Rainbow Six Siege is Coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and Android Later This Week
Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege is bar none one of the biggest games in the industry right now, and has been for several years running. It's a game that's been consistently excellent for a long time now, having revived itself after a poor launch, while constant updates and post-launch additions and improvements have also led to a large, dedicated, and ever-growing playerbase.
Now, it seems that playerbase is going to grow even larger. After the recent (not-so-subtle) tease, it has now been officially confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege will be coming to Xbox Game Pass for console and Android devices (via cloud streaming) on October 22, later this week.
This is, of course, exactly the kind of game that could benefit greatly from being on Game Pass, allowing players who ordinarily wouldn't purchase it the chance to give it a go for no cost, and then giving it a permanent purchase if they find it's to their liking. It remains to be seen how long it will stick around on the service.
Rainbow Six Siege is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Ubisoft have confirmed that it will release for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year with 4K/120 FPS support.
Last week's charts for boxed video game sales in the UK were eventful, but not because of any specific new releases. As reported by GamesIndustry, last week's Amazon Prime Day dales saw significant boosts in physical sales of various games in the UK retail, leading to sudden spikes for various older releases.
FIFA 21 topped the charts, which was where it debuted last week. Its sales went down from last week's figures (though this is a game that seems to be performing better digitally). Apparently, the game is now also just a week's sales away from outselling Animal Crossing: New Horizons to become the UK's biggest game at retail in 2020 so far.
The charts are dominated otherwise by Switch games, with four exclusives in the top 10 (and 18 in the top 40). Animal Crossing: New Horizons saw a 44% increase in week-on-week sales, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe saw 70% increase, Minecraft for the Switch saw a 95% increase, while Ring Fit Adventure saw a 79% increase.
Meanwhile, Star Wars: Squadrons and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time have dropped from second and third places (respectively) to eighth and ninth places also respectively).
You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending October 17 below:
- FIFA 21
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Minecraft (Switch)
- Ring Fit Adventure
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- Just Dance 2020
- Star Wars: Squadrons
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
- Grand Theft Auto 5
"I Don't Think Everyone Will Charge $70" for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Games – Michael Pachter
Several major publishers have taken the big step of increasing the prices of some of their upcoming games on next-gen consoles. Take-Two were the first to take the plunge with NBA 2K21, then Activision followed with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, with Sony confirming not long afterward that their next-gen prices for first party published games could go up to $70, depending on the release (like Demon's Souls and Destruction AllStars in the launch lineup itself).
Many are of the belief that this will be the console generation that eventually sees the industry-wide standard for game prices to increase to $70, years after the standard prices last rose. According to industry analyst Michael Pachter, however, that isn't a sure deal.
Speaking with GamingBolt in a recent interview, Pachter suggested that individual instances of price increases by publishers don't necessary have to point to the onset of an industry trend, and that price increases will instead be dependent on console MSRP for games and platform holders- citing the example of Microsoft, who, thanks to Smart Delivery, likely won't be moving to the $70 model anytime soon (lest they increase Xbox One game prices as well).
"It really comes down to what the console MSRP is for games," Pachter said. "Microsoft has been pretty clear with Smart Delivery, which they have said is free for current to next gen upgrades. So if Smart Delivery is free, unless Microsoft raises the price of current gen games from $60 to $70, they can't price their games at $70. And next gen games from them will be $60.
"I think 2K pricing their game at $70 is going to upset customers. And I get that it's worth it, I get that inflation is a thing, and that game prices haven't increased in years. But the fact is, if the platform holders don't suggest a $70 price point, then third party publishers will look greedy by asking for $10 more."
"I don't know if it's going to happen," he added. "I think what we're seeing is publishers trying to figure out what they will do with regards to pricing, and I have to imagine Sony didn't help anybody announcing Miles Morales at $50 and Demon's Souls at $70."
Later, he added, "I don't think everyone will charge $70."
Of course, several major publishers haven't yet committed to the $70 pricing model for next-gen games. Ubisoft have said that their games releasing for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2020 will all be priced at $60 (though they have remained tightlipped on what happens after that. Capcom, meanwhile, have said that they remain undecided on the matter– but a recent Asian listing suggested a $70 price for Resident Evil Village on PS5.
Our full interview with Michael Pachter will be going live soon, so stay tuned for that.
