Here we are again! Thanksgiving is upon us and the rest of the holidays are about to follow! But before we break out the Christmas decorations, the menorah or whatever it is someone might be celebrating, if at all (all of the above references are meant respectively), we definitely need to take a moment to celebrate ThanksGaming! That’s right! ThanksGaming is the holiday we derived from Thanksgiving. Because not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving and we reach an audience around the world, it’s a safer bet to just create your own holiday parody and roll with it rather than compete! That being said, let’s move on to things we should be thankful for this year! To start, I’m gonna straight up say I am grateful for video games! Without video games as a whole, not only would I not be writing this article and get to experience this job that I have, but I’d also have had a lot of really boring moments in my life. Video games have definitely helped me stay out of trouble, pass the time, make friends and of course, do the impossible! Now, this one might not settle well with everyone, but It’s gotta be mentioned… PlayStation 5! I am extremely grateful for my PS5! Not just because they aren’t easy to get, but because it is an amazing console that has only begun to scratch the surface of what it can do! The controller, the 3D audio, the lightning fast loading speed! The machine is exceptional and I cannot wait to see what features are added down the road! Online capabilities! I know there’s a generation out there that just can’t understand where I’m coming from right now, but there was once a time that Multiplayer games didn’t exist. When consoles first started getting connected to the web, it wasn’t necessarily a smooth experience. It was painful at times. Slow speeds, freezing up, getting disconnected from the servers. This might sound familiar, but we truly have it good these days when it comes to online gaming. Be thankful, not grumpy about it. Ya dig? I’m definitely adding Xbox Gamepass Ultimate to the list! What would add this to a PlayStation news outlet? Because thanks to Microsoft’s incredible deal on Gamepass and all that it offers, Sony is working on some type of Gamepass themselves. Anyone would be right in saying that Gamepass Ultimate is one of the best if not the best subscription services for gaming. While I don’t know what will add to their Gamepass, it has to be something worthy of competing with Xbox. Time will tell, but it is definitely in the works so, thanks Microsoft! Holiday Sales! What – What?! Holiday sales are awesome! So many games and devices get discounted this time of year and especially on Black Friday! While not everything will go on sale, a lot of titles will! Call of Duty Vanguard is even on sale for $39.99 right now! I saw Death … Read More
battlefield 2042 beta impressions
The Battlefield 2042 open beta is live (early access for us preorders) and man oh man, is this really a beta? People are hyped and very well should be! This game is going to be amazing and it’s about friggin time! Most hardcore Battlefield fans will you there hasn’t been a good battlefield game since BF4. I hear it all the time and I get that hardcore fan mindset. Personally, I’ve managed to take away a good feeling from most of the titles, but these hardcore fans aren’t wrong. Not a lot has been going on with the BF series the last few drops and while those are fun, it’s short lived for a lot of us. It gets old quickly as they say. Set aside dissatisfaction with prior titles and get your hopes up for the latest title! Yes, I said get your hopes up because I’m telling you now, this game is not going to disappoint. (I say that, but I could be eating those words in November). Alright, enough of the hyping. Let’s get into what is making this beta so good right now. I’m going to start off with graphics this time. Keep in mind I’m playing on my PS5, so last gen owners might not be seeing what I am, it is what it is. Sorry. Anyhow, playing through the beta has had me looking around the map, looking at the quality of the weapon and soldier art designs and I have to say, I’d be satisfied if these were the final graphics we received in the game, but the game is going to get some polish and really shine when it drops. There’s a lot of attention to detail and the lighting is damn near perfect for this game. The controls are super responsive which is obviously important for a first person shooter, but it’s important for any game in my opinion and probably yours too. That being said, the controls being this responsive is more noticeable to me than they were in Battlefield 5. I felt like they were a little loose with a slight delay. BF2042 feels much more responsive when I go to aim down sights or switch over weapons. It really is smooth for a beta. Time to kill seems to be the same as with any other BF title. I’ve mainly played conquest, so if there is a different TTK in other modes, I’m unaware. Sorry, but conquest is where I shine. Anyway, I will say I have a slight problem with helicopters. On one hand, they’re awesome to control and lots of fun, on the other hand, I feel like they’re super OP. Yes, the chopper should feel superior, but man, that thing has a sting worse than a bee. Most likely, we will see some type of nerf there. All in all, the Battlefield 2042 beta has been a great hands on experience. Sorry to say, it won’t be the game … Read More
Sony Officially Acquires Remake Powerhouse Bluepoint Games
