Electronic Arts Reports Q1 FY17 Financial Results, calling these "preliminary." The announcement speaks of the company's success in the digital side of the business. They also express optimism about the releases of Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 this holiday season. They also include handy highlight lists:

Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics:

• The Battlefield™ franchise, led by Battlefield 4™, had more than 11.5 million unique players during Q1.
• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ had more than 6.6 million unique players in Q1.
• Madden NFL 16 unique players increased more than 20% year-over-year during Q1.
• Madden NFL Mobile had 25% more monthly active players in Q1 over last year.
• Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes players averaged nearly 2.5 hours of gameplay per day in Q1.
• EA titles shown at EA PLAY and E3 garnered 81 awards, including the Best Action Game for Battlefield 1 and Best Online Multiplayer for Titanfall® 2 from the E3 Game Critics.
• The EA Access subscriber base more than doubled year-over-year in Q1.

Selected Financial Highlights:

• For the quarter, GAAP net revenue of $1.271 billion was above guidance of $1.250 billion. Of the total GAAP net revenue 54%, or $689 million, was digital. Diluted GAAP EPS of $1.40 was above guidance of $1.30.
• For the quarter, change in deferred net revenue was ($589) million of which ($121) million was digital.
• For the quarter, non-GAAP net revenue of $682 million was above guidance of $640 million. Of the total non-GAAP net revenue 83%, or $568 million, was digital. Diluted non-GAAP EPS of $0.07 was above guidance of ($0.05).
• EA repurchased 1.9 million shares in Q1 for $129 million.

Overwatch website welcomes players to the "summer games" in Blizzard's first-person shooter. The celebration of the Olympic games includes special loot boxes and a Rocket League-style brawl called Lúcioball. Here's the news:

GO FOR THE GOLD
Starting today (and for the duration of the event), any new Loot Boxes you earn or purchase will be sporting an updated look, but the packaging isn’t the only thing that’s changed!

Inside, players will have a chance to find a variety of new cosmetic items commemorating the Summer Games—including themed sprays, emotes, victory poses, highlight intros, player icons, and some very special skins. Though they can't be purchased with credits, each seasonal Loot Box you receive is guaranteed to contain at least one item from our Summer Games 2016 collection.

While any Summer Games item you unlock will be yours forever, the collection will be heading back into the vault on August 22 when the event concludes. So, if you’ve got your eye on something specific, there's no time to lose!

PITCH PERFECT
Our Summer Games event wouldn't be complete without a display of athletic expertise, which is why we're unveiling a brand new brawl: Lúcioball! This futuristic spin on soccer places you in a fast-paced, 3v3 match featuring everyone's favorite beat-dropping Brazilian.

Teams will face-off in the beautiful Estádio das Rãs, located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Equipped with jump pads and speed-boosting walls, this unique arena amplifies Lúcio's abilities, allowing players to punch, glide, block, bounce, and boop and their way to victory.

Each game of Lúcioball lasts four minutes, and the team that scores the most goals in that time...wins!

Space Rift is now available on Steam, offering a virtual reality game set in the depths of space. This requires either an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive headset, and supports both gamepads and mouse/keyboard input. This recent trailer provides a look at gameplay, and here's a rundown:

After a devastating meteor shower, Earth has turned into a desert wasteland. Humanity has been forced to relocate to Mars, where they live under the strict leadership of megacorps WEYSS and PANDORA. You take on the role of Casey Black, who has been slaving away as a pilot for WEYSS. After being labeled a traitor by a computer error, your only chance to survive is joining the rebels of the Anoxia Station. There you find out about their secret project: the S.E.E.D – a mysterious device which could lead to humanity's salvation. As a maverick mining pilot, you help the rebels while gathering valuable minerals, under constant threat from PANDORA's flying drone army.

Continue here to read the full story.

Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 1- Realm of Shadows is now available on GOG.com and Steam. Here's word on the game Gotham (hopefully) deserves:

Despite being several gazillion dollars apart, we can all relate to Batman, because of our shared aversion to psychotic clowns, obsession with kitties, and love for fast cars. But even more so, we can relate to Bruce Wayne, the man behind the mask (or is he the mask?) trying to make sense of a broken world and a broken childhood, and to leave his hometown a better place than he inherited it.

Telltale opens the door to a noir universe of eccentric supervillains and breakneck action, complete with the emotional and social baggage that burden the billionaire playboy of Gotham City. As a symbol he can be legendary, he can be incorruptible, he can be everlasting. But as a man, he is flesh and blood, and he will need your help to navigate the dark corners of this corrupt, treacherous city.

