World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Is The Fastest-Selling PC Game Of All Time

Since 24 November 2020,Â World Of WarcraftÂ players around the globe began their journey into the unknown reaches of Azerothâ€™s afterlife inÂ Shadowlands,Â the gameâ€™s highly anticipated eighth expansion.
Today, Blizzard Entertainment announced that as of the first full day ofÂ Shadowlandsâ€™Â launch, more than 3.7 million units had sold through globally, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time.
The previously announced industry record-holder, Blizzardâ€™sÂ DiabloÂ III,Â sold through more than 3.5 million copies as of its first day of release.

In addition,Â World Of WarcraftÂ has continued to see strong engagement from the global community franchise-wide:â€
In the months leading up to the expansionâ€™s release and the time since launch, the game reached and has sustained itsÂ highest number of players on monthly or longer-term subscriptionsÂ compared to the same period ahead of and following anyÂ WoWÂ expansion in the past decade, in both the West and the East.Players have spentÂ more time in Azeroth year to dateÂ than in the same period of any of the last 10 years.In addition, total player time in-game this year to date has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year.
Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack said:
â€œItâ€™s been a huge thrill to enter this whole new dimension of the Warcraft universe together with millions of players around the world. Itâ€™s been equally rewarding to see players enjoying all of the new features and content inÂ Shadowlands; whether theyâ€™re exploring new aspects of their characters with the Covenants or setting foot inÂ WoWÂ for the first time with the new-player experience in Exileâ€™s Reach; and thereâ€™s much more to come.â€
The launch ofÂ ShadowlandsÂ is just the beginning of an adventure unlike anything ever before experienced inÂ World Of Warcraft,Â with much more in store for players in the weeks and months ahead.
Starting today,Â ShadowlandsÂ Season 1 commences when the gates to the expansionâ€™s first raid,Â Castle Nathria; the gothic stronghold of Revendreth, open in Normal and Heroic difficulties.Â
Mythic Keystone dungeonsÂ will also become available, tempting Azerothâ€™s heroes with greater rewards for taking on increased challenges. This seasonâ€™s dungeon affix, Prideful, turns heroesâ€™ own sense of accomplishment against them in the form of ego-wrought manifestations.
In addition, players will be able to put their skills to the ultimate test in Arenas and Battlegrounds as the expansionâ€™s firstÂ Rated PvPÂ season begins.


You Can Pre-Load Ghost Of Tsushima Now, Here’s How Big It Is

Sucker Punch’s highly-anticipated Ghost Of Tsushima is slated to release exclusively for the PS4 on 17 July 2020, which is less than a week away. Good news for eager gamers who have pre-ordered the game digitally, as you can already pre-load the game now.
Unfortunately for those who pre-ordered the physical version of the game (or is planning to buy one), you won’t be able to pre-load the game. Those who pre-order it anytime from now until before launch can already pre-load at the time of writing.
If your game doesn’t automatically pre-load, you can do so manually by just going to the PS4 library and downloading Ghost Of Tsushima as you would any game. The same applies to the game’s bonus content and Digital Mini Soundtrack, which are separate downloads.
You’ll get all three (Ghost Of Tsushima, Bonus Content and Digital Mini Soundtrack) if you pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition on the PlayStation Store from RM299. Here’s how big each separate download is:

As you can see, the base game itself is only 34.74GB, which is relatively small not only for an open-world game but also a PS4 exclusive, seeing as The Last Of Us Part 2 was more than 70GB.
However, if you also downloaded the Bonus Content and Digital Mini Soundtrack, that’s an additional 22.10GB and 410.3MB, respectively. In total, Ghost Of Tsushima Digital Deluxe Edition is approximately 57.25GB in overall size.
Stay tuned for our review of Ghost Of Tsushima next week. In the meantime, for the Malaysian prices and details for different editions of the game, head on over hereÂ or check out everything we know about the game here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcWk08PBe7k&w=560&h=315]


This LEGO The Office Set Deserves A Dundee Award

LEGO has announced a LEGO The Office set. It is now available for pre-order on the offical website and it is slated to ship on 1 October 2022. It costs US$119.99, which is roughly RM533+.
If you’re a fan of The Office, you’ll be able to recreate Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office with LEGO bricks, including boss Michael Scott’s office (which slides out for display on its own), the conference room and much more. The set includes 15 LEGO minifigures: Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, Ryan Howard, Angela Martin, Oscar Martinez, Kevin Malone, Stanley Hudson, Kelly Kapoor, Phyllis Lapin Vance, Meredith Palmer, Creed Bratton, Toby Flenderson and Darryl Philbin, plus a LEGO figure of Angela’s cat Garbage.

There are also lots of accessory elements referencing hilarious moments, including a stapler in gelatin, Golden Ticket, Dundie trophy, ‘World’s Best Boss’ mug, Jim’s teapot, letter and engagement ring for Pam, Michael’s screenplay, Dwight’s hidden weapons, Kevin’s pot of chili, and a stapler in gelatin.
The LEGO The Office set measures over 3 in. (7 cm) high, 12 in. (30 cm) wide and 10 in. (25 cm) deep, as well as a whopping 1,164 pieces.
You can watch all nine seasons of The Office on Amazon Prime Video. In the meantime. check out the trailer below:

This set should be awarded a Dundee for Best Build Ever. Available for pre-order now! pic.twitter.com/tb5lyRZSC5
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) July 15, 2022


Sea Of Thieves Gets Kick-Ass Anniversary Update, Including Story Quests

It’s been one year since Sea of Thieves came out, and truth be told, it’s shaping up to be quite a multiplayer experience. While its early few months were in dire straits, the end-of-year updates and free DLC put them back onto calmer tides.
To celebrate its entire year of ups and downs, Microsoft and Rare announced its free Anniversary Update which is due 30 April. Pirates old and new will get to:

Experience Tall Tales: Shores of Gold mode where you play through a series of solo quests and adventures while getting immersed in the narrative of Sea of Thieves.
Play a new PvP mode called the Arena.
Experience a new ship damage system. This means that masts, capstans, and wheels can be damaged during battle; if these are wrecked, it’ll be harder for you and enemies to perform evasive maneuvers.
Use a new weapon: the harpoon. You can use it to snipe enemies or even loot from far away.
Fish, hunt, and cook animals be it land or sea.

Check out the bits of new gameplay below. This may be more than enough to make landlubbers consider getting Sea of Thieves end of April.


Ex-Dishonored Devs Will Reveal New Game At The Game Awards

When it comes to first person immersive sims, Arkane Studios is one the names that people often mention. Founder and former creative director of Arkane RaphaÃ«l Colantonio left shortly after Prey was released and he’s been working on a new game with a new studio.
Prey, another great game made by Arkane Studios.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Colantonio and fellow Arkane veteran Julien Roby announced that not only have the two started a new studio but they are also going to reveal their first game soon at The Game Awards. The two have confirmed that they aren’t making another Dishonored game but it’s still something that fans of Arkane games will enjoy.
Their studio is called WolfEye Studios and it’s one of those small operations that have less than 20 employees. Another interesting fact is that everyone works remotely. This may imply that they are working on a small-scale game but the two reassure that it’s not that straightforward, especially when talking about WolfEye Studios.

“A small studio doesn’t mean making small games. We can make big games that focus on the right areas.”
– RaphaÃ«l Colantonio
As someone who really enjoyed some of Arkane Studios’ works, I’m really excited to see what WolfEye is going to show at The Game Awards which is happening on 12 December 2019. For now, there’s no information on the game yet as it seems that the studio really wants the reveal to speak for itself.


Humanity Is Abstract, Insightful, & Puzzling, But Does It Play Nice?

Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (version reviewed), PlayStation 4, PC
Genre: Puzzle game involving polygonally-basic humans, geometry, and real-time strategy mechanics
The years between the late 90s to mid-2000s were a time when video game developers just went nuts with abstract concepts and interesting puzzle games, sometimes both at the same time. From titles like I.Q.: Intelligent Qube to even synasthesia projects like Rez and anything from Tetsuya Mizuguchi, they all challenge preconceptions of games while also being brainteasers and mind-bending experiences you won’t forget.
2023’s new offering that tries to capture that creative spark is called Humanity, a puzzle game with tons of stages involving you shepherding an infinite number of people to the finish line. Only instead of being an invisible force, you’re a magic dog who barks commands & has other skills befitting of a literal spirit guide. And it’s quite a trip for its asking price of US$30 and 8+ hours of testing your smarts beyond shooting things in a video game.
Oh, there’s some of the latter in the game, but we’ll get to that.
Follow The Leader

Humanity’s gameplay premise is simple enough to get: you control a white shiba inu whose goal is to lead a “crapton” of humans spilling forth from magical gates, from point A to B. Of course, the actual levels here aren’t a straight line: there will be tons of obstacles in your way ranging from pits to even deathtraps, and even rival humans called Others.
Your dog has the power to lay out directions and powerups so that the humans don’t literally march to their deaths: turn commands, jump, float, and so forth. This is easy enough to do from the get-go, with new power-ups being introduced with each stage and sequence. It’s the rest of the level design and structure that will tax your brain moreso than usual past the first Sequence.
The game itself doesn’t rely too much on having the humans march straight in real time like in older puzzle games like Lemmings. Some levels require you to lay out commands before you let it all play out like some Rube Goldberg-type scenario. In some stages, you even arm the humans with some weaponry or abstract form of tech to deal with the Others. Heck, some stages require you to make a limited group of humans follow you from start to finish, and even arm them with weapons (and even stationing them as guards!) thus turning the current stage into a mini-real-time strategy segment of sorts. Some stages limit the powers you’re allowed to use, making you plan your exit route with finite resources.

