Month: February 2020

Modders have had an enjoyable time with Red Dead Redemption 2 since its release on PC in November 2019. Whether it’s letting the player fly around as an eagle, turning Arthur Morgan into the Joker, or being able to access freecam and enable a photorealistic reshade. Much like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas before it, there’s even a Hot Coffee mini-game now, too. Publisher Take-Two Interactive would prefer that there wasn’t, however.

Hot Coffee was an inaccessible mini-game in San Andreas where protagonist CJ could have sex with his girlfriend. The simulated intercourse was fully clothed and more humorous than anything else, but it gained infamy in 2005 when the game was released on PC and modders dug it out of the code. There was plenty of furore from lawmakers and the public alike, and San Andreas was quickly re-rated as “Adults Only” by the ESRB until Rockstar patched the content out.

Nowadays modders can just make things themselves without having to rely on buried code, which is where Red Dead Redemption 2’s Hot Coffee mod comes into the equation. It might not be around for much longer, though, as YouTuber Swegta says in a video that legal representatives for Rockstar and Take-Two have told the mod makers they need to take it down. The video quotes e-mail correspondence from the law firm, stating that the mod violates “the game’s End User Licence Agreement and Code of Conduct, as well as a host of other legal violations.”

It goes on to say that “Rockstar’s EULA licence conditions prohibits acts like decompiling, preparing derivative works based on, or otherwise modifying the software,” and that “the Code of Conduct for online services includes a prohibition on users creating, uploading, or posting material that is vulgar, obscene, sexually oriented, or inconsistent with community standards.

“It is the Hot Coffee mod that is causing particular concern here and the main reason why the mod needs to be taken down and disabled immediately.”

One of the mod makers, called Unlosing, confirmed with PCGamesN that a representative from Rockstar did ask them to take the mod down, but they argued that it doesn’t actually break any rules. “The mod doesn’t contain any nudity or nude models, and only uses assets that are still in the game,” Unlosing said. “The animations are from the drunk bar mission with Lenny (which are still in the game), and the ‘moaning’ noises are simply the sounds the [character models] make when they get injured. Also, they mention ‘online services,’ however this mod is only available for single-player.”

The Hot Coffee mod is still available, but for how much longer remains to be seen.

The team behind Diablo IV have released the first in a series of quarterly blog posts taking a look at some of the changes coming to the series, particularly in the UI department.

As part of the game’s darker art direction, Blizzard has rejiggered the inventory system to make the individual parts more visible during hectic play, primarily by changing the color spread and contrast levels of the UI. In terms of general UI design, the PC version of Diablo IV will allow players to choose either a center or left-corner configuration for their status bar, while the console version will use the corner option.

According to the post, all items in Diablo IV will take up the same number of inventory slots, as the team feels that they don’t want to interrupt gameplay with “pockets of inventory management.” Diablo IV will also allow the player to bind any skill to any key, including left-click, which was a feature that many fans requested. The game supports either controller or mouse and keyboard on PC, which required the team to unify the UI for ease of use on either control setup.

The blog post also discusses the monster design of the upcoming game in detail. No word on a release date yet, though.

The Division 2‘s first major expansion, Warlords of New York, launches next week, kicking off Year 2 of Ubisoft’s popular loot-shooter. While you wait, you might want to take a look at this awesome deal on the Dark Zone Definitive Collector’s Edition. Microsoft’s selling the once-seriously-expensive Dark Zone Edition for just $10 on Ebay. The Dark Zone Edition includes a collectible statue and a number of other sweet goodies, but it doesn’t include the game itself. That’s not really an issue considering how cheap The Division 2 is going for right now. The Dark Zone Edition originally sold for $190, so this is an excellent deal.

The Division 2 Dark Zone Collector’s Edition (game not included) | $10 ($190)

Despite not coming with the game, the Dark Zone Edition is still in new condition. If you don’t already own the base game, it’s on sale for just $3 right now on all platforms at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Ubisoft Store (PC).

In addition to the Division agent statue, the Dark Zone Edition comes with a book of lithographs, the game soundtrack on CD, a map of Washington D.C., and a collectible steelbook case.

Warlords of New York will take The Division 2 back to New York City, the setting of the first game, on March 3. It will feature a brand-new campaign set in previously unexplored Lower Manhattan, side-quests, and numerous tweaks, including raising the level cap to 40. Until March 2, you can play the base game for free on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. If you’re a returning player, make sure to check out our Warlords of New York pre-order guide for all of the details you need to know about the various editions and bonuses.

Fans of the ever popular Star Wars franchise think they might have discovered a new Baby Yoda in concept art for the new Star Wars: The High Republic project.

The image spotted by fans can be found at about 2:31 during the announcement trailer. In a photo of artist Ian McKay, a board of sketches can be seen behind him, containing some drawings that look rather Yoda-like.

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The final two images on the top row look like they could be a new Baby Yoda. Alternatively, these could be just young versions of the Master Yoda fans know and love. But, given the timeline of The High Republic, Yoda would be about 700 years old. With the furthest image looking a little too young, perhaps this means we’ll get to meet another younger member of Yoda’s species?

This is, of course, just concept art. Even if the image is what fans are thinking, it doesn’t mean we’ll see anything like that in any of the stories. After the way the internet exploded with Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian, if there is a new young cute Yoda, everyone will probably hear about it soon enough.

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Star Wars: The High Republic is a publishing initiative which will include novels, books, and comics all set around the time when the High Republic thrived and Jedi were more akin to the Knights of the Round table. Hopefully this will fill the Death Star-sized hole in fans’ lives until we see a new Star Wars film in 2022.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Square Enix has revealed that its games currently in development will be available on both current and next generation consoles, and games exclusively made and released for next-gen consoles will be “somewhat farther down the road”.

