Sunday, 31 March 2019

Games for Your Inner Historian

I love history. I have historical books, movies and texts on every shelf at home and a big fat history degree on my wall that’s mostly useful for… well, articles like this.

Being a history nerd also means that when a game takes inspiration from a particular historical epoch, it makes me all the more interested. I know that history isn’t for everyone, and not every game needs a solid historical basis, but I’ve always seen games as a way to explore thoughts and ideas in a way that no other medium can - and not everyone wants to sit through a three-hour lecture on the Russian revolution.

So let’s take a look at a handful of games and game series that have built an incredible experience on top of a solid historical underpinning. To be clear, these aren’t experiences that will give you a totally realistic depiction of a time period, but they do give you some of the flavour of the age; whether that’s culture, politics, warfare or any number of other elements. And yes, because I can’t resist I’ll also point you in the direction of further information to complement - or build upon - what you might get out of each game.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/31/games-for-your-inner-historian
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Mortal Kombat 11: All Fatalities

See every fatality in Mortal Kombat 11.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/31/mortal-kombat-11-all-fatalities
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How to Unlock the Hidden Hills in Yoshi's Crafted World

Learn more about this special area along with other secrets with this guide,

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/31/how-to-unlock-the-hidden-hills-in-yoshis-crafted-world
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Hearthstone Card Reveal: This is the Legendary You’ll Get Ahead of the Next Expansion!

Hearthstone fans don’t have to long to wait until the next expansion – Rise of Shadows – drops, but we’ll actually be getting a little taste of what’s in store ahead of the April 9 (April 10 in ANZ) release date. Yes, much as players were given a copy of Marin the Fox ahead of the release of Kobolds & Catacombs, we’re getting a free legendary minion ahead of Rise of Shadows.

Who is this minion? IGN has the exclusive reveal:

And it's free! And it's free!

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/31/hearthstone-card-reveal-this-is-your-free-rise-of-shadows-legendary
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Sega Announces Four New Games Based on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Sega has announced four new games based on the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The first of these is titled Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game, which will be released in Japan and Asia this summer for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, and worldwide in 2020. Sega describes this as “a fun-filled sports action game where you can create your own avatar and compete in Olympic Games events with people around the world.” Rather than featuring Sonic or other characters, it appears to have a more realistic – if simplistic – art style.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will then hit Nintendo Switch during winter 2019. From the footage and screenshots released, it appears to be similar to previous Mario & Sonic titles release by Sega at previous Olympics, with a collection of mini games themed around different sports, and will make use of the Joy-Con features. As with the Rio Olympics title, there will also be an Arcade Edition launching at a similar time, which will use physical inputs such as jumping.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/30/sega-announces-four-new-games-based-on-the-tokyo-2020-olympics
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Mini-Boss List and Guide

Don't miss a single mini-boss with this guide.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/31/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-mini-boss-list-and-guide
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Saturday, 30 March 2019

How to Get All the Endings in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Learn about each of Sekiro's endings with this guide.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/30/how-to-get-all-the-endings-in-sekiro-shadows-die-twice
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Genesis Mini Release Date, Price and Initial Games Lineup Revealed

Sega has announced that the Genesis Mini and Mega Drive Mini will be released September 19, 2019, containing 40 classic games including Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin and Castlevania: Bloodlines. It will be priced at $79.99 USD/£69.99/€79.99/ $139.95 AUD.

The unit is approximately 55% of the size of the original Model 1 Genesis or Mega Drive, and comes with two replica three-button USB controllers, a USB to Micro-B power cable and an HDMI cable.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/30/sega-genesis-mini-release-date-price-and-initial-games-lineup-revealed
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Friday, 29 March 2019

The Top 10 Dogs in Video Games

Much like in real life, dogs often serve an important purpose in video games. They help fight enemies, recover items, provide companionship, and add a small amount of levity that benefits even the most grimdark games out there.

They span genres, appearing in everything from first-person shooters to pixelated adventure games. And, while all dogs in games are very good boys and girls, these ten are the ones who went above and beyond to be the very best.

Koromaru (Persona 3, Persona Q: Dancing All Night)

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/29/the-top-10-dogs-in-video-games-2
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The 11 Worst Characters in Mortal Kombat History

Mortal Kombat has been around for 27 years at this point and it’s created some unforgettable characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage. The list goes on and on.

Actually, that list does eventually stop and if you keep going down the list of characters, you’ll eventually hit these guys and girls. These are the 11 worst characters in Mortal Kombat.

11. Kai

Kai

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/29/the-11-worst-characters-in-mortal-kombat-history
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Insomniac Boss Believes Community Building Is Most Exciting Trend

Every parent that doubles as a gamer secretly wishes their own kids will one day pick up the controller and start going on their own epic adventures, and Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price is no exception. The experience has led Price to believe that expanding the overall community of game players, not console launches or any one technological advancement, is the industry’s most exciting trend.

On this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered (see the full episode below), Price sat down with editor Ryan McCaffrey to talk about this experience, the tough lessons Insomniac learned from developing Marvel’s Spider-Man, and what Insomniac’s future holds.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/29/insomniac-boss-believes-player-community-expansion-is-most-exciting-trend-a-ign-unfiltered
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Elder Scrolls Online’s Elsweyr Expansion Shakes Things Up

This isn’t the first time ESO has visited the beautifully sandy region of Elsweyr (pronounced Elsewhere) since some small zones in the base game let players dip their toes into the area such as Khenarthi's Roost. However, opening up the whole zone for exploration is new. And with this new zone also comes the introduction of dragons into the world of ESO.

The prequel quest should be going live soon and will serve as a direct prelude to the events in Elsweyr (out May 20 on PC and June 4 on consoles), immediately following the Wrathstone DLC’s brief narrative. The gist of it all is that some Imperials have invaded the northern region of Elsweyr with a necromancer at their helm and something that the player does may have accidentally awoken dragons under the presumed guise of aiding natives in battle. Naturally, things didn’t unfold as intended and now all hell’s broken loose.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/29/elder-scrolls-onlines-elsweyr-expansion-shakes-things-up
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Tropico 6 Review

There aren't a lot of city builders that let you roleplay a specific type of leader, so I immediately took a liking to the freedom Tropico 6 gives you to do just that. There's nothing stopping you from trying to build a communist paradise where everyone lives in haciendas and banana pickers make as much money as tech executives, or a brutal military dictatorship that only cares about how efficiently human lives can be turned into profitable exports. Nothing, that is, besides an unwieldy economic simulation that can quickly go belly up without giving you easy access to information on how to fix it.

