How to Save A Ton When Purchasing Your New Samsung Galaxy S23 Device

Earlier today Samsung officially unveiled their S23 range of devices at the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event. For a quick summary of all the phones released, head over here.
Assuming you are sold on what’s on offer and is ready to swipe that credit card of yours, hold on to your horses as Samsung Malaysia has got something awesome in store. For specific S23 models, those who pre-order from Samsung Malaysia’s official website, Samsung Experience Stores and Samsung Authorized Partners stand to receive up to RM500 price rebate on their new S23 device.
The rebate offers are as follows:
Model: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TB
Normal Price: RM7,199
Pre-Order Price: RM6,699
S23 Ultra
Model: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GB
Normal Price: RM6,199
Pre-Order Price: RM5,699
S23+
Model: Samsung Galaxy S23+ 512GB
Normal Price: RM5,199
Pre-Order Price: RM4,699
S23
Model: Samsung Galaxy S23 256GB
Normal Price: RM4,199
Pre-Order Price: RM3,899
The offers above covers all available colors for all models.
Ordering from Samsung’s official website entitles you to these special deals:

RM400 e-Voucher
Eco-Promotions up to 30% off purchase-with-purchase on selected Samsung Accessories, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds series and Samsung Care+.
Trade-in specials with additional RM600 rebate

While going through the Samsung Experience Stores and Samsung Authorized Partners entitles you to the following:

Free accessories worth up to RM458.
Eco-Promotions up to 30% off purchase-with-purchase on selected Samsung Accessories, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds series and Samsung Care+
Trade-in specials with additional RM600 rebate

The promotion is valid while stocks last. Visit samsung.com/my for more details.
If you are still on the fence, fret not. We will return with a full and thorough review of these devices in the weeks to come to assist with your purchasing decisions.


Final Fantasy XIV ‘s Next Update Will Overhaul Its Graphics, Also No NFTs

During a Final Fantasy XIV Letter to the Producer stream during the weekend, producer Naoki Yoshida talks about the 7.0 update. Basically, it’ll be overhauling its graphics for the better.
The livestream detailed the game’s graphics overhaul with preparations for this running from 6.1 to 6.5. This will be increasing the MMORPG’s minimum requirements, but Square Enix will accommodate as broad a range as possible hardware specs-wise. The overhaul will feature:

Animation and lighting system updates.
Higher-resolution textures (hair/skin/gear etc.).
Improved material qualities (skin/metal/fabric etc.).
Better lighting and shadow effects.
More environmental objects.
Higher-resolution and variety of auto-generated plant life, including grass.
Possible improvements to fog and other ambient effects.

Yoshi-P said that photorealism isn’t the goal, with the overall appearance of characters to be altered as little as possible.

Apart from that, Yoshi-P also said that the team and Square Enix have no intentions to put NFTs in FFXIV.Â
“We donâ€™t intend on incorporating any sort of NFT element in the game at this point. If anybody is worried or concerned about it, I can clearly state at this time that we do not have any intentions to incorporate that into the game.”
Having said that, he does believe that NFTs are an opportunity for a new business model and could potentially be something that makes a concept of a video game a little bit more interesting. However, it needs a specific game design to accommodate them.
For more on FFXIV, check out our review of the Endwalker expansion.


Here’s What To Expect From Comic Fiesta 2019

One of Southeast Asiaâ€™s largest and longest-running animation, comics and games (ACG) event will be returning next week. Comic Fiesta 2019Â is set to take place atÂ the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 21 to 22 December 2019.
Hereâ€™s what you can look forward to at the upcoming event:
Highlights
Esports Competitions

The PokÃ©mon Regionals will take place at the event. Attendees can also visit the MarqE tent and check out various other side events happening at the same time.
For gamers, head on over to the links below to pre-register for the tournaments :
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: https://bit.ly/38hRwN4Â
PokÃ©mon Go: https://silph.gg/t/rfse/comic-fiesta-2019-pvp-openÂ
PokkÃ©n: Onsite at MarqE tent
Malaysia WGP 2019 & BCS 2019

This TCG tournament is hosted by Card Fight! Vanguard Malaysia. Entry is free for everyone.

Premium Art Booth

The amazing work of Taiwan-basedÂ Krenz ArtworkÂ &Â Loizaå¡—é´‰ç‰† comes to Comic Fiesta 2019. Attendees can catch their merchandise in the form of art books, posters and postcards for sale at the premium art booth area.
Cosplay Competition

Cosplayers will take the stage for 60 seconds at day one of Comic Fiesta 2019. Unfortunately, registration is now closed, but attendees can still witness the event.
Birds Of Prey Cosplay Competition

Fans of DCEU’s most colourful bad-girl are invited to showcase their best Harley costumes in the Birds Of Prey Cosplay Competition taking place on day two of Comic Fiesta 2019.
The most outstanding Harley Quinn cosplayer will win her own private cinema hall for the Birds Of Prey movie premiere while other top cosplayers will also receive prizes.
Register online NOW at: https://bit.ly/2NE3yYY

Special Guests
Mariko Honda and Wan Hazmer

Mariko Honda is best known as the amazing voice of Yuuko Aioi of Nichijou, Lion of Kemono Friends, Mazinger Z of Robot Girls Z and Uzume Tennouboshi aka Orange Heart from the game Megadimension Neptunia VII, as well as the Japanese VA of Eve from No Straight Roads, the upcoming game from Malaysian dev Metronomik.
She will be at Comic Fiesta 2019 alongside Metrononik founder Wan Hazmer to appear onstage and discuss more details about her character during a session at 12.30 pm on 21 December 2019.
Kana Ueda

She is best known as the voices of Rin Tohsaka in Fate/stay night, Hayate Yagami in the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series, Rachel Alucard in BlazBlue and most recently Ishtar & Ereshkigal in Fate/Grand Order.
Monå¤¢

Monå¤¢ is a veteran cosplayer from Taiwan with the ability to portray all types of characters whether cute, cool or crazy with the most elaborate of costumes.
Aza Miyuko

Hailed as one of South Korea’s top cosplayer, she is most well known for her League of Legends cosplays (especially Ahri), Overwatch Dva, and portrayals of various characters from the Fate series, as well as the current team leader of South Korea’s Cosplay Team Acrown and Korean representative for World Cosplay Summit 2014.
Hikarin

Having participated in various pop-culture events around the world, Hikarin easily dazzles fans with her radiating smile and charismatic personality. Capturing the physical attributes of the character with her unique make-up style, she also seeks to bring a character to life through the heart and personality.
Momoæ¯›æ¯›

Known as a cosplayer, model, cosplay competition judge and ambassador for multiple games and brands, Momoæ¯›æ¯› is a versatile personality who has had guest appearances in over a dozen countries.
ä½æŒå¥ˆSakana

ä½æŒå¥ˆSakana is a cosplay who is returning to Malaysia for the second time as she loves the energy and enthusiasm of her Malaysian fans.
5 Minute Heroes

Armed with memorable ACG songs across generations, the 5 Minute Heroes (5MH) is an Anime/J-Rock band formed back in 2013 with the goal of bringing hype to ACG fans with both new and old nostalgic tunes. They first started gaining recognition for playing at Comic Fiesta 2013, and have played in many other ACG events since.
Harmonia ACG

The three ladies of Harmonia ACG are now backed by a powerful band and ready to bring rarely-heard melodies you would not get a chance to experience performed live anywhere else. A familiar face in the local ACG music scene for over 7 years, expect their signature renditions of Yuki Kajiura’s works as well as some special surprises just for the upcoming event.
The Crestfall Band

The Crestfall Band is well-known in the Malaysian ACG scene having been around for 8 years and releasing their own EP album, DENY and single, ALTER x EGO in 2018.
Wickedalucard

Wickedalucard is a freelance digital artist who has worked with game studios such as Level 99 Games, Super Appli Inc, Union-mobile, ToTheWorld and Applibot Inc. working on Seventh Cross, Revenge of Dragoon, Dragon Tactics, The King of Fighters Card Game and Gang Road among others.
How To Get Tickets

Head on over to the official website here to purchase tickets for Comic Fiesta 2019. These are just a slice of everything awesome thatâ€™s waiting for you at the upcoming event. Have fun, and stay tuned on the event’s official Facebook page here.


Witness The Apex Legend Banhammer Live In Action

If you, like almost half of the player base, are playing Apex Legends on PC, chances are you’ve met hackers in quite a lot of your matches. It’s frustrating to have worked so hard to end up dying to hackers in the top 3. It definitely killed the momentum.
Fortunately, Respawn Entertainment has been working around the clock trying to one-up these hackers with a current ban count of almost 700k accounts not ever seeing the light of day ever again.
Recently, the community had the opportunity to witness a hacker getting the business end of the banhammer, live on stream.
What Happened?
The ban happened during ShivFPS’ stream in which they were performing quite well up to the point they met the hacker.
Shiv and his team were wiped out by the hacker after a firefight in Bunker, so they stayed back and spectated to confirm their suspicions.
Their suspicions were correct when the accused started breaking shields like there was no tomorrow.
Caution: some profanities involved.

While the hacker was shooting, he suddenly disappeared from the game, as if he was snapped by the Mad Titan himself.
Shiv was hyped to see sweet justice dished out before his very eyes while his audience joined in the hype, spamming â€œJusticeâ€ and emotes in his Twitch Chat.
Hackers Beware
While PC players have struggled to find a string of clean games, its clear proof that Respawn Entertainment has been doubling their efforts in the war against hackers.
So far these are the numbers Respawn managed to share with players as of May:

TotalÂ bans are now at 770K players
We haveÂ blocked over 300K accountÂ creations
We haveÂ banned over 4,000 cheat seller accounts

This shows great effort and promises from the developer team in keeping Apex Legends a level playing fieldÂ reserved only for skill and teamwork.
Now, if only they could do something with keyboard and mouse users on consoles.


