Atlus announced today that it has partnered with iam8bit to release two different versions of the soundtrack on vinyl. The first, dubbed the Essential edition, is a 4xLP that features a "curated" selection of Persona 5's "most popular music," as chosen by Atlus Sound Team. The other, the Deluxe edition, is a 6xLP with the complete soundtrack, consisting of all 110 songs.
Both of these will be "quality box sets," but you'll notice the images above don't feature any proper artwork. That will remain a mystery until some unspecified point in the future but is described as "the result of an intimate collaboration between iam8bit, Atlus, Sega, and a to-be-announced, top-secret artist."
Iam8bit, which has previously offered video game vinyl like this awesome-looking Rez one from last year, plans to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the package's creation. "We're going to document and share the entire process of creating a vinyl album with Persona 5 fans, from start to finish," the site explained.
If you're willing to plunk your money down without seeing that art, preorders are live now through iam8bit's website. The Essential edition costs $100, while the Deluxe edition goes for $175. If you're interested in the latter, you may have a limited time to place your order--only 1,000 are being made. Both are scheduled to ship in Q4 2017 "in time for the holidays."
The long-awaited new season of cult TV show Twin Peaks arrives in less than a month, and a new promo has arrived alongside a confirmed date for the season finale. The teaser showcases some of the iconic locations in the mystery-shrouded town--check it out below:
The new season is set to premiere with a two-part episode on Sunday, May 21 at 9 PM. Showtime subscribers will be able to watch the next two episodes immediately afterwards on the network's streaming service.
The following week, Episodes 3 and 4 will air on Showtime, before settling into a single episode a week until the two-part finale in September. This will air from 8-10 PM on Sunday, September 3.
The show's co-creator, David Lynch, has directed all 18 of the new episodes, and much of the original cast are returning, including Kyle McLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Sheryl Lee, Everett McGill, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, and Peggy Lipton. Some of the cast were revealed in new images back in February--check them out here.
While this news won't come as a surprise in light of two recent leaks, Joker fans will be happy to learn that the villain has been officially confirmed as a playable character in Injustice 2.
Developer NetherRealm announced the next member of the roster today as promised, releasing a gameplay trailer centered around him. It provides a look at some of Joker's abilities, which lean on various weapons--crowbars, knives, explosives--to mete out punishment to his enemies.
At the end, we also get to see a Super ability of Joker's that involves an electric chair. Check it out above.
Earlier this week, NetherRealm shared a new trailer featuring Darkseid, who will be available as a playable character to those who preorder.
Injustice 2's release date is slated for May 16 on PS4 and Xbox One.
The wait for the next iteration of PlayStation may not be as far away as you expect, at least according to one analyst.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Macquarie Capital Securities analyst Damian Thong "said he expected Sony to release its next-generation PlayStation by the second half of 2018."
PS4 Pro
Analyst predictions don't always pan out, and this isn't necessarily based on some inside scoop. But the WSJ's reporter notes on Twitter that this is the same "analyst who correctly predicted PS4 Pro and Slim" ahead of their respective launches.
That certainly lends credence to the prediction, though in all likelihood, we won't receive any official word from Sony for quite some time. The PS4 was announced nine months prior to its release, while the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro revisions were revealed just one week and two months, respectively, before they hit store shelves.
Announcing a new system in the near future would undercut some of the hype for Microsoft's upcoming Project Scorpio, which stands to be more powerful than the PS4 Pro. But doing so would also likely have an impact on sales of the PS4 and PS4 Pro. With Sony's console routinely outselling the competition, it may be too soon to tease new hardware.
The WSJ report doesn't elaborate on what Thong believes this system will look like--"next-generation PlayStation" could mean the PlayStation 5. Scorpio launches toward the end of 2017, and if a new PlayStation comes less than a year later, the two will inevitably be compared. Scorpio, which is essentially a souped-up Xbox One, will be capable of playing all Xbox One games (and hundreds of Xbox 360 games). If Sony launches a brand-new system soon after it, will it be able to play PS4 games, or will its library be limited to new releases? That's a key question we don't yet have an answer to.
We've reached out to Sony regarding Thong's prediction and will report back with anything--likely a "no comment"--that it has to share.
Twitch has revealed the latest free game available to anyone with an Amazon Prime membership. From now until May 1, subscribers can claim tactical military RPG Breach & Clear for free.
