Gaming - Page 473

The Medium, the only next-gen Xbox Series X/S exclusive game currently on the market, is coming to the PlayStation 5.

The ESRB has rated Bloober Team's bizarre thriller The Medium for PS5. The developer signed a timed-exclusivity deal with Microsoft and sometime soon the only next-gen Xbox game will be a cross-platform release.

Remember that Microsoft has avoided pushing first-party next-gen exclusives so far in an effort to allow cross-compatibility between generations--a strategy that Sony is now following after it said it "believed in generations." That's a big reason why there aren't many Xbox Series X/S exclusives out in the wild.

NVIDIA's new GeForce Game Ready 466.63 WHQL drivers are here, ready for Hello Games and its new Update 3.5 adding NVIDIA DLSS support into No Man's Sky for huge performance boosts.

The new GeForce Game Ready 466.63 WHQL drivers add support for NVIDIA's recently-released GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, in case you were able to find one of those on the market. NVIDIA's new drivers also provide improved support for Chivalry 2, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, and the new NVIDIA Reflex additions into War Thunder and Escape from Tarkov.

There are also the usual bug fixes and issues fixed, where if you were using a 4K 120Hz monitor it wasn't available in display settings on a GeForce RTX 20 series or GeForce GTX 16/10 series GPU. VR systems, if connected to a 4K TV, would freeze when launching a VR game -- now fixed.

Hello Games has just pushed out a pretty damn huge update for No Man's Sky with its new 3.5 update codenamed Prisms, with a visual overhaul, and even more -- with some special sauce with NVIDIA's DLSS tech included.

The new No Man's Sky Prisms update has new texture effects, biome detail, skies, reflections and warp effects, as well as improved lighting, rain, and particle effects that will make weather look even better. The new Prisms update also introduces NVIDIA's game-changing DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology.

If you're playing on the PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One X or PlayStation 5 consoles then you'll get screen space reflections with the new Prisms update for No Man's Sky. This will add reflective surfaces and improved lighting quality to countless locations in the game. These upgrades will include the Space Anomaly, space stations, Atlas stations, freighter hangars and derelict freighters.

EA has just ramped up the hype for the new Battlefield by sending influencers a DM (direct message) on Twitter, with a scrambled transmission that has since been decoded.

Jack Frags was one of the influencers who received the Battlefield 6 marketing, where the scrambled transmission teased: "Some of you want to return home. I must tell you the truth. Do we accept our fate? If you can fire a gun ... we need you. War is the only way home".

If you notice, the transmission was intercepted at 3600 hours -- but military time only goes up to 2400 hours (midnight) which has led people to believe that the new Battlefield either takes place in an alternate timeline or universe, or in the future.

Deep Silver tempers expectations and confirms that it won't show off three of its most-anticipated projects at E3 2021.

It's been a long time since we've heard about Dead Island 2, but the wait will continue. Publisher Deep Silver today confirmed that its subsidiaries--Dambuster Studios and Volition--won't be showing off new Dead Island 2 or Saints Row V footage or info during the upcoming Koch Primetime event at E3.

That's a pretty big bummer. Oh, and the new Metro game (which now has online multiplayer) won't be shown off either, but that's to be expected as that project is still early in development at 4A Games, who is now under Saber Interactive.

New reports say Halo Infinite will release in September 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, complete with a new online network with ambitious multiplayer.

Halo Infinite could beat Call of Duty and Battlefield to the market with a strategic September launch. According to YouTuber Colteastwood, Halo Infinite will release in in the pre-Holiday calendar Q3 period, likely to avoid congestion from big slate set for the latter half of the year.

Eastwood also echoes rumors that Halo Infinite's multiplayer could be the biggest yet with its new Halo Infinite Online ecosystem, which incorporates F2P with the premium game. Infinite Online will have a unique hybrid MP mode with co-op and competitive that's described as Battlefield Conquest meets Big Team Battle and traditional battle royale.

EA and DICE deliver a new cryptic message to influencers and content creators calling them to war, and reveal tidbits about the upcoming Battlefield in the process.

Based on ARG transmissions sent out by EA to key content creators, Battlefield 6 may indeed be set in World War 3 with a foreign power occupying the United States. The message warns players that they "have no home to return to," strongly signifying the country has been overrun and taken over. "War is the only way home," the transmission says.

What's most interesting a particular snippet: "...if you can cry havoc," which is a quote directly lifted from the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar: "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

New leaked Battlefield 6 screenshots show insane next-gen weather effects like sandstorms that completely engulf the map, a futuristic desert-city, and high-tech weaponry that doesn't exist yet.

Four pre-alpha screenshots for the massively anticipated new Battlefield leaked out that confirm a futuristic setting for the game. There's a high-tech metropolis, possibly Dubai, set amidst desert dunes with sweeping verdant gardens right out of a sci-fi John Berkey painting. Or maybe it's the Apple campus in Cupertino, California. The weather effects are monstrous this time; huge roiling clouds of a mega haboob--devastating sandstorms that blast the world from the Middle East to Airzona--sandwall scour the entire city, stretching all the way to the sky.

One player shoots at a crashing helicopter as the sandwall creeps in, promising doom. The screenshots show a brilliantly-lit city at night as well as ground combat set during the same time.

In a surprising move, Dark Horse Comics has opened its own gaming division aimed at licensing key comic IPs for big AAA releases.

The gaming world could be due for some new Hellboy, Sin City, and even The Mask video games. Comic heavyweight Dark Horse just created Dark Horse Games, a label that will coordinate and partner with key games industry developers and publishers to create games based on specific franchises. The comic-maker's vault of IPs are ripe for video game adaptations with a number of dark-and-gritty franchises.

"We are very focused on finding the right game development partner for top IPs," Dark Horse Games general manager Johnny Lee told VentureBeat.

A new Reddit post just leaked out 2K Games' new slate of titles, and it looks like Gearbox's next project isn't a new IP after all.

2K Games' E3 2021 slate has apparently leaked out, and the information has been corroborated by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier so it's definitely legitimate. 2K has some interesting projects in development including a new Borderlands spin-off starring Tiny Tina, and based on a recent trademark, it's like called Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. This game has been described as an "immersive core" game by Take-Two.

The next project is a turn-based game from Firaxis that's described as XCOM meets Marvel complete with superheroes. Finally we have a new project codenamed Volt, which is described as "Saints Row meets Cthulu," possibly featuring open-world live service elements in a Lovecraft-based sci-fi universe.

The new Battlefield reveal trailer on June 9 won't be a small teaser with limited info--EA says DICE will talk "a whole lot" about the game.

Next week on June 9 at 10AM EST, DICE and EA will finally announce the new Battlefield game. Outside of hype and reports, official details are slim. That's about to change.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson says the new Battlefield game will be huge--and rightly so, considering it will be one of the major tentpoles for EA's record $7.3 billion in revenues.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, EA CEO Andrew Wilson says the "games industry is on fire," and he's right.

Thanks to pandemic spending surges, 2020 was one of the biggest years in modern gaming. Major publishers like EA, Activision-Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all reported record gaming revenues. Many of these games-makers project that 2021 will deliver better results.

EA, in particular, expects significant growth in its FY2022 period (ends March 2022) to $7.3 billion in revenues, or 18% topline growth. The company is enacting a new three-part business plan that emphasizes mobile, premium games, and new business models across its portfolio, along with new additions from Codemasters and Glu Mobile. 2021 will be mostly centered around EA Sports, Battlefield, and Apex Legends, all of which will offer both premium and free-to-play experiences.

Square Enix confirms its new E3 2021 showcase for Sunday, June 13 at 3:15 PM EST, and confirms a new Eidos Montreal game will be revealed at the event.

Square Enix has some big surprises in store for next Sunday's E3 panel, including a world premiere for Eidos Montreal's newest game. So what are the devs working on? We've known since 2017 that the Deus Ex developer has been working on a Guardians of the Galaxy project as part of Square Enix's big multi-year deal with Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy was in early planning phases as Crystal Dynamics shifted towards Marvel's Avengers.

Later in 2017, Eidos Montreal said it would focus on live-driven games by "placing an added emphasis on the online experiences in our games, striving to continually provide players with content that is memorable and impactful." Then in 2018 studio head David Anfossi said the team would keep experimenting with online gaming.

GTA 6 might use crypto as its main in-game currency instead of cash, rumors say.

