Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The latest News from GameSpot News On 03/22/2017

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The latest News from GameSpot

In the 03/22/2017 edition:

Star Wars: Rogue One Deleted Scene Shows Vader Killing Major Character

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 22, 2017 12:09 am

THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE SPOILERS

Star Wars: Rogue One featured the iconic villain Darth Vader, but he was only seen briefly. Now, writer Gary Whitta, who worked on an early draft, has revealed that he originally had an idea for Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to survive the film's final battle, only to be killed by Vader.

In this version, Vader murders Krennic for allowing the Rebels to make off with the Death Star plans after the final showdown on the tropical planet Scarif.

"He survived the blast and they pulled him up and brought him to the Star Destroyer to report to Vader," Whitta explained to Entertainment Weekly. "He's all beat up, his cape's all torn up and stuff, and he thinks he has survived. Vader kills him for his failure."

Krennic "somehow survived" the the blast on Scarif, which sounds pretty unlikely given how devastating it was. "It's a bit of a reach, which is why it isn't in the finished film," he said.

In this version of Rogue One, main character Jyn Erson and Cassian Andor would have grabbed the important intelligence and escape with their lives. In the theatrical version, all the main rebels died, along with Krennic.

Whitta's ideas made it off the page, as the video above from Rogue One's home video version shows Krennic meeting his fate at the hands of Vader's infamous Force choke.

Rogue One launches through digital stores on March 24, with a release for Blu-ray/DVD slated for April 4. Check out GameSpot's previous coverage here to learn more about everything it comes with.

The next Star Wars film is Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which opens in December.


Xbox Live Suffering From Issues Again Today

By Chris Pereira on Mar 22, 2017 12:02 am

It feels as if Xbox Live has been hit with an inordinate number of issues as of late, and that's the case again today.

As of this writing, a number of Xbox Live services have been interrupted across Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC. This includes sign-in issues and problems with purchasing content, the latter of which was also encountering trouble yesterday. Sign-in problems are particularly problematic because of the way they cut you off from Xbox Live, including the ability to play many games.

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On both the Xbox Live status page and its Twitter support account, Microsoft reports that it's aware of the situation and is working to resolve it. There's no ETA for when service will be restored.

We'll report back as Microsoft shares more.


Halo Wars 2's First DLC Is Available Now Alongside A New Patch, Here's What They Add

By Oscar Dayus on Mar 21, 2017 11:47 pm

Exactly a month after its February 21 launch, Halo Wars 2 has received its first add-on content. The Kinsano pack adds a new leader and a bunch of new units, while a new patch released today brings a whole load of bug fixes and overall improvements.

Lt. Colonel Morgan Kinsano is the first of many new leaders to be added in the months after Halo Wars 2's launch--more will drop every month, says developer 343 Industries. The Lt. Colonel's abilities include Helldrop, which brings in friendly reinforcements from the sky; Hellcharge, which buffs friendly units' speed and damage stats; and Inferno, a huge blast of fire that's expensive to use but lethal to everything in its area of effect.

Kinsano pilots a personalized Flame Cyclops, whose dual flamethrowers make it deadly at close range. Accompanying units--the Flame Warthog, Veteran Flame Hog, and Veteran Hellbringers--continue the fire theme and are particularly suited to short-range combat against enemy infantry.

The DLC, which is out now, costs US $5.99 / £4.79 / AU $9.95, and it's included in the season pass.

Halo Wars 2 was also updated for all players today, and the patch mostly fixes bugs and brings minor performance enhancements--check out all the details below.

Halo Wars 2 March Patch Notes

Crashes / Errors / Performance

  • Fixed a crash that occurred in Skirmish against AI opponents
  • Fixed some error handling with Xbox live service messages
  • Fixed a crash that can occur in a LASO play through
  • Fixed a hardlock that could occur when loading into "Lights Out"
  • Fixed a desync that could be hit in Firefight
  • Fixed a crash that could occur while watching the prologue cinematic
  • Fixed a crash that could occur while a user signs out while loading into a certain game mode
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when transporting newly deployed units
  • Fixed an Windows 10-specific issue with the game hanging sometimes when restarting a mission
  • Fixed some suspend/idle issues that caused infinite loads
  • Fixed some Intel Iris Graphics 520 issues that could cause a crash
  • Improved performance when running on various Intel integrated GPUs
  • Fixed some improper localization strings in controller layout while playing the Basic Tutorial
  • Fixed an issue that could cause a crash when a Wolverine is destroyed by a Lightbridge toggling off while it was on it
  • Improved stability by fixing a large variety of one-off crashes
  • Fixed some performance hitches in Campaign that were caused by scripted events triggering

Gameplay

  • Fixed an issue where players were sometimes able to quickly assign one Leader Power point to two different Leader Powers
  • AI now garrisons a bit more often in Legendary when low on health
  • Nightingale Smoke bombs now stop Turrets shooting outside of the smoke, identical to how units behave
  • Damage against Bases show as soon as it happens
  • Fixed an issue with Hornets sometimes not responding to Banished unit attacks
  • Fixed an issue with pressing the 'Q' key twice did not select all units, if there were no units on the screen
  • Fixed an issue with Challenges sometimes not progressing in Solo/Team War or Team Objective Playlists
  • Fixed Shift-Right-clicking to set multiple waypoints not working in some cases
  • Fixed an issue with AI ignoring Sentinel recaptured Control Points
  • Fixed some units getting stuck on the campaign mission The Halo
  • Fixed a bug where the enemy AI retreats too often on Normal
  • Fixed an issue where the AI would sometimes kill its own units by toggling a Lightbridge
  • Fixed an issue with units doing no damage in a specific scenario
  • Fixed an issue with Departures video being unlocked after completing The Halo
  • Fixed a bug with Just the Facts and The Full Story achievements not triggering properly
  • Fixed an issue where players would get their Favorite Leader instead of the one picked
  • Various unit animation fixes
  • Added three new achievements unique to the upcoming Kinsano leader DLC

Cosmetic

  • Fixed some text truncation that could occur in some Campaign missions
  • Fixed some text in a few Phoenix logs
  • Fixed some UI callouts for failed objectives in a previously played mission showing in a different mission

Audio

  • Fixed some cases of audio corruption when multiple sound effects were played at the same time
  • Fixed an issue with vehicle engine audio stuttering when on the edge of battle
  • Fixed an issue with clipping/corruption occurring in higher waves of Blitz Firefight

Design & Balance Changes

Note: Balance changes affect units in standard and Blitz multiplayer modes unless otherwise noted.

For Halo Wars 2 game designer notes and context surrounding these changes, please check out the March 16 Community Update blog.

Leader Powers

  • Shipmaster's Scout mines cannot be dropped on buildings anymore
  • The Banished Cleansing Beam speed slightly reduced
  • ODSTs cost increased from 600 to 800, HP slightly decreased

Economy

  • Adjusted the Supply income curve to give less of a bonus income on the first few Supply Pads/Warehouses, but less limiting as player's build additional pads.

Leaders:

  • Sgt. Forge: Removed the discount on Supply Pads and Reactors in the Rolling Economy leader power
  • Sgt. Forge: Accelerated Assembly and Lotus mines swapped places

Units

Jump Pack Brutes

  • Increased HP
  • Incased basic DPS
  • Slight increase to move speed

Hellbringers

  • Significant increase to HP
  • Significant increase to fire damage dealt to basic infantry units
  • Move speed slightly increased
  • Cost reduced from 80/50 to 80/40
  • Reduced pre-attack and post-attack cooldown to improve responsiveness

Suicide Grunts (NOT Blitz Suicide Grunts)

  • Increased HP
  • Base damage decreased
  • Base AOE range increased
  • Move speed slightly increased
  • Charge distance increased
  • Charge speed decreased
  • Cost reduced from 100/25 to 100/20

Elite Rangers

  • Significantly increased HP
  • Armor type changed to be more resistant to small arms fire from Marine & Grunt squads
  • Cost reworked from 80/110 to 125/90
  • DPS increased

Jackrabbit

  • Cost reduced from 220/15 to 200/12

Ghost

  • Cost reduced from 265/20 to 230/15

Chopper

  • Cost reduced from 280/20 to 245/15

Hunters

  • Cost reduced from 150/200 to 160/160
  • DPS reduced

Cyclops

  • Cost reduced from 120/150 to 120/120
  • DPS reduced

Wraiths

  • HP significantly increased
  • Shields significantly increased
  • Build time reduced
  • Cost changed from 550/40 to 525/70
  • Plasma Cannon DPS increased
  • Plasma Mortar DPS increased
  • Plasma Mortar Fire rate increased
  • Y ability initial damage increased significantly
  • Incoming healing reduced

