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Category: Gaming

  • Mad Box console to lock horns against the PS5 and next-gen Xbox

    Mad Box console to lock horns against the PS5 and next-gen Xbox

    It appears the PS5 and next-gen Xbox won’t be the only major rivals, as there could be another competitor on its way. Developer of Project Cars, Slightly Mad Studios, have announced their in-house console called Mad Box, touting it as the most powerful console ever built.

    Slightly Mad Studios CEO, Ian Bell, confirmed the news on Twitter, adding that Mad Box would start shipping globally in around three years. He further added it’ll be a standlone console like the Xbox One and PS4, and would support most VR headsets in the market.

    “It will support most major VR headsets and those upcoming and the specs will be equivalent to a very fast PC two years from now. We’re in early talks with manufacturers of components so we can’t say much more right now other than we have the designs specced out in detail,” Bell told Variety.

    Mad Box will be priced on par with upcoming consoles

    As far as pricing goes, Bell revealed that Mad Box would cost nearly the same as the upcoming PS5 and next-gen Xbox. He also added that Mad Box won’t likely be getting exclusives, as Bell believes there’s clear monoploy in the gaming industry.

    “We think the industry is a little too much of a monopoly or a micro oligopoly,” Bell said to Variety Gaming. “We think competition is healthy and we have the required hardware contacts to be able to bring something epic to fruition based on our designs.”

    Bell further announced that early design builds for the Mad Box console will be revealed in about four to six weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how worthy of a rival can the Mad Box turn out for the PS5 and next Xbox. More so when both are rumored to pack high-end specifications to supoort 4K gaming.

    More details about the Mad Box console are liley to surface in the near future. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

  • Bethesda confirms new post-launch content for Fallout 76

    Bethesda confirms new post-launch content for Fallout 76

    It’s 2019, and Bethesda gives us a taste of of what’s in store for Fallout 76 this new year. In the publisher’s blog post, the publisher has revealed a few key features which players can expect in the forthcoming update. Since the release of Fallout 76, Bethesda’s primary objective has been to address the many in-game bugs.

    The publisher rolled out three patches in December alone to rectify the game’s several bugs. That said, there are still plenty to deal with, as many players would accept. However, Bethesda has promised more patches for Fallout 76 in the next few updates.

    “Later this month, we are providing resolutions by way of new patches for Fallout 76. Like our December 11 update, we will have a big update that will address many of the issues you’ve been providing feedback on. Full patch notes will follow soon,” explains Bethesda in the studio’s latest Inside the Vault blog post.

    Apart from updates, Bethesda also plans to add new content to the game. While there have been some new content added since release, the publisher hasn’t added any significant post-launch content.

    It still remains unknown what new content will arrive on Fallout 76, given the fact the publisher has adopted a different release model for post-launch content with Fallout 76.

    Bethesda is using earnings from micro-transactions to fund DLC content, therefore, all upcoming DLC’s will arrive as fee downloads. As a result of this change, it’s remains unknown whether the publisher plans to release large DLC content, as they have done with previous iterations of Fallout, or a constant stream of smaller post-launch content.

  • Epic Games surprises Fortnite players on New Year’s eve

    Epic Games surprises Fortnite players on New Year’s eve

    Epic Games has a special surpise for everyone playing Fortnite on New Year’s Eve. To celebrate new year around the world, Fortnite is offering an in-game live event, where gigantic disco balls appears on the map every hour.

    Besides, the descending ball drop mimcs the same affect for players as the boogie bomb, implying that everyone playing Fortnite on New Year’s eve is dancing collectively every time the clock hits midnight. 2019 has already arrived in some parts of the world, however, the in-game virtual ball drop was a rather delightful surprise for everyone playing Fortnite tonight.

    “Woke up to learn that many Fortnite players are unaware of time zones. We’re an educational and international game. Happy New Year to you if you’re already in 2019!”, tweeted Nick Chester, Epic’s PR spokesperson.

    While 2018 was already a massive year for Fortnite, Epic Games also has huge plans for Fortnite in 2019. The publisher has promised to make single-player and co-op mode ‘Save the World’ free, instead of the paid addition it is for now.

    Fornite is now available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android with cross-play support.

  • New PS5 and next-gen Xbox details revealed

    New PS5 and next-gen Xbox details revealed

    While Sony and Microsoft have already confirmed they’ve begun work on the PS5 and the next-gen Xbox console, though we haven’t heard anything substantial so far. We’ve come across plenlty of leaks and rumours, though nothing concrete from the companies themselves. That said, developers and industry experts keep discussing about it giving us a good idea about what to expect. The latest information comes from Cradle Games technical director Marc-Andre Jutras, who recently had a brainstorming session with GamingBolt about to what to expect from next-gen consoles.

    He suggests we won’t see a huge upgrade in RAM, as most games don’t require that much memory anyways. Instead, he stated that we might see an increase in processor cores.

    “I don’t think we will see 16GB of RAM, most games don’t use that much RAM anyway. I think the next generation will be between 8 and 12, probably. What you will see however is probably a good amount of cores. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next gen was Ryzen 2600 or something like that. Because it is really stable, cheap, and has a good amount of cores,” said Jutras to GamingBolt.

    He also spoke about what major changes in hardware we might see with upcoming consoles, which would be the focus on VRAM. He explained that 4K games need good amount of VRAM to buffer smoothly, unlike the PS4 which currently offers shared RAM space.

    “So if you end up with a 4K buffer, you need four times the VRAM. So I think you will see, you won’t see shared RAM space next gen like you do with the PS4. I don’t think you will see that because it’s a big bottleneck. You’ll see more VRAM to support 4K and 5K and whatever else comes around. Just how much of that? I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS5 had 8GB of RAM and 8GB of VRAM,” he added.

    It will intersting to see what Sony and Microsoft have to offer with their next-gen gaming consoles. That said, we’re bound to come across a barrge of rumors and speculations before the big reveal. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything more. Until then, keep checking back for more.

  • Street Fighter V gets a new character, new balance patch also available

    Street Fighter V gets a new character, new balance patch also available

    Capcom has added, Kage, a new character in Street Fighter V. Kage is inspired by both Ryu and Evil Ryu, as his move set is rather similar to both of them. The character is now available in the game along with the new balance patch.

    “Kage, the Embodiment of the Satsui, rises in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. Available now! Manifesting due to Ryu’s rejection of the Satsui no Hado, Kage hungers for power to prove Ryu is nothing without him,” reads the official character description. You can check out Kage’s reveal trailer below:

    As far as balance patch is concerned, it’s a rather big patch which brings changes for several characters in Street Fighter V. For more information about the patch, head over to Capcom’s official website by clicking the source link below.

    Elsewhere, Capcom also responded to complaints over Street Fighter V’s in-game advertisements. The publisher introduced Sponsored Content in an update last week, which brings advertising to numerous stages, loading screens, as well as character models. In the wake of this, users took to social media and platforms like Reddit to express their concerns.

    Capcom has now finally given a response via the official Twitter feed. “We value and thank our community for providing feedback on the new Sponsored Content feature added to Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition this week. We will continue collecting everyone’s feedback to consider how we can improve this new feature for players in the future,” wrote executive producer Yoshinoro Ono.

    However, going by Capcom’s response, it appears the publisher has no plans to remove in-game advertisements from Street Fighter V.

  • Sony releases new firmware update 6.20 for the PS4

    Sony releases new firmware update 6.20 for the PS4

    Sony starts rolling out the new firmware update for its PlayStation 4 console, version 6.20. The new update is essentialy aimed at improving the overall performance and stability of the console. However, the update does not seem to bring any new features to the PS4.

    PS4 system software version 6.20 isn’t that big either, weighing in at just around 450MB. Hence, it won’t take long to download and install the update on your PS4 console.

    As always, PlayStation 4 owners are advised to “always update their console to the latest version of the system software,” as Sony suggests it’ll allow you to “enjoy additional features, improved usability and enhanced security.”

    It’s also worth noting that today’s update does not bring name changes for everyone. The feature was being tested with beta for firmware 6.10, though it appears the feature won’t arrive until sometime in 2019.

    In any case, the latest firmware update 6.20 for the PS4 is a mandatory download for everyone. The update weighs in nearly 450MB for the normal version, or 979MB for the recovery version. For more information on how to install the update, Sony has provided step-by-step guide which you can find in the source link below. The update is now available in all regions across the globe.

  • Mortal Kombat 11 to feature a Custom Character Variation System

    Mortal Kombat 11 to feature a Custom Character Variation System

    Mortal Kombat 11 is the next installment in one of the longest running franchises that still exists, and it’s slated for a release on April 23, 2019. The game will be available on the PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One family of devices, PC, as well as the Nintendo Switch.

    Fighting game enthusiasts around the world need no introduction to the Mortal Kombat. In fact, we assume many of them have already pre-ordered the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11.

    Last week, head of NetherRealm Studios, Ed Boon, gave us the first cinematic reveal of the game. The trailer shows off an epic battle between two iconic characters, Scorpion and Dark Raiden. Besides, it appears Shao Kahn gets resurrected in MK 11 and has a key role to play in the game’s story.

    New Customer Character Variation System in MK11

    In a press release, Ed Boon stated that Mortal Kombat 11 gets a new Custom Character Variation System, giving players countless ways to customiize their favorite fighter/character.

    “It’s exciting to finally announce Mortal Kombat 11 and showcase what the team has been working on,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “Our Custom Character Variation System opens up an infinite amount of options for players to personalize their favorite fighters. We can’t wait until January when we’ll be showing more of the game.”

    Besides, he also suggests that Mortal Kombat 11 will build upon the story of its predecessor. Hopefully, the publisher does a good job at creating an intriguing story line for gamers, as MKX’s story was a let down for sure.

    That said, we are yet to see an official gameplay, however, the wait won’t be long as NetherRealm has promised a reveal on January 17 during a special event.

    “The Reveal, a highly experiential, community celebration of Mortal Kombat, taking place at 11 a.m. PST on Jan. 17, 2019 in Los Angeles and 7 p.m. UTC in London. Mortal Kombat 11: The Reveal will be livestreamed globally at www.twitch.tv/NetherRealm and will feature a keynote presented by NetherRealm Studios. The event will also include the first opportunity for hands-on with Mortal Kombat 11 gameplay, tournaments and other Mortal Kombat themed activities,” said Netherealm in a press release.

    Mortal Kombat 11 now available for preorder

    Mortal Kombat 11 standrad edition is now available for pre-order for $59.99. The game’s Premium Edition is also available for pre-order at $99.99, which includes the game as well as the Kombat Pack. Besides, all MK11 pre-orders will receive the in-game playable character, Shao Khan. Meanwhile, those who pre-order the game on PS4 and Xbox One via select retailers get access to the game’s beta, which will arrive in March.

    Are you excited about the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11? Do let us know in the comments below.

  • Here’s a first look at Mortal Kombat 11

    Here’s a first look at Mortal Kombat 11

    The brainchild of the epic Mortal Kombat franchise, Ed Boon, gave us a first taste of the next instalment in the series with an official announcement trailer of Mortal Kombat 11. As expected, there’s no shortage of blood and gore in the cinematic reveal, as Raiden and Scorpion beat each other to a pulp in an Outworldish backdrop.

    Pre-orders for Mortal Kombat 11 will begin tomorrow, December 7th, for the PS4, Xbox One. and Windows PC. Those who pre-order the title get access to Shao Khan as a playable character shortly after the game’s release. Besides, pre-ordering the game also gets you beta access shortly before the game’s release. Make sure you check out the trailer below:

    A community reveal event is also slated for January 17th, while a full release is currently set for April 23rd, 2019. More details about the game are likely to surface as we near its official release. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

    Are you excited about Mortal Kombat 11? Do let us know in the comments below.

  • Nintendo adds three new cult classics to Switch Online service

    Nintendo adds three new cult classics to Switch Online service

    Some good news for Nintendo Switch owners, as the company has announced three more popular titles to its NES online game roster. These include the cult classic side scrolling action game Ninja Gaiden, Tetris-inspired puzzle game Wario’s Woods, and HAL’s The Adventures of Lolo.

    Our favorite among the three is none other than the original Ninja Gaiden, where players don the role of the legendary Ryu Haybusa who travels to America to seek revenge for his father’s death.

    “Fight your way through six challenging side-scrolling chapters/14 stages (not including boss battles) while defeating gangs of street thugs, battling evil ninjas and fighting barbarian bosses by using the deadly Dragon Sword, ninja skills and ninja magic,’ reads the official game description.

    Up next, we have Tetris-style puzzler Wario’s Woods featuring Wario and Toad. It was apparently the last game release for NES before it was ‘retired’, and is bound to entertain players of all ages.

    Finally, there’s HAL’s Adventures of Lolo, another puzzle game that’ll be fun for all age groups. Besides, it’ll surely evoke a sense of nostalgia for players who remember the original game.

    If you haven’t subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online service yet, it’s a worthy investment for just $3.99 a month or $9.99 a year. All three new games will be available starting December 12. Besides, Nintendo also asserts that more titles will be added to its NES online service in January. If you’re into old school games, grab your Switch Online subscription now.

    Elsewhere, Nintendo also promised it’ll start shipping its NES-styled controller for Switch next week for those who pre-ordered them back in September. These controllers are only offered to Swtich online subscribers and can be purchased via Nintendo’s official website.

  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey set to receive its first DLC in December

    Assassin’s Creed Odyssey set to receive its first DLC in December

    Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is slated to receive its first DLC, Legacy of the First Blade, on December 4. The upcoming DLC can be purchased as part of the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Season Pass, or separately on December 4.

    As the name suggests, the upcoming DLC is all about the first Assassin to use the famous blade. Ubisoft plans to release the Legacy of the First Blade in episodes. The first episode called Hunted, will arrive on December 4 on all platforms. That said, you also have the option to wait and play the entire DLC from the beginning to the end once they’re available.

    “Throughout Hunted and the following two episodes, players will continue their grand Greek Odyssey to encounter Darius, the legend who was first to wield the Assassin’s Hidden Blade. As the story of Hunted unfolds, players will discover whether Darius is friend or foe, while meeting new characters, engaging in gripping naval combat, fighting new and powerful enemies, and uncovering revelations about the Assassin’s Creed universe,” explained Ubisoft in a press release.

    In Legacy of the First Blade, players can also customize new equipment and master new special abilties as they fight their battles across Greece. You can check out the launch trailer below:

    Ubisoft also revealed that the second and third DLCs for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, named Shadow Heritage and Bloodline, will arrive early next year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

    Not to metnion, Season Pass owners get access to two major episodic storylines – Legacy of the Fist Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. Besides, the Season Pass also includes Assassin’s Creed Remastered and Assassin’s Creed Liberation Remastered, slated for a release in March 2019.

  • Amazon offering 12 month PlayStation Plus memberships at just $39.99

    Amazon offering 12 month PlayStation Plus memberships at just $39.99

    With Black Friday 2018 now upon us, there’ll be plethora of attractive deals on PlayStation 4 bundles, as well as on different PS4 games. Most retailers are offering a $100 discount across most PS4 bundles. That said, there’s one Black Friday deal PlayStation owners just cannot afford to miss.

    You can get a 12 month membership for PlayStation Plus at an all-time low of just $39.99, thanks to Amazon. Now, this happens to be much lower than its standard year-round price of $60.

    Put simply, it’s one heck of a deal and something to be taken advantage of during Black Friday 2018. After all, you’ll subscribe to PlayStation Plus anyways to have all the fun on your console, so why not do it now when you can save so much.

    Besides, you don’t worry about your remaining PlayStation Plus balance, as this is a digital code that adds 12 months to whatever remaining balance you already have. Subscribing to PlayStation Plus lets you have all the fun on your PS4 console as you get access to multiplayer and play games online with your friends.

    Not to mention, PlayStation Plus members also get popular PS4 games every month as free downloads. In addition, subscribers are also entitled to exclusive PlayStation store sales and discounts. Put simply, it’s a great Black Friday deal on Amazon that every PS4 and even PS3 owner should take advantage of. For more information, check out Amazon’s product page.

    In other related news, Sony also announced in a blog post that the new PS4 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 bundle will release on November 27 for $299.99. The bundle will include the standard Jet Black 1TB PlayStation 4 console and a physical retail disc of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

    Besides, the Japanese giant also revealed in the same post that PlayStation 4 sales have crossed 86.1 million units since its debut back in 2013. This implies that the PS4 has surpassed its predecessor, the PS3, which sold nearly 83.8 million units.

  • PlayStation 4 sales crosses 86.1 million units in five years

    PlayStation 4 sales crosses 86.1 million units in five years

    Sony has offically announced that over 86.1 million units of the PS4 have been sold till today. In a blog post celebrating PlayStation 4’s fifth anniversarry, Sony announced this monumental figure since the console’s launch back on November 15, 2013.

    Besides, Sony also revealed that the platform has sold over 777.9 million copies of software till date. The company also shared top five selling games on the PS4. These inlcude the likes of Grand Theft Auto V, FIFA 18, FIFA 17, Call of Duty; Black Ops 3, and Call of Duty: WW2.

    “It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years since the launch of PlayStation 4. In that time, we’ve sold more than 86.1 Million hardware units, in addition to over 777.9 Million software units worldwide. We are so grateful to all the fans who have helped us come this far — it truly is an amazing time to be a part of the PlayStation family, and we thank you for your continued support,” wrote Eric Lempel Senior Vice President, PlayStation Worldwide Marketing, SIE in the blog post.

    In addition, the blog post also revealed best-selling colors for the DualShock 4 Controller. Apart from the standard black, Steel Black was the top selling color for the DualShock 4. While rounding up the top five spots were blue, red, white, and camouflage color variants.

    playstation 4

    Finally, the company also confirmed in the post that the new PS4 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 bundle will be released on November 27 for $299.99. The bundle will include the standard Jet Black 1TB PlayStation 4 console and a physical retail disc of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

    The PlayStation 4 has surpassed its predecssor, the PlayStation 3, which sold nearly 83.8 million units. As successful as the PS4 and PS3 have been, the PlayStation 2 did even better, selling more than 150 million units during the course of its lifetime.

  • Abzu will be available on the Nintedo Switch starting November 29

    Abzu will be available on the Nintedo Switch starting November 29

    The much-applauded undrewater adventure game from Giant Squid, Abzu, is finally arriving on the Nintendo Switch. The scuba diving game will be available on the Switch starting November 29 at a price of $19.99. Besides, buyers can avail a discount of 10 percent on pre-orderding the game.

    Abuz is the brainchild of Matt Nava, the developer who gave us likes of games such as Journey and Flower 2. Abzu is about exploring the in-game’s enormous and intriguing underwater landscape. Players don the role of a young woman decked in a scuba diving gear. Their task is to solve puzzles and soak-in the wealth of breaktaking sights in the game’s underwater universe. As you descend into the heart of the ocean, players come across breathtaking sights of ruins and remains of ancient civilizations, along with a huge variety of fishes.

    The game’s debut trailer which can be seen above, highlights the game ‘s mesemrizing underater world. 505 games has also confirmed that Abzu for the Switch will offer the same great experience as it does on other platforms. All in all, it’ll be an underwater trip worth diving into.

    “Dive into a majestic underwater adventure! From the artistic mind behind Journey and Flower, Abzu is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Perform fluid acrobatics as the Diver, using graceful swimming controls. Discover hundreds of unique species based on real creatures and form a powerful connection with the abundant sea life. Interact with schools of thousands of fish that procedurally respond to you, each other, and predators. Linger in epic seascapes and explore aquatic ecosystems modeled with unprecedented detail. Descend into the heart of the ocean where ancient secrets lie forgotten. But beware, dangers lurk in the depths,’ explains the game’s official page.

    To recall, Abzu was originally released for the PS4 and Windows back in early 2016, followed by its release on Xbox later that year. Now, the game will finally arrive on the Nintendo Switch console starting November 29.

  • Activision announces Nuketown map release date for Black Ops 4

    Activision announces Nuketown map release date for Black Ops 4

    Activison and Treyrach have officially announced that the long-time fan favourite map, Nuketown, will arrive on PS4 on November 13, followed by other platforms on Black Ops 4

    The news was confirmed via the official Black Ops 4 Twitter account. The tweet was accompanied by a Russian phrase to fans of the map which tranlates to ” Welcome back”. A short also teaser accompanied the tweet, giving eager fans a taste of what’s in store. The teaser suggests that Nuketown gets a slight makeover for Black Ops 4, with a refrshed icnoic signs and propogandisitic art that reminds one of the Soviet-era.

    https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1060955612769509377

    Well, this won’t be the first time that Nuketown gets a makeover since the original map’s debut back in 2010. While the map’s layout has remained largely unchanged, the map got a new look in Black Ops 2 to reflect a retro futursitc 1960s America. In Black Ops 3, it had a more science fiction feel to it. Now, in Black Ops 4, it appears developers have given it a chilling, Cold War vibe.

    All in all, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 players on the PS4 are rather stoked to get their hands dirty in Nuketown next week. Xbox One and PC players, however, need to wait unitl PS4 version’s timed-exclusivity expires.

    To recall, Sony annouced back in September that it’s expanding its partnership with Activision regarding PS4 exclsuivity for Black Ops 4 post launch content. Acticivsion also confirmed that all pst-launch content for its latest first person shooter Black Ops 4, will have 7-day exlusivity period on PS4.