E3 2021: The Full Schedule For Malaysia Time [Update]

After a year of hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer of gaming and Electronic Entertainment Expo are back again. Even if it’s in an online capacity, we can expect a huge showcase of new and upcoming games being shown in the dead of night back here in Southeast Asia.
Here are the times and schedules for all of the E3 2021 (and summer of gaming) content this June & July, starting this week. All times listed here are in GMT+8 (Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines).
Indie Live Expo 2021 (5th June)

The Indie Live Expo is a Japanese games event that is taking place in June. It’s not E3-related, but it’s still part of the “summer of gaming” collective. The Indie Expo will showcase over 300 games on 5th June 9pm.

Watch It On: YouTube, Twitter, Twitch
Guerrilla Collection (5th June)

Here’s another “summer of gaming” showcase that’s not related to E3. Still, it’s worth checking out if you love indie games. This year’s lineup includes fresh titles like Super Space Club and Trifox. Hopefully we’ll be getting surprises like Valheim and Boyfriend Dungeon when this livestream starts 5th June 11pm and caps off on 12th June 11pm.
Watch It On: Twitch
Battlefield Reveal (9th June)

EA’s next big Battlefield game will debut next week on 9th June, 10pm. We can expect more 64-player wartime fighting and FPS action, and maybe some words about the Battlefield mobile spin-off.
Watch it On: Twitch
Summer Gaming Festival (11th June)

Do you like to see video game host guy Geoff Keighley mug on camera and talk about games while letting developers also talk about games before the camera pans back to his smug face? Then you’ll love this livestream!
In all seriousness, we appreciate Geoff for doing a show like this that highlights the not-so-well-known games in the market. You can tune in to the Geoff Keighley show on 11th June 2am.
Watch It On: Website
Koch Primetime (12th June)

Need some Koch in you? Strap on and hear the latest from this publisher as they will announce new games in the Metro, Saints Row, and TimeSplitters franchises, alongside some other new titles. Watch some Koch gaming action this 12th June 3am.
Watch It On: Twitch
Wholesome Direct (13th June)

If you want your gaming showcases to be nothing but just slice-of-life simulations, Animal Crossing clones, and lo-fi titles, this Wholesome Direct is for you. Tune into this chillax show on 13th June 1am.
Watch It On: YouTube
Gearbox Software (13th June)
Thanks to a recent announcement of an E3 2021 pre-show starting at 1am, we’ll get to find out what Gearbox and its publishing arm is up to.
Watch it on: Twitch
Ubisoft Forward (13th June)

On the first day of E3 2021, Ubisoft will be spearheading the charge with its brand of open world games and action-adventure titles. We’ll be hearing more about Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Assassin’s Creed DLC, and a boatload of other games. Who knows? Maybe we might hear more about Beyond Good & Evil 2 and that Prince of Persia remake. You know, right after hell freezes over and pigs start flying.
Check out the action on 13 June 3am.
Watch It On: YouTube
Devolver Digital Showcase (13 June)

Your dose of yearly bizarre press conference nonsense will be sated by the Devolver Digital group. The question is: what time?

Probably June 12.
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) May 11, 2021

Welp, it’ll start at 4:30am. We’ll be seeing more of Phantom Abyss (FPS Indiana Jones), and a bunch of brand-new games.
Watch It On: YouTube
Xbox & Bethesda (14th June)

Xbox and Bethesda will be contributing a major showcase at E3 2021 week. We’re guessing we’ll be seeing a lot of news on Halo Infinite, Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6, Forza Horizon 5, and Everwild. We may even get a number of new games exclusive to the platform and solely for Xbox Series.
See the future of gaming take shape when these behemoths pop up on 14th June 1am.
Watch It On: YouTube
Square Enix E3 Showcase (14th June)

Square Enix will be showing off its games during E3 week, with the rumoured Final Fantasy spinoff being one of them. And also a bunch of other games like Forspoken, Final Fantasy XIV’s new DLC, Babylon’s Fall, and Life is Strange 3. AIl this and more at 14th June, 3:15am.

Come hungry! ?#SquareEnixPresents returns for #E32021 on June 13 at 12:15pm PT / 8:15pm BST.
We’re serving up a world premiere from @EidosMontreal, an update on @BabylonsFall_EN, a closer look at @LifeIsStrange #TrueColors, and more!https://t.co/OkQNhggBIu pic.twitter.com/wHM9NRy9Ap
— Square Enix (@SquareEnix) June 3, 2021

Watch It On: YouTube
PC Gaming Show (14th June)

Want to see Sean “Day9” mug on camera and crack awkward jokes while letting PC game developers show off their games? Then this show is for you.
Watch It On: YouTube
Future Games Show (14th June)

Presented by GamesRadar, the Future Games Show is a “double-header digital show” and will go back-to-back with the PC Gaming Show. Expect new console games being shown here on this Future Publishing endeavour.
Watch It On: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook
Capcom Showcase (15th June)

Capcom will be showing off its new games like the upcoming Great Ace Attorney on 15th June 5:30am.
Watch It On: YouTube
E3 2021 Awards Show (15th June)

The Entertainment Software Association will host the official E3 Awards Show. Panelists from many publications will determine the winners from titles that will be showcased during the four-day live E3 2021 broadcast.
Limited Run Games Showcase (15th June)
The distributor known for specialized small limited edition runs of games will be hosting a showcase later on 15th June, 4:00am. Expect news on physical rereleases of classic games and retro titles.
Watch It On: Twitch
Nintendo E3 Direct (16th June)

Nintendo’s going to show off its new Nintendo Switch Pro. Apart from that, expect more news on new Mario games, Donkey Kong projects, Metroid Prime, and maybe even Bayonetta 3. Either way, this 40-minute show is going to be a blast for Switch owners, scheduled for 16th June 0:00 (15th June after 11:59pm).
Watch It On: YouTube
Bandai Namco (16th June)
The house that published Tekken 7 and anime games will have its own showcase during the E3 2021 broadcast. Bandai Namco’s showcase will be at 5:25am.
Watch It On: YouTube
Nacon Connect (7th July)
Nacon Connect is back with a slew of game reveals this 7th July at 1:00am.
Watch It On: Twitch
Tennocon 2021 (July)
Tennocon 2021 is an online conference dedicated to the free-to-play MMORPG Warframe. The event will be all day on 17th July and will cover the history of Warframe and its future content & DLC.
Tennocon participants can also purchase special digital content and merchandise packs to commemorate the 2021 event, which will most likely be more Warframes, skins, pets, and weapon types.
Watch It On: Twitch
EA Play Live (23 July)
EA hasn’t revealed much about its summer games showcase except that it’s happening this July. There’s even no time set as of yet, but you can bet it’ll be showing off the next Battlefield game, the next Dragon Age title, and a slew of other games and a Codemasters racing title.
Watch It On: YouTube, Twitch

Full Schedule For Worldwide Use (via Twitter’s Cheesemeister)


Netflix Cancels Resident Evil Series After One Season

Netflix announced that it is cancelling the Resident Evil series after just one season, much to the surprise of no one.
Not even the pivotal charisma of Lance Reddick could save the series from being axed, a month after its release (via Deadline). The series debuted in second place on Netflix’s top 10 with 72.7 million hours viewed, but had no meaningful rise in the next few weeks. The show was reviewed poorly by critics and viewers via a 55% critical rating at Rotten Tomatoes, except for outliers like GameSpot which gave it a stellar review for reasons beyond our comprehension.
Though to be fair, Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker was the best part of the show, whether it was intentionally serious or unintentionally funny. Plus, some of the CGI for the monsters weren’t too shabby. These things aren’t enough to put the show beyond its mediocre offering and tryhard attitude.
No word on whether Capcom will be greenlighting more Netflix adaptations in the future. After all, Dragon’s Dogma and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness aren’t going to make a dent on Arcane’s throne.


New South Korean Mobile RPG Eversoul Slated For 2023

By South Korean publishers Kakao Games, developed by Nine Ark Inc., and operated by Glohow, originally known as Soul Artifact, Eversoul is the latest mobile RPG that debuted at G-Star 2022 and has officially been announced to launch globally next year in 2023 (excluding part of the areas).
About

Eversoul is a collectable RPG in a highly detailed 2D art style with gorgeous visuals. With its sci-fi worldview, every plot of the story can indulge the players in. Moreover, with the convenient system of automatic battle and collecting of various ‘bishoujos’ to form a team for fighting against the enemies, the multiple approaches of gameplay will enable the players to put the game down. Other than that, one of the main features of the game is that the players can go on a date or send a gift to various ‘bishoujos’ to create memories and build bonds with them in a dating-sim-like system to increase “Bond Points”.
In the meanwhile, the team has also revealed the core character, Mephistopheles. In the world of Eversoul, she, the tiny elf, pilots the ark “Metatron” alone to save the human world—Eden, which is facing great danger. She and Queen Yulia hold a summoning ritual and pick you—the chosen one—from the other side of their world.

Furthermore, the “Join the Ark! Fan Page Milestone Event” has begun on the official Facebook page on 17 November. Invite players to follow the Facebook page as when the fan page followers have reached a certain number, rewards will be distributed to all players. The team also disclosed that the higher the numbers will be, the richer the rewards will be.
If you’re keen to know more about the game then feel free to check out Eversoul’s Facebook page here.
Nine Ark Inc. is most known for developing Atlantica Online and Legion of Heroes. Established in September 2019 and led by CEO Lee Kun, the seasoned game developers with proficient knowledge at the studio are giving everything they got for the launch of Eversoul.


Ridley Scott’s Napoleon Movie Trailer Looks Epic & Lavish

Sony Pictures Malaysia has unveiled the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s next historical epic film, Napoleon.
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.