Scorpion

  • HP increased
  • Cost changed from 650/50 to 600/90
  • Machinegun DPS increased
  • Cannon DPS increased
  • Cannon AOE size decreased
  • Canister shell DPS increased
  • Canister shell AOE size increased
  • Incoming healing reduced

Grizzly

  • HP increased
  • Machinegun DPS increased
  • Missile pod DPS increased
  • Cannon DPS increased
  • Missile Barrage ability damage increased

Grunts

  • Grunt squad build time reduced
  • Overall DPS increased for basic and mine-upgrade squads
  • Overall DPS increased for pack brother upgrade squads

Marines

  • Grenade DPS decreased significantly
  • Grenade large AOE size reduced

Anders' Sentinels

  • Move speed decreased
  • No longer has a huge damage bonus vs. buildings
  • General DPS decreased
  • Lockdown Bolt damage decreased significantly

Banshees

  • Banshee Plasma Torpedo damage reduced

Locusts

  • Basic DPS slightly reduced
  • Line of sight range reduced
  • Weapon range reduced

Base Turrets

  • UNSC and Banished upgraded turrets DPS increased
  • Banished turrets HP increased
  • UNSC turrets build time reduced
  • Banished turret build time reduced

Strongholds

  • UNSC and Banished HQ HP increased to a constant, high HP amount across all tech tiers

Civilization 6 Spring Update Announced, Two New Civs Coming

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 11:22 pm

Civilization VI fans have a lot to look forward to in the near future, as Firaxis and 2K have announced that two new civs are on the way, as is a Spring update.

Only one of the two civs, Persia, has been unveiled so far. As seen in the video above, it's led by Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great, who has the Fall of Babylon ability. This provides all Persian units with bonus movement after declaring a surprise war. Doing so also results in less of a diplomatic penalty than it does for other civs.

Persia features the unique Immortal unit. Described as an "elite heavy foot soldier," it replaces the Soldier and features both strong defense and--more interestingly--a ranged attack.

Persia's unique ability grants it a bonus trade route when Political Philosophy is unlocked, as well as bonuses for internal trade routes. It also has the unique Pairidaeza tile improvement, which provides culture, gold, and appeal, as well as additional bonuses for being located next to districts and city centers.

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If you own Civilization VI's Deluxe Edition, the Persia DLC will be unlocked for free automatically when it launches, though a date wasn't provided. A price for everyone else also wasn't announced, though it may only be coming as part of a Double Civilization & Scenario Pack alongside the other new, unannounced civ.

Details on the forthcoming Spring update are also sparse. Firaxis only said the free patch provides "balance changes, multiplayer changes, and bug fixes" for all players.


Call of Duty 4 Remaster Adds New DLC Maps Today On PS4, See Them In Action Here

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 11:22 pm

The old is new again today as Activision has launched the first DLC pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered. Just as it did in 2008, the Variety Map Pack adds four maps: Broadcast, Chinatown, Creek, and Killhouse. Like Modern Warfare itself, the maps have been remastered.

You can see them in action through the trailer embedded above. The expansion is out now on PlayStation 4, priced at $15, with a release to come later for Xbox One and PC.

The new Variety Map Pack also includes 10 "Rare" supply drops, which contain cosmetic items. These are normally unlocked through gameplay or by spending real money. The original map pack, released in April 2008, was priced at $10. It came out first on Xbox 360 and sold 1 million units in its first nine days.

All Call of Duty DLC now launches first on PlayStation as part of a timed-exclusivity deal between Activision and Sony.

Modern Warfare Remastered is only available through Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's Legacy Edition. The package launched at $80, but you can find it for a lot less right now.

In other news about the game, Activision is currently running an in-game St. Patrick's Day event called Operation: Shamrock & Awe. It includes a "new" map to play on and a character to collect, among other things.


The Fonz Jumps The Shark Again By Starring In Movie Based On Mariah Carey Song

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 10:57 pm

A movie based on the Mariah Carey holiday song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is on the way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the untitled project will be an animated film narrated by Carey.

Some of the voice cast includes Happy Days actor Henry Winkler, as well as Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls), Phil Morris (Star Trek III), and Breanna Yde (The Hunted Hathaways).

The movie will flesh out the story of Carey's 2015 children's book, All I Want For Christmas Is You, which follows a young Mariah Carey who sees a puppy at pet store and wants to take her home. The book has sold more than 750,000 copies, according to THR.

Yde, who also appears in the School of Rock TV show, will voice young Mariah Carey in the movie.

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" the song debuted in 1994 and remains one of the holiday season's most-recognized and popular songs. New versions were released in 2010 and 2011, though the original is the most popular, with the single selling more than 14 million copies.

The All I Want For Christmas Is You movie comes out this year. It is produced by film giant Universal, which is also behind movie franchises like Minions and Jurassic World.


Another Good Xbox One Bundle Deal Includes 3 Games For $300

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 10:37 pm

Those in the market for an Xbox One have yet another solid deal when choosing how to buy the system.

Over on Newegg, you can pick up the white 500 GB Xbox One S bundle with Battlefield 1 for its standard price of $300. As a bonus, the site is throwing in free copies of both Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Ghost Recon: Wildlands.

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With both games having released in the last two months, those are some nice freebies. Resident Evil 7, released in late January, still regularly sells for $60 (although it's currently $45 on Xbox Live), while Wildlands also goes for $60, having only come out two weeks ago.

Alternatively, Amazon and the Microsoft Store each launched nice bundles yesterday allowing you to get Mass Effect: Andromeda and at least one other game for free when buying an Xbox One S.


Deadpool 3 Will Be A Separate Movie To X-Force, Writer Confirms

By Dan Auty on Mar 21, 2017 10:37 pm

Production beings shortly on Deadpool 2, and there is already talk of an X-Force movie, which will also feature the wise-cracking mercenary. Deadpool co-writer Rhett Reese has now confirmed that fans can expect Deadpool 3 as well.

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Speaking to Cinemablend, Reese explained that Deadpool 2 would set the stage for both X-Force and Deadpool 3. "I think it's working in an expansive way towards X-Force, which will really be more of an ensemble," he said. "But then that will allow us to do both an X-Force movie and a Deadpool 3, which actually contracts back down."

While an X-Force movie has been in development for sometime, it was unknown until now if it would in fact be Deadpool 3, or separate from it.

It is expected that Deadpool 2 will feature the character of Cable. Last month, producer Simon Kinberg confirmed that both Deadpool and Cable would feature in the X-Force film.

There have been various rumors about who might play Cable, with Stranger Things star David Harbour most recently reported to be in the running.

As well as Cable, Deadpool 2 will feature Domino, to be played Atlanta actress Zazie Beetz, plus Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus from the first movie. Co-writer Paul Wernick recently assured fans that the film would still primarily focus upon Deadpool, played once more by Ryan Reynolds.

"First and foremost it's a Deadpool movie, and then we just have to build," he told Cinemablend. "His supporting cast is some of the characters we fell in love with in the first one, introducing new characters into that world.

"Deadpool is a character piece. Deadpool is the leader of this very dysfunctional family. There are new people coming into that family, and there are old people that you've fallen in love with. So yeah, it's a delicate balance, but primarily keeping a Deadpool movie."


Secret Of Mana Series Coming To Nintendo Switch

By Patrick Faller on Mar 21, 2017 10:19 pm

The Secret of Mana series is coming to Nintendo Switch in Japan. Square Enix released a brand new trailer today and announced it will release the Seiken Densetsu Collection on June 1.

The collection includes Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2 in Japan) along with its prequel, Final Fantasy Adventure (Mystic Quest in Europe), and sequel Seiken Densetsu 3.

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The announcement comes one day after the game's official Japanese Twitter account posted a teaser video of Seiken Densetsu 3 being played on a Nintendo Switch. Unlike the two earlier games, Seiken Densetsu 3 was never released outside of Japan.

All three games will be on one game card and also available through the eShop, and will cost 4,800 yen (approximately US $43 / £34 / AU $56).

There are a few new features, according to Gematsu: quick-save will allow you to save at any time during gameplay, and a music mode will allow you to listen to music from any of the three games from the home screen.

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A special screen-change mode will also allow you to change between several screen sizes when playing Final Fantasy Adventure (originally released on Game Boy in 1991 as a spinoff of the Final Fantasy series).

