Gaming - Page 641

Back in 2018, Intel filed a patent for a video games controller that looks suspiciously like an OnLive controller. Now that patent has been published, giving some clues on the company's foray into cloud gaming.

Intel's controller patent isn't particularly exciting. The patent is maddeningly vague and doesn't give actual details on the device's functionality, which is strange: Most patents have pages and pages detailing how the devices might actually be used. The patent only shows reference designs of the controller's chassis and buttons, strongly indicating it's focused on multimedia as well as gaming. It has a DualShock 4-like touchpad at the top, as well as very OnLine-esque multimedia buttons on the bottom, and doesn't look particularly ergonomic, somewhat resembling the old NVIDIA Shield TV controllers.

Intel currently has no plans to actually make its own game-streaming service (the company is mostly focused on enterprise hardware, not gaming services), but instead will use its potent Xeon and Iris Pro processors to power Tencent's new game-streaming service called Start for the Chinese market.

Way back in 2017, we predicted Cyberpunk 2077 would have an online mode. We also guessed it'd have microtransactions or be monetized in some way. Now CD Projekt RED has confirmed both are true.

Cyberpunk 2077's new "seamless online multiplayer" mode is far from ready. It'll ship after the main game launches in 2020, long after post-release expansions and DLC are out. The project likely being developed with the help of the online gaming experts at DigitalScapes.

But what about monetization? Isn't that why any online game is made? CDPR isn't a stranger to microtransactions anymore--they made Gwent, a free-to-play card game with mTX--and we could see extra in-game purchases pop up in Cyberpunk 2077's online mode. CDPR didn't give any specifics on Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer monetization, but they did say the system will be fair and balanced.

CD Projekt RED's games are typically future-proofed to embrace next-generation technologies, whether they be higher-end graphics cards or new beefy consoles. This trend should continue with Cyberpunk 2077, which should get optimized for PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett.

We've already heard rumblings that CD Projekt RED wants to bring Cyberpunk 2077 to next-gen consoles, and now the company reinforces those claims. In a recent Q3'19 financial earnings call with investors, CD Projekt RED discusses next-gen and hints a new unannounced standalone game (likely that new AAA RPG) will release on PS5 and Project Scarlett, but it won't be Cyberpunk 2077 (which is obvious since it's coming to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020).

"When it comes to next-gen, our game is coming to the current-gen consoles. This is what we have announced. And of course we do have insight into what's around the corner, with what's happening with PlayStation and Xbox. We're watching it closely, and one may safely assuming that we're going to do something with the next-gen consoles. However, we can not really be very specific on what that might be, or when exactly that might be," CDPR joint CEO and president Adam Kicinski said.

Even as the project enters its final stage of development, CD Projekt RED is still spending big bucks on Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an immensely expensive game, and CDPR has sunk lots of money, manpower, and future-proofed tech development into the project over the last six years or so. Even though the game is almost finished, the company isn't taking any chances and has injected a ton of cash into Cyberpunk 2077's last phase of dev to ensure it lives up to our expectations.

In its recent Fiscal Q3'19 earnings report, CDPR confirmed it spent a record-breaking 43 million PLN (roughly $10.7 million) on games development, up a mighty 14% year-over-year.

CD Projekt RED formally buys its HQ office space, cementing a huge workspace to develop Cyberpunk 2077 and future games.

In its recent Q3'19 earnings report, CD Projekt RED confirms it now owns a huge 193,750 square feet of usable area for its workers to develop new games. The huge office space is comprised of two major complexes: One at Jagiellonska 74, where CDPR's HQ has sat for the last 20 years, and the other in the nearby complex at Jagiellonska 76 in Warsaw, Poland.

"For over 20 years now CD PROJEKT has been conducting its business from offices located in the buildings on Jagiellonska 74," said Adam Kicinski, CEO of CD PROJEKT. "This is where we've brought amazing worlds and adventures to life, and invested in infrastructure allowing us to create great games. This is where we've put down our roots as a company and where we want to continue to grow moving forward. But we want to do that on our terms - by making it the company's true HQ, one that we can freely shape to our needs and vision as its owners."

No, Sony's PlayStation 5 won't use expandable SSD cartridges. The cartridge patent wasn't for PlayStation hardware, but instead for Sony's line of Toio kids toys.

Just as we warned, those purported PS5 cartridge patents aren't for the PlayStation 5 at all. The tiny cartridges are used by Sony's family-friendly Toio gaming system that's designed for kids, not an enthusiast-grade next-gen console designed for a mass-market audience of gamers.

Sony published a new Toio video on November 11 that showed the new cartridges. The previous Toio systems used a different cartridge--the older USB dongle-esque design that also caused a tizzy in the gaming sphere.

Today 343 Industries confirms that Halo: Reach on PC will have an uncapped variable FPS mode at launch, but it's experimental and it may cause other in-game issues.

