The vast majority, including myself, seems to have joined the ranks of the chaos army because the Splatfest has been won on an almost humiliating 3 – 0 on the three-day-long event, which is surprising considering the internet’s love for Marina. It was either to pay respect to recently deceased YouTuber and streamer Etika, who claimed to be Team Chaos when the Splatfest was initially revealed or simply the idea of chaos being…cooler than order, either way, congratulations!
It is also wholesome to note that Pearl, despite the way she was previously portrayed seems to be pretty fair play about it.
Even trying to comfort Marina while suggesting that the duo should reach new musical genres, the outcome doesn’t seem so bad!
For better or for worse, Splatoon 3‘s direction seems to be set and we personally can’t wait to see how the community changed the franchise.
If you fought in the final Splatfest, be sure to collect your Super Sea Snail prizes in the square area!
For info, the Splatfest was the last Splatoon 2 event before end of support from the dev team, it opposed both Team Chaos and Team Order, both also represented by Pearl and Marina, Splatoon 2 is a third-person ink-shooter available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
Kojima Productions have revealed the box art and SteelBook for Death Stranding at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Kojima stated he designed the SteelBook himself at the panel. You can check it out below, as well as see more about Death Stranding. Death Stranding launches exclusively for PS4 on November 8th, 2019.
After the collapse of civilization, Sam Bridges must journey across a ravaged landscape crawling with otherworldly threats to save mankind from the brink of extinction. From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes an all-new, genre-defying experience for the PlayStation® 4 system.
In the near future, mysterious explosions have rocked the planet, setting off a series of supernatural events known as the Death Stranding. With spectral creatures plaguing the landscape, and the planet on the verge of a mass extinction, it’s up to Sam Bridges to journey across the ravaged wasteland and save mankind from impending annihilation.
Will you be picking up Death Stranding? Let us know in the comments below!
QF: Well, I have to go back… I started doing impressions around the age of 8… I was fascinated by impressionists on TV and comics, as well as reading comic books and watching cartoons and movies, tv, musicals, and got caught up in all of it. Even Rock and Roll. My mom didn’t play us kids music. She played us what was happening at the time. And so these impressionists made such a mark on me that I started doing impressions of Impressionists doing impressions. In University, I graduated with honors and was a radio host… and when my brother wanted to move out to the Sunset Strip to be in a hair metal thing, I had my demo tape and went with him. I tried going to every agency in town and 3/4 of them turned me down immediately. But somehow one agency didn’t. I was in an elevator with a lady who was going to the same floor as me and went down the same hall as me into the same office as me. She turned out to be the president of the agency. A few weeks later, I got a call from the agency saying that they wanted me on and I said yes and that’s where it all started.
Question: Was there a role that you were considered for and regret not accepting?
QF: That’s a good question… lemme think about that. I don’t think so unless there was a conflict… unless I was working on something else, I don’t ever turn down a role… Which is pretty good for how long I’ve been doing this, y’know?
Question: Have you ever played any of the games you were actually in?
QF: Only once. I wasn’t a big gamer as a kid. I played sports, did theater, but never played video games unless I was at a friend’s house. So my then girlfriend’s brother had MGS2 and I said Jeez, I wanna see this. He started playing and he said, “Hey, you try!”, and I said alright and I was like a horse trying to get out of a stable. Just couldn’t do it, man. It was too technical for me. So I gave him back the controls and said, “You be the gamer and I’ll be the actor.”
Final Question: What was it like being Axel/Lea?
QF: I loved it, man. It was so much fun and the character work was so good. When I finished doing the final voice session for 3, I said, “That’s it? I want more.” And knowing that I was a part of one of the best selling games of 2019, it’s humbling, to say the least. I love the Kingdom Hearts series, it has so much to offer for everyone and I hope to come back soon for more.
Today, the Gears 5 Tech Test has been released for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One and PC. After playing a handful of matches in the Arcade Mode, I left pretty impressed.
The Tech Test when first loading up sends you to the all new Bootcamp where you’ll learn all the basic moves and mechanics all over again. I think it took me roughly 10-15 minutes to complete, but I was taking my time checking out the bright colors and playing around with the movements while getting through Bootcamp.
After finishing Bootcamp, I was ready to head into multiplayer and die every time I would spawn just like old times. Gears of War multiplayer and I never have got along, but I was anxious to try out the new Arcade Mode to see what it was all about.
Joining matches varied for me. I was either waiting just a few minutes or up to about five plus minutes to get into a match. While waiting for other players to join up, you can browse the unlocks for your character from weapon skins to emotes and banners.
First of all, upon first few minutes of play, the graphics and gameplay were fantastic. I don’t think I experienced any bad frame rate issues or any resolution drops.
Dropping in and out of cover was smooth, shooting mechanics were solid, and the executions were just as gory as ever. Throughout the new mode, you collect ‘skulls’ and after you get a set number of skulls, just click the Y button and you are given some options on some upgraded throwables and weapons. Depending on the character, the upgrades will differ anywhere from the Gnasher to the Longshot and even incendiary grenades.
After diving into Arcade Mode for the first time and having some time with it, I am left pretty impressed. The action was intense, and the shooting was satisfying to say the least. I think this new game mode will become pretty popular, especially with the newbies who haven’t really experienced previous Gears of War games online.
Next time, I’ll be diving into some Ranked Modes to give my thoughts about the different modes depending on if the wait times are still long.
Just a reminder to Xbox Game Pass console and PC subscribers that the Gears 5 Tech Test is available for free right now until Sunday July 21st.
It appears that Blizzard has lost yet another veteran, as Frank Pearce has now stepped down from the company. Pearce took to a letter on the official Blizzard news page to announce his departure. The letter itself details how Pearce is “passing the torch” of his position to the new generation. He recounted his time at the company, along with discussed how he came to help found it. Pearce had the following to say to the community:
“My request and hope for all of you is that you continue living the Blizzard values and that you be kind and respectful to one another as you experience what Blizzard creates in the future. Blizzard is a special place and a special community, and everyone with whom you interact is important to the Blizzard journey as it continues forward. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful past I have enjoyed, and thank you in advance for the great future I expect we will share.”
At the time of leaving, Frank Pearce served as the Chief Development Officer of Activision-Blizzard. Some of his most notable works were in the first two Warcraft games, along with heading development of Warcraft III. In addition, he was the Executive Producer in several of World of Warcraft’s expansions such as Mists of Pandaria.
Today is no doubt a sad day over at the company. If you’d like to read the full letter along with the response letter by J. Allen Brack, you can do so here.
Bandai Namco has announced that Tekken 7 has reached over 4 million units sold worldwide! This is another new milestone set for Tekken 7 as it hit 3 million units sold just last year.
Tekken 7 first launched worldwide for PS4, XB1 and PC in June 2017. The game has garnered a lot of interest since launch with multiple world tournaments and post-release content. Various seasons of the game have added guest characters like Geese Howard from SNK, Noctis from Final Fantasy XV and even Negan from The Walking Dead.
With EVO 2019 approaching on August 2nd, this milestone by Tekken 7 shows that it still has momentum and interest. You can find more information about the game at the official website. Let us know what you think about Tekken 7 in the comments and on Twitter!
Recently, Google decided to hold an ask me anything on Reddit. Andrey Doronichev, the Director of Product for Stadia answered various questions that needed clarification, or questions that had never been asked before. Here is a bullet point of all the notable information that was shared during this AMA.
Stadia Pro is not a Netflix of games, roughly one free game per month
Achievements confirmed for Google Stadia, although they won’t be there at launch
There will be no free to play games available on Stadia Base
Stadia Pro is a growing pool of free games as long as you’re subscribed
If you stop subscribing to Stadia Pro, and then decide to subscribe again, you will regain access to the free games that are offered to Stadia Pro subscribers
Stadia will support takeout, which will let you download your games metadata, including saves
At Stadia launch, you will be able to manage your friends list, create parties, and use platform level voice chat
Family sharing will be available early next year
Google is aiming to have Stadia on every mobile device, including Android and iOS devices
No mod support at launch
The next Google Stadia Connect is “sooner than you think”
Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America for Joy-Con drifting issues. You can read their statement below.
CSK&D has filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo of America, Inc. (“Nintendo”) for claims relating to alleged defects in the Joy-Con controllers that are part of Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges that the joysticks on Joy-Con controllers are defective, leading users to experience drift issues. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the joystick on the Joy-Con controllers will automatically register movement when the joystick is not being controlled by the user and interfere with gameplay. The complaint, filed on behalf of purchasers of Switches and Joy-Con controllers, brings claims under various consumer protection statutes as well as various warranty and common law claims.
A copy of the complaint can be viewed by clicking here.
Attorneys for this case:
Benjamin F. Johns
Andrew W. Ferich
Alex M. Kashurba
We’ll be sure to update you when progression on this lawsuit happens. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
If you were looking for something to do this weekend, look no further. You can now play the full version of Borderlands GOTY Enhanced until Sunday! The free period is available on both Xbox and PC through Steam.
In Borderlands, you take on the role of one of four classes and adventure through the world of Pandora. There are many dangerous creatures and humans you will face. You must use the tools at your disposable in order the fend these monsters off and open the Vault, a room potentially full of treasure. Along the way, you’ll meet many new faces along with acquire millions of new items to help your questing. If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toe into the series, now is likely your best chances to do so.
Along with the game being temporarily free, you can also pick up the full game at a discount. It is currently available at 50% off, which is the lowest price the game has been since the Enhanced update.
Borderlands GOTY Enhanced is available for PS4 and Xbox One, with the PC version available on Steam. If you try out the game this weekend, let us know what you think of it!
The Wii U did have some great games on it like Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2 but the RPG department sucked horribly. The two RPGs on the system that were physically published were Xenoblade Chronicles X and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. The reason why I mention this is because these games are polar opposites in RPG style, look, and feel. And the main reason why I prefer TMS#FE over Xenoblade X is one thing: The Company.
Do not get me wrong. Monolith Soft made one of my favorite games of all time with Xenoblade Chronicles but Atlus has been doing the same thing for MUCH longer. Both games have their flaws and the reason why I say this is because one is a Turn-Based JRPG and the other is an Action-Based JRPG. Both are very different in their fundamentals but have one driving force that is the same: Keeping the player interested. If your game cannot do that, then what is the point? Both games are at least 60 hours long give or take, so they should keep you interested in both story and gameplay right? That is what ruins Xenoblade X for me.
The story sucked. The gameplay was okay but there was so much to learn through. There are so many systems that it tried implementing but they did not coexist, making the gameplay seem incoherent. Nothing meshed together and you didn’t even get all of the abilities shown off in previews until about 45 hours in.
That is where TMS#FE strives. The Story may seem stupid from an outsider’s standpoint but if you lived in Japan, where the game is based, it would make all the sense. The story of TMS#FE is one of the most creative ideas I have seen implemented into an RPG in quite awhile. What other game would have you play as Teens who became idols and sang songs and fought demons who terrorized people into not enjoying life because of music? None. That is why I love TMS#FE. It isn’t afraid to be different from other RPGs. Xenoblade X had a generic story with you crashing on an uninhabited planet and having to survive while having internal conflicts with characters around you. If you have a post-apocalyptic world to explore, at least do something creative with it. Point goes to TMS#FE.
The next thing that both of these games had was breaks in-between each major section of the game. Xenoblade X had requirements you had to complete before heading forward in the main story. TMS#FE had Intermission. Intermission was a time when you could explore dungeons, grow closer to other characters in your party and have them learn new skills and attacks. Giving me something that will help me later on in dungeons is super helpful. Point Goes to TMS#FE.
Next, Characters. Both games had good characters but the ones in Xenoblade X were much blander and very predictable. You had a character who was very buff but was scared of hurting anyone. You had a character who was mysterious and seemed like an antihero then became the main villain. HOW PREDICTABLE!
TMS#FE had vibrant characters, not to mention had characters from Fire Emblem. Yeah, Fire Emblem. THAT FIRE EMBLEM. The Fire Emblem characters seemed much more generic to me but that is okay since they were not a major part of the game. Why TMS#FE strived in character development is because it had the same team behind Social Links in P3 and P4 doing the Side-Gigs with the main party. It showed how vulnerable the characters were as they were still just teens who still had so much to learn. The youngest character you play as is 11. 11 years old and is having to make decisions that are difficult for even me to decide. So, Point goes to TMS#FE.
I know you feel like I’m crapping on Xenoblade X but it has some things in its favor. The World is huge. That is one thing Monolith does well. Making a huge coherent world is not as simple as you think. If you can see it, you can explore it. Also, Xenoblade X has a huge variety of enemies. Most of the enemies in TMS#FE were recoloring of enemies we had already seen. The variety of enemies is what works so well in Xenoblade X. Also, Xenoblade X had the best thing ever in any open-world game: A GIANT ROBOT THAT CAN TRAVERSE OVER ANYTHING. You only get it halfway through the game but it rules! It is so cool and it makes the gameplay vary so much. 3 points go to Xenoblade X.
So that brings us to a conclusion. Both games have their flaws but they also have their strong suits. I prefer TMS#FE over Xenoblade because I am an Atlus Fanboy until I die. But that is not the reason why I made this article. I want to know what you think.
Which one is more superior in your opinion? Comment down below!