There's no word on whether the series will be getting an English-language release, but thanks to Switch's region-free settings you will be able to access the games in the eShop and play the Secret of Mana series in Japanese from anywhere in the world.


Xbox One Getting New Military-Themed Controller Line, See The First One Here

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 10:11 pm

Microsoft has announced a new line of Xbox One controllers. The "Tech Series" features controllers that were inspired by "military technology and performance patterns," Microsoft said in a blog post.

The first controller, the Recon Tech Special Edition, sports symmetrical gold accents on its front. On its back, it has "diamond rubberized grip for added control and comfort." The new Xbox One controller that launched with the Xbox One S has grips, too; the launch version does not.

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This controller goes for $70 and starts shipping worldwide on April 25. The other Tech Series controllers have yet to be announced, but, like the Recon Tech pad, Microsoft says they will "explore concepts stemming from combat armor and sci-fi mechanical gear."

You can click through the images in the gallery above to get a closer look at the Recon Tech controller.

Microsoft already offers lots of different Xbox One controllers, while the $80 Design Lab controllers allow you to customize the pad's colors and more to your liking. You can see all the Xbox One controllers here on Microsoft's website.

The new Xbox One controllers work with Xbox One and Windows 10, while they will also be supported on the new Project Scorpio system that comes out this year.


Fire Emblem 3DS Remake's Limited Edition, Amiibo Features Revealed

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 10:00 pm

A special edition of upcoming 3DS remake Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia has been announced, as have new details about how Amiibo figures will work with the game.

Echoes' Limited Edition includes a hardcover Valentia artbook; a Valentia "sound selection" CD; a pin set featuring protagonists Alm and Celica, as well as Marth; and a copy of the game itself. Perhaps best of all, you'll also receive a reversible cover designed to resemble the box art of the game Echoes is based on, Fire Emblem Gaiden, which was only ever released in Japan.

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The Limited Edition will be available alongside the game itself on May 19 for $60, a $20 premium over the standard game.

May 19 will also bring Alm and Celica Amiibo figures, which will only be available in a $25 bundle. Nintendo explained in a press release that these can be used to unlock "their own exclusive dungeons," providing you with a further opportunity to "earn items and level up [your] armies by defeating bosses."

Additionally, the Mila's Turnwheel option lets you use an Amiibo to sacrifice one of the two character's health during battle. This summons an AI-controlled companion--an "illusory hero"-- who fights as your ally for one turn. As they level up, you can also save Alm or Celica's stats to their Amiibo, which empowers the summoned unit.

Similarly, any Fire Emblem Amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. line of figures can summon an illusory hero of that character to help you. "All other currently available" Amiibo figures can be used to summon a monster who assists you.

Echoes is a sort of reimagining of the aforementioned Fire Emblem Gaiden. It features free-roaming and 3D dungeons, as well as a variety of other new mechanics we recently learned about.


Three More Games Added To Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Program

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 09:45 pm

The Xbox One's backwards compatibility catalog continues to grow.

Microsoft's Major Nelson announced that three Xbox 360 games are joining the lineup today: Daytona USA, Stacking, and Tower Bloxx Deluxe.

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If you already own any of these games on Xbox 360, they should show up automatically in your Xbox One game library. Alternatively, they can be purchased on Xbox One or through the Xbox Store links below.

These additions to the Xbox One's backwards compatibility catalog follow Street Fighter IV and Poker Smash, which were introduced to the catalog last week.

The Xbox One's backwards compatibility library has more than 320 games in it--you can see them all here.


All the Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Games

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 09:44 pm

[Updated March 21 with three more games: Daytona USA, Stacking, and Tower Bloxx Deluxe]

The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play Xbox 360 games on the new console. But what games are available? We've now rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available.

Microsoft has promised that "hundreds" are still on the way.

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Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Lineup (As of March 16, 2017):

New titles are bolded

  • A Kingdom for Keflings
  • A World of Keflings
  • Aegis Wing
  • Age of Booty
  • Alan Wake
  • Alan Wake's American Nightmare
  • Alice: Madness Returns (added January 24, 2017)
  • Alien Hominid HD
  • Altered Beast
  • Anomaly Warzone Earth
  • Arkanoid Live
  • Assassin's Creed
  • Assassin's Creed II
  • Assassin's Creed Rogue (added February 23, 2017)
  • Asteroids & Deluxe
  • AstroPop
  • Aqua
  • Babel Rising
  • Banjo Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts
  • Banjo Tooie
  • Banjo Kazooie
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2
  • Battlefield 3
  • BattleBlock Theater
  • Battlestations: Midway
  • Bayonetta
  • Beat'n Groovy
  • Bejeweled 2
  • Bejeweled 3
  • Bellator: MMA Onslaught
  • Beyond Good & Evil HD
  • Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
  • BioShock
  • BioShock 2
  • BioShock Infinite
  • Bloodforge
  • Blood Knights
  • Blood of the Werewolf
  • BloodRayne: Betrayal
  • Blue Dragon
  • Bomberman Live: Battlefest
  • Boom Boom Rocket
  • Borderlands
  • Borderlands 2 (added February 23, 2017)
  • Bound by Flame
  • Braid
  • Brain Challenge
  • Bully: Scholarship Edition
  • Burnout Paradise
  • Call of Duty 2
  • Call of Duty 3
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops
  • Call of Duty: World at War
  • Call of Juarez Gunslinger
  • Capcom Arcade Cabinet
  • Carcassonne
  • Cars 2 (added March 2, 2017)
  • Castle Crashers
  • Castlestorm
  • Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  • Catherine
  • The Cave
  • Centipede & Millipede
  • Clannad
  • Comic Jumper
  • Comix Zone
  • Condemned
  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • Crazy Taxi
  • Crystal Quest
  • Crystal Defenders
  • Dark Souls
  • Dark Void
  • Daytona USA (added March 21, 2017)
  • de Blob 2
  • Dead Rising 2: Case West (added March 2, 2017)
  • Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (added March 2, 2017)
  • Dead Space
  • Dead Space Ignition
  • Deadliest Warrior: Legends
  • Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue
  • Defense Grid
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
  • Dig Dug
  • Dirt 3
  • Dirt Showdown
  • Discs of Tron
  • Disney Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
  • Domino Master
  • Doom
  • Doom II
  • Doom 3: BFG Edition
  • Doritos Crash Course
  • Double Dragon: Neon
  • Dragon Age: Origins
  • Dragon's Lair
  • DuckTales Remastered
  • Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
  • Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
  • Dungeon Siege III
  • E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme
  • Earthworm Jim HD
  • Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  • Encleverment Experiment
  • Escape Dead Island
  • Fable II
  • Fable III
  • Faery: Legends of Avalon
  • Fallout 3
  • Fallout: New Vegas
  • Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
  • Feeding Frenzy
  • Feeding Frenzy 2
  • Final Fight: Double Impact
  • Flashback
  • Flock
  • Forza Horizon
  • Fret Nice
  • Frogger
  • Frogger 2
  • FunTown Mahjong
  • Galaga
  • Galaga Legions
  • Galaga Legions DX
  • Garou: Mark of the Wolves
  • Gatling Gears
  • Gears of War
  • Gears of War 2
  • Gears of War 3
  • Gears of War: Judgment
  • Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
  • Ghostbusters
  • Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
  • Golden Axe
  • Go! Go! Break Steady
  • Grand Theft Auto IV (added February 9, 2017)
  • Grid 2
  • Gripshift
  • Guardian Heroes
  • Gunstar Heroes
  • Guwange
  • Gyromancer (added February 23, 2017)
  • Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
  • Halo: Reach
  • Halo: Spartan Assault
  • Halo Wars
  • Hardwood Backgammon
  • Hardwood Hearts
  • Hardwood Spades
  • Haunted House
  • Heavy Weapon
  • Hexic 2
  • Hexic HD
  • Hitman: Absolution (added February 14, 2017)
  • Hydro Thunder
  • I Am Alive
  • Ikaruga
  • Injustice: Gods Among Us + disc-only Ultimate Edition
  • Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
  • Iron Brigade
  • Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
  • Jet Set Radio
  • Jetpac Refuelled
  • Joe Danger Special Edition
  • Joe Danger 2: The Movie
  • Joust
  • Joy Ride Turbo
  • Juju (added January 31, 2017)
  • Jurassic Park: The Game
  • Just Cause 2
  • Kameo
  • Kane & Lynch 2
  • Killer Is Dead
  • The King of Fighters '98
  • The King of Fighters 2002 (added February 23, 2017)
  • Lazy Raiders
  • Left 4 Dead
  • Left 4 Dead 2
  • Lego Batman
  • Lego Indiana Jones (added February 7, 2017)
  • Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
  • Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
  • Limbo
  • Lode Runner
  • Lost Odyssey
  • Lumines Live!
  • Luxor 2 (added March 16, 2017)
  • Mad Tracks (added January 31, 2017)
  • Magic: The Gathering 2012
  • Mars: War Logs
  • Mass Effect
  • Mass Effect 2
  • Mass Effect 3
  • The Maw
  • Medal of Honor: Airborne
  • Meet the Robinsons (added March 2, 2017)
  • Mega Man 9
  • Mega Man 10
  • Metal Slug 3
  • Metal Slug XX
  • Midway Arcade Origins (added January 19, 2017)
  • Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
  • Military Madness
  • Mirror's Edge
  • Missile Command
  • Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
  • Monday Night Combat
  • Monkey Island: SE
  • Monkey Island 2: SE
  • Moon Diver (added February 24, 2017)
  • Motocross Madness
  • Ms. Splosion Man
  • Ms Pac-Man
  • Mutant Blobs Attack
  • Mutant Storm Empire (added January 19, 2017)
  • MX vs. ATV Reflex
  • N+
  • NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
  • Neogeo Battle Coliseum
  • Nights Into Dreams
  • Of Orcs and Men
  • Omega Five
  • Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
  • Operation Flashpoint: Red River
  • The Orange Box
  • Outland
  • Pac-Man
  • Pac-Man C.E
  • Pac-Man CE DX+
  • Pac-Man Museum
  • Peggle
  • Perfect Dark
  • Perfect Dark Zero
  • Phantasy Star II
  • Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
  • Pinball FX
  • Planets Under Attack
  • Plants vs. Zombies
  • Poker Smash (added March 16, 2017)
  • Portal: Still Alive
  • Portal 2
  • Prince of Persia
  • Pure
  • Putty Squad
  • Puzzle Quest
  • Puzzle Quest 2
  • Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
  • QIX++ Puzzlegeddon
  • Rage
  • Raskulls
  • Rayman 3 HD
  • Rayman Legends
  • Rayman Origins
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Red Faction: Battlegrounds
  • Rocket Knight (added January 26, 2017)
  • R-Type Dimensions
  • Runner 2
  • Sacred 3
  • Sacred Citadel
  • Saints Row IV
  • Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space
  • Sam & Max Save the World
  • Samurai Shodown II
  • Scarygirl
  • Scrap Metal
  • Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
  • Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
  • Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
  • Shadow Complex
  • Shadowrun
  • Shadows of the Damned (added January 26, 2017)
  • Shank 2
  • Shred Nebula
  • Shotest Shogi
  • Silent Hill: Downpour
  • Skate 3
  • Skullgirls
  • Skydive
  • Small Arms
  • Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
  • Sonic & Knuckles
  • Sonic CD
  • Sonic The Fighters
  • Sonic The Hedgehog
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 2
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 3
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
  • Soulcalibur
  • Soulcalibur II
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth
  • Space Ark
  • Space Giraffe
  • Space Invaders Infinity Gene (added February 23, 2017)
  • Spelunky
  • The Splatters
  • Splosion Man
  • SSX
  • Stacking (added March 21, 2017)
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
  • Strania
  • Street Fighter IV (added March 16, 2017)
  • Stuntman: Ignition (added January 31, 2017)
  • Super Meat Boy
  • Supreme Commander 2
  • Syberia
  • Tekken 6 (added January 19, 2017)
  • Tekken Tag Tournament 2
  • Texas Hold 'Em
  • Ticket to Ride
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
  • Torchlight
  • Tour de France 2009
  • Tour de France 2011
  • Toy Soldiers
  • Toy Soldiers Cold War
  • Toy Story 3
  • Tower Bloxx Deluxe (added March 21, 2017)
  • Trials HD
  • Trine 2
  • Tron: Evolution
  • Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
  • Unbound Saga
  • Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
  • Viva Piñata
  • Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
  • The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
  • Wolfenstein 3D
  • World Puzzle
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown
  • Zuma
  • Zuma's Revenge!

