Gaming - Page 958

Zelda: Breath of the Wild's weapon durability system (or as Jim Sterling aptly refers to it, "weapon fragility system") is annoying. There's no way around it: having your weapons break really rubs players the wrong way. But it also does something very, very important: teachers players how to improvise and be strategic.

You're not meant to use weapons every time you fight in Nintendo's new Zelda game.

Weapons and shields will degrade the more you use them, and eventually break at the wrong moment. This really can be a problem, especially when you start to avoid fighting enemies because the rewards aren't worth the damage to your cool new swords, spears, bows and shields. But there's a simple way around this frustration: using your infinite supply of ghost-bombs.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild has 900 Korok seeds spread across the massive (and I mean massive) in-game world. Not even two weeks after the game's launch, a dedicated gamer has found all 900 of them, and unlocked the secret of Hestu's reward.

One of the main gripes in the new Zelda game is limited inventory space. The game quickly gives you a way to unlock more space, but only at the expense of time: you have to search for Korok seeds hidden throughout the game. To get these seeds you have to solve humorous little logic puzzles throughout Hyrule: puzzles like placing a rock in an incomplete ring of circles, putting an apple on an altar, things like that.

Solving these puzzles summons a cute little "child of the forest" who rewards you with a Korok seed.

Nintendo's new Switch handheld-console hybrid isn't without its flaws, and we've outlined quite a few of those in our official Switch review. Now it looks like the gaming community has found the culprit behind the Switch's in-game FPS drops: the system's always-on Wi-Fi.

When the Switch handheld is taken out of a Wi-Fi hotspot's range, it's always looking for new hotspots to connect to. An anonymous developer told NintendoLife that the Switch's constant Wi-Fi searching is taxing the device's NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor to the point where FPS drops, stutters, and hitches occur. Remember the Switch's Tegra X1 chip underclocks its GPU when taken on-the-go, which can lower in-game fidelity and frame rates, and it's postulated the always-on Wi-Fi is putting even more load on the processor.

As we've previously reported, the Switch features a 802.11ac Wi-Fi radio outfitted with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The 2.4GHz band is used exclusively for on-the-go outdoor play.

Capcom today announced that six of its most popular 8-bit NES classic games will be ported over to consoles and PC next month--all current consoles except the Nintendo Switch.

The Disney Afternoon Collection will include such classic NES Capcom games as the immortal Duck Tales (woo-ooo!), Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin and Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers. All of the titles will be preserved in their retro 8-bit form, without any Square Enix style remastering.

The Disney Afternoon Collection includes the following titles:

The Necromancer will soon return to the land of Sanctuary, and Blizzard debuts a closer look at the fell wizard's powers and curses.

If you've played Diablo II then you know exactly what to expect from the new necro class: bone spells, undead-raising spells, and deliciously fun curses like Amplify Damage, Decrepify, or Life tap. While Blizzard isn't ready to slap a release date or a price down on Diablo 3's new Rise of the Necromancer DLC pack, we do get a nice glimpse at the white-haired cultist's moveset.

Blizzard showed off five skill and rune combinations, including Grim Scythe, the necro's major melee-based Essence generator ability.

Nintendo's new Switch console-and-handheld hybrid reportedly sells 1.5 million units in its first week of availability.

According to reports from analyst firm SuperData, the Nintendo Switch has sold quite well in its launch week. The agency reports Nintendo saw 1.5 million Switch sales across the globe in its first seven days. Nintendo has also confirmed the Switch outsold the Wii at launch, and is now the company's best-selling system for two-day sales in the United States.

The Nintendo Switch sold the most in the United States by moving 500,00 units in the region, and Japan was behind at 360,000 units. European Switch sales tallied up to 195,000 units, with the bulk of the units sold in the UK and 85,000 sold in France.

CD Projekt Red has been one of the best AAA gaming studios in the world, and one of the most awarded and respected - especially with The Witcher 3. Now the developer is working on its next title, Cyberpunk 2077, and the anticipation of the game is reaching fever levels.

During an interview with Polish website Gazeta, CD Projekt Red co-founder Michał Kicińsk said that the team didn't expect The Witcher 3 to be so successful - but added that there's still room to grow and learn, so that the team can catch up with even bigger developers. He said: "I think that none of us expected such an unbelievable success of the game and CD Projekt itself. We're talking about a game, that has pretty much won every single award and accolade that you can in this industry".

Kiciński added: "If we're to expect something more, it would be even better sales of the game. My brother Adam (CD Projekt's CEO) spoke about it at one of the investors conferences. The Witcher 3 was of course a gigantic commercial success, but in terms of sales there's still a lot of room for growth. CD Projekt's ambition is to catch up with the largest developers in the world in that area".

The latest rumor on Microsoft's upcoming Xbox console is that it will have a built-in PSU, versus the gigantic power supply that has accompanied previous Xbox consoles.

Windows Central is reporting the latest rumor, that unlike the Xbox One - Project Scorpio will have a built-in PSU like the Xbox One S refresh console. This is great news, as the power brick on the Xbox One was absolutely ridiculous in size - but the built-in PSU on Xbox One S was welcomed.

Project Scorpio is Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console, which is a 4K-capable game console that will have some tricks up its sleeve - like we've reported previously with a 4K Game DVR recording function. This new feature will use the HEVC codec to encode 4K footage at 60FPS, for both the Game DVR and streaming.

Quake was my original FPS love, with thousands of hours pumped into the original (and rocking my 3dfx Voodoo 4MB graphics card at the time) and into its sequels, Quake II and Quake III Arena. Now, we have the news that Quake Champions, being developed by id Software once again, will be a free-to-play game.

We've been introduced to one of the Champions already, but id Software's Tim Willits has come out saying: "At its core, it's a free-to-play game," Willits said, "with the option to buy the Champion Pack and just get in and play with all the Champions. There are a number of Quake players that just want to play their Quake, right? And they are familiar with the business model of our previous games, and they are totally fine. 'I want to buy the game. I want to start playing. I want to have access to all the Champions".

He continued: "But then we also understand that we want to get as many people into the game as possible, especially outside of North America and Western Europe, where we have a massive fan base. So we want to have the flexibility to have a free-to-play option for those people".

PAX East 2017 had some great things for gamers to check out, but Gran Turismo Sport would have to be at the top of some gamers' lists - especially with Sony pushing it as a PS4 exclusive.

During the show, gamers got to test out Gran Turismo Sport before it is released - with some off-screen footage captured, showing off some of the various tracks that will be featured in the game. Check out the video above.

Sony confirmed during the Geneva Motor Show that they've partnered with watchmaker TAG Heuer for Gran Turismo Sport, with TAG Heuer becoming the game's official timekeeper. Sony explained: "TAG Heuer will appear as the official timekeeper and official watch of Gran Turismo Sport in all areas of the game, and TAG Heuer's Live Timing technology will be used to provide players with an experience that's just the same as real motor racing".

Microsoft has been pumping some serious hype into its upcoming Project Scorpio console, with the company touting it is the most powerful console ever created - with Middle-earth: Shadow of War developer Monolith Productions reiterating Microsoft's comments on the console.

Shadow of War was recently confirmed as the first Xbox Scorpio title, with Microsoft's backing, with it featuring 4K and HDR technology. During an interview with GamesRadar, Monolith Productions boss Kevin Stephens said: "I can't speak for Microsoft, but from our point of view they seem very committed to, you know, if you buy an Xbox One, whether it's a One, or an S, or a Scorpio you're going to buy a game and [be able to] play it on any of them. That seems very consistent with our experience of working on those platforms".

In previous interviews, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has teased with Project Scorpio: "We've found nothing false about their claims about the hardware. As far as we can tell, it will be the most powerful console ever created when it launches - unless somebody has an announcement I don't know about".

The PC version of Mass Effect Andromeda has been confirmed to not be a console port, but what hardware will you need to run it at 720p and 1080p? We know that, which we've got below for you - but what about 4K 60FPS? Now we know that, too.

In order to run BioWare's upcoming Mass Effect Andromeda at 4K 60FPS+ you're going to need one of NVIDIA's fresh new GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards to hit 4K 60FPS+ according to BioWare Producer Michael Gamble. Gamble recently took to Twitter confirming Mass Effect Andromeda is indeed not a console port, but he was also asked "can the 1080 Ti run the game at 4K@Ultra smoothly?" with Gamble tweeting back "lol yes, 60+".

We will be running Mass Effect Andromeda through its paces when it drops on March 21 (in the US) and March 23 (in Europe).

Sony today announced that PS4 games will soon be playable on the company's PlayStation Now games-streaming service, effectively bringing PS4 games to PC for the first time.

Soon gamers will be able to stream PS4 games to their PC with a PlayStation Now paid subscription. The service, which streams games over Sony's cloud infrastructure, will also act as a rental service for PS4 owners who will get to sample the available console titles. On top of the $20 a month subscription fee, users will also need a $25 DualShock wireless dongle to use console controllers on PC via PS Now.

"As many of you know, PlayStation Now lets you stream hundreds of PS3 games - currently 483 to be exact - to your PS4 and Windows PC. We're excited to announce that PS Now's catalog is set to grow even further, as we'll be expanding to include a new platform: PlayStation 4 games. All of the games in the service, including PS4 games, will be included with a single PS Now subscription. We'll share more information as we get closer to launch, so stay tuned," Sony said in a recent blog post.

Microsoft's new Project Scorpio console may be the real deal when it comes to native 4K gaming, despite having only a scaled, console-grade 6TFLOP GPU. Reports indicate that Microsoft's "monster" 4K console could record gameplay footage at native 2160p 60FPS as well as stream 4K content.

Windows Central received another tip from its Xbox sources that Project Scorpio will be capable of streaming and recording gameplay footage at 4K 60FPS. The outlet reports that Project Scorpio will leverage HEVC and VP9 codecs for decoding 4K video streams, as well as HEVC encoding for 3840 x 2160 resolution 60FPS Game DVR captures.

"Microsoft's Beam streaming service has been running public 4K stream tests for some time, and it's now fair to assume it will not only be PC streamers who will benefit. Project Scorpio's Game DVR will allow you to stream and record clips in 4K resolution with 60FPS, according to our sources, which is a massive, massive step up from the 720p, 30FPS you get on the current Xbox One," Windows Central's Jez Corden reports.

BioWare took advantage of PAX East 2017 to give one last massive marketing push for Mass Effect Andromeda, which is just around the corner - showing off some new gameplay footage during the PAX East 2017 livestream.

EA also unleashed the official trailer to Mass Effect Andromeda, which is available in the gorgeous 4K resolution - with 16 different visual settings for you to tweak for the ultimate mix of graphics and performance. The team also revealed system requirements for 720p and 1080p:

Mass Effect: Andromeda Minimum System Requirements For 1280×720

Rocket League has sold 10.5 million copies worldwide, with developer Psyonix revealing that there are now over 29 million registered players.

The news comes directly from Psyonix boss Jeremy Dunham, who also said the team is not working on a sequel to the game. Now, why are there 29 million registered Rocket League gamers, but only 10.5 million copies sold? This is because there have been free copies given out through PlayStation Plus and Steam's various free weekends, as well as split-screen players.

It was only in January that Rocket League was home to 25 million players, so it's gaining 2 million per month at the moment. In regards to a sequel to Rocket League, Dunham said: "Why would we want to take this huge community that we've already built, that's still growing, and say, 'What you're playing now is going to be irrelevant in 12 months, but we want you to stop what you're doing, giving us money all over again, and move over to this other game. That's not the right way to do things. I think that era of games has passed".

The Nintendo Switch dock only has one small circuit board that essentially acts as a pass through for video and power. Thanks to a recent iFixit teardown, we know exactly what makes the Switch dock tick.

Many gamers have wondered why they can't just connect the Switch directly to their TV and completely circumvent the dock altogether. As we've reported long ago, the Switch's cradle is required as it not only passes the video and audio signals from the console to the TV, but supplies power from the AC adapter to the Switch itself. This synergy is harmonious, and uses the newer USB Type-C protocol for console tethering and standard HDMI out for 1080p HDTVs.

Interestingly enough, the Switch dock has a specific chip in it that facilitates the video conversion: Megachips' STDP2550 Mobility DisplayPort (MyDP) to HDMI Converter.

I've been spending hours per day playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on my Nintendo Switch, and I've got to say I'm completely capitivated by the game - the world, and how damn good it feels to play in portable mode on the Switch - and not docked, on my TV.

Well, while it looks great - my super-beefy gaming PC with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card and AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor are sitting here - doing nothing. But when footage of Zelda: Breath of the Wild popped up on Wii U emulator Cemu 1.7.3, running in 4K, my attention was quickly thrown to the footage.

The performance isn't too good, but we're talking about a software emulator, emulating the Wii U version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The developer has said it will take around 2-4 months to get the game in a state where it can be played all of the way through, explaining: "Zelda will probably be in a state where you can play it from start to finish in 2-4 months. Note that fixing ALL bugs in the game can take years but it should be comparable to Xenoblade Chronicles X in a few months".

After years of waiting, reporting, and hype, BioWare's latest launch trailer reminds us that Mass Effect: Andromeda is really happening and it's dropping quite soon.

The Mass Effect: Andromeda launch trailer is more cinematic and thematic than previous reels, and is meant to be more accessible to consumers and gamers alike. But I have to say it's a bit...weird. The song just doesn't fit (both the lyrics and the tunes, considering this is a game about finding new worlds to co-exist alongside other aliens...and in reality, you're the alien out in the Andromeda Galaxy) and seems off. It just doesn't seem like something I'd pick for a Mass Effect game.

The actual footage, however, gives us a glimpse at what to expect from the game's visuals. This is where the game shines. BioWare confirms that the footage was captured in-engine despite most of it being cinematic sequences, and the footage is representative of the final product we'll be playing on March 21. I'm guessing it was captured on a high-end PC outfitted with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series GPU.

Super Smash Bros. showing up on Nintendo's new Switch handheld-console hybrid is a given. But what about franchises like Metroid? It could happen--Nintendo hasn't killed the dream of a new adventure starring Samus on the Switch.

Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime told Katie Linendoll some interesting things during a PAX East interview. In fact, Reggie said something particularly interesting about how Nintendo wants to push out one of each of its classic franchises on new platforms (including the Switch). This should include obvious entries like Super Smash Bros, but what about Metroid, which has been rather neglected lately?

Katie: Super Smash Bros. for Switch?