Gaming - Page 1012

Some early footage of Halo 5: Forge on PC has surfaced, and it's bound to get you excited to finally have the sci-fi shooter series back on the platform. With it, you get a good look at multiplayer, the various maps (including newcomer Mercy), and a peek at control options like raw input, toggle sprint, and toggle crouch. You also get to check out Halo in 4K for the first time (to my knowledge, anyway). See for yourself:

Remember that you'll need 16GB of RAM for the 4K 60FPS glory on the PC, as well as a beefy GPU. Forge will launch September 8 for Windows 10 PCs.

The Battlefield 1 beta launches tomorrow for Insiders (and the day after for everyone else). As you may know, this version of the game will feature Rush mode. Many hope it will be a return to form for developer DICE, which once won a lot of love from fans with Bad Company 2's introduction of the now franchise mode. Unfortunately, early impressions from Battlefield aficionado LevelCap raise concerns.

The Sinai desert map features at least two tanks on each side. The mode has never been known to have more than one, focusing instead more on infantry gameplay and leaving the vehicle gameplay primarily to Conquest, thus differentiating the two. It's even more troublesome with the 24 player count and lack of cover, further emphasizing vehicle gameplay. The lack of cover also means lots of snipers, so as of now, it seems you're pretty much relegated to sniping or tanking, lest you die a lot unnecessarily.

Additionally, a new timer means you only have a set amount of time to attack or defend the bombs. This might be all well and good (and flavourful), but as LevelCap points out, it conflicts with the ticket system which tends to reward slower-paced methodical strategy. DICE has expressed a willingness to change the new Conquest ticket system -- which counts up instead of down -- depending on beta feedback however, so it's likely they have the same attitude toward Rush.

Sony's new high-end upgraded PlayStation 4 Neo console has been sketched out by a Foxconn worker, showing what looks to be a cross between a PS4 and a PS2.

The new 4K-ready PlayStation 4 Neo (aka PS4K, PS4.5) retains the rhomboidal design set forth by the original PS4, combining with the PS2's crenellated style for a rather unique-looking console. That's if a Foxconn worker's rough sketch can be believed, of course. Remember that Foxconn is currently manufacturing Sony's PlayStation 4 Neo--among tons of other technology--so the workers have seen tons of unreleased hardware behind closed doors.

The source says that "five or six thousand of these machines" are in a particular production line, and that the purported PS4 "Neo" console is 3cm thicker than original PS4 and is "heavier like bricks," possibly weighing 8 or 9 lbs. Perhaps the most interesting tidbit is that the worker mentions something about a "PS Plus-like device" in the works. This could be the fabled next-gen PS Vita "Trinity" that would fill out Sony's triumvirate (Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity).

Overwatch continues to expand into new territories, with Blizzard signing a deal with Facebook that allows Overwatch players to stream their battles to News Feed and friends over Facebook Live.

Blizzard has only rolled out the Facebook streaming ability to Overwatch gamers on the PC in certain countries, incuding the United States, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Other countries will have their FB Live streaming feature enabled in the coming months - but for those living in the countries where it works, it's super simple.

All you have to do is connect your Battle.net account with your Facebook account, and start streaming your Overwatch games to Facebook - it's really quite simple.

World of Warcraft is making a comeback right now, with Creative and Twitch teaming up what could end up as the largest global initiative to gather all World of Warcraft gamers in a single platform for the race towards level 110.

The current level cap in World of Warcraft is 100, but now the race will be towards 110 with the help of Twitch and Creative. What better way to do this than by having a huge prize pool? Up for grabs is an NZXT case, Hue+ lighting system and Grid+ fan controller - while Creative throws in a Sound Blaster H5 Gaming Headset, AlphaPad Gaming Mousepad, and G5 Soundcard - all in the grand prize, too.

