Gaming - Page 672

A new Death Stranding trailer clearly outlines the game's plot and story arc, complete with little tidbits on specific characters.

Before the latest Death Stranding trailer dropped, we didn't know much about the actual plot. Things seemed nebulous and just plain weird. They definitely still are, but there's a lot more understanding this time. Death Stranding is a story about trying to re-connect a world fractured in two: one on side is the living world, on the other is the beach where the dead are stranded. The black tide rolls over into our world, bringing with it terrible abyssal horrors and imbuing people like the Man in the Golden Mask with bizarre powers.

So the world has been broken and everyone's scattered. As Sam Porter Bridges, players take on the mantle of re-uniting America, and the game will take players in a cross-country trek from East to West. There's a plan for this called the BRIDGES initiative that aims to bind the country back together, hearkening to Kojima's emphasis on connection.

The next mainline Mega Man game is currently in development at Capcom, but we don't know which series it'll follow.

Capcom is working on a lot of things right now including next-gen titles. The company has been belting out hits left and right with games like Monster Hunter World, it's massively successful Iceborne expansion, Devil May Cry 5, and Resident Evil 2 Remake. Even with big sales of its golden hits, Capcom isn't giving up on franchises like Mega Man--far from it actually.

In a recent interview with 4Gamer, Mega Man producer Kazuhiro Tsuchyia confirmed a new blue bomber game is happening. It may not be Mega Man 12 though--the new game could follow any Mega Man series. Nothing's off the table, including older yesteryear games like the X and EXE series.

New Resident Evil: Project Resistance gameplay footage reveals tons of new details about the thrilling 4v1 online survival game.

The new Resident Evil multiplayer game is like a reverse Night Trap. Instead of trying to save people, you're trying to kill them in all sorts of creative ways. It's a 4v1 online PVP game where four survivors team up to take on the evil Mastermind, picking up items, solving puzzles, and generally smashing undead along the way. As the Mastermind you have all kinds of nifty tricks up your sleeve like summoning monsters like lickers or shambling flesh-eaters, setting up traps, locking doors, spawning turrets, and generally causing lots of mischief. The Mastermind is basically a demented D&D Dungeon Master.

Before now we didn't know a lot about the Mastermind. Capcom's Tokyo Game Show 2019 footage shows some awesome highlights. As the Mastermind, you can strategically place baddies across the map, and once they're spawned, you actually control the monsters you summon. That means you can play as zombies (but you can't play as the lickers). There's a balance though and you can't just summon willy-nilly.

Surprising absolutely no one, lootbox placeholders have been discovered in the new Modern Warfare beta test.

We all knew Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would be monetized. Activision makes billions ever year with the help of microtransactions (they made $7.5 billion in 2018, and $800 million from live services last quarter). Modern Warfare is the biggest game for Activison's brand this year, and they're banking hard on live services. And not surprising is the monetization avenue Activision will likely use: lootboxes.

Although the industry is taking a lot of heat from lootbox controversies right now, Activision still uses them to make money from randomized rewards in its biggest games. Now screenshots from the Modern Warfare beta show placeholders for lootboxes, but it's worth noting nothing's been 100% confirmed just yet. Infinity Ward has yet to announce anything and says they'll discuss monetization later down the line. Activision gave lots of clues for strong mTX in the past, though. The company says Modern Warfare will have the most post-launch DLC out of any game in the series' entire history.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake has a neat little throwback to the 1997 RPG, but it's still an action game at the end of the day.

Square Enix showed off a bunch of new Final Fantasy 7 Remake footage at the Tokyo Game Show 2019, confirming new additions like the Classic Mode. Websites are treating the mode like it transforms the game into a turn-based RPG...but that's not entirely right. It's more like auto-battle than the original game's ATB system.

Classic Mode basically switches controlled characters over to AI autopilot. It's only half like 1997's Final Fantasy 7 and only lets gamers use commands when the ATB gauge is full. But combat is still in real-time and the AI-controlled party leader will block, dodge, and slash with combo attacks to fill up the ATB gauge. Players can jump in at any time to do special moves, use items, or summon monsters once the ATB gauge is full, but the automatic control won't be interrupted until it's turned off.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake's summons have been adjusted to match the game's new real-time action-based combat, complete with a duration-based mechanic.

Square Enix showed off some big changes to Final Fantasy 7's summoning system at this year's Tokyo Game Show. The extensive gameplay demo reveals that summons are no longer one-off animations punctuated by a singular powerful move. Instead, summons now last for a set amount of time on the battlefield and attack alongside you in real-time, complete with destructive attacks.

The footage shows Cloud summoning Ifrit to take on the Aps boss in the sewers and highlights the new mechanic. Players can control what moves the summons dish out, but they can't actually switch over to them--instead summons are basically allies in combat. Attack executions are purely AI-based with move commands set by the player.

Sea of Thieves wasn't monetized at launch, but it sure is monetized now. Rare introduces the live game's cosmetic microtransaction storefront and lets gamers buy currency with real-world cash.

