Call of Duty: Black Ops III is getting a new bundle of cosmetic items soon, the Double Duty Pack. What's most interesting about this specific pack is that the proceeds from its sale will go toward helping veterans of the American military.
It's a part of Activision's charity, the Call of Duty Endowment, which works toward getting more veterans hired after their time in the military. The pack features the Double Duty Calling Card, a player ID background that is animated to show a soldier transitioning from warfare to civilian life. You can see it below.
The pack also comes with three Rare Supply Drops, which give loot ranging from special weapons to other Calling Cards and weapon skins. It costs $5 and launches tomorrow, July 28. It'll be available until February 7.
According to Activision, "The Endowment has funded more than 37,000 job placements, at an average cost-per-placement of $552, with an average starting salary of $56,784, and with a six-month retention rate of 88 percent. The Endowment hopes to place 50,000 vets into high-quality careers by 2019."
PC players who have yet to pick up Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare can now get a free taste of the game. This weekend, the popular first-person shooter is free to play on Steam--though there is a slight catch.
From now until Sunday, July 30, Steam users will be able to try out Infinite Warfare at no cost--but only its multiplayer modes. Steam notes that this weekend's free trial "only includes Multiplayer content," meaning players won't be able to try either the game's Campaign or Zombies modes. Still, considering that multiplayer has always been the most popular aspect of the series, players won't miss out on too much this weekend.
The free trial ends at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET. Those who'd like to purchase Infinite Warfare can snag the game at a discount. Steam is offering the standard game for $30, while the Digital Legacy Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition retail for $49.59 and $60, respectively. These discounts only run until July 31.
If Infinite Warfare doesn't appeal to you, you can also try the upcoming LawBreakers for free this weekend. The game is in open beta right now for PS4 and PC. The full title releases on August 8.
Final Fantasy XV won't be the only game where you can drive the Regalia for much longer. Microsoft has revealed the car driven by Noctis and company is on its way to last year's excellent racing game, Forza Horizon 3.
First announced earlier today at ChinaJoy 2017, the massive E3-esque show taking place in China this weekend, Microsoft shared the news with a look at the car in action. It features a 7.2-liter supercharged V12 with a maximum of 536 horsepower. Check it out in the trailer above.
You'll be able to get your hands on the car for free by having played Forza Horizon 3 (on Xbox One or PC) or Final Fantasy XV (on Xbox One) by August 1. Forza players will receive it through the in-game message system, while Final Fantasy XV players will get an Xbox Live message with a code that can be redeemed for the car.
It's unclear if you'll be able to purchase the car as DLC or obtain it through other means. Microsoft previously offered Halo's Warthog as a drivable vehicle in Horizon 3 for free if you had played certain Halo games, but it also later offered it through an in-game event.
Microsoft does have another upcoming game--Forza Motorsport 7--that it could have potentially brought the Regalia to, but Horizon 3's less serious style of racing seems like the better fit for a crossover like this. That game launches on October 3.
Horizon 3 could have marked the first time you'd be able to take the Regalia off-road. However, a Final Fantasy XV update earlier this year finally afforded players the freedom to drive the car without rails, rather than being restricted to roads only. The RPG will also soon support multiplayer.
Another Warcraft character is on the way to Heroes of the Storm in the near future. Garrosh Hellscream, the Horde warchief, is a Warrior-class hero who sounds extremely difficult to kill.
Whereas other frustratingly hard-to-kill characters use abilities to shield themselves or become invulnerable ('sup, Varian?), Garrosh simply takes less damage as he loses health. His trait, Armor Up, provides him with one armor for each 2% of his max health that is missing. The overview video above shows this in effect, but essentially, a Garrosh with little health will be a real pain to take down.
Garrosh's first ability is Groundbreaker, which deals damage in a cone in front of him; those caught near the edge of it are pulled to him. Bloodthirst deals damage to a nearby enemy and heals him for 10% of his missing health, or 20% if the enemy hit is a hero (making him even more challenging to take down). Wrecking Ball is the most intriguing of the three, as it allows him to pick up and throw an enemy (including heroes) to a designated location nearby, which also slows them.
His first Heroic ability option is Warlord's Challenge, which silences and taunts nearby enemies, forcing them to attack him for 1.5 seconds. The other Heroic option is Decimate, which deals damage and slows nearby enemies. Hitting heroes with this reduces the cooldown, and the ability can store up to three charges.
In addition to unveiling Garrosh, Blizzard has released a trailer showing some of the other things it has in development. These include a new motorcycle mount (which does a wheelie when you first take off) and a bunch of skins, such as a Terran-style suit for ETC, one that resembles an engine and buzzsaw weapon for Garrosh, and an Ultralisk-esque makeover for Anub'arak.
A specific release date for this content, including Garrosh, has not been announced, but you can likely expect it all in the coming weeks.
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds has grown into a wildly popular title since its release in March. However, its creator is not someone who considers himself a gamer or who has a deep love for classic games. On the contrary, Brendan "Playerunknown" Greene doesn't have any interest in classic series like The Legend of Zelda, according to a new interview.
Talking with GameSpot sister site CNET, Greene stated that he doesn't consider himself a gamer. Although he played and enjoyed games growing up, he was never passionate about well-known series. "I don't consider myself a gamer, compared to a lot of people I meet at these conventions where their life is dedicated to games," he said. "I enjoy games, but I don't consider myself on that level. I've never played Zelda. I've never played these classic games because they don't interest me."
What he has played, however, are many hardcore, ultra-realistic military games that attempt to simulate combat. He explained that his favorite game growing up was Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. "I played the absolute s*** out of that game until there were no more servers left," he stated. "I loved the whole idea of it: the fact there was bullet drop, that it was somewhat realistic, and I could go be a sniper quite easily."