Don't see your favorite game here? Back in November, Microsoft said it is holding discussions with all major publishers and developers to possibly bring their games to the program. However, the decision about whether or not a game is added to the lineup ultimately comes down to individual publishers.

What do you make of the lineup so far? And what games would you like to see added in the future? Let us know in the comments below!


New Horizon Zero Dawn Update Out Now, Here's Everything It Does

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 09:27 pm

A new patch for Horizon Zero Dawn is now available that introduces new features, makes adjustments to gameplay, and fixes a lot of bugs.

In terms of the new features, the patch adds an option to buy multiple items from merchants by pressing and holding X. Also new to the game is the ability to invert the X-axis from the controls tab.

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As for gameplay adjustments, the new Horizon Zero Dawn patch includes several "minor" tweaks to the drop rate and distribution of items, while changes have also been made to "humanoid and machine AI." In both cases, developer Guerrilla Games did not share specifics regarding what's changing or why.

Elsewhere, the new Horizon Zero Dawn patch fixes a number of issues that could cause the game to crash, while it also clears out problems that would prevent players from progressing. One example is that players could get stuck in bunkers and cauldrons after completing The Face of Extinction quest.

You can see the patch notes below, as posted by Guerrilla on Reddit, but be aware that they contain some story spoilers. Additionally, Guerrilla warned fans on Twitter that patch 1.10 introduces a new issue where players can purchase outfits and/or weapons they already own. This problem will be fixed in a future patch, the developer said.

In other news about Horizon Zero Dawn, Sony announced last week that the PlayStation 4 exclusive sold 2.6 million copies in its first two weeks and teased an upcoming story expansion.

Horizon Zero Dawn 1.10 Patch Notes:

Additions

  • Added the ability to press and hold [X] to buy multiple items from merchants.
  • Added an option to invert the X-axis from the controls tab on the settings menu.

Adjustments

  • Made several minor adjustments to the item economy (drop rate, distribution, cost etc.).
  • Made several adjustments to humanoid and machine AI.
  • Made minor adjustments to 2.1 stereo mix on menu sounds.

Fixes

Progression Fixes

  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Point of the Spear" where some players could be teleported outside the quest area during the objective "Loot the Sawtooth Carcass".
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Point of the Spear" where some players could buy fire arrows from Karst rather than crafting them.
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Proving" where players would be put back into the last checkpoint for the quest, making it impossible to continue the game.
  • Fixed an issue in "The War-Chief's Trail" where fast- travelling away and back when Sona reached the cliff would sometimes prevent Sona's A.I. from working correctly.
  • Fixed an issue in the sub quest "Revenge of the Nora" where some players could be blocked from progressing due to an invisible collision near the third bandit camp.
  • Fixed an issue in the quest "The Sun Shall Fall" where some players fast-travelling immediately after destroying the Sonic Device would be unable to progress upon returning to the gate.
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Face of Extinction" where the Day 1 Patch did not offer a solution for the roll over problem of certain players who had side quests active while completing the quest.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "The Forgotten" where it was very difficult for some players to climb the trail to Olara.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Robbing the Rich" where the objective "Return to Ravan" would not complete for some players after collecting the sword.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Robbing the Rich" where no quest marker or breadcrumbing was displayed for some players on the objective "Follow the Tracks".
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Robbing the Rich" where Rokasha went missing for some players if they accepted another quest while following the blood trail and then reloaded their save data after speaking to Keadi.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Robbing the Rich" where Nasan would be walking around in the courtyard and could not be interacted with by some players.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Luck of the Hunt" where dropping boar skins after collecting all 4 would cause the boar skin objective to be unobtainable for some players.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Healer's Oath" where Patch 1.04 did not offer a retroactive solution for certain players who were unable to progress after dropping the Thunderjaw heart from the Special Items tab.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Traitor's Bounty" where Vanasha would not appear on the objective "Talk to Vanasha" after finishing "The Face of Extinction" for some players.
  • Fixed an issue in the side quest "Hunter's Blind" where the "Show on map" option on the Quest screen was grayed out and no quest marker appeared on the map or compass during the objective "Follow Talanah" for some players.
  • Fixed an issue in the area "Cauldron Xi" where some players were able to escape the core chamber during the "Defend the core" objective.
  • Fixed an issue where some players could clear Corruption Zones from a distance without completing its associated quest and trophy.
  • Fixed several issues where some players could become stuck in bunkers and cauldrons after completing "The Face of Extinction".