Everest VR is now available, offering a virtual reality simulation of summiting the world's tallest mountain without the need to enter the death zone. This is available for Windows on Steam and requires an HTC Vive headset. Here's word, which indicates this is more of a VR experience than a game:

Step into a first-person, photo-realistic experience like no other, as you join an expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Developed by VR studio Sólfar in partnership with RVX – the Nordics’ leading visual effects and animation house – EVEREST VR is designed from the ground up for virtual reality.

Key Features:

• Experience Everest in 5 iconic scenes. Prepare for your expedition at Basecamp, traverse the terrifying Khumbu Icefalls, overnight at Camp 4, ascend the perilous Hillary Step, and finally conquer the summit of Everest.
• After completing your first summit attempt, unlock God Mode to reach a unique vantage point of the Himalayas only possible in VR. Towering over the mountain range, this is a stunning VR diorama.
• EVEREST VR is a powerful first introduction to VR, designed not as a conventional game but as an accessible experience that focuses on the strengths of VR to transport you to an impossible real world location.
• Powered by Unreal Engine, EVEREST VR pushes the envelope of real-time graphics to deliver AAA visual fidelity that is unparalleled in virtual reality applications.
• Optimized for the HTC Vive, EVEREST VR scales from a uniquely satisfying and comfortable standing experience to one that takes full advantage of large room-scale Play Areas.

1C Company announces Quantum Replica, a "mix of fast-paced stealth and metroidvania action" in development at ON3D Studios. This is coming in Q1 2017 for Windows, Linux, and OS X, and in Q2 2017 for PS4 and Xbox One. They will also be showing the game at Gamescom this August. The Quantum Replica Steam page is up, and this announcement trailer introduces things. They say they will be showing this in a couple of weeks at Gamescom, and in the meantime, offer this outline:

In Quantum Replica you’ll use your ability to manipulate time to hide and stealthily explore a sealed-off cyberpunk metropolis. Discover your true identity and why you’re a hunted intruder in a city of registered citizens. ‘Time is of the essence’ takes on a new meaning as you bend and twist time to create hiding places and eliminate enemies.

“Working on Quantum Replica is a challenge, because our game location and atmosphere were inspired by some of the great works of movie and gaming history. We’re crafting a specific feel for the game while injecting new ideas into it, mainly into the gameplay mechanics. Seeing the two come together is very rewarding.” – Jaime Castilla, ON3D Studios.

Continue here to read the full story.

Paradox Interactive announces an August 25th due date for The Reaper's Due, the upcoming Crusader Kings II expansion. This will bring an upgrade for all players, as it will be accompanied by a new patch. Here's the plan:

Paradox Interactive, a publisher and developer whose games have serious reaper-cussions, today announced the release date for “The Reaper’s Due,” the upcoming expansion for the medieval grand strategy game Crusader Kings II. Featuring new disease and medicine mechanics and a whole host of deadly new challenges for players’ in-game nobles, The Reaper’s Due will be available on Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs on August 25, 2016.

This expansion will return the Black Death to its rightful place in the center of medieval history, and add new systems that reward sound realm management and planning. But, as with all expansions from Paradox, The Reaper’s Due will launch with a new content patch for Crusader Kings II, updating the game for all players, whether they purchase The Reaper’s Due or not.

Among the changes coming in the new patch will be:

• New custom rules options at start up for epidemics, invasions, legal changes and so on,so you get the Middle Ages that you want.
• New options to auto-save the game at different time intervals
• A new interface for better understanding the death and succession of rulers
• Adjustments to how alliances work, including AI attitudes to disloyal allies
• Major improvements to game optimization
• “Continue” button on game launcher to get you to your map even faster
• New mod triggers to account for The Reaper’s Due content
• Tons and tons of balance and gameplay tweaks, plus new events
• The new patch will also be available with the release of The Reaper’s Due on August 25, 2016.

