Dec 17, 18:00


Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 5:00 PM
    

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot held a video Q&A this week to try and reassure developers about the company's controversial new push behind NFTs, according to multiple sources who were in attendance. But they said his answers were vague and leaned on buzzwords like "metaverse" and "web 3.0," leaving some as disheartened by…

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 4:40 PM
    

So, Spider-Man: No Way Home, yeah? I, an insatiable fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, saw it last night. This may come as a shock to hear, I know, but it's good—like, really good. And beyond just being a wonderfully inventive blockbuster with a lot of heart, it also features some of the most jaw-dropping credits…

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 1:55 PM
    

When Final Fantasy XIII-2, the series' most infamous middle child, first came out, it was received well by people who played it but overlooked by almost everyone else. Now, having just celebrated its 10th anniversary in Japan this week, one of Square Enix's weirder and more electrifying spin-offs is is newly available…

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 1:05 PM
    

It was the best of games, it was the worst of games. 2021 was another year where we flocked to our gaming consoles and computers for shelter from the virus-ridden world outside. While there were plenty of good games to play this year, there were also those so bad that they made everything more horrible. Let's scrape…

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 12:45 PM
    

Today, one of the largest companies in the world, Tencent, announced it acquired Turtle Rock Studios, the developers behind the recently released zombie shooter Back 4 Blood. The deal is just the latest in a long list of acquisitions over the last few years for the Chinese tech giant, including at least five in 2021…

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 12:25 PM
    

Halo Infinite may have launched without the series' ever-popular co-op feature, but an innovative player has discovered a glitch that makes playing locally with a friend possible, albeit in a limited capacity.

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 11:55 AM
    

When Halo Infinite's recurring "Fracture: Tenrai" event comes back in January, it'll be significantly more generous with its rewards. That's according to 343 Industries' head of design, Jerry Hook, who said as much during the company's holiday community stream on Twitch earlier this week.

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Kotaku Friday, December 17, 2021 11:30 AM
    

Niantic's recently declared intention to better communicate with Pokémon GO players isn't exactly going well. In the last week, trainers have realized that they're all being charged different amounts for a particular item in the game's store, without being told why. And Niantic's explanation to us isn't great.

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PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 5:27 PM
     The first Steam Labs update in a year adds

Valve's Steam Labs effort brings new ways to browse the mountains of games available on the platform, generally introduced with beta rollouts known as 'experiments'. After a quiet 12 months, lucky experiment number 13 has landed, introducing Store Hubs with "new ways to browse every niche of Steam".

Store Hubs essentially serve as a gentle revamp for all of Steam's genre and tag pages. Once you've opted into the experiment, all such pages will now have a recommendation carousel at the top, highlighting a number of games based on what you've played in the past and what your friends and followed curators are recommending. The games are highlighted with relevant tags and release info, plus a few seconds of footage from a highly compressed trailer.

The revamped store pages also highlight new and upcoming events, push forward games you've wishlisted, and are more likely to present you with personalised recommendations. The newer, more robust sorting tools are also available here, letting you narrow down your niche even further.

RELATED LINKS: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 4:53 PM
     Elite Dangerous carrier interiors have shops, NPCs, and crew quarters

Getting your hands on a Drake-class fleet carrier in Elite: Dangerous is no small task, but it's about to become even more rewarding. Frontier Developments has revealed some alpha footage of the fleet carrier interiors that are coming to Elite Dangerous: Odyssey early next year, providing a short walk-through of the space game's grandest capital ships.

Senior game designer Derin Hall provides some explanation throughout the video, which you can watch below. Drake-class fleet carriers, introduced in 2020, are Elite's biggest vessels, and they're persistent objects in the game world, much like stations. In fact, carriers function similarly to stations, providing a place for players to come buy and sell goods, pick up missions, upload cartographic data, and more, depending on what the carrier's owner has outfitted the ship with. The big difference, of course, is that carriers have frame shift drives and can travel across the galaxy at will.

While that's all handled through menus now, when Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Update 11 arrives in early 2022, you'll be able to stroll around inside carriers once you've landed. You can hang out in the bar or browse the wares at Pioneer Supplies, both of which carrier owners can manage in order to make a tidy profit.

RELATED LINKS: Elite: Dangerous mods, Elite: Dangerous Thargoids, Elite: Dangerous system requirements

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 3:15 PM
     Cold War RTS WARNO is coming to Early Access in January

After a two-game foray into the battlefields of World War II in Steel Division and Steel Division 2, French developer Eugen Systems is returning to the laser-guided combat of the 1980s, with the Cold-War themed RTS game WARNO. The name is military shorthand for 'warning order,' which is a directive to stand by for an impending mission - and WARNO will be dropping into Steam Early Access next month.

