A Total War Saga: Troy Claimed By 7.5 Million During Free Period On Epic Games Store

Troy - A Total War Sgaa_01

Yesterday, we got a new entry in the beloved RTS series with A Total War Saga: Troy. The game was one of the saga side games from the franchise that sees you playing through the part mystical, part grounded Trojan War. It also came with the unprecedented move of giving the game away free of charge for the first 24 hours after launch. And well, hopefully it was a success for all parties involved, but at the very least a lot of people claimed it.

As reported by Eurogamer, the game was claimed by 7.5 million people during its free period on the Epic Games Store (which the game was released exclusively on). We heard from the developer yesterday that it had been downloaded over 1 million times, which was already impressive, but over 7 times as many people have the game in their account now, which is quite something.

A Total War Saga: Troy is no longer free, so you missed the boat there if you didn't get to it in time, but it is still available on PC via the Epic Games Store. You can check out the requirements through here.


Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Creative Director Has Been Fired

Assassin's Creed Valhalla_04

This holiday season, we will once again get to jump into the Assassin's Creed franchise with a new game which, of course, entails a new setting and era of history to explore. This time it's the viking era of Britain, with your choice of a male of female viking named Eivor. But not everyone who set sail with the game will be landing ashore with it, as a major figure in the game's development has been seemingly been removed from the company.

As reported by Bloomberg, the game's Creative Director, Ashraf Ismail, has now been officially fired from Ubisoft. This comes after just over a month ago when Ismail stepped down from his position. This move comes as multiple allegations have been leveled at Ubisoft, which have seen several other higher ups in the company being fired or resigning. Ismail was known for being in directing positions for Origins and Black Flag, and Valhalla was seen as something of a grand return for him to the series. But it seems now we'll no longer be there at the finish line.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla will release November 17th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions to come at an undetermined date.


The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan Has Sold Over 1 Million Copies

man of medan

Last year, the team at Supermassive Games and publisher Bandai Namco embarked on an ambitious journey. An anthology series, dubbed The Dark Pictures Anthology, of multiple smaller titles with each spanning a different setting and genre of horror. They would follow the same format and gameplay structure of the developer's very successful Until Dawn of a narrative choose your own adventure game. Well, it seems at least the first entry in the series, Man of Medan, managed to make a mark.

As reported by GamesIndustry, Bandai Namco confirmed that Man of Medan managed to sell over 1 million copies. No breakdowns were given for platform or digital vs physical, but it seems a respectable number and a nice startup for the series. Bandai Namco's Hervé Hoerdt spoke well of the game, saying that they think it will become more successful with time as more volumes of anthology come, such as the upcoming Little Hope, the second game in the franchise.

"It's tricky to make people understand it's an anthology when you have only one volume," he said. "This is why we're looking so much forward to the release of the second one and then be able to start discussing potential new volumes, because you need to ground this 'anthology' wording. Anthology doesn't mean anything when you have only one box on your shelf, or one digital game in your library. Each volume will grow the audience.

"There's a lot of ambition for us in this series. There are some regions where we think we can please some more fans, namely in the US and in Asia. I think there's room for growth. The quality of the execution and the experience, [as well as] the genre, make us think that there is more potential."

Man of Medan is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. It also became available on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One this month. The next game, Little Hope, will release on October 30th for all the same platforms.


Halo Infinite Delayed – What This Means for the Xbox Series X Launch

343 Industries' Halo Infinite has been delayed. Some would say it was inevitable, given the lack of information about the title before the Xbox Games Showcase, not to mention the demo itself which was confirmed to be an older build. It's almost interesting to look back on Phil Spencer's earlier statement about how any potential delay for Halo Infinite wouldn't impact the release of the Xbox Series X. Sure enough, it hasn't and Microsoft is surging ahead.

We know that Spencer and the rest of the leadership at Xbox Game Studios and 343 Industries chose to delay the title rather than release it in parts. We also know that the Xbox Series X is releasing in November (November 6th, if the leaked warranty for controllers is to be believed). What could the impact of Halo Infinite's delay be on the console's success?

halo infinite

Right out of the gate, Microsoft will be struggling. The launch of a new console generation depends on several key factors. Perhaps the least important is price because the most important is brand loyalty. "Brand loyalty" covers quite a bit, especially how likely your audience will choose your brand over another. The higher the brand loyalty, the more likely your customers are to become early adopters of a new piece of hardware. Games are an important factor, but even if the PS5 wasn't packing a ton of different games at launch, you can bet it would still be purchased in overwhelming numbers over the Xbox Series X.

Sony has been making some pretty big moves in terms of marketing deals but they're not just meant to sell the hardware. As we've established, the hardware will sell itself regardless. Having titles like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, Deathloop and Kena: Bridge of Spirits is for the sake of selling software. No single game is looking to be a system-seller but the popularity of the system will turn these games into major successes. This is one reason that companies like Bethesda have signed timed-exclusive deals with Sony – it knows that the initial rush of next-gen console sales at launch will feed into software sales for its games.

What about deals like Spider-Man in Marvel's Avengers or GhostWire: Tokyo which will be available after launch? Marketing agency Experience 12 surveyed 3000 individuals in the UK and found that 37 percent planned to buy a next-gen console at launch. However, 9 percent are expected to buy one within the first month while 12 percent will pick one up within three months. A hefty 26 percent will purchase one within six months of launch. The console of choice among 84 percent of individuals? The PlayStation 5, compared to 15 percent for the Xbox Series X. It also doesn't help that 59 percent prefer the PS5 over the Xbox One, which garnered 16 percent of the votes.