There will be 5 consolation winners, each receiving a Sound Blaster X AlphaPad Gaming Mousepad and an NZXT LED Lighting Kit. You'll have to register on Sound Blaster's official website, for the race to level 110 competition.

Nintendo has gamers excited with the possibilities of their next-gen NX console, but we know nothing concrete so far - but now there are reports that an Nintendo NX prototype featured a 6.2-inch 720p multi-touchscreen.

The report is coming from Emily Rogers, who some refer to as a 'Nintendo insider', with Rogers tweeting that the "NX prototype had a 6.2 inch 720p multi-touch touchscreen. Unknown if final product's screen size will be larger / smaller than prototype". The more interesting tweet from Rogers teased that the NX prototype featured a docking station for USB ports, with the prototype at the time reportedly having two USB ports. Rogers' previous information hasn't been correct, but she has landed some reports that turned out to be true.

Derek and I have talked about this behind the scenes for a while now, and I've been telling him that NX would feature a docking station of some sort. I think if Nintendo wants to succeed, it needs to truly stand out from Microsoft and Sony as the Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Neo will be powerhouses compared to the usually conservative Nintendo.

CD Projekt RED's total worth now exceeds one billion dollars thanks to consistently strong cummulative sales growth in Witcher 3 properties and record-breaking GOG.com and GOG Galaxy revenues.

Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt RED has just posted its first half earnings for 2016, and the results are good. CDPR's year-over-year earnings fell a bit as H1 2015 saw huge earnings thanks to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's launch, but the Polish AAA devs have raked in 319 million Zloty ($82.7 million USD) in sales revenues. Out of that value the company earned 135 million Zloty ($34.9 million) in profits, representing 42% profitability. That's only down 4% from CDPR's 1H2015's net profitability of 46%.

As a result of this consistent market performance, CD Projekt RED now has a rated capitalization of 3,919,038,000 Zloty, or $1 billion USD.

Sony's new PlayStation 4 "Slim" model is confirmed to support the new 5G 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard.

Sony's new cheaper, lighweight PS4 "Slim" model will support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless frequencies across 802.11ac/n/g thanks to its new Wi-Fi networking card. Users will be able to switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at any time, provided they have the requisite networking technology.

Verified PS4 "Slim" owner Shortman82 took a picture of the new PS4's manual, which states: "The frequencies used by the wireless networking feature of this product are the 2.4GHz / 5GHz ranges. The 2.4GHz range of radio waves is shared by various devices. This product has been designed to minimize the effect of other devices using the same range. Only use 5GHz band wireless equipment indoors."

CON MAN fans, the wait is over with the new game released by Monkey Strength Productions, available now for Apple and Android devices. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and begin the life of a comic book convention manager.

The game features Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion and the cast of the Con Man web series in assisting you to create the largest, most diverse convention ever: Shock-A-Con! The game utilizes all management-like tasks cons require to operate, from unclogging toilets to emptying trash cans, the app has the realistic qualities of a standard convention. Not forgetting the infamous crowd control as well.

Self-titled, the simulated game is based upon the hit show CON MAN, where characters from season 1 will assist you in everything from placing VIP booths, to attracting cosplayers and even hiring staff when needed. Everything a real comic book convention would need in order to run smoothly. You are the creator, you have the ability to build it your way!

It's official - Ubisoft has announced that they will be eliminating the servers for four PC free-to-play games by the end of 2016. The first three games will be removed by October with the fourth scheduled for December. Ubisoft's website confirms the news, along with the names and dates of the games coming to an end.

So far The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot will be ending on the 25 of October whilst Might & Magic Duel of Champions and Tom Clancy's Endwar Online are set to finish October 31 with the fourth game, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms will be shuttered on December 1. In addition to this, the closures will also effect the game's websites, forums, and social media channels as they too will be eliminated in the process. Ubisoft will also be discontinuing any updates/upgrades prior to these end dates.

