The Steam Controller Is Now Out Of Stock And Never Coming Back

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The Steam Controller has sold through all of its stock, with no plan to make or sell more. Four years after it hit the market, the final Steam Controllers have been sold, and you can no longer order one directly from Valve. This effectively brings an end to the PC controller’s lifespan.

During the Black Friday weekend, the Steam Controller was cut down to $5 as Valve tried to offload the last of them. But, as VG247 has reported, many of the orders placed that day were not fulfilled–Valve overestimated their stock levels, and oversold the controller. Several potential buyers have found that their purchases have been refunded, and the controller is now no longer available to purchase. It follows in the footsteps of the similarly discontinued Steam Link and Steam Machine.

Of course, some stock might still exist at retail stores–if you’re in Australia, the Steam Controller is still available at EB Games, although it carries a $90AUD pricetag. It’s also worth keeping an eye on second-hand stores if you want one.

Despite a design that might look unusual, the Steam Controller has its fans, and has made some games easier to play for people with disabilities. Valve, the company behind Steam, is currently busy working on Half-Life: Alyx and Dota Underlords.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-steam-controller-is-now-out-of-stock-and-never/1100-6471875/

Apex Legends: New Patch With Level Cap Increase Live On PC Now, But Console Players Have To Wait

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Apex Legends was due to receive a big update today, December 3, and it’s now arrived on PC. This means that once you’ve downloaded the update, you’ll experience a level cap increase from 100 to 500, giving you many more levels to climb through. Console owners will have to wait a little bit longer, though, with a delay pushing the update back to an unknown date. Moments before the update was due, the official Apex Legends Twitter account let everyone know that it would now arrive later.

About an hour later, the account announced that the patch was actually now available, but only for the PC version. The console version is still delayed, and hopefully we’ll know soon when it will be made available.

The patch notes list a lot of changes, but the big one is the level cap increase. It now takes 5% less XP to hit level 100, and if you manage to hit level 500 you’ll hit a total of 199 Apex Packs along the way. From levels 2-20 you get one pack per level, one every two level from 22-300, then one pack every five levels from 305-500. You’ll still get 600 Legend Tokens for every time you level up, and Apex Pack rewards will be handed out retroactively. You’ll also unlock Level Gun Charms every 100 levels.

36 new Gun Charms are being added into Apex Packs, and will also now appear in the Rotating Shop so that you can buy them directly. It will also add friendly fire to the new firing range, which is a fun addition. PC players will be able to experience this right now, but console Apex Legends fans will need to wait just a bit longer.

Apex Legends is currently in its third season. Developer Respawn Entertainment also recently launched Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the first Star Wars action game of this console generation.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-new-patch-with-level-cap-increase-liv/1100-6471873/

Vaping Politician Pleads Guilty To Stealing Campaign Funds For Video Games, Plane Tickets For Rabbits

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United States congressman Duncan Hunter, a Republican representative from California known for vaping on the job, has pleaded guilty to charges of using campaign funds to pay for things like video games and plane tickets for his pet rabbits. The Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced that Hunter admitted to the fact that he “knowingly and wilfully stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds that he and his wife used to maintain their lifestyle.”

Along with his wife, Hunter is said to have used more than $150,000 in campaign funds between 2010 and 2016 on things that benefitted his family’s “personal use and enjoyment.” Hunter is said to have partaken in “30 or more illegal transactions” related to this money.

The Hunters are said to have spent the stolen money on things like video games, Lego sets, fast food, movie tickets, shoes, and groceries. Beyond that, the attorney’s office said the Hunters also used the funds on international vacations and even plane tickets for their pet rabbits, whose names are Eggburt and Cadbury.

In 2016, it was reported that Hunter spent more than $1,000 on Steam video games. At the time, Hunter said his son made the charges and that the politician was trying to reverse them.