Cyberpunk 2077_01

That brand loyalty for Sony also extends to third party releases that have deals with Microsoft and Xbox Series X. The most anticipated release as per the survey is Cyberpunk 2077. This means that a good chunk of players will pick up Cyberpunk 2077 for PS5, despite a lot of the marketing tying into Xbox.

Halo Infinite, by comparison, is in fifth place behind titles like Marvel's Avengers, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and Dying Light 2. So while Microsoft did have a fairly big horse in the next-gen console launch race, that's now gone with the delay. More worrying is the possibility that it could release outside of the six month window when next-gen console sales will arguably be the highest.

This isn't to say that it won't sell well when it eventually releases but the numbers likely won't be anywhere near what could have been possible at the console's launch. One also has to factor in the free to play element. Multiplayer has also been delayed so any potential revenue that could come from this is also out the window for the time being.

One could argue that the brand loyalty for Halo is strong, if not stronger than that for Xbox and fans will happily wait to play the game, whether it's on Xbox One or Xbox Series X. That's all well and good in the long run. In the short term however, the Xbox Series X will face some struggles – after all, it's already at a disadvantage when it comes to brand loyalty versus Sony.

The Medium_03

Xbox Game Pass is a major part of Microsoft's next-gen strategy and it's indicated plans to lean into it further. Spencer promised that there would be "really great" announcements coming to the service in the coming weeks. The plan has always been for the long-term and to be fair, in Microsoft's fiscal year 2020 report for the fourth quarter, the revenue of Microsoft's gaming segment grew by 64 percent to an impressive $1.3 billion. In the quarter before that, it was confirmed to have 10 million subscribers on Game Pass.

However, the company also admitted that Game Pass isn't raking in the most cash for it. Given interest in the Xbox Series X and current trends, it may see itself getting another five million subscribers at best. Contextualizing this in terms of potential Xbox Series X sales is difficult. That's because outside of, say, The Medium, pretty much every game that Microsoft has hyped up for launch is also coming to Xbox One.

Sony's focus with the PS5 has been the hardware and how it's the place to be for high-profile exclusives. The messaging is incredibly clear: If you enjoyed exclusives on the PS4, then you're going to enjoy even more on the PS5.

Xbox Game Pass

On the other hand, Microsoft has been somewhat floundering in its messaging. It's hyped up its cross-gen approach and promised that all major exclusives will be coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X. It then did a 180 of sorts at the Xbox Games Showcase and featured a bunch of exclusives which are most definitely not coming to Xbox One, even if they are coming to Xbox Game Pass. The messaging, in that case, is that you can wait a few years to pick up an Xbox Series X and not worry about launch.

Now that Halo Infinite has been delayed, Microsoft is right back to promoting the value that Game Pass has to offer. At this point, Game Pass isn't a new Netflix that's blazing a trail through the market and quickly garnering popularity. It's more like DC Universe, carving a market share for itself amidst the bigger players (though it probably has around the same subscriber numbers as DC's offering). Yes, there's the promise of lots of high-profile exclusives but you know, down the line. Not right now or even in the next six months.

Another argument that could be made is that Microsoft isn't trying to compete with Sony. It's instead focusing more on services. This, I feel, is a cop-out. Whenever a company is investing this much into a next-generation console and exclusives, acquiring numerous high-profile studios and signing deals to publish third party titles, it's not doing so to simply carve its own niche.

Xbox Series X

It's trying to be competitive – in its own way, sure, but achieving wide-spread success is indeed the goal. The current generation is already a wash to the point that the impact of Game Pass didn't feel all that noticeable. However, a new generation is upon us and it's time to observe just how much Game Pass is worth to Microsoft, both in the short and long term.

I could see the company finding a decent foothold if the Xbox Series X is a lot cheaper than the PS5, thus appealing to those who want to experience 4K gaming without needing a super-expensive PC. Or even if the Xbox Series S provides a reasonable solution for those looking to upgrade from their current Xbox console while still having the promise of next-gen games. I just don't think that success is going to warrant the massive amount of resources invested. As it stands, the delay of Halo Infinite is only one shaky piece in the massive Jenga tower that is Microsoft's next-gen ambitions.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.


WB Games Montreal's Batman Game Confirmed to be Revealed on August 22

batman arkham origins

WB Games Montreal – the developers of Batman: Arkham Origins – may reportedly have been working on a Suicide Squad game for a while, but after that project fell by the wayside, it didn't take long for it to become clear to the industry at large that they had moved on to developing the next Batman game, based on the Court of Owls. That was thanks not only to relentless leaks, but also to relentless teases by the developers themselves.

Now, we know for a fact that it will finally, at long last, be officially announced very soon- later this month, on August 22, at the DC FanDome event. The full schedule for the event was recently published, confirming that WB Games Montreal's game will be announced during a 20 minute-long panel at 10:30 AM Pacific Time. In addition to the first look at the game, the panel will also include a Q&A with the developers.

Of course, leaks less than two months ago had spilled the beans on this already. Those leaks also stated that the game is called Batman: Gotham Knights. That part remains to be officially confirmed, but that may very well turn out to be the game's final name.

Meanwhile, we also know for a fact that Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will also be receiving its long, long-awaited announcement later that same day. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for all of those announcements, details, and more.


Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Officially Confirmed as Suicide Squad Game's Name

Suicide Squad

After years of leaks and impatient anticipation, Rocksteady finally officially confirmed last week that their next game is indeed a Suicide Squad title, and that it will be revealed at the DC FanDome event on August 22. These were, of course, details that had been previously leaked. Something else that had been leaked alongside them was the game's name– which, too, has now been officially confirmed.