General Fixes

  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Point of the Spear" where the time of day dialogue option would erroneously unlock when reloading the game, after speaking to Rost at the beginning of the quest.
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "A Seeker at the Gates" where the gates of the Embrace were wide open.
  • Fixed an issue in the tribe quest "Revenge of the Nora" where Aloy's overridden Strider would suddenly become unmountable when following Varl to the Stadium.
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "Terror of the Sun" where a redundant save would occur every time the title was reloaded while fighting the Behemoth without any equipment.
  • Fixed an issue in the main quest "The Face of Extinction" where a blank grey screen would be visible before the start of the Epilogue 1 sequence.
  • Fixed an issue in the area "Devil's Grief" where the ground texture showed a visible file path.
  • Fixed an issue where a Tallneck's datapoint would not unlock if players fast-traveled from their head of instead of rappelling down.
  • Fixed an issue where time would slow down but Concentration would continue to recharge at the same rate when players brought up the weapon wheel.
  • Fixed an issue where some robots would not be counted for the trophy "10 Vulnerable Machines Kills".
  • Fixed an issue where players would run into various problems if their playtime exceeded 200 hours.
  • Fixed various issues where the UI would display markers, icons, tracks, prompts or values incorrectly.
  • Fixed various issues with dialogue and contextual lines not triggering correctly.
  • Fixed various issues with players clipping through, getting stuck in or falling through geometry.
  • Fixed various issues with machines clipping through geometry and each other.
  • Fixed various issues with animation for humanoids and machines.
  • Fixed various minor issues with players skipping a sequence.
  • Fixed various minor weapons and modifications issues.
  • Fixed various minor framerate issues.

Crash Fixes

  • Fixed an issue in the Bandit Camps where the game would crash if certain players managed to untie the prisoners after the last bandit had died.
  • Fixed an issue in the Bandit Camps where the game would crash if certain players destroyed the alarm after the last bandit had died.
  • Fixed miscellaneous crashes.


This Week's Xbox One And Xbox 360 Deals With Gold Revealed

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 09:02 pm

The latest round of deals are now live on the Xbox Store, bringing discounts for Xbox Live Gold and non-Gold members alike.

On Xbox One, you'll find a wide variety of Resident Evil games on sale. The newest game, Resident Evil 7, is down to $45, while older games like Resident Evil 1, 4, 5, and 6 are $10 each. Resident Evil 0 can be had for $12, while $8 gets you the complete Revelations 2 bundle (to go along with the Episode 1 freebie). If you want multiple games, there are also some RE bundles on sale, including the Super Bundle that features everything above for $52.

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Those with Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One can pick up Divinity: Original Sin's Enhanced Edition for $15, Final Fantasy XV for $36, SteamWorld Dig for $5, or Dangerous Golf for $10.

Xbox 360 owners will also find a Resident Evil sale going on. Many of the same titles outlined above can be had for $7-$10, as well as Resident Evil Code: Veronica X for $5. Additionally, Puzzle Quest drops to $2.49, while Gold members can buy a bundle of the Prototype games (with DLC) for $20.

These deals are available for the next week. You can check out the full list of offers here.


Hacknet Expansion Gets Release Date

By Edmond Tran on Mar 21, 2017 08:30 pm

Hacknet, the narrative-focussed hacking simulator that utilises real-world computer hacking processes, is getting its first single-player expansion, titled Labyrinths, on March 31, 2017.

The new chapter boasts 3-4 hours of story content featuring more complex security systems and networks to break through, as well as a few mechanical twists--Labyrinths' new hacking tools will also reveal new secrets hidden in the original game.

Labyrinth's story sees the player working together with other fictional hackers as part of a team. This will involve communicating over IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and coordinating a number of simultaneous hacking tasks in order to pull off a series of perilous data heists on secure systems.

You can view the launch trailer for Hacknet Labyrinths in the player above. For a closer look at how Hacknet successfully aligns with real-life computer hacking, check out our video feature on that very subject. For a longer look at the original game, check out Giant Bomb's Quick Look.


The Next Terminator Movie Might Not Be Happening

By Dan Auty on Mar 21, 2017 08:28 pm

Hopes were high for the Terminator franchise when Terminator: Genisys hit theaters in 2015. Unfortunately, the movie's disappointing box office results meant that the planned sequel was postponed, and it has now been reported that Terminator 6 has been cancelled altogether.

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According to the New York Daily News, Paramount currently has no plans for another movie in the blockbuster sci-fi series. The site's sources state that the sequel has been removed entirely from the studio's development slate.

In January, it was rumored that a new film might be happening, with Deadpool director Tim Miller at the helm. Star Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken about his hopes to return for another movie, while producer Dana Goldberg previously described the next Terminator sequel as "an active property."

Terminator: Genisys was originally intended to be the first part of a trilogy of new Terminator movies. Paramount had scheduled them for summer 2017 and 2018 releases respectively and was planning to shoot them back-to-back. However, they were removed from the release slate in late 2015. Genisys made $440 million at the worldwide box office, with a domestic take of only $90 million.

In any case, the rights to the entire franchise will revert back to original director James Cameron in 2019, giving the studio a very slim window to make another film. Paramount has not commented on the Daily News's story.


Another New GTA 5 Online Update Out Now, Here's What's Included

By Oscar Dayus on Mar 21, 2017 08:10 pm

The latest update for Grand Theft Auto V's multiplayer portion, GTA Online, is now live. It includes a bunch new tools for Stunt Race creation, following on from last week's Special Vehicle Circuit content add-on.

This week's patch aims to highlight the abilities of vehicles such as the Rocket Voltic, Ruiner 2000, and Blazer Aqua, says developer Rockstar, by adding some new props, including hurdles, boosts, and explosive crates. Elsewhere, new Stunt Tubes "will send racers on a trip through alternative dimensions," and destructible walls will shake up race tracks if creators decide to utilize them when making new tracks.

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Lastly, the update adds a new car, called the Hijak Ruston, a "lightweight and pint-sized addition to the Sports class." It's a tiny speedster, almost like a kit car in its appearance, designed to get you close to the road. I can't see it surviving many explosive barrels, though.

Last week, Rockstar teased more upcoming content for GTA Online. Classic GTA vehicles, including a "particularly morbid muscle car," are apparently coming soon, while new modes such as Top Down and Resurrection are also on the way.

For more on Rockstar's open-world behemoth, you can check out all our previous coverage, including videos, reviews, and more, here.


Red Dead Redemption Being Modded Into GTA 5

By Patrick Faller on Mar 21, 2017 06:29 pm

Red Dead Redemption is getting a new lease of life in the Grand Theft Auto V universe. A group of fans, led by developer Mr. Leisurewear, are modding the game's full map into GTA V on PC.

"That's 2 years of work right there, by Mr. Leisurewear that is. Glad it's finally unveiled. Expect more info and screenshots soon," posted Jestic, a modder on GTAforums.com.

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The team is currently developing the map, creating visuals, textures, and the game's day-to-night cycle. They have bigger plans for the project, called Red Dead Redemption V, saying they want to mod more elements from the original Xbox 360 version of the game into GTA V. They just need some help to do it.

"We are mostly looking for programmers who are able to help us reverse engineer the file formats. We are also looking for scripters who are able to remake any of the game's original content over to GTA V, think minigames and certain mechanics such as Dead Eye Targeting," posted Jestic.

The full map is intended to be used in FiveM\FiveReborn and other similar third-party online clients. The developers say it's not to be used in GTA Online.

The team plans to release a beta version of the map this summer, something to tide fans over until the official release of the game's sequel Red Dead Redemption 2 towards the end of the year.


Marvel Movies And TV Unlikely To Crossover, Avengers Star Says

By Dan Auty on Mar 21, 2017 06:03 pm

Although Marvel's movies and TV shows technically take place in the same shared universe, there has been very little crossover between the two. Now Avengers star Anthony Mackie has talked about why the mediums rarely intersect.

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During a Q&A at Wizard World Cleveland last weekend, Mackie, who plays Falcon, explained that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige holds a tight rein over events in the cinematic universe.

"Different universes, different worlds, different companies, different designs," he said, via ScreenGeek. "Kevin is very specific about how he wants the Marvel Universe to be seen in the film world. It wouldn't work. It wouldn't work at all."

There have some been some prior Marvel TV/movie crossovers. Agent Peggy Carter started as a character in Captain America before featuring in her own short-lived TV show. Clark Gregg has played Agent Coulson in both the Avengers movies and TV's Agents of SHIELD, while there are references to the big screen superheroes in the Netflix show Daredevil.

However, more recently there has been almost no crossover between the two mediums. As Mackie notes, Marvel Television operates separately to Marvel Studios. In addition, the different production schedules of the two has meant that lining events up chronologically is difficult.

In 2015, Feige spoke about the difficulties involved with crossing over movies and TV. "It's easier for [Marvel TV]," he said. "They're more nimble and faster and produce things quicker than we do. A lot of it is by the time we start doing a movie, they'd be midway through a season; by the time it comes out they'd be done with the second, starting the third season. Finding timing on that is not always easy."


Overwatch Could Get A Map Editor

By Tamoor Hussain on Mar 21, 2017 05:38 pm

Blizzard could introduce a map editor to Overwatch, but it isn't likely to happen soon according to game director Jeff Kaplan.

Posting in a thread on the official Overwatch forums, Kaplan said the development team was "open-minded" about the feature but qualified that there are challenges it must overcome first.

"We are extremely open-minded about releasing a map editor for Overwatch someday," he said. "But because Overwatch was made with a brand new engine, this is not a small task or one which can happen any time soon."

Kaplan added that Blizzard has a "long-term road map" for Overwatch and it [believes] heavily in user-made content, but noted "there are many challenges ahead of us and it will be a very long road before our editor can be made available to the public."

The newest addition to Overwatch is a hero called Orisa, who will be available to play across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC today. However, Blizzard has said she "will not initially be available for Competitive Play," so that players have "some time to learn about and play Orisa before she's placed into the crucible of Competitive Play."

You can read more about Orisa's abilities and see her skins here.


New Overwatch Hero, Orisa, Goes Live Today

By Oscar Dayus on Mar 21, 2017 05:01 pm

Overwatch's new hero, Orisa, goes live on public servers today--that's for all players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

However, she "will not initially be available for Competitive Play," as developer Blizzard wants to allow players "some time to learn about and play Orisa before she's placed into the crucible of Competitive Play." She'll still be playable in Quick Play, the Arcade, and Play vs. AI in the meantime.

Orisa is a Tank-class character centered mainly designed to protect her team. Her weapon is the Fusion Driver, an automatic cannon that deals constant damage but slows her movement speed. The alternate fire is Halt, which launches a charge that she can detonate to slow enemies and pull them towards the explosion.

Her abilities include Fortify, which reduces the damage she takes and makes her immune to "action-impairing effects;" and Protective Barrier, a stationary shield that can be deployed to block enemy attacks. Her Ultimate is Supercharger, which launches a device that buffs damage done by any teammates in its line of sight.

Orisa has been available on Overwatch's test server, the PTR, on PC for weeks already. She's already been tweaked once--her weapon damage and Ultimate both got nerfed--and she'll likely get more balance changes as players get to grips with her new abilities. Find out more about her powers and take a look at some of her skins here.

The PTR had its own update go live on March 20, bringing significant changes to Lucio and his ability to help and heal nearby teammates. Put simply, the changes buff many of Lucio's abilities but limit his ability to aid his entire team at any one time. Find out more information about his alterations here.


Scarlett Johansson Delivers Cyborg Justice In New Ghost In The Shell Clip

By Dan Auty on Mar 21, 2017 04:46 pm

The long-awaited adaptation of the anime classic Ghost in the Shell finally arrives next week, and a new clip has been released. It shows star Scarlett Johansson as cyborg cop The Major using the franchise's iconic thermoptic camouflage to deliver some rough justice. Check it out below:

This week has also seen the release of a new TV spot, centered on the villainous Kuze--check it out here. There have been several recent making-of featurettes too, including a look at the movie's visual style and another focusing on the Section 9 taskforce, plus this first clip.

In a recent interview with Den of Geek, director Rupert Sanders spoke about the approach that he and Johansson took to Ghost in the Shell. "Scarlett and I were very categorical that we wanted to do something different," he said. "We wanted to exist beyond the Marvel universe, beyond the DC universe. We wanted to be the rogue, I guess.

"I think we've succeeded in that. It's a really emotional and hopefully thought-provoking film, but it also delivers what you want to see in a film for that kind of audience. You want to see a big, action packed film, but at the same time, as you're moving along, you're into the action because you care about the action because you care about what they're going through."

Ghost in the Shell also stars Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, and Michael Pitt. It hits theaters on March 30.


GameStop: Nintendo Switch Sales "Phenomenal," Could Outpace Wii

By Eddie Makuch on Mar 21, 2017 05:18 am

The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo's fastest-selling console ever in many major markets. Now, GameStop has shed some light on how the hybrid system is performing at its stores--and it's strong.

Speaking to GameRant, GameStop merchandising director Eric Bright said the Switch "could possibly eclipse the Wii." That system was a massive, worldwide hit, selling more than 100 million systems.

Bright declined to share specific Switch sales at GameStop, but said sales out of the gate have been "phenomenal."

"I can't give straight numbers, but I can say we're seeing one of the highest attach rates of software and accessories to a device that we've seen in a long time," Bright explained.

Nintendo has yet to provide a sales number for the Switch. The company reports earnings next on April 27, so we might find out more then (if not sooner).

The Switch's predecessor, the Wii U, faced a number of struggles and has sold just 13.56 million units by Nintendo's latest count. With the exception of the Wii, every Nintendo home console has sold worse than the one that came before it dating back to the NES.

Have you picked up a Switch? How are you finding it? Let us know in the comments below!


Destiny Video Teases More Of The Upcoming Final Event

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 04:11 am

Another teaser video for Destiny's upcoming Age of Triumph event has arrived, with this one focused on some of the new and updated gear you'll be able to obtain.

The video (above) appears to show off new armor--which is something we know that's on the way--along with new Raid Ornaments. There are also "reprised" weapons on display, including what looks like Fatebringer and the Vex Mythoclast.

All of this will be covered during a livestream scheduled for this Wednesday, March 22. It's the third of three streams planned before Age of Triumph launches; previous broadcasts focused on new quests and updated Raids.

Age of Triumph, the game's final live event, is intended as a celebration of the game as Bungie prepares to transition to Destiny's sequel later this year. It will be released to all players on Xbox One and PS4 for free on March 28.


David Jaffe Talks About Going Below Drawn To Death's Juvenile Surface

By Miguel Concepcion on Mar 21, 2017 04:09 am

Veteran game developer David Jaffe didn't get to where he is by filtering his thoughts. It's fitting these days given the deliberately raw art style of his next game, Drawn To Death. Its high school-doodle-inspired visuals look like it's never been evaluated by a marketing department, which makes the game all the more intriguing. Underneath its juvenile humor is a potentially deep multiplayer shooter-brawler. In our most recent chat with Jaffe, it was easy to sense his excitement for the April 4th release of Drawn To Death. And despite his enthusiasm, it was refreshing to hear someone with his industry experience express uncertainty of how Drawn To Death will be received.

Gamespot: How has Drawn To Death evolved since your last round of press previews last year?

David Jaffe: It's just gotten deeper. It's probably one of the hardest games to impress upon because there's so much stuff. Every weapon, every character, even levels--we've had the benefit of time to put in all of this nuance and mechanics. It's hard to express that in soundbites. You always want to put as much depth and mechanics into a game as you can. You're typically pushed up against the wall with time. In Drawn To Death, I think we've gotten the benefits of time to flesh out these characters in the weapons and other things.

A lot of times when I talk to people about the game, I'll say it's like a hybrid shooter-brawler. What we are trying to build is a skill-based competitive game. That includes learning special moves of individual characters and their pros and cons against other characters.

It sounds like you're implementing fighting strategies in a shooter.

That's right, yeah. I've always used brawler because fighting game might sound a little bit hyperbolistic. The goal for us is that if you look at a lot of shooters, there's a high concentration of meta progression, whether it's leveling up your overall account rank, your weapons, or what have you. This whole game was built around the question of whether we could enrich and deepen the moment to moment on-the-battlefield experience, where the players are gonna do the best are not all the players who have good shooter reflexes but who are mentally engaged in with they're fighting, which character they've picked and knowing the pros, cons, and counters. What we wanted was a feeling of having learned a bit more about the mechanics of the game after every match, no matter if you won or not. There should always be a sense of, "I may not have done great but I know there's more. There's a deeper end of the pool I can go into to get better."

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How do you think Drawn To Death communicates that?

I don't know. I literally don't know. I'm coming to interviews like this and I'm trying to make sure that hopefully the press will like the game. When they play, watch, and experience the game, they'll go, "Okay, we get what Jaffe is saying." These characters are more than just different skins with one or two special moves.

There's going to be a large number of gamers who'll come in and hopefully they'll enjoy it when they pick it up, run around, and do some fun moves. Hopefully in little time they'll start to see the real meat of the game and mastering the great level of depth. That applies to not just the characters.

We see people checking out Drawn To Death just for the weapons. Some are straightforward and basic like the Tommy gun. It's a horrible weapon unless you're moving in close. It's almost like a machine gun shotgun. A lot of the weapons are definitely more satisfying if you take the time to learn how they work. For example, we have these two monkeys, Emily and the devil monkey. They both eat bananas as ammo and they shit out little blobs of poop, which you can throw. What I love about this weapon is it's very high risk-reward. It's hard to kill in the game. We want players to experience more of a brawler game where you're not dead after just a couple of hits. The high level goal is to bring a shooter that really rewards players for not just fast skill but a lot of mental engagement.

Can you share more about what content you'll have at launch?

We'll launch with 6 characters, 7 maps, 5 modes, 20-plus weapons, and a very large number of costumes, skins, and taunts. Some of these are harder to unlock than others. All of our unlocks are built around not affecting gameplay. There are weapons to unlock but there's no powering up and leveling up weapons. It's all about player skill.

There's also Tower Mode which is very much inspired by the Hearthstone rank system. If you get into the ranked mode every season, you'll have these different towers that you can work your way up. In the first season, we're going with a dark funny Grimm fairy tales look. You've got little gnomes that are killing unicorns and if you move on to the next floor, you see they're actually selling dildos in the x-rated store.

Each tower gives you stickers depending if you can make it all the way to the top. Then every season we'll refresh the tower. I think next season is crazy science fiction. Just stuff the student artist would draw. There's just a lot of nuance that we want players to pick up on. There's tons of secrets in all the maps and a lot to discover in the designs of the levels themselves.

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I was gonna ask about that. What is below the surface of the map designs themselves?

I want the story embedded in the game so players can discover pieces of the doodler's life. There are no cutscenes or anything like that. If you look up in one map, there's a detention slip based on the fight the guy got in with another guy in the opening. When you explore, you'll see things he's written about in the margins. There's this girl in class he likes. Her name is Amy and if you explore the levels there's stuff you'll find related to her. They got little conversations and she's written things in the notebook. There's also animations happening in the backgrounds you can look for.

The hope is that players who really get into the game will start to piece together not only the fiction of the individual characters' own stories and relationships, but also who this guy is and why he's drawing what he's drawing. On the surface, it is a very juvenile level of humor. There's a giant butthole and vomit jokes but this game is also about a kid who's drawing these characters. For instance, there's Alan, a character based on his step dad who he cannot stand. You can start to learn about the relationships between him and his stepdad, his mom, his brother, and his sister through the game.

I love storytelling but I don't like the way traditional games do it with just cutscenes. I like it more where you really are invested in the game and as you start to explore, you'll see that the story is embedded all around the nooks and crannies of the game.

The story is very juvenile and funny but there's also a sweetness and heart to it. It's reflecting a typical teenage kid who's just trying to get through high school and uses his art, drawing, and creativity to make his day go faster and make things a little less challenging.

My biggest challenge, my biggest worry is that there are people who only understand the game's juvenile side. I love the juvenile stuff. I'm not embarrassed. What I thought was funny at 15 is absolutely what I still think is funny now. I like fart jokes, dick jokes, and butthole jokes. What's funny about a butthole joke? Cause you have a hole in your butt and poop comes out of it.

There is very much a sense of that in Drawn To Death but I also think there is a self awareness that I hope people pick up on like the announcer. When he says, "Headshot!, it's very clear we're ripping on 90s arcade shooters and racers. If you play enough, you start to actually hear this guy talk about how he's living with his mother. His mother's like, "Dude you're too f***ing loud!" He acknowledges he hasn't worked as an announcer since the 90s when they stopped making arcade racers and so he's thrilled to be working again. He's complaining about the game not being pay to win because he has to take the bus into work but he cannot afford a car. There's an awareness of the juvenile aspect but there's also a non-apologetic aspect. I don't know how that alchemy is gonna work when it comes to the humor but we'll see.

I like fart jokes, dick jokes, and butthole jokes. What's funny about a butthole joke? Cause you have a hole in your butt and poop comes out of it.

Can you speak more about the features beyond the PvP multiplayer?

We have Sphinx missions which are these sets of riddles you can solve. If you figure them out, you unlock levels, hand moves, and weapons that are separate from just the normal group of weapons you unlock by playing the game.

There's a lot to do in that launch content but I do think it's correct to say that I have always looked at this as a service based game. We want to put out new content as often as we can. That's new levels, characters, weapons, and build a community around the people who really vibe with this game. You know how it goes. That's the pipe dream. It's like watching a TV series. You hope you're in business 3 years later and on Season 3 but the Day One launch content is still super compelling and robust.

So Drawn To Death has global profile challenges and character-based challenges, correct?

Yeah. We have a bunch of these costumes to unlock; you work through each character. If you're into this specific character or into the game in general, there's a lot of things to chase and go after. None of it affects the gameplay other than just getting new stuff to play with. None of it makes you more powerful.

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What were some of the inspirations that led to some of the character designs?

For Alan, we knew that we wanted to do a character inspired by movie slashers like Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers. We probably spent about three or four weeks just looking at more of the traditional, hockey mask-wearing slashers that a kid would associate with. That was really just looking for the creepiest thing we could find, while also something that was original enough. We haven't seen a lot of creepy mascot characters, like a dark version of Mickey Mouse.

That's where he came from. If we were to make a slasher movie, that would be a really cool one, like a rundown theme park or fast food restaurant mascot where the costume has kind of gone to shit. It's matted and moldy and it's got parts gnawed out of it. Who is inside this costume saying all these creepy weird things and stuff?

Given the art direction, I assume there are very few characters that don't make it past the conceptual phase.

Well, so far, very few. What's cool about the game is that we're able to exert unbridled creativity. Whatever the kid can draw, we can do, right? It's not like we've had a lot of limiting factors of characters. I think it's the ones that don't stand out with a personality, the ones that don't pop or are memorable. I think Ninjaw is a sexy, sharp woman, and just such a weird concept. When one of our concept members came up with it and drew it, that was an instant one.

There's kind of an unembarrassed lack of a filter that happens when you doodle and that certainly happens when you're a kid who's in a sort of stream of consciousness. If I were to come to Gamespot and say, "We're spending $250 million making a game about a robot cyborg vampire." You would say that's got B movie written all over it. That's super cheesy and stupid. But it feels like it fits right in with a kid who's just like, "I like vampires and robots are cool. I'll mash them up!"

When you're drawing and doodling, especially when you're a kid and you're bored in class, there isn't that editorial voice. It goes straight from dumping your stream of consciousness onto paper. He hasn't really filtered these characters and he hasn't really worried about what people are going to think. In some ways, that's what I love the most about the game. I really think it has a point of view, a voice, and a spirit that reflects that.

You don't know what is or isn't going to be a hit. But I do think there are going to be players out there that take it at face value and maybe don't view it as a reflection of that unbridled creative innocence. They just go, "A f***ing vampire robot? That's f***ing stupid." And they just dismiss it out of hand.

I don't know where we're going to come down on that, but I'm tremendously excited by it and proud of it, because it really does reflect that spirit, even though I'm very many years removed from being 15 or 16 and doodling in my notebooks. I think the art team has done a really good job of connecting with that.

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It's hard to talk about multiplayer shooters these days without wondering if Overwatch influenced Drawn To Death in recent months.

Not really. We were in development around the time they were so it's not like we played Overwatch. Honestly, I'm a huge Hearthstone fan. I love Blizzard for that. I'm not a big Overwatch fan for the same reason I'm not a big shooter player where it often seems to be too fast for me. I love the art and character designs in Overwatch but honestly I haven't played Overwatch enough. This game is much more influenced by Quake, Super Smash Brothers, and Hearthstone.

You guys didn't go into your business model initially with PlayStation Plus as the front-runner, correct?

No, no, no. We started as a free-to-play game. Sony was doing some free-to-play initiatives at the time. I've had a handful of thoughts on free-to-play that I look at as positive. But there was a sense of rejecting free-to-play in the console space. It didn't leave a good taste in the mouths of console gamers.

There was enough data coming through globally about free-to-play on console that said to us, "Okay, let's walk away from that business model but maintain the essence of what the game is." Then when Plus came, it was like, "Holy shit, that's the best of both worlds." Something like Plus puts us in a position where people don't really feel any kind of real risk, hopefully.

