Amazon has announced that, starting right now, Twitch Prime members can claim a free three months of Nintendo Switch Online. You just need to sign-in to claim your three months, and if you come back after 60 days, you can get another nine months added to your account. That’s a year of Switch Online for free.

If you already have Switch Online, you can still take advantage of this deal. Just sign-in and be sure to renew the deal after 60 days so you can get all 12 months added to your account. Whether you’re signing up for Switch Online for the first time or adding free time to your account, you have until September 24 to grab your first three months and until January 22, 2020 to claim the additional nine.

A Switch Online subscription offers more than being able to play the online multiplayer component in games like Splatoon 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With a subscription, you get access to a library of classic NES games that you can play as much as you want. New games are added every few months, with 1998’s Blaster Master and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link added this past January. Subscribers also get access to cloud saves, allowing them to recover their data should their Switch console break or be stolen.

Normally, individual Switch Online subscriptions cost $4 USD a month, $8 USD for three months, and $20 USD for 12 months. For $35 USD a year, you can subscribe to a Switch Online Family Membership, which includes the service for eight different consoles.

Amazon has already been creating video game-related benefits for Twitch Prime members, offering free PC titles every month. You still have time to download the four March 2019 games, which will no longer be offered once April begins. Until March 31, with Twitch Prime, you can download the puzzle RPG Star Vikings Forever, artsy platformer The King’s Bird, multiplayer pinball game Kabounce, and puzzle platformer Snake Pass. To claim these games, you must make sure you Amazon account is linked to Twitch.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/grab-a-free-12-month-nintendo-switch-online-subscr/1100-6465886/

The next game from Rick And Morty creator Justin Roiland and studio Squanch Games, called Trover Saves The Universe, had a trailer revealed during Gearbox’s PAX East 2019 panel. It’s coming to PlayStation 4 and PSVR on May 31 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on June 4. The game appears to have a similar sense of humor found in Squanch’s previous games (Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Accounting), but plays more like a traditional 3D action-platformer.

As expected, it has a wacky premise where your dogs have been taken hostage and you have to stop the big bad Glorkon who puts the universe at stake and shoves your dogs into its eye sockets. There are plenty of deranged character designs and a whole lot of cursing; think Astro Bot but for adults! However, the game will be playable both in and outside of VR. You can watch the trailer above.

Trover, the one who saves the universe.

A whole lot more came out of the Gearbox PAX East 2019 presentation, which included the announcement of Bulletstorm coming to Nintendo Switch with the Duke Nukem DLC and a showcase of the upcoming sequel Risk of Rain 2. The biggest news from Gearbox was the reveal of both Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC with visual and mechanical improvements, and finally the reveal and trailer for Borderlands 3.

Gearbox CEO and president Randy Pitchford was doing magic tricks on stage, too, and you can check that out here if you really want.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gearbox-shows-trailer-for-rick-and-morty-creators-/1100-6465898/

Gearbox Software has officially confirmed Borderlands 3, as part of what it is calling The Year of Borderlands. The third mainline entry in the series was revealed at the developer’s PAX East panel, where it showed off a rather meaty gameplay trailer. It begins with a shot of the iconic Psycho mask and pans up to reveal that the wasteland is as desolate and full of mayhem as when we last saw it.

A Children of the Vault camp is one of the first things we see and next to the entrance there are signs referring to Calypso. One message reads, “Answer Calypso’s call,” while another invites people to “Meet Calypso.” This enigmatic figure is introduced in the very next scene and from her wry grin, overconfident swagger, and snarling sidekick, it’s a pretty safe bet to say she’ll be one of the key villains of Borderlands 3. For those that know their greek mythology, Calypso is the daughter of the titan, Atlas. It just so happens that Atlas is also the name of one of the big corporate entities on Pandora, where the Borderland games primarily take place.

In the next shot we’re re-introduced to Lilith, who made her debut as a playable character in the first Borderlands title. She’s a key figure in the mythos of Borderlands, being a Siren–incredibly powerful women that have mysterious backgrounds. It is believed that only six Sirens can exist at any one time and, to date, three have appeared in the games. While it doesn’t seem like Lilith will be playable, she will no doubt play a huge part in the events of Borderlands 3.

From there, we’re introduced to four characters. These are likely the Vault Hunters players will get to control. As of yet, it’s unclear what classes they correspond to. The Borderlands games tend to have a mixture of traditional archetypes like Beserker, Hunter, and Soldier, but also throw some unexpected ones into the mix too, like Siren and Mechromancer. At one point the female Vault Hunter, who looks to be melee-focused, given her ripped physique and knuckle duster, summons multiple ethereal arms like a Bodhisattva.

The trailer quickly rolls on to quick cuts of action, with the four Vault Hunters cruising around in vehicles, firing all manner of strange weaponry–including a battle mech–and taking on vicious looking monsters. At one point Borderlands 2’s Maya, who also happens to be a Siren, makes an appearance, though with much longer hair now.

One of the key new features for Borderlands 3 is revealed when the words “Explore the Worlds!” appear on screen. This indicates that the game is going to be much bigger than the previous two entries, offering players a variety of different worlds to scavenge for loot and hunt down mythical treasure in. The trailer showcases some of these, with a neon city that has towering skyscrapers and overgrown swamplands, alongside the traditional Mad Max-like desert terrain.

There’s a brief intermission in the trailer for Brick to lay down a sax solo that, frankly, is quite good, before we get to the Borderlands series’ biggest claim to fame: guns. This time around Gearbox is claiming that Borderlands 3 will have “one billion guns,” one of which is an assault rifle with little robot legs that is skipping along while firing of shots. Basically, the trailer shows off pretty much exactly what most Borderlands fans want from a sequel.

Gearbox has said more information for Borderlands 3 will be revealed on April 3. The Year of Borderlands will also give fans of the series the opportunity to play a Game of the Year version of the first Borderlands, complete with new weapons and other improvements. Additionally, the Borderlands Handsome Collection on consoles is getting a graphical improvements by way of a free Ultra HD Texture Pack. This will also be available for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2 on PC. Finally, all Borderlands 2’s DLC will be added to Borderlands 2 for PlayStation VR this summer.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-3-finally-announced-with-first-trailer/1100-6465879/

In the lead up to PAX East, Gearbox teased that we’d potentially see multiple new games unveiled. Despite some technical issues hampering the reveal during the panel, One of those has turned out to be an enhanced re-release of an existing game, Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition. This version of the original game in the Borderlands series is seeing a new release on current-gen platforms, but it’s not a mere port–it also packs in new content, including more weapons, in addition to a variety of other improvements, and it releases next week. You can see a trailer above and check out some screenshots below.

This is described as the “brand-new definitive version.” It’s set for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and features the same basic content as the original game, complete with all four of its DLC packs: The Zombie Island of Doctor Ned, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution.

The Game of the Year Edition will feature visual improvements suited to the new platforms. Gearbox boasts that PS4 and Xbox One X players (and presumably those with adequate PC hardware) can play in 4K and HDR, but all platforms will include “improved lighting, textures, and character models.”

Beyond visual changes, there are quality-of-life improvements and changes coming to impact gameplay, too. An optional minimap similar to the one found in Borderlands 2 is being introduced, while inventory management will be overhauled. You’ll now be able to lock weapons that you want to ensure stay safe, while those you don’t care about can be labeled as junk to make disposing of them more straightforward. Similarly, you’ll no longer have to worry about picking up ammo, money, and health, as that will now be done automatically.

A handful of new guns are being added. Six “named, custom-skinned” Legendary-tier weapons will be available as drops from bosses or through the use of Golden Keys. Those keys tie into the Shift rewards system, which lets you cash in keys for “special in-game items and rewards” similar to later games in the series. If you’ve played Borderlands 2 or The Pre-Sequel on PS4, Xbox One, or PC, you’ll be entitled to 75 Golden Keys for free here, as well as two “randomly selected” new weapons.

Another new element is the ability to customize your character. Whereas the game previously only allowed you to select colors, you can now choose one of five different head options for each of the four characters.

And finally, Gearbox says it’s heeding complaints from fans and will update the campaign’s final boss. It should now be “more engaging, challenging, and rewarding.”

Game of the Year Edition is coming quite soon–it releases for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 3, which is just a few days away. It will be available physically and digitally on console, while the PC version is digital only. However, if you already own Borderlands on Steam, PC players will get this updated version for free.

Alongside this, Gearbox shared a variety of other news. Regarding Borderlands specifically, it confirmed Borderlands 3 and announced visual improvements coming to Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.

The Game of the Year Edition news doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as a ratings board listing last year suggested just such a re-release was coming. However, it is encouraging to see this is more than just a mere port. Alongside this, Gearbox also finally announced Borderlands 3, along with free visual improvements coming to Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel.

Borderlands was originally released in 2009, so this announcement comes just ahead of the series’ 10-year anniversary. The Game of the Year version followed that in 2010, bundling the base game with its four DLC packs.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-remaster-adds-more-weapons-improvement/1100-6465878/

Apple is expanding its presence in the games industry with its own game subscription service called Apple Arcade–designed to provide access to a variety of titles whether you want to play on mobile, desktop, or in the living room. Unlike Google’s Stadia, Apple Arcade won’t be a cloud streaming service, though. A brief overview trailer of Apple Arcade is linked below, and if you’re looking for more details, check out everything we know about Apple Arcade.

Essentially, Apple’s service takes the form of a monthly subscription that provides unlimited access to a curated selection of paid titles on the App Store; it sounds sort of like Xbox Game Pass. Development partners include Sega, Konami, Disney, Sumo Digital, and Cartoon Network, among others, and more than 100 exclusive games will become part of the service. Additional games will also be added “all the time,” the company said, although an exact cadence for new releases was not shared.

Apple Arcade covers more than just iOS games, although these will work on devices like iPhones and iPads. Beyond that, you’ll be able to play on MacOS and Apple TV, meaning these games span mobile, laptops, and TV. And these versions won’t operate independently of each other; your progress transfers between the different platforms. In other words, you can move from playing something on your phone to your TV or laptop, for instance, which is not entirely dissimilar from the vision Google recently outlined with Stadia.

Apple went on to state that every game would be playable offline, while future game updates and DLC would be included at no extra cost. Apple Arcade will have its own tab on the App Store, and the games will be free of ads and microtransactions.

Apple Arcade will be available in 150 countries “this fall.” One key bit of information–how much it will cost–has not yet been shared. Apple says pricing and more details are still to come.

During the event, we got a brief look at a few of the games coming to the service, with more being confirmed afterward in a press release. Among the confirmed games are Sonic Racing, Lego Brawls, Oceanhorn 2, Overland, Fantasian (from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi), and Beyond the Steel Sky (which is being worked on by Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame). We also got a list of Apple Arcade developers and publishers, including names like Lego, Disney, Sega, and Konami.

Apple says it will be “contributing to the development costs and working closely with creators to bring the games to life,” suggesting it will do more than just pay developers for their games to be included.

“The App Store is the world’s biggest and most successful game platform. Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room,” said Apple marking boss Phil Schiller. “We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade.”

Unlike the recently announced Google Stadia, or PlayStation Now and Microsoft’s xCloud, Apple’s service is not cloud-based. The company also unveiled its new Apple TV+ service and a variety of exclusive original shows.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-arcade-detailed-new-game-subscription-servic/1100-6465824/