Not surprisingly, this love of hardcore military sims led him to grow frustrated with modern, mainstream AAA games. He expressed irritation with current design trends such as quicktime events. "My frustration with a lot of AAA game titles was that they weren't hard anymore," he stated. "Once you die two or three times, you know where the enemies are coming from, and in a lot of the bigger titles, the ending... I come from an era where the end boss for a game, you spend f***ing days or weeks trying to beat him. With a lot of the AAA titles these days, there's no boss at the end. Just press F at a particular time, and it plays the cut sequence at the end."
There are many more interesting facts from Greene's life and development career in the full interview; you can read it here.
Bungie finally announced when PC players will be able to play the Destiny 2 beta in its Weekly Update today. In addition, the studio also shared what kind of PC you'll need to run the game.
Bungie recommends that you have a pretty beefy machine to run the game, which isn't surprising considering Destiny 2's graphical and processing complexity. For processors, Bungie recommends that you have at least an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD Ryzen R5 1600X. For GPUs, meanwhile, the studio suggests an Nvidia GTX 970 or an AMD Radeon R9 390. 8 GB of RAM is recommended, too.
Interestingly, Bungie also gives a few suggestions in case you're looking to upgrade your PC to better run the beta. The studio suggests upgrading to an Intel Core i5-7400 CPU and an Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB GPU.
Finally, if you want to go all out and run Destiny 2 like Bungie does at events, the studio shared the specs for its "Event Machine." To build such a rig, you'll need the high-powered Nvidia GTX 1080Ti 11GB GPU and Intel i7-7700k processor.
You can see the full list of specs below; Bungie warns that these specs could change by the time the game launches in full. The beta begins for people who have pre-ordered the game on August 29, while it opens to the public on August 29. It ends on August 31. Destiny 2 officially launches on PC on October 24.
The latest entry in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, has just made its debut in Japan, but there's been no word on a western release. While we still don't know exactly when to expect it, Square Enix has confirmed the game will be localized for western markets.
In a video published today, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii reveals that work has already begun on localization. It's being translated into English and four other, unspecified languages.
"There's quite a lot of text, so it's an exorbitant amount of work," Horii said. "But we're doing our best and working hard to get this game to all of you as soon as possible, so I sincerely hope you look forward to the game."
Square Enix added that Dragon Quest XI will be out in the West at some point in 2018. More details will be announced this fall.
This announcement did not specify which versions of the game would come to the West. It launched just yesterday in Japan for PS4 and 3DS, although a Switch version is also in development. Additionally, there was no word on the special-edition 2DS or PS4 systems coming to the West; it's possible they'll remain exclusive to Japan, where the series is phenomenally popular.
Namco Museum is the highlight of today's releases. The retro compilation retails for $30 and features some of the publisher's most popular arcade classics, including Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Tower of Druga, and more. All of the arcade games feature online leaderboards, and players can hold the Switch vertically to simulate their original arcade display.
Perhaps the most notable title in the collection, however, is Pac-Man Vs., the rare multiplayer Pac-Man game that was originally released for GameCube. Pac-Man Vs. was one of the first games to utilize the system's GameCube-Game Boy Advance link cable. Three players would play as ghosts on the television, which displayed only a limited view of the maze, while the fourth controlled Pac-Man using a Game Boy Advance. Players will need two Switch consoles in order to play Pac-Man Vs., but only one copy of the game; a free app can be downloaded from the Eshop that allows players to join a session that's being hosted on the other Switch.
The other new release today is Ultra Hyperball. This retro-inspired party game retails for $10 and has players vying to keep the ball in the air. The game features pixel visuals, five different game styles, and two-to-four player co-op and versus modes. You can watch a trailer for the game below.
Nintendo's 3DS handheld family is deep into its life cycle, and with so many versions already released combined with high demand for the Switch, you may be wondering where another 3DS model fits in. With the New 2DS XL, not only will newcomers get access to its vast library of games, but we get the best designed version of the dedicated handheld yet. As you can tell from the name, the New 2DS XL ditches 3D capabilities, but like the other DS systems with the "New" moniker, it's equipped with the stronger processor and adopts many of the features that make the New 3DS XL great.
How The New 2DS XL Is Built
The original 2DS is an entry-level version with its slate-like design and omission of autostereoscopic 3D. It was also part of the older 2DS/3DS line that didn't have the faster hardware or extra buttons. Now with the New 2DS XL, we get a handheld that doesn't skip out on important features. Since this is an XL model, it's equipped with 3DS XL-sized displays: a 4.9 in screen up top, and a 4.2 inch resistive touchscreen on the bottom. Both screens are well over an inch bigger than those of the original 2DS.
The New 2DS XL alongside the New 3DS XL.
This latest handheld adopts the clamshell design of the 3DS systems and mostly improves upon it. It's slightly shorter in length, but shares the same width and depth as the 3DS XL. Additionally, a near perfect seal is created between the two halves of the 2DS XL when it's closed. This is due to how the two screens are seated; the bottom screen doesn't protrude as with every other clamshell-based 3DS and the top screen has a sleek smartphone-like build. The chassis sports a matte finish which makes for better grip and tops off the system's simple, elegant look.
However, in every 3DS I've used, the hinge seemed to feel a little loose, causing the top portion to wobble back and forth if you gave it a little shake. Unfortunately, the same holds true for the 2DS XL. It's as if the top is loosely screwed into the hinge; it gives a bit of a fragile feel to an otherwise solidly built system.
