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Big Changes in Sound: Razer Acquires THX[teaser]Now to be an independent start-up.[/teaser] For the past few years, peripheral-maker Razer has been on a tear, branching out into new business. From making gaming laptops and sound bars invading eSports and even VR, Razer has not rested. And this march to a diversified business continues. Today, Razer announced the acquisition of THX. Yes, that THX. What began as George Lucas' idea to get better sound from the studio the movie theater, later became a way for both hardware and content makers to certify and optimize their sound and equipment. With the acquisition of THX, Razer maintains that "THX will operate as an independent startup under its own management and apart from the ongoing business of its parent company." This independence means that THX will be able to work with clients outside of Razer. At the same time, however, THX's internal audio and visual contents, along with the employees and management will be available for Razer's own product and content production. Combining Razer's current aggressive business and market share tactics with THX's traditional strengths of consistent quality and high fidelity standards ought to make for some interesting products, both within Razer and for the broader video game and entertainment industries. Source: RazerPosted Mon Oct 17, 2016 at 03:09 PM PDT by: -
First Trailer for 'Nights of Azure 2' Released[teaser]Shows off the new combat and partner systems.[/teaser] Koei Tecmo has released the first full trailer for Gust's upcoming Action RPG 'Nights of Azure 2'. Though the trailer is Japanese, this gives us out first look at the game's revamped combat system and how partners will affect battles. The game has already been confirmed for a Western release in 2017. You can catch the latest trailer below: I was surprisingly fond of the first 'Nights of Azure', finding it to be a surprisingly fun throwback to the kinds of action games that filled the PS2's library. It had some major issues, but the sequel seems to be revamping much of what brought it down, and it looks like it's shaping up very nicely. Source: Koei TecmoPosted Mon Oct 17, 2016 at 06:38 AM PDT by: -
Rockstar Games Continues to Tease New 'Red Dead' News[teaser]Definitely not 'Table Tennis'.[/teaser] Following a teaser for news relating to the 'Red Dead' franchise where Rockstar Games tweeted an image of their studio logo with a color scheme bringing 'Red Dead Redemption' to mind, the studio has doubled down on their teasing. Today, a new teaser image has been released, immediately solidifying the Western setting that the franchise is known for. While the earlier image was vague enough that it immediately became the subject of a great deal of jokes relating to older, more obscure Rockstar franchises, at this point, there can be absolutely no doubt that what they're teasing here is related to 'Red Dead Redemption' in some way. An announcement, it seems, can't be too far off. Source: Rockstar GamesPosted Mon Oct 17, 2016 at 06:16 AM PDT by: -
Jetpacks and Scorestreaks: 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' Multiplayer Beta Impressions[teaser]Déjà vu.[/teaser] 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's multiplayer beta is currently going on for PlayStation 4 players, and I finally got to go hands-on with Infinity Ward's latest entry in their long-running series. It only took a few minutes of playtime to notice that players of last year's 'Black Ops III' will feel a lot at home here. Players have a near-identical boost jump, can slide, and run on walls. If it feels familiar, that's because it is. All of this agility returning is a good sign, as 'Black Ops III' played great mechanically. Sadly, just like last year's installment, 'Infinite Warfare's multiplayer doesn't seem like it's designed with this sort of movement in mind. All four of the levels that were shown off were filled with invisible walls that blocked off the top of buildings and objects that are seemingly reachable by boosting, and I found it constantly distracting that the routes I was trying was often met with me falling to the ground instead of going to a higher vantage point. This points to 'Call of Duty' continuing to have a bit of an identity crisis ever since 'Advanced Warfare' released. While Sledgehammer Games' debut moved the series forward and was designed around using boosts, 'Infinite Warfare' seems hesitant to alienate anyone who has enjoyed the corridors of past titles. I feel like the series has to pick a direction to go in sooner rather than later, as of now I'm constantly trying to mantle objects that the game just won't let me do. After my initial disappointment of 'Infinite Warfare' seemingly not learning from the flaws of 'Black Ops III,' I managed to have a good time. For all of the flak that 'Call of Duty' takes online, there's no denying that the core