Kotaku Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:55 PM  Activision has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the devs behind H2M Mod. The highly anticipated fan mod for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered was focused on recreating and remastering the online multiplayer of Modern Warfare 2 for PC players. |
Kotaku Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:20 PM  Remember when Meta, previously known as Facebook, was going to take the internet into three dimensions by recreating it in virtual reality as the metaverse? Ah, such times. More recently, the social media company has been scaling back its VR ambitions, and a VR remake of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that was… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:00 PM  I have largely moved away from buying collector's editions over the past decade, and so I was probably not going to buy Dragon Age: The Veilguard's pseudo-special edition, called "Rook's Coffer," to begin with. If I don't see something that I might actually use in the big box of collectibles offered alongside a game… |
Kotaku Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:50 PM  In April, Nintendo officially shut down the 3DS online servers. But some players didn't log off and stuck around, keeping the servers going. However, after nearly four months, it seems just one person is left standing. They are now the last person still playing their 3DS online in 2024. |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 15, 2024 6:47 PM  Factory games come in all shapes and sizes, with Factorio giving you a birds-eye view of your machinery and others like Satisfactory letting you roam up close with your creations. Then there's Shapez 2 which just launched into early access, and it's literally all about different shapes and sizes. Continue reading Shapez 2 is Factorio with no limitations, and you can play it now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best building games, Best management games, Best sandbox games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 15, 2024 6:32 PM  Forgive me, but I'm going to sound like an entitled brat for a moment - it's been an unacceptably long time since we got a new Splinter Cell game. Sure, there's apparently a remake of the original in the oven over at Ubisoft, but it's been 11 years since we got any Sam Fisher action. Luckily, there are plenty of stealthy substitutes that can give entitled brats like myself a fix, and the latest, Intravenous 2, gives the formula a top-down twist. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best stealth games, Best indie games, Best action games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:56 PM  For all that ancient Greece gave us - gods, heroes, stories, and more - it's a relatively unexplored area in gaming. I can only really think of Titan Quest, God of War, Age of Mythology, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey off the top of my head, but maybe that's about to change with Titan Quest 2 on the horizon and now Dawn of Defiance. Continue reading Dawn of Defiance is like an ancient Greek Valheim, and it's out now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best open-world games, Best co-op games |
PCGamesN Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:53 PM  If you were to ask veteran Call of Duty players what the best game in the series' long history is, I'd put money on the most popular answer being MW2. No, not the mediocre reboot that came out a couple of years ago, I'm talking about the original from 2009. Its multiplayer is particularly etched into the memories of millions of CoD fans, and an ambitious new mod was about to revive it. However, just 24 hours before it was set to be released, the team behind the mod has revealed it will never see the light of day because Activision has sent them a cease and desist order. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Modern Warfare 2 guns, Best loadouts in Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 2 maps |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:52 PM  Life sim contender Inzoi is hoping to knock The Sims from its perch when it launches (supposedly) later this year. There will soon be an opportunity to judge whether that feat is likely. Krafton have announced that they're releasing a time-limited trial of Inzoi's character creator next week on August 20th. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:19 PM  I am forever looking for a game to replace Transport Tycoon (or OpenTTD) in my affections. I know there are several railway management sims kicking around Steam, but I haven't found the one that does it for me yet. Could it be Railroad Corporation 2? It's a train tycoon game in which you lay tracks through the early 20th century, and it's launching in Early Access on September 9th. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:53 PM  The Plucky Squire stars a 2D sword-slashing protagonist so plucky he busts out of his storybook confines and into the fully 3D world of a kid's bedroom. You'll then spend your time hopping between these various planes on a grand, cartoon adventure. It now has a release date: September 17th. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:25 PM  The management game progression chart is supposed to go: zoo, then theme park, then hospital, then school. Apparently no one told Springloaded Software, who are following up their 2021 tycoon 'em up Let's Build A Zoo with a game about building an MMO. Let's Build A Dungeon marries the business aspects of Game Dev Tycoon with a more hands-on approach to constructing your company's game, and there's a first trailer below. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 10:00 PM
For a limited time, Krafton will upload the Character Studio for inZOI onto Steam. It'll be available from August 21, 2024 (9:00 PM PST/12:00 AM EST) until August 26, 2024 (9:00 PM PST/12:00 AM EST). [Thanks, acottonsock!]
