Gaming - Page 495

Bethesda reveals Fallout 76's full 2021 content roadmap, complete with some big narrative-driven experiences, quality-of-life changes, and a new extraterrestrial myth that Fox Mulder would be proud of.

Queue up the X-Files music: Aliens are coming to Fallout 76 this winter. Well, more specifically, an Appalachian alien myth (likely the Flatwoods Monster spotted in West Virginia in 1952). Today Bethesda outlined Fallout 76's full 2021 roadmap of content, confirming a new narrative expansion, big private world changes, and visitors from the stars.

Content-wise, the roadmap's main event is Steel Reign, the epic conclusion to the Dawn of Steel expansion released in 2020. Steel Reign will move the storyline farther along when it launches in Summer, complete with new quests, NPCs, locations, and new legendary power armor.

Terraria has sold an astronomical 35 million copies on multiple platforms across the last nine years, which is more than most AAA games achieve.

Terraria has been released on two separate console generations, as well as Nintendo 3DS, Switch, and even the PlayStation Vita handhelds. But the mobile version has actually outsold the console port by 800,000 units. Re-Logic confirms that Terraria has sold 9.3 million copies on iOS and Android, making up 26% of total sales.

PC reigns supreme with a huge 17.2 million copies sold on Steam, which includes both Mac and PC. Terraria is also the number 1 top-rated game on Steam, beating out heavy-hitters like Portal 2 and The Witcher 3.

Developers like Remedy Entertainment aren't thrilled about optimizing their games across separate console generations: "To be blunt, it sucks."

Backwards compatibility is the single most important feature for next-gen hardware and it's great for gamers. But Microsoft's and Sony's insistence on last-gen support is giving developers headaches. Hardware supply limitations are pressuring devs to make their games playable on both the 2013 and 2020 console gens--it's either that or miss out on big sales numbers because there's a lot more last-gen hardware than there is next-gen. Right now, devs have to make their games work on eight separate consoles:

So what is this like? Not very fun.

Recent reports say Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick received a huge $200 million performance bonus. This isn't entirely accurate; he received roughly $41 million worth of shares instead.

A new SEC filing reveals Activision has doled out a substantial performance-based award or 1,335,440 common stock to its CEO, Bobby Kotick. Per Kotick's contract clause, the CEO can receive a significant common stock award if certain metrics are achieved across a four-year period.

During the four-year period from 1/1/17 through 12/31/20, Activision-Blizzard revenues hit their highest point in history, with Calendar 2020 delivering a record all-time high of $8.08 billion. As a result, Kotick received a whopping 1,335,440 common stock (worth over $131 million based on the $98.72 common stock value on March 1, 2021). Kotick didn't keep all of this stock; Activision reserved roughly 65% of the stock, or 878,877 shares, to pay for tax withholdings.

Embracer Group, the parent company of Deep Silver, Gearbox, 4A Games, Saber Interactive, and THQ Nordic, has raised nearly $1 billion to help fund new company buyouts.

Games titan Embracer just sold 36 million Class B shares at SEK 210 ($24.75) a piece, raising roughly $890 million for more strategic industry maneuvers. Embracer says it will use this money to fund everything from new games to acquisitions and IP buyouts.

Embracer is very busy and this new cashflow will fortify its decades-long business model. The company has a very forward-thinking strategy, and its projects stretch from the near to long term. Embracer currently owns a whopping 244 IPs and is working on 193 projects, and 113 of those projects have yet to be announced.

Doom Eternal's latest Ancient Gods Part 2 expansion might be the end of the Slayer's story arc, but it's not the end of Doom.

id Software recently confirmed that Doom Eternal isn't the last Doom game. The ultraviolent bloodfest series will live on. Just like id said in 2018, Doom Eternal is a stepping stone towards a new Doom universe.

So what's next after Eternal? We don't know for sure. id Software has lots of moving parts helps multiple studios work on FPS mechanics in their games--they helped MachineGames with Wolfenstein, helped with Fallout 4's shooter mechanics, and even 2017's Prey reboot--but we do know that Doom isn't on ice. Marty Stratton says the fires of hell will rage on.

A newly published Tencent patent shows the company is curious about handheld-console hybrids hardware.

Tencent currently helps distribute and release the Switch in mainland China, but a new patent suggests they could eventually make a PC-like handheld console of their own. A recently published patent from August 2020 shows a Windows-powered handheld that's very similar to the AYA Neo. It even has a little kickstand, like the Nintendo Switch.

Unlike the Switch, or Alienware's experimental Concept UFO handheld, Tencent's handheld doesn't have removable controllers. The D-pad is also fused together. The patent makes mention of PC-level hardware, and it's possible Windows would be the central operating system.

