EA Sports UFC 3 begins with a slick video package charting the meteoric rise to stardom of cover athlete Conor McGregor. The Notorious Irishman is the ideal poster boy for UFC 3's new G.O.A.T. Career Mode, as it focuses not just on your performances inside the octagon, but on your propensity for drumming up hype and promoting fights outside of it--something the high-powered southpaw has arguably mastered. McGregor's world class striking also serves as a perfect introduction to UFC 3's wince-inducing action, as you're thrust into a tutorialized fantasy matchup against interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson.
UFC 3 hits the ground running with this match-that-could've-been, hastily showcasing a plethora of improvements to its stand-up game, from an impressive suite of fluid new animations to an intuitive new control scheme that emphasises maneuverability. Much like previous entries in the series, developer EA Canada continues to excel at stand and bang slugfests--as fists fly, skin lacerates, and the canvas adopts a crimson hue--but falters when the action is dragged down to the ground.
Click image to view in full screen
UFC 3's grappling remains unchanged from its predecessor--utilizing the right stick for transitioning into and out of various positions--and is too cumbersome and binary to ever be particularly enjoyable. Submissions fall into the same category, too. The default four-quadrant mini game feels disconnected from what's happening on screen, while a simplified alternative that consists of mindless button mashing also fails to capture the intricacies of these bone-breaking holds. Not to mention how overpowered each arm bar and gogoplata is in the hands of the AI.
Fortunately, the stand-up game's redefined excellence does an admirable job of distracting from these flaws. Almost every aspect of UFC 3's striking has been completely redesigned, placing much more significance on movement, spacing, and momentum. With both fighters standing toe-to-toe, there's a palpable sense of weight to the way you move around the octagon, and a responsiveness to each blow and crucial head bob that allows you to act just as fast as you can think--reaction times notwithstanding.
The new control scheme does still require a certain degree of finger gymnastics in order to perform particular techniques, but by moving each offensive move to the face and shoulder buttons, the right stick is freed up to be used exclusively for ducking and weaving, while the left stick is dedicated entirely to movement, allowing you to throw strikes and move at the same time. This sounds like a simple change on the surface, but it's a crucial deviation that opens up myriad possibilities, and substantially increases the kinetic dynamism of each fight. Suddenly you can barrel forward like a freight train to apply pressure; retreat out of danger with defensive jabs to keep your opponent at bay; and laterally weave to a fighter's weak side while simultaneously throwing a dangerous uppercut to their unsuspecting jaw. It's a game changer, and beautifully complements UFC 3's newfound focus on momentum and the risk versus reward at play with each strike.
Being mindful of spacing becomes a key attribute as you look to get in and out of your opponent's striking range without sustaining damage. Stamina management also plays a crucial role, as repeated strikes lose power as your stamina fades to discourage aggressive players from their worst tendencies. You have to be smarter and more precise with each blow; reading your opponent's movement, using feints to throw off their timing, and slipping into counterattacks to punish any misguided swings. All of this results in a game that adopts a more measured pace than its predecessors, and should suit those who approach each fight with nuance and tactical astuteness.
Almost every aspect of UFC 3's striking has been completely redesigned, placing much more significance on movement, spacing, and momentum
Once you're comfortable in the octagon, the aforementioned G.O.A.T. Career Mode is on-hand to test you against the world's greatest fighters. With a few fights on the regional circuit under your belt, it doesn't take long until you impress Dana White enough to earn a UFC contract and can begin climbing up the ranks for a shot at a championship. It's a familiar setup, but one that differentiates from its contemporaries by embracing the promotional aspect of the sport and focusing on time management above all else. You start the run up to each fight by signing up to a gym that specialises in a specific fighting discipline, and can then choose to train and improve your attributes, learn new moves and perks, spar with a training partner who's emulating your upcoming opponent, or promote your next fight to drum up hype and attract more fans to your brand.
This balance between performance and promotion is an interesting concept, and it strips away a lot of the monotony these career modes often suffer from. Improving your attributes simply boils down to selecting which areas you want to develop, with each activity eating into that weeks designated time allotment. Promotion works much the same way as you're given the option to generate hype for your next fight by, say, predicting the finish on social media, attending autograph signings, or even taking a page out of Demetrious Johnson's book by streaming some video games. There are no tedious mini-games revolving around punching bags and speed balls, and those that are included are incredibly brief with immediate rewards in the shape of new moves and perks. The whole thing is so streamlined it's almost negligible, ensuring you spend less time staring at menus between each fight, which is a good thing.
Click image to view in full screen
Elsewhere, Ultimate Team returns and continues to be a curious addition to the world of mixed martial arts. With one-on-one fights on the agenda, UFC 3's particular flavour of Ultimate Team lacks the appeal of concocting your own unstoppable dream team. Instead, card packs are bundled with not just fighters, but tiered moves, perks, and bonuses as well, essentially painting each fighter as blank canvases for you to outfit with whatever moves you choose. It's a fascinating idea, and there are a number of single and multiplayer modes for you to unleash your Frankenstein's monster on. Microtransactions are still a factor, letting you spend real-world money on premium card packs, but there's enough in-game money to be earned from various fights and challenges that paying real money never seems necessary. Time will tell whether this changes once you fancy testing your mettle at high-level Ultimate Team play.