You also need to collect Goldies: special golden humans that not only unlock progress to the next sequence (seven total plus a few special “Orb” puzzles), but can also unlock extras and cosmetics. I was diligent enough to collect a ton of them just to dress up my humans with black suits and shades to make my own army of multi-gendered Agent Smiths.
All of this puzzling and solving is accompanied by perhaps the most unique soundtrack I’ve listened to in a long while since, well, the last Tetsuya Mizuguchi game. Given that developers Enhance and tha ltd. consists of the Rez developer, renowned web designer Yugo Nakamura, and a good number of names associated with past puzzle games like Tetris Effect, it’s a given and it’s all the more flavourful for it.
And with an easy-to-play control scheme and its slowly-escalating learning curve, Humanity isn’t too hard or too easy; it’s just right. Having said that, I did need to look up the solutions to some of the tougher puzzles via the in-game video solution. This is mostly for the stages involving block-pushing and conveyor belts, as well as ones requiring forward-planning with directions while avoiding deathtraps like lasers.
Said video solutions in-game are a godsend since a lot of us aren’t as gifted in puzzle-solving. However, Humanity isn’t a game with a time limit; you take your own pace in solving every stage, even selecting any number of them provided you collect enough Goldies to advance to the next Sequence. Plus, after hours of puzzle-solving, block pushing, literal human trafficking, and course-plotting, the game does drop a boss fight or two where you lead a bunch of humans with magic pistols to fire at enemies, or a giant one with set patterns and attacks.
Humanity knows when to change things up should players get sick of the puzzles; I commend it for its ability to switch things up at the right time. Plus, it’s always a joy to see a sea of humans pouring out of the gate and through your planned route and machinations, jumping and floating in unison in one stream from the sky. It’s a helluva sight to see your meticulous planning finally spewing tons of humans walking to salvation, alive and well, after repeated failed pathways of course.
And if the 8-hour story stages and conundrums aren’t enough for your brain, you can always make your own and share them through the Stage Creator and User Stages option. While the tutorial is detailed enough to tell you how to make your fancy puzzle stages and even create your iconography of choice, the controller isn’t the ideal tool to build 3D stages as it can get cumbersome when compared to using a mouse. As for User Stages, the ones available to us from the developers are pretty basic, so it’ll take some time to see the creativity from would-be level designers. And they should: Humanity shows tons of potential to being one of the newest tools for level-crafting and puzzle-making.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

I never thought a PlayStation 1-era style puzzle game would mix the best of Lemmings, Pikmin, StarCraft, and Wonderful 101 in one unique experience pretty well, yet here we are. Humanity’s story mode doesn’t come off as pretentious, choosing to be a little abstract about what it means to shape, well, humanity. Even if you’re not a fan of the narrative, you’ll at least get some good brain teasers and some “real-time strategy plus shooting” action going on from start to finish in the 8 to 10 hours I’ve gone through. The user-generated content will no doubt be the game’s selling point in the long run, but the initial package is definitely one for the books.
It’s honestly a miracle that a title like Humanity is published in the current gaming landscape. It’s got enough of a budget not to be classified as an indie title, yet it isn’t a triple-A type title. At the end of the day though, we do need titles like Humanity to let us chill and solve its many, MANY puzzles and visual abstractness while the off-kilter croonings of composer Jemapur enthralls you. It’s not for everyone, but you will not forget most of what Humanity has to offer.

Pros

Unique aesthetics.
Fun and tricky puzzles with nice underlying story.
Controls & powers are intuitive and easy to grasp from the get-go.
Very chill vibe.

Cons

Level editor can be cumbersome for most.
Will not change your mind about 90s-2000s puzzle games with tough challenges.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by Enhance.


ASUS ROG Phone Becomes The Official Phone Partner Of The Malaysian MPL

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced an exciting two-year collaboration with Moonton Games, an international gaming developer and publisher. The goal is to enhance the gaming experience of players worldwide and optimize the performance of the popular ROG Phone series for competitive gaming.
Since 2022, the ROG Phone team has been working closely with Moonton, starting with the Malaysia Professional League. Building on the success of their collaboration, they are now taking their partnership to the next level by expanding globally. They will be involved in four major Mobile Legends: Bang Bang international esports tournaments: the Southeast Asia Cup in 2023 and 2024, as well as the M-Series World Championships M5 and M6. The aim is to bring esports to new heights, providing gamers with top-tier content and an exceptional gaming experience.

Official partner of the MPL

In preparation for the upcoming Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup 2023, ROG will preload the MLBB application on their latest ROG Phone 7 series. Fans will also have access to an MLBB theme pack, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the game and join in the excitement of the event with a customized MLBB-themed interface.
Alexis Wong, Moonton Games Regional Sales and Business Development Lead for Esports Division, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to collaborate with ROG to elevate esports and gaming for everyone. This alliance will provide MLBB gamers with an unparalleled experience, offering them the finest forms of esports and gaming content.”
Shawn Chang, ASUS Global Sales and Marketing Director of the Phone Business Unit, emphasized ROG’s commitment to creating phones that deliver exceptional performance and an immersive gaming experience.
“Every ROG Phone is designed with a strong focus on performance, power efficiency, and providing an immersive gaming experience. Our goal is to enhance the MLBB gaming experience and take esports tournaments to the next level.”

The ROG Phone 7 Series boasts remarkable features designed for winning games, including the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. Combined with the advanced GameCool 7 thermal system and special ROG tuning, this phone provides an awe-inspiring mobile gaming experience while maintaining impressive power efficiency. With a 165 Hz refresh rate and a built-in subwoofer in the AeroActive Cooler 7, the ROG Phone 7 series ensures an immersive gaming experience with incredible sound.
The first event to be partnered with ROG is MSC 2023, set to take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in June. This event will make history by featuring new teams from outside Southeast Asia, including North America, MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and Turkey.
For more information about Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports tournaments, gamers can follow the official social media platforms listed below.


Free Fire World Series 2022 Returns In November

Garena’s Free Fire World Series 2022 will return in November and will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. The Play-ins Stage will take place on 25 November followed by the Finals on 26 November.
This two-day event will be the second Free Fire World Series of the year, with the first one taking place back in May which took place in Sentosa, Singapore. The second World Series tournament will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, home of its last two champions, Attack All Around (FFWS 2022 Sentosa champion) and EVOS Phoenix (FFWS 2021 SG champion), previously known as Phoenix Force.
FFWS 2022 Bangkok will be the fourth edition of the tournament series, which brings the best team across the globe together to face off. Qualifiers for the FFWS will be held in several regions in the coming months, with the top teams earning the chance to compete for the coveted title.

Back in May, Attack All Around hoisted the trophy in Singapore, dethroning EVOS Phoenix as the best Free Fire team in the world.
In May, Attack All Around faced EVOS Phoenix in the FFWS 2022 Sentosa arena as they competed for the champion title. Attack All Around ultimately won the title and was crowned the champion. EVOS Phoenix has previously won Thailand’s first-ever FFWS championship in 2021.
Since then, Attack All Around has only made one roster change with the release of one of their longest-lasting members in Aphisit “POOKGOD” Khonsue and officially signed Folk “FOLKYY” Chanatip who subbed in for the team during the last Free Fire World Series. EVOS Phoenix also saw a roster change with the signing of Vappiya “ALRAEDY“ Butdeekum in place of Kritsada “Return” Mathuam.
Now the question is whether or not Attack All Around will be able to defend their title because as of right now, in the Thai domestic league, Attack All Around currently sit in fourth place. It should be noted that only the top two teams qualify for FFWS so Attack All Around might not even get the opportunity to defend their title.
Funnily enough, EVOS Phoenix sits atop of the standings with a 48-point gap between them and Magic Esport in second, so they are a massive contender to win the tournament as a whole. But we always have to take league performances with a grain of salt as some teams just play better in front of a crowd.
So who will reign supreme? Will Attack All Around get the chance to defend their title? Will EVOS Phoenix reclaim their crown? Or will there be a new king? We’ll find out soon.


PS Plus Game Catalog May 2023 Adds Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart & More Next Week

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the May 2023 Game Catalog lineup for Extra and Premium subscribers, and Classics Catalog titles for Premium subscribers. All games will be available on 16 May 2023.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | PS5
Blast your way through an interdimensional adventure. Go dimension-hopping with Ratchet and Clank as they take on an evil emperor from another reality. Jump between action-packed worlds, and beyond at mind-blowing speeds – complete with dazzling visuals and an insane arsenal – as the intergalactic adventurers blast onto the PS5 console.
You can check out my 4000-word spoiler-free review of Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart here.

Humanity | PS4, PS5
You are a Shiba Inu charged with commanding massive, marching crowds to jump, turn, push, float, shoot, and climb their way to salvation. Guide the masses through 90-plus stages filled with obstacles, enemies, puzzles, unlockable skills, and wild boss fights in the narrative campaign, or browse a wide array of user-made levels (or build your own!) crafted via the super easy-to-use in-game Stage Creator. Humanity also includes PS VR and PS VR2 support.

Watch Dogs: Legion | PS4, PS5
Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities as you build a Resistance from virtually anyone you see as you hack, infiltrate, and fight to take back a city facing its downfall. Recruit and play as anyone in the city. Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set. Hack armed drones, deploy spider-bots, and take down enemies using an Augmented Reality Cloak. Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities. Take the Resistance one step further and fight with your friends in new missions in Online mode.

Dishonored 2 | PS4
Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2. Play your way in a world where mysticism and industry collide. Will you choose to play as Empress Emily Kaldwin or the royal protector, Corvo Attano? Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system, or use a blend of both? How will you combine your character’s unique set of powers, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies? The story responds to your choices, leading to intriguing outcomes, as you play through each of the game’s hand-crafted missions.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider | PS4
Take on the role of Billie Lurk (aka Megan Foster), once one of Dunwall’s most notorious killers-for-hire. Reunited with your old mentor, the legendary assassin Daud, you undertake the greatest assassination ever conceived: killing the Outsider, a god-like figure whom Billie and Daud see as instrumental to some of the Empire’s most dishonorable moments. As you venture deep into the grimiest corners of Karnaca to uncover the mystery of the Outsider and his origins, you will face deadly opposition, ancient powers, and difficult decisions that will forever change the world around you.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin | PS4
Fight monsters and cultivate rice in this fascinating side-scrolling action title. Learn the ancient art of agriculture from planting to harvesting to cultivate the perfect crop. As a harvest goddess, Sakuna’s strength grows with each rice crop, with attributes such as aesthetic and flavor directly correlating to her combat abilities. Using farm tools as weapons, chain together quick, heavy, and special attacks to take down demonic beasts, while mastering the magical “divine raiment” will be essential to grapple distant platforms, evade danger, and overcome powerful enemies.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | PS4
The cinematic action-adventure that forced Lara Croft to grow from an inexperienced young woman into a hardened survivor has been re-built from PS3 to PS4, featuring an obsessively detailed Lara and a stunningly lifelike world. Lara must endure high-octane combat, customize her weapons and gear, and overcome gruelling environments to survive her first adventure and uncover the island’s deadly secret. The Definitive Edition of the critically acclaimed action-adventure includes bonus content and combines all of the downloadable content.