Long-time fans of Eugen games will not be surprised to hear that WARNO is a "spiritual successor" to the developer's Wargame series, which is similarly set during a fictionalised Cold War-gone-hot scenario. Once again, Eugen says it'll have hundreds of individual units on offer, each one "meticulously researched" as part of the modern-day combat setting.

WARNO will feature big real-time battles of course, but it's also adapting the Army General turn-based campaign that debuted in Steel Division 2, which is structured much more like a traditional hex-and-counters wargame. WARNO's also updating Steel Division's dynamic frontline, as well as its spectacular 10v10 battles.


PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 2:10 PM
     Back 4 Blood is

Chinese conglomerate Tencent already owns a sizable chunk of the international game industry, and today it's picked up a little bit more. The megacorporation has announced its acquisition of Slamfire, Inc., the parent company of Turtle Rock Studios. Turtle Rock is the studio behind Back 4 Blood, Evolve, and the original Left 4 Dead.

"Turtle Rock will become part of Tencent, while retaining its independent operations out of Lake Forest, CA" as explained in a press release. Co-founders Phil Robb and Chris Ashton will continue to lead the studio. "The acquisition will have no effect on Back 4 Blood", which is published by WB Games.

"We get to do something we have never done before as a studio: turn a universe we created into a true long-standing AAA franchise," the devs say in a message to fans. "We can now ensure that the Back 4 Blood franchise is here to stay and we will be working on it well into the future."

RELATED LINKS: Back 4 Blood review, The best co-op games on PC in 2021, The best zombie games on PC in 2021

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 1:10 PM
     All Super People classes and abilites

Looking for all the Super People classes, abilities, and perks? A new battle royale game has arrived on the scene, combining the gunplay of PUBG with the class-based abilities of Apex Legends. There are currently 12 Super People classes to choose from - however, upon loading into a lobby, you're automatically randomly assigned one, and must pay in-game gold to change it.

Even if you leave the lobby, you'll still be assigned the same class next round, so there's no escaping your least favourite class for free - but if you can't change it, you might as well learn how to use it.

Each Super People class comes with an ultimate skill, a set of perks, and a specialised weapon. The specialised weapon is randomly assigned each game, but will always be appropriate for your class. As you level up throughout each match, you unlock perks at random - though you can consume coloured skill capsules to unlock a random perk of the same colour - and eventually gain access to your ultimate ability at level ten. If you survive that long, of course. Here's how to play every Super People class, based on information from the closed beta, which is subject to change.


PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 12:39 PM
     EKSA aims to bring you better audio for less

Whether you like to play competitive shooters, blockbuster adventures, cosy indie games, or all of the above, to truly make the most of your games, you need a great audio setup. Gaming headsets are ubiquitous these days and especially during peak shopping season, it can be difficult to know which of the many options you should go for.

Of course, gaming headsets don't have to be used exclusively for gaming. Find one with good quality and a sleek form factor and you can comfortably use them for all your audio needs, whether playing at your PC or on-the-go, gaming or just listening to music on your phone.

If you're looking for a headset with a wide range of features at a reasonable price point, it's worth considering EKSA. EKSA specialises in wireless gaming headsets both for use at home or when out and about, and after putting a couple of its headsets to the test in various games on console, smartphone, and PC, it may give some of the more recognisable brands a run for their money.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 3:59 PM
     Best gaming desk in 2021

A gaming desk might not be at the top of your wishlist, but your setup isn't complete without something sturdy and stylish to rest the best gaming keyboard and best gaming mouse on. Evolving beyond a plank of wood sitting atop four legs, nowadays desks can be as simple or as feature-packed as you want.

When choosing a gaming desk, there are several considerations to make, such as a built-in system to help you manage cables, wireless charging for your phone, or even height adjustment - which helps to take extra care of your posture when paired with the best gaming chair. It's not all about functionality, though, with some desks aiming to fit the same gamer aesthetic of all your other components, being adorned with their very own RGB lights.

