Gaming - Page 785

Sony's PlayStation Classic mirrors the original system's save features.

In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Sony revealed how saves will work on its new PS Classic mini-system. Each of the $100 console's games will have its own separate memory card that can store up to 15 slots of data (although 24 slots are shown in the UI picture, only 15 can be used). But anyone who grew up with the original PlayStation knows it saves in blocks rather than slots, and a lot of games use multiple blocks--as you progress in a game, save data sizes are often compounded and grow.

"Each title can support up to 15 virtual memory card slots, which you can manage from the console's main UI. Just like the original PlayStation, once you delete a save file it fades away and cannot be recovered," Sony said in the blog, leaving out the important distinction between "slots" and "blocks."

Sony's new PlayStation Classic mini-console will come pre-loaded with a lot of PAL format games, the company confirms.

Out of the 20 classic PlayStation games pre-loaded on the PS Classic, almost half of them are PAL versions (there's 11 NTSC games and 9 are PAL). In a recent post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony revealed which games follow which format, and some of them could frustrate gamers: Tekken 3, for example, is PAL and ditto with the Resident Evil: Director's Cut.

But why is this a big deal? Consoles used to be region-based and games were specifically designed for each territory. PAL versions of games sometimes run at a slower 50hz frame rate and have strange music and sound issues. Since the PlayStation Classic runs on an open-source emulator, its library of games are likely just ROMs pulled directly from the discs themselves, issues and all.

Red Dead Redemption 2's ambitious online mode will start tomorrow as a beta test, but only for ultimate edition owners. Everyone else will have to wait.

Red Dead Online, the GTA Online-like multiplayer component of RDR2, will open its swinging saloon doors tomorrow on November 27. It'll be held in a staggered beta test that unlocks for different players at different times to avoid disastrous server crashes (which will probably happen anyway) Here's the schedule:

We actually know a fair bit about Red Dead Online. The mode is based entirely on Red Dead Redemption 2's 1899 Western frontier and uses the same basic mechanics, physics, features, and environments similar to how GTA Online's playground is set in Los Santos.

Overkill's The Walking Dead isn't performing as well as publisher Starbreeze had hoped...but it's too early to make a judgement.

The new Walking Dead FPS from Payday developer Overkill looks promising enough, but it's apparently not hitting initial sales targets on PC. Publisher Starbreeze Studios attributes this dip in sales to overseas markets, where the game is selling well on lower-priced storefronts in China and Russia. This sales slip will affect Starbreeze's Q4 and, in conjunction with missed licensing fee, has prompted the publisher to tighten its development belt.

"Initial sales revenues from OVERKILL's The Walking Dead are lower than forecasted, primarily because the share of sales in low-price countries, such as China and Russia, is significantly higher than expected," reads an investor relations announcement.

One of the few Nintendo titles to get recognition on the mobile platform has got to be Fire Emblem Heroes, the free-to-play mobile title has just had the next chapter of the story teased to fans through a short video trailer.

Above you will find the video teaser that has been released onto Nintendo Mobile YouTube Channel. The trailer is titled 'Remembering Books I & II' and gives us a very short breakdown on how the characters got to where they are now and the challenges that they faced.

The trailer isn't very detailed at all and gives a very rough summary of the events that occurred in Book I & II, most interestingly though is the last 10 seconds which is comprised of a single dramatic scene of Sharena looking very distressed, followed by text coming onto the screen saying 'That day, the light died." Book III is planned for release sometime through December this year, I'd assume we will get more teasers ahead of the next chapters launch. Fire Emblem Heroes is available on iOS and Android devices right now, a link to the Google Play Store listing can be found here and the App Store here.

Back in July, I reported on Dark Horse Comics creating a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild art book, that book is now available to purchase at retailers and reveals some explanation towards the chosen art-style that is ever so apparent in Breath of the Wild.

The artbook has been titled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion Hero's Edition and gives purchasers a deep dive into the reasoning behind the artistic choices made throughout Breath of the Wild. Found in the artbook is an interview with art director Satoru Takizawa, Takizawa says "I imagine there are a lot of people who have wondered why the visuals for The Legend of Zelda change with each new entry in the series. We look for the best way to express the unique spirit of that particular game and create a world that will be exciting for players to jump into and explore. Often, the results come from trial and error."

Taizawa continues and explains that when designing the art-style for Breath of the Wild "intentional contraction of reality" was purposely implemented into the game, but spliced with elements of comedic value. This was done to make the times when things would usually be boring for the player much more enjoyable, Taizawa gave an example of this "the player is able to toss a bunch of ingredients into a pot and have a dessert pop out. We found that injecting humor into the visual shorthand helps players forgive the break break from reality." If you are a Breath of the Wild fan I'd definitely recommend you picking the Creating a Champion book from Dark Horse Comics, a link to it can be found here. In the entirety of this post you will find the full interview with Taizawa.

The roster for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is comprised of a total of 74 different fighters, each with different final smashes. Let's take a look at each of them in this compiled video.

The above video has been released onto the MasterofHyrule YouTube Channel and showcases each of the fighting rosters final smashes. Starting off we see Mario, Donkey Kong, Breath of the Wild Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, Sonic, Pikachu, Luigi, Pac Man, Mega Man, Captain Falcon, Peach, Bowser, Ice Climbers and many, many more .

The clips have been compiled through numerous different pieces of footage that have been released onto the internet. It should be noted that if you are wanting to discover the final smashes for yourself it would be advised that you don't watch the above video and wait until the official launch of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Smash Ultimate is planned for release on December 7th, it will be arriving exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. For more information, visit the official Smash Ultimate website here. Looking to buy Smash Ultimate and are wondering what you will need for the best experience possible? Check out my 'Everything you need for Smash Ultimate' article here.

Out of the entire Legend of Zelda franchise would most Zelda fans choose Skyward Sword to become a Nintendo Switch port? Well, recent rumors from a Legend of Zelda producer have suggested just that.

One of the longest running Legend of Zelda producers is Eiji Aonuma, and during a Legend of Zelda concert in Osaka, Japan Aonuma teased that there could be a Nintendo Switch port in the works for Skyward Sword. According to a translation, Aonuma said to the crowd, "We Know what you are thinking, Skyward Sword on Switch, right?"

For those not aware of the history with Skyward Sword, the title was released back in 2011 on the original Wii. At the time of its release, fans replied to the games launch with quite mixed opinions due to the titles reliance on motion controls and lack of Gannondorf as the main antagonist. As more information is revealed about the possible Skyward Sword port, I will be sure to update you with a follow-up article.

Only a week and a half to go before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches and ahead of the games launch Nintendo has announced that Smash Ultimate has taken first place for the Nintendo Switches 'best pre-selling title.'

In a recent announcement on the Nintendo Versus Twitter page, Nintendo has released a short trailer sprinkled with quotes regarding the hype for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The quotes are from numerous websites such as Nintendo Life, US Gamer and IGN. All of which are short sentences describing the expectations that the websites have for Ultimate.

Also mentioned in the short 30 second video is the clarification of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reaching 1st place as the best pre-selling Nintendo Switch title. Not only has Ultimate reached first place in that category, but it also has been deemed the 'best pre-selling Super Smash Bros. game' out of the entire franchise. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is really gearing up for an epic release, the title is planned to release exclusively on the Nintendo on December 7th. For more information on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate visit the official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website here.

Drake has been a big spotlight for Fortnite as he's a massive fan of the game and has a rabid fanbase watching him streaming on Twitch, but it seems that his Fortnite account has been hacked.

During a charity event on November 23, superstar Twitch streamer and Fortnite star 'Ninja' was playing Fortnite when he noticed 'Duddus647' join his game. Drake's Epic Games account number is 'Duddus647' while his PS4 handle is 'TheBoyDuddus'. Whoever joined in on Drake's account started typing racist comments into the chat, which saw Ninja leave the game.

Ninja then said he'd talk to Drake about the situation and report the player to developer Epic Games. We don't know if it was indeed Drake's account that got hacked, but from what information is here by Ninja it seems it happened. How Drake doesn't have security tight on his account considering his size, he really should look into that now.

Red Dead Redemption 2 launched onto the gaming world as one of the largest releases in gaming history, making close to a billion dollars in a week and smashing all sorts of records around the world. Well, CD Projekt Red is working on Cyberpunk 2077 and the hype around it is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day.

CD Projekt Red has said that it has reserved time in the development of Cyberpunk 2077 to polish it as much as it can, because since the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, the developer learned that it need to make "extraordinary games"... like it already didn't, but the team wants to raise the bar even higher. During a call with brokerage firm Vestor DM, CD Projekt Red boss Adam Kicinski was asked about what the developer learned since the release of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2.

He was asked if he thought Cyberpunk 2077 was bug free enough to score a Metacritic rating of at least 95, given that Red Dead Redemption 2 sits high up on the perch at 97. Kicinski didn't hesitate, replying with "Without a doubt, quality is of paramount importance. We strive to publish games which are as refined as Red Dead Redemption 2, and recent Rockstar releases in general. That game is excellent, by the way, we are rooting for it. Rave reviews, excellent sales".

Fallout 76 hasn't been doing too well since it launched just a few weeks ago, with Bethesda debuting the game at $60 and being hit with reviewers criticism and an even bigger backlash from Fallout fans.

The game can now be found for just $35 on Amazon, representing a $25 discount from its original launch price of $60. The game dipped close to this price during the Black Friday sales, where the game could be found for $40. This isn't an official price drop by Bethesda but rather Amazon and other retailers throwing specials, that just so happen to coincide with the drama surrounding Fallout 76.

I criticised the game previously with Bethesda using the same crappy engine in its next-gen Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 games, as the mess in Fallout 76 which was previously locked to 63FPS. In the last week the developer has removed the frame rate limit for the game on the PC.

In an effort to become more lean, Starbreeze Studios will trim the fat off its development and business projects.

Starbreeze today confirmed it's now reformulating its business strategy so it can streamline and lower its development costs. "The company has commenced a project to review operations and has initiated a program to reduce costs and sharpen focus on core business - internal and external development," the company wrote on an update.

When companies make decisions like these it often affects its development slate. It's possible that this move could suspend or even kill off in-development games and also interrupt or forestall updates on current games. Starbreeze made this decision to help buffer its FY2019 earnings, which it says will be significantly positively impacted.

Lots of old-school Japanese games are coming back into the mainstream and publishers like SEGA, Capcom, and Konami are re-releasing and remastering retro games. Square Enix could do the same with its iconic horror franchise Parasite Eve.

Square Enix recently filed a trademark for Parasite Eve at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), hinting the series could be due for a remaster or perhaps a sequel. It's been eight years since the last Parasite Eve game (The Third Birthday on PSP) and nearly 20 years since the last mainline entry, Parasite Eve II. Square Enix didn't mention anything about remasters or re-releases in its recent quarterly filings, but the publisher's earnings documents have been rather sparse lately insofar as clues and specifics.

It's worth noting this could simply a re-filing or an extension on the older Parasite Eve trademark and may not indicate a new game is happening. Something similar happened with Capcom's Deep Down, and the trademark was just filed again because the maximum extensions had been reached on the old one. But Parasite Eve's EUIPO filing has no renewals and the listing's timeline is blank. Plus it was filed just three days ago on November 22, 2018.

Microsoft loves monetizing engagement on its Xbox-and-PC blend of platforms. But Crackdown 3, the company's most recent gaming ambition, may interrupt this trend.

Crackdown 3 represents a tremendous investment for Microsoft. It'll have online multiplayer with dynamic, destructible environments all powered by Azure cloud servers, all of which sound like typical features of any live service game. And we all know service games are monetized in some way. But if optional in-game purchases aren't included, how will Crackdown 3 make recurring revenues outside of full game sales? The dev team is still figuring that out...and the plan may not include microtransactions. This really doesn't seem likely, however.

In a recent interview with Windows Central, Microsoft Game Studios exec Joseph Staten outright said that microtransactions may not be in Crackdown 3. "We're not committing to anything right now, we're still experimenting with what's best to do. ...We also look at the long-term hooks. We know that we didn't want to go with microtransactions. We're not going with the concept of loot crates," he said.

Thanks to a new partnership with Microsoft, over 50 of Razer's gaming mice and keyboards can be used on the Xbox One...but the RGB-obsessed company is making something special for the console.

Microsoft's plan to merge Xbox console and PC gaming has made tremendous progress. They've managed to wrap both platforms together digitally via Xbox LIVE and other services, and now the lines are getting more blurred thanks to official Xbox One peripheral support. Razer is the first to partner with Team Green, and is working on a special bespoke wireless mouse and keyboard that aims at delivering PC gaming-level performance (and lots of RGB flair).

Razer is building this new peripheral combo from scratch specifically for the Xbox One, so expect console-oriented designs that take couch gaming into account. No specifications or exact details are known but Razer did show off a glimpse at the Xbox keyboard and mouse ahead of its big CES 2019 reveal.

Projects and new IPs are cancelled all the time in games development. Most games simply just die out in various dev stages, and the lucky ones morph into the products that're sold in stores. One such casualty of the rapidly-expanding and rigorous business appears to be Agent, Rockstar Games' new espionage IP set in the Cold War.

The trademark for Rockstar's new Agent franchise is now defunct, which probably means it's been cancelled. Take-Two Interactive failed to renew the Agent trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, leading it to be voided out. "DEAD/APPLICATION/Refused/Dismissed or Invalidated - This trademark application was refused, dismissed, or invalidated by the Office and this application is no longer active," reads the trademark listing.

Given Rockstar's current trajectory this abandonment makes a lot of sense. Agent was announced in 2007 and formally revealed at E3 2009, years before the studio found its billion-dollar stride with Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar has fully embraced a mix of singleplayer and service-based gaming with GTA V/GTA Online and Red Dead Redemption 2/Red Dead Online, and this combo will take up tremendous amounts of time and resources to both upkeep and pursue. Rockstar might just shift towards safer bets that continually deliver long-term revenues rather than taking a big risk on a new IP. Or maybe the exclusivity deal with Sony broke down, or perhaps there were a million other things that went wrong with the game's development.

Earlier this month Geoff Keighley teased "worlds will change," an interesting message written in the Weyland Corporation script. Everyone thought a new Alien game would be revealed at The Game Awards 2018, and Hideo Kojima's recent visit to 20th Century Fox ignited this speculation further. Could Kojima Productions be involved? Maybe the visit was just a coincidence, or maybe he went along with Keighley to see the mysterious new game. But now we have some concrete evidence: a newly filed trademark.

20th Century Fox just trademarked "Alien: Blackout" on the World Intellectual Property Organization, which should be the name of the new game. The trademark is directly classified as games software and may actually have online elements of some kind, possibly even live service content (it's more likely referring to online digital distribution, though). At the time of writing the trademark hasn't been approved and is still under review.

Shenmue 3's Kickstarter has come to a close with over $7 million raised.

As evidenced by its successful crowdfunding campaign, lots of gamers are looking forward to Shenmue 3. The devs at Ys net today closed Shenmue 3's Kickstarter, which closed at a cool $7,179,510 from over 81,000 backers. While this may sound like quite the dev budget, remember Ys Net doesn't get to keep all of that cash (Kickstarter takes a cut) and big games take tens of millions to make. Shenmues I & II took upwards of $70 million to make, or about ten times as much as the funding round.

"Quite an impressive score, isn't it!? Seeing the final numbers, all of us here can't help but feel all over again the immensity of the support everyone has given to make this project come true! Thank you!" Ys Net wrote on the update.

A Fallout 76 dev has a little fun at Bethesda's expense.

While roaming around Fallout 76 I came across a curious terminal of one Miguel Caldera (Morrowind reference!), a tinkerer with a sense of humor. The Fallout games are known for their interesting--and often hilarious--computer notes and passages, many of which breathe life into the stale loneliness of irradiated Appalachia. Reading through Caldera's notes, I found a rather fantastic reference to Bethesda's penchant for buggy games:

"Eyebots run on some other system and I don't want to make this work with them. Let's say this isn't a bug exactly, it's just something I don't want to fix," the fictional tinker artist writes under the WORKS AS DESIGNED entry. This is just too perfect to be anything than an easter egg that describes Bethesda games.