International Game Developers Association Releases A Statement On Abuse In The Games Industry
Recently, many people within the games industry have come forward and spoken, openly and bravely, about their experience with abusers. The sharing of these experiences, which have often involved high-level game producers and developers, as well as streamers and journalists, has brought to light how the industry has sheltered many abusers, and has led to some action.
Two Ubisoft executives have been suspended over abuse allegations, and the developer is reworking how it deals with employee complaints as it becomes clear that employees were not being adequately protected. Companies that were previously working with Chris Avellone have distanced themselves after multiple women have come forward with accusations of sexual assault and harassment. Twitch has suspended multiple streamers accused of abuse.
But this is all part of a wider, systemic cultural issue, and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has released a statement calling for the industry to "recognize the failures that led to these situations." It includes links to resources for victims of harassment, and outlines some of the ways in which the games industry has failed to keep people safe from harassment and abuse.
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Mr. Driller Drill Land Review - Digging Up A Classic
In the late '90s and early aughts, a little fellow named Mr. Driller burrowed his way into the hearts of puzzle game fans worldwide. The years that followed saw several Mr. Driller releases across multiple platforms, but after a while, Namco seemed content to entomb the series and focus on other things. Now, a little over a decade later, Bandai-Namco has decided to unearth one of the most beloved Mr. Driller games, the formerly Japan-and-Europe-exclusive Mr. Driller Drill Land, to release on Switch and PC for a new generation of fans to enjoy.
Mr. Driller Drill Land focuses on the titular Mr. Driller, aka Susumu Hori, and his extended gang of excavator friends and family (including his dad Taizo, who you might remember from Dig Dug). They're off to visit a new underground amusement park called Drill Land, filled with attractions that very coincidentally are based around the colored-block-drilling gameplay that defines the Mr. Driller series--with some notable twists. Challenges, cards, and plenty of collectibles abound in Drill Land, and you'll have to see if you have the chops to conquer each of the park's different attractions for high scores and goodies. (And you might just save the world, too.)
The core Mr. Driller gameplay is a neat twist on the "falling colored blocks" idea. You control Susumu (or one of his companions), using your drill to break up colored blocks and dig deeper and deeper into the earth. As you destroy blocks and work your way into the earth, you'll free up other blocks, which will fall and join up with (and also break) others of the same color. Your goal is to reach a certain depth, but that's easier said than done--you have a limited air supply that acts as a timer, and some poor drilling choices could lead to your driller getting smooshed under a landslide. This makes the game a tense, careful balancing act--while air pickups are frequently available, being too hasty with your drilling decisions when oxygen is limited could lead to disaster. It might sound intimidating, but it's much easier to understand once you play a few sessions and see for yourself how loose blocks fall, combine, and break. After you grasp the basics, you'll grow into a groove and skillfully obtain pickups, create chains to eliminate lots of blocks at once, and find safe spots among a cascade of falling earth.
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The Twilight Zone "The Who Of You" Season 2 Episode 3 Breakdown & Easter Eggs!
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The Twilight Zone "The Who Of You" Season 2 Episode 3 Breakdown & Easter Eggs!
Dreams Is Getting Its Free PSVR Update Very Soon
Dreams, the PlayStation 4 exclusive game-and-art creation tool from Media Molecule, will receive a huge update soon that will make the game compatible with PlayStation VR. The update, which will arrive for free on July 22, will add new tools allowing users to create VR experiences.
As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, the update will include new tutorials and kits for VR creation, helping to familiarize you with the controls involved in VR crafting. You'll be able to both create and play in VR, and the developer has tested these options extensively with users.
The trailer below shows off some of the types of experiences you'll be able to craft and play.
Sculpting in VR will be "a very one-to-one experience" if you are using PlayStation Move controllers, the developer promises. You'll also be able to create games that can be played in VR even if you don't own the headset yourself, as new gadgets will be added to Create Mode. Creators will be able to tag if their game is playable in VR or not.
Continue Reading at GameSpotCyberpunk 2077 Cuts Wall-Running Feature
Game development is an iterative process. Features are often added and removed regularly during the development process as the team discovers what works best. For Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt Red worked on a wall-running feature, but it won't make it into the final game.
Level designer Max Pears told GameReactor that while wall-running has been cut for design reasons, the game will offer players "a lot of flexibility" with how they move through the world.
"Ah, the wall-running" Pears said. "That is something that we removed due to design reasons, but there's still going to be a lot of flexibility in how you move, that's for sure."
Continue Reading at GameSpotMetroid Prime 4 Studio Hires Long-Time Call Of Duty: Black Ops Dev
Retro Studios, the team behind Metroid Prime and the two Donkey Kong Country Returns games, has made a big hire as it works on Metroid Prime 4. VGC has announced that the studio has brought on Bharathwaj Nandakumar, a long-time Activision veteran who has worked on the Call of Duty: Black Ops series.
According to VGC, Nandakumar was most recently credited as lead engineer on Black Ops 4. Across the past decade, he has worked on the whole series. He was reportedly brought into the Nintendo-owned studio back in April, but it's only being reported on now.
Retro Studios is working on Metroid Prime 4, but this was not always the case. In fact, the game was being worked on by another team until early 2019, when development was restarted with the original trilogy developer at the helm.
Since then, it's been reported that about half the Metroid Prime 3 team is still at the studio, and that the director of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was also working there again after a stint at Super Lucky's Tale developer Playful Corp.
It is not actually clear whether Nandakumar is working on Metroid Prime 4, as we're not sure if Retro Studios is working on another game. The new Metroid Prime was announced at E3 2017, but no gameplay footage has been shown from any iteration of the game as of yet.
