Sony's annual gaming convention, PlayStation Experience, will return this year. PSX 2017 has been dated, and those hoping to attend the PS4-focused event can buy tickets right now.
PSX 2017 runs from December 9-10 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, the same venue as last year's show. The first batch of early-bird, two-day tickets are on sale right now at a discounted rate of $65; standard two-day tickets will go for $75. Either way, you'll need to be at least 18 to attend, and no children or babies are allowed.
Those who purchase early-bird tickets will be entitled to attend a "special event" on December 8 that will allow attendees "to get up-close and personal with game developers and PlayStation personalities."
PSX will again coincide with the conclusion of Capcom Cup 2017, the ongoing Street Fighter V competition. Its Grand Finals will be held on the night of December 10, with more details to come.
Pokemon Go's series of summer live events got off to a rocky start with last month's Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago. Due to the high volume of attendees, the event was plagued by technical issues that prevented many players from being able to even log in to the game. Pokemon Go developer Niantic applied the lessons it learned from that meet-up for the game's most recent real-world event, last week's Pikachu Outbreak in Japan, which would turn out to be much more successful.
The event, which took place over the course of seven days last week in Yokohama, attracted over 2 million attendees, who would go on to catch over 120 million Pokemon. To prepare for the massive number of players, Niantic says it "had all of the major Japanese carriers on notice" and that the carriers "turned out in force to keep the data flowing."
Similarly, the developer organized the event to encourage players to continually explore. Niantic says it "carefully" distributed rare Pokemon such as Unown, Chansey, Larvitar, and Shiny Pikachu throughout the entire area, giving attendees an incentive to "move through the greater festival area rather than staying in a single location."
The event culminated in a battle with the game's newest Legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo. Niantic says this encounter, too, was "tightly scripted" to ensure it ran smoothly. The developer undertook special work in order to "segment the servers for this finale raid to enable the best play experience." As a result, the developer was able to avoid the problems that mired Pokemon Go Fest, and players successfully defeated the Legendary Psychic Pokemon and unlocked him in Exclusive Raid Battles in the near future.
Since Playerunknown's Battlegrounds' Early Access release this past March, developer Bluehole has supported the immensely popular title with a steady stream of patches and updates. Now, however, the developer has announced that new updates for the game will be rolling out less frequently until its official release.
Bluehole discussed the change in a post on the game's Steam forums. According to the developer, the reason behind the decision is to "improve how we work on the game."
"We've found internally that being rushed to finish certain features, and having shorter QA test time between pushing updates caused more issues than it solved in regards to maintaining a high standard of quality," Bluehole said. "We want to put our best content out, and ensure that everything we do is making the game more enjoyable with every update."
But while updates may not be coming as frequently as they once did, Bluehole says it will "utilize the test servers for significantly longer periods of time" and still issue patches and any other fixes when necessary. This approach allows the developer to ensure any new features are "thoroughly polished" before they are introduced to the game.
Despite the change in its update schedule, Bluehole assures that the full release for Playerunknown's Battlegrounds is "still on-track" to arrive during its revised launch window. Initially, the game was scheduled to officially release on PC by the end of October, though it was recently pushed back to "before the end of Q4 2017." The game is also slated to go into Early Access on Xbox One late this year. Playerunknown himself, Brendan Greene, will be hosting a panel about the game during Gamescom next week.
The production of Mission: Impossible 6 has shut down following an on-set accident involving star Tom Cruise. It has been reported that it could be up to three months before the movie starts shooting once more.
According to Variety, the London-based production will be paused for "six weeks to three months" to give Cruise time to recover from his injuries. While there has no been no official statement from Paramount about the accident, Variety's sources suggest that Cruise may have "broken his ankle in two places and hurt his hip."
Cruise injured himself last weekend while performing a stunt which required him to jump a gap between two buildings. The 55-year-old actor is known for performing many of his own stunts across the entire Mission: Impossible series.