PS5 Might Reward Digital Profile Items Along With Certain Trophies
Sony recently revealed the PS5's UI, unveiling various new features that will be introduced with the PS5's new user experience. In the video that they revealed it with, they highlighted some things in particular, but it seems they may have inadvertently revealed a few other things along the way.
For instance, as spotted by MP1st, some of the Trophies seen for Destruction AllStars were shown in passing while the PS5's menu screens were being shown off. Two of these, it seems give players digital awards for their PS5 profiles when unlocked as well, with a Bronze Trophy unlocking a Profile Banner and a Gold Trophy unlocking a Profile Avatar. Take a look at the relevant screencaps below.
This isn't something Sony have explicitly talked about so far, so it's not a feature that's been officially confirmed yet. It could, for instance, be possible that some elements of the UI shown during the reveal video were placeholders or not final. Then again, Sony have suggested that the PS5's UX will have better integrated social features, and this doesn't sound like it's outside the realm of possibility.
Recently, a report also suggested that the PS5 will also show progress made toward unlocking individual Trophies, similar to the way Xbox has been doing it for some time.
Recently, Sony overhauled the Trophies progression system for both PS4 and the upcoming PS5, greatly increasing the level cap and reworking the pace at which players will level up, among other things. Attaching more cosmetic rewards to the system would seem like a logical next step forward.
Cyberpunk 2077 Will Come To GeForce Now At Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 has officially gone gold, and will be on store shelves just in time for the launch of next generation consoles (even though technically there will not be a native next gen version until 2021). Of course, PC players are also rubbing their hands together, since the game will no doubt be a hot item in that scene as well. For those who are into streaming, you'll also have another option.
Nvidia released a new trailer for their GeForce Now service, in which they confirmed at the end that Cyberpunk 2077 will be there at launch. If you're unfamiliar with the service, it's a streaming service that allows you to stream your games from a variety of devices. It's similar to Google Stadia, where the game will also be releasing at, but does not require to buy the title and instead allows you to stream it directly from Steam or other PC accounts as long as the title is supported for the service, though it does require a monthly fee.
Cyberpunk 2077 will release November 19th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia. If you're playing the PC version the old fashioned way, you can check out the PC requirements through here, with requirements for 4K and RTX coming later.
Kingdom Hearts: Memory of Melody – 15 Features You Need To Know
It's not enough that November is seeing the launch of two next-gen consoles and numerous triple-A titles – we're also getting a new Kingdom Hearts title. Unlike previous titles though, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a rhythm game and will be coming to Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch on November 13th worldwide. Here are 15 things you should know before picking it up.
The Dark Seeker Saga, Retold
The short version of Melody of Memory's story is that it retells the Dark Seeker Saga, starting from Kingdom Hearts 1 all the way up to Kingdom Hearts 3. Players will relive key moments from each title through Kairi, following the epic conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind. This is more than just an homage though.
Continues Kairi's Story
According to series creator Tetsuya Nomura, Melody of Memory is a continuation of Kairi's story and following her memories of events thus far, a "timeline that will connect to the future" will begin to form. Though Melody of Memory isn't a huge step forward for the overall story, it does go into more detail on Kairi's childhood with characters like Riku making appearances. For all intents and purposes, however, this is a greatest hits version of the series, both in terms of story moments and music so don't expect too much plot.
Rhythmic Action
QTE sequences in various games aside, the concept of a rhythm action game for Kingdom Hearts isn't necessarily new. It was actually Masanobu Suzui, who created the Theatrythm Final Fantasy series, that approached Nomura for a Kingdom Hearts take on the formula. This was several years ago and it took Disney's intervention to ultimately approve the idea. The gameplay should be familiar to any rhythm game fan though – you press the corresponding button as it appears on the track in line with the beat to take down enemies. Aerial attacks and skills from the series also come into play.
Missing inputs will cause one's HP to deplete and there are three different input schemes to choose from – Normal Style with the standard inputs; One-Button Style where one single input is used for every action; and Performer Style that features much more complicated inputs.
Difficulty Options
Along with different schemes that change the complexity of inputs, each song has three difficulties to play at – Beginner, Standard and Proud. If this is similar to other rhythm games, then the difficulty influences the number of inputs and how badly a miss affects your HP. It should also be interesting to see how, say, a Proud difficulty song functions in Performer Style versus Normal Style.
