Tag: proven gamer top stories of the week

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 9/14

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 9/14. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Nintendo Direct: 9/13

After a delay, Nintendo released their latest Direct on September 13. Check out some of the announcements below:

  • Luigi’s Mansion 3 coming to Switch in 2019.
  • Animal Crossing 3 coming to Switch in 2019.
  • Animal Crossing’s Isabelle will make her way to the Smash Ultimate Roster.
  • Pokémon Lets Go and Smash Ultimate getting Switch Bundles.
  • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe will launch on Switch on January 11.

The other big portion of the Nintendo Direct focused on the coming release of Nintendo Switch Online, which releases on September 18. Up to this point, online functionality has been free on Switch, but that will change next week. At this moment, it seems like Nintendo still has some work to do convincing players this service will be worth paying for. However, with features such as cloud saves locked behind the service, expect many to make the jump. Check out the full Nintendo Direct below:

2) Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Outlines Season Pass:

Ubisoft has revealed the details of Assassin’s Creed post-launch plans and there are a couple big takeaways when looking at the season pass. First, there will be two major DLC story expansions. Legacy of the First Blade will tell the story of the origin of the hidden blade weapon, while Fate of Atlantis, will take players to the underwater city. Second, Assassin’s Creed III, set during the American Revolution will also be included in the season pass. The game will include graphical 4K updates and new gameplay mechanics.

Outside of the season pass, there will free updates that add in-game events, weekly challenges, and Discovery Mode will return after its inclusion in Assassins Creed Origins.

3) Belgium Continues to Fight Lootboxes

To catch people up that may have missed the early parts of this story, in April, Belgium declared that lootboxes in certain games were a form of gambling. This has led to titles such as Overwatch removing the ability to open lootboxes for people that play the game in Belgium. However, EA has kept lootboxes in all of their games in the country. Now, Belgium has started a criminal investigation into EA, since they refused to remove the boxes from their games(primarily the FIFA franchise).

Whether anything significant will come out of this is anyone’s guess. Does Belgium think they have case against the video game giant that is EA? Will EA put all their resources behind fighting the case if it goes to court? Only time will tell.

 

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 6/22

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 6/22. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) State of Decay 2 Tops May NPD

For all of the criticism it received in regard to bugginess and certain gameplay elements, State of Decay found itself at the top of the May NPD list. Behind it, Sony exclusives God of War and Detroit: Become slotted in at two and three. It is impressive to see Detroit be that high up, especially with its release near the end of the month. Another slot of note, Grand Theft Auto V continues to make the top twenty, slotting in at six. Check out the full top twenty list below:

1. State of Decay 2
2. God of War
3. Detroit: Become Human
4. Far Cry 5
5. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition*
8. Rainbow Six: Siege
9. Mario Kart 8*
10. NBA 2K18
11. MLB 18: The Show
12. Call of Duty: WWII
13. Super Mario Odyssey*
14. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
15. FIFA 18
16. Overwatch
17. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
18. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
19. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
20. Monster Hunter: World

2) Sony’s Cross-Play/Progression Stance

It has been a week since the end of E3 and Sony still hasn’t come out and directly addressed why they are preventing people from logging into their Epic Games account on other consoles(specifically Switch) so they can continue to progress on the same account. If they thought that not addressing would make the controversy of cross-play go away, it has only done the opposite. Now, not only are gamers still demanding access to their Epic accounts, Microsoft and Nintendo are getting some pokes in with a new Minecraft ad promoting cross-play across their consoles.

At some point, Sony is going to have to either cave and allow cross-play or yet again only address why they are so against the idea.

