Author: Trafficblast

Animal Talking, Star Wars: Rogue One writer Gary Whitta’s talk show set inside Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has aired an interview with head of Xbox Phil Spencer. The man, who has always seemed to have a soft spot for Nintendo, appeared inside Animal Crossing to talk about the next generation of Xbox, and the recent delay of Halo Infinite.

You can watch their full chat below–Spencer joins at about the 19 minute mark–but we’ve rounded up some of the highlights.

Spencer says that some other plans were considered for handling the delay of Halo Infinite, including shipping the game out in parts. There were rumors ahead of launch that the game’s free-to-play multiplayer could come after launch, but Spencer says that Xbox did not want to do this.

While he knows that people are “bummed” about the game’s delay, he also believes it’s the right move–and a decision he would not have been able to make 5 or 10 years ago. Spencer says he has Microsoft’s full support in the decision, even though it would have been nice for the Series X to be the first system since the original Xbox to launch with a Halo game.

He also reiterates that the system itself will not be delayed, and reminds us again that he has had one at home since last year. After playing games on Series X, he says, it’s “hard to go back” to Xbox One, as games feel better on the new system.

Spencer also teased that more “big” Game Pass announcements are coming. Many of the games announced for Series X so far are heading to Game Pass.

Spencer touches on some other topics, including the PS5, why the systems have such radically different designs from one another, and how Microsoft and Sony’s strategy differ. He also promises that the Xbox Series X won’t be a loud console, saying it makes only as much noise as the Xbox One X.

This isn’t the first time the competitor’s next-gen systems have been discussed on Animal Talking–God of War director Cory Barlog recently talked about the PS5. Now Whitta just needs to get someone from Nintendo on the show.

The Xbox Series X is expected to launch in November.

China Mainland Daily Box Office Top 6 for Wednesday, August 12, 2020
1. Interstellar – $622k / $138.92M
2. #1917Movie – $516k/$6.62M
3. Sheep Without A Shepherd – $464k/ $186.57M
4. Dolittle – $369k/ $17.35M
5. FordvFerrari – $161k/$1.7M
6. #SonicTheHedgehog – $68k/ $2.43M

— China Box Office (@ChinaBox_Office) August 12, 2020

The release of high-definition piracy resources will still be a disaster for Hollywood movies, especially those with general reputation.
Bloodshot, Sonic the hedgehog and now Bad boys result impacted by piracy.

— China Box Office (@ChinaBox_Office) August 10, 2020

The 90s classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors is getting a spiritual successor. The newly-announced Demons Ate My Neighbors is a rougelike twin-stick shooter, and its coming to PC and Switch in late 2021 from developer Tuned-Out Games and HumaNature Studios (Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove).

The game, which will be set in 1991, is not an official sequel to the original game it takes inspiration from. It’s about April and Joey, two heroes who need to save their suburb of Fairweather Valley from the demons unleashed by a cursed VHS tape.

The game will feature local co-op, and you’ll need to squirt the bad guys with a water gun to keep them at bay. You can check it out in the trailer below.

The game will feature procedurally-generated levels, but each character will be able to use their “RadWatch” radar to seek out the survivors they need to rescue in each level, as well as the demons that need to be killed.

A Kickstarter will launch on September 1 for the game, and while the PC and Switch versions are definitely happening, the $175,000 goal will be used for Xbox Series X and PS5 versions, if it’s reached. More levels and monsters will be added if the campaign is successful, too.

The game is due to release in autumn 2021, so it’s a while away yet. If you’re interested, keep an eye out for the Kickstarter next month.

Even though neither company officially announced the promotion, Microsoft and Monster Energy recently teamed up to create Halo Infinite-branded energy drinks that offer double XP for the game. The fine print on the cans that appeared in the wild with no fanfare mentioned that the XP offer extends to December 31, 2020.

But with Halo Infinite now delayed to 2021, people who bought the cans are wondering if they will still receive the bonus when the game finally arrives next year. The good answer is that, yes, the double XP will still be available, though the details are still being sorted out.

Halo’s community director, Brian Jarrard, said on Twitter, “Details are being ironed out but there will be an updated process / it’ll be accounted for. More info soon.”

People who bought the Monster Energy drinks will want to hold on to them to not only get the double XP for Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer, but also because the cans may become something of a collector’s item with Halo Infinite now delayed to 2021.

The marketing materials from the Monster Energy drinks also state that some kind of “AR Experience” for Halo Infinite is set to begin on September 1. However, with Halo Infinite now delayed to 2021, it’s unclear if this is still going forward.

Halo Infinite is scheduled for release this holiday as a launch title for the Xbox Series X. The game will also come to the regular Xbox One as well as PC. Developer 343 Industries sees Halo Infinite as a platform instead of game, and one that the studio plans to support until 2030 or later.

For more on Halo Infinite, check out GameSpot’s editorial below.

The Playdate console was announced last year, and it looked very interesting–a small handheld with inbuilt games, a black-and-white screen, and a hand crank that some developers will use as a control mechanism. Over a year later, we’ve only gotten minor updates, but today the Playdate Twitter account has dropped previews of some of the games external developers are working on, with a promise of more news to come.

About 250 people around the world have their hands on development kits, the Twitter account says, and it wants to show off some of their work. It’s worth noting, though, that not all of these games will necessarily ship with the Playdate–they could end up as experiments that don’t release, or might just not make it into the system’s first season of content.

The first game is Down the Oubliette by Rebecca König, whose previous work includes the world’s smallest version of Tetris.

Some of the other games are a bit more conceptual, like this calligraphy experience and drifting game, seen below.

They also show off a new take on Tetris, a version of solitaire, an accelerometer-controlled adventure, and an adventure game about pushing blocks.

Inevitably, the Playdate will also receive a version of Doom, and this one has an exciting detail–you can use the crank to fire the Doomguy’s chaingun. Rip, tear, and rotate.

More details on the Playdate are being promised soon, including a release date and a list of titles you’ll get at launch with the system. A “surprise” is also being promised, which is intriguing.

The system can be developed for, once you have one, which means you can theoretically make your own games for the system to bolster the library.

Playdate isn’t the only interesting handheld on the horizon, as the Analog Pocket also recently sold out at its pre-order stage.

Second Extinction, the dinosaur-hunting FPS from Just Cause developer Avalanche’s new Systemic Reaction studio, will come to Steam Early Access very soon. The studio has confirmed the game will launch there in September 2020.

Second Extinction’s early access version will include a “really robust rock-and-roll shooter to play with,” the developer said in an FAQ. The purpose of launching in an unfinished state is to “dial in our core gameplay and mechanics to the perfect frequency at launch,” the team said.

The early access will include the newly announced War Effort “metagame.” The overall dino threat level in the game will depend on how players perform by killing dinosaurs, completing missions, and partaking in extra activities. “This constant wave of conflict will affect the kind of enemies, activities, rewards, and more you’ll encounter in any given region,” Systemic Reaction said.

Systemic Reaction is not sure how long Second Extinction will stay in early access, only stating that it will be there for “as long as it takes.”

“When the community is happy with the overall direction, and when we are ready to welcome more players to the party, we will leave early access,” the studio said.

Progress made in the early access version of Second Extinction will carry forward to the full release when it launches. “So you’ll be able to show off and strut around the community when all the full release noobs show up,” the developer said.

The dinosaurs in Second Extinction won’t be what you expect. They are mutated, and more deadly as a result. For example, there is a raptor in the game that has the power of electricity in addition to its own chompers. The game supports co-op for up to three players at a time.

Second Extinction is also coming to Xbox Series X, but there is no word on if it will come to the Game Preview program, which is similar to early access.

Marvel’s Avengers is releasing on September 4, and if you’re planning on buying and playing it on PC you’ll want to know whether your computer is up to the task. Thankfully, developer Crystal Dynamics has released the minimum and recommended specs for the game, as well as the exclusive features coming to the PC version.

No matter what, you’ll need at least 8GB of RAM and a fair chunk of HDD space. Check out the minimum and recommended specs below.

Minimum Specs

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: i3-4160 or AMD equivalent
• 8GB RAM
• NVIDIA GTX 950 / AMD 270 (min 2GB video ram)
• DirectX 12
• 75GB HDD space

Recommended Specs

• Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K, 3.4 Ghz or AMD Ryzen 51600, 3.2 Ghz
• 16GB RAM
• NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 480, 8GB.
• DirectX 12
• 110GB SSD space

The PC version will also give you the option of downloading a 30GB high-resolution texture pack, if you don’t mind sacrificing some HDD space for enhanced visuals. You’ll likely want a 4K monitor to get the most out of this. Ultra-wide resolutions are also supported for the PC version, as well as multi-monitor set-ups.

The PC version also sports an unlocked framerate, and full customization options across keyboards and controllers. You’ll be able to check out some of these features yourself in the upcoming closed beta across August 14-16 if you’ve preordered; there’s also an open beta on Steam across the August 21-23 weekend. If you jump in, look out for the hidden mission that stands as the beta’s highlight.

It remains to be seen when the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions release, and whether they’ll include some of these higher-res textures.