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Apple Sets Next Reveal Event For March 25, Might Confirm Streaming Service

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Apple has set a date for its next big reveal event, and this one might be a bit different.

The company has sent out invitations for a March 25 event in San Francisco with the intriguing tagline, “It’s show time.” An accompanying graphic shows the “4… 3… 2…” countdown that is traditionally shown before the start of films and TV shows.

Apple is rumoured to be launching a video streaming service to potentially rival Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others. As GameSpot sister site CNET points out, Apple has in recent months inked content deals for new projects from M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah.

We’ll report back with all the big news from Apple’s March 25 event as it unfolds. One of the next big new streaming services in the works is Disney+, which is slated to arrive last this year.

GameSpot’s parent company, CBS, recently launched its own streaming service in CBS All-Access. The next original show for CBS All-Access is the new Twilight Zone, which comes to the service on April 1.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sets-next-reveal-event-for-march-25-might-co/1100-6465504/

New Ni No Kuni 2 DLC Trailer Introduces Nightmarish Foes And An Arena Mode

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Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for the Tale of a Timeless Tome DLC for Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. The DLC is scheduled to release on March 19, and the new trailer details what the expansion will add to the game. The trailer can be watched below.

Tale of a Timeless Tome adds a new character to Ni no Kuni II: a mysterious rabbit who’s wearing a suit. According to the trailer, protagonist Evan and his allies encounter this new character in “a curious place where people’s memories mix and mingle.” The trailer gives off a fantastical Alice in Wonderland vibe, before taking a darker turn and introducing The Nightmares, which are the enemies threatening to destroy this charming world.

To fight this threat, Evan gains access to several new magical abilities that he learns through The Wizard’s Companion. The trailer also showcases him relying on Pikman-like creatures in combat, a new method of fighting called spritecraft that Evan learns through Martha’s Methods. The Nightmares aren’t the only new threat Evan encounters either, as the trailer also showcases an arena called Solosseum Slog where the young king and his allies must battle through waves of challenging enemies.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is available for PS4 and PC, and Tale of a Timeless Tome is coming to both systems. Tale of a Timeless Tome is the second and final piece of content included in the Season Pass for Ni no Kuni II. The first piece of content, titled The Lair of the Lost Lord, came out in December 2018. Like Tale of a Timeless Tome, The Lair of the Lost Lord introduced a brand-new world into Ni no Kuni II, and also continued the game’s story, added more items, and implemented additional combat mechanics.

In our Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom review, Peter Brown gave the game an 8/10, writing, “Ni No Kuni 2 is a robust game that offers ample ways to spend your time, and even if they aren’t all up to the same level of quality, it’s easy to appreciate how they collectively contribute to the bigger picture. It’s chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t let this one pass you by too.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-ni-no-kuni-2-dlc-trailer-introduces-nightmaris/1100-6465503/

New Fallout 76 Expansion Delayed, But Not For Very Long

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Bethesda has announced the first piece of its three-part 2019 roadmap for Fallout 76 is delayed. Don’t worry, though, it’s only been delayed by a day.

“We are moving the release of Wild Appalachia back one day on all platforms,” Bethesda tweeted. “We just need a little more time to brew. Experience the new quest, crafting station & much more starting now on March 13.” Wild Appalachia was first announced on Fallout 76’s 100 day anniversary, alongside the game’s two other major follow-up expansions for 2019, Nuclear Winter and Wastelanders.

Wild Appalachia includes two new quests and a game mode, as well as several features. The two quests, titled Shear Terror and Ever Upwards, offer new stories for you to pursue, with the former focusing on mythical monsters and the latter having you join the Pioneer Scouts and earning merit badges. The new game mode, called Survival, is a PvP variation of Fallout 76’s Adventure mode. Of all the new features, brewing and distilling your own Nukashine recipes is the most notable, but the expansion also includes a means for exchanging unwanted legendary gear for new legendaries and setting up your own store for you to sell items to other players.

Fallout 76’s two other 2019 expansions are scheduled for much later in the year, with Nuclear Winter launching in the summer and Wastelanders in the fall. Nuclear Winter unlocks a new Legendary status and abilities for players who are level 50, and opens up Vaults 94 and 96 as challenging Raids for you to tackle with your friends. Wastelanders introduces “a tale with true choice and consequences” that includes a new main quest, factions, events, and features.