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration | PS4
In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft becomes more than a survivor as she embarks on her first Tomb Raiding expedition to the most treacherous and remote regions of Siberia. This 20 Year Celebration edition includes the “Blood Ties” single player content, PSVR support for “Blood Ties”, a ‘Lara’s Nightmare’ zombie combat mode, online Co-op play for Endurance mode, “Extreme Survivor” difficulty setting for the main campaign, 20 Year Celebration outfit and gun, and 5 classic Lara skins.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider | PS4
Experience the final chapter of Lara’s origin as she races to save the world from a Mayan apocalypse. Master an unforgiving jungle setting in order to survive. Explore underwater environments filled with crevasses and deep tunnel systems. Tombs are more terrifying than ever before, requiring advanced traversal techniques to reach them, and once inside they are filled with deadly puzzles. Discover a hidden city and explore the biggest hub space ever found in a Tomb Raider game.

Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop | PS4, PS5
Enjoy many game improvements and a brand-new game mode with this comprehensive update of the original Bus Simulator 21. Career Mode combines Sandbox Mode with the campaign’s economic system. You have access to all the bus stops and bus models right from the start of the game and don’t have to unlock everything gradually by completing missions. The PS5 version includes improved graphics, haptic feedback, adaptive trigger support, and 4K resolution.

The Evil Within 2 | PS4
From mastermind Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within 2 is the latest evolution of survival horror. Detective Sebastian Castellanos has lost it all. But when given a chance to save his daughter, he must descend once more into the nightmarish world of STEM. Horrifying threats emerge from every corner as the world twists and warps around him. Will Sebastian face adversity head on with weapons and traps, or sneak through the shadows to survive.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood | PS4
Nineteen years after the events of Wolfenstein II, BJ Blazckowicz has disappeared after a mission into Nazi-occupied Paris. Now, after years of training from their battle-hardened father, BJ’s twin daughters, Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, are forced into action. Team up with a friend or play alone. Level up, explore, and complete missions to unlock new abilities, weapons, gadgets, cosmetics, and more to complement your playstyle and customize your appearance.

Thymesia | PS5
Thymesia is a gruelling action-RPG with fast-paced combat and an intricate plague weapon system. Seize plague weapons from gruesome bosses and formidable enemies, wielding them as deadly weapons. Shift into your raven form during battle, throw feathers like daggers to interrupt your enemies’ attacks, and perform executions. Upgrade and modify Corvus’ basic movements and plague weapons, build your very own playstyle, and prepare for the challenges that await in your own unique way.

Rain World | PS4
Inspired by the simplicity of 16-bit classics, this survival platformer requires fast-paced sneaking to catch your own prey and elude ravenous predators. Explore a vast world of over 1600 rooms, spanning 12 diverse regions filled with ancient secrets and undiscovered dangers. Sneak, climb, and pounce your way through a dynamic, ever-changing ecosystem of predators and prey With procedural design and individualistic AI, every playthrough is a unique challenge.

Lake | PS4, PS5
In this story-driven adventure, take on the role of forty-something Meredith Weiss, who returns from the big city to her quiet hometown. She exchanges her busy career at a software company to fill in for her dad, the local mail carrier. During her two-week stay in beautiful Providence Oaks, Oregon, she runs into a few familiar faces as well as plenty of new folk. As Meredith, you get to decide who to talk to, who to befriend and perhaps even start a romantic relationship with.

Conan Exiles | PS4
Conan Exiles is an online multiplayer survival game, now with sorcery, set in the lands of Conan the Barbarian. Enter a vast, open-world sandbox and play together with friends and strangers as you build your own home or even a shared city. Survive freezing cold temperatures, explore loot-filled dungeons, develop your character from scavenging survivor to mighty barbarian and powerful sorcerer, and fight to dominate your enemies in epic siege wars. Conan Exiles can be played in full single-player, co-op, or persistent online multiplayer.

Rune Factory 4 Special | PS4
Grow crops, raise monsters, catch fish, cook up tasty dishes, and craft powerful equipment as you live your life however you choose in this fantasy farming adventure. Venture outside the town gates to explore dangerous dungeons. Use swords, spears, staves, and other weapons and magic to personalize your battle tactics as formidable monsters await in trap-laden dungeons. Become friends (or more than friends) with a charming and interactive cast of characters, and breathe life into the village with seasonal festivals and competitions.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town* | PS4
Welcome to Olive Town, a peaceful community established by your trailblazing grandfather and his friends. Now that you’ve taken over his farm, it’s your job to carry on his legacy. Tame the wilderness and build your farm from the ground up. Gather and process materials to fulfill requests and improve Olive Town’s infrastructure, upgrade tools, or commission new outfits and accessories. Participate in local festivals and watch the town come to life. Get to know your neighbors better with over 200 unique events, and you may even find love with a special someone.
*Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town + Expansion Pass Set will be available to download, and the base game Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will be available to stream.

Soundfall | PS4, PS5
Soundfall is a fast-paced music-based dungeon crawler that combines looter-shooter action with rhythm-based gameplay to create a world of music unlike any other. the closer you time your actions to the rhythm of the soundtrack, the more powerful you become. Unlock powerful new abilities, and explore Symphonia to discover incredible music-based weaponry! Customize your loadout with more than 500 pieces of equipment to choose from, and venture out solo or with up to four players locally or online.
PlayStation Premium | Classics

Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow | PS4, PS5
How do you hunt in the shadows… when the shadows are hunting you? Unseen, unheard and unknown – Gabe Logan, Precision Strike Operative, is no stranger to secrecy. But when Logan’s latest mission to capture a lethal weapon incriminates his closest allies, an intimate secret threatens to become a deadly lie. Experience Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow originally released on the PSP, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.

Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light | PS4, PS5
In a world protected by the gentle Prismatic Moon, an ancient evil is stirring. The Dread Knight has reappeared to wreak havoc across the land, and the Dark Lord gathers his strength. The world’s only hope rests in the hands of Lance, a reluctant young adventurer.  Discover your heritage and learn what it means to be the Protector of Light, Blade Dancer! Experience Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light originally released on the PSP, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.

Pursuit Force | PS4, PS5
Five vicious gangs are fighting for control of Capital City. The terrified public has given up hope – and the Chief of Police wants results, fast! Jump into action as a member of the elite Pursuit Force and rid the state of corruption. Dive behind the wheel of a truck, a speedboat or even a helicopter as you hunt down criminals and recover stolen goods. Experience Pursuit Force originally released on the PSP, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered | PS4
The beloved and critically acclaimed Ghostbusters video game is back. Experience unique ghost hunting, wrangling and trapping with upgradeable weapons in widely destructible environments throughout New York as you play through a unique storyline penned by the writers of the original films Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The game features the voices and in-game likenesses of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson.


The Free Fire MCP Majors Season 3 Grand Finals Is Happening Next Week

12 Free Fire esports teams across Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines (MCP) have emerged at the top after four weeks of stiff competition between pro players, old and new. Free Fire esports fans all across the MCP region can look forward to aseries of exciting battles as the Grand Finals of MCP Majors Season 3 (MCP Majors S3) draws near.
The Grand Finals will take place on 16 April 2022, where 12 teams will duke it out in the afternoon at 1 pm GMT+8 instead of the usual evening time slot to accommodate those observing Ramadan. Following the tournament tradition, the champion of the MCP Majors S3 will have the opportunity to fight alongside their international counterparts in the globally anticipated Free Fire World Series (FFWS) 2022 Sentosa in May, held in Singapore. Season 3 in particular will also award this prestige to the first runner-up team, giving a total of two team representatives from the MCP region the glory to stand on the global stage.

Free Fire players and esports enthusiasts alike can root for their local teams and win prizes by tuning in to the Grand Finals, which will be live streamed on Free Fire Philippines’s official Facebook and YouTube.
Leading up to the Grand Finals is a special three-part variety show series, dubbed the “Free Fire Games”, featuring a familiar face – the lovable Mr. Waggor! The MCP-exclusive series will see the Free Fire Challengers Series Malaysia (FFCM) champions, Todak, competing against each other and Free Fire’s iconic mascot for points. The premiere of the first episode is scheduled for release on 11 April 2022.
Each episode will also represent a peak concurrent view (PCV) tier, which Philippines Survivors can vote for using reactions on Philippines Official Facebook Page. The prize with the most votes for each tier will then be made available if the PCV hits the corresponding view counts.

With the full list of prizes remaining a mystery until the Grand Finals, Survivors can anticipate a week full of exciting news as their favourite Free Fire esports players battle it out towards their road to redemption.
Free Fire can be downloaded on both the Apple iOS App and Google Play.


Apex Legends Mobile Season 3 Champions Goes Live Tomorrow

EA and Respawn Entertainment are pleased to announce that the Apex Legends Mobile Champions Event goes live at 8 am GMT+8 on 21 October 2022 on mobile devices. In addition to the arrival of Legend Ash, the Champion Event also includes a brand new ranked split, new events, a new Battle Pass, and updates to core systems. Mobile first Legend Fade also gets a new weapon, exclusive to the mobile game.
The Apex Legends Mobile Champions Event contains a number of new updates to the game including:

Legend Ash has arrived with a new set of key abilities including passive ability “Marked For Death” that reveals the locations of deathboxes and surviving enemies; tactical ability “Arc Snare” that tethers and damages enemies; and her ultimate ability “Phase Breach” which teleports to a targeted location.
A mobile-first upgradeable melee weapon for Fade called Constellation that you can customize with visual effects, textures, and more.
Second Shot Blitz: A new limited Battle Royale mode that will be active during the season. While Second Shot Blitz is active, everyone will gain the chance to respawn automatically.