Parties
Each stage is played with a party of three. There's Sora, Mickey and Donald, the mainline series' staple team; Terra, Aqua and Ventus from Birth by Sleep; Roxas, Axel and Xion from 358/2 Days; and Riku with two Dream Eaters (for some reason). You'll start out with Sora and friends but once the other teams are unlocked, they can be used in any song at your leisure.
Over 20 Playable Characters
There are more than 20 playable characters in the game but you'll also team up with various Disney characters who act as guests in your party. Thus far, Simba, Beast and Mulan have been seen participating in battle but Aladdin and Hercules are also included. What other Disney characters could pop in for cameos? We'll have to wait and see, though it's probably safe to discount characters like Elsa who weren't playable in the games they appeared in.
World Tour
World Tour is the main story campaign. It sees players venturing to several different worlds in the Kingdom Hearts universe, and playing their songs while fighting enemies. Different story movies are also featured in each world. Though the Gummi Ship is used to travel between worlds, it doesn't have its own dedicated shoot 'em up game.
47 Worlds
In total, there are 47 worlds to explore with 31 based on famous Disney locations. You'll explore worlds through Field Battles, playing different songs while rhythmically dispatching foes and completing different "missions" such as clearing a stage with 50 percent HP or more without using items. Along with these worlds, there are also 33 locations categorized as dark holes, which we'll get to in a bit.
Memory Dives
Memory Dives see your party essentially diving into cinematic scenes from the series set to music while playing to the rhythm. These Memory Dives aren't just confined to vocal tracks like Utada Hikaru's Simple and Clean either – some may be as simple as navigating Kairi's memories while an instrumental track plays.
Boss Battles
Of all the sequences in Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, boss battles may be set in the most traditional perspective. They see your party battling against foes like Maleficent in the aforementioned dark hole locations and pressing inputs in line with the music to execute attacks and avoid special attacks. We haven't seen too many boss battles thus far but we expect foes like Ursula from Little Mermaid and Pete from the Mickey Mouse series to also be featured.
COM Versus
Once you're done with the World Tour mode, there's COM Versus to tackle. This sees the player facing off against the AI, competing against "five parties" (as Square Enix describes it). It's an offline mode with the ultimate objective being to hit Platinum Rank 1. As a pseudo-ranked mode of sorts, it's pretty interesting and could keep players busy for a decent amount of time.
Over 140 Songs
This all probably wouldn't work without a huge selection of songs and fortunately, Memory of Melody has fans covered. It features over 140 songs, from Simple and Clean in Kingdom Hearts 1 to "Let It Go" from Frozen featured in Kingdom Hearts 3. Tracks from Birth by Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, 358/2 Days and even the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra -World Tour- Album are also here, and you can unlock and play them via Music Select or the Museum Mode.
Double Play and Online Versus
If you feel like playing alongside a friend, then there's Double Play which sees two players controlling Sora and Riku and racking up the highest score together. The more competitive-minded players have Online Versus which involves competing against a friend while also using "Tricks" – like switching HP bars or hiding the timing indicators on inputs – to trip them up. Switch players can partake in Friend Versus which is described as a local mode to play against friends, though it features the same content as Online Versus.
Friend Battle Royale
But that's not all. The Switch version also has its own free-for-all local mode called Friend Battle Royale. It sees eight players on a single Field Battle, competing to earn the highest score. Players who miss a certain number of inputs are eliminated. It's an interesting mix of battle royale and rhythm game mechanics that should prove fun, though getting eight friends together for maximum hijinks could be tough.
No Secret Movie
Unfortunately for Kingdom Hearts fans, there is no "Secret Movie" to be had. Nomura confirmed this to Famitsu so don't go expecting a hidden ending or cutscene that teases the next title. It's a shame but perhaps for the best, lest Nomura sneak in more Final Fantasy Versus XIII references.
Cyberpunk 2077 – Players Will Have to Upgrade V to Steal Vehicles in Various Ways
The freedom it will offer in gameplay has been one of Cyberpunk 2077's most alluring aspects, and it's looking more alluring with every little bit of the game's we've seen over the past couple of years. That freedom will also entail players being able to let loose on rampages in the open world of Night City, stealing vehicles, killing NPCs, and committing crimes while escaping law enforcement, like GTA in a cyberpunk setting.