The fate was decided by the French gaming development company due to the lack of interest, with the added issue of declining numbers on forums and channels amongst gamers. This then posses the idea, after this cull who else is on the list for termination due to popularity decrease? All we know thus far is that these four titles are the only ones that have been announced for the chopping block, that we know of.

The wait is nearly over with SEGA unveiling the next chapter in the Sonic Boom universe; Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. The new game is set to be released for single and multiplayer on September 27, with Sonic and his friends out to save the world. The infamous Dr. Eggman has discovered the supercharged element ragnium on the mythical Island of Ragna Rock, and whilst mining it has created a new project that's causing problems in this unexpected turn of events, Sonic and his friends might have to save Dr. Eggman from his own creation.

Choose your favourite character and race through this brilliant new adventure as Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles or Sticks to stop the dreaded Dr. Eggman and an all new creation making their debut, D-Fekt. The game lets you wilde the power of fire and ice to burn through obstacles, puzzles, and freeze enemies in their tracks. Embrace classic character abilities such as Sonic's speed, Tails' flight, Knuckles' strength, Sticks' Boomerang and Amy's hammer to explore, fight and race through an undiscovered land like never seen before.

Compete with your friends in 2-player bot racing and unlock 6 new tracks as you collect artifacts along your way throughout this new world. Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice boss battles are so big they take up both screens, not forgetting to play mini-games filled with puzzles and time trials including an updated Sea Fox.

Final Fantasy 15 isn't just pure open-world; it offers a healthy mix of open and linear-based environments to ensure gamers experience both something new and something familiar.

In a recent interview with Famitsu Final Fantasy 15 game director Hajime Tabata revealed that the game's main campaign consists of 15 chapters, and that half of them will be set in the open environments whereas the other half is linear-based.

"The entire game structure for Final Fantasy XV consists of both open-world and linear parts. The first half keeps going as an open-world, but the story in the second half's is led by a linear path. That way, you won't get bored of an open-world as the rest of the game tightens, so we made it in a way that you'll also get to advance through it as you have in conventional Final Fantasy games," Tabata confirmed.

Nintendo promises that it's learned from its past mistakes, mainly the improper communication surrounding the Wii U. The Japanese console giant says it absolutely has to change its ways and make sure consumers know exactly what its new NX console actually is (even if Nintendo still hasn't revealed it just yet).

One of the main reasons the Wii U failed was the simple fact that most consumers thought it was an add on for the Wii, not an entirely new console. Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime says the company won't make that mistake with its new NX system, which is believed to be a unique handheld/console hybrid that combines the three facets of mainstream gaming into one device: mobile, handheld, and console gaming.

"One of the things that we have to do better when we launch the NX-we have to do a better job communicating the positioning for the product. We have to do a better job helping people to understand its uniqueness and what that means for the game playing experience," Fils-Aime said in a recent interview with A-List Daily.

UPDATE 2: Apparently not everyone will receive a refund from Steam, and your mileage may vary and there's not an automatic 100% success rate. But a good portion of gamers are reporting successful refunds if they cite certain reasons, ie technical problems and misleading advertisements.

UPDATE: Some PS4 users are reportedly getting refunds for digital No Man's Sky purchases on PSN, despite Sony's staunch zero refund policy.

Due to false advertising, Steam is reportedly now accepting No Man's Sky refunds regardless of playtime--albeit in a case-by-case basis.

Microsoft is finally bringing Halo 5 to the PC with the release of Halo 5 Forge and as we get closer to the release on September 8, we're receiving more details on the game. Now we have the system requirements, and boy do you require quite the beast to run Halo 5 Forge on the PC at 4K 60FPS.

You'll need at least 12GB of RAM, and a graphics card with at least 4GB of VRAM for gaming at 1080p 60FPS, but that gets bumped up to a huge 16GB of RAM and 6GB of VRAM for gaming at 4K and 60FPS. You'll need a GeForce GTX 970 for 1080p 60FPS and a GTX 980 Ti for 4K 60FPS. Microsoft is including some nice touches to the PC side with Halo 5 Forge, with higher resolutions than the Xbox versions of Halo, and you can build maps with Forge, too.