Of course, a lot of UFC 3's success will depend on the quality of servers that aren't currently populated enough to deliver a final verdict on. As it stands, EA Sports UFC 3 is a tense, exciting, and dynamic recreation of the stand and bang aspect of mixed martial arts. There's a fluidity to the way it moves, and a satisfying feel and unpredictability to the way fights can unfold that demands your engagement. The grappling still needs plenty of work, and one would hope this is something EA Canada addresses in the next iteration; yet these shortcomings become easier to overlook because of the accomplishment of its redefined striking. When it comes to the art of combat, few sports titles do it better.
Editor's note: Our review of UFC 3 will remain a review in progress until we've had adequate time to test multiplayer servers after the game's release on Feb. 2, 2018.
Adult Swim is known for their distinctive, offbeat humor and alternative programming, making their latest bizarre animated series, Hot Streets, a seemingly good fit among the likes of Rick and Morty and Robot Chicken. Creator Brian Wysol worked on both shows, and Hot Streets is also produced by Seth Green, Matt Senreich (Robot Chicken), and Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty), who also voices a dog in the new series.
Hot Streets focuses on the supernatural investigations of FBI Agent Mark Branski, who solves cases with help from his partner, his niece, and her cowardly talking dog. They've encountered the likes of brain monsters, mummies, and a snake cult, with each new episode becoming stranger than the one before it. The latest episode had Branksi stuck in a loop where he keeps waking up inside of an egg.
Hot Streets is Branski's show, but the supporting characters are the series' strongest assets. Chubbie Webbers, the worrisome dog, is a stand out, thanks to Justin Roiland's hilarious voice work. He gets mixed up in solving Branski's Hot Streets cases along with his owner, Jen, played by actress Chelsea Kane (Baby Daddy, Rick and Morty). Like Penny and Brain in Inspector Gadget before them, Jen and Chubbie Webbers are the unsung heroes who often solve the cases without getting the credit.
Notably, Hot Streets features two strong female characters. In addition to Jen, there's Soo Park, Assistant Director of the FBI, played by Agents of SHIELD star Ming-Na Wen. We talked with the voices behind both characters about what attracted them to their strangest project yet.
GameSpot: How did you get involved with Hot Streets?
Ming-Na Wen (Soo Park): It's one of those things where you're friends with Seth (Green) and Matt (Senreich), they say come on in, we've got this cool project, and I read it--I really didn't understand it, and I was like "Perfect! Let me do it." I love a good challenge.
Chelsea Kane (Jen Sanders): It kind of fell into my lap in such an interesting way. I had worked with Justin Roiland years ago on our Disney Channel show, Fish Hooks, and throughout that whole time he was working on Rick and Morty.
I ended up getting an audition to do a voice on Rick and Morty...for Arthricia. And I really wanted to do it, and it was the first time I ever got to drop an F bomb in my acting career. And I got the part.
And then through that, Brian Wysol had actually seen an animatic of the Purge episode and Brian was in the process of putting together his cast for Hot Streets, and said, "Oh my god, that's the voice I would want for Jen."
What attracted you to the project?
Ming-Na Wen: It's working with friends and meeting new people, the same kind of folks that share your madness or strange creativity and I knew I was going to have a great time.
Chelsea Kane: What really attracted me to Hot Streets is that Jen is kind of the only recurring female role that's really grounded. And I love that she's intelligent and smart and ends up solving most of these Hot Street cases even though she may not get the credit all the time. But at the same time, she's still very much flawed like me. Her dating life isn't really her strong point at this point in her life, which I can totally relate to. So, I love that she's kind of a real girl and a real strong leading female voice on the show. That makes me feel excited to be a part of it and kind of lending that tone to the show.
Tell us more about your characters.
Ming-Na Wen: [Soo Park] is no nonsense, and very to the point. As smart as she is, she's also a bit oblivious of, I think, certain realities. And she has this vulnerable side I think the guys kind of bring out in her every so often. She just kind of calls the shots.
At first I was a little concerned, like, is this going to be stereotypical? Are they going to want me to do an accent? And they were like "No, no!" and I'm like "Oh, perfect, good. Thank you."
Chelsea Kane: You've seen the first episode that [Jen] lost her mother, and that's why she's living with her uncle. She's at this kind of crossroads in her young adult life, which I think where we've all been, where she's just kind of trying to figure out who she is, and who she loves, and who loves her. She already takes off and kind of elopes with a mummy in the first episode, so you know she's still kind of figuring things out.
I love that she's super smart and I love that she's able to kind of hold her own with the boys whether it's going on missions, or solving the crime. She really knows what she's doing, and she's a tough cookie, and I love playing those type of girls. That's the type of girl I hope to be like.
How much input did you have on crafting the character?
Ming-Na Wen: The writers, Brian and them, they already have a clear idea about what they're going for. And so they're really crucial in the initial phase of creating an animated character and understanding her level of emotions, where she's at, and where the humor would be based on it. And not working with other actors, you're flying solo. It's great to have their input in the beginning.