Outriders Has Been Delayed To 2021

Publisher Square Enix and developer People Can Fly have announced that OutridersÂ has been delayed to 2 February 2021. It is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store).
They also confirmed that the upcoming third-person shooter game will support crossplay across all platforms and that those who buy the game on current-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One) will get a free upgrade to the next-gen version (PS5 and Xbox Series X).
Outriders was initially slated to be released sometime in Holiday 2020.
Square Enix External Studios co-head Jon Brooke said:
â€œWeâ€™re very happy to announce that we can offer full crossplay support and a free next-gen upgrade plan for OUTRIDERS players. Even if youâ€™re not picking up your PS5 or Xbox Series Xquite yet, weâ€™ve got you covered. If you buy the current-gen version of OUTRIDERS, weâ€™ll giveyou the next-gen version for free,â€œ
In the meantime, check out the latest trailer below:


Samsung Malaysia’s Odyssey OLED G9 Gaming Monitor Is Now Available For Pre-Order

Samsung Malaysia has announced another premium addition to its gaming monitor line-up, the Odyssey OLED G9.
The super ultrawide gaming monitor is the brand’s largest monitor yet, being a 49-inch screen and is available in two models, the G95SC and G93SC. It was originally showcased at CES 2023 in Las Vegas last January, and early-order deals are now available in Malaysia, for a limited time.
The 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 displays a 32:9 aspect ratio with an 1800R curvature, 240Hz refresh rate, and 0.03ms response time. This monitor wraps around the player’s field of view for truly immersive gaming and provides superfast response time and refresh rate so that users are able to react to their opponents’ moves in real time.

The Samsung Smart TV apps make the G9 stand out from other gaming monitors because it integrates hundreds of games and entertainment into one device. Moreover, it supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to render fast-action game scenes without stutter or tear, and it comes with a Game Bar that allows users to adjust essential settings for maximizing their ideal gaming experience. The Odyssey OLED uses the Neo Quantum Processor Pro, which the tech giant claimed that the deep learning algorithm “intelligently analyzes images and automatically upscales to adjust brightness while amplifying contrast providing unrivalled picture quality”.
The difference between the two models in this series is the G93SC offers similar features of OLED performances without the Smart TV functionalities. As for I/O, users get an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort, a mini HDMI port and three USB-C ports on the back.
In conjunction with the launch, Samsung fans who pre-order 49″ Odyssey OLED G9 will receive an RM300 evoucher and savings up to RM2000.00.
The recommended retail price of the Odyssey OLED G9:
49’’  | Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) | RM9,999
49’’  | Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SC) | RM9,499
If you purchase through Samsung’s Online Store, you can enjoy a 0% instalment plan for up to 36 months and earn Samsung Reward Points. This exclusive deal is only valid from 10 until 23 July  2022. The Odyssey OLED G9 is available in Silver and can be purchased at Samsung Online Store.
To find out more about the New Odyssey OLED G9, please visit Samsung Online Store.


Supermassive Games Trademarks Five New Horror Titles

Supermassive Games, the folks behind The Dark Pictures anthology that are a mixed bag of interactive horror adventure experiences, will be making five more of these types of games.
According to a recent trademark, Supermassive Games has filed five new logos and titles for its The Dark Pictures series. Here they are:

â€œThe Dark Pictures: The Craven Manâ€œ
â€œThe Dark Pictures Presents: O Deathâ€œ
â€œThe Dark Pictures: Directive 8020â€œ
â€œThe Dark Pictures: Intercessionâ€œ
â€œThe Dark Pictures: Winterfoldâ€œ

So far, Supermassive Games has released three The Dark Pictures titles under publisher Bandai Namco: The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, and The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Man of Medan wasn’t that good (at least when you consider how good Until Dawn was), and Little Hope was arguably the worst of the lot as we saw the big twist come a mile away. House of Ashes, however, was a huge improvement over the other two and is definitely worth experiencing among the three.
The next one, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me will be out in 2022.


Resident Evil 4 Remake Separate Ways DLC Teased By Datamined Files

It looks like we might be getting a DLC expansion for Resident Evil 4 Remake in the near future.
Dataminer Gosetsu (via Twitter) has discovered a folder for ‘Another Order,’ the name used in the Japanese version of Resident Evil 4 for the Separate Ways campaign. This folder sits alongside references to the Chainsaw demo and the previously-announced Mercenaries mode, which launches in April 2023 as free DLC.

Thanks to Gosetsu from the RE Wiki Discord, they managed to datamine Resident Evil 4 Remake and find evidence that "The Another Order", otherwise known as "Separate Ways" exists in the files.
Will we see this announcement in the near future?#RE4 #ResidentEvil4Remake pic.twitter.com/Em0jpeytBS
— Will | Resident Evil Central ?? (@ResiEvilCentral) March 25, 2023

Separate Ways was an unlockable expansion in the original Resident Evil 4 that gave players control of Ada Wong on her journey, which frequently intersects with Leon S. Kennedy and Luis Serra during the events of the main campaign in the base game. In the original version of Separate Ways, players saw what happened behind the scenes such as Ada ringing the church bell that ends the village’s attack on Leon, as well as preventing Leon’s death at the hands of Jack Krauser and how she secured the rocket launcher that Leon uses in the game’s final battle. Separate Ways mostly explored remixed versions of areas already featured in the base game.
It’ll be great to get a new Separate Ways campaign for Resident Evil 4 Remake, considering how much more the remake has already added to the original version of Resident Evil 4.


What Can We Expect From Amazon’s Invincible In The Future?

Amazon’s Invincible series has wrapped up its first season, and it’s pretty epic.
Sure, the spotty animation at times & the terrible music choices for key emotional scenes (think crappier versions of Post Malone’s Spider-Verse song) can be distracting. However, the whole series delivers the goods from the optimistic storytelling and superheroics to the really visceral outcomes of the fights. Plus, our main hero Mark Grayson/Invincible is loveable yet not without his many faults.
Turns out a lot of people really like this show, to the point where Amazon Studios and Skybound have greenlit two more seasons for this animated series. Which begs the question: where will the story go from here after the end of  Season 1?
Here are our thoughts and predictions. We’re delving into comic book spoiler territory here, so here are your multiple warnings.

More Allen The Alien & Intergalactic Travel

Following the conclusion of Season 1, we see Allen talking to Mark about the next steps, which involves the Coalition of Planets and powering up to take on oncoming Viltrumites who will check up on Earth. This also means we’ll see more Allen the Alien, the Coalition of Planets and how they look like & deal with intergalactic problems.
We will also get to see the animated version of the Coalition’s capital planet of Talescria. It’s a beautiful sci-fi futuristic city with tons of different races. Viltrumites excluded, for obvious reasons.
The Sequids

The final episode of Season 1 saw the birth of the Sequid army, led by one of the possessed astronauts in an earlier episode. The new Guardians of the Globe along with Invincible and Atom Eve had to fly down to Mars to sort the problem out since they’re powerful in droves and can form into one giant Sequid whirlwind of doom.
The Sequid leader is also pivotal in Mark’s growth as a superhero, as he had to make a really unpopular decision to deal with the problem permanently. After all, the possessed astronaut is actually still alive and under mind control. To be fair, the second major fight with the Sequids was a near-unwinnable battle by conventional superhero standards.
Angstrom Levy
We should also bring up another major antagonist in the series: Angstrom Levy. In the comics, he is a dimensional traveller who only wishes to cram all his alternate versions of himself into a single entity. This experiment he tried to pull off ended up going wrong thanks to Invincible’s accidental interference.

Deformed and freakish (though he’s super-smart), Angstrom Levy dedicates his life to take revenge on Invincible and on everyone he loves. This includes his mom Debbie and Eve. Of course, Invincible will stop him, though at one point he thought that he killed the bad guy and left him stranded in his own dimensional devices.

His presence in the comics is important because he’s a major obstacle in Invincible/Mark’s life, especially when it comes to a major dimension-hopping catastrophe later on.
Cecil’s Relationship With Mark
Mark trusts Cecil and his government work as a result of Season 1’s ending; the latter has helped him and his mom through rough times. At least, until Mark learns that he has been using villains to help do up his projects. This made Mark break ties with him and go independent.

This needs to be built up in the second season, and then torn down like a house of cards in the subsequent one. Both parties are not quite innocent: Cecil will go through any means to preserve peace and keep Earth safe, while Mark is a loose cannon.
Cecil’s Origin Story

Want to know why Cecil does the things he does to keep Earth safe? Why would he collaborate with villains and murderers to preserve the peace?
Well it’s because of his origin story and how he came into the government while learning lessons about “the big picture”. Which we’ll see fully fleshed out midway in Season 2 at the earliest.
Mark’s Relationship With Atom Eve
The next few seasons will see the friendship between Mark and Atom Eve become more than just that. After all, they’re both superheroes and can relate to each other.

Of course, this is bad for the new & woke Amber; it’ll be interesting to see how this adaptation handles Mark’s love triangle and the dynamics.
Invincible Meets His Dad On Another Planet
Speaking of space travel, Nolan Grayson has been busy for a year since he left Earth in Season 1. After some circumstances involving Mark’s favourite comic book character coming to life, he gets an invite to see his dad on another planet he’s conquered: Thraxa. He did this to lessen his sentence for deserting the Viltrum Empire.
Instead of coming to blows, they both hug it out after not seeing each other for a year.

