By Anonymous on Oct 13, 2018 09:30 pm Doctor Who Season 11 is back on our screens, so now is the perfect time to look back at some of the best episodes in the series since its 2005 revival.
Fallout 76 will no doubt be a big change of pace for the series upon its November 14 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Trading out the traditional single-player experience for a shared-world multiplayer survival game, the upcoming prequel sets itself apart from its predecessors in a very clear way. Despite the larger scope and other players to interact with, Bethesda's online game still focuses on offering a rich and detailed world to explore, with its fair share of strange events and oddities to uncover, but there's no doubt that world-building has taken a backseat in the process.
There was a lot to unpack after our hands-on time with the game at a recent event, so we spent some time talking with Bethesda Softworks' VP of Marketing Pete Hines about the game's ongoing development. During this chat, we learned more about Fallout 76's previous life as a potential multiplayer mode for Fallout 4, the initial worries the developers had in switching things up, and how the game will continue to evolve long after its release.
Editor's note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.
The original concept of Fallout 76 was based on the planned multiplayer mode for Fallout 4. Can you talk about what that original idea was, and how it evolved into what we have now?
Hines: Yeah, the original idea for 76 was born out of revisiting the concept that we get asked about often, which is multiplayer or co-op in our games. They ask every single time we release a game. Looking into that for Fallout 4, we decided that we had some ideas but it wouldn't really work for what we're doing for that game. It had to be its own separate game and its own separate thing. From a high level, it's very much what you guys got to play today [in other games], you can play with others, but you're in a shared Fallout world with quests, a character system, and a number of survival aspects.
We have done some things differently, like there's no NPCs in the game and you're not having dialogue with a lot of different characters. But instead of that, you're doing a lot more world exploration and emergent gameplay, finding notes and hollow-tapes from people who were in the world who have disappeared, and trying to figure out what was going on before and what they were like. But deep down, it's still the same basic idea of a shared Fallout experience and how that works with others thrown in the mix.
To transform an offline, single-player experience into an online game, you'd inevitably have to alter or strip down some of its more familiar aspects. Was that something the developers had some worries about in the early goings of this game?
Yeah, absolutely. We knew going in, this is not just gonna be Fallout 4 with multiplayer. It's inherently going to have to look and feel different in order to be the type of experience that works with many different players together. We're not doing an MMO, not just doing a last-man-standing game--it's still an RPG. It has elements of those kinds of things, but yeah, there's inherent things that are different--but there's also a lot of things that look and feel very familiar.
For instance, the tone, the vibe, look, and feel of the world can go a long way to give you a sense of familiarity to sort of wrap your head around things. It's still a Fallout world, even though these things are different. But yeah, this is a really scary and different thing to be a part of. We are fully aware of that. We are making changes and making a different kind of game, but it's one that we are excited to try and see what it can turn into.
There is a stronger sense of isolation when you're alone since there are no NPCs to meet. But that all changes when you meet other players. Do you feel that the Fallout experience is heightened when you're playing with others?
Absolutely. Look, the only way that anybody has previously shared their experiences with Fallout was essentially water cooler talk. Right? Coming in the next day to say, "Here's what I did and then I did this, and then I had this quest and fought these super mutants and I thought I was gonna die." You're able to enhance those experiences when you're playing with others. We're all experiencing this together, and you've never been in a Fallout game and been able to yell to a friend and actually have them help you.
Those kinds of things are what Fallout 76 brings that the other ones simply couldn't do. A shared, in the moment experience. You can't get it any other way, and it's why we wanted to try it out. Yes, it's different. Yes, it's a departure, and it's new and scary. But it's an opportunity to have people share experiences that they've always wanted but have never been able to before.
Another thing that's interesting about 76 is that it's the earliest Fallout game in the series. Despite this, we're still seeing some familiar factions and enemies, which may conflict with what people already expect. Did you feel that a more loose approach with the timeline had to be taken in order to keep those familiar aspects of the game intact?
I don't know if I would say loose, but I would say that our developers take things like lore and canon seriously, and if they're going to do something they're going to make sure that there's a real reason for it. We have proven with the Elder Scrolls games, that in places where some things happened one way, that we're willing to say, "Well lots of people will say things happened one way," and the opposite or something else could entirely be true. So there's no question that we've gone back to change things to fit what developers have wanted to do, and not be holden to something that somebody wrote 20 years ago.
But having said that, we don't take it lightly to just go change whatever we want. There has to be a thought process; what is the rationale? Why would this logically work in this time? Why would there be super mutants, or the brotherhood of steel? How does that all fit and hold together? There's absolutely reasons and explanations in Fallout 76 for how all that ties together.
You're also taking a bit of a different approach with the PC version, as it'll be exclusive to Bethesda.net. Can you elaborate on why the game won't be on Steam?
Mostly because of the kind of game it is. It's an online, always-on game, and is a service. That was also based on our experiences with other online games as well. We felt that having a direct relationship with our customers was super important to us. And so doing it through Bethesda.net exclusively allows us to have that one-to-one relationship with customers, that quite honestly you don't always have when you go through another third party where they might own the relationship with the customer in terms of being able to email them or to reach out directly and contact them.
So it simplifies things a little and we believe it's going to help us deal with some issues and challenges that we've seen in the past. And again, it's a new experience, like the game itself is and we're going to see how it goes and how it works and what benefits it allows us to have in making sure that our customers have the best experience possible.
Mods have certainly taken off on Bethesda.net as well, which was particularly successful with the Creation Club integration in Fallout 4. Can you talk about how mods will play into Fallout 76, and how exactly they'll work within the online space?
I don't foresee a universe in which we allow players to come in [to Fallout 76's public servers] with their own unique and different mods. If you want to run mods, they'll have to be done on a private server. You'll be deciding what sort of mods you're including and running, and everyone playing on that server is playing with those mods. Those are a ways off, though. I imagine it's going to be at least a year before we hit that point because it's going to be a lot of work. But mods and private servers are definitely coming.
...our developers take things like lore and canon seriously, and if they're going to do something they're going to make sure that there's a real reason for it.
Fallout 76 was revealed fairly recently, and we're now already close to its release. It does however seem like the game struggles a bit with framerate and some other issues--which was due to it being an older build according to other devs we spoke with. Can you talk about some of the challenges that come from keeping the game so secret, while still prepping for its impending release?
Yeah, I mean honestly, we just got to art lock [all assets and environmental details set] a week or two ago. And until you get to art lock, you really can't get deep into game optimization. We've done optimization paths on some parts of the world, but not all just yet. But the bigger thing for us was that we had tried to do earlier, we had different parts of the world that were in different places. And with games like ours, we tend to want to say, "Look, just go wherever you want and do whatever you want," that's what's fun about these games.
Even though we know that the whole game wasn't optimized, and we know that there's parts of the game we haven't gotten to yet, they were close enough that we were comfortable with letting people get their hands on it. And we felt that experience was really important. That folks, like yourself, not be tied to us and saying, "Well here's the handful of locations you go to." Because that's not what's fun about our games. It's about going, "I wonder what's that way? I'm gonna go that way and see what's that way and see what's over there." "Well I'm going this way. I'll see you later." That's always the experience that we wanted folks to be able to have.
As you said earlier, Fallout is really about your own personal experiences with the game. But now you can share it with others online. Do you have a favorite moment from your experiences with Fallout 76, that best sums up how you feel about it?
Yeah, I don't have one particular moment that I have that's better than all the others. A lot of it has just been finding surprises and exploring some random cabin that I found on a hill. And then for whatever reason looking inside of a dog house and noticing the side of the dog house had all of these complicated math formulas written on the side, and the back of it had a small periodic table. I'd be thinking to myself, "What was going on here? Who did this?" One of the few times I've played and grouped up with folks, we found one of the amusement parks and one of the carnival games was whack-a-mole.
And you can find those things. They're called Commie Bashers cause it was whack the commies on the head instead of the moles, and we realized they were weapons and we all equipped Commie Bashers as a melee weapon and just cleared out the mutant park. It was completely ridiculous and silly, but it was just sort of fun being able to play with others and have a shared experience like that, that was just very different. Of course, I could have seen that on my own, but it wouldn't have been as memorable as with the group. I think folks are really going to enjoy exploring and looking into all the different places where designers have put thought into who was in this world, and what they were doing and what they were leaving behind. There will be a lot of secrets and Easter eggs for people to find.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's most ambitious game to date. With nearly 20 years of experience and almost 30 games under its belt, it's clear that the studio is pulling from its rich history in order to make its biggest game to date. Eight Rockstar studios around the globe are putting bits and pieces of eight different games into Red Dead Redemption 2,.
The physical health mechanics from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas appear in Red Dead Redemption 2, for example, and they're expanded to affect your character's own personal hygiene. RDR2's weapon handling emulates Max Payne 3 by only allowing your character to carry as many guns as they can physically hold with their hands and available holsters. Heck, even the NPC interaction from Bully is present, although with improvements that allow you to respond to characters in a variety of ways depending on what's going on.
With so many past elements showing up in the upcoming open-world adventure, it seems like the game is a true culmination of everything Rockstar has learned. In this gallery, we detail eight of Rockstar's biggest games from the last 15 years and what they contribute to Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. Pre-orders are available now at a number of in-store and online retailers, and there's some extra content tied to specific platforms and timed exclusive DLC. If you're curious about all the new features in the game, check out our round-up of everything we know, including the game's most surprising details.
What do you find the most intriguing about the way Red Dead Redemption 2 takes elements from past Rockstar games? Let us know in the comments below.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004): Physical Health
In 2004, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the biggest game that Rockstar had ever shipped. Alongside a sprawling map with three distinct cities, San Andreas allowed you to morph CJs body as you played. For example, if you gorged on Meat Stacks at Burger Shot, CJ would start to get plump. Conversely if you ate healthily and hit the gym every now and then, CJ would get buff. An in-shape CJ would garner more respect and have greater sex appeal while a chubbier CJ would have less luck with the ladies.
As unique as this mechanic was at the time, Rockstar has not revisited it in any subsequent games until now. Like CJ, Arthur Morgan will change and evolve depending on how you play. His beard and hair will grow over time if you don't get him a trim. You can even make him look sharp by slicking his hair back. If you overindulge, Arthur will put on some weight, and even deride himself when he catches his reflection in mirrors. And if he doesn't clean himself every now and then, Arthur will start to get stanky. NPCs and gang members respond to Arthur differently depending on his hygiene and personal upkeep, even take him aside to suggest that he wash himself.
The Warriors (2005): Melee Combat
The Warriors was a notable contribution to Rockstar's output mostly due to its overall quality as a licensed game based on a film. It wonderfully worked in the style of its source material into its small sandbox world. Not only that, but it expanded upon the story of the film, giving its characters more background. However, The Warriors' most notable quality was its melee combat, which was modeled after classic 2D beat-em-ups. While this would be later expanded in Bully, it was in The Warriors that we saw Rockstar's first attempt at melee combat.
Subsequent Rockstar games dabbled in melee, but none really went for it in the way The Warriors and Bully did. Red Dead Redemption 2 seems to be bringing melee back, giving Morgan the ability to duke it out with enemies by punching, kicking, and even stunning and throwing them. There's some pretty gnarly sound effects accompanying each blow, bringing it more in line with the level of violence seen in The Warriors.
Bully (2006): NPC Interaction
Compared to Rockstar's previous open world games, Bully was rather unique. It was a much more intimate experience: Bullworth Academy was far smaller than a city, there were no guns, and if you were a good student you'd be spending a lot of time in class. But the scope, no matter how narrow it was compared to GTA, was the right fit: Bully became an influential addition to Rockstar's catalogue in its own right.
One of Bully's more interesting parts was the way you interacted with NPCs. You could greet them either positively or negatively. You could talk your way out of trouble, and even apologize to someone you injured. While it wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been, it did allow you to respond to social situations in unique ways.
Rockstar briefly revisited this mechanic in Red Dead Redemption where a tap of a button allowed John to tip his cowboy hat to those around him. But now Rockstar is expanding this mechanic in Red Dead Redemption 2. If you target an NPC without your gun equipped, you're given a handful of options for social interactions. You can greet, threaten, or rob an NPC. Depending on how they respond to Arthur, he can continue the conversation or just walk away. Based on the first several hours, this adds another layer of complexity to the world. NPCs feature a wider range of attitudes toward you--they aren't all either simply docile or shooting at you. You can diffuse encounters in ways you see fit.
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008): Sense Of Place
Grand Theft Auto IV was a bit of a departure from previous entries in the franchise. Many of the features from San Andreas and Bully had disappeared, and the over-the-top tone was replaced with a more realistic one. Gone were the jetpacks and planes of San Andreas and the '80s nostalgic decadence of Vice City. And while some players lamented the loss of this wackiness, Rockstar replaced it with something just as important: A strong sense of place. Liberty City felt alive. You could follow NPCs going about their business and Niko could just hang out and befriend key characters. Since GTA IV, Rockstar has opted--for the most part--to create more grounded and realistic experiences that offer a stronger warmth and presence. GTA IV's vision of a more realistic take on the open-world genre can be seen in nearly all of Rockstar's subsequent games and is pushed much further than before in Red Dead Redemption 2.
L.A. Noire (2011): Environmental Interaction
L.A. Noire was an unusual game for Rockstar and its developer Team Bondi. Combat was put on the backburner in favor of a slower-paced experience that asked you to carefully explore crime scenes, gather evidence, and question witnesses. If you weren't thorough, you could completely botch a case, the perp would get away, and yet, the story would continue. Not everyone loved it, but to this day, there are still very few games like it.
One of L.A. Noire's key mechanics is the ability to examine and manipulate objects found in the environment in order to piece together how the crime went down. L.A. Noire wasn't the first game to do this, and it certainly won't be the last, but it's the only Rockstar game to date that allowed you to interact with the environment to this extent. Red Dead Redemption 2 aims to do something similar. While you may not be solving cases, Arthur Morgan can pick up certain objects in the environment and examine them as you would in L.A. Noire. Instead of exploring the wild frontier you might find yourself holed up in a house examining pictures and notes left by the previous residents. You can even inspect your weapons and shop items.
Max Payne 3 (2012): Shooting And Weapon Management
Max Payne 3 is a bold game. While we wouldn't call it realistic--you hang from a helicopter and shoot rockets out of the sky during an early section of the game--its mechanics made it feel like one of Rockstar's most grounded experiences to date. If Max takes a bullet to the head, he goes down immediately, even on the easiest difficulty. But what stands out is how the game handled weapon management. Max could only carry as many guns as he had hands and holsters. This meant that if you were using a pistol and had a rifle, Max would carry the rifle in his other hand. If you decided to dual wield handguns, Max would toss his rifle on the ground. Even the reload animations were different depending on what weapons Max was using.
These mechanics are returning in Red Dead Redemption 2. Every weapon Arthur carries appears on his body. This means you can only take a few weapons with you into a firefight. The rest of your firearms are stored in your saddlebag. Weapon management isn't the only thing the game borrows from Max Payne 3. At the end of a firefight in Max Payne, you would be treated to a gruesome slow motion kill cam. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll be happy to know that this feature is returning in Red Dead Redemption 2 and it will change based on your morale. If you're a good cowboy, the killcams will look more heroic--but if you are villainous, it will be gorier.
Grand Theft Auto V (2013): Practice Skills And First-Person View
To no one's surprise, Red Dead Redemption 2 expands on many of Grand Theft Auto V's mechanics. A notable example is stat building. As you played GTA V, Trevor, Michael, and Franklin's stats would increase in logical ways. If they swam a lot, their lung capacity would increase, if they drove everywhere, their driving skill would increase, and so on. Red Dead Redemption 2 takes a similar approach with Arthur's skills. The more he runs, the better his stamina gets, and the more he shoots, the more his sharpshooting increases.
GTA V was also the first Rockstar game--unless you count Midnight Club--to support a first-person camera. It offered a radically different feel to GTA and it's returning for Red Dead Redemption 2. If you want, you can play the whole game in first person from the very beginning. It even allows you to tweak the first person camera settings to your liking. But remember, just because you can't see Arthur, it doesn't mean he shouldn't bath every now and then.
Grand Theft Auto Online (2013-Present): Multiplayer Scope And Variety
Grand Theft Auto Online is a different beast from Rockstar's various games. While plenty of its games support multiplayer, GTA Online is far bigger and far deeper than anything the studio had released previously. It's built off the openworld structure of Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer. Players can purchase property, build out their garages with exotic supercars, and even start their own businesses. And of course, it has plenty of cooperative and competitive missions and gametypes to participate in.
To this day, Rockstar still releases free updates for GTA Online and it continues to be a massive source of income for the studio. We don't know much about Red Dead Redemption 2's online component yet, but it sounds like it will be building off of GTA Online. You will once again be able to explore a massive world as a cowboy or cowgirl and partake in various missions and competitive game modes. Unlike GTA Online, the slower pace of Red Dead Redemption 2 might elevate the more intimate moments that arise. Despite this, it sounds like fans of GTA Online should feel comfortable with Red Dead Online. Though, it's worth noting that, like GTA Online, it won't be available until a few weeks after Red Dead Redemption 2 launches.
By Anonymous on Oct 13, 2018 06:30 pm After several years away from Assassin's Creed, Mike Mahardy returns to see how the series has evolved, and where it might be going.
Battle royale style games took off in popularity last year thanks to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and reached new heights with Fortnite. Now, the Call of Duty franchise has hopped onto the fray with Black Ops 4's new Blackout mode. If you haven't experienced battle royale for yourself, but plan on hopping into Black Ops 4, this is for you. We'll run through some of the basics of the mode and cover the ways in which Call of Duty puts its own spin on it.
Battle Royale 101
First off, you can enter matches either as a lone wolf (solo), with a partner (duos), or a team of four (quads); you'll be matched with up to 100 players who choose the same group size option. Every player gets flown over the map in the same trajectory--visualized when you pull up the map--and it's up to you when and where to drop. Exiting the helicopter has you deploying your wingsuit, and you can glide horizontally to go further out or look straight down to drop faster.
The overall goal is to be the last player or team standing since everyone has one life, which makes combat encounters much more tense and risky compared to traditional Call of Duty multiplayer. Now more than ever, you should be aware of your surroundings; that or have a teammate watch your back. Also keep in mind that you can revive squadmates if they fall, but be sure to do so before they bleed out or take more damage from enemies.
Another basic ingredient of battle royale is the impending pressure of a deadly circle closing in on the battlefield. Every match has the circle contracting on a random area of the map, and it gets smaller as the match goes on to force remaining players into combat. If you get caught outside the circle, you'll take damage until you can get into the safe zone.
A Huge Map To Traverse
Blackout's map is much larger than any previous Call of Duty map since it has to accommodate 100 players. However with size of the map, it also induces a slower pace; so expect plenty of downtime between encounters. This change of pace may take a while for Call of Duty veterans to adjust to, but it also feeds into the high-stakes nature of combat in battle royale games since one small mistake can cost you an entire match.
There are 14 concentrated areas in the Blackout map, many of which pay homage to past Black Ops maps. For example, Nuketown Island, Estate, and Array will look and feel similar to the multiplayer maps they're named after. The in-between of these main locations is interspersed with smaller towns and groups of buildings that can have valuable loot. But vast forestry and open fields make up most of the terrain, so be on-guard when traversing between locations as firefights may break out at any moment.
The full map in Blackout mode.
Luckily, vehicles litter the map. An ATV doesn't provide much protection but it can get up to two players around from point A to point B fairly quickly. The cargo truck fits up to five players and doesn't leave the squad as vulnerable, but it moves pretty slow. Getting through the river that splits the middle of the map is quite easy with a zodiac boat, which holds up to four players. And unlike most battle royales, Blackout features air transportation via the helicopter that has five seats total. That's not the only means of air travel, though; you can deploy your wingsuit by sprinting and jumping off a building and holding the jump button.
Loot Your Loadout
You start each match without anything in your inventory and must loot all your equipment--a stark contrast to Call of Duty's tradition of letting players customize their loadouts. You're allowed to carry two weapons and have to scavenge for the proper ammo type for each as well. The following is a list of all the weapons available to loot in Blackout:
Tactical Rifles: Auger DMR, Swordfish, ABR 223, Essex Model 07
Sniper Rifles: Koshka, Paladin HB50
LMGs: Titan
Explosives: War Machine, Hellion Salvo
Zombie Weapons: Ray Gun, Galil, MP-40, Zweihander
Attachments are crucial for getting the most out of your weapons. A reflect sight or 4x scope will come in clutch for nailing precise shots with ADS, and a grip or stock will help control your recoil, but you need to scavenge for those items and get them onto your gun. Zombie weapons add a twist to combat, which can be found in zombie supply stashes after killing AI-controlled zombie hordes at certain locations in the map, like the Asylum. Even the sillier items find their way into Blackout, like the Ray Gun, Monkey Bomb, Acid Bomb, and RC Car (though it doesn't explode). Look out for blue beacons that shine in the sky as this indicates stash locations where you may get your hands on these rare items.
Inventory management in Blackout mode.
You'll also have to loot armor in Blackout; there are three levels and each one provides better protection (level 3 armor is the only one that'll protect from headshots). Backpacks open up five additional item slots, which comes in handy later in a match as you loot more useful equipment. And it goes without saying that stocking up on health items is important, too; first aid and med kits heal 25 and 50 health, respectively. Trauma kits will fully heal you and tack on an additional 50 health temporarily.
Be on the lookout for supply crates that randomly drop onto the map throughout the match; you're likely to find high-level loot, but creates a hotspot for preying enemies.
The Perks Of Call Of Duty
In another interesting twist, Blackout's take on battle royale also brings in the familiar Perks system, which act as consumable items found across the map. Each perk has a specific effect, usage limit, and duration. While some may be more useful than others, it's important to know what your equipped perk does as it can make the difference between life and death, especially in their most effective situations. The following is a perk list and what they do:
Brawler: Increases melee damage, gain 50 health for each melee attack landed. (Usage: 1, Duration: 4 mins)
Consumer: Health and consumable items activate 50% faster. (Usage: 1, Duration: 5 mins)
Dead Silence: Silent movement and less noise when opening stashes. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
Engineer: Reveal all nearby vehicles and enemy equipment. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
Iron Lungs: Steady aim with scoped weapons and underwater breathing time increased. (Usage: 2, Duration: 5 mins)
Medic: Health items and team revives replenish more health and with faster activation. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
Mobility: Movement and weapon switch is faster, fire and use items while sprinting, move fast while reloading. Fall damage negated. (Usage: 2, Duration: 5 mins)
Paranoia: Audio cues for when you're targeted by an enemy via ADS. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
Black Ops 3 introduced Specialists, unique characters that provided a variety of ways to play the game with their own attributes and abilities--akin to a hero shooter. While you can choose to play as a certain Specialist in Blackout, the equipment that was once tied to them are now items found in the field. Those abilities--such as the razor wire, mesh mines, and grappling hook--are hard to find, but they can give you a significant advantage when used in the right situation.
Tips
Those are the basics when it comes to playing Call of Duty Black Ops 4's Blackout mode. Battle royale veterans may know how the rules work, but the equipment system and map are still things that need to be experimented with and explored on your own. The most important thing to do is to play more and more matches to get a feel for how Call of Duty's take on battle royale flows. And now that you know what you're getting into, take the next step and check out our Blackout beginner's guide.
The long legal drama between Oculus and ZeniMax appears to be continuing, but id designer John Carmack--who was a central figure in the dispute--says his personal legal battles are over. In a tweet, Carmack said that he and ZeniMax have released all claims against each other.
It's notable that Carmack draws a very careful distinction in his statement, though. He pointed out that his personal legal disputes have been satisfied, but said that an appeal for Oculus is still moving forward. That indicates that Oculus is still fighting against the award given to ZeniMax for copyright infringement--even after it had been slashed from $500 million to $250 million.
My personal legal disputes are over -- Zenimax has fully satisfied their obligations to me from the purchase of Id Software, and we have released all claims against each other. (The appeal for Oculus still goes forward)
ZeniMax alleged that Carmack had taken work developed while he was at id Software--owned by ZeniMax--and taken it to Oculus for the creation of the Oculus Rift. A $500 million settlement was awarded, which was later halved when a judge found that the infringement was too small to justify such a large reward. Oculus is now continuing its appeal, presumably to reduce the damages further or eliminate them altogether.
Meanwhile, ZeniMax also filed suit last year against Samsung VR. In that suit, the company that Carmack had worked with another former ZeniMax employee, Matt Hooper, to develop a plan for mobile VR. According to the suit, Oculus then took that pitch to Samsung, which makes that company liable too. ZeniMax argues that Samsung must have been aware of the litigation with Oculus, but continued to develop Gear VR regardless of the legal risk.
We may see some form of Diablo announcement at BlizzCon this year, but a set of merchandise with a new name isn't an accidental leak, according to the studio. A set of new items listed on the Blizzard Gear Store raised eyebrows with a conspicuous subtitle: "Diablo Reign of Terror." However, Blizzard has told GameSpot these are not related to any new content being prepared for the show.
The items include a poster and a men's and women's T-shirt, all showing the frightful visage of the series namesake himself. That raised suspicions that "Reign of Terror" could be the subtitle of a new game or expansion, especially given that Diablo hasn't had either since Reaper of Souls in 2014. But not so, says Blizzard.
"These are names and copy used for some of the new products available at BlizzCon this year, and not direct references to content at the show," a spokesperson told GameSpot.
We first began expecting to see a Diablo announcement due to Blizzard's own schedule for BlizzCon 2018. The "Diablo: What's Next" panel follows first after the main stage keynote. The existence of a "What's Next" panel itself isn't telling--just about every ongoing Blizzard game gets one--but coming just after the main stage presentation is usually reserved for the biggest announcement of the event. Diablo also has a second planned panel about the world of Diablo, scheduled for the following day.
Blizzard has previously indicated it has multiple Diablo projects in the works. We know about one of them, since Diablo 3 was announced for Nintendo Switch, but the phrasing definitely implied more than one is in development. "Some of them are going to take longer than others, but we may have some things to show you later this year," said community manager Brandy Camel.
Bungie is rolling out Update 2.0.4 for Destiny 2 soon, alongside its seasonal events and a new Iron Banner. In an update, the studio has outlined its release plans so you can schedule your playtime down to the minute. Almost. Eyes up, Guardian.
On Tuesday, October 16 the event will begin. First at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET, Destiny 2 maintenance will begin, but it won't be accompanied by downtime. Companion features might be unavailable, but at this point you should be ready to download the update. At 9:45 AM PT / 12:45 PM ET, anyone who hasn't installed 2.0.4 will be kicked out and taken back to the title screen to prompt them to install it. Then at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, the maintenance will be over and companion features will be reenabled.
Once you've downloaded and installed version 2.0.4 you should be able to dive right into the new events. Those include a new Iron Banner event and the annual Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost. Iron Banner has been revised with easier bounty requirements for more plentiful rewards, and the whole event will overlap with Double and Triple Valor periods to get more Masterwork Cores.
Festival of the Lost will also be handing out Powerful gear like candy corns. It offers a Horde-like PvE mode, a special quest-line to solve the murder of an old cryptarch, and a new type of currency (Fragmented Souls) that can be traded in for masks and a very thematic auto rifle called Horror Story. You can also earn Ephemeral Engrams with their own new rewards.
Bungie also recently announced plans to tweak the drop rates so you get duplicate Exotics less often. For some help finding gear in the meantime, check out where to find Xur and what he has in stock.
Red Dead Redemption 2 looks to be a shockingly precise cowboy simulator, right down to some survivalist mechanics like hunting and dressing appropriately. All a real frontiersman needs is a horse and a trusty rifle, and Rockstar has taken the wraps off of your weapon selection in the upcoming game.
According to the official site, RDR2 has more than 50 weapons, each with customization options and ammo types to help determine stats like accuracy, range, and damage. Weapons will level up the more you use them, and they'll need to be kept oiled and cleaned to stave off degradation. You can customize with barrels, grips, sights, and scopes for performance, along with visual flourishes like selecting your metals, woods, varnishes, and engravings.
