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Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Peace Officers Memorial Day (USA)
Ubisoft Financials: The Division Heartland Cancelled [8:11 pm ET] – Share – 7 Comments
Ubisoft's latest earnings report is here with the latest razzle-dazzle for
investors. Word is non-IFRS operating income for fiscal 2024 is €401m, in line
with targets, the company's cost reduction program is "on track," and "solid
growth" is expected with Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows in the
pipeline. There's also word that free-to-play first-person shooter The
Division Heartland is cancelled in favor of "bigger opportunities." The game
was first revealed three years
ago and following
a
delay seemed to be on track after testing
last summer. Now
word is: "Additionally, in line with the increased selectivity of its
investments, Ubisoft has decided to stop development on The Division® Heartland
and has redeployed resources to bigger opportunities such as XDefiant and
Rainbow Six." There's a slightly more expansive statement
on
IGN:
After careful consideration, we have made the tough call to halt development on Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, effective immediately. Our priority now is to support the talented team members at our Red Storm Entertainment studio, who will be transitioning to new projects within our company, including XDefiant and Rainbow Six.
Assassin's Creed Shadows in November [8:11 pm ET] – Share – 20 Comments
Ubisoft
officially unveils Assassin's Creed Shadows as promised, confirming
the next installment in the stealth/action series will launch worldwide on
November 15 for Windows via Ubisoft or the Epic Games Store, macOS, PlayStation 5, Xbox
Series X|S, macOS (on Apple silicon), and Amazon Luna. Especially eager beavers
can get three days of advance access by subscribing to Ubisoft+ or purchasing
one of the three pricier special editions. A cinematic
Official World Premiere
Trailer is here showing off the previously revealed setting in feudal Japan
and concluding with word that preorders are now underway. There's also a
Who Are Naoe and Yasuke?
Trailer and an
Assassin's Creed Shadows Explained Video. There's still more on the
official
website and below:
Players will experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from the Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful samurai of historical legend. Discover their personal stories, meet pivotal historical figures, and shape the duo’s common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.Continue here to read the full story.
As Naoe and Yasuke, players can master two complementary playstyles, with each character featuring their own progression paths, skills, weapon options, and stats. Whether they embrace Naoe’s stealth skills or Yasuke’s combat prowess, players will have plenty of ways to approach objectives. With Naoe, they will experience refined infiltration mechanics using light, noise, shadows, and changing surroundings to avoid detection from enemies. With Yasuke, they will be able to take on larger groups of enemies with brutal precision.
Men of War II Released [8:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Today is D-Day for Men of War II, as the World War II RTS sequel is now
available for Windows on the
Epic Games
Store and for Windows and Linux
on Steam.
There's no launch discount, but there is the opportunity to spend more, as an
artbook and the official soundtrack are also available for separate purchase.
The Launch Trailer
welcomes commanders back with its own wordier variation on "war never changes"
along with a cinematic look at the game. Here's word:
Featuring an unmatched level of strategic depth, Men of War II offers players a staggering number of meticulously detailed units, each with unique specializations to fit their strategic visions. It also offers unwavering historical fidelity with authentic environments and battlefields and advanced enemy AI that will try to outsmart and outmaneuver players by adapting to their playstyles.Continue here to read the full story.
In Men of War II, players will take command of one of three World War II global powers - the Soviets, Americans, or Third Reich - each boasting a unique narrative campaign, allowing them to experience the war from different perspectives and utilize their military expertise in their choices. Two further Historical campaigns introduce pivotal battles with scenarios inspired by historical events, as well as a dynamic Conquest campaign and a skirmish-style experience in Raid mode. Players can also team up with up to four friends and tackle any campaign cooperatively.
Extinction Rifts Announced [8:11 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
QUByte Interactive announces Extinction Rifts, an upcoming boomer shooter
for those nostalgic for the 1990s who pine for the type of game that hasn't been
released since way back in this morning.
This will come to
Steam,
where the release window is still TBA. Here's
a trailer showing off
some high-FPS/BPM action. Read on for a bit on the story or pretend it's in-game
and just hit the space-bar to skip ahead:
In a dystopian future, mysterious monoliths have suddenly appeared on planet earth, causing fear and doubt. Humanity, fearful of the origin and power of these artifacts, began to debate what should be done, always inclined to destroy them.Continue here to read the full story.
However, a paramilitary terrorist group called New World has taken possession of five of the monoliths around the world in order to use their supposed powers for their cause: the selective extinction of the human race!
It's now up to you, armed with a super-powerful item, the Adreno-Gauntlet, to locate all the monoliths and destroy them completely to ensure the survival of the planet!
On Sale [8:10 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Metroidvania Mania (pay what you want and help charity).*
- Team17- From Golf Greens to Battle Scenes (pay what you want and help charity).*
- WATCH DOGS FRANCHISE SALE on Steam.
- Save 40% on Dark Envoy on Steam.
- Save 20% on Yog-Sothoth’s Yard on Steam.
- Save 40% on Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on Steam.
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Evening Patches [8:10 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Official patches.
- Back 4 Blood - MAY 2024 UPDATE. Removes Denuvo. Thanks DSOGaming.
- Starfield update 1.11.36 - May 15, 2024. Thanks Console General.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs [8:10 pm ET] – Share – 15 Comments
Evening Multiplex [8:10 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Content creator videos.
Game and Mod Development [8:10 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Metaverse [8:10 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
Evening Tech Bits [8:10 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Thanks Console General.
- Our research shows children produce better pieces of writing by hand. But they need keyboard skills too. Thanks Max.
- Prepare to Get Manipulated by Emotionally Expressive Chatbots (may require registration or subscription).
- Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217 (Canary Channel).
- 7-Zip version 24.05. Thanks Ant.
- WinRAR version 7.01.
Into the Black [8:10 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Last Link of the Day:
House of the Dragon Season
2 - Official Trailer - Max. Thanks RedEye9.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut Declares Crossplay "Beta" [11:59 am ET] – Share – 4 Comments
An update to
last month's article on the PlayStation.Blog with system
requirements for Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut reveals the multiplayer
side of the PC edition of the action/adventure will be considered
"beta" on launch (thanks
Eurogamer). Multiplayer reportedly
will require a PlayStation Network account, a prerequisite that caused the game to
be
delisted in all the territories where the PSN is not available. This mandate
has caused
loads of headaches for
HELLDIVERS 2, that persist after it
was dropped. It's not
clear if declaring crossplay to be beta is intended to address this situation,
or how it could do so. But the top of the post now bears this note:
Update (May 14, 2024): At launch, cross play on Legends Mode will be in Beta. Cross play between PS4 consoles, PS5 consoles, and PC is supported when starting a game session by inviting friends on PlayStation Network.
AR Glasses Breakthrough Claimed [11:59 am ET] – Share – 12 Comments
Nature has
details on an AI-assisted breakthrough by Stanford University researchers that
may eventually mean the end of bulky headsets for augmented reality. Headset
mass is holding this segment back, as even Apple's used-car-priced Vision Pro is
a chunky monkey, and Stanford claims AR support in a prototype unit
the size of normal glasses. There's some proof-of-concept code
on
GitHub and a write up
on ZDnet (thanks Max) calling this a "VR breakthrough," though the Nature
article is about holographic AR and doesn't mention VR at all. But we'll still
quote it to summarize the jargon-heavy article with the explanation of why this
tech is revolutionary, along with the virtual reality check it may still be a
decade out:
There is a limit to how small glasses can become when embedding traditional screens. But by changing the optical properties of the glass itself, scientists would be building on the most accepted augmented reality device in history: our glasses.
Unfortunately, what the Stanford team has now is a prototype. The technology needs to be developed much more to move from research, into fundamental science, into the engineering lab, and then on to productization. While the Stanford team didn't predict how long that would take, it would be a fair bet to assume this technology is at least five to ten years out.