Remasters and remakes have been a major part of Sony’s success, and a large portion of their most successful efforts have come from studio Bluepoint Games. Given this, it’s not too surprising that today’s announcements confirm what earlier rumors already revealed. Sony acquires Bluepoint Games for real this time (we’ll explain in moment), and it’s a clear move from a studio that has proven themselves time and time again. Let’s take a look at the road that led to this announcement, and discuss a few wishlist items we’d like to see from Sony’s latest studio acquisition. Bluepoint Games Acquisition Has Been in The Cards Since June With both Microsoft and Sony acquiring new studios, Sony’s acquisition of Bluepoint Games isn’t too surprising, but let’s also recall that nasty mistake PlayStation Japan made back in June of 2021: ..so apparently PlayStation Japan uploaded the wrong image with their first tweet on Housemarque's acquisition, and it actually mentions a Bluepoint acquisition pic.twitter.com/yQBHtLbG5c — Nibel (@Nibellion) June 29, 2021 This was back when Sony acquired Returnal’s studio, Housemarque, but the image uploaded for the announcement mentioned Bluepoint Games? I hate to say it, but someone probably lost their job over this slip-up. The tweet was soon deleted, but nothing on the internet is ever truly gone, as you can see. A Studio With Plenty of Experience Now, those unfamiliar with Bluepoint Games should know their pedigree. These remakes and remasters you know and love all came from this talented studio: Demon’s Souls on PS5 Shadow of The Colossus Remake on PS4 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection on PS4 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on PS3 Gravity Rush Remastered on PS4 Ico & Shadow of the Colossus HD on PS3 The PS4 port of Flower from That Game Company This studio has either remastered or otherwise remade some of the most beloved franchises in gaming, so it really is a no-brainer for Sony to acquire them. While this means we’ll probably seen more remakes and remasters, a statement from Blupoint Games to IGN revealed that they will be working on something original next: “Our next project, we’re working on original content right now. We can’t talk about what that is, but that’s the next step in the evolution for us.” Given their talented team, I would be very interested to see Bluepoint try their hand at something original, but once that’s done, maybe we could knock out a few requests for PlayStation classics to be remade? Metal Gear Solid anyone? I wouldn’t mind seeing a remake of the original God of War trilogy either (or even just a PS5 port of the HD collection from PS3). There’s a lot of places Bluepoint Games can go from here, but one thing I’m certain of is that I will most certainly be along for the ride. It’s official: Sony acquires Bluepoint Games! Which title would you like to see them work on next? Let us know in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date … Read More
PS5 Showcase September 2021 Highlights!
While E3 is still a sore subject, Sony hosted a massive PS5 showcase online, bringing out the big guns for gamers looking to see what’s next for this hard-earned PS5 consoles! Check out the stream and our highlights below! PS5 Showcase September 2021 Full Stream and Highlights We’re kicking off with a sleek PlayStation commercial starring fast cars, crazy costumes, and a chess match? PLayStation always keeps it weird, and I am here for it. Knights of the Old Republic is getting remade for PS5! This classic RPG is one I would be happy to replay. The next title is a sleek looking third-person action game with a sci-fi setting, unique monsters, and a postapocalyptic setting. It’s called Project Eve, but nothing else is known at the moment. Next we’ve got a gameplay trailer for the next Borderland’s spin-off, and the gameplay looks intact, with some excellent new areas and fantasy elements to explore. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands comes out March 25, 2022. Forspoken gets a new trailer, showing off some truly incredible graphics, and a women who gets transported to a fantasy realm from a modern day one. The gameplay has the usual fast-paced navigation, but the spells get some attention, along with footage of some story. All ofit is looking excellent. Spring 2022 is the latest date. Rainbow Six Extraction, the sci-fi themed version of the shooter, comes out spring 2022, and we got a new trailer for build the hype up for fans of the series. Alan Wake Remastered, confirmed this week, is coming to PS5 on October 5th! This is an instant buy from me, loved this game. Ghostwire Tokyo got a new trailer and the first-person survival horror is looking good, but no release date yet. Guardians of the Galaxy, coming out soon, got a new trailer as well, highlighting the humor. and the scope of the upcoming action game. There looks to be potential space flight combat, alongside the third-person action. It’s coming October 26th. The free-to-play Bloodhunt game set in the Vampire The Masquerade universe, got a new trailer, and the combat looks solid, but it will need a playerbase to really be successful as it’s only online multiplayer. It’s coming to PS5 this year. A new Deathloop trailer gives us some new insight into the world of the game and some hints towards the origin of the time loop. It’s out next week on September 14th. There’s a new experience coming from Epic Games and Radiohead in November of this year, but the teaser was brief. In the next trailer, you can explore a vibrant world and ocean, but you can also take the form of animals, and there’s at least one guitar mini-game. It’s called Tchia and it’s inspired by a world world location. No release date yet. Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy are coming to PS5! No word on the release date just yet. A new Wolverine game is coming to PS5 from Insomniac! I loved their work on Spider-Man (and … Read More
