Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday 2019 Deals: Best Switch Lite And Bundle Deals

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Although it’s the follow-up holiday to Black Friday (which makes it prime for leftover deals and sold-out signs), Cyber Monday has had some surprising new deals up its sleeve, at least when it comes to Nintendo Switch console deals. A lot of the Black Friday sales are simply extending into the follow-up holiday, but more importantly, we’re seeing some honest-to-goodness discounts on the Switch and Switch Lite themselves, without the need for extra games, to hope the pack-in game is worth the extra cash–something we didn’t see during Black Friday.

Best Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday 2019 console and accessory deals

The official Nintendo Switch bundle is a repeat from last year, but there are several other enticing Switch bundles available at a number of retailers. This includes deals on the portable-only Nintendo Switch Lite. In addition to console deals, you can also pick up Joy-Cons for an incredible price and a variety of different third-party controllers for great prices.

We’ve covered the best Switch game deals elsewhere, but you should be aware that after staying mum on the subject for much longer than everyone else, Nintendo finally launched its Black Friday Eshop sale on Switch (and 3DS) games. If you’re picking up a system, be sure to give it a look to fill out your library.

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Nintendo Switch Lite + Pokemon Sword or Shield | $230 ($260)

Cyber Monday looks to have quite a few Nintendo Switch deals, including this Switch Lite + Pokemon Sword or Shield bundle. For $230, you get your choice of either a gray or yellow Switch Lite and a copy of either Pokemon game.

Available now

See at Ebay

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Nintendo Switch Lite (multiple colors) | $180

For Cyber Monday, Ebay is selling Nintendo Switch Lites for $180. This is the best raw discount we’ve seen this entire weekend on the Switch Lite, so if you were looking to get this smaller, sleeker console (whether for a loved or yourself), don’t miss out on this deal.

Available now

See at Ebay

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Nintendo Switch (Original Model) + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Crash Team Racing, And More | $340

This Cyber Monday bundle is a particularly interesting one. For Cyber Monday, you can grab an original model Nintendo Switch (without the improved battery life) with Mario Kart 8 and Crash Team Racing, in addition to Amiibo figurines of Squirtle and Ivysaur and two plastic racing wheels for your Joy-Cons. Ebay has the bundle for $340 for Cyber Monday.

Available now

See at Ebay

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Nintendo Switch with digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and $25 GameStop gift card | $300

This Switch bundle was offered in 2018, and on the surface, it’s a pretty good deal. You get the Switch and an awesome game that regularly goes for around $50 these days. However, please note this isn’t the updated Switch with better battery life; it’s the launch model. If you love Mario Kart and aren’t concerned about the longer battery life, this is a solid offer. That said, this bundle has sold out almost everywhere already–at least online. GameStop’s got it stock for Cyber Monday, however, so get it while supplies last.

Available now

See at GameStop

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Nintendo Switch bundle with Starlink: Battle For Atlas | $300

Best Buy has a nice little Switch bundle going and, depending your battery preference, it might just top the official one from Nintendo. When you buy a new Switch model (which boasts improved battery life) from Best Buy, you’ll get the Switch Starlink: Battle for Atlas bundle, which includes a miniature Arwing for use in the game.

Available now

See at Best Buy
See at Best Buy

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See at Best Buy

Nintendo Switch (new model) – $285

See at Best Buy

Best Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch accessory deals

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con — $53.60

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con (L/R) Neon Red/Blue or Gray | $67 ($80)

An extra pair of Joy-Con controllers normally sets you back $80, and even though you get “two” controllers, that’s still pricey. Thankfully, Switch Joy-Cons are on sale for $67 at Amazon this Cyber Monday.

Available now

See at Amazon

PowerA wired Switch controllers — $15

PowerA wired controllers | $15 ($25)

Like Joy-Cons, Switch Pro controllers are expensive, but there are some reasonable third-party options like PowerA’s lineup of wired controllers. Using the same layout as the Pro controller but with a slightly smaller form factor, PowerA’s wired controllers are pretty darn good and come in three awesome designs: Zelda, Mario, and a Pikachu-yellow Pokemon theme. All three are discounted to $15 at Best Buy.

Available now

See Zelda-themed controller
See Pokemon-themed controller
See Mario-themed controller

PowerA wireless Switch controllers — $25

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Nintendo Switch controllers | $29 ($45)

These PowerA Enhanced wireless Nintendo Switch controllers are good alternatives to Nintendo’s official Pro Controller. They don’t support features like HD Rumble or NFC Amiibo scanning, but they do have two buttons on the back that can be mapped to a face button. This lets you keep your thumbs on the sticks while you’re in the middle of the action.