Rare is the sight when a first-party Microsoft game doesn't ship with microtransactions, but they'll always find a way in somehow. With the Pirate's Emporium storefront, Sea of Thieves is now monetized and peddles numerous cosmetic wares like ship skins, pet outfits, and emotes. The pricing is anything but micro though: there's a $10 emote pack, a $6 pet skin, and a $22 ship paint job. A single ship cosmetic costs more than The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion at launch.

The inclusion of cosmetics isn't surprise. Rare told players Sea of Thieves would eventually have microtransactions farther in the game's lifecycle. The devs took a while to figure out the best way to monetize the game while gathering feedback from players, but it seems like they're just doing the same thing as every other game today: dropping lootboxes and making a straightforward cosmetic store.

Apple takes a move out of Epic's exclusivity playbook with its new $4.99 a month gaming subscription service.

Apple's making a splash into the game subscription market with Apple Arcade, a $4.99 service that packs access to 100+ games for iOS, Mac, and Apple TV. Despite our previous reports, all of the games on Apple Arcade aren't technically 100% exclusive to the service. Apple Arcade's exclusivity just extends to mobile platforms, so none of the games will show up on Android. Apple Arcade titles like Exit the Gungeon, a new Square Enix RPG, and Shantae and the Seven Sirens could still show up on consoles and PC.

This is a tactic Epic Games has taken with its anti-Steam marketplace initiatives. The controversial Epic Games Store makes lucrative deals with indie and big-name publishers like Ubisoft, THQ Nordic, and 2K Games, buying exclusivity rights and promising more long-term cash for one-year exclusivity. What EGS exclusivity really means is "won't release on Steam for a year," similar to Apple Arcade's exclusivity definition of "won't ever release on Android."

In just a week's time, Monster Hunter World's new Iceborne expansion has sold-in 2.5 million copies on PS4 and Xbox One. That's more than some AAA games ship in their entire lifespan.

Lightning doesn't usually strike twice in the same spot...unless you own the Monster Hunter franchise. Monster Hunter World is already a titan in the industry, topping Capcom's sales charts as its best-selling game of all time. The online RPG provides tremendous engagement and revenues via cosmetic microtransactions and will last years to come. But now Capcom says the Iceborne expansion has shipped 2.5 million units, making for a total combined 15.6 million units sold-in to retailers.

Capcom bet a lot on Iceborne. It was clear from the start the expansion packed enough content to be a sequel instead of a paid DLC. Iceborne is the only major AAA release it'll ship this fiscal year (Capcom is gearing up games for next-gen consoles), and Capcom confirmed it'll be the first and last expansion for Monster Hunter World.

The first of Universal Studios' new Nintendo theme park attractions will open Spring 2020 in Osaka, Japan, complete with interactive wristbands and two rides.

The new Super Nintendo World theme park is gearing up for its 2020 launch in Universal Studios Japan, and its first phase will include two rides: a Mario Kart and Yoshi's Adventures ride. In a recent Merrill Lynch media event, Universal Parks and Resorts CEO Tom Williams confirmed the news and outlined some interesting tidbits.

Super Nintendo World has three separate levels and is fashioned like a Mario Bros. level. The park will have snap-on wristbands that make the entire area into an interactive game that's actually compatible with the Switch. You'll be able to keep score and track your progress, and maybe even play mini-games on the Switch itself. There will even be Nintendo-themed food.

Ready to relive those classic DBZ glory days? Bandai Namco's new Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot game transforms the entire series arc into an interactive gaming experience.

DBZ: Kakarot's January 2020 release was confirmed at this year's Tokyo Game Show 2019, complete with the addition of the Buu saga. As it stands, the action-RPG includes every Dragon Ball Z storyline including the Saiyan, Frieza, Android, Cell, and finally Majin Buu sagas, complete with the goofy spin-offs like the Ginyu Force. We could see more playable characters and scenarios added in as post-launch DLC (Bandai loves season passes as of late).

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is described as the ultimate re-telling of Goku's epic journey across impossible hardships, and stays 100% authentic to the legendary anime. It's not like DB FighterZ, but more like an expanded Xenoverse that follows the original arcs. Every area will have open-ended setpieces for the massive confrontations, from the destruction of Namek to the widespread desolation from Majin Buu's multiple form battles.

Death Stranding is a huge open world game with tons of iconic geography to explore. Luckily Sam has an improvised hoverboard to zoom around on.

Today Hideo Kojima revealed tons of new info and details about Death Stranding. We got a huge one hour gameplay demo that illustrates stealth, action RPG aspects, tons of exploration, and some nifty surprises like a motorbike, enemy vehicle hijacking, and even a levitating hoverboard.

In Death Stranding, Sam has a little floating platform that follows behind him and hauls cargo. You can remove all the boxes off the platform and use it as a makeshift hoverboard, and Sam even does little push-offs straight out of Back to the Future Part II. I wonder if it works on water? Probably not...unless you've got power.