Vanguard: First Impressions
Those of us on PlayStation consoles got a chance to play the Call Of Duty Vanguard alpha over the weekend and while it didn’t offer much selection (it was only an alpha after all), it did give us a birds eye view into what we could expect in November. There are mixed feelings from a lot of players out there and I am no exception. I am not concerned with the graphics of the game. A lot of polishing and some bug fixes isn’t going to change a lot of minds on this one. I’m talking about the advanced weapons in a WWII game. Red dots and holographic sites that are way too advanced for this title. Part of me doesn’t care. I don’t really play cod for its “realism” as much as I play it for what’s not real. It is a video game after all. But what about the players that want to play something true to it’s time? Vanguard is a made up story and we know that, but some folks want the game to be accurate in regards to weaponry. I’ve listened to their arguments and they have some valid points to make based upon their own personal feelings. While I can see where they’re coming from, it won’t change a thing. It is to my understanding that the weapons are advanced in order for them to be usable in Warzone, although I can’t really see that being the case. If the weapons needed to be advanced for Warzone, they could add the attachments into the game separately from Vanguard. I’m no programmer, but I feel like that would be the solution, wouldn’t it? They could integrate both titles without sacrificing one for the other, right? Let me know your thoughts on that, because I am curious about what you think. Maybe I’m giving too much credit to developers? I dunno. Anyway, advanced weaponry aside, we played Champion Hill and it was alright. 2v2 and 3v3 isn’t really my thing. I like larger player counts, but my bias didn’t affect my judgement. I thought they had some cool ideas for what I played. Picking up cash on the ground and hitting the right D-pad button to upgrade my guns was interesting. No building my own loadouts. They gave me what they wanted and I had to work with it. Between rounds we could purchase armor plates, different weapons and support items, etc. It didn’t feel like a call of duty lobby to say the least and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Playing the alpha doesn’t tell me enough about the game on whether or not I should get excited for it. I have a habit of getting excited for CoD and being disappointed after release. Hopefully Vanguard turns out to be something really special, because the Cold War (IMO) was lackluster and missed the mark by a long shot. Are you excited for Call of Duty Vanguard? Let me … Read More
GTA Trilogy Remaster Inbound for PS5, According to New Rumor
While the collective gaming world holds their breath for news regarding GTA VI, it seems Rockstar is looking to keep people happy with some remasters. A new rumor going around claims that the classic GTA trilogy, GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, are getting the remaster treatment and coming to PS5 as early as this fall! Join us as we break down the rumor and find out if this could lead to other classic Rockstar games getting a return to the limelight. GTA Trilogy Remaster Coming to PS5? This story has been building for the better part of a year, but recent DMCA takedowns on GTA Mods, and news about 2K releasing more remasters in the coming months have sparked the discussion anew. An article on Kotaku details the story. Their sources, which have been accurate in the past for GTA Online and Red Dead Online updates, claim that the three classic Grand Theft Auto games are getting the remaster treatment. The rumors say that Rockstar is using the Unreal Engine and including a mix of both new and old graphics. Kotaku’s sources compare the look and feel to some of the high-end mods out there that update the graphics. The UI is also getting a rework, but is supposed to keep the classic style. All in all, I see this as one of those HD remaster type of situations and less of a full remake, which is totally fine. The sources go on to claim that Rockstar Dundee in Scotland is taking point after being purchased by Rockstar as a studio last year. Prior to joining Rockstar, the studio was Ruffian games and worked on the Crackdown series, which was a damn fine GTA clone (at least, the first game was). When Can We Expect Classic GTA Remasters on PS5? The plans surrounding these remasters have been in flux for a while now, thanks to the ongoing pandemic. Originally, they were going to be packaged into the upcoming GTA V remaster for PS5 as a bonus, but have since become standalone titles. It was originally scheduled to come out earlier this week, but Rockstar delayed it internally. The current plan is to release the remasters around late October or early November 2021. Current sources claim it will be sold in a single trilogy package and most likely live as a digital-only game. I’m a big fan of this idea, and I think it would be fun to revisit the classics while we wait on GTA VI. It could also lead to other remasters. Bully, anyone? Let us know what you think about these rumors in the comments! Article by: Bradley Ramsey Insert date: 8/12/21
EA Play 2021 Live Stream and Highlights!