3) WHO Classifies Gaming as an Addiction

Earlier this week, the  World Health Organization officially declared that gaming could be classified as an addiction. It is being grouped in with impulse control related addictions such as gambling, eating, and exercising. While there are three criteria along with a minimum of twenty hours a week, there is already pushback against this decision. Earlier this week, the Entertainment Software Association and its partners issued the following the statement after gaming was officially declared an addiction:

“Video games across all kinds of genres, devices and platforms are enjoyed safely and sensibly by more than 2 billion people worldwide, with the educational, therapeutic, and recreational value of games being well-founded and widely recognized. We are therefore concerned to see ‘gaming disorder’ still contained in the latest version of the WHO’s ICD-11 despite significant opposition from the medical and scientific community. The evidence for its inclusion remains highly contested and inconclusive. We hope that the WHO will reconsider the mounting evidence put before them before proposing inclusion of ‘gaming disorder’ in the final version of ICD-11 to be endorsed next year. We understand that our industry and supporters around the world will continue raising their voices in opposition to this move and urge the WHO to avoid taking steps that would have unjustified implications for national health systems across the world.”

Only time will tell what impacts this decision will have on the gaming world. There are a lot of scenarios and factors to keep track of, so it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds.

4) PlayStation Brings Back Greatest Hits

Its always good to give gamers access to more games and that is what PlayStation Hits. Games such as Bloodborne, Infamous Second Son, The Last of Us Remastered, and many other PlayStation 4 classics will be available for purchase for $19.99 USD. With the list of games including some of the best PS4 games, combined with a good price point, hopefully, it will give gamers the opportunity go back and play games that they may have missed earlier in the consoles generation.

 

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 6/8

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 6/8. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Days Gone Coming February 22nd

Days Gone has a release date. The latest game from Sony Bend will release on February 22, 2019. Although it is still a way out, having a release date helps to solidify the feeling that this game is coming. Along with the release date, a new trailer was shown. The trailer, like much of the coverage before it, highlighted how dangerous the world is for Deacon St. John. New enemy types were revealed as well.

With the release date in place, it is now time for the team at Sony Bend to smooth out all the kinks, bugs, and polish the game so it is everything it can be in 2019.

2) Crackdown 3 Rumored to be Delayed to 2019

Crackdown 3 has had a rough development to say the least. Originally announced to release in 2016, the game was then pushed to coincide with the Xbox One X launch in 2017. It was then delayed again, this time into 2018. Now, a report from Kotaku is out saying that the game is going to be delayed again, this time, into 2019.

At some point, constant delays go from frustration to the point of absurdity, and it seems like Crackdown 3 has reached that point. Eventually, the question can change from when will the game release, to will it release at all? Scalebound and Fable Legends both got the axe, is it possible that Crackdown 3 could be next. Only time will tell with this Microsoft exclusive.

3) Destiny 2: Forsaken Launches September 4

Bungie has seen a fair amount of criticism over the first year of Destiny 2. The company is hoping to change all that with the release of its next expansion in September, Destiny 2: Forsaken.

New weapons, armor, abilities, enemies, locations, and a new story will all be part of Forsaken. Along with the new story, a new hybrid PvP/PvE mode Gambit was introduced, adding something for players to check out after the campaign. Much like Taken King helped propel Destiny 1, Bungie is aiming for a similar impact with Forsaken. The major challenge, as always with Destiny, is will there be enough content to keep players satisfied over the long haul? All will be known come September.

4) Pokémon Company Talks 2019 Game

Yes, Pokékon Lets Go: Pikachu/Eevee are coming out later this year. But, that core, Pokémon RPG that many are waiting for will not be coming until 2019. However, that isn’t stopping the Pokémon Company from dropping a few hints about what can be expected. In an interview with Famitsu,  Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara said that the next game will be “completely different”.

“We want to make Pokémon fans say ‘this is what I’ve been waiting for’ by delivering a brand-new product packed with gameplay elements and plenty of new Pokémon to encounter,” Ishihara said. “The game will give a good understanding of what an evolved Pokémon game looks like after it has continued to succeed the traditions of Game Freak.”

As a longtime fan of the Pokémon series, this is the type of stuff that I want to hear. Taking the Pokémon formula and building on it to create a new game is something that many fans have been waiting for, going back a long time in the Pokémon franchise. Hopefully. more will be shown of this game sooner rather than later.

