Hearthstone Esports Sponsor Mitsubishi Cut Ties Over Controversial Player Ban

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Following a controversial decision to ban a professional Hearthstone player who expressed support for Hong Kong protests on an official stream, Blizzard lost at least one advertiser. Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan ended its sponsorship of Blizzard esports events just two days after the decision was announced, reports The Daily Beast.

Hearthstone fans on Reddit first noticed that the Mitsubishi logo had disappeared from the signage in an official broadcast, and Mitsubishi spokesperson Erica Rasch has reportedly confirmed the move. The report also followed up with other notable sponsors, including Coca-Cola and ASUS, both of which did not respond. The streaming platform Twitch, which airs many esports events, says its relationship with the collegiate league has not been impacted.

The controversy began in early October, when competitive player Ng Wai Chung aka Blitzchung expressed support for Hong Kong protests during an official broadcast interview. Blizzard found this in violation of its rules, rescinded his prize winnings, and banned him for a full year.

The news sheds more light on the many types of pressure Blizzard faced immediately following its decision. The penalty determination led to widespread protests, long-time players swearing off the game, statements from US Senators, walkouts from employees, sharp criticism from high-profile players, and now we know, advertisers cutting ties. Shortly after, the company issued a statement partially rescinding its punishment, giving back Chung’s monetary winnings and reducing his ban to six months.

In the statement, Blizzard president J. AllenBrack denied that the decision was motivated in any way by its relationships with China, and said that an opposing message delivered in a similar way would also receive punishment.

Currently, Blizzard is preparing to show what’s next for Hearthstone, and many of its other games, at its annual BlizzCon event. But the controversy hasn’t ended entirely, as activists are planning to protest outside the convention.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hearthstone-esports-sponsor-mitsubishi-cut-ties-ov/1100-6470991/

Games With Gold November 2019: Free Xbox One Games Announced

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As October comes to a close, it’s almost time for another selection of free games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. November’s Games with Gold offerings include two Xbox One games, an Xbox 360 game, and an original Xbox game.

Kicking off the Xbox One fun is Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, an adventure game released in 2016. You play as Holmes, investigating five self-contained cases with his adopted daughter. The game uses a mechanic for piecing together clues called the deduction board. Make the right connections and crack the case, but moral quandaries crop up along the way. The Devil’s Daughter is free throughout November.

Starting November 16, you can download The Final Station, a 2016 apocalyptic side-scrolling shooter that juggles two different styles of play. Edward Jones is trying to outrun the apocalypse by train. When moving full speed ahead, your job is to keep the train on track and tend to weary passengers. When the train stops at each station, the game shifts to side-scrolling action, with an emphasis on inventory management. The Final Station is up for grabs until December 15.

The best game of the bunch is actually the original Xbox game, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter. The 2002 action game takes place just before Attack of the Clones. Entirely comprised of aerial ship battles, each mission has a mix of destroy and protect objectives. Starfighter shouldn’t be missed, and you can grab it until November 15.

The final free game for November is Joy Ride Turbo, a 2012 cart racing game for Xbox 360 that puts your Xbox avatar in the driver’s seat of one of 42 cars. Joy Ride Turbo features the typical staples of the genre, including zany courses and power-ups. It’s available to claim from November 16 to November 30. Both Joy Ride Turbo and Jedi Starfighter can be played on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility.

As a reminder, you can still claim Tembo the Badass Elephant and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge through tomorrow; Friday the 13th: The Game will remain free until November 15.

Free Games With Gold, November 2019

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/games-with-gold-november-2019-free-xbox-one-games-/1100-6470992/

Death Stranding Launch Trailer Is Lengthy And Cinematic

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Death Stranding has often been equal parts mysterious and inscrutable, but if there’s one aspect that was never in doubt, it’s that Hideo Kojima’s next game would be cinematic. The Metal Gear Solid producer has been known for his film-like presentations and performances featuring recognizable actors. The Death Stranding launch trailer is here, and unsurprisingly, it’s practically a movie trailer.