Chelsea Kane: I think it kind of slowly develops, but I love Brian's work and Brian's brain, and I don't tend to really go into the booth and ad-lib a bunch of stuff. I love what's on the page and most of the time I'm also confused by what's on the page just story wise. I'm like, "I feel like I have to say these words because I'm not quite sure what a flesh potato is, so I'm just going with it." But I think as the show went on we all kind of realized that Jen can oftentimes be like a throughline in the story to kind of pull you into the next scene, or ground some of the scenes.
Ming-Na, how does your experience working on Hot Streets compare to doing past voice over work?
Ming-Na Wen: It's very similar to my process with all the other animations, except a lot of times I'll be like "Why is she saying this, I don't understand what this means." And they're like "Just go with it! Don't worry about it, it's good, it's good. You're doing great." I'm like, "OK! Is it funny? Is it funny?" And they're like "Yes. Very funny." I'm like "OK." I trust.
Chelsea, what makes Hot Streets stand out among other Adult Swim shows?
Chelsea Kane: I think the animation itself is ...it's a different style. You kind of have to get used to it in a way, I mean, even the opening credits. I just feel like it has a very specific look to it. And on top of that, I love the music. It's that cool kind of like '80s electro vibe. I love the opening sequence music, and Brian Wysol, our creator, does all of the music as well. So whenever he's finished recording with us in the booth he's off to the studio to record all the music for the show. So, I think it just adds that extra element to it that makes it really cool.
What would you like to see happen in future episodes of Hot Streets?
Chelsea Kane: So Brian does all the music. I think we should totally do a musical episode. I think it would be hilarious, and I just want to see Justin (Roiland) sing a whole show in the dog voice.
Hot Streets airs Sundays at midnight on Adult Swim.
Much like what we saw with MOBAs years ago, battle royale-style games are all the rage thanks to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' domination of Steam. Fortnite beat PUBG to consoles and is available as a free-to-play title, and it introduces building mechanics to the mix that you don't get with PUBG. Like PUBG developer Bluehole, Epic has enjoyed an incredible level of success, with more than 40 million players spread across Fortnite: Battle Royale and the PvE Survive the World component.
Even more standalone battle royale games are undoubtedly on the way, but Fortnite won't be the only existing title to integrate the mode in some fashion. Grand Theft Auto V has already done so in modest fashion with Motor Wars mode, but there are a variety of other games--both those already playable and some that are still in development--that we think could also make interesting use of the concept. In the video above, we run down five games that should consider putting their own spin on battle royale in 2018.
There was some controversy surrounding Fortnite last year, as PUBG's developer made it known that it was less than pleased with "the similarities between the battle royale mode in Epic Games' newly revealed Fortnite and PUBG." The complaint is more complicated than it appears on the surface, as PUBG uses Unreal Engine 4, which is built by Fortnite maker Epic Games. PUBG's developer seemingly threatened legal action, though nothing has come of that yet--at least publicly.
Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene, who is credited with having established the genre as a modder, said last year, "I just feel that Fortnite: Battle Royale is a bit lazy to me. They could have had a great game because Fortnite is amazing and they could have put some unique, interesting building [systems] in there, almost like a tower defense Battle Royale, but they just didn't. But what can you do? It's going to happen. It's the nature of business I guess."
Whether upcoming battle royale modes and games put enough of a spin on the formula to satisfy Greene remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: They are coming.
Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to jump into for a variety of reasons. It's challenging for anyone, and traditionally it hasn't done a great job of explaining its various mechanics, leaving players to seek outside help. Monster Hunter World, which is now available on PS4 and Xbox One, at least partially tries to address those problems, and in many ways, it succeeds.
In addition to providing more explanation to players in the early stages, players have what's called a Handler, who dispenses tips until you've made enough progress. There are also quality-of-life improvements like scoutflies that reduce the hassle of tracking a monster--something that's particularly helpful given World's larger environments.
In the video above, we chat about what it's been like to play World from both the standpoint of a series veteran and someone with less Monster Hunter experience. It should give you a sense of what to expect from World regardless of your experience level. Whatever your personal history with the series, this is a very solid RPG to jump into.
We're giving away 5 PS4 codes and 5 Xbox One codes for Railway Empire! (List Price: $59.99, scroll down below to enter)
In Railway Empire, you will create an elaborate and wide-ranging rail network, purchase over 40 different trains modeled in extraordinary detail, and buy or build railway stations, maintenance buildings, factories, and tourist attractions to keep your travel network ahead of the competition.
Competition ends Sunday, February 4 at 9:00PM PT. Ten (10) winners will be emailed. Entry is open to USA residents only on PS4 and worldwide on Xbox One, void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
We're giving away Dragon Ball FighterZ CollectorZ Edition on Xbox One! (List Price: $139.99, scroll down below to enter.)
Dragon Ball FighterZ CollectorZ Edition includes:
A copy of Dragon Ball FighterZ
7" Goku statue with exclusive "Manga Dimension" coloring
Exclusive STEELBOOK
Three Art Boards
A CollectorZ box to house all the items listed above
Competition ends Friday, February 2nd at 11:00AM PT. One (1) winner will be chosen. Entry is open to USA residents only, void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to dive into. Although the community surrounding it is quite friendly and helpful, the games themselves often lack the kind of assistance that a newcomer requires to fully grasp what's going on. Monster Hunter World makes strides in that direction, but going in with an idea of what to expect will make the entire experience much easier to deal with.