The movie currently has a release date of July 27, 2018. Although it is unknown whether the film's release will need to move back, Variety suggests that it could still make the the release date if the post-production process begins during the downtime.
Nevertheless, the busy schedules for co-stars Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Henry Cavill will be an issue for Paramount. The schedule clash between M:I6 and reshoots on DC's Justice League has been in the news recently, when it was revealed that Cavill--who also plays Superman in DC's movies--would have to have his M:I6 mustache digitally removed from Justice League.
For WWE 2K18, the publisher has stated this year's roster will be the biggest one yet, topping last year's edition, which had 177 playable characters, including DLC. Here are the playable characters revealed so far, and we'll be updating this gallery as more are revealed up until its release in October.
IGN revealed the first set of playable characters in the new game. The biggest surprise came from all the members of NXT's Sanity appearing in this year's game.
Asav, the new character, is the antagonist of The Lost Legacy. He's playable in Uncharted 4's Survival and Multiplayer modes, and he has "uniquely menacing VO."
Also new for Uncharted 4 with the August 22 update will be the Survival Arena. It's a spin on on the Survival mode that introduces "over 100 new waves" with never-before-seen enemy types, Siege zones, and other wave modifiers. People who successfully clear the waves will get items like the Savage Starlight Skeleton skin.
As announced previously, The Lost Legacy includes Uncharted 4's multiplayer mode, and Lost Legacy players will be grouped with owners of the main game.
In other Uncharted news, Naughty Dog has announced new iOS Message stickers based on The Lost Legacy. Chloe and Nadine are represented, of course, and one of the stickers shows Nadine saying, "YAS QUEEN !!!"
The Lost Legacy, a standalone game where you play as Chloe, launches for PS4 on August 22. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
We're giving away Sonic Mania: Collector's Edition on PS4 (open to United Kingdom residents only)! One (1) winner will be chosen after the giveaway closes on Sunday, August 20th at 12:00 PM Pacific.
The Sonic Mania: Collector's Edition includes:
Deluxe "SEGA Genesis" style Collector's Box
12" Classic Sonic Statue featuring SEGA Genesis Base
Flip the power switch to trigger the "SEEGAA" startup audio!
Metallic Collector's Card with Sonic Mania Download Code (digital game code)
We're giving away Sonic Mania: Collector's Edition on Xbox One (open to United States residents only)! One (1) winner will be chosen after the giveaway closes on Sunday, August 20th at 12:00 PM Pacific.
The Sonic Mania: Collector's Edition includes:
Deluxe "SEGA Genesis" style Collector's Box
12" Classic Sonic Statue featuring SEGA Genesis Base
Flip the power switch to trigger the "SEEGAA" startup audio!
Metallic Collector's Card with Sonic Mania Download Code (digital game code)
As The Long Dark emerges after years in early access, it introduces the first two chapters in a five-part story, called Wintermute. The game's demanding survival mechanics have the potential to mesh well with the story of a plane crash survivor stuck in the Canadian wilderness of Great Bear, but it's too early to say whether or not Wintermute's narrative ultimately pays off. It is, however, clearly off to a rocky start, leaving the more open-ended sandbox mode as the best reason to jump into The Long Dark today.
During Wintermute, you play as Will Mackenzie, a loner pilot working in the northern reaches of Canada, who agrees to help transport his distressed ex-wife and her mysterious cargo somewhere into the far reaches of the woods. Though there are a few revealing moments shared between Will and Dr. Astrid Greenwood before their plane comes crashing down, the quick and cliched implication of an emotional backstory through suggestive and vague dialogue makes a weak first impression. It certainly doesn't help that many of the scenes throughout Wintermute's first two episodes are hampered by odd animation jitters and floating objects that pop in and out frame.