Whether you're looking for a cheap gaming desk that's a step above your bog-standard model with plenty of handy features, a table with plenty of room to support the biggest and best gaming monitor setup, or maybe even an L-shaped desk to maximise your available workspace, we've got the right desk for you.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 12:20 PM
     Here are the Destiny 2 Trials rewards this week

Bungie's pinnacle PvP activity is back in rotation with a major revamp, and if you're looking for details on the Destiny 2 Trials rewards this week, you've come to the right place. Before you start working your way up through the ladder, you'll want to know what you're actually working for - so here's a breakdown of what's available each week, and what map you'll be playing on.

If you're not familiar with Trials of Osiris, it's a weekly PvP challenge where you enter a competitive gauntlet of 3v3 elimination matches. Your rewards are now doled out with a reputation system, so it's not about pure wins anymore, but you will still get special rewards if you can manage to go flawless.

Trials lands with the reset every Friday at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm GMT, and lasts until the Tuesday reset at those same times. Each week provides a new set of rewards and a new map to play on, so here's what you can expect for the latest rotation.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 12:18 PM
     Here's where Xur is in Destiny 2 today – Beyond Light, but not beyond Xur

Xûr is Destiny 2's Exotic gear merchant. He appears every weekend to sell the game's most coveted items in exchange for Legendary shards, but if you're a casual player with limited shards to spend, it can be hard to know which of his wares is most worth your investment. That's where we come in.

As of June 12, 2020, it appears that Xûr is back to providing random rolls - so the Exotic merchant is providing more excitement than he has in a long time. Xûr appears every Friday at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm GMT, and will stick around until the Tuesday reset. We'll update this guide shortly after he arrives, so if you're reading this, you need only read on to learn where he is, and which are the best items he's selling this week.

Now we're in Beyond Light territory, but Xûr's first appearances have been at the usual spots - so maybe don't expect too many surprises from the merchant in the new year of Destiny content.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 12:07 PM
     Valheim's Mountain biome update is coming

Valheim's next new biome, the Mistlands, won't land for some time, but the devs announced a couple of months ago that we'll be getting some smaller biome updates to keep us occupied in the meantime. The first of these is a Mountain update which will add caves to the region, and as the devs explain in a new development blog, this patch is due to launch in early 2022.

The Mountain update is "getting more and more complete," as Iron Gate explains. "We aim to be able to release it early next year, but until then we thought we'd give you yet another sneak peek." The preview includes a pair of screenshots. One shows a number of large stone tablets engraved with runes, and the other shows what looks like an entire underground temple. It looks like there's more to this update than just caves.

"As the development of the caves is gradually progressing," the devs continue, "that means more and more energy can be focused on the Mistlands update. There's a lot to be done in order to bring you a whole biome, as we need to establish everything from resources and new things to craft, to enemies and the big bad boss, but we're really liking what we have so far!"

RELATED LINKS: Valheim system requirements, Valheim building tips, Valheim progression guide

PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 12:34 PM
     PCGamesN Awards: win a mystery gift by subscribing to the Fanatical email list!

It's nearly the end of the year, and time to reflect on everything PC gaming has given us in 2021. As regular readers have come to expect, we'll publish our annual PCGamesN Awards before we ring in 2022, but this year, you have a chance to express your thoughts as well.

In partnership with online game retailer Fanatical, we're asking you to vote on the PC games you loved from the past year. A lot of you have been running the rule over the best single-player and multiplayer game of 2021, but you can still get involved if you haven't just yet. We've also got more reader votes coming soon, so don't worry if you haven't seen your favourite genre just yet.

If you're looking for some festive discounts in the meantime, though, you should check out Fanatical's newsletter. You'll be the first to know about their latest bundles and sales, get email-exclusive coupons, and the team will let you know when on-site contests or giveaways are around the corner. You'll even get emails that are tailored to your purchases and wishlist.


PCGamesN Friday, December 17, 2021 11:56 AM
     Epic's free game today is a neon roguelite platformer

A daily free PC game from the Epic Games Store is now an established holiday tradition. Today, it's Neon Abyss, a roguelike platform game about hunting down an upstart group of New Gods who've taken up residence underneath your favourite nightclub. It's free for the next 24 hours, so head over to the Epic Store and snag yourself a copy.

Neon Abyss has a bright, neon pixel art look, but what's most interesting about it is its item system. As in games like Enter the Gungeon and The Binding of Isaac, each run is determined as much by the weapons and items you pick up - and how they synergise with each other - as by the layout of the dungeon itself.

It takes a hilariously fanciful approach to weapon design, by the way. There are standard-issue guns that fire boring stuff like laser beams, but you'll soon trade those in for the weirder weapons, like Jimmy and Terry - a pair of cats who fire splitting fish bones at your enemies. You can pick up active abilities like Awful Poetry, which damages all enemies in the current room when activated. Items run the full gamut, too - you might pick up a clown hat that gives you a chance of firing a fake rat from whatever gun you're holding.


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 17, 2021 12:30 PM
    

If you're looking to upgrade your monitor and want something that'll give you an edge in competitive multiplayer, the AOC C27G2ZU is currently down from £250 to £200 over at Amazon - a discount of 20%. This 27in, 1080p screen is notable for its blistering 240Hz max refresh rate, and is our pick for the best 240Hz gaming monitor.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 17, 2021 12:30 PM
    

Walking through the smoggy jerktown that is London a while back, the thought occurred that for all the building games I've played, I'd never seen one about remodelling an existing city. The closest I knew was NIMBY Rails, which isn't even close.

It turns out I was miles behind the curve, as The Architect Colon Paris already exists.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, December 17, 2021 11:03 AM
    

Earlier this year, Black Isle Studios and Interplay Entertainment announced they were porting the old 2001 hack and slash Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance to PC and consoles. It came out on PlayStation back in summer, alas they didn't give a date for PC. But, surprise! It's today! PC folks can finally try out the Baldur's Gate that console users first experienced 20 years ago. I did a full playthrough this summer and had a lovely time, at the expense of my partner, who I made sit through one of the jankiest couch co-op games in existence.

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Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 4:40 PM
    

In celebration of The Witcher Season 2 making its way to Netflix today, Secretlab is teaming up with CD Projekt Red to bring gamers a brand new gaming chair. As you can see in the images below, the Titan Evo 2022 chair features a custom look that fans of The Witcher series will surely love, […]

The post Secretlab x The Witcher Titan Evo 2022 Chair Revealed appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 1:21 PM
    

Third-party developers have released new addons for Microsoft Flight Simulator while announcing more coming down the line.

The post Microsoft Flight Simulator SU-27 Flanker, A-10C Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier II, & Ben Gurion Airport Announced; Kodiak & Molde Released appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 12:31 PM
    

Earlier this week, the roster for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender's primary cast was finally completed, as casting for important characters like Azula, Suki, and Avatar Kyoshi were revealed. Just like previous announcements, the news came by way of a tweet from the Netflix Geeked Twitter account. You can check out the actresses and who […]

The post Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Casts Azula, Suki, Kyoshi, & More appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 12:19 PM
    

Today Square Enix and Nintendo released a new trailer of the upcoming HD-2D turn-based strategy game Triangle Strategy.

The post Triangle Strategy for Nintendo Switch Introduces Roland Glenbrook With New Trailer appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 12:10 PM
    

The new Muv-Luv mobile game Immortals: Muv-Luv Alternative was supposed to launch by the end of 2021, but it won't make that release window.

The post Immortals: Muv-Luv Alternative Reveals New Official Logo; Release Delayed to February 2022 appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 12:09 PM
    

If you're a fan of both football and Xbox and you love collecting sweet gear, then the Speedflex Auth Master Chief 20th Anniversary helmet should definitely be on the top of your list. This limited-time Halo Infinite collectible was revealed by Ridell sportswear earlier this week, boasting a design worthy of the iconic Spartan 117. […]

The post Riddell Is Making a Limited Commemorative Halo Infinite Helmet appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 11:51 AM
    

It has just been announced that Tencent has acquired Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock Studios. The news comes via Business Wire and it explains that Turtle Rock will become part of Tencent while maintaining its independence as it continues to run studio operations out of Lake Forest, CA, USA. The existing Turtle Rock team […]

The post Tencent Acquires Back 4 Blood Developer Turtle Rock Studios appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 11:47 AM
    

With the open beta of Nexon's fighting game DNF Duel about to start in a few hours, the publisher released a new trailer about its mechanics.

The post DNF Duel by Arc System Works Explains How HP & MP Work in New Trailers Ahead of Open Beta appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Friday, December 17, 2021 11:16 AM
    

Today Square Enix finally unveiled the FullMetal Alchemist mobile game that was teased back in July, showing the first trailer and screenshots.

The post New FullMetal Alchemist Game by Square Enix Unveiled With First Trailer & Screenshots appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 4:00 PM
    

Max Mittelman mentioned he was concerned how people would react to Genshin Impact's Itto sounding like Persona 5's Ryuji.

The post Itto Voice Actor Worried About Him Sounding Like Ryuji in Persona 5 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 3:00 PM
    

The PlayStation Vita launched in Japan ten years ago today! To celebrate the milestone, we're looking back at Sony's fan-favorite handheld.

The post The PlayStation Vita, Ten Years Later appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 2:00 PM
    

The next Uma Musume Nendoroid will be of Gold Ship, and the figure will appear in both North America and Japan in 2022.

The post Uma Musume Gold Ship Nendoroid Will Appear in 2022 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 1:00 PM
    

The Lodestone, all worlds, and the companion app will all be down during maintenance.

The post FFXIV Maintenance Coming Ahead of Patch 6.01 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 12:30 PM
    

Altered Beast and Sword of Vermillion are among the newly added games.

The post New Nintendo Switch Online Genesis Games Include Altered Beast appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 12:00 PM
    

Alongside his KOF XV second open beta debut, SNK Character Designer Tomohiro Nakata teased how Krohnen will work.

The post Krohnen is a Close-Range Fighter in KOF XV appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, December 17, 2021 11:30 AM
    

Mary Skelter 2 won't be limited to consoles anymore, as Ghostlight Interactive announced it will release a PC port of it in 2022.

The post Mary Skelter 2 PC Port Announced appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 5:30 PM
    

It was pretty packed Want a Fallout 76 2021 recap? Well Bethesda gave us just that, and showcases all of...

The post Bethesda gives us a recap of Fallout 76's eventful 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 5:00 PM
    

We suck young blood I probably would have been all over PlayStation 2's Mister Mosquito if I knew it existed...

The post Mister Mosquito is peak PS2 weirdness appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 4:30 PM
    

If you're into roguelike chaos, that is We're two days into the Epic Games Store's 15 days of free games...

The post You should nab Neon Abyss while it's free on the Epic Games Store appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 4:00 PM
    

Your mileage may vary on 'classics' Publisher Taito and the retro enthusiasts over at Hamster Corporation have come together to...

The post Taito Milestones compiles 10 classics from the studio's arcade age appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 3:30 PM
    

Sword of Vermilion, ToeJam & Earl, Dynamite Headdy, and Thunder Force II round out the list Nintendo is on a...

The post Nintendo Switch Online's Sega Genesis library added five games, including the unshakable Altered Beast appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 3:00 PM
    

Put a little Bogard in your weekend Fighting game fans certainly have a big weekend ahead. Not only is Nexon...

The post The King of Fighters XV second beta kicks off on PlayStation today appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 2:30 PM
    

I'm real anxious to see how this turns out There's a new Pokemon Legends: Arceus trailer, and it shows off...

The post Pokemon Legends: Arceus will have a Darkrai bonus for BDSP owners appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 2:00 PM
    

Silent Night, Deadly Night Shortform horror games have been my jam lately. The genre has been long trapped with grizzled...

The post Review: Christmas Massacre appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 1:30 PM
    

I was there…3000 years ago Yesterday, Final Fantasy XIV head Naoki "Yoshi P" Yoshida shared some updates for the ongoing issue with...

The post Square Enix reveals that FFXIV 1.0 had one last cruel parting gift appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 1:00 PM
    

This Sideswipe crossover isn't the first Rocket League promo for Fortnite If you play Fortnite, you might want to check out...

The post Fortnite is getting Rocket League Sideswipe crossover items appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 12:30 PM
    

It's free and official If you're hardcore into Genshin Impact, odds are you've used some unofficial resource site to plan out...

The post This new Genshin Impact progression calculator is super handy appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 11:54 AM
    

Parent company acquired in newest shopping spree Tencent Holdings Inc. has added another major developer to its massive stock portfolio....

The post Tencent acquires Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock Studios appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 11:30 AM
    

Annoying for importers Roughly five months ago, Nintendo warned us that the eShop would stop taking direct 3DS and Wii...

The post Japan 3DS and Wii U direct credit card payments are ending next month appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, December 17, 2021 11:00 AM
    

Senior relations manager spoke of her own abuse experience Bungie's Senior Employee Relations Manager Gayle D'Hondt has announced that she...

The post Bungie's HR manager steps down following company abuse allegations appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, December 17, 2021 4:45 PM
     Stalker 2 NFTs removedSTALKER 2's developer, GSC Game World, won't use NFTs after fan backlash. This was confirmed in a post from the developer's official Twitter account. This post was released very shortly after a prior post on Twitter had doubled down on the inclusion of NFTs. NFTs are a very controversial topic in the gaming space at the moment. There are more and more developers looking to add NFTs into their games in some way. Ubisoft in particular has been the largest gaming company to come forward in support of them. Let's just say that the decision to include NFTs in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint was not one that fans were too happy about.   Wow, that was fast The entire discussion surrounding blockchains and NFTs is a gigantic mess, and it feels like a lot of people are unaware of the nature of an NFT. In STALKER 2's case, the NFTs were going to be used in a way that wouldn't actually influence the abilities of the player. Making use of the DMarket platform, G...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, December 17, 2021 4:00 PM
     Sonic Frontiers Voice CastThose who do not consider themselves fans of Sonic the Hedgehog may find it inherently absurd to care deeply about the voice cast, especially in series as cheesy as this. And although some can take their passion for the voice cast a little too far, many of us Sonic nerds still cannot help but care which actors will play which roles. Many fans certainly cared earlier this year when Roger Craig Smith announced he would retire his role as the titular hedgehog. That retirement turned out to be temporary, however, and a live stream hosted on the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel went on to confirm that the voice cast of the past few games will all reprise their roles in the upcoming Sonic Frontiers. The specific roles mentioned in the live stream signal which characters will appear in this anticipated new game. Alongside Smith, Colleen O'Shaughnessey will return as Tails, and so will Mike Pollock, the fan-favorite actor who has voiced Dr. Eggman since the mid-2000s. Inter...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, December 17, 2021 2:00 PM
     Back 4 Blood tencent acquires turtle rock studiosTencent continues its plan of global games domination by announcing it has acquired Slamfire, Inc., the parent company of Turtle Rock Studios. The Chinese conglomerate now owns the Back 4 Blood developer, which will sit under Tencent Games Global. And the keyword here is 'global,' as Tencent has a stake in many, many game companies worldwide. "We are huge fans of Turtle Rock's games, especially their amazing approach to creating co-operative online games," said Eddie Chan, chief strategy officer of Tencent Games Global, in the press release. "We can't wait to see what comes next, and we're excited to be part of their future."   Turtle Rock will remain independent, according to the announcement and its president, Steve Goldstein. It will continue operating as normal from its home in California, and the acquisition will "have no effect on Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rock's hit multiplayer action game, which is published by Warner Bros. Games." Tencent brings in ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, December 17, 2021 1:30 PM
     Dead Cells The Queen And The Sea DLC Release DateMotion Twin and Evil Empire recently teased a new boss coming to kill the headless protagonist of Dead Cells. Now, the duo has dropped a new trailer showing off some gameplay from Dead Cells The Queen and the Sea, and revealing a horde of details about the DLC, including the release date. Mark your calendars for January 6, 2022. Dead Cells The Queen and the Sea DLC will be available for purchase for just $4.99 USD. If you own the base game but none of the DLCs, you can pick up a DLC bundle for $11.99 USD. Since this DLC brings an end to a massive story arc, Motion Twin and Evil Empire believe it's an excellent time for newcomers to also try their hands and the punishing roguelike. They have put together a "Road to the Sea" bundle which includes the base game, and the trilogy of DLCs. It's available for a reasonable $32.99 USD.   The gory details The Queen and the Sea will take players to two new biomes, The Infested Shipwreck and The Lighthouse. These locations exist parallel t...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, December 17, 2021 1:00 PM
     Nvidia RTX 3050Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3050 desktop model could potentially launch with 4GB or 8GB memory configuration options. This information comes from @kopite7kimi on Twitter, who shared the details in a short thread. It's yet to be confirmed, so as with all rumors and leaks, take it with a healthy dose of salt. If this news does turn out to be true, however, it could give the RTX 3050 a certain edge. This news isn't necessarily surprising, but it is interesting. Nvidia's desktop version of the RTX 3050 could enter the market at a time when graphics cards are still very much scarce. If the company does release two versions of the graphics card, it could allow budget gamers to get cards at more reasonable prices. After all, miners don't typically want low/mid-range variants with less VRAM and there's less margin for scalpers as well. If Nvidia can offer a lower spec card below 8GB, it may give consumers the chance to nab entry-level discrete graphics cards. &n...

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 5:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 4:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 3:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 2:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 1:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Friday, December 17, 2021 12:00 PM
    

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, December 17, 2021 11:22 AM
    

You're a wizard, *Insert Your Name Here*.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Promises More News In 2022 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Pivotal Gamers Friday, December 17, 2021 3:05 PM
     What's up all? Giveaway.su is giving everyone the opportunity to win on various titles. This is what they say. Hey there, we start a new giveaway! At this time we are giving away 5200 Steam keys for random games. There are keys for 4 different games in this giveaway: "Innocent Girl", "House of Detention", "RUSSIAPHOBIA" and "Furry Love 2". Just...