The full schedule for the DC FanDome event was recently uploaded online, and it confirms that Rocksteady's Suicide Squad is game is called Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice league, as the leaks had said. The name does a pretty good job of explaining the game's central premise, I'd say.

The aforementioned schedule confirms that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be revealed in full during a 20 minute-long panel hosted by actor Will Arnett. There's no telling how much will be shown or revealed, but with a 20 minute runtime, Rocksteady will probably (hopefully) have more to share than just a tease.

We'll be covering it as it happens, so stay tuned for all the details. In the meantime, you can read this report about the game's development, which allegedly started in late 2016/early 2017.

It has also been confirmed that WB Montreal's Batman game – allegedly called Batman: Gotham Knightswill also be unveiled on that same day.


Nintendo Switch Was July's Highest Selling Console in the US

nintendo switch

The data for video game software and hardware sales in the United States across all of July 2020 is in, courtesy of The NPD Group (via GamesBeat), and was the case last month – and has been for a number of months running, in fact – the Nintendo Switch was once again the highest selling console in the region for the month, in both unit and dollar sales. It is also the highest selling platform of the year so far.

The PS4 and Xbox One had both been enjoying resurgences of sorts in recent months, with sales being driven up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it seems that boost is now fading away, with sales for both consoles now dropping. Given how close we are to the successors for both machines coming out, that's not a surprise. It's a surprise, in fact, that the two had been selling as well over the last few months as they had been.

The Switch, on the other hand, is moving from strength to strength in terms of sales, in spite of what has arguably been a weak year for the console as far as major new releases are concerned. A lot of that is probably down to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Just recently, in fact, Nintendo announced that the Switch's lifetime worldwide sales had hit 61.44 million as of June 30 of this year.

All in all, hardware spending in the US across July stood at $166 million, down 2% from July 2019. Meanwhile, year-to-date hardware spending stands at $1.8 billion, which is up 22% year-on-year.


Factorio 1.0 is Now Available After 8.5 Years of Development

Factorio

After starting development in mid-2012, being crowdfunded in 2013 and entering early access in 2016, Wube Software's Factorio has finally hit its 1.0 release. The factory builder/OCD automation title has exited early access for PC and is now available in completed form. To celebrate, the developer released a launch trailer showcasing the game's development progress through the years.

With the 1.0 launch, Factorio receives a very cool new feature – the Spidertron. It can be remote controller or driven, crosses small bodies of water with ease, places blueprints and even has an equipment grid. There are also four rocket launchers attached. Long story short, the Spidertron is awesome, though it must be researched very late into the game.

Despite finally exiting early access, Wube Software isn't done. It's currently planning for update 1.1 with 150 bugs and roughly 80 "internal tasks" to solve. It won't add any major new content but will serve to further polish the game. Stay tuned for more details on Factorio in the meantime.


Ghost of Tsushima Tops US Sales Charts in July

ghost of tsushima

The NPD Group has published its report for video game spending in the United States for July 2020. To no one's surprise, Ghost of Tsushima has topped the charts, becoming Sucker Punch's fastest-selling game in history and the fifth best-selling title year-to-date. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella also noted on Twitter that in terms of dollar sales, it had achieved the fourth highest launch month sales for a Sony-published title in US history.

Paper Mario: The Origami King didn't slouch in its debut either. Along with setting a new record launch month sales in the franchise, its physical dollar sales doubled were double that Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door's launch month. The Last of Us Part 2 also continues to perform well with its life-to-date dollar sales being the third highest for a Sony-published game in history.

According to the report, consumer spending for video game hardware, content and accessories totaled $3.6 billion in July 2020 –  a 32 percent increase year-on year. Piscatella stated that, "Double-digit percentage spending gains in accessories, subscription, mobile, and both digital full game as well as post launch spending on console and PC offset a slight decline in hardware." Year-to-date spending is in good shape, hitting $26 billion which is 21 percent higher than the same period last year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating being indoors, digital sales have also shot up. "Digital content spending — which includes full game downloads, post launch content, mobile and subscription spending — increased 41 percent. Year-to-date 2020 content spending reached $23 billion, a 21 percent increase when compared to the same period a year ago. While spending has increased across all digital content segments, the strongest gains have been achieved in digital content spending on console platforms."

For the top 10 best-selling games in terms of dollars, see below. Stay tuned for more details on Ghost of Tsushima in the meantime, especially as it continues to dominate UK sales charts as well.

  1. Ghost of Tsushima
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  3. Paper Mario: The Origami King*
  4. The Last of Us: Part II
  5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
  6. Ring Fit Adventure
  7. Mortal Kombat 11
  8. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
  9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  10. Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris

*Does not include Nintendo eShop digital sales


Ghost of Tsushima Director Discusses Multiplayer and Accessibility

ghost of tsushima

Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima has been an incredible success, both for the developer and publisher Sony. It sold over 2.4 million copies in the first three days of launch and still reigns supreme in UK sales charts. A sequel seems a given at this point but is there the possibility of multiplayer?

GamesBeat spoke to game director Nate Fox in a recent interview and asked if multiplayer was considered at any point. Fox says, "We were always very focused on telling this one story of Jin's transformation. It's inherently a single-player experience." However, he then followed up with, "But who knows what the future holds?"

It's an interesting proposition though how it would work while retaining the game's stellar single-player focus is a different matter entirely. Perhaps a separate co-op mode where players create their own samurai and battle against enemy forces? We'd first need to see what the sequel's setting would be (though the second invasion of Tsushima might work).

Fox also talked about the game's accessibility, especially considering how it's inherently "easier" than, say, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. "The game is aimed at a very wide audience. We didn't want to have the challenge be something that could keep people out of the narrative experience, or the experience of just exploring Tsushima. We did want players to get a good challenge if that's where they were at.

"We spent a lot of time building a sword-fighting system that was hard, but fair. If you make it fair, you can dial up the difficulty — the speed of attacks, the parry windows, the rate at which people come at you — and it still holds together." Though Hard Mode was available at launch for those seeking a challenge, a recent update added Lethal difficulty for even more brutal fights. Of course, those who want a more story-focused affair can enable Low Intensity Combat.

Ghost of Tsushima is currently available for PS4. Check out our review for it here and stay tuned for more details in the meantime.


KonoSuba ADV: Opening Sequence, Theme Songs, Aqua Being Useless

KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch all heroines feature

We're back with more details on the KonoSuba ADV (what people outside Japan call visual novels) game by Mages. You know, that game whose full name is Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! -Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo!

We previously detailed the various routes of each of the KonoSuba Heroines. Now we'll take a look at the new details on the Limited edition, the bonus game included in first print copies, new screenshots, and the game's opening animation sequence.

KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch mages adv screenshots 1 KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch mages adv screenshots 4 KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch mages adv screenshots 6

Be sure to read the previous details if you have no idea what's happening in the screenshots above.

konosuba shooting minigame 3 konosuba shooting minigame 3

First print copies of the KonoSuba game will include a Space Harrier lookalike scrolling action game. The arcade game by Yu Suzuki is originally a Space Adventure Cobra reference. So in a way, this is the closest thing to a Cobra x KonoSuba collab in existence.

The pixel art mini game has six stages and multiple playable characters: Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, Darkness, Yunyun,  and Chris. The story is kinda based on the anime's second season and the movie, and the characters are voiced.

konosuba shooting minigame 4

There's also an oldschool stereoscopic 3d mode, with those red and blue glasses included. You probably have no idea what the hell I'm talking about if you were born later than early nineties.

Photos for the game's Limited Edition were revealed too:

KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo switch limited edition aqua figure KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch limited edition megumin aqua sd figure

As we previously explained, the PS4 version has a Megumin cheerleader SD figure, while the Switch version as an Aqua nurse SD figure.

New shop-specific pre-order goods were also revealed:

KonoSuba Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo ps4 switch mages adv new shop preorder bonus 1

Next, we have the game's opening animation sequence, and a new trailer:

KonoSuba Mages Game Trailer, Opening Animation Sequence


The opening theme song is titled It's so fine! and is sung by Machico. The ending theme song is titled Ame Yadori and is sung by Aqua (Sora Amamiya), Mgumin (Rie Takahashi), and Darkness (Ai Kayano). A Single with both songs will be releasing on October 21 in Japan.

Machico is pretty cool.

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! is a light novel part of the Isekai boom, written by Natsume Akatsuki and illustrated by Kurone Mishima. It's among the most popular isekai stories. Natsume Akatsuki also writes another novels titled Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! -Kono Yokubou no Ishou ni Chouai wo!  (official site) launches on PS4, Switch, September 24 in Japan.

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Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette Showcases Its Utawarerumono Characters, Preorder Bonuses, Limited Edition

Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette Feature

Aquaplus revealed a bunch more of details and screenshots on Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette, the new Utawarerumono board game. We detailed everything below.

The Dokapon series features Sugoroku with RPG elements and started on Super Famicom in 1993. It's nicknamed by some in Japan "Destroy Your Friendships: The Game".

Dokanpon Up Mugen no Roulette is a joint venture between Aquaplus who makes the Utawarerumono series, and Sting who develops the Dokapon series.

Dokanpon Up Mugen no Roulette's main story mode will be fully voiced, and multiple characters artwork have been revealed so far:

The official site includes profiles for the characters too, though it doesn't say anything particularly interesting if you already know the Utawarerumono series and clicked on this article in the first place. So we won't be translating them. It's basic info on how the characters met each other and their initial relationship at the beginning of the respective games they're from.

What's important to note is Haku will be voiced in the game by Keiji Fujiwara, who sadly passed away in April 2020. Japanese games record their dubbing very early in development, so this isn't surprising. He also voiced a character in the freshly released Fairy Tail RPG by Gust.

Over on Twitter, Aquaplus President Naoya Shimokawa confirmed this will be the final time Keiji Fujiwara voices Haku, meaning future Utawarerumono related games will replace him with a new seiyuu:

Seeing Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette launches on December 10, 2020, it's likely it'll be the final posthumous work of Keiji Fujiwara overall. Another iconic personality tied with the Utawarerumono series, composer Michio Kinugasa, also passed away recently.

Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette has a story mode, will let you play against friends and family offline, and most notably has an online battle mode, a first for the Dokapon series on consoles.

A Limited Edition will be releasing as well, including an artbook, an OST CD, 2 acrylic key chains (Haku and Kuon), and a DLC code to unlock Anju Battle Version a a playable character.

This DLC code will be included in first-print copies too. It'll also be distributed to those who buy the game digitally during a certain time-frame after release.

Additional screenshots from the game are included below. It looks like a typical Dokapon game or any board game from Mario Party to Dragon Quest x Final Fantasy Itadaki Street. Except it's Utawarerumono and includes RPG elements.

Lastly, the game's shop-specific preorder bonuses were revealed. As usual these are sexual fanservice oriented so be careful. We included those with original artwork in the gallery below. Note that some of these bonuses are also alternative costume colors as DLC codes. There are accessories to decorate the playable characters with too. You can check the shop's full list on the official site. If you're planning to import I'm sure you're grown-up enough to handle all that yourself.

The remake of the first game, Utawarerumono Prelude to The Fallen, is currently available in English on PS4 and PS Vita. Its supposed to release on Steam at some point. The second and third games, Utawarerumono Mask of Deception, and Utawarerumono Mask of Truth, are available in English on the same platforms. There's also the action RPG spinoff Utawarerumono Zan, which is loosely based on Mask of Deception. It's only in English on PS4 for now.

All the Utawarerumono main games are localized now. However, this is a niche within a niche so it's likely Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette will stay in Japan. That would be a huge shame though seeing how cute the game looks.

Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette is coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on December 10, 2020 in Japan. This Utawarerumono party game was first announced in early August via Famitsu. 

Aquaplus previously mentioned multiple Utawarerumono console games are in development following the launch of mobile gacha game Utawarerumono Lost Flag.

Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 1 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 1 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 1 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 1 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 1 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette screenshots 11 Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette shop specific preorder goods tsutaya Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette shop specific preorder goods furuichi Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette shop specific preorder goods sofmap Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette shop specific preorder goods wondergoo Dokapon Up Mugen no Roulette shop specific preorder goods dlc_accessories

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Halo Infinite X Monster Energy Promotion Campaign Starting September 1

Halo X Monster Promotion

The Halo franchise is once again teaming up with a popular drink brand to promote its next game. This time though, it's not mountain dew that folks will be chugging for some extra in-game loot, it's Monster.

This promotion is rather dense and has a few different offers for potential Halo Infinite players. Starting today, you'll be able to find limited-edition Halo Infinite cans of Monster Energy, each with a code on them. Scan three of these codes every month, beginning in September and stretching to the end of the year, and you'll snag yourself an "exclusive in-game weapon."

But wait, there's more. Starting September 1, you can also use your receipts from buying some Monster to earn double XP in Halo Infinite, using what Monster calls a "Bank Now/Play Later" system. By taking a photo of your receipt, going to this link, and submitting photos of your receipts, you can earn points. These points can be used to purchase rewards, although the only reward currently mentioned is double XP in Infinite. From there, players will have to log into their Waypoint account to redeem their double XP. Again, it's not clear what form the point boost will come in, whether it's for an amount earned over a set period of time or for a certain number of games. If this all sounds very confusing, you can check out the rules and an FAQ for the promotion here.

If double XP and exclusive in-game weapons aren't really your thing, there's one last piece of the Halo x Monster promotion – a paid trip to Paris for you and a guest. This is more of a sweepstake, with entries being made every time you send a receipt over to Monster. In the end, ten grand prize winners will receive a seven day, six night trip to France. The entire trip includes round trip airfare, a standard hotel room, and two tickets to a Zero-G Flight Experience. But if all of that's boring and you were hoping for cash, don't worry, you still get a $1000 check. 100 first prize winners will also be selected as part of the sweepstake and will receive a copy of Halo Infinite when it launches, along with an Xbox Series X.

Once again, the Halo X Monster promotion officially begins September 1, and isn't going to be affected by the delay of Halo Infinite.

The post Halo Infinite X Monster Energy Promotion Campaign Starting September 1 by Otto Kratky appeared first on DualShockers.


Fall Guys is Teaming Up With Team Fortress 2 for New Cosmetics

Since its launch on PS4 and PC earlier this month, Fall Guys has taken off as a big hit. The indie battle royale game has already reached over 2 million players on Steam in nearly two weeks, and developer Mediatonic doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon on finding some creative crossovers for players to enjoy.

The game's official Twitter account has revealed that the next crossover cosmetic item that players can work their way towards earning is the Scout from Team Fortress 2. Complete with his signature hat and outfit, you can earn both parts of the Scout's outfit in the Fall Guys store right now for a total of 10 Crowns.

The Scout outfit is hopefully the sign of more crossover cosmetics to come from Team Fortress 2, but we'll have to see if any of the other signature characters from the game will make their way over. Of course, this isn't the first time that Fall Guys has crossed over with other franchises, as we saw with its Half-Life-inspired Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance outfits, and the Jacket cosmetic from Devolver Digital's Hotline Miami. Of course, plenty of fans of the game have been making their own creations online with some fan-made crossovers.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is available now on PS4 and PC.

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Ghost of Tsushima is the Highest Selling First Party PS4 Title in Japan

Ghost of Tsushima feature

Sony has put out some absolute banger first-party exclusive titles during this generation of consoles. Their latest, Ghost of Tsushima is the last to join the list and will send the console off in style. The game has continued to sell incredibly well. It has gone on to be the best selling game of July and has broken records in Japan.

Per Famitsu, (via Benji-Sales) Ghost of Tsushima is now the highest-selling first-party PS4 exclusive in Japan. The game reached the status in just over 3 weeks.

Ghost of Tsushima recorded over 330k physical sales in Japan. This passed up the previous record holder Spider-Man from Insomniac.

I loved my time with the game and it certainly deserves credit where credit is due. It has some typical open-world stereotypes you would find in many games of the genre, however, the storyline, gameplay, and overall visuals of the game certainly make up for it. The combat is snappy and switching between different stances makes the player change up certain playstyles. The narrative dives deep into sacrifice, honor, and plenty of other emotions that will tug on your heartstrings. Finally, the visuals. Oh, man. Don't even get me started on the visuals. All I have to say is that you are really missing out on an experience if you do not own a 4K HDR compatible tv and a PS4 pro.

Ghost of Tsushima is currently available on PS4. For those who want to do a little research before picking the game up, make sure to check out DualShockers' official review of the game right here.

The post Ghost of Tsushima is the Highest Selling First Party PS4 Title in Japan by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.


Oxenfree Devs' New Game 'Next Stop Nowhere' Hits Apple Arcade Today

Next Stop Nowhere

Night School Studios, the studio behind Oxenfree and Afterparty, just released their latest story-driven game on Apple Arcade. Revealed last week, Next Stop Nowhere got a brief teaser trailer and then Night School dropped more information about the game in a Twitter thread featuring the characters from the game and a few details about them.

Today, following the game's launch on Apple's exclusive gaming platform, Night School finally released a trailer for their sci-fi road trip. Showcasing a lot of the hallmarks of a game by Night School Studios, like branching dialogue trees and small interactive elements to discover throughout the world, the trailer delivers a strong showing for Next Stop Nowhere.

The launch trailer already had me personally very excited for the game (and hopeful that it'll come to a platform that I have access to), but then, Sean Krankel, the founder and creative director at Night School took to Twitter to talk about the various inspirations that he drew for the game. Based on what he said, the trailer's talk about a bounty and its high stakes are only half the story.

Based on a lot of the inspirations he and his team drew, the game is sure to be tinged with comedic and classic feel-good road trip goodness.

While Apple Arcade games don't usually release on Andriod, it's not uncommon for them to find their way to PC and consoles, like What the Golf? However, at this point, Night School hasn't said anything about a release on other platforms for Next Stop Nowhere, so if you're looking for a fun, short, text-based adventure game on consoles or PC, you might want to look at some of the studio's other games, like Oxenfree.

The post Oxenfree Devs' New Game 'Next Stop Nowhere' Hits Apple Arcade Today by Charlie Wacholz appeared first on DualShockers.


Final Fantasy VII Remake: Lighting Designer Hiroyasu Shoji Analyses Shinra Headquarters, Figures Out The Whole Game

Final Fantasy Hiroyasu Shoji Shinra HQ Lighting Design Feature

Final Fantasy and Hiroyasu Shoji, two names I never expected to see together. It's been four months since Final Fantasy VII Remake launched on PS4 now. Unless you're an extremely busy person, you've probably finished the game now. I'm sure even the most implicated health workers or anti-racism activists, quite busy for obvious reasons for a few months now, must have at least tried the game by now. Most of them are definitely gamers and into Japanese games, seeing these are full of political themes developing your empathy and critical thinking of society.

As you played FF7R, you might have been in awe with some of the interior design when exploring buildings. The Shinra Headquarters in particular. You might have wondered what an actual specialist in this field would think about it. Well, now you can get an idea of it. (And a full analysis assuming you understand Japanese).

Japanese news site Livedoor recently published a video featuring internationally popular Japanese Lighting Designer Hiroyasu Shoji, analyzing Final Fantasy VII Remake. The video, for around 20 minutes, goes through some of the biggest environments in Shinra HQ, starting from the underground parking lot.

Overall, Hiroyasu Shoji mentioned that the lighting is done realistically well, and that the designers at Square Enix did their homework.

Final Fantasy Hiroyasu Shoji Shinra HQ welcome mat 1

Elevators and Automatic Doors

One thing Hiroyasu Shoji pointed out multiple times are Welcome Mats. These are floor oriented lighting which gives off a friendly atmosphere, placed in front of elevators and automatic doors. They're everywhere in places such as shopping malls or hotels IRL. He most notably explained it's also in order to make the female customers' jewelry sparkle.

He also pointed out the light which goes all the way of the elevator is a recent thing you see everywhere. "Recent" as in in the last ten years, and it wasn't the case when he was younger. Basically, Hiroyasu Shoji explained Square Enix properly made 2010s stylized elevators for the Shinra HQ in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Final Fantasy Hiroyasu Shoji Shinra HQ shell

Shell-like Lighting, Misalignment

Hiroyasu Shoji didn't only have words of praise though, and mentioned this part in particular, seen in the screenshot above, was done sloppily. The shell shaped like lighting there near the ceiling, it's considered lame. He also mentioned that by taking a look at the marks pointing to the center of each concrete block of the wall, you can see that the blocks are misaligned with the lights. He added that in a sense this could be considered "2020-like" though, as nowadays making everything look clean and fitting in perfectly is considered old-school.

Shinra-Developed Vehicles Expo

Another segment focuses on the vehicles expo floor. In a nutshell, Hiroyasu Shoji explained that to make vehicles look cool, you need to avoid lighting them directly, but reflect a lot of light, and Final Fantasy VII Remake doesn't follow that rule well. All the cars have light directly shining on them.

Final Fantasy Hiroyasu Shoji Shinra HQ Midgar lighting

Midgar at Night

Another segment has a view of Midgar at night. Hiroyasu Shoji explained Midgar in Final Fantasy VII Remake looks more like Tokyo than New York, because there are a lot of white and green-like lights, and few orange-like lights. Most highly developed cities nowadays are fully switching to LED, which increases the amount of white light. In the past, we mainly used natrium lamp, which looks orange instead.

Shoji explained the cheapest way to illuminate a city as much as possible these days are white LED. He added Tokyo uses a lot because Japan used lights such as mercury lamps a lot in the past, and always had a preference for white looking lighting rather than natrium lamps. It's also because white makes the atmosphere look less hot during summer nights. I'm also guessing Tokyo has more LED because it has a much higher building turnover rate than New York.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Hiroyasu Shoji no lights from above

Hiroyasu Shoji: Final Fantasy VII Remake Barely Has Any Lights Coming From Above

One of the most interesting points Hiroyasu Shoji brought up is the overall abundant use of light from the floor instead of light from the ceiling emulating the sun. He explained why that's important using the classic SF movie 2001: A Space Odyseey as a reference. During the scenes in the space station, there's light coming from the side, and when they get to Mars, there's light coming from bottom. It's like it's symbolizing they're getting further from earth, and further from our "normal" relationship with sunlight.

Hiroyasu Shoji explained Shinra HQ in Final Fantasy VII Remake using light coming from the floor always give us this feeling that Shinra is doing something unnatural and should be stopped. This was both hilarious and amazing to see because Hiroyasu Shoji pretty much managed to guess everything Final Fantasy VII is about only from the lighting. When the Livedoor News journalists pointed that out, he explained he never played the Remake nor the original game.

Shoji added you can also feel this with how there are few shadows reflected on the floor, since there's no light coming from above. No shadows diminishes the presence of living beings. Everything feels lifeless.

Final Fantasy Hiroyasu Shoji Shinra HQ president gold statue

Lastly, he also praised the lighting in the room showing President Shinra's statue.

Livedoor News: Hiroyasu Shoji Analyses Shinra HQ in Final Fantasy VII Remake

Livedoor News regularly does these kind of videos with highly popular AAA games. A similar one happened months ago with a Japanese castle architecture specialist analyzing the castles in Sekiro. I'd have written about it too if time permitted. I'm not paid enough for this.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is currently a PlayStation exclusive, but will loose that exclusivity in April 2021. The game will most notably get a new cool guidebook in Japan later this year. You can read more on the game with our past coverage, most notably our review.

The post Final Fantasy VII Remake: Lighting Designer Hiroyasu Shoji Analyses Shinra Headquarters, Figures Out The Whole Game by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.


Metroid Prime 4 Is Still Very Far Away Suggests New Retro Studios Job Listing

Metroid Prime 4 is seemingly bordering on Duke Nukem Forever territory. The sequel to 2007's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was announced during Nintendo's E3 presentation in 2017 and has hit roadblock after roadblock in its development ever since. In January 2019, Nintendo released a video titled "Metroid Prime 4 Development Update," in which they announced that the game was restarting development and being given to Retro Studios.

In the time since then, a new job opening of some kind appears on Retro Studios' website seemingly every few weeks, sending fan speculation (and fear) out of control. Today, Retro Tweeted that they were looking for Lead Producer for Metroid Prime 4. 

According to the listing, some of the lead producer's roles would be maintaining the pace of development, working with the various departments at Retro, and work with staffing to maintain a full team to work on the game.

Lead producer is far from the only opening for developers at Retro, however. The studio is hiring several project leads, like a lead graphics engineer, a senior level designer, and a lead animator. These openings and other openings, like a concept artist opening suggest that the game likely still has a ways to go before we see anything resembling gameplay.

Metroid Prime 4

Even the most optimistic Metroid fans are becoming worried about the game's future, considering it's had such a troubled development period. Since Nintendo canceled the game because it wasn't up to snuff before and because Retro Studios has a very strong track record, the fact that they're making sure they do Metroid Prime 4 right is reassuring, to say the least.

It would have been a great surprise to see Metroid Prime 4 as part of Nintendo's holiday lineup, but considering the game is likely a year away at the very least, here's hoping they have something to show off in the coming months to help the Switch keep up its miraculous sales numbers, like the very heavily-rumored 3D Mario collection.

The post Metroid Prime 4 Is Still Very Far Away Suggests New Retro Studios Job Listing by Charlie Wacholz appeared first on DualShockers.


Xbox Ultimate Game Sale Discounts Over 500 Games on Xbox One and PC

Xbox Ultimate Game Sale

With the next-generation consoles on the horizon, and official confirmation that the Xbox Series X is arriving this November, that gives a solid three-month window for gamers to enjoy some current-gen experiences. Thankfully, Microsoft is offering a ton of gaming discounts across Xbox and PC with the return of the Ultimate Gaming Sale for the next two weeks.

The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale has kicked off starting today by Microsoft, with the sale featuring over 500 games across Xbox One and PC. With discounts up to 65% off (and more for Xbox Live Gold and Ultimate members), the Ultimate Game Sale features a ton of variety that should give a little bit of something for everyone on the cheap.

Overall you'll be able to find discounts ranging from recent hits from this year such as Resident Evil 3 and Maneater to old favorites like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Red Dead Redemption 2. For a full look at the games available in the Ultimate Game Sale, you can check out Microsoft's store page for the sale right here.

Aside from just digital games, the Ultimate Game Sale is also featuring some limited time sales on accessories and hardware. Specifically, some of the featured discounts include $5 off the PowerA MOGA Mobile Gaming Clip that is compatible with the Xbox One controller, and ideal for using with the upcoming xCloud. Other featured deals include Western Digital's WD_Black P10 external hard drive for the Xbox One at a discount, and Razer's BlackWidow Elite mechanical keyboard with a free DeathAdder V2 gaming mouse.

The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale is running now through Monday, August 24, 2020.

The post Xbox Ultimate Game Sale Discounts Over 500 Games on Xbox One and PC by Ryan Meitzler appeared first on DualShockers.


The Best Phones for Xbox Game Pass and xCloud (for Every Budget)

Project xCloud Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Top Best Phones 2020

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with its xCloud game streaming will not be heading to the iOS app store, leaving many iPhone-carrying Xbox players out in the cold. According to Statista, in the US alone, over 45% of smartphone owners are using an iteration of Apple's iPhone. At almost 50% market share, chances are that just about half of Xbox owners are likely using Apple's best selling product. This means that a good portion of people picking up Xbox Series X, will not get to enjoy what's slated to be a tent-pole service for Xbox and their larger strategy moving forward as a company.