The visual elements like metals and engravings can be customizable per component of your gun, and you can pick a different engraving on your trigger guard, barrel, and frame for a truly unique look. Ammo types like split point, high velocity, and explosive can be used in a pinch for tougher enemies. A good holster will help prevent weapon degredation, while off-hand holsters let you dual wield your weapons. Finally, your horse's saddle will store your weapons, so you'll have to select which weapons to take on your person when you tie up your horse.
Rockstar cites a handful of examples of how various weapons can deal with different situations. The Bolt-Action Rifle is best for long-range combat against multiple targets, while the Pump-Action Shotgun is best suited for close combat against hearty wild beasts. A Double-Action Revolver works well if shooting from horseback, while a Sawed-Off Shotgun is better if you're limited to one hand while the other carries a lantern. The Varmint Rifle is best for small game since it will do the least damage to their skin and meat. And the Springfield Rifle is ideal for one-on-one confrontations at mid-range. And those are just a few of the examples.
The new Dead-Eye system helps you make the most out of every shot, and progresses to become more powerful over the course of the game. It will let you auto-select targets, manually place multiple shots on the same enemy, fire in slow motion, or pinpoint weak spots on enemies.
Red Dead Redemption 2 hits on October 26. Check out some of the most surprising details we know about so far while we wait to explore the Old West.
Destiny 2 is bringing back the Iron Banner, starting very soon. The event begins Tuesday, October 16 and lasts until the following Tuesday, October 23. It will be accompanied by the 2.0.4 update, which among other changes will update rewards and bounty objectives as a response to feedback Bungie has received from past Iron Banner events.
For starters, it will be much easier to get good rewards out of the Iron Banner. The bounty requirements have been significantly reduced, in some cases even halved, to make them easier to complete. On top of that, you'll get a piece of Powerful Gear for each bounty you complete, to boost your overall Power rating. Finally, Masterwork Cores will be made more available, with Double Valor rewards October 16-19, and Triple Valor from October 19-23. Check out the newly revised Iron Banner bounties below:
Lightbearer: Super kills has been reduced to 20 from 25
Iron in the Blood: Match completions has been reduced to 15 from 30
Shine On: Orbs generated has been reduced to 50 from 100
Iron Victory: Match wins has been reduced to 7 from 10
To Be Precise: Precision kills has been reduced to 50 from 100
All in a Week's Work: Kills has been reduced to 150 from 250
This is also all coming alongside this year's Festival of the Lost. It will add a new Haunted Forest section that offers waves of ghouls and demons with a 15-minute time limit. A quest-line will appear near the end of Festival of the Lost to take on the cryptarch Master Ives. A new Legendary auto rifle called Horror Story will be available and the Tower will be adorned with all sorts of spooky decorations. You can also earn special Ephemeral Engrams with new rewards. You'll need to own Forsaken to take part in Festival of the Lost. Check out what else is on the way in the weekly reset.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey has received an update aimed at squashing some bugs and issuing minor (but unspecified) quality-of-life features. The 1.0.3 update is now available, and the patch notes are relatively vague. Among its features are "quality-of-life and usability improvement" and "various 'game breaking' issues that could happen in specific conditions." It also says it improves performance and stability.
The patch notes end with a note promising more info. "Stay tuned for additional information concerning the changes included in 1.0.3," it says. GameSpot has contacted Ubisoft for more detail and will update if more information becomes available.
Ubisoft is likely happy with the success of Odyssey so far. Though it didn't give specific sales data, it announced it had the best launch week for any game in the franchise on the current generation of consoles. That would include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013), as well as all the follow-ups including Assassin's Creed Unity (2014), Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015), and Assassin's Creed Origins (2017). That number does include revenue from microtransactions, which could mean other games outsold it on a per-unit basis, but Odyssey generated more money altogether.
Odyssey has gotten extra attention from an emerging market as well, as Google is using it as a test subject for its Project Stream technology. Players selected for the limited test can play it unlimited through their Chrome browser until January of next year, and are given $10 in in-game currency to purchase any microtransactions. As a trade-off, though, players lose all progress after the end-date.
The Xbox One October update is rolling out today, offering a few new bells and whistles for the Microsoft console. The features in this update allow you to use more voice interactions, more easily watch HDR movies with streaming services, and personalize your Avatar.
The Xbox Skill feature lets you interact with your Xbox using Alexa or Cortana devices, with a greater degree of precision than the previous Kinect voice commands. As an example, Microsoft says you can tell Alexa to "launch Forza Horizon 4" and in response the Xbox One will start up, sign you in, and launch the game, all without additional commands needed. Other commands include starting Mixer broadcasts, capturing screenshots, and adjusting the volume. You'll need to download the Xbox Skill in the respective stores to get started.
To promote the new functionality, Amazon will be offering a bundle that includes an Amazon Echo Dot with new Xbox One S or Xbox One X purchases. That deal is coming soon, but supplies will be limited.
The newly revised Avatars are available for all users today as well. These have a focus on inclusiveness, with a greater range of body types, more accessories, and the ability to dress in any kind of clothing you'd like. You'll see the new Avatars on your own profile, in the activity feed and Gamerscore leaderboard, and more. You can use a Photobooth to take a picture of your Avatar to use as your profile image. Plus, if you want to stick with your original Avatar, that option is available too.
The update also adds Dolby Vision HDR streaming across supported televisions. For now it supports Netflix only, but Dolby Vision will expand to more apps in the coming months. You can enable it through the Settings menu. Finally the Narrator has added Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, and Australian English.
Scarlett Johansson appears to be making a healthy amount for her upcoming solo Black Widow film. The star is reportedly set to earn $15 million, which would be equal the payouts for Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth in both Avengers: Infinity War and their own starring roles movies, Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that most actors in the Marvel cinematic universe have made much less for their initial standalone movies. Robert Downey Jr. made just $500,000 for the first Iron Man, while Chadwick Boseman is said to have pulled down $2 million for the first Black Panther. Brie Larson is making $5 million for the upcoming Captain Marvel, with a reported seven-picture deal (which Larson disputes). Then again, this won't be Johansson's first time around as Black Widow, as the character has been a mainstay in Marvel's team-up films for years.
The news comes as Hollywood's actresses are applying more pressure on studios to pay them the same as their male counterparts. Some actors like Benedict Cumberbatch have publicly said they'll refuse roles that do not give equal pay to his female counterparts in solidarity.
A spokesperson for Marvel told THR, "Marvel Studios disputes the accuracy of these numbers, and as a matter of policy, we never publicly disclose salaries or deal terms." Black Widow will be directed by Cate Shortland (Lore). She was the ultimate pick after interviewing a list of more than 70 potential picks to direct. A release date hasn't been announced. Black Widow will next appear in 2019's Avengers 4, which will presumably resolve the plot threads left by Infinity War.
Fortnite: Battle Royale has been available on Android for some time now, but it was not freely available for download to everyone. That's now changed, as Epic has released the game on Android without the need for an invite. The beta had previously been invite-only, but as of today you can download it to any Android device for free, without waiting. Unlike most Android games, Epic isn't offering Fortnite through the Google Play store, but instead on its official site.
Epic accompanied the announcement with recommended system specs for your Android device to get the optimal experience. You can check the list of supported devices to make sure yours fits the bill. Here's how to download it.
OS: Recommended Android 8.0 or higher, 64 bit
RAM: Recommended 4GB or higher
GPU: Adreno 530 or higher, Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 or higher
Plugging the official site is important, since Epic circumvented the Google Play store to release the application directly to users. That allows the studio to keep more of its profits, but has run the risk of security problems. Avoiding the safety of a known and trusted store also raises the risk of unscrupulous people confusing potential players. Most recently, dubious apps claiming to offer free V-bucks or cheats have been connected to phishing schemes. For obvious reasons, make sure to install through the official site.
Fortnite is in the middle of Season 6, dubbed Darkness Rises, with lots of spooky cosmetic items to mark the occasion. More Halloween skins appear to be on the way as well. For help unlocking all of the loot, be sure to check out our challenge guide. And if you want to make some Halloween merriment outside of Fortnite, read all about some other ongoing video game Halloween events to get into the spirit.
Following a very public falling out with Marvel Studios, James Gunn has been brought on to write and potentially direct the Suicide Squad sequel for its comic-inspired rival, Warner Bros. and the DC cinematic universe. The director of the first Suicide Squad has come forward to praise the move, calling it gutsy of the studio and complimenting Gunn in the process.
"I think it's an incredibly brave and smart move by the studio," director David Ayer said on Twitter. "James is the right man for the job!" In response to some fans suggested he was being sarcastic, he signal-boosted a comment that argued he was being sincere.
Gunn had risen to blockbuster notoriety for his work on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy films. In fact, comic fans noted the similarities to Suicide Squad as DC's answer to it--a ragtag group of neer-do-wells and crooks who reluctantly save the day. He was at work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when Marvel Studios abruptly fired him due to a social media campaign against his old tweets.
The Guardians cast rallied behind Gunn with a letter of support, but Marvel and parent company Disney remained unmoved. Guardians 3 has been put on indefinite hold, and Disney has not given word on a new director or if it will use Gunn's script.
Dave Bautista, who played Drax in the Guardians films, has been especially vocal about using Gunn's script, threatening that he'd like to be released from his contract if Disney chooses to use a different one. With the news that Gunn is jumping to DC, Bautista indicated he was open to following the director to the new project.
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