Gaming - Page 486

Activision has taken things to a new level in Call of Duty: Warzone in a limited time named The Destruction of Verdansk Part One.

The limited-time event only lasted a few hours but replaced all other ways to play the battle royale. As you can probably imagine, the popularity of the new event caused the game servers to buckle under pressure, which caused several crashes for players. Players were also unable to "win" the game, as reported by EuroGamer, who survived until the end but was presented with a repeating cut-scene.

In quickfire modes, players would spawn into Verdansk with a Jak-12 shotgun and were given the objective of surviving. If the player died, they would turn into an endlessly respawning zombie to hunt down surviving players. Above is a video of the cut scene that shows the Verdansk being destroyed by a nuke that was deployed. For more information on this story, check out this link here.

AMD has just unleashed its impressive FidelityFX technologies toolkit on Microsoft's next-gen Xbox Series X/S consoles, with FidelityFX now in the hands of game developers through the latest Xbox Series X|S Game Development Kit (GDK).

This means that we'll get AMD FidelityFX technologies inside of the Xbox Series X/S consoles, with technologies like FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR is AMD's upcoming NVIDIA DLSS competitor) as well as FidelityFX Denoiser, Variable Shading, and much more.

AMD explains on their official website: "For developers, this means that it will be even easier than before to create cross-platform games with AMD FidelityFX now available in the latest Xbox Series X|S Game Development Kit (GDK), and to start, we are making FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS), Variable Shading, and our ray-traced shadow Denoiser available".

It was only just a couple of weeks ago that we heard that the new Battlefield would have natural disasters, with the introduction of tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more.

In some new tweets from Battlefield leaker Tom Henderson, the hype engines for Battlefield continue to get fueled. In a reply to a tweet, Henderson said that dynamic weather is a "big part of the game" and that he thinks the upcoming teaser trailer for Battlefield will show this off in a "spectacular way".

We already knew that destruction in the new Battlefield was being taken to the next level with glimpses of entire unscripted skyscraper destruction quickly turning the hype knobs to 11, with EA CEO Andrew Wilson saying at the time: "The game takes full advantage of the power of next-generation platforms to bring massive immersive battles to life with more players than ever before. Featuring maps with unprecedented scale, the next edition of Battlefield takes all the destruction, player agency, vehicle and weapon combat that the franchise is known for and elevate it to another level".

With all of the hype surrounding the new Battlefield, the question on most gamers' lips is 'when are we going to see it' and it appears that time is not too far away at all.

Battlefield leaker Tom Henderson tweeted out some talk about the Reddit "leak" of Battlefield, where he was replying to someone who asked if there will be any teasers for the game that will drop before the trailer... or if it was just going to be the trailer out of nowhere. Henderson said "we should get teasers" and that they're "probably a week or two away".

Henderson also talked about which sides you'll be able to play in EA's big new FPS. Henderson tweeted: "For example, if you were on the US team, you could choose a US, Australian, British, French, Japanese, or German soldier" to which Henderson said "this is not correct".

Infinity Ward is developing advanced AI frameworks for its next Call of Duty game, strongly indicating 2022's CoD will have next-gen AI.

Call of Duty 2022 may push the bar for in-game enemy AI and propel the franchise to new immersive heights on next-gen console and PC hardware. Infinity Ward is currently hiring a Senior AI Engineer to help build "best-in-class AI technology" that brings "new AI characters and behaviors to life."

"This is an opportunity to work on cutting edge AI in the world's premiere FPS franchise," the listing reads. "We're looking for someone who comes to the table with new ideas, but has the pragmatism required to ship a video game."

Did you buy Xbox LIVE Gold to play online F2P games like Warzone, Fortnite, and Destiny 2? Microsoft might give you a refund.

As part of today's big announcement that online multiplayer in F2P games no longer require premium Xbox LIVE Gold, Microsoft also confirmed a one-time refund option for gamers who no longer want the service.

To get a credit refund you have to apply here, but there's some stipulations. You have to have bought Xbox LIVE Gold on or before April 21, 2021, and the credit is based on remaining subscription time. The refund will be bigger if you have more time left, and smaller if you have less time left.