While the main portion of E3 has come and gone, the spirit of new announcements and surprises is still alive and well! We’ve got EA Play 2021 happening on July 22nd at 10AM PT, and next week Annapurna is bringing the heat with their own showcase. For now though, let’s see what EA is bringing to their showcase. Battlefield 2042 is a given, but could we see the rumored Dead Space remake? Check out the full live stream and all of our highlights below! EA Play 2021 Full Stream and Event Highlights A new trailer for Zoink’s Lost in Random game during the pre-show reminds me why I need to keep my eyes on this one. A distinct style and Tim Burton-esque feel has me very interested. We’re opening the show with an update on the recently acquired Codemasters, known for their realistic racing titles. They’ve announced Grid: Legends as their next title. The game is going to include a story mode with live action cutscenes.They are filmed using the same XR technology used in The Mandalorian series, which is an interesting detail. Next up is Apex Legends. Apex Legends Emergence was revealed in a flashy trailer, which showcased the new Legend, Seer. New maps are in the works as well. The new arena mode is also being expanded in Emergence, offering a mode beyond Battle Royale.
Microsoft had an impressive show during E3. Should Sony be worried?
So, E3 had a pretty decent event for Microsoft this year. It seems that the Xbox is finally getting a great lineup of first party titles to end the console’s long running drought of exclusives. Xbox and PlayStation fans alike should rejoice! The stronger the competition in the market, the better the games and offers from both companies. It doesn’t matter which console you root for as long there is solid competition. Now, not taking a shot here, but even if Microsoft didn’t have a great lineup during their presentation at E3 the absence of Sony is definitely an advantage. Sony won’t likely show up for another E3 ever again, but the company is still missed. I wonder if Phil Spencer got excited before the show and said “We’re really gonna steal the show from Sony this year!” Just kidding. Phil is obviously a smart guy, but anyway, let’s review some of the Microsoft presentations and discuss what Sony needs to do in response. I can’t honestly say what is the better announcement for games this year because seriously, a bunch of them look and sound great to me. Starfield and The Outer Worlds 2 have both been confirmed to be Xbox exclusives and while that isn’t a surprise, boy does that sting. Well, kind of stings. I’m sorry, but when I think about what Sony has already released and is going to release, I can be pretty ok with losing Bethesda to Microsoft. It doesn’t hurt that I have all of the consoles that have been released, so I don’t lose out there either, but that fact aside, I want to finish this up from a “I only play on PlayStation” state of mind. Halo Infinite has been given a holiday release date for this year and I am sure fans are hoping to see this franchise rejuvenated to some of its former glory. What was once an amazing franchise took a break from stellar development and has become mediocre for sometime now. I imagine it must be a tough job to take on the pressure of making this a great game again. I’ve been plenty disappointed over the years, so I’m sure the major fanbase is hoping, but not expecting something that will be memorable. They’ll find out this holiday! Forza Horizon 5 was announced during the show. Another first party Xbox exclusive and I can say this much, Horizon is one franchise that releases steadily without disappointment. Fans of the series are fans for good reason. As a PlayStation fan, I enjoy Granturismo, but I would rather play Horizon. I know they are two different games, but if I had a say in the matter, I would pluck Horizon right over the PlayStation lineup. The game looks great and it’s hard to imagine being anything less. Forza Horizon 5 releases this year on November 9th. Not everything during the Microsoft show was exclusive of course, but some of the third party titles … Read More
Last weeks gaming news Today!
