Author: Trafficblast

Capcom released a Devil May Cry 5 demo for Xbox One in December, but if you didn’t already grab it you have officially missed your chance. The demo has been pulled from the Xbox store, though it’s still playable if you downloaded it previously. Its listing now says it is not currently available.

Take heart, though, demon hunters. If you missed out on that demo–or if you’re just a PS4 owner and never had access to it in the first place–you’ll get a fresh bit of DMC5 next month. The tweet that announced the demo had been pulled also gave word that a new one will be coming on February 7, this time for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Since the demo’s release, Capcom has continued a steady stream of announcements, like its seamless co-op play. Most recently the studio showed off the new playable character V, who controls very differently from swift melee-focused characters like Dante. V moves slowly around the battlefield, instead summoning a variety of beasts to do his fighting for him. The game is among our most anticipated games of 2019.

“It all seems fitting for Capcom’s next stylish-action game to look back on its lineage as a whole, as it plans to finish the main story of the Sparda saga,” wrote editor Alessandro Fillari. “Whether it’ll close things proper, or if it’ll lead into the next phase of the series remains to be seen, but Devil May Cry 5 will no doubt revel in the time it has–and it’ll definitely look good while doing it.”

Devil May Cry 5 is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on March 8. For more details, including the various bonus goodies you can get for pre-ordering or with special editions, check out our pre-order guide.

During Nvidia’s CES 2019 live press conference, the company announced a wave of gaming laptops that will feature its latest GPUs, the GeForce RTX 20-series. These laptops will have mobile versions of the RTX 2060, RTX 2070, and RTX 2080 depending on the model, and will come from major manufacturers like Samsung, Acer, Asus, Razer, and more. Over 40 different models will be available on January 29.

This is the first batch of laptops that feature RTX GPUs, a new generation of video cards that debuted with high-end desktop versions back in September last year with the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti. According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, some of these laptops will be “twice as powerful as the PS4 Pro” and, specifically, an RTX 2060-powered laptop will be 1.6 times as powerful as a PS4 Pro. Compared to desktop GPUs, that same RTX 2060 laptop is said to outperform a desktop GTX 1070.

Of the 40 laptops coming soon, 17 of them will feature the low-profile power-efficient Max-Q design. Max-Q was introduced last generation as a way to pack high-end GPUs into ultra-thin laptops with little compromise in terms of overall performance.

Screenshot from Nvidia’s CES 2019 presentation.

Not only do the RTX video cards offer better overall performance from the previous GTX 10-series generation, they’re also capable of real-time ray tracing and DLSS. The RTX GPU architecture features RT Cores that specifically take care of ray tracing as to not impact overall performance. As a result, there are a few more active parts in these GPUs so temperatures and power consumption remain a key question.

In the same presentation, Nvidia introduced a new mid-range video to the line up with the RTX 2060; it’s said to perform on par with or better than the GTX 1070 Ti, and between 1.4 and 1.9 times better than the GTX 1060. It’ll launch on January 15 with prices starting at $350.

Desktop GPUs buyers will also get a free game (or two). Those who purchase the RTX 2060 or RTX 2070 can choose between Battlefield V and the upcoming game Anthem for free. If you buy the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti, you’ll get both games bundled.

For more coverage around the event, you can also check out CNET’s CES 2019 hub.

Do you feel lucky? If so, the PC game storefront Green Man Gaming has an intriguing proposition for you. It’s a promotion called Lucky Dip, in which you pay $1 / £1 to see just how lucky you are. Wagering that small sum gets you a random PC game from a pool of several dozen titles. Some of the games you’ve heard of, while others you likely haven’t. The game you receive is left up to chance. Even so, it’s a pretty good deal, seeing as most of the games sell for more than $10 on their own.

Some of the better-known titles on offer include Batman: Arkham Asylum GotY Edition, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Frozen Synapse Prime, Mount & Blade, Magicka, and Rage (which would be a good one to play before the arrival of its sequel). And while most of the games on the list are several years old–*ahem* F1 2015–you’re not exactly putting a lot at risk here.