The strategy title was first released on mobile in 2013, before later coming to PC and PS Vita. The shooter is all about planning your moves as you, well, breach and clear your way through various rooms and buildings.
To secure your copy, you'll need to visit this page while logged into a Twitch Prime account and claim it. You can then download and play the PC version of the game using the Twitch desktop app, which can be downloaded here (that link will direct you to the .exe file) if you don't already have it.
This offer is for the full game, but you only have until May 1 to claim your copy.
Sony today revealed its DQXI-branded PS4 Slim on Japan's PlayStation Blog. It features a simple blue design with a symbol on the top--or side, if you buy a vertical stand--and a slime on the front. Much like the metal slime PS4 previously released in Japan, there's also a USB cover that resembles a slime (although this time, it's gold). The controller matches the system, with the symbol on the touchpad and a slime on the right grip.
Best of all might be the box it comes in, which is quite elaborate. And as with the special-edition New 2DS XL, this package comes with a Dragon Quest theme for the system. You can see all of this in the gallery above.
The PS4 is equipped with a 1 TB hard drive and comes with a copy of Dragon Quest XI. It's priced at 39,980 yen (about $359 / £277) and launches on July 29, the same day as the game and the DQ-themed New 2DS XL.
There's no word regarding an international release. As noted in our coverage of the 2DS, Dragon Quest is far more popular in Japan than the rest of the world, so this may very well remain Japan-only.
In addition to 3DS and PS4, Dragon Quest XI is also coming to Nintendo Switch, but that version has not yet been dated.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun to promote Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gunn confirmed that the current narrative will end with the third movie. "I think the first three movies tell a single story and that story is pretty simple," he said. "I think that there could be a Guardians Vol. 4, but it would not be the same. It would not be the same group. Basically, the story of this group ends with Vol. 3."
The line-up of Guardians that feature in the movies have only existed in Marvel comic books since 2008. Prior to that, the team was entirely different. They first appeared in 1969, and included such characters as Major Vance Astro, Martinex T'Naga, and Captain Charlie-27.
There are two characters that overlap with the original comics and the movies--Yondu Udonta, played by Michael Rooker onscreen, and Starhawk, who is portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in Vol. 2.
Earlier this month, Gunn explained that he wanted to ensure that Vol. 3 ended the trilogy properly. "There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn't want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn't exist," he said. "My love for [the characters] goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine. I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit.
"And like in both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, we will work on creating the story that goes beyond what you expect."
A new collection of Mega Man games may soon emerge, according to a Korean Game Ratings Board listing, with publisher Capcom seemingly applying for "Rockman Legacy Collection 2" to be rated. Rockman is, of course, the name given to Mega Man in some international markets.
The listing, which refers to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions, states the proposed game "combines 7-10 of the Rockman series that have been released in the past." The original Mega Man as well as 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were all already put into one game with the first Mega Man Legacy Collection.
It's worth noting that the first collection did not remaster or remake the classic titles in any way: the original games were "recreated faithfully, with all of their glitches and frame rate issues intact," according to our Mega Man Legacy Collection review.
The latest mainline Mega Man game was 2010's Mega Man 10, while long-time series director Keiji Inafune launched his spiritual successor Mighty No. 9 to mixed reception last year.
This Dragon Quest-themed Liquid Metal Slime system is black and gray, with the face of a slime on the rear of the top screen. On the back of both halves of the system are a series of Dragon Quest silhouettes showing weapons and slimes. The inside features a plain black look, with a lone slime adorning the area just below the d-pad.
In addition to the system itself, buyers will receive a special Dragon Quest theme for the system's menus (pictured in the gallery above) and a copy of Dragon Quest XI.
Nintendo will launch the special-edition system in Japan on July 29 for 22,480 yen (about $202 / £156). There's not yet any word on an international release; given Dragon Quest's popularity in Japan relative to the rest of the world, this is something you may only be able to get your hands by importing.
Nintendo announced the New 2DS XL overnight. It's on par with the New 3DS XL in terms of power and plays all of the same games, but it lacks that system's 3D capabilities. It launches on June 15 in Australia and New Zealand, while those in the US and UK will have to wait until July 28.
