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Discord To Offer Limited Game Streaming Functionality

The voice chat app Discord is adding a new feature soon, which will allow streaming in a limited capacity. The Go Live feature will let you share your gameplay with up to 10 friends over the voice channel. The new feature is set to launch on August 15.

Go Live will let you broadcast on PC with low latency for a more social experience. Nitro subscribers will get some extra features too. Nitro Classic users will be able to stream up to 1080p and 60 FPS, and Nitro users can stream in 4K at 60 FPS. Nitro is a subscription service for PC games, offering a curated library for $10 per month.

Though the limited viewership means Discord’s feature isn’t exactly a match for streaming services like YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer that allow you to cultivate large audiences, the limitation appears aimed at making smaller social experiences among groups of friends.

Last year, Discord also announced plans to undercut Epic’s revenue sharing model by offering devs 90% of revenue on sales through its store. Epic has already been providing competition with Steam by offering an 88/12 split as opposed to Steam’s 70/30, so Discord’s would provide further competition in the market. Discord hasn’t made further announcements regarding these plans since then, however.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/discord-to-offer-limited-game-streaming-functional/1100-6469004/

This Xbox One, Madden 20, and 4K TV Bundle Features A $130 Discount

The Xbox One S may not be able to deliver 4K gaming, but it is able to take advantage of 4K displays with its 4K Blu-Ray player. If this interests you, then Best Buy’s latest bundle deal might be a good option.

Right now, Best Buy is offering a discounted Xbox One S and 4K TV bundle. That’s a Toshiba 43-inch 4K TV with HDR, an Xbox One S bundle, and a complimentary copy of Madden NFL 20 for $130 off. The final total is $500 USD at check-out, down from $630. As for the Xbox One S bundles, you have a few to choose from. You can see a list below. Unfortunately, these are a part of the deal as long as supplies last, and at the time of writing this story, the Battle Royale Special Edition was sold out.

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See it at Best Buy

However, if 4K gaming is what you’re looking for, then Best Buy has a deal for the Xbox One X as well. If you add a Battlefield 5 Xbox One X bundle or an NBA 2K19 Xbox One X bundle to your cart, then an extra controller and copy of Halo 5: Guardians will be added automatically, completely free of charge.

In addition to these bundled deals, Best Buy is currently discounting select Xbox One controllers by $10 to $16, depending on the pad. You can check out the Xbox One controller deal here, but you will need to add them to your cart before the exact discount is revealed.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-xbox-one-madden-20-and-4k-tv-bundle-features-/1100-6469002/

Introducing GameSpot’s New Weekly Podcast! – GameSpot After Dark Episode 1

“Where’s the Lobby?” “Why’s there no GameSpot podcast?” At least several of you have been asking, so here it is: the official GameSpot Podcast! We’re calling it GameSpot After Dark, and it’s, well, a podcast about video games. We might talk about other stuff, but generally speaking, this is the space each week where GameSpot staff can come together and talk about the games we’re playing, go over the biggest news stories, and answer some of your questions.

GameSpot After Dark will go live every Friday. Right now, it’ll be audio-only (and available on iTunes, Spotify, and other places where podcasts are found), but we’re not ruling anything out! On that note, please give Episode 1 a listen and let us know what kinds of things you want to hear, what kind of guests you want us to invite on, and whatever else comes to mind. You can email us at afterdarkpodcast@gamespot.com!

So, without further ado: On this week’s episode, Jake Dekker, Kallie Plagge, Lucy James, and Jean-Luc Seipke get together to talk about Fire Emblem: Three Houses‘ lack of romance, the Ooblets-Epic Store controversy, and all that shady business with Borderlands 3. We also discuss how we can’t say the F-word on this show.

Where You Can Listen To Episode 1

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/introducing-gamespots-new-weekly-podcast-gamespot-/1100-6468991/

New Guilty Gear Will Confront The “Essence” Of Fighting Games

A new entry to the Guilty Gear franchise was unveiled during EVO 2019. Currently dubbed Guilty Gear 2020, there is very little information about the upcoming fighting game. However, Guilty Gear’s general director Daisuke Ishiwatari is calling this new entry a “brand-new experience” that seeks to confront the core elements of the fighting game genre.