Spider-Man is still coming to Marvel's Avengers, and he's still exclusive to PlayStation platforms. But PS4 and PS5 owners will have to wait a bit.

Crystal Dynamics just revealed its plans for Avengers' 2021 roadmap, including various content drops, updates, tweaks, and big new expansions. Spider-Man was noticably absent from the list. The developer had previously announced Spider-Man would be a free playable Avengers hero for all PS4 and PS5 owners in early 2021.

"We can't wait for you to add Spider-Man to your Marvel's Avengers roster in early 2021, and as we've promised before, he will be available at no additional cost to owners of the base game, exclusively on PlayStation," Crystal Dynamics associate art director Jeff Adams wrote on the PlayStation Blog in August 2020.

Crystal Dynamics reveals Avengers' full content roadmap for 2021, including a new Black Panther expansion.

Now that Avengers is on PS5 and Xbox Series X, the team can push towards its most important goal: engagement. "Our focus moving forward is to deliver new content that is compelling to play and replay again while offering better rewards," Crystal Dynamics wrote on its new Avengers blog post. The developer plans to make good on its promise with regular seasonal updates with new activities, cosmetics, rewards, and eventually, new heroes and story arcs. All future content is 100% free for Marvel's Avengers owners.

The roadmap cadence follows most live games, with multiple smaller-scale updates set in between sizable expansion-sized content. Avengers' next-gen port released alongside Operation Hawkeye, the current expansion-level update that adds a new playable character (Hawkeye) as well as a new narrative storyline. The next big expansion-sized update, War for Wakanda, will introduce Black Panther as a playable hero in late 2021.

Cyberpunk 2077's anticipated Patch 1.2 update will make some big fixes like boosted frame rates and visuals on PS4 and Xbox One systems, and now CD Projekt shares more details on the nitty gritty details.

In a recent blog post, CDPR confirms some quality-of-life adjustments coming with v1.2, including reduction of psycho cops and vehicle controls. If you've played Cyberpunk 2077, you know how ridiculous the cops can be, especially when they appear out of nowhere. CDPR is tweaking AI spawns to decrease the likelihood of police instantly appearing behind you. They're also adding in a new drone to help boost immersion (but I think this will just end up being annoying).

Another significant change is improving vehicle steering. Patch 1.2 will add a steering sensitivity control, a much-needed feature considering most cars practically slide all over the road.

In an odd twist of fate, Xbox Game Pass on PC and the Microsoft Store has a better version of NieR Automata, an infamously glitchy PC game.

Xbox Game Pass has had its fair share of issues on PC, but the service is now getting updated and upgraded versions of specific games. Users are reporting that the Microsoft Store and Game Pass PC versions of NieR Automata actually run better than the Steam port. The reason? It technically is a different version.

According to PC Gamer, Microsoft is selling the Become As Gods edition of NieR Automata that previously released on Xbox One. It's not the Game of the Yorha Edition. The newer version unlocks borderless windowed mode by default and so it doesn't have the resolution issues the original had. You can also enable FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening to make the game look better in certain areas.

Starbreeze is saved! The ailing games-maker has finally found a publisher for Payday 3 and solidifies its future.

After years of uncertainty, Payday 3 has finally found a publisher. Starbreeze has teamed up with Deep Silver parent company Koch Media (owned by Embracer Group) to publish Payday 3, which is set to release in 2023 on consoles and PC.

The partnership will be a long-term publishing deal that stretches across 18 months after the game's release, and Koch Media will be responsible for physical and digital distribution. The development and publishing deal is worth 50 million Euros, Starbreeze says.

Warner Bros. Montreal has delayed Gotham Knights to 2022, the developer today announced.

Gotham Knights, the new Batman game without Bruce Wayne, will no longer release in 2021. The game has been pushed back to an undetermined date in 2022 on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC:

"Gotham Knights will no launch worldwide in 2022. We are giving the game more time to deliver the best possible experience for players. Thank you to our amazing fans for your tremendous support of Gotham Knights. We look forward to showcasing more of the game in the coming months."

Ubisoft just gave away a bunch of free Assassin's Creed Valhalla gear, including an Altair armor set. Too bad it's not actually worth using unless you're at the very beginning of the game.

Right now, all Valhalla players can download the so-called Godly Reward set for free on the Animus Store. The pack includes a bunch of nifty items, including the Modraniht set, some tattoos, settlement decorations, and a throwback to the franchise's roots with an Altair armor. Sadly, this awesome nostalgic gear isn't really that good and simply doesn't hold a candle to any gear you'll have equipped if you're in the mid- to late-game.

