Gaming - Page 629

It was close to a year ago that I wrote a story that Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console would feature an 8C/16T processor from AMD, and a new Navi-based GPU with 12 TFLOPs of performance -- and now, these specs are ringing true. We've also heard since day one that the new Xbox would beat the PlayStation 5.

According to a new breakdown by the tech-focused folks at Digital Foundry, the next-gen Xbox Series X console will have 12 TFLOPs of performance -- kicking the ass of the 9.2 TFLOPs of Sony's new PlayStation 5 console. AMD is providing a semi-custom SoC that will be a two-part, one-two-punch Zen 2/RDNA2-based solution that will truly kick ass in both consoles -- but Microsoft will win that fight.

Sony is using an 'Oberon' chip in its PlayStation 5 that will have 36 compute units from the Navi GPU architecture running at 2GHz in "native" PS5 mode, as well as the use of super-fast GDDR6 with memory bandwidth of between 448GB/sec and 512GB/sec. Microsoft on the other hand will have 56 compute units from the Navi architecture with its 'Arden' chip, offering the same super-fast (and even faster) GDDR6 with up to 560GB/sec of memory bandwidth.

Just in time to round out 2019 we have some more specifications on Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 console, but this time they're more GPU specific concentrating on the RDNA2-based custom Navi GPU that AMD made for both Sony and Microsoft.

Digital Foundry has analyzed a bunch of data and come to the conclusion that Sony is using a custom Navi GPU with 36 compute units, which will be clocked at around 2GHz. However, Sony will reportedly have 3 different GPU performance profiles -- with PS5 games pushing the Navi GPU to 2GHz -- but emulating previous-gen PlayStation games will see the GPU clocks doing some funky things.

This sees the PlayStation 5 and its custom Navi-based GPU rolling out with 9.2 TFLOPs of compute performance -- losing the next-gen console battle to Microsoft and it's new Xbox Series X which will have a 12 TFLOPs custom AMD solution. Sony will still use GDDR6 memory (and not HBM like the current insane rumors are leading some to believe). AMD's current flock of GDDR6-based cards in the Radeon RX 5700 series have 448GB/sec of memory bandwidth, but we could see Sony using some faster GDDR6 memory and seeing memory bandwidth hit 512GB/sec or so.

Ever wanted to add a pointy end to your PC that makes it an instant conversation piece about the Illuminati and ancient Egyptians? Then look no further than this interesting build.

Redditor dessie84 built a striking-looking rig that's straight out of a 1970's sci-fi movie. The build uses the rather unique Azza Pyramid 804 case, an ATX chassis which comes with four panes of aluminum-tempered glass, a snazzy 120mm RGB fan, and enough space at the base for a full GPU and cooling setup.

The Azza Pyramid 804 was actually shown off at Computex 2019 and can stand upside down with a special four-leg stand that gives me intense anxiety just thinking about. Azza also makes a cube-shaped chassis similar to the HP Omen.

Sony plans to reveal new products at CES 2020, and we might get some new info on the PlayStation 5. Maybe.

CES 2020 is right on the horizon and Sony will be at the show with a new suite of hardware, but we shouldn't expect a full-on PS5 reveal. Sony will probably reveal new consumer hardware like Xperia phones, cameras, and a new line of TVs (maybe it's new insane 8K CLEDIS wall TVs. The big PS5 announcement will be saved for a special PlayStation-centric event that's rumored to be held sometime in February.

"The future is coming. At CES 2020 Sony is unveiling a unique vision of the future, bringing creativity and technology together like never before, to unleash new sensations and emotions," reads Sony's brief announcement.

Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 will ensure seamless and full native backward compatibility with PS4 games thanks to downscaling profiles built right into the Navi GPU.

According to massive new leaks verified by Eurogamer, the PS5 will indeed carry forward the full PlayStation 4 generation of games with complete games backward compatibility. This is made possible by two special modes built right into the silicon that downscale the PS5's GPU to current-gen performance targets, complete with lowered clock frequencies, RAM speeds, and Render Output units.

In essence, the PlayStation 5 was built from the ground up with backward compatibility in mind, similar to an iterative console. I've said right from the beginning that the new consoles will blur then line between next-gen and iterative cycles with both hardware and software.

CD Projekt RED proves it understands how to successfully re-market a game many times over, using powerful strategies like The Netflix Effect to re-sell and re-invigorate its main franchise.

A lot of CD Projekt Group's business doesn't revolve around making games, but advertising, marketing, and distributing them. Merchandising is a huge focus of CD Projekt's business strategy. Once CD Projekt RED ships a game, the other branches take over and find new ways to make those games last for years. Case in point: The Witcher 3, which released in 2015, is still more relevant than ever today.

CD Projekt's marketing masterstroke is the Witcher Netflix series, a carefully-designed transmedia sales point that's proven to be extremely potent. The Netflix Effect sparks sales of all kinds of mediums--when a Netflix book adaptation pops up, people rush out to buy the books. The Witcher is benefiting from the Netflix Effect in two ways. We're seeing Witcher book sales jump up, and CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3 is currently at its highest playercount since 2015.

If Kirby is your favorite video game character, or if you have wondered what it would be like to rest your head in his mouth and have a nap, then you need this pillow.

On the Bandai website, the listing for a Kirby nap pillow demonstrates that buyers will be able to slide their heads into Kirby's mouth hole to have a rest either for a couple hours or the entire night if they like. Kirby's mouth hole measures in at 23 cm x 21 cm, which exceeds the head size of even the largest of people.

The Bandai website lists the Kirby nap pillow for 9,500 yen, which works out to be about $87USD. If that is too much for the official pillow, you can check out Amazon where some other sellers are selling the same designed pillow for much cheaper. Keep in mind though, these sellers might not be selling the officially licensed Nintendo version, so the mouth dimensions could be slightly off.

We are at the turn of the decade, and gamers are no doubt wondering what game release will be crowned "Best Game Of The Decade" and why.

Well, according to one poll done by the LADbible Twitter account that was run for over a week, and accumulated over 9,000 individual votes, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V has been deemed "Best Game Of The Decade". Grand Theft Auto V released back in 2013, and was no doubt a massive leap in what game development can offer players in regards to massive open-world environments.

Grand Theft Auto V was competing against the Call of Duty (franchise), FIFA (franchise), and Red Dead Redemption. The poll doesn't include some other prime candidates such as The Last of Us, Nintendo titles, God of War, and The Witcher 3. I think there should be a larger poll done with more titles listed and more votes, this way we can get a better consensus of what game should truly wear the crown of "Best Game Of The Decade". (Grand Theft Auto V would no doubt be top 5).

It's been quite some time since we have heard any updates regarding Platinum Games' coming Bayonetta 3. Luckily, the studio has broken radio silence, and now we have some news.

The last we heard about Bayonetta 3 was way back at E3 when fans expected Platinum Games to show off some gameplay footage or at least announce some more news. Instead, Platinum Games didn't appear at E3 with Bayonetta 3 and head producer of the studio, Atsushi Inaba said this was the reason why - "Giving updates for everything at E3 isn't the smartest PR strategy to begin with. So just because we're not showing it here doesn't mean it's not going well."

We are now hearing an update from Platinum Games boss, Hideki Kamiya, on his personal Twitter account which says, " Development's going really well. There you go." We do know that Bayonetta 3 will feature some design changes that will be different from the previous installments in the franchise, and while we don't know what those changes are specifically, we know that Platinum Games is putting in their all for the sequel.

Sony's new DualShock 5 controller may come standard with two extra trigger-buttons on the back of the controller.

We know Sony is sprucing up the PS5's next-gen controller with nifty additions like USB-C, a built-in mic, and the removal of top energy-draining lightbar. But a brand new patent suggests the DualShock 5 could come stock with two extra buttons on the back, similar to the premium Xbox Elite controller.

The patent mostly discusses the orientation of the buttons to the controller itself, including their angle and how the sensors are placed within the housing. The description is on the layout rather than the actual functionality of the back paddles themselves. There's no talk of the buttons being customizable or programmable, but expect this to be the case.

Sony is making it tremendously easy for developers to harness the raw 8K might of Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 console.

In a recent interview with Dengeki Online, Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida confirms developers are smoothly transitioning their games onto the new high-end PlayStation 5. This strongly indicates the system shares the PS4's architecture and games-making tools, even if the PS5 uses AMD's new RDNA 2-powered Navi and Zen 2 CPU SoC.

Sony has gone through great lengths to ensure a kind of software and OS synergy between the two systems.

Bethesda Game Studios' main Maryland branch is hiring for a video editor, hinting that new footage for its big new space epic Starfield might be on the way.

Zenimax just put out a new job listing for a video editor at BGS' central Maryland studio--the same studio who spearheads development of core RPG franchises like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and new IPs. Right now BGS Maryland is working on two big projects: Starfield, a brand new singleplayer space IP with RPG elements, and The Elder Scrolls VI, which is only coming after Starfield.

Based on the current slate, it stands to reason that any new hires for Bethesda Games Studios might be working on Starfield. It's likely the video editor is spinning up trailers and gameplay footage for Starfield's possible E3 2020 debut. Bethesda previously announced Starfield at E3 2018, but no real footage of the game has been released just yet.

We are about to head into the new year, and gamers around the globe are probably sitting there wondering what games they should sink their teeth into as a video game resolution in 2020. Don't worry. I've got your back.

2020 will no doubt be a big year for games, just as 2019 has. But what games haven't you played that are in the previous years? This list will give you ten great titles that will definitely be worth your while picking up and giving a shot if you haven't already.

Keep in mind, this list is my personal opinion. I cannot speak for every gamer out there, so there's no guarantee that you are going to absolutely love them. All I can do is recommend some great titles that I believe are must-plays and hope you have a good time trying them out.

A remaster of the original PS2 Xenosaga trilogy was originally planned, but Bandai Namco cancelled at the last minute.

Xenosaga fans will be waiting a long time for an HD re-release or remaster collection. According to Katsuhiro Harada, who now helms game direction at Bandai Namco, the project just wouldn't be commercially viable. In short, the Xenogears JPRGs are just too niche, and trilogy remaster would cost more money than it'd make.

"This actually progressed to the remaster's plan, but failed in a profitable market analysis. Sorry guys, This plan will be difficult to resurface...," Harada said on Twitter.

Grand Theft Auto V's chart-topping dominance is absolutely massive: In the last 10 years, GTA V saw the most time in the United States' top 20 best-selling games.

GTA V has been in the U.S.' top 20 best-sellers for 74 months straight, beating mega-hits like Minecraft and Mario Kart 8, NPD analyst Mat Piscatella reports. This makes it the longest-running chart-topper in the last decade. Since 2013, GTA V has spanned two console generations and a PC release, all of which were monetized with full game sales and the microtransaction-based GTA Online.

"Reviewing The NPD Group's US top 20 best-selling Video Games by month for the 2010's and this fact still blows my mind... GTAV has charted in 74 of the 75 months since its debut in Sep '13, including hitting #19 in Nov '19. Absolutely unprecedented," Piscatella said.

To make Control, Remedy had to completely overhaul and iterate upon its Northlight games engine. The result is a new-and-improved engine that's more adaptable than ever.

In many ways, Control is a departure for Remedy and unleashes the dev's true potential. It's not a strictly linear experience like Quantum Break or Max Payne. Control is kind of Metroidvania, allowing you to choose your own path in an open-ended space full of opportunity for unique playthroughs (case in point, I didn't get Jesse's shield power until roughly 50-60% into the game). To get to that flexible point, Remedy had to break their games engine and put it back together.

"It now seems obvious, but it was a long and winding road. After Quantum Break, our engine underwent a complete overhaul, we set out to design and build everything again, based on our main creative pillars. This is the main reason why nothing works like in Quantum Break," Control senior game designer Sergey Mohov said in a ResetERA Q&A.

Kojima's early presentations for Death Stranding succinctly outline the game's main themes and focus.

Death Stranding is a confusing game. We have lots of coverage explaining what the game actually is, but everyday gamers are still intrigued by its mysterious overtones. Others, however, are deterred from the cryptic features and think it's just too weird.

Kojima's game is weird, but it also has a backbone, and some recently published concept materials show how Kojima guided his team towards his vision. The internal presentation is very clear on Death Stranding's main points: a communal multiplayer where players share progress and worlds without actually playing together, creating a unique kind of connectivity.

It seems that the holiday season is the perfect time for a bunch of Grand Theft Auto 6 news, with rumors flying that Rockstar Games will base GTA 6 in Jamaica, and Columbia.

But now we have news that Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch in Fall 2021, missing the launch of Sony's new PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's new Xbox Series X consoles which will be launching in late 2020. I just reported a new rumor that Microsoft will price its new Xbox Series X console at $499, while Sony is rumored to also slap a $499 price on its PlayStation 5.

Twitter user PSErebus tweeted that "Grand Theft Auto VI from developer Rockstar Games is currently scheduled to be released in Fall 2021". With both of the next-generation consoles in the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 launching in late-2020, Rockstar will miss the all-important launch window and mega sales that would be like a major star alignment. But... Grand Theft Auto 6 is also so big on its own that it doesn't matter, it'll sell 10s of millions of copies no matter what.

Microsoft has announced and detailed (at least, in part) its next-generation Xbox Series X console, but the one detail that Microsoft hasn't been clear on just yet... is price.

Xbox Series X is a powerful console packing a semi-custom chip based on the Zen 2 architecture and not-yet-released RDNA 2-based GPU solution -- but we could be very surprised on the price. According to a new leak on 4chan -- yeah, I know -- we are to expect Microsoft to price the Xbox Series X at $499. This is the same price as the rumored PlayStation 5 pricing at $499.

It sounds nuts, but Microsoft is no stranger to selling their Xbox console at a loss -- look at the many billions of dollars it lost in selling the original Xbox. It might have cost billions at first, but it sold millions of Xbox console and pushed Microsoft right into the battle with Sony and the PlayStation 2 at the time.

Rockstar Games will break the gaming world when it launches Grand Theft Auto 6, something that I broke the news on all the way back in February 2015.

But now, we're hearing about where Grand Theft Auto 6 will be set, with rumors flying that Rockstar will set GTA 6 somewhere like South America. The news on Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming from Rockstar sending out Christmas presents to their staff... and some eagle-eyed readers.

One of the Rockstar Games employees posted their present on Twitter, with a bunch of badges that include Rockstar logos on top of the Jamaican and Colombian flags. This has led people to believe that Grand Theft Auto 6 could take place in both South America and Colombia.