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Archived News:
Blizzard
tweets an announcement that Overwatch now has more than 10 million
players, the news coming less than two weeks
after they
announced the game had reached the seven million player milestone. Word is:
"Ten million Overwatch agents activated and counting! Thank you for daring to
see the world for what it could be." They
also
announce the release of the first patch for the Windows edition of the
multiplayer shooter, nerfing McCree and Widowmaker and fixing a few bugs. Word
is these changes will be rolled into larger patches for the console editions at
a later date.
A new update is now live in Heroes of the Storm, adding a new hero to
Blizzard's MOBA along with competitive mode changes that lead to the launch of
season one, a new unranked draft mode, and more.
This post has complete patch notes,
this article has details on season 1 rewards and the seasonal rollover,
and here is where to find details on Medivh, the new hero this brings to the
Nexus. Here's more on Medivh: Medivh is a powerful ranged Specialist who
wields arcane powers to manipulate the battlefield to the benefit of his
team—and to the detriment of his enemies. With the ability to create portals for
his team and become an invulnerable Raven, players will soon learn that it’s
great to have this Archmage on their side. Read on for more detailed info on
some of his talents and Hero synergies.
The
Battleborn website announces plans to update Battleborn on Thursday
with a patch that introduces a premium currency system and adds
microtransactions to the multiplayer shooter. Gearbox Software stresses that
these will be for cosmetic items only, though the also talk about expanding this
down the road, saying, "we’re also exploring convenient ways players can add
bank spaces, loadouts, or boost their XP and credit earnings that do not affect
actual gameplay." Here's more on the plan: We know what you’re thinking.
Don’t worry! When we expand the Battleborn Marketplace on June 16th, we’ll be
offering premium taunts and skins that will not affect gameplay at all (warning:
may make your teammates and opponents incredibly jealous). This optional,
cosmetic content we’ve created comes in addition to all the skins and taunts
we’ve already put in the game. On top of that, the first five Battleborn DLC
Packs will have EVEN MORE skins and taunts that are only unlockable by playing
the Story Operations and will not be sold individually in the Marketplace.
Slitherine announces a reworking of Order of Battle, saying this wargame
is now being offered as a free-to-play game called Order of Battle: World War
II. Windows and OS X downloads are available through the
game's product page and
Steam, and they stress that those who already own the game will receive the
two premium DLC packs comprising the campaign, as well as any other DLC they've
purchased. A series of new expansions are coming to add the European conflict to
the game's existing Pacific theater content, and the first, titled Winter War,
is coming next month.
This post
has all the details on the news, and here's the big picture: Order of
Battle, one of the most acclaimed wargames ever made (81 Metascore, 83% of
positive reviews on Steam, listed as best strategy game on PCGamesN), is being
reshaped into Order of Battle: World War II.
The game is now free to play and includes the bootcamp scenarios (tutorial) plus
the first mission of every available DLC for hours of free gameplay.
The game includes a number of campaigns that focus on the Pacific Theatre of War
and all existing users will automatically have access to any content they have
already purchased.
Coming soon are a series of expansions that will cover the European Theatre
making Order of Battle a comprehensive World War II strategy game. The first
foray into this new front will be Winter War, releasing in July. This new
campaign follows the brave defense of the Finnish Army against the vast Red
Army.
TaleWorlds Entertainment celebrates E3 with the release of a couple of
trailers from Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, showing off siege gameplay in the
upcoming installment in the Mount & Blade series. They offer a
one-minute trailer as
well as an
extended video that runs over seven minutes. Here's word on how the sequel
handles sieges: Players will have the chance to take part in authentic
medieval sieges, utilising a variety of siege weaponry, including ballistae,
catapults, siege towers, battering rams and more. A variety of castles, that not
only look realistic, but function as defences, making use of flanking towers,
choke points and murder holes, which work just like those in reality.
Destructibility and fire damage create dynamic environments, which players can
manipulate to their advantage. But intelligent AI will do the same, adapting
while attacking and reacting to threats in defence.