However, things won't be quite so freeform, as suggested by details revealed by senior level designer Miles Tost during the newest Night City Wire episode (via Twisted Voxel). Cyberpunk 2077 is first and foremost an RPG, of course, which means even these sandbox activities will be tied to your character's progression. For instance, you'll have to unlock and invest in different skills to be able to steal or break into cars in different ways. The Body stat, for instance, will allow you to throw NPCs driving cars out of their vehicles, while the Technical stat will govern how well you can hack into stationary cars. In the beginning, you won't have the ability to steal cars whatsoever.
Meanwhile, any cars that you steal, you won't be able to keep (though there will be other ways to add those cars to your collections). Players will also be able to enter a dropdown menu in the middle of gameplay to access the list of cars you own, and will be able to summon of these in the open world, a la The Witcher 3's Roach.
Meanwhile, as far what vehicles players will find themselves behind the wheels of over the course of this game, CD Projekt RED have promised a wide range of vehicles. Some of these were recently showed off in a new trailer. Check it out through here.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out on November 19 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. The game recently went gold, so there probably won't be any more delays before its launch at this point. The full map of Cyberpunk 2077's open world was also recently leaked- check it out through here.
NBA 2K21 Now Seems To Have Unskippable Ads
When it comes to basketball games, there's really one place to go in town: the NBA 2K series from 2K Sports. While EA has tried to muscle in with their on-again, off-again NBA Live franchise, by and large 2K has overwhelmed the market share. Overall, the series is still pretty solid, as you can see from our review of current gen version of NBA 2K21, the latest entry in the series. But a lot of criticism has been thrown towards the franchise for its aggressive monetization, and well, it's that time again.
As reported first by Stevivor, it seems unskippable ads are now in the game. They tested the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions to find they were running there (no word on the Switch and Stadia versions, but odds are they are there as well or will be added). The ads don't run as long as most loading screens, but apparently some do and even on a PC running a SSD the ads still have to finish even they exceed loading screens before you can continue. It's unclear if the ads will be part of the next generation versions, which have been marketed heavily for their lack of loading.
Fans of the series will be familiar with this, as this also happened with last year's title, NBA 2K20. Looks like it wasn't a one-off and appears to now be a standard addition to the franchise moving forward. NBA 2K21 is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Stadia with PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S version coming for next gen launch.
Cyberpunk 2077 Will Get Music Video Collaboration With Run The Jewels
While there was some doubt in the air that Cyberpunk 2077 would actually make 2020, it seems we're full steam ahead for the game to release next month. It's looking to be a big one, too, with some people predicting massive sales by the end of the year alone. It's no wonder that the game has been getting so much mainstream promotion, with the biggest one no doubt being the inclusion of Keanu Reeves. And there's more to come, specificially of a musical variety.
The game will be getting a music video which will be done by popular rap group, Run the Jewels. You can see a small preview of it below as well as the duo talking about the project. It will premiere as part of the Adult Swim Festival 2020, which will be a digital event this year.
Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on November 19th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with a Stadia version now confirmed to be releasing day and date with the other versions. The Adult Swim Festival will run from November 13th-14th.
We've got one more surprise for you tonight.
Catch the world premiere of the @runjewels x @cyberpunkgame music video at Adult Swim Festival 2020 – coming November 13-14.
Festival lineup and all details dropping soon. For all updates and info, visit https://t.co/ONVT27o3Nx pic.twitter.com/RRTrDhe8oY
— adultswim (@adultswim) October 18, 2020
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Raid Goes Live on November 21st
Bungie's Destiny 2 has a new expansion on the horizon with Beyond Light. Along with a new storyline and Exotics, it brings a new destination in Europa and a long-awaited reunion with The Stranger from Destiny 1. Then there's the raid, Deep Stone Crypt, which the developer has confirmed will go live on November 21st at 10 AM PT.
That's 11 days after the expansion launches and probably not enough time for the average player to grind. For the hardcore player, it should be enough to enter the race for World's First completion. Much like previous raids, the Contest Mode modifier will be live and teams should aim for 1230 Power to stand a chance.
That being said, they'll still be capped at 20 Power below each encounter and Artifact Power will also be disabled. Even if you manage go beyond 1230 Power, it won't provide any advantage for the final encounter. Contest Mode will be live for 24 hours, which should make the raid easier for the general populace.
Also, instead of instantly crowning the winners this year, the developer will be "spending extra time validating the finishing team's run." So as usual, don't try to cheat or break the rules. Destiny 2: Beyond Light is out on November 10th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia. The Xbox Series X/S and PS5 upgrades for the game arrive in December.