While you both survive the sudden crash that cuts your conversation short, you are separated from one another, and Will succumbs to injuries that make surviving the harsh winterscape a true challenge. Recovering from the crash acts as the game's tutorial, throwing you into the basics of survival. Whether it's seeking shelter, starting a fire, or generally looking after your vital signs, almost everything you need is covered, giving you some confidence before you set out on a journey to find your lost passenger. Learning how to make the most of The Long Dark's survival mechanics is no simple task, but these foundational steps are relatively easy compared to the hurdles that lie ahead.
Despite Mackenzie's apparent desperation to find Astrid, he's more than happy to scout the countryside to gather things for other people, ultimately earning nothing for himself except scraps of information about Astrid's possible whereabouts and increased knowledge of the wild. It's frustrating to watch--and even more frustrating to play.
As you carry on, most of your time will be spent scouring abandoned structures for granola bars, harvesting meat from animal carcasses found frozen in ice, and dodging the elements as best you can. Tools like knives and hatchets can be built provided you have the right blueprints, parts, and access to a forge or a workbench. They also need to be maintained using spare parts, which can be gathered by breaking down extra items. Annoyingly, inventory management doesn't let you optimise your carry weight by combining like items, so instead of being able to do something like emptying lantern fuel containers into a jerry can, you're forced to carry them all around separately. Be careful where you tread, as well, as it's not uncommon to get stuck in geometry without the means to free yourself--you aren't able to jump, only crouch and walk.
Mackenzie's survival knowledge is minimal to begin with, so his crafting abilities are minimal at best, but what he can make is essential. Blueprints can be found to learn how to craft new items, though these are extremely few and far between. In my experience, most crafting time is spent breaking down things found in the world; spare chairs, tables, curtains, old bedrolls, there's a lot that can be fixed into something else, and it could be life-saving. By combining some sticks, a bit of spare cloth, and some lantern fuel, you can make a simple torch, providing not just light and heat but also warding off any potential predators that may be circling nearby.
The first episode never really lets go of your hand, keeping you close to a small township for most of its entirety--and rarely asking you to venture to edges of the playable area just beyond the town limits. It's not until the second episode that you're set free--albeit under the conflicting pretense of playing fetch for someone else--across three large expanses of untamed wilderness.
Refreshingly, these spaces are deathly beautiful and a showcase for The Long Dark's striking visual style. When the aurora borealis shines at night, it's nothing short of stunning--the green hues bounce softly off of snow-covered surroundings. Likewise, the stark pink and orange sunsets that wash over Great Bear are consistently captivating. They are easy come, easy go, due to the game's dynamic weather system, but it's impressive how the world--and your place within it--can turn on a dime, choking clear skies with a gusty snowstorm, turning a moment of peace into a chaotic dash for shelter.
When you set aside the available Wintermute episodes--which, crucially, you can--The Long Dark's tough yet rewarding gameplay owns the spotlight.
When you set aside the available Wintermute episodes--which, crucially, you can--The Long Dark's tough yet rewarding gameplay owns the spotlight. Survival mode is unforgiving, but it plays to the game's best strength, and you can always dial down the difficulty to keep going--likewise, if you're finding it too easy, you can ramp it up as well. The sandbox also has five challenges you can attempt if you require a hint of direction, offering a more catered survival experience, but without the stringent procession of tasks seen in Wintermute.
Stricken from frostbite, and desperately wanting shelter from a violent blizzard, the feeling of helplessness in the sandbox mode gets overwhelming, and it's in these moments of desperation that The Long Dark is most effective. And thus every minute you survive, and every meter of progress you make, feels remarkably rewarding--the result of a series of calculated decisions you made in the face of depressingly unfavorable odds.
When the weather isn't out to kill you, chances are you'll find some wildlife that would be more than happy to try. A lone wolf can be handled by waving around a lit torch or flare in its face, but if a pack gets a whiff of you nearby, the only option is to run. And did I mention bears? There are bears, and they aren't interested in being friendly. Death comes swiftly and brutally at the hands of the animals in The Long Dark, a stark contrast to the slow fade into darkness that comes with growing colder and hungrier.