Halloween Event: Our Spooky October Halloween event is coming! Be on the lookout for spooky additions to the Kings Canyon and World’s Edge maps as well as frighteningly cool cosmetic rewards for your favorite legends and weapons!
Faction Missions: Pledge your allegiance to one of the big three factions vying for power in the Apex Games. Completing missions on behalf of these factions will provide seasonal currency for you to redeem in the seasonal shop!
The Champions Battle Pass is coming with some amazing cosmetics! Unlock this battle pass to show your enemies your warrior spirit inside and out!
World’s Edge and Kings Canyon will now actively rotate for Normal and Ranked Battle Royale, as well as the introduction to Coliseum where you can initiate a duel, notifying the whole lobby that you are accepting all challengers. The more kills you accrue while in the Coliseum, the better the loot! Moreover TDM and Gun Game will have map rotations of Thermal Station, Artillery, and Pythas Block 0.

The new patch notes, and ranked developer diary provide full details and deeper insight into this awesome new update for Apex Legends Mobile.
Apex Legends Mobile is a strategic battle royale game that features a unique twist on the Legendary character-based gameplay, best-in-class squad battles and fast-paced combat that cemented the game’s place as one of world’s top shooters, all in a mobile package.?
For more information on Apex Legends Mobile please visit: https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/apex-legends-mobile and join our regional Discord servers for local community events and promotions (Singapore & Malaysia: https://discord.gg/apexsgmy), (Philippines: https://discord.gg/apexph).


Warframe’s Sci-Fi Plot Goes Big In New December Expansion

Warframe, the free-to-play third-person co-op shooter set in space, is getting a new cinematic expansion later this month.
The DLC is called The New War and it’ll be the biggest expansion developer Digital Extreme has ever done. Slated for 15th December, the expansion will give players access to new characters, missions, and environments, including open worlds under siege by sentient beings from the Tau system. The expansion will also move the game’s plot forward and answer questions in Warframe’s sci-fi universe.
Here’s a quote from the game’s creative director Steve Sinclair (via PC Gamer):
“Warframeâ€™s story is everything to us. The New War is the experience players have wanted since the quest title was first revealed at TennoCon 2018. This moment is the culmination of years of experimentation in game development and feeding the beast that is Warframe.
Our community has given us everything to let us continue the story that is both ours and theirsâ€”Warframe is a shared experience. With the launch of The New War, players will have a definitive Warframe experience at their fingertips, and it sets the stage for Warframeâ€™s continued growth. Weâ€™ve only just begun.”
You can get more details, as well as find out more about the current Prime Resurgence event (featuring Prime Warframes) on the official website.


A Bunch Of Ex-Megami Tensei Developers Are Making A “New School RPG”

There’s going to be a new kid on the school block, and it’s challenging the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series’ space.
The teaser website for a game called Monark is now live (via Famitsu), alongside its Twitter account. Basically, it’s the “new school RPG” that was teased earlier, with the leads being former Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei developers and designers. Full details for Monark will be revealed on 10th June (or 11th June if it follows PT time).
The website lists a bunch of names in “cryptic” fashion:

Kazunari Suzuki
Ryotaro Ito
Tsukasa Masuko
Aya Nishitani

What do they have in common? They all worked on Shin Megami Tensei games as game developers. Guess we’ll have to wait next week to see the big reveal for this RPG.


International Women’s Day 2023: Celebrating Malaysian Women In The Gaming Industry

Let’s face it. Female gamers are on the rise. Whether gaming is done for stress relief, competitively, or even just gaming development, us women, we’re finally being seen for the big badass bosses that we are. That’s why this month of March (on International Women’s Day), we’re celebrating women gamers that you may or may not know of in Malaysia.
So without further ado, let’s talk about the four fabulous women we are highlighting to celebrate this International Women’s Day!
Cindy Dharma, Associate Producer Cinematic at Larian Studios – KL, Malaysia

We managed to snag some time with the lovely Cindy Dharma. Cindy is not only a bubbly personality; she also had a good sense of humour and an infectious laugh during our interview. She had a background in film and advertising prior to entering the video game industry. Her background in film has contributed to her success in game development, and not just that, but it also highlights her ability to adapt and thrive in different creative industries. You can tell that she is definitely passionate about the video game industry, particularly about the Baldur’s Gate 3.
Cindy mentioned to us that working for Larian Studios, the developer of the latest installment in Baldur’s Gate 3, is one of her biggest achievements, due to the sentimental value it holds for her. She continued on to tell us she got to direct a team to work on the cinematic and lighting of the new series. So for all that aesthetic cinematic and lighting that you guys see in the game, and that production value, be sure to give her some love for it! Having been able to turn her love for the game into a career, and to even contribute to the creation of new content for other fans to enjoy, we’re sure that Baldur’s Gate 3 is something we are all going to look forward to. Go ahead and check out Baldur’s Gate 3 official trailer.
Saqina Latif, Game Developer, Founder & Managing Director of Persona Theory Games – KL, Malaysia

Saqina Latif started her career in film production with a deep passion for storytelling. She took the leap and joined a group of diverse talented minds forming Persona Theory Games; showcasing Southeast Asian culture, mythology, folklore and history in the form of visual novels. The studio debuts its first title called Fires At Midnight back in 2020 and successfully featured in DreamHack Beyond, Steam Next Fest, and Level Up KL. Other games the studio has produced are Revive Arcade Festival 2021, Project Half Light, The Lonely Hearts Petshop, and Kabaret.
Despite discrimination and rejection due to her gender, she never lost sight of her goals and this contributed to the success of the studio as a whole. Now, she is recognized as an industry ‘Titan’ by Gamescom Asia and stands proudly among industry giants like Blizzard and Xbox. Her studio even participated in the ID@Xbox Bethesda event representing Malaysia for the upcoming game, Kabaret – a dark fantasy folklore adventure game portraying a wide cast of characters from Southeast Asian myths. Saqina Latiff’s success as a female game developer in a male-dominated industry is an inspiration to women gamers everywhere.
Sophie Azlan, Game Developer, Journalist, Game Dev Lecturer

First of all, Sophie can carry off black lipstick that screams “I’M A BOSS” energy. Sophie Azlan is a passionate gamer who has nurtured her interest since her teenage years. She has transformed her admiration for game development into a strong desire to make her mark on the local scene.
We can say that Sophie is a visionary, eager to advance her experiences and achievements within the Malaysian game industry. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed and in 2022, she was inducted into The Game Awards’ Future Class programme. Currently, Sophie serves as a game development lecturer at UWO Malaysia KDU University College. She is also involved in select indie projects as a game designer and project manager, being an active member of Women in Games Malaysia (wiGout), as well as write articles on our website related to indie games!
Disclaimer: Sophie Azlan contributes to Kakuchopurei on a weekly basis.
Nathalie Tay, Editor-in-Chief at The Magic Rain, Co-Founder of The Cham Drinkers

As fellow Malaysians, we all know what Cham is. But just to enlighten the non-Malaysians, cham is a Hokkien word meaning “mixed”. Nathalie formed the streamer group, The Cham Drinkers when she noticed that most streamer groups in Malaysia were mostly esports focused. Nathalie is absolutely thrilled to be a part of a community that promotes and encourages variety-focused streamers, especially those who hold an interest in indie games. With 23 members already on board and growing, we are excited to see what The Cham Drinkers will become in the coming years.
She has successfully organized 15 events with The Magic Rain, six of which were dedicated to gaming, including game launches, e-sports tournaments, and community gatherings.
1. What is the most important message you want to send out to aspiring women in games?
Cindy: People often think that gaming is a very male-centric environment. I know women who are on Youtube, Twitch and all that and I salute all the young women who put themselves out there despite everything. I salute them for their confidence and all I can say is continue doing that, doing what you love, what you like, by just being a gamer. I do play games myself, not quite a lot, but I do know people get negative comments, regardless of male or female, people will always have bad things to say. But if you think what you are doing is no harm, and it’s for your own sake, your own interest, just go ahead and do that.
Saqina: There’s a place for you in the games industry.
Sophie: Community is key. The industry – as a developer, as a gamer, streamer, consumer – will always be unforgiving at some point. Having a community of like-minded individuals that you feel safe with and feel heard around, will go a long way in motivating you to keep going and keep it going for as long as you’ll be able to. Friends in general are good, but having friends who’ll get what you’re going through will really take you even further than before. We can’t wait to see Nathalie expand that list in the upcoming future.
Nathalie: Your voice and stories need to be heard. It’s almost a cliché phrase at this point, but I’ve related the most to stories in games created by women, and I’ve learned the most from experiences that other women gamers have shared. It’s so important to keep this cycle of communication and storytelling going because you don’t know who it’s going to inspire or impact down the line.
2. If you could be any character in a video game, who would you pick and why?