This looks like Ridley Scott’s first true historical war epic since the horrible 2014’s Exodus Gods And Kings (2021’s The Last Duel was more of a historical drama). Let’s hope Napoleon turns out to be more like 2000’s Gladiator or 2005’s Kingdom Of Heaven. Fun fact: Napoleon will be the second Emperor portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, the first was Emperor Commodus of the Roman Empire in Gladiator.
Written by David Scarpa. Produced by Ridley Scott, Kevin J. Walsh, Mark Huffam and Joaquin Phoenix. Executive producers are Raymond Kirk, Aidan Elliott and Michael Pruss. The film also stars Vanessa Kirby.
Napoleon will premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 23 November 2023.
Check out the epic trailer below:


The Worst Final Fantasy Games Ever In The Main Series

Yes, there are some stinkers in the mothership Final Fantasy collection. Whether they’re made obsolete or just badly-designed, we have the gist here.
Just remember, a usually “bad” FF game is slightly better than your average JRPG at the time.


We Rank the Overwatch League Teams by Name, Logo and Team Colors

We finally have the official names, logo and team colors for all twelve teams set to compete in the inaugural Overwatch League come January and today we are going to rank them. In our opinion, some are really cool looking befitting the prestige of the tournament while others are just downright wrong. It’s Friday anyway so why not have some fun with us while you get to know the teams set to compete in the Overwatch League. But first, here are your contenders:

				London Gladiators

				New York Excelsior

				Philadelphia Fusion

				Boston Uprising

				San Francisco Shock (NRG)

				Los Angeles Valiant (Immortals)

				Dallas Fuel (EnVyUs)

				London Spitfire

				Houston Outlaws

				Shanghai Dragons

				Seoul Dynasty

				Florida Mayhem

Without further ado, ranked from twelfth to first:
(This rank does not reflect where we predict these teams will finish in the league come season-end)
12. New York ExcelsiorÂ
A name that possibly only Stan Lee would love. The prominent blue reminds sports fans of other New York teams that play in blue – the Giants, Mets and Rangers – yet the name Excelsior leave little to the imagination. “Ever upward” in latin is kinda cool, but it is hard to convince new fans to back a team with such bland logo design. Even Lucio cannot help boost the coolness factor of the team here.
New York Excelsior

11. Florida Mayhem
The combination of the logo, team colors and name appears like it was designed by a twelve year old – Junkrat main given a box of crayons and was told to think of the most kickass Overwatch team name out there. Junkrat in ripped yellow pants. Yep. That’s right on fleek ain’t it.
Florida Mayhem

10. Boston Uprising
‘Uprising’ is definitely not in the list of names that puts the fear of God to you, unless you’re a dictator of a hermit kingdom. Yet they picked it. And while we can somehow dig the pairing of neon yellow with blue, the logo killed any sliver of chance of us wearing it on a t-shirt or cap. How can you take a team seriously when they have a logo that almost spell ‘BJ’?
Boston Uprising
9. San Francisco ShockÂ
Unimaginative, dull and makes all the characters look like lifeguard extras from a Baywatch spin-off.
San Francisco Shock (NRG)
8. Philadelphia FusionÂ
Whether you support them or not, you gotta admit, orange and black do go well together. It shares the similar color scheme to the Overwatch League logo and the Fusion logo was well thought of, designed with Winston in mind. Reckon the scheme fits well with most characters and will definitely stand out in the maps during team fights. But we do wonder if it’ll backfire for Fusion players?
Philadelphia Fusion
7. Dallas Fuel
Unlike Excelsior or Uprising, ‘Fuel’ does invoke a better sense of urgency and the two shades of blue Team Dallas is using does make them stand out better. We reckon the players’ jerseys would look cool as well – assuming they are going to use similar designs as EnVyUs’ kit in the past. Good but not great.
Dallas Fuel (EnVyUs)

6. Los Angeles Valiant
The valkyrie helmet is a definite winner here but is mellowed out by the color yellow. We’d love to see it in a bolder shade bordering bronze to accentuate the green which we dig. Our only issue with the final color scheme is how it will fit with some characters such as Roadhog, Reaper and Widowmaker. Also we think while Mercy is a great choice for a mascot, Orisa would be a good second-choice pick to showoff the colors.
Los Angeles Valiant (Immortals)
5. Los Angeles GLAdiatorsÂ
Purple. They went full purple. And they slapped a lion onto the logo. Is this an Overwatch team or a banking institution? But let’s not take anything away from the second Los Angeles team – it is indeed a bold choice in color scheme which makes the team stand out in a crowd of blues and yellow.
London Gladiators
4. Shanghai DragonsÂ
The first team to reveal their team name, colors and logo, the Shanghai Dragons met our expectations of any team hailing from China. Bold design not straying away from their Asian roots, we reckon the Dragons will get tons of fans simply by the cool logo design alone. The combination of red, black and yellow work very well together as well.
Shanghai Dragons
3. London Spitfire
To be honest with you, any of the top-four teams featured in this rankings would easily top it depending on our mood when writing this article and after much deliberation, we have to agree that London Spitfire are the third-best in terms of overall team logo design, name and colors. ‘Spitfire’ itself secures them a top-five and the logo featuring a WWII fighter plane plonks them up there among the top three. We aren’t huge fans of the color scheme though which puts them third. But man we’d definitely snap up a tee with that logo on in a heartbeat.
London Spitfire
2. Houston Outlaws
Houston isn’t high on our list as the favorites in OWL Season 1 but you have to hand it to them, they know how to design a logo. Two revolvers forming a buffalo skull with stylized ‘OUTLAWS’ fonts akin to those on ‘Wanted’ posters? Top points all around. We aren’t so hot with the green but it does pair well with the black and it will look good on all Overwatch heroes.
Houston Outlaws
1. Seoul Dynasty
You cannot go wrong with Gold and Black. You just can’t. Representing the mecca of esports, ‘Dynasty’ is the perfect name for a team hailing from Seoul and to top it all up, they placed a tiger head as the team logo. It looks great on all heroes in Overwatch and on the merchandising front looks sweet as f**k.
Seoul Dynasty
So there you have it. All twelve teams ranked by name, logo and official team colors. Do you agree with our picks? As usual the comments section is down below.


Marvel Studios To Release An MCU-Related VR Experience

Marvel Studios is partnering with ILMxLAB to launch a brand new MCU-related virtual reality (VR) experience in the form of Avengers: Damage Control. However, it is more of a VR event instead of a VR game on platforms like PC or PlayStation VR. As such, it will be limited to nine cities (six in the US, three in Canada) so far.
It’s still unclear what exactly you’ll be doing in Avengers: Damage Control, but according to the description, the player will be testing Shuri’s latestÂ prototype design, a powerful new suit that bizarrely combines Wakandan and Stark Industries technologies. I say that it’s weird because Shuri is a genius herself, and wouldn’t have emulated Stark tech in any way.
The story is this; “When a familiar enemy from theÂ Avengers’ past seeks to steal the technology for themselves, your team must stop them beforeÂ they unleash an oppressive new age upon the planet.” If this is meant to be based in the MCU, it definitely sounds like Ultron might be the villain here (from the phrase “an oppressive new AGE”), or even Baron Zemo (who is still alive and well, in case you forgot).
Players will also fight alongside their favouriteÂ Avengers like Doctor Strange, Wasp, Ant-Man, and more. Avengers: Damage Control is slated to launch on exclusively at The VOID locations for a limited time beginning from 18 October 2019. Tickets can be purchased at the official website here.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwxzK8ipVkg&w=560&h=315]


You Can Drive Audi F1 Car In F1 22 Four Years Earlier Than The Real One

EA and Codemasters have announced that Formula 1 fans and players will be able to drive an Audi F1 car in F1 22 a whopping four years earlier than the real one, which will only be making its debut in early 2026.
In August 2022, Audi revealed that they would be joining F1 and they unveiled a show car with a special Audi F1 launch livery. EA and Codemasters have digitally recreated this exact show car in perfect detail and integrated it into F1 22 with the latest update.
In the real world, Audi is slated to compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, starting in the 2026 season, by working with the Swiss racing team Sauber. They will begin testing sometime in 2025.
Henrik Wenders, Head of Brand Audi, said:
“It’s not a given to be a part of the official simulation of Formula 1 three years before our first race. Our show car has caused quite a stir from the very first moment with its striking design and the colour scheme that is typical of Audi in motorsport. Everywhere it has been in action, the reactions have been extremely positive. I’m convinced that our show car will also win many fans in the virtual world.”
Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters, said:
“There was incredible excitement when Audi announced it would be joining the F1 grid. We are excited to deliver the stunning launch livery to EA SPORTS F1 22 players as part of Podium Pass Series 4, allowing Audi to establish itself as a title contender in the virtual world ahead of its debut in 2026.”
F1 22 is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Audi’s show car is part of the “Podium Pass Series 4 VIP tier”, which was added as part of an update on 7 December 2022.


Here’s How To Check If Your Connection Is Google Stadia Worthy

Google Stadia is Google’s take on the growing trend of streaming subscriptions. Everyone is taking a piece of the cake at the moment, even the upcoming PlayStation 5 is focused on streaming. Why wouldn’t they? It’s a win-win situation for developers and players alike. But with streaming, lies the challenge of infrastructure, or internet connection speeds to be precise.
Google Stadia requires connection speeds of above 10Mbps, that’s megabits per second, to perform optimally. While you can run the subscription service with the bare minimum of 10Mbps, you’ll only get basic graphics and audio.
Well, how do you gauge your connection if it’s good enough for Stadia? Look no further, Google has you covered with their speed test that will explain your gaming performance with Stadia. You can check your speed out here.

For accurate results, Google has reminded users to stop current downloads or file sharing and close other tabs or streaming services like videos and music.
Here’s a breakdown of the required speeds and benefits you gain from having faster speeds.

So, with that out of the way, will you be looking forward to the Stadia streaming service? I would definitely look into it, provided that my internet connection is blazing fast enough to stream at least 1080p.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Games Of 2019 Video & Feature Collection [Update]

Update: We’ll just post the full video here. All 30 games in one awesome 30-minute video.