The recent first teaser for Star Wars: The Last Jedididn't give much away in terms of story or characters. However, we now have a better idea of what Rey and Kylo Ren will look like in the movie, via a promotional image for the upcoming Battlefront II game.
The picture was posted by GameStop Ireland. The shots of Rey and Kylo have the disclaimer "movie production still" on them, which implies they are taken from The Last Jedi. Check them out below:
The pictures show Rey (Daisy Ridley) dressed in distinctive Jedi robes, which links to the training that the teaser shows she receives from Luke Skywalker. Her clothes are also slightly different from those worn in the poster for the movie. Kylo (Adam Driver) meanwhile is shown without his helmet, and his robes no longer include a hood.
The Last Jedi arrives in theaters on December 15, 2017. It also stars Mark Hamill, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, Domhnall Gleeson, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis.
After a successful launch, the Nintendo Switch is about to get its next big exclusive in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a port of the 2014 Wii U game. This Switch version of the arcade racer includes all the original game's DLC, as well as some new characters and a completely revamped Battle Mode.
Ahead of its launch today, reviews have made their way online. In our review, critic Kallie Plagge awarded the game a 9/10, stating that the changes made "refine an already great racing game." Read more in our full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review, or check out some more of our recent coverage below.
For a wider view on critics' opinions, check out our roundup below. Alternatively, you can take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release: Available now
Price: US $60 / £50 / AU $80
GameSpot -- 9/10
"Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game. But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]
IGN -- 9.3/10
"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It's still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. This is the best entry in the series so far, and it has all the content you'll need. Returning players have seen a lot of this game before, but the overhauled Battle Mode and its five additional ways to play are a great reason to pick it up. Nintendo didn't do enough to make the online experience better, but the rest of this game holds up well." -- Jose Otero [Full review]
Destructoid -- 9.5/10
"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is straight-up a better version of the game without compromise. It looks crisper, there's more to do, it's portable, and it might even outsell the Wii U version to ensure a healthier long-term community. With Battle Mode firmly in place, it's one of the best kart racers ever made." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Game Informer -- 9.25/10
"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is primarily a re-release of an acclaimed game from three years ago, but by adding new content and addressing the biggest complaint of the original, this version is unquestionably the best way to experience Nintendo's great racer. Battle Mode is back to its original glory, and when combined with the rest of the robust Mario Kart 8 package, it creates a great addition to the fledgling Switch library." -- Brian Shea [Full review]
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gimple confirmed that Season 8 would move at a much faster pace than the more character-driven Season 7, as the show's heroes prepare for war with the villainous Negan.
"The narrative has turned into one of pretty intense conflict," he said, "[And] it's going to affect the structure in ways that make it a bit more kinetic, a bit more breakneck--shifting away from entire stories in one episode, and sort of fractured over several episodes, with little pieces of each story coming together."
Gimple went on to explain that the decision to give Season 8 a different feel was made while Season 7 was in production.
"I remember talking about that with [co-executive producer] Angela Kang early on in Season 7," he said. "Because we knew the way that 7 was going to be structured, and we knew we wanted to mix it up in 8. We knew what 8 was going to be and how that would dictate a very different kind of structure. Things are going to move, and possibly not have the kind of deep dives into characters in single episodes, but rather laying out the pieces as we go on."
It was announced last week that three of Season 7's supporting actors have now been made series regulars, which may give a hint as to where the plot will develop. Pollyanna McIntosh (Scavenger leader Jadis), Steven Ogg (Negan's right-hand man Simon), and Katelyn Nacon (Enid) will all feature more heavily.
The Walking Dead Season 8 premieres on AMC in October.
We've teamed up with Gazillion to give away 80,000 codes for Marvel Heroes Omega closed beta on PlayStation 4 (North America only). Closed beta starts on April 28, 2017 and ends May 16, 2017.
This is an instant win and you will receive an email with the code within 24 hours. Scroll down this page to enter for a key.
Marvel Heroes Omega assembles one of the largest gatherings of iconic Super Heroes and locations from the Marvel Universe in gaming history for its upcoming debut on PlayStation 4 later this year. Band together with fellow adventurers in Earth's mightiest Action-RPG, take the fight to Doctor Doom in an epic nine-chapter story campaign, and experience your favorite heroes, including Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, and more!
As part of Sony's earnings report for the fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended March 31, the company announced it shipped 2.9 million PlayStation 4 units in the past three months. That's up from 2.3 million during the same period last year.