Cindy: Well, I’ve always loved RPG and fantasy games. I’ve worked on Baldur’s Gate 3 for a very long time, so I resonate with one of our characters a lot, which is Lae’zel. She is a very strong, independent woman. So in the beginning of the game, you can already tell her character, she stands out a lot, not just because of the colour of her skin and because she’s different, but the way she speaks her mind, and the way she takes control, take charge, and takes lead. I’ve always been that way as well, not purposeful, but I’ve always been able to lead the team, and help assist the team as well. I’m also very outspoken, so I really resonate with the character a lot. Every time I’d see things she would say, I’d go “Yeah I would say that.”
Saqina: Albert Wesker, because I would chase Chris Redfield 24/7.
Sophie: There are so many characters that I’ve pointed at and been like ‘they’re just like me fr’ that I can’t pick just one, oh man.
I’m gonna cheat a little! If I could be any character, I’d be Hatsune Miku from the Project Diva franchise! She’s a bit like Barbie in the sense she’s a blank slate who can do anything and be anything, and that’s exactly it for me – I want to be able to do anything I want and look great while doing it and have a lot of fun. That’s the dream, isn’t it?
What!! You want another answer who isn’t global superstar and international phenomenon; the Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku? Okay, here’s one – Hilda Valentine Goneril from Fire Emblem: Three Houses (also in Three Hopes, the ‘sequel’)! She’s a lot of fun and I love her character design, especially contrasted with her weapon of choice (a big axe) – she’s a character who seems to be one way, then you find out there’s more lying below the surface – then it turns out even below that, there are still elements of what you fell in love with on top. She’s a little flirty and very funny, which is the dream and the goal.
Nathalie: Yennefer from The Witcher, 100%. She is so unabashedly her own person and never falters at any challenge life throws her way. I also love that she’s intellectual and ambitious, and doesn’t rely on her femininity to be a powerful character.
3. What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
Cindy: I think, all throughout my working experience, I’ve always been told to believe in myself and people will follow suit. You have to have confidence, if not it reflects on you, it shows that you have the confidence to do what it takes and people will have confidence in you as well. Being an Associate Producer, we are leading the team not just the work in technical stuff, we get the team together. We get everybody together. If we fall, the team will also follow suit. We’ve always got to believe that “Okay, this will be done. I will get this done for you” and people will believe you. That’s what I’ve always been told, and I have always followed it through and it has gotten me so far.

Saqina: It’s not about how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up.
Sophie: There’s always something to learn. Nothing wrong with not being the smartest person in the room. Especially as a game designer or entrepreneur, your senses are your most powerful tools – your ability to observe, teardown, recreate, remix, recreate, make your own, make new, create – these all stem from learning, which can be done anytime and always.
Nathalie: It’s funny because this came from a video game personality test (that was literally called The Test) but it went something like: “Make sure to stop once in a while and appreciate what you’ve achieved so far.” It’s a simple one, but some days you really need that reminder.
4. What do you think needs to happen over the next few years to help push diversity in the industry further?
Cindy: The gaming industry is definitely getting better with the help of MDEC and our government. We have Larian Studios and some others coming through to Malaysia. So we are definitely seeing it already. With that being said, to push more women into gaming, is of course by giving them exposure. So by giving them exposure, I wouldn’t say start young, but start nurturing them. Like what Larian has been doing is we’ve been giving talks to university students. I have also done talks in universities, and I can say back then when I was in university, film was also a very male-centric environment, so you see a woman so headstrong and confident, and you go “Hey, I wanna be like her.”
So we have been doing that to tell the students, to let them know that the gaming industry is no longer very male-centric, it is very equal already, do not be afraid. Look at where we’ve come, we have a lot of leads and producers that are women as well. We definitely can make it out there cause our skill sets are just the same. People think males have more technical skills, but no no no, what they can do, we can do it as well. I wouldn’t say much better, but the skill sets are equal.
After leaving uni, seeing my mentor doing everything alone out there, and again back then in the film and advertising the market was very male-centric, and to see she was seamlessly and effortlessly doing things out there, it was like, “I’m gonna be like her someday”, and it carries through.
Saqina: More mentorships, scholarships, and funding across the board in games. Talks and panels in major game events with a more diverse speaker lineup. Funding serious games, not just games for profit. Education to schools outside of cities and private institutions.
Sophie: Inclusivity, awareness, compassion. I think we’re getting pretty far in having more developers and consumers from diverse backgrounds, especially in a variety of ways – speaking from just a SEA perspective, people are interested in games – and making them !! – across culture, race, creed, gender, sexuality, economic class, neurodivergence, and more. By being aware and being more open about creating and consuming games in a more overall inclusive way, it does generate a sense of compassion that is ultimately a welcome addition. The work is being done, whether we see it or not. That being said, it’s also up to us to keep it going.
Nathalie: I think there needs to be a change of mindset within the gaming community at a grassroots level. From a creator’s perspective, I see so many women struggle to break into different genres or styles of gaming because of rampant gatekeeping and harassment. In order to foster more diversity in the industry, we first have to foster diverse interests in gaming.
5. What is the biggest barrier you’ve faced in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them?

Cindy: I would like to say, specifically myself, I haven’t really faced any obvious barrier as a woman. I’ve always, again, believe in yourself and well, people will believe in you. So I have carried that forward with me whenever I am, wherever I am, and whatever I am doing. So it shows in my planning, my strategies, and my execution. I believe that our skill sets are equal. I definitely believe in equality that’s why I feel like we are no less, they are no more, and they are no less as well. So I treat myself very equally. I also understand it’s not the same for everybody, that’s very unfortunate and I am very sorry to hear that other women face discrimination and a lot of barriers at work. As for myself personally, I have never faced anything significant, because I have carried myself in such a way that I believe I can do whatever whoever can do.
We also need to know when to pick our battles, and not everything is a battle. The right battles will open better opportunities.
Saqina: Being taken seriously, especially when I had to pitch locally 5 years ago. I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences. I was lucky enough to have the support of my team behind me, and I’m a stubborn person – the more people tell me it can’t be done (ie a game about SEA culture) the more I want to do it. And I did it.
Sophie: People just have, like, perceptions. Because they’re always going to want to put you in a box so it’s easier for them to figure you out – it’s honestly not a super bad thing depending on the situation, typically it’s more along the lines of “oh this person is x so they might like y” but when it goes into full stereotype territory and an assumption of your character, then it becomes a problem. Perceptions of me have often shifted around due to my gender, and sometimes there is a struggle to work with those perceptions or against them, depending on the situation. Granted, people are a lot less prone to assume things nowadays, but it’s still an ongoing process. But a process means progress, and that’s something to celebrate on its own!
Nathalie: We all know the assumptions people have towards women – whether it’s their looks or personality or even working styles. I used to feel really pressured by this responsibility to “rise up and defeat the stereotype”, but in doing so, you end up stepping into a completely different caricature. There’s no running away from it.
Now I just try to be as “me” as I possibly can be, and embrace the value I bring to the table; not as a woman, but as a person. If that helps someone else embrace their unique value, then that’s all I need.

That’s it for our feature on International Women’s Day! Today we celebrate the achievements of women in our local scene. As we reflect on the significance of today, let’s remember that there is still much work to be done. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity. So don’t forget to show your support and tag us on social media and let us know what you are doing to celebrate the women in your life today.


Heroes Of The Storm’s CraftWars Brings New Skins, Mounts & More

Heroes of the Storm‘s CraftWars event is now live, bringing with it new skins, mounts, the next Nexus Anomaly, the latest round of Hero reworks, and more.
Players can look forward to more StarCraft and WarCraft content. In CraftWars, King of Blades Arthas rules all the worlds. Anduin has crossed over from being a prince in Warcraft to (also) being a prince in StarCraft, becoming Emperor of the Dominion Anduin. Combining Gazlowe and the StarCraft SCV, Mineral Harvester Gazlowe comes to play, dropping just in time for his rework.

In addition, D.Va and Gazlowe are getting reworks to fully cement their role as Bruisers.

Meanwhile, Heroes of the Storm‘s fourth and newest Nexus Anomaly, Gladiatorâ€™s Medallion, gives players the power to prevent crowd control and disabling effects with a brief Unstoppable buff (5-minute cooldown). As with previous anomalies, this Nexus shake-up is only available for a limited time.


Mario Kart Heading to Mobile

Yep.
You read it right. Following the footsteps of Pokemon and Animal Crossing, Nintendo just announced that another exclusive of theirs, Mario Kart, will be coming to mobile devices soon.Â Currently in development, expect to fire blue shells to your friends while on the go come early 2019.

The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z
â€” Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
That’s all we know so far and we will update you with more info once we have them.


Malaysian-Made Platformer The Company Man Coming To Xbox & PlayStation This August

If you’re looking for some 2D platforming involving exaggerated corporate hijinx, look no further than The Company Man.
Publisher Leoful and Malaysian developer Forust will be releasing The Company Man for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 this 26th of August. This version comes with English, Japanese, Chinese (simplified and Traditional), Korean, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options.
Apart from that, the game is more or less the same. Check out the Xbox and PlayStation trailers below, as well as our review of the PC version.

The Company Man is available for PC and Nintendo Switch right now.


Team SMG Allegedly Kicks Out Ninjaboogie Because He Wanted To Spend Time With Sick Family

Here’s a dire situation in the competitive-yet-cutthroat esports circuit. Team SMG recently announced that it is parting ways with one of its top Dota 2 players Michael “Ninjaboogie” Ross Jr.

Announcement on our Dota 2 Squad!
We would like to thank @ninjaboogie for his enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication for Team SMG during our time together. Today, we part ways.
Thank you Ninjaboogie. Keep Boogieing, even under gunfire ?? pic.twitter.com/qrqMfNrBkC
— Team SMG (@TeamSMGofficial) May 20, 2022

Sounds normal, right? Well, it turns out that Ninjaboogie said that he was allegedly kicked from the team after requesting to spend time away from the team during boot camp to tend to his hospitalized mother.

Kicked because my mom was on her last days and they assumed it would affect my performance. I already knew for some time that this day will come. Since she had stage 4 cancer. She passed away on monday. Imagine being fired from a job because you are about to lose a loved one.
— Michael "ninjaboogie" Ross (@ninjaboogie) May 20, 2022

Team SMG was set to begin boot camp today to prepare for the upcoming Summer Tour of 2022 Dota Pro Circuit. However, Ninjaboogie said his mother suffered a sudden stroke on 12 May and was admitted to the hospital. He requested Team SMG to have his flight moved back through the weekend since his mother was either going to be discharged or possibly “pass away due to complications” due to stage four cancer.
He even made it clear that he would settle a few more things before his mother’s hopeful discharge and will join back with BootCamp.