 

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 6/1

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 6/1. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1)  Bethesda Announces Fallout 76

Bethesda sure knows how to get their fans riled up. After teasing something new on their Twitch page for several hours, the company revealed the latest game in the Fallout franchise, Fallout 76.

More concrete information about the game is expected at E3, but until then the rumors have begun to fly as to what type of game Fallout 76 will be. Most notably, there has been talk that the game will be an online RPG. For Bethesda, this wouldn’t be unheard of, with Elder Scrolls Online already existing. Hopefully all will be answered on June 10.

2) Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee Announced, Pokémon Quest Out Now, Core RPG Coming in 2019

Earlier this week, a Pokémon press event shed light on the future of the franchise for the Nintendo Switch. Three games were announced. First, Pokémon Quest, a “Free-To-Start” game was released for Switch, with a mobile release coming in June.

Next, the rumored Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! were confirmed. The games will release on November 16 for the Switch and will give players an entirely new way to experience the Kanto region. That new way is heavily centered around integration with Pokémon Go. Pokémon caught in Go can be transferred into Let’s Go. The capture mechanics from Go also appear to have made their way into Let’s Go. During the reveal trailer, encounters with wild Pokémon did not show the option to battle. Instead, just like in Go, the accuracy of throwing a Pokéball determined the chances of catching the wild Pokémon. Although there will be battles against other trainers, the initial reveal of the game really makes it look like a version of Go based in the Kanto region.

The final announcement was the one everyone was waiting to hear more about. Although there is still no title or information, Game Freak did confirm that the next, core Pokémon RPG is in development for Switch and will release in the second half of 2019. Until then, players can check out Let’s Go and Quest.

3) PUBG Corp. Taking Epic to Court

The battle between Fortnite Battle Royale and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds has been taken to a different level. Although PUBG came out first, Fortnite Battle Royale has since surpassed it, and for that matter pretty much every other game in terms of popularity. Now PUBG Corp. has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Epic Games. The suit was filed in the Seoul Central District Court, specifically against Epic Games Korea.

Whether or not there is a case to be made that Epic did cross a line somewhere for me, in the public eye, it is hard to see how PUBG comes out of this looking good. Fortnite is the premier battle royale game on the market right now, having taken that mantle from PUBG. Regardless of the outcome. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the public eye, as well as in court.

4) Assassin’s Creed is Going to Greece

Another upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, another leaked location. This time, French outlet JeuxVideoLive has said the game will be going heading to Ancient Greece. The title of the game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.  Along with the leaked location and title, JeuxVideoLive and Kotaku have also reported that the game will be a sequel to Origins. Additionally, it is also been reported that dialogue options will appear for the first time in the franchise. Although there is no release date, Kotaku has reported the game will come out before March 31, 2019.

A leaked Assassin’s Creed game is nothing new, but the location and new mechanics are something to be excited about, to say the least. Dialogue options open the door for all sorts of possibilities. Most intriguing would be the possibility of branching paths, which would be something brand new for Assassin’s Creed. Hopefully, more information will be revealed at E3.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 5/25

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 5/25. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Best Buy Ends Gamers Club Unlocked

This is a story that came out of left field. Earlier this week, the option to purchase a new membership to Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked, the feature that allowed gamers 20% off of new games and pre-orders was removed from the companies website. Since the removal of the feature, it has been confirmed that Best Buy is no longer taking new memberships to the service. However, they will continue to honor existing services until their expiration. At this point, there still isn’t much clarity as to why the program was removed. Hopefully, in time, we may see a return or reformat of a service that many gamers were enjoying.