There are a few small changes compared to the New 3DS XL. The 2DS XL's stereo speakers are located at the bottom corners of the body, but at louder volumes, you'll notice the sound rattle the backend of the system, which makes it feel a bit cheap. Along the bottom of the system is the power button, and a 3.5mm audio jack adjacent to the stylus slot. The stylus is slightly shorter than the previous 3DS stylus by about half an inch. There's now an enclosure that houses the game cartridge and microSD card, a noteworthy improvement over the 3DS XL, which left game cartridges exposed and forced you to take out the stubborn backplate to insert the SD card. The front-facing camera moved to the hinge and the two forward facing cameras moved to the top of the backplate.
System
Weight
Dimensions (inches)
Screen Sizes (inches)
New 2DS XL
9.2 oz / 260 g
6.3 x 6.4 (open) / 3.4 (closed) x 0.8
4.9 (top) / 4.2 (bottom)
New 3DS XL
11.6 oz / 329 g
6.3 x 6.8 (open) / 3.7 (closed) x 0.8
4.9 (top) / 4.2 (bottom)
2DS
9.2 oz / 260 g
5.7 x 5.0 x 0.8
3.5 (top) / 3.0 (bottom)
It's All About The Games
The original 3DS released in early 2011, which was a very different time for handheld gaming devices. And through each iteration of the 3DS--even in the "New" models--screen resolutions haven't changed. In 2017, the 400x240 (top) and 320x240 (bottom) resolutions feel somewhat antiquated and noticeably low-res compared to many other devices. You can't exactly blame the New 2DS XL, though. Higher resolution screens would also require hardware faster than the already-upgraded processor of the "New" DS systems. Equipped with the quad-core ARM11 CPU at 804 MHz, the New 2DS XL does provide that extra juice for snappy navigation through the operating system and user interface.
Every game in the 3DS family will work on the New 2DS XL, but you won't get the autostereoscopic 3D. While the 3D effect was certainly neat, especially with how the New 3DS XL auto-detected your distance from the device, it isn't essential to play any of the system's games as it doesn't serve a gameplay function.
The adoption of the c-stick means you'll get superior camera controls and additional functions in certain games. And while it looks and feels stiff, the c-stick recognizes minuscule movements. After playing Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, it's hard to imagine playing it without the c-stick. The circle pad also offers smooth movement, but still doesn't match the ergonomics of an actual analog sticks. As for the rest of the controls (face buttons, directional pad, and triggers), they all offer solid tactile feel.
When it comes to battery life, expect roughly 3.5 to 4.5 hours of play time after a full charge. Our battery life test was conducted by playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with full brightness and Wi-Fi enabled, and resulted in approximately 3 hours and 55 minutes straight of play time.
What's In The Box
Along with the system itself, you'll get a 4 GB Toshiba microSDHC memory card, though you'll want more storage capacity if you plan on downloading games. For reference, the download size of Pokemon Sun / Moon is almost 3.2 GB, leaving room for not much else. But older games don't take up as much space: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D takes up about 650 MB and Mario Kart 7 is around 1 GB. One of the biggest blunders of the New 3DS XL was the absence of an AC adapter, but thankfully a charger is packaged with the New 2DS XL. It's the same charger required for other models and uses the same proprietary charging port. An NFC reader is built into the system, so you'll get support for all your amiibo.
Everything that comes with the New 2DS XL.
Should You Buy A New 2DS XL?
At a time when the Nintendo Switch is changing how people play games at home and on the go, it's fair to question the need for another model of the 3DS system--especially over six years into its life cycle. It comes down to whether or not you've played what this platform has to offer. A few notable games are set to release later this year, like Metroid: Samus Returns and Fire Emblem Warriors, but the 3DS is a known quantity at this point. For someone who's looking for a portable gaming platform, the New 2DS XL is a great solution, especially as the Switch starts to build out its roster of games. The New 2DS XL is also half the price of a Switch.
Despite a few shortcomings--such as the wobbly top screen and older tech--there's a lot to like about the New 2DS XL. Should you consider buying one if you already have a New 3DS XL? Probably not. However, if you're still on one of the older DS models or interested in jumping into the expansive library of 3DS games, I would highly recommend you consider the New 2DS XL. The platform may be showing its age, but it's Nintendo's best DS system yet.
August is nearly upon us, meaning it's almost time for a new selection of free games from Microsoft and Sony. The latter today revealed what games PlayStation Plus members will be able to download for free starting next week. As usual, there's a total of six games divided evenly across PS4, PS3, and Vita.
On PS3, the games include Super Motherload and Snakeball. Those with a Vita can pick up Level 22 and the excellent Downwell, which also features Cross-Buy with PS4, getting PS4 owners a total of three games this month.
These games will be free to download for Plus members beginning next Tuesday, August 1. You can still pick up all of July's free Plus games until then.
As an additional bonus over the next six weeks, Plus members in the US can rent select movies from the PlayStation Store for 99 cents each. The current title is The Lego Batman Movie; it will be followed by Logan, Power Rangers, Kong: Skull Island, Boss Baby, and Ghost in the Shell.
The final beta test for LawBreakers is now live and will be active for the next few days. It's open to everyone on PC and PlayStation 4.
You can grab the beta through Steam or the PlayStation Store right now. Even if you've played the game before, the version available in this open beta features some changes. There's a new sandbox tutorial mode, all character customization options that will be in the live game are now present, melee range has been reduced, and a number of classes have been adjusted. You can check out the full patch notes for a rundown.
If you're able to jump in and play three matches on PC before 12 PM PT today, you'll be entered to win some prizes, including a GTX 1080 Ti. PS4 players can share screenshots from the game on Twitter with certain hashtags during the beta for a chance to win a custom LawBreakers PS4 console.