I gave my decision the following day and was informed he wanted to talk. They had a meeting without me and informed me the were going to continue without me. pic.twitter.com/AjPsE4YfPj
— Michael "ninjaboogie" Ross (@ninjaboogie) May 20, 2022

Sounds like a good reason to head out temporarily, right? Apparently that didn’t fly with Team SMG. Instead, the team held a meeting without Ninjaboogie and informed him that they would move on to the next season without him. Hence, the above Twitter message. That message did not mention the reasoning, so Ninjaboogie had to speak up on his social media channels. He even added that he was given no prior warning before being removed from the roster.
As to why he didn’t go back to taking care of his mother earlier before all this? Ninjaboogie’s dad passed away near the beginning of the pandemic, so he was bumped up as head of the family and had to use up his career earnings supporting his family for the past two years. His role with SMG was his main method of taking care of the family.

How else do i take care of my mother after i exhausted all my earnings surviving the pandemic and taking care of her? My father died at the beginning of the pandemic and was bumped up as head of the family.
— Michael "ninjaboogie" Ross (@ninjaboogie) May 20, 2022

Team SMG has yet to make an official statement about Ninjaboogie’s comments. This is quite a bad look for the esports company. The company could argue that this sort of tragedy could affect a player’s mental state, so the logical thing to do is to give him a couple of weeks off to sort all of it out and then come back in a new season in tip-top form, unless he says that he’s good to go mentally in the current season. Why cut him off entirely from the team unless there is some politics in play?
Regardless of what you think about esports, no one deserves to lose a job in the field due to bereavement. You can do better, esports.


These Are The Full SEA Game Awards 2021 Finalists For Level Up KL

Level Up KL 2021 has recently announced the full list of nominated games for the SEA Game Awards 2021.
The motley crew of games are definitely a mixed bag, ranging from visual novels to 2D platformers. Here’s the full list along with each title’s respective trailer:
â€¢The Company Man by Forust Studio M Sdn Bhd

â€¢ Tank Brawl 2: Armor Fury by Phung Games
â€¢ SAMUDRA by Khayalan Arts
â€¢ The Signal State by Reckoner Industries
â€¢ Tanasurga by Rainman Studios
â€¢ Malice by Eldritch

â€¢ Clocked-In by UOW Malaysia KDU
â€¢ Escape from Naraka by Xelo Games
â€¢ Seduction by KOEX studio
â€¢ Midwest 90: Rapid City by Hidden Chest Studios
â€¢ Gloom and Doom by Neo Tegoel Games

â€¢ Selera Nusantara by Gambir Studio
â€¢ Attack Of Undo Zai by CTRLZ
â€¢ Archwar: Heroes and Demons by Game One Technology Sdn Bhd
â€¢ Vita Fighters by Ranida Games

â€¢ Hadal by UOW Malaysia KDU
â€¢ The Sun Shines Over Us (Menggapai Matahari) by Eternal Dream Studio
â€¢ Jump Jerboa by Chinykian Games
â€¢ Tikus Tales by WilKGames

â€¢ Vannator by Xhinobi
â€¢ ENDURA by IFiO STUDIO
â€¢ At Your Service by FairPlay Studios
â€¢ Monster Breakout! Brick Breaker Pixel RPG by Seraph Games Studio
â€¢ Tales of Phi: Math land Great Battle (Monster RPG) by Seraph Games Studio
â€¢ Cooking Chef Story: Food Park by Niji Games
â€¢ Airship Academy by Revolution Industry
â€¢ My Lovely Wife by GameChanger Studio

â€¢ Noodle SouperStar by BattleBrew Production

â€¢ Kingdoms Reborn by Earthshine
â€¢ Biwar: Legend Of Dragon Slayer by Devata Games Production
â€¢ Code Atma by Agate
â€¢ DeLight: The Journey Home by DreamTree Studio Sdn. Bhd.
â€¢ Never Ending Beyond by One More Dream Studios
â€¢ Coffee Talk by Toge Productions

â€¢ Rising Hell by Tahoe Games

â€¢ A Space for the Unbound by Mojiken Studio

â€¢ When the Past Was Around by Mojiken Studio
â€¢ Water Child by UOW Malaysia KDU
â€¢ Exist.EXE by Skyfeather Games Studio
â€¢ Fallen Tear: The Ascension by CMD Studios


Legendary Sci-Fi & Fantasy Actor Ian Holm Dies At 88

We have lost yet another acting legend in 2020.
Sir Ian Holm has died in London aged 88, according to his agent (via Guardian).

“It is with great sadness thatÂ the actor SirÂ Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88. He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”

Older movie buffs will remember him as maverick athletics coach Sam Mussabini in Chariots of Fire, but pop culture fans remember him as Ash in Alien, Father Cornelius in The Fifth Element, and as Bilbo Baggins in the blockbuster fantasy flick The Lord of The Rings.
Rest in peace, Ian Holm. You will be missed. Here are the highlights of his rich acting career.


Capcom’s Pragmata Is Delayed Indefinitely

Capcom’s upcoming sci-fi game Pragmata will not be coming out so soon, much to the surprise of no one.
Pragmata was supposed to be out in 2023, but that release year is definitely a no-go. The company’s recent message stated that the game is still knee-deep in development.
“Our team is currently hard at work making the best game that we possibly can, but we need more time. We will continue to do our best to ensure that the final product is one that is worthy of your patience.”

At least we now have a clear idea of what Pragmata is: a sci-fi third-person shooter where you escort a super-powered young girl named Diana and an unnamed robot; you fight your way through rogue androids in what seems to be a space station. Give Capcom more time, I say.
No console or platform has been announced for Pragmata, but we assume it’ll be for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.


This Bloodborne Nendoroid Is Absolutely Adorable

Earlier this month, Good Smile unveiled its Nendoroid Hunter toy. Based on Bloodborne‘s Hunter, it trades grim badassery for grim… cuteness?
Nendoroid and their big eyes are usually cute by default, but there’s something about the Nendoroid Hunter’s stern glare – accentuated by how his trademark hat and mask obscure his features – that makes him stand out. To be honest, he reminds me a bit of young Kakashi.
Hat aside, the Nendoroid Hunter is also clad in his recognizable coat. In addition, there are optional parts like the Saw Cleaver and Hunter pistol, as well as one of the game’s checkpoint lamps.

He’s not the only new figure to have been announced either. As Siliconera pointed out, a number of figures have been added to Good Smile’s upcoming lineup already.
Announced at Winter Wonder Festival 2020, the lineup includes Nendoroid Yennefer and Bayonetta, as well as several Fate/Grand Order Nendoroid. Anime-wise, there are Nendoroids – both previewed and teased – from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, My Hero Academia, and In/Spectre.
The Nendoroid Hunter is set to release sometime in August 2020. The website lists his price as Â¥4,727 (or roughly RM178+) before taxes.


Marvel’s Avengers Game Ropes In Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel

If you weren’t all interested in Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers action-adventure title, you might be now. Especially if you like certain Inhumans who can embiggen their fists.

Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan will enter the fray as a playable character according to a Marvel announcement at the New York Comic Con 2019. Since the game has an original story sanctioned by Marvel, her backstory’s probably going to be tweaked (ie: she gets her powers in the previous trailer’s A-Day event). In the trailer, she’s seen interacting mostly with Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, and maybe a key character in bringing the band back together.
Turns out that this is a fast forward of that E3 2019 gameplay trailer we saw (and played); apparently Captain America died during the events of A-Day and is vilified by the public. Seems like the game’s story will revolve around her and dealing with AIM, the Marvel universe’s de facto sci-fi bad guys.

Oh, and we may be getting a Kamala Khan/Bruce Banner road trip adventure. Ms. Marvel and The Hulk, smashing bad guys and bonding as nerds; fun!

We are pretty stoked that Ms. Marvel is getting the spotlight in this new venture. Marvel’s Avengers will be out 15th May 2020.


Former Blizzard Employee Reveals Racial Abuse and Discrimination Within Company

Blizzard Entertainment has received allegations of an unhealthy working environment, with a former employee has revealed racial abuse and discrimination happening within the company.
Julian Murillo-Cuellar worked in the Hearthstone esports division in Blizzard since 2016 and it was a harrowing experience for him, which he detailed in a long Twitlonger post yesterday. He claimed that he was forced to work ungodly hours while being abused by inappropriate ‘jokes’ about his Mexican heritage.

Real Reason why I left Blizzard Entertainment: Racial Abuse and Discrimination
Read: https://t.co/7yKky7d2N5
â€” Jules M.C. (@Psychlolis) January 8, 2019
He also wrote how one of his female superiors, most notably Hearthstone Esports Team member Gemma Barreda, “would joke about my sexism, or natural inclination to be sexist, due to my heritage: having been born Mexican and raised in Mexico…” This alleged continued abuse contributed to his deteriorating physical and mental health, to the point that he considered ending his life on several occasions due to anxiety and depression.
Over the years, Julian Murillo-Cuellar claimed that he tried to report the racial abuse and discrimination but they were largely ignored. He also mentioned that “other current and former alumni have confessed similar or worse treatment and nothing being done.”
At the time of writing, Blizzard Entertainment has not released an official response to the allegations by Julian Murillo-Cuellar. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for future updates.


Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Trailer Showcases Weapons & Phantom Dash

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is less than a month away at this point, and developer Insomniac Games is keeping up the hype. A new video narrated by Zurkon Jr. shows off the game’s traversal mechanics like the Rift Tether, allowing you to warp across dimensions and the Phantom Dash, the game’s term for the dodge mechanic.
The video also showcases several weapons from the game, including Buzz Blades, Blackhole Storm, The Enforcer, and several others. This video seems to be the first in a series of videos, so we can probably look forward to more videos ahead of the game’s upcoming launch. The next video will focus on the planets in the game.
Ratchet & Clank Rift ApartÂ is slated to release for the PS5 on 11 June 2021. You can check outÂ more details here. The game will also apparently be around 42.183 GB (before the day one patch), and pre-load will begin on 4 June 2021 for those who pre-ordered.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Ubisoft Is Making An Esports Movie With Senior Citizens

Ubisoft is making another movie? Don’t they remember what happened with 2016’s Assassin’s Creed?
Still, the French developer/publisher is teaming up with 2018’s I Feel Pretty co-writers and co-directors Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein to develop a movie featuring senior citizens entering the world of esports.
The as-of-yet untitled movie is actually based on a 2019 Wall Street Journal article by former GameSpot writer Laura Parker, “The Next Generation of Competitive Gamers Is â€¦ Over 60?”.
Ubisoft Film and Television senior VP and head Jason Altman, and director of film development Margaret Boykin, are set to produce the project (via The Hollywood Reporter).
This won’t even be the first live-action foray for Ubisoft, as they recently debuted their Apple+ exclusive video game developer-themed sitcom Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet earlier this year.
They’re also currently producing a movie adaptation of Tom Clancy’s The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain, as well as a Rabbids animated series, both of which will be distributed by Netflix.