For the full fiscal year (April 1, 2016 through March 31, 2017), Sony shipped 20 million PS4 units, up from 17.7 million units during the prior fiscal year. You can see more numbers and how they compare in the graph below.
With the 2.9 million units shipped in the last quarter, Sony has now shipped 60 million PS4 consoles around the world, up from the 57.1 million figure that was announced in March. Sixty million is precisely the number that Sony forecasted it would ship by the end of the fiscal year.
Another key takeaway from the Sony earnings report today is that the company is forecasting PS4 shipments to amount to 18 million units for the current fiscal year. This would be down from the fiscal year that just ended. Sony didn't say why it believes shipments will dip.
In terms of actual financials, Sony's video game division, Game & Network Services, saw revenue jump 6.3 percent year-over-year to $14.73 billion. Sony said the uptick in sales was primarily due to a spike in PS4 game sales, along with hardware sales also rising year-over-year. The increases were partially offset by the impact of the PS4 price cut and foreign exchange rates.
Operating income for the Game & Network Services division rose to $1.21 billion, an increase that Sony attributed to "cost reductions" for the PS4, as well as the previously mentioned jump in PS4 game sales. The income jump was negatively impacted by the PS4 price cut and PS3 sales dropping off.
Across all business units, Sony's revenue dropped 6.2 percent to $67.88 billion, while operating income fell to $2.57 billion.
The latest weekly sales charts for Australia and New Zealand have arrived. For the week ended April 23, Ghost Recon: Wildlands held on to its top spot on the multiplatform list in Australia, while Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare jumped to the top of the charts in New Zealand for the first time in 15 weeks, according to MCV.
Another notable point is that Yooka-Laylee, which debuted at No. 2 in Australia, dropped to No. 10 this week. The game never made it into the Top 10 list in New Zealand.
Roger, the boxing kangaroo featured in past installments in the Tekken series, is not in Tekken 7, producer Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed. But why?
Harada told VG247 that the viral video of the man who punched a kangaroo in the face has something to do with it. "There was a video of a man's dog being headlocked by a kangaroo, and he punched it in the face. It turned into a big problem," he said. "People were complaining about him punching a kangaroo."
Harada went on to say there are "animal activists" today than there used to be. Although these people might not play Tekken 7, Harada said they "would still hear about that," referring to a kangaroo being in the game who is able to be punched. These people "would complain about it," so Roger was left out.
Tekken 7 does feature a fighting animal in the form of Kuma the bear. He's in the game because, according to Harada, a bear is "obviously stronger than a human being."
Harada clarified on Twitter that PETA, which has blasted video games in the past, did not come to Bandai Namco with concerns. Instead, Harada said Bandai Namco has "worries" about potential blowback.
Huh? PETA has not said anything. And I said we've worries. What are you talking about. RT @ChingachgookNM
Intel Extreme Masters Sydney will play host to two days of world-class esports action, and will be Australia's biggest ever esports event with a record prizepool of $260,000 AUD.
To be in the running to win a full weekend double-pass for you and a friend to attend, simply fill in the form below and correctly answer the question:
"Which Australian team won the IEM open qualifiers in 2017?"
GameSpot staff will hand-pick the winners based on the pool of correct answers. This competition will close on Friday, May 5 at 9:00am AEST.
This competition is only open to residents of Australia. All entrants must be over 18 years of age.
Please use the form to enter the competition, answers written in the comments section are invalid.
Nintendo's Super Mario Run is closing in on a new download milestone. The company's president, Tatsumi Kimishima, said as part of Nintendo's latest earnings that the free game "will soon reach 150 million downloads" for iOS and Android combined. This is up from 78 million back in January.
Contributing to the game's big success is the fact that it's available in a lot of countries and regions--165 to be precise. Not only has the game reached an audience in the US, Europe, and Japan, but it's appealing to players in others as well, Kimishima said.
"We were able to provide an opportunity for many consumers in countries and regions where we had not previously done business to experience this new kind of Mario game that can be played with one hand," Kimishima said.
Super Mario Run is free, but you need to pay $10 (or region equivalent) to unlock all the courses. The game launched in December for iOS before coming to Android in March.