The company, which develops Final Fantasy and will publish Marvel’s Avengers, made the announcement in an investor Q&A. President Yosuke Matsuda said:

“The next-generation consoles will have backward compatibility, so we plan for the time being to make our new titles available for both current and next-generation consoles. It will therefore be somewhat farther down the road that we release titles exclusively for the next-generation consoles.”

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What’s interesting here is that mention of backwards compatibility. It may be that Square Enix is only working on current-generation versions of its games right now, because Xbox Series X and PS5 will both play them out of the box. It’s not entirely clear from the text – we asked for clarification from Square Enix, but received a no-comment response.

Microsoft’s new Smart Delivery policy, which allows players to buy a current-gen game and get access to its next-gen version for no extra cost (already adopted by the likes of CD Projekt Red for Cyberpunk 2077), could also be an option. However, Smart Delivery is an opt-in for third-party publishers, who may not want to give multiple copies away for free.

Either way, sticking to current-gen releases is an understandable move – releasing next-gen exclusives results in a far smaller pool of potial buyers, particularly when you take into account that PS4 is now the 4th highest-selling console of all time.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News, and he is playable exclusively on Ouya. Never forget. Follow him on Twitter.

Music fans, rejoice! Studio Ghibli has released 38 soundtracks from its celebrated anime films across several major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and YouTube Music, though some regions are only displaying a limited number of songs.

Hypebeast reports that, in total, 693 tracks from 23 Studio Ghibli films, excluding 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies for which the studio doesn’t control the rights, are now available across these popular streamers, delighting many listeners around the globe.

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By making Studio Ghibli’s music widely available, more people can now be transported to the whimsical worlds of the studio’s beloved classics, including the likes of Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro.

In addition to its catalogue of compositions, Studio Ghibli has also compiled 15 “image albums”, featuring music inspired by characters and moments from its films such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Porco Rosso.

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This news comes shortly after Netflix added its first wave of Studio Ghibli films to its service for subscribers outside of North America and Japan, with the next batch of titles set to be released on March 1, 2020.

Elsewhere, HBO Max previously announced that it had acquired US streaming rights to Studio Ghibli’s famed body of work, which will be available to stream on their new platform when it launches in Spring 2020.

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For more on the Japanese arthouse, read about the two new films Studio Ghibli is working on in 2020, find out about the new Studio Ghibli theme park opening in 2022 and check out our list of Top 10 Hayao Miyazaki movies.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly March. The new month is bringing some of the first major game releases of 2020, but for PlayStation Plus members, it also means a new batch of PS4 free games will become available. Right on schedule, PlayStation has announced March’s PS Plus games, which will be free to claim starting March 3. Until then, there’s still time to claim February’s free PS Plus games: BioShock: The Collection, The Sims 4, and Firewall Zero Hour (PSVR). As usual, these games are free to keep as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.

First up for PS Plus members in March: Shadow of the Colossus, an HD remake of the 2005 PS2 classic. Shadow of the Colossus follows a man named Wander who travels across a forbidden land to battle massive, armored colossi. The game earned a “superb” 9/10 in GameSpot’s Shadow of the Colossus review for its stunning visuals, riveting fights, and very good horse.

“Shadow of the Colossus is a tremendous journey, and one well worth taking and retaking,” wrote Edmond Tran. “The visual overhaul is stunning, thoroughly enhancing every facet of Wander and Agro’s excellent adventure. Galloping through the tranquil world is always breathtaking; felling a monumental colossus is always humbling. Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful reconstruction of an already exceptional title. It continues to be a modern classic and is an extraordinary game that everyone must experience.”

The second free game for March is less exciting, but if you’re in the mood to play some Sonic after watching the new Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic Forces is still worth snagging while it’s free. Featuring both classic side-scrolling and modern 3D gameplay, the 2017 game starring everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog takes place in a time where Doctor Eggman and his minions have managed to conquer the world. Sonic and other familiar heroes like Knuckles, Tails, and Amy form a resistance force aiming to stop Eggman’s evil plans.

The game earned a 5/10 in GameSpot’s Sonic Forces review–editor Matt Espineli enjoyed its thrilling action but criticized its overall lacking story and clunky platforming. “Sonic Forces ultimately fails to advance the mechanics of previously successful 3D Sonic games or present them in their best light. A mediocre platformer at best, Sonic Forces manages to do nothing more than reinforce long-held stereotypes against Sega’s beloved blue blur,” he wrote.

If you’re looking to renew or extend your current PS Plus membership at a discount, there’s a great deal on a one-year membership at Ebay, which is selling 12-month PS Plus codes for $38 each. Considering PS Plus subscriptions generally go for $60 and rarely drop below $40, it’s worth snagging this offer while still available. This is a digital code you’ll receive via email within 24 hours of purchase.

March 2020 PS Plus free games:

Platinum Games has revealed that the port for The Wonderful 101 will launch on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC this May, a few weeks after it will arrive for Kickstarter backers.

A new, brief trailer for the ports announced the dates, which are staggered based on region. The Wonderful 101 will launch in the US on May 19, Europe on May 22, and Japan on June 11.

Backers of the wildly successful Kickstarter for the port are still expected to receive their copies in April, although an exact date hasn’t been specified. Backers of tiers that include physical merchandise will have to wait until later this year to receive their rewards, according to the campaign’s FAQ. The Kickstarter is still ongoing, and has raised well over $1.5 million already.

The Wonderful 101 port was revealed as part of Platinum Games’ Platinum 4, which the studio is using to slowly reveal four new projects. The second game as part of this program is Project G.G., a brand-new IP from Platinum games that will take inspiration from Ultraman and be directed by Bayonetta game director Hideki Kamiya.