Overwatch 2 Reaches 25 Million Players, Surpassing Overwatch 1

Making a game free-to-play goes a long way, and Activision Blizzard seems to enjoy the windfall in terms of audiences for the Overwatch sequel.
Despite server trouble and bloated player queues, Overwatch 2 has over 25 million players logged into the game in the first 10 days.

“Since launch, the game has been reaching nearly 3x the amount of players per day as the previous daily peak for the original Overwatch.”

Sure, that seems like big numbers, but will it maintain this momentum given the game’s server issues, its expensive items on the cash shop, and the fact that you need to play 100 matches to unlock old heroes if you’re new? Though to be fair, the 5v5 multiplayer scaleback and new maps are some of the good things offered in this “sequel”. Check out our video from Kakuchopurei’s esports guy Lewis Larcombe about Overwatch 2.


Massive Dota 2 Update Makes It Dota 3

Big news for Dota 2 fans – a brand spanking new map is now available as part of the New Frontiers Update! This update is so huge that it’s bumped Dota 2 up to version 7.33. Valve has really gone all out with this patch, making some major changes to the matchmaking algorithm, tweaking the interface, introducing a new hero type, and balancing a bunch of stuff.
But the biggest change by far is the map expansion, which now offers a whopping 40% more terrain to explore. Even though the lanes remain in the same positions, there’s now more space to roam around and check out what’s happening between them. Valve has also completely reconfigured both main jungles, which will affect things like vision placement, juke routes, and farming strategies.

Let’s dive into the details of what’s new in Dota 2:

Four new named areas: The Well, The Graveyard, The Statue, and The Mines.
Roshan has two pits instead of one.
Twin gates let you teleport between the top and bottom lane. Roshan also uses them to move between his pits.
Lotus pools on the map’s left and right spawn healing lotus that gives mana as well as HP.
Neutral creep minibosses called tormentors spawn near the bases 20 minutes into a match.
Eight watchers scattered across the map grant vision to whichever team activates them. That’s handy because outposts no longer grant vision or True Sight.
Two new outposts, the original ones have been repositioned too.
12 (!) more creep camps.
Two new power runes: wisdom runes on the map’s edge and near bases give XP, while shield runes in the river give a barrier equal to half your max HP. (Shield renamed to Barrier)
Defender’s gates are one-way emergency back doors on each base, or as Valve puts it, “Defender’s Gate combines the sparkly high fantasy of Dota with the practicality of doors on your house that you can lock when you go to the grocery store to destroy its Ancient.”

In addition to these changes, there is also a new hero type – Universal heroes. These guys don’t specialize in just one attribute and instead get 0.6 damage for each point they have in any attribute. Some existing heroes like Bane, Broodmother, Enigma, Lone Druid, and Vengeful Spirit have been reshuffled into this category.
But wait, there’s more! Neutral creep abilities now scale over time, and the duration of disable effects has been reduced. Instead of dropping items, neutral creeps now drop tokens that can be spent on one of five neutral items, and there are plenty of new items to try out. The kill formula and Black King Bar have been reworked, and some heroes like Muerta, Arc Warden, Ogre Magi, Medusa, Alchemist, and Clinkz have been given major overhauls. In fact, Clinkz’s abilities now create skeletons!
Valve has also made changes to the matchmaking algorithm, switching from the Elo algorithm to the Glicko algorithm to avoid clumping in the 0-1000 MMR range and to help returning players get back to an accurate Matchmaking Ratio after spending time away. And if you’re a UI enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to know that the health bars now have visible barriers, health bar pips for things that don’t have a total HP but are defeated after receiving a set number of hits, and abilities that cost health display that as a number, just like mana cost.
Of course, as with any update, there are a ton of balance changes to go along with all of these new features. If you want the full details, head over to Valve’s New Frontiers Update page, where you can check out an interactive version of the new map too.


Tripwire Interactive President Supports Recent Pro-Life Texas Abortion Law; Internet Up In Arms [Update]

Update [7 September, 2021]: Tripwire Interactive President John Gibson is stepping down from the company. He will be replaced by interim CEO Alan Wilson. The company has issued a full statement regarding Gibson’s pro-life comment.
The comments given by John Gibson are of his own opinion, and do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company. His comments disregarded the values of our whole team, our partners and much of our broader community. Our leadership team at Tripwire are deeply sorry and are unified in our commitment to take swift action and to foster a more positive environment.
Effective immediately, John Gibson has stepped down as CEO of Tripwire Interactive. Co-founding member and current Vice President, Alan Wilson, will take over as interim CEO. Alan has been with the company since its formation in 2005 and is an active lead in both the studioâ€™s business and developmental affairs. Alan will work with the rest of the Tripwire leadership team to take steps with employees and partners to address their concerns including executing a company-wide town hall meeting and promoting open dialogue with Tripwire leadership and all employees. His understanding of both the companyâ€™s culture and the creative vision of our games will carry the team through this transition, with full support from the other Tripwire leaders.
Original story
It’s not every day that the political decisions and leanings of a video game industry leader gets criticized heavily on Twitter. Oh wait, this is 2021: it does happen every month or two.
Tripwire Interactive president John Gibson, a company known for the Killing Floor series and Maneater games, recently showed support for the US Supreme Court’s recent decision to affirm the Texas law that bans abortion for babies after the sixth week of pregnancy. This basically makes him a pro-life game developer on record and also in support of a law that prohibits abortion at a point when many women do not even realize they are pregnant. The Texas law also offers a US$10,000 bounty to any citizen who sues someone performing abortions or assisting with the process.
For the record, 85% of abortions are obtained after six weeks of pregnancy; this could force many clinics in the state to close if the law fully passes.

Proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat. As an entertainer I don’t get political often. Yet with so many vocal peers on the other side of this issue, I felt it was important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer.
— John Gibson (@RammJaeger) September 4, 2021

This has drawn a lot of ire from peers & the video gaming community, with many of them going so far as to boycott games made & published by Tripwire Interactive.

John Gibson has yet to make any other public statement prior to this tweet. On a related note, work-for-hire developer Shipwright Studios, who worked with Tripwire on Chivalry 2 and Maneater, states that it is cancelling all contracts with the company (via Jason Schreier).

 pic.twitter.com/v1m8hzT77q
— Shipwright Studios (@shipwrightstdio) September 5, 2021


The Recent Fallout 76 Panel At QuakeCon Answers Your Online Questions

During the weekend in QuakeCon 2018, Bethesda’s Fallout 76 leads were hosting a Q&A session regarding the upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG title. Last we checked, the game will feature some multiplayer & player-versus-player sessions which raise concerns from the majority of the Fallout and hardcore gaming community.
The panel was led by game director Todd Howard (of course), dev director Chris Mayer, and project lead Jeff Gardiner. Does this Q&A answer most of the questions? To be frank, it’s quite informative; here’s what we gathered so far.

The trio showedÂ a short Vault-Tec explainer videoÂ about levelling up and mutations. To sum it up: each level up gives you a single point dedicated to a S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat. For each point in a stat, you can assign a certain perk. So if you have 2 points in the Strength portion of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system, you can assign 2 perks.
Since perks are assigned, you can swap them out based on what you need at the moment. If you want to do a PVP session with pals, you’ll swap in damage-dealing perks. If youâ€™re scavenging, then you might want perks that give you more carrying capacity.
The gameâ€™s level cap for attaining S.P.E.C.I.A.L points is 50, but you can obtain new perks even beyond the limitation.
You are susceptible to mutations at certain levels of radiation, and you don’t have a choice over what you end up receiving. Jeff talked about getting a surprise mutation called â€œBird Bombâ€; it decreases his strength but increases his jump height.
Just like every other damn game nowadays, Fallout 76 has photo mode.Â  The presentation below showcased a little bit of how it worked during character creation; we may be able to use it outside of the Vault we start out from.
Now for the pressing stuff: PvP combat is opt-in. To initiate it, you shoot at someone and it does a small amount of damage. Todd said it’s like “slapping someone at a bar”. If that person wants to do PvP with you, they fire back, and then weapons do full damage.
Winning a PvP battle gives you some caps and some experience points based on your levels. If you kill a player who never accepts your invitation to do PVP, you become a “wanted murderer”. You get neither caps nor experience.

The best part? You are incentivized to hunt down wanted murderers. They’re usually marked on the map for players to hunt down. Todd said it best: “[this mechanic] turns assholes into interesting content.”
PvP does not start until level 5.
For those who don’t like this but would rather be online with people: you can ignore and block other players in a session, as well as flag yourself as a pacifist.
PvP combat numbers are normalized between players. This means that a low-level player could take on a high-level player in power armour. It’ll be tough for the former, naturally.
Here’s a relevant answer: when you die, you keep all of your equipment and caps, but you will drop your “junk”. This resource is used to upgrade your camps and equipment. You can collect it from the spot which you died at, but whether it’s worth it, that’s up to you.
When you die, you have the option to respawn either close to your death point or back at Vault 76 for free. You can also respawn at other locations for the cost of caps.
WhenÂ a nuke on the map goes off, the following happens: camps are destroyed, higher-level enemies will spawn, and the mapâ€™s loot changes. However, camps have a blueprint system. So if your favourite building is nuked, you can build it somewhere else as long as you have a blueprint of it saved.
The blueprint system also allows you to easily deconstruct and relocate your camp to other places on the map.Â
You can make musical instruments. Expect a bunch of people to exploit that 3 months post-release.
There is team voice chat as well as area-based public chat. You can mute it if you want to.
Inon Zur will be scoring Fallout 76’s OST, just like he did with Fallout 4. There will be more radio tracks in this game than any other Fallout title out there.
The VATS system is back, but now it’s in is real-time. You cannot target body parts unless you have the perk. And if you have points in your Perception stat, you’ll be using the VATS system more accurately. We really have no idea how this will work in practice though; VATS has always been a time-stopping turn-based thing since Fallout 3.
There will be private servers as well as mods. Howard said that mods, in particular, are difficult to implement due to the gameâ€™s online nature, but Bethesda will attempt to solve that problem.