2) Battlefield V Gets Revealed… Kinda 

DICE’s reveal event for Battlefield V on 5/24 was chalked full of information. It was confirmed that the franchise would be returning to WWII with no Premium Pass. In its place, a new, live service known as Tides of War will shift the focus of the game to various fronts and parts of WWII overtime. All of this will be free to the player. Along with the new format, new gameplay mechanics and modes were discussed. Of all the modes, the new take on Operations was emphasized heavily. The mode will now span up to four matches over four in-game days, with the conditions of each match changing depending on the previous day’s events. There was a whole lot discussed during the reveal. However, that is also the problem. A whole lot was discussed, but nothing was shown outside of a reveal trailer and pieces of concept art. The event talked about tons of things that will be in the game but didn’t show any of it. E3 is just a few weeks away, but to hold back basically everything from something deemed as a reveal event seems like a misstep. Hopefully, there will be much to show at the EA Play event at E3.

3) Sony Talks Future of Hardware

Earlier this week, PlayStation CEO John Kodera made two statements regarding the future of PlayStation. First, he said that the company will continue to focus on PS4 games till 2021. While this doesn’t mean that a new console won’t be announced or released before that time, it does give gamers some room to breathe knowing that there will be three more years of support for Sony’s current console.  A day later, a second Kodera’s comment stirred up PlayStation Vita fans. He talked about the importance of not thinking of portable gaming as separate from consoles. He went on to talk about the potential of portable gaming as a way to give fans more experiences. The obvious connection to Kodera’s comments is the success of the Nintendo Switch. Although he never referenced it directly, talking about not separating portable and console gaming is exactly what the Switch has accomplished. Maybe Sony does have another adventure into the portable space up their sleeve.

4) Sony and Nintendo Crush April NPD’s

The April NPD’s are out and God of War finds itself at the top of the mountain. In terms of dollars, God of War had the most successful launch month in the history of PlayStation. However, it wasn’t the only PlayStation exclusive to find its way to the top of the sales list. MLB: The Show 18 came in at number three, below Far Cry 5. This is back-to-back months Sony’s baseball exclusive has found itself in the number three spot. With its success, The Show is now the second best selling exclusive this year. Not to be outdone, Nintendo also a had a successful April. The Switch port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze founds its way to number five. However, it was the number four slot on the list that caught this writers eye. The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit came in at number 4. Whatever your opinion of Labo, it is cool to see such a whacky idea have success.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 5/18

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 5/18. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) U.S. Senate Takes the First Step to Reinstate Net Neutrality 

This is a story that goes beyond the gaming world, but will directly impact the way gamers interact online. Back in December, the FCC voted to remove net neutrality rules, giving internet providers the opportunity top prioritize content and internet speeds. This, in theory, could allow for providers to charge extra for “gaming internet speeds”. There has been a lot of pushback to the decision to remove net neutrality, and the United States Senate has gotten onboard. With a 52-47 vote, the Senate has decided to reinstate neutrality rules. Although this is an important step, there is still a long way to go for net neutrality rules to be put into place. Next up, Congress will have to also vote to reinstate the rules. Finally, if the vote gets through Congress, President Trump will have to sign on the dotted line as well. There is a long way to go, but having the Senate vote pass is a step in the right direction.

2) Game Delays Coming in Hot

Shenmue III, Metro Exodus, Skull & Bones, a “Highly-Anticipated” sequel in a Take-Two Franchise, these are just some of the games that were delayed out of 2018 this week. Delays are always a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is always a bummer that gamers have to wait to get their hands on titles that they have been waiting to play. On the other, delays give developers a chance to work out the kinks, bugs, and other issues that a game may have. The reward for this, if all goes as planned, a better experience when the game does come out. Let’s just hope that all of the games that were delayed this week are being delayed for the better. Let them cook.

3) Pokémon Switch Rumors 

Back at E3 2017, The Pokémon Company announced that they were working on a new, core Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch. However, that was all they said. No trailer, no title, no gameplay, just a quick video letting gamers know the game was being worked on. This week, the rumors started flying about what gamers can expect from this upcoming title.