Sold out

See at Walmart

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Poke Ball Plus controller | $38 ($50)

The Poke Ball Plus is a special controller designed for Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, as well as Pokemon Go, using special lights and sounds as you explore the world and catch Pokemon. The item has proven extremely popular going into Cyber Monday (likely because it’s the only way to get Mew in the Let’s Go games), but Ebay currently has them $38, which is a decent discount for such a popular item.

GameCube wireless controller — $35

GameCube wireless controller | $35 ($50)

If you want a wireless GameCube-style controller, GameStop has purple, gold, and silver ones discounted from $50 to $35 during Cyber Monday.

Available now

See at GameStop

SanDisk 128GB microSDXC — $15

SanDisk 128GB microSDXC | $15 ($30)

The Nintendo Switch has 32GB of internal storage, but it’s easy to fill that space up quickly after downloading games from the Eshop. GameStop has 128GB microSD cards on sale for $15.

Available now

See at GameStop

Astro A10 Gaming Headset — $35

Astro A10 Breath of the Wild-themed Gaming Headset | $35 ($60)

Astro is one of the most popular gaming headset manufacturers. The A10 wired headset for Switch is one of the company’s budget headsets, but it still offers quality audio. GameStop and Amazon have it discounted from $60 to $35. It also happens to be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild-themed.

Available now

More Cyber Monday 2019 Deals

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-cyber-monday-2019-deals-best-switc/1100-6471187/

Cyber Monday Gaming Deals At Ebay: Pokemon Sword And Shield Switch Lite Bundle, Luigi’s Mansion 3, And More At Ebay

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With Black Friday weekend behind us, we’re in the thick of Cyber Monday 2019, as a ton of leftover deals collide with a few new ones to create a huge wave of Cyber Monday gaming deals. Ebay has slowly evolved from a pure auction site to a genuine retailer, which puts them in a position to offer some pretty good deals on gaming consoles, games, accessories, and more today.

One deal Nintendo fans should take note of: Ebay currently has the Nintendo Switch Lite bundled with Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield for $230. The Switch Lite normally sells for $200, and we don’t expect many discounts on it for Black Friday, so if you’re interested in both the console and the game, this is an excellent deal to jump on.

Ebay Cyber Monday 2019 deals come with free shipping and the store’s best price guarantee, which means you’ll receive 110% of the price difference on eligible deals and top products if you find the same item for less on a competitor’s website. The best price guarantee is available at Ebay year-round, but it’s sure to be particularly handy today.

We’ll keep this article updated as more gaming, tech, and entertainment deals go live, but for now, check out an overview of the best deals available now below.

Black Friday Deals

You can browse some of the best deals already available at Ebay below.

Consoles and Bundles

Games

Tech and accessories

More Black Friday 2019 Deals

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyber-monday-gaming-deals-at-ebay-pokemon-sword-an/1100-6471030/

[Last Chance] PS4 Black Friday Games Sale On PSN: Modern Warfare, Borderlands 3, And More

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The PlayStation Store’s Black Friday savings are still available for one more day, with a heap of discounts on PS4 games. Sony announced the PSN digital games sale on the PlayStation Blog, including a nice offer on PlayStation Plus. The Black Friday sale continues through today, December 2–better known as Cyber Monday–so this is your last chance to get in on the savings.

The PS4 games available now include recent releases like Borderlands 3, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, and The Outer Worlds in addition to Mortal Kombat 11, Monster Hunter World Iceborne, and Need for Speed Heat. There are also discounts on the Operator editions for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but if you can wait until later in the sale, you’ll be able to get a deal on that game’s standard edition for cheaper.

On November 24, even more games will be added to the sale, including a bunch of PS4 exclusives like Days Gone, God of War, and Marvel’s Spider-Man. And as mentioned earlier, a new deal on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s standard edition will be made available on November 29.

Lastly, annual subscriptions for PlayStation Plus are available for 25% off throughout the duration of the sale. That brings down the price to $45 for a year, so if you’re looking to upgrade to the annual plan or extend your membership, this is a good opportunity to do so.

We’ve highlighted some of the best game deals below, but you can see the full list in its entirety on the PlayStation Blog. The first wave of Black Friday discounts shown below will be live in the PlayStation Store on Friday morning. While you’re at it, be sure to check out our full roundup of the best Black Friday 2019 PS4 deals for the steepest discounts on PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim consoles, games, PSVR, controllers, and more.

November 22

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence — $25 ($50)
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey — $18 ($60)
  • Battlefield V — $16 ($40)
  • Borderlands 3 — $40.20 ($60)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Operator Edition — $64 ($80)
  • Catherine: Full Body — $30 ($60)
  • Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled — $26 ($40)
  • Dark Pictures: Man of Medan — $21 ($30)
  • Destiny 2: Shadowkeep — $21 ($35)
  • Devil May Cry 5 — $19.80 ($60)
  • The Division 2 — $15 ($60)
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ — $15 ($60)
  • Ghost Recon Breakpoint — $30 ($60)
  • GTA 5: Premium Online Edition — $9.90 ($30)
  • Madden NFL 20 — $36 ($60)
  • Metro Exodus — $21 ($60)
  • Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Digital Deluxe — $37.50 ($50)
  • Mortal Kombat 11 — $30 ($60)
  • NBA 2K20 — $30 ($60)
  • Need For Speed Heat — $40.20 ($60)
  • NHL 20 — $30 ($60)
  • The Outer Worlds — $45 ($60)
  • Persona 5 — $10 ($20)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 — $30 ($60)
  • Resident Evil 2 — $19.79 ($60)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — $39 ($60)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — $12 ($40)
  • Wolfenstein: Youngblood Deluxe Edition — $20 ($40)

November 24

  • Days Gone — $20 ($40)
  • Detroit: Become Human — $10 ($20)
  • God of War — $10 ($20)
  • Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition — $10 ($20)
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition — $20 ($40)
  • MLB The Show 19 — $20 ($30)
  • The Last of Us Remastered — $10 ($20)
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End — $10 ($20)
  • Uncharted: The Lost Legacy — $10 ($20)

November 29

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare — $49.80 ($60)

More Cyber Monday 2019 deals

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/last-chance-ps4-black-friday-games-sale-on-psn-mod/1100-6471658/

Opinion: Where Is The Mandalorian Going?

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We’re now four episodes into The Mandalorian‘s eight-episode run on Disney+, and for some reason, half that time has been spent on stories that feel more like digressions than essential parts of the overarching plot. It raises a question: Where is the show’s first season headed, anyway?

With Episode 4, “Sanctuary,” The Mandalorian further confuses exactly what kind of show it is. Sometimes it’s about the big story of a morally ambiguous bounty hunter forming a bond with a child he was sent to kidnap, turning on his former employers and ne’er-do-well colleagues to do the right thing. Other times, it’s a series of space Western adventures that seem to designed to eat up the show’s already short runtime. While Episode 4 carries some weight in terms of character development–something the show desperately needed–it also seems like another episode that doesn’t add much to the overall tale being told. That makes two of the four Mandalorian episodes so far that feel like side quests and exist mostly for the sake of a cute puppet and cool action scenes.

“Sanctuary” is, itself, not a bad episode. It sees the unnamed Mandalorian bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal), who some characters call “Mando” for the sake of convenience, escaping from fellow mercenaries after rescuing Baby Yoda (officially “the child”) from his Imperial captors. Now on the lam, the pair fly off to a random out-of-the-way planet to hide out, for some reason forgetting that every bounty hunter who was formerly on the Baby Yoda job, including Mando himself, is carrying a thing that allows them to track said child. Mando and Yoda hang out in a small village for a bit, where they engage themselves in helping the locals fend off some raiders in a very familiar Western story lifted from the likes of “Seven Samurai” and “The Magnificent Seven.” In the end, though, just when Mando has decided this new place might be the perfect place for the child to grow up in peace, he discovers that it’s not so safe after all when another bounty hunter arrives to collect the Baby Yoda bounty.

And so Mando and BY head out again, after making a few friends and establishing that Mando is maybe not the scoundrel he first appeared to be. The episode (finally) does a great job of humanizing the protagonist as he talks about the safety and belonging he’s gained from the Mandalorian tribe, and he even forms a friendship with the village’s coolest person, Omera (Julia Jones), and a kinship with fellow exiled badass Cara Dune (Gina Carano). But after just 41 minutes, the entire story of “Sanctuary” turns out to be a pit stop, another brief adventure for Mando and BY as they struggle to stay alive.

While the character work in “Sanctuary” was sorely needed, the whole episode feels out of place following Episode 3, “The Sin,” which firmly established the story of The Mandalorian being about a guy resolving to go against his mercenary ways and rescue a child from the forces of evil, despite all it will cost him. This isn’t the first time The Mandalorian has digressed in this way, either. Episode 2, “The Child,” sees Mando and Baby Yoda trapped on the planet where Mando first finds his future ward. When Mando returns to his ship to head home, he finds it has been picked clean by scavenger Jawas.

What follows is 30 minutes of shooting Jawas, negotiating with Jawas, and doing errands for Jawas, before a montage of rebuilding the ship and Mando finally getting the hell off that dust ball. You might say there are some scenes of Mando and Baby Yoda building their relationship, though that’s debatable, since those scenes are scarce and not especially deep or meaningful. But the big addition to the plot is just that Baby Yoda is a powerful Force user, which builds toward Mando eventually rescuing him from death or experimentation by his Imperial Remnant employers. The rest is mostly filler.

In another show, these episodes would feel less jarring. If The Mandalorian had a longer season run, these one-off adventure-of-the-week episodes could be welcome digressions. Most genre TV shows of the past functioned that way–episodes would drop the main characters into a brief story that would usually conclude with a return to the status quo, maybe with some character development or a few small items building toward a greater overall season arc. Given how The Mandalorian constantly channels the Western genre, it actually makes some thematic and aesthetic sense to have episodes like that.

But The Mandalorian has a mere eight episodes to tell its story, all of which clock in at around 30 to 40 minutes. So far only two of those episodes have really driven the overarching plot forward. So where is the show ultimately headed? Does it just intend to be a compendium of space-ified Western tropes? We’ve already seen a gunfight down a rickety town’s main street, a montage of Mando taming a steed, a battle with a big and deadly animal, and a by-the-numbers retread of The Magnificent Seven. Will next week include a train robbery? Are we getting ready for a high-noon duel? Will Mando become the sheriff of some backwater, the only man to stand against a(nother) local band of outlaws?

A lack of character development in the first two episodes of the show made it tough to identify with The Mandalorian, but four episodes in, it’s now becoming difficult to understand its identity. With half of the first season now in the books, The Mandalorian can’t afford to spin its wheels on one-off stories. If the show means to engage viewers in a fresh corner of the Star Wars galaxy, it needs to be willing to go all-in on that corner. Right now, The Mandalorian feels like a series of rest stops on a road trip, with no real destination in sight.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/opinion-where-is-the-mandalorian-going/1100-6471834/

Broken Lines is an alternate-history World War 2 tactical RPG coming to PC and Nintendo Switch in early 2020

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Broken Lines is an alternate-history World War 2 tactical RPG coming to PC and Nintendo Switch in early 2020

Lead a squad of soldiers in alternate history Eastern Europe.

source /news/9243-broken-lines-is-an-alternate-history-world-war-2-tactical-rpg-coming-to-pc-and-nintendo-switch-in-early-2020

Nintendo Switch Lite Price Drops To $180 For Cyber Monday 2019

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If you’re in the market for a Nintendo Switch this holiday season, you can secure a new Switch Lite model and save a little dough in the process. A Cyber Monday deal on Ebay has the Switch Lite for $180.

This is almost the lowest price we’ve seen on a brand new Switch Lite, second only to a similar Black Friday deal that sold out rather quickly. That means this one may be gone quickly too, so you may want to jump on it quickly. Only the Yellow and Gray color options are available, as Turquoise is already listed as sold out. It comes with free shipping as well.

Nintendo Switch Lite Cyber Monday deal – $180

Nintendo Switch Lite | $180 ($200)

This is the Switch Lite, so it trades the docking function that gives the system its name and detachable controllers for a slimmer, uniform body design. Peter Brown wrote the Switch Lite design is hard to resist, noting that it accents some shortcomings of the original model even though it lacks the “switching” functionality.

Black Friday sales have turned to Cyber Monday sales, so be sure to check out our guide to the best Switch Lite, accessory, and bundle deals.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-lite-price-drops-to-180-for-cyber-/1100-6471831/

Fortnite Hidden E Location: Where To Search Letter E In The Dive Loading Screen

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It may be a holiday weekend, but that hasn’t stopped Epic from rolling out another set of Chapter 2 challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Week 8’s batch is called Dive, and as before, completing eight of the tasks earns you a special loading screen that points to a letter hidden somewhere around the island. This week, it’s the letter E–the final letter you need to collect to spell out “FORTNITE” and unlock this season’s special Battle Pass skin. If you’re having trouble finding the letter, we show you where the hidden E is located below.

Where Is The Hidden Letter E Location?

As previously mentioned, the clue to finding the letter E is found in the Dive loading screen, which you’ll only unlock after complete eight challenges from that set. The screen depicts a group of characters speeding down a waterway in a motorboat. The letter will likely be easy to miss because the loading screen is busy with characters and explosions, but if you look carefully, you can spot it just above a lamppost in the background.

The waterway in the loading screen is by the Hydro 16 dam, which is located to the east of Slurpy Swamp. If you need help finding the area, we’ve marked its exact location on the map below:

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How To Complete The Challenge

Now that we know where the E is located, all you need to do is head to the area and collect it. Just as in the loading screen, the letter will appear above the lamppost next to the bridge, so you’ll need to build your way up to it, then interact with the E when it appears to complete the challenge.

Before you can collect the hidden E, keep in mind that the letter will only appear after you’ve unlocked the Dive loading screen and the corresponding challenge that asks you to search for the letter, so you’ll first need to work through the other Dive missions before you can find it.

If you’ve collected all eight hidden letters from this season, then you’ll unlock the special Sorana skin as a reward. If you need helping tracking down any previous letters, you can find all of our maps and guides from this season in our Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges roundup.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-hidden-e-location-where-to-search-letter-/1100-6471830/

Cyber Monday 2019: Xbox One S All-Digital Edition On Sale For $129

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Google Shopping has an awesome deal on the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition for Cyber Monday. Through December 8, you can pick up the All-Digital Edition for $129. Though that’s $10 more than Rakuten sold it for during Black Friday 2019, you’re till saving roughly $120 with Google Shopping’s deal.

The console–which does not have a disc drive–normally goes for $250. Other retailers are pricing the All-Digital Edition at $150 for Cyber Monday. In addition to the console, the bundle comes with copies of Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Fortnite: Battle Royale bonus content.

To get the $129 price, you have to use promo code DECSAVE19 while checking out.

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Xbox One S All-Digital Edition | $129 ($250)

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition launched in May in the United States before coming to other parts of the world later on. It’s the same model as the Xbox One S but without a disc drive, thereby appealing to those who prefer to consume their games and entertainment digitally.

More Cyber Monday 2019 deals

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyber-monday-2019-xbox-one-s-all-digital-edition-o/1100-6471789/

Cyber Monday 2019 Origin PC Deals: Sims 4 For $5, Need For Speed Heat For $40

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Black Friday has come and gone, but lots of the sales marking the retail holiday are continuing through its online counterpart, Cyber Monday and beyond. Whether you’re in the market for games, hardware, or accessories., there are a whole lot of discounts to choose from. If you’re in the market for some PC games, Electronic Arts’ Origin online portal is already running its sale, featuring some deep discounts from EA’s catalog–as well as on some non-EA games, too.

Origin’s Black Friday sale runs until December 3 and sees cuts on digital PC game prices as deep as 85%. Though the latest entry into the Star Wars game pantheon, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, isn’t on sale, you can still get a Star Wars fix with Battlefront 2 at $16–a 60% savings.

Among the most notable discounts right now is on Need For Speed Heat. It’s already down to $40 from the usual price of $60, despite only being released on November 8. GameSpot gave Heat a 7 out of 10, with reviewer Richard Wakeling writing, “With only a select few events, no discernible difference between each car’s handling, and a simplistic driving model, Need for Speed Heat does stumble into repetition during its final few hours. It’s not quite a rip-roaring return to form, then, but this latest entry puts the Need for Speed series back on the right track. …Need for Speed Heat may not revolutionize racing games, but it’s the best the series has been in a long, long time.”

A few other titles released this year are also seeing their prices cut down. You can snag Madden 20 for $36 (40% off), FIFA 20 for $30, (a savings of 50%), and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville for $30 (a 25% cut). There’s also BioWare’s live service game Anthem, which is down to $18 for its Standard Edition and $24 for its Deluxe Edition (previously $60 and $80, respectively). If you’re a subscriber to EA’s Origin Access subscription service, you get an additional 10% off Black Friday deals, as well.

Check out a list of the most notable discounts below. We’ve also got a ton more deals on our Black Friday hub, with more coverage coming as we near Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Origin Black Friday Sale Deals

  • FIFA 20 Standard Edition — $30 (50% off)
  • FIFA 20 Champions Edition — $40 (50% off)
  • FIFA 20 Ultimate Edition — $50 (50% off)
  • Need For Speed Heat Standard Edition — $40 (33% off)
  • Need For Speed Heat Deluxe Edition — $47 (33% off)
  • Madden 20 Standard Edition — $36 (40% off)
  • Madden 20 Superstar Edition — $40 (50% off)
  • Madden 20 Ultimate Superstar Edition — $50 (50% off)
  • Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Standard Edition — $30 (25% off)
  • Battlefield V Standard Edition — $16 (60% off)
  • Battlefield V Year Two Edition — $30 (40% off)
  • Anthem Standard Edition — $18 (70% off)
  • Anthem Legion of Dawn Edition — $24 (70% off)
  • Star Wars: Battlefront 2 — $9 (70% off)
  • The Sims 4 Standard Edition — $5 (88% off)
  • The Sims 4 Digital Deluxe Edition — $7.50 (85% off)
  • The Sims 4 Island Living Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 Get Famous Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 Seasons Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 City Living Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 Get Together Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion — $20 (50% off)
  • Rainbow Six: Siege Standard Edition — $8 (60% off)
  • Rainbow Six: Siege Gold Edition — $27 (55% off)
  • Rainbow Six: Siege Ultimate Edition — $45 (55% off)

More Cyber Monday 2019 deals

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyber-monday-2019-origin-pc-deals-sims-4-for-5-nee/1100-6471744/

Sony 2019 Report Card: Year In Review For PlayStation 4

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PlayStation 4 started 2019 in a dominant market position as the console leader, but it became clear throughout these last 12 months that Sony has its sights set on 2020 and beyond. This was a transitional year for PlayStation, as the company laid the groundwork for its next generation with hardware plans, executive shake-ups, and by more fully embracing emerging technology like cloud streaming.

PlayStation 5 Starts To Take Shape

The biggest PlayStation story this year was about a system that no one has played, or even seen. The PlayStation 5 is coming next year, and for Sony, that meant starting to seed revelations about the game in slight glimpses. We’ve only grazed the surface of the upcoming console, but we know enough to start understanding its rough contours.

Mostly through a series of Wired interviews with system architect Mark Cerny and new SIE president Jim Ryan, we learned the PS5 will be compatible with PS4 games, use a solid-state drive, and sport a disc drive that supports 100 GB Blu-ray (BDXL) discs. It’s also aiming to support ray-tracing and PSVR, and to be more energy efficient. In terms of software, the UI will let you see more details about friends’ games or even jump into specific portions of a game itself, right from the menu. The next generation controller trades the usual rumble feature for haptic feedback, and promises adaptive triggers that will let developers adjust tension. We got a potential peek at how it may look by way of a patent filing, which appears very similar to a DualShock 4.

Sony played coy for a while with the name and date but eventually did confirm a holiday release window, as well as the final name: PlayStation 5.

PlayStation Skips E3

One of Sony’s biggest decisions in 2019 actually began in 2018. Near the end of last year, the company announced it would be skipping E3 2019. We knew the decision would have a major impact on this year’s show, but we didn’t know just how major until we saw the first PlayStation-less E3 for ourselves.

The show was significantly less crowded without Sony’s presence, and even the company’s competition missed its presence–Microsoft’s Phil Spencer said he wishes Sony had been there. The show may also have been a quieter one due to where we are in the console cycle. Both Microsoft and Sony are preparing for their next launches, and so major releases and announcements have been slowing. But 2020 is fast approaching, and Sony has made no comment on whether it will come back to E3 next year.

This is far from the only factor that’s changing the face of E3, but it’s one of the more significant ones, and when the dust settles the show may be very different. Given that Sony has also seemed to abandon its annual PlayStation Experience shows, the company is making fewer live event appearances in general.

Sony Launches “State of Play” Streams

Likely not coincidentally, just as Sony pulled out of E3, the company started its own streaming program. The “State of Play” streams follow the model of the popular Nintendo Direct presentations–albeit with a more straightforward presentation and less dad humor. Reception to the first State of Play was mixed, but Sony has come into its own with these streaming presentations as part of its marketing efforts.