Nintendo's new Switch Fit peripheral is called the RingCon, and it comes with a game that turns exercise into an RPG.

Nintendo just made fitness into a fully-fledged RPG using a common pilates ring as a controller. The game is called Ring Fit Adventure, and it's all about beating a muscular bodybuilding dragon at his own game (yes, really).

JoyCons slot into the specially modified pilates ring (officially called the RingCon) and a leg strap for force feedback, accelerometer and gyroscopic tracking to record your movements. The gimmick is you'll use real-life exercises to do actions in the game world. To run in the game, you'll need to run in place. To climb steps, you'll have to do some knee-lifts. To paddle a canoe boat, you'll do some ab twists. Fire a bow by pulling the ring apart, and put up your defenses by tightening up your abs.

The Game Awards 2019 will be a big showcase celebrating video games, complete with worldwide reveals, gameplay, and tons of other announcements.

On December 12, the industry celebrates five years of The Game Awards. The show will be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and host Geoff Keighley says it'll be tremendously special. We'll see 2019's best and brightest celebrated at the event, complete with new game reveals and much more--maybe even some next-gen console teases.

"This year's show will celebrate thea ct of creation, as I turn the stage over to a group of visionary teams selected to share their new projects with you," showrunner Geoff Keighley said.

Death Stranding looks like a high-tech fever dream and an evolution of everything Kojima has made up until now.

Hideo Kojima recently showed off an hour of new Death Stranding gameplay at Tokyo Game Show 2019, revealing intricate details behind his new action-based immersive sim. There's a distinct cinematic feel to the entire experience, complete with an otherworldly sci-fantasy visual flair that transcends most sci-fi today. The world is colorful, vibrant, almost dream-like, and the on-screen HUD markers are straight out of a Cyberpunk game.

But mechanically, Death Stranding is basically an action RPG that borrows from Metal Gear.

Anthem is now playable for free as part of EA and Origin Access subscriptions, signifying the game's life-cycle is winding down.

BioWare's failed new live service IP Anthem isn't a year old yet, but it's already being added to EA's subscription vault. The publisher usually moves its online games to the vault for a number of reasons, including age and engagement opportunities. If a game gets too old and isn't selling that well on the market it's typically moved to the Origin Access vault for easier access. The idea is to provide a way to play the game without buying it, and potentially hook gamers into the engagement-monetization ecosystem EA knows and loves.

But Anthem's retiring to the vault may not actually work the way EA intends it to. The game was a commercial success insofar as sales, but recurring revenues dried up like a prune following the terrible live-based experience.

Fallout 76 now has even more microtransactions that have a tangible effect on gameplay, breaking Bethesda's original promise.

Despite Bethesda's original assurances, Fallout 76 hasn't had cosmetic-only monetization for a while now. In fact, it never actually did (Bethesda sold generators in the Atomic Shop at launch). Months after launch, the studio pretends it never made any sort of promises.

And of course they're selling stuff in the Atomic Shop that actually gives you an upper edge. Bethesda now shamelessly added new purchasable goods to its Utility Items section, which is literally pay-to-win based. First Fallout 76 sold repair kits that instantly fixed items, removing the tedium of gathering mats or scrapping.

One of the most anticipated TV shows of 2019 would have to be The Witcher series on Netflix, and thanks to Netflix itself -- we should expect Henry Cavill's next big adventure on December 17.

The official Twitter account for Netflix and Facebook posted a new list of titles and how many sleeps there is until their respective releases, with The Witcher coming in 97 sleeps. There are 97 sleeps between when it was posted -- September 11, and December 17. Math, ya know.

Netflix's own posts on both Twitter and Facebook have been removed, so we're only going by some screenshots that some very quick users snapped. December 17 can't come soon enough!

KFC isn't just working on its own dating simulator called 'I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Licking Good Dating Simulator' but it's also about to unleash the chicken master into Rainbow Six Siege.

The official KFC Gaming Twitter account teases an announcement for September 23, promising "cash and chicken to be won". We don't know to expect exactly, but it seems KFC is spreading its wings into dating simulators for the Colonel and now a collaboration with Ubisoft and Rainbow Six Siege -- which has just hit 50 million players, by the way.

All I know is I want to play some games now and bite into some Kentucky Fried Chicken... maybe KFC's new marketing is working, because I definitely could go for some gaming+chicken goodness right now.

Intel has announced that it is hosting an esports tournament in Tokyo next year, leading into the 2020 Olympics -- the new tournament will feature Street Fighter V and Rocket League with $500K up for grabs.

There will be $250,000 per game up for grabs, with online qualifying matches kicking off in early-2020 that will lead into a live qualifying event in June hosted in Poland.

Intel will then host its huge final championship tournament on June 22-24 in Tokyo, with the Intel World Open seeing players representing their country in their respective games. 12 nations will be pre-selected to form national teams, and then in March there will be national qualifiers to find the best players to build that team.