This latest spat between the Microsoft Xbox and Apple App Store policy is leaving Xbox players (who use iPhones) in a precarious position. Do they stay in Apple's blue iMessage bubble? Or do they venture out to green(er?) Android pastures and enjoy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate streaming when it launches this fall?

If you're currently an iPhone user who's thinking of making the switch to Android, we're setting you up with what we think are the very best Android phones for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate regardless of your budget.


1. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G || Starting at $1,299.99

xbox game pass xcloud best phones 2020

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud gaming had its official coming-out party during Samsung's Unpacked alongside the Note 20 Ultra 5G debut. This marketing move made it the default "go-to" device to usher in the new service. For those unfamiliar, Samsung's Galaxy Note line is the tech giant's yearly "everything but the kitchen sink" device. With an annual fall release cadence, Samsung's Note line historically enhances or iterates on most features from it's "little brother" the 'Galaxy S' while tossing in the largest displays, fastest processors available, largest batteries (usually), and even a stylus (because, why not?).

This year, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G features the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 12gb of ram, 128gb of storage (which is also expandable), both sub-6 and millimeter-wave 5G radios for all US carriers, a 4,500 mAh battery, and a 6.9″ AMOLED 2X display that supports dynamic 120hz refresh rates. It definitely leads the pack with its audacious price tag, but if we're being honest, you're probably not finding another Android phone that checks as many boxes as the Note 20 Ultra 5g.

2. Samsung Galaxy S 20 || Starting at $999.99

The Galaxy S line is Samsung's annual iPhone competitor. Like the iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy S is made in various sizes, configurations, and price points in hopes of its phones finding a home in as many pockets as possible. This year's phone, the 'S 20' made a gamble on 5G by placing Qualcomm's pricier 5G radios in its entire line up. This move drove up the price of its entry model significantly. This price jump brought it up to a thousand bucks or right in line with Apple's 'Pro' offering, and a whole $300 more than 2020's best selling phone (globally) the iPhone 11.

Like it's Note 20 big brother, the S 20 is no slouch on paper. It features a Snapdragon 865 processor, 12gb of ram, 128gb of storage, sub-6 5G, a 4,000 mAh battery, and a 6.2″ AMOLED display with support of 120hz at 1080p. Also, like the Note, it's price tag will have most thinking twice before purchasing; however, with the device approaching the 6th-month mark since release, you can (usually) find reasonable offers and discounts from the various US carriers, especially if you're switching.

3. OnePlus 8 5G || Starting at $699.99

OnePlus made a name for itself among Android enthusiasts who were looking for a no-frills and no-compromise experience, without having to shell out half of a mortgage payment to get one. In its early days, OnePlus was among the first OEMs to sell phones with AMOLED displays, coupled with the latest processors, running a bloatware-free version of Android, and keeping all of that below $400. Going the route of becoming the value smartphone champion created an army of raving OnePlus fans and Android faithfuls.

While the company has shown no signs of slowing down, sometimes going as far as releasing 2 flagship devices per year, its prices have almost caught up to the Apples and Samsungs of the world. Again, they're still the value player here. But unfortunately 'value' in the world of smartphones now floats around a little over half a grand. For that much green, what do you get? The OnePlus 8 5G features a Snapdragon 865 processor, 8gb of ram, sub-6 5G, a 4,300 mAh battery, and a 6.5″ AMOLED display with a 120hz refresh rate. You might have just experienced some déjà vu, reading about the S20 before this phone and that's a good thing considering the savings between the two.

4. Google Pixel 4a || Starting at $349.99

Android needed it's own iPhone SE and Google delivered it with the Pixel 4a. Let's be crystal clear here: like the SE, this phone is not going to win any arms race. But what it lacks in horsepower, it will deliver in overall user experience. And that's not just for this year and next — like most Android phones — but it's a 3rd (and maybe/hopefully even a 4th) year as Google treats all of its Pixel phones to a minimum of 36 months of software support and updates. It's an unheard-of feat in the Android ecosystem that can make purchasers of even the most high-end Samsung phones jealous.

If you plan on using your phone for real-life things like photos of your pets and your food, then you should know that you're also getting Google's (arguably) unmatched camera with all of the computational photography software tricks found in high-end Pixel phones. At $349 this phone might be a better buy than a dedicated point and shoot camera, that's how confident I am with Google's top-notch photography software. Luckily, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's magic mostly happens in the cloud, so while the Pixel 4a will not be the snappiest of the bunch on this list, it will still get the job done. So what's under the hood? The Pixel 4a features a Snapdragon 730 processor (sorry, no 5G here folks), 6gb of ram, 128gb of storage, and a 5.8″ display. Oh right, and again, it's only $349.


There are many more Android phones to choose from but the list above is comprised of what we think are the very best phones at their given price points. If you're already an Android user, you probably already had your mindset on your next phone before you clicked through to see our list. If you're an iPhone user who was looking forward to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's game streaming you have another important decision to make before you even entertain this list of phones mentioned here.

Here's what it all boils down to: are you ready to venture away from iMessage, Facetime, (and maybe even the Apple watch you're presently wearing) to enjoy some video games on the go? While to most — a phone, is a phone, is a phone — to others, there's serious 'green bubble' shaming out there in the world and the FOMO of not having those Apple iPhone-only services like iMessage and Facetime can (unfortunately) be another burden altogether.

Project xCloud is officially being unveiled on September 15th, and anyone with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will have a front-row seat. If you haven't picked up a subscription already, you can grab it on Amazon to help support DualShockers.

The post The Best Phones for Xbox Game Pass and xCloud (for Every Budget) by Joel Taveras appeared first on DualShockers.