MagicSpan

The new trailer for Destiny 2: Shadowkeep shows a Vex army amassing, so prepare to shoot a bunch of them in the face when Season of the Undying begins. You can watch the trailer above.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep will launch on October 1, bringing major changes to the Destiny 2 experience. On the same day, Destiny 2: New Light will make all previous content free-to-play, but existing Destiny fans will need to purchase the expansion to access new content. A few days after the expansion drops, on October 5, Season of the Undying will kick off. All purchases of Shadowkeep will come with a season pass, so this will be accessible to anyone diving into the expansion.

Shadowkeep will take you back to the Moon, which we haven’t been back to since Destiny 1, but this trailer is showing off the raid that will take place in the Black Garden. This looks like it’s going to follow through on some of the narrative threads dropped at the end of the original game’s campaign, which is good – players have waited years to learn more about the Vex.

Destiny 2 is also getting cross save on August 21, which will make it easy to import your characters and progress as you see fit.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

It looks like Rockstar Games has something new in the works, as the name ‘Bonaire’ has popped up on the Australian Classification website. ‘Rockstar Games’ is listed as the publisher and production company.

What is ‘Bonaire’, exactly? It’s entirely unclear – all we know so far, as first reported by Kotaku Australia, is that it’s been refused classification in Australia. The listing is barebones, not containing any information beyond the fact that it’s from Rockstar and that it’s a game (‘computer game’ is the broad term used for all games within this system, so it does not necessarily specify that it’s a PC release).

Kotaku Australia‘s theory is that Bonaire is likely DLC for Red Dead Redemption 2, as Bonaire is the name of a Caribbean island as well. Considering that a portion of the campaign takes place on the fictional island of Guarma, it’s possible that Bonaire could be an additional section added to either the single-player or online part of the game. Why it was refused classification, though, remains a mystery – Red Dead Redemption has an R18+ rating in Australia, restricting it from being sold to anyone under 18. Many games in the past have been refused classification in Australia at first, but have then eventually found their way onto shelves, though – just today Australia was able to buy Hotline Miami 2 for the first time.

There’s no guarantee that Bonaire is connected to Red Dead Redemption in any way, though – it could be something entirely new. An LA Noire spin-off? A Bully sequel? Hopefully we’ll find out more soon.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac Games’ excellent take on our favourite webcrawler, looks like it’ll be getting a Game of the Year edition. A barebones listing on Amazon points towards a new retail version of the game, and although the page doesn’t explicitly say it, it’s likely that this release would contain the game’s The City That Never Sleeps DLC. There is no release date or cover art as of yet.

The combined file size of Marvel’s Spider-Man and its DLC stretches past 70GB, so it’s likely that the DLC would be available as a download code rather than being on the disc. The City That Never Sleeps was released as three parts post-launch: The Heist, Turf Wars, and Silver Linings, all of which were bundled together in a season pass. The game has received numerous updates and free costumes since launch, but it’s unclear if this Game of the Year edition will be the same version currently available or whether it will carry some of these updates.

Marvel’s Spider-Man was a huge sales success, and made our Game of the Year list for 2018. We also learned today that Sony has acquired Insomniac Games, adding them to their stable of internal development teams.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

Oddworld: Soulstorm, the next game in the Oddworld series, is releasing in 2020 – but if you want the PC version, you’ll need to get it through the Epic Games Store. The news was announced through a tweet from the official Oddworld account, which explained that support from the Epic Games Store was important for funding the game’s development. The tweet contains a statement from Lorne Lanning, the original creator of Abe and Oddworld, who still works on the series.

“We’ve been financing Soulstorm 100% ourselves”, the statement from Lorne Lanning reads. “Soulstorm is our most ambitious game ever and we are committed to creating a great game that meets the highest level of quality”. To do so, they needed additional finances, and Epic has supported them with an advance on their sales to help the game’s development in exchange for exclusivity.

Oddworld Soulstorm, which received a lengthy trailer in May, is essentially a reimagining of Abe’s Exodus, the second game in the Oddworld series, but with a greatly expanded scope and story. It is also coming to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020. It’s unclear whether or not Oddworld: Soulstorm will be a timed exclusive, or if it will eventually come to Steam, as is the case with many Epic Games Store exclusives.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

The Switch release of the Hotline Miami Collection is the first time that Hotline Miami 2 has been made available in Australia, and fans are wary about whether or not it will remain available indefinitely.

The Collection is available now on Switch with an MA15+ rating, the second-highest in the Australian system. Hotline Miami 2 was previously refused classification upon release, banning it from sale, seemingly on the basis of a scene that implied sexual assault. At the time, it was banned under the reasoning that Australia does not allow games that “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.”

The local Australian PR representative for Devolver’s releases sent us through a short statement, letting us know that the game had been classified under the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and that “of course the ratings board can still complain and challenge it, and it could be overturned and banned.” He also noted that “nothing has been removed from the Switch version that was in the original game.” In a follow-up phone call, he clarified that he wasn’t sure if the game would be made available on PC, PS4, or any other systems in Australia yet. It’s likely that Devolver Digital will take a ‘wait and see’ approach here, depending on what happens with the Switch version.

The IARC classification system allows developers and publishers to submit their games for an automated classification process, filling out a questionnaire that determines the game’s age rating. As Kotaku Australia points out, Hotline Miami Collection was recently refused classification after one such submission – but it seems that they resubmitted it again and got through.

Ultimately, it’s not entirely clear how or why Hotline Miami 2 is available in Australia now, after being unavailable for four and a half years, and there’s the possibility that the game’s rating will be challenged or overturned, removing it from sale again. For now, though, Australians are able to buy the Hotline Miami Collection, featuring Hotline Miami 2, through the Australian eShop on their Switch.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

Final Fantasy VIII Remaster has a new trailer out of Gamescom, and it’s finally given us a release date for the upgraded version of Square Enix’s beloved PlayStation RPG. You can watch it above.

The remaster, which was announced during E3 this year, is due out on September 3 – just two weeks away. It’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC. It’s a substantial polish on the old game, removing a lot of the blur that led to some classic memes.

This is the final PlayStation-originating Final Fantasy game that was yet to be remastered and released in HD, with Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX having already been updated for modern consoles. There’s been speculation that the source code for Final Fantasy VIII was lost, which would also explain why the game’s glow-up is so dramatic.

If you’re a 90s PlayStation fan, prepare yourself for a burst of nostalgia soon.

Go to Source
Author: James O’Connor

Gamescom 2019 is officially in full swing, and plenty of excellent new trailers have already premiered. With so many new cinematic and gameplay trailers making their debut, we’ve decided to compile our favorites. Be sure to check back here throughout Gamescom as more trailers are released.

We’ve put our favorites that actually feature gameplay first, but that doesn’t make the cinematic trailers any less cool. Other than that distinction, the trailers aren’t listed in any particular order. Although there were many trailers for triple-A titles scheduled to launch in the Fall 2019 season, most of the best trailers at Gamescom have been for indie games. Notable titles include Everspace 2—sequel to one of the best roguelike games of 2016–and pinbrawler Creature in the Well. However, there are quite a few standouts for the major releases too, such as Destiny 2 and Death Stranding–the latter of which got three new trailers.

Best Gameplay Gamescom Trailers

Creature In The Well

Creature in the Well sees you play as a cute robot engineer who must stop a monstrous entity that has destroyed the weather machine that keeps the town of Mirage safe from vicious sandstorms. In the Creature in the Well 101 trailer, creative director Adam Volker walks through how the game works–a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler imbued with pinball mechanics.

Darksiders Genesis

Darksiders Genesis reworks the franchise’s Zelda-like combat and exploration into a top-down hack-and-slash RPG. Fully playable in co-op–which can be seen in the new trailer–you and a friend can team up as two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Strife and War. This will be the first game in the Darksiders franchise to focus on Strife.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding finally has a gameplay trailer. Unfortunately, the story for the game is still about as clear as mud. We’re still excited to see what Hideo Kojima has in store with this upcoming PS4 exclusive, largely because its gameplay seems rife for hilarious misadventures and odd moments.

Everspace 2

Announced at Gamescom, Everspace 2 won’t release until 2021, but its gameplay trailer already makes the game look really cool. Though Everspace seems to be adding new locations and ship designs, plenty of weapons and gadgets look familiar.

Little Nightmares 2

Speaking of surprising sequels, the story of Little Nightmares will continue in Little Nightmares II. This sequel puts you in control of a brand-new character and takes place in a much more open area than the first game.

Best Cinematic Gamescom Trailers

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep – Season Of The Undying

The first seasonal content drop for the Shadowkeep expansion for Destiny 2, titled Season of the Undying, starts October 5. In the latest trailer, a brief cinematic sees Ikora Rey narrate as an army of Vex emerges from a portal connected to the Black Garden.

Disintegration

Publisher Private Division–the same studio attached to upcoming games like The Outer Worlds and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey–announced Disintegration at Gamescom, and also released a new trailer for the sci-fi first-person shooter. Though mostly a cinematic trailer, there is some gameplay thrown in there too.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding got two new cinematic trailers during Gamescom, both of which further fleshed out two of the game’s characters. The first focuses on Mama, while the second sees main character Sam meet Deadman.

Go to Source
Author: Jordan Ramée

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple’s forthcoming streaming video service is scheduled to launch in November and come priced at $9.99 a month, according to a new report this evening from Bloomberg.

The company has yet to talk pricing or a release date for the service, despite announcing it back in March of this year. But this window puts Apple’s product right up against the launch of Disney+, the entertainment juggernaut’s own streaming service that is set to feature a mix of original Disney films, Marvel content, Star Wars content, and original shows and movies across all of its properties and networks.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is looking to reach $50 billion in annual services revenue by 2020,…

Continue reading…

Go to Source
Author: Nick Statt

Catch up on the most important news from today in two minutes or less.
Go to Source
Author: Alex Baker-Whitcomb

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Bill Stasior, the former head of Apple’s Siri division, is leaving the company after nearly 1a decade to join Microsoft’s artificial intelligence division, reports The Information. Although Stasior left Apple in May, he’s only joining Microsoft later this month as a corporate vice president, reporting to Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott. Stassior worked at Apple for more than seven years, joining back in 2012.

Stasior’s departure seems less an indictment of the current state of Siri and more a reflection of the reality of AI at Apple. Last year, the iPhone maker poached John Giannandrea from Google, where he was a former head of search and AI. That’s reshaped the way Apple works on AI.

At the time of Giannandrea’s hiring, the move…

Continue reading…

Go to Source
Author: Nick Statt