Most Recent: Xbox One

Nintendo scored both the best-selling game (Mario Tennis Aces) and console (NES Classic) of June 2018

Posted on August 2, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo can lay claim to the top-selling console in June 2018… but it wasn’t the Nintendo Switch. Instead, it looks like the relaunched NES Classic was the month’s best-selling console.

However, that’s not to say that the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch (as well as the Super NES Classic and 3DS) were slouching. According to the NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz), the three major consoles, both of Nintendo’s retro microconsoles, and the 3DS created a 52% increase in overall hardware sales versus June 2017.

All told, the game industry tallied $1.1 billion in sales in June, which was good for a 25% year-over-year increase.

June is typically a slow month for new releases, and that was reflected in the NPD’s companion report on best-selling games. Mario Tennis Aces was the top-selling game during the month, with The Crew 2 (#4), and Lego The Incredibles (#7) also breaking into the top ten. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy‘s debut on the PC, Switch, and Xbox One also helped it re-enter the list at #9.

A quick rundown of the remainder of June 2018’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Vigor, 1979 Revolution, Forsaken Remastered, more coming to Xbox Store this week

Posted on August 1, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s time for another vigorous new update to the Xbox Games Store…

Leading this week is Vigor, a brand new survival shooter for the Xbox One from developer Bohemia Interactive. The game is now available to download through Microsoft’s Xbox Game Preview program, and it asks players to make their way through the aftermath of a nuclear war in an alternate 1991.

Also available to download this week for the Xbox One is 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, a narrative adventure that transports players back to the Iranian Revolution and a “dangerous world of revolution and civil unrest.”

Finally this week, a long-forgotten (but well-liked) shooter from the N64-era is being remastered for a new audience. Forsaken Remastered was first released in 1998, and players will once again get the chance to explore its underground locales with 360° combat.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One |

Procedurally-generated bike game Descenders will get Ring of Fire Update on August 7

Posted on July 31, 2018 by John Scalzo

Descenders, the procedurally-generated downhill biking game from RageSquid, will receive a new update on August 7. Players who download the Ring of Fire Update on the PC or Xbox One will receive access to a brand new world known as “Volcano,” which is based on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Here’s what the developer had to say about the Ring of Fire Update on their Steam Community page:

With this new update comes a brand new world. Volcano is the fifth Descenders world, and it’s, well… it’s a bit tricky. Volcano drops the “stunts” parameter, and instead introduces “tectonics”, making for a rather bumpy ride. Oh, and there’s lava everywhere, in case you hadn’t guessed.

The Volcano world is based around the Pacific Ring of Fire area, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are prevalent — but the Ring of Fire name also doubles up as a hint about how to reach Volcano.

See, you can’t just enter Volcano by beating Peaks. There are special requirements to complete during a run, and if those requirements are met, Volcano will open up to you.

In addition to a new world, the Ring of Fire Update will also include “brand new bonus levels, new Freeride options, and new bikes and kits to unlock.”

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

In a first for the franchise, you’ll be able to create female players in NBA Live 19’s Create-A-Player mode

Posted on July 28, 2018 by John Scalzo

With the WNBA season winding down, EA Sports has announced that NBA Live 19‘s Create-A-Player mode will give players the option to create female players for the first time. Players will be able to select their position, height, and weight, as well as add their own face to the game using a companion face scanning app.

According to a post from EA Sports’s Rahul Lal on Xbox Wire, the women will be able to play in WNBA games and in NBA Live 19’s career mode:

Inclusion. It’s more than just recognizing everybody. Instead, inclusion puts together the best of equality, representation, and integration. In NBA Live 19, you’ll get the chance to see female created players for the first time in NBA Live’s history. Not only will you be able to create your own player, but women will now also be included in the game and can embark on their own career mode in The Rise.

Players will be mentored by Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks as they progress through NBA Live 19’s career mode, and she can also be recruited to join your Squad in The Streets portion of the mode. You can sneak a peek at NBA Live 19’s Create-A-Player mode, and hear directly from Parker about her role in the game, in the trailer embedded above.

