Tag: gaming

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Nvidia announces 4K streaming on PC and Mac, plus 10 new GeForce Now titles

Nvidia is announcing that 4K resolution streaming is now available through GeForce Now on PC and Mac native apps. In addition, 10 new games, including many that are Star Wars-focused, are available to play now.

As part of the announcement, RTX 3080 members can begin playing from the native GeForce Now apps on PC and Mac at 4K 60 frames per second (FPS). Nvidia’s 4K streaming uses Nvidia DLSS, its groundbreaking AI rendering technology that increases graphics performance. RTX 3080 members can also take advantage of ultra-low latency while playing.

Nvidia also announces that GeForce Now is supporting more 120Hz devices. This means that more devices will be able to stream at 120FPS. RTX 3080 members can now utilize the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip3, and OnePlus 9 Pro to play with higher frames.

While a few days late, Nvidia is getting into the Star Wars spirit by supporting three new Star Wars games from EA. Star Wars Battlefront II, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars: Squadrons are all available to play now.

Plus, seven other titles are available to play, kicking off the month of May. The full list includes:

  • Bakery Simulator (New release on Steam)
  • Oaken (New release on Steam)
  • Dinosaur Fossil Hunter (New release on Steam)
  • Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store)
  • Trek to Yomi (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store)
  • Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit (New release on Steam, May 6)
  • Frozenheim (Steam)
  • Star Wars Battlefront II (Steam and Origin)
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Steam and Origin)
  • Star Wars: Squadrons (Steam and Origin)

Over the course of May, a total of 27 new titles will be available to play. Nvidia has already announced what players can look forward to. The May roster includes:

  • Brigandine The Legend of Runersia (New release on Steam, May 11)
  • Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars (New release on Steam, May 11)
  • Cepheus Protocol Anthology (New release on Steam, May 13)
  • Evil Dead: The Game (New release on Epic Games Store, May 13)
  • Old World (New release on Steam, May 19)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade Swansong (New release on Epic Games Store, May 19)
  • Crossfire: Legion (New release on Steam, May 24)
  • Out There: Oceans of Time (New release on Steam, May 26)
  • My Time at Sandrock (New release on Steam, May 26)
  • Turbo Sloths (New release on Steam, May 27)
  • Pogostuck: Rage With Your Friends (Steam)
  • Raji: An Ancient Epic (Steam and Epic Games Store)
  • Star Conflict (Steam)
  • THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV (Steam and Epic Games Store)
  • The Planet Crafter (Steam)
  • The Political Machine 2020 (Steam)
  • Yet Another Zombie Defense HD (Steam)

GeForce Now is Nvidia’s cloud gaming service. Nvidia offers three membership options including a free membership, granting hourly limits per session. The paid membership grant priority access without session limits for $12.99/month or $64.99 for six months. A premium tier for RTX 3080 members provides the new aforementioned perks. This subscription is available for $24.99/month or $129.99 for six months.

Image credit: Electronic Arts

Source: Nvidia

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343 Industries responds to Halo Infinite Season 2’s rough launch

If you’ve been following Halo Infinite for the last few months, you likely won’t be surprised to hear that Season 2 Lone Wolves is not off to a great start.

The second season of the game’s multiplayer mode is plagued with several issues, including the removal of skill jumps/slides, connectivity, overly specific challenges and the strangest of all, a weapon jamming glitch.

Yes, you read that correctly, the latest update to Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode actually causes some weapons to intermittently lock.

Thankfully, it seems 343 Industries is listening to the title’s often not very forgiving fan base. John Junyszek, Halo Infinite senior community manager and Joseph Staten, the game’s head of creative, recently took to Twitter to discuss players’ concerns.

Hopefully, an update is released shortly that restores at least some of the title’s skill jumps but more importantly, fixes the game’s gun jamming issue. As a frequently Halo Infinite player, I can confirm that the jamming glitch is quite common and often appears at the most inopportune times (I actually thought my controller was broken at first). It seems there’s a possibility that the problem could be tied to a new trigger dead zone setting added in the season 2 update.

Though it suffers from a myriad of issues, Season 2 also offers several new game modes, including the return of ‘King of the Hill,’ and the surprisingly great ‘Last Spartan Standing,’ which has convinced me that maybe some variant of a battle royale mode could work in Infinite.

Other updates include new maps ‘Catalyst’ and ‘Breaker’ and a 100-tier battle pass with additional armour and cosmetic unlocks. Microsoft Office’s ‘Clippy’ also makes a surprise appearance.

Image credit: 343 Industires 

Source: @joestaten, @Unyshek, Reddit ‘Mother-chocolate-505’

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A gold-plated Nintendo Wii originally designed for the Queen is for sale

If you’ve ever wanted to own a gold-plated Nintendo Wii initially designed for Queen Elizabeth the II, now is your chance.

No? That’s not something you’ve ever considered? What if I pitch it to you as a physical NFT or an investment in your financial future?

According to Kotaku, Dutch video game collector Consolevariations — who also goes by Don/Donny — is selling 24-karat gold-plated Wii.

The unique console was created back in 2009 by bankrupt video game development studio THQ as a gift for Queen Elizabeth the II. Unfortunately, the gold-plated Wii never made it into the monarch’s hands because Buckingham Palace has a strict policy surrounding gifts (which is surprising if you’ve watched Netflix’s The Crown). A collector then got the Wii from a contact at THQ, who sold the console to Don.

Bidding currently sits at $2,000 USD (roughly $2,568 CAD) but is expected to climb significantly higher. It’s worth noting that Don tried to sell the golden Wii on eBay back in 2021 for $300,000 (about $386,000 CAD). However, the console was removed from the platform because eBay flags listings for items from accounts well outside their usual price range. The current auction is set to close on May 21st.

Gold Wii

If you’re interested in the very baller-looking Wii, it’s important to note that it’s not in mint condition, with the listing stating that it suffers from “scattered” gold chipping.” However, it does include a copy of Big Family Games, a game that I’ve never heard of and is likely an awful Wii Sports clone.

Though it’s unlikely this gold-plated Wii will sell for $300,000 USD, it’ll likely still net a significant amount of cash, especially when a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for $2 million USD (roughly $2.58 million CAD) a few months ago.

Image credit: Consolevariations

Source: Consolevariations Via: Kotaku 

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Canadian streamer xQc’s father calls him on stream to discuss his gambling debt

Canadian Twitch streamer xQc has admitted to losing $1.8 million USD (roughly $2.3 million CAD) to gambling last month. After he admitted the substantial loss of money, his father called him during a stream to ask if he was okay and show that he was worried about his son’s gambling problem.

The Quebecois streamer Félix Lengyel (xQc) appeared on a podcast on May 1st with another famous Canadian streamer, Pokimane. In the podcast, Lengyel explains that he gambles a lot saying that it’s “it’s fun, I can afford it, I can afford doing it.” xQc then expressed that he doesn’t only gamble when he’s on stream, but does it all the time, even when he’s not streaming and admits to being “addicted.”

On May 2nd after hearing about the news, xQc’s father called him during a live stream.

“Stop, stop. Nah, yeah, I lost some money yesterday,” answered xQc. “What about it?”

His dad responded, “You’re my little boy!”

“Dad, stop reading f******* clickbait articles, man,” the streamer interrupted. “I lose money sometimes. It happens. What’s up?”

His father then switches to French. My French is pretty rusty, but I’m pretty sure he says to not talk to him like that, and then asks Lengyel if he’s alright?

Afterwards, it gets a bit confusing and asks “between 1 to 5?” and xQc replies 110. His dad then says that he should speak to him in French.

Next, xQc’s dad says “and I don’t have to worry?” and the phone call ends shortly afterwards.

The 26-year-old streamer started his career with Overwatch and is now one of the biggest streamers on Twitch. He claims to have more than two million dollars in bitcoin and has an assumed net worth of $9 million USD (roughly $11.5 million CAD), according to Sportskeeda.

While losing $2 million is obviously a huge hit, it seems the Canadian streamer has a few more million to lose.

Via: Kotaku

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You can now play Fortnite on your iOS device through Xbox Cloud Gaming

After finding a way to come back to iOS and iPadOS via Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud streaming service, iPad and iPhone Fortnite gamers will be pleased to know that Xbox is offering Fortnite for free as part of its Xbox Cloud Gaming service.

Starting today, anyone with a Microsoft account and an iOS or Android device, in addition to PCs can access Fortnite directly from Xbox Cloud Gaming without any installation or membership needed. All you need is a device with a browser and you’ll be able to access Fortnite through the cloud service.

Additionally, since the game is available on all supported platforms, you can play Fortnite with your desired controls, including touch, controller or mouse and keyboard.

While the streamed version via Xbox Cloud won’t be as smooth and responsive as an in-device app, it’s still better than nothing for those longing to play Fortnite on their iPhones and iPad again. Further, Xbox says that it is looking to add more free-to-play titles to its cloud service, but it didn’t mention which games it is targeting.

Learn about how to access Fortnite through Xbox Cloud Gaming here.

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Xbox

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Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest is scheduled for June 9

Canadian video game personality and event organizer Geoff Keighley’s ‘Summer Game Fest‘ is scheduled for June 9th at 2pm ET/11am PT.

Though the event has already overshadowed the now-cancelled Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in some ways for the past few years, Summer Game Fest is now poised to act as a replacement for E3 in some ways. The “live cross-industry showcase” is expected to feature several notable game reveals, and is once again tied to a separate ‘Day of the Devs’ indie game-focused event.

In a recent tweet, Keighley confirmed that both the Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards will stream at select IMAX theatres in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

Summer Game Fest won’t be the only gaming event in June. Microsoft recently announced its Xbox and Bethesda Showcase is set for June 12th at 1pm ET/10am PT.

Image credit: Summer Game Fest

Source: @geoffkeighley

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New York City sues Activision Blizzard, targets CEO amid workplace scandals

New York City officials have sued Activision Blizzard over its agreement to be sold to Microsoft.

The suit, filed by New York City Employees’ Retirement System, argues that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick rushed to secure Microsoft’s takeover bid in an effort to cover up controversies at his company.

Specifically, a California lawsuit from July 2022 alleged that Activision Blizzard fostered a “frat boy culture” in which employees, particularly women, faced harassment and other forms of abuse. More controversy surfaced in November when The Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick not only knew about these incidents, but worked to cover them up, including by threatening to kill an assistant. Microsoft ultimately announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard two months later.

“Given Kotick’s personal responsibility and liability for Activision’s broken workplace, it should have been clear to the Board that he was unfit to negotiate a sale of the Company,” the suit says. “But it wasn’t.”

The New York plaintiffs, who own stock in Activision Blizzard, added that the deal provides “Kotick and his fellow directors [with] a means to escape liability for their egregious breaches of fiduciary duty.” Microsoft’s $95/share deal, they claim, undervalues Activision Blizzard, which was trading at close to that price prior to the California lawsuit.

As part of their suit, the New York plaintiffs are demanding access to various Activision Blizzard documents, including those pertaining to the takeover and the five other potential buyers that the company had mentioned in previous filings.

For now, though, the Microsoft takeover must go through regulatory approval in multiple countries, including the U.S. and China. Activision Blizzard shareholders have voted to approve the deal, but Wall Street remains skeptical it will go through.

It’s also unclear what will happen with Kotick himself. While he’s been expected to leave once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finalized, a recent report indicates that Microsoft hasn’t actually discussed his future. If the deal is approved, Kotick could make as much as $530 million USD (about $676.7 million CAD).

The full New York suit can be found here.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Via: Axios

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Ubisoft Montreal announces it is taking over the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake

After numerous delays and uncertainty regarding its status, Ubisoft Montreal is taking over the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.

In a tweet, the official Prince of Persia Twitter account provided an update on the development of the game. The post announces that the “development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will now be led by Ubisoft Montreal.”

“This decision is an important step and the team, building upon the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, will now take the time they need to regroup on the scope of the game to deliver the best experience for this remake of an all-time classic, when it’s ready,” the post states.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake was first revealed by Ubisoft in September 2020. The first look of the game was met with criticisms over the state of the game’s visuals. While being positioned as an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 title, the game still looked in a rather rough shape.

The game was first slated to launch on January 21st, 2021. However, Ubisoft chose to delay the title by two months to March as a result of the pandemic. In October 2021, the team provided an update that development was still underway. However, Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune remained unclear when the game would be in a polished state in yet another update in February.

Development for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is coming full circle. The original title was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and launched in 2003. The game sold well over 14 million copies worldwide. It also serves as a jumping-off point for a new series of titles. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones follow the original. However, Sands of Time is widely considered the best entry in the franchise.

The Prince of Persia series has been absent for some time, with Prince of Persia: Escape, an endless running for mobile, being the latest entry.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake does not have a release window currently.

“We will update you on the progress in a future update,” said the dev team in a statement.

Image credit: Ubisoft

Source: @princeofpersia

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GameStop’s ‘Bloomin’ Good Fun’ sale offers up to 60 percent throughout May

GameStop Canada has announced a ‘Bloomin’ Good Fun’ sale that will offer up to 60 percent off various games and accessories.

Set to run from May 6th to 22nd, the promotion will feature such deals as:

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch) — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
  • Battlefield 2042 (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) — $34.99 (regularly $64.99)
  • Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) — $49.99 (regularly $69.99)
  • GRID Legends (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) — $49.99 (regularly $79.99)
  • 13 Sentinels (Nintendo Switch) — $59.99 (regularly $79.99)
  • Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) — $69.99 (regularly $89.99)
  • WWE 2K22 (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) — $69.99 (regularly $89.99)

The PlayStation 4/Xbox One versions of many of these games are also on sale. Keep in mind, though, that individual deals may end earlier than others, so be sure to check the flyer for specific dates.

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New Apple Arcade arrivals for May include Goat Simulator and Warped Kart Racers

A shortlist of new games has been announced for Apple Arcade in May. Throughout the month, four additional titles are due to hit Apple’s gaming service.

The new list of games set for Apple Arcade includes Warped Kart Racers. This kart racer pits iconic characters from 20th Television animated series like Family Guy, American Dad, Solar Opposites, and King of the Hill. There are clear inspirations from Mario Kart and other racers alike.

This title is likely most notable as it features characters like Peter Griffin, Hank Hill, and more. Players have access to solo and multiplayer races across 16 various maps, all inspired by the fan-beloved series. Warped Kart Racers launches on Apple Arcade on May 20th.

Additional games in the lineup include BadLand Party an atmospheric platformer with multiplayer components. This title arrives on Apple Arcade on May 6th.

The cult classic Goat Simulator+ is also arriving on Apple Arcade on May 13th. Developed by Coffee Stain Publishing, players navigate open maps as a goat, completing puzzles and causing destruction along the way. Although the game has a ton of bugs, they add to the hilarious and absurd nature of the game. It’s now a cult hit on consoles and PC.

Finally, Pro Darts 2022+ debuts at the end of the month on May 27th. This title features traditional darts gameplay across a variety of 3D environments. It allows for custom matches with friends and league play as well.

Apple Arcade continuously adds new titles to its service. Most recently, Noodlecake Studios launched Moonshot – A Journey Home.

Apple Arcade is available in Canada for $5.99/month.

Image credit: Coffee Stain Publishing

Via: The Verge