Pivotal Gamers Friday, December 17, 2021 12:30 PM
     What's up all? gamehag is giving everyone the opportunity to win on various titles. Read on for their offering. To get: Necromunda: Hired Gun, Trials of Mana, Chivalry 2, Tales of Berseria, 1000 KD, 500 KD, Random CD-Key, Runa Fehu, 100 KD, Runa Ansus, Runa Hagl, Runa Mannaz To get this key your Steam level must be at least 1. Last minute notes Login with your gamehag account, complete all s...

MonsterVine Friday, December 17, 2021 12:14 PM
    

Let the crew over here at MonsterVine take the hard part out of figuring out what gift to get that particularly picky person. We've got it covered here from the latest hardware, to fun games for the holidays! CHEERFUL ACCESSORIES NTENSE Extreme Riser Gaming Desk – $299 [Diego] If you're looking for a desk that's […]

The post MonsterVine's Holiday Gift Guide For December 2021 appeared first on MonsterVine.


Level Up Friday, December 17, 2021 12:18 PM
     Tencent is making another big game development acquisition with the purchase of Turtle Rock Studios'…

Week in Review: Zuckerberg's virtual world looks more 'meh' than Meta

Created for techradar.com@quicklydone.com |  Web Version
December 17, 2021
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Welcome to the Week in Review
Plus: Amazon brings down the web again, and a glimpse into Apple's design processes
I'm constantly feeling a sense of tech déjà vu these days – from Amazon Web Services taking down the internet again to things that Facebook (sorry, Meta…) launches turning out to be rather underwhelming, it feels like we're doomed to watch the same things over and over.

Thankfully, some things in the tech and entertainment worlds look more promising: I'm thoroughly intrigued by a Samsung Galaxy Watch patent application that's emerged, and I'm hoping that this new Spider-Man film is going to scratch the Marvel itch in a way that Eternals didn't.

Also, I'm still not sure how we earthlings managed to 'touch' the sun… but touch it we did this week, apparently.

Gareth Beavis, Global Editor-in-Chief
Start with This
An intriguing behind-the-scenes look at Apple
Members of the Apple Design Team at work on the company's Cupertino campus (Jason Schmidt)
We sometimes get asked by other publications within our little empire (Future Publishing) to support great interviews, features or exclusive news that they've produced – and this was a top one.

The revered publication Wallpaper* managed to get behind-the-scenes access to Apple's Design Team, and it was incredibly insightful. From seeing how Apple prototypes its iPhone designs (a process that, as you can imagine, is painstakingly meticulous) to the level of detail over the fonts and sculpting of every piece of marketing material, it was… well, so very Apple.

I've visited some brands where design testing was done in facilities that were basically glorified classrooms – and while some may feel that Apple products are over-engineered, you can't deny the level of care and attention that goes into them.
This is Big
And Amazon's done it again
The Downdetector web page showing some of the sites impacted by the latest AWS outage
I'm sure I've written about this before… yes, yes I have, just last week in fact. Because Amazon Web Services, which acts as the conduit for a large portion of the web's traffic, went down again, meaning that users of sites including Hulu and Twitch, and even people trying to book rides at Disneyland, were left frustrated and disappointed.

The reason was fairly mundane: apparently two US servers were sent too much traffic by engineers after they spotted an increase in users and redirected elements of the AWS network to cope. It was only out for a couple of hours, but it was enough to bring parts of the online world shuddering to a halt – it's been our biggest story for days.

But it does beg the huge question: how could this happen twice within a month? Is a large part of the internet really that susceptible to human error? I shudder to think of the cost of these outages to the brands affected, and to AWS itself - if the above explanation is really all there is to it, there clearly needs to be far greater protection and redundancy built in.
Know This
Does whatever the Spider… Men do?
We did warn him that the article contained spoilers… (Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios)
No spoilers here – I've not seen Spider-Man: No Way Home yet. I'm very excited for it, though, as while recent Marvel films like Black Widow and Shang-Chi have looked good, I've not been as interested in meeting new characters as I am in being reacquainted with old friends.

While Spider-Man: Far From Home was only okay, I still like the premise of the latest installment: bringing back old enemies from other Spider-Man franchises (confusingly) and melding elements of the Phase 3 and Phase 4 parts of the MCU… there's a lot to get excited about. And will there be multiple versions of Spider-Man? Will that turn out to have been the greatest secret ever kept in cinema?

If you've not watched it, DO NOT read the linked piece – our Entertainment Writer Tom Power tells me it's so filled with spoilers that you may never be able to watch another Marvel movie again.
Read This
Into the Meh-taverse
Mark's Riverboat, one of the virtual spaces in Horizon Worlds (Meta)
Our esteemed new US Editor-in-Chief, Lance Ulanoff, was one of the first people to fire up an Oculus headset and jump into the collaborative Facebook / Meta Horizon Worlds, the sparkling new digital realm that, if Mark Zuckerberg has his way, will be the place we all congregate in the future, while sitting in comfy chairs and ignoring our ever-expanding waists.

It didn't go well. And it wasn't even full of bugs… it was just a bit nose-wrinklingly dull.

"Horizon Worlds was a fun and eye-opening experience, my first real one in Meta's idea of an immersive virtual world," Lance writes. "I wouldn't characterize Horizon Worlds as inspiring or impressive. It's sparsely populated, visually blah, and, for now, painfully small. It's also unlikely to convince anyone that the Metaverse is just around the virtual corner."

So maybe it's not the Future of Everything after all…
What About This?
I can't wait to start editing spreadsheets on my wrist
Future Samsung wearables may offer a lot more screen real estate than the Watch 4 (Future)
In the early part of this century, I met with many brands that were working to make flexible electronics a thing, and every time we spoke I just wanted to know when they were going to invent a bendy wristband that could turn into a tablet when taken off and unfurled.

They eventually tired of my (probably childish) line of questioning, but this Samsung patent proves that I was onto something.

The patent describes a watch that will allow you to pull out the screen of a standard smartwatch to get more real estate if you want to browse the web or do other things that require a bigger screen. It's not coming any time soon, as is the way with most devices outlined in patents, but these look like the first steps towards having truly integrated electronics on our bodies.

I'm here for this. Ultimately I want an all-in-one smart running suit that I can sell advertising space on, to start making those runs pay for themselves.
Don't Miss This
The Game Boy, brought into the 2020s
(Analogue)
I was going to castigate our gaming writer Adam Vjestica for lauding the Analogue Pocket, an attempt to allow users to play old Game Boy cartridges in a handheld that can be docked for TV.

I was ready to make all kinds of derisory noises, thinking that people would be fooled by nostalgia into thinking they could recreate the magical moments of their youth… and then I read this paragraph in the introduction:

"...all those games you grew up playing decades ago will run exactly how you remember on the Analogue Pocket - but so, so much better. The Analogue Pocket's gorgeous screen and clever software include advanced features that inject new life into games – like a sharpening option, frame blending, as well as support for original display modes".

And suddenly I want one of these with every fiber of my being, without even needing to read the rest of the article – although you absolutely should, and if you remember the Game Boy fondly, you'll enjoy this in-depth look.
The Sign Off
We touched the freakin’ sun
An artist's rendering of the Parker Solar Probe passing through the sun's corona (NASA)
When I was little, I was told that nothing could touch the sun as it would all melt. "Even bone?" I asked innocently – although I can now see how that may have sounded slightly creepy. "Yes, even bone" came the impressively patient reply.

But now humanity has penetrated the sun's atmosphere, with the Parker Solar Probe orbiting at speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour and getting close enough to fly through the corona, which counts as touching it in our book.

I can't comprehend how we've built something that can withstand a million degrees celsius, nor how we now have more information about the solar winds and flares that can disrupt our worlds. It's another "Oh man, science is good, isn't it?" moment.

I'm just glad we didn't make the probe out of bone, for so many reasons.
This is from the editor
Thank you again for making it all the way through another newsletter – I'm always bowled over that people respond with lovely words, and you can too, by emailing me with the subject line NEWSLETTER. And thank you for all the congratulations on the new baby!

I've not got any big life events to share with you this week (although my album of cute baby photos is growing exponentially, to the point where my Google Photos app is constantly telling me off for running out of space), but it is nearly Christmas, and TechRadar is spinning up a whole suite of excellent festive content for you to enjoy.

Do make sure that you're checking the site daily – we're hopeful of having a clever way of packaging all our festive content together for you, so that you can sit back, crack out the iPad and ignore your family while they watch terrible TV, in the modern spirit of the holidays.

Oh, and encourage others to subscribe to this newsletter. It's basically a free Christmas gift.
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