We’ll be posting all the write-ups and guest posts here.
Roundups

Our best stories of 2019
#1-#5: Sekiro, What The Golf?, The Outer Worlds, Astral Chain, Outer Wilds
#6-#10: Ace Combat 7, Samurai Shodown, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Resident Evil 2, FE3H
#11-#15: Devotion, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Katana Zero, Devil May Cry 5, Disco Elysium
#16-#20: CTR Nitro-Fueled, River City Girls, Cadence of Hyrule, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Control
#21-#25: Greedfall, KH3, Slay The Spire, Bloodstained, Indivisible
#26-30: the new Modern Warfare, Borderlands 3, Apex Legends, Untitled Goose Game, Auto Battler Genre.Â
The best video game soundtracks of 2019

Editor & Guest Posts

Kenn
Mr Toffee
Comicslord
Burhan
Syazwan
The Last King Podcast
The Magic Rain
Meck (Gaming Matters)
Fuad (Kyoto Protocol)
Kumikones
Chen Yiji (Meta.US)
Janda Hunter
Tim Augustin (HardwareZone/GameAxis)

Original story:
At last, we have come to the final five. This is the sixth and last part of Kakuchopurei’s Best Games of 2019 video feature.
Find out what #26 to #30 are. #30 is sure to surprise many.

Don’t forget: we have parts 1 to 5 below that cover #1 to #25. We’ll just paste them below if you’re keen on seeing what a 4-man video game publication team is capable of.

We’ll release the full 30-minute version in a couple of days.


DNF Duel’s Sword-Slinging Spectre Will Be Out This Summer, Along With New Gameplay Changes

DNF Duel will be getting new content this year after months have passed, starting with the new character Spectre.
Arc System Works’ revealed more gameplay for the new DLC character Spectre during the Arc World Tour 2022 Finals, along with new Season Pass gameplay info.
Spectre uses two blades and has great mobility, making her a great hit-and-run character who can go in and out of combat.

Arc System Works also showed off its DLC roadmap for DNF Duel. The Season Pass for the game will feature 5 new characters and 1 new stage. Spectre will be out in Summer 2023, along with new gameplay changes like the Awakening system. This update will give players a choice between two cubes for Awakening: Clear Cube activates Awakening at 50% health and has lower strength than Gold, while Gold Cube activates at critical health but retains its power level, much like how it is in the base game right now. The game will also get a new defensive mechanic, but no details have been shared at this point in time.
Who Are The Remaining 4 DLC Characters?
Based on a previous birthday cake theory on Reddit where Arc System Works celebrate the year with DNF Duel’s release (after the Spectre announcement), we might be getting the next few characters in DNF Duel:

Brawler (Male) – Melee fighter similar to Striker, but with more hard-hitting moves.
Witch (Female) – Elemental spellcaster; most likely have traps and zoning tools.
Monk (Male) – Melee fighter with a Totem as a weapon.
Nen Master (Female) – Melee fighter who uses magic to amplify her attacks.

In any case, these new classes will help spice up the DNF Duel roster alongside the new game mechanics.


If Microsoft Deal Fails Bobby Kotick Will Stay As Activision CEO

It has been claimed that if Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard does not go through, CEO Bobby Kotick will continue to stay in his current position.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January 2022 that sources familiar with Bobby Kotick’s plans claimed that the controversial CEO of Activision Blizzard was expected to leave. However, it has not been confirmed if this is true.
Now, Fox Business, citing sources close to the situation, claims that Kotick will remain as CEO if Microsoft’s proposed acquisition falls through. The publication asserts that if regulators prevent the takeover from happening, Kotick will continue to run the gaming company.
Reports had previously suggested that Bobby Kotick would leave Activision Blizzard after the Microsoft deal is completed. However, in a report to shareholders in April 2022, the company claimed that Kotick had not discussed his plans before or after the acquisition announcement. The report stated that there were no negotiations regarding Kotick’s post-closing employment with Microsoft prior to or after the approval and execution of the merger agreement.
If Kotick were to be terminated following Microsoft’s acquisition, he could potentially receive hundreds of millions of dollars.
Kotick had faced criticism after a November 2021 report by the Wall Street Journal, which claimed that he was aware of multiple sexual misconduct allegations at Activision Blizzard and was fostering a toxic workplace culture. Before Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, nearly 1900 out of the company’s approximately 10,000 employees signed a petition calling for Kotick’s resignation, which he reportedly told senior managers he would consider if he couldn’t “quickly fix” the culture issues at the company.


The Top 7 Studio Ghibli Films To Watch On Netflix

For weebs living in the licensing and region-locked void that is Southeast Asia, Netflix has been one of our greatest allies in legitimate access to anime content.
While US audiences are being spoiled for choice with streaming titans creating platform-exclusive content, Netflix stuck to its guns to license older shows that have been difficult to purchase, let alone rent or stream legally.
Soon, we will have access to Ghibli films, a genre unto itself at this point. However, with 21(!) titles in the pipeline, it can get a bit overwhelming. If youâ€™re here reading KKP, you are likely the kind of person who has seen at least one Ghibli movie, if you’re not an avid anime fan.

Perhaps you might want to take this opportunity to introduce a normie friend, a spouse, or a Tinder date to the wonderful, magical world of anime. After all, Ghibli films have been a gateway for mainstream audiences to experience all the things that make anime such an awesome story-telling medium.Â
On that note, hereâ€™s a list of 7 Ghibli films to catch on Netflix. We will start with something easy to digest, for newcomers young and old.
As we move down the list, weâ€™re going neck-deep for some of the more intense, immersive and contemplative experiences on the menu.
1. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

This timeless classic features the iconic Totoro, a giant fluffy forest spirit that has become Ghibliâ€™s answer to Mickey Mouse. Itâ€™s a gentle story of adventure, mystery and innocent, childlike wonder. Easy on the eyes, and easier to digest.
The kind you wanna enjoy with a jar of cookies and hot chocolate. Warning: your kids will demand a giant Totoro plushie after watching.


Overwatch League Season 2 Report: Titans Go, Shanghai Finally Wins

As we complete week 2 of the matches, we get a better understanding as in where these teams stand in the grand scheme of things. How good are the Titans? Is the San Francisco Shock overrated? How’s that for a first win, eh, Shanghai?
Before we go any further, here are the full results of Week 2:

Shanghai Cracks the Egg. But How Long til Win #2 Comes Knocking?
One of the biggest stories coming out of Week 2 most definitely be the Shanghai Dragons’ win over the Boston Uprising which ended their 42-game losing streak. The 3-1 win, while celebrated by everyone who follows pro-Overwatch (including this paid actor at 0:26 who was supposed to be rooting for the Uprising), should be taken with a fistful of salt considering several factors which contributed to it.

IT HAPPENED!!! #OWL2019
THE @ShanghaiDragons SECURE THEIR FIRST WIN!https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/Nfux0Zvl7H
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 23, 2019
Boston -who lost Gamsu to the Dragons (Hollywood couldn’t have written a better plot, to be honest) – didn’t get to play with their preferred tank, Fusions, due to red tape issues and fielded Axxiom instead.
Now, we aren’t taking anything away from the Dragons’ win, but we felt it was more due to a combination of several factors which favoured them rather than an outright win. Nonetheless, they’ve come a long way to be where they are right now and we are proud of them. But let’s be real and set logical expectations on where they stand.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60QI146K02g&w=560&h=315]
Lucky them, their next match is another winnable one and if things go their way, Chengdu Hunters will be the next team to suffer the ignominy of losing to Shanghai Dragons.
Terrifying Titans
We know they are good, but never thought they’d be this good so early on. Many perceived their 4-0 win against Shanghai in Week 1 as being a formality and their true test comes in Week 2 against the Charge and Shock – and the Titans passed with flying colours. They showed that they can hold their nerve over five maps in their 3-2 win over the Guangzhou Charge and pulled off a spectacular performance in brushing aside the San Francisco Shock 3-1 to maintain a perfect record heading into Week 3.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nB9bkY4EpE&w=560&h=315]
The Titans have a very favourable schedule in Stage 1, with only Paris Eternal being a potential stumbling block. If they can maintain this level of performance, we would be very surprised to see them notch anything less than a 6-1 record.
Will the REAL San Francisco Shock Please Stand Up?
A lot has been said about the San Francisco Shock come the end of Week 2. Are they that good, or have they been mediocre at best? Overwatch League caster, MonteCristo, summed it as;

You can make a strong argument that Shock are the #2 team in the league given NYXLâ€™s soft schedule.
â€” MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) February 25, 2019
I like Monte but how right is he? Let’s see. The Shock’s record in Season 2 to date are:
W – 4-0 vs Dallas Fuel.
L – 2- 3 vs Los Angeles Gladiators
L – 1-3 vs Vancouver Titans.
We may have been guilty of getting over-excited for the Shock in last week’s piece as we saw promise in this DPS-heavy squad. But as it turns out, they are still a long way off once pitted against one of the better teams in the shape of the Titans.
Winning 4-0 over a clearly out-of-sorts, grossly unstable Dallas Fuel in the opening match doesn’t mean much. They then lose out in five maps against an under-strength Gladiators and lost soundly to the Titans. True, the NYXL had a very soft schedule to start the season but that does not hide the fact that the current Shock belongs nowhere near top 10, let alone, top 5 in the league.
Expansion Teams Stepping Up
Six out of the top ten teams in the league standings are newcomers to the league which is unprecedented. Of course, many expected the Vancouver Titans to be somewhere up there amongst the top-5 but no one thought they’d be joined by the likes of Atlanta Reign, Paris Eternal, Toronto Defiant and *gasp* Chengdu Hunters.

Goes to show that it’s a whole new ballgame in Season 2, and that past successes don’t mean jack if your team can’t master the meta. Of course, this scenario won’t last forever and you’d be wise to expect some movements near the end of the season.
However, the key takeaway is that the gulf between newcomers and old-timers of the OWL is almost nonexistent and that we have started seeing dominant teams from Season 1 starting to tall on the wayside. We’re looking at you, LA Valiant & Outlaws.


Rocksteady’s Rumored Superman: World’s Finest Game Might Show Up at the Game Awards

Rocksteady Studios might be officially announcing their new Superman: World’s Finest game at The Game Awards next week, if the rumors are any indication.
Best known for the Batman: Arkham franchise, the developer has long been hinting at a new game is in development, but has not revealed what it is. Rumors have been circulating since the beginning that the new game focuses on the Man of Steel himself, with the latest evidence considered to be the strongest one yet.
Some gamers on Resetera recently discovered that a new listing on Game System Requirements listed a new Rocksteady Studios game with the title Superman: World’s Finest. The Terms of Use and FAQ on the website make it difficult for just anyone to post a random game or rumor, which makes the new Rocksteady game even more probable.
For instance, a Devil May Cry 5 listing appeared on the site about one month before the game was even officially announced at E3 2018. That lends further credibility to the rumors of the Rocksteady Superman game turning out to be true.
Rocksteady’s last titles were Batman: Arkham Knight and Batman: Arkham VR in 2015 and 2016, respectively. That means that a new game must have been in development for quite a while now, and The Game Awards would a great time to officially reveal it to the world.
If the rumors are true, the title Superman: World’s Finest indicates that the new Rocksteady game will not only focus on Superman but will still bring Batman back into the fray. This is due to the World’s Finest subtitle, which has traditionally been a comic book starring Superman and Batman teaming up for adventures together.
The World’s Finest moniker has since been used to refer to the duo as a sign of respect to two of the most iconic DC Comics heroes, both in-universe and in the real world. We’ll have to wait until The Game Awards next week on December 6 to find out if there’s any truth to the rumors.
In other related news, another rumored The Game Awards announcement is a new Alien game titled Alien: Blackout. Alien: Isolation developer creative Assembly is not involved so it might be closer to the spirit of the second movie instead of the first. See what I have to say about it here.


Riot Games SEA Celebrates First Year Of Valorant Esports With Custom Champions Artwork

After months of gruelling competition, the inaugural VCT season closed out with 12 days of nail-biting action at the Valorant Champions tournament in Berlin that saw 16 of the best teams in the world compete for the title of Valorant world champion. Acend emerged victorious after an intense grand finale match.Â
The Valorant Champions was a milestone moment for the Southeast Asia region with three regional representatives making it to Berlin. X10, Team Secret and Full Sense brought unique regional talent and gameplay to the global stage and have helped to set the standard for Valorant esports in the region.Â
Despite only being launched just over a year ago, Valorant has become one of the most popular FPS games in the world with an average of more than 14 million PC players from around the world logging on each month. In Southeast Asia, Valorant esports has seen significant growth over the past year. 1200 teams participated across the VCT 2021 ecosystem in Southeast Asia with 6500+ unique players registered.
Chris Tran, Head of Esports for Riot Games Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, said:
â€œValorant has had a blockbuster year! Itâ€™s been thrilling to watch our esports ecosystem deepen and mature at each milestone.
It has also been very exciting to see our Southeast Asian teams go from strength to strength, starting with the First Strike competition back in October 2020, and through our series of Masters tournaments across the world in 2021.
Weâ€™re grateful for the support our teams and fans have shown during our first year of Valorant esports and look forward to bringing more exciting competitions in the new year.”
In celebration of Valorant esportsâ€™ successful first year, Riot Games Southeast Asia is collaborating with renowned Singaporean visual artist, Sam Lo, to create 3 pieces of exclusive, custom-designed artwork each reflecting the essence of Southeast Asiaâ€™s best Valorant teams: X10, Team Secret and Full Sense.
The X10 Crit art looks particularly awesome, but all of them are great.

				Full Sense.

				Team Secret.

				X10 Crit.

Sam Lo is a visual artist based in Singapore with humble beginnings as an urban artist. Loâ€™s work explores different themes across various mediums from large scale spray-painted murals to delicately hand-sculpted sculptures, each tackling a different story through the artistâ€™s lens.Â  As a leader in the world of visual arts, Loâ€™s notable works include designing Nikeâ€™s firstÂ  Southeast Asian flagship store at Jewel Changi Airport and murals at the Singapore Art Museum.Â Â

Fans have a chance to own a copy of this exclusive artwork through the Fanart of Greatness campaign. The fanart contest opened on 2 December 2021 and will run until 31 December 2021.
By submitting creative fanart entries, the top 10 fans of each team will have a chance to win aÂ  signed copy of this artwork by members of X10, Team Secret or Full Sense. 20 lucky runner ups will also stand a chance to win a Valorant Birthday Bash mousepad.Â
Details on how to participate and winner announcements later this month can be found on Valorant Facebook pages:Â

VALORANT Philippines Facebook
VALORANT Thailand Facebook
VALORANT Indonesia Facebook
VALORANT Taiwan Facebook
VALORANT Vietnam Facebook


Forget Cyberpunk 2077; Drawn To Life: Two Realms Might Be This Year’s Most Hardcore Title

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D Platformer Puzzle
Do not let Drawn To Life: Two Realms’ cutesy art style and saccharine music fool you. It is an insidious and devilish affair meant to lull you into a false sense of security. You’re better off playing CD Projekt’s upcoming RPG if you want a more mainstream and friendlier title, despite its M-ratedness.
At the very least, you can play the RPG numbers game with Cyberpunk 2077. As long as your levels are higher than the enemies and you min-max your perks, you should be able to fight through even the tougher oppositions and side with an actual faction that benefits you to no end. You don’t get that luxury in Drawn To Life: Two Realms.

There are no difficulty levels or mods to make the game’s 2D platform puzzles any easier. Sure, the first dozen might be a cakewalk, but after the 3-hour mark of exploring and colouring some catperson chef’s signboard for shits and giggles, you’ll experience bone-crushing pain and mental stress with its too-precise-for-its-own-good puzzles. Objectives range from reaching the exit before time runs out, kill all the enemies on-screen, and tossing “Dreamer” children or specific toys into a “goal” before they kill themselves via running headfirst to a bottomless pit. While the earlier stages have the training wheels on, they’re pretty much taken out in the second half of the game.
Most of the story puzzles require some strict timing before your pathway gets barred and thus require you to restart the segment. Pretty soon, you’ll either be racing the clock while making precision jumps and also making sure you don’t kill enemies that are integral to your escape and objective, lest you start the trial again after a few more times. The iffy physics do not help; half the time I do wonder if the game’s engine is doing its darndest to screw me over when doing an extra long jump or just throwing a block into a really tight crevasse.
Toying With You
The game attempts to throw you a bone with its toybox puzzles: you’re given a slew of enemies and tools to place on a particular stage to help solve the level’s challenge. But really, these levels take a while to solve since the solutions to where you need to place said toys are not as obvious as they seem. There are also optional sidequests where you reach the goal or kill everything in sight, but you can gain a max of three stars if you rack up points (either by multi-hitting foes or not getting damaged). Getting full scores for these short-but-strict tests can be tricky, though it’s great that you can at least get the bare minimum to unlock the main story’s gatekeeping mechanics.

Similar to CD Projekt’s “magnum opus” of 2020 that took two years of people’s work-life balance thanks to alleged project mismanagement, Drawn To Life: Two Realms has a pretty compelling narrative. It touches upon two realms, Raposa Village and Belleview town, that involves heavy topics such as loss and acceptance. It also ties in past Drawn To Life games back in the DS days; fans are in for a treat to see recurring characters turn out how you expect in a sequel that takes place years after the past games.
Also just like Cyberpunk 2077, Drawn To Life: Two Realms needs some fixing. The game has a few bugs ranging from black screens popping up while story bits are happening to a loading screen that obscures your view, requiring a restart. While not as numerous as CD Projekt’s, it’s still annoying to go through especially since its aesthetics isn’t taxing at all to even the most potato-level of PCs.
Art Alive
Still, Drawn To Life; Two Realms balances its cutesy art style with its surprisingly emotional storyline that serves as a bookend for fans while also ramping up the hardcore difficulty one would expect of a 2D platformer with nerve-wracking brain teasers. And it doesn’t need the option to customize your digital avatar’s male genitals to get attention; just some good ol’ fashioned gameplay.
Besides, there are PLENTY of opportunities in Drawn To Life: Two Realms to create the phallic symbol of your dreams via the series’ patented drawing board mode.

Disclaimer: I am well aware that Drawn To Life: Two Realms and Cyberpunk 2077 are completely different genre of games. I’m just adding some levity in the otherwise serious business of video game reviews. Until we’ve completed Cyberpunk 2077 more than once and await our non-influencer-tainted judgment, just enjoy this little ditty of a title if you want to mentally tax your brain with some 2D platforming and toy-arranging goodness.
Final Score: 70/100


Microsoft Is Asking Xbox Players If They Want PS5 DualSense Features

We’re only a few months into the next-gen console life-span and Microsoft is already asking if Xbox players want to have some of the features in the PS5 DualSense controller in its new Xbox Series X and Series S gamepads.
As reported by TechRadar, the company has given out a survey to Xbox players asking questions like whether the Xbox Series X/S “feels next-gen”, as well as whether the PS5â€™s DualSense had any features that they might want to be included in the new Xbox controller.

This isn’t unprecedented, considering that the new Xbox Series X/S controller doesn’t really feature any brand new or innovative tech. In fact, it incorporates last-gen ides like the PS4’s DualShock 4’s dedicated Share button.
Meanwhile, the PS5 DualSense controller at least tried to introduce new “next-gen” features like the new and improved haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Compared to the PS5’s DualSense, the Xbox Series X/S controller doesn’t seem like much of a “next-gen” improvement, which is probably why Microsoft is doing this survey now.