I typically drop news updates a little later in the week, but I made the mistake of not publishing last week’s update, so this week will be jam packed with some highly anticipated info such as Dying Light getting a release date, gameplay from Horizon Forbidden West, Sony’s development of AI companionship and more! So, without further ado, let’s go over the latest news updates in PlayStation gaming! Mentioned above, we finally have a release date for Dying Light 2: Stay Human! I have to admit, I was beginning to get a little concerned that this game was going to be another couple of years or possibly longer. Dying Light 2: Stay Human is slated to release on December 7th, 2021. Super fans (such as myself) have been waiting for this for a long time! Those of us on PS5 should be extra excited to finally play the long awaited sequel on next/current Gen consoles. I think it’s gonna be great! Last year I wrote an article about Sony having a patent for an AI companion that could play PlayStation games with you. Like a little robot you sit next to you on the couch and it becomes your player 2. Not only that, it can learn how to play games better, root you on, play with or against you and probably a lot more that I’m unaware of. Sony wants to help make things a little more social in part due to the world pandemic. Where I scratch my head is, isn’t replacing a human with an AI companion kind of antisocial in itself? Who am I to ask such daft questions? I’ll buy it anyway. In other news, Sony’s network sales are up nearly “10 fold” over the last seven years. The biggest contributor being PS Plus with more than 47 million subscribers in March of 2021, I’m sure they’re pretty smitten right now. While that is great news, you really have to wonder what’s up Sony’s sleeve to fight back against Microsoft’s Gamepass. We heard very little about what the future holds for PS Plus, but we do know that Sony is working on something as they have said, we just have to wait a little longer and see. We were treated to some Horizon: Forbidden West gameplay yesterday during PlayStations State of Play and I’m not gonna say much more than wow. It was beautiful and while we know demos are polished extra shiny for these events, I can’t wait to see the full product. I loved the first entry in the series and I am sure the second one will offer just as much if not more satisfaction. This is another title us PS5 owners need to be extra hyped about, but we still don’t have a release date, so hopefully we’ll be hearing about a holiday drop, but there is a good chance it could land in the Spring of 2022. Guerrilla Games has confirmed release date info is coming … Read More
My Call of Duty account was stolen and here’s how I got it back!
Hackers and thieves are a growing problem around the world and coming as no surprise, it’s a growing problem in the game industry. It has been a problem for some time now, but we have definitely reached a point that should push companies to further protect consumers… I’m looking at you Activision. Well, as the headline states, my CoD/Activision account was hacked and stolen from me. Fortunately, it was restored to me a day before the Season 3 in Warzone/Cold War begins, but not without a lot of hassle. Here is my story. I’m getting ready to leave the house and run some errands when my phone starts alerting me of email notifications. I don’t tend to jump when my phone notifies, but I got 4 emails in a row from Activision, so of course I checked it. The first email informed me that my password was changed successfully. The second email informed me that my account was successfully unlinked from my PSN and Xbox accounts (wait, what?). The third email was to let me know my email address changed successfully and the 4th email, well, the 4th took the cake. The 4th email was to inform me of suspicious activity on my account. Thanks Activision! Instead of locking my profile in the first place, you allowed suspicious activity and informed me when it was all over. That is frustrating to me, but it’s Activision, so there’s that. Anyway, I try to log into my account and of course, I cannot, but there is a little banner floating above the page that asks if I need to report suspicious activity and regain my account. Wow! That’s exactly what I need! This should be simple! It was simple, but at the same time, it was quite the empty experience. Last week I published an article about the lack of customer support from Activision and having my account stolen is what actually sparked the theme. I did click on the account recover banner and filled in my information as it required. When I finished, I was informed by the website and email that it would take about 10 business days to finish my inquiry. Well, that took around 14 days and I did get my account back and I immediately updated my security info after the fact, including second step verification. If you’re anything like me, 10 days sounded like a long time to wait and I really just wanted to speak to a customer representative to give me some type of reassurance and possible speed things up a little. My account was obviously stolen and I have all the info I need to prove it, as well as the hackers details as the CoD app kept me logged in and I could see their info. Sadly, there was no one to speak to. Activision ended social media support, most of chat support and the company phone number will just direct you to go back to the website … Read More