One caveat is that you’re more likely to win some games than others. Stable Orbit, for instance, has the highest chance of appearing, at 5.24%. Black & White Bushido is the rarest game, with only a 0.07% chance. You can view the odds for all of the games below. The percentages aren’t based on popularity, though, so you have a good chance of getting some of the most well-known titles.

Since the games are given out randomly, there’s a chance you’ll get a game you already own or a duplicate if you play more than once. In either case, GMG is offering no refunds. If you get a game you already own or don’t want, you can visit this thread on the GMG forums to see if anyone wants to trade.

Title	Odds
Stable Orbit	5.24%
Toybox Turbos	4.07%
Peregrin	3.59%
Ballistic Overkill – 1 Pack	2.91%
Super Cloudbuilt	2.91%
Tower 57	2.91%
LEGO Batman: The Videogame	2.91%
ADR1FT	2.91%
War Tech Fighters	2.91%
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered	2.91%
The Black Death – Single Pack	2.91%
Evil Genius	2.91%
Frozen Synapse Prime – Standard Edition	2.91%
Mount and Blade	2.91%
Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword	2.91%
Killing Floor	2.91%
Quarantine	2.91%
Magicka – Standard	2.91%
Dead Age	2.91%
F.E.A.R 3	2.91%
RAGE	2.91%
Mount and Blade – Warband	2.91%
Insurgency	2.91%
The Little Acre	2.91%
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition	1.75%
Next Up Hero	1.75%
Beyond Eyes	1.75%
InnerSpace	1.75%
Beat Cop	1.75%
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year	1.75%
Crusader Kings II	1.75%
This War Of Mine	1.75%
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD	1.53%
Serial Cleaner	1.33%
The Flame In The Flood	1.16%
Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide	1.03%
Edge of Twilight – Return To Glory	0.98%
Bomber Crew – Standard	0.98%
Space Ribbon	0.79%
The Last Door: Season One	0.73%
The Bunker	0.67%
Supreme League of Patriots: Issue 2 – Patriot Frames	0.66%
Teleglitch: Die More Edition	0.55%
Human Fall Flat – Standard	0.42%
Switch Galaxy Ultra	0.21%
Space Grunts	0.20%
Nash Racing	0.18%
Calvino Noir	0.12%
Gone In November	0.11%
Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers	0.10%
Global Soccer Manager	0.09%
Super Bomb Rush!	0.08%
F1 2015	0.08%
Black & White Bushido	0.07%

Nintendo has become known for developing games on its own dedicated hardware over the last 30 years, but that could eventually change. The company’s new president Shuntaro Furukawa stated in a recent interview that the company is open to changing its approach based on shifting technologies, even if that means no longer developing its own consoles.

“We aren’t really fixated on our consoles,” Furukawa told Nikkei (translated by Nintendo Everything). “At the moment we’re offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software–and that’s what we’re basing how we deliver the ‘Nintendo experience’ on. That being said, technology changes. We’ll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on.

“It has been over 30 years since we started developing consoles. Nintendo’s history goes back even farther than that, and through all the struggles that they faced the only thing that they thought about was what to make next. In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles–flexibility is just as important as ingenuity.”

As for how he plans to address the changing landscape, Furukawa said that he’d like to increase their mobile output, as well as continue to pursue some licensing agreements with its characters.

“I’m thinking about little ways we can reduce that kind of instability,” he said. “I’d like to increase the (amount of) games on smartphones that have a continuous stream of revenue. We’re also dabbling in theme parks and movies–different ways to have our characters be a part of everyday life. I’m anticipating a strong synergy like that.”

None of this suggests the Nintendo Switch will necessarily be the company’s last (or even second- or third-to-last) home console. The speculation seems to have been hypothetical and mostly about how he intends for the company to stay flexible. As long as home consoles are doing well for Nintendo’s bottom line, it will probably continue making them. But it does mean there could be a day when one of the longest-running console manufacturers gets out of the game.

Last year, Furukawa made headlines just after being named Nintendo’s new president when he suggested the company was considering “various possibilities” regarding a 3DS successor. At the time, he also commented that he planned to make smartphones “a pillar of [our] income.”

FoxNext Games, D3 Go, and Rival Games have announced Alien: Blackout, a game set in the much-loved science fiction world of Alien. Blackout is a mobile game that casts players as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley.

While her mother was the protagonist of the four main entries in the Alien movie franchise, Amanda’s character has been explored primarily through video games, most notably 2014’s Alien: Isolation. In Blackout, Amanda once again finds herself on a Weyland-Yutani space station infested with aliens and must fight to survive.

“The terror of Alien is brought to life in Alien: Blackout,” reads D3 Go’s website. “Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew.

“Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game.”

Players will be tasked with surviving seven levels by guiding Ripley’s crew through “increasingly challenging tasks using only the station’s emergency system.” Contending with limited power supply, survival will require players to effectively operate a holographic map, surveillance cameras, and motion trackers to stay hidden and out of the Xenomorph’s clutches.

D3 Go describes Blackout as “an immersive and captivating Alien experience, perfectly designed for mobile gaming. It continues: “Every decision can lead to a different conclusion. Players can test different strategies and theories to outlast the Xenomorph in pursuit of victory.”

As of yet, a release date and prices for Alien: Blackout have not been announced. It is set to launch for iOS and Android devices.

D3 Go is known for the Puzzle Quest series of mobile games, having developed games based on the Marvel and Magic: The Gathering licenses. Rival Games, meanwhile, developed narrative-driven game Thief of Thieves, which is based on the comic by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

A new Alien game was first confirmed in January, 2018, with 20th Century Fox filing a trademark application for Alien: Blackout in November that year. However, a second Alien game–reportedly a shooter–is also in development at San Francisco-based Cold Iron Studios. Little is known about that project beyond the genre.

EA has claimed the first UK No.1 of 2019, as FIFA 19 sells better than any other physical game for the week ending January 5. The sports sim rises one place from last week, replacing Red Dead Redemption 2, which falls one position to No.2.

In another barren week for new releases, it’s the old reliables that chart best, according to sales monitor GfK Chart-Track. The four places below FIFA and Red Dead are all unchanged from last week, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Battlefield V, and Forza Horizon 4 all remaining in their respective No.3 – No.6 positions.

There are no major titles launching until later in January, so the chart will likely remain similar until New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story launch for Switch and 3DS, respectively. The former launches on January 11, while the latter comes to Europe on January 25 (January 11 in North America).

You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.

1. FIFA 19
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
5. Battlefield V
6. Forza Horizon 4
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
8. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
9. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
10. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Nvidia revealed a new video card, the GeForce RTX 2060, during its live press conference to kick off CES 2019. It joins the RTX 20-series family next week on January 15 and pricing for RTX 2060 cards will start at $350–prices will varying depending on model and manufacturer.

Many claims were made about the performance of the RTX 2060, and it is said on par with or better than the GTX 1070 Ti (see our review of the 1070 Ti to get an idea of its performance). According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the GeForce RTX 2060 can handle Battlefield V at 1440p resolution with an average of 60 FPS. Several benchmarks and metrics were shown; compared to the GTX 1060, last generation’s mid-range card, the RTX 2060 can perform between 1.4 to about 1.9 times better at 1440p with high settings (depending on the game).

Still image from Nvidia’s CES 2019 keynote.

Nvidia’s RTX line of video cards boasts the ability to efficiently perform real-time ray tracing, which translates to reflections, lighting, shadows that more accurately resemble the real world. Previous video cards have difficulty with ray tracing because of how demanding it is, but GeForce RTX cards feature RT Cores that specifically perform ray tracing as to not impact overall framerate. RTX cards can also use an AI-based antialiasing method called DLSS, which offers a cleaner image with minimal performance loss.

A closer look at the GeForce RTX 2060 Founders Edition

To sweeten the deal, Nvidia is included some high-profile games along with the purchase of an RTX video card. If you buy an RTX 2060 or RTX 2070, you can choose either Battlefield V or the upcoming shooter Anthem in a bundle. Those who buy an RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti will get both games bundled.

The GeForce RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti were first launched in September last year, and we reviewed both cards. Be sure to check out our RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti review to see how these new cards stacked against the previous generation’s GTX 1080 Ti.

To kick off CES 2019, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took the stage in Las Vegas to remind everyone about the company’s new line of AI- and ray-tracing capable graphics cards, which now includes the GTX 2060–a new $350 mid-range GPU just announced during the press conference.

To help entice interested customers even further, Huang announced that anyone who buys a GTX 2060 for a limited time (in “most regions around the world”) can receive a free PC copy of either Anthem or Battlefield V. This deal kicks off when the new card goes on sale on January 15. For more details about the GTX 2060, which is said to be on par with the GTX 1070 Ti, check out GameSpot’s coverage of the GTX 2060 announcement here.

Huang also announced that any customer who purchases a GTX 2080 will receive both games for free, although it’s worth noting that Nvidia’s prices the GTX 2080 at $800.

Nvidia is also at CES with its first partner for what it calls the Big Format Gaming Display–a 65-inch, 4K, 144Hz monitor with G-Sync support from HP. Check out CNET’s coverage of the announcement, and stay tuned to both CNET’s and GameSpot’s coverage of CES 2019 throughout the week.

A brand-new trailer for BioWare’s upcoming action game Anthem premiered tonight during Nvidia’s press conference at CES 2019. The new video shows off some new enemies and gorgeous locations from the game, while it also spotlights some of the new Javelin exosuits.

Additionally, Nvidia confirmed that the AI-based antialiasing DLSS technology will be available for Anthem. Check out the lovely-looking trailer below. Note that it was likely captured on a high-end PC, so that’s why it looks so impressive.

This trailer premiered during the Nvidia CES keynote where the company also announced a new GeForce RTX 2060 video card. It promises to deliver “next generation” gaming.

The GPU launches on January 15, and the price tag, $350 US, is lower than what you might have guessed. Check out more coverage here on GameSpot and on sister site CNET.

Nvidia also announced a nice new deal for the RTX 2060. Everyone who buys the card, or a new desktop PC with the card inside it, can get their choice of Anthem or Battlefield V for free. The promotion is available in “most” regions globally.

GameSpot and CNET will have lots more coverage of CES 2019 in the days ahead.

Fortnite is serving up a new tournament at the Australian Open later this month in Melbourne. The high-profile tennis tournament announced today that it will hold a $500,000 tournament during the Australian Open finals weekend January 26-27.

It’s being called the Fortnite Summer Smash, and it’ll feature a professional solos tournament, as well as a proam duos event featuring 100 “personalities” from the entertainment, gaming, and sports worlds. $400,000 is up for grab in tournament prizes, while $100,000 is being provided for charitable donations.

Australian Open director Craig Tiley said in a statement that Fortnite is a “global phenomenon,” so he’s excited to have the game at the tournament to help the event “reach more people.” Epic Games co-founder Mark Rein added, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the fun of a competitive Fortnite event to fans and players in Australia.”

You can register for the Fortnite solos tournament through this website starting at 12 PM AEDT on January 9. At the actual competition, players will go through qualifying rounds, earning points based on how they finish. For example, a victory royale gets you 3 points, while 2nd through 3rd gets 2 points, and so on. You don’t necessarily need to win or finish close to the top to earn a lot of points, as 3-4 eliminations gets you 1 point, 5-6 eliminations earns you 2 points, and 7 or more eliminations gets you 3 points.

The first-place prize is $100,000 AUD, with $50,000 AUD going to second and third place. 4th through 6th place gets $25,000 AUD, while 7th through 10th gets $5,000 AUD. 11th through 15th gets $3,000 AUD, while the 16th through 20th place finishers gets $2,000 AUD each. Those who finish 21st through 100th get $1,000 AUD each. The $100,000 AUD in winnings from the Duos tournament will go to charity.

You can visit the Fortnite Summer Smash website to get all the important details on the tournament. In other news, Epic Games is opening an office for Australia and New Zealand.