Also, Nolan got busy with another mate, who ends up giving birth to Mark’s new brother Oliver. His little brother ends up in the care of his mom on Earth after Nolan gets detained by the Viltrumites.

The Early Appearances Of Certain Viltrumites…
These next few seasons will see the debut of Viltrumites visiting Earth to check up on Invincible/Mark, to see how the conquering of Earth is going.

One of them is a female warrior named Anissa. While she makes some appearances here and there throughout the series mostly as an antagonist, she is responsible for a rather traumatic event for Mark. Though that’s only going to happen further down the line, beyond Season 3 onward.
…And Conquest

Can’t forget about the big bad for one of Invincible’s story arcs, can we? He made a cameo in the end of Season 1 where Nolan tells Mark the truth about the Viltrumites and their conquering ways.

After a major catastrophe later in the series, Mark helps with city clean-up duty. Enter the Viltrumite known as Conquest. He’s basically Nolan times a hundred in terms of power levels. He basically kicks Mark’s ass worst than Nolan did.
The only difference? Mark does come out on top as he’s much stronger than in Season 1. I can predict that the show’s budget will be funnelled just for this particular story arc and its alien supermen battle, though it’ll only happen late in Season 3.
Invincible Wars

Bad guy Angstrom Levy pulls out a huge number of Mark Graysons/Invincibles from alternate timelines to basically smear the original Invincible’s name. It ended up being quite a catastrophe for Earth.
Imagine 16+ super-evil versions of Invincible against all of the world’s superheroes. Yeah, that’s basically eight Nolans from Season 1.
There needs to be a build-up for Angstrom Levy in Season 2 and also the groundwork of alternate timelines and dimensions before any of this can take place. We also need to see the city and world’s superheroes growing to a good acceptable rate if we want to have a major superhero battle of this magnitude.
We’re guessing this major story arc will only happen in Season 3 of the show.
Bulletproof

We will see the introduction of a new superhero named Bulletproof. His real name is Zandale Rudolph and he ends up being a new member of the Guardians of the Globe later in the comics.
He’s pretty important because at one point, he subs for Invincible while he’s out of Earth, or when he’s out of commission.
More Battle Beast

But of course.
I’m not sure how they’ll fit him in since he only meets up with Mark later in the Viltrumite War, which will probably only happen after Season 3.
But I’m sure Mark wants a rematch with the alien who basically put him on life support in Season 1. And maybe an origin story and finding out his real name: Thokk. Count on it.
In any case, the future of Invincible is looking very bright and colourful. And also full of blood and gore. Let us know your favourite Invincible story arcs you want to see in Season 2 and 3 on our social networks and website.


Minecraft Gets An Official Character Creator For Bedrock Versions But…

The beta version of Minecraft update 1.13.0.15 has gone live for the Bedrock version of the game (Windows 10, Xbox One, and Android). It comes with a new feature that fans have been requesting since the game’s earliest days: a character creator.

In place of a character creator, most PC players have been downloading custom skins from the huge library of content created by the Minecraft modding community. Mojang’s own character creator may not allow you to design something akin to those custom creations but it’s still quite robust.

You will be able to select and customise body size and shape, limb replacement, tweaking of eyes, mouth, hairstyles and colours, facial hair, and skin tone.

From the get-go, you’ll get access to more than a hundred free features that include all the body and facial parts I just listed. There will be custom accessories created by the Minecraft team that can only be acquired by purchasing with real money. Not everything can be bought as some unique accessories must be earned by completing in-game activities.

So is it a big deal that aesthetic features are being monetised in Minecraft? No, not really.

You’ll still get to keep any custom skins you’ve downloaded or purchase so the option of using the official character creator is, I believe, catered to those who don’t have access to the game’s rich modding library. Also for those who don’t really care about what they look like while they mine for dirt and diamonds.
The Bedrock beta with the character creator is now live for Minecraft on PC, Xbox One, and Android. For instructions on how to access the beta on each respective platform, read here.


HyperX Launches Quadcast Streaming Mic For Streamers In Philippines’ Market

HyperX has announced the launch of the HyperX QuadCast microphone in the Philippines for streaming and audio recording. It features a built-in anti-vibration shock mount and offers four polar pattern choices, gain control, a built-in pop filter, and a tap-to-mute feature that indicates the mute status by turning off the red LED lighting.
This microphone will now be available at the price of PHP8,990 through HyperXâ€™s network of retail and e-tail outlets in the Philippines. However, it’s unclear when or if it will arrive elsewhere in Southeast Asia and other markets.
Via USB, the HyperX Quadcast offers four polar patterns: stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional for flexibility in audio capture, and utilizes a built-in internal pop filter designed to reduce noise for clearer voice quality.
It also comes with a stand featuring a built-in anti-vibration shock mount, quick gain control and a 3.5mm headphone output for live mic monitoring, as well as multi-device chat program compatibility certified by Discord and TeamSpeak.
The included mount adapter fits both 3/8â€ and 5/8â€ thread sizes and is compatible with most stands and boom arms.
Check out the specifications for HyperX QuadCast below:

Microphone
Power consumption: 5V 125mA
Sample/bit rate: 48kHz/16-bit
Element: Electret condenser microphone
Condenser type: Three 14mm condensers
Polar patterns: Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Bidirectional
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity: -36dB (1V/Pa at 1kHz)
Cable length: 3m
Weight:
Microphone: 254g
Shock mount and stand: 364g
Total with USB cable: 710g
Headphone Output
Impedance: 32 Î©
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Maximum power output: 7mW
THD: â‰¤ 0.05% (1kHz/0dBFS)
SNR: â‰¥ 90dB (1kHZ, RL=âˆž)


Trails of Cold Steel Anime Announced For 2023

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel quadrilogy is one of Falcom’s epic JRPG series which fans of the genre should play if they want a super-detailed JRPG experience. It does require lots of investment and time, so if you don’t have that, you can wait next year for the anime adaptation. Kind of.
Said anime adaptation is titled The Legend of Heroes; Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War and is scheduled for 2023. The production company behind the animation will be Tatsunoko Production. The anime will cover the story between Trails of Cold Steel II and Trails of Cold Steel III.
Here’s the anime visual (via Twitter’s AIR):

Based on the description, the anime may not cover the entirety of the game -you may still need to play the majority of the games. At the very least it fleshes out some of the going-ons of the whole series, so it should be a treat for anime and Falcom RPG fans.


Old-School Style 3D Platformer Frogun Jumps Toward August Release Date

Need a 2022 3D platformer fix with a cutified look? Look no further than Frogun, an old-schoo platformer coming your way.
Frogun will be coming out for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on 2nd August according to publisher Top Hat Studios and Molegato. Key features in this bright and cheery platformer include a ton of 90s-style levels, lots of utility for main character Renata’s title tool the Frogun (part grappling hook, part lots-of-things)), loads of secrets and collectibles, a two-player duel arena, and a photo mode to show off your elite platforming skills or lovely 3D vista you came across by accident!

Full trailer below:


We’re Getting A Saint’s Row Movie Directed By The Straight Outta Compton Guy

After being assaulted by films starring blue hedgehogs with human teeth, we need more good news in the video game movie adaptation department. Fortunately, there’s hope, in the form of a Saint’s Row movie (via Deadline).
Yes, the Grand Theft Auto clone that spun out into an over-the-top open-world jamboree is getting the silver screen treatment and will be directed by F. Gary Gray, who is renowned for his work on Straight Outta Compton and Men In Black International. Joining him in making this potentially comedic film is writer Greg Russo, known for doing the Mortal Kombat reboot and a Resident Evil reboot.
So far there are no actors or big names attached to the project, but it’s still early in the adaptation game. My hope is that the team adapt the third game’s story, where the Saints Row gang ruling the hood and selling out, leading to all sorts of setups and gang reclamation nonsense.


Kingdom Hearts 3 Luggage Are Now Open For Pre-Order

Square Enix has opened pre-orders for Kingdom Hearts themed luggage designed based on several characters from 2019’s Kingdom Hearts 3. They will officially launch in June 2022.
The Kingdom Hearts luggage or suitcases are available in five different designs based on Sora, Riku, Kairi, Axel, and King Mickey. All of them are priced at 48,000 yen (or roughly US$438). They all have the same dimensions of 37 x 25 x 60 cm (14.5 x 9.8 x 23.6 inches).
Sora.
King Mickey.
Axel.
Kairi.
Riku.
2022 is going to be a big year for the franchise as it celebrates its 20th anniversary, and Square Enix already announced late last year that a 20th-anniversary event will take place sometime later this year. You can alsoÂ head on over hereÂ my thoughts discussing the future of the franchise post-Kingdom Hearts 3,Â or check out my ranking of all theÂ Kingdom HeartsÂ gamesÂ hereÂ (sansÂ Melody Of Memory).


The Next South Park Game Will Be Made By Ex-BioShock Developers

Most of us at KKP miss the South Park RPGs The Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole for its satirical & off-kilter humour and silly gameplay. So will there be another South Park game of that quality? Well, we may be getting something a little different.
According to an IGN report, Question Games will be working on a new South Park game. The game development company is made up of ex-BioShock and Thief developers and has made games like The Magic Circle and The Blackout Club. The game The Magic Circle is a satirical look inside the game development process.
So having these guys work with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, masters of satire and parodies via their show, should be a match made in heaven. No release date and platforms have been announced yet.


