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Aug 26, 02:00


PCGamesN Friday, August 25, 2023 7:01 PM
     Starfield early access start date

How do you get Starfield early access? It feels like we've been waiting for eons to finally get our hands on Bethesda's interstellar labor of love – but it turns out that wait might be over sooner than you think. Here's everything you need to know about Starfield early access, including its release date and how to opt-in ahead of launch.

While the Starfield Game Pass launch coincides with the Starfield release date, we now know that players can acquire "up to five days early access" as a pre-order bonus in special editions of the RPG game. Of course, that means you'll need to splash out more than your subscription charge if you're looking to jet-set across the galaxy as early as possible.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield release date, Starfield companions, Starfield traits

PCGamesN Friday, August 25, 2023 6:58 PM
     Starfield release time for all regions

When are the Starfield release times? If you, like me, are struggling to resist the allure of space, then I have good news for you. We've got a full rundown of all of the release times per region.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield release date, Starfield companions, Starfield traits

Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 9:51 PM
    

Tales of Arise Dohalim Figure Getting Closer to Completion

During Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter], the Tales of Arise Dohalim figure appeared. At the time, it was an unpainted prototype. Now it is even further along and closer to release. At MegaHobby Expo 2023, a painted prototype appeared. As a reminder, it was first announced back in 2021.

However, while this Tales of Arise figure is closer to being ready, there's still no release date yet. Kotobukiya only released an array of photos showing it from different angles. One is a close up of his face, while the other two are full-body shots that also offer a look at his decorative tile base.

Kotobukiya released three Tales of Arise figures since the game's debut. First, there was one of Alphen. After that, a figure of Rinwell followed. These have all been 1/8 scale figures. However, the company hasn't mentioned anything about ones based on the other three members of the cast.

Tales of Arise is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Dohalim figure is in development.

The post Tales of Arise Dohalim Figure Getting Closer to Completion appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 9:28 PM
    

See the Bishoujo Transformers Starscream Painted Prototype

Kotobukiya offered yet another update on its Bishoujo Transformers Starscream figure. This time, the Decepticon is incredibly close to being ready for the market. At MegaHobby Expo 2023, a painted prototype of it appeared ahead of pre-orders opening on August 31, 2023. There was also a second picture shared of it alongside Megatron for additional context.

Here's a closer look at the Bishoujo Transformers Starscream figure. As a nod to the fact she is the Air Commander, you can see wing-shaped bag being carried.

As a reminder, this won't be the only "version" of her eventually released. Variants of it with different paint jobs designed to match other Decepticon Seekers will also appear. Skywarp and Thundercracker are on the way too. Kotobukiya hasn't shown painted prototypes of either one of them or noted how people will be able to eventually get them yet.

There's no release window yet for the Bishoujo Transformers Starscream figure. However, pre-orders will open on August 31, 2023.

The post See the Bishoujo Transformers Starscream Painted Prototype Figure appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 9:09 PM
    

Kotobukiya Teasing KOF 2001 Angel Bishoujo Figure

During MegaHobby Expo 2023, Kotobukiya teased a KOF 2001 Angel Bishoujo figure. Only a silhouette of the upcoming character appeared. However, it is an exact replica of the official pose Angel performs in art for the game. There's no release window for it. The company only confirmed it is in development.

Here's the official teaser for the upcoming Kotobukiya Bishoujo figure.

To compare, here is a screenshot of the official SNK page for Angel in KOF 2001. While the Kotobukiya silhouette features an adjusted and updated pose, you can still see her familiar pose and the shape of her jacket and boots. She made her debut in this installment.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="980434" link="file"]

Kotobukiya regularly releases SNK KOF Bishoujo figures now. We've seen ones based on Mai Shiranui, Athena Asamiya, and Shermie.

The King of Fighters 2001 is available on the Dreamcast, PS2, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, and in arcades. However, it is only available worldwide on the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. There's no release window for this apparent KOF 2001 Angel Bishoujo figure from Kotobukiya yet.

The post Kotobukiya Teasing KOF 2001 Angel Bishoujo Figure appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 8:52 PM
    

Persona 3 Reload Makoto Yuki Protagonist Figure Revealed

During MegaHobby Expo 2023, Kotobukiya revealed its Persona 3 Reload figure of the protagonist Makoto Yuki. It's an unpainted prototype. There's no release window for it yet.

The details in the reveal are slim. This Makoto Yuki figure will be based on his updated appearance. It is a static scale figure, though the exact size wasn't mentioned. In the pose he's wielding his evoker and you can see his mp3 player and headphones around his neck. The base of the figure suggests he could be about to summon his Persona.

This is the second confirmed figure for Persona 3 Reload so far. Atlus also announced one of Aigis. It will be included, appropriately enough, in the Aigis Edition with physical copies of the remake. That collector's edition also comes with an art book, DLC, and a soundtrack.

Persona 3 Reload will come out for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC via Steam on February 2, 2024. There is no release window for this Makoto Yuki figure yet.

The post Persona 3 Reload Makoto Yuki Protagonist Figure Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 8:30 PM
    

honkai star rail sales

In the span of three months, Honkai: Star Rail made over $500 million for HoYoVerse worldwide. The game only came out on April 26, 2023, and HoYoVerse reported that by July, Honkai: Star Rail had earned over $500 million. This makes it one of the fastest-earning mobile games in 2023, and it continues to rise up the leaderboards. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

According to data from Sensor Tower, the biggest market for Honkai: Star Rail is in China. 38% of the game's earnings come from there. As for other countries, 25% of sales come from Japan, 13% from the US, 7% from South Korea, and 4% from Taiwan. How much money it makes continues to increase from month to month. Not only is it due to strong banner characters, but players likely spent more when they decided they would play the game long-term.

[caption id="attachment_980417" align="alignnone" width="1200"]honkai star rail sales Image via Sensor Tower[/caption]

Honkai: Star Rail's success also appears if you look at miHoYo's shares. Sensor Tower's data shows that 90% of HoYoVerse's money came from Genshin Impact from January 1 to April 25, 2023. Then, between April 26 to July 31, 2023, Genshin Impact sales only accounted for 32% of revenue compared to Honkai: Star Rail's 64%.

When Jing Yuan's banner launched in May 2023, Chinese netizens broke HoYoVerse's top-up center temporarily as they were swiping their credit cards too much. Since Jing Yuan, the five-star characters have been powerful units in the meta (Luocha), as well as popular characters for either their design or personality (Blade and Kafka).

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on mobile devices and Windows PC. PS4 and PS5 versions are in development.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Sales Surpassed $500 Million in July 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, August 25, 2023 6:30 PM
    

On the second day of CEDEC (Computer Entertainment Developers Conference) 2023, a presentation on the character rigging in Final Fantasy XVI appeared. It was given by Square Enix Riggers Akihito Higashikawa and Hirotaka Kawasaki. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

To begin, Higashikawa introduced how riggers contribute to development. Characters in 3D games cannot be animated with just a model alone. The job of a rigger is to create the skeleton of a 3D model so the animators have an easier time bringing the characters to life by manipulating the bones and joints to create movement. After the joints are in place, a technique called "skinning" is used to determine how much movement will be applied to the bones.

[caption id="attachment_980395" align="alignnone" width="1200"]CEDEC 2023 Final Fantasy XVI Rigging Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Riggers contribute not only to animation but also to the creation of character silhouettes. For example, a character with clothes versus a character without clothes will interact differently with the in-game environment depending on their location. So, to avoid clipping animations, riggers will assist in verifying the silhouettes have proper collision properties.

[caption id="attachment_980401" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Riggers can also use a controller to increase work efficiency. This reduces the amount of effort involved in the animation process, which in turn leads to a reduction in labor time for the entire development process.

Next, a workflow example of the rigging for Final Fantasy XVI was shown. The riggers were in charge of creating skeletons for a large number of characters and appropriately scheduling their workflow. By preparing a standardized bone structure for non-playable characters, it was possible to reuse animations and reduce the amount of work and space needed to download the game. Main characters were given their own unique bone structure. There were times when the development team had to make quick decisions on whether or not to give a particular character the standard bone structure or their own unique bone structure.

[caption id="attachment_980398" align="alignnone" width="1200"]CEDEC 2023 Final Fantasy XVI Rigging Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Next, Kawasaki detailed the creation of secondary animations. Secondary animation refers to the setting of objects such as hair and clothes, which are applied alongside the character's movement itself. Since the characters in Final Fantasy XVI move differently depending on context, the team had to make adjustments to make the movements make sense in every scene. Higashikawa mentioned that the team needed to develop an efficient workflow system that prioritized both quality and quantity.

[caption id="attachment_980396" align="alignnone" width="1200"]CEDEC 2023 Final Fantasy XVI Rigging Image via Square Enix[/caption]

In order to improve the look of the character animations, a layered texture was used to ensure smooth connections between poses. A mechanism was also incorporated to blend the wrinkle textures in accordance with the facial expression.

[caption id="attachment_980399" align="alignnone" width="1200"]CEDEC 2023 Final Fantasy XVI Rigging Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Final Fantasy XVI is available worldwide on the PlayStation 5.

The post CEDEC 2023 Final Fantasy XVI Presentation Detailed Rigging Process appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, August 25, 2023 8:32 PM
     Starfield Features New AtlantisThe upcoming and highly anticipated Starfield comes off of the back of previous Bethesda titles like Skyrim. Skyrim is a game known as one of the most highly modded games out there. Bethesda games in general are known for being a modder's playground, to the point of it even being part of pop culture. This naturally begs a prominent question about Starfield: Does Starfield have mod support, like its predecessors before it? Will you be able to mod Starfield? Starfield mod support explained It was confirmed by Todd Howard in a 2021 Reddit AMA that yes, you absolutely can and will be able to mod Starfield to your heart's content. "Our plan it have full mod support like our previous games," writes Howard, making an unfortunate typo during an important answer. "Our modding community has been with us for 20 years. We love what they do and hope to see more make a career out of it." Related: Is Starfield on Steam Deck? Answered Nexus Mods has alr...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, August 25, 2023 8:16 PM
     Armored Core 6 Gameplay Timelines Are Connected Fires Of Rubicon Story Setting ReleaseArmored Core 6 is the mech warrior showdown we have all been waiting for. Step into the mechanical power of a super soldier armed with rockets, chain guns, and all manner of death. Bandai Namco has brought this souls-like mech fighter to the scene, revamping the age-old genre and IP. However, Armored Core 6 is coming out on PC, Xbox, and PS5. The question stands if you're lucky enough to own more than one of these. What platform is best to own Armored Core 6on? Armored Core 6: PC, Xbox or PS5? The three all have their benefits, some of them subtle, some of them glaring. Screenshot: PC Invasion PC The most obvious benefit to owning Armored Core 6 on a PC is the ability to both mod the game and run it at higher resolutions and FPS. Depending on your war rig, you could max out the graphics and get buttery smooth performance in a way that a simple console never will. However, if you are lacking a little in the processor or GPU department, you may find yourself getting pretty...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Friday, August 25, 2023 7:32 PM
     Starfield Features Spaceship CombatNow that Bethesda is releasing a game in the modern age with its modern wonders and past modern setting, it brings along a question that comes with the times. Will we be able to play their upcoming sci-fi entry, Starfield, on the Steam Deck? Skyrim before it certainly works on the Steam Deck, so what about the new release? Is Starfield on the Steam Deck? Starfield's future on the Steam Deck As of the time of writing this, no, it's not in any way officially on or ready for the Steam Deck. There has been no word of any official release on the Steam Deck. At most we've got only maybes or possibilities for the future. But there has been no announcement this close to the actual release of Starfield. It's very unlikely the game is going to be all fine and ready to be played on Steam Deck at release. Related: What are the Starfield PC requirements? Recommended specs However, that doesn't necessarily mean hope is lost. In its current form it'll ...

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, August 25, 2023 6:24 PM
    

A new gameplay trailer was also released.

The post Action Climbing Game Jusant Launches October 31 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


iDev Games Feed Saturday, August 26, 2023 1:57 AM
     Sky Jump is a gorgeous, addictive game that will keep the player entertained...