Ishiwatari wrote a lengthy note tweeted out by Arc System Works, stating the goal of Guilty Gear 2020 is to excite both new and existing players. To that end, Ishiwatari and his team are aiming to create a title “unlike those of the past.” Guilty Gear 2020, according to Ishiwatari, is not an evolution of the franchise nor a return to its roots. By “disassembl[ing] the current franchise into fragments,” Ishiwatari wrote, Arc System Works’ intention is “a full-frontal confrontation with the essence of the fighting game genre.”

The teaser trailer, above, is a brisk minute-and-a-half long, but it boasts stunning visuals and a camera system that transitions between 2.5D and 3D to give fights a more cinematic vibe. Series mainstays Ky Kiske and Sol Badguy (who is voiced by Ishiwatari himself) are seen battling and hopping between various locales similar to Dragon Ball FighterZ. Just before the trailer closes, Arc System Works introduces a new character: an African American male with dreadlocks and two katanas that looks like a cross between Afro Samurai and legendary two-sword samurai Musashi Miyamoto.

Though no release window has been confirmed and no platforms have been announced, Guilty Gear 2020 is expected to arrive sometime next year.

Speaking of Dragon Ball FighterZ, Janemba is the game’s latest DLC character as part of the FighterZ Pass 2. He joins previously announced Pass 2 characters GT Goku, Jiren, and Videl. Also in Janemba’s announcement trailer, SSGSS Gogeta is said to be joining the roster soon. Dragon Ball FighterZ’s FighterZ Pass 2 retails for $25 USD / $36 AUD / £20 GBP, though each individual character can be purchased for $5 USD / $7 AUD / £4 GBP.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-guilty-gear-will-confront-the-essence-of-fight/1100-6469000/

Where Is Xur Today? Destiny 2 Location, Exotic Weapon, Armor (August 9-13)

Destiny 2 is about to go through some pretty massive changes. In its latest blog post, Bungie outlined exactly when it’s adding cross save to the game–and with it, the ability to transfer characters between PS4, Xbox One, and PC. There are only a couple of weeks before Guardians can start defending the solar system on any platform they want. That makes this a great chance to fill out your Exotic collection before making the jump. As always, Xur has arrived for the weekend with another batch of Exotic items for just that purpose.

Where Is Xur?

You can find Xur on Nessus. Head to the Watcher’s Grave transmat zone, then ride northwest up to Calus’s floating barge, where you’ll find Werner 99-40. Xur is standing at the back of the barge, admiring the view.

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What Is Xur Selling?

As is always the case, Xur brings one Exotic weapon and three pieces of Exotic armor, one specific to each character class. If you need something Xur isn’t carrying, you can always snag an expensive Fated Engram, which will guarantee you an Exotic you don’t already have–but only from the first year of Destiny 2 content or Forsaken. Anything that has come from the Annual Pass expansions over the last year won’t be in the Fated Engram pool, so make sure you know what you need before you buy. You can also grab a Five of Swords card, which lets you adjust Nightfall runs for higher scores, and an Invitation of the Nine from the Season of the Drifter if you haven’t completed them all yet.

  • The Colony (Exotic grenade launcher) — 29 Legendary Shards
  • Shards of Galanor (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards
  • Chromatic Fire (Exotic Warlock chest armor) — 23 Legendary Shards
  • ACD/0 Feedback Fence (Exotic Titan gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards

The Colony

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Xur’s weapon this week is The Colony, a handy grenade launcher if you’re struggling to hit your opponents with arcing grenade shots. It fires spider bots that track their prey over a short distance, running them down and exploding. That makes it very useful for the Crucible, especially if you’re trying to get grenade kills for the Mountaintop pinnacle weapon quest.

ACD/0 Feedback Fence

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Titans can pick up an old piece of Exotic armor. The ACD/0 Feedback Fence gauntlets are great if you’re the kind of Guardian who likes to mix it up at close ranges and dish out a lot of melee punishment. Notching melee kills builds up energy in the gauntlets, and when you get hit with a melee strike, the energy explodes outward.

Rolls:

  • Slot 1: Pulse Rifle Loader; Sidearm Loader; Momentum Transfer
  • Slot 2: Sniper Rifle Scavenger; Machine Gun Scavenger

Shards Of Galanor

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Hunters get the Year Two Exotic in Xur’s haul this week. Shards of Galanor amp up your Blade Barrage Super, returning Super energy when you get hits and kills with it. Bungie nerfed the Exotic gauntlets not too long ago, so they’re not as effective as they used to be, but these gauntlets are still worth snagging if you don’t have them. This roll is also pretty solid, offering two Enhanced perks.