There's a lot going on across the inviting white sand beaches, bungalows, and lush jungle interiors of the latest version of Tropico, which look great except for the waterfalls, which seem lifted out of a 10-year-old game. Despite its relaxing environment, its politicking, trade, and mission systems kept me busier than any of its predecessors as I strived to stay in power and accomplish objectives that would advance me from the colonial era all the way up to the modern day – many of my own making in sandbox mode, as well as pre-made ones in its 15 story missions.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/29/tropico-6-review
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Sekiro: Beat the Toughest Bosses With Our Guides and Tips

Don't let Sekiro's tough bosses get you down - see how to beat these difficult encounters with our tips.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/28/sekiro-beat-the-toughest-bosses-with-our-guides-and-tips
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Thursday, 28 March 2019

Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered Review

A lot has happened to the Assassin’s Creed series in the seven years since Assassin's Creed 3 first came out. It was quickly overshadowed in 2013 by the follow-up, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which remains one of my all-time favorites – but that’s in part because of how well AC4 built upon the naval combat concepts introduced by its Colonial predecessor. Since then, our expectations for the series have been changed yet again by the RPG-influenced Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, which revamped combat control in a way that’s hard to go back from. So while I'm glad to say Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered does do a great job bringing the appearance of this 18th-century world and its characters of this 2012 game up to 2019 standards, there's a lot of creakiness to it that even the gameplay tweaks it makes can’t entirely smooth out.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/28/assassins-creed-3-remastered-review
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Breath of the Wild Co-Developer Hiring for Another Zelda Project

Monolith Soft, the creator of the Xenoblade series and co-development studio on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is hiring for a new Zelda project.

On a Zelda-themed recruitment page (as spotted by Japanese Nintendo), Monolith says it's looking for technical artists, programmers, planners, designers, and a project manager.

No hint is given as to what the Zelda project would be, simply asking for staff who can help "create new surprises and emotions".

Monolith previously contributed to Zelda: Skyward Sword, helping with artistic and graphical elements. However, its work on Breath of the Wild centred on level design for the open world, particularly with regard to topography. Over 100 Monolith staff were part of the Breath of the Wild development process.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/28/breath-of-the-wild-co-developer-monolith-soft-hiring-for-another-zelda-project
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Wednesday, 27 March 2019

Fortnite Week 5 Challenges: Bouncy Ball Tips

The fifth week of Season 8 is here and we have tips on completing the bouncy ball challenge.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/fortnite-week-5-challenges-15-bounces-with-bouncy-ball-and-pirate-camp-map-and-locations-season-8
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Sekiro: Sunken Valley Guide and Walkthrough

Find out how to navigate the icy sunken valley in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and don't miss a single secret with our guide.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/sekiro-sunken-valley-guide-and-walkthrough
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MK11: See Skarlet's Kosmetics, Kombos, and Fatalities

The online beta revealed several of Skarlet's customizable equipment as well as her move list.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/mk11-see-skarlets-kosmetics-kombos-and-fatalities
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Ted Price Talks Storytelling in AAA Games

While game developers like Amy Hennig publicly grapple with the evolution of industry business models and how they impact single-player experiences, Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price has his own feelings on the matter. In this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered, editor Ryan McCaffrey sat down separately with Hennig and Price to discuss how the games industry is changing, and what Insomniac learned from making Marvel’s Spider-Man.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/ted-price-talks-storytelling-in-aaa-games-a-ign-unfiltered
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New Borderlands Game Teased, More Coming Tomorrow

A teaser has been released for what appears to be the latest game in the Borderlands series.

The teaser, called Mask of Mayhem, doesn't explicitly call the game Borderlands 3, but does show a whole lot of imagery you'd expect from the series. Check it out below:

Publisher 2K says more will be revealed at the Gearbox PAX East panel tomorrow, March 28 - you can tune into the livestream at 11:00 Pacific / 14:00 Eastern / 18:00 GMT (that's March 29 at 5:00 AEDT).

It's been fairly clear for some time that a Borderlands announcement was coming, following public tech demos, leaks and teases.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/new-borderlands-game-teased-more-coming-tomorrow
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Yoshi's Crafted World Review

True to form, Yoshi’s Crafted World is exactly what I expected it to be. It’s a very enjoyable and delightfully charming Yoshi platformer that doesn’t really strive to be much more, like Breath of the Wild did for Zelda, nor does it hone the series’ ideas to a razor-sharp edge like Odyssey did for Mario. It’s formulaic, and at times that can make it feel as thin as its realistic-looking cardboard sets, but that didn’t stop me from having a ton of fun running around them.

Yoshi’s Crafted World isn’t a tough platformer, so that fun wasn’t usually from a sense of overcoming a challenge. In fact, apart from the four levels that unlock at the end of its campaign, most of its 40+ stages pose little threat to complete at all. Enemies are mostly passive, Yoshi’s adorable new costumes offer a huge amount of damage protection, and his signature mid-air hover can be chained almost indefinitely, allowing for some extremely forgiving platforming.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/yoshis-crafted-world-review
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Gwent Announced for Smartphones

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is coming to iPhones later this year, with an Android release to follow "at a later date."

“We’ve been preparing long and hard to adapt Gwent to smartphones,” said GWENT game director, Jason Slama. “Beautiful visuals aside, we’ve tailored much of our technology, including GOG Galaxy which powers Gwent’s multiplayer, to support mobile devices.

"I think our vision for bringing Gwent to smartphones combines the best we have to offer both in terms of graphics and gameplay. I can’t wait to share more details on the subject with you later this year.”

Gwent's single-player campaign launched as a standalone game last December, while the first card expansion, Crimson Curse, announced earlier this month, will be dropping tomorrow.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/27/gwent-announced-for-smartphones
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Tuesday, 26 March 2019

April Xbox Games With Gold Includes The Technomancer and More

Microsoft has revealed the four games coming to Xbox Games with Gold in April 2019.

Xbox One users will be able to grab RPG The Technomancer, and open-world sci-fi Outcast: Second Contact, while Xbox 360 players get the original Xbox version of Star Wars Battlefront II and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2. Both 360 titles can be played on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility.

The Tehcnomancer will be available all month, from April 1 - 30, while Outcast: Second Contact will kick in on April 16 through to May 15.

As for the classic games, Battlefront II is available between April 1 and 15, and Advanced Warfighter 2 between April 16 and 30.

It’s a mixed bag this month. Our review of The Technomancer scored it a 4.9, citing a poor combat system, unconvincing characters, and bad progression, all of which spoils a complex story and enjoyable world.

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/26/april-2019-xbox-games-with-gold-includes-the-technomancer-and-outcast-second-contact
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2 Game Industry Legends Share Stories from Star Wars, Spider-Man, and More

In this special episode of our monthly interview series IGN Unfiltered, filmed at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, game design legend Amy Hennig (Uncharted series, Legacy of Kain series) and Insomniac Games founder Ted Price (Marvel's Spider-Man, Ratchet and Clank series, Sunset Overdrive, Resistance series) separately join us to discuss their decorated careers. Hennig talks about her canceled Star Wars game with EA, codenamed 'Ragtag', experimenting with VR, and much more. Price, after having been a guest on Unfiltered last fall prior to Spider-Man's release, talks about what life has been like since their open-world superhero adventure took the world by storm and won a number of awards in the process.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/26/2-game-industry-legends-share-stories-from-star-wars-spider-man-and-more-a-ign-unfiltered-40
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Deadhaus Sonata Gameplay Teaser Revealed

Apocalypse Studios and founder Denis Dyack – the developer behind games like Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Eternal Darkness – have released the first gameplay teaser trailer for their new project, Deadhaus Sonata (see it above).

Deadhaus Sonata is an upcoming free-to-play action-RPG that promises Twitch integration as well as cooperative play for up to six players. It was announced last Fall, though no release date has been set as of yet. “We are combining elements of many of my past games into Deadhaus Sonata,” Dyack told us when the game was announced. “Deadhaus Sonata is a cooperative multiplayer, free-to-play RPG where you are an unstoppable force of the dead. There are Lovecraftian overtones from Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, the gothic role-playing elements of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, where you are undead, and finally, some the action RPG elements of Too Human.”