In our Fallout 76 review, Edmond Tran wrote, “Bethesda has stated it intends to continue supporting the game for a long time, but at launch, Fallout 76 is a poor experience. There are echoes of the series’ admirable qualities, but look past that facade, past the cute Vault Boy animations, past the familiar radio tracks, and you’ll find no heart–just an inconsequential wasteland doomed to be nuked over and over again.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-fallout-76-expansion-delayed-but-not-for-very-/1100-6465501/

Call Of Duty WW2 Boss Says He Pitched Activision A New IP And They Said No

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A former Activision creative higher-up pitched the company on a new IP, but the Call of Duty publisher didn’t go for it. Glen Schofield, the Dead Space co-creator who later established Call of Duty: WWII studio Sledgehammer Games, spoke about this in a new interview for what appears to be the first time.

“Did a little prototype for them–they didn’t go for it, but they should have,” Schofield told Game Informer.

Schofield pitched this new game–which he didn’t share any more details on–after he left Sledgehammer to take a position at Activision HQ. Sledgehammer’s other founder, Michael Condrey, moved to Activision corporate as well. Schofield teased that Condrey was working on “something” for Activision, while he was spending his own time working on “new game ideas.”

Schofield didn’t say why Activision vetoed his new game idea, and we’ve reached out to the company for comment but haven’t heard back. Whatever the case, Schofield talked about how making new IP is a challenging task. Activision Publishing, which is a part of Activision Blizzard, publishes franchises like Call of Duty, Spyro, and Crash. One of its highest profile new IPs was Bungie’s Destiny, which it published until the companies broke up but never owned outright as Bungie always held the IP rights.

With new IP, companies basically start from the bottom, with the the likelihood of strong return-on-investment potential seemingly not as high as it would be for an established series.

“It’s hard to get a great new IP going, and you’ve got to put time and money and effort into these things,” Schofield said. “We put time and effort into it, and some money, and it just didn’t work out.”

Schofield announced in December 2018 that he was leaving Activision. He left the company with no new job lined up, and that’s something he never thought he’d do. But with Activision not greenlighting his new IP, he said it was the right time to try something new.

“Not seeing the project greenlit–it was time [to leave Activision],” Schofield said. “There’s nothing bitter; everything about my years there were really good. I really enjoyed them. I never thought that [I’d] leave a place without a gig, right? I never thought about that. But nowadays I see why.”

Schofield is now taking meetings for new jobs, and he said he plans to do more networking at the Game Developers Conference later this month in San Francisco. As for Condrey, he landed a high-profile job heading up a new 2K development studio in Silicon Valley.

It’s been tough times at Activision Blizzard of late, as the company recently cut around 8 percent of its workforce in a downsizing that reportedly affected around 800 people.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-ww2-boss-says-he-pitched-activision-a/1100-6465500/

Nintendo Switch’s Next Splatoon 2 Event Has A Neat Gimmick

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Nintendo is holding a new Splatfest event in Splatoon 2 this weekend. The 24-hour competition kicks off on Friday, March 15 at 9 PM PT (12 AM ET on March 16), and as usual, it asks players to represent one of two opposing teams in Turf War. This time, however, you’ll be able to face off in special outfits.

The theme for this month’s Splatfest is knights vs. wizards. As always, players will choose one of the two sides from the Splatfest terminal in the game’s main plaza and try to rack up as many wins for their team as possible during the event. However, unlike previous events, you’ll be able to dress like your team of choice if you have the appropriate gear.

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During each Splatfest, once you’ve chosen a side you’ll receive a special in-game t-shirt representing your team. You’re able to equip any headgear or footwear you own during the event, but you typically cannot change your t-shirt until the Splatfest has concluded.

This time, however, if you wear headgear and boots from the Steel or Enchanted lines–which are unlocked via the Octoling Boy and Octoling Girl Amiibo figures, respectively–your Splatfest shirt will automatically change to match, letting you battle it out in full knight or wizard regalia.