Zack Snyder’s Justice League Do-Over Got Help From Twitter Bots & Fake Accounts

Ever wonder why there were way too many people clamouring for a do-over of the Justice League movie? Turns out most of it isn’t even from real people at all.
In a Rolling Stone exclusive feature, bots and other inauthentic users helped fuel the fan-led campaign for Zack Snyder’s Justice League “Snyder Cut” release. A WarnerMedia report stated that the groundwork for the social media campaign started before 2020, with the whole thing starting to take shape in Spring 2020 when Zack Snyder repeatedly demanded the names of two producers be removed from his cut: Geoff Johns and Jon Berg.
Two social media media firms that track the authenticity of social media campaigns spotted the inauthentic activity coming from the SynderVerse online community, stating that “Zack was like Lext Luthor wreaking havoc”. In fact, a source mentioned that Snyder hired a digital marketing firm to juice fan engagement in 2016 when Batman V Superman was getting negative reviews by critics.
Of course, Snyder denied all these claims. You can check out the full story here. Bottom line, this isn’t really surprisingly but at least now we have some semblance of confirmation that all the hype around the DC Snyderverse is manufactured.


Disney Announces Live-Action Moana Movie

Disney has announced that a live-action Moana movie is in development. It was announced via a video featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
The new feature film is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn via Flynn Picture Co. Executive producers include Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, and Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co. Jared Bush and Samoan industry pro Dana Ledoux Miller will also take part in the production. Bush, who was a director and co-writer of Disney’s Oscar®-winning feature “Encanto” and a writer and co-director on Disney’s Oscar®-winning film “Zootopia,” wrote the screenplay for 2016’s “Moana.”
Like its animated predecessor, the film will celebrate the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of her ancestors won hearts worldwide, as did her newfound friendship with an exiled demigod named Maui.
Johnson, who plans to return to the fictional world to set sail with Moana, said:
“I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.”
Native Hawaiian actor Cravalho, who helped shape Moana in the original film, said the beloved protagonist’s reach is sweeping.
“She has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses. Moana’s strength and perseverance are inspiring—to audiences around the world, to me and to everyone who helped bring her to life. I’m looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way.”
The animated movie Moana was originally released in November 2016, grossing nearly $644 million at the global box office.


Valorant’s First Battle Pass Features Cosmetics & Rewards Galore

Riot Games’ new multiplayer shooter Valorant has officially gone live, and that means players can look forward to the game’s first-ever Battle Pass content. Just like Battle Passes from other games, Valorantâ€™s Battle Pass features 50 tiers of weapon skins, weapon buddies (charms), banners, sprays, and Radianite Points (in-game currency).

It’s worth pointing out that all of these are cosmetics, and do not affect gameplay in any way (besides bragging rights and looking awesome). Players can earn these items by gaining XP from playing the game and completing quests to level up in order to progress through the whopping 50 tiers and 10 Chapters available in the Valorant Battle Pass.
The first Battle Pass is tied to the Valorantâ€™s current content episode; Ignition. The developer will continue to update Valorant with new episodes every few months with new seasonal updates.

The first Valorant Battle Pass is available to purchase for 1000 Valorant points (US$10 or roughly RM42+). It consists of over 12 gun skins and one knife skin, which is the last item to unlock, along with 130 Radianite Points that players can earn to upgrade certain weapon skins in the game, though keep in mind that these are spread over those aforementioned 50 tiers.
Even if you don’t buy the Battle Pass, players can still unlock rewards every five levels. They just won’t get as many cosmetics as the paid Battle Pass.
For more information, head on over to the official website here. In the meantime, check out our initial preview and first impressions of Valorant here.


Michael Bay’s Ambulance Is A Well-Paced Chase Film That Hearkens Back To Films Like Speed

Just like with any constant in life -Ubisoft copying gaming trends instead of innovating, EA messing up former prominent game studios, Oscars committee missing the mark in film selections- you can trust Michael Bay to deliver high octane action and slick edits. His latest film Ambulance is essentially him going back to the glory days of 90s action films that’s light on story but heavy on thrills, though this one takes place in a gritty Los Angeles backdrop that’s probably too close to home for some.
Man Hunt

Yahya “Black Manta” Abdul-Mateen II plays Will Sharp, an ex-army veteran who’s strapped for cash to pay for his wife’s ailment bills. He turns to his brother Danny Sharp for help, played by a crazed Jake Gyllenhaal. Unfortunately for Will, Danny is still a criminal who does shady dealings with the latest one being a bank heist. After some convincing and coercion, Danny reluctantly helps him. As you can tell from the trailers, the bank robbery is a bust, and the two are on the run so they hijacked the closest ambulance they could find. The poor ER person stuck with the crooks? A woman named Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzalez) and a downed officer named Zach (Jackson White). Chasing them and keeping tabs are Captain Monroe (Garret Dillahunt) and FBI Agent Anson (Keir O’Donnell), as well as a ton of officers and side characters like Zach’s partner Officer Mark (Ceddric Sanders), tech wiz Lieutenant Dzaghig (Olivia Stambouliah), and Captain Monroe’s huge-ass dog who ends up being a heckuva punchline in a particular scene in the show.
There’s really nothing & terrible and bad to say about Ambulance at all, unless you’re the kind of person who nitpicks plot details and realism in an action film. The build-up to the eventual chase sequence is great, the explosions and action are well put-together, the scenarios can get wacky but are entertaining and nerve-racking -with one involving a life-saving hair clip- and the character story arcs between the two brothers come to a logical and satisfying conclusion with the minimal flashbacks and writing.
Even the rest of the cast are memorable in their own right, ranging from the quip-heavy Dzaghig to the captain and FBI Agent trying to make the most out of a crappy situation dealing with the two leads. The trademark Michael Bay “hearts America and special forces” trope is present, but it makes sense in the context of an armed robbery situation and escalation.
Doctor, Doctor

Having said that, there were a few action shots that were too close to the character’s faces and end up being choppy and unsteady. I get what they’re going for given the crazy situation they’re in -a cramped ambulance with a psychopath criminal and a not-quite-calm ER lady trying to save a policeman’s life while the ambulance is speeding- but the film could do with easing up on these kinds of shots. Still, these are minor complaints in an otherwise solid action film that delivers what it needs: an entertaining chase sequence and police action with some moments of levity, heartfelt-if-predictable story beats and moments, and beautiful shots of the not-quite-pristine landscape that is Los Angeles. I’ve been there; it’s not pretty. But leave it to a highly talented man like Michael Bay and his hand-picked crew to pull off the impossible, while also learning from his many mistakes at telling stories in his action beat-heavy fares.
Final Score: 80/100


The Six Best Hellboy Stories That Inspired The New Movie

Hellboy is notable for being one of very few comic book characters outside of Marvel and DC Comics to have ever received a movie reboot. While both of the Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy and its sequel, Hellboy II The Golden Army were great, they took a lot of liberties with the source material, changing a lot of elements from the comics.
The 2019 Hellboy movie looks set to be more faithful to the source material, especially now that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is directly involved, having co-written the script for director Neil Marshall’s take.
Also known as Red or Big Red, Hellboy is also one of the most popular comic book characters not from Marvel or DC Comics, with multiple spinoff comics, animated movies, toys, and more since he was originally created in 1993.
Just like Spider-Man and Batman, I’m sure his origin doesn’t really need retelling. On the other hand, unlike Spider-Man or Batman, Big Red isn’t defined by his origins or circumstances. Hellboy‘s most defining and enduring character trait is that he rejects his birthright (to bring about the apocalypse) and chooses to shape his own destiny instead.
Celebrating the release of the upcoming Hellboy movie, here are the six (6) best Hellboy stories that not only (directly and indirectly) serves as the inspiration for the new reboot but also essential in understanding more of the character’s rich and deep lore.
1. Seed of Destruction

While Seed of Destruction wasn’t mentioned by Mignola as one of the three main inspirations for the new movie, it is undeniably one of the franchise’s must-read comics as it was notable for the being the first-ever Hellboy story to be published back in 1994.
Seed of Destruction features Hellboy‘s origin, as popularized by the 2004 Hellboy movie, where a group of Nazis opens a portal to Hell and accidentally summons a baby Hellboy, who is then rescued by Trevor Bruttenholm, a member of the organization known as the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense).
It also featured the debut of prominentÂ Hellboy villain Gregori Rasputin, who was responsible for Hellboy‘s arrival into the world and will continue to be a recurring villain for the entire franchise even now, more than 20 years later.
2. Darkness Calls

Mentioned as one of the three main inspirations for the 2019 Hellboy movie, Darkness Calls serves as the major turning point in Hellboy‘s journey in the comics, marking the first part of a long-running arc that would later end in The Storm And The Fury.
It features the debut of the fairy creature known as Gruagach, who will be in the 2019 Hellboy movie (the large anthropomorphic boar seen in the trailers).
That’s Gruagach on the right.
Darkness Calls basically sets up the initial plot lines and minor characters that will result in the rise of Nimue the Blood Queen (the main antagonist of the 2019 Hellboy movie) later on.
3. The Wild Hunt

Mentioned as one of the three main inspirations for the 2019 Hellboy movie, The Wild Hunt (it has nothing to do with The Witcher franchise, sorry) continues from where Darkness Calls left and is also personally my all-time favourite Hellboy story.
The premise of The Wild Hunt is HellboyÂ receiving an invitation to join an ancient organization of British nobles in an age-old tradition of hunting giants. This can clearly be seen in the trailer for the 2019 Hellboy movie, where Hellboy is on horseback and fighting a bunch of giants.
Those are the aforementioned giants.
The Wild Hunt is notable for introducing Alice Monaghan, a woman whom Hellboy rescued when she was an infant who is now all grown up and acts as a love interest of sorts. Sasha Lane will be playing a unique take on this character in the 2019 Hellboy movie.
This story is also when the Arthurian origins of Hellboy are finally revealed (yes, that King Arthur from the fabled land of Camelot). This is one half of Hellboy‘s origin that most people don’t know about, in that he is actually a descendant of King Arthur from his (human) mother’s side, and thus destined to wield Excalibur and slay Nimue the Blood Queen when she resurrects.
This is where the essence of Hellboy‘s entire journey comes into play. He is destined for both the greatest evil (apocalypse) and the greatest good (descendant of King Arthur). Which does he choose? Neither, because he would rather shape his own destiny rather than follow the script of the fates.
4. The Storm And The Fury