Halo: Reach will launch on PC on December 3 with a few issues, and the game won't be 100% bug free. These potential issues include the uncapped frame rate option. The studio says Reach can break the original 60FPS hardcap, but it could lead to massive mouse-aiming delay, crashing, and overall instability.

So for now you'll want to just play at 60FPS. Luckily Reach's PC specs aren't demanding at all: You can play Reach at 4K 60FPS with an Intel Core i5-3450 and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770.

Sony says the PlayStation 5 will have an ultra high-speed SSD that could eliminate loading times. But the SSD's raw power even out as developers push more high-def assets on next-gen consoles.

The PS5's SSD is so potent it can load Spider-Man in just 0.8 seconds versus the 13 or so seconds for a PS4 Pro's mechanical HDD. This raw speed discrepancy might only be noticable on older native PS4 games simply because of the new layer of complexity devs can put in next-gen PS5-optimized titles (more effects, more textures, high resolutions, etc). At least that's what some developers like Remedy Entertainment think.

In a recent interview with PlayStation Official Magazine, Remedy technical director Mika Vehkala said the PS5's SSD might not load PS5 games that much faster than the previous gen. In short, we might not want to expect blazing-fast speeds for PS5 games because they can use more data and devs can cut corners.

Inside sources say Resident Evil 3: Remake is set for 2020, which is pretty exciting. But what's even more exciting is how it should be optimized for next-gen consoles.

Pretty much every game releasing in 2020 will be optimized for next-gen consoles in some way. We don't know exactly how this will work, but expect enhancement patches to roll out for games released prior to the PS5 and Project Scarlett in Holiday 2020. Games released during next-gen rollout should be fully optimized for each platform, complete with a separate SKU for next-gen systems.

Capcom is among the major heavy-hitting publishers who are banking big on next-gen. The company only released one major game in FY2019 (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne) and sent a clear message to investors: They're ramping up their biggest games for next-gen consoles. Capcom's COO already confirmed the REngine is being used to craft new titles on next-gen consoles, and we expect Resident Evil 3 Remake to be one of them.

Half-Life: Alyx is just the beginning of Half-Life's comeback story, and Valve reveals why they chose to make a VR-exclusive game rather than jump right into Half-Life 3.

The new Half-Life game isn't what we expected. It's a VR-only Half-Life 2 prequel that aims to be virtual reality's killer app and justify Valve's massive investment into the still-fringe platform. But it also serves another big role: Half-Life: Alyx is basically a practice run for new Half-Life projects. It's a way to get Valve back into the groove of the franchise, all while learning new things about Source 2 like optimizing graphics, textures, and FPS mechanics. A lot of what Valve learns from Half-Life: Alyx can translate into other Half-Life games, even if they're not VR projects.

In a recent interview with Geoff Keighley, Valve programmers talked about how Half-Life: Alyx is a stepping stone to new things. The team might not be ready to work on Half-Life 3 just yet, but this new VR project will help pave the way to that magical threequel.

Borderlands 3 is getting four story DLCs throughout its lifetime, and the first one brings Handsome Jack back (well...kind of).

Introducing Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, Borderlands 3's brand new wacky DLC. The expansion sees gamers hijacking Handsome Jack's interstellar floating casino (not unlike Gargantua-2 from The Venture Bros.) and absolutely destroying everything to steal that sweet loot.

You'll find lots of new gear on Handsome Jack's slot machine wonderland and blast tons of casino security bots and a few new hulking bosses--including evil Claptraps.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are massive sellers on the Nintendo Switch, moving more than 6 million copies in the first three days of availability. Apparently that proposed boycott didn't achieve much.

With its decision to cut out a lot of original iconic Pokemon from Sword and Shield (a controversy known as Dexit), GameFreak aggravated lots of fans. There were also moves that were cut, and other features watered down to make the games more friendly for new players. Many called for a boycott of the new Switch RPG duo, but the proposed boycott really didn't have an affect on game sales.

Nintendo today announced that Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield together sold-through more than 6 million copies worldwide, including physical and digital purchases. This makes the duo the highest-grossing Pokemon game of all time. Nintendo also confirms the games managed to sell over 2 million copies in the United States in the launch weekend.

Alien Isolation has been officially announced to be arriving on the Nintendo Switch before the end of this year.

The announcement comes from the official Feral Interactive Twitter account, who will also be bringing the title over to the handheld console. If you have never heard of Alien Isolation, here's a quick excerpt from the game's description: "When she left Earth, Ellen Ripley promised her daughter she would return home to celebrate her 11th birthday. She never made it. Fifteen years later, Amanda Ripley learns that the flight recorder from her mother's ship has been recovered. Amanda enters Sevastopol space station to finally solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance, only to confront an unknown menace."