For reference, inZOI is an upcoming life simulator similar to The Sims. The graphics compared to The Sims 4 are far more realistic. According to the Steam page, it will be closer to The Sims 3, as it will also be simulating the community around you. This can create more unpredictability in your gameplay, much like the second and third Sims games. You will be able to edit the neighborhood your character lives in too.
Here is a trailer of the inZOI character creation:
We can see that you can edit the background, versus how you had to use mods to change up the look. There is also an in-studio picture mode in which you can pose your character (Zoi). You'll choose from templates and parts in order to create a Zoi, compared to the push-and-pull method in The Sims 4.
Much of this article references The Sims, which had a chokehold on the life simulation genre for decades. inZOI and potentially Paralives are on the horizon to offer players some more options though. Paradox Interactive's Life by You was also a contender, but the company canceled the game in June 2024.
inZOI is in development for the Windows PC and the character studio will be available as a demo from August 21 to August 26, 2024.
The post inZOI Character Studio Demo Will Appear For Limited Time appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 9:00 PM
An anime adaptation of Go For It, Nakamura! is in production. There is absolutely no information on it right now, but more details will appear later on. [Thanks, Excite News!]
Author and illustrator Syundei has posted a picture of the main characters to commemorate this announcement. They also uploaded artwork of Hirose in front of a glass of cream soda. Meanwhile, chibi versions of his classmates are hanging out on and around the glass.
Go For It, Nakamura! is a BL manga series that follows Nakamura, a closeted high schooler, who has a secret crush on his classmate, Aiki Hirose. The cover of the first volume, focusing a blushing Nakamura thinking about Hirose, was a meme template for a while, with fan artists drawing their ships using this format. In terms of genre, the manga is a comedic boys' love story that follows Nakamura's numerous failed attempts to talk to Hirose. In terms of artwork, Syundei has employed a style that's similar to manga from the 1980s and 1990s.
As of the time of writing, there's no information on the cast or the staff. It's highly unlikely that the anime will use the voice actors who appeared in the audio drama though. In the audio drama version of the manga, Kappei Yamaguchi voiced Nakamura and Junko Takeuchi voiced Hirose. Yamaguchi's prominent roles include Inuyasha (Inuyasha), Usopp (One Piece), and L (Death Note). Meanwhile, Takeuchi's known for her work as Gon (Hunter x Hunter 1999), Naruto (Naruto), and Endou (Inazuma Eleven).
An anime adaptation of Go For It, Nakamura! is in production, with more information to appear in the future.
The post Go For It, Nakamura! Anime in Production appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 8:30 PM
The Moguri graphical upscaling mod for Final Fantasy IX has received a massive update after almost 3 years. Texture updates including FMV fixes, updated enemy animations, and new controller support are just a few of the many changes in the 9.0 release of the Moguri Mod.
The 9.0 update was the first burst of news the mod had received since May, 2021. In that gap, the team behind the mod had been working on implementing everything from additional controller support for the Dualshock 4 and 5 and the Switch controllers, to a complete rework of every battle background. In addition, several new features were added in the update. The ability to reduce the randomness of Tetra Master, custom fonts, and completely redrawing many layer edges.
Here is a small comparison between old and new screenshots:
In development since 2019, the Moguri Mod set out to, with the help of modern Stable Diffusion technology, enhance the visual experience of Final Fantasy IX. It also included entirely fan-created orchestral versions of many of the songs and the newest version includes filters to go for more realistic textures, the FFIX standard at the new upscaled resolution, or with new cartoon outlines on all the models that enhance the storybook feel.
Final Fantasy IX has had a sizable presence in recent Square Enix developments, with both a collaboration banner in Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis and the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Collector's Edition coming with a mount of the Ark summon and Princess Garnet as a minion.