Pokémon has always been known for its two-game system. The Switch version is no different with leaks and rumors suggesting the two games will be titled: Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Pokémon Let’s Go: Eevee. As the titles imply, the next Pokémon game will be heading back to the Kanto region, in what the leaks and rumors are describing as remakes of Pokémon Yellow.

Additionally, the rumors also stated that the game would tie into Pokémon Go, integrating some of the features of the mobile game. Hopefully, many of these rumors will be put to rest soon, whether it is a standalone Nintendo Direct, or as part of Nintendo’s E3 presentation.

4) Black Ops 4 Announces Battle Royale

There were new specialists revealed for multiplayer, three day-one zombie experiences were shown, new systems for both weapons and health in multiplayer were announced, Treyarch confirmed there would be no campaign,  but in the end, the big news from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal is that the franchise will be entering the battle royale space. Treyarch’s take on battle royale, titled Blackout will bring in assets from across the Black Ops games, including Zombies. Additionally, players will have access to both air, land, and sea vehicles, helping Blackout to stand out from other battle royale games. Although it was announced the map for Blackout is the largest that Treyarch has ever made, combining elements from many other Black Ops maps, one thing that wasn’t announced was the player count. It will be curious to see if Treyarch is going for the 100 man experience, or if they have to scale things down a bit with all of the assets they will be putting into the mode.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

 

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 4/27

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 4/27. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Detroit: Become Human Goes Gold

The next PlayStation exclusive is almost ready to roll. Earlier this week, Quantic Dream announced that Detroit: Become Human has gone gold, about a month in advance of its May 25 release date. There is a lot about David Cage’s new game for PlayStation owners to be excited. First, after playing the game at PlayStation Experience and recently checking out the free demo(available now), the game is gorgeous. The environments, character designs, and lighting highlight what the PlayStation 4 is capable of producing. The stakes of the demo itself also feel high. Players will have the opportunity to play out the hostage negotiation scenario that has been shown several times. At the end of the demo, a flowchart is shown, highlighting all the different ways the game can play out. Detroit: Become Human releases on May 25.

2) Quantic Dream Sues French Media Companies

The background for this story dates back to events that occurred earlier this year. Several French outlets reported on sexist, racist, and toxic work environment at Quantic Dream, the company developing Detroit: Become Human. David Cage, the CEO of the company has denied these allegations since they surfaced. Now, the company is taking the next step, and have filed lawsuits against Le Monde and Mediapart. Hearings for the case will begin in June, so the resolution to this story is still to come.

3) PlayStation and Xbox Announce May Free Games

Free stuff is always the best. This is why the announcement of the free games coming for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games with Gold users is always a highly anticipated moment. Both companies have announced the free games coming in May, and neither disappointed.

Sony’s list is highlighted by Beyond: Two Souls and Rayman Legends. Beyond: Two Souls makes sense as a free game in May, with Detroit: Become Human releasing at the end of the month. Rayman Legends is a great platformer for all ages, featuring co-op up to four players.

Microsoft also has some big hitters coming in the month of May. Metal Gear Solid V will be available starting on May 16, while Vanquish, Platinum’s third-person shooter also releases that day.

4) Far Cry 5 Becomes Top Selling Game of the Year

The March NPD’s are out, and Far Cry 5 has found itself on top of software sales. Not only is it the top selling game of March, but Far Cry 5 also surpassed Monster Hunter World to become the best selling game of the year.

Along with the success of Far Cry, several other games hit big milestones for the month of March.  Sea of Thieves, number two in software sales for the month, had the best launch month for a Rare game since the NPD’s started being tracked in 1995. Kirby Star Allies, number three on the list, sold 90 percent better than the previous best selling Kirby game, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.

5) Nintendo Announces E3 2018 video presentation for June 12th – Treehouse Live to return

Splatoon 2 and the Switch version of Super Smash Bros will be represented in a big way at this year’s E3. The Splatoon 2 World Championship will be staring on June 11th and conclude on June 12th. A Video Presentation will be an 12:00pm Eastern time on June 12th that will include the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game. Right after the video presentation we will have 3 days of Switch gameplay with Nintendo Treehouse members and developers. Right after the Splatoon 2 World Championships, there will be the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018.

