A number of PlayStation Network users are finding themselves banned today through no apparent fault of their own. This is reportedly due to an issue with PayPal.
According to a source speaking with Kotaku, PayPal initiated a chargeback on "thousands" of PSN accounts for an unknown reason. This causes these users to be treated by PSN as if they owe Sony money, which results in a temporary ban until the matter is resolved. Those who are affected will receive an email from Sony.
Neither company has yet to publicly comment on the situation, though we've reached out to Sony for a statement. A quick look at the PlayStation support Twitter accounts (for the US and UK) shows numerous users complaining about the ban, but it's unclear at this point just how many people have been affected or how quickly the issue can be resolved. We'll report back as we learn more.
Activision has announced a release date for the third DLC expansion for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. The Absolution Map Pack arrives for PlayStation 4 next week, on July 6.
Like previous expansions, Absolution adds four new multiplayer maps to the popular shooter: Bermuda, a shantytown built around shipwrecks; Permafrost, a frozen cityscape; Fore, a gigantic miniature golf course; and Ember, a remake of the Resistance map from Modern Warfare 3.
In addition to that, Absolution introduces a new cooperative Zombies map called Attack of the Radioactive Thing. This particular chapter is inspired by 1950s-era monster movies and has players gunning down zombies in a beach town whose residents were transformed into gruesome monsters by a horrible government experiment. Players can also expect to find new weapons, traps, and more in the mode.
The Absolution Map Pack is included in Infinite Warfare's $50 season pass or can be purchased individually for $15. Like previous Call of Duty expansions, Absolution arrives first on PS4 thanks to Activision's timed-exclusivity deal with Sony. An Xbox One and PC release will follow about a month later. Additionally, Activision kicked off the Call of Duty Days of Summer event this week that adds summer- and beach-themed modes and content to Infinite Warfare, Modern Warfare Remastered (which recently received a standalone release), and Black Ops 3.
There has been a lot of clamoring for more Wii U games to be re-released on Switch--justifiably so--but it isn't Nintendo's only system with games that make sense for the new console. One GameCube classic, Pac-Man Vs., is now headed to Switch by way of a larger collection.
Bandai Namco today announced that Namco Museum, the latest compilation of the company's games, is headed to Switch and includes the beloved Pac-Man Vs. If you're unfamiliar with the game, it's a competitive multiplayer take on Pac-Man. Three players assume the role of ghosts and try to deal with the fourth player, who plays as Pac-Man and does the usual eat-all-the-pellets routine. It was the result of a collaboration between Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto and Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani.
Exciting as this release is, you'll unfortunately need two Switch systems to play, at least when engaging in four-player multiplayer. In that case, the Pac-Man player plays on one system while the three ghosts play on the other. We've followed up with Bandai Namco to find out if this means you'll need two copies of Namco Museum. The original version was played by connecting Game Boy Advance systems to a GameCube.
Namco Museum launches for Switch on July 28 in the Americas and is priced at $30. It also includes a number of other games, complete with online leaderboards (which Pac-Man Vs. does not support). You can see a trailer above and a full list of announced games below:
The first downloadable content for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now just hours away. The Master Trails is slated to launch tomorrow, June 30, but it'll actually arrive on the Eshop a bit sooner, depending on where you live.
A Nintendo spokesperson confirmed with GameSpot that The Master Trials unlocks tonight at 9 PM PT / 12 AM ET, at least in the United States. That means a good portion of the country won't have to wait until it's actually Friday to start playing.
The Master Trials will be available for both the Switch and Wii U versions of Breath of the Wild. Its most significant addition is the Trial of the Sword, a 45-room challenge that powers up the Master Sword. It also introduces a harder difficulty mode, an item that allows you to create a fast-travel point anywhere, a system that tracks where you've been, new outfits, and more.
This is the first of two DLC expansions on the way, with the other being the Champions' Ballad pack, which is due out later this year. That includes a new story chapter centered around the other four champions from Link's era. These DLC packs are not sold individually; they're only available through the $20 season pass. If you're playing on Wii U, you may be faced with a larger download than the one on Switch.
The Lego Ninjago Movie is the next release in the film series, and now Warner Bros. has announced it's getting its own dedicated game too. The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and it will come out the same day as the movie, September 22.
This next Ninjago game lets you play as characters and battle your way across eight different locations based on the film's story. As you can probably tell, you play ninjas Lloyd, Nya, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane, and Master Wu. They must master "the art of Ninjagility," ranking up and upgrading skills like the ability to run up walls, high jump, and use "Spinjitzu combat" to battle the evil Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army and save their homeland of Ninjago.
"Enhanced movements will help players traverse Ninjago with the fluidity and grace of a secret ninja warrior and improve their combat skills," said Tom Stone, managing director of developer TT Games. Check out some of the game in action in the trailer below.