LawBreakers launches in full on August 8 for $30, but the PS4 and PC versions won't feature cross-play. Regarding the price, studio head Cliff Bleszinski noted during E3, there's "none of that $60 multiplayer-only bulls***." The arena-based shooter features various classes (including one that can quickly swing around levels), low-gravity areas, and the ability to fire shots behind you over your shoulder. You can check out some gameplay in the video above.
Bandai Namco has released a new batch of DLC for Tekken 7. Players can now add another fighter to their roster, as well as a variety of items and outfits based on the company's Taiko Drum Master series.
The new fighter that players can purchase today is the vampiric Eliza, who initially debuted in Tekken Revolution. Bandai Namco had previously offered Eliza as a downloadable bonus for those who pre-ordered Tekken 7, but now she's available for all players to purchase for $5. You can watch a video of Eliza in action above.
In addition to Eliza, players can now download the humorous Taiko no Tatsujin DLC pack for free. The pack contains 10 items based on the rhythm series, including a t-shirt, health gauge skins, and various effects. You can see screenshots of the Taiko items above.
Lost to some degree in the excitement surrounding Doomfist's release in Overwatch yesterday was a change to respawn timers. The patch notes mention the adjustment, but the exact phrasing left something to be desired, as players were left with no real idea of what was now different.
"Adjusted the respawn timing to limit defensive stalling strategies when the offensive team has a clear advantage and plays aggressively," the patch notes proclaimed while offering no further insight into what this means. This prompted calls for an explanation, which Blizzard has now provided on its official forums.
"There was an existing system that slowly increased the defender respawn time in the case where there are more attackers than defenders on an objective for 30 seconds," principal designer Scott Mercer wrote. "The defender respawn time then increased in a linear fashion up to a maximum when the attackers held an advantage for 90 seconds."
The change in this patch causes the defender respawn times to increase after only 15 seconds of "attacker advantage." Additionally, the maximum possible increase is now reached after 75 seconds.
Mercer added that temporarily surrendering the objective doesn't reset this timer. The timer instead begins counting backwards to 0.
"Example: If attackers have an advantage for 10 seconds, then defenders regain it for 5 seconds, the 'attacker advantage timer' is now at 5 seconds," he explained. "If the attackers then get a few kills to regain advantage then after 10 more seconds the 'attacker advantage timer' reaches 15 seconds and defender respawn time begins to slowly increase.
"The end result is that stalling tactics involving defenders trickling in one at a time into the waiting weaponry of an entire enemy team on the objective should be less effective than before."
Unlike its predecessor, Destiny 2 is coming to PC in addition to consoles. While PC players will have to wait longer than those on PS4 and Xbox One to get their hands on the full game, a beta is set to begin soon to give them a taste of what to expect.
The PC beta's early access period begins on August 28; this is open to anyone who pre-orders the full game (which also gets you an Exotic weapon). If you don't pre-order, you'll still be able to get in with the launch of the open beta just a day later, on August 29. The beta will conclude for everyone on August 31, barring an extension, like the one we saw for the recent console beta.
Sony has announced it is increasing the price of its PlayStation Plus service in Europe and Australia. From the end of August, you'll have to pay more to grab the monthly game library and play online multiplayer on PS4.
From August 31, an annual PS subscription will cost £50 / €60 / AU $80, an increase of £10 / €10 / AU $10. Quarterly memberships, meanwhile, are going up by £5 / €5 / AU $6 to a new price of £20 / €25 / AU $34. Finally, a monthly membership--which currently costs £6 / €7 / AU $10--will go up to £7 / €8 / AU $11. Any payments due after August 31 will be charged at the new price.
When asked by GameSpot whether US customers will also see a price hike, Sony simply stated "there is nothing to announce" at this time. PS Plus memberships increased in North America in September of 2016, and they now cost $59.99 for 12 months and $24.99 for three months in the US.
A number of Pokemon Go Fest attendees are filing a lawsuit against Niantic, developer of the popular mobile game and organiser of the official fan event. They are seeking reimbursement for travel expenses, after making the trip to find they were unable to play there due to technical issues.
Polygon reports that Chicago-based attorney Thomas Zimmerman was contacted by Jonathan Norton and "20 or 30" other people about the issues they encountered at Pokemon Go Fest.
"[Norton] paid to fly out [to Chicago] for the festival, and had to wait for several hours in line, just like most everybody else in order to get in," Zimmerman said. However, when he--and other attendees--arrived, they were unable to play the game and thus unable to capture the rare Pokemon available there."
The opportunity to catch rare Pokemon was one of the things Niantic marketed as a reason to attend Pokemon Go Fest. Many people spent money on making the trip with hopes of catching the rarer creatures and were not able to do so, or to have the overall experience Niantic promised.
"Niantic is not offering to refund people's travel expenses for coming to Chicago," Zimmerman added. "Most of the people came from out of state, many people from other countries--I talked to someone who flew in from Japan."
Zimmerman notes that the claimants are not specifically asking for relief for being unable to get the rare Pokemon. This is something Niantic has addressed already with in-game bonuses and a refund on ticket costs.
"The issue is, what was promised, what was the incentive that people relied on and the representations that people relied on to buy a ticket and make travel plans and fly to Chicago to participate in this festival, would they have done that had they known that that was not going to be lived up to and they weren't going to get the experience that was represented?" Zimmerman asked.
When asked for a statement, Niantic told Polygon that it "does not comment on pending legal matters."
Ubisoft has announced it is finally adding dedicated servers to its online brawler For Honor. The move has been much anticipated by fans, some of whom even started a petition to urge the developer to improve the game's online connectivity.
The company told GameSpot that dedicated servers will "improve stability, but it will also remove some irritations that the players could have."
Director Damien Kieken continued: "For example, by being peer-to-peer you need to check your NAT, so that you can play with other players that have the same NAT as you or that have a green NAT, etc. Things like that don't matter anymore when you have a server--you don't have false migrations, session migrations anymore when you have a server. So there were obvious wins on that aspect. And it's also for us a more long-term reliable move, where we want to go with the move to dedicated servers. It's a huge change."
"And why we make that change now," added creative director Roman Campos-Oriola, "it's because we have a long-term commitment with that game. Like I said, we've updated it a s***load of times already since launch, and we want to continue to support it. As you see with the roadmap, we're continuing to add content, and so improving the players' experience when they are playing the game is something very important, and dedicated servers goes in that direction for us."
Adding dedicated servers is part of a large shakeup--which will also significantly change the defensive meta--For Honor will receive soon. However, an exact timeframe on the changes has not been announced; Krieken simply said the move will "take time." You can read more about how Ubisoft plans to fix For Honor here.
In our For Honor review, critic Matt Espineli said the game was "difficult to put down." He added: "Its slow combat pace and narrative shortcomings might turn off those unwilling to take the time to dive deep into what it has to offer. However, make no mistake--those who do will be rewarded with some of the most satisfying multiplayer melee fighting conceived in recent years."
PlayStation Plus members can play another free game for this weekend only. Sony has announced that Doom (2016) is free on PS4 for this weekend only with a PS Plus subscription.
The full game is available until the evening of Monday, July 31, at which point free access will be rescinded. The trial's PlayStation Store listing states that the game's three multiplayer DLC packs--Unto the Evil, Hell Followed, and Bloodfall--are included in the offer. These were made free for all Doom owners earlier in July.
If you want to retain access to Doom after the trial, you'll have to pay up. Luckily, the shooter is on sale until August 16 for US $15 / £12 / AU $18.
Today, Sony announced a price increase for PS Plus subscribers in Europe and Australia. From August 31, an annual PS subscription will cost £50 / €60 / AU $80, an increase of £10 / €10 / AU $10. Additionally, quarterly and monthly memberships are going up by £5 / €5 / AU $6 or £1 / €1 / AU $1, respectively.
We enjoyed Doom here at GameSpot. Critic Peter Brown said "it captures the essence of what made the classic Doom games touchstones of their day, and translates it to suit modern palates with impressively rendered hellscapes and a steady influx of tantalizing upgrades." Read more in our full Doom review.
Nintendo's NES Classic isn't just a convenient way to play beloved NES games: it's an easy-to use console that looks the part and plays games the way you remember with a few new quality-of-life features. Marketing and distribution woes aside, it's the best example of a multi-game classic console to date, precisely because it does what you expect without major caveats.
Nearly a year later, we are now experiencing the fallout of the NES Classic's success: the arrival of competing classic consoles. This in theory is good news, but there's something important to keep in mind: Nintendo had direct control over the NES Classic. It understood the hardware, the games, and most importantly, how to deliver a user-friendly device that worked as expected. Without those advantages, any company producing a similar device faces an uphill battle in the face of passionate fans on the lookout for an authentic experience.
How easy is it to screw up a classic console like the NES Classic? Based on our time with AtGames' new Sega Genesis Flashback console, the answer is clear: very easy. The microconsole isn't without some merit (it technically works and includes some great games), and it may be the quick-fix some folks are looking for, but by-and-large it fails to play Genesis games the way you remember, has a misleading pitch, and relies on an unintuitive "operating system" that's not only difficult to use, but one that is also garish and finicky.
Looks can be deceiving.
Let's start with the basics: The Sega Genesis Flashback is a console that's packaged with 85 built-in games, two 2.4 Ghz wireless controllers, and a cartridge slot that allows you to use Sega Genesis and Mega Drive cartridges--Mega Drive being the name of the Genesis throughout Europe and Asia. It plugs into your TV's HDMI port and outputs a 720p video signal.
The first thing you notice when you open the box is the look of the unit. Barring AtGames' logo emblazoned above the system's familiar "16-BIT" decal, it's a close approximation of the Model 1 Genesis. The included wireless controllers are modelled after the six-button Genesis controller that originally shipped with the redesigned Model 2 Genesis, and while the buttons feel slightly stiff, they're okay overall. So what's the catch? The controllers run off AAA batteries, cannot be recharged, and the batteries can only be replaced by removing a screw to access the battery compartment. You also need to supply your own batteries (read the ever-so-fine print) so prepare ahead of time or get ready for a trip to the store for power, and potentially a small Phillips-head screwdriver. Should you have any wired Genesis controllers kicking around, those will also work, thankfully.
Where the NES Classic had an efficient design that allowed the unit to be powered through a nearby USB port on your TV or on modern consoles, Sega Genesis Flashback requires the use of a slightly bulky AC adapter.
So you get your batteries together, plug in the Genesis Flashback and turn it on. After a short loading screen, you're met with a simple-looking menu with categories on the left and games on the right. And the first two games you see? Adventure in the Park, and Air Hockey--two games that you've probably never heard of because they were never released on the Genesis. As with AtGames' previous Genesis consoles--the company has been at this for years--Sega Genesis Flashback is packed with games that you've never heard of, and that you probably don't want to play. Not up for a game of Mr. Balls, Plumbing Contest, or Yawning Triceratops? I don't blame you.
In total, there are 28 unofficial games, 45 Genesis games, and 12 games that appeared on either the Sega Game Gear or Sega Master System. It's worth noting that if you add up the games based on individual browsing categories from the menu, you'll only count 42 games. This is because Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Mortal Kombat 3 were mistakenly left absent from the "Sega Games" category. It's a small oversight, but one that echoes the overall lack of attention to detail that plagues the system throughout.