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6) Shadow of the Tomb Raider Trailer Debut

Square Enix has released the official Shadow of the Tomb Raider trailer called “The End of the Beginning”. The trailer name eludes to the fact that this is the final chapter in the origin story of Lara Croft. What is also quite interesting is that the trailer opens and closes with X-Box logos without any mention of Playstation. The official website still lists Shadow coming on all platforms on September 14th, so it must just be a marketing exclusivity. Watch the trailer for yourself below.

 

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below

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Proven News Wrap-Up: 4/20

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 4/20. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order

1) Black Ops 4 Will Not Have Single-Player Campaign(Rumor)

Although this is technically still a rumor, it looks like the chances of it being true are high. Originally reported by Polygon, rumors have surfaced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will not have a single-player campaign. The report suggests that the campaign would not have been finished in time for the October 12 release date and was scrapped to focus on the multiplayer and zombie modes. In addition to these modes, it also sounds like the game will have its take on battle royale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rumor poses several questions about the state of Black Ops 4. First, and most importantly, can any amount of additional multiplayer content make the game feel complete? Regardless of how they were received or how many people played them, campaigns in Call of Duty games have always existed. Sometimes they are nothing special, but they also had campaigns that have been crazy and a blast to go through. Beyond the question of the game feeling whole, the lack of single player raises other questions. How will the game be marketed? What is the context of the multiplayer world? These will be things that will have to be addressed going forward.

2) Dark Souls on Switch Delayed 

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Switch port of the remastered edition of Dark Souls was being delayed from the original release date of May 25 to the summer of 2018. While the delay itself is a bummer, there are two crucial details that make it sting even more.

First, the lack of a concrete release date is a shame. A summer 2018 release date could mean the game is delayed by just a few weeks, or by several months. Hopefully, the new release date will be announced soon. The second reason the delay hurts is that the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the game are still coming on May 25. The reasons for the delay still aren’t clear, but not being able to take the game on the go right out of the gate is unfortunate.

3) Konami Doesn’t Renew UEFA License for PES

When it comes to soccer games, FIFA has always been the big man on campus. However, over recent years, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer has made a niche for itself as a viable second option for people who aren’t happy with FIFA. One of the things that set the game apart was the UEFA Champions League license. This license was exclusive to PES, allowing it to played as a tournament or in career mode.

It will be interesting to see if EA swoops up the license for FIFA, which already has a huge amount of teams, leagues, and international clubs in its lineup.

4) SNK Teases Classic Console

Since the announcement of the NES and SNES classic consoles, more and more of these game collections have started to come out. SNK is the latest to make the jump. In a post to their official Twitter page, they teased what appears to be a new piece of hardware.

The thing that immediately sets this unit apart is that it has the look of an arcade cabinet more than a home console. If that is the case, it raises some new questions. How big is the monitor? Does it have a battery? Can the games still be outputted to a TV screen? Hopefully, more news will come out about the unit soon and these questions will be answered.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

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Proven News-Wrap Up: 4/13

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories of the week. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Radical Heights Joins Battle Royale Party

With the continued success of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite, the potential of a surge in of games diving into the Battle Royale genre was always in play. Boss Key Productions, the makers of Lawbreakers are next to step into the ring with Radical Heights. Radical Heights takes the typical formula for battle royale, but adds in its own features to make it stand out. Most notably, collecting cash to buy weapons and other items. This cash will carry over from game to game, giving players a “bank” that they can make withdrawals from if they need some quick dough. Radical Heights also separates itself with its game show style presentation, giving a context to gameplay that other battle royale games don’t have. Radical Heights is in Early Access on Steam and is free-to-play.