Beyond the chaotic struggle of the assault, sieges also test players' strategic
abilities, when maintaining a besieging party, constructing siege engines and
bombarding enemy walls.
In addition, this is the first look at the Sturgia faction in Bannerlord. The
Sturgians occupy the northern forests of Calradia, preferring to fight on foot,
with swords and axes. Fearsome helmets cover their eyes, giving them a demonic
appearance and they excel in close-quarter melee combat, fighting in cramped
towers and atop ramparts.
Continue here to read the full story.
Digital Extremes announces details on Lunaro, a new game mode coming to
Warframe, their online third-person
shooter. This will go live this week for the Windows edition of the game, and
will come to consoles "at a later date," and word is this is the first of three
major updates coming to the game over the next couple of months. Here are
details on the sports-themed mode:
"This new, fast-paced, competitive team sport challenges players to use skill,
mobility, teamwork, and creativity for victory and honor. Accessed in-game
through the Conclave, Lunaro invites Tenno to join team Sun or team Moon with up
to four players per team. Teams must defend their goal while doing their best to
score by shooting the ball (or Lunaro) through the opponents' goal. Tenno may
defend their zone by smashing the Lunaro out of the opponent's possession or by
knocking them down with a crushing hit."
Capcom Unity has the expected
announcement of Dead Rising 4, a new installment in the zombie killing series
they say is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 this fall. They offer
an announce trailer
which celebrates the holiday shopping season to show things off. Here's word on the game:
Hey Zombie fans! On behalf of the entire development team at Capcom
Vancouver, we’re extremely excited to bring Frank West back to the Dead Rising
series in Dead Rising 4.
Frank is back in Willamette, Colorado sixteen years after the events of the
original Dead Rising. A mysterious outbreak has overrun the Willamette Memorial
Megaplex Mall and surrounding town with deadly predators and Frank soon realizes
that what’s dead doesn’t always stay that way.
As Frank seeks to uncover the truth behind the outbreak, he will face new undead
enemies, including the Fresh – newly zombified victims that will turn in front
of his eyes and exhibit superior speed and ferocity, and the Evo – zombies with
superior strength and mobility that mimic the behavior of predatory hunting
animals.
Additionally, all of our fan-favorite features return including the ability to
combine hundreds of weapons and vehicles to combat the horde ranging from the
practical – to the practically insane. Frank will also have access to all-new
EXO Suits, giving him super strength and incredible fire power including the
ability to rip down part of the world to use as a weapon – from giant pipes to
parking meters.
We’re also bringing fans a new approach to multiplayer, allowing you to play
together with four friends to complete missions and conquer the zombie infested
Willamette Memorial Megaplex, or quick match and join a game in progress with
players around the world.
Dead Rising 4 releases this holiday on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Stay tuned
for more details this summer on how you and Frank can survive the zombie
apocalypse!
Continue here to read the full story.
The
Oculus blog announces more than 30 made-for-VR games will launch this year
for Oculus Rift, with more than 20 of them specifically supporting the features
of Oculus Touch controllers. This is an odd commitment, as while the HTC Vive
comes with touch controllers, Rift touch controllers are not yet available, and
carry neither a projected release date nor a suggested price. The only commitment
they are making is for "this year," and probably later in the year, as they say
they'll "share the full Touch lineup and launch details later this fall." Here's
a video and here's
word: We’re excited to share that Oculus Touch will launch with more than
30 full, made-for-VR games later this year, including 20 brand-new titles that
are designed around the immersive sense of hand presence you can only get with
Touch.
Launch titles include Oculus Studios games like Insomniac’s Unspoken, Dead &
Buried, Rock Band VR from Harmonix, VR Sports Challenge by Sanzaru, Crytek’s The
Climb (now Touch enabled), as well as independent games like Serious Sam VR: The
Last Hope by Croteam, Pro Fishing Challenge VR by Opus, I Expect You to Die by
Schell Games, Luna by Funomena, Giant Cop by Other Ocean, Job Simulator by
Owlchemy Labs, and Fantastic Contraption by Northway Games. Oculus Medium will
also ship with Touch, which brings the tactile satisfaction of sculpting into
the world of VR.