gunplay is polished and highly satisfying. Nothing beats pulling off headshot after headshot in order to trigger a UAV, and then parlaying that into a more threatening scorestreak (in the beta's case it was a set of three Scorcher jets that start firing lasers at enemies). Character classes also return from 'Black Ops III,' although players are choosing different battle rigs to equip instead of characters. The beta featured three classes: Warfighter (an all-around class), Merc (which has a heavy character), and Synaptic (a class focusing on speed). (With the FTL added oday.) Each of these has their own payloads (which are the special weapons that players get during a match) and a character trait (such as getting a speed burst after a kill or regenerating health faster). I mostly used the Warfighter class, and really enjoyed using my special weapon called the Claw. This gun was able to rapidly spray bullets and had a spread like a shotgun. It is worth noting that not every payload is a weapon, as I later unlocked one called Combat Focus that allowed me to gain double my scorestreak for a limited time. Using these abilities efficiently seems like they'll be key to high-level 'Call of Duty' play. The action was fast-paced on all four of the levels on display here, from the arctic base in Frost to the dual-layered space center in Frontier. The latter ended up being my favorite level that I played since it was set in a contained space (and the two floors makes for a confusing radar which leads to a lot of confusion). This meant that I wasn't attempting to get on top of objects too often, and thus wasn't running into invisible walls repeatedly. The other three levels are all set outside and are relatively open. Frost fills the need for seemingly every 'Call of Duty' game to have an arctic level filled with snow. It looks gorgeous and the design is totally fine, but it's such a tired idea for a level at this point. The other two maps (Throwback and Precinct) are a bit more original, thankfully. Throwback is set in a tourist attraction that is modeled after 1950s Americana. Featuring plenty of buildings (although most are just background flavor as you can't actually go into them, sadly) such as diners and bowling alleys, and it's just a fun map to boost jump around in. The other map is based in the streets of Japan and is called Precinct. Much like Throwback, there are a ton of interesting looking Japanese stores that are just unavailable. I'm really not sure why this bothered me so much, but the most interesting parts of both Precinct and Throwback were the awesome stores that made up the backgrounds. Sadly, despite being equipped with a gun, I couldn't break through their glass windows and actually explore these locations and use a store's items as cover. Instead of letting players battle it out in interesting locales like that, 'Infinite Warfare' instead makes the action happen solely on the streets. This seems crazy to me, and would be like if 'Modern Warfare 2's Terminal map only allowed players to fight in the airport hallways and not to venture into any of the stores there. Needless to say, I wasn't quite enamored with the level designs I saw as they look pretty, but mostly feel like a tease of what could be more interesting stages to play. During the beta there were four separate playlists to choose from: Team Deathmatch, Domination, Gun Game, and Mixed. Most of these should be known to 'Call of Duty' fans, but I'll run down them quickly. Team Deathmatch has 12 players competing on two teams in order to see who can rack up the most kills, and Domination is all about capturing points on the maps. Gun Game is one of the more unique mainstays of the series and has all players starting off with a pistol and then getting different types of weapons with each kill. I found this mode to be incredibly fun as it forced me to use a lot of weapons that I normally wouldn't use (I typically just use assault rifles) and it took me out of my comfort zone. Finally, Mixed throws players into a few different variations. The two I encountered were Defender (which has players trying to keep a drone out of the hands of the other team by carrying it around) and Kill Confirmed (my favorite mode in the series that forces players to pick-up dog tags after they kill an enemy). While the core gameplay found in 'Infinite Warfare' is a lot like past games, there are some nice changes that are helping multiplayer get its hooks into me. While I was playing online matches, the game was constantly bringing up "missions" for me to complete. These ranged from simple stuff like getting 10 kills in a round to trying to get a kill using a specific type of weapon. Much like 'Destiny's bounty system, this gave me an additional goal to play for while grinding in multiplayer, so it was definitely appreciated. Successfully completing missions feeds into the game's team system that has players picking one of