2) Billy Mitchell Banned From Competition and His Scores Removed

For those who don’t know the name, Billy Mitchell is a competitive gamer who made a name for himself on arcade games such as Donkey Kong. Twin Galaxies, the organization that tracks and gaming high scores and records have concluded that some of Mitchell’s scores on Donkey Kong were done using an emulator, thus breaking the rules. The result, Twin Galaxies has removed the scores and also banned Mitchell from future competitions. In the world of high score video game competitions, this is a big deal. To play on anything other than an original arcade setup immediately brings any high scores into question. Good on Twin Galaxies for performing a thorough investigation and taking action.

3) Shovel Knight Hits Two Million Copies Sold

Shovel Knight is widely considered as one of the most successful Kickstarter games of all time. The 2-D platformer has found success on every platform it has come to (which is pretty much every platform you can think of) due to its old-school platforming and challenging gameplay. One of the most impressive things about Shovel Knight has been its continued success. Since its initial launch, the game has had multiple DLC expansions (with another one coming) and guest appearances in games such as Blaster Master Zero and Yooka-Laylee. Of all of the platforms, PC and 3DS lead the way, accounting for 48.3% of sales. Behind that, the Switch sits in third at 17.6 percent.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

 

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PC News Playstation 4 News X-Box One News

Proven News Wrap-Up: 4/5

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top five stories of the week. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Removes Microtransactions

Although this comes more than six months after the game’s initial release, it still is important that Middle-Earth made this change. Along with Battlefront II, Shadow of War was highly criticized at launch for its use of microtransactions, especially with how it related to the end-game content. With two of the biggest offenders of microtransactions now removing them entirely, hopefully, this is a sign of a new direction that games will be taking with in-game purchasing.

Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™_20170924122957

2) PUBG Tests New Map

One of the major differences early on between Fortnite Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was new content releases and updates. Fortnite seemed to be pumping out frequent updates to the game, adding new weapons, limited time modes, and costumes. On the flip-side, the updates for PUBG sometimes seemed few and far between. So earlier this week, when PUBG allowed players to get their hands on a new map, everyone was all in. Along with the demo of the new map, they have started special events, similar to Fortnite’s timed game modes. With these two games are leading the way in the Battle Royale space, it is important for PUBG to keep the content rolling out in order to not fall behind.

3) Spider-Man Gets Fall Release Date

Insomniac announcing a release date Spider-Man (September 7) is a big deal on its own merits. The game is shaping up to be a huge success for Sony, with the latest gameplay clips showing off fluid movement, quick and exciting combat, and a tone that fits Spider-Man perfectly. However, if we zoom out and look at the release date as part of the larger picture for Sony, its importance is only amplified. Two of PlayStation’s big hitters, God of War and Detroit: Become Human are coming in the next two months. Putting Spider-Man in the Fall not only gives PlayStation an exclusive for that time window, but also shows the confidence that Sony has in Insomniac to make a top tier, action game. With everything that has been shown of the game so far, it is fair to assume things are swinging in the right direction.

4) Spyro Reignited Trilogy Coming in September

The rumors of a Spyro remaster have been swirling for some time now. It was announced that Spyro The Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon would all be getting remastered for the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, set to launch for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 21. Much like the Crash Bandicoot remasters, I can only hope that this Spyro collection is a sign of testing the waters for a brand new Spyro game. The purple dragon is back!

5) Divinity: Original Sin 2 Coming to Consoles

Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in August. Although bringing a PC based RPG to consoles can present some tough challenges (controls and interface for example), the chance for having more players get their hands on one of the best RPG’s of the year can only be viewed as a good thing. It has also been announced that the game will have online c0-op up to four players, as well as two-player split-screen co-op.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!

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Android News iOS News PC News Playstation 4 News X-Box One News

Proven News Wrap-Up: 3/23

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top five stories of the week. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1)  Ubisoft Avoids Vivendi Takeover

This has been a slow-burning story that looks like it has finally reached its conclusion. Vivendi, the French media company, had slowly been buying up Ubisoft stock in an attempt to take over the gaming company. Throughout the process, Ubisoft had been looking for ways to prevent this from happening, and they were finally able to. With assistance from Tencent and the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan, they were able to buy out the 27.3% of the stock owned by Vivendi. From a gamer’s perspective, Ubisoft maintaining its independence is huge. It allows them to continue to pump-out games from all of their franchises, while still being able to innovate and bring new ideas to the table.

