Home > News

Report: PS5 Unlikely to Release Earlier Than 2020

Just last week, the first reported details of the PS5 has seemingly surfaced, which, while not revealing much, mentioned that there’s a chance the next-gen console might be released before the year’s done.

Given hardware makers generally want to have some sort of time to market their products before releasing them into the wild, the chances of this happening seem very unlikely. Well, in case you needed more convincing that the PS5 won’t be out in 2018, here’s Kotaku to douse any flames of hope.

According to the report, most developers haven’t even been briefed at the existence of the PS5, which includes some employees at Sony’s (unnamed) first-party studios. There are two unnamed people who mentioned they were directly familiar with Sony’s plans for its next-gen console, but commented that it’s unlikely to be out in 2019, let alone this year. Having said that, they did comment that plans are always shifting, and that a surprise move (like a next-gen reveal) by a rival like Microsoft could trigger a change in Sony’s plans.

Here’s a few excerpts from the report:

Over the past month, I’ve spoken to dozens of game developers, across a variety of disciplines and studios, about the next generation of consoles. Of those, two people said they were directly familiar with plans for Sony’s new console. Those two people both told me that the next PlayStation is unlikely to release in 2019, let alone 2018, although they were careful to be clear that these plans are always shifting. “On a multi-year project, a lot can happen to shift schedules both forward and backward,” one person said. “At some point, Sony’s probably looked at every possible date. It’s all about what they think is the best sweet spot in terms of hardware.” A surprise move by Microsoft or another competitor, for example, could trigger a change in plans.

Most of the developers I spoke to, via phone and email and text, said they had not heard anything about plans for a new PlayStation. Even employees at Sony’s first-party studios said they have not yet been briefed on the existence of a PlayStation 5. People across all the disciplines (design, art, engineering, etc.) at major studios working on games scheduled for 2019 and beyond have told me that if there is information about the PS5 at their companies, they haven’t heard about it. (Those people said they haven’t heard about a new Xbox, either.)

The tl;dr version? Don’t expect the PS5 anytime this year. If I had to hazard a guess, we’ll hear about the first PS5 details in 2019, with the console getting released sometime in 2020.

When do you think the PS5 will be available? Would you be surprised if it was announced next year?

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

DICE: Star Wars Battlefront II Game Updates to Arrive Much Faster Moving Forward

In case you didn’t know, DICE rolled out a big Star Wars Battlefront II update that changed the game’s progression system a few weeks ago. If you liked that, prepare for more!

Over on Twitter, DICE developer Ben Walke mentioned that DICE is “blowing up the dam” when it comes to the frequency of game updates now that the progression patch is already out.

One of the key things moving forward is going to be the speed that updates arrive. The drought is over, we’re blowing up the dam. Let’s not ignore the first few months, but we’re operating in a different way now the progression update is out.

Hopefully, other much-needed changes are made, and this time, we don’t have to wait too long.

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

PSN Store Sale for the Week Is Not Really a Sale at All

While there’s technically a PSN Store sale happening this week, it’s not really a sale that gamers are used to. called the “Rockstar Sale,” the PlayStation Store sale today rolled out a host of games published by Rockstar Games, and yeah, they’re just the same price as they were before.

If you were hoping to get Grand Theft Auto V at a lower price, sadly, that’s not happening. It’s still $29.99, which it has been for quite some time now. Here’s the full list, but remember: I warned you.

Game Price % Off
Bully $8.99 40%
Grand Theft Auto Online Megalodon Shark Cash Card $84.99 15%
Grand Theft Auto V $29.99 50%
Grand Theft Auto V & Great White Shark Cash Card Bundle $49.39 35%
Grand Theft Auto V and Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack Bundle $59.49 30%
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas $8.99 40%
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy $17.49 50%
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City $8.99 40%
Grand Theft Auto®III $8.99 40%
GTAV, Starter Pack & Megalodon Shark Card Bundle $100.49 33%
GTAV, Starter Pack & Whale Shark Card Bundle $89.99 25%
GTAV, Starter Pack and Great White Shark Card Bundle $69.99 30%
L.A. Noire $29.99 25%
Manhunt $8.99 40%
Max Payne $8.99 40%
Red Dead Revolver $8.99 40%
The Warriors $8.99 40%

Not a lot of discounted stuff, no? Well, at least you’ll be able to not add any game to your backlog for a week, right? If a flash sale happens this Friday, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

Source: Reddit

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

Fortnite Gun Game Limited Time Mode Is “On the List”

It looks like Fortnite Gun Game will be featured as one of the upcoming limited time modes. According to a verified Epic Games developer posting on Reddit, a “progressive weapon loadout” limited time mode is “on the list.”

