Tag: Video games

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo eShop payments are suspended in Russia

A chorus of companies have stopped sales of products and services in Russia, and Nintendo is now one of them. Nintendo has announced that it has suspended payments via the Russian Nintendo eShop.

The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed that the Russian eShop is now on ‘maintenance mode’ as the payment service is unavailable. The support page on the Nintendo Russia website indicates the suspension of payments, meaning you’re not able to buy any new games, demos, DLC and more.

Here’s what the statement says translated into English via Google translate:

“Due to the fact that the payment service used in Nintendo eShop has suspended the processing of payments in rubles, Nintendo eShop in Russia is temporarily placed into maintenance mode.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused. We will share updates as the situation develops.”

Oddly, Nintendo of America’s Twitter doesn’t mention anything about the suspension. NintendoLife says that the digital store may be closed due to a third-party payment service.

Major tech companies like Microsoft, EA, Apple and Netflix and more have halted their services in Russia following the country’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

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Mobile Syrup

Is the Steam Deck here to stay? [SyrupCast 254]

On this week’s SyrupCast, the team ditches the usual two-week release cadence to drop an emergency episode focused on Valve’s new Steam Deck.

Patrick O’Rourke spends roughly an hour telling Brad Bennett about his experience with the Steam Deck so far — and yes, we now know that Proton is just the Linux translation layer and not the handheld’s OS.

As always, you can listen to the show on your favourite podcast platform or watch the video version on our YouTube channel.

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Mobile Syrup

Kirby and the Forgotten Land demo is now available

If you want to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land before the game launches on March 25th, a new demo that features three levels from the game’s first world is now available.

In this world, you can try out the new Mouthful Mode that allows Kirby to swallow objects like cars, water balloons, a scissor lift, a pylon and more.

In the demo, players can take on the game’s first boss and at the end, you’ll get a ‘Present Code’ upon completion. When Kirby and the Forgotten Land is officially released, this code unlocks in-game items.

Like other Kirby games, you’ll be able to copy enemy abilities as you travel across an unknown world. The title also features a local co-op where the second player takes control of Bandana Waddle Dee.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land releases on March 25th. MobileSyrup will have more on the game in the coming weeks.

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Mobile Syrup

Destiny 2 will probably never natively run on Valve’s Steam Deck

Destiny 2 players hoping that Bungie’s shooter would eventually be updated with Steam Deck compatibility are about to be disappointed.

It looks like the now Sony-owned company has no plans to ever bring native compatibility with Valve’s recently released handheld. According to the game’s ‘help page,’ as first reported by The Verge (via Wario64), Destiny 2 doesn’t support the Steam Deck and players could even be outright banned.

The full statement from the help page reads as follows:

“Destiny 2 is not supported for play on the Steam Deck or on any system utilizing Steam Play’s Proton unless Windows is installed and running. Players who attempt to launch Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck through SteamOS or Proton will be unable to enter the game and will be returned to their game library after a short time.

Players who attempt to bypass Destiny 2 incompatibility will be met with a game ban.”

It’s unclear why Bungie has taken this stance given the developer already ported Destiny 2 to Linux to get the game running on Google’s Stadia streaming service. The Steam Deck’s Proton operating system is based on Linux.

There’s a possibility that the handheld could run Destiny 2 once Windows is available for the portable, which Valve says it’s currently working on. That said, this will likely entail a complicated, multi-step process.

In a series of recent tweets, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney says that his company has no plans to bring Fortnite to the Steam Deck either despite the Linux porting process likely being a relatively straightforward process. Sweeney says Epic has concerns regarding Fortnite’s anti-cheating software running on the Steam Deck.

On the more positive side, Elden Ring plays great on the Steam Deck and features an anti-cheat system. That said, the trend of major titles not being updated with Steam Deck compatibility doesn’t bode well for thehandheld’s future.

Image credit: Bungie

Source: Bungie, Wario64 Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Nvidia’s recent data leak hints at Nintendo’s Switch Pro

Last year, several rumours and reports indicated that Nintendo’s fabled Switch Pro will release before March 2022. March 2022 is here, and the Switch Pro isn’t, though a new leak has revealed new information about the rumoured handheld.

According to Tech Power Up, which analyzed the leak and called it the “mother of all cyberattacks,” the breach put out critical driver source code, the ability to disable LHR (Lite Hash Rate) for mining cryptocurrencies, and offers a look into future Nvidia hardware.

Game modder @NWPlayer123 and coder @LuigiBlood pointed out on Twitter how some of the leaked code might include references to a next-gen Nintendo Switch.

The leaked data shows files and folders marked as “nvn2,” whereas the original Switch’s graphics API (application programming interface) has historically been called nvn, and was made by Nvidia for the original Nintendo Switch.

This is the only piece of speculative evidence that was found which may prove the existence of a Switch Pro or a Switch 2, and hence, it should be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed by Nvidia or Nintendo. However, the leak didn’t fail to cause a stir in the Nintendo community.

If true, the upcoming Switch Pro/Switch 2 would feature Nvidia’s DLSS super sampling, ray tracing, improved CPU performance and a 4K resolution (likely when docked), giving the regular Switch and Switch OLED users a compelling reason to upgrade.

Source: @NWPlayer123 @LuigiBlood Via: Tech Power Up

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Mobile Syrup

Valve’s Gabe Newell is delivering Steam Decks to some customers

The best part of this video is how confused some Steam Deck buyers are when Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell shows up at their house to deliver the company’s recently released handheld gaming device.

That said, several of the Steam Deck buyers featured in the video below recognize Newell when he shows up at the doorstep to drop off their Steam Deck. However, there are instances where other people living in the house accept the order, leading to even more confusion. This makes sense because while Newell is a famous video game developer, he is only well-known amongst a specific group of people.

Amusingly, Newell also seems a little embarrassed that he signed some of these Steam Decks and even says, “Hopefully, people won’t get mad that I’m signing them.” The entire video is extremely awkward in a very endearing way, but it’s also a great promotional video for the Steam Deck given its focus on collaborating with owners to improve the device.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Newell said that Valve has no plans to build a game subscription service and that it wants to find a way to bring Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass platform to its new handheld console. On another Steam Deck-related note, Elden Ring runs surprisingly well on the powerful handheld following an upcoming update that’s currently available in beta.

I’ll have more on the Steam Deck in the coming days, including a review of the portable.

Image credit: OnDeak (Screenshot)

Source: OnDeak Via: The Verge 

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Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in early March 2022

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Microsoft adds games to its service in two different waves and now the company has revealed what’s coming out in the first half of March.

Notably, the 2021 action-adventure game, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which was developed by Eidos-Montreal, hits the service this month.

  • Far: Changing Tides (Cloud, Console and PC) — available today
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator (Cloud) — available today
  • Lightning Return: Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC) — March 3rd
  • Kentucky Route Zero (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th
  • Lawn Mowing Simulator (Xbox One) — March 10th
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th
  • Young Souls (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th

No Man’s Sky Sentinel Updates – Available now

Meanwhile, here’s what’s leaving Game Pass on March 15th:

  • Nier: Automata (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Phogs! (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Torchlight III (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • The Surge 2 (Cloud, Console and PC)

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.

Furthermore, 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 Game Pass last month here.

Image Credit: Xbox

Categories
Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in early March 2022

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Microsoft adds games to its service in two different waves and now the company has revealed what’s coming out in the first half of March.

Notably, the 2021 action-adventure game, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which was developed by Eidos-Montreal, hits the service this month.

  • Far: Changing Tides (Cloud, Console and PC) — available today
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator (Cloud) — available today
  • Lightning Return: Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC) — March 3rd
  • Kentucky Route Zero (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th
  • Lawn Mowing Simulator (Xbox One) — March 10th
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th
  • Young Souls (Cloud, Console and PC) — March 10th

No Man’s Sky Sentinel Updates – Available now

Meanwhile, here’s what’s leaving Game Pass on March 15th:

  • Nier: Automata (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Phogs! (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Torchlight III (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • The Surge 2 (Cloud, Console and PC)

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.

Furthermore, 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 Game Pass last month here.

Image Credit: Xbox

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Mobile Syrup

Elden Ring’s Steam Deck stability issues could soon be fixed

This past weekend I spent a lot of time playing FromSoftware’s Elden Ring on Valve’s Steam Deck.

While it’s undeniably cool to be able to play a recently released game with PS4/Xbox One level graphics on a dedicated handheld, the experience has been far from flawless even when Elden Ring’s graphics settings are turned down.

However, that could soon change.

Regardless of how low the graphics are set, I found myself encountering bouts of lag while playing Elden Ring on the Steam Deck, mainly when there are multiple enemies on the screen at once or when fighting on my faithful Spectral Steed, Torrent. Though this doesn’t happen all the time, I’d describe these parts of the game as nearly unplayable at times.

After a particularly frustrating fight where two mounted enemies disappeared from the screen only to reappear and kill me immediately, I almost pulled the trigger on buying the Xbox Series X version of Elden Ring and abandoning playing on the Steam Deck altogether.

According to a tweet from Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais, the company is already working on a fix for this issue.

“The graphics team has been hard at work on optimizing Elden Ring for Steam Deck,” said Valve employee Griffais in a recent tweet. “Fixes for heavy stutter during background streaming of assets will be available in a Proton release next week, but are available to test now on the bleeding-edge branch of Experimental.”

Given only developers and the media have the Steam Deck, Valve and FromSoftware have a short window to improve Elden Ring’s compatibility with the Steam Deck before it gets into the hands of consumers. The first batch of Steam Deck units started shipping out to customers last week.

Given how much fun I’ve had diving into Elden Ring on the Steam Deck, I’m really hoping this update solves the game’s problems on the handheld (I may even give the ‘experimental’ update a shot). In fact, I’m surprised I’m enjoying Elden Ring at all given my usual distaste for soulsborne titles and their extreme difficulty level. Thankfully, FromSoftware has added several quality of live improvements to Elden Ring that make the title easier for newcomers to get into, including simple fast travel, an overall slower pace and frequent save points (Sites of Grace).

For more on Elden Ring, check out Dean Daley’s in-depth look at the game. Also, be on the lookout for my Steam Deck review on MobileSyrup in the coming days.

Source: @Plagman2 Via: IGN

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Mobile Syrup

Playground Games brings Sign Language accessibility features to Forza Horizon 5

Playground Games has added American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) to Forza Horizon 5‘s in-game cinematics.

According to the developer, the update includes actors from the deaf and hard of hearing community signing sections of the critically acclaimed racing title’s story through roughly 150 cutscenes.

The scenes include jumping into challenges, getting ready for races and encountering other players across Mexico.

The feature was created with the help of Cameron Akitt, an avid gamer who grew up hard of hearing.

“We should be able to access the same story beats and narrative components. Otherwise, we’re only getting half the picture and not getting the full experience. Including sign language is about enabling more deaf and hard of hearing people to have ownership over their gaming experience,” said Akitt in a recent blog post.

When the feature is turned on, a native ASL/BSL speaker appears on-screen during these scenes and signs the story to the player (see the example in the above video). Over the last few years, there’s been a significant push to make gaming more accessible, with Microsoft releasing its Xbox Adaptive Controller and major titles like The Last of Us Part II offering features like text narration, customizable colour and contrast, a screen magnifier and more.

Playground Games took home the award for ‘Innovation in Accessibility” at The Game Awards 2021 and two ‘Can I Play That?’ awards at the ‘Accessibility Awards.’ For more on Forza Horizon 5, check out our in-depth look at the game.

The feature is set to make its way to Forza Horizon 5 on March 1st. The game is available on Xbox consoles and PC.

Image credit: Xbox