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Content Crash #1: The Eve of E3 2017

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Dan Hartnack

What better way to start a new podcast than the eve of E3? I mean, it’s in a couple of days. I’m recording this on Thursday, and I’ll probably put this up for your consumption on Friday, but the actual convention begin on Monday. Well, the conferences start on Sunday, but Monday will be the start of the whole event. But I’m so looking forward to it. It’s… It’s something I always take the time to watch all the conferences that I can… or as many conferences as I can and this year I finally have time to watch almost all of them barring Microsoft and possibly Nintendo.

Microsoft starts on Sunday at 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, and they really have to set off this show right…

Other press conferences I’ll preview include Bethesda Softworks, the PC Gaming Show, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo, as well as a brief roundup about what we can expect from the rest of the show.

You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.

Posted in PC, Podcast, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Xbox One | Tagged

EA will announce at least two never-before-seen games during their 2017 E3 event

Posted on June 9, 2017 by John Scalzo

The 2017 E3 Expo will unofficially begin this weekend, when Electronic Arts opens the doors to “EA Play 2017,” their E3 Press Conference. EA Play 2017 will feature eight new titles, and it can be viewed online at EA.com or Twitch beginning on Saturday, June 10, at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time).

So what will EA talk about during their 90 minutes in the spotlight? In addition to a closer look at six previously-announced blockbusters, the publisher plans to unveil “more surprises,” including at least two never-before-seen projects. The six games currently confirmed for EA Play 2017 are:

EA Play 2017 Lineup

  • Star Wars: Battlefront II – Featuring all Star Wars eras, a single player campaign and epic scale multiplayer battles, Star Wars: Battlefront II presents the most robust Star Wars game to date. The game is developed in partnership with three powerhouse studios: DICE, Motive Studios and Criterion Games, each with a rich background of creating award-winning games.
  • FIFA 18 – Powered by Frostbite, FIFA 18 blurs the line between the virtual and real worlds, bringing to life the heroes, teams, and atmospheres of the world’s game.
  • Madden NFL 18 – With Frostbite, the spectacle of NFL gameday comes alive delivering photorealistic players, crowds and stadiums, and introduces an all-new mode to the Madden NFL franchise.
  • NBA Live 18 – Delivering gameplay innovations and a brand-new way to play with “The One,” NBA Live returns with an experience completely centered around a player’s individual journey.
  • Need For Speed Payback – This explosive adventure is filled with intense heist missions, high stakes car battles, epic cop pursuits and jaw dropping set pieces. It’s blockbuster gameplay never before seen from the series, fueled by a gripping story of betrayal and revenge. With Need for Speed Payback, it’s about building the perfect ride, getting behind the wheel and playing out an action driving fantasy.
  • Battlefield 1 – It’s a Summer of Battlefield including the entry of the Russian Army and the biggest front of WW1 in Battlefield 1: In the Name of the Tsar. Partake in the skirmishes of the Albion assault in a freezing archipelago and fight in the snow-covered ravines of the treacherous Lupkow Pass.

EA Play 2017 will be followed by a second livestream that includes further details about the all-new “Nivelle Nights” map in Battlefield 1 Need For Speed Payback, Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.

If you’re going to be in Los Angeles for this weekend, you can attend the EA Play FanFest at the Hollywood Palladium to play any (or all) of games. More than 150 demo stations will be available, and tickets are free (but limited). You can learn more about how to attend the EA Play FanFest at the event’s official website.

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God of War 4, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, new Assassin’s Creed, multiple unannounced titles, more to be unveiled during E3 Coliseum

Posted on June 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

The full lineup of panels for Geoff Keighley’s inaugural E3 Coliseum has been announced, and it looks like the series will give fans a closer look at God of War 4, Assassin’s Creed 2017, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, and several other upcoming titles. Keighley will also offer a showcase to a few games yet-to-be-announced from Bethesda Softworks, Square Enix, and Epic Games.

If you won’t be attending this year’s E3 Expo, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to tune in as most E3 Coliseum panels will be broadcast through Facebook Live, Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube.

You can find the complete E3 Coliseum schedule after the break. (more…)

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Telltale will launch Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 on July 11

Posted on June 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Telltale Games has announced they’ll return to the world of Minecraft next month with the opening chapter of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2. Jesse and the gang saved the world… so naturally it’s time for more shenanigans:

Now that Jesse and the gang have vanquished the Wither Storm, saved the world, and become totally super famous heroes, life has gotten a bit more…complicated. With more responsibilities and less time for adventure, old friendships have started to fade — at least until Jesse’s hand gets stuck in a creepy gauntlet that belongs to an ancient underwater temple. Together with old pals and new comrades alike, Jesse embarks on a brand new journey filled with tough choices, good times, and at least one temperamental llama.

Patton Oswalt (Male Jesse), Catherine Taber (Female Jesse), Ashley Johnson (Petra), and Scott Porter (Lukas) have all signed on to once again lend their voices to the episodic adventure series, and Telltale will also add their popular Crowd Play feature to Season 2 for players who want to share their decision-making with others. And speaking of decisions, choices from Minecraft: Story Mode will carry over into Season 2, but new players will be able to jump right into the story.

Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 1: Hero in Residence will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices on July 11. A retail version will also be available this Fall.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Gears of War 4’s “Rise of the Horde” update adds new Skills, Achievements, Inconceivable difficulty, and more

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Rise of the Horde, the biggest update yet for Gears of War 4, is now available to download for free. The update features a massive update to Horde Mode, along with new difficulty modes, maps, and Achievements. But before you jump in, the Xbox Wire has a complete rundown of what’s included in Rise of the Horde:

Horde is getting a massive shakeup with the arrival of Rise of the Horde, with 15 brand new Horde Skills (three per Class) to collect, Level 6 skills, Loot Drops, tuning changes and new difficulty levels!

Microsoft will also add an “Inconceivable” difficulty level to Horde Mode and the Campaign, as well as an Ironman option for players that want to complete Gears of War 4 without dying. Once again, Xbox Wire delivered the details:

In Horde, Inconceivable is a direct step up from Insane – you’ll be even weaker, and your enemies will be even stronger. Level up your skills to their new Level 6 peak and maximize the bonuses of your classes if you want to get through all 50 Waves of Inconceivable.

In Campaign, Inconceivable takes a more Survival based twist, giving you less health than Insane difficulty but also less health to your enemies. That’s because surviving on Inconceivable is all about effectiveness – weapons and crates drop significantly less ammunition, so you’ll have to make every shot count with whatever pickups you can find on the battlefield.

The Rise of the Horde update also includes remakes of two classic Gears maps (“Avalanche” from Gears of War 2 and “Rust Lung” from Gears of War 3), along with 30 new Achievements worth 500 Gamerscore.

Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to play Gears of War 4 yet, Microsoft also announced plans to offer a free demo of the game through the Xbox Games Store between June 9th and June 15th.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be released on August 8

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Ninja Theory has announced that Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, their “Independent AAA” action-adventure game, will be released for the PC and PS4 on August 8.

In a brand new post on the PlayStation Blog, Ninja Theory’s “Product Development Ninja,” Dominic Matthews, revealed exactly what the team is trying to accomplish by creating an “Independent AAA” game:

In Hellblade, we are aiming to revive the lost space between indie and AAA gaming. Where creatively diverse experiences made with AAA values can thrive once again.

We’ve taken a small team of around 20 people and created a focused and rich experience that looks and feels as good as any blockbuster title. Hellblade is about half the length of a regular AAA game and priced at about half the cost. A price that we think is fair to both you and us.

Our hope is that if we make our Independent AAA work with Hellblade, other developers will follow, leading to a more creative and diverse gaming world for developers and players alike.

Matthews also reiterated Hellblade’s plot, which focuses on the trauma and psycosis experienced by a Celtic warrior named Senua:

For those new to Hellblade, the game is the story of Senua, a traumatized Celtic warrior journeying into the Viking underworld of Hel. We have created the game in collaboration with neuroscientists as well as people who live with psychosis. We hope Hellblade is an experience like no other.

You can get a short taste of Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice in the new trailer embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Natsume will bring several Harvest Moon and River City games to E3 2017

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Natsume has announced their lineup of games for this year’s E3 Expo, and fans of Harvest Moon and River City Ransom should be very happy with what they have to announce. During next week’s industry showcase, the publisher plans to fully unveil Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (which is coming to the PC, PS4, and Switch), River City: Knights of Justice, River City: Rival Showdown, and more:

Natsume’s E3 2017 Lineup

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (PC, PS4, Switch)
In Harvest Moon: Light of Hope, players begin the game as they set out looking for a fresh start and new surroundings. During their voyage, their ship is hit by a monsoon and goes down. As they drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, it will be up to the player to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse…but it won’t be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, players will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town!

Wild Guns Reloaded (PC)
In Wild Guns Reloaded, Annie has tracked down the famed bounty hunter Clint to get revenge on the Kid Gang. With eight stages, each with three zones, there’s plenty of bad robots to blast away. With a true arcade game feel, Wild Guns was the first sci-fi western to arrive on home consoles, and to this day, there really isn’t any other game like Wild Guns!

River City: Knights of Justice (3DS)
River City: Knights of Justice (known in Japan as Nekketsu Mahou Monogatari), is scheduled to launch as a 3DS eShop exclusive this Summer. Kunio and his friends go medieval in this unique entry to the River City series, as they are transformed into heroes and villains that would be home in any RPG! Players will use swords, staves, and even magic to bring peace back to Riverandia!

River City: Rival Showdown (3DS)
River City: Rival Showdown (known in Japan as Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari SP), will launch this Fall for the Nintendo 3DS. One night, Kunio is attacked by two mysterious individuals. On top of that, Riki’s girlfriend has disappeared, and it’s up to Kunio to find out the truth! Kunio has just 3 days to unravel the mystery, and he’ll need your help to take down all who stand in his way! Take on some familiar faces from the River City games and meet new ones in this fast-paced beat-’em-up RPG.

Harvest Moon 20th Anniversary
Natsume’s European publishing partner, Rising Star Games, will be showing titles in the booth as well, including Harvest Moon: Lil’ Farmers (Android, iOS) and the European version of Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. As part of the year-long 20th anniversary celebration, Natsume has also unveiled a re-release of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life – Special Edition and Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland for the PlayStation 4, both of which will be available to play at the show.

The 2017 E3 Expo kicks off on Tuesday, July 13.

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch | Tagged ,

Here’s a Launch Trailer for Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Star-Lord comes back from the dead… Drax wants to kill someone… and Rocket reminisces about his part… just your average afternoon for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel’s cosmic superteam has returned this week for Under Pressure, the second chapter in Telltale’s episodic adventure series, and Telltale has released a brand new Launch Trailer for the add-on:

The Guardians just can’t seem to outrun the past (or their tab), but if they figure out how to control the untold power of their mysterious new relic, they might not have to. With help from dubious old friends and unwilling new allies, Star-Lord and company scour the galaxy for answers. But how long can they elude the genocidal maniac hunting them? And will simmering tensions finally tear the team apart?

Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure should be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices beginning today.

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