2) Sea of Thieves Shaky Start

When it comes to games with a heavy online component, launch day stability is one of the greatest challenges. Release day for a game is likely when most games will see the heaviest traffic on their infrastructure, with everyone logging on to check out whatever they have been waiting months, if not years, to play. Sea of Thieves, Microsoft’s exclusive pirate game from Rare, was no exception. On the day of its release, Rare had to temporarily stop allowing new players to join the game while dealing with server and connectivity issues.

Server issues like this have become common with game launches, to the point where it is almost expected. It is totally reasonable to say that in time, the servers for Sea of Thieves will stabilize and people will have no issues logging onto the game. However, what is more concerning for Sea of Thieves is the early feedback on the game itself. When joining up with friends, if someone is to join in late, that often requires all players to exit the game and start over. Unbalanced PvP combat gives the advantage to full squads of four (there is also no way to turn off PvP at this time). Combat is reportedly incredibly basic, with sword fights boiling down to who can mash the fastest. The mission structure seems to be very repetitive, with things boiling down to go to a location, find a chest, and return to your outpost (there are also combat based missions that follow a similar thread but instead of a chest, you are tasked with taking out a pirate captain). Microsoft doesn’t have a lot of exclusives, and Sea of Thieves is one that was pushed hard by the company. Let’s hope that content updates and patches can make the game the pirate adventure everyone is looking for.

3) God of War Goes Gold

Yes, games going gold is part of development process and happens to every title that is being developed. However, from its reveal at E3 2016, God of War has felt like it has the potential to be something really special.

On the surface level, God of War seems new and fresh. A new Kratos trying turn the page and become a dad for his son Atreus, a new mythology and world to explore, a new weapon (axe hype!) for Kratos to wield, and a different camera angle and combat mechanics. All of this and more makes God of War stand out from the older games. However, when people got their hands on the game early this week, there was plenty of familiar elements as well. Despite the new camera and controls, combat was still as frantic and brutal as ever. Puzzles still play heavily into the game as well. This balance of old and new gives God of War a chance to be one of the great games of 2018.

4) CD Projekt Red Launches New Studio

The reveal trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 was released back in 2013. Since then, CD Projekt Red has been relatively silent when it comes to breaking news about its new, open-world game. The last activity on the game’s Twitter feed came when they simply tweeted out the word “beep” with no other information or context.

So when it was announced earlier this week that CD Projekt Red had created a new studio, CD Projekt Red Wroclaw to help with the development of Cyberpunk 2077, people, myself included, got excited. Even though there isn’t any news about the game itself along with the announcement of the studio. It is the latest reminder that this game is a real thing that we will get to play at some point. CD Projekt Red is one of the few studios out there that operates on its own schedule. They will show off more of Cyberpunk 2077 when they are good and ready.

5) Fortnite Battle Royale and PUBG Go Mobile

I don’t think the announcements of Fortnite Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds releasing on mobile is a huge surprise. The reason it is a big deal is that it is further evidence that these two games aren’t going away anytime soon. Regardless of how bad the touch controls are, or if they are buggy, launching mobile versions of these games opens the door to an entirely new audience base for both titles. In recent weeks, Fortnite has gone from PUBG’s competitor to something entirely new and unique in the public eye. Athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between seem to have been sucked up into the behemoth of a hype train that is Fortnite Battle Royale. This was highlighted when Ninja, one of top Fortnite players teamed up with rapper Drake and set a Twitch record with 630,000 concurrent viewers. The battle royale genre bubble may very well pop at some point. However, I don’t think it is happening anytime soon.

Did we leave out any of the big stories of the week? Leave them in the comments below!