Microsoft makes good on its promise and today removed the Xbox LIVE Gold paid subscription requirement for online in free-to-play games.

Today free-to-play games on Xbox consoles are actually free. There's no red tape, no subscription fees attached to play online with friends--just fire up your Xbox, jump into Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Fortnite, or Warzone, and play. No gatekeeping or restrictions.

Read Also: Xbox LIVE name changed to distinguish the premium subscription from online network

A new page for PlayStation Plus Video Pass was accidentally posted on Sony's Polish website (now deleted), confirming the company's next move.

As Microsoft Game Pass continues to add value, Sony is pressured to also bolster its gaming services. Instead of challenging Xbox on its own turf, however, Sony is using something that Microsoft doesn't have: Movies.

Sony plans to add its existing library of Sony Pictures films into PlayStation Plus with its new PlayStation Plus Video Pass. Exact details are unclear, but it appears the Video Pass is another premium layer to PS Plus users. The website notes a one-year trial period for PS Plus Video Pass and warns gamers about renewal charges, hinting it'll be its own separate added subscription to PS Plus.

BioWare's legendary Knights of the Old Republic RPG is getting a remake at Aspyr Media.

According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, KOTOR is coming back in a big way. The game is being remade by the port masters at Aspyr Media who have worked on a multitude of re-releases, remasters, and ports of popular video games. Aspyr has been steadily going through the older Star Wars games backlog and has developed remasters of classics like Episode I - Racer, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Jedi Outcast, and Republic Commando for modern platforms.

Apsyr also developed the MacOS, Android and iOS ports of Knights of the Old Republic, and the macOS port of KOTOR II. The team had a hand in other Star Wars games including The Force Unleashed and 2004's Battlefront.

Microsoft's new DirectStorage tech will unlock maximum SSD I/O throughput for dramatically faster data management, empowering developers to do impressive things.

Today Microsoft revealed more info on its new DirectStorage tech, which is part of its convergent DirectX 12 Ultimate platform. DirectStorage will use its own unique GPU-based compression/decompression algorithm to significantly optimize data pipeline flow, and Microsoft is working closely with chip-makers on this tech. The company is tweaking Windows to make the OS seamlessly optimize the API, too.

DirectStorage's main function is to use GPU power and its higher VRAM memory bandwidth to decompress data at a rate that matches the I/O speeds of an SSD. The idea is to remove CPU-bound constraints and improve data flow by eliminating decompression from the CPU. The result is virtually loading-free video game experiences thanks to a more efficient pipeline of data management and processing.

Activision is celebrating weed on its special day -- 4/20 -- with the release of its new Stoner's Delight DLC bundle for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone.

The new Tracer Pack: Stoner's Delight DLC includes a Kushwacked operator skin, as well as some new weapon blueprints with Homegrown and Big Smoke. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone also have a new Rolling Leaf charm, and a Kush Keeper watch. Nice work there, Activision.

There's also a Blown Away emblem, In The Weeds calling card and Mother Nature sticker -- with the Stoner's Delight pack having floral green-purple Tracer Fire which is such a nice touch for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone's new Stoner's Delight bundle.

Call of Duty Warzone has hit 100 million players a little over a year after launch, Activision today announced.

Warzone is a juggernaut for Activision, and is the most important thing the company has ever done. The free-to-play behemoth has amassed a staggering 100 million players in 406 days, and has had a transformative effect on Activision's core business. Warzone is so powerful that it helped drive Call of Duty earnings to a record $3 billion in 2020.

For reference, it took Fortnite 10 months to hit 125 million players, and EA's BR titan Apex Legends just hit 100 million players in 2 years' time.

EA just announced its Q4 FY2021 earnings results will go live on May 11, 2021, and its likely the Battlefield 6 reveal trailer will go live ahead of time.

EA should reveal the next Battlefield game in the coming weeks. The publisher recently promised the rumored futuristic Battlefield would be revealed during Spring 2021, and the company has a trend of showcasing new Battlefield titles ahead of its Q4 earnings reports in order to wow gamers and investors. EA likes to comment on these big new games and tease new features to gamers while making new promises to stakeholders.

Read Also: Battlefield 6 last-gen reports clarified by leaker

Discord no longer has plans to sell the company to Microsoft or anyone else as it instead focuses on an initial public offering.

Weeks ago, reports indicated Microsoft made an offer to buy out social giant Discord. The acquisition may have cost up to $10 billion, and would've solidified the Xbox ecosystem with a unified cross-platform social network with Discord's unique chat infrastructure. Now those plans have changed.

According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Discord is now doubling-down on its original IPO plans.

Beloved Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan is leaving the studio, the company today announced.

Jeff Kaplan is departing Blizzard after nearly 20 years with the company. This major departure comes two years after Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime left in 2019 to form Dreamhaven, a new game development publishing label with a number of ex-Blizzard developers. There have been rumblings of core Blizzard creatives clashing with directives from Activision-Blizzard, namely the new four-part plan that emphasizes mobile ports, monetization, engagement models, and new games.

Kaplan gave the following statement on his departure: "It was truly the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to create worlds and heroes for such a passionate audience. I want to express my deep appreciation to everyone at Blizzard who supported our games, our game teams and our players. But I want to say a special thanks to the wonderful game developers that shared in the journey of creation with me."

Call of Duty: Warzone is set to get a big injection of performance through NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) support coming into the battle royale extravaganza on April 22.

NVIDIA sent out a newsletters teasing DLSS support dropping into Call of Duty: Warzone, after teasing that DLSS would be coming to Warzone sometime this year all the way back in January 2021. NVIDIA was silent about DLSS in Warzone between then and now, but it seems we're now on the precipice.

April 22 is when Call of Duty: Warzone's new Season 3 update is meant to drop, which would be the perfect time for NVIDIA to provide DLSS support to the game. If you've forgotten about how much performance DLSS can provide in a game -- and more specifically Call of Duty -- we're looking at up to 85% performance uplift at 4K in COD: Black Ops at 4K (article below, video above).

F1 2021 isn't too far away now with Codemasters and EA announcing the game and dropping an announce trailer just days ago -- but now we know F1 2021 will have ray tracing support.

We don't know how the ray tracing implementation will work, but we should expect shadows and/or reflections -- with Codemasters adding NVIDIA's DLSS technology to F1 2020 last year. The new game will have a bunch of new features including a new story mode called "Braking Point".

Braking Point "immerses players into the glamorous world of F1" with an off-track lifestyle and even role playing parts included in F1 2021 -- an interesting path for a driving game. There are 3 new circuits: Portimao, Imola, and the all-new Jeddah Street Circuit.

EA reveals new info on Apex Legends' mobile version, but it won't be available in Western markets any time soon.

Apex Legends is coming to mobile in 2021 with testing kicking off first in APAC regions like India and the Philippines. Respawn plans to roll out multiple testing phases across the globe throughout the year, first on Android and then on iOS.

EA says the mobile version will be optimized for touchscreen controls, and will also feature its own battle passes and separate unique unlockables that aren't available on PC or consoles. Apex Legends mobile will be free-to-play with cosmetic microtransactions, and EA expects the game to deliver significant results out of the gate and help drive over $1 billion in yearly revenues for Apex.

Konami has renewed its trademark for Metal Gear Rising and the Castlevania franchise, Gematsu reports.

Konami's recent trademark renewals don't necessarily mean new games are on the way. Companies like Konami renew trademarks for existing games all the time, especially if they're still collecting royalties on said projects. Metal Gear Rising released a long time ago but is still active on various storefronts like Steam and the Microsoft Store. Re-securing the trademark is important for Konami's business.

The Castlevania renewal is a no-brainer. Netflix is busy on Castlevania season 3, and Konami recently released a collection of classic Castlevania retro games.

Microsoft makes a big breakthrough that will help game streaming push towards mainstream adoption.

Xbox cloud game streaming is coming soon to browsers across PC and mobile, Microsoft today announced. Invites to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will start rolling out tomorrow, and users can test out 100 Xbox games across Edge, Chrome, or Safari browsers.

This new feature will technically allow Project xCloud game streaming on iOS devices via the Safari browser and avoid Apple's stringent App Store policies. Users can hook up Bluetooth controllers to their phones and jump in, or wired USB controllers on their PC. Microsoft says more than 50 games have been re-tooled with touch controls for mobiles.