Jarrah Technology officially launches Concealed Intent, following nine months of early access for this turn-based tactical spaceship combat game. This is available for Windows and OS X through the Humble Store and Steam. Here's the release trailer, and here are the details:

Concealed Intent is a simultaneous turn-based game of tactical stealth space combat, strongly influenced by games such as Homeworld and Frozen Synapse. Players control their ships in a fully 3D world - hunting down their enemies, just as they are being hunted themselves. In Concealed Intent you know your enemies are out there, but not exactly where, or even what they are. Concealed Intent includes a single-player campaign, an instant skirmish generator and multiplayer options.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Paragon blog announces a new update is live in Paragon adding The Fey, the newest character for Epic's MOBA. This overview trailer offers a look at The Fey in action. They say, "A new video released today shows off her abilities, like Fly Trap, an Ultimate that summons a gargantuan plant that drags in enemy Heroes and applies serious damage." Paragon is still in paid early access, but open beta testing will begin two weeks from today. Here's more:

The Fey is a Support Caster (Energy Damage; Growth, Intellect) who uses nature’s power in Agora to specialize in crowd control and harasses you in lane. Her Untamed Growth ability throws out a explosive plant that does AOE damage over time. Her Bramble Patch creates a line of thorny brambles that can slow multiple Heroes. Harvest Nettles refunds mana on successful hit while her Ultimate, Fly Trap, summons a gargantuan plant that drags you in and applies serious damage.

Continue here to read the full story.

Here's the Titan tips video from LawBreakers, Boss Key's upcoming first-person shooter. This was expected following yesterday's release of an intro video for the class. LawBreakers is in the midst of periodic alpha testing, and those interested can sign up on the official website. Continue here to read the full story.

• Elder Scrolls Online Update 11 Featuring Shadows of the Hist is Now Available on PC & Mac.
• Starbound version 1.0.4.

• DOOM + Steam Controller Bundle on Steam. Save 45%. The wtf bundle.
• Heroes of the Storm Weekly Sale: Aug 2 - 9, 2016.
• Middle Earth Sale on Steam. Save 75%.
• Might & Magic Franchise on Steam. Save up to 81%.
• The Silent Age on IndieGameStand. Pay what you want.
• Tharsis on Steam. Save 50%.

• Blue Effect VR -- Steam Greenlight. "Play a game that will equally test your skill and your bravery. Dropped off in a dark, forgotten world, you are armed with your futuristic Blue Effect orb to light your way, and your beam pistol for protection, as you are pit against malicious creatures. Biomechanical beings that were said to be a myth. Will you fade away into the darkness or survive to see the light?"
• My Summer Car -- Steam Greenlight. "MY SUMMER CAR is the ultimate car owning, building, fixing, tuning, maintenance AND permadeath life survival simulator. You start the game with hundreds of loose parts and assemble both car and engine. Not only you need to maintain your car, but yourself as well. Sausages, beer and sleeping will do just fine." Here's a trailer.
• Rest in Jelly -- Steam Greenlight. "Welcome to 'Rest in Jelly,' a videogame that will test your platforming ability and precision in ways that will drive you crazy. All you will need is just a button… plus an almost non-human accuracy and nerves of steel."

• The Division Underground Expansion Available Now on PS4.
• Just Dance 2017 "Sorry" Demo Out Now, New Songs Announced.
• Pre-order Resident Evil 4 on PS4 and Xbox One Now.
• PlayStation Now: 15 New RPGs Available Today.
• PlayStation Store Update.

Thanks Frans.

• Mozilla Firefox version 48.0.
• Mozilla Firefox Extended Support Release version 45.3.0.
• Frontier Promising 50 Mbps Upgrades After Bungled Verizon Deal.

• Crucial Expands MX300 SSD Lineup with Additional Capacities: Up to 1TB.
• Thermaltake Releases New SFX PSUs- 450W and 600W, rated at 80 PLUS Gold.
• 8TB disks seem to work pretty well, HGST still impressive.

Thanks j.c.f.

• Frequent password changes are the enemy of security, FTC technologist says.
• Android Trojan SpyNote leaks on underground forums.
• New "QRLJacking" Attack Targets QR Code Logins.
• IP of Ancient Conficker C&C Domains Resurfaces in New Website Hijacking Scheme.
• Major Cyber-Crime Campaign Switches from CryptXXX to Locky Ransomware.

• CSGO Lounge seeks gambling licence in bid for legitimacy.
• Clerk printed lottery tickets she didn’t pay for but didn’t break hacking law.

Link of the Day: Driving Instructors Go For The Ride Of Their Lives.

R.I.P.: Eric Bergren Dies: Oscar-Nominated ‘The Elephant Man’ Writer Was 62.

Slitherine announces Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach, a new turn-based strategy game based on the Warhammer 40K tabletop series. They note that Sanctus Reach features some of its most iconic races and characters and that gameplay will be "fast, immediate, deep, impressive to look at and incredibly fun." The game's Steam page is live, saying to expect this in November. You can get a quick glimpse of this in the teaser trailer, and there are more details in the announcement:

After the successful launch of Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, Slitherine and Games Workshop renew their association to offer a brand new, 3D turn-based strategy game set in the Sanctus Reach. Featuring some of the most iconic races and characters from the Warhammer 40,000, Sanctus Reach is a fan beloved campaign and story from the universe.

Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach brings players to a dark era of carnage and endless war. One of Imperium’s fiercest enemies, Grukk Face-Rippa, leads his Red Waaagh! in the Sanctus Reach system. Worlds after worlds fall to billions of Orks, until only one last planet resists the green tide: the Knight World of Alaric Prime. This is where a brave company of Space Wolves makes its stand to defend the last bastion of mankind in the system.

“Teaming up with Games Workshop for this thrilling project is testament of how well the partnership has worked out on Armageddon”, said Iain McNeil, Development Director at Slitherine. “Straylight are a very promising new development team that we are proud to work with. They bring not only passion and dedication, but a great deal of knowledge of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and that is an invaluable asset”.

The game is being developed by new born Scotland-based team Straylight Entertainment and will release before the end of 2016. This is the first game to be published using the brand new Archon engine, developed in house by Slitherine and made available to a number of its developers.

Continue here to read the full story.

Big Robot announces The Signal From Tölva, a first-person action game featuring space exploration and combat. This will be a single-player game, and it's currently expected in early 2017. "Tölva is our ode to classic pulp science fiction, with all its weirdness and drama," explains developer/journalist Jim Rossignol. "We've long wanted to explore a world of starships floating over hazy valleys, and robots battling amid pulsing ruins. This is that game." This announcement trailer offers a look, and the announcement has further details:

In the distant future, star-faring robotic factions sift through the ruins of an ancient civilisation. On the highlands of Tölva, beneath the shadow of abandoned war machines, they found something.

Was it the source of the signal you were so interested in? And will the trail lead to enlightenment, or something more sinister? You hijack a drone and you begin the search for yourself.

The Signal From Tölva is a journey into a wild science fiction landscape, filled with danger and beauty: you must survive terrible hazards, navigate through impossible spaces, and fight an ongoing battle to control this haunted, blighted world. You will make use of a range of powerful tools to overcome your enemies and uncover secrets: hack robots to battle alongside you, equip powerful weapons, and detonate savage defence systems.

Fight, explore, and solve the mystery of The Signal From Tölva!

FEATURES

• Explore a single-player shooter set in a sprawling, hand-crafted landscape.
• Delve into science fiction mystery as you explore the haunting highlands of Tölva.
• Fight a war of territory control against dynamic and ferocious AI.
• Recruit robots to fight and explore alongside you.
• Equip electronic countermeasures, plasma shields, and savage beam weapons for intense skirmishing.

Continue here to read the full story.

Headup games announces Subsiege is the new name for the upcoming MOBA formerly known as Submerge. This is in the works at Iceberg Studios with the assistance of an Unreal Dev Grant from Epic Games, and they say to expect this next year on Steam. Here are a couple of screenshots with a look at what to expect. Here's more:

Subsiege - previously known as Submerge - is an online strategy game based on the Unreal Engine which requires skilled controls and complex tactical knowledge in a refreshing and grasping deep sea setting. The game is a new approach to the modern MOBA/RTS playstyle and matches classic RTS with competitive MOBA-gameplay. The ambition is to create a challenging and rewarding gaming experience that demands elaborate maneuvers, skilled reactions and predictive strategies.

The head attraction of Subsiege compared to other representatives of the classic MOBA genre is that you have to control multiple units simultaneously while keeping your eye on the pressure level of your shrinking oxygen resources.

Barricading yourself is no option because you are only able to get hold of the essential resource through active scouting and offensive plays. Command your handpicked squad in an excellent RTS-style while fighting off other players on persistent servers at the same time. But it's not all about your rivals... The sunken battlegrounds hold their own dangers: Toxic coral reefs, a threatening fauna and deadly creatures of the depth handicap those travelling underwater.

Publisher PlayWay announces Project Remedium, a first-person shooter where you control a nanobot blasting its way through a human body in the name of good health. The game's Steam page says this is due this year, but we're told to expect the release next month. This recent trailer shows off the game, and here are more details: "'Project Remedium' is a dynamic, story-driven FPP action shooter. The game allows us to play as a nanobot injected into an organism of a young Patient suffering from an unidentified illness. Aside from performing a plethora of medical missions - frequently portrayed in a metaphorical way - a miniature robot called Nano+ explores the incredible microcosm, eliminating clusters of various pathogens and cleansing infected places." Continue here to read the full story.