In the video above, we run through some beginner's tips that will help you to get started, whether you're a newcomer to the series or a lapsed played who's forgotten some of the essentials. Although every weapon is viable, some are friendlier to those just getting acquainted with the series. And something like pre-hunt preparation, while not the sexiest-sounding activity in the world, is essential to excelling at the game. We also have a text-based Monster Hunter World beginner's guide that will walk you through all the key information you should have before playing.
As noted above, World does a better job of welcoming in new players than past titles, but that's not its only improvement. It also features much larger and more beautiful environments, thanks to being built for current-gen consoles and PC (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X experience is particularly nice). There are also smaller quality-of-life improvements that are extremely welcome, such as the addition of scoutflies, which make the process of locating and tracking your target much easier.
There are still several entrant slots open for the 2018 Royal Rumble. And although most of those slots will be filled by Sunday afternoon, WWE always leaves a few open for surprise guests, which we have a few guesses on too. Thanks to social media, however, it's getting harder and harder to trick fans. All it takes is one guy with a camera outside the Sheraton, and the big surprise is ruined.
That's not what this gallery is about; none of the wrestlers on this list have been confirmed, neither officially nor unofficially. These are the rumored entrants that have been circulating the dirt sheets for the past couple of weeks. If you want to see all the confirmed entrants for this year's event, click here.
Have a happy Rumble weekend!
Kharma
Kharma has made it publicly known that she is available and hopeful about participating in the Rumble match. She also notes, however, that WWE hasn't contacted her. But WWE still has 12 slots available for the women's Rumble. Perhaps there's still room for her.
Kharma--more widely known as Awesome Kong, from her TNA days--never got her due in WWE. She was brought on board in 2011, and she participated in only one match: the 2012 Royal Rumble, where she eliminated Hunico before being eliminated herself. Most recently, she's been starring on Netflix's GLOW, but it would be a treat to see her squash the latest crop of women wrestlers this Sunday.
Batista
Even though he's now a Marvel superhero, Batista has publicly expressed his desire to return to WWE for one more run--not just to make a one-off appearance, but to work a full-time schedule. What better way to kick it off than entering the Royal Rumble?
The last time Batista was in WWE, he left with a genuine sense of disappointment. He thought he would be hailed as a returning hero, but instead, all the fans turned on him because he wasn't Daniel Bryan. If he returned to WWE, he might get the victory lap he deserves.
Ricochet
The NJPW superstar signed with WWE this year, and he is currently training at the WWE Performance Center. WWE has made it clear that going forward, any newly signed, full-time talent must go through the NXT system before moving to the main roster; AJ Styles was the final, notable exception.
But Ricochet is no rookie; he's been an active competitor in the business for over a decade. And since the Royal Rumble crowd usually has a high percentage of die-hard fans, he'll get a tremendous reaction if he so much as shows his face.
Ethan Carter III
The Top Man has been Heavyweight champion several times over on the indie circuit. And he almost made it to WWE's main roster years ago; he bounced from Ohio Valley Wrestling to Florida Championship Wrestling to NXT, but he was released from his developmental contract in 2013.
EC3 recently cancelled his scheduled appearance with Renegade Wrestling Revolution in Houston on January 28. The promotion states that it is due to a personal, family matter. But since the event is on the same day as the Rumble, it's caused some obvious speculation.
Michelle McCool
It's been confirmed that former Divas and Women's Champion Michelle McCool is in talks with WWE about a Royal Rumble appearance, but nothing has been agreed upon, one way or the other. But she did appear at the Raw 25th anniversary show. And because she's married to The Undertaker, WWE has a big incentive to keep her happy.
LayCool was one of the best heel acts in the pre-Women's Revolution era, and even though she won't win the whole Rumble, she'll create a perfect opportunity for a nostalgic confrontation. It's almost certain that Mickie James--or as Laycool once called her, 'Piggie James'--has some scores to settle.
Ronda Rousey
This has been speculated since at least 2015, when the former UFC champion made a cameo appearance at WrestleMania 31 and threatened to break Stephanie McMahon's arm. Recent Rousey appearances--at the Mae Young Women's Classic, and at dinner with Triple H in Los Angeles--have only increased the buzz.
Rousey threw some cold water on the rumor this week, noting that she's in Colombia to finish filming her role in Mile 22. Still, she could catch a red eye flight—WWE has done far more extreme things to surprise fans in the past.
Daniel Bryan
This is unlikely but nevertheless, has been discussed backstage as a possibility. Bryan retired in 2016 due to concussion-related issues, but Bryan has continually pushed back against those diagnoses, noting that non-WWE doctors have said that he is fit to compete, and that his reflexes, though diminished, still fall within the normal range.
Should Bryan enter the Rumble, he would almost certainly have to win it. He wouldn't even need to spend too long in the ring to win it, especially if he entered at No. 30.
Since 1989, The Simpsons has been a staple on the Fox network. With 29 seasons, one movie, and over 600 episodes under its belt, the animated series has done it all, including predicting the future on several occasions. Although most of these predictions are gags, it's strange to see so many news headlines and pieces of technology originate on an episode of The Simpsons.