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Now I'm thinking of how games like Rocket League helped demystify this free-to-play perception.

Yeah, I think Rocket League's a great example. I don't know how Disc Jam will ultimately do but I think it's a fantastic game as well. I think it's a wonderful way to put really cool quality games that, conceptually, might be a little off the beaten path.

There's a balance, though, because there are people who would be very happy if every month they got an Uncharted 4 for free. I get that there's that voice on Plus where they want that level of game. You never know if it's going to be a month that really excites you. I think Drawn To Death is such a robust package and interesting while still in a genre that's pretty commercial. Hopefully, Plus members will feel excited by the opportunity to give it a shot.

You can always count on that NeoGAF knee-jerk reaction a second after the lineup announcement.

Yeah. You got to be careful. Live by NeoGAF, die by NeoGAF. I've had days where they've loved stuff that I'm working on and days where they're just like, "You're a f***ing idiot, Jaffe." The second news comes out, it's almost like you ignore the first three pages and then go to the fourth page and go, "Okay, what do they really think?"

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Nathan Drake Won't Be In The Next Uncharted Game

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 03:18 am

Those hoping for an appearance by Nathan Drake in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are being let down well ahead of the game's release.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, writer Josh Scherr revealed that the idea of an apperance was contemplated before ultimate being discarded. "We entertained a few possible ideas around including Nate as a secondary character," he said. "But everything we did felt superfluous because we tied it all up with Uncharted 4."

Naughty Dog made it clear in advance of Uncharted 4's release that the game would be the "final chapter" in Drake's story.

Director Kurt Margenau expanded on Scherr's comment about The Lost Legacy, stating, "We're not going to touch on Nathan Drake in this at all."

The two went on to joke that Drake might instead be busy with something we briefly see him doing in Uncharted 4: playing video games.

"You can sort of imagine Drake sitting on the couch playing Crash Bandicoot while Chloe and Nadine are off galavanting," Scherr said. Margenau agreed, adding, "Yeah, the Crash Bandicoot remaster."

The Lost Legacy is a standalone single-player expansion of sorts to Uncharted 4. Set after that game, it stars two existing characters, Chloe and Nadine, and features what Naughty Dog says is the largest level ever in an Uncharted. It's due out sometime later this year.


What's Next For Iron Fist After Season 1

By Tony Guerrero on Mar 21, 2017 02:58 am

The first season of Marvel's Iron Fist introduced us to Danny Rand and the training he received at the mystical city of K'un-Lun. He made his way back to New York City after being presumed dead for 15 years. Besides attempting to adjust to his old life, he had to deal with the deadly menace of Madame Gao and The Hand. Once the dust settles at the end of the first season, we have to ask: What's next for Iron Fist?

Warning: There will be spoilers for Iron Fist Season 1 below.

Claire Is Still Training

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Claire Temple has been the glue tying all the Marvel Netflix shows together. It turned out she was friends with Colleen Wing and was learning self-defense. This is crutial for Claire since she continues to find herself in deadly situations.

We won't necessarily see Claire in a full superhero role. Being able to defend herself against the dangers she constantly finds herself in is a must. She's proven her value in the the different Netflix shows, and this makes it more credible for her to continue to get involved with the Defenders. She might need a new teacher, however, since Colleen might be too busy to continue their sessions.

Danny and Colleen Go to K'un-Lun Together

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Colleen was revealed to be a member of The Hand. We learned there were different factions with their own agendas. Colleen did stand up against them and side with Danny. When Danny told her he was headed back to K'un-Lun to find out what his role as the Iron Fist should be, it appeared that put an end to their relationship. This wasn't the case as Danny told her he was hoping she'd go with him.

Colleen still hasn't met Misty Knight. She was rumored to make an appearance, but that wasn't the case. In the comics, Misty and Colleen are best friends. Colleen and Danny may have moved past the complications in their relationship, but it will still require some work.

Davos Is Conspiring Against Danny With Joy

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Davos was Danny's best friend in K'un-Lun but also felt he deserved to be the Iron Fist. When Danny refused to kill members of The Hand and continued to fight with Colleen, Davos had enough. Joy Meachum felt Danny ruined their lives with his return. Davos told Joy if she wants to return to her old life, Danny has to be "removed." She is open to the idea of Davos killing Danny and listens to his plan.

It's a surprise for Joy to agree Danny needs to be killed. She proved how resourceful she could be running the company when her brother had his own problems. With Davos at her side, the two could become a big problem for Danny.

Madame Gao Is Still Up To No Good

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Despite losing her heroin operation and criminal empire, Madame Gao managed to land on her feet. She may have lost everything, but she will have no problem gathering a new army of Hand agents to cause more problems. When Davos was discussing his plans to remove Danny with Joy, Gao was sitting nearby listening with a smile on her face.

The question remains: What will Gao do with this information? She could try to work or manipulate Davos to get Danny out of the way. She could also use this information as leverage or as a way to call in a favor with the Iron Fist.

K'un-Lun Is Missing

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As Danny and Colleen approached the gates of K'un-Lun, they discovered the dead bodies of some members of the Hand. The surprise was dwarfed by the fact that K'un-Lun was gone. Danny isn't sure what this means. They should have still been able to enter the city, but something caused the gateway between dimensions to close. As the protector of the gates to K'un-Lun, he feels he should have been there.

It's possible The Hand took advantage of the fact that Danny was busy in New York. There could have been another faction that headed to the city, and the dead bodies could be the few that fell when taking the city for themselves. This doesn't explain why there were only four dead Hand soldiers and no monks.

What About The Defenders?

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The next Marvel show on Netflix will be The Defenders. Iron Fist Season 1 did little to set up a meeting of these heroes. One detail we've heard comes from a report that Sigourney Weaver will play a villain named Alexandra. All that's known about her character is she is in a position of immense power.

Depending on the time in between Iron Fist Season 1 and The Defenders, Danny may have to put his search for K'un-Lun and dealing with Davos and Joy on hold. This will also allow him to make some new friends before facing those threats.


Mass Effect: Andromeda Headlines Two Solid Xbox One Bundle Deals

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 02:22 am

If you're in the market for an Xbox One and want to play Mass Effect: Andromeda, two new bundle offers are worth a look.

On Amazon, you can pick up a 500 GB system with a physical copy of Mass Effect: Andromeda and a digital copy of Ghost Recon: Wildlands' Gold edition (a $100 version that includes the Deluxe edition and season pass) for $300. As an added bonus, Amazon is throwing in a $10 credit towards Amazon Music Unlimited (its Spotify-esque service) and $10 toward your next Amazon Video purchase.

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If you'd prefer some choice in what you get, the Microsoft Store has an alternative offer that's arguably even better. You can pick from any of the store's Xbox One bundles--including those with larger hard drives or recent games like Halo Wars 2--and choose free two games from a limited selection.

The first of these pools consists primarily of older games, although there are some worthwhile options, including Rainbow Six Siege. The second expands to have more recent choices, including Andromeda, For Honor, Halo Wars 2, Watch Dogs 2, and Final Fantasy XV.

Additionally, the Microsoft Store has some other offers when you buy an Xbox One. You can take $10 off the price of three months of Xbox Live Gold, $10 off a controller, and $50 off an Elite controller.


Mass Effect: Andromeda PC Patch Addresses Sound, Keyboard Issues

By Chris Pereira on Mar 21, 2017 01:57 am

Ahead of the game's full release tomorrow, a new patch has arrived for the PC version of Mass Effect: Andromeda that addresses some of the issues players have been encountering.

Specifically, this update targets problems with black screens caused by a conflict with the Corsair Utility Engine (used for managing certain Corsair accessories, like keyboards and headsets), sound issues in multiplayer, and F-keys not functioning properly in multiplayer. That's according to producer Fernando Melo, who shared the details on Twitter (via PC Gamer).

Additionally, as of yesterday, server-side fixes were on the way to resolve a problem where certain Challenges could not be completed.

One thing you shouldn't expect to see resolved--at least on launch day--are the animation issues that have been the object of a great deal of ridicule over the past few days. With players getting their hands on Andromeda through EA Access and Origin Access, numerous bugs and animation gaffes have surfaced, but BioWare has said fixes for the latter won't be available at launch.

GameSpot's Andromeda review is now live and makes note of the issues we ran into, none of which "rendered the game unplayable, but they were noticeable and pervasive." Also be sure to check out our new documentary series on the making of Andromeda.


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