Rockstar might create its own fictional cryptocurrency for Grand Theft Auto 6 that would be doled out for specific mission rewards. The idea is that certain NPCs need to pay in untraceable currency, hence Bitcoin or another crypto being used for the transaction. Gamers may even be able to trade crypto in-game as well. Based on this rumor, the game would be set in modern day or even the future, likely with heavy emphasis on satirizing the current crypto trends.

The rumor comes from Tom Henderson, who's known for accurately depicting leaked internal Battlefield 6 footage, but there's absolutely nothing backing up this claim. As with all GTA 6 rumors it's best to take this with a grain of salt. There's a multitude of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, posts, reports, rumors, and hearsay in constant circulation. No one knows exactly when--or where--the game takes place, and the famed Project Americas rumor has been proven fake.

Nintendo plans to convert its old manufacturing facility in Uji city, Kyoto to a gallery that celebrates decades of Nintendo gaming.

Nintendo today announced it wants to open its first historical museum in its Uji Ogura Plant. The building will exhibit relics from Nintendo's past and delve into the treasure trove of pristine-condition collectibles, consoles, and products that Nintendo currently keeps carefully sealed in its vaults.

Up until now, the Ogura plant was used to manufacture playing cards and served as a customer service facility. This plant is particularly apt for this conversion seeing as Nintendo got its start in gaming with playing cards, and the building has significant history for the company (Nintendo made $16 million from playing cards and etc., down 50% year-over-year).

Battlefield 4 headlines this month's free Amazon Prime games selection.

Amazon Prime members can now download Battlefield 4 and a smattering of smaller indies as part of the Prime Gaming freebies. You'll need the EA Origin client on PC in order to run Battlefield 4, but the full game is being offered. EA is eager to build up hype for the return of modern-day warfare as it reveals the new Battlefield game on June 9.

"Battlefield 4 standard edition - For a limited time only, get a code to claim the game on Origin for free. This offer is applicable to PC only. Amazon Prime members have the ability to claim one game code for Battlefield 4 Standard edition until June 21st, 2021. The code will be eligible to claim on Origin until July 21st, 2021."

Nintendo announces its E3 2021 plans but there won't be any mention of new hardware during the stream.

Nintendo's new E3 2021 Direct stream will debut on Tuesday, June 15 at 3PM EST, and will exclusively show off 40 minutes of new games coming to the Nintendo Switch. This aligns with recent reports of the company's plans involving a new Switch Pro console as well as new enhanced games.

Nintendo will release a new upgraded Switch model sometime in 2021 that's capable of 4K output thanks to a new DLSS-capable NVIDIA chip. No one knows when Nintendo will reveal the Switch Pro, but sources say the E3 Direct will focus on enhanced gameplay only available on new Switch Pro games.

CD Projekt Group confirms it has no plans to make a new video game based on the Thorgal comic book series.

A visit from comic artist Piotr Rosinski at CD Projekt's Warsaw office kicks off speculations of a possible Thorgal video game. Piotr Rosinski is the son of famed artist Grzegorz Rosinski who worked on the popular Belgian sci-fantasy comic series for decades. The thought was that CD Projekt was in negotiations to acquire IP rights to the Thorgal series in order to make games based on the source material.

CD Projekt now confirms this isn't true, and delivered the following statement to the Polish outlet PPE:

Today Sony confirmed early April reports that Days Gone developer Sony Bend is currently making a new IP, not Days Gone 2.

In a recent PlayStation Blog Post, PlayStation's Worldwide Studios boss Hermen Hulst says that Sony's Bend, Oregon-based studio is now working on a new original open-world IP. This corroborates Bloomberg reports that Sony Bend had pitched Days Gone 2, but it was denied, and the studio moved to a new Uncharted project under Naughty Dog's supervision. Shortly after Sony Bend moved to a new IP of their choosing, the reports state.

"Bend Studio is working on a very exciting new IP that they're very, very passionate about. They're building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone. So I'm really happy for Bend Studio," Sony's Hermen Hulst said.

The upcoming God of War sequel has been pushed back to 2022, Sony Santa Monica today confirmed.

The reports were right: The new God of War game won't release in 2021 after all. Both Sony Worldwide Studios and Sony Santa Monica announced God of War (codenamed Ragnarok) is now launching in 2022, which is expected to be the PS5's biggest year yet.

"We remain focused on delivering a top-quality game while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our team, creative partners, and families. With this in mind, we've made the decision to shift our release window to 2022," the developer says.