This updated mod is available for all players who use the Steam launcher, in concert with the Memoria mod launcher app. Players on systems other than PC will not be able to see the updates, however, apart from watching footage second-hand.
Final Fantasy IX is available digitally on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, iOS, Android and PC. The Moguri Mod and the Memoria system are compatible with the PC version through Steam.
The post Final Fantasy IX Graphical Upscale Mod Updated After 3 Years appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 8:00 PM
Murasaki Shion of hololive will return to her normal streaming activities on August 17, 2024 from 8:00 PM JST (4:00 AM PST/7:00 AM EST). You can check out her return stream here.
Shion went on an indefinite hiatus in December 2023, and her last stream on YouTube was seven months ago. There wasn't a lot of information when she announced her hiatus. It might have been for health reasons though, since she said that she wanted to meet with everyone after she became "super-duper" healthy.
She also stated at the time that she may appear at times even during her break for appearances she'd scheduled in advance. Her X (formerly known as Twitter) account has been inactive since then. However, Shion did make a comment about Minato Aqua's departure, stating that she's glad she met Aqua and that Aqua's graduation wouldn't affect their friendship.
As of the time of writing, Murasaki Shion has over 1.21 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. She debuted as part of the second generation back in 2018. Other VTubers who debuted alongside her include the aforementioned Minato Aqua, as well as Oozora Subaru and Nakiri Ayame.
Murasaki Shion will return on August 17, 2024, though it's hard to tell at this point if she will resume her normal schedule.
The post hololive VTuber Murasaki Shion to Return to Streaming Soon appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 7:30 PM
Kazama Iroha of hololive will be going on hiatus until September 6, 2024. This is due to family issues making it difficult for her to stream for a while.
Iroha had mentioned this on a stream, and her manager also took to her X (formerly known as Twitter) account to discuss the hiatus. Family problems in her personal life have been detrimental on her physical and mental health.
After discussions between Iroha and Cover, they decided to have Iroha take a break to recover so that she can prioritize her well-being. All of the replies and QRTs have been very positive, with well-wishers commenting that they hope Iroha can make a full recovery and that they'll wait for her to come back.
Kazama Iroha is part of the sixth generation of hololive, and she is a member of Secret Society holoX. Other people who debuted alongside her include La+ Darkness and Sakamata Chloe. As of the time of writing, she has over 954,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. Like most big VTubers, most of Iroha's content consists of gaming streams, song covers, and original songs. Her last stream was on August 10, 2024, which is where she talked about her influenza and announced her hiatus.
Hololive VTuber Kazama Iroha will go on hiatus until the projected date of September 6, 2024.
The post Kazama Iroha of hololive on Hiatus Until September 2024 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 7:00 PM
Square Enix shared that the FFVII characters in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, are more detailed than ever, due to the power of the PS5. This information appeared in a FFVII REMAKE DIGEST YouTube video.
You can watch the full FFVII REMAKE DIGEST on YouTube below:
According to an interview with the developers, the PS5's enhanced hardware capabilities and the Unreal Engine, allowed for more detailed polygon counts, smoother facial expressions, and more refined character animations for FFVII Remake.
The team also utilized machine learning-based lip-sync technology, dubbed "Lip-Sync ML," to improve the quality of character dialogue scenes, making them comparable to cutscenes.
Additionally, the developers emphasized that the game includes new motion and ability systems to create a sense of unity among the characters as they explore the world beyond Midgar.
Notably, the animations and motions for each character, including their unique riding styles on chocobos, were designed to reflect their personalities, adding the necessary visual depth for this lengthy gameplay experience.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was released on February 29, 2024, for the PS5. Those interested in the first part of the remake can also check out Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, which includes enhanced graphics and additional content.
The post FFVII Remake Characters More Detailed in Rebirth Due to PS5 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 6:30 PM
Re-Ment's Cinnamoroll Happy Days terrarium collection is now open for pre-order via sites like Amazon and Rakuten. The entire box set costs 7920 JPY ($53.05) and will come out on November 25, 2024. [Thanks, Dengeki Online!]