Rolls:

  • Slot 1: Bow Reloader; Enhanced Impact Induction; Enhanced Hand Cannon Loader
  • Slot 2: Rocket Launcher Scavenger; Sniper Rifle Scavenger

Chromatic Fire

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A handy Exotic for Warlocks chasing orbs during the Solstice of Heroes, Chromatic Fire creates elemental explosions. When you’re wearing it, enemies you take out with precision kills will explode, firing off elemental energy of the subclass you’re using. That can make it useful for creating orbs even when you’re using your Kinetic weapons during the Solstice.

Rolls:

  • Slot 1: Unflinching Fusion Rifle Aim; Unflinching Hand Cannon Aim; Unflinching Sniper Aim
  • Slot 2: Bow Reserves; Special Ammo Finder

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/where-is-xur-today-destiny-2-location-exotic-weapo/1100-6469001/

Kiss Singer Reacts To New Pokemon Lookalike

The Pokemon Company dropped a new trailer for Pokemon Sword and Shield earlier this week. Along with revealing new rival characters, the video gave us our first look at a brand-new Pokemon named Obstagoon, which immediately drew comparisons to Kiss singer Gene Simmons. Now the rockstar has shared his thoughts on the monster.

In a statement to Newsweek, Simmons said he was flattered by the new Pokemon. “Pokemon has been a part of our household for decades, ever since our kids first discovered them,” Simmons said. “And to see Pokemon pay homage to Kiss, is flattering.”

Obstagoon

Obstagoon is a new, region-exclusive evolution of Galarian Linoone. The entire Galarian Zigzagoon line has drawn comparisons to Kiss due to their black and white fur and star patterns around their eyes, which resembles the makeup the band wears while performing.

Zigzagoon and Linoone aren’t the only Pokemon receiving Galarian forms in Sword and Shield; The Pokemon Company also revealed the amazing Galarian Weezing, which has smokestacks that resemble top hats and mustache-like gas clouds around its faces. We also got a glimpse at a new hamster-like Pokemon named Morpeko, which can change between “full belly” and “hangry” forms.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. You can check out all the new Gen 8 Pokemon revealed so far in our gallery. For more on the titles, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield release date and pre-order guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kiss-singer-reacts-to-new-pokemon-lookalike/1100-6468996/

Gears 5 Has Gone Gold

Microsoft and The Coalition have announced that Gears 5 has “gone gold”–the phrase in the games industry signifying that a final build has been sent to manufacturing. That’s a big moment for any studio, and prepares the game to be stocked on store shelves upon release in September.

The studio posted about the milestone on the Xbox blog, along with word that it will be going to Gamescom on August 19 to show off the new Horde Mode and another look at the campaign. We know that a Horde mode tech test is planned for sometime this month, so the Coalition may be planning to make that announcement at Gamescom. The blog also gave the full list of Achievements, which it promises are spoiler-free.

“From all of us at The Coalition, we couldn’t be more excited to share Gears 5 with the world. I want thank the team here who has worked so hard for our fans, and we all hope you are all as excited as we are to play Gears 5,” said studio head Rod Fergusson in the announcement. “This is furthest we have ever taken the franchise, living our studio mantra of ‘if you want to go far go together’.”

Gears 5 will be available for all Xbox Game Pass subscribers on September 6, before its official retail launch on September 10. The Horde Mode tech test will also be available for Game Pass subscribers, along with anyone who pre-ordered the game.

Microsoft recently announced a slew of Gears-branded hardware coming alongside the game launch, including a limited-edition Xbox One X console, standard Xbox One X and S bundles, a new controller, wireless keyboard and mouse, and more. Check out our Gears 5 pre-order guide for more details.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-5-has-gone-gold/1100-6468998/

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sales Reach Almost 4 Million

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest FromSoftware game, has sold 3.8 million units as of June 2019, just over three months on the market. The worldwide figure is sell-in, not sell-through, so that figure is numbers sold to retailers. Still, it’s a big number for Activision, which published the game.

Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad noted the figure on Twitter, and noted for comparison that the Dark Souls series as a whole has shipped 25 million copies as of June. Most of those sales came after the release of Dark Souls 3, which both sold well for itself and boosted the brand as the older games released PC versions.

Sekiro had a strong debut, hitting the second-best selling game of March in the US NPDs despite only being out for about a week. It maintained steady sales afterwards, appearing in both the April and May charts.