Take menu navigation, for example. The d-pad on the controller is used to navigate the list of games on the right, but in order to scroll through categories, you have to use the B and C buttons. You can't pick a category using the d-pad and then proceed to use it for browsing games. In practice, you're using buttons on the right side of the controller to navigate items on the left side of the screen, and vice versa.
Unintuitive UI aside, there's a nasty issue with the wireless controllers that appears, without fail, every time you turn on the console. During our tests, the wireless controllers failed to register the first press of every button on the controller when navigating the menu screen. Whether it's the d-pad, or the A, B, and C buttons, expect to press an individual button twice the first time you need to use it. This issue doesn't appear when using a wired controller.
Many of the most interesting games included in the Sega Genesis Flashback can, and should, be played on other platforms.
These faults could all be overlooked if the included games ran well, but again, prepare for disappointment: nearly every game exhibits constant frame drops. It appears as though auto-frame-skip is being used to account for inefficient emulation of real Genesis hardware. For some games, such as the excellent strategy game Shining Force, this isn't a huge deal. But when you're playing Sonic The Hedgehog, a game known for being fast and smooth, the missing frames and choppy animation are an undeniable source of frustration and disappointment. This doubles when playing a fighting game like Mortal Kombat or Virtua Fighter 2.
One of the most attractive aspects of this HDMI-enabled Genesis is that it supports actual cartridges, but again, things aren't as simple as they seem. In order for the system to read a game you need to insert it before powering on the console. While it would be nice to be able to swap cartridges without power cycling the console, it's not an egregious requirement. However, should you insert a cartridge that's dirty or unsupported, you need to remove and replace the cart and reboot the system to double check if it's the system's fault or the condition of the game itself, and endure a bootup screen and allow the cartridge to be dumped to RAM all over again. When a game does work, the system displays a screen with multiple instances of the same game. Which one do you pick? It's a game in and of itself. And unsurprisingly, the same frame rate performance issues noted above apply to cartridge-based games.
While it's true that AtGames' Sega Genesis Flashback is a tempting product in light of Nintendo's recent efforts, it is nothing like the NES Classic. Nevermind that it's filled with classic Genesis games--many of which you can buy today on Steam, PSN, or Xbox Live. It's a misleading and faulty product that is marketed to trick you, to play off of your love of classic Sega games and your residual admiration of the NES Classic. The legacy of Sega Genesis deserves far better than this opportunistic cash-in.
Capcom has detailed its financial performance for the three-month period ended June 30, 2017, showing an increase in both sales and profit over the same period in 2016.
Sales were cited as $105 million, which is around a 7% rise over 2016's $98 million. Operating profit, meanwhile, was $7.4 million, which represents around a 13% increase over the $6.5 million from the previous year.
Ultra Street Fighter II launched in May 2017, and Capcom described it as having "an excellent start," proving to be a "smash hit." Resident Evil 7 and Monster Hunter XX, both of which were launched in the previous fiscal year, also "contributed to revenue to a certain extent."
Capcom's other businesses also contributed to the increases in financial performance. The arcade operation business delivered improved sales, while licensing and the royalties from sale of character merchandise was up 13.2% over the same three-month period in 2016.
The Monster Hunter series boasts a wide variety of weapon types to craft and wield, which can be a bit daunting for those unfamiliar with the franchise. To ease newcomers in, Capcom has released a series of new trailers that give fans an overview of all the different weapon classes featured in Monster Hunter: World.
Like other Monster Hunter titles, World features 14 different weapon types, each of which has its own unique play style and abilities. The new overview videos are divided into three categories: the first covers light weapons such as the Long Sword and Dual Blades; the second trailer details heavy weapons like the Great Sword and Gunlance; and the final video covers some of the more esoteric "technical" weapons such as the Insect Glaive and Hunting Horn. You can watch the light weapons trailer at the top of this story; the other two can be seen below.
Monster Hunter: World is the first new home console installment in the series since 2010. The game features a number of new mechanics and improvements over previous titles, most notably the world itself, which is much larger and more detailed than ever before. Capcom recently showed off over 20 minutes of single-player gameplay footage, which showcased the lively ecosystem of the game's Ancient Forest area.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends has been available on PC and tablets since earlier this year, and today it finally launches on smartphones. The collectible card game is now available to download for free on iPhones and Android phones.
According to Bethesda, the game features a "streamlined interface" designed to make it playable on smaller phones. This release brings it in line with its main competitor in the CCG space, Hearthstone, which has been available on phones for two years.
This release comes about a month after the launch of The Elder Scrolls: Legends' first big expansion, called Heroes of Skyrim. As the name suggests, it adds a bunch of cards themed on The Elder Scrolls V. Two new types of cards were added to the game in the expansion: Dragons and Shouts. Dragons are special cards that operate differently if they're played with other Dragons, while Shouts can be leveled up the more you play them.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is free-to-play, but you'll have to hand over some money if you want to try out Heroes of Skyrim. The game includes a single-player story mode, a competitive Versus mode, and an Arena mode that pits you against either human- or AI-controlled enemies.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is launching this fall, but if you haven't had a chance to check out the first game yet, Bethesda just announced a great bundle. Wolfenstein: The Two-Pack, as it's called, includes The New Order and its expansion, The Old Blood.
The bundle is coming on August 22, and it'll cost $30. If you buy it, you'll also get a $10 mail-in rebate for The New Colossus. At the moment, it's unclear how this rebate works and if you'll be able to stack it with other deals, such as the Amazon Prime discount on new games.
In any case, getting two great games and a coupon for a new one all for $30 is a pretty good deal. The New Order came out in 2014 and received an 8/10 from GameSpot; The Old Blood, on the other hand, contains a full story campaign and expands on The New Order's world.
The pack will only be available in North America, and it's coming for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, meanwhile, launches on October 27. We were just recently able to go hands on with an extended demo of the game and came away impressed--check out our full preview here.
Update: There's actually a fourth Nintendo Switch game now available on the Eshop that isn't in Nintendo's weekly press release on new game releases. Physical Contact: Speed is a card game that costs $5/£4.49, and while we can't say whether it's any good, its bizarre Eshop description is certainly worth a read.
Original Story: New games for Nintendo Switch continue to roll out on the Eshop. Today brings with it three more, including another very good party game.
The most notable of today's releases is Overcooked: Special Edition. It's a co-op cooking game that sticks you in a wide variety of different kitchens, including those located in (and split across) moving vehicles. Despite the simple controls, cooperation and communication are key as there can be a lot to keep track of if you want to avoid burning your kitchen down. The Special Edition subtitle refers to the inclusion of DLC (adding more levels) that was released for the original version of the game that came out last year, as well as HD Rumble support. It costs $20/£16.
Also new today is Qbics Paint ($5/£4.49), a 3D modeling and painting game. This uses the system's touchscreen to let you sculpt voxel-based models with your fingers, paint them, and then place them in various stock photos (if you so desire).
Finally, this week's obligatory ACA Neo Geo game is Super Sidekicks. It's a soccer game originally released for Neo Geo in 1992, and it features support for two-player multiplayer. As with other Neo Geo games on Switch, it costs $8/£6.29.
Overwatch's next big update is now available, the main component of which is a new character: Doomfist. The long-awaited Offense character is now playable on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
Doomfist has been available for the past few weeks on the PC version's Public Test Realm. Not long after his initial PTR debut, a patch made some changes to the way he works. The range of his Rocket Punch was reduced, while his Ultimate gained a UI indicator to help gauge how effective it will be.
Aside from introducing Doomfist, today's patch also makes some adjustments for a number of other characters. Reinhardt's hammer can now be swung more quickly, while Zarya's Ultimate receives a buff so that it now disables all movement abilities for those trapped inside. McCree's Flashbang slows enemies more, Reaper's Shadow Step sound effect and voiceover can't be heard from as far away (making it easier for him to be stealthy), and D.Va has new sound effects and voice lines for her Defense Matrix. Those include one that will let you know when it absorbs an enemy Ultimate.
For a complete rundown on those new features, check out the full patch notes on Blizzard's website. You can see some of the key sections below.
General
Adjusted the respawn timing to limit defensive stalling strategies when the offensive team has a clear advantage and plays aggressively
Custom Games and Game Browser
Clarified the text on the "Flag Carrier" options under the Capture the Flag settings for Custom Games
Removed the "Projectile Speed" and "Projectile Gravity" options for heroes who do not have projectile weapons
Minimum movement speed has been changed to 50% (formerly 10%)
Players can no longer select Roadhog during Limited 1v1 matches
User Interface
Added ability to create customized reticles
Reticle options can be found under the "Controls" tab in the "Options" menu (click the "Advanced" expander under the "Reticle" heading)
The name of Mercy's "Stethoscope" spray has been changed to "Heartbeat"
Statistics gathered from 6v6 Elimination matches will now be added to statistics in the Career Profile
Tie games will no longer be included in the win percentage calculation that's listed under the Player Profile
Hero Updates
D.Va
Defense Matrix
New sound effects and voice lines have been added, indicating when Defense Matrix has absorbed an enemy's ultimate ability
Genji
Deflect
New sound effects and voice lines have been added, indicating when an enemy's ultimate ability has been deflected
McCree
Flashbang
Stunned targets are now slowed heavily, meaning they're less likely to escape while stunned (especially while in the air)
Developer Comment: This change will make McCree's Flashbang consistent against fast-moving targets like Genji or Lúcio.
Reaper
Shadow Step
Sound effect and VO distance has been reduced by 50%
Developer Comment: Even though Shadow Step wasn't intended to be used as a way for players to teleport right next to an enemy without their knowledge, the sound effects were audible from distances that made teleportation difficult from nearly anywhere. This change allows Reaper to be a bit more sneaky with his flanking options.
Reinhardt
Rocket Hammer
Swing speed increased by 10%
Developer Comment: In the last update, Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer had an issue that allowed players with higher latency to swing faster. We fixed this bug, which suddenly made the swing speed feel too slow, so we're compensating by increasing his standard swing speed. During this process, we also found and fixed a few bugs with Rocket Hammer's hit registration. Overall, the hammer should feel much better.
Zarya
Graviton Surge
Now disables mobility abilities on all affected targets
Developer Comment: In the past, the abilities that allowed heroes to escape Zarya's Graviton Surge felt fairly arbitrary. We're cleaning this up and increasing Graviton Surge's overall power by rendering all movement abilities unusable when an enemy is trapped.
Update: It appears Ubisoft has resolved the situation. On Twitter, the company is recommending players who are still experiencing errors when connecting to its online services to hard reboot their consoles. We'll update this story again if more details come in.
Original story: Many fans have been reporting various issues with Ubisoft's online services, including unusually long matchmaking queue times and errors that prevent them from logging in to other services. It appears these issues aren't limited to just online games but a wider problem that's affecting the company's servers.
According to Ubisoft, its various online services are currently experiencing an outage. The publisher addressed the issue in a post on its official forums. The post reads, "Hello everyone, we are aware of an issue with UbiServices. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience whilst we investigate."
Due to technical difficulties, today's matches will be postponed to a further date. Thank you for your understanding and support. pic.twitter.com/7NINJ62w8X
Ubisoft hasn't specified what has caused the outage or when fans can expect it to be resolved, but a quick cross-section of the company's Twitter mentions shows players reporting long matchmaking times in For Honor, Rainbow Six Siege, and other titles. In response to the "technical difficulties," the official Rainbow Six Siege announced that today's Pro League II matches are being postponed "to a further date."
Many users also aren't able to access the Uplay service. We'll report back when more information becomes available.
Activision previously announced the details of two special editions for the upcoming Call of Duty: WWII. It appears there will at least be one other version available for sale, and this one is the priciest edition yet.
Best Buy has published a store listing (via NeoGAF) for a $165 version of WWII--although, for whatever reason, it's currently on sale for $150. It includes a copy of the game and its season pass, a lenticular poster with the face of a zombie on either side, and a backpack. This features magnetic snaps to close it and a shoulder strap that allows it to be converted into a messenger bag. It also comes with removable patches, though it appears the Call of Duty branding itself is permanent.
Activision has not yet formally announced this edition of the game. As such, it's unclear if this is a Best Buy exclusive or how limited stock will be. We've contacted the publisher for more details and will report back with anything we learn.
Besides the standard digital and physical editions of the game, there will be at least two other ways to buy WWII. The Digital Deluxe edition bundles the game with its season pass and other, unspecified content for $100. And GameStop is exclusively selling the Pro edition, which comes with a steelbook case, the season pass, and more. Pre-ordering any version of the game nets you access to an upcoming closed beta that has not yet been detailed. You'll also receive a special weapon skin in the new Zombies mode.
Call of Duty: World War II launches on November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. We don't yet know if this special edition will be available for all three platforms.
Electronic Arts has reported its earnings for its first fiscal quarter, which ran through the end of June 2017. The company described it as an "outstanding quarter," although for the second time in a row, it avoided discussing the performance of Mass Effect: Andromeda in its official earnings press release.
Battlefield 1 had "21 million players joining the game" as of the end of June. That's a huge figure, although it's unclear exactly how that phrasing is meant to distinguish it from the more commonly used monthly active users statistic. EA also noted that Ultimate Team unique players across its various sports games grew 11% year-over-year. Monthly active players in The Sims 4 on PC were up 20% year-over-year, which is notable given it's nearly three years old. The game was recently announced to be coming to PS4 and Xbox One.
The Sims 4 on consoles is among the five major releases it outlined for the second quarter, which runs through September; the others are FIFA 18, Madden 18, NBA Live 18, and NHL 18. The third quarter includes Need for Speed: Payback and Star Wars: Battlefront II, while the only Q4 title listed is UFC 3. BioWare's new game, Anthem, had originally been expected out by the end of this financial year (meaning before April 2018), but it was delayed back in May.
In terms of financials, revenue was $1.45 billion for the quarter, up from $1.27 billion a year ago. Digital net sales for the 12 months ending in June were $3.147 billion, representing 63% of the company's total net sales sales. That figure is up 23% year-over-year, as is to be expected given the industry-wide shift toward digital sales. EA also notes that it saw operating cash flow hit a record high for a first quarter, which it attributes to its "event-driven live services." Despite that, it estimates that operating cash flow will be very slightly down for the full fiscal year.
On a per-platform basis, digital net sales increases on consoles, mobile, and PC (which is lumped in with "other" platforms). The biggest increase came on the console side, with quarterly revenue reaching $368 million. The digital net sales increase was due to a combination of higher full game downloads and live service sales (which include DLC and subscriptions).
EA will host a conference call with investors this afternoon to discuss the outcome of its results. This is often where we learn the most interesting information from these releases; we'll report back with anything the company has to share.
Nintendo revealed a slew of new Switch games during its E3 2017 presentation last month, many of which are slated to release for the console in 2018. However, one of the show's most exciting announcements, Metroid Prime 4, may not arrive next year.
Following its most recent earnings call, Nintendo released a document of supplementary information that included a list of release dates for all of the company's announced titles. Two of its E3 reveals, the new Yoshi and Kirby games, are still slated to launch next year, but the document lists Metroid Prime 4's release date as "TBA." This doesn't necessarily preclude the game from being released in 2018, but it does cast some doubt on it.
Additionally, the console's "core" Pokemon RPG is listed for "2018 or later," implying that it may slip out of the calendar year as well. This isn't entirely surprising, however; when Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara announced the title during Nintendo's E3 presentation, he stated it "may not release for more than a year."
Metroid Prime 4 is the first new Metroid Prime title since Corruption released for Wii in 2007. Unlike the original Metroid Prime trilogy, the upcoming installment isn't being developed by Retro Studios, but a new team. Series producer Kensuke Tanabe is still overseeing the project, however.
While Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon may not arrive in 2018, there are still some notable releases in store for Switch next year. In addition to the aforementioned Kirby and Yoshi games, Nintendo will also release a new mainline installment in the Fire Emblem series for the console in 2018. A number of major Switch titles are still on the way throughout the remainder of this year, as well, including Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
We're just a few days away from August, and Microsoft has finally announced the list of games that Xbox Live Gold members will soon be able to download for free. As always, it includes four total games: two for Xbox One and two for Xbox 360.
On the Xbox One side, the month starts out with Slime Rancher, the first-person sim game where you manage a farm of adorable slime creatures. It's been in Early Access on PC for some time, but August 1 marks its official release, meaning Gold members will get it for free right out of the gate. On August 16, Trials Fusion, the latest game in the excellent platforming-with-bikes series, will become free.
In terms of Xbox 360 games, the first half of the month features stellar character action game Bayonetta, while the second half will offer Red Faction: Armageddon. Both of these games are also playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility; Armageddon is a new addition to the program.
No comments:
Post a Comment