All of the terrariums feature Cinnamoroll hanging out, having fun, and enjoying life. The variations are: Cafe, Rainbow, Dappled Sunlight, Rain, Onsen, and Night Sky. These names give a pretty accurate description of the scene in question. For example, the Dappled Sunlight terrarium shows Cinnamoroll napping with Cappuccino under a tree. Meanwhile, the Rain terrarium shows Cinnamoroll and Mocha using an umbrella as a makeshift toy boat while it's raining around them.
It's not surprising for Cinnamoroll to star in a series of merchandise all by himself. He has been an extremely popular Sanrio mascot these past few years. He's won the popularity poll in 2024, marking the fifth year in a row that Cinnamoroll won. The results of the poll usually affect which characters appear in collaborations or on merchandise. Considering Cinnamoroll's insane popularity, you can expect to see him in a lot more collectibles in the future.
The Cinnamoroll Happy Days terrarium collection will come out on November 25, 2024. The entire collection is available via Rakuten and Amazon.
The post Cinnamoroll Happy Days Terrarium Set Shows Him Having Fun appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:00 PM
Sega has announced the upcoming release of a new series of business card cases designed to resemble classic Famicom (Family Computer) game cartridges. The "Famicom Card Case" will be available starting September 20, 2024, and will feature five titles from the Famicom era. The designs include Super Mario Brothers, Ice Climber, Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, and Excitebike. [Thanks, GameWatch!]
As of now, Sega has not released specific information on where these Famicom Card Cases will be available for purchase. Further details, including a list of participating stores, are expected to be announced closer to the release date.
These new Famicom business card cases announced by Sega are designed to look like miniature versions of the original game cartridges and are intended to store business cards or other small cards. The cases are part of a new prize item series from Sega.
Nintendo previously made the Family Computer (Famicom) controllers for the Nintendo Switch available for purchase to everyone via its official Japanese store. They are primarily compatible with games in the Famicom Nintendo Switch Online app and the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. For those interested in revisiting some of the best Famicom games, our team has highlighted top Famicom titles to play, such as Joy Mech Fight and Lagrange Point.
The "Famicom Card Case" will be available starting September 20, 2024.
The post Sega Announces New Famicom Cartridge Business Card Cases appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:30 PM
Square Enix's Artnia Cafe and several Pokémon Stores will be temporarily closing ahead of the approach of Typhoon No. 7. The typhoon is expected to impact the Kanto area over the weekend, leading to potential transportation disruptions. As a precaution, Square Enix has announced the cancellation and refund of reservations made for Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the Artnia Cafe. Customers affected by the closures can contact the Artnia Support Center to request a refund.
You can view the official announcement post concerning the affected Pokémon Stores below:
In addition to Square Enix's Artnia Cafe, Pokémon Store locations at Tokyo Station and Outlet Kisarazu will also be temporarily closed ahead of the typhoon on Friday, August 16, 2024, with plans to reopen on Saturday, August 17, 2024. However, the reopening schedule may change depending on the path and speed of the typhoon.
Other significant events in Japan have also been affected by Typhoon No. 7. Atlus announced the cancellation of one day of the demo trial event for Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio due to the typhoon. The event scheduled for August 16, 2024, has been canceled, while the August 17 schedule will proceed as planned. The Atlus Stalker Club broadcast, originally intended for a live audience, will now be held online for safety reasons.
The post Square Enix's Cafe & Pokémon Store Closing ahead of Typhoon appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, August 15, 2024 6:28 PM According to a rumor by several sources. The post A Big Xbox Game May Be Announced Next Week appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:53 PM A gameplay video was also released. The post Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis: The Answer Gets New Overview Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, August 15, 2024 5:20 PM Shows off gameplay and cutscenes. The post Mortal Kombat 1 Khaos Reigns Gets New Cyrax Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, August 15, 2024 4:58 PM A trailer was also released. The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |