Commandos Is Returning With A New Game For PS5, Xbox Scarlett, And PC

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Commandos, the long-dormant real-time strategy series, is coming back for next-generation consoles. Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Kalypso Media Group is expanding, and has opened a new studio with the express intent of developing a new Commandos game–the first entry in the franchise since 2006’s Commandos: Strike Force.

The studio, which is based in Frankfurt, will be headed by Jürgen Reusswig. He previously served as studio manager at Sunflowers, which has published the Anno series in the past. According to Kalypso Media Group managing director Simon Hellwig, Kalypso is looking to “expand (their) internal and external development efforts,” and is returning to the Commandos series because it is “a great, globally recognized brand.”

Development on the new Commandos game, which will be the sixth in the series, has not started. A HD remake of Commandos 2, developed by Australia-based Torus games, is also due for PC, PS4, and Xbox One in January 2020, with Switch and mobile versions to follow. That game received an 8.8/10 in our original 2001 review of it.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/commandos-is-returning-with-a-new-game-for-ps5-xbo/1100-6472104/

Anno 1800 Is Free To Play For A Week To Celebrate New DLC, Holiday Pack, And New Co-Op Mode

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Anno 1800 has just released its third expansion, titled The Passage. The DLC, which is the third and final piece included in the season pass, asks players to establish an outpost in the Arctic Circle, and makes players build under snowy, cold conditions. It introduces a new heating mechanic, and allosw players to construct airship fleets for faster transport. It also adds two new citizen tiers, seven new production chains, 32 new buildings, 60 new quests, and 80 new items. You can watch the expansion’s launch trailer below.

Anno 1800 is expanding for all players, even those without the expansion pass, with a new co-op mode and statistics system. Co-op supports up to 16 players across four factions, letting them work together to achieve the best outcome. The new statistics system gives players a more detailed look at the figures for their production and consumption of all their goods across all islands.

The game has also added some festive DLC, with a new Holiday Pack adding 23 Christmas-themed items to the game. These include a festive carousel, Christmas trees, snowmen, lanterns, and more. These will allow you to add some Christmas spirit to your towns.

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The base game of Anno 1800 will be made free to play on Uplay and the Epic Game Store from December 11 until December 18, so you can jump into the game and try it out for free. The game is also available as part of Uplay +, despite being absent at launch, and is not available on Steam.

Anno 1800 received a 7/10 in our review, and reviewer David Wildgoose found that it was beautiful, but a little cold. “As a city-building sim that emphasizes economic management, it is as robust and powerful as the steel factories it allows you to pollute the skies with. But for all the natural beauty of its island paradise and the architectural splendor of its churches, theatres, and piers, it’s just a little too cold in its reliance on numbers and a little too impenetrable in its reluctance to show you its workings.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/anno-1800-is-free-to-play-for-a-week-to-celebrate-/1100-6472102/

EA Is Closing The Servers For Fight Night Round 4

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Electronic Arts is closing the multiplayer servers for its boxing game Fight Night Round 4. An update on EA’s website confirms that the servers for the 2009 Xbox 360/PS3 game will close on March 9, 2020.

In an email, EA informed players that the servers are being pulled down because the daily active playerbase “has reached very low numbers and we can no longer ensure a quality online experience.” You can read the full message below.

Fight Night Round 4 has a number of achievements that can only be unlocked through online gameplay, so you have just a few months more to grab them. Fight Night Round 4 will continue to be playable after the server shutdown in offline mode.

After Fight Night Champion in 2011, EA put the Fight Night series on hold as it instead focused on its EA Sports UFC franchise. That same year, EA CEO Andrew Wilson told IGN that the Fight Night series might come back someday, but as of yet it hasn’t happened.

Earlier this year, EA announced that it will add another sports game to its catalogue in the next fiscal year, which means it will launch between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. EA already makes officially licensed FIFA, NFL, NHL, and NBA video games, and there are rumors of EA Sports UFC 4 being in development. It remains to be seen what the new sports game will be, but we’ll report back with more details as they are revealed.

Would you like to see the Fight Night series return? Let us know in the comments below!

EA Statement:

“Hello Fight Night Round 4 Fans, after eleven years of an incredible online community, the daily active playerbase in Fight Night Round 4 has reached a very low number and we can no longer ensure a quality online experience. As of March 9, 2020, the Fight Night Round 4 servers will be retired. After this date, you’ll still be able to play all offline modes on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.Thanks for your continued support”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-is-closing-the-servers-for-fight-night-round-4/1100-6472100/

Steins;Gate 0 Is Out Now On Nintendo Switch, And My Darling’s Embrace Comes West

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Two new Steins;Gate games have come to the Switch, allowing you to enjoy more of the sprawling anime visual novel saga on Nintendo’s portable console. One has been available on other systems for a while, the other is a new game that has come west for the first time.

Steins;Gate 0 and Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace are both available now on Switch, and My Darling’s Embrace is also out on PC and PS4. 0 has released in the west before, but this is the first time fans have been able to play an English language version of My Darling’s Embrace, which launched in Japan on Xbox 360 back in 2011.

In 0, you assist a group of young students in preventing World War III. It’s a sequel, not the prequel the “0” might suggest, in which you explore an “Alternate Worldline” in which the characters in the original game gave up. The game is also available on PS4, PC, PS Vita, and Xbox One.

My Darling’s Embrace is a “sweet and slapstick romantic comedy,” according to the store page. It’s focused on jokes over science-fiction, and you’ll be able to change the course of events based on how you use your phone during the game.

Both games are available at a 10% discount until December 17, and cost $27 / £24 / $40.50AUD. Steins;Gate Elite released on the Switch earlier this year and was the only game in the series on the system until now.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steinsgate-0-is-out-now-on-nintendo-switch-and-my-/1100-6472097/

This Xbox One Games Sale Is Full Of Awesome Titles

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With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, the consoles are starting to get back into their regular routine of weekly deals. This week, the Xbox One has a ton of discounts featured on some great games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Far Cry 5.

In addition to Origins, several remastered Assassin’s Creed games are on sale. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection, Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered, and Assassin’s Creed III Remastered are all discounted. Other Ubisoft deals include discounts on For Honor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and Far Cry Primal.

Some of my personal favourite games included in this sale are Hitman: Game of the Year Edition, DMC Devil May Cry Definitive Edition, and Mortal Kombat XL. You can see more of the best deals in the list below.

As usual, this week’s deals last until Monday, December 16, but specific discounts may expire before then, so be sure to note how much time is left when checking the games you’re interested in. You can see the entire sale on Xbox.com.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-xbox-one-games-sale-is-full-of-awesome-titles/1100-6472099/

This Xbox One Games Sale Is Full Of Awesome Titles

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With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, the consoles are starting to get back into their regular routine of weekly deals. This week, the Xbox One has a ton of discounts featured on some great games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Far Cry 5.

In addition to Origins, several remastered Assassin’s Creed games are on sale. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection, Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered, and Assassin’s Creed III Remastered are all discounted. Other Ubisoft deals include discounts on For Honor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and Far Cry Primal.

Some of my personal favourite games included in this sale are Hitman: Game of the Year Edition, DMC Devil May Cry Definitive Edition, and Mortal Kombat XL. You can see more of the best deals in the list below.

As usual, this week’s deals last until Monday, December 16, but specific discounts may expire before then, so be sure to note how much time is left when checking the games you’re interested in. You can see the entire sale on Xbox.com.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-xbox-one-games-sale-is-full-of-awesome-titles/1100-6472099/

Payday 2 Devs Address Console Disparity And What Heists They Won’t Be Getting

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Payday 2 developer Overkill Software has recently restarted work on their co-op shooter after a rough year that began in December 2018 when their office was raided. The team is now in a better place to discuss what is happening with the game going forward, including with the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions of the game.

In a post on Overkill Software’s site, CEO Mikael Nermark has opened up about the console versions of the game, admitting that the disparity that exists between them and the PC version (which has received numerous updates and heists that have not come to consoles) will remain. Although update 1.5 is now live for PS4 and Xbox One, it does not bring the console version in line with the PC release.

“We’ve had to look at the future console updates from our situation as it looks today, with the limitations that we have, rather than looking back at what has been said and done before and make choices accordingly, even though they might not be what we wish,” Hermark admits. “We simply have too many constraints in available manpower to be able to fix the situation in the short term.”

The following heists and features are not available in console versions, and are unlikely to be made available in the future:

  • Shacklethorne Auction Heist (part of Icebreaker Campaign)
  • Reservoir Dogs Heist
  • Hells Island Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)
  • No Mercy Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)
  • The White House Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)
  • The Safe House feature

Because of this, “The Secret” storyline will remain inaccessible on consoles. Nermark says that the team is investigating bringing over the masks, weapons, and mods associated with these heists, though. “Some additional content has licensing and collaboration restrictions attached to them, which unfortunately will make them challenging to release,” he notes. It’s also unclear whether the upcoming Silk Road campaign will be exclusive to PC or not.

The Switch version, meanwhile, is “very unlikely” to receive further updates. Because the Switch version was developed externally, the team is not in a position to continue work on it in their current form, so Switch players will miss out on future content. The Switch port of Payday 2 received a 5/10 in our review, with reviewer James Swinbanks finding that in this version of the game “almost every aspect is outdated or diminished in some way.”

Nermark says that Overkill Software is “very unwilling to close the door completely on some of these issues,” but for now, it’s likely that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will lag behind the PC version, and the Switch will not receive updates. The silver lining here is that Nermark says that the changes are being made internally to ensure that, with Payday 3, they can “do it right” from launch onwards.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-2-devs-address-console-disparity-and-what-h/1100-6472095/

GameStop Is Still Struggling, Says That Anticipation For PS5 And Scarlett Is Hurting Sales

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Video game retailer GameStop continues to struggle. The Texas-based company announced earnings for its fiscal third quarter ended November 2, and the results were less than great, with revenue falling overall and sales decreasing across nearly every category of the company’s business

Total revenue fell by 25.7 percent to $1.4 billion. In terms of specific results, new hardware sales dropped by 45.8 percent, a significant downturn that GameStop management said was due in part to the anticipation for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett in Holiday 2020. Given the consoles are still about a year away from release, GameStop said it expects hardware sales to continue to slide in future quarters.

Revenue from new game sales, meanwhile, dropped by 32.6 percent. Game sales for Nintendo Switch grew year-over-year, but this success was not enough to offset the category. Gamestop said this fiscal quarter had “weaker title launches” at GameStop this quarter compared to last year.

The video game industry is increasingly moving toward digital, so it makes sense that GameStop’s physical sales business would suffer as a result. As evidence of this, 2K announced earlier this year that Borderlands 3 sold 70 percent of its launch copies digitally, which is the highest-ever digital percentage for any 2K game. Another massive 2019 game, Madden NFL 20, sold more than 50 percent of its launch-week copies digitally. It was the first time in franchise history that launch-week sales surpassed a 50 percent share for digital.

All of this spells trouble for GameStop, which relies on physical media not just for initial game sales, but also as part of its all-important secondhand business. That pre-owned business for GameStop fell 13.3 percent during the quarter; hardware and software both experienced drop-offs in sales.

Moving along, GameStop’s accessories category saw its sales fall by 13.4 percent. The only category at GameStop that grew during the quarter was Collectibles, which improved by 4.3 percent.

In total, GameStop posted a loss of $83.4 million for the quarter. That’s a big loss, but it’s actually much better than the net loss of $488.6 million during the same period last year.

GameStop CEO George Sherman said other companies are struggling as well with new hardware sales as the current generation of consoles comes to an end. The thinking is that consumers are holding off on buying new consoles because next-generation systems are coming.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-is-still-struggling-says-that-anticipatio/1100-6472094/

Pokemon Go December Events Include New Gen 5 Pokemon, Team Rocket Special Research, And More

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Pokemon Go‘s big December Community Day takes place this weekend, but that isn’t the only event on the horizon for the hit mobile game. Niantic has now outlined a handful of other events that are happening this month, and they include a new Special Research quest, a special Raid weekend, and more.

First, Niantic is rolling out new Team Rocket-focused Special Research questline called A Challenging Development. This questline will be available until the end of December and will give players another chance to confront Team Rocket leader Giovanni. If you can defeat him this month, you’ll be able to rescue Shadow Zapdos.

On top of that, you’ll have a chance to hatch different kinds of Pokemon from eggs this month beginning Monday, December 16. The following day, the Gen 5 Legendary Virizion will make its debut in the game. You’ll be able to encounter the Legendary Pokemon in five-star Raids until January 7.

Virizion isn’t the only Legendary Pokemon you’ll have a chance to catch this month. Ho-oh and Lugia will also return for a special Raid weekend. From December 20-23, you’ll be able to encounter the two Legendary Pokemon again in five-star Raids.

Finally, Niantic is closing out the month with Pokemon Go’s annual holiday event, which runs from December 24 to January 1. During that time, you’ll be able to encounter Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, and Stantler wearing holiday outfits in the wild and Raids. Ice-type Pokemon like Sneasel, Delibird, and the debuting Cubchoo will also appear more frequently in the wild. You’ll also have a chance to catch another new Gen 5 Pokemon, Cryogonal, when you use Glacial Lures during the event, and shiny versions of Snover and holiday Stantler will be available as well.

On top of that, Niantic is offering different bonuses each day of Pokemon Go’s holiday 2019 event. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s December Community Day takes place this weekend. Unlike typical Community Days, this month’s event takes place on two days–December 14 and 15–and brings back all of the featured Pokemon from previous Community Days. You can read more in our Pokemon Go December Community Day guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-december-events-include-new-gen-5-pokem/1100-6472091/

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Patch Makes A Welcome Lightsaber Change

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A new update for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming on December 11. In addition to a new Photo Mode, the update makes a small but welcome change to how your lightsaber can look. The change involves understanding a certain plot point, so be aware this post contains some spoilers down below.

Mild spoilers for Jedi Fallen Order follow below.

After completing a certain amount of the story, you’re required to equip a switch given to you by Cere to your lightsaber following a story event. This throws off the symmetry when you’re using a double-bladed lightsaber, and players have complained about this for a while.

With the new update, players can simply remove the switch from the lightsaber customization menu. It’s a small but welcome change that gives players more control of how they look.

The December 11 patch also improves the stability of Fallen Order by reducing the number of crash scenarios that players could encounter. The update also fixes collision issues in the caves and temple on Zeffo, so Cal shouldn’t get stuck in the geometry as often. There waa also an issue with the game that could cause Cal to fall out of the world on Kashyyyk, and this has been fixed.

You can see the full patch notes below, as posted by developer Respawn on Reddit.

Jedi Fallen Order December 11 Patch Notes

New Features

  • A Photo Mode has been added and can be accessed from within the game by pressing L3 and R3 at the same time.

  • Implemented a toggle that will allow you to remove a specific part of Cal’s lightsaber from within the customization menu.

Bug Fixes

  • We’ve made a pass of the game in an effort to reduce the number of crashes you should encounter. The end result of this is now a more stable game.

  • Fixed collision issues across several planets in the game

    • Collision within the caves and temple on Zeffo have been improved, reducing clipping issues and lowering the possibility of Cal becoming stuck.

    • Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause Cal to become stuck in a floating state below the train on Bracca.

    • We identified a few areas on Kashyyyk where Cal could fall out of the world, this will no longer happen.

    • We’ve fixed some collision on Dathomir, preventing Cal from falling through the ground.

    • Collision on Illum has also been improved, making sure that Cal doesn’t become stuck.

    • During a fight with the Second Sister, it was possible for her to get stuck in a door. She has been freed.

    • Bogano has had its collision improved, preventing Cal from becoming stuck on world geometry.

    • In some rare cases, Cal was floating while on Kashyyyk. He has since been grounded.

  • BD-1’s ability to slice panels was sometimes not working as intended, preventing you from progressing. This has been fixed and should no longer occur.

  • A mural scan on Bogano wasn’t working properly, this should now be fixed.

  • The train on Bracca could get stuck in a state where grates would fall off too early, preventing progress. We’ve fixed this so that Cal can continue climbing.

  • On rare occasions Bounty Hunters would stop hunting Cal, we’ve now re-enabled their trackers, so be careful.

  • For some players, BD-1 had gotten left behind on Bogano, preventing further progression. This should now be fixed.

  • The chest count on some planets was not working as intended, this has been fixed.

  • On rare occasions Greeze would refuse to open the ship doors and expose Cal to the sunlight on Dathomir. We’ve fixed this so that the story can continue.

  • Fixed an issue that prevented Holomap areas and gates from not working properly on Dathomir, Kashyyyk and Bogano.

  • An issue would sometimes occur that would cause the Holomap tutorial on Bogano to remain on-screen. This has been resolved and it should no longer occur.

  • An elevator on Zeffo could lead to Cal getting stuck in an infinite loop, our maintenance crews have fixed this particular elevator.

  • A dropship on Zeffo wasn’t showing up as intended, preventing the player from progressing further. We’ve ensured all landing zones are clear for arrival and this should no longer occur.

  • PC players were having issues selecting difficulty with the mouse, this should now be resolved.

  • We’ve fixed an issue where Cal could avoid enemies on Zeffo, to the extent that gameplay events wouldn’t trigger, halting progression to the story.

  • On rare occasions cinematics on Dathomir get stuck in an error state, preventing progress. This has been fixed.

  • Fixed an issue that would cause world loading issues on Kashyyyk for players with double jump. We’ve optimised the level to ensure loading completes properly.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-patch-makes-a-welcome-/1100-6472092/