Gaming - Page 974

CES 2017 - Acer has announced its new Aspire GX desktop PC aimed at both mainstream and performance gamers.

The Acer Aspire GX desktop can be tailor-made in various flexible price-per-performance configurations to meet the needs of various consumers, offering builds with specs up to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, Intel i7 Kaby Lake CPU, 64GB of dual-channel DDR4-2400 RAM, and 3TB HDD storage with a 256GB SSD.

The Aspire GX starts at just $899, but a quick look at the spec sheet below shows the graphics options go as low as a GeForce GTX 745 video card, so don't expect to get a lot of bang for your buck at the starting price. The desktop will launch in North America in March 2017.

In a very Microsoft kind of move, it appears Windows 10's new Game Mode feature will only work with PC games tied to Windows 10's UWP ecosystem.

Windows Central seems to have confirmed my initial prediction: Windows 10's upcoming Game Mode feature--which allocates system resources on an OS and hardware level and optimizez them specifically for gaming, thereby boosting game performance--will only work with UWP-enabled PC games. This means only PC games purchased on the Windows Store can leverage the benefits of Windows 10 Game Mode, so everyone's entire library of Steam games may not work.

"Previously, we were unable to ascertain whether Game Mode would be a feature restricted to games built for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), but it does appear that this could be the case. Our information states that games developed for the Windows 10, Xbox One, and Project Scorpio ecosystem specifically need to be "Game Mode enabled" Universal Windows Apps (UWA)," reads Windows Central's report.

Microsoft's new "beastly" high-end 4K-ready Project Scorpio console may leverage a new Windows 10 Game Mode feature that allocates system resources specifically for gaming.

Earlier we reported on Windows 10's new Game Mode functionality, which essentially flips a switch to optimize key OS resources, CPU and GPU hardware for gaming experiences. Now Windows Central is reporting that Microsoft's Xbox ecosystem and it's new enthusiast-grade Project Scorpio will benefit from Game Mode as well.

This isn't really a surprise considering the Xbox One, Xbox One S and Project Scorpio are now running Windows 10 via a new custom OneCore OS, with the systems being tethered to Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform (UWP) ecosystem. This means that all UWP apps can be used across the full ecosystem, and the Xbox consoles are now compatible with specific UWP apps and programs.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will release on March 31, 2017 on all platforms, according to Microsoft's Xbox LIVE Rewards page.

If you've paid attention to our Andromeda coverage, this release date won't be a surprise; we originally reported the game would launch in March 2017. This might be a slip-up on Microsoft's part, but March 31 is usually a placeholder. However this lines up with BioWare's "Spring 2017" launch window, and underlines our previous reports as well.

Although BioWare has showcased Andromeda running in 4K 30FPS on a PS4 Pro, the devs are optimizing the game to leverage high-end enthusiast PCs as well; the game won't have an FPS cap on PC, and will likely tap NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series GPUs for extra performance and features. It will also support UltraWide 21:9 resolution on release.

Steam's December 2016 Hardware Survey sees Microsoft's latest cross-platform Windows 10 continue as the preferred operating system among Steam gamers.

The data indicates Windows 10 adoption has jumped by 0.73% throughout the month, putting the modern OS at 50.35% of all Steam users. Most gamers, all 49.10% of them, are using Windows 10 64-bit, with at tiny fraction of 1.25% of users stuck with Win 10 32-bit.

Despite Windows 10 now technically running on more than half of all Steam user's machines, Windows 7 is still quite popular at 33.8% of total Windows users (64-bit and 32-bit combined).

Nintendo has touted its third-party support for its new Switch console-and-handheld hybrid system, but they said the same thing about the Wii U, and devs eventually pulled out due to dismal console sales and underwhelming specs and power. Here we do a quick comparison of the third-party confirmations and take a look at the rumored Switch specs to gauge our games library expectations from the new platform.

Forty-seven of the games industry's top third-party publishers and developers have already pledged support to Nintendo's new Switch platform, and Nintendo says that's only a sampling. During the Wii U's pre-release third-party confirmations, however, only 21 or so publishers and devs pledged support for the lackluster system--and that number eventually petered out dramatically over time. Could the same thing happen to the Switch?

The main reason developers stopped making games for the Wii U was the system's complexity and lower-end performance. It was a nightmare for devs, requiring a lot of extra work to scale their games on an underwhelming specced system. With the Switch, however, Nintendo enlisted leading graphics card-maker NVIDIA.

A new highly ambitious GTA V mod will add Liberty City into the game, rendering in Rockstar's high-end engine.

The mod is being developed by the OpenIV Team, who has been working on the project since GTA V released. "Today we are proud to announce the project we worked on since initial GTA V release. Liberty City is finally coming into GTA V in all its glory," reads the the announcement on OpenIV Team's blog.

Liberty City won't actually replace Los Santos--the two areas will co-exist and essentially merge two massive GTA games together. Due to legal concerns, the mod will essentially transfer Liberty City from a player's owned copy of Grand Theft Auto IV into their copy of GTA V. So the mod itself is a converter of sorts that takes the older GTA IV files and transforms them into high-def assets, textures, etc usable on the GTA V engine.

Dishonored 2 was a mess when it launched a few months ago, with PC gamers upset at the state of the game - and Arkane Studios trying to fix as much as it could, but it was a case of too little, too late.

Arkane Studios is currently hard at work on the reboot of Prey, which is powered by CryEngine - with the studio to not make the same mistake twice. During an interview with Game Informer, Arkane's Creative Director Raphael Colantonio and Lead Designer Ricardo Bare explained: "We've had a rough launch on the PC with Dishonored 2. In development, you never really know what you're going to see, especially on the PC with so many configurations. Unfortunately it is what it is, it shipped but now it runs really well after some patches. Of course, we are paying attention to make sure that this time the PC version is really flawless when we ship".

They continued: "A bit more Q&A time, also it's a different engine so the constraints are different. In the case of Dishonored 2 we created a new engine really, even though it's based on idTech most of it has been redone. In the case of Prey we're using CryEngine and it's an engine that's already shipped stuff before, so it's not the same configuration. We are, nevertheless, aware of the problem; we were already but it got us by surprise, this time we'll be paying more attention for sure".

We've already reported that Nintendo's new Switch console-and-handheld hybrid system would leverage modern engines and APIs like Vulkan and Open GL 4.5, DICE's Frosbite 3, Unreal Engine 4, and now it looks like we can expect to see quite a few UE4 games cross over to the Switch.

According to NeoGAF, Epic Games Japan manager Takayuki Kawasaki says a lot of Nintendo Switch's games will use UE4, including "releases of already announced major titles and new games." Takayuki also confirmed that Dragon Quest XI would use Unreal Engine 4 on the Switch, alongside other upcoming titles including Square Enix's hotly anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Kingdom Hearts III, Tekken 7, and the yesteryear Street Fighter V.

For comparison's sake, here's a list of games that use Unreal Engine 4.

Microsoft has kicked off the first day of 2017 by asking Xbox fans if they're "ready for the beast," aka their upcoming enthusiast-grade 4K-ready Project Scorpio console.

Project Scorpio has been described in a whole manner of colorful ways, with devs calling it a "monster" and Microsoft affirming it'll deliver "the best resolution, best frame rates, no compromises," but now the company has tossed around another term by calling the next-gen Xbox a "beast."

Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg Tweeted an interesting post that tells us two things: the company is extremely confident in Project Scorpio, and it will meet its Holiday 2017 release. Greenberg has recently been quite vocal about the console, saying that it will "usher in a new era of 4K gaming"

Sledgehammer Games, who will likely develop next-year's Call of Duty game, has further teased evidence that CoD 2017 will be set in the past--and it's likely the Vietnam War.

Call of Duty games are typically rotated across three major Activison studios: Infinity Ward, Treyarch and Sledgehammer games. With Infinity Ward having developed Call of Duty: Infinite Warafre, Sledgehammer games is expected to make the next shooter in the series, and we have even more evidence that it'll be based on the studio's scrapped Vietnam War-based Fog of War game.

Sledgehammer dev Michael Condrey recently shared an image of an older M1911A Colt .45 pistol on Twitter, saying "can you un-see our runner up?" The "runner up" here could be referring to the next "runner up" chapter of Call of Duty, with the M1911A hinting at a variety of different settings.

Renowned DIYer and professional tecchie Ben Heck recently torn down Sony's new 4K-ready PlayStation 4 Pro console and compared the system's Polaris GPU and Jaguar CPU die refresh with the PS4 Slim's apparent 16nm refresh.

According to Heck's teardown, the PS4 Pro's board has twice as many power regulators than the PS4 Slim, and features a larger copper heat sink to help mitigate heat generated by the console itself. As we reported a bit ago, the PlayStation 4 Pro runs pretty hot, especially when it's gaming in upscaled or native 4K.

"The heat sink of the new system is about 30% bigger than the old one. It's longer and a little bit thicker. There's three heat pipes coming out of a copper core and those heat pipes are going directly to the top of the fins of the heat sink. There's quite a bit more heat dissipation going on with this unit."

Capcom alum Hideaki Itsuno has a very particular new year's resolution: to announce a new game in 2017. What could it be?

In a recent Tweet, Capcom's Hideaki Itsuno teased that he will reveal a new title next year. Considering Itsuno is responsible for a sizable chunk of Capcom games, there's lots of possibilities, but we have a pretty good reason to think it'll be Devil May Cry 5.

Although Nintendo has confirmed many times that its new Switch handheld hybrid system would launch in March 2017, some gamers still think it'll be delayed. But now retailers are starting to put out official Switch banners, indicating Nintendo has the launch set in stone.

Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi has put up what appears to be the very first Nintendo Switch advertisement banner, clearly listing the March 2017 launch date. While we still don't know how much the Switch will cost--and we won't find that out until Nintendo's special January event--we've had reports that the Switch will come in a $249 basic bundle and a $299 deluxe bundle, with the more expensive SKU offering pack-in games like Splatoon.