Sekiro is a spiritual successor to From’s other games, with a similarly tough timing-based battle system. GameSpot’s Sekiro eview praised its exhilarating combat and intricate environments.

“The orchestration of intense one-on-one boss encounters that truly test your mettle, and slower-paced stealth sections that let you take on battles at your own pace, is masterful,” Tamoor Hussain wrote. “More so than in previous games, From Software has honed in on the inherent tension found in the challenging nature of its games, and uses it to incredible effect. Sekiro marries the developer’s unique brand of gameplay with stealth action to deliver an experience that is as challenging as it is gratifying.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-sales-reach-almost-4-mill/1100-6468995/

Smash Bros. Ultimate’s First Event Tournament Kicks Off Today

Along with the Hero from Dragon Quest, one of the biggest additions to come in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s major 4.0 update was a new online tournament mode, which would periodically hold special event tourneys. The first of these events kicks off today, August 9, and it fittingly pits good against evil.

The theme of the first Smash Bros. Ultimate event tourney is Heroes vs. Villains. Each match features a 2:30 time limit, and only certain heroic and villainous characters are able to participate. You can see the full list of eligible fighters for this tournament below:

  • Mario
  • Link
  • Samus
  • Dark Samus
  • Fox
  • Bowser
  • Marth
  • Young Link
  • Ganondorf
  • Roy
  • Chrom
  • Meta Knight
  • Pit
  • Dark Pit
  • Wario
  • Ike
  • Sonic
  • King Dedede
  • Toon Link
  • Wolf
  • Shulk
  • Bowser Jr.
  • Ridley
  • Simon Belmont
  • Richter Belmont
  • King K. Rool
  • Hero

The Heroes vs. Villains event runs through the weekend until August 12, and players who participate will receive a Spirit as a prize. Nintendo says the further you advance during the tournament, the better the Spirit will be. You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take part in the event.

If you’re already a Switch Online member, you can also grab an exclusive Smash Bros. Ultimate freebie from the Eshop. Nintendo is giving NSO subscribers a free Spirit Board Challenge Pack that includes a handful of helpful items for the game’s Spirit Board mode. If you’re in the market for a new controller, a handful of GameCube-style Smash Ultimate controllers are also on sale right now at Amazon.

Hero is the second DLC fighter from Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass to arrive, following Persona 5’s Joker. The next DLC character on the way to the game is Rare’s famous bear and bird duo, Banjo and Kazooie, who are slated to launch sometime this fall. Nintendo still has two more DLC characters in the works, although the company has kept their identities a secret thus far.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/smash-bros-ultimates-first-event-tournament-kicks-/1100-6468993/

Walmart Reportedly Removing Violent Video Game Signage Following Shootings

Following a pair of mass shootings in the United States, the public eye has turned toward violent video games as a possible contributor. Seemingly in response, the retail giant Walmart has reportedly begun removing signage promoting violent video games from its stores.

Vice reports that a company memo titled “Immediate Action: Remove Signing and Displays Referencing Violence” was distributed to Walmart stores. The notice tells store managers to find any displays that “contain violent images or aggressive behavior” and remove them from the sales floor. It specifically mentions demos of violent games on PlayStation or Xbox, “combat style or third-person shooter games,” violent movies, and hunting videos in the sporting goods section. The policy does not appear to restrict the sale of violent games or other media, just their promotion.

Walmart is an especially symbolic location for this to take place. One of the two mass shootings from the weekend, in El Paso, Texas, took place inside a Walmart store. Plus, as critics have pointed out, Walmart itself sells actual guns in its stores, and despite pressure from gun control activists, the company has announced no change in its policy.

Following the two tragedies in El Paso on August 3 and Dayton, Ohio on August 4, President Donald Trump gave a brief address in which he suggested, in part, that violent video games contribute to a culture of violence.

“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society,” Trump said. “This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this, and it has to begin immediately.”

One of the shooters did reportedly reference the Call of Duty series in his manifesto, which largely centered on targeting Latinx people. Critics say the president and others are attempting to shift the conversation toward video games and away from gun control, which has had renewed calls from across the political spectrum following the shootings.

In response to the president’s statement, the ESA told GameSpot, “Numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence. More than 165 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people play video games worldwide. Yet other societies, where video games are played as avidly, do not contend with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the US.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/walmart-reportedly-removing-violent-video-game-sig/1100-6468992/