Mentioned as one of the three main inspirations for the 2019 Hellboy movie, The Storm And The Fury is the climax (but not the end) of Hellboy‘s journey in the comics. The conflict escalates as Nimue the Blood Queen is finally resurrected and amasses an army of witches and magical creatures to conquer the world.
Nimue the Blood Queen.
This is where Hellboy takes on an army by himself (armed only with Excalibur), as well as Nimue the Blood Queen in the form of a freaking dragon. This is the epic showdown Hellboy readers have been waiting for years to happen.
That’s why I still find it a little bit weird that the new Hellboy movie decided to adapt Hellboy‘s swansong story straight away instead of building to it by adapting some of his earlier stories. It’s like if the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Avengers Endgame in 2008 instead of Iron Man.
5. The Right Hand Of Doom

While The Right Hand Of Doom wasn’t mentioned by Mignola as one of the three main inspirations for the new movie, I still consider it to be a must-read Hellboy story for several reasons.
The Right Hand Of Doom is a relatively low-key story featuring Hellboy recounting his life story to a friend. It’s a great primer story for before delving into Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, and The Storm And The Fury. We get to learn more details about Hellboy‘s origins and more subtle clues that hint at his eventual destiny.
It also explores and revisits several key stories from Hellboy‘s past, including Seed of Destruction and a few more. This is also when he starts questioning his destiny, the beginning of a journey that will lead him to his future adventures.
6. Hellboy In Mexico

I still can’t fathom how Hellboy in Mexico became one of the character’s most iconic stories. It doesn’t contribute much to Hellboy‘s grand narrative, but the sheer fun nature of the story turned it into something more.
It’s a good side tale detailing Hellboy‘s five-month-long break from the BPRD back when he was younger. He was in Mexico for the entire duration and even became a local luchador sensation. The part when he fights a bat-wrestler will be immortalized in the 2019 Hellboy trailer (as seen in the trailers).
Yes, this guy was in the trailer.

Admittedly, there are many more Hellboy stories that deserve to be on this list.Â There’s only one version of Hellboy, so there’s no convoluted continuity to worry about if you’re interested in checking out the source material.
In the meantime, check out my breakdown of the two Hellboy trailers here and here.


Xbox Is Ticking All The Right Next-Gen Boxes, Better Than PlayStation So Far

The console wars are escalating again, now that we’re getting closer and closer to the Holiday 2020 release window for Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X. With only several months left to go, the biggest question right now is which company has been performing better with their next-gen consoles?
Objectively, the answer is definitely Xbox as of now.
Better At Marketing And Communication…

Both PlayStation and Xbox have had significantly different approaches to promoting their next-gen consoles. However, Xbox is arguably getting the upper hand over PlayStation right now, considering that we currently know a lot more about the Xbox Series X compared to the PS5.
The biggest case for that is we already know what the Xbox Series X console looks like, but we still have no idea what the PS5. Obviously, that’s not all there is to it, as the mystifying mystery of what the PS5 console looks like could very much still work in PlayStation’s favour.
However, if you were to ask me what exactly the PS5 has going for it in terms of features and technical specifications, that’s not much I can say that doesn’t sound like I’m just spouting raw data or generic stuff that doesn’t really mean much to the average gamer. PlayStation made that mistake earlier this year with their overly-technical and confusing presentation led by lead designer and engineer Mark Cerny.

In comparison, Xbox has been slowly feeding us easily-digestible snippets of details and information over a period of time, giving us just enough scraps each time to keep us munching with content. Fortunately, these reveals were mostly straightforward and to the point.
For instance, Xbox has been heavily emphasizing on the fact that the Xbox One has full backwards-compatibility support for all previous generations of Xbox consoles and its frankly-ingenious Smart Delivery feature, which allows players to only have to purchase a title once to play on both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear just how extensive the backwards-compatibility support will be on the PS5. Is it going to be all PS4 games or just some of them? What about the PS1, PS2 and PS3 titles?

In addition, PlayStation has also been playing catch-up with Xbox so far with next-gen reveals and announcements. Xbox managed to beat PlayStation to the punch by revealing the Xbox Series X specs and new next-gen controller earlier. PlayStation responded by revealing the PS5 specs with a boring presentation and surprising everyone with the new DualSense controller only last month.

…But They’re Not Perfect

All that being said, Xbox hasn’t been perfect either, prone to making their own mistakes as well. Their recentÂ Inside Xbox Presents First Look Xbox Series X Gameplay live stream was supposed to be another decisive salvo against the competition, but instead, it likely backfired in the eyes of many gamers.
While Xbox promised to showcase a bunch of new titles featuring “gameplay” footage, gamers expecting to see actual gameplay were disappointed to see most cinematic trailers with brief shots of what’s apparently in-engine ‘gameplay’. In almost every trailer featured during the presentation, there were disclaimers stating that the ‘gameplay’ footage being shown were what these games are “expected to look like running on the Xbox Series X”.

Those choices of words don’t exactly inspire much confidence, and did nothing to alleviate the disappointment of gamers. Yes, Xbox previously stated that the presentation would only feature third-party games, but gamers were expecting brand new games that would showcase what next-gen consoles would be capable of.

Instead, of the 13 games featured during the live stream, one was the next entry of the annual EA Sports franchise Madden NFL, and several of them weren’t ‘new’, as they have already been previously revealed in one way or another, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Vampire: The Masquerade â€“ Bloodlines 2, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Even Bright Memory: Infinite is a remastered version of a game that’s been available on Steam Early Access since 2019, while Scorn has had a playable demo on Steam since 2017.

That leaves only seven out of 13 games that can be regarded as truly brand new titles. I’m not touching on the fact that none of these are Xbox exclusives, because Xbox already promised that first-part games will be revealed in another similar presentation sometime in July 2020. Empty promises are something of an old would for Xbox fans, as the Xbox One ultimately never fulfilled its full potential, getting a scant library of true exclusives.
What Next?
Xbox’s first-party game live stream in July 2020 should learn from the mistakes of this one, and feature more actual gameplay footage for fans to see. Showing actual gameplay of Halo Infinite or any other high-profile Xbox exclusive would go a long way in giving Xbox more of an advantage against PlayStation, who has also neglected to show any actual PS5 gameplay footage to date.
In fact, that’s another thing that Xbox has succeeded in doing earlier than PlayStation yet again. At least we’ve seen a glimpse and taste of what the Xbox Series X can do with these not-really-“gameplay” trailers. PlayStation is still keeping mum, with no announced plans for any PS5 live streams or presentations at the time of writing.

PlayStation is pretty much rolling on all the goodwill and positive image generated by the PS4 over the years. If they’re not careful, that’s going to run out soon and not help them much if the Xbox keeps on building hype for their console like this.

At this point, it’s potentially possible for Xbox to stage a comeback and start winning the next-gen console wars before it even officially begins.


Disco Elysium Creators’ Studio Has Dissolved

Sad news for fans of Disco Elysium.
It turns that developers ZA/UM Cultural Association have dissolved, with its key members being pushed out of the company. The members include Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostove, and Helen Hindpere among others. Here’s the official post from founding member Martin Luiga who is still representing ZA/UM.
“I, Martin Luiga, a founding member and Secretary of the ZA/UM cultural association, as well as the assembler of most of the core team, am hereby dissolving the ZA/UM cultural association (not to be confused with the ZA/UM company, on which subject I would note that neither Kurvitz, Hindpere nor Rostov are working there since the end of last year and their leaving the company was involuntary. Which would seem like bad news for the loving fans that are waiting for the Disco sequel.)
The reason for dissolving the cultural organization is that it no longer represents the ethos it was founded on. People and ideas are meant to be eternal; organizations may well be temporary. I find that the organization was successful overall and most of the mistakes that were made were contingent, determined by the sociocultural conditions we were thrown into. I still encourage people to organize, and I would say that one of the qualities that the ZA/UM cultural organization sorely lacked was pretty much any formal structure.”

While a Disco Elysium sequel is being developed by the company formerly known as ZA/UM, the key folks who made the game have left. Below are additional tweets from Martin Luiga concerning the situation.

Nah I think that things with the sequel are actually sweet enough, you might even get it the way it was meant, it might take a shit ton of time but RPG fans are sorta accustomed to waiting, ain't they
— ?Luiga? (@martinluiga) October 1, 2022

The money people come from a background which says you gotta grab when you can even when it in fact does not make much economic sense.
— ?Luiga? (@martinluiga) October 1, 2022


PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Finally Leaves Early Access

After over 25 million copies sold, the massively popular battle royale and crawling simulator, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds finally leaves early access and is now available on sale as a full game.
With the release of ver.1.0 of the game, players are treated with a new map, given the ability to vault over obstacles (finally), reworked ballistics, improved vehicles controls, the addition of killcams and a staple of other shooter games, spectator modes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TOSV3-7hzU&w=560&h=315]
The game was recently made available on the Xbox One and faced a multitude of performance issues at launch but since then have improved as developers Bluehole Studios sought to remedy it. Speaking to CNET,Â CEO and executive producer C.H. Kim promised that there are more things to come with PUBG in the near future “This is just one of many milestones we’ve promised our fans when we started Early Access… it doesn’t mean we’re done with the game,” says Kim. “We’ll be continuing to add new content and continue to fine-tune the gameplay mechanics persistently.” he added.
Commenting on the game’s esports potential, Kim had this to say:Â “Next year we have some thoughts about being a little more aggressive trying to run leagues and tournaments around PUBG.”