Obviously, The Simpsons has been on the air almost three decades, so a few things are bound to have come true, but many moments from the show hit the nail on the head. Searching through the series, we narrowed down 10 of the most important and eerily accurate predictions the show made over the years.
Smartwatch (Season 6, Episode 19)
Predicted: 1995
Came True: 2014
When Lisa meets a fortune teller, she is presented with one possible future where she's engaged to a man named Hugh. During one moment, Hugh talks into his watch to order someone around. While smartwatches aren't a household item yet, many people have been using the device since they were made available in 2014.
Faulty Voting Machines (Season 20, Episode 4)
Predicted: 2008
Came True: 2012
Homer steps into an electronic voting booth and tries to vote for Barack Obama. However, each time he presses the touchscreen, a vote registers for John McCain. Something eerily similar happening in 2012 at a voting booth, which wasn't calibrated correctly. Every time the person tried to vote for Obama, it registered one for Mitt Romney.
President Trump (Season 11, Episode 17)
Predicted: 2000
Came True: 2017
Bart takes a glimpse into the future in this 2000 episode, where his sister, Lisa, is President of the United States. She mentions to her Cabinet that they've inherited a budget crunch from President Trump. On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was sworn into office as President of the United States.
NSA Spying On Civilians (The Simpsons Movie)
Predicted: 2007
Came True/Revealed To The Public: 2013
The Simpson family was on the run during the family's 2007 film, after Homer is caught polluting the lake by the EPA. While escaping on a bus, the NSA spies on their conversation through the bus driver, who was apparently a robot. In 2013, NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed documents to the public that the government agency has been spying on the public.
Bengt R Holstrom Winning The Nobel Prize (Season 22, Episode 1)
Predicted: 2010
Came True: 2016
Lisa, Martin, Database, and Milhouse had a betting pool for the Nobel Prize in this 2010 episode. If you look to the right of the red circle, you'll notice Milhouse picked Bengt R Holstrom to win the prize for Economics. In 2016, Holstrom actually won that prize.
FIFA Corruption (Season 25, Episode 16)
Predicted: 2014
Came True: 2015
Lisa gives a speech about her father being a hero, which goes viral. Because of this, Homer is asked to referee games at the World Cup in Brazil. Homer refuses bribes to fix games, as corruption seems to be rampant at the World Cup. In 2015, it was revealed that certain bodies within FIFA were involved in bribery, fraud, and money laundering.
Mass Of Higgs Boson (Season 10, Episode 2)
Predicted: 1998
Came True: 2012
It's no secret that there are math geeks writing episodes of The Simpsons. In an episode from 1998, Homer wants to be an inventor and in doing so, writes a complicated problem on a chalk board. What's crazy about this is that the equation in question actually predicts the mass of the Higgs Boson--or God particle--which was realized in 2012.
Greece's Debt Default (Season 23, Episode 10)
Predicted: 2012
Came True: 2015
Homer Simpson is invited to be a guest on the TV show Headbutt, and during the episode, the lower ticker has a gag that reads "Europe puts Greece on eBay." It's a throwaway gag about the country's debt. However, in 2015, Greece defaulted on its debt, and the country is still having financial troubles.
Roy Horn Attacked By His Tiger (Season 5, Episode 10)
Predicted: 1993
Came True: 2003
Mr. Burns opens up his own casino in this 1993 episode, complete with its own magic show starring Gunter and Ernst, a Siegfried and Roy parody. During their show, one of the men is attacked by their tiger. In 2003, Roy was attacked by his tiger Montecore, and there injuries were so severe that Roy couldn't walk or talk for a couple of years. Even though he was attacked, Roy made sure no harm came to the tiger, which later died of an illness in 2014.
Disney Owns Fox (Season 10, Episode 5)
Predicted: 1998
Came True: 2017
During an episode in 1998, Ron Howard was pitching a script Homer wrote to 20th Century Fox, and in what seems like a throwaway joke, an establishing shot of the Fox building features a sign that reads "A Division Of Walt Disney Co." At the end of 2017, 21st Century Fox was acquired by Disney for $52 billion.
The newest entry in Capcom's monster-slaying action-RPG franchise, Monster Hunter World, is out now on PS4 and Xbox One, marking the series' return to home consoles after appearing exclusively on 3DS for the past several years. The move to PS4 and Xbox One has allowed Capcom to create the largest and most richly detailed world in a Monster Hunter title yet, and the publisher commemorated the series' biggest release with an equally extravagant Collector's Edition, which we got our hands on.
In the video above, you can watch us unbox Monster Hunter World's hefty Collector's Edition. The package was only available in limited quantities, running for $150, and it comes with a variety of bonus items, including an art book and special collector's box. The centerpiece of the Collector's Edition, however, is an impressively detailed statue of Monster Hunter World's new flagship monster, the Nergigante, which was featured in the most recent PS4 beta.
Along with those physical collectibles, the Monster Hunter World Collector's Edition also includes download codes for the game's soundtrack and the Deluxe Kit, which nets you an assortment of in-game items, such as a special set of samurai armor. The Deluxe Kit is also included in the Digital Deluxe Edition of Monster Hunter World, but all other players who'd also like to get their hands on the items can purchase the kit separately from the PlayStation and Xbox Stores for $15.