Clocking in at almost eight minutes, the trailer (above) features a ton of exposition and story content to whet your appetite for the game. We see the lead character, Sam (Norman Reedus) interacting with several characters and introducing details of the world.

That’s no surprise, given that Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller says he sees the makings of a great filmmaker in Kojima’s work. That usually includes heavy use of cutscenes, and given the length of this trailer, it seems likely we’ll see plenty in the full game.

Death Stranding launches on PS4 on November 8. If you’d rather wait for the PC version, Kojima recently announced it will be coming next summer. Meanwhile, reviews will begin dropping on November 1 at 12:01 AM PT, so you won’t have to wait much longer to learn more about it.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/death-stranding-launch-trailer-is-lengthy-and-cine/1100-6470989/

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Launch Is The Series’ Biggest In Six Years

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is off to a pretty explosive start. Activision announced that its first three days on the market have topped the same period’s sales of any other Call of Duty this generation and it has also become the top selling new game release of 2019.

The company also boasted that it has already brought in more than $600 million in worldwide sell-through and topped PS4 digital pre-orders and three-day digital sales records. It also beat the company’s internal digital sales records, as well as its records for biggest Call of Duty launch on PC. The company notes this is counting both retail and digital sales units, including sales of the charity Defender Pack. Sales of that DLC go to benefit the Call of Duty Endowment.

“Through the first three days, Modern Warfare has more total players and total hours played than any Call of Duty opening release in the last six years,” said Activision president Rob Kostich, in the announcement. “Congratulations to Infinity Ward and all our teams involved on an incredible game and its spectacular launch. We also want to thank the community for your incredible support. The launch of Modern Warfare is only the start. There’s much more to come.”

The reference to post-launch content alludes to a planned Battle Pass system that will be adding new cosmetic rewards on a regular schedule. The Battle Pass isn’t available yet but Activision says it will be live later in 2019. The first League season will kick off in 2020.

If you’re one of those early adopters, check out our tips to get you started, and a guide to every perk.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-launch-is-the-series-b/1100-6470988/

Next Dragon Age game not set for release until 2022 at the earliest

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Next Dragon Age game not set for release until 2022 at the earliest

Dragon Age fans will have to wait for a bit before they can jump back into this franchise.

source /news/9134-next-dragon-age-game-not-set-for-release-until-2022-at-the-earliest

PS4 Is Now The Second Best-Selling Console Ever

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Sony has detailed its financial results for Q2 2019, which is the three months ended September 30 and revealed the PlayStation 4 shipped 2.8 million units worldwide in this timeframe. This figure is slightly down from Q1 2019, when the console shipped 3.2 million units. However, the figure is enough to make the PS4 the second best-selling console of all time.

As confirmed in July 2019, the PS4 reached the 100 million units shipped milestone and, combined with the numbers from Q2 of 2019, that brings it the total up to 102.8 million units, edging the PS4 past the performance of the original PlayStation. However, the PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling console of all time at over 150 million units.

Overall, it’s been a strong lifecycle for the PS4, which is now in its seventh year on the market. Sony has begun detailing its successor, the PS5, so the clock is ticking for the PS4. Despite this, there are some big games on the way, including Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us 2.

The Last of Us 2 was recently delayed into Spring 2020, with director Neil Druckmann stating the extra time would allow the developer to polish the game. “It was during the last few weeks, as we were closing out sections of the game, that we realized we simply didn’t have enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality,” he explained. “At this point we were faced with two options: compromise parts of the game or get more time. We went with the latter, and this new release date allows us to finish everything to our level of satisfaction while also reducing stress on the team.

“While we’re relieved that we won’t have to compromise our vision, we’re disappointed that we weren’t able to avoid this exact situation. We wish we could’ve foreseen the amount of polish we needed, but the size and scope of this game got the better of us. We hate disappointing our fans and for that we’re sorry.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-is-now-the-second-best-selling-console-ever/1100-6470987/

The Surge 2 Season Pass includes 13 new weapons, 3 new gear sets, and story DLC

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The Surge 2 Season Pass includes 13 new weapons, 3 new gear sets, and story DLC

For those wanting more of this futuristic Action RPG.

source /news/9133-the-surge-2-season-pass-includes-13-new-weapons-3-new-gear-sets-and-story-dlc

NBA Live 20 Isn’t Happening, But EA Sports Is Planning A Next-Gen Basketball Game

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There won’t be an NBA Live 20, as EA Sports has announced that the company is looking to the future and planning ahead for a next-generation basketball experience instead. This news was delivered by EA CEO Andrew Wilson during a quarterly earnings call, as reported by IGN. NBA Live 20 had been scheduled as a Q4 2019 release, but that is no longer the plan.

Last year’s NBA Live 19 was a huge step forward for the series after a few rocky entries, but the NBA Live series has struggled to compete with the NBA 2K games for a long time now. The decision to not release an entry in the series this year.

The official Twitter account for NBA Live released a statement, explaining that while they were “excited by our progress”, a new title will not release in 2019. “Alongside the NBA and NBPA, we have our sights set on creating something fresh for the next generation of players and platforms,” the statement reads.

The series has had a tumultuous history: back in 2012, NBA Live 13 was cancelled just six days before it was due to be released. NBA Live 20 never actually surfaced, though – gameplay footage was never shown, so it’s unclear how far along development the title was.

During the same quarterly earnings call, EA announced that Apex Legends will be treated as an annual shooter going forward, as it and other live service games were performing above expectations.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nba-live-20-isnt-happening-but-ea-sports-is-planni/1100-6470986/

Call Of Duty League Season Will Kick Off In January 2020 With A Launch Weekend Tournament

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Call of Duty League, Activision’s big Call of Duty eSports push, will begin on January 24, 2020. The event will take place over the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend at the Minneapolis Armory, and will see teams competing in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It’s the first event of what promises to be a major new league for competitive Call of Duty.

The event will see 12 teams play off over three days in five-on-five matches, with a best-of-five format. The exact ruleset will be announced closer to the event. Teams from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, London, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Paris, Seattle, and Toronto taking part. The Call of Duty League website has further details on the teams competing, and lets you sign up for updates in the lead up to opening weekend.

The Call of Duty Challengers Open will take place over that same weekend, allowing amateur teams to compete in an open bracket tournament that will be determined by a series of online tournaments, beginning next month. There’s a prize pool of over $1 million on offer in the open.

The cost of entry is reportedly $25 million per team, which has prevented eSports organization 1000 Thieves from competing. The specifics of the prize pool have not yet been announced, but expect a major top prize.

If you’re looking to sharpen your own skills in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, we’ve compiled a list of tips for beginners. It’s also useful to know your different perks inside and out. In our review-in-progress of the game, Kallie Plagge wrote that the multiplayer in Modern Warfare “is up to par, with a variety of game types for different kinds of players.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-league-season-will-kick-off-in-januar/1100-6470985/

Xbox Insider Members In The US And UK Can Now Try Xbox Console Streaming

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Xbox Insider members who are part of the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings in either the US or UK are now able to test out Xbox Console Streaming, which allows users to play Xbox One games on devices other than the television they have the console hooked up to.

Right now the program is limited to Android mobiles or tablets, Microsoft has announced, which must be running on Android 6.0 or higher and feature Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities. A Bluetooth enabled wireless Xbox One controller is also required. If you meet all of these requirements you’ll be able to stream your Xbox games collection, including Xbox Games Pass titles, to a mobile device.

Microsoft recommends the use of a controller mount too for maximum comfort. This will allow you to take your Xbox games experiences on the go, as long as you have a strong enough Internet connection or data allowance.

Earlier this month Microsoft began the promised public trials for xCloud, allowing Insiders to stream games through their console. The next Xbox, codenamed Scarlett, is poised to support game streaming as well, although Xbox head Phil Spencer does not believe that streaming will fully replace traditional console experiences anytime soon.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-insider-members-in-the-us-and-uk-can-now-try-/1100-6470984/