GeForce website announces NVIDIA's new Titan X graphics cards are now theoretically available. Here's word on this $1200 beast:

TITAN-series graphics cards are the embodiment of perfection, utilizing each generation’s ultimate GPU, the fastest VRAM available, the best components, and the most desirable shrouds. Since 2013 TITAN-series graphics cards have broken records, turned heads, and delivered supercomputer performance and capabilities to gamers, engineers, medical professionals, and scientists around the world. Today, we unleash NVIDIA TITAN X, the ultimate TITAN, powered by Pascal, the world’s fastest and most advanced architecture.

NVIDIA TITAN X has 11 TFLOPS of power, 3584 CUDA Cores, 12GB of 10Gbps GDDR5X VRAM, a 384-bit Memory Interface, 480 GB/sec of Memory Bandwidth, boosts to 1.5GHz out of the box, utilizes superior heat dissipation vapor chamber cooling technology, and features a stunning design. It is, without question, the world’s ultimate graphics card.

• Diabotical by The GD Studio by The GD Studio — Kickstarter. "A fast-paced multiplayer Arena FPS set in a colourful robot universe developed by former Quake and esport professionals." Here's a trailer.
• Kickstarter Video Games Primer: Scampaigns.

• The International Dota 2 Group Assignments and Wild Cards.

• Xbox One S 2TB Launch Edition Is Available Now.
• Xbox One S: The smaller, handsomer, 4K-ier system we’ve been looking for.
• Xbox One S performance boost revealed.
• Another month goes by and Fallout 4 mod support on PS4 is still MIA.
• Batman – The Telltale Series – Episode 1- Realm of Shadows Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Risk: Urban Assault Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Dead Island Retro Revenge Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• BATTLESHIP Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale + Bethesda Publisher Sale.

• GameStop acquires 500+ AT&T Mobility stores.
• Charles Schwab says no to Windows 10 -- chooses Chromebooks instead. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Apple focuses on gender diversity, family, and gun violence with new iOS 10 emoji. Thanks Ant.
• Chinese Android smartphone firm- It packs a dedicated crypto chip.

• Cox Continues to Expand Gigabit Broadband Service.
• Donald Trump signs pledge to crack down on Internet porn. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Man flew to China to meet online girlfriend, but didn't.

• Windows 10 Anniversary Update: The Road To Redstone.
• EVGA Hardware Breaks World Records.

• Governor Cuomo Directs Department Of Corrections and Community Supervision to Restrict Sex Offenders on Parole From Playing Pokémon Go. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Judge wipes out patent troll’s $625M verdict against Apple.

• Abzu on Angry Centaur Gaming.
• My Little Kitties on Christ Centered Gamer.

• Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3.0 on The SSD Review.
• CoolerMaster MasterBox 5 Ultra White Edition Chassis on eTeknix.
• Cryorig R1 Ultimate Dual Tower Cooler on eTeknix.
• Dell XPS 13 and 15 Notebooks on PC Perspective.
• Gamdias Hephaestus V2 7.1 w-vibration on LAN OC.
• Patriot Viper V760 Mechanical Keyboard on Techgage.
• SilverStone Primera PM01 ATX Mid-Tower Chassis on TweakTown.
• SteelSeries Rival 700 Gaming Mouse on Legit Reviews.
• Thermalright Macho 120 SBM CPU Cooler on TweakTown.

• Good Game Stories - Good Game Series 12 Episode 25. Thanks Ant…
• The Division Film Announced, Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal To Star…

A lot of posts from old colleagues remind me I forgot an anniversary yesterday. Happy (belated) 35th birthday to MTV, the artist formerly known as Music Television. The funniest memory I saw invoked by a former coworker was about a legendary copy of the uncensored version of Duran Duran's Girls on Film. This could never air on the channel, but circulated from office to office for careful study by every male who worked there. Videotaped softcore nudity, just another thing the internet has made obsolete.

Anniversary Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Truck Driver Crazy Road.
Links:	Only 9% of America Chose Trump and Clinton as the Nominees. Thanks Cutter. Biden Regales DNC With Story Of ’80s Girl Band Vixen Breaking Hard Rock’s Glass Ceiling. Thanks nin.
Story:	Pikachu statue mysteriously placed in Lower Garden District park.
Images:	Say hello to this smiling Hawaiian volcano.
Media:	People are awesome - best of 2016 so far. Jet Blue Emergency Landing - Front Gear Sideways. Spare part from a shopping cart. Oh, Damn!