You’ll Be Seeing Stranger Things In Dead By Daylight

We’ve seen the horrifying monsters and killers from other popular films and games such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Left 4 Dead, Scream, and more appear in Dead by Daylight. The next chapter of DLC will be featuring new characters and a monster from Stranger Things.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zRQA8W51sY&w=560&h=315]
The biggest addition in the DLC is the new Underground Complex map based on the location where most of the bad scientific experiments happen in the small town of Hawkins. It will be tainted by the familiar tentacles and snow-like dust that characterises the Upside Down alternate dimension.
New Killers are usually the most exciting part of new DLCs. This time, we’re getting the flower-faced Demogorgon. It comes with the “Of The Abyss” Power which will allow it to place portals to traverse the map quickly. It will also have 3 perks: Surge, Cruel Limits, and Mindbreaker.
On the part of new Survivors, we’re getting stubborn investigator Nancy Wheeler and my favourite ice cream man Steve Harrington. Nancy’s perks are Better Together, Fixated, and Inner Strength. Steve gets Babysitter, Camaraderie, and Second Wind.
The Stranger Things Chapter is out now for PC and consoles.


Resident Evil Village Demo: How To Reset The Demo Timer

The Resident Evil Village demo for PC is live now, and still comes with a 30-minute timer (per section) like the PS5 version. And in typical fashion, someone’s found a way to bypass that restriction.
See, the demo is set to a timer, giving you one hour to roam the castle grounds and village. Once these 60 minutes are up, you have to wait for the game to come out on 7th May. Of course, someone figured out how to get around that. Here’s how (via Steam):

Disable Steam Cloud for the RE Village demo.
Download the Steam SAM (Steam Achievement Manager).
Delete your local savefiles. The default location is (<DRIVE>:\Steam\userdata\<YOUR STEAM ID>\1541780\remote\win64_save\).
Start the Steam SAM.
Select the RE Village demo.
Remove achievements and stats; confirm this selection.

There’s a number of steps, but you’ll be able to have another go at the demo’s castle and village grounds.
RE Village will be out in a few days: 7th May to be exact, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC. Here’s a video of one of the game’s main baddies for you to gawk at check out.


These Are Your 2019 Formula 1 New Balance Esports Teams

Formula 1 has always been the pinnacle of motorsports, with it’s cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art race tracks, and now it is coming to its third season of the Formula 1 New Balance Esports series.

For the first time ever, 10 teams will be competing for a grand prize of USD 500,000 (RM2.09 million). The Prancing Horse makes its appearance this season.
The racing teams are:

Ferrari
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsports
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Alfa Romeo Racing
McLaren F1 Team
Rich Energy Haas F1 Team
Renault F1 Team
Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda
SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team
ROKiT Williams Racing

The addition of Ferrari this season makes this the biggest and most ambitious season yet!
Format
All teams will take part in the Pro Draft which will happen in July for two days and is where the official F1 teams will select the drivers they want to add to their roster to represent them in the Pro Series. A number of high stakes race-offs on day one will identify the best of the best from the drivers that successfully navigated the online qualifying phase.
The slowest drivers will be sent home while the fastest makes the cut into the final pool from which the teams will make their picks on day two. Each team must select a driver from the Pro Draft.
After the Pro Draft, the teams will compete in the Pro Series, with a total of 12 races being contested over four live events between September and December 2019. In the Pro Series, the drivers will compete on F1 2019 by Codemasters, the official game of the FIA Formula One World Championship.
The prize of USD 500,000 (RM2.09 million) is more than double of last year’s prize fund.
Vroom Vroom
This series seems to be a high-octane esports with neck-to-neck finishes across the line. Petrolheads like me will definitely be attracted to this form of esports as it fills the gap between regular Formula 1 and esports Formula 1. Not to mention, we might see a new Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 New Balance Esports series.
In fact, Malaysia has one similar esports spearheaded by former Formula 1 pilot, Alex Yoong, and his team, Axle Motorsports. Another interesting fact is that you can already sign up for this event if you’re interested.


Metroidvania Game The Last Faith Launches This October

During the Future Games Show 2023, Playstack and Kumi Souls Games announced that The Last Faith will launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC in October 2023. Registration for a limited beta test coming this summer is now available via the official website.
A dark, gothic fusion of Metroidvania and souls-like. The Last Faith thrives on merciless and precise combat with a huge range of weapons, firearms, and custom executions at your disposal.
This atmospheric new trailer showcases more of The Last Faith‘s painstakingly hand-crafted environments and the horrifying enemies that lead protagonist Eryk will encounter during his journey across the ravaged world of false deities. We also have a first look at the arsenal of unique weapons and abilities Eryk has at his disposal.
In addition, the trailer provides a tease of the lore of The Last Faith‘s world and introduces more menacing and intimidating bosses, along with mysterious characters who will aid Eryk along the way, all against the backdrop of the game’s epic and haunting soundtrack.
Check out the trailer below:


The Razer Huntsman Mini Analog Brings Analog Switches To Compact Keyboards

Razer today announced the new Huntsman Mini Analog, the first compact 60% keyboard available on the market with Razerâ€™s proprietary Analog Optical Switches, giving gamers superb levels of precision, performance, and control in a small, portable form factor.
Fitted with Razer Analog Optical Switches, the Huntsman Mini Analog brings a finer degree of control to gaming with adjustable analog sensitivity presets, and double keymapping for digital/analog inputs. This allows users to enjoy fine throttle-control or steering in racing games or assign two functions to a single key depending on how hard the key is pressed, to have both walk and sprint on a single button in an FPS.

For maximum durability, the Huntsman Mini Analog is topped with Doubleshot PBT keycaps, for a long-lasting, textured finish, retaining their crisp looks even after extended use. An aluminium construction further adds to the overall durability of the keyboard, while the detachable Type-C cable guarantees easy portability.
The Huntsman Mini Analog is the first 60% gaming keyboard on the market to feature Razer Analog Optical Switches, making it ideal for LAN players, fans of minimalist gaming set-ups, or those looking to save space, whilst giving users the fine control and precision demanded by todayâ€™s games.
It will be available for purchase at S$219 / RM669 starting from 4 March 2022 at the following sites: online at Razer.com, in-store at RazerStore locations, and at selected retailers/etailers:
Singapore:

https://www.lazada.sg/shop/razer-flagship-store/?path=index.htm
https://shopee.sg/razerflagshipstore

Malaysia:

https://www.lazada.com.my/shop/razer1629966872/?path=promotion-31638-0.htm&tab=promotion
https://shopee.com.my/razer.os


Steam’s Search Function Gets New Features

Steam has issued an update for its humble search function, allowing users to better tailor the function to their preferences.

Originally part of the experimental Steam Labs initiative, the new features include the ability to narrow displayed games by price, tags, and language. You can also exclude games that you already own or that are VR-only, or choose to only see special offers.
In addition, there’s an infinite scroll to let you scroll through results for eternity. If you’d prefer to click on pages, Steam says that you can switch back to the old paginated view via Store Preferences.
While they don’t sound ground-breaking, these are very welcome changes that make the search experience a lot better. Being somewhat of a cheapskate, I’m especially a fan of the price-narrowing function and the special offers filter.


Call Of Duty Vanguard Officially Brings Us Back To World War 2

Activision and Sledgehammer Games have officially announced Call Of Duty Vanguard, the next entry in the long-running military FPS franchise. It is the first game in the series to be set in the World War 2 era since 2017’s Call Of Duty WW2.
Call Of Duty Vanguard will feature a story campaign, along with a multiplayer mode and integration with Call Of Duty Warzone. According to Sledgehammer, the narrative will cover â€œthe untold stories of multinational heroes that formed Task Force One, changing the face of history and setting the stage for special forces as we know it”.
Experience combat through a story of the multinational soldiers who came together to form Task Force One and set the stage for Special Forces as we know it. These are the heroes of Call of Duty: Vanguard:

Sergeant Arthur Kingsley, 9th Parachute Battalion, British Army
Lieutenant Polina Petrova of the 138th Rifle Division, Red Army
Lieutenant Wade Jackson, Scouting Squadron Six, United States Navy
Private Lucas Riggs, 20th Battalion, Australian 9th Infantry Division, British Eighth Army

Through the gripping narrative and remarkable journey of these steeled soldiers, players will experience influential battles across four theaters of World War II as they engage enemies across the Eastern and Western Fronts of Europe and fight for the free world throughout the Pacific and North Africa.

For the game’s multiplayer, there will be 20 maps at launch and game modes including â€œChampion Hillâ€ where players duel solo or in squads of two or three. There will also be a Zombies mode developed by Black Ops developer Treyarch, which will continue the story from last year’s Black Ops Cold War.
Vanguard is a cross-generation title, meaning players can party up with friends on PS4 and PS5, for a truly connected experience. And when you move over to a PS5 console, youâ€™ll take your profile, progression, and stats with you.
The Battle Pass system also returns, allowing you to unlock post-launch content with unified progression across both Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone. As always, you can unlock items like base weapons, customization items, and more, simply by playing the game.
Call Of Duty Vanguard will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 5 November 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Persona 3 Reload & Persona 5 Tactica Officially Revealed

During Xbox Games Showcase, Atlus and SEGA officially revealed Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Tactica after the games were leaked several days ago after the Summer Game Fest 2023.
ATLUS has announced Persona 3 Reload for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC (Microsoft Store). It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. No other platforms have been listed so far. It will launch in early 2024.

ATLUS has announced Persona 5 Tactica for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC (Microsoft Store). No other platforms have been listed so far. It will launch on 17 November 2023.

These games will likely also launch for the PS4 and PS5, but Atlus will probably announce that at a later date, just like it was with Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable.


The Capcom Holiday Sale Is Offering Crazy Discounts

The Capcom Holiday Sale has begun, with a huge line-up of selected titles now up to 80 percent off.
You can now purchase the digital version ofÂ each title with a special discount on the PlayStation Store and Steam. Numerous Capcom famous series like Resident Evil,Â  Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Street Fighter and more are having different promotions on both main gamesÂ and DLC.
Availability for each platform
PlayStation Store: Until 8 January 2021Â
Steam: Until 5 January 2021Â
Koreaï¼šhttps://www.asia.capcom.com/sale/sale02-3T5Zk/kr/Â
Indonesiaï¼šhttps://www.asia.capcom.com/sale/sale02-3T5Zk/id/Â
Singaporeï¼šhttps://www.asia.capcom.com/sale/sale02-3T5Zk/sg/Â
Malaysiaï¼šhttps://www.asia.capcom.com/sale/sale02-3T5Zk/my/Â
Philippinesï¼šhttps://www.asia.capcom.com/sale/sale02-3T5Zk/ph/


Matt Reeves’ The Batman Confirmed To Be On Different Earth In Another Universe

During the DC FanDome Multiverse 101 panel, DC Films president Walter Hamada discussed the concept of the Multiverse in the context of the movies and TV series, revealing that Matt Reeves’ The Batman will exist on a different Earth on another universe separate from the DCEU, on which movies like Justice League and Shazam take place on.
“What the multiverse allows you to do is sort of lean into this idea of you can tell just great stories and you don’t have to really be as focused on it, and it has to fit within a singular continuity–on one Earth. We have the Gal [Gadot] and Jason [Momoa] and Ezra [Miller] version of the Justice League, and we can continue telling those stories. While on a separate Earth, we don’t have to worry about the continuity. We can have a more grounded real year two Batman and build out that world, and not really worry about continuity story elements.It’s really kind of the best of both worlds and allows us to take advantage of everything that’s great about what we’ve done, and really allow us to sort of expand moving forward.And we’re trying to keep it as simple as that, like there is that one Earth–the greater Earth–of this existing Justice League, and then the beginnings of another Earth that is sort of happening in its early stages of year two Batman.”
In addition, Hamada also confirmed that 2019’s Joker takes place on its own Earth, and not in the same universe as either the DCEU or Matt Reeve’s The Batman.
This is good news for fans of Ben Affleck’s Batman, as it means that he will be able to exist side by side with Robert Pattinson’s version of the Dark Knight. Affleck will be reprising his role in 2022’s The Flash.


The Playable Console Wars Continue With New Neptunia PS4 Game In 2020

Japanese developer Compile Heart has announced VVVtunia, the latest spinoff in the Neptunia franchise. It is slated to arrive in Japan sometime in 2020, which will also be the franchise’s 10th anniversary.
The Neptunia franchise is a unique one in the oversaturated anime-esque JRPG landscape. Instead of fantasy or science fiction tropes, it decides to go the smart meta route, by featuring a world populated by nations and people that act as representations of real-world consoles.
The Neptunia games are set in a world called Gamindustri (game industry? Get it?), where there are four nations each ruled by a CPU or goddess, including Planeptune (Sega Saturn), Lastation (PlayStation), Lowee (Nintendo Wii), and Leanbox (Xbox). It’s essentially a world where a literal and actual Console Wars (that’s even what the conflict is referred to in-game) is taking place.
VVVtunia is a spinoff which will focus on the four aforementioned goddesses teaming up with the virtual idol group Mewtral to save the digital world â€œVirtual Land.â€ Mewtral consists of six idols, with only the first two confirmed so far, Yuu and Mii.

Instead of the traditional turn-based combat, gameplay in VVVtunia will be closer to a casual shooter of sorts, where the four goddesses will battle enemies while the new virtual idols can attack with their own combos as well.
It’s unclear when or if VVVtunia will receive a localized version for release outside of Japan. In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer for the upcoming game below, or head on over to the official website here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTzSJiz0rnI&w=560&h=315]


FIFA 21 Adds Stylish New Collections In Volta Football

Starting from today, new content and cosmetics are being added to FIFA 21‘s Volta Football for a limited time with the PARK Social Soccer Collection.
EA continues to elevate the authentic culture, creativity and style of the futsal-inspired mode, offering new ways for fans to customize their in-game experience.

PARK Co-founder and CEO Sam Davy said:
â€œPARK exists to create equal opportunity through the universal love of soccer and the language of art. For every ball purchased, PARK’s Pass-A-Ball Project passes another ball to a child in need.Through this partnership with EA Sports and FIFA 21, weâ€™ll be able to give thousands of kids the opportunity to play football. In a year where our virtual connections to others have become more important than ever, this in-game activation enables everyone to get involved, regardless of where they are in the world. This is social change at its most accessible.â€

Nowhere FC Collection: Known as the worlds artificial football club, their signature style and ties to the small-sided game lets fans showcase a truly one of a kind look.

adidas x KakÃ¡ Collection: This partnership with iconic footballer KakÃ¡ lets fans embrace their inner Samba on the virtual pitch with an array of high-performance, stylish swag.

Real Madrid x adidas Collection: Fans can don The Three Stripes in the cages and streets of Volta Football through a collaboration that has spanned generations, both on and off the pitch.
FIFA 21 is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will also launch for the PS5 and Xbox Series X on 4 December 2020.


Back To The Future Hot Toys Goes Back To The Wild West

Hot Toys has announced Back to the Future Part III – 1/6th scale Marty McFly Collectible Figure.
Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean time machine, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.
The stunningly detailed collectible figure is specially crafted based on the appearance of Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future III, featuring a newly developed head sculpt and cowboy hat with amazing likeness, screen accurate costume, a brown patterned poncho, cowboy scarf, an array of weapon and accessories including pistol, bullet proof stove plate, pie dish, framed photo from Doc Brown, photo of Docâ€™s tomb, communicator with battery, hoverboard and a figure stand.
Check it out below:
https://www.facebook.com/hottoys/posts/10158235479207344


River City Ransom Gets A Romance Of The Three Kingdoms Makeover

Arc System Works just showed off new footage of its upcoming Kunio-kun game, which is the Japanese series that led to the River City Ransom titles -the most recent title being River City Girls.
The new game is called Kunio-kun’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but you can just call it River City Saga: Three Kingdoms. It’s a co-op beat-em-up RPG title that takes place in the 14th-century Three Kingdoms historical setting. Except instead of Zhou Cang and Cao Xiu, you play as Kunio and his thug life pals.
The whole game will be in 2D with Kunio-kun sprites and artwork being front and centre. The game will feature 2-player online and also local co-op gameplay. Check out the gameplay below; River City Saga: Three Kingdoms will be out for Nintendo Switch in December 2021 in Japan. The PS4 and PC versions will only be out after April 2022.


Here’s Why It Took Zombieland 2 Ten Years To Arrive

2009’s Zombieland will finally be receiving a sequel later this year in the form of Zombieland: Double Tap. However, fans must be wondering why took so long (a decade) for Zombieland 2 to happen. Director Ruben Fleischer actually has a valid reason for that.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fleischer said:

â€œThe easy answer is, I think we all wanted to stretch our legs a little bit and try different things.
I think we were all excited to do other stuff.
But, the other thing is, we just couldnâ€™t figure out the right story to tell.
It took a minute to get a story that we all felt was worthy, to come back to Zombieland for.
We all have so much love for the original. So, we hold ourselves to a really high standard as far as making sure that, if we were going to make a sequel, that it be at least as good, if not better, than the original.
And that ultimately all comes down to the script. So, we were all demanding and discerning to make sure the story was one that was worth getting the gang back together.
Sometimes it does take time to get that right.â€

Fans would know that the first Zombieland movie had the kind of open ending with a sense of finality that didn’t tease a sequel, but one that definitely left the room open to more sequels.
Zombieland is sort of the American take on Shaun Of The Dead, but the latter never did receive a sequel. Just because a sequel can be made doesn’t mean that it has to be made, unless there’s a good story to tell.
As for the prospect of a Zombieland 3, Fleischer had this to say:

â€œWe have to see how this oneâ€™s received and if thatâ€™s something audiences would want.
But I think we all had so much fun making this one, weâ€™d be really lucky to get to return to Zombieland.
 Although, I will say, Emma said, she thought it would be fun if we did one of these every 10 years.
Knowing that Woodyâ€™s just the healthiest guy there is, heâ€™s going to outlive all of us, and so we can just keep doing them every 10 years, â€˜til the end of time.â€

The idea of a Zombieland movie every ten years is certainly an interesting concept, and one that fans will surely get on board with. However, like Fleischer pointed out, we’ll have to see how successful Zombieland: Double Tap will be when it releases worldwide on 18 October 2019.
In the meantime, rewatch the recently-revealed trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ&w=560&h=315]


Star Wars Andor Episode 6 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The sixth episode of Star Wars Andor is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Andor here.
The Andor series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor and is joined by cast members Genevieve O’Reilly (who will portray a young Mon Mothma), Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough and Kyle Soller. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. Tony Gilroy is the creator and showrunner.
In the meantime, check out my interview with Andor actors Kyle Soller and Denise Gough by heading over here for the written article, or you can watch the entire interview below:

Check out my breakdown of the first three episodes of Andor, Episode 4 and Episode 5 here.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.

A Tie Fighter

This whole episode is the heist execution episode, so there are not many easter eggs to talk about. However, it’s nice to see an Imperial TIE pilot with their iconic helmets. It never gets old.
And of course, TIE fighters themselves.