Among other revelations, this year’s State of Play presentations showed off some of the first footage of the FF7 Remake, debuted Iron Man VR, and gave a release date for The Last of Us Part 2–until it was delayed again, about a month later.

That hiccup aside, Sony seems set on its current approach. If anything keeps Sony away from E3 2020, it will be that it already has an established outreach effort without it. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Nintendo continue to use both streams and stage presentations.

The Last of Us 2 Set For February May

The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the biggest exclusives in Sony’s portfolio, and many fans thought it was destined for this year. As the months went on, though, it became clear that it wasn’t to be. A trailer provided a February release date, finally giving fans of Joel and Ellie a date to mark on their calendars. But not long after, Naughty Dog came out with the sheepish admission that, yes, it would be delayed one more time. The current date stands at May 29, 2020.

What we’ve seen from the game hasn’t been much cause for alarm, and this would appear to be just one more slight delay. The proximity to the PlayStation 5 launch has raised questions over whether it will appear on both platforms, similar to The Last of Us on PS3 and PS4. The same questions linger regarding the platform-exclusive Ghosts of Tsushima, which has gone missing since its debut last year.

Zombies and Timefall

Sony wasn’t without system exclusives this year, but its output was more divisive than usual. Rather than a critically acclaimed masterpiece like God of War or a broad crowd-pleaser like Spider-Man, this year PlayStation 4 had claim to Days Gone and Death Stranding. Both games sported high production values and gained an audience, but the critical reception was notably mixed in each case.

Days Gone was a great-looking and solidly built open-world game, but critics felt it lacked a strong identity for itself or its biker protagonist, Deacon St. John. Death Stranding was virtually the opposite. The game was widely anticipated as Hideo Kojima’s first independent project after leaving Konami, and it was praised for its ambition and innovative systems, but some critics felt it didn’t click together into a cohesive whole.

Crossing the Streams

One of the most surprising stories this year also remains one of the most mysterious. In May, Sony and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership. Specifically, the two signed a memorandum of understanding to develop future cloud solutions within the Microsoft Azure framework. Sony is also slated to use Microsoft Azure for its own content streaming services. The agreement also mentions a partnership on semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

The partnership was far from PlayStation and Xbox joining forces, however. In fact, it seems most of the PlayStation team was left out of the loop entirely–to the point that managers reportedly had to reassure workers that this didn’t impact their current plans or the development of the PlayStation 5. At this point, we still don’t know exactly what the partnership means. It could remain purely based on background infrastructure, which would remain essentially invisible to most players.

And “Now” For Something Completely Different

That big step with Microsoft may have been hinting at Sony preparing itself for the future in another way. Google Stadia and Microsoft’s own xCloud streaming services were approaching, signaling that cloud gaming looks to be at least part of the gaming landscape for the future. Sony has had its games streaming service PlayStation Now for years, but it’s largely been left out of the conversation that pits Google versus Microsoft in a battle royale.

If streaming is the future, Sony doesn’t want to be left out of the loop. In October, the company made some aggressive moves for its PlayStation Now service, including dropping the price to more closely align with Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service, and adding a rotating selection of more recent first-party games like God of War. It’s not quite a match for the value of Xbox’s Game Pass, which has gotten big this year and may get even bigger in 2020 with the addition of xCloud, but these moves make Sony more nimble and able to respond to the approaching competition from streaming services.

Verdict

2019 has been a year of transition for Sony. Though it remains the market leader in console sales worldwide, aggressive moves from Microsoft have put it a half-step behind in adopting new initiatives like Game Pass. As both companies gear up for the next generation, Sony seems to understand that it can’t rest on its laurels and has started to position itself well for the next year, and the next generation.

All this means PlayStation is primed for a strong 2020. Sony is opening with one of the biggest exclusives in its portfolio. It has made PlayStation Now a viable contender to compete with both Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud on its own terms. It has found a successful formula for messaging directly to fans with its State of Play streams. And the company is saying all the right things for how to make the PlayStation 5 a successful launch.

The GoodThe Bad
PlayStation 5 is well-positioned to start the next generation strongSkipping E3 gave PlayStation less presence in gamer consciousness

After a rocky start, State of Play streams have found its voice

TLOU2 delay and mixed Days Gone and Death Stranding receptions meant a less strong first-party showing
PlayStation Now has made smart changes to deal with the coming cloud gaming wars

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-2019-report-card-year-in-review-for-playstati/1100-6471822/