Black Friday 2019 hits next week, which means it’s time to start thinking about which stores will have deals on the things you’re shopping for this holiday season. A few stores have already announced their Black Friday deals, and Amazon has gotten a bit ahead of the competition with its Happy HoliDeals sale.

As with Prime Day, Amazon’s holiday deals page includes a mix of Lightning Deals–which are only available for a limited time–and longer-term deals that should be available throughout the duration of this first round of deals (or while supplies last). The early holiday sale runs through this Thursday, November 21. Then, starting Friday, November 22, Amazon’s Black Friday sale will officially begin. The week of deals will run right up until November 29, Black Friday itself.

Unfortunately, Amazon is keeping things vague in terms of the actual deals that will be offered, and the retailer’s press release mentions only discounts rather than actual sale prices. We already knew Amazon will be offering Nintendo’s official deals, including the Switch console bundle (older model) with a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $300. We also know Amazon will have select Switch games for up to 30% off and Joy-Cons for a lower price than its competitors. The announcement also confirms Amazon will have the holiday PS4 and Xbox One console bundles; otherwise, the retailer is only teasing discounts on gaming laptops and monitors, the Oculus Rift S, Bose headphones, and other tech as well as numerous other deals across other categories.

Amazon’s Black Friday 2019 schedule

• November 22-29: Official Black Friday week of deals begins
• November 28-29, December 2: One-time-only deals will launch throughout the day on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday

Live now: Gaming and entertainment deals

As Amazon’s HoliDeals sale nears its send, the pickings are slim, but the below deals (and plenty more) are still live now until November 22 or until they sell out.

Video game deals

• Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection (PS4) | $54.97 ($100)
• Neo Geo Mini | $89.94 ($130)
• Razer BlackWidow Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard | $140 ($170)

Entertainment deals

• Get three 4K UHD movies for $50 or less (over 200 options)
• Get up to 40% off Samsung 4K UHD TVs
• Sony 55-inch 4K UHD Smart TV with HDR | $498 ($800)
• TCL Alto Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer | $150 ($180)

Starting Nov. 22: Amazon’s Black Friday week of deals

After the first round of deals has ended on November 22 (or while supplies last), another batch of deals will be posted in the week leading up to Black Friday itself on November 29. In addition to the official gaming console bundles and accessories from Xbox, Nintendo, and PS4, the online retailer has confirmed a wide range of Amazon devices will be on sale starting with several tablets on November 22, including the Fire HD 10 Tablet for $100 ($50 off) and the Kindle Paperwhite for $85 ($45 off). We’ve included the full list of device deals and pricing below, but please note these prices will not be live until their respective sale date.

PS4 Slim (1TB) with God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition, and The Last of Us Remastered | $200

Another official PlayStation offer, the PS4 Slim holiday bundle is a great way to get your hands on some of the system’s best games. The 1TB console will $200 and comes bundled with Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition, and God of War. It’ll be available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other retailers.

Nintendo Switch bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | $300

No, we haven’t entered a time machine and gone back to Black Friday 2018. Nintendo is offering the same Nintendo Switch holiday bundle that was available last year. For $300, you can get the Switch and a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The potential snag with this bundle? It’s the launch model Switch, which means you won’t get the upgraded battery that comes with the newer Switch model released a few months back. That said, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an incredible game that normally sells for about $50.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons (Gray or Neon Red/Blue) | $53.60

Nintendo’s pricey Joy-Con controllers will be down to $60 on Black Friday at many retailers, but if Amazon’s press release is correct, each pair of Joy-Cons will be available for $53.60, a full 33% off rather than 25%. It appears that only the original gray or neon red and blue Joy-Cons will be eligible for this awesome deal. Nevertheless, if you’re gifting a Switch this holiday or want to have some multiplayer fun at your holiday party, you shouldn’t pass up this deal.

Fire HD 8 | $50 ($80)

Starting November 22, Amazon is kicking off its first wave of Black Friday deals with the Fire HD 8 tablet for $50. Don’t expect a tablet with the power of an iPad, but if you want something to read e-books, watch Netflix, or any other media-based thing, then the Fire HD 8 can handle it. It’s equipped with 1.5 GB of RAM and comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage options.

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition | $80 ($130)

The Kids Edition of the Fire HD 8 bundles the tablet with a kid-proof case and a year’s subscription to Free Time Unlimited, which gives its users access to more than a thousand books, movies, TV shows, apps, and games suitable for children. It goes on sale for $80 on November 22.

Fire 7 Tablet | $30 ($50)

The Fire 7 tablet is Amazon’s seven-inch tablet, both cheaper and less powerful than the Fire HD 8. It’s equipped with 1 GB of RAM and comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage options. It’ll be available for $30 starting November 22.

Fire 7 Kids Edition | $60 ($100)

Like the Fire 8 Kids Edition, this bundle includes the Fire 7 tablet, a protective case, and a 12-month subscription to Free Time Unlimited. The subscription gives your kid unlimited access to a ton of child-friendly books, movies, shows, apps, and games. You’ll be able to pick it up for $60 on November 22.

Fire HD 10 Tablet | $100 ($150)

The Fire HD 10 tablet is Amazon’s ten-inch–and most powerful–tablet. It’s equipped with a 1080p screen and 2GB RAM. It comes in 32 GB and 64 GB storage options but also features upgradeable storage via microSD. You can grab it for $100 starting November 22.

Kindle Paperwhite | $85 ($130)

The Kindle Paperwhite is Amazon’s most popular e-reader, with a screen that looks more similar to paper than a tablet. It has weeks of battery life and comes in 8 GB and 32 GB storage options. Starting November 22, you can grab it for $85.

Echo Show 5 + Ring Video Doorbell Pro | $190 ($240)

This bundle packages the Echo Show 5 with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s compact smart display, similar in size to an alarm clock but with features like video calling, music and video playback, and Alexa voice control. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro, on the other hand, is a camera-equipped doorbell that you can put on the front of your house. It gives you video access to your front door with motion alerts sent directly to your phone, tablet, or PC. You can pick up the bundled pair for $190 on November 22.

Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote | $25 ($50)

Starting November 24, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K will be available for $25. It gives you access to a bunch of apps, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, all streamable in 4K. The Alexa Voice Remote lets you control your media with your voice.

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote | $20 ($40)

On November 24, you’ll also be able to pick up the regular Fire TV Stick for $20. This gives you the same access to all of your favorite apps but in 1080p instead of 4K. It also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, so you’ll be able to speak to your Fire TV Stick without fumbling with the buttons.

Fire TV Cube | $90 ($120)

The Fire TV Cube gives you everything the Fire TV Stick 4K does, in addition to complete smart home control, Alexa voice assistant, and a built-in speaker. Starting November 24, you’ll be able to grab it for $90.

Blink XT2 3 Camera Kit | $185 ($250)

Starting November 27, you’ll be able to pick up Amazon’s three-pack security camera pack for $185. With its cloud storage, these cameras can store hundreds of clips for up to a year. The cameras also feature two-way audio and two years of battery life.

Ring Indoor Cam 2 Pack | $100 ($140)

The Ring Indoor Cam pack comes with two cameras for the interior of your house. Starting November 27 for $100, you can equip your home with two Ring Indoor cameras that feature two-way audio, motion alerts, and Alexa support.

Amazon Smart Plug | $5 with Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo, Echo Show 5, or Echo Studio

For $5, you can pair an Amazon Smart Plug with the purchase of an Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo, Echo Show 5, or Echo Studio. The Amazon Smart Plug gives you the ability to control whatever you plug into it with Alexa smart home control. This deal starts on November 27.

Echo Dot with clock | $35 ($60)

The Echo Dot with clock is Amazon’s compact Alexa speaker that comes with a clock, so you don’t have to ask for the time whenever you need it. Starting November 28, you can pick it up for $35.

Echo Dot | $22 ($50)

The Echo Dot without the clock comes with all the Alexa features you need in a compact form factor. Ask for music, the news, weather, traffic, and more, thanks to the thousands of skills you can have your Echo Dot learn.

Echo Auto | $30 ($50)

Amazon’s Echo Auto puts an Alexa speaker into your car. Even more compact than the Echo Dot, equip your vehicle with all of the Alexa skills and features you can enjoy at home. The auto smart speaker goes for $30 on November 28.

Echo (Gen 3) | $60 ($100)

The Echo is a slightly-less compact speaker with better speakers, so if you’re looking to use it more seriously as a music player, this could be a good choice for you. On November 28, its price goes down to $60.

Echo Show 5 | $50 ($90)

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s compact smart display that works as an alarm clock, video caller, music and video player, and much more. It goes on sale for $50 on November 28.

Echo Show | $150 ($230)

The Echo Show is Amazon’s smart display with a bigger screen and better sound. The screen comes in at 10-inches with speakers that feature Dolby processing. You can pick one up for $150 starting November 28.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-black-friday-2019-deals-ps4-bundles-joy-con/1100-6471095/

After a reveal during E3 2014 and a confirmation that development was still underway in July 2018, Deep Silver’s storied Dead Island 2 is still in the works. Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz confirmed that the current developer, Dambuster Studios, will “give it all [their] power.”

In an interview with GamesIndustry.Biz, Kundratitz–whose Koch Media and Deep Silver subsidiaries were acquired by THQ Nordic in February 2018–said that questions about Dead Island 2 are his favorite. “[This is] my favorite question. Look, Dead Island is a very important brand for us and we’ve got to get it right,” Kundratitz said. “It’s just a testimony of our dedication to get[ting] it right.”

Since its inception, Dead Island 2 has passed through a few studios–original developer and Dying Light creator Techland in the beginning, Spec Ops: The Line maker Yager Developments in 2012, LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital in 2016, and Homefront: The Revolution creator Dambuster Studios earlier this year. Despite this tumultuous development cycle, Kundratitz is confident Dead Island 2 will deliver whenever it launches.

“It’s a great story to tell everyone that it’s on its third studio, but we like to be judged on the end result and we’re really confident that when it comes out it’s going to be a kick-ass zombie game,” Kundratitz said. “We’ll certainly give it all our power.”

Kundratitz didn’t specify when Dead Island 2 will release or what platforms the game will come to.

Original developer Techland was planning on continuing the Dead Island franchise with a direct sequel but, instead, chose to focus on a new project: Dying Light. The studio’s upcoming Dying Light 2 is slated to launch on June 30, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-island-2s-long-development-is-a-good-sign-pub/1100-6471576/

Black Friday 2019 takes place on November 29, but deals will be starting sooner than that. With about a week to go until sales begin, we’ve already seen what plenty of retailers will offer during from before Black Friday and through Cyber Monday, including offers on Nintendo Switch and its games. Nintendo is no different–the company has already shown off some of its official deals, but Nintendo’s Black Friday page says to “check back soon for more deals,” which means more deals are on the way in the lead-up to the Black Friday.

We’ll certainly be seeing an Eshop sale that will discount digital Switch games, presumably along with those for 3DS. In fact, Nintendo’s Black Friday Eshop sale has already been previewed for Europe and includes the expected discounts on a mix of first- and third-party games. Among them are Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cadence of Hyrule, and Dragon Quest Builders 2, all of which will be 30% off.

Microsoft, Best Buy, and Target have also revealed the sales they’ll have ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so make sure to check those out if you’re shopping around.

In terms of Nintendo’s official lineup of deals, first up is an assortment of Nintendo Switch games. Normally sold for $60, the following games will be available for $40 (33% off) at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart starting Wednesday, November 27:

• Super Mario Odyssey
• Super Mario Party
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Splatoon 2
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
• Mario Tennis Aces
• Kirby Star Allies
• Octopath Traveler
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

While Nintendo’s page says these games will be available for $40, Target’s Black Friday ad claims the store will offer The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Tennis Aces, and Super Mario Odyssey for only $30 each as limited-time doorbuster deals. Also, please note that more games may be on sale as well, but the Nintendo website only confirms the above titles. Finally, if you prefer to buy games digitally, the Nintendo Eshop’s deals will likely be revealed at a later date.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers are also getting a discount during Black Friday. Normally sold for $80 a pair, you’ll be able to pick up a new pair of either gray or neon red and blue Joy-Cons for $60 (25% off). This offer will be available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target starting Wednesday, November 27.

For those who play Pokemon Go or the Pokemon: Let’s Go Switch games, the Poke Ball Plus is a handy accessory for storing and catching Pokemon. It also comes with Mew, a mythical Pokemon that you can transfer into Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu or Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee. Normally sold for $50, the Poke Ball Plus will be on sale for just $20 (60% off) at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart starting Thursday, November 28.

Finally, if you were hoping for a price drop on the Nintendo Switch itself, you might be out of luck. Nintendo is offering the Switch bundled with a free digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for its full price of $300. If you have a good memory, you might recall this is the exact same bundle offered during Black Friday 2018. The difference this year, however, is that an upgraded Switch model with better battery life has since been released, but this particular bundle includes the original model without that improvement.

That said, if you’re interested in Mario Kart and don’t mind forgoing the extra battery life, this is still a solid deal. While not included in Nintendo’s Black Friday game deals, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe usually goes for around $50 on Amazon and elsewhere, so you’re saving a good wad of cash on this bundle. The console deal will be available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart starting Thursday, November 28.

Nintendo’s Black Friday 2019 deals

• Select Nintendo Switch games — $40 ($60)
• Joy-Con controllers (Gray, Neon Red and Blue) — $60 ($80)
• Poke Ball Plus accessory — $20 ($50)
• Nintendo Switch with free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — $300

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-black-friday-2019-sales-deals-on-g/1100-6471253/

Pokemon Sword and Shield introduce a variety of new Gen 8 Pokemon to the series, and much like previous games, many of these monsters can only evolve using specific methods. However, the Switch games also feature a couple of new ways to evolve old Pokemon–specifically Eevee, which you can catch fairly early on in your adventure at Route 4.

In past Pokemon titles, you could only obtain Glaceon or Leafeon by traveling to a specific location and leveling your Eevee up, but Sword and Shield have simplified this process by letting you evolve it using elemental stones. That isn’t the only way you can obtain Eevee evolutions in the new Pokemon games, either. Below we’ve rounded up all the ways you can get Eevee evolutions in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

How To Evolve Eevee

As previously mentioned, the only way you could evolve Eevee into Glaceon or Leafeon in previous Pokemon games was by traveling to the Ice or Moss Rock and leveling the Pokemon up. Neither rock appears in Pokemon Sword and Shield, so Game Freak has changed the way to obtain these evolutions. Now, you can evolve Eevee into Glaceon or Leafeon simply by using the Ice Stone or Leaf Stone on it.

These are the only two Eevee evolution methods that have been changed in Sword and Shield; you can still obtain the other evolutions the same way as in past games. That means if you want to evolve Eevee into Sylveon, you need to play with it often while camping out to increase its affection toward you. If you need a refresher on how to evolve Eevee into its other forms, we’ve outlined all the Eevee evolution methods below.

Other Ways To Obtain Eevee Evolutions

In addition to catching an Eevee and evolving it yourself, you can also capture Eevee evolutions in the Wild Area, specifically at the Lake of Outrage. Eevee evolutions will reliably spawn in the area, although which one you encounter will depend on the weather. You can see the Eevee evolutions we’ve encountered at the Lake of Outrage and what weather conditions they appeared in below.

Pokemon Sword & Shield Guides

• Pokemon Sword & Shield Stone Evolutions Guide: Which Pokemon Evolve With Which Stones?
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Unlock Mew
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: Essential Tips To Help Get You Started
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: Where To Catch Cool And Rare Pokemon
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Applin
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Sinistea Into Polteageist
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Galarian Linoone Into Obstagoon
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Milcery into Alcremie
• Pokemon Won’t Drop Its Guard – What Does That Mean?
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: What Are Watts?

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shields-eevee-how-to-get-every-e/1100-6471565/

Shenmue 3 is out today after a Kickstarter campaign and a bit of a wait, but you might not be seeing many, if any, reviews for it yet. This is simply because press didn’t have access to Shenmue 3 until very recently, and it’s a decently long game from what we can tell–these things take time! We have the game now and a review is in the works, so stay tuned.

It has been 18 years since the last game in the series, Shenmue 2, which debuted on the Dreamcast in 2001. Now, Shenmue 3 is on PS4 and on PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive. Its recent launch trailer includes some story details if you’re looking for more information while waiting for reviews to come out; it features series protagonist Ryo Hazuki as well as Ling Shenhua, plus series antagonist Lan Di, who was responsible for the death of Ryo’s father in the original game. It also directly addresses the long wait between games. Opening text reads: “18 years ago the clock stopped. Time vanished into an unfathomable future. But passions never waver. A moment in motion, a story renewed.”

Shenmue 3’s Epic exclusivity stirred up a bit of a controversy, however. In response, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed that the company would be providing refunds for Kickstarter backers who were upset by the deal. In a tweet, he wrote, “Epic is funding the cost of all Kickstarter refunds resulting from Shenmue III’s move to the Epic Games store.” The refund opportunity was limited-time only, though, and has since concluded.

If you instead want to catch up on the series before checking out Shenmue 3, a remaster of Shenmue 1 & 2 was released last year. In our impressions of the HD versions, Justin Clark wrote: “Shenmue is so broken and creaky in so many ways, and yet it’s a game dependent on the calm of passing time, and reminding its protagonist (and you) of all things good in the face of life’s hard and harsh moments.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/wheres-gamespots-shenmue-3-review/1100-6471572/