedent for the gaming world: paid DLC expansions for early access games.

Ark: Survival Evolved isn't officially released yet and it's already getting a paid DLC pack. No, really; amid all the fruits that modern gaming has delivered, gamers have to toil through exploitative paygates galore, with microtransactions, season passes, freemium schemes, ridiculously shallow DLC packs eroding the very spirit of the industry.

Now Studio Wildcard has taken that a step further by releasing a $20 paid DLC for their unfinished early access online survival sim Ark: Survival Evolved, which is priced at $34.99 on the Xbox Store. So that's $54.99 total for an early access game. Let that sink in for a minute.