Star Wars The Bad Batch’s Gwendoline Yeo On Playing Nala Se

Star Wars The Batch Batch is the latest animated series in the long-running sci-fi franchise and itâ€™s currently ongoing with 13 episodes so far available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.
Star Wars The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars. Members of Bad Batch; a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army; each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
We managed to participate in a brief exclusive interview with actress Gwendoline Yeo, who voices the Kaminoan named Nala Se in Star Wars The Bad Batch, courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.
Yeo is best known for voicing other characters in other animated shows and video games, including Paine in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy X-2 and Lady Hana in Ghost Of Tsushima. Most recently, she’s currently starring as Zhilan in the CW’s Kung Fu TV series reboot.
To those unfamiliar with the character in the context of the Star Wars universe, Nala Se is the Chief Medical Scientist on her home planet of Kamino. She is most notable for having played a key role in engineering the Clone Troopers in The Clone Wars. In Star Wars The Bad Batch, she has a special connection to the unique clone currently known only as Omega.
Nala Se is the Kaminoan right beside Omega.
Star Wars The Clone WarsÂ creator andÂ The MandalorianÂ executive producerÂ Dave FiloniÂ returns forÂ Star Wars The Bad BatchÂ as executive producer alongside Athena Portillo (Star Wars The Clone Wars,Â Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels,Â Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance,Â NCIS).
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: What would you say makes Nala Se different from other characters you’ve voiced before, and how do you think that she has grown or changed from The Clone Wars to The Bad Batch?
This is the tallest alien I’ve ever played with the smallest lips I’ve ever seen. What I will say is that just being in the Star Wars universe in general but with Nala Se, I think, just wrote a very internal character that was challenging to play at first to be quite honest.
I just somehow kinda connected with her, so I would say that in an on-camera world that I’m usually playing an Asian woman, but I’m suddenly playing this 12-foot-tall alien that has no racial affiliation, it felt very freeing. Simultaneously, how internal she is, is actually very challenging and lovely to play.
Some of the characters I’ve played across the board are really deep, very pensive and thoughtful, and are shot best in close-ups. There’s a lot going in their minds, they’re very intelligent but there’s always layers. I don’t think she’s (Nala Se) occupationally defined, which I think some people perhaps might have assumed from The Clone Wars in the beginning.
With Star Wars The Bad Batch, we’re able to see more of her vulnerability and her attachment to something that she created. So, I think that sort of change was a real delight to play, you know,
Q: Can you tell me what’s next for Nala Se for the rest of the season without spoiling anything?
You’ll have to ask the producers to tease or spoil what’s ahead or they’ll have to kill me, sort of Jedi-sword me or cut off my head. What I will say is that let’s see where the story takes us. I think it’s very interesting with all the characters, with the Bad Batch, Omega, with Nala Se.
I think there’s obviously been an arc and differentiation, so I think it’s already quite a change for her (Nala Se), to have this attachment, to Omega. Why specifically? We’re not quite sure. *wink*

In the meantime, you can also head on over here for my interview with Star Wars The Bad Batch head writer and executive producerÂ Jennifer CorbettÂ as well as supervising director and executive producerÂ Brad Rau,Â for more juicy details on the animated series.


Telltale Games Is Coming Back From The Dead Thanks To A Pair Of Unknowns

A year after the death of Telltale Games, the company is making a comeback.
Its assets were purchased by a company called LCG Entertainment; the company plans to sell the previously-defunct company’s back catalogue like The Wolf Among Us and Batman. LCG will also be working on new games based on a number of Telltale-associated properties and new licenses.
This new version of Telltale Games will be led by Jamie Ottilie and Brian Waddle. The former is the CEO of Galaxy Pest Control and has spent his career in mobile games development, while the latter has run sales and marketing for the Havok game engine. According to them (via Polygon), previous employees of Telltale Games will be offered freelance roles, with full-time positions possible in the future.
As to why the duo is doing this, they said they believe in the future of adventure games.

“This is a viable business that went away due to market conditions and some scale choices [Telltaleâ€™s previous management] made. I like games that tell stories and I think our industry should have a company that specializes in narrative-driven games.”

Here’s how they will rise to the occasion and make Telltale Games viable again:

It will have publisher Athlon Games handle storefront operations and distribution.
It will have financial backing from various game industry figures like Chris Kingsley (Rebellion), Lyle Hall (Heavy Iron Studios), and Tobias SjÃ¶gren (formerly of Starbreeze).
It will plan to stay small for the next six months and work out a distributed development pipeline. Ottilie said that the new company will focus on tools, technology, and design in-house. “Some things like animation and motion capture will be done with the right partnerships externally”.
It will improve the company’s patented episodic model, according to Ottilie. “We will probably keep the concept of episodes but with different pacing. This is a different world, from a media consumption standpoint. We need to look at how people like to entertain themselves. I like the idea of binge-watching.”

The future may be looking bright for episodic adventure gaming, but keep in mind that two people who never worked at Telltale Games and never handled console/PC game markets bought a company, revived it, keeping it operational with non-Telltale Game staff, and offers the original staff freelance jobs with the promise of working full-time. File this one under “cautious”.
Oh, and just because you have a bunch of brands under you doesn’t mean instant success. You need the same team who understand the ins and outs of making these games to do so.
For more on Telltale Games’ past downfall, head here.


UNIQLO & Nintendo Team Up For Splatoon 3 T-Shirt & Cargo Pants Collab

Third time’s a charm; Nintendo and Uniqlo are teaming up again for an exclusive t-shirt line collaboration that’s as fresh as the inklings in its third-person shooter series.
The Big N will have special Splatoon 3 designs on brand-new t-shirts under the giant Japanese fashion company. There will be five designs for adults and six designs for children, alongside three cargo pants designs.
Check out some of the designs below:

The Splatoon 3 Uniqlo t-shirts will be out on 20th March mid-morning ET (21st march mid-morning in GMT+8) in all Southeast Asia regions like Malaysia and Singapore. We’re not sure if this applies to the SEA outlets, but if you buy more than two Splatoon 3 shirts at Uniqlo, you can get an original aluminum case with Splatoon 3 stickers inside.

Splatoon 3 is out now for Nintendo Switch.


PUBG Mobile Summer Rich Event Offers Rewards Like Cosmetics & An Actual Motorcycle

The PUBG Mobile Summer Rich event has kicked off for all users and fans in Malaysia. The event comes fully loaded with attractive rewards that include: 30 pieces of real gold bar, phone credit with a total amount of US$200,000 and the most insane one of all, a Yamaha MT-25 motorcycle as a special giveaway.
The rewards can be obtained starting from 9 July until 30 August 2021.

In addition, PUBG Mobile is also inviting players to get a Chicken Dinner with friends in the “Best Partner” event as part of a chain of events held in Summer Rich. Linking friends together in a game will give you the chance to obtain exclusive game rewards, such as permanent outfit Bad Panda Customs, Rap Style outfits, and phone credit with a total of US$200,000.
Players who are interested to participate can enter the event menu and register their partner name. They will need to complete various missions given every day with their partner and collect relevant points. The points collected can be exchanged with several interesting in-game bonuses.
There is also a “Cyber Discount” event from 3 August until 16 August 2021. During this event, every purchase for any item in PUBG Mobile, players will stand a chance to get limited items of Dark Goth Set outfits, Neon Punk Hoodie Set, and neon-AWM weapon skins at a discounted price.
Jenny Zhuang, PUBG MOBILE Marketing Manager SEAÂ explains:

“We wanted to make Summer Rich the hottest event in PUBG MOBILE hence lots of spectacular rewards were included for fans to win through various interesting ways.
Through this event, we hope the PUBG MOBILE ecosystem will be even hotter than before through this Summer Rich game.
The event also represents our appreciation and gratitude to our loyal users and fans. We hope to attract more users and expand our PUBG MOBILE community further as one.”

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


SDCC 2019: We Will Finally Know Who The Knights Of Ren Are

The final episode of the Star Wars sequel trilogy is already on it’s way but details on how Kylo Ren became the master of the Knights of Ren are still very sparse. At the Lucasfilm publishing panel at San Diego Comic Con 2019, it was just announced that we’ll be finally getting some answers.
According to IGN, comic book writer Charles Soule was revealed to be the writer for an upcoming four-issue comic mini-series titled The Rise of Kylo Ren. It’s said that the comic books will tell the story of how Ben Solo became Kylo Ren and thus will include the story of the Knights of Ren.
The Knights of Ren. Image from Wookiepedia.
This isn’t the first time Charles is writing a Star Wars comic book. He’s also the writer of other Marvel-published Star Wars comic books that focus on characters such as Darth Vader, Poe Dameron, Lando Calrissian, and more.
The artist of the comic has not been revealed but an image of Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren were shown off at the panel.

So far, the movies have never portrayed the Knights of Ren in a contemporary setting. They’ve only appeared in flashbacks and dream sequences so it’s safe to say that we are super excited to find out more about these guys. Maybe this origin story comic book is a way of hyping up their possible debut in the next movie. A man can dream.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker will be playing in cinemas starting from 20 December 2019 and the Rise of Kylo Ren comic book is scheduled to be released a bit before the movie’s release.


[Rumour] New Nintendo Switch Console Is Coming In 2021

Nintendo will allegedly launch a new version of the Nintendo Switch console in early 2021.
According to a report from Economic Daily News (via VGC), the new version of the Switch will enter production later this year and feature improved “interactivity” and a better quality display.
It’s unclear at this point whether the next Nintendo Switch will be a massively reworked console, or a subtle upgrade similar to the previous Enhanced Nintendo Switch model. To compete with next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it will need to be the former.
Rumours of a Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Pro began in 2019 and were recently sparked up again earlier this year. However, Nintendo themselves later clarified that they had no plans to release a new Nintendo Switch in 2020. Still, a 2021 release window for a new Nintendo Switch is quite potentially possible.


Capcom’s Future Business Plan Involves “Continuous Recurring Revenue” From Current Games

Capcom’s recent annual report for 2018 is up, and it looks like sunshine and rainbows for the house that created Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Mega Man.
Here’s what we gathered:

The company’s net sales during its fiscal year are worth 94,515,000,000 yen/US$841,759,332, which is an 8.4% increase from the previous fiscal year results.
The net sales numbers are due to the success of Monster Hunter: World and Resident Evil 7 (from 2017), all thanks to digital downloads and sales.
The company’s main marketing strategy of making their IPs a “global brand” is to produce Hollywood movies for them. Capcom seems incredibly pleased with the RE movies, which attest to this marketing strategy so they’re following it.
On that note, the Monster Hunter movie is already in the works, cementing their plans to make the brand more global and worldwide-friendly. Furthermore, the company is rebooting the Resident Evil live-action series and they recently announced a Mega Man movie. Perhaps a Devil May Cry film may follow suit?
The fan reaction for the Resident Evil 2 remake was very positive for Capcom. Perhaps more RE reboots are in the works?

Here’s the bit which will determine the future of Capcom’s game-making and game-publishing plan.

The company is taking extra precautions to mitigate earnings volatility risks. It plans to do this by: (1)Â transforming the foundation of its Consumer business model from a traditional one-time sale “transactional model” to a continuous “recurring revenue model” and (2) creating a business portfolio and diversifying earnings risks by thoroughly leveraging Capcomâ€™s basic strategy, Single Content Multiple Usage.

This translates to “let’s use the SFV model of expansion on all our games” so that the game keeps running. Skins, costumes, DLC, new characters, whatever that works. Coming from the company that previously snuck in already-existing content in the final product while keeping it behind a paywall ala SFxTekken and also recent shenanigans, this is par on course for the company’s business.
What do you guys and gals think of Capcom’s grand plan and annual fiscal year 2018 results?


New Life Is Strange Game To Be Unveiled In Square Enix Live Stream Next Week

Square Enix hasÂ announcedÂ the debut of â€œSquare Enix Presents,â€ a series of live stream presentations in which the company will announce new games, updates, and news throughout the year.
The first show will be next week’s Square Enix Presents Spring 2021, which will take place at 1am GMT+8 on Friday, 19 March 2021, on Square Enixâ€™s official YouTubeÂ andÂ Twitch channels.
It will run for approximately 40 minutes. The biggest highlight will be the world premiere of a brand new Life Is Strange game. The only thing we know about it so far is that it will featureÂ a new protagonist wielding a new power.
The show will also feature trailers, gameplay videos, and announcements for the following:

Outriders, which is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC on 1 April 2021.
Balan Wonderworld, which is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC on 26 March 2021.
The ongoing celebration for the 25th anniversary ofÂ Tomb RaiderÂ (perhaps the official reveal of the leaked Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy).
Marvelâ€™s Avengers.
Just Cause Mobile.
New mobile game announcements from Square Enix Montreal.
A look at a few of the whimsical games from Square Enix sister company, Taito.

Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei!


Mysterious ASUS ROG Phone 5S Specs Leaked

It seems like we might be getting a new variant of the ASUS ROG Phone 5. According to the leak (discovered by our friends at Lowyat), a mysterious ROG Phone 5S will allegedly be launching on 16 August 2021.
Look at the supposed leaked specs below:

144Hz OLED display
Snapdragon 888+ SoC
16GB / 18GB of RAM
256GB / 512GB of internal storage
6,000mAh battery
65W fast-charger

ASUS ROG 5S??144Hz OLED display??Snapdragon 888+ SoC??16GB / 18GB of RAM??256GB / 512GB of internal storage ??6,000mAh battery??65W fast-charger#ASUSROG5S #ASUS #ROG5S #ASUSROGPhone #Snapdragon888Plus pic.twitter.com/G8y6mA3JZp
— Bhuvnesh Bagri (@bhuvnesh_bagri) August 10, 2021

However, we should take this with a grain of salt for now. At least, until it’s been officially confirmed or denied by ASUS themselves.
In the meantime, you can check out our in-depth review of the ROG Phone 5 byÂ heading over here.


Malaysia’s Yoodoo To Host PUBG Team Finals Local Watch Party

Looking to watch the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) Grand Finals with friends? Yoodoo will be holding an offline watch party to support their own team, Yoodo Alliance 4Rivals.
In honour of their own team, Yoodo Alliance 4Rivals competing in the Grand Finals, Yoodo will be throwing a special offline viewing event so we can catch all the chicken dinners and show support to our homegrown esports talents. Yoodo invites anyone to have a casual chat with the Head of Yoodoo Chow Tuck Mun with food and drinks provided while watching the next world champion PUBG team be crowned alongside other PUBG Mobile fans.
The tournament holds a $6,000,000 USD prize pool.
The event promises fun game activities, and a front-row seat to watching our Malaysian PUBG Mobile superstars duke it out for the Global Championship trophy.
Details of the offline viewing event are as follows:
Date: 21 January 2022 (Friday)
Time: 6.00 p.m. onwards
Venue: The Port, Jalan Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia


Top PUBG Mobile Teams To Battle At PMPL SEA Season 2 Finals

The PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) Southeast Asia (SEA) Finals Season 2 will kick off from 23 to 25 October 2020, with teams fighting it out for a portion of the US$150,000 prize pool.
Adding to the exciting gameplay, popular Indonesian artiste Rich Brian will be this seasonâ€™s host, along with virtual emcee Miss J, while amazing giveaways await players and audiences alike.
The event will be streamed live on PUBG Mobileâ€™s official Esports page on Facebook Gaming.

PUBG Mobile SEA Director Oliver Ye said:
â€œBy collaborating with Facebook Gaming as the official live stream partner for this tournament, we aim to bring PMPL SEA Finals Season 2 into the upgraded level. From previous experience, we have made good achievements in Esports events in Southeast Asia, and we are committed to continuously provide innovation to provide audiences with a good online experience.”
Competing for the prize pool and champions titles, the 16 teams from across Southeast Asia will look to out-strategise, out-manoeuvre and out-gun their opponents over the 15 matches that will be held over three days.
Apart from winning a portion of the US$150,000 prize money, the top teams from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and one Wildcard entry, will also battle it out for a slot in the upcoming PUBG Mobile Global Championship.
In this season of PMPL SEA Finals, an online virtual reality (VR) studio will be implemented using 720-degree VR shooting and other technologies. This is part of PUBG Mobile Esports commitment to present interactive all-round content and simulate on-site experiences for audiences.
The technology used in this season of PMPL SEA Finals is a major breakthrough in PUBGMobileâ€™s Southeast Asian Esports events, aimed at bringing audiences a first-class online viewing experience.
To enhance the experience, PUBG Mobile has brought on Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, best known for songs like Dat $tick and 100 Degrees. Players and audiences alike will get to enjoy Richâ€™s awesome beats while watching the nail-biting battles by the teams.
For the first time, PUBG Mobile will be introducing a virtual emcee, Miss J. Audiences alsostand a chance to win amazing prizes such as gift cards, Apple AirPods, iPhone SE andgaming chairs, simply by watching the live stream of the matches.
The top four teams to emerge from PMPL SEA Finals Season 2 will automatically quality for seats in global championships, such as the PUBG Mobile Global Championship Season Zero (PMGC Season Zero), which is set to be the highest rewarding tournament in the history of PUBG Mobile.
While the official schedule has not been released yet, PMGC Season Zero will offerunprecedented new experiences, as the event will be based on a brand-new game mechanism and will feature cutting edge graphics.

The 16 teams which will participate in the PMPL SEA Finals Season 2 are:
Country Teams
Malaysia
Team Secret MalaysiaTeam SMGGeek FamYoodo Gank
Vietnam
V GamingBOX GamingXavier Team
Indonesia
Aerowolf LimaxAura EsportsBigetron RA
Thailand
Secret JinRRQ AthenaPower888 KPS
Wildcard
Iconic PHYangon GalacticosAll-Star Team Puyat
For more information, check out the official PUBG Mobile Esports Facebook page.


Immortals Of Aveum Is Bringing Literal Magic Back Into Single-Player Shooters

I do yearn for the days when Titanfall 2 had a better single-player campaign that’s more memorable than its multiplayer mode. In fact, the late 2000s era of single-player shooters was not short of spiffy ideas even if they’re all cribbing from either the first-person Call of Duty mould or even the Gears of War third-person structure.
This is why I’m thankful that there’s a studio hard at work for 5 years on a new single-player shooter experience that’s solely focused on nothing but the single-player experience. It’s called Immortals of Aveum, and it’s published by EA and its EA Originals sub-brand, clearly trying to stand out with another risky venture similar to this year’s Wild Hearts.
Spellbinder

In Immortals of Aveum, you play an up-and-coming battlemage named Jak (Darren Barnet), a normal human who got his powers through a previous trauma in the story. That makes him a Magnus in the elite battlemage group called the Immortals, which is an uncommon precedent given that the rest of his squad knows magic since birth. He will be doing a ton of missions involving fighting enemy mages, dragons, golems, and all sorts of fantastical creatures and machines of war in his 25+ hour journey of saving his world from the forces of the Rashard. That evil group of armoured battlemages plan to use magic to win the Everwar. Luckily, you have a gauntlet-like attachment for your arm called a Sigil to help you amplify your spell powers and give you control over them throughout the story’s course. You also have your squad members to help you out, like General Kirkan (Gina Torres), Devyn the wisecracking green mage (Antonia Aakeel), and Zendara the tough red mage lady (Lily Cowles).
Even with all these in-world terms thrown around, Immortals of Aveum clearly has Call of Duty DNA in its controls, but only a bit. The gameplay deep dive we’ve seen in the EA-sanctioned preview event showed off Jak’s magic types: Blue, Red, and Green. Blue is long-ranged spells that can penetrate through targets, while Red is up-close attacks akin to shotgun blasts & shockwave pulses. Green is auto-fire mid-ranged spells with homing properties; think AK47s in a CoD game and you’re golden.
Unlike that pop-and-stop shooter from Activision’s maw, you will not be slinging spells behind cover. Jak will pull out a shield to absorb damage, meaning you’ll be out of the open 90% of the time and firing barrages of blue homing bolts, green mines, and red fireblasts. The other 10% will have you jumping around and looking for barriers and cover that can help guard you against bigger blasts from bigger foes, because Immortals plans to toss a lot at you to deal with.
Our preview session had us dealing with dragons and golems straight out of a Go Nagai anime -retrofitted to be in the world of Aveum of course. In later parts of the game, you’ll be fighting elite battlemages who can summon shadow clones and lay out traps to get you. At least you have a ton of new spells to work with like green mines and powerful red scatter shots; your sigil can also be upgraded in terms of looks and power, bestowing passives to help you on your magic-flinging journey.
Heck, some of your spells don’t directly deal damage but can help in combat and in puzzle scenarios: the Blue Lash is the game’s grappling hook that pulls targets to you, and grapple onto high ground and faraway levers/objects. The Green Limpet are blobs that slow down enemies when you attach a couple onto them; they can even slow down closing doors and contraptions. You also have super spells called Furies; they drain your mana bar but deals a ton of damage and have AoE properties; smart bombs in the Aveum world, apparently.
Immortals will have a good balance of action and exploration, as the levels in the game from the Aveum outskirts to the dungeons, caverns, and ruins, will all be laid out in a semi-open world fashion; think Borderlands 2’s level design and you’re not too far off. The stages are replayable, and will feature ample opportunity for combat and platforming. With the way how combat is smooth, fast, and snappy, you’d really want to head into the thick of it spells at the ready, complete with high frame rate for that fast-paced fighting in the first-person. So far, every aspect of the game is looking spiffy and goshdarn flashy, which is what Ascendant Studios intends to instill.
Spellfire

Speaking of which, Immortals of Aveum is Ascendant Studios’ first title? Which begs the question: why should we put our trust in a seemingly-new game studio that has yet to release a new game? How’s this for an answer: Ascendant’s CEO and game director Bret Robbins has experience working on EA and Activision’s best titles from a game design and production standpoint: these include EA’s Lord of The Rings games, 007: From Russia With Love, the first Dead Space, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty Advance Warfare.
In fact, Ascendant was quick to get on board ex-Telltale Games leads like Dave Bogan after that company closed down back in 2018, giving the ex-devs a new lease on game dev life working on a big title. And Immortals is indeed an ambitious title; by 2020, the company already has more than 100 people working on the upcoming magic shooter.
How did this idea for Immortals of Aveum come about? According to Robbins, this all stemmed during a level review for a Call of Duty stage.
“It was a big battle scene, with a helicopter right above and RPG shells flying ahead and blowing up around you. Gunfire everywhere, typical chaos. I was stopping and thinking: instead of a helicopter, what about a dragon? Instead of RPG shells hitting a wall, what about fireballs?
This image just formed at me in a flash. And I was thinking to myself. “Where’s THAT game? I want to play THAT game!” Fast forward a bit, I was like “I want to make that game.” “
The three core pillars of Immortals of Aveum are: give players the feeling of being a battlemage, have them master the magic, and also make them save a world on the edge of abyss. That latter part stems from the lore and how the world of Aveum looks; as a battlemage you can look at the world’s leylines and see how they flow and connect in the continent. They also lead you to where you need to go in the game.
The beauty of it all? While the game doesn’t have an existing template to lean back to, they have magic to work around with. The team has to make rules around it for the world to feel believable and make sense, but generally the world is their oyster when crafting Aveum according to Robbins.
“We’re not Harry Potter; we’re something else. We’re a battlemage, and wielding magic here is visceral. We want the player to feel powerful.”
Witching Hour

While Immortals of Aveum has the aforementioned “modern shooter” DNA, the game will not have multiplayer out of the gate. Nor will it have microtransactions. Robbins has said that Ascendant Studios is 100% focused on making Immortals a single-player experience from start to finish, though they might create future DLC touching on PvP or anything newfangled shooters have.
Personally, they’re all the better for it. I’m surprised that EA has yet to pressure the team to make multiplayer modes out of the title, though with previous EA Originals efforts like Wild Hearts, the company’s hands-off approach is truly appreciated. I do hope that the game’s 20+ hours of combat and exploration isn’t filled with copy-pasta moments of reused fights, bosses, and puzzles; padding’s the worst sin for these kinds of search action-style games with FPS antics.

What is in the cards feature-wise is that the game might get a Photo mode; given how colourful and rich the gameplay and world of Aveum is, this is a requirement that will make or break the title. I’m clearly kidding, but the opportunity to show off your awesome spell kills in still-pictured glory is worth fussing over, especially in a promising action-packed shooter with magic, dragons, and all sorts of unique takes on the fantasy trope. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint and a brand new world with some new rules is needed to make a genre fresh again: in this case, it’s trading guns and tanks for badass spells and giant golems. And dragons.
Immortals of Aveum will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5 on 20th July.


Peacemaker Episode 1, 2 & 3 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained

The first three episodes of Peacemaker Season 1 is now streaming on HBO GO and HBO Max. Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you havenâ€™t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading.
The series will explore the origins of the character that Cena first portrayed in James Gunnâ€™s 2021 film,Â The Suicide Squad, which is already currently available on HBO GO.Â PeacemakerÂ isÂ a compellingly vainglorious man who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.
The series also stars Danielle Brooks as Adebayo, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, Steve Agee as Economos, Chukwudi Iwuji as Murn, and Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith.
In the meantime, you can check out my spoiler-free review of Peacemaker by heading over here.

They Don’t Bother To Explain How They Brought Peacemaker Back To Life

If you think this series will be serious, think again. The first episode already begins with a doctor waving away bringing Peacemaker back to life as nothing, since all they had to do was replace was his broken clavicle. That shows how nonchalant the approach to continuity this series will be taking.
His New Mission Is Project Butterfly

What is Project Butterfly? All we know is that his previous mission, Project Starfish, involved fighting an actual giant alien Starfish (Starro The Conqueror). So what does Project Butterfly entail? Not a giant butterfly. According to mercenary Clemson Murn (Chikwudi Iwuji), Peacemaker has to eliminate any “bad people” who they refer to as ‘butterflies’.
Danielle Brooks’ Leota Adebayo Is Amanda Waller’s Daughter

One of the important supporting characters in Peacemaker is Danielle Brooks’ Leota Adebayo, and it turns out that she’s actually the daughter of none other than Amanda Waller.
Who Or What Is This? An Alien?

The woman who Peacemaker hooks up with at the end of Episode 1 is super strong and resilient. She gets blown up by a sonic boom and it seems like she’s organic (not robotic or a machine). So, what is she? An alien?
Harcourt Calls The Strong Woman A “Butterfly”

So these metahumans/aliens/whatever are the “butterflies” that Peacemaker has to kill.
Bat-Mite Reference

Steve Agee’s John Economos mentions Bat-Mite, who has never gotten a live-action appearance yet, but now we know he exists in the DCEU.
Who is Bat-Mite? Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Bat-Mite looks like a tiny cartoonish version of Batman, but he has Fifth Dimension power to alter reality, just like Mister Mxyzptlk. Unlike the Superman villain though, he idolizes Batman and wants to be a hero like the Dark Knight.
It would be funny as heck if he appears in live-action.

Vigilante Makes His Debut In Costume

This Vigilante (Adrian Chase played by Freddie Stroma) is a joke. In the comics, the Vigilante mantle has been carried by many people, including Adrian Chase. The comic book version of Adrian Chase is a former District Attorney in New York City who went rogue after his wife and children were killed by a gang boss., so he’s basically like Marvel’s The Punisher.
However, Peacemaker‘s version is a waiter, and he doesn’t seem to have much of a darker side to him. This isn’t the first-ever live-action version of Adrian Chase though, because CW’s Arrow series had their own version that took up the Prometheus mantle instead of Vigilante.
Peacemaker’s Father Is A Nazi (Just Like In The Comics)

Robert Patrick plays Auggie Smith, the father of Christoper Smith AKA the current Peacemaker (John Cena). The end of Episode 2 reveals him to be a white supremacist and perhaps even a former Nazi. In the comics, Christopher Smith’s father is a Nazi death camp commandant.
They’re calling him the White Dragon, which is a legacy name used by super-villains, traditionally associated with white supremacy. The name is taken as a reference to the Ku Klux Klan. This character was created by Suicide Squad writer John Ostrander.

Harcourt Is A Former DEO Agent

It’s interesting that Harcourt mentions that she worked at the DEO before working for Amanda Waller at ARGUS. If you’ve seen CW’s Supergirl or read the comics, you might know what the DEO is. The Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO) is a fictional government agency in the DC Universe, with the purpose of combating meta and alien threats to humanity.
The ‘Butterflies’ Seem To Be Aliens

Yes, the ‘butterflies’ seem to be aliens, but who? I don’t recognise them from the comics yet.
Who Is Judomaster?

In the comics, there were multiple people who were Judomaster. All you need to know about him is that he doesn’t really have any powers. He’s just good at martial arts, especially judo.

It’s Called Project Butterfly Because The Aliens Look Like Butterflies

Like I previously said, they’re not really treating continuity seriously, so Project Butterfly is named so because the aliens inhabiting the human bodies are like butterflies. I’m not even sure if they’re based on anything from the comics. The ending of Episode 3 reveals that there are thousands, maybe even millions of butterflies in the world.

This premise seems a lot like Marvel’s Secret Invasion, where humans around the world were actually Skrulls in disguise. That’s essentially what’s happening here too. Maybe we’ll learn more next week. We still have five episodes to go. Until then, excelsior!


Blizzard Announces Another Overwatch Free Weekend Event

Always wanted to try out Overwatch but unsure if you’d dig it in the long run? Then you’d be glad to know that in celebration of the Overwatch League Grand Finals, Blizzard will be hosting a free-to-play weekend for the hero shooter next week exclusively for PC players.

From Friday, July 27thÂ at 2am through Tuesday, July 31stÂ 2:59pm, Overwatch will be free to play for PC only. It’s great timing as well since first-timers will get to try out Overwatch’s latest and 28th hero, the sentient, mecha-driving hamster, Hammond a.k.a Wrecking Ball.

Beware of small mammals. ðŸ¹
Wrecking Ball rolls into the fight 07.24.18 pic.twitter.com/woK0saBlAq
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) July 17, 2018
During this free weekend, on top of Overwatch’s full roster of 28 heroes and 18 maps,Â  a variety of modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade will be accessible as well. Players will be able to level up as normal, earn loot boxes, and unlock a variety of different customization options.
If you somehow decide to purchase Overwatch after test driving the game, you will get to keep any progress made during the weekendâ€”as long as you use the same Blizzard account that they played on. No ragrets.
For more info, head on over to Blizzard’s official post.


My Experience With Xbox PC Game Pass Malaysia: The Good & The Bad

After being sidelined for many years, gamers in Southeast Asia rejoiced last month when Microsoft announced that the Xbox Game Pass, or rather, the Xbox PC Game Pass, is finally coming to the region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). At the time of writing, it is now officially available (you can subscribe now by heading over here).
The first three months for new subscribers only costs RM5.00 while subsequent months will only set you back RM15 for every month. I’ve recently tried out the service for myself, and while it’s definitely not perfect, it’s certainly worth the subscription fee.
Off To A Bad Start

Unfortunately though, my experience with Xbox PC Game Pass did begin somewhat disastrous. After paying the required RM0.50, I immediately gained access to the service. So far, so good. Then, things soured when I discovered that I couldn’t install any of the available games.
The install button for each game was greyed out and I couldn’t click on them until I chose the install location, which I also couldn’t do. I then spent several hours trying to troubleshoot my way to solving this issue or bug. I scoured through several forums and YouTube videos where many others were suffering from the same problem, and I tried each proposed possible solution I could find.
One solution that temporarily worked forced me to go into Windows Powershell and mess with the registry on my laptop, which is totally not recommended. However, it was frustrating because I had to change the registry and restart my laptop every time I wanted to install and play a new game.
Luck struck when I finally found a permanent solution to my problem on an online Microsoft forum. What’s funny is that the question on the forum was originally posted one year ago in April 2021, but it was only as recent as earlier this month in April 2022 when a Microsoft employee/moderator answered the post. Even then, the Microsoft employee suggested a bunch of different solutions to this singular issue.
Fortunately, the very first solution I tried did the trick and solved the issue for me. It made me both amused and angry that the solution was as simple as this. What was it? I simply had to reset the Windows 10 store & Xbox apps to their default settings (that’s two different apps). That’s it; that’s all I had to do and I already wasted hours trying to solve this issue.
Thankfully, it was all smooth sailing from there on out.
Spoilt For Choice

Xbox PC Game Pass does feel like the closest thing to a Netflix for games. If you click to see a list of all available PC games on the service, the result shows a whopping 398 number of titles. If you think your current games backlog is too much, imagine having almost 400 games to install and play at any time, limited only by your own free time and free storage space.
The first few games I tried were Halo Infinite, Chinatown Detective Agency and Weird West. The SSD on my laptop isn’t so big, so I can’t have too many games installed at a single time. Downloading and installing the games felt smooth, while the speed of the downloads were pretty fast. I would say that the service feels intuitive to use and the UI is easy to parse through as well, not to mention clean and uncluttered.

Under the PC Game Pass tab on the Xbox app, everything is divided into different categories, some of which I find to be helpful. This includes a Recently Added tab, so that you don’t miss out on the latest games to be added to the service, a Coming Soon tab for upcoming games so you’ll know what to look out for, and even a Leaving Soon tab for games that will be removed from the service,

The rest are similarly-helpful tabs such as Most Popular (self-explanatory), Day One Releases (games that launched on Xbox PC Game Pass on the same day that they originally released), an EA Play (for all the EA games under this banner), and of course, you can also browse the games by specific genres.
Oh, and you can actually pre-install games that are on the Coming Soon tab. For example, Trek To Yomi will be only be available on Xbox PC Game Pass starting from 5 May 2022, but I can already pre-install the game ahead of release. That’s a whopping two weeks before the game releases. Sure, this game is only 8GB+ in size, but it’s still a convenient quality-of-life feature that I very much welcome, especially if you want to immediately play the game as soon as it’s released.

I’ve only scratched the surface of what Xbox PC Game Pass has to offer, and it has the potential to offer hundreds of hours of entertainment with its diverse offerings. While it still has some bugs and issues, it mostly still works fine once you get pass all that. We’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft has in store for the service in the months to come.
Until then, I definitely recommend anyone to check out Xbox PC Game Pass. It’s a long time coming, but as they say, better late than never. In the meantime, if you don’t want to waste time or energy sifting through the Xbox Game Pass catalogue of games, we have a list of recommended and suggested games to play right here.


Samsung Teases New Foldable Devices In Galaxy Unpacked August Event

Samsung Malaysia has announced that a new Galaxy Unpacked live stream will take place on 10 August 2022 at 9pm GMT+8.
From the looks of the promotional image, it looks like the company will be revealing new foldable devices. The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked August live stream can be watched on Samsung.com/my and Samsung Malaysia’s YouTube channel.
As an added bonus, from now until 10 August 2022, you can register your interest at www.samsung.com/my/unpacked/ to receive first hand updates on Samsung’s newest innovations. Plus, receive a RM200 Samsung e-voucher which you can use after you pre-order the next Galaxy.
In the meantime, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 here and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 here.


New Settlement Builder Floodland Officially Released On Steam

The settlement builder from Vile Monarch and Ravenscourt, Floodland has finally been released officially on Steam today available at US$29.99 / £24.99 / RM90.00.
We also reviewed Floodland so feel free to check it out

If you’ve not come across Floodland before then you’re in for a real treat.
Runaway climate change means the Earth is now ice-free – and catastrophic sea level rise has inundated the land, with coastal cities lost to the oceans and the ones inland now a swampy morass of rusting cars and decaying buildings.
It’s in one of these drowned cities that you arrive with your small group of nomads. Your task: rebuilding society from the ground up.
You do this by exploring the ruins and scouring them for resources, relearning basic agriculture and fishing skills and turning a group of stragglers – living in tents in a swamp – into a thriving town.
After that, you’ll need to establish new buildings (or upgrade existing ones) and research ‘new’ (or relearn old tech) enabling you to overcome the numerous challenges you face.
But people will be people and the larger your settlement grows – and the more habitants it will have –  the higher the chance societal issues will arise, meaning you may well face the same problems the old world had.
The question is, how will you manage your clans; will you unite the remnants of humanity or will you choose division and isolation? Either way, you will shape the society of tomorrow.


The King Of Fighters XV Will Get New & Free DLC If The Game Is Profitable

The King of Fighters XV is out and is taking the fighting game online space by storm. So how’s the game’s future looking in terms of DLC?
Apart from the new Garou Mark of the Wolves team (Rock Howard, B.Jenet, Gato), the Southtown team (Geese, Billy Kane, Yamazaki), and a few others, there’s probably going to be more oncoming. It really depends on business, at least according to KOF XV’s creative director Eisuke Ogura.
According to a recent Famitsu interview (via ATRyoSakazaki), he said that the process of selecting characters as DLC has to be very selective. However, if the upcoming ones do well sales-wise, they can distribute future DLC for free.
“If KOF XV sells incredibly well, we may be able to distribute various characters for free.”
The production team has also heard many DLC and character requests that seem off-kilter. There are even requests for Art of Fighting’s Ryuhaku Todoh (Kasumi Todoh’s dad) to even the US Sports Team (Bryan Battler, Heavy D, Lucky Glauber), which probably had to be taken with a grain of salt.

“As a tendency, the requests eventually go in a maniacal direction. They are consolidated into requests for the US Sports Team or for Ryuhaku Todoh.
We often get requests for DLC, but there is also the question of whether DLC will sell. It is difficult to judge whether such maniacl requests are just “stories” or not.”
The team also talk a bit about other topics:
Regarding KOF Couples Ryo Sakazaki & King, and Andy Bogard & Mai Shiranui
Seishi Ando, Lead Programmer: This is a difficult point, because the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting teams are based on works that already exist. I’m not sure if we can take that relationship and make it our own in KOF. If we change the relationship, it would affect the original work, so we don’t want to do that.
Will There Be Sequels To Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting?
Ogura: For our part, we’d like to see you move forward with the story there as soon as possible.
Rollback Netcode

Masaru Tsuji, Technical Director: The adoption of the rollback method was not decided from the beginning, but rather during the development process. As a programmer, the impact was quite large, and I had to work very hard on the schedule.
[So I was hired on short notice]. The reason for this was a large number of requests from players and the impact of the COVID-19 disaster. As the opportunities to play offline have decreased, it is necessary to be able to play well online. In particular, overseas players were very sensitive about whether or not the game was adopting rollback netcode.
Once the [rollback netcode] is released, we will be receiving feedback from players in earnest, but at this stage of development, I have the feeling that we’ve gone as far as we can as a team. For the players who have played SNK’s fighting games up until now, we are finally able to provide a rollback fighting environment, which is a relief to all of us in the development team.
KOF XV is out right now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, and Xbox One. For more on the game, check out our early KOF XV tier list.


Paramount & Sega To Fix Live-Action Sonic After Internet Backlash

Guess you can proactively change things if you bitch loud enough. Following the uproar and negative reactions to the Sonic The Hedgehog live-action film, along with some masterful tweaks & suggestions from the online community…

…Paramount and Sega will be taking these outcries into consideration. Here’s an official statement from director Jeff Fowler.

Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be… #sonicmovie #gottafixfast ???
— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 2, 2019

Why are fans peeved? It’s most likely the character’s face and human teeth. It remains to be seen how these changes will happen since it’s 7 months more until the film is released.


We’re Getting A New Trails Game Next September

If you want a truly epic story-driven JRPG, look no further than theÂ  Trails series. Created by Falcom, the recentÂ  Legend of Heroes:Â Trails of Cold Steel quadrology is the one to play through if you want a good mix ofÂ  JRPG turn-based fighting and long-spanning continuity-driven storylines involving military schoolkids and warring factions.
Turns out, the demand for Trails games are going strong as the series sold over 4.3 million units worldwide. And according to its financial reports, there will be aÂ  new Trails game due by September 2020. The company will also be releasing several remastered titles for PS4.
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 is out now for PS4, but I suggest you wait until the fourth game is out in English. The series has a habit of ending in unwarranted cliffhangers; this one’s no different.