Proven News Wrap-Up: 8/10

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 8/10. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct

Here is a list of just a few things that were announced during Nintendo’s Smash Bros. Direct.

• Simon Belmont and King K. Rool introduced as new characters.
• There are 103 stages in the game, with the ability to transition between stages during a match.
• There are more than 800 music tracks, totaling around 28 hours of continuous music.
• Characters can now build their Final Smash as a meter like in other fighting games.

That is just the short list. There were also new items, assist trophies, echo characters, Pokémon, and modes. After E3, some were left a little underwhelmed by the showing of Smash Ultimate. After the latest direct, it is safe to say that Nintendo seems to be throwing anything and everything into this game. With several months to go before release, what other surprises may Nintendo have in store?

2) Rockstar Shows Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay

People have been clamoring for a gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 for some time, and Rockstar finally satisfied them with part one of their gameplay introduction. While there were brief looks and gunplay, hand-to-hand combat, and world traversal, what stood out the most from the trailer was the ability to interact with the world around the player. Talking to townsfolk, getting to know your fellow gang members, defusing or creating a tense situation, bonding with your horse, and much more all appear to have significant benefits or consequences for the player. Check out the gameplay introduction video below:

3) God of War Gets New Game +

God of War will be getting New Game + on August 20. Along with the added difficulty, the mode will also introduce new armor sets, resources, harder enemies, and the option to skip cinematics to keep things moving along at a steady clip. New Game + has been something players have been wanting in God of War for some time, and they won’t have to wait much longer to dive back into Kratos’ story.

Did we miss any major stories? Leave them in the comments below!

4) Sony Celebrates 500 Million Systems Sold with Limited Edition Console

In a post to the PlayStation Blog on Thursday, Sony announced that they have now passed 500 million PlayStation Consoles sold in the last 24 years. As a celebration of that, they are releasing a limited edition translucent PS4 Pro. The console will come with 2TB of space, PlayStation Camera and vertical stand. A matching translucent controller will also be included. There will only be 50,000 consoles released worldwide, which will sell for $499. It was also announced that the controller and a special PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset will be sold outside of the bundle as well.