“This was a deliberate, years-long violation of the law,” assistant US attorney David Leshner said. “Congressman Hunter used the power of his position to fund a lifestyle out of his reach, unwittingly financed by those who put him there. His guilty plea entered today acknowledges and accepts responsibility for his conduct.”

Hunter was officially charged with conspiracy to steal campaign funds, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for March 17, 2020.

Hunter is known popularly as the politician who vapes during congressional sessions.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/vaping-politician-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-campai/1100-6471874/

Half-Life: Alyx And Dota Underlords Work Mean Firewatch Dev’s Next Game Is On Hold

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Half-Life: Alyx, the recently announced Half-Life VR game, is being worked on by several former members of Firewatch developer Campo Santo. The developer became a part of Valve last year, bringing their newly announced project, In the Valley of Gods, with them. While the game was initially announced for a 2019 release, it’s been over two years since anything was shown off, and shortly before the next Half-Life was shown off, people started to notice that several developers were removing references to In the Valley of Gods from their Twitter profiles. Fans feared that the game has been cancelled outright.

Now, in a statement to Polygon, Campo Santo co-founder Jake Rodkin has confirmed that the game is “on hold” while the team works on other projects. While this means that the game could be returned to, it’s not currently in active development, and still might be cancelled in the future.

“Developers from the former Campo Santo team have joined other projects at Valve, including Half-Life: Alyx,” Rodkin’s statement reads. “You hear a lot about how at Valve you can work on what you want. It turns out that’s true, and there’s a lot of work available. As we integrated ourselves into Valve it became clear there was a lot of valuable work to be done on Half-Life: Alyx. Some of us starting lending a hand, and have since become full-time on the project as it approaches launch.”

It’s not just Half-Life that the team are working on: several have moved over to Dota Underlords, while others are working on Steam itself. “So to answer your question as of today,” Rodkin continues, “In the Valley of Gods development is on hold—but it certainly feels like a project people can and may return to.”

In the Valley of the Gods sounded ambitious. If it ever happens, it will cast players as Rashida, an explorer and filmmaker in 1920s Egypt, seeking to document the first unveiling of the tomb of Queen Nefertiti alongside their partner Zora. Half-Life: Alyx, meanwhile, will release in March 2020.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-and-dota-underlords-work-mean-firew/1100-6471871/

iPhone’s Most-Downloaded Game Of 2019 Revealed, And It’s Not Fortnite Or Call Of Duty

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With 2019 coming to a close, Apple has now announced the most-downloaded games of the year across iPhone and iPad for both free and paid games. In a press release, Apple announced that Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour was the most-downloaded free iPhone game of 2019.

The press release didn’t include any specific download numbers, however. Rounding out the top five free iPhone games were Color Bump 3D, aquapark.io, Call of Duty: Mobile, and BitLife – Life Simulator.

For comparison, Fortnite was No. 1 in 2018. Call of Duty’s mobile version seems to have had a strong start, as it charted at No. 4 this year despite not releasing until October. Mario Kart Tour launched about a week before, on September 25, so its result as No. 1 is quite impressive.

Moving on, Minecraft was the top paid iPhone and iPad game, while Roblox was the most-downloaded free iPad game.

Apple also handed out editorial awards to a number of titles for 2019. The iPhone game of the year was Journey developer thatgamecompany’s Sky: Children of the Light, while Hyper Light Drifter was named the iPad game of the year. The Mac game of the year was Gris, while the Apple TV game of the year was Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. Finally, the Apple Arcade Game of the Year was given to Sayonara: Wild Hearts.

Beyond games, Apple announced the most-downloaded overall iPhone apps of 2019. YouTube was No. 1, with Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Messenger rounding out the top five. You can see the full charts for all categories below.