Update: Epic has commented again on the problems. Although it seems as though log-in issues have been at least partially resolved, there are still problems with seeing your friends who are online and joining up with them. Epic says it's working to resolve this and will report back when it has more information. There's still no word on fixes for the bugs outlined below. The original story follows.
Following a long stretch of downtime related to maintenance yesterday, Fortnite's servers are again experiencing issues today, January 26. Epic Games has confirmed log-in issues on PC, PS4, and Xbox One--if you're unable to get online to play, you're not the only one.
Epic confirmed log-in issues on PS4 earlier today, which presumably were related to the issues that PSN was suffering from. However, Xbox Live's status page calls out Fortnite: Battle Royale as "experiencing an issue," and Fortnite's Twitter account has confirmed the problem is not limited to a single system.
"We're getting reports of players having issues logging in across all platforms," it states. "We hear you and are aware of this problem. Work is being done now to find a solution for this. Updates will be available once we have more information. Thanks for sticking with us!"
These issues come a day after Epic was forced to extend server downtime due to an issue that cropped up during maintenance. That maintenance was tied to the release of a new update that introduced the Chug Jug item, among other changes and fixes. However, the patch's release resulted in a series of bugs. One of these, related to key-binding issues on certain keyboards, has already been resolved, but Epic is continuing to work on others, according to its forums. These include getting stuck in the aim-down-sights view, reloading not working correctly, and problems with the building selector's UI (which causes the incorrect structure to be built).
There's no timeframe for when servers will be fully working again or those bugs will be resolved. We'll report back as we receive more details.
Heighten your skill level with cutting edge gaming hardware and peripherals.
When it comes to online play, nothing gives you the competitive edge more than a combination of raw skill and practice. As the adage goes, "get good." But when you're faced with opponents equally skilled as you, having the right equipment can eliminate variables that may hold you back from performing your best. From high refresh rate monitors to pinpoint accurate mice, we've outlined all the gaming hardware and peripherals that will help give you that slight competitive advantage.
When it comes into investing in a gaming monitor that will give you an edge, there are a lot of features to look out for. You'll want a panel that can produce a high, variable refresh rate. Most monitors features a 60Hz refresh rate, but for competitive play, you'll want something higher. For instance, having a monitor that scales up to 120Hz means that the screen can produce up to 120 frames per second; though you'll need a system powerful enough to render at that frame rate (more on that later). This will provide you with more frame granularity to pick your shots. The gaming monitor with the highest refresh rate we've seen is Alienware's 25-inch 240Hz AW2518H.
You'll also want a monitor that offers a variable refresh rate. On AMD's side, there's FreeSync; on Nvidia's side, there's G-Sync. These display technologies allow your GPU to control your monitor's refresh rate, which allows you to get the quick response time of disabling V-Sync without the annoying screen tearing.
Your gaming monitor should also feature a quick response time. We're talking four milliseconds or fewer. This ensures that there will be minimal delay between your inputs and on-screen actions.
The last, and arguably most important, aspect that your competitive gaming monitor should have is an ultrawide aspect ratio. While most monitors feature a 16:9 aspect ratio, an ultrawide 21:9 screen could potentially provide you a wider field of view to display more of your surroundings at any given moment. For instance, in PUBG, it could allow you to spot enemies that might otherwise be outside your peripheral vision. Do keep in mind that not all games support 21:9, however.
One good monitor option with many of these technologies is the 35-inch Asus ROG Strix XG35VQ. Not only does this 3440x1440p curved monitor feature a 21:9 aspect ratio, but it has a 100Hz panel and supports FreeSync. It also features a quick four millisecond response time.
Fast Graphics Card
To properly fuel a high refresh rate gaming monitor, you're going to need a powerful graphics card. On AMD's side, the best GPU is the RX Vega 64, which is fast enough to produce high framerates in most games at 1440p.
AMD's GPUs also support a wide variety of features that help ensure smooth performance. Radeon Chill, for instance, is designed to save on GPU power consumption, but it can also reduce VRAM buffering, which can result in a more responsive gaming experience.
In addition to supporting the FreeSync variable refresh rate standard, AMD graphics cards also support what the company calls Enhanced Sync, which skirts around V-Sync issues that cause random frame rate dips on non-FreeSync monitors. It does this by sampling frame rate at the GPU level. This means that even if you're using a 60Hz display without FreeSync, your keyboard and mouse are able to sample the latest frame rate data that your GPU provides. This can make the game feel more responsive.
On Nvidia's side, the company employs Turbo Sync and uses Nvidia G-Sync as its variable refresh rate standard. G-Sync is the company's proprietary technology that's actually built into the monitor. G-Sync monitors typically cost more than their FreeSync counterparts as a result. Nvidia's fastest gaming GPU at the moment is the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, but the company's high-end GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 Ti are also great cards at pushing high frame rates. It's important to highlight that all modern gaming GPUs are really expensive right now due to the recent boom in cryptocurrency mining.
Fast, Multi-core CPU
The most important component of a gaming PC should be the GPU, but if your CPU isn't fast enough, it can bottleneck performance. We recommend at least a quad-core CPU, since many games are beginning to be optimized to utilize quad-core processors. For gaming, CPU speed also plays an important role in maintaining a high framerate. Going off PUBG's recommended system specifications, which is one of the more competitive games with steep system requirements, it suggests that you have at least an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-7600K. These processors carry boost clock speeds of 3.6GHz and 4.2GHz, respectively.