The Land Beneath Us Released [11:59 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
The Land Beneath Us is now available for Windows
on
Steam and for consoles, kicking off a roguelite dungeon crawler with a
little anthropology, as Dear Villagers and FairPlay Studios say it is "rooted in
Welsh mythology." If that sparks your curiosity, you're in luck, as there's a
playable demo on all platforms, but these come with a warning that they'll be
permanently removed after a week. Here's the
Launch Trailer and
more:
The Land Beneath Us is a turn-based rogue-lite action dungeon crawler. Use powerful skill combos and stylish weaponry to battle your way through the Underworld known as Annwn. Enjoy challenging dynamic encounters and discover the mysteries of this mythological world.Continue here to read the full story.
Forged by The Creator, the Ultimate Soul Harvester (U.S.H) is crafted to gather Souls. Now armed with Soul-Technology, its mission is one of redemption. Explore The Underworld, engage, barter, or confront characters. Learn from their tales to shape your unique path.
MULLET MADJACK Released [11:59 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Grab your Flowbee and make sure your 'do is
fully business in the front and party in the rear. MULLET MADJACK is now
available
on Steam, offering a single-player first-person shooter from HAMMER95 and
Epopeia Games. This boomer shooter features manic action and colorful throwback
graphics, as seen in this
Launch Trailer. There's a playable demo, and it carries a 10% haircut for
the next week. The premise here is similar to the cinematic masterpiece
Crank, where you must
keep the action amped up in order to stay alive:
Your HEALTH is TIMEContinue here to read the full story.
You must KILL to get more TIME
We are in the 90s... 2090 to be precise. MULLET MADJACK is a frantic first-person action game set in a vintage ANIME world:
In this future, MAN and INTERNET have merged into a new being. This being needs DOPAMINE every 10 SECONDS, or else it will DIE!
On Sale [11:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Business & Finance [11:58 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Engagement Ring [11:58 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Morning Patches [11:58 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.
Virtual Reality Check [11:58 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Thanks Ant.
- LG wants to roast your retinas with its new 10,000-nit OLED panels for VR headsets.
- 1 In 4 US Teens Say They Play Games On A VR Headset. No, one in four has "ever" played on a headset. Also omits non-responses. #statistics. Thanks Slashdot.
- ‘Riven,’ the Sequel to Myst, is Coming to Meta Quest VR Later This Year.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs [11:58 am ET] – Share – 7 Comments
Morning Multiplex [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Official trailers.
- Disney Dreamlight Valley – Dreamlight Parks Fest Trailer.
- Lesson Learned - Date Announcement Teaser. May 29th.
- Street Fighter 6 - Rashid, A.K.I., Ed, Akuma Outfit 3 Showcase Trailer.
- Sword of the Necromancer- Resurrection - Announcement Trailer. Almost two months after the announcement.
- Trove - Spring Fling 2024.
Morning Gatherings & Events [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Consolidation [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Mobilization [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Legal Briefs [11:58 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Game Reviews [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Hardware Reviews [11:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Monitor/Projector: Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 Review - ThinkComputers.org.
- Motherboard: ASRock Z790I Lightning WiFi motherboard review - PC Gamer.
- PSU: Enermax REVOLUTION D.F. X 1200 W Review - TechPowerUp.
- Router: Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro Wi-Fi 7 router review- Class-leading performance and expandability - Tom's Hardware.
Out of the Blue [11:58 am ET] – Share – 16 Comments
Sun shoots out biggest solar flare in almost 2 decades, but Earth should be out
of the way this time. Feels like the sun is trying to tell us something. Or
maybe it's just solar warming?
Obituary: Saxophonist David Sanborn, 6-time Grammy winner, has died at age 78.
Obituary: Saxophonist David Sanborn, 6-time Grammy winner, has died at age 78.
Flared-up Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Breakfast Link
Story
Science
- Smashing into an asteroid shows researchers how to better protect Earth. Just watch out for space dementia.
- No Inner Voice? New Study Reveals Its Impact on Memory. Thanks Max.
- Behavioral therapy against aging- Researchers study the effect of therapies on older dogs. Would help if the field didn't suffer sketchy claims.
Media
Follow-up
- Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes, DOJ says. A deal that was brokered because…?
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