Month: October 2024

Following Microsoft’s announcement it’s teaming up with Amazon to bring Xbox games to Fire TV devices via cloud streaming, the initiative is now live for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

Getting set up for console-free gaming with Fire TV is relatively straightforward; just download the Xbox app to a compatible device – Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are both supported – then sign in with an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account.

That’ll give you access to Microsoft’s streamable Xbox Game Pass library (a 20 Mbps internet connection over 5GHz Wi-Fi is recommended for play), with the last step being to connect a Bluetooth-enabled controller. The likes of the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, and PlayStation DualSense are all supported.

Newscast: With the death of Keystone, will Xbox give up its streaming console plans forever?

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UPDATE 7/7/24: Nintendo’s transcript of the question is reported accurately below per the company’s own translation, but it appears the company censored the question itself – which specifically related to a Mario cosplayer in Japan accused of sending lewd images to minors – alongside minor changes to others in its recent shareholder Q&A. (Thanks, OatmealDome). The original article follows.

ORIGINAL STORY 5/7/24:
Nintendo has responded to concern over the inappropriate use of its characters online and said it would take “appropriate action” against anything that would make some players “feel uncomfortable”.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was recently questioned by a shareholder who said they had “come across cases on social media where Nintendo IP and games are used inappropriately”. This “inappropriate” use of Nintendo’s characters “poses the risk of damaging” the company’s brand, the question continued – so what was Nintendo planning to do about it?

In response, Furukawa said Nintendo’s management policy was to “bring smiles through entertainment” (but presumably not the kind of smiles generated by “inappropriate” use).

Newscast: With…

October’s Prime Gaming content refresh is here, offering a slew of suitably spooky games this month, including BioShock Remastered, Doom Eternal, Death’s Door, Scorn, DreadOut 2, and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition.
Also up for grabs are Hive Jump 2: Survivors, Scarf, and Tomb Raider: Legend.

Let’s Play Scorn Gameplay – The First 45 Minutes Of Scorn – IT’S ONLY GOOD IF YOU LOVE BUM HOLES.

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October’s PlayStation Plus additions for Premium and Extra subscribers have been revealed, and there’s a bunch of seasonally appropriate spookiness – Dead Island 2 and Dark Pictures: The Devil Within, for starters – alongside the likes of Return to Monkey Island and Gris.

In total, October brings 10 new PlayStation Plus catalogue additions for Premium and Extra members, and there are a further four Premium-exclusive titles – including cult-classic PS2 horror Siren – which combine to look like this:

Dead Island 2 (PS4, P55)
Two Point Campus (PS4, PS5)
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me (PS4, PS5)
Gris (PS4, PS5)
Return to Monkey Island (PS5)
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (PS4, PS5)
Firefighting Simulator The Squad (PS4, PS5)
Overpass 2 (PS5)
Tour de France 2023 (PS4, PS5)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4)
The Last Clockwinder (PS VR2 – Premium only)
Dino Crisis (PS4, PS5 – Premium only)
Siren (PS4, PS5 – Premium only)
R-Type Dimensions EX (PS4 – Premium only)

Let’s Play Dino Crisis – Late to the Party

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Epic Games is now “financially sound” after shedding around 830 staff during last year’s mass layoff, founder Tim Sweeney has said.

Speaking last night during a stage presentation at Unreal Fest, Sweeney briefly acknowledged the job losses as the show opened, before going on to mention last year’s high watermark of engagement with the hugely-lucrative Fortnite, that featured a massively successful throwback “OG” season.

“Last year’s Unreal Fest began with some sad news,” Sweeney said. “The company had to get its finances in order, and we just had some major layoffs. We spent the last year rebuilding and also really executing solidly on all fronts.

Unreal Fest Seattle 2024 | Opening Session

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If you’ve always thought Tekken’s roster was lacking something but couldn’t put your finger (lickin’) on it, Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada knows – it’s Colonel Sanders.
Despite his best efforts, however, Harada hasn’t been able to convince KFC to give the all-clear to include Sanders as a fighter – or, indeed, fashion a Waffle House-inspired fighting stage.

Eurogamer Newscast: When it costs £700, who exactly is the PS5 Pro for?

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Capcom has revealed the PC system requirements for Monster Hunter Wilds, following its release date announcement at last night’s PlayStation State of Play.
The game will require 140GB of storage on an SSD and 16GB of memory. Minimum specs are for a 1080p upscaled resolution at 30fps, while recommended specs are for 60fps.
It’s set for release on 28th February 2025 across PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Monster Hunter Wilds: 4th Trailer | Release Date Reveal

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Blasphemous 2 – developer The Game Kitchen’s acclaimed Souls-like action-platformer sequel – is delving further into the mythology of The Penitent One on 31st October, when its paid Mea Culpa expansion and an accompanying free update arrives for all platforms.

Mea Culpa tells the story of the eponymous lost sword, wielded by The Penitent One in The Game Kitchen’s first Blasphemous game. It promises two new zones featuring “harsh winds”, “towering heights”, and two new bosses. That’s alongside four new quests – in which players piece together their sword – as well as new NPCs, prayers, rosary beads, Argent board figures, and an alternate ending. It also includes a “new (yet familiar) weapon and ability” – no prizes for guessing what’ll be – plus new achievements.

Blasphemous 2’s Mea Culpa expansion launches for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC (via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store) on 31st October. It’ll cost £11.99/€11.99/$11.99 USD, but there’s a 20 percent discount if you pick it up in its first two weeks of release.

Blasphemous 2 | Mea Culpa DLC | Release Date Announcement

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Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has confirmed the release date for the console and mobile version of the game’s 1.6 update.
The console and mobile version of Stardew Valley’s chunky 1.6 update – which introduces the ability for players to drink mayonnaise, among a vast number of other features – is set to arrive on 4th November.

Let’s Play Stardew Valley Multiplayer – BEERS FOR DAYS, MATES. BEERS FOR DAYS!

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Today sees God of War Ragnarök release on PC almost two years after its console launch and it brings a much-requested new option.
Yes, finally players will be able to reduce the frequency of puzzle hints from companions, so talking head Mimir will finally shut up. Check the in-game “Gameplay Settings” tab to enable this feature.
You may remember plenty of discourse around the high frequency of puzzle hints in God of War Ragnarök. Essentially, whenever you arrive at a puzzle NPCs will provide hints to its solution before you’ve barely got your bearings.

God of War Ragnarök – Launch Trailer | PC Games

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