four mercenary factions (although only the JTF Wolverines were unlocked initially in the beta) which then allows players to purchase exclusive "prototype weapons" in the game's armory. Basically, the armory allows players to upgrade their weapons so that they automatically hold a perk (or two). For example, the fully upgraded Epic version of the NV4 assault rifle featured the precision and focus skills which gave the gun infinite range and reduced idle sway. These upgrades are purchased with an in-game currency called Salvage, which players get at the end of matches alongside the game's other currency called keys. Keys can be used to purchase supply drops, which includes items, taunts and banners for decking out your 'Call of Duty' clan tag. The beta features two types of supply drops (common and rare) with the more expensive one costing 30 keys opposed to the 10 for a common one. A rare supply drop guarantees at least one rare item, and includes bonus Salvage. I really don't get why 'Infinite Warfare' has made its multiplayer so needlessly complicated here and why a 'Call of Duty' game needs two separate in-game currencies. It seems like a step towards microtransactions, although nothing in the beta seemed to confirm that. I just don't understand why it would be so convoluted otherwise. I'm walking away from the 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' beta with mixed feelings. The gameplay feels great, but I absolutely hate how they've designed the maps since it doesn't take advantage of how agile characters are. While multiplayer seems like a lost cause for me, I'm still hopeful that the single-player will be more up my alley. I'll find out soon enough as 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' launches November 4th, 2016 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. You can find the latest info on 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' linked from our Video Game Release Schedule. Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order Digital from Amazon Order Digital from AmazonPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 07:30 PM PDT by: -
Ubisoft Releases "101 Trailer" For VR-Exclusive 'Eagle Flight'[teaser]Complete with three different game modes.[/teaser] Amid all of the VR buzz from the recent release of Sony's PlayStation VR, publisher Ubisoft has released an overview trailer for its upcoming VR-exclusive title 'Eagle Flight.' In 'Eagle Flight,' the player flies around the landmarks of a verdant Paris, controlling the eagle player character with tilts of the head. The trailer, which you can watch below, gives VR fans an idea of the kinds of cityscapes they'll be able to explore in the game. In the game's story mode, the player claims Parisian districts one by one in an attempt to ultimately nest at the top of Paris' tallest landmark. To do this, they'll have to out-fly other airborne enemies, like speedy vultures, defensive bats, and aggressive falcons. The game's multiplayer mode pits teams of five against each other as they play an aerial version of Capture the Flag with the corpse of a rabbit. Finally, the game's Free Flight game mode allows players to freely explore the skies of Paris with five other random players enjoying the same game mode. 'Eagle Flight' launches for Oculus this Tuesday, PlayStation VR on November 8, and HTC Vive on December 20. You can watch the trailer's gameplay footage for yourself below. Source: UbisoftPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
'Civilization VI' Publisher Celebrates Launch With Completely Computer-Controlled Game This Week[teaser]Stream starts Wednesday afternoon.[/teaser] 'Civilization VI,' the latest entry in the 'Sid Meier's Civilization' strategy series, is launching at the end of this week, and to celebrate, publisher 2K Games is hosting a stream for a special kind of game on Wednesday. Inspired by the AI-only games that have become popular within the 'Civ V' community, 2K will be hosting an eight-player match of 'Civilization VI' where all eight civilizations are controller by the computer. Starting this Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 p.m. Pacific) on the 2K Games Twitch channel, the match will include live color commentary from the game's developers. The eight civilzations featured in the stream will be the Aztecs, Brazil, England, Japan, Rome, Russia, Spain, and Greece under Gorgo, the recently revealed alternate leader for the Greek civ. Source: 2K GamesPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 10:58 AM PDT by: -
Square Enix Reveals 'Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood' Expansion With New Teaser Trailer[teaser]With some not-so-great news for those still playing on PS3.[/teaser] At the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Las Vegas, publisher Square Enix pulled back the curtain on the next expansion for the 'Final Fantasy XIV' MMORPG. Titled 'Stormblood,' the expansion is slated to release in summer 2017. The expansion will raise the game's level cap from 60 to 70 and will add in a collection of new jobs for players to try out—along with fresh dungeons, raids, and gear. The expansion will take place in Ala Mhigo, an occupied land ripe for a liberation movement. Game director Naoki Yoshida noted that 'Stormblood' will include "a full stand-alone game's worth of content" and that the amount of new areas added will be comparable to those added in the game's first expansion, according to Polygon. Finally, 'Stormblood' will increase the size of players' inventories, a much-requested change from the community. Unfortunately for those still playing 'Final Fantasy XIV' on PS3, Square Enix also announced that it will stop supporting the platform with the launch of the new expansion. For those players who also own a PS4, however, Yoshida said that an upgrade program will allow them to upgrade their version of the game for free if they want to be able to play 'Stormblood' along with the rest of the community. The expansion's announcement also came with a cinematic teaser featuring two fighters duking it out on top of an enormous statue. You can catch the reveal trailer for 'Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood' below. Source: Square Enix, PlayStation Blog, PolygonPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 10:24 AM PDT by: -
Rockstar Games Teases Possible 'Red Dead Redemption' News On Social Media[teaser]So much fuss over one color.[/teaser] Developer Rockstar Games uploaded a simple image to its various social media outlets today that has fans predicting news regarding its 2010 Western hit 'Red Dead Redemption.' Featuring only the Rockstar logo over a textured red background reminiscent of the 'Red Dead Redemption' color palette—and no other clues—the image has some hoping that this signals Rockstar's return to the Wild West setting for another rodeo in the 'Red Dead' series. Others hope that Rockstar will finally be bringing the lauded game to the PC platform. Back in July, 'Red Dead Redemption' was included in Microsoft's backwards compatibility list for Xbox One. pic.twitter.com/BklXMlZ0UQ — Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) October 16, 2016 Source: RockstarPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 09:36 AM PDT by: -
'Skylanders Imaginators' Hits North America Today, Come See the 'Crash Bandicoot Edition' Review[teaser]Make your favorite characters.[/teaser] Today's the day for 'Skylanders Imaginators,' and not only does this year include an incredible character creator, but there is the little matter of Crash Bandicoot & Dr. Neo Cortex getting the guest star treatment in a special PlayStation version of the game. (Check out the 'Crash Bandicoot Edition' review here.) 'Imaginators' includes a new story, a world built on campaign levels, Sensei levels, and random other special side pursuits. That is of course, in addition to the custom, player-made characters, and the new Sensei figure line. In my review, I talk about what really works in the game overall, and I also get into what's different about the 'Crash Bandicoot Edition'. I also talk about taking some inspiration from whatever popular character property that comes to mind and putting into the game. (See it in the review.) Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from AmazonPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 09:13 AM PDT by: -
The 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' PS4 Multiplayer Beta Gets More Content, Come Get a Code[teaser]There is still time to play.[/teaser] The 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' Multiplayer Beta went live on the PS4 on Friday, and that first 24 hours was really tough as the demand overwhelmed the servers. (The Xbox One and PC betas are still to come.) Things are much better now, and in fact the Precinct map, FTL rig, and Gun Game mode are now part of the equation. Even better, the beta has been extended an extra day- it now goes until October 18th at 10am PDT. We've got impressions incoming, but for anyone interested in playing the beta today, we've got codes to give out. (See below). Code Giveaway Instructions: On Friday, we gave out plenty of codes, but now, we've got another batch. So in the comment section below, just put in your favorite 'Call of Duty' game (all-time) and your favorite non 'Call of Duty' game from 2016. The winners (picked randomly and quickly) will get codes emailed to them, so be sure that you are supplying a working email address. I'll update this post when all the codes have been exhausted. You can find the latest info on 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare' linked from our Video Game Release Schedule. Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order from Amazon Order Digital from Amazon Order Digital from AmazonPosted Sun Oct 16, 2016 at 07:30 AM PDT by:
