#playstation launch party

[playstationvii]

#enXantingXMEN #LaLaLisaMarvel #XMEN #LOUISVUITTON #VIRGILABLOH #LV2025

NEW PAGES DEBUT LALALISA OF #7GAgents #MarvelComics #Debut

#Playstation7 #DLC

#YGEntertainment

[zentendo]

SpongeBob SquarePants Takes a Stumble: 'Stumble Guys' Collab Splashes Into Bikini Bottom

In an unexpected twist, the popular party battle royale game, “Stumble Guys,” is diving into the underwater wonders of Bikini Bottom. Under the licensed umbrella of Paramount Consumer Products, SpongeBob SquarePants and his quirky crew are joining the Stumbleverse, bringing a splash of nautical nonsense to the mobile and PC gaming world. Get ready for a SpongeBob-themed extravaganza with new…

[lotusyiyen]

Driver 3 - 2004 Launch Party

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Bloodborne 4k60 to debut on Switch 2!

FIJMU News 1-19-25 by Dorf Gannon

With this week's announcement of the disappointingly titled "Switch 2" console, the first few launch titles have been revealed including Mario Kart 9, Mario Party 14, Mario Laundry 7, and most surprisingly, Bloodborne. The From Software game that was previously a Playstation exclusive has eluded players in a superior format for a decade, but now with the Switch 2's high frame rate and UltraHD resolution, the game will finally be available to the discerning Nintendo gamer.

"But that's not all," said Bloodborne spokeswoman Maria Clocktower, "The game will have several exclusive features on the Switch 2, including costumes in the style of Mario, Luigi, Link and Kirby for shoes-only runs. Several iconic weapons such as the Master Sword and Metroid Wave Beam will also be available."

Several puzzles will also take advantage of the Switch 2's motion controls like in Breath of the Wild, so get ready to hold and shake your console upside down and backwards while fighting Ludwig.

[felassan]

"Journal #3 Dragon Age: The Veilguard is coming October 31 Pre-orders Open Now Hello everyone, We’re excited to finally share the release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which is officially October 31, 2024 worldwide! Please note, this is a simultaneous release; we will announce exact timing at a later date. We want to extend a huge shout out to the Dragon Age community for your patience and enthusiasm; we can't wait for you to jump into the role of Rook and embark on your journey to save Thedas. We know the wait has been long, but the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, we want to give you a hint at what's in store for you in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You're leading a desperate fight for the future of Thedas with your companions, the stakes are higher than ever. So grab a seat and click on the thumbnail below to watch this brand new trailer (includes some small story spoilers). “As someone who’s been working on Dragon Age for over 15 years, I know just how much our community has been looking forward to this day, and I’m equally excited to share and celebrate that the game will officially launch on October 31,” said John Epler, Creative Director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “We wanted to give you the choice to really express yourself, and do that in a world full of adventure and danger. So whether you’re a Warrior, Rogue or a Mage, we can’t wait for you to gear up, gather your party, and set out for another thrilling adventure through Thedas this Halloween.” As a character-driven RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers you a crafted experience woven from the threads of rich storytelling and fantasy worldbuilding the franchise is known for. In this bold, heroic adventure, you will experience expansive and dynamic stories that navigate love, loss, and complex choices that affect relationships and the fate of each member of the Veilguard. In true Dragon Age fashion, these bonds of fellowship are the foundation upon which Rook’s journey is built, and it will be up to you to determine how their personal story unfolds. Pre-Orders Now Open Fans who pre-order* the Standard Edition of Dragon Age: The Veilguard for $69.99 USD‡ on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, or $59.99 USD‡ on PC via Steam, EA App and Epic Games Store will receive cosmetic Blood Dragon Armor sets for Warrior, Mage and Rogue classes. EA Play Pro† members on the EA App will enjoy unlimited access to the EA Play Pro Edition* starting October 31st. Check out the full breakdown of the different editions we have available here: Digital Editions"

"- Standard Edition  - Dragon Age: The Veilguard - PC: $59.99‡| Console: $69.99 USD‡"

"- Deluxe Edition - Dragon Age: The Veilguard - 3 Rook armor sets (cosmetic only) - 6 Rook weapons (cosmetic only) - 7 Companion armor sets (cosmetic only) - 7 Companion weapons (cosmetic only) - PC: $79.99 USD‡ | Console: $89.99 USD‡"

"- Pre-Order Bonus* - All Pre-Orders (Standard & Deluxe) will receive: - Blood Dragon Armor Set (Warrior, Mage, Rogue - cosmetic only)"

- “Rook’s Coffer” Edition (Does NOT include Game) - Lyrium Dagger - Thedas Map with Quiver Tube - Rook’s Deck - Potion Flask - Enchanted Die - $150 USD‡"

"- Vyrantium Pack by Scanavo (Does NOT include Game) - Exclusive SteelBook® Case (No Game) - ICONART™ Metal Print and magnet wall mount - Notebook - Collector’s rigid Outerbox Check in with your local retailer to find out about the availability of this edition in your region"

"The Art of Dragon Age: The Veilguard by Dark Horse (Does NOT include Game, Deluxe Edition shown above)  - Standard Edition - 256-page art book providing a behind-the-scenes look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard - $49.99 USD‡ - Deluxe Edition - Includes extra prints - Includes exclusive slipcase - Alternate cover - $99.99 USD‡ - BioWare Gear Edition - Only available while supplies last, sold exclusively on the BioWare Gear website - Includes an exclusive print - BioWare Gear Edition alternate cover - $55.00 USD‡ What’s Coming?"

"ICYMI, we released our August Roadmap this week! Next week, we’ll have a dive into our game’s combat and more information on our PC Specs. There’s a lot more to come in September and October, too; so keep your eyes peeled on our socials.  We're beyond excited to be on this adventure with you, and we can't wait for you to get your hands on the game. Chat soon. - The Dragon Age Community Team *Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-age-the-veilguard/disclaimers for details. ‡Offers may vary or change. see retailer site for details. †Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details."

[source]

[satoshi-mochida]

Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon for Switch, PC launches October 3

From Gematsu

"High collar nice guy” otome visual novel Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon will launch for Switch and PC via Steam on October 3 worldwide with Japanese audio and English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese subtitles, publisher dramatic create and developer MAGES. announced.

Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon first launched for PS Vita on August 25, 2016 in Japan. It is a ported version of Meiji Tokyo Renka, which originally launched for PlayStation Portable, featuring a new route for one of the characters, as well as other new content.

Here is the story synopsis, via the official website:

About

Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon is a historical romance fantasy game in which the main character travels back in time to the Meiji era and meets and falls in love with the great figures of history.

Key Features

Powered-Up Version of Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon – With the addition of Tosuke Iwasaki’s (voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya) route, Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon (released in August 2016) is now available on Switch and Steam, featuring even more new elements!

What is Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon? – Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon is a historical romance fantasy game in which the main character travels back in time to the Meiji era and meets and falls in love with the great figures of history.

Additional Content – Newly drawn key visual illustration by the artist Karu. Addition of a newly written bonus scenario for the Switch and Steam version.

Multilingual – Language support for Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. (Voice-overs in Japanese only.)

Story

The main character, Mei Ayatsuki, an ordinary high-school girl, is transported back in time to the Meiji era by the self-proclaimed magician Charlie, whom she meets on the night of a red full moon. It was a slightly mysterious Meiji period “Tokyo” where the existence of Mononoke was recognized. With Charlie’s guidance, she arrived at the Rokumeikan. The protagonist sneaks into the party and is met by historical figures such as Ougai Mori, Syunso Hishida, Otojiro Kawakami, Kyoka Izumi, Gori Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tosuke Iwasaki. Through her interaction with them, the protagonist realizes that she is a “Tamayori” and has a highly prized ability in the Meiji period that allows her to see Mononoke. Having ability changes her relationship with them… In this unfamiliar time, love affairs grow as she comes into contact with good-looking men during her daily life. Will the protagonist be able to return to her original time or…? Does love transcend time and space? How does it end?

Watch the opening movie below.

Opening Movie

[otternalremnant]

The Sega Saturn was released 30 years ago today in 1994

Japan, November 22nd 1994.

Sega's follow up to the very successful Genesis (Megadrive outside of the US). The Saturn was a true CD based system rather than an add-on unit. While it initially sold well, about 1.5 million units sold in its first year in Japan, it began to lose traction due to Sony's much better support for the PlayStation with 3rd party devs.

At E3 in 1995, Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske would reveal the initial launch price of $399 USD. Kalinske also revealed that, due to & "high consumer demand" Sega had already shipped 30,000 Saturns to Toys R Us, Babbage's, Electronics Boutique, and Software Etc. for immediate release.

The announcement upset many retailers who were not informed of the surprise release, including Best Buy, Walmart, and KB Toys, which were not part of the early launch, responded by refusing to carry the Saturn and its games.

This would also lead to the now infamous Sony presentation at the same E3 conference where Olaf Olafsson, the head of Sony of America, called Steve Race (who was in charge of the PS1 launch in the US) to the stage, who then uttered "$299" and then walked away to thunderous applause.

The Saturn would go on to sell 9.26 million worldwide.

The Sony PlayStation would go on to outsell the Sega Saturn by nearly 11x.

[demifiendrsa]

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - Release Date Announce Trailer

Japanese version

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second game in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, will launch for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.

The game will be available in the following editions:

Physical – Across two game discs; includes a reversible cover, and the preorder incentive of the digital “Midgar Bangle Mk. II” armor at participating retailers

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Deluxe Edition ($99.99) – Includes Mini-soundtrack CD, artbook, and SteelBook case.

Collector’s Edition ($349.99) – Includes large, highly detailed collectible statue of Sephiroth, Deluxe Edition contents, along with digital DLC items including downloadable content “Summoning Materia,” allowing players to summon the Moogle Trio, and the “Magic Pot,” along with equipment, like the “Reclaimant Choker” accessory and the “Orchid Bracelet” armor. The Collector’s Edition will be available to pre-order in limited quantities from the Square Enix Store.

Digital – Includes the downloadable content “Moogle Trio Summoning Materia.”

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Digital Deluxe Edition ($89.99) – Includes digital Mini-soundtrack, digital artbook, and digital downloadable content items including the “Magic Pot” Summoning Materia, “Reclaimant Choker” accessory, and the “Orchid Bracelet” armor.

Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade ($20) – Can be purchased to upgrade previously purchased Standard Edition, adding Digital Deluxe Edition contents*

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Twin Pack ($99.99) – Offering great value during the pre-order phase, the Twin Pack includes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, available at launch, and the full game download of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade which will be available to play as soon as the Twin Pack is pre-ordered.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Digital Deluxe Twin Pack ($119.99) – Includes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade full game download plus all Digital Deluxe Edition contents.

■ About

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the highly anticipated new story in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, a reimagining of the iconic original game into three standalone titles by its original creators. In this game, players will enjoy various new elements as the story unfolds, culminating in the party’s journey to “The Forgotten Capital” from the original Final Fantasy VII.

After escaping from the dystopian city of Midgar, Cloud and his friends set out on a journey across the planet. New adventures await in a vibrant and vast world – sprint across grassy plains on a Chocobo and explore expansive environments.

An Expansive World

As the party searches for Sephiroth, you will explore the beautiful, expansive regions of the world and open up new areas to discover. Dig deeper into the world of Final Fantasy VII with rewarding side content and mini-games, plus various unique forms of transportation to navigate the world.

An Evolved Battle System

Combine strategic thinking with thrilling action combat alongside your comrades, including newly added characters. Deepen their relationships to unleash powerful team-based combos.

Beyond the Walls of Fate

In this standalone adventure for fans and newcomers, Cloud and his comrades venture across the planet, their fates unwritten, making each step outside the dystopian city of Midgar fresh and mysterious.

■ Story

For years now, the Shinra Electric Power Company has been providing the world with energy at the expense of the lifestream, the “river” whence all life flows and whither it returns.

After storming the company’s headquarters and engaging in a series of battles for the ages, Cloud and his companions leave Midgar behind and set out for the wider world. Once in the grasslands, they hop aboard chocobos and embark on a journey with an unknown destination.

Meanwhile, Zack—beaten and battered from his fight against an army of troopers—hobbles across the wastelands into Midgar with a mako-poisoned Cloud on his shoulder. Though he has managed to escape death for now, the ominous rift in the sky gives him little reason to rejoice.

That is hardly the only threat facing the world, however. The Shinra Resistance Committee, backed by Wutai’s interim government, declares war on the company; figures shrouded in black robes carry with them the corpse of Jenova, a veritable calamity from another world; and the Weapons—fierce and monstrous guardians of the planet—have recently awakened.

Amid this chaos, Sephiroth has set his plan in motion, thus ensuring myriad fates intertwine and are birthed anew.

■ Characters

Cloud Strife (voiced by Cody Christian in English, Takahiro Sakurai in Japanese)

“There’s no point in wasting our time worrying about fate if we can’t change it.”

An ex-SOLDIER: first class, Cloud came to Midgar to start a new chapter of his life as a mercenary. At the invitation of his childhood friend, Tifa, he accepts a job with Avalanche. Together, they confront Shinra, ultimately leaving Midgar behind in pursuit of Sephiroth and the truth─a quest which will lead them to defy destiny itself.

—Weapon: Sword

He fights by switching between modes specializing in mobility and offense. A single swipe of his huge sword can knock several foes off their feet at once. Some of his abilities also allow him to take the fight to the air.

Barret Wallace (voiced by John Eric Bentley in English, Masato Funaki in Japanese)

“This is the planet we’re talkin’ about! Y’all know she’s gonna pour her heart and soul into this fight!”

The leader of an independent Avalanche cell, Barret spearheads an operation to take down Shinra’s mako reactors. He pays a hefty price for this, however, when the company retaliates, and his comrades die in the crossfire. Armed with the memories of his lost friends and the newfound knowledge of Sephiroth’s plans, he departs Midgar in hope of saving the planet and safeguarding a future for his daughter Marlene.

—Weapon: Gunarm

What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in both sturdiness and strength, converting his anger toward Shinra into raw firepower. He employs a variety of ranged attacks, from rapid-fire salvos to powerful explosions, which allow him to strike foes high in the air or across the battlefield.

Tifa Lockhart (voiced by Britt Baron in English, Ayumi Ito in Japanese)

“Ever wish you could just snap your fingers and forget the worst stuff?”

Though a loyal member of Avalanche—an underground organization that opposes Shinra—Tifa nevertheless questions the group’s extremist tactics, struggling to reconcile her cause with her conscience. This internal conflict reaches a fever pitch when her group’s actions effectively lead to the fall of the Sector 7 plate. Racked with guilt, she leaves Midgar in search of a new path to tread.

—Weapon: Gloves

She strings together swift combos while utilizing a variety of martial art techniques. Her ATB fills quickly, allowing for the use of multiple abilities in rapid succession. She also boasts several skills that deal more damage to airborne or staggered foes.

Aerith Gainsborough (voiced by Briana White in English, Maaya Sakamoto in Japanese)

“Just look at it all… A living, breathing planet. Even after everything we’ve done to it, it’s still going strong.”

A flower seller who lives in the Sector 5 undercity and the last remaining descendant of the Cetra, a people known for communing with the planet. Shinra takes her prisoner in their efforts to reach the Cetra’s foretold “promised land,” but Cloud and company come to her rescue. She escapes Midgar and embarks on a journey into the outside world of which she has long dreamed.

—Weapon: Staff

Utilizing the power of magic, she casts spells from a safe distance and launches attacks that home in on her foes. She can also conjure beneficial wards and warp between them, as well as restore the party’s HP with her limit break.

Red XIII (voiced by Max Mittelman in English, Kappei Yamaguchi in Japanese)

“I may be clad in fur…but that doesn’t mean I’ll purr.”

Red XIII is a beast with a flaming tail, crimson fur, deadly claws, and the ability to speak. Cloud and company help him escape Professor Hojo’s clutches, and he decides to join them on their journey. His species is known for their long life spans, and he is no exception. As this Cosmo Canyon native is the eldest member of the party, he offers its members words of wisdom from time to time.

—Weapon: Collar

He sets upon foes with an unrelenting assault, laying into them with a beastly ferocity. Guarding against incoming attacks will feed his Vengeance gauge. Once it is full, he can unleash his inner beast, but sufficient skill is required to maximize its potential.

Yuffie Kisaragi (voiced by Suzie Yeung in English, Yumi Kakazu in Japanese)

“If I win, you get the honor of serving yours truly!”

A member of Wutai’s elite corps of ninja operatives, Yuffie infiltrates Midgar on a mission to steal the “ultimate materia” from Shinra. Her plan ends in disaster, as she fails to claim the materia and loses her partner Sonon in the struggle. Just as working alone begins to take its toll on her, however, Cloud’s group comes into the picture.

—Weapon: Throwing Star

Using her throwing star and ninja skills, she excels at both long- and close-range combat. Elemental ninjutsu allows her to exploit enemies’ weaknesses without relying on spells. She also keeps opponents on their toes with a variety of aerial attacks and tricky techniques.

Cait Sith (voiced by Paul Tinto in English, Hideo Ishikawa in Japanese)

“Alright, everyone! By popular request: a fortune or two to steer you true!”

A wisecracking, feline-shaped robot often seen poised atop his big moogle pal. One of the Gold Saucer’s most popular mascots, he is well loved for his fortune telling—a service he also offers to Cloud and friends. His adorable appearance also belies access to a surprising amount of insider intel on Shinra.

Sephiroth (voiced by Tyler Hoechlin in English, Toshiyuki Morikawa in Japanese)

“Don’t be afraid. It’s not death—it’s a homecoming.”

A former SOLDIER: 1st class of legendary renown, he is said to have died in the line of duty in Nibelheim five years ago. This is proven untrue when he appears at the Shinra Building and absconds with a research specimen known as “Jenova.” He now toys with Cloud at every opportunity, seeking to change the course of destiny and rule the planet.

Zack Fair (voiced by Caleb Piece in English, Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese)

“I dunno—hopes? Dreams, maybe? Something like that! So long as we’ve got those—and hold on tight and never let go.”

Zack may have worked with Sephiroth as a SOLDIER: 1st class, but he trained under a different operator, and it is from this man that he both learned to take pride in his work and received his iconic buster sword. After a grueling battle in which he overcomes the odds and cheats death, Zack returns to Midgar—where he hopes to see his love Aerith—with a mako-poisoned Cloud in tow.

■ System

The Evolved World of Final Fantasy VII

In this game, players can freely roam across lush grasslands and rugged wildernesses, all while enjoying a wide variety of quests and mini-games. Face off against the threats that await you by teaming up with your comrades and unleashing powerful new synergy abilities.

Combat

Action and strategy combine in thrilling combat, now made even more exciting thanks to the addition of new team-based abilities.

From flashy, action-packed fights to slower, strategic battles, this game offers ways for players of all persuasions to enjoy combat.

World

The world is divided into several regions, with each one offering different environments to explore and experience. Where you go and how you get there is up to you.

■ Combat: Basic Systems

Fighting

Press [□] to perform a normal attack. Dealing damage will also fill the ATB gauge needed to use abilities and spells.

Commands

Open the command menu with [x] to enter Tactical Mode, which slows down the passage of time. Devise your strategies in the moment or register commands as shortcuts and use them as your intuition deems fit.

Abilities

Equipping weapons and setting materia will grant access to a wide range of abilities. Using these abilities requires you to expend charges from the ATB gauge, which fills as time passes or whenever you deal damage.

Magic

Magic materia can be set in weapons and armor to enable the use of spells such as Fire and Cure. Casting spells consumes both ATB charges as well as MP.

Unique Abilities

Press [△] to activate a character’s unique ability. Some of these abilities do not require ATB, but instead take time to charge.

…And More

■ Combat: Summons

Summons

Setting summoning materia will grant access to the power of the gods. A conjured deity will follow the player’s lead and fight enemies automatically, but you can also instruct them to use special abilities. Before they depart the battlefield, summons will unleash one final attack powerful enough to wipe out any foe.

Odin

A horse-riding swordsman who brandishes an enormous blade known as Zantetsuken. He gallops toward foes and sends them flying with a single, sweeping slash.

Alexander

An enormous, armor-plated weapon that towers over even other summons. No ordinary foe could possibly withstand an assault from its entire arsenal.

■ Combat: New Systems

Synergy Abilities

Powerful attacks in which two characters team up to turn the tide of battle. More abilities will unlock as you increase the party level—a numerical expression of how closely-knit your team is—and deepen the affinity between party members. Fill the synergy gauge by using unique abilities and prepare to unleash a synchronized assault!

Cloud / Sephiroth: “Double Helix”

Sephiroth unleashes an elegant flurry of strikes, and Cloud does his best to follow suit.

Aerith / Cait Sith: “Kitty Cannonade”

Aerith imbues Cait Sith’s moogle with magical energy and unleashes a ranged attack.

Yuffie / Barret: “Ninja Carbine”

More Barret and Yuffie lean into their shared prowess and unleash a ranged attack.

…And More

■ World: Chocobos

Chocobos are the adorable feathered friends of the Final Fantasy series. In this game, once you catch a chocobo in the wild, you can call it at any time in that region, and it will offer you special assistance in traversing its home terrain. You can also customize your chocobo’s equipment to create a steed that’s suited just for you.

Chocobo

Hop aboard your chocobo to explore the world with ease. Try sprinting if you’re in a hurry to reach your next destination.

Mountain Chocobos

Using their mighty talons, these chocobos can climb up and down steep slopes that bear special markings. Even if a destination seems inaccessible by foot, you might be able to get there on chocoback.

Sky Chocobos

These chocobos can take flight from gliding ranges and soar across peaks and valleys. Take to the skies and nothing will stand in your way.

■ World: New Forms of Transportation

In addition to chocobos, this game features many ways to get from one place to another. Take your friends on a buggy ride through the wastelands or do some seaside sightseeing aboard a wheelie… Put these various vehicles to use as you explore the world!

Buggy

The buggy, which can be ridden across sandy terrain, can also drive through shallow water and travel faster than chocobos. Buckle up and take the party on a wild ride through the vast desert.

Wheelie

In the seaside resort of Costa del Sol, you can ride around on a wheelie, a two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle. Tour the town at your own pace, all while taking in the beautiful scenery of this land of eternal summer.

■ World: Minigames

Not only stories and battles, but all kinds of unique elements of fun await players.

Enjoy the numerous minigames available across the game’s world.

G-Bike

The “Spinning Slash,” which uses a large sword to reap enemies, and the super-accelerating “Nitrous Boost” are just a few of the many things you can do in this bike game. Fight off the relentless gun-shooting participants and win the battle that goes beyond just speed.

Chocobo Races

A fierce race to test your chocobo riding skills. Break the balloons that appear along the way to use various techniques. Deepen the bond with your chocobo and aim for first place.

3D Brawler

Manipulate 3D polygons and take on your opponent in a one-on-one match. Avoid your opponent’s attacks and deliver a powerful punch. If you have powerful limit moves that you can unleash by continuing to land hits, victory will surely be yours.

■ Messages from the Development Staff

Yoshinori Kitase, Producer

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been set for release on February 29, 2024. This second installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake project will feature elements from the previous game, as well as greatly enhanced features such as the vast world map to explore and synergy abilities with party members. The story will unfold more dramatically than ever before, with a rapid pace of major twists and turns. We know fans are dying to see one scene in particular…

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth can be enjoyed on its own as a standalone adventure, with the party leaving Midgar to explore the wide world beyond. But for those wishing to deepen their understanding of the story, a recap of the previous game will also be provided.

“We hope that both fans and those who have never played Final Fantasy before will enjoy this game.”

Naoki Hamaguchi, Director

“We are finally able to announce the release date to all of you! We have been working tirelessly on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth since the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and we can’t wait for you to experience our labor of love. In this title, Cloud and his friends, who have fled Midgar, will be setting out on an adventure across an expansive world of untold adventure in pursuit of Sephiroth.

“While the main storyline is bigger and more ambitious than the previous game’s narrative, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also embraces the concept of ‘free exploration,’ with compelling stories, fun mini-games, powerful monsters and so much more to find throughout the world map. We hope you will explore this world in great detail, as nearly 100 hours of adventure awaits.

“We hope you will take this new Final Fantasy game experience in your own hands to enjoy.”

Tetsuya Nomura, Creative Director

“This is the second title of a trilogy, and covers between the start of the journey outside Midgar to the midpoint of the original Final Fantasy VII. If Final Fantasy VII Remake was an introduction to the world and a preparation for this journey, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth serves as an illustration of the incidents that started the journey, an exploration of the people tied to it, and the journey itself, heading toward its climax. Many elements were carefully selected for this title and because this is a series, we have the unique opportunity to review and incorporate feedback from the previous title, such as by increasing the number of characters. I am sure that the bar for the next work will be raised even higher now that we have included so many spectacular elements in this work, but even so, the entire team continues to work diligently and without compromise on its development.

“There is also the looming question of what fate awaits. Whether you have experienced the original title or will embark on this adventure with fresh eyes, we hope you will face the ending of this work on your own terms.”

[blazehedgehog]

Do you agree with the TheGamer's article, Astro Bot Isn't A Celebration, It's A Graveyard?

I have not read the article or played the game, but watching talk about Astro Bot and how it's this "great celebration of Playstation" is absolutely a bummer. Watching Astro Bot get Spike's net and run around catching monkeys in an Ape Escape level feels more like a cry for help than a celebration of anything.

It's Team Asobi saying, "Hey remember when they used to let us create weird, wacky, super creative games? Well they consolidated like eight teams down to just this Astrobot group here, so this is a toast to our fallen comrades."

I'm sure that, to Sony, doing that "made sense," because games like Locoroco or The Last Guardian or Gravity Rush were not hitting the right "sales targets." (A made up number that doesn't mean anything to anyone other than shareholders) So, you restructure, you filter out all but the best and brightest talent, and that's how you get Team Asobi.

But I've been saying it for a while, and so have a lot of other people, that we're back to the same kind of egotistical Sony that launched the PS3 to the sound of dead weight hitting the pavement. Now, that Sony turned the PS3 around towards the end, but that's because they got humbled by the Xbox 360 and had to figure out a way to bounce back.

And then they bounced back right as Microsoft's ego started to humble them and it launched the Playstation 4 into such a huge lead that they're still kind of coasting on that, particularly because instead of bouncing back, Microsoft has just kind of rolled over and accepted their fate. Whatever success they have with Game Pass isn't good enough for them to really swing back at Sony very hard.

So we get this clownshoes company that closes down all of their Japan studios, that launches a VR headset peripheral that's more expensive than the console it's made for, and that same VR headset has no backwards compatibility with older PS4 software even though the console itself does, and then they launch an equally expensive wifi-only remote dock (read: a Wii U Gamepad) for that console, they keep raising their prices in Japan, they launch and then two weeks later shut down a live service game that spent 8 years in development...

And then you look at Astro Bot, brimming with "Remember when Playstation used to be the coolest thing in the world?" references, from Parappa the Rapper to Ape Escape to Shadow of the Colossus, and it's like... yeah, I do remember that, and I can only remember it, because that's not the kind of company Sony is now. This is a party primarily for things that don't exist anymore.

You could call that a graveyard, sure. It's a wake at the very least.

[mariacallous]

Earlier this week, after warping across the galaxy for 90 hours in a sentient spacecraft, Twitch streamer John Wissmiller realized that Concord was the best first-person shooter he’d played in a decade.

“The gunplay was crunchy, the movement was smooth, and the progression felt rewarding,” he says. “I was even more enthralled by the world the developers had created when I looked into the lore.”

He wasn’t alone. “One of the biggest perks about the game was the absence of toxicity within the player community,” says Kelle Dees, a content creator at KDeesGamez. “Everything about the game was positive and inclusive.”

On Wednesday, less than two weeks after the game’s August 23 launch, Sony announced it was taking Concord offline and offering full refunds to anyone who had purchased it on PlayStation 5 or PC. “While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended,” wrote Ryan Ellis, Concord’s director at Firewalk Studios, a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

“I was completely devastated,” Wissmiller says. “We’ve never seen a first-party title from Sony get this kind of treatment.”

In fact, we’ve never seen any AAA video game get this kind of treatment—and that’s what could make Concord a horrifying canary in the coal mine for gamers and game workers alike.

“It’s unprecedented for a game of this scale to be shut down so quickly,” says Liam Deane, a video game analyst at Omdia. “Usually publishers keep games that struggle at launch on life support for a while, but in Concord’s case the launch was so bad there was clearly no way back.”

Like Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Valorant, Concord was meant to be a live-service game that constantly released new updates over the course of several years. But while those other games are free to play—and rely on microtransactions to make money—Concord cost $40 up front. “It's just very difficult to break into competitive multiplayer games [and] displace the existing top titles,” says Simon Carless, an industry analyst who publishes the GameDiscoverCo newsletter. “These are the kind of titles that players socialize with their friends in, and they're often not motivated to switch games.”

Sony hasn’t revealed how many copies of Concord sold between August 23 and September 3, but the number of active PC players on the Steam platform peaked at just 697 on launch day. That’s abysmally low for a major release that spent eight years in development; Sony’s previous live-service game, Helldivers 2, had over 155,000 players on its first day, back in February, and later peaked at 458,709.

Helldivers 2, though, was a breakout hit that already had an established fanbase. Concord, on the other hand, was a brand-new franchise that didn’t get much of a marketing push and drew the ire of “anti-woke” snivelers who complained about the game’s use of pronouns on its character selection screen.

“For big companies, it's difficult to work out what bets—and how large bets—you should make,” says Carless. “Some of the corporate overexuberance during Covid and low interest rates has meant that large companies overextended, and the pullback has been—and is going to be—painful.”

Over the past 20 years, the brutal blockbuster-or-bust mentality of Silicon Valley startups has spread to executives across the entertainment industry. Movies with $100 million production budgets are considered dead on arrival after a bad opening weekend and are quickly ripped from theaters. TV series are canceled after failing to meet undisclosed performance metrics in their first seasons.

Now, the quick death of Concord, which officially went offline today, points to a similar mindset in the video game industry that could kill creativity, reduce jobs, and shutter entire studios.

“If you have a stable parent company with a balanced set of single-player and [live-service] releases, you should be in decent shape,” says Carless. But “the middle of the market is disintegrating. The games industry is deprofessionalizing in many ways; games as a stable profession will be tricky for many people in high-GDP countries.”

If studio C-suites keep cutting all the buds that don’t instantly blossom, the golden age of gaming of the 2020s—a mix of AAA blockbusters like Elden Ring, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Baldur’s Gate 3, alongside smaller-budget gems like Tunic, Chants of Sennar, and the reimagining of 1997’s Riven—could already be over.

“I think innovation is more likely to come from smaller companies with lower budgets that are happier to take risks,” says Piers Harding-Rolls, who leads the games research team at Ampere Analysis. “This has really been true for many years, but the current commercial environment makes that truer than ever.” Still, even the future of indies is uncertain and may be somewhat dependent on funding efforts like Innersloth’s Outersloth initiative.

Concord may have gotten off to a slow start with gamers (most of whom hadn’t heard of it yet) and critics (who didn’t love the initial character designs), but the same could be said of Elder Scrolls Online, which has since made more than $2 billion, or the Destiny franchise, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, or No Man’s Sky, which has become a cult classic.

If those games were released now, would they survive longer than Concord did—longer than the lifespan of a honeybee? The answer lies with the most ruthless beekeepers in the industry, and all they care about is the honey.

[anilyan]

All about Modding Genshin

So, I create genshin skins usable as mods in the game (I'm Anilyan on gamebanana).

The modding community is huge, and has been growing since people started realizing that there are no dangers in doing that, and that everyone can learn. There are lots of clickbaity info out there that make people scared of having fun, believing in bans or thinking that skins are cheating when they don't even change game files and have nothing to do with cheating software.

I was one of the people that started helping provide more SFW mods (and I even have a discord server focused on that for people who have questions and/or would rather avoid nsfw stuff). And it has been a joy seeing others value my work and also learn blender and a bunch of stuff just for the sake of turning designs they like into a reality. So, I think I'm quite qualified to do this post.

TL;DR: No one has ever been banned for using fan skins, in a massive modding community. They are PC-only and easy to use, no private servers required.

What can mods do?

What are Genshin mods? There are many types of mods, but this is exclusively about skins, specifically, 3Dmigoto skins. They don't change game files or cheat the game - instead, they are just a visual overlay not too dissimilar from changing the brightness of your screen - and despite being somewhat limited, they are what allow us to not get our accounts banned.

Can I...? No you can't add primos, no you can't change attacks/skills or their values, no you can't change animations, no you can't get artifacts more easily, etc. You can do those things on private servers, and there are mods that are less limited than 3Dmigoto mods (like melon mods), but those things can give you problems, so use at your own risk, and ask about them in more appropriate servers, not this one - this discord has nothing to do with that. That said, other mods that count as a visual overlay, like making certain UI elements invisible, can still be achieved with 3dmigoto. Either way, the whole Kaveh Destroyer of Worlds episode has nothing to do with skin mods or 3Dmigoto.

How do I revert back to not using mods? There is no such thing as "reverting back" because the game is not actually being changed. Refer to the safety/banning section for more details. Every time you want to see skins in your game, you have to run a certain program before launching the game, otherwise you won't even see it. So if you want to stop seeing mods completely, just never run that, and delete the folders that contain the program and the mods since in that case they will just be cluttering your pc.

What do you need to use mods?

Do I need to play on pc, or mods work on playstation/mobile? Sadly, no. I've only seen one video that seemed to be on playstation but I have no idea of how that was achieved or if it's using 3Dmigoto. Either way, skins are pc only. If you want more details on the possibility of mods for mobile (don't get your hopes high), here: ⁠general-questions⁠

So I don't need a private server to use skin mods? Yup, you don't need a private server, skins work perfectly in the official server ^~^

Anything else that I need? You will need to turn off the Dynamic Character resolution, and please watch the entirety of the tutorial I put in this post because it's an updated one, and that will be relevant,

Will I get banned? Is it safe?

Will I get banned for using skins in my official accounts? Like I said, 3Dmigoto doesn't really do things like cheating - the only broken rule is the fact that this counts as a 3rd-party software, but in about 85000 people using mods in the main discord server alone, literally no one has been banned (and most of them mod in the official server, not in private servers). And this has been going for well over a year. Hoyoverse knows about the existence of mods, but they seem pretty indifferent so far, and either way it would be difficult for them to ban people when mods don't change game files, even though mods can be detected.

Can other people in co-op see that I'm using mods and report me? No, because it's just a visual overlay on your side, the characters are not actually wearing another skin/glider. The only way people would know would be if you shared screenshots or recordings with your UID visible. If 2 people with mods co-op, each will see the mods that they picked for the characters, not the mods chosen by the other person. So if they took screenshots and showed them, they would only be denouncing themselves, not the other person.

What if Hoyoverse changes their stance? If they do, they will just issue temporary/short bans, not a permaban. That's what sometimes happens to HSR players and we don't even know if they are banned for using mods or for issues with the anti-cheating system mistakenly accusing people. Either way, the developers of HSR are more strick and people still don't have issues. And the modding community is so large that, if hoyo wanted to ban everyone permanently, they would lose a massive chunk of players. It would be a huge loss for them.

How to use and update/fix mods?

I'm convinced. How do I use mods? Follow this tutorial (embedded below): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAsb__3uK3o&ab_channel=Snowlit It's one of the most updated videos, so I recommend it over older ones, or you will struggle with some issues that arose with game patches.

Where can I ask for help if I find issues? If you are having difficulties, I suggest going to the AGMG discord server (invite: https://discord.gg/agmg - you need to prove you are using mods or trying to access other channels) and ask there in the channel dedicated to help you. You can also join my own discord server, focused on SFW mods, and we have help channels there too.

Why are so many mods broken? It's possible that those were all broken with the game updates. A script to fix them/update mods tends to release a few days after the patch is around, you can just run it in your Mods folder and it will fix all mods inside at once. Look for the version of this tool for the current patch: https://gamebanana.com/tools/15654.

This has already happened several times, so it's not reasonable to expect modders with tons of posts to update each of them when you can just easily fix it yourself and all at once. Only ask for fixes when there are things broken that can't be solved by you, or that require modding knowledge or access to the blend file - and even then, the modders have a right to refuse.

A good way to know if there is a widespread solution that works on multiple mods is to keep up with the announcements in the main discord server AGMG. The best places to check if a widespread solution was already made are either the announcements in the main modding server, AGMG (invite above) OR go to the gamebanana genshin modding section » Tools » Other/Misc (https://gamebanana.com/tools/cats/1239)

I've run the fix but the mods are still broken, what should I do? Most issues you will encounter are in the video I recommended. Either way, these are some frequent problems:

You can't have more than one active mod for a certain character in your Mods folder, unless they are merged (you know that they are merged if you have a merged.ini). This happens because, since we can't cheat the game, we can't add skin slots, and all mods will try to load over the same official skin of a given character - therefore, if you have more than one, they will conflict. Apart from merging, if you don't know how to do that yet, you can also put some mods you downloaded in a separate folder (so, not your Mods folder), or just write DISABLED in the start of the name of the folder with a mod you want to inactivate.

If some parts of the model are not loading properly, try going inside a domain with the modded character. Any mod can have that issue, it's just a loading problem that GIMI sometimes has, but going in a domain tends to reset it.

All mods are broken for you? Did you try disabling the Dynamic Character Resolution in the settings? Because that is required to use mods.

I found this mod where the character floats and/or changes underwater, but it's not working. You are probably not getting the appropriate files to track the character state or offset it, or are not putting them in the right place. Here is a step-by-step guide with pictures of literally all you need.

My mod shows a green reflection in the character menu, how do I fix it? You need to add this ORFix.ini file into the BufferValues folder inside your Mods folder: https://github.com/leotorrez/LeoTools/blob/main/releases/ORFix.ini. If that doesn't solve the trick, that's because the mod creator forgot to also add the line instructed in that link, basically how the picture below shows, but you can do it yourself. This is necessary for all characters released during and after Sumeru.

Pricing and commissions

Why are there so many mods behind paywalls? Actually, there are no mods behind paywalls. Except paywalls put up by scammers and thieves that steal mods that were free. Or that they thought that were paid, but those great heroes didn't even bother to check that all genshin mods can be a maximum of 1 month on patreon before being released for free. They all end on gamebanana or, like I said, in the main modding discord server. So before you subscribe to a patreon selling mods, make sure that you can't find the mod in those platforms I mentioned, and if that is the legitimate creator, subscribe only if you want the mod in early access and/or to support the creator. Because even if you don't become a member, you will still be able to get the mod soon.

Can I see my OC's in Genshin as a mod? Yes, with limitations. Your OC would work as a skin that overrides a certain character, in outfit/body, hair and iris. It won't be an actual new character. Besides, since we have limitations to avoid cheating, we can't add new animations or abilities, and that includes being unable to change the face and eye shape (the iris can be changed, just not the external shape, eyelids, etc). As for the height of a character, that can be changed but comes with certain downsides, like the weapons not being attached to the hands, the animations still looking the same, the camera being stuck at the original level, and the worst offender for me is the face stuck in the same expression and with a bad shading. So take all of that into consideration when picking what character to override, and deciding if it's worth to change the height of a certain character or going immediately for one with the correct height and facial shape.

How can I commission an OC/skin? I suggest going to the main discord server AGMG, verifying/proving that you are using mods in order to access all channels, then head to the commissions-area and see who has commissions open. If you don't want to commission anyone, you can still try your luck in the requests channel in that server, since some people accept free requests and even more if they have a bounty (which is cheaper than a commission).

How to create mods

Where do I start if I want to make my own mods? That depends on what stage are you starting, and if you have any skills that you can reuse for modding.

For example, if you are an artist, you have advantages at texturing, and if you are a 3D modeler or at least know a bit of blender, that will make the modeling easier (yes, genshin mods require blender, so if you are familiar with another software, you will have to learn this one).

It also depends on what your goal is: If you want to do full custom skins and all by yourself, that is more work, but some modders specialize in only one aspect of modding and work in collaboration with other modders. For example, I started as only being a texture artist, and now I also do full custom models, but the weights for my mods are always made by someone else.

Recommended order for absolute beginners: texture mods, small model changes and kitbashing, bigger ports or more ambitious kitbashing, and then custom modeling. If you want, you can do weapon mods too, they are technically simpler than characters.

Are there tutorials that I can follow? Of course ^^ I am making my own written tutorials, some of which you can already find in the Resources folder of this discord. I also compiled a brief list of where you can find videos to follow, here.

Keep in mind that most of these tutorials are about modding genshin, and don't teach you in depth how to model, even though you can still learn a bit from there. But I recommend that you do your own search on how to model things in blender if you aim to do custom models. Keep also in mind that many things that look 3D, in genshin, are actually details painted over textures, so don't go overboard with polygon count. Either way, the guides there are varied and will help with most issues you might find.

What content creators need to know

I'm a content creator. Is there any risk? Don't try to use mods as an official Genshin content creator, since they have your UID and Hoyoverse doesn't officially support mods. Other than that, your account is not at risk unless you show your UID in videos/screenshots, and even then, the chances of someone reporting you are very very slim.

Also, don't post anything that includes the word "mod" in the title, because youtube (and twitch?) flag them and you can have your videos taken down due to it being assumed that you are using a private server - even if that is not the case.

AND DON'T FORGET TO ALWAYS CREDIT MODS. Either way, the risk would be only for the video/channel in question, not for your genshin account.

How do I correctly credit mods? I'm glad you asked, because people often mess up/don't credit/credit the wrong person and reposters - I see my mods poorly credited every single day xD. Always check if a mod exists on gamebanana, and if not, check the main modding discord server AGMG. Why? Because sometimes people repost videos and credit the source of the video, but the person who edited didn't make the mod and often doesn't credit the actual creator(s). (((Blumiekei is the absolute worst offender))) In the discord server, the message posting a mod in the mod-reposting channel is usuall by one of the authors and includes the others, and on gamebanana, you can see what each author contributed with in the sidebar. You should at least say their names when featuring mods, and I highly recommend that you include the link in some way too, even though I understand that not all platforms allow it.

Why should I credit mods that are just ports from other games, that's just laaaaazy... You clearly don't know the work that goes even into a port, so let me enlighten you - using my Inazuma Ganyu as an example: You can see in the 4th picture here that the final textures have shadows that were not in the original, and the image quality is much better. That's because I painted all of that manually - and it took me over a day just for the textures. Then add the time for placing the model, potentially adjusting proportions of individual parts to be more like the canon genshin bodies, bring back some elements from the original genshin character, merge the textures for everything because genshin can only have one texture per group (Body, Dress and Head), adjust the UV's as a consequence of that, then also make the lightmaps and alpha channel so that the game knows what should behave in terms of shadows and outline like fabric, skin or metallic parts, and FINALLY it's time for weights. That are often a nightmare because, due to the limitations of 3Dmigoto in order to not activate the anti-cheat, we can't add bones or new rigging, so we have to work around by transferring weights from the official genshin model. And in the case of this Ganyu, she doesn't originally have long sleeves, so that's a whole other headache that very few modders manage to achieve properly (me not included, the weights of this mod were made by mimo4e since she is one of the very few that is capable).

And if this is too much text for you and you won't bother knowing the work that goes into a port, don't make assumptions either. If it's good enough for you to use/feature, it's good enough for you to credit.

I've seen a mod with the wrong/no credits. What should I do? You can actually list it in the reports channel of my discord. That way, it's easier for the mod author to know (even if they are not there, we can likely find them), and everyone else with an account in the platform where the video/screenshot was posted can also help by asking the person who posted the videos to fix the credits. Some try to delete messages asking for credits, but if there are many people asking for that, they usually get tired and learn their lesson. Usually. Hopefully. I've seen good and bad outcomes at this point.

[playstationvii]

#ZGR #ZGRMangaCover #ZenithGenderRoyale #AcademyElite

#Playstation7 #MangaCoverArt #DearDearestBrands

#ZGR

#ZGR #ZenithGenderRoyale #AcademyElite

[theguywithaplan]

List of Video Games Turning 20 Years Old in 2024

Alien Hominid (started off life as a Flash game and graduated to a real game.)

Army Men: Sarge's War (the sequel to the Sarge’s Heroes games, but this one was rated T for Teen and used realistic guns instead of plastic ones)

Astro Boy: Omega Factor (seriously, if you have a chance to play this, take it. This game is AMAZING)

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

The Bard's Tale (the 2004 version with the guy who played Wesley in The Princess Bride)

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings & the Lost Ocean (hey! That collection with this game and it's follow-up is out on the Switch now! Go get it!)

Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space

Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu's Dororo

BloodRayne 2

Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (this GBA game had a special cartridge that required you to go outside into the sunlight to power up your character in game)

Breakdown

Bujingai: The Forsaken City (the game where you play as Gackt)

Burnout 3: Takedown

Call of Duty: United Offensive

Call of Duty: Finest Hour (a side story to the original Call of Duty, which came out the year before)

Capcom Fighting Evolution (the darkest of the dark age of fighting games)

Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (a full-on adventure game where you play as the mascot of a series of edutainment games)

Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (the rare movie-in game that's not only really good, but is actually better than the movie it's based on)

Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage + Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy

Crash Twinsanity (a childhood favorite)

Crimson Tears

Crusader Kings

Custom Robo (the first one in the series to release in North America)

Cy Girls

Dead Man's Hand

Dead or Alive Ultimate (remakes of Dead or Alive 1 and Dead or Alive 2)

Def Jam: Fight for NY (the vastly superior sequel to Vendetta)

Dog's Life

Doom 3 (the original version. Hope you've got a flashlight on you...)

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors

Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury (the final game in the Legacy of Goku series)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

Drakengard (Yoko Taro's debut as a game director)

Driver 3

Evil Genius

Fable (another childhood favorite)

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (the last Fallout game made by Interplay before Bethesda acquired the IP.)

Far Cry (the very first one.)

Feel the Magic: XY/XX (a launch title for the Nintendo DS)

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (the only Final Fantasy game to release for the GameCube)

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (remakes of the first two mainline Final Fantasy games)

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

Front Mission 4

F-Zero: GP Legend (the last F-Zero game to release for almost 2 decades, until F-Zero 99 released in 2023.)

Galleon

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (the PS2 one. There was another version of SAC that released for the PSP a year later that is completely different.)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2

Ghosthunter

Godzilla: Save the World

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Gradius V (the last mainline Gradius game)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto Advance (yes, there was a GTA game on the GBA.)

Growlanser Generations

Guilty Gear Isuka

.hack//Quarantine

Half-Life 2

Halo 2

Hitman: Contracts (the third one)

Hot Shots Golf Fore! (yet another childhood favorite)

It's Mr. Pants (Rareware made this for the GBA after being acquired by Microsoft)

Jak 3

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Katamari Damacy (the very first Katamari game)

Killzone (PlayStation's supposed "Halo killer".)

KOF: Maximum Impact

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Lifeline (a microphone-based survival horror game for the PS2 by Konami.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (a turn-based RPG that uses the exact same battle system as Final Fantasy X.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

Mario Party 6

Mario Pinball Land

Mario Power Tennis (not to be confused with "Mario Golf: Power Tour" for the GBA.)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (the first one, which is getting a remake for the Switch in February!)

Maximo vs. Army of Zin

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

Mega Man: Battle Chip Challenge

Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun/Blue Moon

Mega Man X: Command Mission

Mega Man Zero 3

Mega Man X8 (yeah, there was a lot of Mega Man stuff in 2004.)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for the GameCube)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (SNAAAAAKE EATERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR)

Metal Wolf Chaos (LET'S PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY)

Metroid: Zero Mission (a remake of the original Metroid for the GBA.)

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Monster Hunter (the very first one)

Mortal Kombat: Deception

Mushihimesama ((a bullet hell that you’ve probably seen a lot of if you search for “HARDEST GAME OF ALL TIME?????” on YouTube)

Myst IV: Revelation

Need for Speed: Underground 2

Ninja Gaiden (the reboot from the Dead or Alive devs)

The Nintendo DS

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (an action-adventure hack & slash made by FromSoftware)

Painkiller

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (can you believe this is getting a remake this year??)

Phantom Brave

Pikmin 2

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition (the last game in an series that started all the back in 1982 on the Atari 2600)

Pokemon Colosseum

Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (the 3rd one)

Red Dead Revolver (the predecessor to Red Dead Redemption.)

Resident Evil Outbreak

R-Type Final

Sacred

Samurai Warriors

Scaler

American McGee Presents: Scrapland

Second Sight

Serious Sam: Next Encounter

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (you know that “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” meme you guys love so much? This is where that came from.)

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Siren (a spirital successor to Silent Hill from the same creative director)

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Sonic Heroes

Sonic Battle (an arena fighter for the GBA.)

Sonic Advance 3

Spider-Man 2 ((based on the movie of the same name. The one with the really good web-slinging)

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (the 2nd one)

Spyro: A Hero's Tail (the 5th one)

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (the 3rd one)

Star Wars: Battlefront (the one that everyone liked)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords

Steel Battalion: Line of Contact ((this, and the original Steel Battalion two years prior, used a special controller called the Mega-Jockey 9000, which had 44 buttons, two joysticks, a throttle handle, a radio channel dial, five switches, an eject button, and three foot pedals.)

Sudeki

The Suffering

Super Mario 64 DS

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (the 4th one)

Tales of Symphonia

Thief: Deadly Shadows (the 3rd one)

Tony Hawk's Underground 2

Total War: Rome

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Viewtiful Joe 2

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

X-Men Legends

[crazylittlejester]

back again with miscellaneous fun facts. 2day/nite (idk when ill finish editing) episode: GameCube ✨️

ok so funny little thing, part of the GameCube's failure can be partly blamed on 9/11. 'Bea what r u on about' ok so there's this game called Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and this game was intended to be a launch title for the GameCube. Eternal Darkness was actually originally planned for the N64, which is actually pretty important because this game was more known about. A demo of the N64 version was shown at i believe the 1999 E3.

'ok great this was a game that switched consoles during development, why is this important to the GameCube?' youll never guess, my favorite little effect i lovingly call the Resident Evil effect. this was the era were so many games were trying to be darker and edgier to compete *cough* which is why Wind Waker was so controversial *cough* (theres more to Wind Waker but ill get to that in a bit).

back to Eternal Darkness, this game was for one: a third party title, being produced by a Canadian development studio called Silicon Knights. as i mentioned before, this was during the time were third party developer and publishers weren't working with Nintendo nearly as much and choosing to work on titles for Sony's PlayStation. and two: this would be Nintendo's first Nintendo published M rated game. yes other M rated games have been on Nintendo consoles, but none of those have been published by Nintendo.

now enough backstory on Eternal Darkness, how did 9/11 have any effect on this? so there was a character named Joseph De Molay who was a Templar knight. Templar knights were known for taking part in the Crusades (spreading Christianity to the Middle East). Joseph was removed from the game to avoid any controversies or appearing offensive and was replaced. officially it was said Joseph was removed as he was "just a demo character" but he was playable at E3 2001 and was known about all the way back during the N64 development, which is a lot of work for a character who was supposedly a demo character. especially so close from release, and at the same 2001 E3, two other characters were in that demo who were actually in the game proper. (keep in mind the GameCube released November 2001 in the US and September 2001 in Japan)

there was also all Arab writing in texture images removed. this is a lot of last minute reworking for game that was almost completely, which ended up with Eternal Darkness missing the GameCube's launch and came out roughly half a year later.

because of Eternal Darkness not being a launch titles, especially as such an anticipated title, the GameCube was left with pretty much just Luigi's Mansion. unfortunately, Luigi is yk Luigi. People liked Mario and weren't super interested in a Luigi focused title.

i teased it easier, so Wind Waker, definitely a bit more of a known case. at a 2000 Space World exposition, when Nintendo announced the GameCube, there was a clip of Link fighting Ganondorf to show off the GameCube's capabilities (here). and people were excited at the idea of a realistic looking Zelda game only to get Wind Waker a few years later. Wind Waker's toon style, despite being what Eiji Aonuma was so passionate about, was not well liked by the public until years later. this actually directly caused Twilight Princess to turn out the way it did.

originally Twilight Princess was going to be Wind Waker 2, using the same toon style but was changed to try to recapture the Ocarina of Time's success and appeal to the trend of darker more realistic style games (thx Resident Evil effect).

Twilight Princess is commonly criticized now a days for being "just a OoT rip-off" or "dark and edgy" (i can go on a whole rant about that comment but i shall spare yall today) despite the fact that in 2006 that is what was wanted.

the GameCube was unfortunately doomed from the start, and attempts to boost sales/interest in the system ended up in vain.

sorry that was a lot. um. yeahh.

drink water yall :)

adding the failure of the game cube to the list of things caused by 9/11 right up there next to the downfall of Ellen and the Oppenheimer movie

[jeff-from-marketing]

So Baldur's Gate 3 has now fully released, and it kinda fucks?

Okay more than kinda, Baldur's Gate 3 should be the new standard for larger studios in terms of quality and, more importantly, how they treat players. I can't believe I'm saying that about a D&D game.

So for context to that last bit: I'm super fucking jaded on D&D. I've pretty much jumped ship entirely to any other TTRPG (namely Pathfinder 2e) because I hate how Wizards of the Coast have handled D&D 5e and how they treat their customers.

I fucking love Baldur's Gate 3. It's still got some of the D&D things I'm not overly fond of, but that's a personal taste thing, and overall this game fucking rules. Larian is really out here just making D&D a more fun experience than the actual Wizards of the Coast, it's honestly kinda wild.

But more than just in the context of "a D&D game" I want to talk about Baldur's Gate 3 in the larger scope of videogames as a whole, primarily in the triple A scene. There's a reason Baldur's Gate 3 is doing so well and why it's very quickly become so beloved, and it's not just because of the bear sex. That reason can be largely boiled down to "Larian respects their playerbase, and more importantly respects their money." Too often we're seeing games from big triple A companies that already have way too much fucking money just being absolutely filled beyond the brim with monetisation for something that's likely already $90-100 AUD. Or worse: games that borderline lie to you about how much they cost, Destiny 2 I'm fucking looking at you and your "genuinely the worst monetisation I have seen in a game." Or just straight up gacha games that are purpose built to fuck you out of your money and use similar tricks that the gambling industry uses to make money.

But Baldur's Gate 3? Pay the full price up front, and you get a full game. There's no hidden "gotcha!" monetisation, no battlepasses, no rotating digital storefront, no fake "premium" currency, no "but it's only cosmetic" microtransactions. I'm not even gonna gripe against their pre-order stuff like I normally would, because you could actually play the game before it was released. Baldur's Gate 3 was in Early Access for literal years before it fully released, and it used that time quite well! It's fascinating seeing where it came from and how much has changed since then. But more importantly: if you "pre-ordered" the game (read: buy it in Early Access) you could still play the game, you still immediately got something for your money. If you didn't like it, you could still refund it if you wanted to. As a nice little bonus: the game mostly just works! It's not perfect, there's some little oddities here and there, but I haven't had the game break yet. But then again, I'm one of the people who somehow managed to have a pretty bug-free Cyberpunk 2077 experience at launch, so who knows.

And plus it comes with couch co-op! Why is that so rare these days?? It feels like the only games you can really sit down with and play with friends these days are party games.

Of course, Baldur's Gate 3 isn't truly alone here. Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West have come out as full games with no monetisation BS and working fine, albeit stuck to PlayStation for a long time before releasing elsewhere (although BG3 is currently PC exclusive, though that should change next month). God of War, while I've not personally played, I haven't heard anything egregious about it. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is such a fun time, but at $125 AUD it's a hard sell, even knowing all the work that went into it (Though that did drop to just $95 AUD on PC). I'm even going to give Cyberpunk 2077 an honourable mention, because if you had a computer that could run it at launch it was still a damn good time. Though that one unfortunately came at the cost of "should never have been released on last gen consoles" and "worker abuse through crunch."

But all of those examples have the "pre-order to maybe get something" issue that Baldur's Gate 3 avoided through its Early Access launch. You also can't really share those games with friends. You can maybe let a friend borrow the game and then talk about it after you've both finished it in your own time, but that's kinda like watching a movie separately and then talking about it. It's just not the same. That's not even mentioning how small that list is. I'd say it's just single player games, but both Bethesda and Ubisoft have shown even they're not safe.

I haven't seen any game from a large studio respect the player as much as I have with Larian and Baldur's Gate 3. I definitely don't feel bad paying full price for this one. Once they're wrapped up with BG3, I don't suppose I could bribe them to make a Pathfinder game? Pretty please? Already like halfway there with Divinity: Original Sin 2!

[felassan]

New BioWare Journal entry: Specifications

"Journal #11 Specifications Spotlight A look into the Specs and Preload times of Dragon Age: The Veilguard --- Hey everyone! We’re back with another update, including the full specifications of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and preload times. We’ve designed our game with flexibility in mind, from the settings and accessibility options to your in-game Rook, the companions you take with you, and choices you can make."

"Our detailed specifications include settings for both Ray Tracing on and Ray Tracing off, so that players can know what to expect for launch. Players with high-end rigs will be able to take advantage of our suite of Ray Tracing features and uncapped frame rates. For the minimum PC specs, we focused on making the game as accessible to as many people as possible. For consoles (Playstation 5 & Xbox Series X|S), there will be fidelity and performance modes, targeting 30 and 60 FPS respectively. Dragon Age: The Veilguard will also be specifically enhanced for PlayStation 5 Pro; check out a quote from our Technical Director below. "We are excited to see how Dragon Age: The Veilguard will lean into the power that PS5 Pro unlocks for players. Whether you love deep progression, strategic combat, or diving into the lore of Dragon Age, you will immediately notice the improved experience with PS5 Pro. The game’s Fidelity and Performance modes will both see improvements on the hardware, including improved resolution in 30FPS Fidelity and 60FPS Performance modes. Additionally, there will be various improved visual settings across 30FPS Fidelity and 60FPS Performance mode. The team at BioWare is proud of how immersed players will be when they enter the beautiful world of Thedas, with upgraded image quality thanks to Sony’s new AI-based upscaler, PSSR. We’ve enabled Raytraced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO) in the 60FPS Performance mode, which previously was only available on the base PlayStation 5 with 30FPS Fidelity mode."             — Maciej Kurowski, BioWare Studio Technical Director""

"As you prepare for October 31st, please find the preload times for each platform below. Dragon Age: The Veilguard won’t include any 3rd party DRM (such as Denuvo) on any platform. The lack of DRM means that there will be no preload period for PC players. - Xbox Series X|S: October 14th 9AM PDT - Playstation 5: October 29th 9AM PDT - PC: No preload, the game will be downloadable and playable on launch day October 31st, 9AM PDT As we’re gearing up to launch, you can review the rest of our PC Features and Accessibility Spotlight. We’re also happy to remind you that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Steam Deck Verified. Only two weeks left now until we welcome you back into Thedas!             — The Dragon Age Team"

[source]