Microsoft has revealed that several new gaming-focused features are coming to the desktop version of its Edge web browser.
First off, a new personalized gaming home page that includes gaming news, guides, livestreams and more will be added alongside the Xbox Cloud Gaming library and recently played titles. The tech giant is also adding a “built-in clarity boost” that aims to make cloud-based gameplay look sharper over Xbox Cloud Gaming on Edge and Windows.
Further, a new Games menu in Edge will be home to several casual arcade titles like Microsoft Solitare, Atari Asteroids, Microsoft Jewel and more.
Microsoft is also launching a new Windows 11 HDR calibration app, a controller bar that lists recently played games and shortcuts to launchers. Finally, the company says that it’s also working to better optimize titles with improved Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support in Windows 11.
Sony’s PlayStation Indies sale in partnership with Summer Game Fest is offering games up to 75 percent off.
Titles like Cuphead, Ark: Survival Evolved, Skater XL,Psychonauts 2 and hundreds more are a part of this sale. And since this is with Summer Games Fest, more games might be added to the sale tomorrow during the presentation.
Sometimes it almost feels like Halo Infinite’s anticipated online co-op mode will never release, but that will soon change (I hope).
After delaying the feature several times, 343 Industries has announced its plans to test Halo Infinite’s co-op mode in July 2022 ahead of its scheduled August release. This means that select ‘Halo Insiders’ will be able to test out the game’s online co-op mode on Xbox and PC before its wider launch.
To join the Halo Insider Program for a chance to test out the beta, follow this link.
With #HaloInfinite campaign network co-op arriving later this year, we're planning to flight it to Halo Insiders in July. Register and make sure your Halo Insider profile is up to date for a chance to participate!
Back in late April, 343 Industries shared Halo Infinite’s roadmap for the rest of 2022. Following co-op, the following major features to hit the beleaguered title are Forge and split-screen co-op during Season 3 in November 2022.
Halo Infinite’s second season got off to a rocky start thanks to a gun-jamming glitch and the removal of skill jumps/slides. Still, to 343 Industries’ credit, the studio listened to the game’s often overly vocal community and solved the majority of Lone Wolve’s issues.
I’m surprised at how much fun I’ve had with Mario Strikers: Battle League, and, in fact, would go so far as to say that it might be my favourite Nintendo sports game yet.
In the same vein as its Wii predecessor, Mario Strikers Charged, Battle League offers arcade-focused, deceptively simple soccer gameplay — and when I use the word “arcade,” I really mean it. In Vancouver-based Next Level Games’ take on the beautiful game, you can literally tackle/bodycheck opponents, knocking them to the ground like it’s NHL Hitz 2003.
This is a strategy I’ve quickly leaned towards during my time with the game so far, resulting in Wario becoming my favourite character in Mario Striker‘s lineup. Mario’s nemesis is a ‘heavy’ that literally hits opponents with his rather large stomach, knocking them to the ground or into an arena’s electric fence.
With this in mind, every character in Mario Strikers controls differently, though it might not seem like it at first. For example, Waluigi is speedy and great for breaking through a heavy defense line, while Mario and Luigi are relatively balanced when it comes to shooting, passing and speed. When playing through the game’s limited selection of single-player tournament ‘Cups,’ selecting the correct mix of characters capable of great passing, shooting, and, of course, hits, is integral to success.
As you earn coins by winning games and completing Cups, you’ll be able to buy new equipment for your squad that enhances their various stats. For example, if you like Toad’s speed, but aren’t fond of the fact that he gets knocked around like a rag doll on the pitch, just equip a ‘Muscle Helmet’ to increase his ‘Strength’ ability so he better suits your play style. Shifting to different equipment and characters based on the squad you’re up against is the only way to beat the game’s sometimes difficult AI opponents.
For example, the ‘Pipes’ team in Cup mode is full of heavies that body you around the field. This meant that my co-op partner and I needed to enter the match with an equally formidable squad of enforcers consisting of Wario, Donkey Kong, Bowser and, of course, Toad (we still needed at least a bit of speed).
It’s worth noting that Battle League‘s selection of characters is rather limited at launch, consisting only of Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Rosalina, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario and, thankfully, Waluigi. It’s likely that more familiar Mushroom Kingdom characters are coming to the game in the future through free or possibly paid DLC, but the launch lineup is undeniably disappointing.
This is where the lack of content comes in. The core gameplay Mario Strikers: Battle League offers is extremely solid and fun. What at first seems like a parred-down take on soccer quickly reveals ample depth thanks to Mario Kart-like power-ups and unique anime-inspired ‘Hyper Strikes’ that net you two goals if you nail the timing correctly.
But unless you plan to create a club and play online, the single-player experience consists of just six Cups and unlocking equipment for various characters. Ranked club play sounds appealing in theory, especially if you plan to play with friends, but I haven’t been able to test it out because while online multiplayer is available ahead of release, there’s no one to play with yet. I plan to update this story with my thoughts on the Strikers Club mode following Battle League‘s release since it has the potential to be the title’s main draw.
In true Halo Infinite fashion, though, Mario Striker: Battle League‘s core gameplay is just too good to pass off, especially since it supports eight players offline in versus and four-player co-op for offline Cup battles.
Things can get a little hectic, especially when playing co-operatively on the same Switch with even just two people instead of a full team of four. This means you and your partner are controlling a team of four as two people, which can sometimes result in unpredictable character switches. Further, the player you’re controlling is only marked with a number, making it easy to lose track of who you are, especially during fast-paced games where both teams are wearing similar coloured jerseys.
Finally, while the game’s various animations are entertaining, they can get repetitive very quickly. The first time I watched Wario produce a piece of garlic from who knows where, eat it and then burp, made me chuckle, but on the 50th watch, the sequence had long lost its appeal. After just a few hours with the game, I found myself skipping nearly every animation.
Still, Nintendo and Next Level Games are on to something with Mario Strikers: Battle League that could evolve into a competitive esport if the title’s online mode ends up being as great as it’s poised to be.
Mario Striker: Battle League is available June 10th. You can order the game from Amazon, Best Buy or GameStop for $79.99.
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A potential GoldenEye 007 remaster could be on the way after ‘Achievements’ for the game appeared on Xbox’s website.
The fully functioning page where the Achievements appeared is still available and was first discovered by insider @Wario64. The tweet reveals several detailed Achievements, hinting that the long-rumoured and often-leaked reboot of the 1997 N64 classic could be finally coming to Xbox consoles.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Microsoft has attempted to release a remake of the classic console FPS. Several years ago, an updated version of Rare’s GoldenEye 007 was reportedly supposed to release on the Xbox 360’s Live Arcade but was scrapped due to licensing issues. However, a playable version of the game leaked online back in February 2021.
More recently, the Centre of Computing History built a way to the play the iconic game’s multiplayer mode on individual screens.
As for the GoldenEye 007 Xbox remakes release, it’s still unclear when the game might be officially revealed. It’s likely Microsoft could finally show off the game during its Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12.
Tech nerds know October (and September) as “Techtober,” a month full of tech events, but gaming geeks know that June is a month full of gaming keynotes.
With that in mind, this week’s community question is, what gaming news do you hope to see in June?
While we’ve already seen trailers for God of War: Ragnarok and Hogwarts Legacy, it would be great to get official release dates for both titles. My guess is that we might learn more information about the titles on June 9th during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest event.
Additionally, it would be great to see gameplay footage of Bethesda’s now-delayed Redfall. It’s likely we’ll see this info alongside information about Starfield at Xbox and Bethesda’s showcase on June 12th.
It’s been years since we’ve seen anything from Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II so hopefully, more information about this title will appear in June as well.
And while I doubt we’ll hear anything from FromSoftware, Elden Ring DLC would absolutely make this a great month for me. Oh, and last but not least, I want to learn more about the upcoming Fable reboot.
Let us know in the comments below what you’d like to see from this June’s gaming events.
Sony has confirmed that PlayStation 5 sales have reached more than 20 million units worldwide. The company also claims that it could have hit this milestone earlier but that COVID-19 continues to impact supply chain and production.
“We are thrilled to share that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has sold more than 20 million PlayStation 5 consoles globally,” said Veronica Rogers, SVP, head of global sales and business operations, in a recent statement.
“Since PS5’s launch, our teams have worked tirelessly to deliver a truly next-gen gaming console that has won the world over and we want to take this time to thank the fans for their support. Your passion for the PlayStation brand is what drives us and what inspires us to innovate new technology, engineer the future of gaming, and continue creating the best place to play.”
On top of confirming that PlayStation 5 has reached 20 million in sales, Sony says production is significantly ramping up.
“We are working endlessly to make sure that PlayStation 5 is available for everyone who wants one.” In a recent statement, Sony claimed that the company has been able eto sell 80,000 PlayStation 5 consoles in 82 minutes.
Given Sony has sold 20 million PlayStation 5 consoles, Astro’s Playroom has also reached that milestone. Since launch, all PlayStation 5 consoles ship with Astro’s Playroom as a digital bundle.
Best Buy’s ‘June Play at Best Buy’ runs this weekend from June 3rd to June 30th and offers several hot ‘PC Gaming Deals,’ including items such as headsets, controllers, gaming chairs and more.
All PC Gaming deals will last until June 9th, with PS5 accessory deals lasting until June 10.
Check out ‘June Play at Best Buy’ for more PC gaming deals. Best Buy is also running a sale on smart home products.
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The retro gaming community is accusing a fairly active member of selling fake copies of classic games. Evidence has come forward to show many of the floppy disks, boxes and even art may be forgeries.
Enrico Ricciardi has been an active member of the Big Box PC Game Collectors retro game Facebook community. Ricciardi is a moderator and is a known seller of classic games. However, the community has come forward after one member received a game from Ricciardi that had more than a few discrepancies.
One member of the retro game community named Kevin purchased a copy of 1979’s Akalabeth: World of Doom from Ricciardi. This game comes from the mind of Richard Garriott. It is a rare title as it is one of the first RPGs. Upon receiving the game, Kevin began discussing his concerns with his copy with other members of the community. Together, they put together an investigation into Riccardi and found a number of games sold were fakes.
This used to be the center pieces of my collection. Rare and expensive old games. Now it turns out I‘ve been scammed and sold forgeries by a well known figure in the Ultima and tetrogames community. Along with many others#ultima#akalabeth@RichardGarriottpic.twitter.com/wuiAQPSuG2
Labels for the games did not appear to be in line with the printing process from the time. At times the dirt and cosmetic markings on the labels looked as if they were printed on. Tests of some of the games conclude that no game data is on the disk. The group also accuses Ricciardi of handmaking disk labels. The retro game community believes “there is at least one black box Ultima 1 that we think may be fake that was graded by WATA.”
What’s most shocking is how long Ricciardi has been doing this and the amount of money he has earned. The group estimate that he’s been conducting “at least €100K in transactions of suspected counterfeit game items.” If correct, that equates to roughly $134,000 CAD.
Ricciardi is since banned from the retro game community. The group continues to build a case against him and urges anyone who has purchased a game to “check them very carefully.” The group also suspects that this case will result in police involvement and litigation against Ricciardi.
With this in mind, every character in Mario Strikers controls differently, though it might not seem like it at first. For example, Waluigi is speedy and great for breaking through a heavy defense line, while Mario and Luigi are relatively balanced when it comes to shooting, passing and speed. When playing through the game’s limited selection of single-player tournament ‘Cups,’ selecting the correct mix of characters capable of great passing, shooting, and, of course, hits, is integral to success.