2019 Most Popular iOS Apps:

Top Free iPhone Apps

  1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  2. Instagram
  3. Snapchat
  4. TikTok – Make Your Day
  5. Messenger
  6. Gmail – Email by Google
  7. Netflix
  8. Facebook
  9. Google Maps – Transit & Food
  10. Amazon – Shopping made easy

Top Paid iPhone Apps

  1. Facetune
  2. HotSchedules
  3. Dark Sky Weather
  4. The Wonder Weeks
  5. AutoSleep Tracker for Watch
  6. TouchRetouch
  7. Afterlight – Photo Editor
  8. Procreate Pocket
  9. Sky Guide
  10. Toca Hair Salon 3

Top Free iPad Apps

  1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  2. Netflix
  3. Amazon Prime Video
  4. Google Chrome
  5. Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Movies
  6. Messenger
  7. Gmail – Email by Google
  8. Facebook
  9. TikTok – Make Your Day
  10. Calculator

Top Paid iPad Apps

  1. Procreate
  2. Notability
  3. GoodNotes 5
  4. Duet Display
  5. Toca Hair Salon 3
  6. Toca Life: Neighborhood
  7. XtraMath
  8. PDF Expert 7: PDF Editor
  9. LumaFusion
  10. Affinity Designer

Top Free iPhone Games

  1. Mario Kart Tour
  2. Color Bump 3D
  3. aquapark.io
  4. Call of Duty: Mobile
  5. BitLife – Life Simulator
  6. Polysphere – art of puzzle
  7. Wordscapes
  8. Fortnite
  9. Roller Splat!
  10. AMAZE!!

Top Paid iPhone Games

  1. Minecraft
  2. Heads Up!
  3. Plague Inc.
  4. Bloons TD 6
  5. Geometry Dash
  6. Rebel Inc.
  7. The Game of Life
  8. Stardew Valley
  9. Bloons TD 5
  10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Top Free iPad Games

  1. Roblox
  2. aquapark.io
  3. Paper.io 2
  4. Color Bump 3D
  5. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
  6. Fortnite
  7. Polysphere – art of puzzle
  8. Wordscapes
  9. Tiles Hop – EDM Rush
  10. Helix Jump

Top Paid iPad Games

  1. Minecraft
  2. Geometry Dash
  3. Bloons TD 6
  4. Plague Inc.
  5. Amazing Frog?
  6. Stardew Valley
  7. The Game of Life
  8. Heads Up!
  9. Terraria
  10. Bendy and the Ink Machine

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/iphones-most-downloaded-game-of-2019-revealed-and-/1100-6471870/

Cyberpunk 2077’s Map Allegedly Revealed In New Art Book

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It’s becoming more plausible that Cyberpunk 2077‘s map will be smaller than CD Projekt Red’s previous open-world RPG, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt–if a new art book is anything to go by.

The World of Cyberpunk 2077, a 192-page art book published by Dark Horse Books, is available now to pre-order on Amazon. The $100 Deluxe Edition, which comes with a bevy of stickers and a Johnny Silverhand poster, seemingly reveals a portion of Cyberpunk 2077’s map on its cover. The game’s map cuts off at the top, so it’s unclear if this is where the world in-game ends or if there is more to explore beyond this point.

No Caption Provided

CDPR has said that Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a “denser” map than The Witcher 3, telling Gamesradar that the upcoming open-world first-person shooter might be a little smaller than the studio’s previous games but is packed with much more content.

“If you look at pure surface, right–square kilometres–then Cyberpunk 2077 might be a little bit smaller than The Witcher 3,” said producer Richard Borzymowski. “But when it comes to the density of content, you basically take the world of The Witcher and squeeze it right in, deleting the wilderness between this.”

In other Cyberpunk 2077 news, CDPR has announced that the game will receive online multiplayer at some point after the game releases. While there’s no confirmation on when multiplayer will come to Cyberpunk 2077, the studio did state in an earnings report that some form of microtransactions in the works.

Cyberpunk 2077 lands on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It will also launch on Google Stadia at some point.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077s-map-allegedly-revealed-in-new-art-/1100-6471869/

Kingdom Under Fire II Review

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Kingdom Under Fire II Review

After ten years of development Kingdom Under Fire II is finally here, but arrives riddled with performance issues and untranslated text.

source /feature/9245-kingdom-under-fire-ii-review

Halo: Reach Launches On Steam, Soars Up The Sales Charts

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It’s a big day for the Halo franchise, as Microsoft has released Bungie’s Halo: Reach on PC through Steam and the Windows Store. It is the first Halo FPS to come to Steam, and the launch is going well.

Halo: Reach is available to buy individually for $10 USD, or you can spend $40 USD to buy the entire Master Chief Collection which will eventually feature Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4.

The Master Chief Collection and Halo: Reach are sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 on the Steam best-seller charts for December 3. Additionally, The Master Chief Collection reached a peak concurrent player count of 139,089 on Steam today, which is No. 4 for the entire Steam platform. It’s only behind the free-to-play juggernauts PUBG, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: GO.

Halo: Reach is doing well on Steam

These numbers do not represent or reflect the entire audience for Halo: Reach on PC, as the game is also available on the Windows Store. Check out GameSpot’s further coverage to learn more about where Reach is available on PC and how to buy it.

Halo: Reach on PC features the 11-mission campaign, multiplayer, and Firefight, as well as things like FOV sliders, variable frame rates, and custom key-binding. The Forge and Theatre modes will be added in 2020.

The game has also been added to The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One. You can buy the campaign and Firefight for $10, while the multiplayer is free. Xbox Game Pass subscribers, on Xbox One and PC, get everything for free.

2020’s Xbox Scarlett launch title Halo Infinite will also come to PC, but a Steam release has not been officially confirmed at this stage–though it seems likely.

Halo: Reach, which is a prequel to Combat Evolved, is the final Halo title developed by Bungie before it moved on to create the Destiny series. In Reach you play as a soldier in Noble Team, not Master Chief. The story is gripping and somber, ending in heartbreaking fashion.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-reach-launches-on-steam-soars-up-the-sales-ch/1100-6471868/

FBI Files Search Warrant To Make Sony Give Up PSN Data For Alleged Drug Dealer

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Sony has been prompted by the FBI to hand over information on a PlayStation 4 user that allegedly used the system’s online services to distribute thousands of dollars of cocaine, according to Vice.

The search warrant application, filed in October 2019 in Missouri, is ordering Sony to disclose any and all information for a man named Curtis “Dola” Alexander, including the games he played, his progress in those games, the physical address and telephone numbers associated with his account, and more.

The FBI alleges that Alexander, under the username “Speedola20,” was in contact with someone through the PlayStation Network to coordinate a $34,000 per kilogram sale of cocaine. The application reports that a Confidential Human Source (or CHS), who said Alexander contacted them “during game,” helped the FBI in the investigation.

The application later notes that a trap was set for the Bureau to surveil Alexander selling the CHS a bag of approximately 100 grams of white powder for $4,400. After the sale, Alexander told the CHS they would talk later in the game, though what game Alexander was using has not been named. Still, it has been confirmed that Alexander used PlayStation’s messaging service to get in contact with the CHS.

As aforementioned, the FBI is requesting all information on Curtis “Dola” Alexander from Sony. As well as what games he played and how far he’s gotten, the Bureau is seeking personal information about his account, such as name, physical address, telephone numbers, associated passwords, security questions and answers, and technical information such as the IP address used to register and log into the account.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fbi-files-search-warrant-to-make-sony-give-up-psn-/1100-6471865/

Persona 5 Royal releases on March 31, 2020; Lifetime Persona 5 Shipments reach 3.2 Million

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Persona 5 Royal releases on March 31, 2020; Lifetime Persona 5 Shipments reach 3.2 Million

Check out all the purchase options, too.

source /news/9247-persona-5-royal-releases-on-march-31-2020-lifetime-persona-5-shipments-reach-3-2-million