Fast, Plentiful RAM
For gaming, we recommend having at least 8GB of RAM. For most people, 16GB is really the sweet spot as it provides some overhead in case you have multiple programs or tabs running in the background while you're gaming. When it comes to RAM for gaming, more isn't necessarily better; having a ton of RAM won't boost your gaming performance, but if you don't have enough of it, performance will suffer.
In terms of RAM speed, you won't generally need more than 2666MHz, though some games like For Honor are optimized to take advantage of RAM speeds that hit 3200MHz. Beyond that for gaming, you won't notice much gains, however.
Gaming Mouse With Fast, Accurate Sensor And Necessary Buttons
While you can game with any freebie or cheap mouse, getting an ergonomically comfortable one with a fast, accurate sensor coupled with the necessary buttons that suit your particular playstyle can provide you superior control.
If you're big into MMOs or MOBAs, a mouse like Razer's Naga Hex V2 with its 14 programmable buttons can be of great assistance when you want to quickly fire off abilities. If you're big into shooters, having a mouse like Logitech's G502 with its fast and accurate PMW3366 optical sensor can help you land the best shot possible. Any decent gaming mouse will have a DPI button to change sensitivity on the fly; the G502 allows you to scale from 200 to 12,000 DPI, for example. Features like these could allow you to more easily fine tune your shots when you're sniping.
Mousepad
Even though most modern mice will track on the surface of your table, high-end gaming mice are often tuned specifically to work with mousepads.
There are a wide variety of mousepads that encompass hardtops vs cloth pads, but getting one that allows you to glide or provides more grip are the two main factors you'll want to consider when purchasing one. A mousepad that offers more grip will provide more control and allow you to be more precise, but a mousepad that prioritizes gliding will feel smoother and faster.
If you're going to get a gaming keyboard, make sure it's mechanical. The tactile feedback mechanical switches provide ensures consistent keystrokes and mitigates second guessing whether or not you pressed a key.
Innovations are also happening when it comes to mechanical switches. For instance, you can get Corsair's K95 RGB Platinum keyboard with Cherry MX Speed switches, which have a 1.2mm actuation distance, shorter than the more common 2mm in many other switches. While Speed switches feel a bit too sensitive to type on as a result, they offer quicker keystrokes. The K95 Platinum also features six programmable macro keys and an optional wrist rest, which could come in handy (pardon the pun) for long gaming sessions.
An emerging tech to look out for involves the advent of optical switches, which use light to record input rather than a traditional mechanical solutions. While these switches largely still use the same mechanical parts as something you would see in a Cherry MX equivalent, namely components like the stem and spring, the send-and-receive signals to and from the keyboard theoretically feature a much faster response time.
For gaming, you'll also want to consider a keyboard that features macro keys, which will allow you to program a string of button commands to a single key.
An Elite Controller
As great as the keyboard and mouse are, some competitive games are just better suited for a controller. A top notch one is Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller. It's made of high-end rubber material coupled with aluminum alloy components, but it also has a bevy of other useful features that help separate it from the competition.
Overall, it provides a lot of customization options. The controller comes with a mixture of concave and convex sticks, which also include a pair of taller convex sticks. You can mix and match these as you please. The Elite controller also comes with an option to swap out the traditional D-pad with the included eight-way disc-like one that's tailor-made for pulling off sophisticated moves in fighting games.
Whereas the bumpers on the original Xbox One controller required a lot of actuation force, the bumpers on the Xbox One Elite controller are much easier on the index fingers and feel much more tactile than its predecessor. The Elite controller also allows you to adjust the travel distance on the triggers, so they can actuate more quickly. You can also use Microsoft's software to tweak the dead zones on the control sticks so that they are tailored to your needs.
Finally, there are four optional paddles on the back, which can be programmed to be whatever button you want them to be. This can come in handy when you're playing a game and don't want to lift your thumbs off the sticks to press a face button.
Quality Gaming Headphones
Different games incorporate varying implementations of positional audio, but a good gaming headset helps ensure that you won't miss important audio cues. While there are many gaming headsets that offer virtual 7.1 surround sound, games like Overwatch implement Dolby Atmos software for more accurate positional audio and suggests that you turn virtual surround off. As a result, an important thing to look for when purchasing gaming headphones is good stereo imaging, so that left and right audio drivers blend accurately with each other. HyperX's Cloud Revolver does this well and it also offers good sound isolation with its large over-the-ear design that lets you focus on the game.
When you're purchasing headphones, it's also important to get one with a good mic so that you can communicate clearly and effectively with your teammates.
Last, but certainly not least, you can't overlook ergonomics. Poorly-made headphones can be painful to wear after an hour or so. Again, the HyperX Cloud Revolver does a good job here with its flexible, self adjusting headband coupled with comfortable ear cups that let you play for long periods without much discomfort.
Computer Eyewear
Gaming glasses won't make you a better gamer, but computer eyewear like Gunnar glasses with their yellow tint can mitigate eye strain from the blue light that monitors give off. Considering practice makes perfect, computer eyewear can potentially come in handy if you're constantly cramming multi-hour long gaming sessions.
If you don't feel like wearing glasses, you can get a similar effect by downloading a program like F.lux, which can limit your monitor's blue light by pushing more yellowish hues.
Fast, Wired Internet Connection
The last piece of the puzzle to ensure that you're playing with optimal performance is a speedy Internet connection to mitigate lag spikes. For serious competitive online play, you'll want a low ping rate so you can get a quick response time. We're talking 20 milliseconds of ping or less. Considering it's difficult to pay for service that offers a specific ping rate range, however, one guideline we recommend is to use a wired Ethernet connection on an internet subscription that offers at least 6Mbps down.
For as long as there have been two Bill & Ted movies, it seems like people have been talking about a potential third in the series. Even stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves--who also wants to keep making John Wick films--have been optimistic in recent years that the long-awaited sequel would actually happen. However, thus far nothing has actually been filmed.
Now, speaking with Digital Spy, writer Ed Solomon--who co-wrote the first two films with Chris Matheson--is shedding some light on the long-gestating project. "We have been working for almost 10 years to get this thing made; Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, Chris Matheson, me," he says. "We have a director--Dean Parisot, who did Galaxy Quest--Steven Soderbergh is one of our producers. We have a wonderful assembly of people."
There's even a completed script that Solomon says the team is proud of, which was written on spec--meaning it was written unsolicited and nobody was paid for it. "We spent years working on it because we wanted to get it right, creatively," he explains.
The movie they want to make is called Bill & Ted Face the Music and finds the titular metalheads now middle-aged family men. In the story, they will go back in time to visit themselves and Rufus (George Carlin), their mentor from the future. According to Solomon, this will be done using footage from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Of course, given Carlin's death in 2008, it would be impossible to film new Rufus scenes without recasting. Instead, Solomon says the movie is "not just an homage to him, it's more than that. His absence is a part of the whole movie."
So what's keeping the movie from getting made? It simply can't find the necessary funding. "We are having issues raising money for it, getting it financed, because what we get all the time--all the time---is people wanting to reboot it," he explains. "It's 'Let's do Bill & Ted with new teenagers,' but what we wanna do is the story of Bill and Ted as middle-aged men, and tell what we think could be a really funny, and actually really moving, story about their lives and where they are now."
Still, Solomon and the rest of the Bill & Ted team aren't giving up yet. While there's still no telling if it'll happen one day, keep your fingers crossed in hopes that eventually Bill and Ted will indeed face the music.
Update: This article has been updated to include the video above.
If you haven't followed the price of graphics cards lately, or are oblivious to the price of GPUs and are thinking about buying one, then we've got an important PSA for you: Now is a really bad time to buy a GPU.
Graphics card prices have skyrocketed because GPUs are so effective at mining cryptocurrency, which has gained a lot of traction in recent months. To get a gauge for the price discrepancy, let's look at the GTX 1080 Ti; the lowest you can find Nvidia's flagship gaming card online right now is $1,350, which is roughly twice the card's MSRP. The situation is arguably worse on the AMD side. The 4GB version of the RX 580, which carries an MSRP of $200, is going for roughly 2.5x as much online currently. The following chart encapsulates modern GPU MSRP against their current, lowest street prices.
GPU
MSRP
Street Price
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
$700
$1,350
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
$550
$1,100
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
$450
$800
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
$380
$900
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
$250
$400
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
$150
$185
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
$110
$140
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
$500
$1,500
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
$400
NA
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB
$229
$540
AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
$200
$495
AMD Radeon RX 570
$170
$476
Lowest prices reflect time of publish.
As you can see from the comparative chart above, the pricing surge has affected all GPU sectors. Even lower-end cards like the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 are well above MSRP, albeit less so than the higher-end cards. Not only are GPU prices sky high right now, but cards like the RX Vega 56 are currently completely sold out everywhere.
While it's possible to find some high-end gaming GPUs near MSRP if you're vigilant, the windows of opportunity are small. One way to skirt around this issue if you are thinking about building a gaming PC with a new GPU is to buy a prebuilt system.
When we met with system vendor CyberPower PC at CES, the company revealed to us that it, along with many other system vendors, have strict GPU pricing guidelines. This effectively means they can't over-inflate the price of its systems based on the street prices of graphics cards.
Historically, it's generally been cheaper to build a PC than to buy a pre-built system, but that has changed in today's climate. While we think you should learn how to build a PC as it can be very rewarding and educational, there's no shame in purchasing a pre-built system, especially right now when they're largely unaffected by the current cost-prohibitive price of GPUs.
To exemplify this, we tried recreating CyberPower PC's Z370 i5 configuration. CyberPower PC's rig costs $1,169 and comes with AMD's 4GB Radeon RX 580 GPU. When we spec'd out the build ourselves using the cheapest prices found on Newegg and Amazon, our total came out to $1,322. That's $144 more than CyberPower PC's price. On top of that, it doesn't come with the company's warranty and customer support.
If you still really want to build a new gaming rig yourself, we suggest you use browser extensions like Honey to provide you with alerts on GPU price drops. As for when graphics cards will come down to normal MSRP levels, only time will tell.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
Here is the beginning of UFC 3 featuring an intense fight!
No comments:
Post a Comment