It's important to remember that The Long Dark is just waking up from early access. It's cold, hungry, and huddled somewhere under a rock face, but it's just gotten the fire started. Another three story episodes are still due, so there is time to turn things around for Will and Astrid. However, because the best parts of The Long Dark are already alive and well in survival mode, perhaps Wintermute's weak beginning is reason enough to stick to what's worked for the game all along, blemishes and all.
A major new update for swordfighting game For Honor has been released on all platforms. Along with new content, it also makes some improvements and resolves an exploit that was controversially used to win a recent For Honor esports tournament.
For Honor update 1.11 introduces two new characters. The Highlander is a Viking Hybrid character who hits hard but is challenging to play; he wields a claymore and has Offensive and Defensive stances. The Gladiator is a Knight Assassin with high attack speed who has a trident and is easier to play.
There are also a pair of new maps. The Knight-themed Sentinel is set in a cliffside watchtower and can be played in any game mode. The Viking-themed Viking Village can also be played in all modes, except for Dominion.
As for the exploit, Nobushi's "unlock tech" has been addressed. "There are a number of situations where unlocking during an attack can cause it to become un-parryable by the opponent," Ubisoft explained in the patch notes. "Across the game, we're currently working to remove this unintended behavior."
This is notable in light of a For Honor tournament that took place this past weekend, in which a player, Jakub "SB.Alernakin" Palen, won by taking advantage of Nobushi. He didn't lose a single set en route to taking the $10,000 prize, culminating in what arguably seemed like a contentious trophy ceremony.
The 1.11 update makes a number of other balance changes as well--you can check out all of these in the full patch notes here. With this release, Season 3 is underway, which will see Ubisoft continue trying to fix the game.
Xbox Live Gold members can now pick up more free Xbox games as part of the Games With Gold program. Now that it's August 16, Xbox One owners can pick up the wonderful racing/platfoming game Trials Fusion; it'll continue to be free until September 15.
Switching to Xbox 360, Volition's shooter Red Faction: Armageddon is now completely free. Note that this game is playable on Xbox One through the backwards compatibility program.
Also of note is that the adorable-looking Slime Rancher is free on Xbox One all month.
Runbow was free on Xbox One up until August 15, while Bayonetta was the first of August 2017's free Xbox 360 titles. You can see the full lineup below for August 2017.
Capcom has announced more DLC costumes for Street Fighter V. This batch consists of four new outfits that will release later this month to coincide with the series' 30th anniversary.
Beginning August 29, Street Fighter V players will be able to purchase fancy new threads for M. Bison, Guile, Ibuki, and Karin. Like previous DLC costumes, each one retails for $4 apiece. You can see screenshots of the outfits below.
Capcom has been offering a regular stream of DLC costumes for Street Fighter V since its release. Last month, Capcom released a trio of retro costumes that were inspired by older Street Fighter titles. The publisher also introduced three sports outfits, as well as a premium Champion's Choice costume for Guile. You can see images of those costumes here.
Street Fighter V's newest DLC character, Abigail, also released last month. The beefy bruiser originally appeared in Capcom's Final Fight series and is the tallest Street Fighter character to date. Abigail can be purchased individually for $6 or as part of the game's $30 Season 2 Character Pass, which also includes Akuma, Kolin, Ed, and one more yet to be revealed character. His home stage, Metro City Bay Area, retails for $4.
By Anonymous on Aug 16, 2017 10:04 pm The Lobby crew recounts the hedgehog's newfound time in the limelight, the cyberpunk horror of Observer, and Mike rants about XCOM 2's expansion, as usual.
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The much-anticipated sequel will only be available on Battle.net, it seems.
All your memes have comes true.
The Lobby crew recounts the hedgehog's newfound time in the limelight, the cyberpunk horror of Observer, and Mike rants about XCOM 2's expansion, as usual.
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