[UPDATE] Nintendo has confirmed that the New Nintendo 2DS XL will launch in Australia and New Zealand on June 15, a month ahead of the launch in the US. It will cost AU $200.
The original story is below.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Nintendo today announced a new piece of hardware: the New Nintendo 2DS XL. It launches in the US on July 28, priced at $150.
Unlike the entry model 2DS, the New 2DS XL features a clamshell design. The system can play 3DS games, but without the 3D effect, of course. It also plays DS games.
The screen size is the same as the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It is lighter than that system, but according to Nintendo, it "still packs the same power" of the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It also has built-in NFC support for Amiibo functionality.
"This new addition to Nintendo's portable hardware line demonstrates our commitment to the hand-held market," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said in a statement. "New Nintendo 2DS XL sports a beautiful clamshell design and offers a great balance between price and performance."
In the US, the 2DS XL will come in a black/turquoise color. In Japan, there will be a white/orange version, according to 4Gamer.
The Nintendo 2DS originally launched in 2013. Billed as an entry-level device for children, the system features two screens but no clamshell hinge. The system launched at $130, before Nintendo cut the price to $100 and then down further to $80.
The announcement of this system comes not long after Nintendo launched the Switch. The system debuted in March and has sold 2.74 million units by Nintendo's latest count.
Are you interested in the New Nintendo 2DS XL? Let us know in the comments below!
As part of Nintendo's latest earnings report, the company confirmed that it will not host a "large-scale" press conference at E3 this year. This is no big surprise, as Nintendo also didn't do one last year.
Nintendo will still be at E3, however. "Nintendo of America will present further information on our plans at a later date," Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said.
If it's anything like last year, fans can expect a Nintendo Treehouse livestream event or some kind of other presentation featuring commentary and insight from developers and executives.
Also in Kimishima's prepared remarks, he revealed that 1-2-Switch is approaching 1 million copies shipped, while Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! has already passed more than 350,000 downloads. Super Bomberman R, meanwhile, has eclipses 500,000 copies shipped.
The newest installment of Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment has arrived--and it's pretty great. In this newest chapter, O'Brien plays the black-and-white Oculus Rift game Wilson's Heart.
As you'd expect, O'Brien makes a number of jokes. Before he even puts on the Rift headset, he remarks that he hopes the game is about virtual sex. Because, "The whole point of virtual reality is to get it on," he says. To O'Brien's dismay, Wilson's Heart is not actually about sex.
Wilson's Heart is a first-person "thriller" set in a hospital in the 1940s. The hospital is not all it seems, however, as it holds dark secrets. You play as a patient, Robert Wilson, who wakes up to the horrifying that he has a mysterious device in his chest where his heart should be.
O'Brien's verdict? "If you want to know what it's like to be confused, infirm, weak, and wandering around, not knowing what's happening, play this game," he said.
Wilson's Heart was developed by 'Splosion Man developer Twisted Pixel Games.
HBO's popular and well-received TV series Game of Thrones returns in July for Season 7, with the final season to come later. Now, actress Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, has spoken up to say she and her castmates are basically in the dark about how the show will wrap up.
"No one knows anything," she told the Los Angeles Daily News (via IGN). "No one is told anything. It's all crazy. It's a secret from the cast. We generally can't be trusted. They pretty much have told us so."
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres on July 16, with the eighth and final season to follow sometime after. Season 7 has seven episodes, while Season 8 has only six.
Though Game of Thrones is expected to wrap up after Season 8, HBO has been clear that it might pursue some kind off offshoot of the series, potentially a prequel.
Also in the interview, Clarke said what she could about one of her other upcoming high-profile projects: the Han Solo Star Wars movie. She said she couldn't say anything at all about the film, in part because Lucasfilm is apparently even more strict about leaks than HBO is.
"I genuinely can't tell you anything other than [young Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich] is magnificent, and it's a delight to do something on that level with really cool actors and nice people," she said. "But it's even scarier talking about that than Game of Thrones."
The character Clarke plays has not been revealed. In addition to Ehrenreich and Clarke, the film stars Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are also set to appear in the movie.
The untitled Han Solo movie premieres in May 2018.
NetherRealm today released a new trailer for the Injustice 2 character Darkseid, who is available as a preorder bonus. Darkseid is a "being of pure hate incarnate," according to his official description--and he certainly lives up to that in the spotlight trailer embedded above.
"His merciless obsession has left a wake of suffering and obliteration as he seeks the Anti-Life Equation," reads a line from his description. "With his invincible body, limitless strength, army of Parademons, and the annihilating power of his Omega Beams make him not only a threat to this world, but to every world within reach."
Activision has launched a new teaser site for Call of Duty: WWII--and it might contain clues about the military game's Zombies mode or something else.
As discovered by CharlieIntel, entering the code "IUFDJ BHLOP JMUBA" at the page here unlocks some images. One of the images shows the Roman emperor Frederick Barbarossa, while the other is Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man. The Barbarossa reference might be related to Operation Barbarossa, which was the name for Hitler's plan to take over the Soviet Union in 1941. It's not clear what the Raphael reference might be related to, but it's pretty interesting to think about.
The images are tagged with "zombies," according to CharlieIntel, so it's a good guess that these images are related to the Zombies mode.
Additionally, coordinates posted on the teaser site lead to Dunkirk. This is most definitely a reference to the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940. This is also the basis for the new Christopher Nolan movie Dunkirk.
Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: WWII will have a Zombies mode. All we know so far is that it will offer an "entirely new story and a pretty horrifying experience," and it will tell "the story of the Third Reich's desperate attempt to create an army in the final stages of the war."
Call of Duty: WWII launches on November 3 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more on the game, check out all of GameSpot's written and video content here.
More details on Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer have come to light. Whereas past games like Black Ops III and Infinite Warfare featured boost-jumping and other futuristic maneuvers, Call of Duty: WWII is a return to the "roots" of the series, featuring weapons and maps authentic to the time period.
"This arsenal of World War II weapons and the signatures of those weapons were really uniquely defined," Sledgehammer Games boss Michael Condrey told GamesRadar (via CharlieIntel). "Obviously, we have the classics that people know and love like the SMG-44 and the Garand, the rifles, the SMGs like the Thompson or the Grease Gun--but clearly shotguns and LMGs meant things, and the battlefields would respond."
In terms of the maps, Condrey teased that Call of Duty: WWII will have "really unique" maps, which will take players to "iconic locations from around the globe," including Normandy on D-Day.
"There's so many real varied engagements in World War II that really lend itself well to saying, 'Hey, these were real battle sites, they were very different in their strategy and we have a real world arsenal of weapons that you will have to manage in order to be successful there,'" he said.
As you'd expect, Condrey is very enthusiastic about Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer.
"For fans in general, a return to the strategic, grounded fast action of multiplayer where we began? Frankly, people are going to go bananas," he said. "It's going to be great."
The multiplayer also includes a new mode called War. Condrey said this takes the form of a "series of objective-driven conflicts," which sounds something like Battlefield 1's Operations.
And as for the new Headquarters space, which has been likened to Destiny's Tower, Condrey said Headquarters is where players will go "to be social." He said "dozens" of characters can interact in "new ways" while inside Headquarters. Condrey used World of Warcraft's Orgrimmar area as an example of what Headquarters may feel like.
"I remember the impact of going to Orgrimmar in World of Warcraft for the first time, and seeing people being social, showing off their gear, practicing their combat, duelling, all these things.," he said. "So imagine a Call of Duty space that provides that, anchors you in World War II, and continues your social engagement and your attachment to your avatar in a really transformational new space with other community members."
Looking for a new game to play? Steam has a freebie available right now in the form of the rad-looking multiplayer game Duck Game. Set in a futuristic 1984, at a time when "ducks run wild in a frantic battle for glory," Duck Game sees players duking it out as ducks with weapons such as shotguns and saxophones. Really.
Watch the video above to get a closer look at the title, which originally came out in 2015 and has a "very positive" user rating on Steam.
The game is free for this weekend only. You can pick it up right here on Steam. It's only free this weekend, though when the time is up, you can pick it up for half-off ($6.50) through May 2.
It was only last week when AMD released its last update for the Radeon Crimson ReLive graphics driver, but today a new version arrived. Version 17.4.4 mainly provides a performance boost in the newly released Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III. AMD claims that the driver gives up to a 7% increase in framerate with Radeon RX 580 and RX 570 graphics cards.
The 17.4.4 update to the Radeon driver also addresses the following issues:
Some displays may experience corruption when using HDMI scaling.
Battlefield 1 may experience stuttering in Multi GPU mode with 4K display resolutions when using DirectX 11.
HDR colors may appear incorrect in Mass Effect: Andromeda on the latest Windows 10 Creators Edition update.
Some incorrect or unavailable feature descriptions may appear in Radeon Settings under the more/less help section.
Radeon RX 550 series graphics products may experience a hard hang when the user's system has not been rebooted for long periods of time.
Reboot prompt may be missing after Radeon Software installation on AMD XConnectTM technology system configurations.
AMD's latest graphics cards: The RX 570 (top) and RX 580 (bottom)
According to AMD, there are a handful of known issues that still exist:
HDTV displays may intermittently lose signal on some Radeon RX 480 series graphics products when connected over HDMI.
Radeon WattMan may fail to apply settings on some Radeon R9 390 series graphics products.
Radeon Settings may crash on switching Windows user after toggling AMD CrossFire technology mode.
A small amount of apps may still experience issues with Borderless Fullscreen mode and AMD FreeSync technology if other applications or game launchers are running on the primary screen in the background.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and World of Warcraft may experience flickering or performance issues the first time the game is launched on a system boot with AMD FreeSync technology enabled. Workarounds include exiting and restarting the application or task switching (alt+tab) in and out of the game to fix the issue.
Microsoft has announced the results of its most recent fiscal quarter, which ended on March 31, 2017, and provided a brief update on the state of its gaming business.
Xbox is part of Microsoft's More Personal Computing division, which saw its revenue decline 7% because of slow phone sales. However, Xbox itself did reasonably well--gaming revenue increased by 4% for the quarter, reaching $1.928 billion.
Microsoft attributed this to "growth in Xbox Live," which saw its monthly active users across Xbox, PC, and mobile climb 13% to 52 million, up from 46 million during the same period a year ago. It's a decline from the previous quarter, when Xbox Live MAUs reached a record 55 million, but that's to be expected, given that period included the busy holiday season.
Revenue from Xbox software and services were up 7%, although a specific dollar figure was not shared. Microsoft said this was "driven by continued adoption of digital distribution and a strong game lineup." During a subsequent conference call, Microsoft stated, "Xbox Live revenue growth offset declines in hardware."
Overall, Microsoft saw revenue of $22.1 billion for the quarter, while net income was $4.8 billion. Its Productivity and Business Processes group saw revenue increase 22%, while Intelligent Cloud revenue grew 11%.
Microsoft will host a call with investors and analysts later today to discuss its earnings report. While these are routinely focused on non-gaming areas of the company, we'll report back if it has anything interesting to share.
More new Nintendo Switch games are now available on the eShop, bringing this week's total to three so far--with a big one still to come.
The first is Over Top ($8), the latest in the line of ACA Neo Geo re-releases. It's an isometric racing game where, during the course of a race, you pretty seamlessly transition from one distinct area to the next. Today's other new addition is Kamiko, a retro-style action game that costs only $5.
Tomorrow, April 28, brings the release of the biggest Switch game since the system's launch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This is an enhanced port of the Wii U game, complete with all of that version's DLC and other new content. You can read our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review for more.
Next week will have at least one eShop release in TumbleSeed on May 2, with the week after that bringing Minecraft on May 11.
Razer added another mouse to its line of gaming peripherals with the Lancehead wireless mouse. The Lancehead uses a 2.4 GHz frequency, but it's paired with Razer's own adaptive frequency technology (AFT), which is said to improve data transfer from the mouse to the user's system.
The company is putting out an additional SKU, which is a wired version under the "Lancehead Tournament Edition" moniker. The wireless model carries a $140 price tag, while the wired one costs $80.
The new mice are equipped with a 5G sensor capable of 16,000 DPI, full Chroma lighting customization, and four programmable side buttons (two on the left, two on the right). The Lancehead also uses Razer's own mechanical mouse switches--made in partnership with Omron--that can sustain 50 million clicks.
The Razer Lancehead wireless mouse.
The following list provides many of the specifications for the Lancehead mice:
Razer currently has wireless versions for its Mamba and Naga lines of gaming mice, as well as the more portable Orochi. Logitech has its own gaming-grade wireless mice in the G403 and G900 Chaos Spectrum. HyperX also released a new gaming mouse, called the Pulsefire FPS, this week.
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