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Steam Apologizes For Confusion Around Summer Sale Wish List Promotion

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Steam has apologized and clarified its Steam Grand Prix promotion as part of the Steam summer sale, after widespread confusion led to unintended consequences.

The promotion promised free games for random members of the winning team each day. The freebies would be the top game from the user’s wish list, but some players believed that it may be an entirely random game from their wish list. This resulted in mass deletions of wish list games, especially lower-priced ones like indie games. This had a negative impact on indie developers, since being present on wish lists is important for visibility.

Steam issued a statement clarifying on Twitter, and then updated its Steam Blog with more detail.

“We’ve heard your feedback about the complexity of the Steam Grand Prix event,” the company said. “We designed something pretty complicated with a whole bunch of numbers and rules and recognize we should’ve been more clear. We want to apologize for the confusion that this has caused, and also apologize for the broken mechanics that have led to an unbalanced event.

“To clarify one point: if your team makes it to the podium and you are randomly chosen to win something off your Steam Wishlist, then we’ll grant you the top item. Just move your favorite item to the top of your wishlist and you should be good to go. There’s no need to remove other items from your wishlist–keep them there so you’ll be notified when those items release or go on sale.”

The update also noted that it has made some changes on the back-end to mitigate some problems that have led to Team Corgi getting an insurmountable lead so far.

The Grand Prix minigame is running alongside the Steam Summer Sale itself, which is offering discounts on loads of PC games. You can pick up Devil May Cry 5 for $40 / 30 GBP / $66 AUD, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for $48 / 40 GBP / $72 AUD, and more. Be sure to visit our Steam Summer Sale roundup and top cheap games or some of our picks on the annual sale.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-apologizes-for-confusion-around-summer-sale-/1100-6468120/

Google Stadia’s Data Cap Challenge Will Be Solved By ISPs, Says Phil Harrison

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Phil Harrison, vice president and general manager of Google, has indicated that he doesn’t believe data caps represent a major challenge to Stadia, the company’s upcoming video game streaming service. In an interview, Harrison was asked by GameSpot how much of a limiting factor he sees data caps as. “Data caps [are] not a universal challenge,” he replied, going on to say he believes that ISPs will react to demand in order to fulfill the needs of their customers.

“The ISPs have a strong history of staying ahead of consumer trend and if you look at the history of data caps in those small number of markets–and it’s actually a relatively small number of markets that have [data caps]–the trend over time, when music streaming and download became popular, especially in the early days when it was not necessarily legitimate, data caps moved up. Then with the evolution of TV and film streaming, data caps moved up, and we expect that will continue to be the case.”

Placing faith in ISPs to respond to the demands of a streaming service like Stadia, which sends 1080p or 4K video feeds to players, depending on the package they’re subscribed to, presents further questions. The first being, would the adoption of Stadia be widespread enough to signal a trend that ISPs need to respond to, in the same way that music, TV, and movie streaming did.

Harrison stuck to his guns when presented with this concern, saying he believes “ISPs are smart [and] they understand that they’re in the business of keeping customers happy and keeping customers with them for a long time.”

On the suggestion that ISPs may instead see this as an opportunity to attach further costs to having more data, which in turn would become a greater expense on the user, Harrison noted that 5G technology would be one part of the solution.

“There’s a very interesting additional dynamic happening in the internet market, which is the evolution of 5G, particularly in what’s called fixed wireless, which is not necessarily running 5G on your phone but as a way of bringing 5G into your home. All of the 5G fixed wireless businesses that are up now that I’m aware of have no data caps and are very very high performance, so that’s introducing a competitive dynamic. $50 a month. That’s what Verizon fixed wireless costs is for minimum 300mb/s and up to a gigabit. It’s pretty good value to me.”

Harrison also noted that many of the calculations that are being used to illustrate how quickly streaming at high resolution can burn through an allotment of data aren’t necessarily correct.

“I’ve seen the math calculations that people have done. If you take 35mb/s, it’s not always 35mb/s because we use compression. There will be sometimes when actually it’s using significantly less data than that, so it’s not correct to multiply 35 mbp/s by the number of seconds that you play.”

Harrison is are aware that Stadia is nevertheless a demanding service and, as a result, it will “give players information about what they’re using and how they can change their resolution if they want to.”

Early adopters will get access to Google Stadia in November 2019 with the Founder’s Edition, which is available for pre-order right now, directly from Google. Everyone else will have to wait until the Base version launches in 2020. When the Base version launches, it will be available as a free option, but people will be able to buy a Stadia controller and then purchase games a la carte to stream from anywhere without any additional fees. For access to streaming at 4K, a growing library of games, and discounts on purchasing them, players will need to pay a monthly fee for Stadia Pro.

Prior to E3, Google held an event revealing key information about Stadia, including details on the subscription service, launch plans, and the games that will be available on the service. You can read all about that in our Google Stadia news roundup.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/google-stadias-data-cap-challenge-will-be-solved-b/1100-6468119/

Get Final Fantasy 7 Remake For $42 Right Now (US Only)

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Amazon currently has a pretty sweet deal going for the hugely anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake. The retailer is offering the title for $42 USD when you apply a coupon that saves you $18. Internet super-sleuth Wario64 spotted the deal, and you can follow the link to see the deal.

You can check the coupon box to apply it, and then you’ll see the savings at checkout.

The deal only applies to the Standard edition of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, not the more expensive Deluxe edition that comes with various other extras. Shipping is free.

It also comes with the Chocobo Chick DLC as a pre-order bonus, if that matters to you.

In other Final Fantasy deals news, the same coupon brings down the price of Final Fantasy XIV: Online Shadowbrings to $27 USD. These deals are valid only on the US Amazon store.

Final Fantasy VII Remake launches on March 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4. For more, you can check out GameSpot’s impressions in the video embedded above.

As for Amazon, the retailer’s annual Prime Day sale kicks off soon. While the official start date is coming up soon, you can already take advantage of some early deals–see them all here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-final-fantasy-7-remake-for-42-right-now-us-onl/1100-6468112/

Battlefield 5’s Next Free Map Is Out Now, And It Might Look Familiar

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It’s a big day for Battlefield V, as the World War II shooter’s next free map has arrived. The map Al Sundan came to Battlefield V today through the Chapter 4: Defying the Odds update.

Al Sundan is set in the North Africa desert, and players may note that it looks familiar. That’s because it is pulled from the single-player mission, Behind Enemy Lines, from the Under No Flag chapter of the campaign.

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Al Sundan is described as a “versatile map” that supports numerous different play-styles. The map features a number of different vehicles and planes, while there are six different capture points. The map contains big, open areas, so DICE advise players to never run in straight lines and use smoke screens to stay hidden.

The map supports two modes–Squad Conquest and Team Deathmatch. However, developer DICE said it encountered some “stability issues” with the map, so “not every game mode intended for Al Sundan” will be available. It’s not immediately clear what other modes might be planned for it, but looking at the servers in-game right now, only Squad Contest and Team Deathmatch are available.

Go to the Battlefield website to learn more about Al Sundan.

Battlefield V’s next free map is Marita, which is set in Greece; it arrives in July. After that is Operation Underground, which takes place in an underground subway system and releases in October. Following that, Battlefield V heads to the Pacific theatre with a new Iwo Jima map later in the year. All post-release DLC maps for Battlefield V are free.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-5s-next-free-map-is-out-now-and-it-mig/1100-6468108/

Fortnite Week 8: Where To Visit 3 Clocks (Season 9 Challenge Guide)

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Fortnite‘s Week 8 challenges are now available, and among them is one that will require a little extra effort. It’s in the free section, so it’s available to all Fortnite players, and it directs everyone to visit three different clocks in exchange for five Battle Stars. If you know the Fortnite island like the back of your hand you may immediately know exactly where to go, but if you need a helping hand, take a look below.

The clocks you need are located in Junk Junction, Happy Hamlet, and Neo Tilted. All you’ve got to do is find and approach them; once you’re close enough, an update to the challenge will be triggered to indicate that you’ve made progress.

The clock in Junk Junction has seen better days but can be found on the bottom left of the area at the foot of the broken tower–somehow it still works. Head to Neo Tilted and, once again, at the southwest of the location you’ll see the large tower with the time digitally projected around the top. Finally, at Happy Hamlet, there’s a nice, rustic clock tower in its center. You can also watch the video above to see us complete the challenge.

Fortnite Clock Locations (Season 9, Week 8)

  • Junk Junction: At the foot of the destroyed clock tower
  • Neo Tilted: Top of the tower with the time projection
  • Happy Hamlet: Clock tower in the middle of the location

With that challenge done, the rest should be breezy work. However, there’s also the ongoing 14 Days of Summer event, which includes unique challenges and, of course, more rewards. The latest challenge asks players to bounce a giant beach ball in different matches, which is easier said than done.

If you still have outstanding challenges from previous weeks, head over to our complete Fornite Season 9 challenge guide, which keeps track of every week and compiles all our handy guides in one place. If there’s a challenge giving you trouble this season, we’ll have a guide for it there.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-week-8-where-to-visit-3-clocks-season-9-c/1100-6468088/

Fortnite Week 8 Clock Location Guide: Where To Visit 3 Of Them (Season 9)

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Fortnite Week 8’s challenges are now available and, among them, is one that will require a little extra effort. It’s in the free section, so available to all Fortnite players, and directs everyone to visit three different clocks in exchange for five Battle Stars. If you know the Fortnite island like the back of your hand you may immediately know exactly where to go, but if you need a helping hand, take a look below.

The clocks you need are located in Junk Junction, Happy Hamlet, and Neo Tilted. All you’ve got to do is find and approach them, once you’re close enough and update to the challenge will be triggered to indicate that you’ve made progress.

The clock in Junk Junction has seen better days but can be found on the bottom left of the area at the foot of the broken tower–somehow it still works. Head to Neo Tilted and, once again, at the southwest of the location, you’ll see the large tower with the time digitally projected around the top. Finally, at Happy Hamlet, there’s a nice, rustic clocktower in its center.

Fortnite Clock Locations (Season 9, Week 8)

  • Junk Junction: At the foot of the destroyed clock tower
  • Neo Tilted: Top of the tower with the time projection
  • Happy Hamlet: Clock tower in the middle of the location

With that challenge done, the rest should be breezy work. However, there’s also the ongoing 14 Days of Summer event, which includes unique challenges and, of course, more rewards. The latest challenge asks players to bounce a giant beach ball in different matches, which is easier said than done.

If you still have outstanding challenges from previous weeks, head over to our complete Fornite Season 9 challenge guide, which keeps track of every week and compiles all our handy guides in one place. If there’s a challenge giving you trouble this season, we’ll have a guide for it there.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-week-8-clock-location-guide-where-to-visi/1100-6468088/

New Pokemon Masters Gameplay And Story Details Revealed

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As promised, The Pokemon Company shared some new details about its brand-new Pokemon smartphone game, Pokemon Masters, during Thursday’s livestream. The game is being developed in collaboration with DeNA, the studio behind Mario Kart Tour and other Nintendo mobile titles, and now we’ve learned a bit more about its story and how its gameplay will work.

Pokemon Masters is set on a new island region called Pasio, where famous trainers from all around the Poke-world are gathering to take part in the Pokemon Masters League tournament. This time around, however, each trainer travels with only one partner Pokemon (known collectively as a Sync Pair). As you make your way around the Pasio region, you’ll be able to team up with other Sync Pairs, then control the entire team in three-on-three battles against AI opponents and collect Gym badges.

In contrast to the mainline Pokemon games, battles in Masters unfold in real time. Your move gauge features two attacks and will gradually fill up over time; once full, you’ll tap on an attack to unleash it. You can also unleash powerful and flashy Sync Moves for more damage. Pokemon aren’t the only ones able to use moves during battle, either. Trainers can also use support moves to heal Pokemon or raise their stats.

Nearly every major character, Gym Leader, and rival from throughout the series appears to be in the game. The Pokemon Company says there will be 65 Sync Pairs at launch–including Cynthia and Garchomp, Iris and Haxorus, and Brendan and Treecko, among many others–with more to come post-release.

Pokemon Masters is launching for iOS and Android devices Summer 2019. The game will be free to download and have optional microtransactions, although The Pokemon Company hasn’t yet elaborated on what those will be. You can rewatch the Pokemon Masters livestream here.

Of course, Pokemon Masters isn’t the only new Pokemon game coming this year. Pokemon Sword and Shield are also launching for Nintendo Switch on November 15. The upcoming Gen 8 titles take players to the brand-new Galar region, where they’ll battle and raise a variety of new and returning Pokemon. Also new in Sword and Shield is Dynamax, a new battle mechanic that can supersize Pokemon for a limited time during battles. The games will be compatible with the upcoming Pokemon Home service, allowing you to bring over your old Pokemon from previous titles; however, you won’t be able to transfer every old Pokemon.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-pokemon-masters-gameplay-and-story-details-rev/1100-6468085/

Pokemon Masters Release Window Revealed–And It’s Soon

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Pokemon Sword and Shield might be launching for Nintendo Switch in November, but there’ll be another new Pokemon game coming before then. Pokemon Masters is a new title coming to iOS and Android, and we now know it will launch in “summer 2019.”

The Pokemon Company shared more about the upcoming game in a recent livestream. The game appears to be a battle-focused, story-driven title in which your Pokemon are pitted against famous trainers from previous games in the series. It will be “free-to-start with purchasable items,” though which items will be purchasable was not elaborated on.

The game takes place in a new region, an island named Pasio. You’ll embark on an adventure in a similar vein to those seen in mainline games, traveling the region to collect gym badges. However, rather than controlling one trainer, you’ll take charge of three trainers, each with their own Pokemon partner. You’ll control these sync pairs in three-on-three battles against AI opponents throughout the story.

Contrary to the turn-based mainline games, Masters’ three-on-three battle system works in real-time using a move gauge that fills up over the course of the battle and is depleted when you fight. In another Pokemon first, trainers also have moves in Masters: “Trainers provide support in battle by using moves that heal Pokemon or raise their stats,” said the game’s producer, Yu Sasaki.

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Masters is being developed DeNA, which previously made Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Miitomo. The Pokemon Company will publish the title, which will come to the App Store and Google Play this summer.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-masters-release-window-revealed-and-its-so/1100-6468086/

Fortnite Week 8 Challenge List: Visit Clocks, Apply Shields, And More (Season 9)

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Another week has elapsed in the world of Fortnite and, sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti, we’ve been blessed with new challenges. We know you’ll be seeking to cure what’s deep inside (the need for Battle Stars that will level up your Battle Pass and unlock new cosmetics) so we’ve put together a quick breakdown of what you’ll need to do to get them.

Fortnite challenges can be tricky, occasionally asking you to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies, but this time, it’s fairly easy stuff–nothing that a hundred men or more would be required to do. However, it’s gonna take some time to do the things you never had (ooh, ooh), but if you take a look below you’ll be able to prioritize and get through it quicker.

In the free section (challenges that anyone playing can do) you’ll need to apply shields, visit a few clocks, and eliminate enemies in Snobby Shores or Mega Mall. That last one might be tricky, so instead of growing restless and longing for some solitary company, try grabbing a few friends and team up to take on opponents.

If you’ve got a Battle Pass you’ll be able to do some exclusive challenges. If you haven’t got one and want to get all the cosmetics this season, it’s worth getting one as you’ll get more challenges and thus more opportunities to get Battle Stars. A Battle Pass can be purchased using V-Bucks from the in-game story–hurry boy she’s waiting there for you.

Battle Pass exclusive challenges will ask you to do damage with assault rifles, visit a few specific locations as part of a multi-stage challenge, use a Volcano Vent, Air Vent, and a Zipline in a single match, and then get eliminations outside of named locations.

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Week 8 Challenges

Free

  • Apply Shields (400) — 5 Battle Stars
  • Visit different Clocks (3) — 5 Battle Stars
  • Eliminate opponents in Snobby Shores or Mega Mall (7) — 10 Battle Stars

Premium

  • Deal damage to opponents with Assault Rifles (200) — 5 Battle Stars Stage 1: Land at Paradise Palms — 1 Battle Star
    • Stage 2: Land at Neo Tilted — 1 Battle Star
    • Stage 3: Land at Mega Mall — 1 Battle Star
    • Stage 4: Land at Pleasant Park — 1 Battle Star
    • Stage 5: Land at Junk Junction — 1 Battle Star
  • Use a Volcano Vent, Air Vent, and a Zipline in a single match — 10 Battle Stars
  • Get eliminations outside of named locations (5) — 10 Battle Stars

If you stop an old man along the way, he’ll no doubt tell you that Fortnite also has a set of additional challenges available as part of the 14 Days of Summer event. These challenges usually involve a themed objective, and we’ve been creating guides for those. The latest asks you to bounce a giant beach ball in different matches, and there’s some shortcuts you can take, so make sure to read the guide before attempting it.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-week-8-challenge-list-visit-clocks-apply-/1100-6468084/

Apex Legends Season 2 Trailers Leak–Here’s Everything New

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Apex Legends Season 2 begins in just a few days, and we already know a fair amount about what’s in store. A new hero named Wattson will debut in Season 2, which will also bring a bunch of balance changes and a revised battle pass. However, thanks to a leak, we now have a few more clues as to what Season 2 will offer.

Considerable map changes are on the way, it appears. Leaked trailers for the new season reveal a number of new buildings and structures, as well as hazards in the form of pterodactyl-like monsters and a bigger dinosaur named the Leviathan. In addition, an EMP blast has seemingly changed the previously barren wastelands area in the east into a thriving area of wildlife and vegetation.

Significantly, there seems to be a glimpse of a new character–not the previously revealed Wattson, but another fighter named Crypto. This hero has been rumored for some time and can be seen in the leaked trailers above.

The Apex Legends YouTube channel will premiere a new trailer in just a few hours, on June 27 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST (that’s 3 AM AET on June 28), so it likely won’t be long until the above videos are officially released. Season 2 is scheduled to begin on July 2.

We awarded Respawn’s battle royale game a 9/10 in our Apex Legends review. Critic Phil Hornshaw wrote: “Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn’s intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it’s an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-season-2-trailers-leak-heres-everythi/1100-6468083/