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/26/deadhaus-sonata-gameplay-teaser-revealed
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Trover Saves the Universe Might Be the Most Profane Game Ever

Trover Saves the Universe is insane. It basically feels like a playable episode of Rick and Morty. The animation style is the same, the humor is the same, and heck, you'll even hear Roiland use both Rick's voice (on certain enemies) and Morty's (Trover himself). I am left to genuinely wonder if the only reason it isn't a Rick and Morty game is because Roiland didn't want to share the profits with Adult Swim and/or he didn't want their corporate approval process slowing him down.

Anyway, all of that is to say that Trover Saves the Universe is hilarious. I don't laugh out loud at games nearly as often as I'd like, and without a doubt, Trover got more audible, involuntary laughter out of me than any game since Matt Stone and Trey Parker's last two South Park RPGs. My demo of Trover – the full game is out on May 31 for PS4 and PSVR – was with Tanya Watson, co-founder and studio director of Roiland's game development house, Squanchtendo. Watson confirmed what I suspected while laughing my way through Trover's first proper mission: that Roiland ad-libbed all of the dialogue. The designers sketched out levels and gameplay based on a high-level outline, and then Roiland came in, played it, and hopped into the VO booth to record lines for literally every conceivable scenario. And he did it on the fly. Think of it as a Curb Your Enthusiasm kind of approach, which is both amazing and difficult to pull off. Roiland and Squanchtendo seem to be well on their way to doing just that.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/26/trover-saves-the-universe-might-be-the-most-profane-game-ever
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Control Hands-On Preview: It Feels Good to Break Things

Remedy Entertainment – makers of Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break – has never made a bad game, and if my first hands-on with their latest, Control, is any indication, they’re not in jeopardy of breaking that streak. In the same way that Max Payne basically forced you to always keep moving, Control does the same – but adds in a bunch of superpowers, a bizarre and compelling setting, and gleefully rips the environment to shreds in the process. My first hands-on with it was everything I hoped for.

As Jesse Faden, the newly appointed head of the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control, you’re handed a unique Service Weapon that can transform and upgrade in different, player-controlled ways, and asked to keep the strange forces threatening our world at bay. My demo took place in the Central Research section of The Oldest House – the nickname for the Brutalist-architecture, space-bending building that the Bureau calls home. In it, a hostile force known as The Hiss has begun attacking, meaning you’ll see suspended, floating bodies, people frozen in time and space, and aggressive bad guys who seemingly teleport in – some of which have powers like yours.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/26/control-first-hands-on-preview-wrecking-government-shop
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Monday, 25 March 2019

Elder Scrolls Morrowind Free Today to Celebrate 25 Years of Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls officially turns 25 this week, and Bethesda is celebrating in a big way with tons of discounts, some giveaways, and even free games from The Elder Scrolls series.

The anniversary festivities span the entire franchise. For starters, you can get an entirely free PC copy of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind by logging into your Bethesda.net account and redeem code: TES25TH-MORROWIND. This offer is only available today, so if you’ve never experienced the adventure, check out the IGN Morrowind review, and then go grab it just because you can.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/elder-scrolls-morrowind-free-today-to-celebrate-25-years-of-elder-scrolls
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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Announced for Release in 2021

Daedalic Entertainment has announced The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a narrative-focused adventure game that will centre on J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous tricksy, dual-personality character.

Set to release in 2021, the game will explore events that occur between Gollum’s finding of the One Ring and the start of The Lord of the Rings story.

Unlike recent Middle-earth games that draw inspiration from Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy, Daedalic’s game will based purely on Tolkien’s books.

The project comes thanks to a new partnership between Daedalic and Middle-earth Enterprises; the company that owns the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Gollum will also be just the first game produced as part of the deal; further games are being planned.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum-announced-for-release-in-2021
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Where to Preorder Pokemon Shield and Pokemon Sword

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

It's official: the full 2019 Pokemon game for Nintendo Switch is called Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. The pair of games is slated for release in "late 2019" and will be set in a new region called Galar, which bears some resemblance to England. The starter Pokemon this time around are a grass chimp named Grookey, a fire rabbit named Scorbunny, and a water lizard called Sobble.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/pokemon-sword-and-shield-release-date-preorder-guide
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Amy Hennig's Canceled Star Wars Game Was Meant to Evoke 'Ensemble' Feel of Films

Electronic Arts’ history with Star Wars games has been tumultuous to say the least. There may be no better example than the Star Wars game that was being developed by Visceral, the studio behind Dead Space, and famed video game writer Amy Hennig, known for her work on the Uncharted series. On this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered, host Ryan McCaffrey sat down with Amy Hennig to discuss her vision for the unfinished Star Wars game, what she’s been doing on her “year off,” and more.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/amy-hennigs-canceled-star-wars-game-was-meant-to-evoke-ensemble-feel-of-films-a-unfiltered
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The Floor Is Lava Coming to Fortnite as a Limited Time Mode

The Floor Is Lava, a limited time mode based on the childhood game where you jump from couch to counter and accidentally break a lamp while trying to avoid the imaginary lava on the floor, is coming to Fortnite.

This information can be seen via the in-game news feed, which states: "Get to high ground or build above the lava that's overtaking the island.” The image notes that the LTM is “coming soon,” and it’s expected to drop with the upcoming v8.20 update, though no specific date has been announced.

2019032508584200-F489C99A244DF57DCBDC4BFD2DB926F1

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/the-floor-is-lava-coming-to-fortnite-as-a-limited-time-mode
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Analogue Mega Sg Review

Clone console hardware has come a long way over the past 15 years. What used to be the domain of sketchy shopping mall kiosks offering off-brand NESes claiming to contain 1,000 games (990 of which were strangely named hacks of Super Mario Bros. and Contra, and none of which were legally licensed) has become a booming, legitimate business, thanks in part to the huge success off the NES Classic and Super NES Classic. Analogue Co.'s new Mega Sg—a high-end Sega Genesis clone—arrives amidst heavy competition, and it comes with a fairly steep price tag of $189.99 that anybody looking for a quick and simple hit of nostalgia may find off-putting. What Analogue promises in return, however, is something no other Genesis clone on the market can offer: Total fidelity to the original hardware, with zero barriers to a perfect plug-and-play gaming experience on high-definition and 4K televisions. While it turns out the Mega Sg doesn't quite achieve that lofty goal either, it comes remarkably close and offers the best Genesis experience on the market.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/analogue-mega-sg-review
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Anthem's New Stronghold Caches Won't Contain Armour

Anthem players are upset following the news that Elysian Stronghold Caches will not contain new armor sets, but will instead feature new vinyls, animations, victory poses, and emotes.

As reported by VG247, some of this confusion occurred following a livestream comment and when some Anthem players tweeted Bioware lead producer Ben Irving and asked when they can expect to be able to earn and/or acquire new armor sets.