We’ll be referring back to this news and keep score when Fallout 76 launches 14 November for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.


Octopath Traveler (And A Slew Of Other Games) Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass

Wunderkind Square Enix JRPG Octopath Traveler – renowned for its awesome art style, music, and storyline- is going to be playable on Xbox consoles via Xbox Game Pass.
In addition, these slew of titles will be available on the service on the respective dates:

18 March

Empire Of Sin
Nier: Automata (PC)
Star Wars Squadrons
Torchlight 3

25 March

Genesis Noir
Octopath Traveler
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Supraland
Yakuza 6

30 March

Narita Boy

Previously, we reported that Outriders arrive on the Xbox Game Pass 1st April, while Undertale is already out on the service. It seems like the “Netflix for games” is getting a ton more star power courtesy of that formerly-exclusive-for-Nintendo-Switch JRPG and Nier: Automata.


Pennyworth Season 2 To Introduce Lucius Fox & Martha Pregnancy

The first season of Pennyworth concluded its 10-episode run in September 2019. It was surprisingly good for a series that focused on Alfred’s younger days, but a Season 2 is already confirmed.
During the Pennyworth panel at DC FanDome, executive producer Bruno Heller (who was also the showrunner for the Gotham TV series) revealed that Martha Kane (Emma Paetz) will be pregnant in the upcoming Season 2.
However, at this point in time, Martha has yet to marry Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge), so it remains to be seen in if this baby will indeed turn out to be Bruce Wayne AKA the future Batman.
Heller also confirmed that fan-favourite character Lucius Fox will be making his debut in Season 2, though they have yet to officially cast an actor in the role. There will be a time skip at the beginning of Season 2, which takes place one year after the events of the Season 1 finale.
Pennyworth Season 2 will feature the return of stars Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Ryan Fletcher, Dorothy Atkinson, Polly Walker, Paloma Faith and Jason Flemyng. They will be joined as new series regulars James Purefoy, Edward Hogg, Jessye Romeo, Ramon Tikaram and Harriet Slater.
No release date or window has been announced for Pennyworth Season 2, especially considering that production has only recently resumed after stopping since March 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


Dan Harmon Confirms Community Movie Is Coming

For fans of Community, it looks like #SixSeasonsAndAMovie is finally coming true.
Dan Harmon is best known for creating the Community sitcom series and Rick And Morty animated series. In an interview with The Wrap, he has confirmed that the Community movie is finally happening and that it’s a matter of when; not if anymore.
He said:
“I’ll confirm what Alison [Brie] said which is that legitimacy is here, conversations and agreements are happening. There’s a story — who knows if we’ll end up sticking to it, but it was something we had to compile in order to take it out and court various venues. And now negotiations happen.”
However, he also clarifies in the same interview that while the Community movie is indeed in the works, it might take a while:
“Now, I say that with such caution, because sometimes the audience is like, ‘So that means what a year, two years?’ I could have said what I just said three years ago and it would have been almost as accurate, and can you imagine if I had said that three years ago? That’s me setting people up for three years of abusive neglect and making them feel forgotten, and it’s hard enough to just say nothing.”
He continued:
“When you put the percentage chances together it’s like you have to account for maybe the world blowing up or another virus happening. But as far as the industry is concerned, this is a matter of when and not if, for sure.”
Community originally aired for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. The series followed a study group at a fictional community college in Greendale, Colorado, which consisted of Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger, Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne, Gillian Jacobs as Britta Perry, Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir, Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett, Brie as Annie Edison and Donald Glover as Troy Barnes. Ken Jeong portrayed Ben Chang, who appeared in a variety of roles from Spanish professor to fellow student. The series also featured Jim Rash as Greendale’s dean, Craig Pelton.
Why made Community so great? It’s about a diverse ensemble cast of characters in a community college setting, but that’s not what makes it unique. The single best thing about Community was the concept episodes, where the series would divert from its basic sitcom trope setting for special episodes that focused on brilliant gimmicks and premises.
These include iconic paintball episodes, meta episodes, special Halloween and Christmas episodes, the darkest timeline concept, a satirical take on documentaries and a whole lot more.
All six seasons of Community are currently streaming on Netflix.


Az Samad’s Favourite Gaming Things Of 2018

Girl climbs mountain; like, hard level mountain. I feel like Iâ€™m a 10 years old gamer from the late 1980 as I played this game. Partly because I kept dying again and again while trying to jump, dash and climb.
Iâ€™ve been listening to the Celeste original soundtrack. This soundtrack is intense in terms of melodic clarity and mood building. It has an awareness of retro music history yet actually builds music using modern sounds, textures and mixing.
Here are 10 things that I like about it.

1. The Piano
The piano parts and playing capture the fragile and emotional nature of the game. This alone is magical in the way it tells the story. The playing is imperfect in the best way (very emotive playing) with the parts moving in a rubato way. Thereâ€™s a nice mix of classical, pop and film score influences in the parts too.
2. The Melodic Themes
A piece like “Awake” is really driven by that melodic theme – this is just really a really strong melody supported by beautiful chords that drive the storytelling.

3. The Space
“Postcard from Celeste Mountain” reminds me of the kind of aesthetic that I love to use in my own music. Itâ€™s a real contrast to a piece like “Awake” that is driven by the melody. Itâ€™s all about space and this seemingly meandering piano melody.
4. The Counterpoint
In “Spirit of Hospitality”, the is this beautiful 4 part melodic texture that is gradually built in a haunting way. Baroque inspired and a definite NES throwback vibe.
5. Rhythmic Dance
“Scattered and Lost” is a great example of a rhythmic dance that happens – serious polyrhythmic vibe driven by strong melodic motives. Is it minimalist or is it pop or is it dance? Could it all be mixed in the same piece? Yes!

6. Cinematic Textures
“In the Mirror” features what sound like backward swells with notes dying into what could have been the original attack and then that drum part. And those dark dissonant chords on the background. Everything is contrapuntal and layered so cinematically. Disturbing and haunting.
7. Those Electronic Moments
Lena Raine really knows how to have a nice balance of electronic vibes like in pieces like â€˜”Reflection”.

8. Descending Basslines
For a game about climbing a mountain so much of the drama is created with ‘line clichesâ€™, essentially chords with bass lines that descend. Itâ€™s a smart move and shows how much Lena thought conceptually about the music. Genius moments throughout the pieces.
9. Hypnotic Sound Choices
From classical sounds to electronic sounds to chiptune sounds, this soundtrack has so much variety yet itâ€™s still coherent. Really cool.
10. Dynamics for Days
So much of the beauty of music lies in the dramatic contrast between loud and soft, busy and sparse. Celeste has all of this.
All in all, is this the perfect soundtrack? I donâ€™t know yet, but it sure is bound to be a classic. I for one, love it, especially after reading up more about the composer’s process and what the instruments represent. Thank you for making this, Lena Raine.
If you haven’t played the game or listened to the soundtrack, I recommend doing both.

======
About Az Samad
Az was the featured classical guitar soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur premiere conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) at their three sold-out shows.
Az also performed for the South East Asian premiere of A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) and featuring pianist Benyamin Nuss (Germany).
Prior to moving back to Malaysia, Az played in a video game music band in San Francisco. He has also been interviewed on GameSpot and featured in the GameSpot Asia Beat Podcast. After receiving 4 degrees in music and making music in Berkeley, California; Az now is physically based in Kuala Lumpur.
Connect with Az at:
http://www.twitter.com/azsamad
http://www.instagram.com/azsamad
http://www.facebook.com/azsamadmusic
http://www.azsamadlessons.com
http://www.azsamad.com


Here Are PlayStation’s Top 10 Free Games & Downloads Of 2020

PlayStation recently uploaded its top downloaded and free games of last year just to show that its PlayStation Network and revamped store is still ticking. Here they are:
Top Free PlayStation Game Downloads Of 2020

Call of Duty: Warzone
Rocket League
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Rogue Company
Hyperscape
Genshin Impact
Destiny 2
Brawlhalla
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Lite

Our takeaways:

Activision’s way of handling Call of Duty in 2020, with Warzone being free and Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops: Cold War being “optional paid games to complement Warzone“, seems to be working well for PS4 and PS5 owners.
The usual online gaming suspects are here: Rocket League, Fortnite, Apex Legends.Â
Yes, we’re pretty surprised that Rogue Company and Hyperscape are pretty high on the list while Genshin Impact is pretty low. To be fair, the PS4 version of Genshin Impact isn’t optimized well. And they may not have numbers, but we guess that the number disparity between the top 4 games and the bottom 6 is very, very huge.

The Top PlayStation Downloads Of 2020
PS5

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
NBA 2k21 Next Generation/FIFA 21
Demons’ Souls

PS4

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Grand Theft Auto V
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Minecraft
Ghost of Tsushima

Do note that this top 10 counts the US and Europe market, hence NBA 2K and FIFA being on the same spot. There are no official rankings and stats for the Southeast Asia market from PlayStation Asia at this point in time; we’ll be sure to update this chart once we get that.


Call Of Duty Modern Warfare & Warzone’s Halloween Event Is Now Live

Yesterday, Infinity Ward and Activision announced the Halloween event for Call Of Duty Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 6, dubbed the Haunting Of Verdansk. It is now live across all platforms (PS4, PC and Xbox One).
Running from 20 October 2020 to 3 November 2020, players can look forward to Saw‘s Billy the Puppet and Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s Leatherface, as these franchises cross over into the game for the first time.
In addition, there are also new weapons, cosmetics, and even a Zombie Royale limited-time mode. For more details and information on these spooky offerings, head on over here for our in-depth piece.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below: