Earth Day is coming up, but how are you supposed to celebrate when we’re all supposed to stay indoors? The pandemic means that large gatherings outside are frowned upon, if not outright banned, and that means the big tree-planting efforts are hard to participate in. Though let’s be honest, most of us gamers were just going to donate money from the safety of our own homes anyway. Whatever the case, Shaw chose the perfect time to unveil a new Earth Day initiative: the Tree Spree Challenge. All you have to do is plant a tree in a game of your choice, screenshot it, and post the pic on social media with #ShawTreeSpree, and the internet giant will match it with a real tree.

Gamers, this is our moment! If you’ve ever wanted to give back to the planet, prove that you’re better at planting trees than anyone else, or just an excuse to decorate your Animal Crossing island, Minecraft homes, or Stardew Valley farmsteads, now is the time to do it. Flood Twitter with the evidence. Let’s get as many trees out there as possible. Last time, the challenge ended with a total of 4,000 trees, but we think you guys can leave that number in the dust.

The event’s call to action states that: “People can post a screenshot of their in-game tree on social using the hashtag #ShawTreeSpree, and Shaw will plant a tree in real life for them, too. The initiative will run until the end of Earth Month(April 30th) and is open to any game where you can plant a tree.”

How many games can you plant trees in, we wonder? Now is an excellent time to find out.

The Shaw Tree Spree Challenge will run from April 22nd (Earth Day) to April 30th, 2021.

How many trees did you plant? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

SOURCE: Press Release

The post Shaw Tree Spree Challenge Dares Gamers to Plant Trees For Earth Day appeared first on COGconnected.

For years, BioWare has marketed the Dragon Age games as dark fantasy epics. They’re certainly fantasy and they do tend to involve epic quests, but how dark are they, really? Yes, the franchise does touch on racial inequality, systematic persecution, environmental destruction, world-destroying monsters, and even cultural genocide at times, but the player characters aren’t usually given the option to really participate in any of that. You’re not even subjected to it outside of certain backstory events. And the Darkspawn are no Lovecraftian horrors, we’ll tell you that. Dragon Age may be bleak at times, but trust us, we can think of RPGs that went much harder than this.

Don’t believe us? Here are seven RPGs we can think of that are darker than Dragon Age, ranked loosely by order of cosmic horror, existential dread, and sheer hopelessness. Be warned: here be spoilers!

7. Drakengard 3

Starting off with a bloody, bloody bang, Drakengard 3 tells the story of the Intoners: five maidens who used their incredible celestial powers to overthrow vile, corrupt leaders, end war, and unite the world. But you’re not playing as them. You’re playing as Zero, their ‘older sister’, the foul-mouthed, sadistic warrior dead-set on killing the other Intoners–no matter who’s in her way. This game starts with a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting which only gets darker as the seams begin to show. The world isn’t half as peaceful as it appears, the Intoners are struggling to hold things together with reality-warping songs that brainwash the listener, and Zero is unquestionably the hero of the story because if her sisters are allowed to live, their existence will doom everyone. Oh, and three of the four endings lead straight to outcomes so depressing you might cry. At least the rest of the game is dripping with dark comedy along with its Lovecraftian horror.

Content warnings: suicide, murder, genocide, xenophobia, physical and emotional abuse, rape, and basically everyone dies in the happiest ending.

6. Shadow Hearts

Speaking of dark comedy, Shadow Hearts is one of the funniest games to ever get under our skin. Unlike the brutal fantasy setting of Drakengard 3, this title takes place in a world recognizable as our own. You know, if skinned corpses regularly accosted travelers throughout the 20th century. Players follow Yuri Volte Hyuga, a snarky young man who can absorb the Malice of monsters to fuse with their souls, and who would really appreciate it if the voice in his head would stop demanding he do stuff. The first thing it orders him to do is save Alice Elliot, a young cleric being hunted by a man who needs her powers to save the world. By destroying it. Villains aside, the real star of Shadow Hearts is the grim, damp, and eerily grounded setting. It’s a world where the dead linger, grudges can kill, and god is an eldritch abomination that will destroy the world on contact, but it feels disturbingly plausible. Maybe that’s why the scene of a mentally-broken Yuri being forced to dig his own grave is so haunting.

Content warnings: murder, physical and emotional abuse, attempted genocide, a lot of religious horror, and the bad ending is canon.

5. Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Before Persona 4 made it big with a coming of age story and Persona 5 became a classic tale of rebellion, there were Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. Eternal Punishment was more bittersweet in the end, but Innocent Sin was terrifying. The whole franchise falls into the urban fantasy genre rather than straight-out horror, but P4 tasked its teenage protagonists with trying to solve a murder mystery and overcome their inner demons. Innocent Sin‘s teenage protagonists have to kill their principal in self-defence and grapple with any rumor spread far enough coming true, all while being hunted by a supernatural masked madman determined to kill them for a sin they can’t remember. The ending sees the main villain, Nyarlathotep, succeed in murdering the protagonists’ beloved friend Maya and destroy the world in the process. All that’s left is one town floating in the void of space, a grieving best friend, and four broken teenagers who must erase their own identities in order to turn back the clock and keep this from ever happening. Ouch.

Content warnings: murder, Lovecraftian themes, teenagers killing people, Hitler gets resurrected for a bit thanks to rumormongerers, and the apocalypse is inevitable. Also, the protagonist is bisexual, which might be why Innocent Sin didn’t get translated back in the PlayStation era. Cowards.

4. Shin Megami Tensei

Ah yes, the original Shin Megami Tensei: a happy game about high school students doing chores, making friends, and–OH GOD, A DEMON ATE YOUR MOM! This title came out in 1992 but only saw an official English release in 2014 for some reason. Possibly because the potential localizers took one look at a game that revolves around summoning demons, surviving an apocalypse of biblical proportions, and trying to decide between helping the followers of god or the allies of Lucifer, and decided that there was no way they’d get away with bringing it westward. Said official release was on iOS and no longer functional, but there are mods, which means you can still try–and fail–to stop things from falling apart. First, a corrupt general tries to lead a coup with demons, then the US nukes Tokyo to try and stop the demons from coming through, and then you’re transported to a post-apocalyptic future where demons run rampant and humanity is rapidly going extinct. Also, all your friends backstab you, the girl of your dreams is a stalker willing to dispose of all her rivals, and there’s another apocalypse coming no matter what you do. You’re still just a kid, and you’re going to die alone.

Content warnings: murder, genocide, body horror, religious horror, god is an evil bastard, people get eaten by demons, Tokyo gets nuked, all your friends betray you, the apocalypse is inevitable, and then you die.

Head over to PAGE 2 for more games on our list…

The post Ranking 7 RPGs Darker Than Dragon Age appeared first on COGconnected.

There are classic games and there are Classic games. Konami’s Metal Gear franchise is definitely Classic with a capital ‘c’. Created by visionary and weird, weird human being Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear has followed Solid Snake, his clone dad, and their… whatever Raiden is to them on a journey of soap opera proportions. Iconic characters, deep themes, incredibly confusing plot, and cutscenes so long you might as well just stand up and grab a drink–those are the Metal Gear trademark, and, speaking as a fan of the series, it’s an unexpectedly great combo. So needless to say, we’re incredibly excited about this tweet David Hayter, the beloved voice actor of Solid Snake, just posted.

Look who I’ve been hanging out with. An epic reunion with the #MetalGearSolid cast to rock your world.

Details coming soon.@CTBsocial @joshkeaton @LoriAlan1 @christophran@Robin_A_Downes @CamClarkeVoices @4pauleiding@missmaewest @jhaletweets pic.twitter.com/jbff9Uy6k4

— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) January 21, 2021

If you’re having trouble believing your eyes, let us summarize: Hayter posted a screenshot of a Zoom call featuring a ton of other Metal Gear alumni, including:

• David Hayter – Solid Snake
• Debi Mae West – Meryl Silverburgh
• Robin Atkin Downes – Kazuhira Miller
• Christopher Randolph – Otacon/Huey
• Tasia Valenza – Sniper Wolf 
• Cam Clarke – Liquid Snake
• Paul Eiding – Roy Campbell
• Josh Keaton – Major Ocelot
• Lori Alan – The Boss
• Jennifer Hale – Naomi Hunter

Yes, that’s right, The Boss! After all these years! As if that wasn’t enough to get excited about, GamesRadar reports that the call also includes “a rep for Celebrity Talent Booking and what looks like some members of the press.”

There aren’t any further details currently circulating, but this could be something big. Fans are still hard at work, but Metal Gear has been–not abandoned, but certainly not the shining beacon of bizarre and brilliant storytelling we all remember–in the years since creator Hideo Kojima’s departure. Under ordinary circumstances, we’d be leery about handing such an auteur’s brainchild off to someone else, but Kojima spent most of his time working on Metal Gear trying to get the series canceled or hand it off to another creator. If someone who truly loves Metal Gear plans to take the helm of a new project, that’s all we can ask Konami for. Well, that and a new Silent Hill game.

What would you like to see from a new Metal Gear? Let us know down in the comments, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

SOURCE

The post The Metal Gear Solid Cast is Getting Back Together For a New Project appeared first on COGconnected.

The official Twitter account for Xbox Game Pass has teased that February is going to be a particularly great month for the Game Pass library. Although they didn’t specify any titles coming to the service or when subscribers can expect them, the hype is real with their February tease. Although big titles such as Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Resident Evil 4 have recently been added to the leaving soon section of the subscription service, February clearly has some bigger games headed to the library. Game Pass is available for $10 per month or $15 as Game Pass Ultimate, which comes with Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass for Xbox and PC.

The Xbox Game Pass Twitter account was quick to tease their upcoming titles that subscribers can look forward to next month, “February is going to be a really ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ʎllɐǝɹ good month.” While GTA V was recently added to the service, it wasn’t accompanied with a tease that ensured such quality, which has us guessing as to what the upcoming titles could be. Apparently, Phil Spencer visited Japan to discuss Game Pass and Project xCloud with publishers and developers, so it’s likely that a big Japanese IP could be on the way.

While the vagueness of the statement makes anything possible, we’re leaning towards the release of the various Final Fantasy titles that were unveiled for Game Pass during XO19 in London last year. Given the meeting with Japanese developers and publishers, it could also involve the Yakuza titles coming to the subscription service as well. Although Game Pass is already a quality service, it seems like February will be an essential month to check it out.

What game do you want added to Game Pass? Which title on the service is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Game Rant

The post Game Pass Gearing up for a Good February appeared first on COGconnected.

The results are in and the GDC 2020 survey shows that developers are very interested in what the PlayStation 5 has to offer. Playstation 5 got 38% of the vote in the question “which platform(s)” most interest you as a developer”. Trailing just behind was the Nintendo Switch with 37%, and Xbox Project Scarlett at 25%. PC still reigns supreme though, as it came away with 50%.

GDC hosts a survey every year to get an idea of the state of the gaming industry. The questions asked are angled to get an idea of what developers are currently working on, as well as what they think of current industry trends.

Currently, only 5% of developers are exclusively focused on making games for next-gen platforms. 22% are working exclusively on current-men, with 34% working on both current and next-gen titles.

The survey revealed that over 40% of developers believed the Epic Games Store would succeed. It also showed that a majority of developers believe that Steam should only be entitled to 20% or less of the revenue generated off games sold through their platform. Currently, Steam takes a 30% cut of every sale made. 6% of developers are okay with this arrangement.

The GDC 2020 survey showed that developers are split on whether or not the Google Stadia will be a success. If you’ve been on the fence about the system, the survey indicates it might be best to hold out on making a purchase.

While the Stadia may not be holding developers attention, VR certainly is. 39% of game developers said they’re particularly interested in the Oculus Quest. Developers are split on whether full virtual reality or augmented reality will dominate the mixed reality front.

GDC is a yearly conference  that showcases the latest developments in the gaming industry. This year’s event will take place in San Francisco from March 16-20.

Source: WCCF Tech

The post GDC 2020 Survey Shows PlayStation 5 Hype is Real appeared first on COGconnected.

Reactions were mixed when Microsoft revealed the proper name of their next generation of Xbox consoles. While some considered Xbox Series X to be an unruly mouthful, others saw all those X’s as fertile ground for endless dirty jokes. Apparently, the curious font choices made when revealing the name actually meant something. Series X is more like a subtitle, it’s actually just Xbox going forward.

According to a Microsoft Rep, “The name we’re carrying forward to the next generation is simply Xbox.” Much like the One S and the One X of this generation, Series X is merely a moniker for what is likely the beefier version of the console. It seems a similar naming system will be applied to the cheaper variants.

So what does this mean going forward? At this point, very little. Casual conversation can refer to the upcoming Microsoft behemoth as the Xbox, or the Series X, or the XXX, or whatever you prefer. Moms doing their gift shopping can ask a Gamestop employee for the new Xbox, and it will be technically correct, a semantic victory sure to be ignored by almost everyone on Earth. The XXXbox, aka Just Xbox, is coming sometime during the 2020 holiday season.

SOURCE

The post Actually It’s Just Xbox Now, You Guys appeared first on COGconnected.

Although Xbox only displayed the Series X standing vertically during the unveil of the console at The Game Awards, they’ve also confirmed that it can lay down horizontally as well. Since the reveal of the console, the likeness has been compared to PC towers, routers and fridges but it will apparently be more flexible in how it’s stored. The top of the console includes essential ventilation so gamers shouldn’t be blocking that part of the console unless they want it to overheat. The Xbox Series X will release in Holiday 2020 and so far will feature Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga and Halo Infinite.

While the ventilation of the console is featured atop the box, the Xbox Series X is powered by a custom processor which leverages the latest Zen 2 and next-gen RDNA architecture from AMD. The console will apparently deliver hardware accelerated ray tracing with a groundbreaking level of performance. Variable Rate Shading technology will also allow developers to get more out of the Xbox Series X GPU and the SSD will essentially eliminate load times and bring gamers into the game faster than anything offered this generation just like the PS5’s SSD.

Apparently the internal components of the Xbox Series X will require significant cooling with the ventilation as the console produces 4K visuals at 60FPS, with the possibility of up to 120FPS. The console will also include support for Variable Refresh Rate and can apparently push 8K visuals. Latency will be reduced using Auto Low Latency Mode and Dynamic Latency Input which will ensure buttons are registered the split second gamers press them.

Are you impressed by the internal specs of the Xbox Series X? Will you be standing yours up or laying it down? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Xbox

The post The Xbox Series X Can Be Vertical or Horizontal appeared first on COGconnected.

Alongside their reveal of the Xbox Series X at The Game Awards, Xbox gave more details about the next generation console on their website. Apparently all accessories from the Xbox One generation will be compatible with the console while the new controller they’ve designed for the Series X will be compatible on the Xbox One. Thousands of games from across every generation of Xbox will be represented on the Xbox Series X. Xbox Game Pass will also be available on the console, bringing every title on the service to early investors of the Xbox Series X for a subscription fee.

Xbox Game Studios supports cross-generation entitlements so that gamers’ Achievements and game saves are shared across devices moving forward, including with the upcoming Halo Infinite which releases in 2020. Apparently all 15 Xbox Game Studios are developing the “largest and most creatively diverse lineup of Xbox exclusive games in our history.” Xbox’s commitment to deliver on backwards compatibility will ensure that every title that’s currently backwards compatible from the last generations (360/Xbox) will be available for the launch of the Xbox Series X.

The new controller designed for the Xbox Series X will not only work on the Xbox One but the company has confirmed that it will work on any PC as well. The controller is apparently smaller and lighter than the current generation of Xbox controller and Xbox ensures a more ergonomic experience with the new controller.  The controllers continue to feature haptic feedback in the triggers and the newest feature of the controller is a share button which is similar to the one included on the PS4 in functionality.

Are you glad that your Xbox 360 titles and original Xbox titles will be available on the Xbox Series X? Does Game Pass increase in value with another console including the service? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Xbox

The post Xbox Series X is Fully Backwards Compatible appeared first on COGconnected.

During The Game Awards, the next generation of Xbox was unveiled as Series X received a debut trailer and Ninja Theory’s Hellblade II was the first title officially announced as an Xbox Series X title. Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga will continue to focus on the protagonist of the series, Senua, who is a sword-wielding Pict warrior. Ninja Theory revealed this new title via a brief trailer that was in-engine and showed off the power of the next-gen console. The game doesn’t have an official release date but it will likely launch with the Xbox Series X in Holiday 2020.

Although the original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was multi-platform, it appears that Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga will be exclusive to the Xbox Series X. Ninja Theory is one of the studios that Xbox Game Studios recently acquired and apparently they’re hard at work on the next big Hellblade title. Although Ninja Theory debuted a new trailer at The Game Awards, it was mostly lacking in content but it made up for that with incredible visuals that are driven by the most powerful Xbox to date. Check out the trailer below which features in-game footage:

Although the Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga trailer didn’t include many details, it featured vast expanses of land and sea accompanied by ritualistic chanting and severed arms which are familiar to anyone who’s played Hellblade. The original Hellblade focused around mental health while including engaging storytelling and combat and these are likely all things that will carry over to the upcoming sequel. We aren’t sure when the next one will release, but check out our review for the original Hellblade here!

Are you going to check out Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga or are you waiting for Xbox Series X to get more exclusives before deciding? What did you think of the original Hellblade? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Dualshockers

The post Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga Unveiled at The Game Awards appeared first on COGconnected.

You ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder, “Man, what are they actually going to name Project Scarlett?” Well, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer, the actual name of Microsoft’s next-gen console will refer to what it’s capable of.

Last month at X019, Spencer was asked by gaming news outlet Stevivor if Xbox had any difficulties naming its next console (compared to Sony’s numbered naming convention for PlayStation).

Spencer said no and added, “Our naming convention has been around what we think the capabilities are. Xbox 360 was about the entertainment experience around the box and the box being in the center of that entertainment experience. Xbox One, if you remember our branding early on, was ‘always on input, all in one’. Those names were really built around the purpose of the box.”

“I don’t feel like I need to follow in [PlayStation’s] footsteps because they’re kind of self-contained,” he also said.

It’s likely that the real name of the next Xbox will be revealed at E3 2020 in June, which is a few months before the console’s launch in Holiday 2020.

What do you think of Spencer’s comments? Let us know in the comments section below the article.

SOURCE

The post Project Scarlett’s Real Name Signifies Its Capabilities, According to Xbox Boss appeared first on COGconnected.

A new BioShock game was officially confirmed to be in development on Monday by 2K. The next entry in the acclaimed shooter series will be made by a new 2K studio, Cloud Chamber, which will be lead by veteran game developer Kelly Gilmore and based in two separate offices in California and Canada.

Gilmore said in a statement that “many” of Cloud Chamber’s employees are “responsible for BioShock’s principal creation, advancement and longstanding notoriety”. As for when the studio’s BioShock game will come out, the announcement said that it will “be in development for the next several years.” With this in mind, it is likely that this new game will be a next-gen release.

“BioShock is one of the most beloved, critically praised and highest-rated franchises of the last console generation,” said 2K President David Ismailer. “We can’t wait to see where its powerful narrative and iconic, first-person shooter gameplay head in the future with our new studio team at Cloud Chamber leading the charge.”

What do you think of this news? Are you excited about a new game in this well-known series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below the article.

SOURCE

The post A New BioShock Game Is Officially in Development appeared first on COGconnected.

The Xbox Lockhart may not be dead according to Jason Schrier who seems confident during Kotaku’s latest Splitscreen Podcast that there are two Xbox Scarlett models. Schrier claims that several third-party developers have voiced their displeasure about next generation consoles having multiple SKU’s similar to this console generation with Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch Lite and PS4 Pro. Apparently Xbox Scarlett has two existing units codenamed the Lockhart and Anaconda. Xbox Scarlett will be releasing next year but Microsoft hasn’t confirmed the launch date or how many consoles will release yet.

Just as with any rumors, things should be taken with a grain of salt, but Jason Schrier is a reputable source in the gaming industry with sources that he acknowledges during the Splitscreen Podcast. “I’ve heard some skepticism from third-party developers, who are, like, ‘Hey, it’s a pain in the ass to ship on multiple hardware SKUs.’ Second of all,” said Jason Schrier. “This is going to hamper us, because Microsoft is requiring us to ship on this lower-powered version, that has the equivalent graphical power of a PS4 Pro.'”

Apparently the Lockhart console is less powerful and features less RAM than the more powerful Anaconda system. “The way it’s been described to me…I think (Lockhart) is going to have significantly less RAM, but the CPU makes a big difference, especially when it comes to framerate. The SSD makes a huge difference when it comes to loading times,” said Jason Schrier. “So, I think what (devs) can do a lot of the time is knock down the texture quality, take a hit on the resolution, but you don’t have to sacrifice framerate as much.”

Do you believe the rumors from Jason Schrier or will you wait until Xbox confirms how many consoles they’ll have next generation before getting excited? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: wccftech

The post Xbox Scarlett Has Two Models According to Rumors appeared first on COGconnected.

Outlast studio Red Barrels revealed on Wednesday the next entry in the acclaimed horror series: Outlast Trials. Details on the new Outlast game are currently scarce but, according to the announcement, it sounds like it’ll be a solo/co-op horror game.

Outlast Trials is set during the Cold War and will involve “test subjects” in horrific experiments. As mentioned before, not much was revealed about the game (such as the platforms it’ll launch on or when it will come out). But, Red Barrels did confirm that it won’t be a VR game.

Also, the studio’s co-founder, David Chateauneuf, sounded pretty stoked for the next Outlast title. “Now we’ve done our proof of concept, it is time focus on content creation, variety… and gore,” he said in the official announcement.

What do you think of this news? Does this upcoming Outlast game sound interesting to you? Are you hyped for another Outlast game in general? Go ahead and speak your mind in the comments section below the article.

SOURCE

The post Outlast Studio Announces Outlast Trials, a Co-op Horror Game appeared first on COGconnected.

A Plague Tale: Innocence developer Asobo Studio is reportedly developing a sequel that will be revealed next year with a release window of 2022. This rumor comes from a report published Tuesday on French Xbox news website XboxSquad, which claims that a “verified source” at publisher Focus Home Interactive told the outlet about A Plague Tale 2.

When reached for comment by Eurogamer, Focus Home had this to say:

“Focus Home Interactive and Asobo are very proud of the critical and public reception of A Plague Tale: Innocence, and the sales. We’re delighted to have received a solid number of awards and nominations, including for Best Narrative at the Game Awards next week. We want to pursue our efforts to make sure the game gets even more attention from players and we will thus keep promoting that title as it deserves.

“Of course, we announced last year we are partnering with Asobo for a future project but never confirmed if it was a sequel to A Plague Tale or not – and will give more details on that title when the right time comes.”

Without getting into spoilers, A Plague Tale: Innocence ended in a way that left its story open for a sequel. The game also reviewed well and sold well, so a sequel being made isn’t too surprising.

Currently, no info has been revealed about which platforms A Plague Tale 2 could be released on but, given the rumored release window, it’ll likely come out on next-gen consoles and PC.

Sources: Eurogamer, XboxSquad

The post A Plague Tale 2 Is Reportedly in the Works appeared first on COGconnected.

According to director and lead producer of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, the title will release for Xbox in the future, but it’s unlikely to launch on Google Stadia. With a goal to expand their audience, Yoshida intends to make crossplay available between all platforms Final Fantasy XIV is available on. Yoshida also unveiled that he has a big announcement regarding the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett to make with Square Enix utilizing cloud technology for future games.

“Our basic policy is to reach out to as many players as possible and we wish to expand onto any available device in the market,” said Naoki Yoshida. “Another big policy I have is that whatever device the player is using, we want to make sure that cross-platform is there so that there are no divisions, a world where everybody can join whether or not you’re using a different device.” It’s refreshing to hear developers determined to keep their communities together whether it comes at a cost or not.

“Talking about the Xbox, we have been having a long and hard discussion with them. We had a different set of policies between us which can be a restriction to working together. That was the biggest roadblock to expanding the service on the Xbox,” continued Naoki Yoshida. Apparently these restrictions have been removed, making Yoshida confidence that Final Fantasy XIV will end up on the platform soon. “Recently, as you may have noticed, those restrictions are away now. We hope that we will be in the stage to make a positive announcement in the future.”

Are you excited to see Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox One or do you just want to hear what Yoshida has planned for next generation? Are you a tank, heals or DPS in Final Fantasy XIV? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: wccftech

The post Final Fantasy XIV Not Likely for Google Stadia appeared first on COGconnected.

According to head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, the Xbox Scarlett will receive first party titles every three to four months. While he acknowledged the company has lots of work to do to get there, Matt Booty intends to deliver better exclusive content to the Scarlett than what the Xbox One received. This first party content will stem from 15 Xbox Game Studios internal developers such as Obsidian, Ninja Theory and 343 Industries. Xbox Game Studios is confident that Xbox Scarlett will have a stellar lineup of exclusive games.

“We feel really good heading into 2020. We’ve got a goal of being able to deliver a game, roughly, every three to four months,” said Matt Booty. “We have a little bit of work to do to get there. It’ll be lumpy, but we’re closer than we were. And so we feel really good going into 2020 (and the run-up to Project Scarlett) with our content line-up… We’ve certainly felt more confident and proud to be able to talk about first-party lately.” While Matt Booty is proud of the first-party studios, he insists that third-party titles won’t be sacrificed either.

“If you were to sit in a meeting back at Redmond, I think you would hear an equal amount of talk about first-party, third-party, and ID@Xbox. We take that altogether as our content stream. I think it’s just that, lately, we felt a little more proud about talking about what we’ve got going on with first-party.” Because of their focus on an overall content stream, it’s likely that gamers will get a diverse lineup of titles on the Xbox Scarlett. Matt Booty also confirmed titles such as Grounded, Bleeding Edge and Everwild will be playable on the next generation of Xbox.

Do you expect Xbox Game Studios to follow such a tight release schedule or do you see titles releasing more sporadically than Matt Booty claims? Which upcoming Xbox One titles would you prefer to just play on the Scarlett? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: GamesRadar

The post Xbox Scarlett Will Have More First Party Games appeared first on COGconnected.

The upcoming next-gen Xbox console, Project Scarlett, is going to launch with some serious state-of-the-art horsepower next year and a new Halo game but, according to a recent interview with Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Xbox fans probably shouldn’t expect the new console to have a significant VR component.

Speaking with gaming media outlet Stevivor at X019, Spencer said, “I have some issues with VR — it’s isolating and I think of games as a communal, kind of together experience. We’re responding to what our customers are asking for and… nobody’s asking for VR. The vast majority of our customers know if they want a VR experience, there’s places to go get those. We see the volumes of those on PC and other places.”

“I think we might get there [eventually],” Spencer also said. “But yeah, that’s not where our focus is.”

Spencer also mentioned that “nobody’s selling millions and millions” of VR kits. However, this isn’t true since Sony announced back in March that over 4 million units of the PS4’s VR headset have been sold.

Speaking of Sony, PlayStation bigwig Shuhei Yoshida responded on Twitter on Tuesday to Spencer’s reported comments about VR:

（´-`）.｡oO（we oftentimes work hard to make things that no customers are asking for them）

— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) November 26, 2019

What do you think of this news? Speak your mind in our comments section.

SOURCE

The post Project Scarlett Won’t Have a Major Focus on VR, According to Xbox Boss appeared first on COGconnected.

Feeling the skateboarding void in your gaming life? Thirsty for another entry in the Skate franchise? How about another Tony Hawk game, would you settle for that instead? Please say yes. Rumors ’round the mill suggest that another Tony Hawk game is in the works.

Last month, a podcast interview with Lizzie Armanto had her talking about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. During this talk, she mentioned that “he’s coming out with another one, and I’ll be in that too.” Apparently subsequent versions of the podcast recording don’t mention this, which means maybe she wasn’t supposed to talk about it yet? Always a good sign.

Beyond this mysterious audio clip, a well-known insider known as Sabi made some coy posts about skateboards and games this week. In particular, they said that “So about that Activision remake that had some work done I mentioned a week or two ago… Sure hope you like skating.” Hoo boy! While this isn’t anything like evidence, it sure pairs well with that elusive podcast clip I can’t link to. Assuming you’re feeling generous with your faith in these things, we could have ourselves another Tony Hawk game coming out sometime soon. We’ll definitely update this the moment a shred of evidence makes an appearance.

SOURCE

The post Maybe We’re Getting Another Tony Hawk Game? appeared first on COGconnected.

Depending on who you listen to, Rockstar is either working on Grand Theft Auto VI, or something entirely different. That second option is known as Project Medieval, a mysterious IP apparently set somewhere in Europe during the knights and knaves era. A fresh batch of rumors regarding the project have recently popped up online.

The fresh gossip leans on Rockstar character artist Pawas Saxena. An edited LinkedIn post pointed to the once-defunct Project Medieval being back in active development. The post referred to Saxena’s current project as “creating modular environment pieces with organic finish carefully following medieval architectural style.” It’s a tiny thread, but still one worth picking at.

If you’re looking for much less reliable information, a Reddit user claims that this game will be focused on swordfighting and/or dueling. They also claim that the release date is currently set for the first part of 2021. All of this is based on more or less nothing at all, so beware! While all this rumor fodder is a sparse meal, there are the barest strings of actual meat attached. Perhaps Rockstar will reveal something like a confirmation sooner rather than later? They would definitely do a medieval setting justice.

SOURCE

The post More Rumors Arise About Rockstar’s Project Medieval appeared first on COGconnected.

Everyone likes a good amount of healthy competition. Especially when it comes to video games. Xbox and PlayStation have been going head to head for almost 20 years now and no one is letting up. There have been ups and downs for both companies but as it stands right now, PlayStation has the upper hand. The PS4 has done very well for itself and has managed to create a lot of distance between the Xbox One in terms of sales. To rub salt in the wound of Microsoft, the PS4 recently became the second most popular console in history. Right behind the PlayStation 2. Things are looking up for Sony and it might stay that way as well. According to reports, the PS5 is running games better than the Project Scarlett.

ResetEra forum member Kleegamefan said in a post that, “Right now, game performance is better on PS5. I believe that is probably because PS5 development hardware and software are in a more advanced state.”

This is not too surprising considering that there have been rumors claiming the same thing for months. But it now seems to be true. While this is not good news for Microsoft, Kleegamefan was optimistic. “I fully expect Scarlett to close that gap once they ship more mature dev kits and software. It must be said, since software, not hardware, is a traditional Microsoft area of expertise, it’s very possible that they could ultimately deliver more advanced DirectX development software in the end, allowing games to run better on Scarlett even if the hardware is less capable.”

While Sony and Microsoft are at each other’s throats, the fans are the only ones who benefit. Gamers should be excited that both companies seem hell-bent on producing the beefiest consoles to date.

Source. 

The post The PS5 is Outshining the Project Scarlett According to Reports appeared first on COGconnected.

Retail giant Amazon is reportedly planning on entering the game streaming world with a service of its own sometime next year, according to a recent CNET report. The company already has its own game studio, Amazon Game Studios, which is currently developing an MMO titled “New World”. It also owns the streaming website, Twitch, a popular platform for people who want to do video streams of games.

“Amazon is planning to announce its service next year, according to two people familiar with the company’s plans,” CNET reported. “It’s begun recruiting people from large game companies like Microsoft to help with the launch, as well as hiring for jobs in a ‘new initiative’ within its Amazon Web Services team, which sources said is involved in Amazon’s future gaming service.” CNET also pointed out an Amazon job posting that appeared to hint that the company is interested in game streaming.

Game streaming services have become more and more common in recent years. A preview of Microsoft’s Xbox streaming service, Project xCloud, started last month and it’s expected to launch in 2020. Also, Sony has recently tried making the PS4’s PlayStation Now service more attractive to consumers by announcing a price cut and including past first-party PS4 releases.

Game companies such as Ubisoft and Take-Two have expressed much interest in a streaming-focused future for gaming and famous game developers like Hideo Kojima have speculated that streaming is where the gaming industry is heading.

While the reception towards Google Stadia can currently be described as mixed at best, other efforts, such as the Project xCloud preview and PlayStation Now, have both fared better with gaming audiences.

What do you think of this news? Looking forward to another game streaming service? Do you think streaming really is the future of gaming? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below the article.

SOURCE

The post Report: Amazon Plans to Get Into Game Streaming appeared first on COGconnected.

After departing EA, Amy Hennig has come together with Skydance Media to create a new game studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. Similar to her experience with the classic franchise Uncharted, Hennig’s goal is to create  story-focused, cinematic games for all levels of gamers with photorealistic graphics and memorable moments. The studio intends to develop for both traditional gaming consoles and new streaming platforms such as Google Stadia. Apparently Hennig felt too ambitious for every other company she spoke with until coming to Skydance Media who shared her vision of a gaming studio with triple-A quality story-driven games.

” If you look around, like almost every entertainment company in Hollywood has some sort of interactive division, but they vary in terms of how serious they are about it, or how much they even understand it,” said Amy Hennig. “For me with Skydance, it feels like a shared DNA.  If you look at the kind of movies that Skydance produces, I think some of that blockbuster swashbuckling adventure is something that’s in their DNA. I felt very at home, very comfortable with that.” From the sounds of Hennig’s statements, she’s looking to blend the worlds of film and video games together similar to Uncharted or the more recent Death Stranding.

When Amy Hennig discussed her meetings with other companies she said, “They wanted us to start smaller because what we’re describing is more focused on some of these massive, triple-A blockbusters. But it ain’t going to be cheap, right, because you think about some of the things that are important to this audience. And, and one of them is fidelity, you know, visual fidelity, character fidelity, performance. That doesn’t come cheap.” It’s clear that Amy Hennig wasn’t looking for a new role in a new studio as much as she was looking to change the gaming industry and we hope her partnership with Skydance Media brings her vision to life.

Do you expect to see more games like Uncharted from Amy Hennig and Skydance Media or do you think they’ll do something completely different? Which title that Amy Hennig worked on really interested you? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: wccftech

The post Amy Hennig Opening Game Studio in San Francisco appeared first on COGconnected.

According to Warface Studio Head and My.Games dev, Ivan Pabriarzhyn, the Xbox Scarlett will benefit drastically from the GDDR6 RAM. This will allow developers better CPU data transfer rates between the processor and the RAM. Previous consoles limited developers with data transfer rates but according to Pabriarzhyn, this will be a thing of the past in next-generation consoles. The PlayStation 5 has already been confirmed to launch in the Holiday 2020 release schedule and Xbox will likely match that release window.

“Memory performance is one of the biggest bottlenecks when developing for a console,” said Ivan Pabiarzhyn. “GDDR6 offers a big leap in data transfer rates between the processor and RAM. This means that the CPU will spend less time waiting for access to data in RAM, which should have a beneficial effect on the frame rate. With GDDR6, developers can put more stuff on-screen without sacrificing stable frame rates, which is awesome.”

Though the bottleneck has been significantly reduced for developers working on Xbox Scarlett projects, it’s likely the launch lineup for the console won’t benefit from the leap in technology as much as games developed later in the console’s lifespan as developers will need time to fully optimize their engines for the change. The GDDR6 RAM allowing better transfer rates will translate to bigger set pieces, larger scale battles and more populated environments in our games just as a few examples. A big leap in developer tech is a giant leap for gamers, especially those with 4K TV’s.

Are you glad the Xbox Scarlett is using GDDR6 RAM or are you waiting for the official unveil to get your hopes up too high? How do you want to see developers utilize this technology? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Gaming Bolt

The post GDDR6 RAM Offers Xbox Scarlett a Big Leap appeared first on COGconnected.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in a recent interview with Xbox On that since RPGs were so successful for Microsoft in the past then he thinks that’s a genre that Xbox “should focus” on in a future that includes Project Scarlett.

Spencer said in August that first-party singleplayer Xbox games are on the way but this recent interview shows which genre he thinks Xbox should look at in the future.

“One of the things that I’m really proud of that I see now is how RPGs are stepping up for us,” Spencer began when he was asked about the genre of future Xbox games he’d like to see more of.

“When I think Mass Effect 1, which I worked on, Jade Empire, Fable — I remember we had really staked out RPGs as something that was important,” Spencer continued. He also noted that while Xbox’s FPS games and third-person shooters have been successful releases, it’s a good thing that RPGs are part of Xbox’s portfolio as well.

Recent RPGs from first-party Xbox studios include Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds and inXile’s upcoming Wasteland 3.

“I think RPG is an area we purposely focused on and wanted to do more,” he said. Spencer added later on in his answer that he thinks RPGs are “an area that we should focus [on].”

Going by Spencer’s comments, it’s possible that Microsoft’s upcoming next-gen console, Project Scarlett, could feature quite a few first-party RPGs.

SOURCE (3:00 video mark)

The post Xbox Boss Phil Spencer: RPGs Are a Genre That We Should Focus On appeared first on COGconnected.

The next console generation is set to be released next year, with both the PS5 and Project Scarlett vying to be the best. Given the huge success both the Xbox One and PS4 have seen since their release back in November 2013, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the PS4 has sold exponentially better than its competition. As such, many are wondering if Microsoft is worried about the PS5 and how it will compete with Project Scarlett.

Although the PS5 hasn’t been officially revealed, the console is currently rumored to be unveiled at a PlayStation Meeting in February of next year and the tech they have shown so far has gotten a lot of attention. Of course, Microsoft has already officially announced Project Scarlett and recently, at XO19, revealed a bunch of new games that are set to come to the next generation. In a recent interview, following their huge XO19 conference Aaron Greenberg addressed the upcoming PS5. When asked by Kotaku if he’s worried about the competition he stated, “Not really. We’re more customer-obsessed than competitor-obsessed. I think Sony has built a great business, they have a very strong brand and a strong presence and we have a lot of admiration for what they’ve done.”

He continued, saying that he’s confident that they at Microsoft have built the world’s most powerful console ever and that they’ve got a lot going for them. “Equally, we feel proud of the fact that we’ve built the world’s most powerful console, I think we’ve grown now our internal studios so we have one of the largest if not the largest internal studio teams, and we’re gonna continue to innovate with things like Project xCloud. We’ll innovate with different varieties of games—you’re seeing us grow our partnerships with Japanese developers and Japanese creators with things like the Yakuza series, things like more Final Fantasy games on Xbox Game Pass, the entire Kingdom Hearts series on Xbox. These are all from us listening to fans and dedicating time to fulfill those projects.”

It’s good to see that Microsoft is so confident in Project Scarlett. It’ll be interesting to see if third and first-party titles, exclusive games, hardware and ultimately the price affect consumers decisions to buy either the PS5 or Scarlett over the other. So far which next generation console are you most interested in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to keep it locked for updates!

SOURCE

The post Microsoft Is Proud They’ve Built the Most Powerful Console and Aren’t Worried About the PS5 appeared first on COGconnected.