Gaming - Page 349

Old-school Unreal Tournament shooters will be taken offline in January 2023, Epic Games has announced.

The end of a classic PC gaming era is upon us. Epic Games is removing all Unreal Tournament games from storefronts and plans to turn off online multiplayer servers for games including Unreal Gold, Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament (2003), Unreal Tournament (2004), Unreal Tournament III, and the Unreal Tournament Game of the Year Edition. All versions of these games have already been de-listed from Steam and can no longer be found on the Epic Games Store.

Epic says that it is now shifting towards its more unified and cohesive Epic Online Services framework, which requires deprecating older builds of specific titles. Luckily, Epic says it plans to revive Unreal Tournament 3 to utilize its new services network.

Sony's new $119 a year PlayStation Plus Premium subscription just isn't worth it right now.

Sony recently announced all the new games coming to PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium. The offered games continue one big trend about Sony's new 3-tier PS Plus service: The more expensive Premium tier really isn't worth the price, at least right.

PS Plus Premium isn't much more expensive than PS Plus Extra. The Premium tier costs $119 per year, whereas Extra costs $99 a year. The main selling point for PS Plus Premium is access to a growing number of classic games across all PlayStation console generations, including PS1, PS2, PS3, and even PSP and Vita, access to Ubisoft+ titles, as well as being able to stream games to console and PC.

The Witcher 3's new upgrade on PC is a big mess right now and we recommend you hold off on the update until CD Projekt RED addresses the issues.

Today CD Projekt released The Witcher 3's massively anticipated next-gen version on consoles and PC. The game runs smoothly on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but the PC version is having big issues with big FPS drops and other game-breaking glitches including not being able to heal toxicity levels.

Frame rates are the biggest problems on PC right now. Gamers are reporting 45FPS with an RTX 3080 at 1440p with DLSS at RT Ultra with about 50% GPU utilization. Some 3090 owners are also reporting 45FPS perf. It looks like RTX is the issue, and turning raytracing off immediately gives a huge FPS boost in the 100+ FPS range. Other gamers are reporting instant crashes after they load a save that had raytracing turned on.

FromSoftware has one main goal with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and it's essentially aiming to be a love letter for die-hard mecha fans.

The collective gaming world has been waiting a long time for a new Armored Core game. It's been 10 years since the last title, and a few years since FromSoftware teased a new AC. Now the cat's out of the bag and the Souls developers are discussing their main motivations for Fires of Rubicon.

According to Hideki Miyazaki, Armored Core VI won't be a Souls-like, but it will have "intense boss battles" and it is primarily focused on singleplayer content, hearkening to the older days of the series.

Apart from the general chicanery, hijinks, and ultra-gory mayhem, Dead Island 2 has something new up its sleeve: You're actually a zombie. Well...sort of.

Like Dying Light 2, Dead Island 2 will also let players transform into a zombie to wreak total bloodthirsty havoc on Hell-A (a stylized version of L.A. where all hell breaks loose). The game's latest trailer, which has some surprisingly good-looking environments and effects, showcased some of the creative and ridiculous combat features and dynamics that players will explore as they absolutely annihilate the undead.

One of the more surprising parts is that you're not just killing undead...but you are the undead. Apparently players are actually infected with the HK pathogen and can call upon their powers at will. Gamers can go into a kind of berserk mode and just destroy everything around them.

After a year of waiting, it looks like PS4 and Switch owners are finally getting access to Square Enix's old-school Final Fantasy re-release collection.

The new Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are apparently coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Right now the games are currently only available on Steam and mobile, but the ESRB recently filed ratings for the PS4 and Switch versions of the games. Specifically, Final Fantasy's 1-6 all received separate listings, which indicates we may not get an all-in-one collection on these platforms and Square Enix could sell them individually at $17.99 each.

The new Pixel Remasters look to be the definitive way to experience these old-school RPGs. The games feature the same pixel-style charm as the originals alongside major quality-of-life improvements like an auto-battle system, a new modernized UI, and a background music player that lets players listen to their favorite tracks as they play.

Amid regulatory pressure and scrutiny of potential exclusivity, Microsoft has offered Sony, Nintendo, and Valve a 10-year deal to sell Call of Duty games on their respective platforms. Reports now indicate this deal is much better than we initially thought.

Microsoft's 10-year Call of Duty deal would also allow Sony to include the shooter franchise on its competing PlayStation Plus subscription service, sources have told Bloomberg. The development comes shortly after the FTC announced that it will attempt to sue to block the $68.7 billion merger of Microsoft and Activision, primarily on the grounds of possible competitive harm from Microsoft making key Activision franchises exclusive to its Xbox platform.

Sony has previously argued that adding Activision content to Xbox Game Pass, which Microsoft plans to do, would tip the scales in favor of Microsoft's multi-game subscription service. Our findings indicate that this could indeed happen. Now Microsoft is responding to this specific claim by allowing Sony to bolster its own directly-competing subscription service with the same $31 billion franchise that would theoretically elevate Xbox Game Pass.

Sony is bringing one of its best-selling franchises to the PC for the first time, and with a $10 price drop to boot.

The Last of Us Part I remake is coming to PC in March 2023, Sony has announced. The PC version will be the first time the game has launched on any other platform besides PlayStation, which already makes history for Sony's business model, and it will also be the fourth time the game has been released (TLOU on PS3, TLOU Remastered on PS4, the new remake on PS5, and the PC port).

We know this will be the remake because the title's Steam listing displays screenshots and key art that were used in remake promotional content and captured on PlayStation 5. Naughty Dog confirms Last of Us will be "newly optimized and enhanced for PC" but no specifics were given.

Tekken 7 has reached a new sales milestone on the heels of Tekken 8's new reveal.

One of the best fighting games of all time has now sold tons of copies. Tekken 7's total sales figures have now broken 10 million, Bandai Namco has officially confirmed. "It's official - TEKKEN 7 has reached 10 million copies sold! Thank you for your support, and let's get ready for the next battle... Together," the Japanese publisher said on Twitter.

This bumps total Tekken franchise sales to 54 million, which beats the closest Japanese competitor Street Fighter (49 million) by many millions of units, Tekken might be outselling Street Fighter, but it's still the third best-selling fighting game of all time behind Super Smash Bros. (over 70 million copies sold) and Mortal Kombat, which conquers with 73 million copies sold. Capcom is currently readying Street Fighter 6, whereas Netherrealm is reportedly working on a brand new Mortal Kombat fighter for new-gen systems.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is already the best-selling game of the year in the United States after just one month of sales.

Based on industry trends, the Call of Duty franchise is on track to deliver record earnings in 2022. Activision should break $9 billion in total annual revenues and Modern Warfare II is already breaking records, having achieved $1 billion in total game sales revenues in just 10 days time. These staggering revenues are expected to be even higher once monetization and in-game purchases are tallied up.

This tremendous sales momentum is reflected in data from the NPD Group, who tracks video game hardware, software, and accessories sales in the United States. According to the NPD Group's executive director of games Mat Piscatella, Modern Warfare II has become 2022's top-selling game in the region.

Tekken 8's latest trailer shows an insanely buff Marshall Law who's definitely getting at least 400g of protein a day.

Based on the recent Tekken 8 footage shown at The Game Awards, it looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger has been training Tekken's entire roster. Apparently the Iron Fist Tournament is also a Mr. Olympia contest. Kazuya has made some insane gains--he's all comic-book hero muscle. But the biggest transformation is probably Marshall Law and we've never seen him so incredibly built before now.

Katsuhiro Harada recently told IGN that Tekken 8 takes place just six months after Tekken 7. So Law went from a buff Bruce Lee to striated Ronnie Coleman in just...six months? Crazy. But that's Tekken for you.

Yoshi-P announces Final Fantasy XVI's official release date on PlayStation 5 at The Game Awards 2022.

Final Fantasy XVI will release on June 23, 2023 as a PS5 launch exclusive, Square Enix has confirmed. The latest trailer outlined the revenge-fueled quest of the game's main protagonist, Clive Rosfield, as he hunts down the fearsome Ifrit. The footage is an interesting mix of psychological torment and foreshadowing and impressive visual spectacles that make the PlayStation 5's power shine.

There's also some fast-paced hack-and-slash combat thrown in the mix, complete with towering Godzilla-like battles where the eikons (what Square Enix is calling FF16's summons) battle to the death.

Blizzard just released the most epic Diablo cinematic trailer in the history of the franchise to promote Diablo IV's release date.

Last night at The Game Awards showcase, Blizzard really struck a chord with Diablo fans. Scarlet-robed worshippers took the stage, which was imbued with blood-red light, and Halsey did an eerie performance. The real star was the incredible Diablo IV cutscene that was somehow better than haunting 9-minute announcement trailer that Blizzard released 3 years ago.

The footage showcased Archangel Inarius' forces of Light descending into the depths of Hell to slay Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, Lord of Hate. We've never seen Hell in such clear detail as we have in this trailer; the demons looked like something out of a film, Inarius shined with righteous fury, and the crusaders gleamed in their metallic armor.

Activision's communications executive Lulu Cheng Meservey delivers an official response to the FTC's decision to attempt to block the $68.7 billion merger with Microsoft.

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it will attempt to block the Microsoft-Activision merger on the grounds that it would harm competition, citing examples of Microsoft making newly-acquired IPs like Redfall, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls VI exclusive to Xbox. The implication is that Microsoft could degrade or withhold access to other franchises like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo if the deal were to go through.

Now Activision has published an official public response to the FTC's decision. In the response, the $8 billion company downplays Call of Duty's importance as the best-selling game franchise on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and how important the series is for the publisher itself. The statement reiterates key points made by Microsoft's executive team, highlighting the 10-year Call of Duty deals that Microsoft has made to Nintendo, Valve, and Sony (who has yet to respond or agree with the terms).

Jedi Survivor will have lots of nifty upgrades and new equipment to use in Cal's journey against the Dark Side of the Force.

Respawn just dropped official gameplay footage for Jedi Survivor, showing slick and fluid combat, some distressing narrative beats, and awesome adventure-based exploration with PS5 and Series X-quality visuals. The best part of the trailer is the new tricks that Cal Kestis learns and picks up along the way.

Survivor will bring some of the best upgrades that any action-adventure game can offer, including a grappling hook that lets Cal fling himself across gaps (it's actually called an "ascension cable"), and some new combat stances. This time around the Jedi can wield two lightsabers for quick and nimble strikes, or go with Kylo Ren's claymore-style lightsaber with a crossguard for more heavy and powerful attacks.

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's most successful game ever, and the studio wants to do a lot more things with the landmark RPG series.

FromSoftware's macabre mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki confirms that more Elden Ring content is on the way. At The Game Awards 2022, Miyzaki said that he and his team wants to create new content in the bizarre universe...which could range from an expansion to a completely new sequel.

"As for Elden Ring, we have several more things we want to do," Hidetaka Miyazaki said on stage after Elden Ring won the Game of the Year award.

Armored Core VI is officially happening, and FromSoftware is developing the new sci-fi mech battler.

After years of speculation, FromSoftware finally broke the news: It's developing a new Armored Core game, and the project is coming in 2023 to last-gen and current-gen consoles and PC.

This new Armored Core sequel is called Fires of Rubicon and will feature the series' distinct penchant for massive customization with next-gen graphics and a real dystopian look and feel. The reveal trailer looks like an epic anime series that hearkens back to the old-school Gundam days of yore with an incredible cinematic flourish.

Kevin Conroy will return for one last performance as the Caped Crusader in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in 2023.

Just last month, the world lost one of the most talented performers of all time. Kevin Conroy had passed away at 66, leaving behind an immortal legacy as the most renowned Batman voice actor of all time and an established theater actor. Now Rocksteady Studios pays tribute to Kevin Conroy by confirming he will return as Batman in the new Suicide Squad live game.

At The Game Awards, the developer announced that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would release on May 26, 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game pits players as one of four anti-hero members of the Suicide Squad that have to fight corrupted versions of Justice League superheroes, including Superman, and the Dark Knight Batman, who are deranged and hellbent on annihilating the human race in creative ways.

Death Stranding 2 is Hideo Kojima's next game, and it will feature an all-star cast with a completely re-written script.

Tonight at The Game Awards, Hideo Kojima announced Dead Stranding 2 with a truly bizarre new trailer (to be expected...it's Kojima after all). Kojima Productions had been releasing cryptic new teasers for DS2 (a working title) for a while, and now we know that the strange adverts were for DS2.

The sequel will star actors like Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Lea Seydoux (No Time to Die), Elle Fanning (Maleficent), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2) and video game voice actor Troy Baker.

After years of waiting, Ken Levine finally reveals his next game. It's called Judas, and it looks like a spiritual successor to the best-selling FPS franchise.

Years ago, Ken Levine closed down Irrational Games and carried over a lean team of developers to form Ghost Story Games, a new division within Take-Two Interactive. It's been a long, long time since we've heard from Levine and his team, but tonight at The Game Awards the team revealed their next immersive project.

Ghost Story Games isn't make BioShock 4. The team's new game is called Judas, and it looks like an innovative and stylish blend of Borderlands and BioShock, complete with awesome powers and a very retro-style 1950's aesthetic with Levine's signature look and feel.