Cast spells and unleash magic from your fingertips. Open doors, pick locks, and
pull triggers like you’re really there. Give your friend a “thumbs up” in VR.
This is the power of hand presence with Touch.
This is just the beginning—there are hundreds of additional Touch titles in
development, and we’ll share the full Touch lineup and launch details later this
fall. Here’s a fun preview of a few Touch games coming to Oculus:
Continue here to read the full story.
Those disappointed that Bethesda did not announce a new Elder Scrolls game for
E3 will be happy to see a
report on IGN that follows up on this by confirming with Bethesda's Todd
Howard that Elder Scrolls VI is one of the projects they are working on, though
a new installment in the RPG series is "a very long way off." Here's word: "[Elder
Scrolls 6 is] kind of like the elephant in the room, always, when we talk about
anything," Howard explained, "and you know, I think it's good in these moments
to tell our fans yes, of course we are [working on it] - it's something we love
- but it is... you know, I have to be careful what I say, it's a very long way
off.
"I could sit here and explain the game to you, and you would say, 'That sounds
like you don't even have the technology. How long is that going to take?' So it
is something that's going to take a lot of time, what he have in mind for that
game, and we actually have two other large projects we're also doing that are
bigger than everything we've done. People will probably hear about those even
before Elder Scrolls 6. That'll make sense many years from now.
"We think very long term. We're not a developer that's going to rush something
like this out," he continued. "When you think about what is the future of that
kind of game, we have a pretty good idea of what that's going to be, and it's
just going to take technology and time we don't necessarily have right
now."
Capcom Unity announces Resident Evil 7 biohazard, offering a
new trailer from a new
installment in their survival/horror series coming to Windows, Xbox One, and
PlayStation 4 on January 24, 2017. This is presumably one of the three
unannounced games Capcom
recently teased, and a
PlayStation 4 teaser demo and PlayStation 4 preorders are already offered,
and they say preorders on other platforms will follow soon. They say the game
will include support for PlayStation VR, though there's no word on virtual
reality support for PCs.
This trailer offers a first look, and here's word: Capcom announced Resident Evil 7 biohazard, the next major entry in the famed
Resident Evil series, today during Sony’s press conference at E3 2016 in Los
Angeles, California. While Resident Evil 7 draws from the series’ roots of
atmospheric survival horror, it also delivers a whole new level of terror. In
the classic Resident Evil games of yesteryear, players braced for fear in the
first-person via the creepy door-opening scenes, and Resident Evil 7 ramps up
that tension with an immersive first-person view and a photorealistic graphical
style.
Capcom is able to achieve a shocking degree of visual fidelity thanks to the new
proprietary in-house RE Engine that includes VR oriented tools. Last year’s
“KITCHEN” tech demo for PlayStation VR was in fact built on this new engine as
well. With the RE Engine plus industry leading audio and visual technologies,
you experience every abhorrent detail up close and personal in Resident Evil 7.
Playing the game in the PlayStation VR Mode escalates the unsettling feeling of
presence to a level that horror fans have never experienced. That’s right, the
full gameplay experience is available in the included PlayStation VR Mode from
beginning to end. No Resident Evil you’ve ever survived could prepare you for
this.
Of course, a horror story is only as frightening as its setting, and Resident
Evil 7 pays tribute to the franchise’s origins on this front as well. Resident
Evil 7 is set after the events of Resident Evil 6, taking place in modern day
and revolving around a foreboding, derelict plantation mansion in rural America.
Players must explore and survive the horrors within the mysterious, sprawling
estate.
Continue here to read the full story.
Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson announces that preorders are now being accepted for
Forza Horizon 3, confirming along the way the rumors that
a PC edition of the racing game is coming, as they tout this as one of their
Xbox Play Anywhere games that will also work on Windows 10. Here's what they
say: Game Description: You may pre-download this game, but it will not
be playable until 12:01 AM EST on the release date (9/27/2016).