Taramyn And Nemik Dies

During the heist, Taramyn (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) dies.
Meanwhile, Nemik (Alex Lawther) gets crushed by the money/credits they robbed and dies.

Cassian Kills Skeen

Skeen (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) proposed that they run away and escape with the money that they just robbed.
Cassian proceeds to shoot him first.
There you go, Star Wars fans, there’s no doubt here.
Cassian shot first.
Our First Visit To The Galactic Senate

We’ve previously never seen much of the Galactic Senate during the reign of the Empire. That’s because Emperor Palpatine officially dissolved the Imperial Senate immediately before the Battle Of Yavin, which takes place in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope. Here, we see Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) speaking, but no one pays attention to her and is instead speaking amongst themselves.
This shows how useless the Galactic Imperial Senate was, and how it was all just for show, with all of the power in the hands of the Emperor.
The Starkiller Armour Again

The armour is Starkiller’s Sith Stalker set from the Star Wars Force Unleashed games, which the protagonist wears if players choose the game’s evil ending

That’s all for this week, folks. A lot of people died this week, so we’re probably heading into a new status quo next week. We’re halfway through Season 1, with only six episodes left.
Until next week, excelsior!


Invincible Animated Adaptation Will Feature Zachary Quinto & Khary Payton

Image’s Invincible comic series, a story about teen Mark Grayson as he grows up to be a superhero, is getting an animated adaptation exclusively on Amazon. It’s getting quite an impressive voice cast including Steven “Glen” Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Zazie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Jason Mantzoukas, Mae Whitman, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Sandra Oh.
That list is getting better, as it now has Zachary Quinto and Khary Payton according to Hollywood Reporter. Here’s the breakdown on who will play who.
Steven Yeun – Mark Grayson/Invincible

J.K. Simmons – Omni Man

Zachary Quinto – Robot

Khary Payton – Black Samson

This should be interesting; Zachary Quinto as Robot is perfect casting given the context of the series from start to finish. We should be hearing more about the show soon enough. There’s no release date or year for Invincible just yet.


Diablo 4 To Support DLSS At Launch; Find Out Why That’s A Big Deal

Frame-rate savvy PC gamers, rejoice! DLSS is coming to Diablo 4.
The game, which is slated for PC and consoles on 6 June this year, will be getting DLSS 3 upscaling support from the get-go.
“Supporting smooth gameplay in Diablo 4 is a priority for Blizzard. We’re excited by the high frame rate of Diablo 4 running on Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series hardware and DLSS 3.”
That should be promising, considering how the game’s current minimum specs are, which isn’t that demanding to begin with. Still, DLSS 3 is an RTX 40-series exclusive feature and that requires a RM5,000 or so commitment. Why is this a big deal? Because DLSS 3 adds additional frames to make your games run smoother and sharper than usual. It’s a manual FPS boost to go alongside computers with speedy SSDs.
Other PC titles that feature DLSS include Forza Horizon 5, Redfall, and The Finals, so it’s getting to be quite a trend for high-end PC gamers.


SteamSpy Creator Talks About Epic Games Store’s Place In PC Gaming

Want to find out if the new PC game distribution store from Epic Games is worth jumping ship to? Well, why not hear it from Sergey Galyonkin, the guy who created SteamSpy and is now on-board the good ship Epic Games as Director of Publishing Strategy?
According to a recent game podcast episode from KDI Cast (via ResetEra user daxy), perhaps the Epic Games store should not be getting too much flak seeing as its competitor Steam isn’t really as “developer-influenced” as one would think.
Let’s break it down.
Steam isn’t quite the institution in PC gaming as one would think
After all, half of Fortnite players (which exceeded 200 million last we checked) have Steam installed, but 60% of that number do not actively use it.
To hammer that point across, Hello Neighbor creator TinyBuild stated that Steam made up the smallest share of its game. Most of their sales came directly from their website. When they were giving out Steam keys of their game, they were bombarded with questions on what to do with them, which means that the game isn’t targeting the correct demographic within Steam.
Hence, they jump on-board the Epic train for visibility and relevance purposes.
Discovering games on the Epic Game Store is a little more traditional(?)
Galyonkin said on the show that discovery on the EGS will primarily take placeÂ outsideÂ of the store. He draws parallels to a book store or movie theatre. You usually know what you’re going to buy or attend before going there rather than looking through what’s available to make your decision. New and featured releases will be shown on the storefront.
The EGS’s front page will not focus on algorithm-based discovery like Valve. The primary way of “discovering” games will be throughÂ influencers– developers giving out copies of their game to influencers through the EGS and, in return, influencers giving visibility to these games in some capacity. This is basically their analog to Steamâ€™s curators.
There’s a more organic developer-influencer dynamic in the store’s back-end
Basically, developers on EGSS provide influencers with referral links to their games, which gives content creators and the like the possibility to earn a share of the game’s sale if it is bought through them.
Here’s the kicker. Epic has stated on its blog that “[to] jumpstart the creator economy, Epic will cover the first 5% of creator revenue-sharing for the first 24 months.” This is dealing with the store’s launch, not a particular game’s launch,Â which means that in 2021, if developers want their game to gain visibility, they will be losing a share of their cut for a subset of sales.
Galyonkin expects market standards to develop and the rate will settle for certain types of games. He gives the example of a 20% cut being used by indies, while larger publisher-backed games might go for something like 5%. While this will not likely account for the lionâ€™s share of a gameâ€™s sales, Galyonkin expected that comparatively smaller independent developers would allow a larger cut of their per-game revenue.
If weâ€™re to assume that by 2021 the rate for indies will indeed settle at around 20%, the percentage margin per unit that they get would be 68% — lower than Steam even. Does this mean that EGS will encourage more referral linkage action with influencers and even play fair with journalists and press? Perhaps; Galyonkin did mention that asÂ  long as applicants for codes from devs are honest, the Support-A-Creator program will give creators and journos their dues.
Customer reviews will be scrutinized further
The major difference between this platform and Steam in terms of customer reviews? The prevention of review-bombing. Galyonkin talks about some of the solutions to review bombing that Epic has been looking into.
One of these is a pop-up message asking a player to review a game after having closed it; the idea is that only a certain subset of players will then get to review it, and it isn’t something everyone can do at any time. Another option he mentioned was only allowing or displaying the reviews of people who have recently played the game. Or using a numerical system instead of the like/dislike approach (of Steam), an algorithm then monitors review scores, and extremes are removed to normalize the (final) score.
Epic Games is currently still figuring out how to best approach it. For now, however, developers will not be able to directly moderate reviews. Similar to Steam, if thereâ€™s some issue with a review, a developer can flag it for evaluation by Epic.
The EGS interface will be consumer-friendly…
…eventually. Epic Games know that its current interface is for developers at the moment. They’ll get around to fixing it eventually with a new client, a new look, cloud save features (around February), and an achievements system (by the end of 2019).
EGS is open to a self-publishing model
This may be a big one for indies all around the world. Galyonkin states that the 12% cut that the EGS gets for their services is not planned to be raised over time. It might get lower, however, if they will be able to eventually cut a better deal with payment processing companies.
In about five to six years’ time, he expects to achieve 50% of Steam’s userbase. However, he doesn’t know yet roughly how many Fortnite players will convert to buyers of other games, as it’s too early to tell.
Here’s another kicker: EGS will not have massive game sales like Steam. The reason? Such events effectively kill off sales for games that don’t participate in them as well as for new games that launch right before that event. Instead, games on sale will be featured alongside non-sale games.
The EGS will try to give developers as much info on players as is “legally possible” â€“ more than on Steam. Galyonkin says that youâ€™ll be able to see what other games they play and what genres they like. Partners can disclose their own sales data, but Epic isnâ€™t allowed to. Additionally, in certain instances, developers will be able to see what domains people came from to find their store page and find out whether that converted into a sale or not.
Long Story Short….

The EGS’s audience and target market are clearly different from Steam. EGS is tailored more for the hardcore who want to look for more curios and exclusive PC games outside of their comfort zone, while Steam is “E” for everyone. That’s not derogatory for the latter; different strokes for different folks, right?
The influencers getting a cut of the sales can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, game media folks and personalities can help out indie devs and publishers get a not-so-well-known game across. On the other, influencers can always project fun to trick people into playing a possibly-mediocre title for their gain.
Oh, and in case you aren’t convinced about EGS’ possible dominance in the PC distribution space? Galyonkin said to expect more console-only ports to come onto the platform in the future. So what’s next after Journey?


The vivo V27e Aura Portrait Smartphone Launches In Malaysia Next Week

Vivo Malaysia has announced that the ‘Instagrammable’ Aura Portrait smartphone – vivo V27e will launch on 1 March 2023.
Equipped with a 64MP OIS Ultra-Sensing camera, 2MP bokeh and 2MP macro camera in the rear and a 32MP selfie camera at the front, the vivo V27e lives up to its tagline “Aura Portrait, For Picture-perfect Night”.
As the first V series featuring the circular Aura Light, vivo V27e allows users to capture picture-perfect night portrait even in a low-light environment. The Aura Light is a great feature to have especially for aspiring content creators, as the ring light is now available at the push of a button. The Aura Light will intelligently adjust its brightness level and emit a soft glow rather than a harsh flash, creating a studio-like setting.

vivo V27e comes in two trendy colours – Lavender Purple and Glory Black. To provide a unique aesthetic design, vivo uses the nano-scale photo etching technique to produce a flowing feather pattern coating onto the purple surface at the back of phone with exquisite brush strokes. The shining and shimmering design looks just like a lavender blooming in the garden.
For more details and information, you can follow vivo Malaysia’s official Facebook Page.