Illustrator John Howe is known for his beautiful depictions of Tolkien’s works, having served as an artist on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, as well as illustrating maps for various editions of the books. Howe was one of the earliest names known to be attached to both Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films and Amazon’s new TV show. In an interview with Swissinfo.ch, translated from French, Howe has talked about how he became a go-to artist for Tolkien’s work.
Howe says he has been fascinated by J. R. R. Tolkien since he was 14 years old. “He is one of those authors whose visual evocation is extremely strong: what he describes triggers visions,” Howe told Swissinfo. “Things that are unknown are the most interesting. They are full of decisions to be made, challenges that have to be mastered. Heroic fantasy, when written well, answers questions every generation is asking.”
The illustrator lives and works in Switzerland, a country whose beautiful mountainous landscape inspired many of Tolkien’s magical locations. However the version of Middle-earth Howe is currently working on, for the Amazon Lord of the Rings TV show, is returning to New Zealand where Peter Jackson’s two trilogies were filmed. Unfortunately the interview doesn’t offer much in the way of details on the still-mysterious TV project.
One of Microsoft’s worst-kept next-gen secrets is the rumored second Xbox model, which is believed to be called the Xbox Series S. Now, even more evidence of the console has emerged in the wild thanks to a controller that seemingly went on sale too early.
The Verge has confirmed that the leaked images making the rounds today of a white next-gen Xbox controller are indeed real. The text on the packaging mentions that the controller works with the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S consoles, the latter of which has not been announced. The controller will also work on the standard Xbox One and PC, as well as iOS and Android for xCloud streaming.
The enduring rumor is that the Series S console is the cheaper next-gen Xbox model, the one known popularly by its “Lockhart” codename. This system is rumored to have 4 teraflops of GPU performance and 7.5 GB of usable RAM. It will reportedly have the same CPU as the Series X.
The latest rumor is that Microsoft will officially announce the Series S during an event in August, so it may not be long until we know more about it. There are also rumors that the Series S will not have a disc drive, which would put it more in line with the disc-free PS5 that’s on the way.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer told GameSpot that it might release additional next-gen Xbox SKUs, and Lockhart is expected to be one of them. “Obviously, in the name ‘Series X,’ it gives us freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to,” Spencer said in December 2019, all but confirming multiple next-gen Xbox consoles are coming.
For more on Microsoft’s next-gen strategy, check out GameSpot’s editorial below.
New Releases highlights some of the top games releasing each week, and this episode has two games you can grab for free. Hyper Scape, Ubisoft’s take on the battle royale trend, is totally free to play, while A Total War Saga: Troy will be free at lunch. This week you can also jump into Metamorphosis, EA Sports UFC 4, and Risk of Rain 2 as it leaves early access.
Hyper Scape — August 11
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Ubisoft is mixing up the battle royale formula with Hyper Scape, most notably when it comes to looting. When you pick up the same weapon multiple times, you’ll upgrade it with things like an improved fire rate and extended magazine. You’ll also loot special powers, called Hacks. You don’t have to defeat every other play to win either: hold onto the special crown at the end of the match long enough, and you’ll win.
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Risk of Rain 2 — August 11
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
Risk of Rain 2 might be taking the roguelike survival game into the third dimension, but it still requires you to collect resources and fight monsters if you hope to escape its alien planet. Luckily, you can play it solo or with friends in co-op. It’s leaving early access this week, at which point it will have a slight price increase.
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Metamorphosis — August 12
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
This is definitely the most Kafkaesque game that’s appeared on New Release because you literally control a person trapped inside the body of a bug. You’ll have to use your newfound bug abilities to solve puzzles, save your friend, and return to normal.
A Total War Saga: Troy — August 13
Available on: PC
The Total War series is known for its grand strategy and deep combat tactics, and this entry sprinkles in some Greek flavor with its Trojan War setting–a conflict you can “rewrite” depending on your wins and losses. It’s coming exclusively to the Epic Games Store initially, and it’ll be free for its first 48 hours on the market.
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EA Sports UFC 4 — August 14
Available on: PS4, Xbox One
UFC 4 doesn’t have Joe Rogan or Ultimate Team, but there are still a bunch of improvements to this year’s game. Clinches, takedowns, and ground work have all been retooled. You can also jump into Blitz Battles online, taking on opponents back to back in a fast-paced tournament.
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There’s still a lot of August to go, and the month has more anticipated games on the horizon. Next week, we’ll take a look at two games making their comeback: Microsoft Flight Simulator and Battletoads.
Technology giant Microsoft recently confirmed that it was speaking with TikTok about a potential purchase of the viral app’s operations in the US and other countries, and this led to a significant surge in the company’s stock price and total value.
Business Insider noticed that Microsoft’s stock price rose by more than 5 percent following the news, and this works out to an increase of around $77 billion to Microsoft’s total market value. The company is now worth more than $1.6 trillion.
Microsoft plans to complete its acquisition discussions with TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, by September 15. Social media platform Twitter is also reportedly interested in purchasing TikTok’s US operations. Apple, Google, and Facebook have also supposedly expressed some level of interest in buying TikTok. For what it’s worth, Facebook’s Instagram app just added a new feature called “Reels” that borrows the basic idea of TikTok.
CNBC reported that Microsoft might end up paying between $10 billion and $30 billion to acquire TikTok’s US operations, depending on how the deal shakes out and how much of the company Microsoft might take on. That would make it one of Microsoft’s biggest acquisition in its history based on purchase price. For comparison, Microsoft paid $26.2 billion to buy LinkedIn, while the company forked out $8.5 billion to buy Skype, and $2.5 billion to buy Minecraft and developer Mojang.
US President Donald Trump has called out TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China. The president has suggested he may try to ban TikTok in the US unless an American company buys its US operations by September 15.
Microsoft shut down streaming site Mixer last month as it continues to focus on its enterprise-related businesses. It’s unclear how or if a TikTok acquisition might factor into the Xbox business as the Xbox Series X‘s release approaches. It could be as simple as Xbox ads appearing in the app or deeper integration for sharing videos, but at this point, it’s merely guesswork.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is releasing on September 22 as a PS4 exclusive, and has the makings of a potential sleeper hit. The game, which was a multiple award nominee in Japan when it released in 2019, features 13 intertwining stories and top-top tactical kaiju-on-mech combat.
The “Doomsday” trailer, below, shows off the game’s time travel and battle elements, and shows characters preparing for an impending day of reckoning. The game comes from Vanillaware (Odin Sphere, Dragon’s Crown), and fans of their past titles will recognize the distinctive art style.
The game will let you pilot and customize your mech as you see fit, although the trailers thus far have largely focused on the story over the gameplay. Atlus West describes the game as a “sci-fi mystery epic”.
The trailer also promises a “day one” patch for English voice-acting. Previously, this was promised as a post-launch patch, but it seems that it will now be available earlier.
Vanillaware’s most recent release before this was Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, a 2016 PS4/PS3/Vita remaster of the PS2 original. It received an 8/10 in GameSpot’s review.
It appears Microsoft is teaming up with Monster Energy for a new promotion related to Halo Infinite. Halo Infinite-branded Monster Energy drinks have begun to appear in the wild, and the text on the cans states that people can claim a double XP token for Halo Infinite.
Given that these sugary drinks are now in the market, it probably won’t be much longer before Microsoft talks about Halo Infinite’s multiplayer element. The last we heard, 343 had scaled back plans for a beta test, but the multiplayer reveal is slated to happen “soon.”
Acquired a 10 pack of Halo Infinite Monster Energy at a local Kroger! Infinite marketing means we really are now almost at the finish line Spartans! Keep sealed and consume in 15 years? Copy that! We are live again on Twitch tomorrow night. Stay strong until then Spartans! pic.twitter.com/FhYK3DIOMx
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free, though the company has yet to clarify how it will work. If you buy these Monster Energy drinks you’ll want to hang on to them, as the code-redemption site for the promotion is not live yet.
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.
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During the 2019 Pokemon World Championships, Top 4 player Baik Jongyoon used a team featuring a Shiny Amoonguss, the Pokeball-like mushroom Pokemon. Now, you can add your very own Shiny Amoonguss to your team in Pokemon Sword/Shield–but you need to act fast.
Serebii is reporting that a Pokemon Korea Trainer’s Cup stream released a Mystery Code for a Shiny Amoonguss, resembling Jongyoon’s prized Pokemon. To get it, you need to enter the pause menu from the main menu and select “Mystery Gift.” then enter the following code: TRA1NERSCUP.
We tested this code ourselves in Australia, and it works. The Shiny Pokemon is Level 50, with Clear Smog, Spore, Protect, and Rage Powder. It’s got good stats, and is worth adding to your team (although you should expect other players to do the same).
This Pokemon can only be claimed until August 10, 2:59 PM UTC (7:59 AM PT, 10:59 AM ET). At the time of writing, that’s about 13 hours away.
Deadly Premonition 2 launched in July, and the Switch exclusive returned fans to the strange world of Francis York Morgan, the hero of the original game. However, while the first game is well regarded for its lovable shoddiness, the frame rate in the sequel was beyond the pale, and the game suffered in reviews as a result.
In GameSpot’s review, critic Kurt Indovina said that once you entered the open world, “the frame rate falls off a cliff; it feels as though the game is in a perpetual loading state.” The developers promised that this would be addressed.
Now, in a new patch, this issue has been partially addressed. Update 1.0.3 has arrived, and in a Reddit thread, fans are sharing their reactions and new footage, showing that the game is now far more stable, despite still having noticable frame drops.
The footage below comes from Reddit user santanapeso, and shows the game’s hero moving through the open world.
Gav, a feature editor at Nintendo Life, ran his own before-and-after comparison, and noted that even though the frame rate still isn’t great, it’s an enormous improvement on the game’s launch state.
This isn’t the first game-changing patch for Deadly Premonition 2. The game’s director, Hidetaka Suehiro (aka Swery), apologized for the game’s transphobic content and promised to change it. However, the patch that addressed this issue made only very minor changes.
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