You’re in charge of the Horizon Festival. Customize everything, hire and fire
your friends, and explore Australia in over 350 of the world’s greatest cars.
Make your Horizon the ultimate celebration of cars, music, and freedom of the
open road. Drive through the vast desert and rocky canyons of the Outback to
lush, wild rainforests, and to the sandy beaches and gleaming skyscrapers of
Australia’s Gold Coast.
There are 3 versions of Forza Horizon 3 available for pre-order –
Forza Horizon 3 Standard Edition,
Deluxe Edition and
Ultimate Edition. Click each link for more details or see below.
Supports Xbox Play Anywhere: yours to play on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC
at no additional cost.
Indie developer 34BigThings announces Redout, a VR racing game they say is in
development for Razer's upcoming OSVR headset, and will come to Steam and Xbox
One in September. Here's
a
gameplay trailer, and here's the announcement:
34BigThings and Razer are bringing Redout, the dazzling fast futuristic indie
racer, to the E3 showfloor. Pilots will have the chance to race at 500mph
hovering a few feet above a spinning racetrack in virtual reality, thanks to
Razer’s OSVR headset. Redout will be playable throughout the event at the Razer
booth.
Furthermore, Redout has been selected for the MIX E3 Showcase, held Wednesday
June 15th on the Target Terrace Rooftop, starting 7PM. Members from the
development team will be attending both events to talk about the game, the
studio, what it’s like to make games in Italy, what is the best brand of pasta,
why you should never drink cappuccino during a meal, and the like.
To mark this very special occasion, 34BigThings is releasing a new Redout
trailer, announcing their intention to launch the game on Steam and XBox One in
September 2016. Find it here:
https://youtu.be/9OLVNDQfmCo
The studio is now focused on the upcoming Closed Beta, which will roll out
shortly after the E3 week has ended. Continue here to read the full story.
The
tiny Build GAMES blog announces Mr Shifty, a top-down heist game coming next
year to Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 next year. The game's
Steam Page is already
online, and this trailer
shows things off. Word is: "Shift through bullets, and master lightning-fast
takedowns in an all new kind of action game from tinyBuild and Team Shifty! Mr.
Shifty follows a teleportation-fueled heist to break into the world’s most
secure facility." Those interested can fill out
this form to apply to be a beta tester. Continue here to read the full story.
UbiBlog
announces details about a virtual reality edition of Just Dance that
they are showing off to attendees of E3 this year. This sounds a little odd, as
this doesn't involve dancing, but they do stress this is just a prototype and
not an actual game project, though it may lead to something people can play down
the road. Here's word: As virtual reality becomes more widely available,
the creators of Just Dance are looking to the future of the megahit music
franchise and exploring ways to use VR make it more immersive. Dancing while
visually cut off from your surroundings presents a clear challenge, but that
won’t be an issue in Just Dance VR, a special prototype that takes attendees at
this year’s E3 into the vivid environments of Just Dance’s songs.
While players won’t actually be encouraged to dance in Just Dance VR, they will
get to experience three-dimensional, 360-degree versions of four song
environments from Just Dance 2016 – “Same Old Love” by Selena Gomez, “Problem”
by Ariana Grande Ft. Iggy Azalea and Big Sean, “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, and
“Chiwawa” by Wanko Ni Mero Mero – during a three minute sensory experience.
Unlike the other Ubisoft games on display at E3, Just Dance VR is only a
prototype, meaning there are no plans to make it available to the public – but
it does hint at some bold possibilities for the series’ future.
Today E3 will actually begin, though it feels like it's over already with all
the announcements. Also, it was pointed out I failed to congratulate the
Pittsburgh Penguins on their Stanley Cup, so here's a salute to the team and
their fans. Also, congrats to me, as I seem to be clear of Lyme disease at this
time. My doctor called back yesterday to say my Lyme titer came back negative,
and that all the other tests they ran on my blood came back normal as well.
Seems I was just suffering with some short-term virus, and am otherwise fine.
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