If you're new to the Nintendo Switch, here's a quick rundown: the Switch itself is comprised of a 6.2-inch tablet-like device with a 720p display called the "Switch Console" and a dock called the "Switch Dock." The tablet can "switch" at any time across two different form factors: mobile and console play. The tablet is fringed by two detachable JoyPad controllers that can slide off and be used as two separate controllers on-the-go, or fastened to a JoyCon grip for a more traditional controller experience.

Ever wondered what happens when Mario eats a bad mushroom? No, not a rotten mushroom; the kind that make you see things. I mean Mario is always gobbling up mushrooms to grow bigger, and one of two of them are bound to be the wrong kind, right? Now we know, and the results are pretty horrifying.

This delirious fever dream hallucination-gone-wrong was created by YouTuber CosmoCourtney, who used a Super Mario 3D World hack to make a gangly monster out of everyone's favorite plumber.

I wonder if Miyamoto has seen this yet, and what he thinks about these kinds of hacks. One thing's for sure: every time a mushroom pops up in a Super Mario game, I'll be hesitant to pick it up lest Mario turns into this freakish terror.

Good news, PC gamers! BioWare's massive open-universe space exploration RPG Mass Effect: Andromeda will have an unlocked frame rate on PC, and the game itself may be optimized to leverage NVIDIA's latest GeForce GTX 10-series video cards, and possibly the upcoming GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.

In an era where PC game ports often ship broken and barely tap the full potential of high-end hardware, it appears BioWare is aiming for the stars with Mass Effect: Andromeda's PC support. We previously reported that the new Mass Effect would run at 30FPS+ on PC, but we didn't know if there was a cap. Now it's official: there is no cap for ME: Andromeda on PC, and the game will also support 21:9 UltraWide displays on day one.

According to Kotaku Australia, BioWare producer Mike Gamble also said that the devs were "targeting day one drivers out for Andromeda," but who will get the drivers: Team Red or Team Green?

BioWare has revealed a few fresh snippets on its new amazing-looking sci-fi space exploration RPG Mass Effect: Andromeda, this time highlighting how the game seamlessly blends singleplayer and multiplayer.

Andromeda's multiplayer will be entirely optional, but the line between campaign and online multiplayer will be much more blurred this time around; "it's pretty seamless," said BioWare's Mike Gamble. Multiplayer will be narratively connected with ME: Andromeda's exploration-heavy singleplayer campaign, but don't expect the multiplayer to be seamless in the scope of drop-in/drop-out connectivity.

"There's a system that we use called the Strike Team system, and fundamentally it allows you to go between singleplayer and multiplayer within the game. And it's packaged around a meta-story of what's going on in Helios," Bioware producer Mike Gamble told Kotaku Australia.

While playing Fallout 4, you get a distinct sense that it's unfinished. There's something missing and the game definitely feels incomplete; that's because it actually is, and we've found a nice catalog of all the awesome content that was cut from the original game.

Just like with any game, Fallout 4 has a lot of trimmings left on the cutting room floor. These trimmings might be irradiated, ghoulish, rather creepy and bizarre, but they would've changed the game in so many amazing ways. Players would be able to throw exploding spears, dive into the depths of the irradiated seas with old-school diving bells and suits to take on mutated dolphins and killer squids with an awesome secret harpoon gun. In fact, the quest was called 20 Leagues Under the Sea and had its own little Vault Boy animation.

Fallout 4 also once had destructible environments, but I suspect these were a lot less dynamic than, say, Battlefield 1. Throwable weapons were found, including javelins, saw blades and hatchets, as well as a rad crossbow and even an unfinished model for the super-awesome Chinese Assault Rifle from Fallout 3. An assortment of monsters was also found, giving us a creepy look at what could've been. Honestly, Fallout 4 would've been a very different game if the cutting room floor was incorporated into the final release, but I guess the same could be said for any triple-A release.

Remedy Entertainment had a massive year this year with the launch of Quantum Break, neck deep in a myriad of issues and launch problems, with the game being received badly - worse so than their previous game, Alan Wake.

Game Director Mikael Kasurinen sat down to an interview with Polygon, talking about various things that just didn't work with Quantum Break. He said that the concept the developer had for Quantum Break with its TV show mix in with the game itself wasn't perfect, and that it wasn't easy to combine these two worlds. He said that both Quantum Break and Alan Wake would've been better if they were less linear.

Kasurinen said: "If you go back and look at Alan Wake ten years ago you could see us talking about it about how we dabbled with the idea of driving around in a car in an open environment. You could see even then that desire to go in that direction". He continued: "One way to tell a story is to create a rich world you can get to explore. When you look back at Alan Wake and Quantum Break, you can see we spent a lot of time looking at the shape of those worlds, the cities, towns, neat characters, maps".

It looks like PC gamers will have something to drool over at from NVIDIA at CES 2017 next week, with the official Twitter account of Mass Effect teasing that there will be "more Mass Effect: Andromeda environments and gameplay" shown off during NVIDIA's CES 2017 keynote on Wednesday 4th January, 2017.

NVIDIA's CEO and founder Jen-Hsun Huang will be on stage as always, with a pre-show keynote that will tease the industry's next steps in self-driving car technology, AI, gaming, and hopefully more.