Each of the locations in the game also features a Challenge Dojo, where you test out your combat skills against increasingly tough enemies. There's also local multiplayer gameplay, where up to four players can battle each other in four different split-screen game modes.
Nintendo has announced a new batch of rewards for its My Nintendo program. The rewards will go live this Saturday, July 1, and as usual are made up primarily of discounts for a number of 3DS and Wii U titles, though there still aren't any being offered for the company's newest console, Switch.
While we won't know exactly how much players can save on the games--or how many points they'll cost--until the rewards roll out this weekend, the new selection of discounts includes some great titles. We've highlighted the most notable ones below:
My Nintendo members can already redeem one new reward, however: Pikmin Short Movies, the animated Pikmin shorts directed by Nintendo's famed designer Shigeru Miyamoto. The videos are available for both Wii U and 3DS for 40 gold points. Additionally, a Hey Pikmin wallpaper is available for 50 platinum points, and users can still snag discounts on the Wii version of Pikmin as well as Pikmin 3 for Wii U.
This is also your last chance to redeem some older rewards, which are set to expire soon after the new wave rolls out. We've listed the most notable ones and when they expire below:
My Nintendo is Nintendo's successor to the Club Nintendo program. Users can earn platinum points by completing objectives in Nintendo's mobile games such as Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Mario Run or by logging in to the eShop and Miiverse regularly. Gold points, meanwhile, can be earned by purchasing games for Wii U or 3DS through the eShop. Switch owners can also earn My Nintendo points by purchasing games either physically or digitally.
Vicarious Visions used the original games' level geometry, but the gameplay is rebuilt from scratch. Some new features for the updated versions include a unified checkpoint and save system (including manual and auto-saving), as well as a unified menu system and Coco as a playable character for every level in the game.
In GameSpot's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review, critic Peter Brown said Vicarious Visions has "succeeded in revitalizing Crash from an artistic perspective while preserving the charm that made him appealing when he first showed up," but he notes that "Crash's original adventures aren't as inventive or surprising as they were 20 years ago."
For a wider view of critical opinion, check out our review roundup below or take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release: June 30
Price: US $40 / £30 / AU $70
GameSpot -- 6/10
"The culprit behind Crash's dated feel is the passage of time. Vicarious Visions, for its part, succeeded in revitalizing Crash from an artistic perspective while preserving the charm that made him appealing when he first showed up, but years have passed since the original PlayStation was relevant, and we are well past the formative years of 3D gaming. It's easy to imagine how a dyed-in-the-wool Crash fan will fall in love all over again via the N. Sane Trilogy, but if you're experiencing Crash for the first time--or the first time in a while--it might pain you to realize that Crash's original adventures aren't as inventive or surprising as they were 20 years ago." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN -- 8.5/10
"I didn't want the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy to break what wasn't broken. Thankfully, Vicarious Visions clearly didn't want to either, and the studio's reverence for the original maddening yet rewarding challenges that have stood the test of time is clearly on display. On one hand, that leads to the frustrating limitations of the original Crash Bandicoot persisting 20 years later. But it also results in the incredible visual and aural overhaul and the gameplay tweaks to earlier entries, like time trials and crate counters, that Naughty Dog added later in the series. Those additions make the overall package so much more cohesive while never forgetting what made, and what still makes, so much of Naughty Dog's original trilogy a blast to play." -- Jonathon Dornbush [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8/10
"Not all games from yesteryear hold up well. The original Crash Bandicoot likely would drive people nuts if it returned in its original form. Vicarious Visions made it fun again, without altering its DNA--a feat that deserves recognition. Although Crash spins and jumps his way through most levels, variety was the key to this series' success. Naughty Dog always included a different wrinkle or evolution of a concept in each stage, and that continues here. For all three games, the feeling of repetition never sinks in, a factor that goes a long way in making this trilogy a blast to play. It's good to have Crash back in the limelight. I hope this isn't the last we see of him." -- Andrew Reiner [Full review]
GamesRadar -- 3.5/5
"There's just no escaping it, there might be brand new death animations to keep you entertained--oh look I've been swallowed by a lion again--but there's no avoiding that the controls just mean that Crash Bandicoot has become Dark Souls. It's a horrible shame. After being so excited for the remaster, there's just no avoiding that the N. Sane Trilogy and you aren't going to get along for a while. When it takes sheer willpower to survive the original's first island when you've played the game for years, you know something has gone wrong somewhere. Those coming in fresh to the franchise aren't going to know what's hit them. Sure, it's big, beautiful, and positively packed with charm, but it's time to prepare to die. I love the N.Sane Trilogy in its new roguelite form but some things will definitely frustrate those new to the franchise looking to find out what all the fuss is about." -- Louise Blain [Full review]
Trusted Reviews -- 3/5
"It's no big surprise to say that the N. Sane trilogy is another pleasant form of fan service from Sony, which does seem keen on this kind of thing when you remember it's doing the same with Final Fantasy XII and Shenmue III. And the intended audience will love it. If you don't fall into this group, though, I don't think you should take the plunge now. Probably best to find something that was developed a bit more recently." -- Simon Miller [Full review]
TheSixthAxis -- 9/10
"As far as remakes go, you can't get any better than this. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is exactly how fans envisioned it--an unadulterated celebration of a PlayStation pioneer. With such a weight on their shoulders, Vicarious Visions have pulled it off with such diligence, infused with a streak of their own creativity. Then there's Naughty Dog original efforts, of course. Even those only acquainted with Uncharted and The Last of Us can appreciate how the studio first made its name, and the journey from Crash Bandicoot to Warped is one of continued innovation. Some two decades later, it's great to see that some things never change." -- Jim Hargreaves [Full review]
Death Note is the upcoming movie adaptation of the classic manga series, and it is due to arrive on Netflix in August. Following March's teaser, a full trailer has now been released. It certainly lives up to the dark, gruesome tone of the source material and suggests that director Adam Wingard (Blair Witch, You're Next) is delivering the horror goods. Check it out here:
Netflix has also released a behind-the-scene promo, which you can watch here. Death Note tells the story of a high school student named Light, who comes into possession of a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes into it. Light sets out to rid the world of evil but finds himself relentlessly pursued by a legendary police detective.
