Author: Trafficblast

Father’s Day is nearly here, and if you still need to buy a gift, Amazon has some deals for you. The online retailer has dropped prices by up to 40% on Kindle ebook readers and Amazon Echo devices. So if the dad in your life enjoys reading or could use a smart speaker, you won’t have to pay anywhere near full price. Read on for the details.

Amazon Echo Deals

App users: Don’t see the deals below? Click here.

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Kindle Ebook Reader Deals

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I have an Echo and two Echo Dots in my house, and I use them all the time. Literally, many times every day. I use them to control my Xbox One, listen to local radio stations, add items to my grocery list, get the weather report, set timers, play whatever song has popped into my head, and about a dozen other uses. These things are great. No exaggeration, they’re probably the most useful pieces of technology I’ve purchased since my first smartphone. And now they’re on sale.

As for the Kindles, now that we have to wash our hands after opening the mail, reading digital books has become a lot more appealing for many people. Both the standard and Paperwhite Kindle models are on sale right now for up to 28% off. They both off you a gateway to nearly instant access to millions and millions of books and magazines. They’re super thin and light, and a single charge will keep them going for weeks on end.

Any of these items would make a great Father’s Day gift. Or, if you’re in the market for them for yourself, that’s cool too. Might as well grab them while they’re on sale.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Splatoon 2 players aren’t used to receiving new updates, and aside from the bonus one-off Splatfest back in May, the game’s online offering is pretty set. On June 15, though, the game received its third patch of 2020, and players might be wondering what has changed.

Turns out, it’s not a whole lot–but if you’ve been hit with issues and glitches, they might have been addressed. Splatoon 2 Update 5.2.1 introduces two bug fixes, according to the patch notes. Here’s what it does:

Changes to Multiplayer

• Fixed an issue where if the player had Dualie-type weapons equipped, they could travel farther in the air than intended when dodge-rolling, as the result of a certain combination of movements.
• Fixed an issue where the player could land in a different location than intended if they activated a Booyah Bomb and then quickly ended the effect.

And that’s it. It’s good to know that the Splatoon development team is still paying attention, even if the game is no longer receiving massive updates with new maps or weapons.

Splatoon 2 had sold over 10 million copies on Switch.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Fortnite Season 3 is finally here. Right when they said they would, Epic Games has launched the much-anticipated third season–and it looks like a swashbuckling delight. The rollout is beginning with some server downtime, but keep checking back with the game and it should boot up Season 3 soon.

Epic originally planned to start Season 3 sooner, but the company delayed the update in light of the ongoing protests in the US related to the murder of George Floyd.

The cinematic launch trailer for Season 3 confirms the water theme and what seems to be the Season’s official tagline, “Splash Down.” It’s a delightfully whimsical trailer, and even Aquaman himself–Jason Momoa–shows up. Check it out below.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 Splash Down Description

Epic Games has also released the official description for Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 Splash Down. It confirms that the island has become flooded, and there are new places to see and even sharks to ride.

“The Island has flooded, there are new areas to explore, Marauders to take on and… sharks to ride?Survive more than just the Storm. Adapt to the new flooded way of life on the Island. Watch your back!”

New Gameplay System: Marauders

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 also introduces a new gameplay system in the form of Marauders, who crash down onto the island basically f**k stuff up. “Defend yourself from new Marauders as they crash down onto the island and challenge your survival,” Epic says.

New Battle Pass

As usual, a new season means a new Battle Pass. The Chapter 2 Season 3 Battle Pass offering comes with a series of cosmetic extras. Buying the pass outright instantly unlocks the new Fade and Ocean outfits. Aquaman is coming later in the year, Epic said.

The Battle Pass also includes a new feature called “Build-A-Brella,” which allows players to create their own unique umbrella. Check out the full Battle Pass trailer below to see what’s new in the DLC.

Check Back Soon For More

The start of Chapter 2 Season 3 comes after the major Doomsday event (known officially as The Device). Epic no longer publishes Fortnite patch notes, so players will have to discover for themselves what’s new in the update. GameSpot will come back with more details and information about Season 3 as we sink our teeth into the update. Keep checking back for the latest.

Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is coming to Nintendo Switch on June 23, four years after the game’s 20th anniversary. The game will offer up the extra chapter and re-recorded dialog that other platforms also received, as well as an eight-player co-op mode, but it will also come with some Switch-exclusive features.

This version of the game will have optional gyroscopic aiming, as seen in many other Switch ports, such as Borderlands Legendary Collection and The Outer Worlds. It will also feature HD rumble, and will, of course, be playable in portable mode.

The game will retail for $10 on the Eshop, but will carry a 50% discount at launch, according to Nintendo Life. You can check it out in the trailer below.

What makes this particularly interesting is that Gearbox is currently suing 3D Realms in a counter-suit regarding the game’s music. The issue involves an allegation of breach of contract, as Gearbox says that 3D Realms did not achieve the “free and clear” passover of the game promised. This is the second lawsuit relating to Gearbox’s purchase of Duke Nukem 3D; the original issue was that Bobby Prince, the game’s composer, maintained the rights to some of the game’s music.

Gearbox is claiming damages, legal fees, and interest relating to the suit, and is evidently still publishing new Duke Nukem releases. The trailer above promises “new music from the original composer,” but this is in reference to Lee Jackson, another composer who worked on the title.

This is technically Duke Nukem’s second time on the Switch, although his first appearance was as a guest in Bulletstorm.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Madden NFL 21‘s cover is striking and unique. In fact, it’s perhaps the biggest departure from the norm in the history of the franchise. As it turns out, there is a good reason for that.

Under normal circumstances, EA Sports would conduct an in-person photo shoot with the year’s cover athlete–this year’s it’s Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. A physical photo shoot wasn’t possible this year due to COVID-19. So EA Sports contacted the Baltimore Ravens and asked if they could use some of team photographer Shawn Hubbard’s photos. Hubbard said on the Ravens website that it was a “huge honor” to work with EA on this, even if he doesn’t have much familiarity with the game series.

“We were on lockdown with COVID and I know they usually have a shoot for it. It just wasn’t something I expected with all the other bad news happening. … I’m a little embarrassed to say that I’ve never played Madden–ever. Maybe they’ll send me a copy and I’ll get started,” Hubbard said.

In addition to Hubbard’s shots, the Madden 21 cover features some images from the Associated Press. In total, there are five pictures of Jackson on the standard edition cover of Madden 21. The game’s Deluxe and MVP editions feature additional photos of Jackson which are meant to collectively showcase Jackson’s strength, athleticism, and easy-going nature.

The box art also showcases the words “generation rising,” which is meant to reflect how Jackson is a new type of QB who is taking the position to new levels with his play-making and skills.

Madden NFL 21 launches on August 28 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For the first time in franchise history, the game will be available on Steam.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is celebrating a sales milestone–it’s sold 3 million units since launching in 2018, with its accompanying DLC clocking in at 1.5 million units sold.

Warhorse Studios, the Czech team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance, announced a new logo this week on Twitter alongside the these sales figures. According to GamesIndustry.biz, the medieval action-RPG had also previously sold around two million units in its first year.

It was met with controversy upon release and suffered from a variety of bugs that may have marred first impressions of the game. A conversation was also sparked around representation in video games and whether titles keen to be billed as “historically accurate” could feature inclusivity. However, Kingdom Come: Deliverance appeared to pick up steam when the From The Ashes DLC launched in late 2018.

In recognition of the game’s sales milestone, Warhorse Studios is offering a free weekend of play for people to try their hand at being the best blacksmith that ancient Bohemia has ever seen. This free weekend will be active from June 18 to June 22 on Steam, so if you haven’t yet cracked into Kingdom Come: Deliverance than mark those dates in your calendar. The game is also currently available on PS4 and Xbox One.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

In celebration of Pride Month, Xbox will be donating $250,000 to various LGBTQIA+ charities and committing to highlighting games made by members of the community.

Microsoft announced recently that it would be curating a list of inclusive Xbox and PC games selected by members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and featuring them for the month of June. This list is available for access to Xbox users and Xbox Game Pass members who are in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

According to the promotional material on the Xbox website, this list of inclusive games features titles such as Life is Strange: Before the Storm, The Outer Worlds, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and more. There is also a special Microsoft Pride page which has posts about being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and personal anecdotes from employees at Microsoft who identity as part of the community.

On top of sharing this curated list of games, Xbox is also offering a range of Pride-inspired products. We’re talking Xbox Pride Gear in the form of t-shirts, pins, skins for a whole range of Microsoft Surface products, and more. Those who are avid users of Microsoft Teams will also be able to download various backgrounds for use from the Pride page.

There will also be a virtual Pride event organized by Microsoft on June 27. It will kick off at 10AM ET on Mixer, and will feature panels on racism, intersectionality, and representation from a variety of content creators. Those wanting to contribute meaningfully to Pride month now while also engaging in LGBTQIA+ livestreams can check out Midboss’ Summer of Pride on Twitch, where money is being raised for various community charities.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 has arrived, and it’s called Splash Down. While we’re still piecing together what has changed and what’s stayed the same, one major takeaway from the first trailer is that a member of the DC Universe has joined the fray as part of the new Battle Pass, and will be made available soon.

In the screenshot from the trailer below, you can distinctly see Jason Momoa’s Aquaman makes an appearance. He’s wearing the same costume that he did in James Wan’s 2018 movie, and we can also see the distinctive scar over Momoa’s left eyebrow.

For comparison, here’s Momoa as he appears in the film. He’s looking a bit more chilled out in the game.

Aquaman is a part of the Season 3 Battle Pass, so you can get your hands on him in-game–but not right away, as he’ll be arriving later in the season. You can see the trailer for that below.

We’ll update with more details–and guides–as more details come to light, and as we dive deep into Fortnite’s new oceans.

The BIGGEST gaming event of the year is approaching, PAX Online – Welcome Home (from home) – Sept 12-20.
An all-new digital event for the gaming community to hang out, interact, and immerse themselves 24/9, in a virtual playground. For more info: https://t.co/4OckY1UuvF #paxaus pic.twitter.com/k4W1JhU0sn

— PAX Australia (@PAXAus) June 16, 2020