Ahead of the Splatfest, Nintendo recently rolled out Splatoon 2’s 4.5.0 update. This patch primarily makes balance adjustments to a range of weapons, most notably nerfing several Sloshers and buffing a handful of Blasters. You can read the full patch notes for the 4.5.0 update on Nintendo’s support website.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switchs-next-splatoon-2-event-has-a-neat-/1100-6465497/

Remedy’s Upcoming Supernatural Thriller, Control, Is Scheduled For This Summer

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Control, an upcoming game by developer Remedy, is scheduled to come out this year, more specifically this summer. The tease was included in an interview for the cover story in the most recent issue of Game Informer magazine, with the rest of the article detailing the abilities that Control’s protagonist has at her disposal.

In Control, you play as Jesse Faden, a woman with supernatural abilities. At the game’s start, Jesse breaks into the Federal Bureau of Control–a fictional government agency that researches ways to explain and exploit paranormal phenomenon–in order to discover the truth about the origin of her powers. Her infiltration, however, runs into a snag, and she’s suddenly thrust into a fight to protect the Bureau as its new director.

Gameplay wise, it looks as if you’ll have plenty of tools at your disposal in Control. Jesse’s powerful supernatural abilities allow her to wield telekinesis to rip apart the environment, or lift herself up and fly through the air. She can also seize the minds of others, bending them to her will and forcing them to fight alongside her. Defensively, Jesse can use her powers to create a forcefield in front of her or instantly propel herself in any direction to dodge out of the way. When powers aren’t enough, Jesse also has access to a powerful firearm that can be upgraded in a variety of ways, giving it new forms that allow it to fire different types of bullets.

Control is one of our most anticipated games of 2019, seemingly blending together the best aspects of Remedy’s previous titles, Alan Wake and Quantum Break. Game director Mikael Kasurinen compared the atmosphere of Control to the 2018 movie Annihilation, while Remedy creative director Sam Lake loves that Control gives him the freedom to be weird again.

Control is currently scheduled for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/remedys-upcoming-supernatural-thriller-control-is-/1100-6465498/

The Entire Devil May Cry Anime Series Is Now Free On PSN (US)

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Whether you’re already deep into Devil May Cry 5, which just released on March 8, or haven’t had a chance to pick up the latest game, you may find this news exciting: Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is currently available for free from the PlayStation Store.

If you’re thinking, I didn’t even know Devil May Cry had an anime, here’s a quick catch-up: The DMC anime released in Japan in 2007 and consists of 12 episodes. Set between the events of Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2, the anime follows devil hunter Dante, who’s running his business and taking odd jobs while struggling with crippling debt. The show also introduces two regular characters: J.D. Morrison, Dante’s agent who brings him job requests, and Patty Lowell, an orphan girl Dante rescues who becomes like a daughter to him. Morrison makes his first appearance in the video game series with Devil May Cry 5, so you’ll have to watch the anime to understand his full backstory with Dante.

How to watch Devil May Cry: The Animated Series on PSN

The DMC anime is available to purchase and watch for free in the PlayStation store right now, but you can only access it through your PS4, rather than the web store. The deal also appears to be limited to the North American store (although some people on Reddit have commented that it’s not free for them in Canada).

To access the series, head to the PlayStation Store on your PS4 and search “Devil May Cry.” The anime should pop up alongside the games. If you’re not seeing it there, try searching under Movies and TV -> TV Genres -> Anime, and then sort A to Z to find Devil May Cry. Normally, the series is $25 to purchase, and it’s unclear how long it’ll be listed as free, so don’t wait long if you’re interested in watching.

While Devil May Cry is on your mind, read our Devil May Cry 5 review, and pick up the new game if you’re ready to bash some demons.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-entire-devil-may-cry-anime-series-is-now-free-/1100-6465495/

Fortnite Update 8.10 Downtime Set For Tomorrow

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Like clockwork, Epic is rolling out another update for Fortnite. The developer has confirmed the game’s 8.10 patch will drop on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices on Tuesday, March 12, with downtime set to begin at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 9 AM GMT.

As usual, Epic hasn’t detailed what’s coming in this week’s update, although we did get a look at a new vehicle on the way to the game: the Baller. The vehicle was recently spotted in Fortnite’s in-game News feed and bears a strong resemblance to a hamster ball, with what looks like a Grappler mounted to the front.

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Beyond that, details about the Baller are scarce at the moment, but its description teases that players will be able to use it to “roll through the competition.” What makes the Baller particular notable, however, is that it marks the first new vehicle to arrive in Season 8.

While Epic rolls out new weapons on a near-weekly basis, vehicles are a much more infrequent addition to the game, and they’re typically not around for very long; the Stormwing plane, for instance, arrived at the start of Season 7 but has since been vaulted. The long-delayed Driftboards are still available, however, although it’s not yet clear if they’ll likewise be vaulted soon.

Epic will share the full patch notes for Fortnite’s 8.10 update on March 12, and a new set of weekly challenges is expected to arrive on March 14. In the meantime, you can find tips for the tasks that are already available in our complete Season 8 challenges guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-update-810-downtime-set-for-tomorrow/1100-6465493/

New Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Trailer Sees The Wolf Take On Monstrous Creatures

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A new trailer for From Software’s upcoming game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, has been released. The video showcases more of the abilities the protagonist, The Wolf, will have at his disposal, as well as the fierce enemies and bosses he’ll encounter. You can watch it above.

The trailer begins with The Wolf facing off against a massive bull-like creature–its horns are a log tied to its head, and both ends are on fire. The bull crashes through and destroys every bit of the environment in its path, but just before it can crush The Wolf, his prey transforms into feathers swirling within a cloud of shadow and teleports out of the way. From there, the hunter becomes the hunted.

The rest of the trailer depicts The Wolf’s ongoing battle with the more human enemies found in Sekiro, and the shinobi takes them on with a mixture of stealth kills and acrobatic counters. The video also showcases some of the environments in the game, such as dilapidated fortresses and icy mountains. The trailer ends with an amazing sequence as The Wolf battles against a yeti-like creature, only to finally wear the beast down and decapitate it. Sekiro may not be another Dark Souls or Bloodborne, but From Software’s new game is certainly going to be just as bloody and violent as the developer’s previous titles.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice may be From Software’s most punishing take on death ever, with some of the most brutal dying mechanics the Dark Souls developer has ever made. That said, in Sekiro, unlike From Software’s Soulsborne games, death is both an enemy and an ally. That’s not the only difference, though. Unlike the protagonists of From Software’s Soulsborne games, Sekiro’s The Wolf will actually have a voice, allowing his story to be more of a Japanese drama. Bosses and minibosses are also quite different, with many needing strategies other than slashing and dodging to beat them. Sekiro’s world–including the hub–is also a series of connected areas, so you won’t need to fast travel to reach every part of the game. The game doesn’t support multiplayer either, but as a result From Software is able to include a pause function in the upcoming title.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 22. The required PC specs for the game are actually quite low, so you won’t need a high-end machine to run it. There are two editions of the game, both of which are available for pre-order.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-sekiro-shadows-die-twice-trailer-sees-the-wolf/1100-6465492/

Fortnite Dance Lawsuits Dropped–For Now

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Epic has been the target of numerous lawsuits recently over its massively popular battle royale game, Fortnite. Last year, Backpack Kid, rapper 2 Milly, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro all filed suits against the company alleging it stole their signature dance moves for the game’s emotes, and now all three plaintiffs have dropped their claims–at least, temporarily.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ribeiro has dropped his suit against Epic after the US Supreme Court unanimously decided that a person cannot file a copyright infringement claim until the US Copyright Office has granted or rejected a copyright application.

Ribeiro attempted to copyright his famous Carlton dance after first bringing a suit against Epic back in December. However, the US Copyright Office declined to grant him one back in February because it was “a simple routine that is not registrable as a choreographic work.”

2 Milly, Backpack Kid, and “Orange Shirt Kid” all likewise dropped their suits against the company, although these dismals were similarly for “procedural” reasons. Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht, the firm that represents the plaintiffs, told THR, “We will continue to vigorously fight for our clients’ rights against those who wrongly take their creations without permission and without compensation.”

Last month, Epic released a memorandum seeking to dismiss at least 2 Milly’s lawsuit on the grounds that “no one can own a dance step.” Epic’s letter stated, “Copyright law is clear that individual dance steps and simple dance routines are not protected by copyright.”

Despite its ongoing litigation, Epic hasn’t slowed down its content updates for Fortnite. The developer recently released the game’s 8.01 update, which introduced new Buried Treasure maps, and it appears a strange new type of vehicle is coming to the game this week.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-dance-lawsuits-dropped-for-now/1100-6465488/