There's a few reasons why Altair's armor isn't that good. It's superior quality, the second tier of armor, so don't expect any amazing stats. The armor also can't be upgraded so there's no boosting the stats or even changing the appearance in any way. It only has one rune slot, and no extra bonuses or synergies, so it won't magically replace any set-based chest gear you have equipped.

Crystal Dynamics advises players on how to tackle the unnecessarily confusing and frustrating task of PS4 to PS5 save migration.

Managing cross-gen saves is a big pain point on Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 (so is the limited storage). We've reported on this multiple times, and took off points for it in our official PS5 review. Now Avengers players are learning how aggravating the process can be.

As outlined in a series of confusing tweets from Crystal Dynamics, Avengers players have to go through a few steps in order to bring their PS4 saves over to PS5. The issue is that both PS4 and PS5 versions of a game can be installed on the PS5 at the same time. Sony's next-gen console also separates the saves by each console gen. So there's a PS4 save, and a PS5 save. PS4 saves can be migrated to PS5, but PS5 games are stuck on the PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Ubisoft is giving away a bunch of free gear to all Assassin's Creed Valhalla owners, including a cosmetic Altair armor set.

As a thank you to all Valhalla buyers, Ubisoft has a new freebie pack on the Animus Store, The so-called "Godly Reward" isn't as good as the amazing Carolingian set included with Amazon Prime, but it does let Eivor dress up as Altair from the first Assassin's Creed.

As far as actual gear goes, the Godly Reward unlocks the full Yule seasonal set that includes the Modraniht armor, dagger, and shield. The stats and quality of the set will vary based on your current gear rating, so don't redeem the offer until you level up and boost your current equipment.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's first expansion, Wrath of the Druids, will release April 29, Ubisoft today confirmed.

AC Valhalla is a great game--I gave it a 93/100 in my official review--but it really wears thin after a while. The endgame loop is centered around tons of grinding for very little gain outside of gear upgrades. The real problem with Valhalla's late game is lack of substantial content. Luckily, that should change next month with the arrival of the game's first major expansion, Wrath of the Druids.

Ubisoft today announced two big things for Valhalla: The free seasonal Ostara Festival, and the exact launch of the Wrath of Druids expansion. Not much is known about the expansion other than a brief description. Based on this, we can infer the expac will delve into the weird primal rabbit hole of Valhalla's most enjoyable moments--the Grendel quest, the side mission where Eivor trips on mushrooms, the awesome Daughters of Lerion boss fights, etc.--and explore the more exotic side of 8th century Angland.

Remember Project Athia, the crazy action game that looked like Final Fantasy 15 on speed? The project now has a name and Square Enix reveals more details on the fantasy title.

Project Athia is now officially called Forspoken, and Square Enix today introduced us to Frey Holland (played by Ella Ballinska), the game's main character. The new gameplay footage shows off some amazing animations and one of the most fun-looking game traversal systems I've seen in a long time, with Frey air-diving forward with frenetic momentum that would make Dante jealous.

So what did we learn from the update? The world is apparently called Athia, and it's one of unique fantasy power, reminding us of the Final Fantasy ethos meshed with something akin to Labyrinth. There's dragons, untamed beasts that look like Behemoths from FF, and unique biomes to explore. Luminous Productions, the developer of the game, says Forspoken is a "narrative-driven adventure."

Gamescom 2021 will be a hybrid event with both a digital stream as well as on-site events, the showrunners today announced.

Unlike E3 2021, which is pivoting to an online-only venue, Gamescom 2021 will welcome fans into Cologne's expo center for on-site demos, showcases, and hands-on trials of new games. Publishers and exhibitors will attend the event and hold physical venues with booths demo reels, but the entire show will also be streamed online to a global audience.

The event will adhere to new safety protocols in the #B-SAFE4business model, which includes mandatory mask-wearing, extensive disinfecting measures, adequate ventilation, and always-open doors to offer contact-free exits and entrances.

Sony is stepping up its game and will give away 10 free PS4 titles as part of its Play At Home initiative to help gamers get through tough times.

As the U.S. government doles out $1,400 stimulus checks, games-makers are also doing their part to aid consumers. Microsoft is adding tons of great games to Xbox Game Pass, and now Sony is giving out 10 games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners. Most of the games are indies--and some of them appeared on PS Plus as freebies--but the headliner is the Horizon Zero Dawn complete edition, which will be free from April 19-20 and again on May 14-15.

Starting March 25, the following games will be free to download and keep. A good portion of them are PSVR titles, though, so keep that in mind. PlayStation Plus isn't required, and you can redeem the games on your PSN account even if you don't own a console.