NBA Live 19 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 7. And a free demo is set to launch on August 24… just in time for the WNBA Playoffs.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Nickelodeon Kart Racers puts characters from SpongeBob, Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, and more in driver’s seat this Fall

Posted on July 26, 2018 by John Scalzo

Characters from Nickelodeon’s massive stable of animated shows will soon get the chance to race for the checkered flag. That’s because the children’s channel has announced a partnership with GameMill Entertainment to launch Nickelodeon Kart Racers this Fall.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Rugrats, SpongeBob, Hey Arnold, and many other Nickelodeon characters will be available to pick in the games. Fans of all ages will also be able to partake in four-player local play, along with 24 different tracks, customizable karts, multiple power-ups and special attacks, and a Team Racing Mode:

Select a racer from one of your favorite Nickelodeon series, including SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy from SpongeBob SquarePants, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Arnold and Helga from Hey Arnold!, and Angelica, Tommy and Reptar from Rugrats. Race your friends in up to four-player local multiplayer or check out the Battle Arena for a variety of challenges.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is in development at Bamtang, and will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 23.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged

2K and WWE honor Ric Flair with the WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition

Posted on July 26, 2018 by John Scalzo

I guess we finally know how many Os are officially in Ric Flair’s signature shout, as 2K Games has announced that WWE 2K19 will also be released this Fall in a very special (and very limited) Wooooo! Edition.

WWE 2K19’s Wooooo! Edition is limited to 30,000 copies worldwide, and it’ll come packaged with an impressive array of physical collector’s items and in-game bonuses featuring The Nature Boy. Priced at $129.99, the Wooooo! Edition will include:

WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition Contents

  • Copy of WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition, which includes the following items:
    • Exclusive Playable WWE Hall of Famers (’80s-inspired): “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
    • Exclusive Playable Characters: “Macho Man” Randy Savage (WrestleMania VIII) and Undertaker (2002)
    • Exclusive Playable Arena: Starrcade 1983
    • Exclusive In-Game Attire: Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24 Robe) and Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 32 Robe)
    • Pre-Order Bonus Playable Characters: Rey Mysterio (Royal Rumble 2018) and Ronda Rousey (WrestleMania 34/”Rowdy” Rousey)
    • WWE SuperCard Limited Edition Cards: Featuring WWE 2K19 cover superstar AJ Styles, as well as an AJ-themed WWE 2K19 cardback
    • WWE 2K19 Season Pass: Details announced this Summer
  • Exclusive Premium Packaging
  • Exclusive WWE Hall of Fame Replica Ring: Individually numbered
  • Exclusive “Nature Boy” Ric Flair Funko Pop! Figurine
  • Fanatics Limited Edition Commemorative Plaque: Featuring a fabric piece from Ric’s iconic pink or purple robe
  • WWE SuperCard Limited Edition Cards: Featuring Ric and Charlotte Flair, as well as a Ric-themed WWE 2K19 cardback

You can get a closer look at the contents of the Wooooo! Edition in the trailer embedded above.

“For all of my fans around the world, it’s exciting and humbling to see my career immortalized through the power of video games,” said Flair. “This is going to be one stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ and dealin’ son of a collector’s edition, and you don’t want to miss out. Wooooo!”

WWE 2K19’s Wooooo! Edition will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on October 5. The Standard Edition, which will also be available for the PC, will be released four days later on October 9.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

No Man’s Sky, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2, The Banner Saga 3, more coming to Xbox Store this week

Posted on July 25, 2018 by John Scalzo

Come fly away with this week’s Xbox Games Store update…

After two years as a PC and PS4 exclusive, Hello Games will bring No Man’s Sky to the Xbox One alongside the game’s newest Next expansion. Players will be able to explore a massive universe, and now they’ll even have the chance to team up with friends thanks to a recently-added online multiplayer option.

Also available to download for the Xbox One this week is Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2. Capcom’s new compilations will include all eight games from the Mega Man X series, and both will gives fans the chance to glimpse rare behind-the-scenes material in the Museum Mode and do battle against two different bosses at the same time in the brand new X Challenge Mode.

Finally this week, Stoic’s Banner Saga… err… saga will come to a close with The Banner Saga 3. The strategic RPG doesn’t give players any easy answers, and the question becomes “who can you trust, how will you protect your allies, and what choices will you make as the Darkness draws near?”

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Blizzard will team up with Titan Comics to release Diablo comic miniseries later this year

Posted on July 24, 2018 by John Scalzo

We missed this one during Comic-Con last week, but it looks like Blizzard and Titan Comics will team up to produce a brand new miniseries based on the Diablo franchise. Set to launch this Fall, the four-part comic saga will be written by Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths) and illustrated by Piotr Kowalski (Wolfenstein):

The [Diablo] comics will follow a group of zealous scholars and crusaders as they discover the true origins of humanity. Will their faith survive these shocking revelations?

For those keeping score at home, Titan’s untitled Diablo series will actually be the third comic adaptation of Blizzard’s battle between the angelic Nephalem and the hordes of Hell. The developer worked with Dark Horse to publish Diablo: Tales of Sanctuary in 2001, and partnered with DC Comics ten years later to produce Diablo: Sword of Justice in 2011.

More information about the Diablo miniseries (and presumably, a collected edition) will be announced soon. But for now, you can take a gander at a pair of teaser images from Kowalski after the break. (more…)

Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,