The acclaimed horror title will be making its way over to the Nintendo Switch on December 5th. The title will cost $34.99, and pre-ordering is currently available via the Nintendo eShop. A link to that can be found here. It should be noted that you might have to change your region to your respective country to be able to pre-order the title.

Half-Life is back, and Valve isn't just stopping with its new prequel VR project. Other games could happen too, including that magical threequel everyone's been dying to see.

Today Valve did the unthinkable: Not only did it announce a new game, but it announced a new Half-Life game. Unfortunately, it's not Half-Life 3. The new project, Half-Life: Alyx, is a VR-exclusive endeavor that packs a full singleplayer-driven campaign that takes place between Half-Life 1 and 2. You play as Alyx Vance in immersive, real-time VR FPS chaos--Valve built the game from the ground up for VR, and it supports motion tracking, multiple inputs, and allows for realistic interactions like dodging enemy attacks, scouring the environment for ammo and gear, and leaning around corners (to name a few).

But what about everyone who doesn't have a VR headset? Valve apparently has you covered.

Valve just revealed Half-Life: Alyx, a new VR-exclusive shooter that takes place before Half-Life 2. And like any Half-Life game, the new VR project will support user-created mods for lots of chicanery, chaos, and fun.

With its high-def visuals, immersive real-time combat, and realistically-reactive environments, Half-Life: Alyx looks like the killer VR app. But the real excitement could come after launch as gamers and fans alter the game with their own levels and scenarios. The game may not have multiplayer...but it has the second best thing that'll ensure it doesn't die a few months after release.

Tucked in Half-Life: Alyx announcement is confirmation of full Source 2 modding support, effectively allowing anyone to create their own unique customized slices of gameplay. Half-Life has a long history with modding and level-editing--the original game still has an active playerbase thanks to Sven Co-op and Deathmatch action--and it's great to see this tradition continue with the VR project.

Games development is, and always has been, pretty expensive. Even back in the day when 3D gaming was just hitting its stride, a Sega Saturn devkit would cost over $70,000...and that's not even including licensing and publishing fees.

ResetEra user Krejlooc recently got their hands-on a Sega Saturn devkit to make old-school games with. The kit came with documentation that outlined the price of all the components and tech you'd need to make a Saturn game in the 90s. The results aren't too pretty.

Making a Sega Saturn game would cost you roughly $77,000 to start (roughly $128,000 in today's dollars). That's not including your time, the miscellaneous fees required to pass and publish your game, nor does it include the astronomically expensive Indigo2 workstation used for 3D modeling way back when.

Would it be surprising if Capcom decided to do another remake of a Resident Evil title? No it wouldn't, Resident Evil 2 Remake sold extremely well, so why wouldn't Capcom continue with the nostalgic goodness?

A new rumor has surfaced online from Spawn Wave, who has said that he has received some news privately that Capcom is currently developing the next Resident Evil remake. This remade title is rumored to be the Capcom development pipeline is none other than Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.

If you remember back to the start of the year, Capcom did say that they would be willing to continue remaking old Resident Evil games if fans want them to -- in other words, if they sold well. Then in March this year a rumor came out that Capcom wasn't going to develop Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Remake, and that another developer was.

It's FINALLY happening! Valve just revealed a new Half-Life game, but it's exclusive to VR.

Half-Life: Alyx bridges the story between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance, complete with immersive virtual reality motion-tracking and interactive realism. You'll be able to scour the environment to find bullets on a shelf, for example, or lean around corners too shoot from cover and even dodge enemy attacks in real-time.

Half-Life: Alyx was built from the ground up specifically for VR and aims to be the platform's killer app when it releases March 2020. The game is compatible with all SteamVR headsets, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, the Valve Index, and even Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

While Google Stadia falters with a rough launch, Amazon is watching on the sidelines and taking notes for its own game streaming service.

Amazon wants in on the new game streaming craze, and plans to reveal its own cloud subscription service in 2020, sources familiar with the plans tell CNet. The company plans to leverage its million-dollar Twitch game streaming empire and its rich ecosystem of interconnected products to supplement the service.

The idea is Amazon will arrive as another competitor to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, especially as the first two roll out next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett in 2020. Amazon is also watching closely at Google's missteps with Stadia.

A bit ago we spotted a patent for a Wi-Fi-enabled PlayStation game controller, presumably used as a receiver and host for console-free PlayStation Now gaming. But the controller might do more, and it could serve as a very powerful entry point for the PlayStation ecosystem.

What if you could go and buy a DualShock 4 controller, for, say PC gaming, but still hook it up to your TV to sample free user-created PlayStation game demos? That could happen, at least that's what a recent patent suggests.

Just yesterday I reported on an interesting patent that would allow PlayStation gamers to create their own custom gameplay demos and send them off to friends. It turns out this game demo patent is directly linked to the previous cloud-powered DualShock controller patent. All of the permutations, embodiments, and drawings are the same, and the game demos (also referred to as mini-games) are specifically mentioned.