Diablo IV Features The Darkest And Most Tragic Story Yet In The Series

The Diablo series has a rich history of lore, one that stretches from the creation of Sanctuary to the eternal war between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells. Blizzard has slowly been expanding on this saga with new games, expansions, and lore books, but for Diablo IV, the company is looking to craft a bigger story that aims to expand on the mythos of the series. Diablo IV looks at the origins of Sanctuary, how that world has soldiered on the decades since Malthael wiped out half of the population in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, and the new characters that you'll interact with in your quest. You can find out more in this new video from Blizzard, which features several of the game's writers breaking down what they call Diablo's darkest story yet. Continue Reading at GameSpot
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WoW Classic Is Getting Official "Hardcore" Servers Where One Life Is All You Get

Dying in World of Warcraft Classic is about to become far more punishing, as Blizzard has announced it will be creating official "hardcore (aka permadeath) servers this summer. Blizzard is taking inspiration from a popular fan-made game mode that has instilled new life into WoW Classic's original servers in recent months, which prior to the hardcore craze, had become a bit of a ghost town. The fan-made version of the mode uses an add-on (appropriately named Hardcore) to track player progress. It also features a number of additional rules and restrictions, such as players only being able to complete each dungeon once prior to level 60, the inability to use the auction house, and a ban on trading with other players (unless the two are leveling partners). Currently, hardcore is played on a handful of already-existing servers, something that can be a little disorienting for players on those servers who aren't clued in to what's happening. The Spirit Healers are Ready. ⚰️ Official Classic Hardcore is coming. Stay tuned for more info. pic.twitter.com/tAsmV9NKDI — World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) May 13, 2023 The announcement of an official version of the mode came via Blizzard developer Josh Greenfield, who appeared on a livestream for a community-organized (and Blizzard-sponsored) Hardcore All-Stars speedrun tournament. Though details are still light, Greenfield did confirm at least some of the changes players can expect for Blizzard's version of the mode. In addition to dying resulting in being unable to resurrect or continue running around the world as a ghost, the official hardcore realms will also add a new "mak'gora" duel mechanic where players, if they choose, can challenge each other to the death. It's currently unclear what other original features Blizzard will be looking to introduce, or if it will officially codify additional rules featured in the fan-made version of the mode.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Get More Than $350 Worth Of Games For Just $20

BundleFest is back in action at Fanatical, with a new highly discounted bundle going live every day this week. The retailer is kicking things off with a bang, as the Killer Bundle 26 features more than $350 worth of games--but is now listed for just $20. See at Fanatical Killer Bundle 26 isn’t just a random assortment of games you’ve never heard of. Instead, it’s packed with highly reviewed titles such as The Ascent and Dishonored. There are also a handful of indie gems (like Eldest Souls and Rain World), along with tons of Oddworld games and a few games set in the Elder Scrolls universe.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Has A Subtle Easter Egg If You Beat BOTW's DLC

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom has fully taken over the world of gaming, but you might have missed the subtle Easter egg that's only available if you beat Breath of the Wild's DLC. Breath Of The Wild's Champion's Ballad DLC included a lot of details about the game's champions, who didn't have a lot of backstory in the original game. When you beat the DLC, all of the champions take a photo together to mark the occasion, which is a heartwarming moment, and the photo is then displayed in Link's house. As spotted by VG247, it seems that the same photo will be in the same house in Tears Of The Kingdom if you beat the DLC. It's a subtle Easter egg that many will never notice, especially those who never beat the DLC, but it's nice to see Nintendo marking your achievement in a small way. Perhaps someday we'll actually get achievements on the Switch or its successor, but in the meantime, this is the next best thing. In other Tears Of The Kingdom news, longtime series producer Eiji Aonuma said that he would be "for sure" interested in a Zelda movie. The game has already broken records in the UK for its series launch. Check out our guides hub if you're looking for some help with the game.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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1 Year Later, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt Is Shutting Down, Servers To Remain Online

Barely one year after the game's launch on PC and PlayStation, Sharkmob Interactive has revealed that battle royale Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt has ceased active development, though the game will remain playable for the foreseeable future. Sharkmob made the announcement via a blog post on the game's official website, which stated that the game failed to "reach the critical mass needed to sustain development." However, the team has also stated the game will remain playable "for as long as we have an active player base and community." The blog also reveals that the ability to purchase premium tokens will be shut off in late September, but they will become easier to earn so new cosmetics can continue to be unlocked. The team is also planning to make a few additions to Bloodhunt in its final update--including an in-game voting system for unlocking new features--which are intended to "ensure that the game continues to be interesting."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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How To Get Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom For $20 Right Now

GameStop has rolled out a new deal that lets you get The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for only $20. This is not a discount on the game (Nintendo games historically take a long time to go on sale). Instead, this is a GameStop trade-in offer that might not be suited for everyone, but it could be a fantastic offer for those willing to part with some of their games. Right now, GameStop shoppers can get $50 towards the purchase of Tears of the Kingdom when they trade in two eligible games. There are more than 100 titles on the list, spanning a number of platforms. Some of the eligible titles include Elden Ring, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, EA Sports PGA Tour, Pokemon Sword/Shield, and The Last of Us Part II. Go to GameStop's website to see a full list of titles eligible for the trade-in credit for Tears of the Kingdom. The trade-in offer expires on May 20. The fine print (via Kotaku) states that, as with most GameStop trade-ins, all trades are subject to manager approval.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Players Are Doing Terrible Things To Koroks

With new abilities on (ultra)hand, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom players are constantly discovering new ways to interact with the world of Hyrule, build mechanical contraptions, and most importantly, do terrible things to Koroks. Breath of the Wild's cute little forest critters are back in Tears of the Kingdom, and like the 2017 game, finding them scattered across the game world forms a core part of the gameplay loop. In this Zelda sequel, you'll come across Koroks who are looking to be reunited with their friends. These little fellas have packed way too much into their rucksack, can't move, and just lack the willpower to even make an effort. It's up to you to figure out how to get them from point A to point B, and as Tears of the Kingdom players have discovered while using their new abilities, doing this in the most sadistic way possible is more rewarding than the two Korok seeds that you'll receive for your efforts. Over on Twitter, Dan Kois has been compiling a list of some of the more disturbing methods for dealing with lonely Koroks. Behold, a Korok rotisserie:Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Has Already Made More Money Than Ant-Man 3

With an impressive second weekend hold, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 topped the box office again with $60.5 million. The James Gunn-directed flick has made $525 million worldwide, meaning it's already surpassed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's haul of $475 million. Deadline reports Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 pulled off the best followup hold at the domestic box office for a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie since the Covid-19 pandemic. The film only dropped 49% after dethroning The Super Mario Bros. Movie in the first weekend of May. For comparison, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatumania saw a 70% dip in its second weekend at the box office. Strong word of mouth is cited as one of the reasons, as the third Guardians film has an A- CinemaScore. The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to be a Super Star at the box office. The Nintendo and Illumination film earned another $13 million domestically to come in second place. The animated flick has made over $1 billion worldwide.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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This 55-Inch 4K TV Is Free And Has Two Screens--But There Is A Catch

Looking for a new TV but don't want to pay anything for it? The founder of Pluto TV has announced a new initiative that includes giving anyone a free 55-inch 4K TV--but there is a pretty big catch. This TV has two screens, one to watch the content you want and the other that displays advertisements non-stop. The TV is called "Telly," and it runs on an operating system called TellyOS. You can reserve a unit at www.freetelly.com. Telly is giving away "the first" 500,000 free units and they will ship this summer. Presumably another restock will happen later.Telly is a free TV that shows ads constantlyGallery Telly founder and CEO Ilya Pozin says Telly represents the "biggest innovation in television since color." Pozin said companies make billions off ads seen on TV and consumers have had to pay for the TV and what they watch. Now, the TV itself is free with Telly.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Fortnite Ranked Modes For Battle Royale And Zero Build Coming In 24.40 Patch

After Zero Build let players experience combat without contraptions last year, Epic Games has announced Fortnite's next major shakeup to matchmaking: Ranked play across multiple modes will be available for everyone beginning with this week's v24.40 patch. Season Zero of ranked play will be available in both standard Battle Royale and Zero Build modes, and it will run until the end of Chapter 4 Season 3 later this summer. The timing will allow the Fortnite team to "to make any adjustments to issues and concerns that arise, while also working on additional features and overall improvements for when Ranked starts following the normal Battle Royale Season schedule.The Fortnite Ranked chart. Continue Reading at GameSpot
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You Can Now Play A Game Boy Version Of Halo: Combat Evolved

An indie studio called Crusader Games has decided to make a Game Boy-like version of Halo: Combat Evolved. However, instead of calling it Halo Combat Evolved, the studio decided to have fun with it and call it Halo: Combat Devolved. The game was made using software called GB Studio. The official website describes the software as "a quick and easy to use drag and drop retro game creator for your favorite handheld video game system." Halo: Combat Devolved can be played on a Game Boy Color, Analogue, or straight from your web browser. You'll need to visit their website to play this unofficial version of Halo. A message from the developers can be found on their website, reading, "As a longtime fan of Halo: Combat Evolved, I'm creating a faithful demake for the Game Boy Color using GB Studio." Currently, the only playable level is the Pillar of Autumn, but Crusader Games has stated that it "plans to continue adding levels to the project as time allows."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Where To Get The Hylian Shield

If there's something you can count on finding in a Zelda game, it's the beloved (and typically quite strong) Hylian Shield--and that hasn't changed in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, you can actually get your hands on the Hylian Shield pretty early in the game if you're daring and clever enough. If that sounds like something you're down for, we'll tell you how below. Where to get the Hylian Shield Before setting off to get the Hylian Shield, you'll first want to complete a few of the main story missions in Hyrule. In particular, you'll want to be sure you've obtained the paraglider, as it will make getting to the shield much, much easier. When you're prepared, be sure you have a bow and arrow, then make your way to the foreboding Hyrule Castle.Head here to find the Hylian Shield. When you arrive, opt to climb around the rocks on the sides of the massive castle, navigating your way to the northeast of the perimeter until you can see a spot that lets you enter beneath the castle into an area that appears to be an old dock. Now you'll need to make a decision here to either build a boat to cross into the cave here, or find a spot that lets you glide down into this section.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Lightning Temple Puzzle Guide

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Lightning Temple Puzzle will challenge you once you reach it. This vast structure is part of the main regional quest that takes you to Gerudo, where you'll make use of Riju's capabilities. Here's our guide to help you with the Lightning Temple Puzzle in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Table of Contents [hide] * How to complete the Lightning Temple Puzzle in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom How to complete the Lightning Temple Puzzle in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Lightning Temple Puzzle takes place in the interior of the structure. Prior to this, you'll fight the Queen Gibdo and her minions, and get past various traps in mostly linear sections. At the end, you'll reach the Room of Ascension, which is the main puzzle area.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Mucktorok Boss Guide

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Mucktorok boss is a tiny creature that's as ugly as sin. It's also one of the most annoying encounters in the game if you're not prepared. Here's our guide to help you defeat Mucktorok in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. How to beat Mucktorok in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Mucktorok boss will be your foe once you're done with the Lanaryu Water Temple Puzzle. This fight will make use of Sidon's abilities, with his Water Bubble that negates one instance of damage, and a means of casting a water projectile to clean the sludge. The tiny thing called Mucktorok is your main target, but it also rides a Sludge Shark. It will circle the arena for a few seconds before doing these types of attacks:Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - All Skyview Towers Locations

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Skyview Towers launch Link all the way up into the air. From there, you should have a clear view of your surroundings and numerous landmarks. Oh, and they also act as fast travel points. Here's our guide to help you find and unlock all 15 Skyview Towers in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. How to unlock all Skyview Towers in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom The Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Skyview Towers appear as tall structures with bright spotlights, highly visible from a distance. They're normally unlocked once you interact with their respective terminals, thereby creating a fast travel point/teleportation circle. Then, upon stepping onto the central platform, Link will be launched high up. This reveals the surface and sky portions on your map. Moreover, you can use these as skydiving spots so you can reach landmarks. Think of these structures as akin to Sheikah Towers. Alternatively, if you're like me and this is your first Zelda game, then these are sort of like Assassin's Creed sync points or Genshin Impact Statues of the Seven.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Can You Play Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom If You Never Played Breath Of The Wild?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally here. In a rarity for the Zelda series, this is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. That may be daunting if you never caught up with the 2017 game, or if you've just forgotten much of the story. So can you play Tears of the Kingdom if you aren't familiar with Breath of the Wild? To put it simply, yes. Tears of the Kingdom stands on its own, without any prior knowledge of the Breath of the Wild continuity, or even of the Zelda series itself. Most Zelda games take advantage of the loose "legend" concept, with their own standalone stories that feature a few shared touchstones: Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, the Master Sword, etc. Usually the Link and Zelda we meet in a Legend of Zelda game are the latest in a long line of heroes and princesses who have risen over the ages. Tears of the Kingdom instead features a returning cast of characters, most notably the same iteration of Link and Zelda that we've seen before.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Why Call Of Duty Doesn't Have A Forge-Like Map Editor... Yet

Early Call of Duty games featured mod support and Black Ops III in 2015 supported mods, too, but the series has never had a full-on map-maker like Halo's Forge mode. Infinity Ward multiplayer design director Geoff Smith told Dexerto that this is "something dear to our hearts." However, Smith said this is a "tough" subject because it would require "a whole team to constantly keep it up to date and break it off so it stays secure." Joseph Cecot, the multiplayer design director for Infinity Ward, said a map-maker would be "something we would love to do" in a future Call of Duty game.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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The Tribeca Festival Announces Its 2023 Games Lineup

The Tribeca Festival has announced the 2023 Tribeca Games Lineup, as well as other games-related activities you can expect from the event. This year, The Tribeca Festival will feature seven titles as part of the games portion of the festival, all of which "demonstrate potential in phenomenal storytelling and innovation through interactive experiences." These include A Highland Song, from UK-based developer inkle Studios, Chants of Sennar from French studio Rundisc, Despelote from Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena, Gabe Cuzzillo, Ian Berman, Niall Tessier-Lavigne, Goodbye Volcano High from KO_OP, Nightscape from Mezan Studios, Stray Gods from Summerfall Studios, and The Expanse: A Telltale Series from Deck Nine. Each of these games will also be having their world premiere at the festival. As well as this, there are a few events taking place at the festival aside from the games being showcased, including Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds, a documentary that "takes viewers on a journey into the creative mind of Hideo Kojima, one of the most iconic video game designers in the world." An "extended" Q&A with Kojima himself will also take place following the screening. Telltale Games is also hosting a panel called, "Exploring Deep Space: How Telltale and Deck Nine created Expanse Stories in an Interactive Medium," which will go into the "key factors in capturing the right feel and tone for The Expanse: A Telltale Series."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Disney CEO Praises Mario Movie And How It Helped Reignite The Box Office

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is putting up huge numbers at the box office. The film has been so successful that even Disney CEO Bob Iger has spoken out to praise the film and movie studio Universal for helping reinvigorate the theatrical business following a slowdown during the pandemic. "Allow me to digress for a moment to congratulate Universal for the tremendous success of Super Mario Bros.," Iger said. "It certainly proves people love to be entertained in theaters around the world, and it gives us reason to be optimistic about the movie business." The Super Mario Bros. Movie has earned more than $1.16 billion already and it's still in theaters. The movie will continue to rake in money when it hits video-on-demand platforms soon. And if it comes to a streaming service like Netflix or Peacock, it could bring in millions every year.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Diablo 4 Online Store Will Offer Only Cosmetic Items

Like its predecessor, Diablo IV will have a shop where you can spend real world money to get in-game items. Unlike the devilish three-quel, Diablo IV's shop will only offer cosmetics that confer no gameplay benefits. Blizzard announced its plans for Diablo IV's post-launch content and clarified how the online shop will work. You can buy shop cosmetics to alter or change the aesthetics of the armor you have obtained by playing the game. Cosmetics tie in to class-specific fantasies or aesthetics, so some cosmetics will be locked to a particular class. You can only purchase cosmetics with Platinum (the in-game currency purchased with real-life cash). Cosmetics will also rotate out regularly. Any class-specific cosmetics can be used by any character of that class associated with your Battle.net account. Items purchased will be available on any platform, so long as you log in. You can also use a "preview" feature to see how a particular item will look on your character.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Mortal Kombat 12 Reveal Could Be Coming Soon, New Teaser Suggests

A new teaser for something related to Mortal Kombat has gone up, suggesting Mortal Kombat 12 news could be on the horizon. The video may even hint at the possibility of a reboot for the franchise, though details remains vague at this point. In the video posted on the official Mortal Kombat Twitter account--and also by Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon--a clock can be seen counting up from nine and up to 11. But once it gets to 12? The hour-hand straight-up skips that number and goes straight back to one on the clock. In the Mortal Kombat timeline, this actually makes sense, as that game ended with a big tease of a major reset. In case you haven't played through the story mode of that game yet, you can skip past the next two paragraphs if you want to avoid spoilers.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Lego Fortnite Collaboration Could Be On The Way This Year - Report

Fortnite creator Epic Games and Lego have had a partnership for a while now, but that hasn't resulted in much on the Fortnite side of things. However, that's apparently set to change, as reliable leaker GMatrixGames has uncovered multiple details that indicate that Lego is coming to Fortnite in some capacity. Update to "Juno" (Lego) There'll be unique enemies, procedural world generation, custom UI elements, custom shaders that are different from regular FN (was in the files then removed), and something called "Adventures". — GMatrixGames (@GMatrixGames) May 10, 2023 Earlier this year, GMatrixGames said that the Unreal Editor for Fortnite will include Lego bricks in some capacity, though the leaker indicated that it will "not be for normal UEFN builders to use." The leaker also said that it could have a Lego-themed island. Recently, the leaker provided an update, stating that the Lego Fortnite collab will have unique enemies, procedural world generation, custom UI elements, custom shaders, and something called "Adventures." Some fans have speculated that "Adventures" could be its own mode like Fortnite's Save The World, but it's really not clear. Based on leaked information about the project's test servers, it's speculated that this Lego update will likely arrive in fall of this year, possibly September. As usual with these sort of leaks, everything is subject to change, so we recommend taking this information with a grain of salt. In other Fortnite news, the game is headed to the Olympics as an official esport.
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Hollow Knight: Silksong Has Been Delayed

Hollow Knight: Silksong, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017's Hollow Knight, has been delayed. Team Cherry marketing and publishing representative Matthew Griffin shared the announcement via Twitter, writing, "We had planned to release in the first half of 2023, but development is still continuing." Hey gang, just a quick update about Silksong. We had planned to release in the 1st half of 2023, but development is still continuing. We're excited by how the game is shaping up, and it's gotten quite big, so we want to take the time to make the game as good as we can. Expect… — Matthew Griffin (@griffinmatta) May 10, 2023 Though this might come as a blow to those eager for more Hollow Knight--and our own Jordan Ramee, in particular--Griffin went on to state this delay is to ensure the team has time to make the game "as good as [they] can." Griffin also wrote that Silksong has "gotten quite big," and that the studio is already excited by how the game is shaping up. So while you might have to wait just a bit longer to play what was originally one of our most anticipated titles of 2020, we're hopeful it will be worth the wait. Revealed back in 2019, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been in development for nearly five years. Throughout the bulk of the development process, Team Cherry kept quiet about the title's content, scale, and release date. However, during 2022's Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the studio indulged fans with gameplay, a vague release window, and the news that the game would hit Xbox Game Pass on day one. Shortly after these announcements, Sony confirmed Silksong will be available to play on PlayStation consoles as well.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Super Mario Encyclopedia Collector's Edition Gets Big Discount At Amazon

Amazon has several deals on Mario and other Nintendo-themed books, including discounts on limited-edition hardcover encyclopedias, activity books for kids, and other special offers. First, the limited edition of the Super Mario Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years is on sale at Amazon for just $44.36 (normally $80). The Kindle ebook version is also on discounted to just $22 (down from $40). See at Amazon This 256-page book covers the first three decades of the Super Mario franchise’s history and includes guides for many of the games, interviews with series producer Takashi Tezuka, and other behind-the-scenes information. The limited-edition hardcover Super Mario Encyclopedia comes with one of four unique slipcover cases emblazoned with iconic Super Mario powerups like the 1-Up Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Mushroom, and Super Star. The cover you receive is chosen randomly.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Call Of Duty Fans Criticize New UAV Bundle Deemed "Pay-To-Win"

Over the past few weeks, Activision has released a number of paid bundles for Call Of Duty: Warzone 2's DMZ mode that players have deemed "pay-to-win," as they include mechanical benefits that free players simply don't get. The recent release of the new Roze and Thorn bundle has garnered the most pushback yet from fans, as it includes a free UAV effect that some are calling mode-ruining. UAVs reveal an enemy's location in Call Of Duty, which gives the user a huge advantage over the other team, allowing them to obtain better positioning. Back in late April, Activision nerfed UAVs in DMZ by forcing players to wait a full minute before using the ability, in an apparent response to the Roze and Thorn bundle being leaked by dataminers. But that hasn't stopped Call Of Duty fans from expressing their dismay with the move, with many worrying that this heralds a change in the game's design philosophy. THIS one is the WORST. 3 Man team all pay for this. Wait 60 seconds. Guaranteed team wipe on any squad in the area. They are going to ruin this mode. Just make it so you can pay an amount of COD points to instantly get your insured guns back not this trash. pic.twitter.com/YXzff1zLU0 — Stodeh (@StodehTV) May 8, 2023 "This is genuinely game-breaking in my experience. People defending this either don't own a pay-to-win package so they have no idea how much you can abuse this, or they do own pay-to-win packages and love abusing them," wrote one Reddit user. "The worst part is how many people are treating it like it's nothing and see no issue with this," says another.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Can Be Played Without Playing Breath Of The Wild First, Nintendo Says

If you haven't played Breath of the Wild, but you're thinking about picking up Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, don't worry, as Nintendo says you don't need to. In the latest Ask the Developer interview that Nintendo regularly hosts regarding its games, a number of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom developers spoke about the upcoming RPG, including Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi. Interestingly, according to Aonuma, you don't even need to play Breath of the Wild to be able to enjoy Tears of the Kingdom. Talking about how some players might think that they won't be able to enjoy Tears of the Kingdom without playing the previous game, Aonuma said, "...the new gameplay ideas we packed into this title are all things that can be solved intuitively, so I think first-time players can rest assured that this game is easy to get into."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Nintendo Switch Sales Are Slowing Down, No New Hardware Confirmed For This Fiscal Year

In its results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2023, Nintendo has reported that Switch hardware sales declined by 22%, as the company only sold 17.97 million consoles during that 12-month period. Nintendo expects this decline to continue through its next fiscal year, which will end on March 31, 2024, and is predicting an additional 16.5% decline, or around 15 million consoles that'll be sold over the next year. In total, Nintendo has sold 125.6 million Switch consoles since it launched in 2017. In comparison, Sony's PS5 sales stand at 38.4 million lifetime sales to date, with 6.3 million consoles shipping in the January-March period this year. "Nintendo Switch has entered its seventh year since launch, and while it will become more challenging to maintain the same sales momentum as before, our goal is to have more consumers continue to play Nintendo Switch for longer, leading to maximized sales," Nintendo said in a statement. The global semiconductor shortage was partly attributed to the decline in sales, as well as a decrease in sales from last year's holiday season. The company has once again confirmed that no new hardware will ship this fiscal year, and in a call after the financial results were posted, president Shuntaro Furukawa added that Nintendo's 15 million Switch sales goal for the next year will be challenging.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Persona And Yakuza Franchises Reach Major Sales Milestones

The Persona series has topped 17 million in sales, while Yakuza (also known as Like a Dragon) has surpassed 20 million units sold. This comes by way of a recent Sega and Rovio press conference detailing key financial stats for the company's top games. Elsewhere during the presentation, Sega announced that Sonic the Hedgehog has surpassed 1.4 billion units "sold," though it's important to note this stat includes free-to-play mobile downloads--such as Sonic Dash, which has reached over 500 million downloads alone--as well. Sega also revealed that Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis has surpassed 9 million users, while the Total War series has sold over 38 million units worldwide. Other notable franchises are Two Point Hospital at 3 million units, Company of Heroes at 10 million, and Football Manager at 24 million units sold to date.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Apex Legends Season 17 Patch Notes Make Drastic Changes To Legend Classes

Apex Legends Season 17: Arsenal launches Tuesday, and ahead of that, developer Respawn Entertainment gave players the nitty gritty details on the upcoming season's content via the release of the Season 17: Arsenal patch notes, which were posted on EA's official Apex Legends site. The patch notes give players a much better idea of what Season 17 will look like in terms of specific gameplay updates and other game changes that will ultimately affect the game's meta. From the remodeled ping wheel to Season 17's gold weapon rotation, keep reading for a breakdown of all the new gameplay content scheduled to hit the game when Arsenal goes live. Much of the content included in Respawn's patch notes blog post includes previously announced details about the upcoming season, like the new Weapon Mastery system, a revamped Firing Range, and new Ranked Mode changes--which include the implementation of some serious new anti-smurf efforts. You can learn more in-depth details about these new features by checking out everything we know about Apex Legends Season 17. New ping wheel options As for new information, one new feature included in the patch notes post was about the game's ping wheel, a tool players use to communicate and cooperate without using voice or text chat. Currently, the ping wheel has the following dialogue options:Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Wattson Skin Steals The Show In Apex Legends Season 17 Battle Pass Trailer

Apex Legends Season 17: Arsenal is nearly here, with less than 24 hours left before launch. Today, Respawn gave players a good look at the stylish new cosmetics scheduled to hit Apex Legends when Arsenal goes live tomorrow, May 9. With this season's debut legend, Ballistic, being known for taking down the competition in style, it's no surprise that the Arsenal battle pass would lean into Ballistic's over-the-top aesthetic. As seen in the trailer, the Arsenal battle pass is stuffed to the gills with 110 levels of eye-catching cosmetics with a deadly-but-beautiful flair. Horizon's new "Singularity Specialist" Legendary-tier cosmetic skin takes center stage in the new trailer--or was meant to, anyway. But for all its charm, Horizon's new skin was immediately overshadowed by Wattson's Legendary-tier "System Shock" cosmetic skin, a brightly-colored cyberpunk getup that features a purple-haired Wattson sporting heterochromatic eyes--one of which appears to be artificial. New legend skins for Lifeline, Gibraltar, and Season 17's debut legend, Ballistic, are also featured in the trailer, but players will have to wait until launch day to learn more about those skins.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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New Butterfly Discovered, Scientists Name It After Lord Of The Rings Villain

A new genus of butterfly has been discovered, and the scientists who found it decided to name the critter after a famous Lord of the Rings villain. The Natural History Museum of London has announced the discovery of a genus they are calling "Saurona," named after the Eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings. The researchers landed on this name because the newly discovered butterflies have orange wings and eyespots that look a bit like the Eye of Sauron. The scientists, in fact, made two discoveries and named them Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Collector's Edition Strategy Guide Preorders Are Live

Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition Guide $45 Preorder at Amazon Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Guide $30 Preorder at Amazon The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is getting an official strategy guide. Two editions of the upcoming physical guidebook popped up on Amazon over the weekend, a softcover edition and a hardback collector's edition. Preorders for both editions are live now, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the collector's edition sell out, so you may want to get your order in ahead of the game's release this Friday, May 12. The official strategy guide comes in at a whopping 496 pages. If you want to get a 100% save file in Tears of the Kingdom, this guide will have all of the details you need to know, including every puzzle solution, an atlas of Hyrule, and an in-depth look at every enemy in the game. The guide includes a full walkthrough, but it promises to be convenient to use if you simply want to just use it as a reference point.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Dethrones The Super Mario Bros. Movie With $282 Million Opening Weekend

The box office numbers are in for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and unsurprisingly, the gang's final ride is doing some impressive business across the globe with an opening haul of $282 million. In line with early estimates, $114 million came from the domestic US market and overseas ticket sales accounted for $168.1 million according to Box Office Mojo. While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell a few million short behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie's $137 million domestic three-day opening weekend, it did dethrone the Nintendo icons from their top spot at the box office, which the Illumination-animated film had held firmly onto for five weeks. Guardians Vol. 3 is still comfortably ahead of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's $104 million US opening, and compared to previous films in the series, it has surpassed the domestic opening weekend of the original Guardians movie ($94.3 million). Guardian's Vol. 2 still has the biggest opening domestic weekend of the trilogy, at $146 million, but Thursday showings in the US were a franchise best for the threequel.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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New Oppenheimer Trailer From Batman Director Includes Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, And Florence Pugh

The next movie from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) is Oppenheimer, a period film about the creation of the world's first atomic bomb. The newest trailer has arrived, and it provides the best look yet at the big-budget summer movie. Oppenheimer follows the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the real-life physicist who led the team behind the Manhattan Project that created the world's first atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) plays Oppenheimer, a man who seems to be torn about his creation. In addition to Murphy, Emily Blunt plays Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer. Matt Damon plays General Leslie Groves Jr., the director of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr. plays US Atomic Energy Commission commissioner Lewis Strauss. Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock and Josh Hartnett portrays the nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence. Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, Gary Oldman, Jack Quaid, and other big names also appear.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Switch Game Vouchers Have A Requirement You Might Not Have Realized

Nintendo's first-party games seldom go on sale, and with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom testing the waters for $70 games from the company, that price keeps rising. There is a way around this though, as Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers can grant you a sizable discount, but you might want to read the fine print first before you grab them. Nintendo's elevator pitch for these game vouchers is that once you've purchased them, you'll be able to use them on two games from Nintendo's library. The Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers cost $100 and can only be purchased if you have a Nintendo Switch Online account, effectively saving you $20 in the process as Nintendo's games typically have a $60 price tag. The list of eligible games includes some heavy-hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but the catch here is that these vouchers have an expiration date attached to them. Per Nintendo's website, you'll have 12 months to redeem the vouchers and you must have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. "Paid Nintendo Switch Online membership required at the time of purchase and redemption of Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers. Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers must be redeemed within 12 months from purchase date, have no cash value, and cannot be transferred, returned, or redeemed for cash," the text reads.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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How Resident Evil 4 Saved The Resident Evil Franchise

GameSpot's big new video week continues with the first installment of "How It Saved." This is a recurring series in which senior producer Dave Klein documents how specific games have pulled franchises back from the brink, or in some cases, how they helped save game studios stay up and running. The Resident Evil series debuted in 1996, and it helped define the survival horror genre, and its sequels expanded on the formula and helped grow the franchise to new heights. In the debut episode, "How Resident Evil 4 Saved Resident Evil," Dave discusses in detail how the 2005 game helped turn things around after the series began to slow down in terms of sales. "Resident Evil 4 carried the torch for Resident Evil through a slowing of interest in survival horror. It completely revitalized the series, introduced it to new fans, and was able to pave a path for Resident Evil until its next big comeback," Dave argues in the video. "Resident Evil 4 may be divisive for some, but I think there’s no doubt that it saved the Resident Evil franchise."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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PlayStation's PixelOpus Studio Is Shutting Down

PixelOpus, an in-house studio for Sony, has shuttered. The developers behind Concrete Genie and Entwined announced that the "adventure has come to an end." On Twitter, PixelOpus--self-described as a small Sony team--revealed that it was closing up shop. "As we look to new futures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the millions of passionate players who have supported us, and our mission to make beautiful, imaginative games with heart," the studio wrote. Dear friends, our PixelOpus adventure has come to an end. As we look to new futures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the millions of passionate players who have supported us, and our mission to make beautiful, imaginative games with heart. We are so grateful! ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/rQO2Cgvhnq — PixelOpus (@Pixelopus) May 5, 2023 GameSpot reached out to Sony for an official comment and was told the following: "PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives," a Sony representative said. "As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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The Aya Neo Air Plus Is A Powerful, Smaller, And Pricier Steam Deck Alternative

If you follow the portable gaming PC scene at all, you've probably heard of Aya Neo. The Chinese manufacturer has quietly made a name for itself since 2021 with high-performing handheld Windows PCs. In that short window, Aya Neo has released a bunch of different handhelds (with several more on the way), which could be considered both a good and bad thing. On the negative side, it means that customers who buy an Aya Neo may feel like their handheld is outdated in a few months. But on the positive side, Aya Neo's handhelds just keep getting better. The latest example of this is the Aya Neo Air Plus, which takes the impressive internals of the flagship Aya Neo 2 and squeezes them into a compact form factor. The Aya Neo Air Plus is a superb machine with great performance and a premium build that feels and looks fantastic. As with all other Aya Neo models, the Air Plus comes in several configurations that vary widely in price and specs. Prices range from $600 to $1,400, and there are three different colors to choose from: Glacier Blue, Starlight Black, and Classic Gray. On the low end of the scale, you're getting an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor or an Intel Alder Lake i3 1215U. To get the type of performance you're probably looking for, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U configuration is the marquee Air Plus. Though I didn't test the lower-end models, their specs suggest they wouldn't perform favorably compared to the Steam Deck despite costing more. The Ryzen 7 6800U units start at $980 and can outperform the Steam Deck. I tested the model with the 6800U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. If you really want to go all out, the Air Plus tops out at 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. That said, the Air Plus has a microSD card slot to expand your storage, which I found to be a convenient way to increase the storage space while maintaining solid performance. The Air Plus falls between the Aya Neo 2 and last year's Air/Air Pro with its size and form factor. It's larger than the original Air models and has a 6-inch touchscreen display instead of the 5.5-inch, but it's noticeably smaller than Aya Neo's 7-inch handhelds. And placing the Air Plus next to the Steam Deck makes the latter appear comically large and clunky. Fortunately, the compact size doesn't stop the Air Plus from being ergonomically friendly: It feels natural to hold, and the rounded back handles keep the experience comfy for hours.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Rod Fergusson Teases A Secret Announcement In This Week's Diablo 4 Stream

Blizzard has announced an extensive 90 minute livestream for Diablo IV on April 20, promising a deep dive on the title's endgame, and what the team has taken from the beta when it comes to classes and dungeons. Diablo lead Rod Fergusson has hinted that a big secret will also be revealed during the livestream, leading fans to speculate on what the team has to announce. The 4/20 livestream was announced by Blizzard community director Adam Fletcher, with YouTuber and streamer Rhykker on board as guest host. The stream will also feature Diablo designer Joe Shely and associate game director Joseph Piepiora. Wait, wait, wait... @PezRadar is this the one with the secret announcement or are we not talking about that yet? I would hate to give it away. BTW so glad I'm using Slack right now and not something public like Twitter to ask that. That would be the worst. https://t.co/rlJM27Rlmg — Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) April 18, 2023 Rod Fergusson then upped the ante in a quote tweet, asking if this stream will be the one with the "secret announcement" or not. Safe to say, fans should look forward to something big during Thursday's stream, though the Diablo team haven't offered many hints as to what's coming.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Best Gaming Mouse In 2023

Best Gaming Mouse In 2023 Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro See Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro See Razer DeathAdder V2 (wired) Best Gaming Mouse For Comfort SteelSeries Prime Wireless See at Best Buy See at Amazon Best Gaming Mouse For Versatility SteelSeries Aerox 5 See at Target See at Amazon Best Budget Gaming Mouse Corsair Katar Pro Wireless See at Walmart See at Amazon Best Wireless Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Razer Viper Ultimate See at Amazon (Viper Ultimate) See at Amazon (Viper V2 Pro) Best Budget Razer Mouse Razer DeathAdder Essential See at Best Buy See at Amazon Best Mid-Range Gaming Mouse Roccat Kain 200 Aimo See at Amazon Best Wired/Wireless Hybrid Razer Basilisk Ultimate See Razer Basilisk Ultimate See Razer Basilisk V2 See Razer Basilisk X Best Wired Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse SteelSeries Sensei Ten See at Best Buy See at Amazon Best Lightweight Gaming Mouse SteelSeries Aerox 3 See at Amazon Best Gaming Mouse For RGB Lighting Corsair Ironclaw RGB See at Amazon Best Gaming Mouse For MMOs Razer Naga Pro See at Amazon Best Gaming Mouse For MMOs - Runner-Up SteelSeries Aerox 9 See at Amazon Best Precision Gaming Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless See at Best Buy See at Amazon Choosing the best gaming mouse for you is one of the most important buying decision you can make when rounding out your PC setup. If you're a strict mouse and keyboard player, your hand will always be glued to your mouse, so you want it to be fast, accurate, reliable, and comfortable to use. In 2023, there are a bunch of stellar choices from popular brands such as Razer, SteelSeries, Logitech, and Corsair. Gaming mice manufacturers have made incremental improvements to mouse designs over the years, so if you haven't upgraded in a few years, you may find the new technologies make an impactful difference. To help you pick the right mouse for you, we've rounded up our picks for the best gaming mice in 2023. As you'll notice, a familiar name still holds the top spot as our pick for the best gaming mouse, but we recommend scoping out the entire list before making your decision. More PC gaming buying guidesContinue Reading at GameSpot
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Deadpool 3's Wolverine Is Different From What Was Seen In X-Men, According To Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds has said that Deadpool 3's Wolverine will be a "divergence" from the character we've seen so far and will offer something "completely new." Deadpool 3 has been in the works for a while, and last year Reynolds alongside Hugh Jackman surprised everyone with the news that the latter would be reprising his role as the adamantium-clawed Wolverine. Everything's a bit hush-hush regarding the plot, but in a recent interview with ET Canada, Reynolds shared that the Wolverine we see in Deadpool 3 won't be exactly the same as what we've seen before. .@VancityReynolds jokes about keeping up with @RealHughJackman's physique as they prepare for #Deadpool3: "He's clearly obsessed with his own body" 💪😂 -- watch his full interview with @morganhoffman here: https://t.co/Or0AeSpH8n pic.twitter.com/ANd2UV5R5E — ET Canada (@ETCanada) April 17, 2023 "We’ve wanted to do this for decades… it’s weirdly the perfect time," Reynolds explained about working with Jackman. When asked about how Reynolds got Jackman on board, he said "I was just pestering him like a gnat over the last many years. I believe in timing, as much as hard work and luck and all those intersections that are supposed to meet. Timing’s the big one. I think he was ready. I think he was excited.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Nintendo Indie World Returns April 19, Here's How To Watch

Switch owners will have another heaping helping of indies to consider soon, as Nintendo has announced the next Indie World presentation will take place April 19. The new Indie World will feature "roughly 20 minutes" of news and updates regarding indie games coming to Nintendo's platforms. No specific games were mentioned to be part of the presentation, nor have any indie developers confirmed their participation as of this writing. Join us tomorrow, April 19, at 9:00 a.m. PT for a new @IndieWorldNA Showcase! Tune in for roughly 20 minutes of reveals, announcements, and updates on indie games for Nintendo Switch! #IndieWorld Watch it live here: https://t.co/7iwTT7h8jx pic.twitter.com/rokw2BFXnl — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 18, 2023 Nintendo Indie World April 19 Start Time The official livestream for the next Indie World presentation begins at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET on April 19. An on-demand version of the livestream will be available after the event ends for those who cannot watch live.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Haley Lu Richardson, Who Auditioned For Batgirl, Tried Out For A Marvel Role Too

The White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson has revealed she auditioned for a Marvel movie and other superhero films. In an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Richardson said she has, over the years, tried out for "quite a few" superhero roles. She didn't name any roles outright, but confirmed one of the auditions was for a Marvel character, and she said the experience of auditioning was "overwhelming." "I did do a big screen test for a Marvel character, and there was like real cameras there, and they did our hair, and makeup, and stuff. But they just directed us in what kind of street clothes to wear, like what colors and stuff. We didn't actually get in a superhero costume," she said, as reported by ComicBook. "But yeah, it's just so overwhelming, because you're just committing to something, and you haven't even seen a script."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Monster Hunter Now Brings Capcom's RPG To Niantic's AR World

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has announced its next major mobile game: Monster Hunter Now. The collaboration with Capcom will bring Rathalos to your neighborhood via augmented reality in September 2023. Monster Hunter Now will let players hunt monsters in the real world, with regions around the world assigned specific ecological areas that spawn specific monsters. Fighting monsters will use tap and swipe controls depending on the equipped weapon, and weapons and armor can be forged and upgraded using materials earned from defeated monsters. Notably, each fight against an encountered monster will only last a maximum of 75 seconds, which is a major shift from the usual 10-20 minute battles found throughout the franchise.Gallery Players can also team up against larger monsters, as the game's multiplayer features will automatically link players together who are pursuing a certain monster on the map. A new "paintball" feature will also allow you to "mark" a monster you encounter in your travels, and then "summon" it at home in order to challenge it with friends and family.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Exploding Kittens Creator Launches Wordle-Style Word-Guessing Game With Hilarious Visual Clues

A new Wordle-style game has been announced, and it was created by the person behind the popular The Oatmeal webcomic and the board game Exploding Kittens. Matthew Inman has announced a new game called A Little Wordy. For one month starting today, April 17, Inman will upload a word--and your task is to guess that word in as few tries as possible. Players can use clues, but doing so cost points and brings down your score from a maximum of 30. In any event, there are 11 clue options, and they let you discover things like the first, second, or last letter, or the length of the word. Another option is to reveal the exact position of a letter or to find out what it rhymes with. There is also a "visual clue" that players can select to see a drawing that provides a hint.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Netflix's Second Live Event Went Very Badly--Here's What Happened

Love is Blind fans expressed frustration after encountering technical difficulties during the livestream of a planned reunion special on April 16 hosted by Vanessa and Nick Lachey, which was set to stream on Netflix. The event will be made available globally on the streaming service on 12 PM PT on April 17, instead, as a VOD offering. Deadline was first to report on the mess that followed Sunday as subscribers had the option to join a waiting room for the show 10 minutes before the scheduled start time, but still had them waiting an hour later. Netflix issued an apology for the delay, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to viewers. The statement read, "To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon... we are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned. We're filming it now and we'll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and sorry." To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon… we are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned. We're filming it now and we'll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and… — Netflix (@netflix) April 17, 2023 Cast members from the Seattle-based season of Love is Blind--just like countless frustrated fans--took to social media to address the delay. Marshall Glaze, one of the cast members, posted a picture of himself studying an array of wires, jokingly indicating that he was trying to fix the technical issues. Vanessa Lachey also went live on Instagram briefly from the set, thanking fans for their patience and captioning the post with "Apparently we broke the internet!" She added, "This is so 2023."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Still In Scripting Stage, So Don't Expect It Soon

Fans waiting for the second season of The Last of Us might want to get comfortable. Writer-director Craig Mazin said at NAB Show Live in Las Vegas recently that Season 2 is still in the script stage, according to Deadline. Mazin also confirmed that Season 2 will film in British Columbia, but apart from that, he didn't share much in the way of specifics. Mazin did, however, tease that there remains "quite a bit of story to tell" and went on say that The Last of Us will continue beyond Season 2 as expected. "Our plan is to do it not just for one more season," he said. "We should be around for a while."Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Nearly Half Of Gamers Want More Games Based On Film And TV, Survey Reveals

Deloitte recently conducted its 17th annual Digital Media Trends study, and it drew some interesting conclusions about the current gaming audience. As reported by GamesBeat, in addition to finding that younger gamers are more likely to "weave" different digital media activities such as watching TV and playing video games together, the survey also found that 45% of consumers surveyed want more games based on their favorite movies and TV shows. Considering that the Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy has emerged as one of the best-selling games of the year, and that there are a huge number of Star Wars games currently in development, perhaps this isn't that surprising. The overall conclusions of the survey seem to point to a merging together of digital media. For example, 49% of gamers surveyed said that they often discover new music when playing video games, and that 44% of gamers have decided to play a specific video game after watching a specific movie or TV show. Additionally, 50% of consumers said that user-generated videos (like those made by influencers) helped them discover new products or services to buy.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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The Second Age Comes Alive In Season 2 Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power

Production for Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is underway, and actress Sophia Nomvete, who plays Princess Disa, shared her excitement during a recent Deadline Contenders TV panel discussion. Deadline was first to report. Nomvete described Season 2 as "going beautifully," revealing that the characters will be dealing with the arrival of the villainous Sauron, which she called "absolutely mind-blowing." Nomvete acknowledged the significance of her role as the first female dwarf and first dwarf of color in the Tolkien universe, adding that most of her anxiety with the role stemmed from her own expectations--which she referred to as her "warrior" moment. She expressed pride in representing this historic moment and being a symbol of empowerment for women in the world of fantasy. The show's production designer, Ramsey Avery, shared that Season 2 takes a different approach to depict the Second Age of Middle Earth, which is characterized by epicness, power, vibrancy, and tactfulness. The creative team aimed to capture the grandeur of each culture and race during that time period. "While the creative team had plenty of inspiration to draw from, it also required a different approach to bring the Second Age to life, since the Third Age (seen in the films) is "all about decay.'," Avery said.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Sonic Spin-Off Knuckles Confirms Cast, Including Game Of Thrones Star

Idris Elba will be back voicing the titular role in Knuckles, a spin-off show for Paramount+. He'll reteam with Adam Pally who's reprising his role as Wade Whipple from both Sonic the Hedgehog movies. The apparent setup for the series is Knuckles training Whipple as an echidna warrior. Variety reports Knuckles has already started production, and the show will be set between the sequel and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (releasing December 20, 2024). Jeff Fowler, who directed the first two Sonic movies and is tapped for the third, shared on Twitter that he's helming the pilot episode of Knuckles. #knuckles pic.twitter.com/Hr4zNjuLuj — Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) April 17, 2023 Other cast members for Knuckles include Game of Thrones star Rory McCann, who portrayed Sandor Clegane on the HBO show, and Tika Sumpter, who will continue playing Maddie Wachowski from the Sonic films. They'll be joined by Edi Patterson (Violent Night), Julian Barratt (The Great), Scott Mescudi (also known as Kid Cudi and seen in X), and Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso).Continue Reading at GameSpot
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