Tag: gaming

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Toronto-made The Big Con gets ‘Grift of the Year Edition’ on Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC

Toronto-based indie developer Mighty Yell has announced that its acclaimed 2021 ’90s-set adventure game, The Big Con, is getting a special Grift of the Year Edition this summer.

A play on the “Game of the Year Editions” that are often released for games, The Big Con: Grift of the Year Edition adds a new “Rad Ghost mini-game” and bonus quests and collectibles.

The Big Con follows a spunky teenager named Ali as she travels across the U.S. to steal enough money to pay off loan sharks and save her mother’s business. The Skybound Games-published title originally launched on Xbox and PC, and those who own the game on those platforms will receive the Grift of the Year Edition update for free. Meanwhile, Switch owners can experience the updated version of the game by default upon launch.

Notably, The Big Con was one of eight games to be selected in last year’s inaugural Tribeca Games Spotlight, and the only Canadian title of the bunch.

For more on The Big Con, check out our review and interview with writer-director Dave Proctor.

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Meta exec accused of pressuring paper to kill reporting about Activision CEO

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg used her power to bury two stories about then-boyfriend Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Sandberg, who dated Kotick from 2016 to 2019, is accused of pressuring the digital edition of U.K. tabloid The Daily Mail in both 2016 and 2019 to stop reporting on a restraining order filed against him by an ex-girlfriend. The WSJ reports that Kotick had said behind the scenes that Sandberg threatened The Daily Mail, stating that publishing this report could damage the outlet’s relationship with Facebook.

Speaking to The WSJ, Kotick denied that he said this, while Meta told the publication that Sandberg “never threatened the MailOnline’s business relationship with Facebook in order to influence an editorial decision.”

In any event, The Daily Mail story did not run either in 2016 or 2019, and Facebook now says it’s investigating whether Sandberg’s actions violated company policy. In 2012, Sandberg was the first woman to join Facebook’s board, and she’s since become renowned for her advocacy for women’s rights in the workplace. It’s for this reason — so as to not tarnish this reputation — that Sandberg and Kotick reportedly wanted to kill the Daily Mail piece.

It should also be noted that Sandberg’s leadership role at Facebook has put her at the front of major controversies surrounding the platform’s handling of privacy and fake news, especially following the 2016 U.S. Presidental Election.

Kotick, meanwhile, has had the opposite reputation of Sandberg when it comes to women. Last summer, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging that the company fostered a “frat boy” culture in which employees, particularly women, faced sexual harassment and discrimination.

Months later, The WSJ reported that Kotick not only knew about these incidents but actively worked to cover some of them up. He is even said to have sent a voicemail to an assistant threatening to kill her if she didn’t stay quiet. Many in the gaming industry, including current and former Activision Blizzard employees, have since called for Kotick to step down.

Kotick has denied the specific allegations made against him but claimed he’s committed to staying at the company to improve its work culture. While he’s expected to leave once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finalized, a recent report indicates that Microsoft hasn’t actually discussed his future.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, will happen with both Sandberg and Kotick at their respective companies.

Image credit: Flickr — Dan Farber

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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Moonglow Bay is more relaxing then Animal Crossing and Canadian

Moonglow Bay is a chill/cozy game that’s great for a refreshing break from darker more intense action games like Call of Duty or Elden Ring. 

The game was even developed in part by Canadians and takes place in Canada! If you want to learn more about the game you can read our full feature interview with the developers of the game and watch the full review video below.

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Sony now lets you update the PS5’s DualSense controller on PC

Sony has released a Windows app that allows PC users to update the PS5’s DualSense controller.

The app, titled “Firmware updater for DualSense wireless controller,” can be downloaded from PlayStation’s website.

Until now, you needed a PS5 to update the DualSense, which didn’t exactly help those looking to use the gamepad on PC, where it’s been compatible since the PS5 launched in 2020. As is the case on PS5, users will need to connect the DualSense to their PC with a USB cable to complete the update.

It makes sense that PlayStation is streamlining the process on PC. Over the past couple of years, the company has been investing more heavily in the platform through such PlayStation console game ports as Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Days Gone and Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection. PlayStation Now, the company’s game streaming service, is also available on PC.

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Sony is reportedly planning to introduce ads in free-to-play PlayStation games

Sony is reportedly planning to bring ads to PlayStation games, according to a new Business Insider report. Sony is reportedly planning to make this move to incentivize developers to continue developing free-to-play titles for its consoles by allowing further monetization.

Additionally, the report indicates that Sony hasn’t yet decided whether it will take a cut of this ad revenue or if the company will charge partners for access to data regarding consumer behaviour in PlayStation games.

Sony currently only tests software that allows developers to create in-game ads.

“The goal is for the ads to appear like they’re part of the game, like digital billboards in sports stadiums,” the report claims. “Formats could include ads that give viewers rewards for watching ads and promotions for in-game items like avatar skins.”

A recent report indicates that Microsoft is also looking to introduce ads to free-to-play Xbox games. Microsoft could introduce this program as soon as Q3 2022.

Source: Business Insider

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Check out these gaming joints this 420

Need a few videos games to play while you celebrate 420 this year? MobileSyrup has your back.

Above is a list of games we think will go well with your latest smoke sesh.

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Sega is reportedly working on Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio reboots

Sega is reportedly working on “big-budget” reboots of Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio focused on creating online communities with recurring revenue.

Bloomberg says that these reboots are part of Sega’s ‘Super Game Initiative‘ that aims to create titles that operate as a living service and feature ample microtransactions, similar to popular titles like Fortnite and Destiny 2.

Sega’s Crazy Taxi reboot has been in the works for a year and will release within the next two to three years. Jet Set Radio is still very early in development.

Two other titles are also reportedly in the works, with the first being a first-person shooter Sega wants to earn $780 million USD (about $984,000,000 CAD) in revenue. Bloomberg says that all of these titles are still early in development and could still be cancelled.

Though Crazy Taxi/Crazy Taxi 2 and Jet Set Radio are Dreamcast cult classics that I personally spent a significant amount of time playing in the early 2000s, it’s unclear if either series will still have an audience in 2022.

For example, the arcade nature of the Crazy Taxi series could make it challenging to expand into a more full-fledged experience (this is the issue Crazy Taxi 3 ran into). That said, I’ve been playing a lot of Crazy Taxi on the Steam Deck through a Dreamcast emulator, and I’m surprised at how well the game has aged. Also, it’s not a Crazy Taxi game without a very The Offspring-focused soundtrack, of course.

Jet Set Radio and its Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater-like goal-oriented gameplay and cel-shaded graphics, on the other hand, seem more primed for a modern reimagining.

Image credit: New Game Network 

Source: Bloomberg Via: IGN 

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Old PlayStation console causes bomb scare at a Boston airport

Easter Sunday didn’t go as smoothly as planned for several travellers at Boston’s Logan International Airport after an old PlayStation in a “degraded condition” caused bomb scares and the evacuation of passengers from the airport’s Terminal A, according to a BostonGlobe story.

According to the report, TSA agents rang the alarm after inspecting luggage, when they found “a potentially suspicious item in a bag.” Subsequently, the State Police Bomb Squad was called to inspect the potentially dangerous item that turned out to be an old PlayStation.

“Troopers responded and, after investigation and research, determined that the item was a PlayStation video game console with a degraded condition caused by age or damage,” a statement from police provided to the BostonGlobe said. “The condition of the console caused abnormalities in the image produced when it was x-rayed, prompting the screeners’ concern.”

The report doesn’t outline which PlayStation console it was, but if I was to guess, the chunky PS3 in a torn condition would surely raise suspicion.

Footage from the airport shows evacuations and hoards of travellers having to wait outside the airport. While there was no confirmation about the suspicious item being potentially dangerous, State Police spokesman David Procopio told BostonGlobe that the terminal was evacuated “out of extreme precaution.”

Subsequently, upon finding no explosives and discovering that the suspicious item is an old console, travellers were ushered back into the airport around 5pm.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: BostonGlobe

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What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in late April 2022

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Normally, these come in two waves and now, the company has revealed what’s hitting Game Pass in the second half of April.

  • F1 2021 (Cloud) — April 19th
  • Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered (Cloud) — April 19th [EA Play]
  • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Cloud, Console and PC) — April 19th
  • 7 Days to Die (Cloud, Console, and PC) — April 26th
  • Research and Destroy (Console and PC) — April 26th
  • Bugsnax (Cloud, Console and PC) — April 28th
  • Unsouled (Console and PC) — April 28th

As part of Xbox’s ongoing partnership with Ubisoft, Game Pass is also getting two more games: Assassin’s Creed Origins (Cloud, Console and PC via the Ubisoft Connect app) “in the next two months” and For Honor: Marching Fire Edition (PC via the Ubisoft Connect app, a free upgrade to the Marching Fire Edition on Console and Cloud).

On top of that, the following 12 Cloud games have received touch controls on mobile:

  • Ben 10
  • Besiege
  • Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition
  • Edge of Eternity
  • Hitman Trilogy
  • Lawn Mowing Simulator
  • Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
  • Paw Patrol
  • Race with Ryan
  • Transformers Battlegrounds
  • Windjammers 2
  • Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Finally, these four games are leaving Game Pass on April 30th:

  • Cricket 19 (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Outlast 2 (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Secret Neighbor (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Streets of Rage 4 (Cloud, Console and PC)

As always, Game Pass subscribers can take advantage of an exclusive 20 percent discount to purchase any game in the catalogue and keep playing even after it leaves Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Android and iOS in beta. Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass each cost $11.99/month.

Further, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’) to mobile devices and browsers. On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.

Find out what came to Xbox Game Pass earlier this month here.

Image credit: Young Horses

Source: Xbox

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This Final Fantasy VII Remake alarm clock costs $250

Square Enix has unveiled a special, insanely expensive Final Fantasy VII Remake-themed digital alarm clock.

Shaped like protagonist Cloud Strife’s iconic Buster Sword, the clock features an LCD display that shows time in various colours inspired by materia, the magical orbs used in the world of FFVII. Further, the alarm functionality features five songs from Final Fantasy VII Remake‘s incredible soundtrack:

  • The Airbuster
  • Aerith’s Theme — Home Again
  • Let the Battles Begin! — A Merc’s Job
  • Main Theme of FFVII — Sector 7 Undercity
  • One-Winged Angel — Rebirth

However, there are some significant shortcomings to this device. First, it’s $200 USD (about $250 CAD), which is outrageous for a digital alarm clock. What’s more, for a device that costs so much, you’d expect fairly pristine sound quality, but this clock unfortunately lacks even that.

As you can hear in Square Enix’s official trailer for the clock, the audio sounds echoey, which is jarringly juxtaposed with the sound clips from the game that play in the same video. Finally, there’s bafflingly no snooze button.

If none of that is an issue for you, the “Final Fantasy VII Remake Digital Clock — Buster Sword” is available for pre-order on Square Enix’s website. It’s expected to ship in January 2023. Final Fantasy VII is my all-time favourite game, but unfortunately, this clock — however cool it does look — simply costs too much for me to justify a purchase.

Outside of the clock, 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII, and as part of those celebrations, Square Enix says it hopes to share more information on the currently untitled second installment in its FFVII Remake series. Remake was originally released on PS4 in April 2020, with a PS5 version following in June 2021 and a PC port landing that December.

Via: The Verge