As for the system requirements, here's the full rundown of what you'll need to play Halo 5 Forge when it launches on September 8.

An e-mail from developer DICE's PR outfit sent out to press confirms the Battlefield 1 open beta will run from August 31 through September 8, for a total of eight days. If you've signed up to Battlefield Insider, you can get in one day early, as recently confirmed (again) by @Battlefield.

As previously reported, the beta will feature both Conquest and Rush modes on the Sinai desert map. Rush won't be the usual fare, with 24 players supported and the inclusion of "telegraph posts" that can be destroyed by attackers or used by defenders to call in artillery strikes.

Ubisoft had expected to push out The Division's upcoming 'Last Stand' DLC later this year, but the company has had a change of heart - and a change of plan, by delaying Last Stand until "early 2017", while it fixes on "improving the core gameplay experience". Is this a new Ubisoft? What the hell is happening?!

In a post on The Division's official website, the team said that the upcoming v1.4 patch arriving in October would be filled with bug fixes, game balancing adjustments, and other improvements. Ubisoft was also expected to release The Division's next expansion dubbed Survival with the v1.4 patch, but the company has decided against that and will instead release them separately.

The Division's third expansion 'Last Stand' has been pushed back from late 2016 to early 2017, with Ubisoft explaining: "With Update 1.4 in the works, it has become clear with your feedback and our own observations that our priority should now be on improving the core gameplay experience. This new schedule will not only enable us to strengthen the core experience before adding new content, but also continuously improve it by allowing for more production time to ensure the quality of future updates as well".

A good portion of THQ Nordic's unannounced games will be based on renowned THQ IPs--anyone want Darksiders 3 or a new Titan Quest?

Ever since Nordic Games bought up key properties from THQ and became THQ Nordic, games across the globe were elated to know some of their favorite THQ series--like Titan Quest, Darksiders and Destroy All Humans--would live on despite the publisher's untimely demise. Now company CEO Lars Wingefors teases that "quite a few" of THQ Nordic's upcoming games are based on classic THQ IPs.

"Since we acquired the THQ brand, we have come to realize just how big that name actually is," Wingefors said in a recent interview with MCV.

On September 7, Sony is expected to unveil a new thinner and cheaper PS4 model alongside the 4K-ready upgraded PS4 Neo. Now we have our first look at the new so-called "PS4 Slim" model.

Since Sony's new PlayStation 4 Slim model and its accompanying DualShock 4 model have been confirmed as real, we can now start treating the leaked info from console owners as facts. Twitter user Shortman84 has a leaked PlayStation 4 Slim console and the new DualShock 4 controller (model CUH-ZCT2), and has revealed key information about the system and what to expect from the new PS4 hardware revision.

The owner reveals that the PS4 Slim features everything we'd expect in a new revision: it's thinner, runs cooler and quieter, and has a few features shaved off to lower the price despite retaining the basic functionality of current PS4 models. The new DualShock 4 controller has some nice surprises too, including more efficient battery life and a new mode that boosts response times. Check below for a full list of the info we've gleaned so far.

Steam gamers are ejecting escape pods from No Man's Sky crashing ship, likely due the game's notorious over-hyped and underwhelming content.

When it launched just weeks ago, No Man's Sky peaked at an incredible 212,620 simultaneous users, making it the biggest Steam release of 2016 in concurrent players. Since then the game has been bleeding players left and right.

According to SteamSpy and SteamDB, just two weeks later after its launch, No Man's Sky's concurrent Steam playerbase has dropped by 90% to just 19,336 players. Just four days ago we reported on a 78% drop in No Man's Sky Steam gamers, and it will be interesting to see how many more players jump ship in the coming weeks.