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Fire Emblem: Three Houses Crosses Over With Tetris 99 For Next Maximus Cup Event

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Nintendo has announced the first details for Tetris 99‘s next Maximus Cup. The in-game competition kicks off next week, on August 23, and like last month’s Splatoon-themed event, it’ll be a collaboration with another major Nintendo Switch title, in this case Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

The sixth Maximus Cup will run in Europe until 8:59 AM CEST on August 27; North American details have not yet been confirmed, although these Maximus Cups are typically worldwide events. Like the aforementioned Splatoon crossover, this competition will be point-based; you’ll earn a number of points depending on how well you place each round, and if you can amass at least 100 by the time the competition ends, you’ll unlock an exclusive Fire Emblem: Three Houses theme in Tetris 99.

Tetris 99 is one of the exclusive perks you get with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. NSO members can download the game for free and play against 98 other players online in a battle royale-inspired competition to be the last one remaining. Nintendo recently released a paid Big Block DLC that can be purchased by all Switch owners and introduces two offline modes, but you’ll need to have an NSO subscription to take part in the game’s signature online mode.

NSO memberships run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership that costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple Switch systems.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses, meanwhile, launched at the end of July and has proven to be a huge critical and commercial success. Not only did it receive a slate of positive reviews from critics, it was also the second best-selling game of July in the US and had the fastest first-month sales of any installment of the series in the region.

Nintendo is releasing several waves of DLC for Fire Emblem: Three Houses over the next few months, in addition to a free update that will add a new, more challenging difficulty setting. In the meantime, be sure to check out our spoiler-free essential tips and advice to help you get started in the game.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-emblem-three-houses-crosses-over-with-tetris-/1100-6469177/

Apex Legends Dev Issues Mea Culpa For Iron Crown Cosmetics

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Respawn, the studio behind Apex Legends, is admitting fault in the rollout of cosmetics for the Iron Crown limited-time event, and trying to set things right. In a statement posted on the EA Blog, Respawn project lead Drew McCoy explains what went wrong and how the studio intends to fix it.

In short, the Iron Crown event offered several new cosmetics that could only be obtained through Apex Packs purchased with real money. You could obtain a couple packs through play, but to get the full collection–and a special heirloom axe that’s only purchasable if you earned all the other items first–you would have to spend over $150.

“With the Iron Crown event we missed the mark when we broke our promise by making Apex Packs the only way to get what many consider to be the coolest skins we’ve released,” McCoy said.

To address the issue, Respawn will be offering the twelve event-exclusive items into the store for 1,800 Apex Coins (roughly $18), the standard cost for a Legendary skin. That rollout will begin on August 20 and continue over the course of the week as more skins are added. The studio also promises that in future events, it will provide more ways to obtain items aside from Apex Packs. Previously the only way to obtain the skins was to buy Apex Packs for 700 Coins.

The blog goes on to state that Respawn recognizes it needs to be better at letting players know what to expect from its event structures. This event works differently than previous events like the Legendary Hunt, and McCoy says future events may be different still in other ways. He says this event has reminded the studio that it needs to be better at communicating what to expect from events as the studio tries new things.

“Our goal has not been to squeeze every last dime out of our players, and we have structured the game so that all players benefit from those who choose to spend money–events like Legendary Hunt or Iron Crown exist so that we can continue to invest in creating more free content for all players,” McCoy said. “This week has been a huge learning experience for us and we’re taking the lessons forward to continue bringing the best possible experience to all of you.”

The main draw of the Iron Crown event is the new limited-time Solos mode, which lets players compete just like the regular game while attempting to be the last single player standing. Apex Legends has been a team-based battle royale since launch, and Solos has been a heavily requested feature from the community. But like all Solos modes in traditional team-based games, some people have found to be forming alliances outside of the game and teaming up for a competitive advantage.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-dev-issues-mea-culpa-for-iron-crown-c/1100-6469180/

Forza 6 And All DLC Will Be Removed From Sale In September

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Microsoft’s 2015 Xbox One and PC racing game Forza Motorsport 6 and all of its DLC will be removed from digital storefronts on September 15, the company has announced. In a blog post, developer Turn 10 Studios announced that the racing game will enter its “End of Life” status on that day.

The game and its car packs and expansions will no longer be available to buy digitally after that date. Those who already bought the game and/or any of its DLC can continue to play it. Additionally, users can delete it from their hard drive and re-install at any point after the de-listing.

Forza 6 recently became free on Xbox One through Games With Gold, so now is a good time to pick up the racing game before it’s no longer available. On top of that, all of the game’s DLC has been put into one mega-bundle that you can buy for $5 USD.

Forza Motorsport 7 followed in 2017, but the franchise’s every-two-years release schedule that has been in place since the series debuted in 2005 appears to be ending as there is no new Forza Motorsport game announced for 2019. Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently spoke about giving first-party studios more time to ensure they deliver good quality games at launch, and this applies to Forza as well.

Another one of Microsoft’s studios, Playground, develops the Forza Horizon spin-off series. The most recent entry was 2018’s Forza Horizon 4. The game’s latest expansion was the Lego Speed Champions add-on that was released in June.

While there is no new Forza game lined up for 2019, rival franchise Need for Speed is coming out with a new title, Need for Speed Heat, in November.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/forza-6-and-all-dlc-will-be-removed-from-sale-in-s/1100-6469179/

Driver Found Playing Pokemon Go On Eight Phones At Once

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A driver in Washington State took his Pokemon Go obsession a bit further than usual. Sgt. Kyle Smith of the Washington State Patrol discovered a driver pulled over to the side of the road playing the mobile game on eight phones at once.

Fellow trooper Rick Johnson tweeted about the incident, including a look at a blue foam board that had been cut to hold all the phones at once. Johnson clarified in later tweets that the driver was not spotted actually playing Pokemon Go while driving, and so the officer simply reminded him not to pull over to the shoulder unless an emergency requires it. Still, it’s hard to imagine how the driver could have noticed any monsters worth pulling over for without at least glancing at his surprisingly complex phone array.

Pokemon Go exploded in popularity when it was first released in 2016, raising safety concerns for children playing or distracted drivers. Niantic has long since implemented a feature that disables the game if it detects you’re moving too fast to be walking, but that can be overridden by telling the game you’re a passenger in a car.

For those of you still playing Pokemon Go and doing it responsibly, the game has lots of ongoing events and features to take part in right now. A Suicune raid will be taking place over the weekend, and the game has outlined plans for its September Community Day. Or you can just relax and evolve some Eevees.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/driver-found-playing-pokemon-go-on-eight-phones-at/1100-6469178/

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare News Coming At Gamescom

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Gamescom is beginning soon, with a wide array of events and press conferences taking place Monday before the show floor opens on Tuesday. This year the show has its own formal opening ceremony, with Geoff Keighley hosting Gamescom Opening Night Live. Some games have already been announced as part of the show, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Activision teased “exciting news” for Gamescom. Keighley was very slightly more specific on Twitter, saying the game will show new footage and a special announcement. Gamescom Opening Night Live will begin on Monday, August 19 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 6 PM GMT (4 AM AEST on August 20).

We already know lots of other games planned for Opening Night Live. Keighley has teased appearances from Destiny 2 Shadowkeep, Disintegration, Need for Speed Heat, the Gears 5 campaign, Predator, and Death Stranding. And this is just one event. Google, Microsoft, and Nintendo are all planning their own press conferences with reveals.

Check our full Gamescom press conference schedule for all the start times, and be sure to watch the Gamescom Opening Night Live right here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-news-coming-at-gamesco/1100-6469174/

Limited Run Games Unveil River City Girls Physical Edition

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We’re less than three weeks away from River City Girls‘ September 5 launch for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Video game distributor Limited Run Games took the time as a liberty to reveal the upcoming beat-em-up’s physical release, which is slated for PS4 and Switch.

LRG shared the news on Twitter, reminding players of the game’s premise: “two street-tough high-schoolers who must fight their way through the six regions of River City to rescue their kidnapped boyfriends.” Pre-orders for River City Girls’ physical version will be open for a limited, four-week period starting on Friday, August 30. Each standard River City Girls physical copy will come with a one-disc sampler of the game’s soundtrack, with LRG alluding to more River City Girls news in “the coming weeks” in a separate tweet.

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Earlier this week, developer WayForward Technologies published another character spotlight. This time, the video focused on the cheerful and bubbly Kyoko, River City Girls’ second playable character. At the beginning of August, WayForward showcased River City Girls’ first playable character, the hot-blooded Misako, in a spunky character reveal.

We played River City Girls at Anime Expo 2019, citing it as one of the better anime-like games we’re watching this year. The beat-em-up features retro-inspired visuals reminiscent of previous Kunio-kun games like 2016’s 3DS release, River City: Tokyo Rumble. But instead of focusing on series mainstays Kunio and Riki, River City Girls modernizes its formula by putting girl power front and center.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/limited-run-games-unveil-river-city-girls-physical/1100-6469173/

Halo Infinite Will Have “AAA Player Investment Experience” That Includes Microtransactions

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A newly posted job ad at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries provides a clue into what to expect from the Xbox One and PC shooter as it relates to the “live” nature of the game.

Microsoft is hiring a “Live Design Lead” who will come up with strategies to keep people engaged with Halo Infinite for a long time after release. This includes all manner of things, from in- and out-of-game progression, social media engagement, and seemingly through some kind of microtransaction strategy. One line in the job ad states that the candidate will design and deliver a “AAA player investment” experience that includes microtransactions.

“Design and deliver a AAA player investment experience that focuses on our fans and their desire to express their passion for our franchise (including but not limited to microtransactions),” reads a line from the job posting.

The “express their passion” line seemingly is in reference to cosmetics for in-game characters, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

It is no surprise that Halo Infinite will have microtransactions, as a job ad from 2018 called for an Online Experience Design Director who would oversee a number of games-as-a-service elements including microtransactions.

Interestingly, the wording of the Live Design Lead and the Online Experience Design Director include a number of similarities, including some word-for-word bullet points. The Online Experience Design Director job ad has expired, but it’s not immediately clear if the position was filled.

Whatever the case, the new Live Design Lead position also notes that among the successful candidate’s responsibilities are to “put the player first in all of their team’s designs,” and players are likely glad to hear that given how microtransactions can, at times, skew toward the icky side.

This new Live Design Lead position is a relatively senior position, as a successful candidate should have 8+ years experience on two or more AAA titles and a deep understanding of business models in games “and beyond.” The successful candidate should also know how to develop frameworks that keep people interested in Halo after they stop playing, while 343 is also looking for a person who has a “comprehensive understanding of player psychology” as it relates to creating experiences that keep people coming back.

Halo 5 also had microtransactions and live-service elements, so this is nothing new for the Halo franchise.

Halo Infinite launches during Holiday 2020 for Xbox One and PC, while the game is also coming to Microsoft’s next-generation console, Project Scarlett.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-infinite-will-have-aaa-player-investment-expe/1100-6469172/

Astral Chain’s Silent Protagonist Feels Really Strange

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Given the pedigree of Platinum Games, there’s reason to believe the Nintendo Switch exclusive Astral Chain could be the next breakout game in the stylish hard-action genre. It’s directed by Takahisa Taura, who was a lead designer on Nier: Automata, and supervised by Hideki Kamiya, who brought us Bayonetta and the original Devil May Cry. But what those games had, in addition to gratifying and refined combat systems, was a star character with a unique voice who brought their stories to life.

You may think that a game that lives or dies by the greatness of its combat system could easily get away with a silent protagonist. However, a lot of the bombast and attitude that exudes from stylish action games are borne out of a character who sets the tone throughout. I think about Bayonetta’s confidence and ferocity and how it’s part of what makes those games pop, and how the on-screen action is very much an extension of that charisma. Even Vanquish lead Sam Gideon’s corny, hard-boiled temperament was part and parcel to the game’s attitude.

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In the opening minutes of Astral Chain, you choose between playing as a male or female character, both of which are siblings in the story. You give them a name, hairstyle, hair and eye color and jump straight into some varied third-person action scenarios. You’re a slick anime cop who’s quickly propelled to special status by taking on a Legion, a separate entity you control simultaneously to fight the Chimera threat that plagues your city. In the heat of these moments, your character will yell, grunt, and call out to their Legion upon summoning, but they’ll never speak, even when spoken to.

Instead, the silence of Astral Chain’s lead makes for those awkward moments that warrant a vocal response in dialogue. And to be clear, there hasn’t been any narrative reasoning to why they don’t talk. Maybe it’s that Astral Chain puts less of a focus on story or character development. But I begin to wonder if those bits of emptiness could have been flipped to help the game establish a distinct attitude and help elevate the critical action-packed scenes or lend more weight into the smaller investigative decisions you make.

What makes this design choice even more curious is that whichever sibling you didn’t choose becomes a key supporting character who features fully voiced dialogue. Voice actors Aleks Le and Brianna Knickerbocker play the roles of the male and female characters, respectively. And by virtue of having to choose one, you have to pass on the other’s performance. It also feels like we could’ve had a more fleshed-out lead with a distinct personality, like in Platinum’s past games.

Last month, Platinum Games put out a blog post in which Taura-san explained the decision to go with a silent protagonist and said, “I want players to be able to project themselves onto the player character, so they naturally feel like part of the game. So [we] don’t give the player character any extreme expressions that might give them too much of a predefined personality.” But now having played Astral Chain, silence doesn’t seem to be benefitting it in that particular way.

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I don’t see silent protagonists as an inherent flaw; my favorite games of all time, like the Persona series and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, put them in starring roles. And those characters develop alongside you as you make specific decisions that have narrative implications over the course of the game’s story. That’s not exactly what Astral Chain is doing, as the few dialogue options I’ve seen during investigative scenarios seem inconsequential, so it’s hard to get in the mindset of having the lead be an extension of yourself.

Of course, it’s just one aspect to the multitude of things Astral Chain is trying to do. There’s a uniqueness to the function of the Legion and how it diversifies combat in a way that Platinum hadn’t done before, and the visual flair complements the satisfaction of tearing through Chimera. It’s probably not going to be a deal-breaker that your character doesn’t speak since the game is much more than that, but I can’t help but think of it as a missed opportunity.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/astral-chains-silent-protagonist-feels-really-stra/1100-6469166/

Pokemon Sword And Shield Take Online Battling More Seriously Than Past Games

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The Pokemon Company dropped a new trailer for Sword and Shield ahead of this weekend’s Pokemon World Championships. Fittingly given the occasion, the video focuses primarily on new battle mechanics that are being introduced, and now the official Pokemon website has shared more details about how online battling will work in the titles.

Like previous Pokemon games, Sword and Shield will give players the ability to connect online and battle other trainers around the world via the Battle Stadium. This time, however, it appears your battling options have been expanded significantly. First, the games are introducing a Ranked mode. In Ranked Battles, you’ll be matched up against other players of a similar rank, and you’ll earn points depending on the outcome of your matches and potentially raise your standing.

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Ranks are divided up into several different tiers, with the competition getting stiffer as you ascend the ladder. There will also be different Ranked seasons. The Pokemon Company notes that players’ ranks will “go down a certain amount at the end of each season before being carried over to a new season.”

For less competitive players, there will also be a Casual Battles mode, where wins and losses don’t matter. On top of that, Casual Battles allow players to use certain Legendary and Mythical Pokemon that would normally be barred from Ranked Battles. Both Casual and Ranked modes support two battle formats: Single (each player has one Pokemon on the field at a time) or Double (each player has two Pokemon on the field at a time).

In addition to the new Battle modes, Sword and Shield will feature two different types of Online Competitions: Official and Friendly. The former are held by Nintendo and feature different rules and restrictions, like the tournaments regularly held through the Global Link service for Pokemon Sun/Moon and their Ultra counterparts. A chance to participate in the Sword and Shield World Championships may also be on the line as part of some Official Competitions. Friendly Competitions, meanwhile, can be hosted by any player.

If you don’t have your own team of battle-ready Pokemon, you’ll have the option to use rental teams in both Casual and Ranked matches. You can read more details about all of the online battling options on the official Pokemon website.

Players will need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership to make use of the Battle Stadium and other online features, such as trading and Max Raid Battles. Subscriptions are available for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership that costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple Switch systems.

As previously mentioned, Pokemon Sword and Shield’s latest trailer revealed a handful of new Pokemon Abilities and held items that will shake up battle strategies considerably, such as Galarian Weezing‘s Neutralizing Gas, which mitigates the Ability of every Pokemon on the field, including your own in Double battles. We also got a look at the Eject Pack; when equipped, it will cause your Pokemon to automatically switch out of battle if its stats are lowered.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15, just a few days after Nintendo releases a special Pokemon edition Nintendo Switch Lite. You can see all of the new Gen 8 Pokemon revealed so far in our gallery. For more info about the titles, including where you can secure a copy, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-take-online-battling-more/1100-6469157/

Halo Infinite Creative Director Leaves 343 Studios

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Former Halo Infinite creative director Tim Longo has left 343 Industries. Longo previously worked as the creative director for Halo 5: Guardians.

As first reported by Kotaku, Longo was a part of a 343 Studios leadership shakeup, having previously been moved out of the creative director role to another position a few weeks ago. Following this change in position, Longo left 343 Studios voluntarily.

In a statement, Microsoft wrote that “creative vision and production of the game remains led by [Halo Infinite studio head] Chris Lee” and that no ill will is felt over Longo’s departure. The studio also touched on the one other major change to Halo Infinite’s leadership, writing that executive producer Mary Olsen has been transitioned to lead producer in charge of the game’s campaign.

Though this can be viewed as a troublesome omen for Halo Infinite, it’s important to remember that leadership changes like this do occasionally happen in the gaming industry. Just because Longo has left, it doesn’t mean Halo Infinite is automatically a bust. For context, Cyberpunk 2077 creative director Sebastian Stępień (who previously worked on all three The Witcher games) left CD Projekt Red for a role at Blizzard back in January 2019–as reported by Variety–and that game still looked very impressive at E3 2019.

Halo Infinite is the sixth mainline game in the Halo franchise, scheduled to release for Xbox One and PC in Fall 2020. The game will also be a launch title for the next-generation Xbox, codenamed Scarlett. 343 Studios boss Bonnie Ross describes Halo Infinite as a “spiritual reboot” for Halo though further details have remained sparse. As of right now, we’ve only gotten cinematic trailers and previews of Halo Infinite, no actual gameplay.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-infinite-creative-director-leaves-343-studios/1100-6469169/