Hopefully we'll see something of the game soon--the last Metroid Prime game was the underwhelming Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS in 2016.
Halo: CE Is Getting Weapon And Vehicle Skins For The First Time In 19 Years
While one team inside 343 Industries plugs away on Halo Infinite, another continues to work on Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The studio has continually introduced impressive updates for the game over the years, and this continues with a major update coming to Halo: CE in particular.
The game is getting a brand-new customization system for multiplayer. These include visors, weapon skins, and vehicle skins. You can see some work-in-progress images of the new system below.
In a blog post, design director Max Szlagor explained why 343 is adding these new visor, weapon, and vehicle skins to Halo: CE and not the other titles in the collection.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTrailer Tuesday – Waking Sky Boy
You need to find the perfect gift at a convenience store, live through a lonely Summer in Copenhagen, and keep smiling no matter what in this week’s Trailer Tuesday. Errand Boy...
The post Trailer Tuesday – Waking Sky Boy appeared first on Indie Games Plus.
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Dreams Is Getting Its Free PSVR Update Very Soon
Dreams, the PlayStation 4 exclusive game-and-art creation tool from Media Molecule, will receive a huge update soon that will make the game compatible with PlayStation VR. The update, which will arrive for free on July 22, will add new tools allowing users to create VR experiences.
As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, the update will include new tutorials and kits for VR creation, helping to familiarize you with the controls involved in VR crafting. You'll be able to both create and play in VR, and the developer has tested these options extensively with users.
The trailer below shows off some of the types of experiences you'll be able to craft and play.
Sculpting in VR will be "a very one-to-one experience" if you are using PlayStation Move controllers, the developer promises. You'll also be able to create games that can be played in VR even if you don't own the headset yourself, as new gadgets will be added to Create Mode. Creators will be able to tag if their game is playable in VR or not.
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Cyberpunk 2077 Cuts Wall-Running Feature
Game development is an iterative process. Features are often added and removed regularly during the development process as the team discovers what works best. For Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt Red worked on a wall-running feature, but it won't make it into the final game.
Level designer Max Pears told GameReactor that while wall-running has been cut for design reasons, the game will offer players "a lot of flexibility" with how they move through the world.
"Ah, the wall-running" Pears said. "That is something that we removed due to design reasons, but there's still going to be a lot of flexibility in how you move, that's for sure."
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Metroid Prime 4 Studio Hires Long-Time Call Of Duty: Black Ops Dev
Retro Studios, the team behind Metroid Prime and the two Donkey Kong Country Returns games, has made a big hire as it works on Metroid Prime 4. VGC has announced that the studio has brought on Bharathwaj Nandakumar, a long-time Activision veteran who has worked on the Call of Duty: Black Ops series.
According to VGC, Nandakumar was most recently credited as lead engineer on Black Ops 4. Across the past decade, he has worked on the whole series. He was reportedly brought into the Nintendo-owned studio back in April, but it's only being reported on now.
Retro Studios is working on Metroid Prime 4, but this was not always the case. In fact, the game was being worked on by another team until early 2019, when development was restarted with the original trilogy developer at the helm.
Since then, it's been reported that about half the Metroid Prime 3 team is still at the studio, and that the director of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was also working there again after a stint at Super Lucky's Tale developer Playful Corp.
It is not actually clear whether Nandakumar is working on Metroid Prime 4, as we're not sure if Retro Studios is working on another game. The new Metroid Prime was announced at E3 2017, but no gameplay footage has been shown from any iteration of the game as of yet.
Hopefully we'll see something of the game soon--the last Metroid Prime game was the underwhelming Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS in 2016.
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Halo: CE Is Getting Weapon And Vehicle Skins For The First Time In 19 Years
While one team inside 343 Industries plugs away on Halo Infinite, another continues to work on Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The studio has continually introduced impressive updates for the game over the years, and this continues with a major update coming to Halo: CE in particular.
The game is getting a brand-new customization system for multiplayer. These include visors, weapon skins, and vehicle skins. You can see some work-in-progress images of the new system below.
In a blog post, design director Max Szlagor explained why 343 is adding these new visor, weapon, and vehicle skins to Halo: CE and not the other titles in the collection.
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Halo: MCC Is Adding More Microtransactions
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is expanding its microtransaction offerings. Developer 343 Industries announced that it will soon begin to allow people to purchase "seasonal items."
MCC currently has a battle pass-style progression system that players grind through gameplay to unlock new stuff. However, the upcoming Season 2 update will let people buy these items with real money.
"We also heard feedback that players want more choice in the order they unlock items, so we are adding the ability to purchase seasonal items in a given tier in any order that players want," design director Max Szlagor said on the Halo website.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Waylanders' Take On The Classic RPG
A New Game in the ‘Super Cat Tales’ Universe is in Development
I’m not sure how this slipped by me for so long, but earlier this month one of my favorite mobile developers Neutronized posted a teaser for an upcoming game based in the popular Super Cat Tales universe. You may recall that back in early May Super Cat Tales 2 was updated with its third and final chapter, thus bringing the game’s story to a close about a year and a half after its original release. I also mentioned at the time that Super Cat Tales 2 being finished freed up Neutronized to work on more new games… perhaps even more Super Cat Tales games. I’m very happy that seems to be exactly what’s happening! This new game doesn’t have a title yet, but it’s a 2.5D style platformer where you travel up a mysterious tower and have the ability to fly. Check out this teaser.
In a follow-up developer vlog, Neutronized goes into more detail about this new game and states that the entire concept is based on a dream he once had where he was outdoors in a field and had the ability to begin flying just by running and jumping in the air. THAT sounds like a fun dream. He wanted to capture that feeling in a video game, and so how it works now is that your main character is trapped inside a magic bubble which grants the ability to begin flying if you jump off of an object or the edge or a platform. The game will be based around traditional platforming as well as exploration and discovery by using your special flying abilities.
Super Cat Tales fans will notice that Alex is the main character in the trailer, but there will actually be a bunch of playable characters drawn from the existing roster in Super Cat Tales 2 as well as entirely new characters. It’s certainly too early on to talk about release windows just yet but you can be sure we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one.
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Halo: MCC Is Adding More Microtransactions
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is expanding its microtransaction offerings. Developer 343 Industries announced that it will soon begin to allow people to purchase "seasonal items."
MCC currently has a battle pass-style progression system that players grind through gameplay to unlock new stuff. However, the upcoming Season 2 update will let people buy these items with real money.
"We also heard feedback that players want more choice in the order they unlock items, so we are adding the ability to purchase seasonal items in a given tier in any order that players want," design director Max Szlagor said on the Halo website.
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The Waylanders' Take On The Classic RPG
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Xbox Series X Planned Launch, Cyberpunk 2077 Cats, & Cut Red Dead Redemption 2 Missions | Save State
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Paper Mario: The Origami King Will Feature A Seamless Open-World
Paper Mario: The Origami King won't be divided into chapters like previous entries in the series and will instead feature a seamless open-world. In an interview with Game Informer, the development team talked about the open-world setup for the game.
Players are able to see the five streamers holding Princess Peach's castle hostage and use them as hints to where Mario's adventure will take him next. Each location features a large map that Mario can traverse across.
"One major feature that makes the world where this adventure takes place special is that there are huge maps to explore at every turn," says Masahiko Magaya, director at Intelligent Systems. "Because the game is laid out this way, we were careful during the design phase to make sure there is always something in the player's field of vision to catch their attention."
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The Last Of Us Part 2 Sound Designer Explains How They Made Breaking Glass Sound So Good
The Last of Us Part II is out now for PS4, and players who have been eager to dive into the continuing story of Joel and Ellie for years now are digging deep into every aspect of the game. The sequel, which has sold over 4 million copies, has impressed players with its technical achievements, one of which has now been detailed at length by one of the game's designers.
Jesse James Garcia, a sound designer at developer Naughty Dog, has detailed how they made the sound of breaking glass in The Last of Us Part II. In a Twitter thread spanning 23 different tweets, Garcia dives deep into why the shattering, tinkling noise of glass being destroyed in the game is so satisfying.
The tweet below is the beginning of the thread, which breaks down as many details as possible.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAll The Games Coming Out In July 2020 On Xbox, PS4, Switch, PC
While July is known historically as a slower period for game releases, that doesn't mean there isn't anything noteworthy coming out. Quite a few exciting games are launching this month that you should keep on your radar.
Sony is continuing to hit summer hard with its latest first-party developed game, Ghost of Tsushima, while last year's limited-time PS4-exclusive Death Stranding will finally be arriving to PC. On the other hand, Nintendo is releasing a couple of Switch-exclusives, which includes the sequel to the cult-classic Deadly Premonition and a new entry in the Paper Mario series. There's even some notable remasters re-releases on the horizon with the Switch port of Catherine: Fully Body and THQ Nordic's remaster of PS2-era sandbox favorite, Destroy All Humans!
To give you a look at what's ahead for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, we've rounded up all the biggest games of July 2020 below. For a wider look at the titles still to come this year, be sure to check out our list of game release dates in 2020. Otherwise, be sure to check this article often for the latest during this month, as we'll be sure to update it with more new release dates that get announced.
Continue Reading at GameSpotCall Of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Patch Notes For June 29 Update Announced
The big Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 4 Reloaded update is scheduled for 11 PM PT on June 29, but developer Infinity Ward has posted the patch notes ahead of time.
The update includes a new limited-time mode with 200-player Warzone Quads, while it also introduces new Supply Run Contracts. There is also a new Spotter Scope item that will help snipers move through the map without flashing the familiar "glint" that exposes their location.
This big new Modern Warfare/Warzone update also makes a series of weapon balance changes. The AX-50 sniper rifle now has an increased damage range, while the HDR sniper now delivers a guaranteed one-hit kill when you land a shot to the lower torso from any range. The Dragunov sniper rifle now has faster aim-down-sight (ADS) speed, while it fires faster as well.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Last Of Us Part 2 Sound Designer Explains How They Made Breaking Glass Sound So Good
The Last of Us Part II is out now for PS4, and players who have been eager to dive into the continuing story of Joel and Ellie for years now are digging deep into every aspect of the game. The sequel, which has sold over 4 million copies, has impressed players with its technical achievements, one of which has now been detailed at length by one of the game's designers.
Jesse James Garcia, a sound designer at developer Naughty Dog, has detailed how they made the sound of breaking glass in The Last of Us Part II. In a Twitter thread spanning 23 different tweets, Garcia dives deep into why the shattering, tinkling noise of glass being destroyed in the game is so satisfying.
The tweet below is the beginning of the thread, which breaks down as many details as possible.
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All The Games Coming Out In July 2020 On Xbox, PS4, Switch, PC
While July is known historically as a slower period for game releases, that doesn't mean there isn't anything noteworthy coming out. Quite a few exciting games are launching this month that you should keep on your radar.
Sony is continuing to hit summer hard with its latest first-party developed game, Ghost of Tsushima, while last year's limited-time PS4-exclusive Death Stranding will finally be arriving to PC. On the other hand, Nintendo is releasing a couple of Switch-exclusives, which includes the sequel to the cult-classic Deadly Premonition and a new entry in the Paper Mario series. There's even some notable remasters re-releases on the horizon with the Switch port of Catherine: Fully Body and THQ Nordic's remaster of PS2-era sandbox favorite, Destroy All Humans!
To give you a look at what's ahead for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, we've rounded up all the biggest games of July 2020 below. For a wider look at the titles still to come this year, be sure to check out our list of game release dates in 2020. Otherwise, be sure to check this article often for the latest during this month, as we'll be sure to update it with more new release dates that get announced.
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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Patch Notes For June 29 Update Announced
The big Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 4 Reloaded update is scheduled for 11 PM PT on June 29, but developer Infinity Ward has posted the patch notes ahead of time.
The update includes a new limited-time mode with 200-player Warzone Quads, while it also introduces new Supply Run Contracts. There is also a new Spotter Scope item that will help snipers move through the map without flashing the familiar "glint" that exposes their location.
This big new Modern Warfare/Warzone update also makes a series of weapon balance changes. The AX-50 sniper rifle now has an increased damage range, while the HDR sniper now delivers a guaranteed one-hit kill when you land a shot to the lower torso from any range. The Dragunov sniper rifle now has faster aim-down-sight (ADS) speed, while it fires faster as well.
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This Indie Game Will Be On Xbox Game Pass For "A Long Time" Because It's Been Great For Sales
Descenders joined Xbox Game Pass in May 2019, and since then, according to Mike Rose (head of publisher No More Robots), the indie cycling game has seen greatly increased sales on Xbox. Although conventional wisdom would suggest that a game that was available at no additional cost on a popular subscription service might see lower direct sales, Rose says that, in fact, the opposite has been true.
Rose took to Twitter to explain why Xbox Game Pass has been so good for the game, saying that it has "elevated the game to heights we couldn't have imagined." Descenders, which is available in both the Xbox and PC catalogs of the subscription service, is currently the eighth most popular game on the service.
Rose said that a new deal has recently been struck to keep the game on Game Pass for "a looong time to come," as since joining the service it is selling "around five times as many units each week" as it did previously.
Continue Reading at GameSpotPGA Tour 2K21 Will Make Fun Of You When You Hit A Bad Shot
The first-ever PGA Tour 2K game launches in August, and among its new features is a beefed up broadcast package that includes Luke Elvy and Rich Beem calling the action.
Elvy has the most experience in the broadcast booth, as he has been featured over the years on Fox Sports and GameSpot sister company CBS Sports. Beem is a former player who has won three times on the PGA Tour, including a Major championship at the 2002 PGA Championship. He is also a commentator for Sky Sports.
A new trailer for PGA Tour 2K21 featuring Elvy and Beem as been released. They speak about bringing their unique expert insights to the game, and it seems the commentary in PGA Tour 2K21 won't be very traditional. Elvy and Beem say some of their outtakes and bloopers from recording sessions will actually make it into the game, and this includes Beem describing an eagle as a "Super Chicken."
Continue Reading at GameSpotJet Set Radio Designer Explains Why A Sequel Hasn't Happened Yet, And Who Could Make One
Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio and its Xbox sequel Jet Set Radio Future are beloved for their style and unique gameplay, but to this day there's never been a third game in the series. The original game (initially called Jet Grind Radio in the US) released 20 years ago, and in a retrospective published by USGamer, the team behind the game has reflected on its legacy--and why there hasn't been a follow-up.
Lead designer Kazuki Hosokawa, who still works at Sega, reflects on how the original Jet Set Radio was created by a young team, recalling how "non-photorealistic expressions began to garner more attention" at the time, which his team was able to leverage.
With this in mind, Hosokawa says that a new Jet Set Radio would need to come from a young, new team as well. He says that "more than 10 years ago," the game's producer told the team that they were "too old and experienced" to make a new game in the series, and he agrees. "I've gained enough experience that I can identify what works and how to present things... I can see the path to the end goal, whether I like it or not," he says.
Continue Reading at GameSpotRed Dead Redemption 2 Actors Speak About A Mission That Got Cut
Like many creative endeavors, not everything that was planned for Red Dead Redemption 2 made it into the game. The studio already spoke about how five hours of content was cut, and now the actors who play Dutch and Arthur Morgan have shared more insight on the content that was cut from the game.
Speaking to GameSpot, Arthur Morgan actor Roger Clark said Rockstar decided to cut one mission involving Arthur and Dutch. We don't know the full context of the scene, but Morgan said it involved an action sequence on a train. "There was one that got cut that was kind of fun where we take out some Boston bounty hunters on a train," he said.
Benjamin Byron Davis, who plays Dutch, said of this mission: "We spent a lot of time on that. That was going to be ... oh, I hate that that got cut. It got cut because I guess they couldn't get it up to snuff."
Continue Reading at GameSpotThis Indie Game Will Be On Xbox Game Pass For "A Long Time" Because It's Been Great For Sales
Descenders joined Xbox Game Pass in May 2019, and since then, according to Mike Rose (head of publisher No More Robots), the indie cycling game has seen greatly increased sales on Xbox. Although conventional wisdom would suggest that a game that was available at no additional cost on a popular subscription service might see lower direct sales, Rose says that, in fact, the opposite has been true.
Rose took to Twitter to explain why Xbox Game Pass has been so good for the game, saying that it has "elevated the game to heights we couldn't have imagined." Descenders, which is available in both the Xbox and PC catalogs of the subscription service, is currently the eighth most popular game on the service.
Rose said that a new deal has recently been struck to keep the game on Game Pass for "a looong time to come," as since joining the service it is selling "around five times as many units each week" as it did previously.
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PGA Tour 2K21 Will Make Fun Of You When You Hit A Bad Shot
The first-ever PGA Tour 2K game launches in August, and among its new features is a beefed up broadcast package that includes Luke Elvy and Rich Beem calling the action.
Elvy has the most experience in the broadcast booth, as he has been featured over the years on Fox Sports and GameSpot sister company CBS Sports. Beem is a former player who has won three times on the PGA Tour, including a Major championship at the 2002 PGA Championship. He is also a commentator for Sky Sports.
A new trailer for PGA Tour 2K21 featuring Elvy and Beem as been released. They speak about bringing their unique expert insights to the game, and it seems the commentary in PGA Tour 2K21 won't be very traditional. Elvy and Beem say some of their outtakes and bloopers from recording sessions will actually make it into the game, and this includes Beem describing an eagle as a "Super Chicken."
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Jet Set Radio Designer Explains Why A Sequel Hasn't Happened Yet, And Who Could Make One
Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio and its Xbox sequel Jet Set Radio Future are beloved for their style and unique gameplay, but to this day there's never been a third game in the series. The original game (initially called Jet Grind Radio in the US) released 20 years ago, and in a retrospective published by USGamer, the team behind the game has reflected on its legacy--and why there hasn't been a follow-up.
Lead designer Kazuki Hosokawa, who still works at Sega, reflects on how the original Jet Set Radio was created by a young team, recalling how "non-photorealistic expressions began to garner more attention" at the time, which his team was able to leverage.
With this in mind, Hosokawa says that a new Jet Set Radio would need to come from a young, new team as well. He says that "more than 10 years ago," the game's producer told the team that they were "too old and experienced" to make a new game in the series, and he agrees. "I've gained enough experience that I can identify what works and how to present things... I can see the path to the end goal, whether I like it or not," he says.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 Actors Speak About A Mission That Got Cut
Like many creative endeavors, not everything that was planned for Red Dead Redemption 2 made it into the game. The studio already spoke about how five hours of content was cut, and now the actors who play Dutch and Arthur Morgan have shared more insight on the content that was cut from the game.
Speaking to GameSpot, Arthur Morgan actor Roger Clark said Rockstar decided to cut one mission involving Arthur and Dutch. We don't know the full context of the scene, but Morgan said it involved an action sequence on a train. "There was one that got cut that was kind of fun where we take out some Boston bounty hunters on a train," he said.
Benjamin Byron Davis, who plays Dutch, said of this mission: "We spent a lot of time on that. That was going to be ... oh, I hate that that got cut. It got cut because I guess they couldn't get it up to snuff."
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Ubisoft Teases New Battle Royale Game, The Last Of Us Part II Not Getting Story DLC, And Call Of Duty: Warzone Update |
Norton's New Antivirus For Gamers Available Now At A Huge Discount
Norton's antivirus software has been the standard for quite some time, and now the company has released a special edition of its Norton 360 program specifically for gamers. Norton 360 for Gamers is $50 for a year of protection for a limited time. It offers the same service the company is known for, with some special features optimized specifically for playing games. This includes turning off notifications while playing in full-screen mode, monitoring the web for your gamer tags through its identity theft protection, and much more. The best part is that it's currently discounted, so you can get protection at a good price.
Norton 360 for Gamers gets you protection on up to three devices, which can range from PCs and Macs to iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. It comes with a 60-day money back guarantee, which you can use to get a refund if you're not satisfied with the software's performance.
Continue Reading at GameSpotUbisoft Teases New Battle Royale Game, The Last Of Us Part II Not Getting Story DLC, And Call Of Duty: Warzone Update |
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Norton's New Antivirus For Gamers Available Now At A Huge Discount
Norton's antivirus software has been the standard for quite some time, and now the company has released a special edition of its Norton 360 program specifically for gamers. Norton 360 for Gamers is $50 for a year of protection for a limited time. It offers the same service the company is known for, with some special features optimized specifically for playing games. This includes turning off notifications while playing in full-screen mode, monitoring the web for your gamer tags through its identity theft protection, and much more. The best part is that it's currently discounted, so you can get protection at a good price.
Norton 360 for Gamers gets you protection on up to three devices, which can range from PCs and Macs to iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. It comes with a 60-day money back guarantee, which you can use to get a refund if you're not satisfied with the software's performance.
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Tales Of Monkey Island By Telltale Has Returned To Digital Stores With A Discount
Tales of Monkey Island, the episodic Monkey Island series from Telltale Games, has been unavailable since the developer and publisher closed, along with many other Telltale series. But now, the game has returned to digital storefronts, and it's currently discounted by 50% until July 10.
The game is available again on both Steam and GOG, and is currently discounted from $20 to $10. This is the complete collection, so it contains all five episodes, originally released in 2009. The game was released on the Wii and PS3 as well, along with mobile. For now, it only seems to be available on PC.
The developer is listed as LCG Entertainment, and the publisher as Athlon Games. LCG Entertainment handles the parts of Telltale's back catalog that have been re-released.
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Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Devs Talk About Whether The Game Will Come To Switch
Ori and the Will of the Wisps released early this year on Xbox One and PC via Xbox Game Pass, and has since been played by 2 million people. The game is a sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, which was released for Switch in 2019 despite being published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Switch port of the first game was well-received, and a member of developer Moon Studios has now opened up about whether the sequel is likely to receive similar treatment.
