Fans anxiously await confirmation on what this latest version will bring, as rumors and conjecture have been wild. The original Switch was released six years ago, and the OLED model debuted two years ago. It would be an understatement to say that Nintendo fans are eager for a new system, and this enthusiasm is primarily due to the nonstop rush of speculations regarding the Switch 2.

This article will cover everything, from the anticipated release date to the technical details that might push gaming to new heights. Come along as we discover the fascinating Nintendo Switch 2 universe and its implications for video game development in the future.

Nintendo Switch 2 Expected Release Date

We will know the exact release date of this game once the company makes an official launch date announcement. Nevertheless, current speculation suggests a likely fall 2024 release date, which coincides with our anticipated launch of the PS5 Pro.

Due to a mix of leaks from an Altec Lansing news statement and a leaker SoldierDelta, we can estimate the release date of Switch 2 as best we can. As part of a GameShark AI declaration, the press release mentioned September 2024 as the Nintendo Switch 2 release date. The latter arrived through Discord, where SoldierDelta revealed that September 24, 2024, is possible for the arrival of the Switch 2. A backup release is also rumored to be scheduled for November 2024 in case the September 24 date proves overly ambitious.

Some assumptions indicate an early 2024 release for the Switch 2. However, most speculations and informants agree that fall 2024 is the most probable release timeframe. A March or April 2024 release date seems believable, according to a TechInsights research study, while a MoneyDJ story from China indicates that the Switch successor's first-quarter 2024 arrival might enhance sales.

Analyst research published in January suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be more accessible than previous console launches. At least 10 million devices will be produced in the first year of release. However, The same source implied that the anticipated Switch 2 Pro will not be released until 2025.

What is the Expected Price of the Nintendo Switch 2?

Price rumors for the Nintendo Switch 2 take a lot of work to come by. Nintendo may adhere to the initial launch pricing of the Nintendo Switch. The price is approximately $299.99 in the US and ¥29,980 in Japan. However, it is £279.99 and A$469.95 in the UK and Australia, respectively.

Although an OLED panel seems improbable, you may anticipate a $50–$100 price increase if the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 did come with one, similar to the subsequent model, the original Switch.

Dr. Serkan Toto, the CEO of Kantan Games, put his estimate and predicted that games would cost as much as $70 in an interview with GamesIndustry. He even proposed a $400 price range. He joyfully dropped leaks and said: “The time is finally here for a Switch successor, even though I can say a ‘Pro’ model actually did exist, and certain developers were already working with the dev kit. I believe the next hardware will drop for $400 [in 2024]. There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70.”

SoldierDelta also disclosed potential release prices. They claimed this next-generation console would come with a $449 standard model and a $400 (or, most likely, $399) digital version. If the report is accurate, Nintendo will make this next-generation system available only digitally, marking it as the first of its kind by the company.

With the selling price of the OLED model being $349 and the original switch being $299, this pricing prediction appears all that implausible. 

Nintendo Switch 2: Display And Other Specs

Rumors suggest that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature an 8-inch screen with 1080p resolution and a magnetic Joy-Con design. They predict it will be backward compatible with accessories and support 8K resolution when paired with a next-generation dock.

Initial internal correspondence on the FTC v. Microsoft case revealed efficiency levels similar to those of the PS4 and Xbox One gaming systems. There are rumors that Switch 2 will come with specialized Nvidia T239 graphics chips. According to reports, Nintendo’s upcoming console may include a co-processor chip. This chip could increase efficiency and video performance. Especially when connected and linked to a 4K TV.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that Switch 2 will be backward and compatible with the available Switch games. It will be fascinating to see if the latest design can hold more cartridge data, supposing we anticipate the same layout.

The Switch and Switch OLED currently have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. According to recent reports, the Switch 2 may contain 512GB of onboard storage.

Nintendo Switch 2: Features

There are a few speculations regarding potential Switch 2 features like design, battery life, speakers, or integrated sensors. Here is a conservative estimate of what we might see, though.

The Switch and the Switch OLED are estimated to have an average battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours. Even at the lowest display brightness, longer games, like Breath of the Wild, can frequently run for up to 4.5 hours on a one-time charge. We expect larger batteries with improved internals.

We would prefer to see a move from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 for speedier gaming downloads or streaming. However, no reports have mentioned that. Comparably, the Switch models that are currently available support Bluetooth 4.1; a future-generation console might support Bluetooth 5.1.

The first DLC pack came out in November, and it was a welcome treat, as well as a good reason to hit the track once again. Now the second DLC pack is fast approaching, releasing on April 23. Just today, Nintendo of Japan released trailers that show off every track in this upcoming pack. Have a look below. Note that this is not the exact order in which these tracks are listed in-game, and some of the new tracks are not named as of yet.

Returning Tracks

Ribbon Road (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)

"Andy's coming! Finish up the race!" This was one of the more memorable tracks from the otherwise forgettable Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the GameBoy Advance. All it really had to its name was its aesthetic, and Nintendo played that aesthetic up to 11, with some extra features that couldn't have been done in the original.

Baby Park (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)

If your friendship survived up to this point after a long session of Mario Kart, then Baby Park is the final gauntlet that tests how much you can take before you tear the plug out of the wall socket. This track is 7 short laps of pure mayhem, blood, sweat and tears. But have fun, y'know?

Neo Boswer City (Mario Kart 7)

It's time to have a race IN THE FUTURE! Take those tight future turns, throw your future items, jump off those future ramps, pull off some future tricks, and win future first place! IN THE FUTURE!

Cheese Land (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)

You'd gouda be kidding me. I feta brieng some extra green shells, in queso emergency. There's no whey I'm not playing this edam track on day one, because it's looking grate!

New Tracks

Animal Crossing

"I gotta win this race. I put down 10,000 bells on myself. If I don't win, I won't be able to pay Tom Nook and he's gonna have the Nooklings adorably break my legs!" In all seriousness, though, this track actually has four variations, one for each season. However, there is not a dynamic clock system, which would be impractical anyway. Who would want to wait a year just to see the winter version of this track?

Subway

Where the hell is my five dollar footlong? Oh, right. This track seems to have an aesthetic based on the London Underground. Expect a lot of tight corners, small corridors, and hectic item battles in this cramped course.

Woods

Wood you kindly not burn the forest down while you have your race? Kay thanks. This track seems to have a Shy Guy theme, which would coincide nicely with previous tribal iterations of the character from games like Paper Mario or Yoshi's Island. It's very vertical, with a lot of high-flying jumps involved. In truth, it reminds me of the wooded tracks from the original Sonic Riders. Am I the only one? ...Yeah? I... I liked that game... Oooh, speaking of futuristic racing games!

Big Blue!

Jiminy Cricket, Nintendo! The only way you could show more love for F-Zero would be for you to actually make a new F-Zero game! This appears to be one more addition to the game's few linear tracks, consisting of three segments rather than three laps. Like Mute City before it, this track takes full advantage of the gravity mechanic, providing some of the sickest jumps and viewpoints in Mario Kart history. I think Nintendo is just laughing at us at this point. Or perhaps they're getting us hyped up for something special in coming times. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, see you all on the race track in a week!

Rejoice Fallout fans! Because Fallout 4 may have been indirectly confirmed through a few sources. But, as always, this should only be seen as a rumor or speculation unless otherwise confirmed by the developer (here; Bethesda Game Studios). So let's start from the beginning:

A freelance 3D artist (who's name will not be revealed because he's probably already in huge trouble) who's previously worked with Mirada Studios, Blur Studios, and Microsoft Games posted his job experience and for what game and studio [As seen on the right]. His experience includes cinematic work on The Avengers, The Elder Scrolls, Forza Motorsport 5, Far Cry 4, and something rather odd... He claims experience on a "Fallout 4 cinematic trailer" which he claims he worked on for 4 months.

Did he actually work on said Fallout 4 cinematic trailer? Let's dig a bit deeper. Soon after people began discovering this bit of information, the Fallout community started getting very excited. Then an unconfirmed party forced the freelance 3D artist to remove the Fallout 4 cinematic trailer from the public view of his experience.

Now the last piece of evidence comes from game journalist site, Destructoid, where they were one of the first to run this story. Mirada Studios (supposed studio behind the Fallout 4 cinematic trailer) reached out to Destructoid and demanded they pull the story due to a break in a non-disclosure agreement. [As seen below].

What are your thoughts on all of this? Is Fallout 4 confirmed? Or is this nothing more than a simple mix up and it isn't confirmed?

New DLC characters in the form of Street Fighter's Ryu, Fire Emblem's Roy and Mother 3's Lucas were released for Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U along side two new stages (Dreamland N64 and Suzaku Castle) and a handful of new costumes for the Mii fighters. In addition to this, several new compatible amiibo were also confirmed for the game:

• R.O.B.
• Duck Hunt
• Mr. Game & Watch (Customizable)
• Falco
• Mii Brawler
• Mii Gunner
• Mii Swordfighter
• Ryu (In development)
• Roy (In development)

Also released along side the new Super Smash Bros content was EarthBound Beginnings for the Wii U Virtual Console. This game is actually the finished, yet unreleased NES prequel to the cult classic SNES title EarthBound. You can buy it now from the Wii U eShop for $6.99USD.

A new Chibi Robo game called Chibi Robo: Zip Lash has been confirmed and was shown to be a 2.5D platformer with an emphasis on action and puzzle solving. In addition to this, it will be packaged with a special Chibi Robo amiibo that can be used with the game. This game will be released this October for the 3DS.

I'm sure Skylanders: SuperChargers is no surprise to anyone that knows of the series, but what is certainly shocking is that the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game have exclusive content coming to them in the form of special Skylanders that double as amiibo. These new characters come in the form of Turbo Charged Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser, and both have a unique base that doubles as a switch allowing it to be used as both a skylander for those games, and as an amiibo for other compatible games. They will come packaged in the game's starter sets in the Nintendo versions of the game and will be released September 20.

Nintendo and Sega have confirmed that Mario & Sonic would return once again for the 2016 summer Olympics at Rio De Janeiro and different sports would be in different versions of the game with American Gridiron Football being in the Wii U version and Golf being in the 3DS version. As of now, the release date is still unconfirmed.

Now I don't know much about this series other than the fact that Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a survival horror game in which you defeat hostile ghosts by taking pictures, but from what I've seen, it looks to be a very interesting entry in the series as the Gamepad is used as your camera for this installment in the franchise. A release date hasn't been announced yet, but expect it by the end of the year.

Genei Ibun Roku #FE is the official Japanese name of the crossover title featuring the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises. With a lot of heavy influence from Japanese music and pop culture, this is probably going to be a very unusual game, especially when you add characters from the Fire Emblem series into the mix. It is currently unknown if the Japanese title will be changed when it is localized, but expect it to be released some time in 2016.

Speaking of Fire Emblem, the newest installment on the 3DS has gotten an official English subtitle under the name Fire Emblem: Fates. You can expect this title around 2016 as well.

New info for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer had been announced with a new video showcasing new gameplay features in the form of outdoor decorating and being able to put a villager's house where ever you want on the map, assuming it's on solid ground. Amiibo cards will be made to go along with this game and may be needed to fully enjoy it. This title will be released late September this year.

While we're on the subject of Animal Crossing, a new gameboard party game featuring Animal Crossing characters has been announced for the Wii U and will use the eight new Animal Crossing amiibo figures (Mabel, K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, Isabelle, Digby, Cyrus, Reese and the new character Lottie from Happy Home Designer) as your game pieces in the same fashion as in Mario Party 10's amiibo Party game mode. Expect Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival to be released by the end of the year.

A new Zelda title that I'm sure no-one was expecting was announced in a multiplayer compatible game in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Unlike the Four Swords games which were more competitive in design, this title appears to be more focused around co-operative play and the number of Links is reduced from four to three. There is also a single player mode for those that like to play alone, and online multiplayer for those that aren't near anyone that own the game. Expect this game for the 3DS in the third quarter of this year.

While we're on the subject of Zelda, Hyrule Warriors is also coming to the 3DS as Hyrule Warriors: Legends. This version of the game will include all the DLC that was in the Wii U version plus two new characters in the form of Tetra and The King of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.  This game will likely be released early next year.

Yo-Kai Watch had been hinted at for quite a long time, but now it appears that it is finally getting localized outside of Japan. Expect this Pokemon-like RPG to be released by the end of 2015.

I'm sure all of you wanted a new Metroid game to be announced at this year's E3, but how many of you were expecting THIS of all things? From the information I've gathered, Metroid Prime: Federation Force is MULTIPLAYER ONLY and will have gameplay elements similar to Metroid Prime: Hunters. In addition, it will also include a mini game called Metroid Prime: Blast Ball which is like a futuristic take on Soccer, but with mech suits and power-ups. While I mostly agree that this is not what anyone wanted when we wanted a new Metroid game, I for one will be giving this game a chance when it is released next year. Hopefully the negative reactions were unjustified.

There were a few new Mario games announced during E3 and one of them was Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U. A new addition to this series appears to be the ability to grow to gigantic size with the help of a Mega Mushroom. Expect it to be released by the end of the year.

Now THIS was a nice surprise. This new entry in the Mario & Luigi series titled Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has Mario & Luigi teaming up with Paper Mario in a rather unique crossover experience. This will likely be much better than Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Expect this game to be released sometime in the first half of 2016.

Yoshi's Woolly World has been on everyone's minds since was announced two years ago. No new info has been announced for the American release dates for the Yarn Yoshi amiibo, but I'm assuming that they'll be released along side the game on October 16.

Super Mario Maker is the new name for Mario Maker that was announced for the Wii U and more details have also been shown. The game is apparently going to be compatible with many different amiibo and a special 30th Anniversay amiibo of 8Bit Mario will be released along side the game. It will be released on September 11 of this year.

No new info was announced for this game other than a release date. Xenoblade Chronicles X will be released on December 4 of this year.

Now for the game that everyone was hoping to see footage of, Star Fox Zero. Shown in the footage is a ton of new gameplay elements like the ability to see from the cockpit of the ship on the Gamepad and the ability to change the shape of the ship your piloting. Co-developed by Platinum Games, this title will be released some time late this year.

Many indie titles will also be released periodically throughout the year like Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and nine specific ones will also be available as special limited time demos on the Wii U eShop:

• Forma.8
• Lovely Planet
• Runbow
• Typoman
• Extreme Exorcism
• RIVE
• Mutant Mudds Super Challenge
• Soul Axiom
• Freedom Planet

I will be trying every single one of these demos, and if you own a Wii U, I encourage you try them out too. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

This stage will be released on September 30th and if past pricing is any indication, then it'll cost $1.99 USD for one version and $2.99 USD for a bundle containing both, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

I love waves. Give me waves of anything and I will destroy it. Especially rats. The Vermin are here and I have been given badass medieval tools to slice dice or blow them apart?!

CAN YOU SAY GAME OF THE FREAKIN' YEAR?

Okay, I may be a little hyped for Warhammer: Verminitde. It's obviously not out yet but this game is shaping up to be a cross between Diablo 3, Left For Dead and Chivalry. And it is about goddamn time.

While Killing Floor 2 has done more than enough (and its still not done!) to satisfy my need for waves of enemies to blow apart, the Warhammer universe brings a new angle and even more craziness to experience whilst slaughtering Skaven.

With multiple classes and loads of weapons both melee and ranged this game takes what Killing Floor does so well and (hopefully) turns it up a notch.

Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide comes out October 23rd.
Here's to hoping it doesn't suck.

please

Following these patches which are announced to be released quote, "We expect these updates to be ready at the end of October", the company plans to re-release the PC version to the general public.

The PC version of the game was originally removed from sale due to many user reports of performance issues to the point that the game was unplayable resulting in Steam's biggest high profile use of its refund policy since the introduction of the service earlier this year.

The majority of the comments responding to WB's Steam post, understandably perhaps, have not been kind.

Brief commentary:

I am curious on people's views on the two main debates that came from this indecent. First over the culture of Pre-ordering and whether it has as place in the digital age and is it just an early cash grab for publisher's?

Second, is the debate of whether PC players were being screwed over or not based on the expected quality for their choice of version and if developers should develop on PC first then scale for consoles, or remain as is it which is most of the time console first then scale for PC.

Debate away in the comments.

Developer Frogwares and publisher Bigben Interactive have unveiled their new entry in the Sherlock Holmes game series entitled Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter is a detective crime thriller set for release in Spring 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The following comes directly from Frogwares and Bigben Interactive's announcement:

"Featuring taut action and investigative work, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, the eighth and latest entry in the franchise, will push your abilities to the limit in a one-of-a-kind interactive experience.

With numerous suspects in each investigation, every choice you make could drive the story in unexpected – and possibly deadly – directions.

• Take on five thrilling and confounding cases.
• Freely roam an expansive landscape of playable terrain.
• Maneuver fast-paced action sequences to challenge your every gaming skill.
• Play a unique blend of game mechanics that lead to an unprecedented experience.
• State-of-the-art graphics bring the streets of Victorian London to life.
• For the first time in his storied career, Sherlock Holmes’ ruthless logic is overwhelmed by family stories, irresistible emotions and an occult revenge."

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter will be shown exclusively to the press during Paris Game Week from October 28th, to November 1st.

However if you're like me and don't usually have the time to watch forty-five minutes of news, here's a quick recap for you.

• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD was officially confirmed and is available to pre-order in a special bundle edition that includes a Wolf Link & Midna amiibo. A bonus soundtrack pre-order bonus will also be included at some retailers.
• The Legend of Zelda: TriForce Heroes will be receiving a major update that adds a massive brand new dungeon and two new costumes.
• Super Mario Maker will now have a portal site that will make it easier to find specific stages and makers.
• Fire Emblem Fates will be released in two versions with a third DLC pack along the way, and also as a special collector's edition that has all three versions plus an art book and a 3DS pouch.
• Splatoon will be receiving yet another major update that will add two more stages and many more clothes and accessories. A special site for the game will also be launched for it soon that will allow you to track the stats of yourself and other players.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends confirmed a new character in the form of Linkle, who was originally a piece of concept art for a gender-swapped Link.
• Nintendo Badge Arcade was shown off in minor detail.
• Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow versions will be coming to the 3DS Virtual Console early 2016.
• Mega Man Legacy Collection will be coming to the 3DS as well and will be compatible with the Mega Man amiibo and the special Gold Mega Man amiibo only included in the collector's edition version of the game.
• Pokemon Picross was announced and will be released as a free-to-play title.
• Pokken Tournament was confirmed to include a special Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card in first run production copies of the game.
• Star Fox Zero has a new release date of April 22, 2016.
• Final Fantasy Explorers, Dragon Quest VII, and Dragon Quest VIII (all for the 3DS) have been confirmed to be coming westward. A collector's edition of Final Fantasy Explorers will also be available for pre-order.
• Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival has a confirmed release date of November 13, 2015
• The currently unnamed Zelda title for the Wii U now has a 2016 release date.
• Many new details for various indie and big name titles that have already been announced earlier in the year.
• And last, but not least, Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII has been confirmed to be the next DLC character for Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U

I hope that'll slake your collective thirsts for new Nintendo info for the next few weeks. I know I'm good, but maybe Nintendo will announce something special for the holidays if this wasn't enough for you. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Original Post

Mercy Covington is 41 years old and a mother of 3, so it is exceptionally important that she is brought home safe. A Facebook profile was also created in hopes of finding Mercy called Findmercy Covington. This profile hosts as much information possible on the mother of 3 for anyone who may have seen her and a number you can call if you have any information regarding her disappearance. So, if you have ANY information regarding the disappearance of Mercy Covington, please call (214) 200-5693 (you can even remain anonymous, if you would like to be). Please help bring Mercy Covington home.

\r

OtherSide Entertainment also went to Twitter and stated the following:

"Keep your eyes peeled here over the course of the next week...
https://t.co/YD35I1hil"

OtherSide Entertainment is a more recently formed development team that consists of many of the creative team members of Ultima Underworld. Most notably, OtherSide co-founder Paul Neurath worked on System Shock 2 at the now defunct Looking Glass Studios. It's also worth noting that the art director of BioShock Infinite Nate Wells also joined OtherSide Entertainment.
For those who do not know or need a refreshing, System Shock and it's sequel are first person RPGs set in a futuristic cyberpunk world. The first System Shock followed a master hacker as they try to stop the evil plans of a rogue artificial intelligence named SHODAN. System Shock 2 follows a soldier as they awake from cryosleep aboard a massive star ship called the Von Braun amidst an outbreak of a genetic infection.

If the word "Shock" in the title of a game sounds familiar to you, then you may know of System Shock's spiritual successor BioShock; which was also developed by System Shock 2's co-developer, Irrational Games.

There has been much speculation that these decisions by developers are to avoid negative editorials from western gaming press. However at this point it is only speculation as there has only been one statement made by a developer for DOAX3 on a Facebook post, and any other individual statements from other developers on different projects are coming from unverified anonymous sources.

The games that have been altered in question have been Xenoblade Chronicles X, Blade & Soul, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water and Street Fighter V and all have been altered due to the depiction of female characters.

Official company statements such as from Koei Tecmo appear to want to distance themselves from any speculation concerning their decision not to release in the West saying,

Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono gave more details than most as to why they have made changes, in their case, to censor R.Mika’s pre-match “butt slap“ taunt in an interview with website Jogos (Translated),

Regarding the discussion about feminism in videogames and the way the heroines are portrayed in them, “Street Fighter V“ has been criticized because of two characters seen as extremely sexualized √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú including the Brazilian Laura.

In an interview for UOL Jogos, the producer of the fighting game series Yoshinori Ono guaranteed that Capcom wants to erase that notion so that their game doesn’t disturb the female audience.
“Our objective with √¢‚ǨÀúStreet Fighter V’ is to start over from zero“, explains Ono. “We want the professional players and the casual fans of the series to return, but we also want to reach those who have never even touched a fighting game. So we can’t have something in the game that makes people think, √¢‚ǨÀúThis is not acceptable’“.

Originally, the fighter Rainbow Mika slapped her butt during one attack sequence, but the action was removed. That led some fans to question if some kind of √¢‚ǨÀúcensorship’ had occurred.
“We didn’t make any change because of external influences“, reassures Ono. “Those changes came up internally. We decided to remove that because we want the biggest possible number of people to play, and we don’t want to have something in the game that might make someone uncomfortable“.

The objective, according the producer, is to have characters that people like, and not put them off the game. “Probably we won’t be able to remove everything that could offend someone. But our goal is, at least, to reduce that number as much as possible so that they think √¢‚ǨÀúOk, there is this issue here, but it is within the limits’. We want that everyone can play and enjoy without worrying about anything else“, he says.

It is a fact that Japanese games have been the subject of many negative opinion pieces from gaming press sites over the last few years as they have chosen to promote and champion alleged “Progressive“ ideals, agreeing with the Objectification Theory proposed by Feminist Frequency and other proponents of Third Wave Feminism.

The Dead or Alive franchise has been attacked by commentators in the media for quite some time. Street Fighter has been the subject of criticism by media outlet over the years as well mostly centered on Chun-Li and Cammy. R.Mika who is central to this recent controversy involving Street Fighter V was condemned following the character’s debut trailer. In a moment of hypocrisy however, the same outlets greatly appreciated a shirtless, bearded Ryu.

Although Japanese developers and publishers have not given details for their design decisions some gamers are convinced that it is due to Japan giving too much stock to a media that does not represent the majority of customers.

They have started a petition and have encouraged others to get word around using #1MillionGamersStrong hoping to get developers and publishers to revert changes made as there are more loyal customers than those swayed by the words of a few western press organisations.

Even though this video was a little shorter than the last one, there was a lot more interesting details shown off. Here's a quick recap.

• Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife and his stage, Midgar, were both released a couple of hours after the Direct ended. Their cost is $5.99 for one version and $6.99 for both in a bundle.
• Corrin from the as of yet to be released Fire Emblem Fates was announced as a future DLC character. He/she will be worth $4.99 for one version and $5.99 for the two version bundle and will include two brand new songs that will be added to the Castle Siege and Coliseum stages. It is scheduled to be released around February 2016.
• A bunch of new Mii Fighter costumes were revealed for future release. They are a Chocobo Hat from Final Fantasy, Tails and Knuckles costumes from the Sonic series, a Takamaru costume from The Mysterious Murasame Castle, an Ashley costume from Wario Ware, a Gil costume from Tower of Druaga, some cool Bionic Armor made specifically for the Mii Brawler, and a costume based on Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The Geno costume and the Chocobo Hat were released at the same time as the Cloud Strife DLC. QR Codes of the characters using the costumes were also made available on the Smash Bros official site.
• As always, amiibo of the new characters will be made and released some time in the future. It has also been confirmed that the Roy, Ryu, and Famicom version of R.O.B. will be released on March 18, 2016.
• And last but certainly not least, Bayonetta was announced to be the final DLC character and was also confirmed to be the winner of the Smash Bros Character Ballot. She will be released at the same time as Corrin and will cost the same as Cloud. She will also come package with a stage based on the game she is from called Umbra Clock Tower.

I was certainly surprised about this Direct as I was only expecting one new character. I am definitely looking forward to playing as both Corrin and Bayonetta when they are released next year, and I JUST CAN'T WAIT for the Bayonetta amiibo to be released. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

South\r London Police also revealed that all three victims died due to “Head\r and Neck Injuries.“ Police were already treating the case as murder before the bodies were formally identified.

Sian\r Blake will be more known in the UK for her part as Frankie Pierre\r in the long running BBC soap opera Eastenders in 1996-97. Her other\r credits include another BBC drama Casualty,\r ITV\r drama The Bill and Channel 4 drama Skins.

Her\r last credited role was in video games as the English voice of Yugiri in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward,\r the first expansion pack for the Realm Reborn MMO released in 2015.

Police\r are currently searching\r for Sian Blake's husband, Arthur Simpson-Kent, who originally alerted\r the police of his wife and children's disappearance, for further\r inquiries. Since making the disappearance report however, Mr. Simpson-Kent has himself disappeared with the South London Police\r contacting Ghanaian\r Police authorities following reports that Mr. Simpson-Kent may have flown to the West\r African county.

Scotland Yard has also referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission following concerns that the case was not escalated within reasonable time.

As there has been no statement from developer or publisher, many are left with speculation with the main theory being that WB Games consider the sales numbers for the PC version to be poor and have decided to not to invest further with that version. Many have been quick to point out that sales of the PC version are likely to have been affected due to the bug heavy port on release and while patches have since cleared the problems the PC version had, many have voiced disillusionment over WB Games’ PC support when also factoring in the infamous PC version of Batman Arkham Knight that still had problems following its re-release.

Daybreak Games (Formally games under Sony Online Entertainment) have today launched cross platform support on the EU servers of DC Universe Online (DCUO), meaning that players on the Playstation 3 and 4 version of the game will be sharing the game world with PC players. The US servers are also due to merged this week.

The announcement of cross platform play was originally made during DCUO’s 5 year celebration week. Other announcements include DCUO coming to XBox One in Spring 2016, Water as a new Healing powerset (All powersets have DPS trees as well), a 4^th colour pallet for costumes, access to unlock gear or costume styles for alternate characters and new signature characters for Legends PvE and PvP modes based off the recent debut of the “DC Legends of Tomorrow“ TV show on The CW Network.

In a move that completely blindsided me personally, the company that we all know for exceptional service for purchasing goods has created their own game engine. That's right, a (beta) game engine made for making games.

It isn't the fact that Amazon is deviating away from the usual selling of goods; after all, they're sprouting out revolutionary ideas like delivery drones and one-button orders, but never have they dropped into the gaming community like this. There had been hints that Amazon planned to dabble in gaming since 2015, but I doubt many people expected this.

Lumberyard itself and the source code is completely free, firstly, so it seems like a great method for creating games, much like Unreal Engine 4, Unity, or other similar game engines. According to Amazon's website fees only apply for when a developer wishes to purchase Amazon's services such as for multiplayer.

Additionally, two of the highly marketed additions to Lumberyard is the heavy integration of Twitch, the popular gaming broadcasting service, and AWS Cloud, which stands for Amazon Web Services (mentioned previously for providing multiplayer). Such an integration seems ideal for developers, as the entire package for a game to be readily published comes with the game engine, albeit with a fee for the AWS (of which you can pick and choose which ones you want to use).

Other notes that Amazon brings is that it is cross platform, uses C++ as code, that there are technologies like GameLift, and heavy emphasis on visual aspects of the engine such as scripting. Sorry, but I have no idea what I'm actually talking about. However, I'm absolutely sure the people over at Amazon do, so check out the website for the Lumberyard beta right here!

Also, note that there is a clause in the code that nullifies the restrictions of Amazon Lumberyard in case of zombie outbreak.

"57.10 Acceptable Use; Safety-Critical Systems. Your use of the Lumberyard Materials must comply with the AWS Acceptable Use Policy. The Lumberyard Materials are not intended for use with life-critical or safety-critical systems, such as use in operation of medical equipment, automated transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, aircraft or air traffic control, nuclear facilities, manned spacecraft, or military use in connection with live combat. However, this restriction will not apply in the event of the occurrence (certified by the United States Centers for Disease Control or successor body) of a widespread viral infection transmitted via bites or contact with bodily fluids that causes human corpses to reanimate and seek to consume living human flesh, blood, brain or nerve tissue and is likely to result in the fall of organized civilization."

The stream became GT’s staff moment to thank viewers and fans of the site over the last 13 years for their viewership and support.

Founded by Geoffrey Grotz and Brandon Jones in August 2002, it could be argued that Gametrailers was ahead of its time. When the gaming press was still largely focused on written long form sites, GT bucked the trend and focused mostly on video content, the irony here being that video streamers today are the major factor in traditional gaming sites losing popularity. Along with the expected previews, game reviews and general industry news, GT would create popular features such as GT Countdown long before the popularity of Top 10 lists in media. Features such as Pop Fiction, which would explore some gaming’s greatest myths such as if Luigi was really in the original Mario 64 and could you get to the island across the The Dam without hacks in Goldeneye.

GT would also bring in third party features such as ScrewAttack and Cinemassacre’s popular character The Angry Video Game Nerd. While James Rolfe’s creation was already gaining popularity on YouTube, it is unclear if ScrewAttack would gain its mass audience without exposure from GT. ScrewAttack co-founder Craig Skistimas tweeted the following statements:

"What a horrible thing to here. So many good people and amazing memories from @ScrewAttack's time w GameTrailers.

It's safe to say that without GameTrailers ScrewAttack surely would have never been exposed to a mass audience.

We owe a lot to GameTrailers & I know I personally will never forget that. My hearts w @GameTrailersVO & his talented team"

GT would also promote user created content, ether in the form of blogs or video content. In 2007 GT highlighted the late Monty Oum’s animated video Haliod. The popularity of his video via GT no doubt led him to working as one of the lead animators for Rooster Teeth, creators of the popular Red vs Blue series.

In 2005 the site was acquired by Viacom for an undisclosed fee. In 2007 GT became the focus for video game related content as part of MTV’s rebranding of Spike.com. GT’s E3 coverage and end of year game awards show would be integrated into Spike’s TV broadcasting, however the results are only now remembered for some arguably cringe moments with celebrities in what was an attempt to garner mass appeal with new audiences, but would only overshadow the reason why the shows existed, to focus on games and the gaming industry.

With the site failing to meet Viacom’s expectation the site was sold to Defy Media in June 2014, again for an undisclosed fee and immediately let go two thirds of GT’s full time staff after the E3 event of that year ended.

Despite the popularity of personalities of Kyle Bosman, the site continued to decline in hits with complaints of the site’s functionality failing and popular features not updating regularly or ceasing entirely.

Today’s news has been met with sadness but given the current climate in gaming news media sites losing popularity it has also not been met with any shock or surprise.

Brief comment:

If you will indulge me with some thoughts to end this article:

There was a period of time in my life when I was out of work and was not able to gain employment again for over a year and a half. Two game related things that helped keep my sanity for that year and a half was City of Heroes and ScrewAttack. It was however down to Gametrailers that I would discover ScrewAttack and most of their content that I would watch and be entertained by was what was posted on GT’s site. So for that, GT has my gratitude.

As I have written, this news is not entirely surprising given the state of the gaming news industry but the staff that avoided the savage cull in June 2014 should be given enormous credit for keeping the site going for almost another 2 years in what was clearly a no win scenario through no fault of their own given the sudden lack of resources following Defy Media's acquisition.

At a time where trust in gaming news site is at an all-time low, GT appeared to be one of the few sites around that wasn't subject to ethical concerns from consumers and unlike many who write about the games industry but also harbour disdain for video games in general, the passion for gaming has never been under question with any of the staff at GT.

Although, this isn't an announcement of a sequel (Alan Wake's American Nightmare excluded), it's worth noting that in the DLC for the original Alan Wake entitled "The Writer", Alan Wake writes a book named "Return."

A sequel to Alan Wake has never been out of the question. In fact, the creative director at Remedy Entertainment, Sam Lake, had this to say about a potential sequel in April 2015:

"For Alan Wake, from the get-go, we assumed there was going to be a sequel and we mapped things further out when it came to character, story, details and focus changes," said Lake. "We knew we would have to iterate and refine, but there was always a rough road map there.“

Stay tuned as the story develops further...

To celebrate the Pokemon series 20th Anniversary in Japan, Nintendo announced that the 7th generation Pokemon games, titled Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, were in development and would be released by the holiday season of 2016. In addition to this, they also revealed that the eShop versions of Pokemon Red Version, Pokemon Blue Version, and Pokemon Yellow Version would be compatible with Pokemon Bank so you could transfer the pokemon you trained in those games to Sun and Moon when they're released. Here's hoping for a great new addition to the Pokemon series, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now because the last direct was exclusively Pokemon themed and announced the new Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon games, this one had no Pokemon related news to speak of. Instead a bunch of equally exciting information was shown off.