It stars Nat Wolff, best known for the hit teen drama The Fault in Our Stars, plus Keith Stanfield, Paul Nakauchi, and Shea Whigham. Willem Dafoe will perform the voice of Ryuk, the demonic creature who puts the story into motion. Although we don't see much of Ryuk in this trailer, we do hear Dafoe's distinctive voice. The movie hits Netflix on August 25, 2017.
In an interview last year, Wingard explained that Death Note wouldn't be for the faint-hearted. "We can do whatever we want," he told Collider. "It's an anime film. So, technically, it's a cartoon that you're bringing to life. It was important that you have those adult themes. So, it's got nudity, it's got swearing, it's got a ton of violence."
The Death Note manga ran for 108 issues between 2003 and 2006. These were subsequently collected into 12 graphic novels, which to date have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. There have also been three live-action Japanese films, an anime series, and a number of video games for the Nintendo DS, published by Konami.
While many Switch (and Wii U) owners may be looking forward to tomorrow's release of the first Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC pack, today offers a reason to check out the eShop. A pair of new games launch today for Switch owners.
The first of these is Gonner, a procedurally generated platformer that features elements of roguelikes. It's also incredibly difficult, a fact the official description doesn't shy away from acknowledging, telling prospective buyers outright, "You will die. A lot. This is by design, but it's not made to feel unfair."
Gonner was originally set to be released for Switch earlier in June, only for it to be delayed indefinitely. A reason for this has not been provided, but that wait fortunately turned out to be only three weeks. You can pick up the game today for $10/£9; a trailer for the PC version can be seen above.
Also new on the eShop today is another ACA Neo Geo game. This time around it's Magical Drop II, a puzzle game in the mold of Bust-a-Move (aka Puzzle Bobble), where you fire orbs up to create matches and clear the screen. It features two-player support and carries the standard Neo Geo game pricing of $8/£6.29.
By Anonymous on Jun 29, 2017 08:30 pm Time to pick up your tire iron and hit the road. Road Redemption has been out on early access for a while now, but as the game nears completion we wanted to take another look at the gory racer.
The first trailer for Inhumans has arrived. The upcoming Marvel show focuses on a family of superpowered moon-dwelling beings, whose members include the hypersonically-voiced Black Bolt and the super-haired Medusa. The trailer suggests plenty of family intrigue and provides us with a first look at giant teleporting dog Lockjaw. It's certainly dramatic, although at times it also has the feel of a cheesy '70s sci-fi show. Check it out below:
Inhumans is overseen by Scott Buck, the showrunner for Netflix's Iron Fist. Anson Mount stars as Black Bolt, with Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, and Ken Leung as Karnak.
The show is co-produced by ABC and IMAX. The first two episodes of the eight-part series will get a worldwide release in IMAX theaters on September 1. The series premieres on ABC on September 29, with the first two parts airing back-to-back.
The Inhumans were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in a 1965 issue of Fantastic Four. Their first self-titled comic line ran from 1975 to 1977, and they have subsequently appeared in a variety of limited and ongoing series over the past four decades.
The Nintendo Switch and Wii U game's DLC is almost here.
"It's more natural to always create new mechanics and new games."
Jean-Luc and Jake test out a new role with two different characters, a new map, and a new mode.
Time to pick up your tire iron and hit the road. Road Redemption has been out on early access for a while now, but as the game nears completion we wanted to take another look at the gory racer.
Here is a playthrough of the beginning level from the original Crash Bandicoot in stunning HD.
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