In a Reddit AMA, developer Moon Studios lead engineer Gennadiy Korol answered a question about the sequel coming to Switch. He says that while the team "loves" Nintendo's console, they are not currently working on a port. "Right now we don't have anything to share when it comes to Ori and the Will of the Wisps port," he says. "If it were to ever happen though I can tell you that it would be (an) extremely difficult port to make run at 60fps."
Ori and the Will of the Wisps faced frame rate difficulties on a base model Xbox One, which would make a Switch port difficult.
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A Remake Of The Princess Bride Is Coming, But It's Not What You Expect
A new version the iconic 1987 fantasy movie The Princess Bride is being made, and it has one of the biggest celebrity casts we've ever seen and an unusual setup.
Juno director Jason Reitman is directing the movie, which was filmed at each actor's home using their own mobile phone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will be released on the nascent streaming service Quibi in chapters, the first of which will debut on June 29.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner--who are married in real life--are playing the lead roles, with Jonas portraying Princess Buttercup and Turner portraying Westley. The gender-swapped roles aren't the only update for the Quibi movie, as the Rodent of Unusual Size (ROUS) will be played by a dog--a corgi, to be more specific. In other weirdness, stuffed animals and Lego figures will be used for crowd scenes.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBugsnax Song Writer Explains How Band Kero Kero Bonito Crafted The PS5 Game's Catchy Theme Song
Of all the games shown off during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, the one that has stuck in a lot of people's heads is Bugsnax--not just because of its cute aesthetic or interesting-looking gameplay, but because of its theme song. Aside from all the critters shown off, the trailer's most prominent bug was an earworm.
The game, which is also coming to PS4 and PC and is developed by Young Horses (Octodad: Dadliest Catch), enlisted indie band Kero Kero Bonito to compose the song. In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, song-writer Gus Lobban has talked about how the catchy tune was written.
The song, which is called It's Bugsnax!, was recorded from home, and Lobban says that the starting point was "the D-Am chords the song rests on". There's a lot of technical discussion in this post, by Lobban also digs into the themes and mood he was going for. "The I-Vm chord change and the Mixolydian mode it implies conjure a 'lost world' atmosphere to me," he says. "Positive, but with a definite note (pun intended) of mystical intrigue, much like Bugsnax itself."
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A Remake Of The Princess Bride Is Coming, But It's Not What You Expect
A new version the iconic 1987 fantasy movie The Princess Bride is being made, and it has one of the biggest celebrity casts we've ever seen and an unusual setup.
Juno director Jason Reitman is directing the movie, which was filmed at each actor's home using their own mobile phone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will be released on the nascent streaming service Quibi in chapters, the first of which will debut on June 29.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner--who are married in real life--are playing the lead roles, with Jonas portraying Princess Buttercup and Turner portraying Westley. The gender-swapped roles aren't the only update for the Quibi movie, as the Rodent of Unusual Size (ROUS) will be played by a dog--a corgi, to be more specific. In other weirdness, stuffed animals and Lego figures will be used for crowd scenes.
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Bugsnax Song Writer Explains How Band Kero Kero Bonito Crafted The PS5 Game's Catchy Theme Song
Of all the games shown off during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, the one that has stuck in a lot of people's heads is Bugsnax--not just because of its cute aesthetic or interesting-looking gameplay, but because of its theme song. Aside from all the critters shown off, the trailer's most prominent bug was an earworm.
The game, which is also coming to PS4 and PC and is developed by Young Horses (Octodad: Dadliest Catch), enlisted indie band Kero Kero Bonito to compose the song. In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, song-writer Gus Lobban has talked about how the catchy tune was written.
The song, which is called It's Bugsnax!, was recorded from home, and Lobban says that the starting point was "the D-Am chords the song rests on". There's a lot of technical discussion in this post, by Lobban also digs into the themes and mood he was going for. "The I-Vm chord change and the Mixolydian mode it implies conjure a 'lost world' atmosphere to me," he says. "Positive, but with a definite note (pun intended) of mystical intrigue, much like Bugsnax itself."
Continue Reading at GameSpotNBA Jam Creator Reveals That, Yes, The Bulls Were Robbed Of Victory Against The Pistons
NBA Jam remains one of the most beloved basketball game of all time, 27 years after its initial arcade release. If you were on one side of the Chicago Bulls/Detroit Pistons rivalry of the 90s, though, the game perhaps has endured slightly less well in your memory, because you know in your heart that you were robbed.
As it turns out, you actually might have been. In a new video from Ars Technica about the success of NBA Jam, lead designer Mark Turmell has reflected on the rivalry between the Chicago and Detroit teams during Michael Jordan's iconic 90s run with the Bulls--and admitted that his internal bias worked its way into the game.
In the video below, around the 19:40 mark, Turmell admits that he was a big Pistons fan, having grown up in Michigan, and that he snuck some code into the game to "get back" at the Chicago Bulls and their fans.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Rumored Cheaper Xbox Series X Actually Has The Same CPU, Report Says
It's been widely reported that Microsoft is planning to release a second next-generation Xbox that is less powerful and lacks a physical media drive. Now, another report says that's not entirely true.
The Verge's Tom Warren, who is known for accurately reporting on unannounced Microsoft products, has stated that the CPU for the less-expensive next-gen Xbox is "the same speed as the Series X." The console will have a different GPU frequency and CU count, however, Warren reported.
The second next-generation Xbox, rumored to be called the Xbox Series S, will have 7.5 GB of usable RAM, according Warren, and this is less than the Series X. Warren went on to say that this second console will target a resolution of up to 1440p, compared to 4K for the Xbox Series X.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNBA Jam Creator Reveals That, Yes, The Bulls Were Robbed Of Victory Against The Pistons
NBA Jam remains one of the most beloved basketball game of all time, 27 years after its initial arcade release. If you were on one side of the Chicago Bulls/Detroit Pistons rivalry of the 90s, though, the game perhaps has endured slightly less well in your memory, because you know in your heart that you were robbed.