It’s totally on the list to try a progressive weapon load out LTM at some point. Would probably bring in the storm early to keep everyone together, flip on respawns so the game reliably ends when someone makes it through the weapon ladder.

What do you guys think, gold scar down to pistols, or weaker weapons up to strong? I think an argument could be made for either way being interesting…

Would you play a Fortnite Gun Game limited time mode? Let us know in the comments below.

In other Fortnite news, the game’s April Fool’s Day event was subtle yet fun, there’s a Boogie Down contest that rewards players with their own custom in-game emote, and a new Battle Royale vending machine item has been spotted.

Source: Reddit

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

PUBG Xbox Update 12 Patch Notes Detailed, New Loot Box Added

The PUBG Xbox Update 12 patch notes have been detailed ahead of it being set live. The patch is set to roll out today, implementing further optimizations to the vehicle system, adding a new loot box and cosmetic items, and more.

Here are the PUBG Xbox Update 12 patch notes for you to read ahead of the launch.

PUBG Xbox Update 12 Patch Notes:

Optimization and Stabilization

Partially optimized the vehicle system. The dust effect caused by friction with the ground during driving has especially been optimized, and the vehicle system has been improved in part.

Fixed a problem with voice chat that caused some crashes.

Grass objects in Erangel have been optimized and will continue to be optimized going forward.

Gameplay

Fixed a serious bug that caused vehicles to flip or get airtime for no reason. This includes the three-wheel bike.

Fixed an issue where under certain circumstances the character would be upside down or seated in a strange position when moving seats while riding in vehicles.

Player will receive more damage in a vehicle collision. The heavier the vehicle, the greater the damage inflicted upon the player. Also, players are now more likely to die or be knocked out when colliding with a vehicle running at high speed.

The vehicle passenger will receive more damage when the vehicle crashes into an obstacle like a wall or tree. When crashing into something at high speed on a smaller vehicle, such as a motorcycle, the player will take much more damage.

Fixed issue causing the 4x scope to be excessively reflective.

UI/UX

Fixed issue causing certain UI layouts not being properly aligned.

Fixed issue of buttons bound to the UI(map, inventory etc.) affecting vehicle operation.

Fixed issue of equipment icons not shown properly on the HUD.

Fixed issue of LT, RT scrolling not working in the inventory when using controller preset B.

Fixed issue of excessive acceleration when the stick is tilted more than a certain angle depending on the R stick acceleration setting.

Fixed issue of team member indicators incorrectly showing on the plane

Other Bug Fixes

Removed collision of discarded magazine on the floor after reloading.

Fixed a cosmetic bug that occurred when characters wore certain clothing or shoes.

Fixed issue of fonts breaking up in case of certain languages.

Scheduled fixes for identified issues

When changing the deadzone settings in the lobby, the options screen needs to be opened once again for the settings to be reflected. This issue will be fixed soon.

Cosmetics

Added a new free crate (“Western Military Crate”) that can be earned with BP.

In other PUBG news, the new Savage map was recently tested on the Closed Experimental Server, an argument as to whether PUBG is pay to win has been brought up again, and it’s been found that 30% of all PC gamers are playing battle royale titles.

Source: PlayBattlegrounds

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Fortnite Port-a-Fort Item Gives Players Instant Cover

The Fortnite Port-a-Fort item is coming soon to the Battle Royale experience. Appearing on the in-game menu, the Port-a-Fort is a “portable fort [that] sprouts a quick defensive position upon impact.”

If you’re a bit slow when it comes to building walls as a defensive tactic, the Port-a-Fort item should make the whole thing a lot easier. I think this item will be a favorite for newcomers, until they get used to quickly throwing down four walls around them. Veterans will likely find it a bit useless, but fun to experiment with.

As for the Fortnite Port-a-Fort release date, players should expect to see the new item added to the game by the end of the week, if Epic Games follows the usual trend.

In other Fortnite news, the game’s April Fool’s Day event was subtle yet fun, there’s a Boogie Down contest that rewards players with their own custom in-game emote, and a new Battle Royale vending machine item has been spotted.

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Call of Duty: WWII Update 1.13 Now Out, Brings the Division Overhaul and More

Just as we reported last week, the big Call of Duty: WWII update that overhauls the Division, adds unlimited sprint and more is now live! COD WW2 update 1.13 also adds The War Machine content, and a bunch of fixes and tweaks.

Enough chit-chat from me! Check out the patch notes below.

FEATURE UPDATES

  • Call of Duty: WWII DLC Pack 2: The War Machine now live on PS4 with 3 new maps (Egypt, Dunkirk, V2), War Mode: Operation Husky, and Nazi Zombies: The Shadowed Throne
  • Paintshop
  • Divisions Overhaul Changes
  • New Themed HQ
  • Emblem Gallery – Recent and Trending tabs

MULTIPLAYER

Connectivity/Spawns/Performance/Split Screen/Mechanics

  • Pushed out Phase 1 of “Memory Error” fix
  • Fixed crash and functionality loss issues in Public Match menu
  • Fixed issue where map voting would occasionally show two of the same options
  • Fixed issue where Afterlife and Return to Sender medals were being incorrectly awarded
  • Fixed issue where splitscreen players were kicked after receiving their login bonuses
  • Fixed splitscreen issues on Shipment 1944
  • Fixed splitscreen issue in Prop Hunt where Player 2 does not have functionality
  • Fixed performance issues with scrolling rapidly in menus
  • Fixed issue where players were kicked from a lobby when accessing Special Helmets

Maps

  • Fixed loading screen issues for War Mode on Operation Intercept
  • Fixed issue with War Mode on Operation Neptune where trying to start a Custom Match resulted in an error message and crash

UI

  • Various UI fixes and improvements (menus, base weapon text, HUD, icons, subtitles, error messages, splitscreen, Division slots, description text, overlay alignment, AAR, Combat Record, timers, clan tags, Emblem Gallery, Firing Range, inspecting weapons, default Uniforms, Prop Hunt)
  • Fixed issue where “Leave Match” and “Quit to Desktop” buttons in MP were not functioning properly

Audio

  • Fixed audio issues in the HQ Theater

WEAPONS/SCORESTREAKS

  • Various weapon art and animation improvements
  • Fixed issue where STG-44’s appeared with 2 iron sights
  • Fixed issue where players had problems respawning in a match while using the Battle Watch II variant of the M1941
  • Fixed issue where players were not able to shoot Care Packages out of the sky by shooting the parachute

GAMEBATTLES/CoDCASTER/ESPORTS MODE

  • Various UI fixes and improvements for CoDCaster (menus, functionality)
  • Fixed crashing issues for CoDCaster matches
  • Fixed functionality issues with the social tab

ZOMBIES

  • Pushed out Phase 1 of “Memory Error” fix
  • Various UI fixes and improvements (menus, incorrect error messages, subtitles, weapon names, description text, clan tags)
  • Fixed various map exploits on The Darkest Shore
  • Fixed issue where “Leave Match” and “Quit to Desktop” buttons in Zombies were not functioning properly
  • Fixed issue where splitscreen players were freezing after certain easter egg steps on The Darkest Shore

While you can read everything changed in this game update in our previous post, we’ve included the big changes to the Division below just to make it easier for you.

Infantry:

1. Additional Primary Attachment

2. Second Pistol Attachment & swap weapons faster

3. While aiming down sights, have less idle sway

4. Move faster while aiming

Airborne:

1. Fire guns while sprinting & diving

2. Reload while sprinting

3. Climb over obstacles faster & no damage from falling

4. Sprint faster over time

Armored:

1. Take significantly less explosive & fire damage

2. Immune to Shell Shock and Tactical Equipment

3. Increased bullet penetration through surfaces

4. Greatly reduced flinch when shot

Mountain:

1. Invisible to enemy Recon Aircraft & controlled streaks

2. Killed enemy death locations hidden

3. No name or reticle change when enemies aim at you

4. Silent movement

Expeditionary:

1. Double Lethal + Tactical & enhanced equipment use

2. Munitions replenish from killed enemies & over time

3. Improved Tacticals & Easier to destroy War buildables

4. Equipment damage paints enemies on mini-map

Resistance:

1. Mini-map indicator & scrambler of close hostiles

2. Enemy movements are easier to hear

3. Kills & assists grant Intel Ping of nearby enemies

4. Easier to spot targets & increased mini-map coverage

Loadout Selection Changes:

  • LMG Bipod and Sniper Sharpshooter are automatically available when using an LMG or Sniper
  • Remaining Division Skills (weapon class attachments) are selectable in CAC (and no longer given by division)
  • Each Division has a 4th perk and their levels have been adjusted & rebalanced
  • All players have unlimited sprint & sprint speed is slightly slower
  • 3 Primary Attachments for all loadouts
  • One piece of both Lethal & Tactical equipment for all loadouts
  • Launchers can be equipped for all loadouts
  • The Rifle Grenade is an available attachment for all rifles
  • The Suppressor is an available attachment for all pistols
    • The Pistol Suppressor has a 15% range reduction vs. the SMG Suppressor’s 30% range reduction
  • The following Basic Trainings are cut & no longer selectable: Primed & Bang
    • Prestige tokens spent on these are refunded & associated challenges are auto-completed
  • The following Basic Trainings are newly added: Blitzkrieg & Clandestine
    • Blitzkrieg: “Streaks are earned by Kills (instead of Score). Bonus: Streaks are improved & select a 4th Streak.”
    • Clandestine: “Slain enemies drop Intel Packs that reveal nearby hostiles. Bonus: Intel ping at the start of each life.”

Resistance/Infantry Shifts:

  • Moved “Second pistol attachment & swap weapons faster” to Infantry to align with its marksmanship focus
  • Filled gap in Resistance with “Enemy movements are easier to hear” to align with its counter-intelligence focus

As expected, the Paint Shop is also live now, which is another layer of customization that people have been asking for since launch.

Are you jumping back to Call of Duty: WWII to test the changes out? Let us know what you think of ’em in the comments.

Source: Reddit

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

Here’s the PS Store March Top Downloads

In a post on the official PlayStation Blog, Sony has announced the top downloads on the PlayStation Store for March 2018, and it’s one varied list! Same as before, the list includes the top downloads for PS4 games, PS Vita, F2P titles and more.

Here’s the complete PS Store March top downloads:

PS4 Games
1 Far Cry 5
2 MLB The Show 18
3 A Way Out
4 Grand Theft Auto V
5 NBA Live 18: The One Edition
6 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
7 Battlefield 1 Revolution
8 Titanfall 2 Standard Edition
9 Monster Hunter: World
10 Gang Beasts

 

PS VR Games
1 Moss
2 Job Simulator
3 PlayStation VR Worlds
4 Driveclub VR
5 Superhot VR
6 Archangel
7 Drunkn Bar Fight
8 Bravo Team
9 Knockout League
10 Statik
Free-to-Play Games
1 Fortnite Battle Royale
2 Don’t Bite Me Bro!
3 Brawlhalla
4 Paladins
5 Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Lite
6 Warframe
7 America’s Army: Proving Grounds
8 3on3 FreeStyle
9 Blacklight: Retribution
10 Crossout
PS Vita Games
1 Persona 4 Golden
2 God of War: Collection PS Vita
3 Resident Evil Revelations 2
4 Adventures of Mana
5 Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
6 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition
7 Jak and Daxter Collection
8 Mary Skelter: Nightmares
9 Secret of Mana
10 Muramasa Rebirth Complete Collection
PS4 Themes
1 Monster Hunter: World – Theme
2 Legacy Dashboard Theme
3 80s Synthwave Remix Dynamic Theme
4 Cyberpunk Alley HiQ Dynamic Theme
5 Laser Cats from Space HiQ Dynamic Theme
6 Amazing Aquarium 3D HiQ Dynamic Theme
7 Friday the 13th: The Game Theme
8 BioShock: The Collection Theme
9 Assassin’s Creed Origins – Dynamic Theme
10 Bonfire in the Mountains HiQ Dynamic Theme
PS Classics
1 Bully
2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
3 The Warriors
4 Metal Slug Anthology
5 Star Ocean Till The End Of Time
6 Psychonauts
7 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
8 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy
9 Manhunt
10 Max Payne

In other PlayStation news, go read up on the first (alleged) PS5 info that’s currently making the rounds. Don’t forget to check out this month’s free PS Plus titles as well.

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

LawBreakers Developer New Game Called “Radical Heights,” Is a F2P Battle Royale Title

With Boss Key Productions officially giving up on LawBreakers, it’s a fair assumption that the studio will have a new game to occupy its time with — and indeed there is! Titled “Radical Heights,” this new Boss Key Productions new game will be free-to-play this time, and it’ll  jump into the super-popular battle royale genre.

Here’s Radical Heights’ official game description straight from its Steam page:

Welcome to RADICAL HEIGHTS, a free *X-TREME Early Access* BATTLE ROYALE shooter. Partake in high-stakes battle royale gunplay in a sunny SoCal dome as contestants drive-by on BMX bikes or stalk other contestants from the shadows in search for weapons and prizes…but also CASH that you can bank – win or lose! Whether you spend that cash on righteous customization in your personal prize room or pull it from an ATM to purchase weapons early in the next game — building a wealth of cash is as important as taking down the competition in this irreverent 80s-themed action game show where everyone wants to be rich and famous!

Radical Heights will be available via Steam Early Access April 10 (tomorrow).

Anyone interested in trying this out? Do you think Radical Heights will be able to stand out from the other battle royale games already out in the market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

Ghost Recon Wildlands Splinter Cell Crossover Mission Shown in New Trailer, Will Be Free

Just as we expected from the teaser last week, Ubisoft has officially announced the Ghost Recon Wildlands Splinter Cell crossover with a special mission! Sam Fisher will be joining the third-person shooter game in Special Operation I, and yes, it’ll be free.

The crossover event will be available to everyone tomorrow, April 10, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with Splinter Cell protagonist Sam Fisher once again being voiced by Michael Ironside. Watch the reveal trailer below and get your goggles ready!

Starting April 10, a wealth of exclusive Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® content will be introduced to the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®Wildlands main game and Ghost War PvP mode, including a new PvE mission, exclusive customization items and a new Ghost War PvP class. Players* will be able to play alongside Sam Fisher, the iconic character from the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®espionage series, and help him complete his new high-risk infiltration mission in fictionalized future Bolivia. This new special challenge is playable solo or with up to four players in co-op and is one of the most difficult missions the Ghosts have ever faced. The nighttime stealth mission will require players to use all the tools at their disposal to succeed.

Special Operation I will also bring the Echelon, a new assault class available in all PvP modes that will expand the Ghost War roster to 18 unique classes. The Echelon is a part of Sam Fisher’s Fourth Echelon team, and therefore has access to high-tech equipment as well as the Sonar Pulse ability that allows him to see enemies behind walls at short range and gain tactical advantage over the opposing team. Ghost War players will be able to get early-access to the new class by using their Prestige points or with the Year 2 Pass.

While the Ghost Recon Wildlands Splinter Cell mission will be available permanently, the rewards for completing the mission (Sam Fisher’s iconic sonar goggles with a new night-vision filter & more), will only be accessible until this Special Challenge ends on May 16. In addition to the challenge, players can customize and arm their Ghosts with the Splinter Cell Gear Pack, which includes new customization items and weapons such as the Karambit Knife, and a fully customizable SC 4000 prototype Splinter Cell assault rifle.

You can read up (or watch it) on Ghost Recon Wildlands Year 2 plans right here.

Once the Splinter Cell content is out tomorrow, we’ll be sure to let people know. Let’s hope this is a precursor to a full-fledged Splinter Cell game that’ll be announced at this year’s E3.

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

Far Cry 5 Sales Secure Top Spot for Second Week Running

Far Cry 5 sales are still crushing the competition. The game has broken franchise sales records, and now it’s sitting at the top of the UK game charts for the second week running.

Here’s a rundown of the top 10 UK game charts, with Far Cry 5 at the top, FIFA 18 still selling well at second, and Sea of Thieves in third. (Note: These are physical sales only, with digital copies not counted.)

  1. Far Cry 5
  2. FIFA 18
  3. Sea of Thieves
  4. Forza Motorsport 7
  5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
  6. Call of Duty: WWII
  7. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
  8. Grand Theft Auto V
  9. Super Mario Odyssey
  10. Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy

Are you impressed with how Far Cry 5 is performing? Let us know in the comments below.

In other Far Cry 5 news, players have created classic multiplayer maps from other games in the Arcade mode, and a game-breaking bug is causing players to have to start the game over. If you missed the game’s launch trailer, you can check that out here.

Source: Chart-Track via GamesIndustry.biz

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

PUBG Pay to Win Argument Brought Up During Lawsuit

The people being PUBG are suing other battle royale developers for apparently being “copycats.” In the statement declaring what PUBG is, PUBG Corp. detail clothing and how it can impact gameplay:

However, clothing does affect gameplay in terms of camouflage. Clothing can be used to assist the player to blend in with the environment, making the player less visually detectable. In particular, BATTLEGROUNDS includes a Ghillie suit, a full body suit covered with camouflaging material typically used by snipers. The Ghillie suit allows the player to become nearly visually invisible depending upon the terrain.

While the above example focuses on the ghillie suit, which is not purchasable through microtransactions, and is available to all players within a round, the statement does point out how clothing style and color can impact how visible players are.

Some items, which can be bought right off the bat with real money, can offer better camouflage. Dark colors on the Erangel map, for example, or lighter colors on the Miramar environment.

It might seem like a minor point, but PUBG Corp. had promised that no microtransactions “that affect gameplay” would be added to the game. Clothing items, however small the advantage they give, are still affecting gameplay.

In other PUBG news, the new Savage map was recently tested on the Closed Experimental Server, the Xbox Update 12 expected release date has been revealed, and it’s been found that 30% of all PC gamers are playing battle royale titles.

Source: TechRaptor

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Ex-BioWare Boss Aaryn Flynn Says EA Gave “Creative Freedom” and Didn’t Force Use of Frostbite Engine

Aaryn Flynn left BioWare in July 2017, with his final project being Mass Effect Andromeda. Prior to that, Flynn oversaw the creation of Dragon Age IIMass Effect 3, and Dragon Age Inquisition.

During GDC 2018, Flynn was a guest on the Kotaku “Splitscreen Podcast,” and used the platform as a chance to speak about his experience working for EA.

Flynn said that, in his experience,  EA didn’t require studios to add microtransactions to their games:

Not in my experience, no. They have an ambitious business plan and they want to do certain things, everything from growing market share to entering new markets, but those are very good goals, there’s nothing controversial about those goals. They have a very solid business plan that everybody is aware of and everybody works hard to deliver.

I think they are a great company to be a part of because they care very much about the creative process – they care about that – so they want you to be successful, and they will do whatever they can to help you be successful. Every company has got constraints and thinks you gotta do, things you have to get done, but they are excellent at giving creative freedom for sure.

And as for whether EA had forced BioWare to adopt the Frostbite Engine, Flynn said that wasn’t the case:

No, not at all. It was our decision. We had been wrapping up Mass Effect 3 and we just shipped Dragon Age II and we knew that our Eclipse engine, that we shipped DAII on, wasn’t going to cut it for the future iterations of Dragon Age.

It couldn’t do open world, the renderer wasn’t strong enough, those were the two big ones. We thought about multiplayer as well, as Eclipse was single-player only.

We talked internally about three options. We could have burned down Eclipse and started something new internally, we could have gone with Unreal Engine, or we could have picked Frostbite which had shown some really promising results on the rendering side of things and it was multiplayer enabled.

When it came down to it, we talked to folks and they really liked the Frostbite option and again, back to this idea of being part of a community, there were more and more teams [at EA] that were considering Frostbite. It was a decision that I made after all of the technical deep dives in probably late 2011.

Source: Kotaku via Wccftech

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

PUBG Mobile Update 0.4.0 Patch Notes Details Huge Improvements

The PUBG Mobile Update 0.4.0 patch notes have been revealed ahead of the patch’s release. The 0.4.0 update makes huge changes to the game, ranging from performance improvements and animation tweaks, to new daily challenges and bug fixes.

Take a look at the PUBG Mobile Update 0.4.0 patch notes below:

PUBG Mobile Update 0.4.0 Patch Notes

Performance and screen optimization

-Added S25 new compatible models

-New models supporting Ultra high and High frames

-Anti-Allasing (improved/Increased and added)

-Improve performance of weapons, models, and scenarios

-Adapative mode (change graphics and framerate according to performance)

Gunfights optimization

-Shooting animation improved

-Enemy death cam

-3d touch shooting mode (iphone exclusive)

-4x and 8x scopes Optimization

-Aiming animation improved

-Flits feedback improved

-Aiming button disappear if you are not on a good position to aim

-Characterjurnp Improved

-Character view Improved

-Game sound and voicechat Improved

Game user interface

-Teammate icon improved

-Bag interface Improved

-Map automatically marks your vehicle location

-Vehicles now have nitro

-Motorcycle flip buttons

-Open door automatically option

-Picking intervals

General update change

-New weather (DUSK)

-Added new character faces

-Match history record added

-Daily tasks added

-Upgrading task added

New Game modes

-Training mode

-Sniper mode

-Melee mode

-Full armor mode (Tier 3 gear)

-Fast paced mode

-Pistol mode

-Shotgun mode

Social experience

-Apprentice system mode

-Search nearby players

-Business card added

-Search players by business card filters

-Team reccomendations

-Chat rooms (News, Tags, Recommended)

-Player’s team Invitation otimized

-Gender Information

Other notes

-More clothes added

-New player rename tags

-Supply price increase and reset once a week

-Changing appearance will cost depending on the changes

-UI interface speed increased

-Voice icon animation improved

-Repeated clothes can be exchanged

-Data of player record Increased

Bugs

-Various bugs fixed

-Improved Cheat detection

-Cheaters will be banned

-People creating cheats, modding, using external apps to have an advantage will face LEGAL Consequences ; That’s all for now.

Source: PUBG Beta Discord via Reddit

In other PUBG news, the new Savage map was recently tested on the Closed Experimental Server, the Xbox Update 12 expected release date has been revealed, and it’s been found that 30% of all PC gamers are playing battle royale titles.

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

PUBG Deathmatch Game Mode to Be Brought in as an Event Mode, Available to Everyone Soon

Just a few days ago, we reported that the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds version of TDM (team deathmatch) called “War” is already live for custom games. Given how only a handful of PUBG players can create custom games (Twitch streamers, YouTubers, dev team members, etc.), some might be wondering when we’ll see the PUBG deatmatch mode be open to everyone.

While PUBG Corporation hasn’t mentioned an exact date, the studio announced that it’s looking to bring War mode to live servers as a special Event Mode, though it’s working to make custom games “more widely” in the coming months.

Here’s the full forum post from PUBG Community Coordinator PUBG_RoboDanjal:

Hello all,

We’re working on a new experiment with War Mode on custom servers. It’s currently in a very early stages of development, so if you’re able to access custom games, we’re eager to have you play and let us know what you think! We’re looking into bringing War Mode to live servers as an Event Mode (but it’ll likely see changes between now and then).

Custom games and servers are still limited for now, but we intend to release them more widely at some point in the coming months. We’ll let you know when it’s ready.

As always, thanks for playing! Find more details on War Mode below:

War Mode

War Mode is a death match type game mode that allows respawning. As soon as you jump into the game, the safe area (White Zone) will immediately be set; if you die you will be respawned at certain time intervals.

  •  Objectives
    • The goal is to obtain 80 points and the default is a 4 player squad
    • The match ends if an individual or a team gets to the target score first or if time runs out. BP rewards will be given out when the match ends
    • Ranking will be determined based on scores earned
      • DBNO: + 1 point
      • Revive: + 1 point
      • Team Kill or Team DBNO: -5 point
      • Kill: + 3 points
  • Respawning
    • Respawn method: player reenters the match area via respawn airplane
    • Default respawn interval: 60 seconds
    • Main weapon setting for default respawn: SMG provided as main weapon for close quarter battles
  • Care Package
    • The care package aircraft will fly over every 60 seconds. The composition of the air drop is the same as in the regular game.
  • Safe Zone
    • By default, the safe zone is static. This (and many other settings) can be tweaked in custom games.

Is this the right move for PUBG to combat the copycats and the juggernaut that is Fortnite? You tell us. Have you played War Mode yet? What do you make of it?

Source: PUBG forums via PCGamer

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

Free Rocket League WWE Items – Here’s How to Get ‘Em

Who doesn’t want free stuff, right? If you’re one of the millions still playing Rocket League, then here’s your chance to nab some sweet stuff for free! With the WWE’s Wrestlemania 34 mega event set to take place later today, Psyonix has partnered with the wrestling promotion for some free Rocket League WWE items!

How to get ’em? Super simple! Go to the Main Menu, then Extras, and then in the redeem code option, type in “wrestlemania” which will grant you two free items!

The items are: RAW banner, Smackdown banner, NXT banner, Wrestlemania banner, WWE banner, and a set of WWE wheels.

Regardless if you’re a fan of the WWE or wrestling as a sport, free is free, right? Got that? Good.

In other Rocket League news, go check out our Tournament Update report to see the new changes added; we also posted a tutorial on how to master the half flip, which should be useful for those still struggling to do it.

Source: Reddit

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

Home > News

PUBG Xbox Miramar Release Period Revealed, Desert Map Launches Next Month

The PUBG Xbox Miramar desert map is scheduled to launch next month. The May release date was revealed during PAX East 2018. For those that missed the event stream, the game’s official Twitter account tweeted the news shortly after the live announcement.

Are you looking forward to finally playing the Miramap on Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.

In other PUBG news, the new Savage map was recently tested on the Closed Experimental Server, the Xbox Update 12 expected release date has been revealed, and it’s been found that 30% of all PC gamers are playing battle royale titles.

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Fortnite Master Lets Players Track Their Stats, Match History & More

Fortnite Master is a website that allows users to track Fortnite player stats. All it requires is an Epic Games username (the player in-game name) and all available stats will appear on the screen. For example, when I search “Ninja”, I can see that he (at time of posting) has 2,158 wins under his belt, and a 10.74 KD.

The Fortnite Master site also shows match history, with records of up to a month ago.

Heading to the Fortnite Master home menu will present you with a list of the Top Popular Streamers, the Highest K/D Ratio, and Highest Win Rate. This enables you to quickly check on just how great the top players are, and what kind of stats your favorite personality boasts.

You can check out Fortnite Master here.

In other Fortnite news, the game’s April Fool’s Day event was subtle yet fun, there’s a Boogie Down contest that rewards players with their own custom in-game emote, and a new Battle Royale vending machine item has been spotted.

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Destiny 2 6v6 Multiplayer Delayed Due to Bug, Rumble FFA to Replace It

The first Destiny 2 6v6 multiplayer event was supposed to be going live next week, however it has unfortunately been delayed due to a “late-breaking issue.” A bug is preventing the 6v6 mode from being featured, which now means players will have Rumble free-for-all to play instead.

Bungie’s Comzo explained announced the delay in a forum post:

Iron Banner 6v6 is Being Postponed

Due to a late-breaking issue that’s been discovered through internal testing, Iron Banner 6v6 is being postponed.

We’ve found that all players in 6v6 matches are returned to Orbit with ANTEATER errors when reaching certain score and timer conditions. We are actively working on a fix for this issue, but will not be able to release this by April 10.

As such, Rumble will be replacing Iron Banner next week as the featured gametype in the Weekly Crucible playlist. As noted in yesterday’s blog update, Rumble will now feature 6-player Free-for-all with additional spawn fixes coming in Hotfix 1.1.4.1 on Tuesday. Iron Banner will return as soon as we can issue a fix. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Are you sad to see Destiny 2 6v6 multiplayer delayed? Is Rumble good enough for now? Let us know.

In other Destiny 2 news, several top Destiny YouTubers have lessened their support of the game. It also seems like the next DLC will be Destiny 2 The Fallen Warmind, if these leaks are to believed.

Source: Bungie.net

Essential Reading:

James Fleming

Subscriber

Home > News

Fortnite Mobile Daily Revenue Peaks at Over $1.8 Million After Lifting Invite-Only Restriction

Hoo-boy! Here we go again! We already know how successful Fortnite is on consoles and PC, right? And we also know it’s been a success even in its invite-only state on mobile platforms, right? Well, apparently, it’s way bigger than any of us has ever thought of!

According to intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Fortnite mobile revenue is at a staggering $1.8 million after Epic lifted the invite-only requirement earlier this week! It surpassed the average revenue of $620,000 by over 190 percent, and is considered one of the most successful mobile launches of all time.

fortnite mobile revenue

What’s even more impressive is Fortnite isn’t even available on Android platforms yet! To date global installs of Fortnite on iOS have already exceeded 11 million since launch.

Here’s what Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower had to say:

Of course, the question on everyone’s minds isn’t how much Fortnite can earn, but how much more is it poised to make when it eventually arrives on Google Play. If its performance on the App Store to date is any indication, we can easily see the game grossing $3 million or more per day once the Android user base grows to a comparable size in relation to iOS – and that’s potentially just the beginning for what started as a surprise release and it already one of the most successful mobile game launches ever.

Given it’s now open to everyone, and with the impending Android availability, the Fortnite mobile revenue numbers will be insane once Epic Games has everything rolling.

In other battle royale mobile news, PUBG Corporation is suing a company since it’s battle royale mobile games are allegedly copying their work.

Source: Sensor Tower via GamesIndustry

Avatar photo

Alex Co

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.