Irving originally replied, offering a bit of hope, saying that "Eysian chests should be up next week," which led many players to believe these caches would contain armor sets.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/anthems-new-stronghold-caches-wont-contain-armour
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How to Get 2,150 Apex Legends Coins for 99p

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

With the number of players jumping into Apex Legends sky-rocketing, it's only natural demand for new skins and unlockables to increase. It's possible to earn new cosmetics simply by playing, but purchasing Apex Legends coins is a fast-track way to getting extras (although you're not guaranteed to get what you want).

Apex Legends coins are only used to unlock cosmetics, characters and weapons - they do not provide any actual advantage in the game, so it's not 'pay-to-play' via the currency,

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/buy-apex-legends-coins-cheap
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SteamWorld Quest Is a Card Game RPG as Fiendish as It Is Lovely

There’s something inherently likeable about the SteamWorld series. Its hand-drawn sprites, or sheer commitment to cheeriness or unerring focus on a single, tight, mechanical design stretched to game length – one or all of these will tug a smile from players’ cold hearts eventually, no matter the game. The side-effect is that the whole SteamWorld brand has given developer Image & Form the enviable opportunity to consistently try new things, while still attracting a captive audience.

2013’s breakout Steamworld Dig, don’t forget, was the second game to bear the moniker, swapping the DSiWare original’s Tower Defence for procedurally generated platforming. Then we got Heist, which somehow wrestled the XCOM model into two dimensions, and added a weird fascination with collectible hats. Even Dig 2, the series’ first full sequel, made major changes, swapping those procedural maps for a meticulously designed experience, now prizing skilled play over the original’s material grinding.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/steamworld-quest-is-a-card-game-rpg-as-fiendish-as-it-is-lovely
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a Second Apex Legend Character Will Hit During Season 1

A second character will arrive in Apex Legends before the end of Season 1, bringing the roster up to 10 Legends.

The news comes from Sony’s page for Apex Legends on the PlayStation website, which notes that “two new characters will launch over the course of the season”, complete with a full set of cosmetics each.

Developer Respawn had already noted in the Apex Legends roadmap that new characters would arrive each season, but there had been no indication as to how many we could expect. The PlayStation website makes clear, however, that one new Legend will arrive within the next 12 weeks.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/a-second-apex-legend-character-will-hit-during-season-1
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Nintendo Allegedly Set to Release Two New Switch Models

Nintendo is allegedly planning to launch two new versions of the Switch console, potentially as early as this summer.

A report by The Wall Street Journal (which can be read in full on Reddit) claims that Nintendo has an “enhanced” variant of the Switch in development, bolstered with features “targeted at avid videogamers”. This will be joined by a cheaper option of the console for casual gamers, with the intent of it acting as a successor to the 3DS.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/25/nintendo-set-to-release-two-new-switch-models
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Sunday, 24 March 2019

Rainbow Six Siege in 2019: What's Over The Burnt Horizon

Rainbow Six Siege had something of a rocky start, but Ubisoft's dedication to its multiplayer-only competitive shooter has seen it go from strength to strength. With the launch of Burnt Horizon, Siege embarks on its fourth year of constant improvements — beginning with the addition of Australia (finally).

Here's a look at the year ahead.

A Sunburnt Country

The year kicks off with two new operators and a new map. The map, Outback — or Servo, as the locals call it — is a tightly built two storey arena with an emphasis on destructibility. Hanley's Roadhouse — named for Timothy Hanley, the sole Australian Operator in the original Rainbow Six — demonstrates remarkable growth from the Siege dev team from its outset.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/24/rainbow-six-siege-in-2019-whats-over-the-burnt-horizon
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Sekiro - Prosthetic Tool Locations Guide

Deck out your prosthetic arm in Sekiro with all sorts of awesome gadgets with our guide on where to find them all.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/23/sekiro-prosthetic-tool-locations-guide
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Saturday, 23 March 2019

How to Get 2,150 Apex Legends Coins for 99p

Find out how to get 2,150 Apex Legends Coins for 99p, 4,350 for £17.99, 6700 for £34.99 and 11,500 for £64.99.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/23/buy-apex-legends-coins-for-cheap-how-to-get-2150-apex-legends-coins-for-99p
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Friday, 22 March 2019

The 5 Best Skills to Get Early in Sekiro

You can unlock multiple skill trees in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and we show you the best ones to get first.

from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/the-5-best-skills-to-get-early-in-sekiro
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Judgment Actor Replaced for Western Release, Still Launching June 25th

Judgment, the next game from the developers of the Yakuza franchise, will have the character model and Japanese voice of Kyohei Hamura adjusted for the Western release following the arrest of the character's voice actor for alleged drug use, but the release date will not change.

Announced by SEGA, this change does not appear to affect Judgment's Western release date of June 25, 2019 on PlayStation 4. Judgment was released in Japan on December 13, 2018.

SEGA has also announced that all screenshots and trailers featuring Hamura have been temporarily removed from its official channels and it will be updating these and bringing them back in the future.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/judgment-actor-replaced-for-western-release-still-launching-june-25th
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Cyberpunk 2077 And One Other CD Project Red Game Will Release by 2021

The release window for CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 has narrowed slightly, with the studio confirming the release of two AAA games by 2021.

GamesRadar+ reports that the news comes via a forum post in which the developer states that both Cyberpunk 2077 and a new, unannounced title will debut within the next two years.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/cyberpunk-2077-and-one-other-cd-projekt-red-game-will-release-by-2021
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Control Gets a Release Date

Alan Wake and Quantum Break developer Remedy Entertainment's next game, Control, now has an official release date.

Control's release date was first seen on Microsoft's Xbox store as it appeared to be published early, and now Remedy has confirmed to Eurogamer that Control will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on August 27, 2019.

Control will be the first Remedy multiplatform title since Max Payne 2 and puts players in the shoes of Jesse Faden, who was recently given the title of director of the Federal Bureau of Control.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/control-gets-a-release-date
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Apex Legends Has Removed a Favourite Camping Spot From Bunker

Despite being absent from the patch notes, Respawn has stealthily rolled out map changes in the Bunker location that will stop players from camping.

Spotted by Twitter user PlayApexESP (via GamesRadar+), the Season 1 update appears to have removed the air con units from above the doors, which acted as handy perch for a one or two players to rain down shots from on high, or for Caustic mains to watch their noxious traps take effect on their victims below.

You can check out where the camping spots used to be in acuriousfeline's tweet below:

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/apex-legends-has-removed-a-favourite-camping-spot-from-bunker
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Get NBA2K19 for Free When You Buy a Nintendo Switch

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Last week's incredible Mario Day sale event has come to a close. If you missed it, there was a brief window of opportunity where you could pick up a Mario game for Nintendo Switch for just $40. The other part of the sale was the $329 Switch and Mario game bundle. The good news is that deal lives on in at Walmart and it's even better than it was before.

Looking for some games? Check out the latest Nintendo Switch game deals and save on some of the best

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/22/the-best-nintendo-switch-deals-and-bundles
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Thursday, 21 March 2019

SteamWorld Quest Scoops and Nindies Recap

Weeeelcooome to NVC, IGN's weekly Nintendo podcast! This week, Brjann Sigurgeirsson of Image & Form, developer of the SteamWorld series, joins us to discuss the upcoming SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech for the Nintendo Switch. Of course, we also spend an ample amount of time weighing in on all the games announced during this week's Nindies Showcase, including Cadence of Hyrule and Cuphead, and even reveal our hands-on impressions of Katana ZERO, Creature in the Well, and much, much more.

NVC is available on your preferred platform!

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/steamworld-quest-scoops-and-nindies-recap-nintendo-voice-chat-podcast-episode-448
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Hands-On With Google Stadia

The topic on everyone’s lips at GDC this week has undoubtedly been Google’s reveal of Stadia, the tech giant’s hardware-free game streaming platform. To get a sense of what we might expect from Stadia, I checked out the limited hands-on demos that Google had made available - though I was only able to experience a very small sample of their streaming tech since none of the public demos allowed us to use Stadia’s proprietary controller (though we did get to hold one yesterday).

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/hands-on-with-google-stadia
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Reports Suggest Walmart Is Exploring a Game Streaming Service

The retail giant Walmart has reportedly been in talks with developers and publishers for a few months with a view allegedly to launch its own video game streaming platform.

Anonymous sources familiar with Walmart's plans have spoken to USG about the endeavour, saying the idea allegedly has been in the works since earlier this year, with Walmart supposedly continuing the conversation with various contacts at GDC.

The news follows in the footsteps of Google's game streaming platform, Stadia, unveiled at the company's GDC 2019 keynote.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/in-wake-of-google-stadia-reports-suggest-walmart-is-exploring-a-game-streaming-service
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Battlefield 5: Firestorm - What You Need to Know About the Battle Royale Mode

We've played (and won!) Battlefield 5: Firestorm, the series' new Battle Royale mode, and it's a pleasant mix of elements of the series and the genre.

Want to know more? We've got a bunch of details, and some brand new gameplay, nestled in this very article:

Firestorm is a fairly straightforward set-up as Battle Royales go. 64 players (squad and solo variants are available) parachute onto a single landmass, and kill each other off as the titular, circular Firestorm closes in.

As per Battlefield tradition, the real difference here is size. Firestorm's map, Halvøy, is 10 times bigger than the previous largest Battlefield map. What's interesting here is how Firestorm uses that scale - the circle will only cover around two thirds of the map from the very beginning of the round, meaning you won't have to worry too much about escaping the incoming wall of fire, but every round should feel slightly different, placing you across different, distant parts of the map.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/battlefield-5-firestorm-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-royale-mode
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Google Stadia's Controller Is Surprising Because of How Normal It Is

During my time speaking to Google's Phil Harrison about the Google Stadia reveal, I got to actually see and hold the Stadia controller. And the biggest surprise about it was that, for a controller paired with a streaming platform aiming to spark a revolution, it feels so familiar.

I didn't get to play anything with the Stadia controller but holding it felt immediately comfortable and recognizable. It had the rough shape and grip of a Nintendo Switch Pro controller with the symmetrical analog stick layout of a PS4 DualShock 4 controller. There's a nice heft to the controller, getting close to that indescribable dream controller weight midway between a hollow piece of plastic and a smooth rock.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/the-google-stadia-controller-is-surprising-because-of-how-normal-it-is
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We’re Reacting to Google Stadia On the Latest Game Scoop Podcast

Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game podcast. This week we're discussing Google's new Stadia game streaming platform, The Division 2, and more. Tune into Game Scoop! Episode 522 here. That one link will get you to wherever you like to listen.

Listen on:

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

Spotify

Continue reading…



from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/game-scoop-522-google-stadia-the-division-2
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6 Awesome Games from Nintendos Spring Showcase

We had an opportunity to go hands-on with a BUNCH of games from Nintendo's Nindies Showcase at GDC 2019! Here's a quick rundown of our top picks:

Stranger Things 3: The Game

If watching the new season of Stranger Things just isn't enough of a nostalgia blast, Stranger Things 3: The Game should provide some extra throwback. With its retro pixel art style, and gameplay evocative of SNES action-adventure games like Goof Troop, the game adaptation of the Netflix hit is simple to get the hang of and definitely more fun with a co-op partner.

Puzzles and combat were definitely simple to breeze through in our demo, but the chance to experience the events of Season 3 — and dive a little deeper into them — is obviously an exciting one for fans of the show. - Jonathon Dornbush

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/6-awesome-games-from-nintendos-spring-showcase
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Complete Guide to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's Preorder Bonuses

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

The next game from the creators of Bloodborne and the Souls series is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and it's heading to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 22. That means today is your last chance to preorder it. And judging by our glowing Sekiro review, you'll probably want to play it. Sekiro puts you in the shoes of a one-armed warrior whose prosthetic limbs come equipped with deadly tools and weapons. When the young lord you've pledged to protect gets kidnapped, it's time to slice through enemies in a dark, fantastical version of late 1500s Sengoku Japan.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-release-date-collectors-edition
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review

Within the first minutes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there’s no missing the fact that FromSoftware has built its Shinobi-focused adventure from the DNA of the Souls and Bloodborne series. But this new mutated strain is as much its own stealth-action experience, one that’s more focused, cohesive, and in some ways forgiving, despite retaining its predecessors' trademark difficulty. As I rolled credits after 50 hours of pressurized-blood-geyser executions, fantastical monster fights, split-second swordsmanship, and sprawling, secret-filled areas, I’m left with a deep appreciation for this amazing journey and the skills it demands to master it.

To any Souls veteran, Sekiro’s timing-based lock-on combat of strikes and slashes is familiar, as is the way you weave through the same excellently designed levels that snake, interconnect, and double back on themselves to reveal new shortcuts between little bastions of safety to resupply. Functionally equivalent to bonfires from Dark Souls, or Lanterns in Bloodborne, the Sculptor’s Idols are where you’ll rest, recover your healing draughts, reset slain enemies, access your character progression, and of course, teleport between them for a snappy fast travel.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-review
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Metro Exodus' Epic Store Sales Are Already Over Double That of Last Light's on Steam

Sales of Deep Silver's Metro Exodus are already 2.5 times that of the previous Metro title, indicating that the store exclusivity has had little effect on its success.

After revealing the figures, Steve Allison, head of Epic Games Store, said, "it's really about the games, not the store you sell on," via GamesIndustry.biz.

"We're super stoked to see this result, and one thing we can say for certain is Epic Games Store is sure to make many hundreds of millions of dollars for our development partners this year."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/21/metro-exodus-epic-store-sales-are-already-over-double-that-of-last-lights-on-steam
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Wednesday, 20 March 2019

How AC: Odyssey Indicates Google Stadia's 3rd Party Plans

Google Stadia's announcement keynote at GDC included a few recognizable developers — Id Software with Doom Eternal and RIme developer Tequilia Works among them. But it's Google's partnership for Project Steam with Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed Odyssey that is the real indicator of what games Google plans to bring to its new streaming game platform.

Speaking with IGN at GDC 2019, Vice President and GM at Google Phil Harrison explained that viewers shouldn't "read too much into who we had on our stage."

"Don't read too much into who we had on our stage yesterday and who we didn't have on our stage," Harrison said. "

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/how-assassins-creed-odyssey-indicates-google-stadias-third-party-game-plans
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An 8th Goku Is Coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ

Update: Bandai Namco has confirmed that the younger Goku from Dragon Ball GT will be added as part of the FighterZ Pass 2, which include six new characters in total. The announcement states that he "packs a big punch with special attacks like the Super Kamehameha attack, transforming him into Super Saiyan 3. Goku is also able to use his Super Spirit Bomb, Power Pole, and Reverse Kamehameha to flatten the competition."

Original story follows: 

Despite Dragon Ball FighterZ’s 30+ character roster currently sitting at roughly 10-20% Goku (depending on how you count it), an upcoming DLC will reportedly be adding another Goku as a playable fighter.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/dragon-ball-fighterz-is-reportedly-getting-kid-goku-from-gt-as-a-new-dlc-character
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How Google Stadia Could Affect Next-Gen

BEYOND!

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation podcast, Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Outerloop Games' Chandana Ekanayake to discuss the upcoming PS4/PSVR title Falcon Age.

Alongside that interview, Jonathon is joined by Brian Altano and Max Scoville to discuss No Man's Sky's new expansion, Days Gone's photo mode, the Google Stadia announcement and its implications for next gen, and more!

Timecodes:

  • 00:00 - Intro
  • 02:38 - News Crunch/No Man's Sky Beyond
  • 18:26 - Days Gone's Photo Mode
  • 23:31 - Apex Legends and MK11 news
  • 24:45 - Google's Stadia announcement
  • Continue reading…



    from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/how-google-stadia-could-affect-the-next-gen-race-falcon-age-interview-beyond-episode-583
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Current VR Headsets Compared: Oculus Rift S vs HTC Vive vs Oculus Quest

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Oculus just announced not one, but two new VR headsets coming this year: the PC-based Oculus Rift S and the standalone Oculus Quest. Here’s how these new headsets compare to their predecessors and competitors.

The Latest in PC-Based VR – Oculus Rift S

RiftS

The Oculus Rift S is, as its name suggests, a minor upgrade to the original Oculus Rift. Like the Rift, it connects to your gaming PC with a cable for high-end VR gaming, either standing, sitting, or with room-scale play. The new Rift S costs $399, has a sleeker and “more balanced” headset (despite being slightly heavier), and boasts built-in room tracking so you don’t need to place sensors around your play area. This is partially due to its updated Touch controllers as well, which are redesigned versions of the much-lauded Touch controllers on the original Rift.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/current-vr-headsets-compared-oculus-rift-s-vs-htc-vive-vs-oculus-quest
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How an Indie Developer Is Making an Official Zelda Game

Cadence of Hyrule marks a fairly unprecedented step for Nintendo. While it’s fundamentally a mash-up of The Legend of Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer, the next Zelda game is still being made by a small, third-party indie developer, and is even being called a “Nindie” by Nintendo itself. As exciting as the announcement is, how the heck did that happen?

To find out, I spoke with Ryan Clark, founder of Crypt of the NecroDancer developer Brace Yourself Games, and Kirk Scott, Nintendo of America’s Manager of Publisher-Developer Relations and all-around Nindie guy. While Clark says they initially approached Nintendo to potentially use Zelda in some smaller way like DLC, the mutual interest in working together grew faster than they were expecting.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/how-an-indie-developer-is-making-an-official-zelda-game
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Kill la Kill: IF Release Date Announced

Kill la Kill the Game: IF is launching on PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch this July.

Revealed on the game’s official website, the anime fighting title is coming to North America and Europe on July 26, just after its July 25 release in Japan.

On top of the 10 previously announced characters, two free DLC fighters have just been revealed and will become available this summer: Mako Mankanshoku, a second year student at Honnouji Academy, and Ultimate Double Naked DTR, the ultimate form of the Anti-Honnouji Academy Mechanized Weapon. An informational video presented in Japanese was also released, showing off a limited edition of the game, which includes an original art book, soundtrack and Mak-Roquette “squeezie."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/kill-la-kill-if-release-date-announced
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Microsoft Confirms Plans for Xbox Live on Nintendo Switch with Cuphead

Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Live will be headed to Nintendo Switch and that it is working with Cuphead developer StudioMDHR to implement Xbox Live features into the game in the coming months.

Cuphead for Nintendo Switch was announced during Nintendo's Nindies Showcase Spring 2019 alongside 17 other games, and it was revealed that the Xbox One-console exclusive from 2017 will be arriving on Nintendo's latest platform on April 18, 2019.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/microsoft-confirms-plans-for-xbox-live-on-nintendo-switch-with-cuphead
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Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter Review

Season of the Drifter (AKA Jokers Wild) is a big improvement for Destiny 2’s Annual Pass. While it’s still not overly exciting, this bag of new stuff does some interesting things that hit a sweet spot. You’ll get some interesting story pieces supplemented by some new twists on wave-based defense modes and Gambit to earn fancy new armor sets and other gear, plus you’ll make an actual decision with actual consequences. Some of the grinding gets to be a slog, but it’s otherwise a strong entry in this year’s Annual Pass rollout.

Reckoning’s arcadey, wave-based challenge is one of my favorite activities this time around. Its long-term replayability will likely wane similarly to how activities like Blind Well and Escalation Protocol have, but it adds one important tool these types of modes have needed for some time now: Matchmaking. While it’s definitely more of a challenge hopping in with random players, I still was able to successfully complete tier 1 and tier 2 of this event with randoms filling out the fireteam. Tiers will require leveling up a lot and Bungie had an unfortunate new bug at launch that may have caused armor and weapons to drop below your current level. This made hitting the level requirement a frustrating experience, but once you’re in it’s a lot of fun to clear out the Taken and collect your fancy new Gambit Prime armor.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/destiny-2-season-of-the-drifter-review
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Google Stadia Poll: Were You Convinced?

You can read our reactions to the Google Stadia announcement all over IGN. Some of us are hopeful. Some of us are skeptical. But we want to hear what you think! Is Stadia the future of gaming? Is it too soon? Can your internet handle it? Let's do this.

According to Google Vice President and General Manager (and Stadia representative) Phil Harrison, Stadia's speed requirement is (for 1080p, 60 fps) is 25 megabits per second, or Mbps. You can test your internet speed right now over at Speedtest.net. We want to know how many of you can actually enjoy Stadia...

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/poll-what-are-your-thoughts-on-google-stadia
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Detroit, Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls Coming to PC

Quantic Dream and Epic Games have announced an exclusive partnership for the Epic Games Store to launch Quantic's previously PlayStation-exclusive games on PC.

Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and last year's Detroit: Become Human will all be available on PC later this year exclusively through the Epic Games Store.

Speaking to IGN via email when asked about whether these games would see any notable changes, Quantic Dream Co-CEO and Head of Publishing Guillaume de Fondaumiere confirmed there will be, but that Quantic Dream is not yet ready to discuss those changes. Additionally, more details about controller support vs. mouse and keyboard control schemes will be discussed at a later date as well.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/quantic-dream-epic-games-store-partner-to-release-detroit-heavy-rain-beyond-two-souls-on-pc
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Phil Spencer Reportedly Says Stadia Announcement Had 'No Big Surprises'

In an alleged e-mail that went out to various Microsoft employees, Xbox head Phil Spencer reportedly said the Google Stadia announcement had “no big surprises,” and that Xbox in turn will “go big” at E3 2019.

Thurrott, a website known for reporting on and leaking Xbox news, claims it got hold of this e-mail. "We just wrapped up watching the Google announcement of Stadia as team here at GDC,” said Spencer. "Their announcement is validation of the path we embarked on two years ago."

"Today we saw a big tech competitor enter the gaming market, and frame the necessary ingredients for success as Content, Community and Cloud. There were no big surprises in their announcement although I was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the use of Google Assistant and the new WiFi controller."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/phil-spencer-reportedly-says-stadia-announcement-had-no-big-surprises-says-xbox-will-go-big-at-e3
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RAD Is a Roguelike for the Rest of Us

Double Fine has announced RAD, a new third-person action-adventure/roguelike that's set after not one but two apocalypses. It will release this summer on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with a beta beforehand.

RAD is directed by Lee Petty, who also headed up 2016's Headlander (see the review below). In RAD, an apocalypse struck in the 1980s, decimating civilization for centuries. And then, way in the future after humanity had recovered, a second one hit, and RAD takes place after that. As such, RAD's aesthetic is a mix of  '80s pop culture influences and futuristic alien tech chic. Gameplay-wise, you play a random, malleable gene'd teenager who roams the procedurally wasteland in defense of the un-radiated town you live in (which also serves as a hub). If you die, you resume as another teenager – that's where the roguelike element comes in.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/rad-first-look-preview-a-roguelike-for-the-rest-of-us
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18 Games Highlighted in Nintendo Switch Showcase

Nintendo highlighted 18 indie games during its GDC 2019 Nindies Showcase, many with confirmed or vague imminent release dates — including a few games being released today.

Check out each of the games highlighted below for more info and a better look at the Switch's upcoming Nindies lineup.

Cuphead

Nintendo confirmed the formerly Xbox One-console exclusive Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch. No mention was made of Cuphead's upcoming DLC, but Switch players can now get a taste of the beautifully animated bullet hell shooter. Cuphead comes to Switch on April 18.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/18-games-highlighted-in-the-march-20-nintendo-switch-nindies-showcase
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Disney May Be Rebuilding Lucasfilm Games

Disney seems to possibly be ramping back up its game division of Lucasfilm Games, with multiple job postings listed on Disney's career site that detail working specifically for Lucasfilm Games, as reported by PCGamesN.

The roles include producers, art directors, and marketing coordinators to work out of San Francisco, including a branch for territories in Asia.

The job summaries include descriptions such as roles that support, "the visual development and production of multiple licensed titles." As well as job responsibilities that say, "Meet with game developers both in person and remotely to ensure product vision and quality benchmarks are met."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/disney-may-be-reviving-lucasfilm-games
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Legend of Zelda-Based Crypt of the Necrodancer Sequel Announced

Nintendo closed its Nindies Showcase at GDC 2019 with a surprise The Legend of Zelda partnership: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer feat. The Legend of Zelda.

Cadence of Hyrule is a full, new game based on both Nintendo's historic franchise and beloved roguelike dungeon exploration/rhythm game Crypt of the NecroDancer. Set for release this spring (in North America), Cadence of Hyrule includes Link and Zelda as playable characters in a quest populated by familiar Hyrule creatures, items, and, naturally for a rhythm-based game, sounds.

The decision to license Zelda out to an indie developer certainly falls in line with Nintendo's initiative to expand its franchises in new ways.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/cadence-of-hyrule-crypt-of-the-necrodancer-feat-the-legend-of-zelda-announced
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Next Yakuza Game's Protagonist Confirmed

The next game in the Yakuza series, tentatively titled Shin Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan, will feature Ichiban Kasuga as its protagonist, and Sega has opened auditions for a female lead.

This news comes from the official Ryu ga Gotoku website (via Gematsu). Kasuga, who debuted in Yakzua Online, is a former member of the Tojo clan's Arakawa family who has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he didn’t commit. A new protagonist in the Yakuza series is notable (and entirely expected) as Kazuma Kiryu held that role for the majority of the franchise.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/next-yakuza-games-protagonist-confirmed-auditions-open-for-female-lead
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Cuphead for Nintendo Switch Announced

Nintendo announced during its Nindies Showcase for GDC 2019 that former Xbox One-console exclusive Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch.

Cuphead will be available for the Switch on April 18, and is currently available for pre-purchase. Nintendo specifically thanked Studio MDHR and Microsoft for allowing it to come to Nintendo's console. (Cuphead also previously came to PC.)

Cuphead's reveal opened the Nindies Showcase with an amusing old-fashioned tutorial regarding milk before highlighting the frantic gameplay of Studio MDHR's platform shooter.

Originally released in 2017, Cuphead earned an 8.8 from IGN. In our Cuphead review, we said " Rather than simply offering the player what they want, Cuphead makes them earn that right – the rewards, if you can hack the tests, are absolutely worth it."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/cuphead-for-nintendo-switch-announced-release-date-confirmed
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Yoshi's Crafted World: Check Out Some of the Unlockable Costumes

Yoshi's Crafted World – Nintendo's imminent new platformer for the Switch – seems like it knows how adorable it is. It leans into that cuteness with its large collection of unlockable costumes. The above montage video shows off a bunch of them, but there are many more in the full game! Which one is your favorite?

As a reminder, IGN First is our monthly, purely editorially driven initiative where we take a deeper dive into the games we're most excited about. We've got an interview with the developers behind Yoshi's Crafted World coming up soon, leading up to our review of the game and its release later this month. And if you enjoy the video above, feel free to also check out one of our previous new stage reveals from this month, which showcased 'The Shogun's Castle' stage, complete with a mini-boss fight at the end.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/yoshis-crafted-world-check-out-some-of-the-unlockable-costumes-a-ign-first
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Oculus Rift S Announced, Priced, and Detailed

Facebook and Oculus have announced the Oculus Rift S, a follow-up to 2016's Oculus Rift. The Rift S will be available this Spring for $399 and include two new Oculus Touch controllers.

The Rift S will run everything the original Rift did. It includes built-in Insight tech, similar to the standalone Oculus Quest – which was also just confirmed for a Spring release at a $399 price point – which means the Rift S will not need room sensors. Just one wire runs from the headset to a USB port. When asked about where wireless fits into their plans, Oculus Studios boss Jason Rubin told IGN that no official first-party wireless adapter is currently in the works, and that if they had chosen to go wireless, it would've either driven the price up – Oculus calls $399 the "sweet spot" – or they would've had to sacrifice screen resolution. The Rift S indeed has a higher resolution than either the Rift or the Quest, noticeably reducing the "screen door effect." It weighs a tad more than the original Rift but is "better balanced," weight-wise, according to Oculus. The headband was designed in partnership with Lenovo. The Rift S also sports increased visual clarity, improved lenses, and a fifth camera. "Passthrough+" allows you to see the real world through the Rift S's camera without taking the headset off, allowing you to better virtually draw your play space during setup.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/oculus-rift-s-announced-priced-and-detailed
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Google Stadia Recommends a 25 Megabit Internet Connection

Google Stadia, the newly-revealed games streaming service, recommends a 25 megabits per second internet connection to provide 1080p, 60 frames per second gameplay.

The requirements for the service are detailed in an interview Kotaku conducted with Google Stadia boss Phil Harrison.

“To get 1080p, 60 frames per second, required approximately 25 megabits per second,” Harrison said of the tests they conducted last October. “In fact, we use less than that, but that’s where we put our recommended limit at.”

Since those tests, Google has been able to innovate and refine their streaming and compression technology, which will allow for stronger results. “When we launch, we will be able to get to 4K but only raise that bandwidth to about 30 megabits per second,” Harrison said. He did not clarify if 4K resolution will still run at 60 frames per second with that 30mbs connection speed.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/google-stadia-recommends-a-25-megabit-internet-connection
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New Apex Legends Character Might Be a Reference to a Titanfall 2 Speedrun

The newly-released Octane, Apex Legends' ninth character, could be an in-joke about a series of famous Titanfall 2 speedruns.

As pointed out by Steve Kim on Twitter, Octane's intro video explains that he rode "a grenade blast to beat the Gauntlet speed record" – that's pretty similar to some incredible Titanfall 2 speedruns in that game's Pilot's Gauntlet tutorial area.

YouTuber Cash Mayo currently holds the world record time for the Gauntlet (under the name Rbrite). Only this month, he beat the Gauntlet in a frankly absurd 12 seconds. And he's repeatedly beaten that record by, you guessed it, riding grenade blasts.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/20/new-apex-legends-character-might-be-a-reference-to-a-titanfall-2-speedrunner
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Tuesday, 19 March 2019

Google Stadia: Just What Are Teraflops, And Why Should You Care?

Google’s game-streaming platform Stadia will be here soon, allowing you to play AAA games with high quality graphics on just about any device, thanks to the custom-built CPUs and GPUs doing the heavy lifting on a cloud server.

Google is boasting 10.7 teraflops of performance–or as they put it, “more than the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X combined.” But what does that actually mean?

Floating Points

FLOPS is an acronym that stands for Floating Point Operations Per Second. Without getting too technical, floating point operations are the types of complex calculations your computer needs to perform when, say, drawing polygons on your screen.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/what-are-teraflops-and-what-do-they-tell-us-about-googles-stadia-performance
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Google Outlines How Stadia YouTube Integration Works

One of Google's announced features for its game-streaming Stadia platform is a type of YouTube integration that will allow you to begin playing a game while you're watching a video about it.

To demonstrate the new YouTube integration, Google showed the trailer for Assassin's Creed Odyssey and the new "Play" button creators can add to YouTube videos. Once the trailer is over, Stadia users can click the button and begin playing on their device of choice.

PLay

During streams, a Google Stadia feature called Crowd Play comes into effect. You can watch a game being played, click the Crowd Play button, and "jump in and play with YouTube creators that you're watching," Google promises.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-outlines-how-stadia-youtube-integration-works
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Google Announces Stadia Controller

During its GDC 2019 keynote address, Google unveiled the official controller for its streaming platform Stadia.

Google VP Phil Harrison revealed the controller connects to whatever platform players are streaming Stadia with via Wi-Fi, directly to the game that is running in the Google data center. The controller allegedly identifies which screen or device players want to use, and syncs it with their game session running in the cloud.

On top of standard controller functions and buttons, the Stadia controller features a capture button (analogous to the PS4’s share button) which shares and saves gameplay experiences to YouTube with the click of a button. The controller also features a Google Assistant button, which allows players to immediately access the controller’s built-in microphone, to “get help from the assistant for special in-game features integrated by developers."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-announces-stadia-controller-color-options
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Google Announces a First-Party Game Studio

Google has announced its first-party studio, Stadia Games and Entertainment, and it will be headed by Jade Raymond.

Announced during the reveal of Google Stadia and its controller, Stadia Games and Entertainment will be developing titles for Google's gaming platform that will be launching later this year.

Jade Raymond recently joined Google as a VP and will bring her experience in helping create and lead such titles as Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2 and founding and leading both EA's Motive Studio and Ubisoft Toronto to Google and the Stadia platform.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-announces-a-first-party-game-studio-for-stadia-with-jade-raymond
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Google Announces Gaming Partnerships With Ubisoft, More 3rd Parties

Google has announced some its partners for its new Stadia gaming platform, and on board are such companies as id Software with Doom Eternal and Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed.

Announced alongside the reveal of Stadia and its controller, Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot and executive producer of id Software Marty Stratton took the stage to help announce their partnerships with Google.

id Software's Marty Stratton even announced that Doom Eternal will run on Stadia at full 4K and with 60fps.

Ubisoft, who has already been working with Google on bringing Asassin's Creed Odyssey to Project Stream, announced that they will continue collaborating with google.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-announces-gaming-partnerships-with-3rd-party-companies-including-ubisoft-id
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Google Claims Stadia Is More Powerful Than PS4 and Xbox One Combined

During its GDC 2019 conference, Google made the claim that its streaming platform Stadia is more powerful than PS4 and Xbox One... combined.

During the address, Google claimed Stadia runs at 10.7 GPU teraflops using a single GPU while the PS4 Pro runs at 4.2 GPU teraflops and the Xbox One X runs at 6.0 GPU Teraflops.

Screen Shot 2019-03-19 at 11.28.51 AM

The claim that Stadia runs with 10.7 GPU teraflops is when working with a single GPU. However, using multiple GPUs, Google claims Stadia can run even faster, making computing-intensive tasks like water simulation much easier, and more realistic. This power, of course, is dependent on players having a super-fast internet connection.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-claims-stadia-is-more-powerful-than-ps4-and-xbox-one-combined-gdc-2019
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Konami Code Shows Up on Google's New Streaming Controller

If you're watching the live reveal of the new Google streaming service known as Google Stadia, you might have missed a reference to one of the most beloved and well-known "secret" codes of all time.

During the presentation, when the buttons on the new controller were being shown and their functions explained, the on-screen graphic turned the controller to reveal the Konami code printed below the built-in microphone and audio jack.

Controller

If you're somehow unfamiliar with the U,U,D,D,L,R,L,R,B,A, Start code, it's also known as the Contra code or the 30-lives code, among other names. Most famously, entering it in at the title screen of Konami's Contra on NES grants you an immediate 30 lives boost. Other games from Konami, such as Gradius, also used the code, and it became so well known it even appeared in a Bank of Canada ad, and other places online.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/konami-code-shows-up-on-googles-streaming-controller
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Call of Duty: Mobile Revealed for iOS and Android

Call of Duty: Mobile, a new free-to-play game that "brings together maps, modes, weapons, and characters from across the Call of Duty franchise" is headed to North America, South America, Europe and more.

Activision, in collaboration with Tencent and its developer Timi, announced Call of Duty: Mobile for Android and iOS devices and fans can pre-register today to get access to a public beta that will be arriving this summer.

Players will be able to compete in "such fan-favorite modes as Team Deathmatch, Search and Destory and Free-For-All, in iconic maps from the series such as Nuketown, Crash, Hijacked and more."

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/18/call-of-duty-mobile-revealed-for-ios-and-android
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Google's Gaming Platform Stadia Announced

Google has unveiled its new gaming initiative, Stadia.

The first teaser trailer for Stadia also revealed a look at Google's Stadia controller. Google intends Stadia and its features to be supported on desktops, laptops, TV, tablets, and phones. Harrison specifically said there is no console involved in this process.

Stadia is aiming to stream games at launch in 4K at 60 fps for both playing games and sharing game streams, with goals of eventually supporting 8K and 120+ fps. Among its boasts about the power of Stadia, Google confirmed Stadia is more powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One combined.

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from IGN Video Games http://www.ign.com/articles/2019/03/19/google-announces-its-video-game-platform-stadia
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