As it turns out, you actually might have been. In a new video from Ars Technica about the success of NBA Jam, lead designer Mark Turmell has reflected on the rivalry between the Chicago and Detroit teams during Michael Jordan's iconic 90s run with the Bulls--and admitted that his internal bias worked its way into the game.
In the video below, around the 19:40 mark, Turmell admits that he was a big Pistons fan, having grown up in Michigan, and that he snuck some code into the game to "get back" at the Chicago Bulls and their fans.
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The Rumored Cheaper Xbox Series X Actually Has The Same CPU, Report Says
It's been widely reported that Microsoft is planning to release a second next-generation Xbox that is less powerful and lacks a physical media drive. Now, another report says that's not entirely true.
The Verge's Tom Warren, who is known for accurately reporting on unannounced Microsoft products, has stated that the CPU for the less-expensive next-gen Xbox is "the same speed as the Series X." The console will have a different GPU frequency and CU count, however, Warren reported.
The second next-generation Xbox, rumored to be called the Xbox Series S, will have 7.5 GB of usable RAM, according Warren, and this is less than the Series X. Warren went on to say that this second console will target a resolution of up to 1440p, compared to 4K for the Xbox Series X.
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The Last Of Us Part 2 Director Explains Away The Game's Pearl Jam Plot Hole
In The Last of Us Part II, guitars are used as a symbolic tool to show the bond between Joel and Ellie, with several songs popping up in cutscenes. Guitars even appear as playable objects, and it's possible for experienced musicians to recreate songs on Ellie's in-game guitar. But one thing has remained unclear--how is Joel able to perform a song in-game that would have never been released in his world because of the outbreak?
In an early cutscene, Joel performs a cover of Pearl Jam's Future Days, which appeared on the album Lightning Bolt. This album released on October 15, 2013--several weeks after September 26, 2013, which is Outbreak Day in the world of The Last of Us Part II. So how did Joel know a song that never got released?
According to director Neil Druckmann, it's simple--the song was performed live at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on July 19, and Joel saw a video of it on YouTube.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Simpsons Will No Longer Use White Actors To Voice Non-White Characters
The Simpsons, which is scheduled to begin airing Season 32 later in 2020, will no longer be using white actors to voice people of color.
In a statement delivered by the show's producers, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, it was said that the show "will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters." This follows an earlier decision between the producers and voice actor Hank Azaria to recast the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian character. It has not been announced who will voice the character going forward yet.
Other characters that will need to be recast going forward include Apu's wife Manjula, Dr. Hibbert and his family, Lou, Cookie Kwan, Drederick Tatum, and Bumblebee Man. It's not a long list, with Apu standing as, by far, the show's most prominent non-white character.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Last Of Us Part 2 Director Explains Away The Game's Pearl Jam Plot Hole
In The Last of Us Part II, guitars are used as a symbolic tool to show the bond between Joel and Ellie, with several songs popping up in cutscenes. Guitars even appear as playable objects, and it's possible for experienced musicians to recreate songs on Ellie's in-game guitar. But one thing has remained unclear--how is Joel able to perform a song in-game that would have never been released in his world because of the outbreak?
In an early cutscene, Joel performs a cover of Pearl Jam's Future Days, which appeared on the album Lightning Bolt. This album released on October 15, 2013--several weeks after September 26, 2013, which is Outbreak Day in the world of The Last of Us Part II. So how did Joel know a song that never got released?
According to director Neil Druckmann, it's simple--the song was performed live at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on July 19, and Joel saw a video of it on YouTube.
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The Simpsons Will No Longer Use White Actors To Voice Non-White Characters
The Simpsons, which is scheduled to begin airing Season 32 later in 2020, will no longer be using white actors to voice people of color.
In a statement delivered by the show's producers, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, it was said that the show "will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters." This follows an earlier decision between the producers and voice actor Hank Azaria to recast the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian character. It has not been announced who will voice the character going forward yet.
Other characters that will need to be recast going forward include Apu's wife Manjula, Dr. Hibbert and his family, Lou, Cookie Kwan, Drederick Tatum, and Bumblebee Man. It's not a long list, with Apu standing as, by far, the show's most prominent non-white character.
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The Last Of Us 2 Won't Get Story DLC, But An Online Mode Is Coming
The Last of Us Part II is a huge sales success, but developer Naughty Dog won't follow it up with any DLC. Writer-director Neil Druckmann told Kinda Funny that The Last of Us Part II won't have any story DLC. The 2013 original game had story DLC in the very well received Left Behind, which was part of the game's Season Pass, but there are "no plans" for anything similar for the sequel.
"No, with Last of Us I think we had some Season Pass or something that said ahead of time we have some story DLC--no there's no plans for that [with The Last of Us Part II]," Druckmann said.
While The Last of Us Part II seemingly won't have any story DLC, Naughty Dog will expand the game with a multiplayer mode of some kind in the future. Naughty Dog has said the game will get a separate online experience down the road through some kind of standalone title.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Last Of Us 2 Won't Get Story DLC, But An Online Mode Is Coming
The Last of Us Part II is a huge sales success, but developer Naughty Dog won't follow it up with any DLC. Writer-director Neil Druckmann told Kinda Funny that The Last of Us Part II won't have any story DLC. The 2013 original game had story DLC in the very well received Left Behind, which was part of the game's Season Pass, but there are "no plans" for anything similar for the sequel.
"No, with Last of Us I think we had some Season Pass or something that said ahead of time we have some story DLC--no there's no plans for that [with The Last of Us Part II]," Druckmann said.
While The Last of Us Part II seemingly won't have any story DLC, Naughty Dog will expand the game with a multiplayer mode of some kind in the future. Naughty Dog has said the game will get a separate online experience down the road through some kind of standalone title.
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Top New Video Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month -- July 2020
If this episode of New Releases is any indication, you won't run out of new video games to play anytime soon. We're taking a look at the month of July, which kicks off with Marvel's Iron Man VR. You can also take to the skies in Rocket Arena just over a week after that. July is also time to protect your land, whether it's an occupied island in Ghost of Tsushima or the Mushroom Kingdom in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Finally, the month wraps up with the Destroy All Humans remake.
Marvel's Iron Man VR -- July 3
Available on: PS4
After a few delays, Iron Man VR is finally giving us a chance to step into Tony Stark's suit. As you'd expect, the HUD inside the PSVR headset resembles Stark's FRIDAY technology, and you can use the Move Controllers to aim and fire your various weapons. Expect to see other Marvel staples like Nick Fury in the story too.
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Top New Video Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month -- July 2020
If this episode of New Releases is any indication, you won't run out of new video games to play anytime soon. We're taking a look at the month of July, which kicks off with Marvel's Iron Man VR. You can also take to the skies in Rocket Arena just over a week after that. July is also time to protect your land, whether it's an occupied island in Ghost of Tsushima or the Mushroom Kingdom in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Finally, the month wraps up with the Destroy All Humans remake.
Marvel's Iron Man VR -- July 3
Available on: PS4
After a few delays, Iron Man VR is finally giving us a chance to step into Tony Stark's suit. As you'd expect, the HUD inside the PSVR headset resembles Stark's FRIDAY technology, and you can use the Move Controllers to aim and fire your various weapons. Expect to see other Marvel staples like Nick Fury in the story too.
Continue Reading at GameSpotUniversal Studios Japan Delays Super Nintendo World, Report Says
Oh yeah, Mario time? Not quite yet, as according to a new report, Universal Studios Japan has delayed the opening of its Super Nintendo World area because of COVID-19 concerns. This is despite the section of the park being almost completely finished, but fans will have to wait to collect coins and race around the Mushroom Kingdom.
According to the Business Times, an official announcement will come this week and the plan is still for the area to open before the end of 2020. The park is based in Osaka, and Nintendo is hoping to have it open before the Tokyo Olympics begin. These were also delayed from Summer 2020 to 2021 well before Nintendo's reported delay.
Universal Studios Japan's Nintendo park is not the only one being built. There will also be areas built at Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood, though they may not have the exact same attractions. Mario Kart and Yoshi rides appear to be part of the attractions, and there are also spinning coins that you can "collect" with a magnetic bracelet. There will likely be some sort of interaction with your Nintendo Switch console after collecting these coins, as well, but it hasn't been detailed yet.
Continue Reading at GameSpotUniversal Studios Japan Delays Super Nintendo World, Report Says
Oh yeah, Mario time? Not quite yet, as according to a new report, Universal Studios Japan has delayed the opening of its Super Nintendo World area because of COVID-19 concerns. This is despite the section of the park being almost completely finished, but fans will have to wait to collect coins and race around the Mushroom Kingdom.
According to the Business Times, an official announcement will come this week and the plan is still for the area to open before the end of 2020. The park is based in Osaka, and Nintendo is hoping to have it open before the Tokyo Olympics begin. These were also delayed from Summer 2020 to 2021 well before Nintendo's reported delay.
Universal Studios Japan's Nintendo park is not the only one being built. There will also be areas built at Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood, though they may not have the exact same attractions. Mario Kart and Yoshi rides appear to be part of the attractions, and there are also spinning coins that you can "collect" with a magnetic bracelet. There will likely be some sort of interaction with your Nintendo Switch console after collecting these coins, as well, but it hasn't been detailed yet.
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Pokemon Sword And Shield - The Isle Of Armor DLC Review
One of the best parts of Pokemon Sword and Shield was exploring the Wild Area, an expanse of rolling hills, sand dunes, and lakes that made collecting the games' 400 Pokemon especially enticing. The first DLC for the games, The Isle of Armor, improves upon the original Wild Area--in fact, the island is all Wild Area, with far more variety and much more interesting locales to explore. While it doesn't alter the game much, The Isle of Armor recaptures the joy of exploration and catching new Pokemon, and it makes me especially eager to see where the next DLC takes us.
In my original Pokemon Sword and Shield review, I said that "the Wild Area is the show-stopping feature of this generation. Pokemon roam the fields and lakes, changing with the day's weather. They pop up as you walk by, and you can even identify Pokemon out of your direct line of vision by their cries. It's all too easy to set out for one destination only to be distracted by a Pokemon you haven't caught yet, an item glittering on the ground in the distance, or even an evolved form of a Pokemon that you didn't realize you could catch in the wild. There's constantly something new to do or discover, and it's there to engage you right out of the gate."
The Isle of Armor doubles down on this. The island is bigger and better than the regular Wild Area, and its various biomes all feed into each other more naturally. Open fields transition to wetlands, which border a beach and a forest. Rivers flow out to the ocean, and following a river can sometimes lead you to a cave. Changing weather patterns make more sense than they do in the Galar region's main Wild Area, too, where weather shifts seemingly at random as you bike through similar-looking fields. Instead, because most areas on the Isle of Armor are separated by rivers or caves, the transition from rain to sunshine to fog isn't so abrupt. It's overall an even more satisfying place to explore.
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