Gaming - Page 293

Spider-Man 2 is due out for the PS5 in just two days now, and as you may be aware, there's a day-one patch for the game - and Insomniac has just shared some new info about it on X (formerly Twitter).

While we don't get to see any release notes, the tweet (spotted by Wccftech) reminds us that those who have plumped for a digital copy of Spider-Man 2 will get the version 1.001.002 patch included with the pre-load, so there's nothing to worry about on that score. They'll be good to go with the fully patched game from the off.

Those who have bought a disc copy, though, will want to download the update on launch day to get the "best experience" of the game.

Nintendo has revealed what Hogwarts Legacy will look like when it's running on the Nintendo Switch, only weeks out from the title's launch.

There are undoubtedly many Nintendo Switch gamers who want to get their hands on Hogwarts Legacy when it releases on the handheld console on November 14. However, some gamers may want to check out what the title looks like before making a purchase, as there are major expected graphical downgrades to get a game such as Hogwarts Legacy running on the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo has taken to its website to share six screenshots of in-game, and it's immediately clear there have been some big graphical downgrades. It should be noted that the Nintendo Switch version of Hogwarts Legacy was announced back in March 2022, and unlike the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, which only suffered a short delay, the Nintendo Switch version has been delayed more than a year.

Over the past several weeks, there have been a few different rumors surrounding Nintendo's next-generation console, which is presumably the "Nintendo Switch 2".

Previous rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 were very positive as they pointed to a significant performance that can be linked to the console purportedly being powered by an Ampere-based NVIDIA GPU that will enable DLSS. The performance hike would make the Nintendo Switch 2 comparable to the PS4 and Xbox One. It was only yesterday a Nintendo patent surfaced online that resembled a console design that looked like a complete step backward, as it didn't include Joy-Con controllers, only has one joystick, four front-facing buttons, and two shoulder buttons.

Now, another rumor is making the rounds, and it can be traced back to the XboxEra podcast, where co-host Nick Baker shared some information acquired from an unnamed source seemingly familiar with Nintendo's next console. The rumor is that there will be two versions of the Nintendo Switch 2 - one capable of playing Switch games and another that can't. So, if this rumor is true, Nintendo will be releasing one console that comes with backward compatibility and one that won't. Likely through one Switch 2 having cartridges and the other being purely digital.

A week before the game comes out, Free Range Games has released the opening cinematic for its newest upcoming survival game - The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

The opening cinematic is narrated by the iconic John Rhys-Davies, who is known for his role as Gimli, son of Gloin from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The actor is reprising his role of Gimli within Free Range Games' newest survival game as Rhys-Davis takes on Lord Gimli Lockbearer, who has sent out a letter to all the realms of dwarves living scattered in Middle-Earth after the destruction of the One Ring that marked the end of the Third Age.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is set in the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth, and is the only survival crafting game that has taken on such a challenge. Rhys-Davies will explain more about how he was involved in the Return to Moria on the Nerd of the Rings YouTube channel, check out that video below. From the opening cinematic, we can gather that Gimli has requested the dwarves take back the greatest city of the dwarves, founded by Durin - Moria.

Alan Wake 2 isn't too far away and will act as what could end up being the best-looking game on the PC this year with the very latest of NVIDIA's visual technologies like DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction, ray tracing, path tracing, and more on the GeForce RTX 40 series GPU owners playing the game.

But, before Alan Wake 2 is here, developer Remedy Entertainment has decided to do something a little daring with its marketing, and very "meta" of them considering the theme of Alan Wake itself. Epic Games and Remedy Entertainment have just announced Alan Wake: Flashback, a Fortnite experience that "reimagines Remedy Entertainment's iconic story".

Alan Wake: Flashback is available inside of Fortnite right now, using island code: 3426-5561-3374.

A new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed Netflix's motivation to move further into gaming by expanding its offerings of mobile games both based and not based on hit TV shows.

Netflix hasn't been quiet about its motivation to get into the gaming market, as it wasn't long ago that it announced it will be bringing Netflix subscribers direct access to a selection of games users can download and play on their smart TVs and computers. Additionally, the company announced it was going to be releasing a dedicated controller app that would turn an iOS device into a controller that can then be used to interact with games played on smart TVs.

Netflix already offers more than 70 games on its platforms, and according to the report from the WSJ, it will be expanding its library with games based on hit TV shows. The idea behind creating games based on hit TV shows would be to maintain interest in the show between seasons and ultimately maintain as many active Netflix subscriptions as possible.

There have been many rumors surrounding Nintendo's next-generation console, speculatively named "Nintendo Switch 2", and now we have a new patent to dive into that may very well be the first-ever look at what Nintendo's expected to launch next.

Previously, rumors surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 have suggested Nintendo's next-generation console will be powered by an Ampere-based NVIDIA chip that will come with support for DLSS, making the performance comparable to the PS4 and Xbox One. Now, a patent that was filed in 2022 and published in October 2023 has given some insight into what the new console could look like design-wise.

The above image suggests that the new console won't feature Nintendo's Joy-Con controllers and will only have one joystick on the lefthand side of the screen. Additionally, the patent indicates it will feature four buttons on the right-hand side of the screen and two shoulder buttons at the top of the console. Furthermore, the home button is located at the bottom of the device, which is also home to the USB port, speakers, and a button dedicated to capturing gameplay recordings.

Insomniac Games is one of my favorite game developers on the planet, creating the absolutely beautiful worlds of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Marvel's Spider-Man as well as the Remastered version, and Spider-Man Miles Morales on the PlayStation 5 (at first) and then the PC.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has just launched on the PlayStation 5, and now the fine folks over at Digital Foundry have done a deep dive on the game. This includes testing between the Fidelity and Performance modes for Spider-Man 2, where Fidelity Mode renders Spider-Man 2 at a dynamic 1440p or 4K while holding to its 30FPS target. However, if you've got a 120Hz display, enable the 120Hz display and then you can access 40FPS for Fidelity Mode.

Spider-Man 2 also has a Performance Mode, which will run at a dynamic 1008p to 1440p -- so, a much lower rendering resolution -- but has a pretty solid 60FPS performance to enjoy. Spider-Man 2 is the kind of game where 60FPS is going to feel buttery smooth to play, versus the much slower 30FPS -- although, I will add that the 40FPS mode on a 120Hz display option is nice to see -- but 60FPS is where it's at in a game as gorgeous as this.

Cities: Skylines II, the highly anticipated city builder sequel from developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interactive, recently saw its PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch delayed to Spring 2024. Delaying a game in 2023 is not uncommon, with developers often using extra time to iron out lingering bugs and improve overall performance.

This doesn't seem to be the case for the Cities: Skylines II on PC, which is still on track for an October 24 launch. Ahead of the game's debut, Colossal Order and Paradox released a statement addressing community concerns relating to the recommended hardware to play the game, asking for a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and a modern Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU. And increase over the initial requirements.

According to the team, performance will be an issue on PC, and it wants to "manage expectations on performance" after not achieving the "benchmark we targeted." And yet, the game won't be delayed.

Sony's upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro console has been teased in a recent video and tweet by RedGamingTech, and it's teasing a fairly beefed-up PS5 Pro that would offer some decent performance bumps to both the CPU and GPU inside of the console.

According to the rumor, the upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro console would maintain its 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2-based CPU but bring the clock speeds up a little over the APU inside of the PlayStation 5, which is CPU clocks at up to 3.5GHz, up and into the low 4GHz range. Not bad.

The current PlayStation 5 console has an RDNA 2-based GPU with 36 CUs at up to 2.23GHz, while RedGamingTech is teasing a heavily beefed-up RDNA 3 hybrid GPU with 60 CUs at between 2.5GHz to 2.8GHz.

Netflix is interested in securing the Grand Theft Auto license and releasing a new GTA game for Netflix subscribers, but the billion-dollar streamer may have a difficult time convincing Take-Two Interactive to bite.

Despite the rising costs of games development and fierce competition, Netflix is committed to living out its video game ambitions. Netflix has started to add mobile games to its service as a free bonus for subscribers, and has even purchased game development studios to help fuel new content.

Now it looks like Netflix is doubling-down on its gaming plans. Sources have told The Wall Street Journal that Netflix is looking to release a number of new games based on franchises and properties included in its catalog, with discussions circling around game adaptations of Black Mirror, and new games based on Addams family spin-off Wednesday and Squid Game are being made. But Netflix wants to make a big splash and is seeking some of the biggest IPs to make it happen, including the mega-selling Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Epic has kicked off a new scheme whereby game developers are having a huge carrot dangled in front of them in order to encourage them to bring older titles to the Epic Games Store.

It's called 'Now On Epic' and is described as a back catalog incentive program. The incentive is that the developer keeps all revenue made from any eligible previously released game, with Epic taking no cut, for the first six months of sales on the store.

After that, the contract reverts to the normal deal whereby Epic takes a 12% slice of the pie (with the dev getting 88%).

Pete Hines is leaving Bethesda after 24 years of gaming.

There's few public faces in gaming that are more influential than Pete Hines. Known affectionately as Uncle Pete, Hines has been a pivotal figurehead for the games industry. Throughout the decades we have seen Uncle Pete take the stage at E3 and beyond, offering quips and showcasing some of the most influential games of our era.

Now just weeks after Starfield's launch, Hines is retiring and leaving the studio on a high note. Across his tenure at Bethesda, Pete Hines has influenced so many facets of the company's releases--he is credited on 89 games, and even went so far as to edit the guidebook for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (which happens to be my favorite guide of all time).

With the release of Coutner-Strike 2, Valve has officially closed the door on CS:GO, with the new version of the game bringing a much-needed visual and server-side overhaul to one of the most popular games currently out there.

Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 kicks off this week, with the finals set to take place this weekend - where the top six teams (including Aussie locals Grayhound.Rivalry and VERTEX Esports Club) will battle it out for their share of the USD 250,000 prize pool. The winning team will also have the honor of being the Counter-Strike 2 champions in addition to getting one step closer to Intel Grand Slam V.

The competition is underway, and you can watch all the action on the ESL Counter-Strike YouTube and Twitch channels.

Although the Microsoft-Activision merger has been greenlit by European and UK regulators, and despite the fact that Microsoft has already welcomed Activision into its business, the Federal Trade Commission is still committed to challenging the business combination.

The FTC may have lost its preliminary injunction trial, but the agency shows no signs in giving up on its quest to disrupt the Microsoft-Activision merger. The FTC re-opened its administrative trial back in September, meaning the Microsoft-Activision merger will be scrutinized in the agency's own internal courts.

This process is overseen by an Administrative Law Judge--in this case, Judge D. Michael Chappell--who will deliver a final verdict on whether or not that Microsoft-Activision merger violates or breaks any antitrust laws. The FTC's Commissioners can, however, vote to overrule the ALJ's determination, and potentially order a divestiture to unwind the meger.

The video games industry is bigger than most people realize, commanding revenues of several hundred billion dollars.

Every quarter, video games publishers make one thing very clear: Gaming is by far the largest entertainment medium on the planet. But how big is gaming really? Concrete figures are hard to come by, and the total sum of yearly earnings can vary depending on which analyst firm is reporting figures. That being said, executive-level management at the top gaming publishers have the most up-to-date information available.

According to EA Entertainment President Laura Miele, gaming is expected to be a nearly $350 billion revenue business.

Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies worldwide across all platforms, making it the second best-selling game of all time behind Tetris.

Xbox's most-profitable and best-selling game has achieved a new milestone. We're talking about Minecraft, of course; the voxel-based mega-hit has now sold over 300 million copies on all platforms, from multiple generations of consoles across PlayStation and Xbox to PC and mobile.

"As we approach the 15th anniversary, Minecraft remains one of the best-selling games of all time, with over 300 million copies sold, a milestone no one could have dreamed of when we were all placing our first blocks," Mojang has announced. And yes, Minecraft will turn 15 years old next year.

343 Industries has a dedicated team working on the next Halo game's campaign, new reports indicate.

Halo gamers are holding out hope that Infinite will get some sort of new campaign DLC content, but it sounds like 343i is already laying the foundations for the next mainline Halo game. Sources have told Ains, the editor-in-chief of Seasoned Gaming, that 343 Industries has a group that's planning out the next Halo singleplayer campaign storyline.

These assertions match up with reports from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier from early 2023, which discussed how 343 Industries was hit particularly hard by the recent Microsoft layoffs. 343i had restructured its business following the departure of studio founder Bonnie Ross, with Master Chief Collection head Pierre Hintze taking over for Ross. The studio had outright eliminated some roles while also making layoffs and letting people go in the process.

The inclusion of Xbox games on NVIDIA's GeForce Now service may have affected subscription pricing.

A day before Competition and Markets Authority approved the $68.7 billion Microsoft-Activision merger, NVIDIA raised the price of its GeForce Now cloud game streaming service across Europe, Canada, and the UK. Despite the timing, the increase may be coincidental and not necessarily be associated with merger clearance. NVIDIA says that the decision was to help offset higher operational costs associated with delivering the service in those regions.

Microsoft and NVIDIA have recently started to execute their 10-year cloud deal, which brings key first-party Xbox studios titles to NVIDIA's GeForce Now on a regular cadence. The list includes both new and old Xbox games, ranging from catalog titles to Starfield, and the 10-year licensing deal was a big reason why the European Commission cleared the merger.

Best Buy may not be the only retailer to stop shelving physical media in 2024: Reports say that Wal-Mart could remove Xbox games from its inventory sometime next year.

Retailers are no stranger to nixing products from store shelves. Online direct-to-consumer commerce has put a squeeze on big box retailers to only stock items that can be sold at a profit--or as near a profit as possible--and to cut out things that just don't move volume.

Now that consumers have shifted towards digital media via subscriptions and direct purchases, retailers like Best Buy have decided to stop selling physical DVDs and Blu-rays altogether. Best Buy will still sell games across Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo, but the same may not be able to be said for the world's largest retail chain.