• Star Fox Zero was shown off again and was officially announced that it would be released in tandem on April 22 with a secondary game called Star Fox Guard. The Fox amiibo was also shown off in the game to show that it would unlock the Retro Arwing for play.
• Splatoon will be receiving a balancing patch on March 8 along with some new weapon sets that will be released in two separate updates in the near future.
• Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was shown off a bit with the addition of a release date for both versions. Wii U is June 24 and 3DS is March 18.
• New construction features in the form of Pink Coins, Keys, Locked Doors and Skewers will be added to Super Mario Maker in its next update (Still no sloped platforms though...). In addition to these, a new Super Expert 100-Mario Challenge game mode will also be added which can be played to try and earn new Mystery Mushroom costumes.
• The Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem crossover game for Wii U now has an official English name and a release date. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will be released June 24.
• Paper Mario: Color Splash was unexpectedly revealed for the Wii U and will be released some time in 2016. No other specifics such as amiibo support or a demo were announced for it.
• Pokken Tournament recapped some if its features and reconfirmed its March 18 release date.
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge was revealed and would be released as an early access title, with the purchase of a compatible amiibo, on March 25 and with a free public release on both Wii U and 3DS on April 28.
• Super NES titles were announced for Virtual Console on the New 3DS and will be incompatible with the older hardware.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends was announced to be getting a Season Pass of DLC and a free downloadable character in the form of Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The Season Pass will be released on the same day as the game on March 25.
• Monster Hunter X was revealed to be coming stateside with the name Monster Hunter Generations and was shown to have Fire Emblem DLC as well. It should be released some time in the summer.
• Metroid Prime: Federation Force showed off some new gameplay and some details about the game's story was explained. It has a projected release of late spring.
• Fire Emblem Fates had some DLC shown off in addition to the final downloable story line, Revelation.
• Dragon Quest VII was announced for a stateside release some time in 2016.
• Bravely Second: End Layer was announced for an April release with the addition of a rather impressive collector's edition to pre-order.
• The Free-to-Play Lost Reavers was announced to be released as an open beta on April 14 with the full version being released two weeks later.
• A rather unusual new game called Pocket Card Jockey by Game Freak was announced for the 3DS and will be released in May.
• Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 was announced for a summer release on the 3DS eShop.
• In addition, Disney Art Academy was also announced for the 3DS. It will be released on May 13.
• Rhythm Heaven Megamix was announced to finally getting released overseas after being in Japan for nearly a year. It will be released some time in 2016. I'm estimating a summer launch.
• A brand new Kirby game for the 3DS called Kirby: Planet Robobot was announced for the 3DS and will include amiibo support and a brand new sub-game called Team Kirby Clash. In addition to this, a brand new series of amiibo based on the Kirby series was announced. The game will be released on June 10, but the release date of the amiibo has yet to be confirmed.
• And finally, the My Nintendo loyalty program was officially launched and will also allow you to preregister Nintendo's first smartphone app, Miitomo.

Being the Nintendo fan that I am, I will most definitely be trying to get most of these games and I am extremely excited for the new Kirby game that will soon be released. I wish I didn't have to repurchase all of those SNES games though, but I'm sure My Nintendo will be able to remedy this in the future. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Although the news of the existence of a System Shock remake isn't exactly new, this is the first video that has been shown to the public. Built on the Unity Engine, System Shock: Remastered Edition is Night Dive Studio's attempt at both a 1:1 remake and a re-imagining of the original System Shock. Some features, such as the user interface and graphics, are getting a completely overhauled redesign in order to feel fresh for fans of the original game and to be more viable to a new generation of players.

Stick with us as news of System Shock: Remastered Edition and System Shock 3 develop further.

YouTube sensation Brent Black, who is better known as Brentalfloss from his video game songs with lyrics videos, has announced that he launched a Kickstarter for a brand new comedy-based party game that he and one of his friends, Julian Spillane, have been working on.

Much in the same vein as The Jackbox Party Pack and QuipLash, Use Your Words! will display the game on a main screen or monitor and input will be through a compatible device's web browser like a smart phone, tablet, console, or PC. The Kickstarter only needs $35,000 to reach its minimum goal and judging by the video it looks extremely promising; I hope that the stretch goals are reached as well. You can pledge whatever amount you want here, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

DISCLAIMER:

I have not been paid for this article, but I have donated some of my own money to the Kickstarter.

Game Director Jeff Kaplan replied to a post on the Overwatch Battle Net forums about highlights and had this to say: "The game will temporarily archive 5 highlights from your last play session. Playing only one game will only result in one highlight. Highlights are not currently saved if you close the game and come back. Our hope (and what we're working toward) is to allow players to save highlights or export them to a video format someday."

And this one on D.Va : "Yes she gets taken down quickly if she is fighting multiple targets, unlike Winston/Reinhardt because of their barriers. When I say she is difficult to kill its speaking from a smaller skirmish standpoint, which she can usually set up due to her Flight ability. There was a time, when she was first implemented, where she had more damage than she does now. The way that played out is that she would fly into someone's face, destroy them, and fly away. There was little that person could do because her mobility. As I said I think she can use some help in other areas, but I don't have anything concrete yet. The goal is that she should be a viable aggressive initiation tank, much like Winston can be right now, rather than some sort of beefy flying assassin. So any changes will likely be helping her in that direction."

Principal Designer Geoff Goodman replied to a post as well asking McCree to nerfed : "I've been watching McCree carefully since we've released. McCree's flashbang plays an important role in being a strong option against very fast/agile teams (tracers/genjis/etc)....That said, its probably a bit too good at dealing damage to higher health targets such as Tanks and barriers. I don't have any concrete changes yet, but I'm going to be testing some things internally to see how he plays....Right. I think I wasn't clear enough. By saying 'its probably a bit too good at dealing damage to higher health targets' I mean his flash/fan combo, not the flash itself. Fan is more likely to see changes than flash at this point."

All of these were from yesterday, May 31st. Overwatch's Principal Designer and the Game Director himself are already working with gamers to make their experience better. All at no extra cost to the consumer. What really makes my controller vibrate though, is this sentence from Mr. Goodman right here: "I've been watching McCree carefully since we've released."

Now I've never been a part of a game development team but since when has a Principal Designer ever only focused on one character? Which means you can reasonably assume that he has been closely monitoring all 21 heroes. What else are they thinking about updating and patching?

Blizzard is saying all the right things, hopefully we will see their ideas blossom with Overwatch for years to come.

Which hero do you think should get the nerf hammer?

Well, it seems that we may now have possible confirmation of a remastering of Skyrim on current gen consoles. Retailer Base.com have listed 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - The Definitive Edition' for PS4 and Xbox One with a release date of November 23, 2016.

Considering this is a "Definitive Edition", it would be safe to assume that the three pieces of DLC released for Skyrim will be included. Seeing as Fallout 4 recently got mod support on consoles, it is also possible that the same will be implemented for the Definitive Edition of Skyrim. This has yet to be confirmed though.

We still have yet to see an official confirmation of this remasterings existence, but E3 is just around the corner. And with Bethesda holding another conference, we may get its official reveal there.

It's also worth noting that, most recently, games such as BioShock: The Collection and Batman Return to Arkham were also rumored and then leaked by a retailer listing them too early. The same could have just as easily applied to Skyrim.

For more news and E3 coverage, stay with us.

Following losing their trial against former Pro Wrestler Hulk Hogan (Real name Terry Bollea) and also losing their appeal to pay Hogan $140 Million in damages, Gawker has today announced that they are filling for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

Unlike a Chapter 7, which declares insolvency for a corporation or organisation and the likelihood of operations ceasing, a Chapter 11 allows a company to continue operating while creditors seek to resolve credit issues if possible with restructuring used as a potential method and also makes the company available for takeover bids following a court's approval. However a court can rule that debts are denied becoming void and will convert the bankruptcy to Chapter 7.

Gawker is the owner of video game website Kotaku. It also runs Jezebel, Vallywag, Deadspin, Gizmodo and io9.

Publishing company Ziff Davis has been touted as a likely buyer of Gawker and sent out the following memo today:

I wanted to share some news about a potential acquisition for Ziff Davis. Earlier today, Gawker Media Group (GMG) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of that process, GMG plans to sell its media properties Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Kotaku, Jalopnik, Deadspin, Jezebel and Gawker.

Ziff Davis has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire all of these properties (free of GMG's liabilities), subject to the outcome of a Court-supervised auction. Under the Chapter 11 process, the Bankruptcy Court will soon set a schedule for other potential bidders to enter the sale process. There will then be an auction, which will likely take place at the end of July.

In the event we become the acquirer, the additions of Gizmodo, Lifehacker and Kotaku would fortify our position in consumer tech and gaming. With the addition of Jalopnik, Deadspin and Jezebel, we would broaden our position as a lifestyle publisher. Much like us, GMG is heavily active in driving commerce-based revenues and has an impressive publishing and commerce platform with Kinja.

As you can see, there’s a tremendous fit between the two organizations, from brands to audience to monetization. We look forward to the possibility of adding these great brands √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú and the talented people who support them √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú to the Ziff Davis family.

Ziff Davis currently owns and operates video game website mainstay IGN. There is no indication at this time that should Ziff Davis acquire Kotaku if it will continue to operate as a separate website, or merged with the existing IGN website.

Kotaku was at the center of the GamerGate hashtag controversy in 2014 when following The Zoe Post from Eron Gjoni, it was discovered that Kotaku writer Nathan Grayson had given positive coverage to Zoe Quinn's Depression Quest game without disclosing he financially supported the games development. Editor Stephen Totillo decided to take no further action and Kotaku, along with other video game websites, begun attacking gaming culture claiming it to be sexist and racists. However they have yet answered any calls to prove that is the case.

Kotaku was also famously blacklisted by Bethesda Games and Ubisoft for posting spoilers of stories after acquiring development materials while Fallout 4, Assassin's Creed Unity and Rogue were still under development.

Kotaku, along with Gawker and its sister publications, do not hold a great reputation among the public and are seen as the web equivalent of gutter press. Whoever possibly takes over Gawker won't just have to worry about the financial issues involving the company but also how it will build a positive reputation for the brand, if it can, heading into the future.

Last month Starbreeze AB: an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products; announced their agreement with 505 Games to acquire the full rights to the PAYDAY-franchise. The consideration for the acquisition amounts to 10.9 million B-shares in Starbreeze, equivalent to 30 MUSD.

Along with creating new DLC for PAYDAY 2, Starbreeze partnered up with CMUNE (UberStrike) to create a mobile PvP multiplayer game set in the Payday universe. This 2-8 player game let's you for the first time choose whose side you want to be on, the heisters or cops. Challenging your enemies in iconic locations from the bank to the Golden Grin Casino.

If you where at E3 for the past few days you may have passed by booth #F5A and have had the chance to play OVERKILL's new PAYDAY 2 DLC; The Biker Packs, along with the PAYDAY: Crime Wars demo. Please comment below seeing I was not there unfortunately, so I have no review of the demo Expo goers had a chance to play. Though I do know it will be out on both iOS and Android devices with a release date TBD.

I am very excited that this game is coming out. Like many mobile gamers, I have been waiting a long time to see PAYDAY crossover from a PC to a mobile platform. I hope I can get my hands on it soon, maybe even test drive what looks like to be a very will thought out crossover.

• On day one they mostly showed off some indie titles that were going to be released on the Wii U's and 3DS's eShop. Some of these games were Jotun: Valhalla Edition, Runbow Pocket, Axiom Verge, and Severed.
• Also, while not shown by Nintendo themselves, Noitu Love: Devolution was confirmed to be coming to the both the Wii U and 3DS eShop this July.
• On day two they started to get out of first gear and showed their more anticipated stuff. Some new pokemon were shown off in Pokemon Sun & Moon and some new gameplay elements were shown off in the form of Battle Royals in which you and three other trainers face each other in a free-for-all battle.
• In the Zelda department, the new Zelda title that had been in development since 2013 now has an official name, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More info about the game was shown off in great detail during Nintendo's live Treehouse stream during the second day and they talked about many new features about the game such as rock climbing, hunting, weapon and armor crafting, amiibo support, and a world and story that are VERY non-linear. An official release date hasn't been announced yet, but I would estimate that it wouldn't be released until at least late spring of 2017.
• A bunch of new amiibo were shown off as well, three for Zelda (Archer Link, Rider Link, and a Guardian with posable arms) and seven for Mario (Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and a glow-in-the-dark Boo).
• Paper Mario: Color Splash now has an official release date of October 27, 2016.
• On day three they decided to wind down with some smaller info in the form of portable titles. Mario Party: Star Rush was announced for the 3DS and features a rather unusual gameplay style in which all players move at the same time on an open board while you recruit other Mario characters to help you in the game.
• A brand new IP was revealed for the 3DS called Ever Oasis and judging by the gameplay video, it looks like it might be an action RPG hybridizing the gameplay styles of Animal Crossing and Monster Hunter.
• Pokemon Go Plus is shooting for a July release with the wrist add-on costing around $34.99USD.
• Both versions of Yokai Watch 2, Dragon Quest VII for the 3DS, and BoxBoxBoy!! were all confirmed for localization.
• And finally, Rhythm Heaven Megamix was released later the same day as an eShop exclusive title on the Nintendo 3DS.

If you wish to watch the recorded Treehouse stream that Nintendo did for E3 in its entirety, you can watch the above video, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

The Technomancer

Actual RPGs are hard to come by these days. Many people mistaking label leveling up a skill in a linear corridor shooter as an RPG, but developer Spiders know the truth. The Technomancer is an open world cyberpunk RPG set on Mars with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and unique melee combat. The Technomancer is also a spiritual successor to the severely underrated Mars: War Logs. Spiders have a proven track record when it comes to developing a proper RPG with compelling story aspects, so we're excited to see if The Technomancer can keep Spiders' track record polished.

We Happy Few

If you thought the underwater city of Rapture from BioShock wasn't fueled by enough fictional drugs, We Happy Few is for you. We Happy Few is a psychological horror game set in an alternate 1960's England where all citizens are required to take a drug called "Joy." More about the game will be known once it is released to Steam early access and Xbox Game Preview July 26th.

Cuphead

Cuphead is a 2D platformer with the artstyle of a 1930's cartoon. At the beginning of the game, the player loses a bet with the devil and spends the rest of the game attempting to repay the lost bet. Recently announced for Cuphead were more platforming areas to compliment its brutal boss fights. One of Cuphead's hooks is its punishing difficulty. See for yourself.

Vampyr

From the developers that brought you Life is Strange... comes Vampyr. Vampyr is a third person RPG that casts you in the role of a doctor turned vampire as he deals with the duality of saving lives and taking them. The video game industry has been absolutely starved for a good vampire game since Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Let's hope that Dontnod Entertainment can revitalize this undead genre.

Yooka-Laylee

Banjo-Kazooie fans rejoice! No longer are you trapped under the mighty boot of Microsoft. After a very successful Kickstarter, many of the original Rare Ware developers were able to fund the Banjo-Threeie that we never got. Yooka-Laylee is a third person platformer that takes more than a few pages from Banjo's playbook. The colorful, cartoony visuals are back, as well as the collect-a-thon gameplay that gamers from the early 2000's know and love.

Included Content

First of all, here are the individual stats:

Analysis

As you can see, both have their highs and lows. While the NES may have less games than the Mega Drive, half of the 80 games included on the Mega Drive are low quality throwaway games (falsely listed as "Sega Arcade") that were added just to pad out the fluff. The Mega Drive does make up for this with the ability to play cartridges and it comes with two controllers instead of one, but the NES can use its controllers with the NES titles on the Wii's and Wii U's Virtual Console service. Plus if you don't want to buy a second controller, that's fine too as it can also work with the Wii Classic Controllers. The real deciding factor though is tough to determine. As I have stated many times in the past, I grew up with Nintendo games, so I'm a bit biased toward the NES Classic. Yes, it does have less games than the Mega Drive, but they are of objectively superior quality. It's just a shame that it can't be played on an old CRT TV set; retro games somehow look better on those older TV's.

Final Verdict

Even if I wasn't as Nintendo biased as I am, I'm going to have to give the upper hand to the NES Classic Edition. Considering the fact that not everyone owns a CRT TV anymore and most modern HD TV's no longer have support for composite cables, I don't think the Mega Drive Classic Console will be able to thrive in this new plug-n-play "console war" as much as I would want it to. So if you like retro games, get the NES Classic Edition when it is released on November 11th of this year; don't even bother with the Mega Drive unless you were a fan of those games in the past and still own cartridges that it can use, and/or if you own a CRT TV. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

We've done it! With the help of our thousands of dedicated, passionate, and generous backers we've raised over $1.3 million dollars to bring System Shock back to life!

These last 30 days have been a wild ride but we've enjoyed every moment of it. From reading your comments, answering your questions, and interacting with you on Discord and Twitch it's been an experience we've enjoyed more than anything else. It's clear from the overwhelming outpouring of support that System Shock means so much to so many people and we're extremely honored that you've chosen us - and entrusted us with the monumental task of remaking one of, if not the greatest game of all time. No
pressure!

From everyone here at Nightdive...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We couldn't have done it without you and look forward to having you join us as we embark on our return voyage to Citadel Station!

Again...from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Stephen Kick CEO - Nightdive Studios

After over 20 years of waiting, perhaps this is the System Shock remake fans deserve. System Shock is expected to launch by December 2017 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Stay with us for future news on System Shock.

As clickbait-y as that little subtitle seems, it's true. Although this hasn't been covered before by novoGamer, it's not news in the gaming world that Nvidia has recently been under fire for false advertising regarding their GTX 970. The class action lawsuit was filed more than a year ago, in February 2015, over the fact that the card did not have the 4GB of VRAM that was claimed, but only 3.5GB.

This settlement not only goes for people who bought reference cards, but also cards from EVGA, Zotac, MSI, or whatever other company the card was purchased from. This is because of how the card is designed from the ground up.

Jen-Hsun describes the issue in an Nvidia blog, "GTX 970 is a 4GB card. However, the upper 512MB of the additional 1GB is segmented and has reduced bandwidth. This is a good design because we were able to add an additional 1GB for GTX 970 and our software engineers can keep less frequently used data in the 512MB segment. Unfortunately, we failed to communicate this internally to our marketing team, and externally to reviewers at launch."

Funnily enough, Nvidia's rival AMD poked fun at the lawsuit, implementing the slogan "4GB means 4GB" while advertising their R9 290 card. And, if it is to be understood, AMD recently went above and beyond the call of duty by advertising some of their Rx 480 cards to have 4GB of memory while they actually had 8GB.

Details on how to claim the $30 to get your 0.5GB of memory's worth have not been revealed yet. More info here on nG, or the Nvidia blog.

The video is centered almost entirely around the 3DS, but like always here's the short recap for you folks out there that don't have the time to watch the whole thing.

• Two things were revealed in Pokemon Sun & Moon; Alolan Rattata being one and a special Munchlax as an early purchase bonus being the other.
• A slightly watered down version of Super Mario Maker is being ported to the 3DS that lacks the costume mushroom and the ability to upload stages you made to the internet, but you can make collaborative stages with other people and complete special challenges in the pre-installed stages. It is set to be released on December 2.
• Some more info was shown off for Mario Party: Star Rush. It is stated to have 7 game modes, three of which are entirely different board game each with their own unique rules. The game will be released along side the second wave of Mario series amiibo on November 4.
• Animal Crossing New Leaf was stated to be getting a major update after being out for 3 years. This update will add amiibo functionality to the game and 50 new amiibo cards will be released along side it. In addition to this, a special version of the game, called Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo will also be released this holiday season that will include the update on the cart.
• The 3DS's Mii Plaza was given a new update which adds 5 new games (1 free plus $2.99 for each after or $8.99 for the full bundle), a special quick-start plaza, and a new queue for Mii's encountered via streetpass which bumps the total from 10 to a whopping 100. This update is available now.
• A new eShop exclusive title called Tank Troopers was revealed to be in the works which would have up to 6-player versus and customizable tanks where the abilities change depending on who's manning the vehicle. No release date was shown at the time of writing this article.
• Picross 3D: Round 2 was also shown for the eShop and was launched following the Direct.
• The Nindies Summer Jam started on the same day the Direct aired and revealed that 5 anticipated indie titles would be released over the course of 5 weeks with Axiom Verge being the first game on that list followed by Jotun, Noitu Love: Devolution, Severed, and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2.
• To celebrate The Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary, four new amiibo were announced being 8-bit Link, Ocarina of Time Link, and a 2-pack that has Toon Link and Toon Zelda. They will all be compatible with Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
• Nintendo also teamed up with Darkhorse to make three new Zelda books with the first being an artwork collection with over 2,000 images spanning the 30 year history of the franchise. The first book is also available to pre-order.
• Zelda: Skyward Sword was also released on the Wii U eShop.
• The New 3DS XL now has a new galaxy themed color and the regular New 3DS has a new Mario themed bundle that comes with Super Mario 3D Land and two sets of Mario themed faceplates.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends showed off a new weapon for Toon Link being the Sand Wand and a new playable character being Toon Zelda among other things like a new adventure map based on Phantom Hourglass.
• Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice got a release date of September 8 exclusively for the 3DS eShop.
• Dragon Quest VII for the 3DS release date was revealed as well being September 16.
• Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls showed off some new gameplay elements and a special bonus medal for those that buy the game physically. They will both launch September 30.
• Disney Magical World 2 was also shown off with some Nintendo 3DS themes based around it being shown as well.
• Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for the 3DS finally got an official release date being September 27 with a special launch edition which also includes a DVD containing 3 episodes of the TV that it's based on.
• Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse for the 3DS got a release date being September 20.
• A special version of Yoshi's Woolly World is being ported to the 3DS that will include a bunch of new stages where you play as Poochy and 30 stop-motion shorts featuring the two. Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World will be released February 3, 2017 along side the new Yarn Poochy amiibo.
• The new IP Ever Oasis had some gameplay shown off and will be released for the 3DS some time in 2017.
• Mario Sports Super Stars for the 3DS was revealed and was shown to include 5 different sports being Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Baseball, and of all things Horseback Riding. It will also have the ability to be played online or in local multiplayer. It will release some time in Spring of 2017.
• In a big surprise, it turns out that the Pikmin series is getting a 2D spin-off game on the 3DS. Judging by the gameplay shown, it looks like it might play similar to Kirby: Mass Attack. No official release date was revealed, but it is scheduled for 2017.

Well that's all of it. Out of all these, I'm probably most excited for the Pikmin spin-off, but only time will tell if it is any good. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

It's been 6 years, hombres. 6 long years since Red Dead Redemption was released into our hearts. Since then we've had L.A. Noire, Grand Theft Auto V, and entered an entirely new console generation. Now Rockstar have officially christened their announcement of a third Red Dead game with a trailer. Ladies and Gentlemen: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Rockstar's current official description for Red Dead Redemption 2 is as follows:

Developed by the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland. The game’s vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience.

At least six games were teased in the trailer for the system being Skyrim Remastered, an untitled NBA game, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a currently unnamed Mario title, and what appear to be enhanced ports of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. Only time will tell if the remastered games are truly remasterings or are just proof of concept for the system's hardware. Additionally, a rather impressive list of developers (written below) have also signed on for supporting the Switch long term.

• 505 Games
• Activision
• Arc System Works
• Atlus
• AudioKinetic
• Autodesk
• Bandai Namco
• Bethesda
• Capcom
• Codemasters
• CRI Middleware
• DeNA
• Electronic Arts
• Epic Games
• Firelight Technologies
• FromSoftware
• FrozenByte
• GameTrust
• Grasshopper Manufacture
• Gungho Online Entertainment
• Hamster Corporation
• Havok
• Inti Creates
• Koei Tecmo
• Konami Digital Entertainment
• Level-5
• Marvelous
• Maximum Games
• Nippon Ichi Software
• Parity Bit
• Platinum Games
• Rad Game Tools
• RecoChoku
• SEGA Games
• Silicon Studio Corporations
• Spike Chunsoft Co
• Square Enix
• Star Breeze Studios
• Take-Two Interactive Software
• Telltale Games
• THQ Nordic
• Tokyo RPG Factory
• TT Games
• UBbisoft
• Ubitus
• Unity Technologies
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Web Technology Corp

I personally can't say if Nintendo knows what they're doing this time around, but the concept of the Switch is certainly promising and quite unique. I just hope that it has a decent battery life. The Nintendo Switch will launch in March of 2017 and I assure you I'll definitely be one of its early adopters, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Disclosure:

In March 2015 I tweeted two responses to the hashtag I am on Board 2015 which I saw as a way to show appreciation for voice talent in video games. However afterwards I learnt that, along with the replacement hashtag Performance Matters, that it was being used to build support for workers in a dispute with the video games industry. I ceased further interactions knowing that I had to remain an objective observer of the story as I would likely have to write about this in the future but since I maintain my support for news transparency, I felt you should know about this.

Industrial action in the entertainment sector is not unheard of but for the first time in the near 40 year history of the video games industry, a section of its workforce is hours away from going on strike over a dispute on residual pay and worker’s well being.

Voice actors and other performers who are members of US unions The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) will walk out on midnight, Friday 21^st October on any game development project that started after February 17^th 2015, as a result of no agreement being made between SAG-AFTRA and representatives of some of the video gaming industries biggest publishers during meetings held on Monday 17^th October and ending Wednesday 19^th.

Negotiations for a new deal following the 2014 expiry of the original 1994 Interactive Media Agreement between the gaming industry and SAG-AFTRA began back on February 4^th 2015 with four other meetings over the course of 19 months leading to strike action beginning this week.

SAG-AFTRA’s core demand is seeking Contingent Compensation for their members which is commonly known as residual pay. Members have an existing agreement with Movie and Television producers that they receive bonus pay based on ether as an example a successful gate at cinemas or T.V. shows getting reruns on syndication. SAG-AFTRA is seeking the same deal for performers working on video games with members receiving bonuses if game sales reach 2 Million, with additional bonuses as 4 and 6 Million before capping at 8 Million.

This would also extend to Downloadable Content sales and unique subscribers for subscription based online games. Representatives of the Gaming Industry argue that voice actor’s are overstating their position as their performance makes up only 20% at most in the overall production of video games and that actors are very rarely the focus in the promotion of video games unlike in movies and television. Reports suggest the industry offered a 9% increase in pay from the current open agreement but SAG-AFTRA have remained determined to acquire residual pay for their members.

The dispute does not just cover financial compensation. Concerns over performer’s safety is also under contention. SAG-AFTRA claims that more needs to be done by the video games industry to protect its members from physical harm as they allege that some voice actors have had undue strain placed on them during sessions which led to vocal cords becoming temporally damaged causing loss of work and motion capture artists physically injured at shoots. SAG-AFTRA suggests that most video game productions that have motion capture rarely use stunt coordinators in comparison to movie and television productions which would reduce risks of injuries during shoots.

Lawyers representing the games industry say that SAG-AFTRA is misleading its members by not updating their website to mention increased working benefits and working condition improvements that have been offered in negotiation meetings for over a year.

The strike will only be limited to work for certain companies and listed projects from said companies that began after February 17^th 2015. The companies that have been struck are:

• Activision Publishing Inc
• Blindlight, LLC
• Corps of Discovery Films
• Disney Character Voices, Inc.
• Electronic Arts Productions, Inc
• Formosa Interactive, LLC
• Insomniac Games, Inc.
• Interactive Associates, Inc.
• Take 2 Interactive Software
• VoiceWorks Productions, Inc
• WB Games

Members of the Union will be allowed to work on video game projects from other companies not involved in the dispute and continue to work on projects from the listed companies that started before the February 2015 cut off date.

While other North American actor unions have voiced support of SAG-AFTRA’s proposed strike they are not joining in with any solidarity strikes themselves. Here in the UK the biggest actors union is aware of the strike but are not taking any action other than offering advice to members that may have taken contracts in the US to respect the strike.

Martin Brown, the Assistant General Secretary for Communications and Member Support for Equity contacted me and said quote:

“The SAG-AFTRA strike is about contractual conditions for video games contracted in the United States. It will not impact on work taking place in the United Kingdom unless that work has been contracted in the United States under the jurisdiction of SAG-AFTRA.

Equity members will continue to work normally in UK contracted video games. However if any Equity member in the USA or elsewhere in the world that has been contracted under the SAG-AFTRA video game contract we would urge them to get in touch with SAG-AFTRA as soon as possible for advice and to support SAG-AFTRA’s dispute.“

Both parties appear to be resolute in their demands and arguments so it is unlikely baring any surprising and sudden concessions, that this dispute will be resolved quickly. We will have to wait to see which side blinks first.

Now the amiibo features that everyone knew about were kind of obvious. You would scan an Animal Crossing amiibo card and you would get a temporary villager that you could persuade to move into your town. But there was a lot more added beyond that that actually would want old players to come back in full force. Here is a quick recap of the features that were shown off in the Direct.

• A new room can now be added to your house that you can access at any time and can be used to contact Wisp who will allow you to scan your amiibo of choice. This room can also be decorated in the same fashion as how you can in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. In addition, if you have save data from Happy Home Designer, you can now order extra large furniture from your catalog.
• An expanded campground site for RV's (run by a new character named Harvey) was added to allow new villagers to visit. 50 new amiibo cards will be produced featuring characters with these new RV's and will also allow exclusive special villagers and furniture based around Splatoon and The Legend of Zelda.
• Two new minigames were added being Desert Island Escape which was first included in Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and Animal Crossing Puzzle League which is better known as Tetris Attack to fans of the classic game. These games can be respectively accessed from the new Wii U and 3DS furniture items.
• Daily missions are now added to your Town Pass Card that, when completed, will give you a new form of currency called MEOW Coupons (Mutual Exchange Of Wealth) which you receive from the new CAT Machine (Coupon Allocating Terminal) which then can be exchanged for brand new furniture and goods that cannot be bought at the shops.
• An amiibo Camera feature was added that will allow you to take pictures with animated versions of the amiibo figures that you can scan in.
• And finally, if you wish to start over from scratch, there is a brand new feature where you can now sell your town to Tom Nook and start a new game with the profits already in your bank.

With all of these features added in the new update, which is now live by the way, it makes the game feel fresh and new again. I for one will likely be playing New Leaf even more now and I hope that if you have the game, you would download it as well. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

As always, if you are pressed for time, I will give you all of the juicy details and recap all of the news regarding the presentation to the best of my ability. So let's get started.

• The system will launch globally and simultaneously on March 3, 2017 with a price of 29,980 Yen in Japan, $299.99 in North America, and a varying price in Europe depending on the retailer.
• A new paid online service was revealed with a free trial period lasting until Autumn.
• Switch software WILL be region free.
• The system's battery life will vary by the game that's being played, but the general range is anywhere between 2.5 and 6 hours of continuous play. It will also come with a USB Type-C cable for recharging purposes.
• The screen is a capacitive touch screen.
• Up to 8 Switches can connect wirelessly to each other during local play.
• The Left Joy-Con was shown to have a "Capture" button which is used for taking screenshots (and eventually video footage) of the game you are currently playing.
• Two buttons on the interior of each Joy-Con were shown to be how the controllers lock into the console and also double as the L & R buttons for each player.
• Joy-Cons will also be available in other colors with the first 2 being neon blue and neon red.
• Each Joy-Con also has an IR camera at their bottom half which apparently is sensitive enough to detect the difference between rock, paper, and scissor hand gestures or varying distances from the screen.
• The brand new HD Rumble feature was shown off that somehow has the ability to mimic changes in shifting weight making for a more immersive experience.
• Two new games were shown off for showcasing the Joy-Con's features, one being 1-2-Switch which is a multiplayer party type game, and the other being Arms, a strange boxing game featuring characters with long spring-loaded boxing gloves. 1-2-Switch will launch along side the console and Arms will launch in spring.
• Splatoon 2 was announced which showed off many new features such as duel-wielding, dodging, and a bunch of new special weapons. It is planned to launch this summer.
• Super Mario Odyssey was revealed and showed Mario in a plethora of new areas all based around different parts of the world and showed of a new gameplay mechanic revolving around throwing his hat. It unfortunately won't be released until the holiday season.
• Two new games were then revealed after the reveal of Super Mario Odyssey. These games were Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Fire Emblem Warriors.
• Dragon Quest X, Dragon Quest XI, and Dragon Quest Heros I & II were announced for the system, but currently only for Japan.
• A new Shin Megami Tensei game and a new Square Enix game tentatively called Project Octopath Traveler were shown off in addition to Skyrim Remastered.
• What possibly might be a brand new No More Heroes game was revealed to be in development by Suda51.
• A brand new Fifa game was revealed to be coming to Switch with a 2017 release window.
• The complete package for the Switch was shown which includes the console and Switch Dock, a Left and a Right Joy-Con (either both gray or one of each neon color) with matching wrist straps, the Joy-Con controller dock, an HDMI cable, and an AC Adapter. The Pro Controller will be sold separately.
• And finally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was revealed to launch along side the Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017 with both Special Edition and Master Edition bundles also available at $99.99USD and $129.99USD respectively.
• Now outside of the presentation many other games were shown off such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which has new items, new racers, and a PROPER battle mode in addition to the possibility of having all DLC pre-installed on the cartridge.
• Super Bomberman R and Puyo Puyo Tetris were shown off in addition to the reveal that Sonic Mania would also be coming to the Switch.

I tell ya, this was one helluva presentation. While they didn't show off what the system's specs were, I still can't wait for the system to launch. March 3rd can't come soon enough. And as for the games, I am truly excited for many of the new games that are coming out for it (especially for Zelda, Mario, and Splatoon 2), and the fact that the system is only $300 is just icing on the cake. Granted the lack of launch games for the system is a bit of a letdown, but I'm sure the Switch is bound to thrive after the unfortunate failure of the Wii U. Only time will tell if it will last long-term, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Even though it wasn't a rather lengthy presentation, as always I will recap what was shown off, even if there wasn't much to show off itself.

• The Japanese only SNES game Fire Emblem Gaiden is being remade for the 3DS as Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Like in the original game, it will feature dungeon crawling in the addition to the normal turn-based strategy the series is known for. It will also feature a voice acted cast and fully animated cutscenes. Shadows of Valentia will release on May 19 of this year along side 2 new amiibo of the game's two main characters, Alm and Celica.
• A brand new Fire Emblem game was revealed to be in production for the Nintendo Switch. It has a planned release of 2018. Nothing else was shown off.
• Fire Emblem Warriors was revealed to have a 2017 Autumn release and it was also shown that it was also in development for the New 3DS as well.
• The rest of the video (which is around 11 minutes) was then used to show off the new game Fire Emblem Heroes for mobile devices. They showed that each battle would consist of a team of four on an 8x16 grid map and feature characters from throughout the history of the franchise. It will launch on February 2 on Google Play first, with iPhone and iPad versions to follow at a currently unannounced later date.

There is certainly going to be a lot of love for Fire Emblem this year. With at least 3 new games coming out in 2017 alone, I'm sure you'll be able to get your fantasy fix regardless of what game you decide to get. I'm personally excited for Fire Emblem Echoes. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

But as always, if you're pressed for time, I'm here to condense all of that information into bite-sized chunks for easy digestion. Here's what they showed off.

• They started with 3DS games first and showed off Hey! Pikmin which will launch on July 28 along with a band new Pikmin amiibo.
• More light was shown on Ever Oasis. It will launch June 23.
• Monster Hunter Stories was confirmed to be coming stateside this autumn.
• A definitive version of Yo-Kai Watch 2 was announced with the subtitle Psychic Specters. It will also launch this autumn.
• Culdcept Revolt was announced for the series 20th anniversary. It will be released August 29.
• RPG Maker Fes was shown off and will be released June 27.
• Miitopia, an unusual Mii-based RPG, was shown to be getting a localization this year.
• Fire Emblem Echoes was revealed to be getting DLC with some of it being free and some of it being paid. A season pass was also shown as an option.
• Kirby was shown to be getting a lot of love this year to celebrate the series 25 anniversary with the games Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (out now), Kirby's Blowout Blast (summer), and a currently unnamed multiplayer action game (holiday season).
• The final installment of the Boxboy series called Bye-Bye Boxboy! and is out now.
• 3 new 30th anniversary Zelda series amiibo (Majora's Mask Link, Twilight Princess Link, Skyward Sword Link) were revealed for a June 23 release.
• The Smash Bros amiibo series finally revealed amiibo for Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta and each character will have a retailer exclusive variant. They will launch July 21.
• A ton of info was revealed for Nintendo's new IP ARMS for the Switch. Character customization is a big feature of the game's main combat mode. A new character, Min Min, was revealed who's left arm is a powerful dragon. Character specific abilities were shown like Spring Man's ability to stay permacharged when his health drops below 25%. ARMS will launch June 16.
• A new Joy-Con color was revealed to launch alongside ARMS; Neon Yellow. Joy-Con battery extenders were also revealed.
• Nintendo showed off some of the online features for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which will launch April 28.
• Ultra Street Fighter II was shown off and will have both classic and HD graphics and two new characters: Evil Ryu and Violent Ken; along with a brand new game mode where you throw Hadokens with the Joy-Cons. It will launch May 26.
• Minecraft will becoming to the Nintendo Switch on May 11 and will include the Mario Mashup texture pack.
• More Neo Geo arcade classics are on the way to the Switch's eShop with Samurai Showdown IV being release on April 13.
• Sonic Forces showed off some of Classic Sonic's gameplay and teased a potential third character to play as. The game will launch this holiday season.
• In addition, Sonic Mania will launch this summer.
• A new competitive action party game tentatively called Project Mekuru was revealed where you stomp on tiles to claim them for your color. This eShop exclusive will launch this summer.
• Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star was shown off a bit and will launch on July 25.
• The definitive version of Disgaea 5 will launch on the Switch May 23.
• Puyo Puyo Tetris's release date inches closer and to prepare fans for the release in the coming weeks released a demo of the game on the eShop.
• The famous board game Monopoly was shown to be coming to the Switch this fall.
• A definitive edition version of Rayman Legends was announced for the Switch and will launch later this year.
• A shooter game called Sine Mora EX, which is being developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, was shown off and will be released this summer.
• A Battlechasers game based on the comics of the same name was announced for the Switch and will launch later summer.
• PayDay 2 is being ported to the Switch later this year.
• Namco Museum will be coming to the Switch's eShop this summer.
• You will be able to purchase additional Nintendo Switch docks starting on May 19.
• A Nintendo sponsored tournament for Splatoon was announced for the original Splatoon on the Wii U for a limited time.
• New Splatoon 2 info was revealed such as a new game mode called Salmon Run, a co-op survival mode where you and a team of three other individuals go to a run down island and fight a hoard of hostile salmon-like monsters to collect power-eggs en mass. Three new Splatoon amiibo were also announced which can be used to save outfit data and can be summoned in Inkopolis Square to have a companion for your character. Both the game and the amiibo will launch on July 21.

Well that's it for today. Needless to say, my wallet is going to be bled dry this year. I'm particularly excited for the new Smash Bros series amiibo. Getting cheap Bayonetta figurines have not been easy for me. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

While the departure of Alan Wake is upsetting, Remedy Entertainment have also announced that on Saturday May 13th Alan Wake and its sequel Alan Wake's American Nightmare along with every piece of DLC will be 90% off on Steam for 48 hours until it is officially removed. Alan Wake's American Nightmare will not be a part of this remvoal. This will probably be the last chance to purchase everything from the original Alan Wake entry for the foreseeable future.

In other news, it was recently announced that 505 Games would publish Remedy Entertainment's newest multi-platform IP codenamed "Project 7." Developer Remedy have stated that their latest IP will be set in a "new Remedy-created universe," and features "an intriguing story and a game structure offering a long-lasting experience" and also "contains the deepest game mechanics yet in a Remedy game." More details on Remedy's latest project will be revealed in the coming months.

But as always, if you're pressed for time I'll recap the news to the best of my ability. So let's get started.

• First they showed off that the arms that the player can equip have different weights that affect how they work in battle. I.E. heavier arms move more slowly, but pack more of a wallop whereas lighter arms are weak, but travel quickly. In addition each arm also have different attributes that activate when fully charged like Fire, Ice, or Electricity.
• Next they showed off the ten fighters that will be in the game revealing three new fighters in the process: Kid Cobra, an athletic snake-like fighter; Byte & Barq, a robotic cop with a robodog teammate; and Twintelle, a movie star who's hair does the fighting for her.
• The Versus game modes were shown off being a standard Fight, a 2-on-2 mode where you're tethered to your teammate, V-Ball which is volleyball with a twist, Hoops in which you grab your opponent and dunk them into the basketball hoop for points, Skillshot which is basically a shooting range type affair, and an arcade-like 1-on-100 mode where you're pitted against an army of weaker opponents one after the other.
• In order to get more arms to use in battle, you spend your fight winnings on the Arms Getter which is like a sideways crane game mixed in with the Skillshot game that was mentioned before. Duplicate arms collected are greater in strength than the previous ones you collected.
• The other modes were shown off next being Grand Prix, a single-player ladder climb that is a staple to many fighting games, Party Match an online mode for the game for up to 20 players per lobby (or 8 per lobby for local multiplayer), and Ranked Matches where you fight 1-on-1 online for glory.
• In addition to the content that was revealed right now, it was also confirmed that the game would be getting new fighters, stages, and arms as free updates throughout the life of the game.
• And finally, from May 26-28 and June 2-4 a free demo of the game will be available to try from the Switch eShop called the ARMS Global Testpunch.

That was all the info that was announced for ARMS, but the video didn't end there. As a surprise addition to the end of the Direct, brand new info for the single-player campaign for Splatoon 2 was revealed. Marie of The Squid Sisters appears to be the person you talk to do the missions and it appears that Sheldon of Ammo Knights from the first game supplies you with new weapons to be used against some of the new enemy types. Not much else was shown off besides a piece of art promoting the single player story. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

As you can see not a lot of news can be announced in an 8 minute long video, but what can be said is certainly dense enough for a recap. That being said, let's begin.

• First of all, the first half of the Direct was presented in a blog/documentary style which showed a man on his way to visit his brother and give a few gifts to his nephews, but all of this was just a framing device for presenting the news in question.
• Pokken Tournament DX was confirmed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch. It was shown to have all of the content from the previous version of the game on the Wii U plus all 4 characters that were added to the arcade version after the Wii U's release and a brand new character in the form of Decidueye. A new pair of support Pokemon (Popplio and Litten) were also confirmed as well as Team Battles (3-on-3 matches), Ranked, Group and Friendly matches (when playing online), and daily challenges. Battles were shown to work in split screen when not playing wirelessly, but it is still unconfirmed if the official Pokken Tournament controller will work with it when in TV mode. The game will launch this year on September 22.
• Shortly after that, they showed off the new 3DS Pokemon game that was in the works being Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon. The story this time around is much different that what would be expected. Instead of it being a third version of the game or a sequel like what they did with Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2, the plot is said to be an alternate take on the events of the original games; much like an alternate timeline. The game will launch November 17.
• And finally, the Game Boy games Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver were confirmed to be coming to the 3DS via Virtual Console and will be compatible with Pokemon Bank. The games will launch on the same day as Pokken Tournament DX, but it is uncertain whether or not Pokemon Crystal will eventually be released on Virtual Console in the future.

Well that's the skinny folks. I for one am certainly happy as I said in a previous article that I wanted Pokken Tournament DX for the Switch, although I'm also a bit confused on the premise for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon. All in all though I'm excited all the same. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

Even though the video is much shorter than what Nintendo has done for E3 in the past, there was a LOT of new stuff shown off with only a few teasers that didn't actually have any gameplay. But as always I'll recap what I can, and as a bonus I'll even recap some of the news that Nintendo showed off in their live streams after the Spotlight video ended. So let's get started.

• After the preview for the video had ended, there was a new trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the Switch which showed off a small bit of some actual gameplay and more story elements. A definitive release date wasn't yet confirmed but it has a planned release for the holidays at the end of the year.
• Next a brand new Kirby game was shown off for the Switch and it appears to run on the same engine as the past three main series games. It appears that the game is already pretty far in development as gameplay footage of Kirby recruiting enemies as helpers and fusing abilities together in the trailer. It has a projected release of 2018.
• A brand new core series Pokemon game was revealed to be in development for the Switch. No other info about it was announced at this time.
• In an amazing surprise reveal, it was confirmed that Metroid Prime 4 is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch. However it was also confirmed that Retro Studios will not be working on this entry in the series meaning the game that they're currently working on for Nintendo is still unknown at this point in time.
• A brand new Yoshi game is in the works for the Switch and it was confirmed that it is being developed with Unreal Engine 4 of all things. It has a similar look and feel to the previous Yoshi game, Yoshi's Woolly World, but it has this new gameplay feature where you can flip the environment backwards when you ground pound and even throw eggs at enemies in the foreground and background. This game is also set for a 2018 release.
• Gameplay and story footage was shown off for Fire Emblem Warriors. A full voice cast will also accompany the game giving an official English VA for the character Marth. It was also shown that it will not feature characters from the entire series, but rather just the games Shadow Dragon, Awakening, and Fates. It is slated to launch this Autumn.
• Content for first DLC pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild called The Master Trials was shown off preceded by the announcement for amiibo support in the Switch port of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The first DLC pack will go live at the end of June. In addition to this, a preview of the second DLC pack for Zelda was teased and the official name for the story that it will tell was revealed to be called The Champions' Ballad. DLC pack 2 will launch some time this holiday season. 4 new Breath of the Wild amiibo based on the 4 champions Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa were also announced for the game. No official release date the amiibo was announced at the time of the conference.
• Ubisoft revealed new info for their brand new crossover game for the Switch, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle which features Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi stopping an invading force of rabbids with the help of 4 "friendly" rabbids that are dressed like them. The gameplay footage shown off is a turn-based strategy game with heavy emphasis on cover-based shooting; much like X-Com. It will launch August 29 of this year.
• Psyonix revealed that their hit game Rocket League is coming to the Nintendo Switch with special Nintendo themed content exclusive to the Switch version. In addition, they confirmed that the game would have cross-platform multiplayer with the XBox One and PC versions of the game when playing online. Its slated for a holiday release.
• And finally, new features were shown off for Super Mario Odyssey. In the new gameplay footage, at least 2 new worlds were shown off (one being monochrome and one being prehistoric); Mario was seen to have the ability to ride certain vehicles and turn 8-bit to move around wall paintings; and through the use of Cappy, the spirit that is occupying his hat for this adventure, Mario can possess a plethora of different objects and enemies to help him on his quest to save Princess Peach. Also, after the Spotlight presentation, it was confirmed that the game would have Co-Op play where player 2 plays as Cappy. It will be released on the 27th of October this year.
• Now after the Spotlight was over, a few more things were announced. One of them being that we're getting not one, but two new Metroid games. The second one they announced was Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS and is being developed by MercurySteam. According to Yoshio Sakamoto, the game is said to be a reimagining of Metroid II on the original Game Boy. The remake will be adding many new features such as melee countering and amiibo support, and will use the original game as a base (I guess now we know why AM2R got hit with a cease and desist so soon after it was finished). It will be released on September 15th. New Metroid series amiibo were also confirmed to be in development for the game in the form of Samus in her Metroid II boxart pose, and a metroid with a soft, squishy outer membrane. These new amiibo will launch alongside the game.
• Separate from the E3 streams, Nintendo announced that a remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was being made for the 3DS with updated graphics and new content in the form of a strategic battle mode where you take control of Bowser's minions. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions will launch on October 6th of this year.
• A rather unusual new IP called Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido was revealed for the Nintendo 3DS and is being developed by Indieszero of NES Remix and Retro Game Challenge fame. Judging by the gameplay shown, it appears to mix the concept of match-3 puzzle games with real-time combat in a frantic style of game where you need to eat as much sushi as possible, collect the plates that the sushi was sitting on, and then use the plates as ammo to knock out your opponent. No release date was confirmed, but it will be released some time in 2018.
• More amiibo were confirmed to be in development. Mario, Peach and Bowser in wedding garb were shown off as well as a Goomba and Koopa Troopa for the Mario series set. In addition to those, Chrom and Tiki from Fire Emblem Awakening were also shown off in amiibo form. The new Mario, Peach and Bowser amiibo will launch alongside Super Mario Odyssey and the Goomba and Koopa Troopa will be released at the same time as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. No date has yet to be confirmed for the Chrom and Tiki amiibo but I would imagine that they would be released around the same time as Fire Emblem Warriors.
• More of Miitopia was shown off in detail. Movement in dungeons appear to be mostly automatic with occasional input from the player and combat is turn-based with the option for auto-battling. Amiibo support was also confirmed and would be used to gain Nintendo themed equipment. As for the miis in the game, all of them come from the system's internal memory or you can import them from Tomodachi Life. Miitopia will launch July 28th of this year.
• A bit more info for the 3DS game Ever Oasis was revealed. It will give the player the ability to customize their own oasis paradise and go dungeon crawling for more loot and experience. The overall combat appears to be similar in design to the Mana series of games which makes sense considering it was conceived by the same creator. The game will launch incredibly soon on June 23rd and a demo of the game is now available to download from the 3DS eShop.
• And last but not least, the first DLC character was shown off for ARMS in the form of the one of the game's previous champions, Max Brass. It was shown that he has skills that mirror the abilities of both Spring Man and Master Mummy. The new character, along with a spectator mode, will be patched into the game later this month.

Well that's all the info I can muster up for now. I can certainly say that if you are a Nintendo fan like me, then their announcements this year probably made you a very happy camper. Metroid Prime 4 and Metroid: Samus Returns were certainly a welcome surprise for those that were disappointed by Metroid Prime: Federation Force, but only time will tell if they are in good hands. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

But as always, I will condense as much as I can so you can read it during your busy schedule.

• First of all, all of the gear will be making a return in the same three categories: Hats, Shoes, and Shirts.
• New weapon variations were shown off like the Clash Blaster, the Flingza Roller, the Goo Tuber, and the Dapple Duelies.
• New sub weapons were also shown off like the Autobombs and Toxic Mist.
• Then the new special weapons were given a proper demonstration.
• You can now skip through Sheldon's long weapon descriptions.
• Turf Wars and all three of the ranked battle modes will be making a comeback, but all of the ranked battle modes will now keep track of separate ranks instead of all sharing the same one.
• A bunch of new arenas were shown off with some updated ones returning from the previous game such as Port Mackerel and Moray Towers.
• All battle maps and ranked modes will now rotate out ever 2 hours instead of every 4 like in the previous game.
• The tower in the Tower Control game will now stop at designated checkpoints throughout the match.
• It is now possible to raise your rank by more than one letter grade if you played exceptionally well in a match.
• Squad battles will be making a return.
• Customizing your gear's ability slots is now much easier and new abilities were shown off.
• The new Salmon Run horde mode of was shown to only be playable during predetermined times.
• New Salmonids were shown off like the Steel Eel and Fly Fish.
• There are some pieces of equipment that can only be won from Salmon Run.
• A new version of Splatnet will be coming to smart devices through Nintendo Switch's online service.
• The new amiibo will be used like memory cards to save your gear and weapon loadouts which can then be used to summon a "friend" you can take pictures with at the in-game Plaza.
• Splatoon 1's graffiti mode will be coming back without the need for Miiverse.
• Lan play is possible for more intense battles with minimal lag.
• A rhythm-based arcade game will be available to play using the music from the game.
• Some info about the Single-Player mode was shown off, but nothing new to report other than the fact that Marie refers to you as Agent 4.
• New content like maps, gear and weapons will be coming to the game over the course of around a year through free updates. One of these updates will include a brand new weapon type called the Splat Brella which is a close range scattershot that doubles as a shield, and another one called the Bubble Blower which makes large floating ink mines.
• With Callie and Marie being designated to the single player mode, two new pop idols named Pearl and Marina will be giving the player the news and will host the new Splat Fests.
• Splat Fests can now be played with players on your friend list.
• And finally, the game's first Splat Fest will go live on July 15 between the hours of 3pm - 7pm PT through a special demo from the Switch eShop. The theme will be cake VS Ice Cream.

So that's all I have to report today. I definitely can't wait for this game as I loved the original Splatoon quite a bit. I just hope I have time to play more Splat Fests this time around, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now while this isn't especially long for presenting new games, I'm sure a lot of you just want to skim this article for the key bullet points. So let's get started.

• First up was the unexpected surprise that Super Meat Boy would be getting an official sequel in the form of an auto runner platforming game called Super Meat Boy Forever. It will release some time in 2018.
• The King Knight campaign for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove was officially revealed and would feature a brand new card battling minigame as half of its story. Shovel Knigh: King of Cards will release early 2018.
• An unusual puzzle game called Mom Hid My Game was announced and will launch later this year.
• A golf themed RPG called Golf Story was revealed and will launch exclusively on the Switch this September.
• A new rhythm game called Floor Kids was announced where the main focus is break-dancing. It will launch this holiday season.
• A beat-em-up game inspired by medieval history called Wulver Blade was announced and will launch this September.
• The popular Steam game Poly Bridge was revealed to be coming to the Switch and would release this holiday season.
• Kentucky Route Zero was revealed to be getting a Switch port and will be released early in 2018.
  
• An unusual underwater shoot-em-up game called Earth Atlantis will be coming out on the Switch first this Autumn.
• A community driven action game called Next Up Hero was announced and will launch early next year.
• We finally get a launch date for Steamworld Dig 2 being September 21 of this year.
• A new adventure game inspired by the culture of the Tarahumara tribes called Mulaka was announced and will be released early next year.
• A very cute looking action/puzzle game called Yono and the Celestial Elephants was announced. It will launch exclusively on the Switch on October 12.
• A very arcadey action RPG called Dragon Marked for Death was revealed and will launch this winter.
• Adult Swim Games announced a new game they would be publishing called Battle Chef Brigade which is part combo-heavy action game and part match-3 puzzle game. It will launch this holiday season.
• A brand new team-based shooter was revealed called Morphies Law in which shooting your opponents steals their mass and adds it to your own. It will launch this winter.
• Sausage Sports Club, a game where you duke it out as one of 4 floppy animal friends, will launch this Autumn.
  
• A procedurally generated action board game called Light Fingers was announced and will be coming out early in 2018.
• A fantasy action RPG, not unlike Diablo, called Nine Parchments was revealed and will launch this holiday season.
• And finally, a brand new game in the No More Heroes series was officially revealed called Travis Strikes Again and it appears to be a collaborative effort between Suda51 and potential indie devs. It will be coming out some time in 2018.

Now while that was the last of the direct, there were some other games shown off on Nintendo's official YouTube channel that weren't shown in the main video. You can see them in the sizzle reel here. I am especially excited for the new No More Heroes game and I'm sure it's going to be one helluva ride once its released, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now a year later cre-ture has rebranded the name simply to Session, and has launched a kickstarter that has succeeded it's goal of $62,935. At the time of the submission of this article the campaign has reached $118,019 and has completed 7 of its stretch goals. Though the campaign is being funded daily through the support it is receiving through all forms of social media, including gamers YouTube videos of them playing the game.

The great classic thing about how cre-ture is going about promoting the game is a free prototype demo. I remember playing that first Tony Hawk Pro Skater demo at my neighbor's house before the game was out when I was in highschool. It was just one level, but we played it like it was a fully developed game. You can spend the holidays mastering your skills and playing Skate with your friends, just like us old farts did back in the day.

You may be asking yourself. Why is this game the evolution of skateboard games? Well cre-ture posted on the campaign that:

Session focuses on the authenticity of skating, both in the way the game feels and is presented to the player. Based on this philosophy, each feature makes the game even more innovative, fun and respectful to the skateboarding culture. The main purpose of the game is to live the sport in its entirety. Feel what it is to be a talented street skater. Explore and tame the concrete, film yourself, your friends and share your footage on the internet with the worldwide skateboarding community.

So the game seems to give you the tools you need to become the best skateboarder in a virtual community of skaters. Though there is no point system so that means there is no ranking, this is all about earning respect in the streets.

Today is the last day to donate. This is a great gift for you or your Skateboard gaming friend. Along with supporting a great up and coming independent game company, and the next great skateboard game.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/100195109/ses...