NBA Shutdown Is Causing Issues For NBA 2K20

Thanks to the coronavirus, the NBA season has been put on hold. While the choice was made in the interest of the player and public health, there’s one thing they didn’t consider–how it would affect NBA 2K20.

One of the main features of NBA 2K20 is the MyLeague mode, which allows the player to build a career based on the current season and stats of the NBA. While creating a pretty realistic game mode and experience for the player, this requires 2K20 to pull from the official schedule and statistics online in real time, in real time. Kotaku is reporting that, without this data the game has no idea what to do. Since the games have ceased, the game now struggles to simulate results, but when it finds no new data it simply crashes.

This is an unprecedented situation for for 2K, as they could not have predicted the suspension of the season. It’s unclear how the developer will handle this, but we’d anticipate an update soon.

Stay tuned for more updates on the situation as it unfolds.

Now Playing: E3 CANCELLED | GS After Dark #32

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Beastie Boys Story–Apple TV Plus Documentary Trailer Is A Sure Shot For Fans

Apple TV Plus has released a trailer for Beastie Boys Story, which is coming to the service on April 24 after a run in IMAX theatres from April 2. The documentary, directed by Spike Jonze (Her, Where The Wild Things Are), is a filmed version of a staged presentation given by the two surviving members of the trio, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) and Michael Diamond (Mike D), recounting the history of the band.

The trailer cuts together footage from the talk with old videos and photos from the trio’s past, along with snippets from their music videos. You can watch it below.

The songs that play throughout the trailer Sabotage (from 1994’s Ill Communication) and I Don’t Know (from 1998’s Hello Nasty). The trailer promises that the film will explore how the band changed “as people and as friends”, and these two tracks capture a sense of the personal change and growth the band experienced.

The film’s name, Beastie Boys Story, is keeping in line with the naming convention of Horovitz and Diamond’s 2018 book, Beastie Boys Book, which similarly recounted their careers. Adam Yauch (MCA), the third member of the group, passed away in 2012. Horovitz and Diamond no longer perform under the band’s name as a result.

The Beastie Boys previously released a single concert film in 2006, titled Awesome, I F***in’ Shot That!, which was edited together by Yauch from footage taken by 50 camcorders handed out to filmgoers before the show. It rules.

Apple TV Plus continues to expand with more exclusive offerings. Here’s a list of many of their currently announced exclusive shows.

Call Of Duty: Warzone Will Change How Kills Are Credited In Next Title Update

Call of Duty: Warzone has just become available, but already major changes are coming in the next title update. The game, which had six million players in its first 24 hours, will change how kills are counted in the next title update, awarding kills to the person who downed a player. This means that if you take a player down and another player technically fires the final shot into them as they bleed out, you’ll get the kill, not them.

This news comes from Joe Cecot, the co-design director of multiplayer at Infinity Ward, in response to a player who wanted to know if downs would be counted on leaderboards in the future.

This will no doubt please anyone who has been frustrated by their kills being stolen at the last second.

So far, Infinity Ward has been pretty on-the-ball with addressing the game’s issues: an exploit that allowed players to survive indefinitely outside the ring was swiftly dealt with. As with other battle royale games, it’s expected that it will change and evolve over time.

Call of Duty: Warzone can be pretty difficult to succeed at–but your odds will be higher if you check out our nine tips for success.

Now Playing: Why Warzone Battle Royale Is A Big Move For Call Of Duty

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Xbox Live Experienced Issues Today [Update: Fixed!]

Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Live is experiencing some issues. The official status page says that Xbox Live’s “core services”–including signing into Xbox Live–are currently interrupted, while the ability to purchase new games and content is also impacted by these server woes. [Update: everything is now back to normal, according to the status page]

As always, your mileage may vary. Xbox Live is currently up and running, and fully functional where I am, but everyone’s experience may be different.

These issues with Xbox Live are popping up as more and more employers tell their workers to work from home, and schools close, due to concerns around COVID-19 (coronavirus). With more and more people at home, at least some of them will likely spend more time on their consoles.

That said, Xbox Live–and other online networks–experience issues and outages all the time, so there is no real reason to believe these newest issues are related to the virus.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft has announced it will hold its own digital Xbox press conference in the wake of E3 2020’s cancellation. This is a very big year for Xbox, as Microsoft will release the Xbox Series X later this year with Halo Infinite as a launch title.

Pixio PX7 Prime Gaming Monitor Review

Pixio Gaming has been an up-and-comer in the monitor business for a few years now but 2019 may be the year that puts the company on the map. Displays like PX5 Hyabusa impressed us with the number of features delivered for the money. With the PX7 Prime, however, Pixio is making big claims:  “The Pinnacle,” “The Ultimate Gaming Monitor,” “the monitor you have been dreaming about your whole life.” It certainly has specs to impress with a 1440p vertical resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate, and a 27-inch IPS panel. Does the PX7 Prime live up to the hype? Join us as we find out.

PX7 7

Design and Features

The PX7 Prime features a refined design that does away with a lot of the needless, price-increasing features like customizable RGB. Instead, Pixio has opted for a simple black design that draws your eye to the screen and nowhere else. The bezels are only about a millimeter with another quarter inch of black border built into the screen itself. The PX7 is as close to an edge-to-edge screen as gaming monitors currently go even if it’s not exactly “frameless” as Pixio’s marketing claims. Still, the PX7 is a particularly good choice for multi-monitor gaming.

PX7 1

What’s most striking is the beautiful IPS screen. IPS panels are usually the first choice for content creators because of their rich, accurate colors. They’ve not been the first among gamers because of their slower response times which isn’t ideal for competitive gaming and preventing ghosting. As technology has advanced, those limitations have become less meaningful. Pixio has clocked the PX7 to a 165 Hz refresh rate with a 4ms grey-to-grey response time. That’s an impressive feat and opens the door to high-performance with the best-looking panel type on the market today.

The benefits are clear from the first boot-up. The PX7 Prime is rated to cover 95% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, which captures more red and green than traditional sRGB color, and leads to a more vivid picture. Images are crisp with a native 1440p resolution. At normal sitting distance, the 27-inch diagonal screen size is perfect for this resolution, hiding any visible pixels and eliminating screen-door effect. The monitor was also well-calibrated out of the box and only needed minor gamma tweaking to bring it in line with the 2.2 industry standard.

PX7 4

The PX7 Prime also offers HDR10 support. I had to enable HDR inside the monitor’s OSD before Windows would detect that it was capable but once I did, it turned on without a problem. I was also impressed to see that the PX7 offers full 10-bit color without chroma subsampling even at 165 Hz. Peak brightness is acceptable but not outstanding at 400-nits. Displays like the AOC Agon 3 forced you to choose between high refresh rate and 10-bit color, so that’s a big feature-win for Pixio.

The only area that the PX7 Prime feels lacking in is gaming-specific features. It does have FreeSync, which is supported from 48 – 165 Hz, and it’s also G-Sync Compatible, which worked flawlessly when activated. Beyond that, Pixio has included several on-screen reticles for games that don’t offer them, and three overdrive modes to reduce motion blur – but these are all standard even on much cheaper monitors. In short, it’s the panel, not the extra features that “makes my gaming dreams come true.”

To cross check the manufacturer’s claims, I ran the PX7 Prime through a series of tests on Lagom’s LCD Test Pages and the BlurBusters Test UFO. On the white and black saturation tests, the PX7 did well and didn’t crush the blacks at all. The white level test was good but lost detail in the second-highest pattern with HDR enabled. I didn’t find it noticeable in gaming, but this does mean that detail will be lost in the very brightest scenes. There was no banding in the gradient test and its gamma calibration was close at 2.3 instead of the aforementioned standard of 2.2.

PX7 2

In truth, I was most concerned about its performance in Lagom’s response time and ghosting tests. IPS panels have a reputation for being slower than TNs or VAs which are commonly used in gaming monitors. Surprisingly, the PX7 Prime offered one of the best performances I’ve seen on the response time test. There was virtually no color shifting in the flickering patterns, which supports Pixio’s 4ms GTG claim, and means that the PX7 is quickly able to move from light to dark pixels and vice versa. This was reinforced in the ghosting test which was also one of the best results I’ve seen.

Rounding out, I loaded up the Blur Busters ghosting test. The test sends a series of UFOs across the screen and easily demonstrates ghosting and motion blur. There I did see a touch of ghosting but it was very minor. This test also showed that the PX7 Prime is susceptible to motion blur with Overdrive disabled. Turning it up to medium made the UFOs look much crisper without artifacting and proved to be a good setting for gaming too.

PX7 6

Getting up and running with the monitor is extremely easy. The arm comes pre-attached to the display and attaches to the base with three screws. The stand also marks a big improvement from Pixio’s history. It debuted on their PX5 Hayabusa and finally provides height, rotation, and pivot adjustments. In fact, you can easily turn the monitor to be used in portrait mode to pair with a second display, which is great for monitoring chat while streaming. If wall-mounting is what you’re after, the PX7 Prime is also VESA 100×100 compatible for aftermarket mounting options.

PX7 3

Finally, if you’re a multi-device gamer, you’ll be pleased to know that the PX7 Prime supports up to three video inputs. If you want the full 165 Hz at 1440p, you’ll need to connect over DisplayPort as HDMI is limited to 144 Hz at 1080p, and 85 Hz at 1440p. There’s also a headphone jack for connecting a headset. There are no built-in speakers. Rounding out the back panel, Pixio have also included a USB port for charging your devices.

Performance and Gaming

If a company is going to claim that they’ve developed the “ultimate gaming monitor,” I expect big things. After running the Lagom and Blur Busters test, I was cautiously optimistic but had reservations. To put it bluntly, there are good reasons why most gaming monitors don’t use IPS panels: they’re beautiful but if what’s happening on-screen lags behind your inputs or is trailed by ghost images, gaming goes out the window, quickly followed by the monitor itself.

PX7 5

I deliberately choose high-intensity games to push the PX7 and in every case, it lived up to the challenge. Whether it was Overwatch, Apex Legends, Battlefield V, or Borderlands 3, I never noticed any actual ghosting in gameplay, despite the results of the UFO Test. Leaving Overdrive on medium also kept the image crisp even during rapid spins and intense action on the screen.

The 165 Hz frame rate is simply phenomenal. If you’re already running a 144 Hz display, it’s not worth running out to upgrade, but if you’re used to gaming at 60 or even 100 Hz, it makes a profound difference in how smooth and responsive games feel. Depending on your hardware, pushing that many frames a second may be difficult, but in esports games like Overwatch or Apex, even mid-range hardware should get close.

I also didn’t notice any stuttering while using G-Sync. The implementation of AMD FreeSync is well-done enough that the two variable refresh rate systems played completely nice, leading to a smooth and tear-free experience.

In short, the PX7 Prime really does deliver when it comes to high-performance gaming. 1440p and 165 Hz are an excellent pairing of features on their own, adding in the color richness and wide viewing angles of an IPS panel, and you really do get the best of both worlds between panel types. If you’re also the type of gamer who likes to cut together gameplay clips or enjoys editing photos and videos, the PX7 is an excellent tool to combine work and play.

My only wish after gaming is that it offered a higher peak brightness to make the most of its HDR capabilities. At only 400-nits, it’s on the low-end of what’s acceptable for high dynamic range content. It’s still perfectly bright in a dark room, though, so this is a small nitpick in an otherwise great gaming monitor.

Purchasing Guide

The Pixio PX7 Prime is available on Amazon and Newegg with an MSRP of $429.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Sells 5 Million Copies

Monster Hunter World, already a tremendous success for Capcom, moving 15 million units as of January 2020, and now its expansion, Iceborne, has hit a significant sales milestone of its own. Capcom is reporting that the expansion has now sold 5 million copies, between digital sales and copies of the physical edition that collected Monster Hunter World and its expansion together.

The Monster Hunter series has now sold in excess of 62 million units, Capcom says. Furthermore, the currently Japan-only free-to-play title, Monster Hunter Riders, has been downloaded 3 million times since launching in February 2020.

The expansion hit PC in January after debuting on PS4 and Xbox One back in September 2019. According to Capcom, there are “plans to carry out a number of initiatives to further cement the series’ position as a global brand,” including the upcoming Hollywood film.

Post-launch support has certainly helped the game grow, too–two new monsters are arriving on March 23.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne received a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review, and reviewer Ginny Woo praised the expansion as”a confident step into the future of the franchise.”

Now Playing: Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Nioh 2 Review – Get Good And Die Trying

Nioh 2 is not to be trifled with. Building on the original’s tough-as-nails reputation, Team Ninja’s second samurai action-RPG brings back the original’s penchant for punishing and highly nuanced combat. The sequel hones the original’s distinctive take on the Souls-like without completely reinventing itself. The result is a long, tough slog that will push even the most challenge-hungry players to their breaking points as they fight for every inch of ground and become master samurai.

Despite the title, Nioh 2 is a prequel, revealing the secret history of a decades-long period of war in medieval Japan. As the silent, customizable hero Hide, you fight to uncover the secret nature of “spirit stones,” which grant supernatural power, and defeat hordes of Yokai across the country. The plot, which you mostly hear through cutscenes and exposition between missions, has an interesting historical bent, but it is really just glue to hold the levels together. Historically relevant names like Nobunaga and Tokugawa play into the saga, but whatever flavor they add in the moment fades the second you take control and it’s time to start killing demons.

But that’s okay. Nioh 2’s story gives just enough context for you to follow along and make you feel like you’re making progress without getting in the way of the gameplay. Nioh 2’s definitive feature is its challenge. With core mechanics refined from the bones of Dark Souls, Nioh 2 boils down to a series of battles and duels in all kinds of situations. These battles demand intense precision: Not only are your attacks and skills limited by a stamina meter–called Ki–but any extra attack or mistimed movement will leave you exposed, often to an attack that will cost you a substantial amount of health. Like other Souls-like games, there is a painful pleasure in mastering whatever opponents the game throws your way.

Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

Nioh 2 builds on the wonderfully diverse range of options for developing a personal fighting style. The original systems return: Each of the nine weapon types offers a unique balance among speed, power, and range, which you can fine-tune on the fly by switching among three stances (low, mid, and high). Each weapon type has its own skill tree and progression, for which you earn points by using it. The core weapon combat remains largely unchanged from the original, beyond some new abilities and two new weapons types, the speedy two-handed Switchglaive and really speedy double-hatchets. That said, the combat is very precise. Nioh 2 demands that you have a profound understanding of all the attacks your weapon(s) can perform, but there’s a wide range of attacks and they each put their own spin on how you fight.

There are also multiple general skill trees, plus character levels that increase your stats based on earning Amrita from killing enemies. Plus, Nioh 2 is a loot game, so you’ll constantly be looking at new weapons with tradeoffs that tweak your stats. It’s a lot to manage, but it becomes manageable as you find your specialty and focus on upgrading the skills you know you like using.

For Nioh vets, that’s all old hat: Nioh 2’s biggest additions revolve around the idea that Hide can channel Yokai spirits. The most important is a hard parry called the Burst Counter, which allows you to counter powerful enemy attacks. Every enemy has at least one attack that’s vulnerable to the counter; they’re often big, powerful moves that you’ll be tempted to dodge. Fighting that urge and throwing yourself at your enemy to turn the tide of battle for a moment is crucial, which makes the combat feel more tactical and aggressive. In the moment when you spot an enemy prepping a burst attack, you feel successful, like you’ve gotten one over on your opponent, even for a second. Because the game is so difficult, these little victories help drive you forward.

You also learn Yokai abilities via equippable Soul Cores that allow you to momentarily transform into the enemies you’ve killed to use one of their attacks. More than Ninjutsu and magic, which return from the original, Soul Cores add a much wider range of contextually useful skills. For example, as the Monkey Yokai Enki, you jump into the air and throw a spear, which is quite novel as Nioh 2 doesn’t have a jump button. When the Yokai get bigger–every boss gives you a Soul Core–sometimes a giant head or fist or foot magically appears to maim your enemies. They aren’t so powerful that you can lean on them to win a fight, but these skills widely expand the range of things you can potentially do.

No Caption Provided
Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

Last but not least, Nioh 2 adds a super-powerful “Yokai Shift” transformation, which temporarily makes you faster and stronger. Triggering the transformation does not obviate the need for tactics. Though you are invulnerable, both using attacks and taking damage reduce the amount of time you have in your stronger form. A failed assault in Yokai mode not only wastes a powerful, slowly charging asset, but may also leave you unexpectedly exposed if you revert to your old self because your opponent caught you off-guard. In true Nioh fashion, even your greatest strength can become a chance for your enemy to get the upper hand.

It’s a lot to learn and, again, you need to get it down perfectly to overcome what Nioh 2 throws at you. You will likely make a lot of mistakes and die many, many times. Sometimes it’ll feel like you’ve hit a brick wall and simply can’t win. In those situations, you need to take a deep breath, figure out why you’re failing, and adjust your strategy to match. Refusing to change weapons or take risks or otherwise be thoughtful about how you play will leave you frustrated. The more frustrated you get, the more likely you’ll lose again.

Learning your own skillset is just part of the experience. To really excel, you also need to understand Nioh 2’s wide world. There’s an astounding amount of variety across an extremely long campaign. Its winding, multi-area missions span all kinds of environments, from burning castles and temples, to military camps, to forests and mountainsides. Many of them change radically as you explore them, giving you a great sense of “travel” and accomplishment for covering what feels like a long distance. One early level, for example, starts on a hillside outside a castle and ends in a massive underground cave. Even when the levels seem similar–you single-handedly siege four to five castles across 20 campaign missions–varied level design in both pathing and detail make each one feel distinct and worth conquering.

No Caption Provided
Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

It helps that the maps are more than twisty, turny dungeon crawls. Most have at least one area with a unique trap or environmental conundrum. In one forest level, for instance, a giant owl Yokai patrols certain areas, alerting enemies if it sees you. During a castle siege, you have to dodge artillery fire as you duel enemy soldiers. Also, there are Dark Realm zones, black and white areas haunted by Yokai that provide an even greater challenge by slowing down your Ki regeneration, sprinkled throughout each level. It’s only by defeating a specific enemy in a Dark Realm that it will dispel permanently, injecting more ways for you to make progress that doesn’t reset when you use a shrine (or die).

Even for all its variety, Nioh 2 stretches all of its content as much as it can. For every mission in its core campaign, there are two to three side missions, many of which remix a portion of a story mission. On top of that, there are rotating Twilight Missions for high-level players. Plus, upon finishing the campaign, you’ll get access to a difficulty level with higher-level enemies and gear. While it can be a little annoying in principle to play the same section of a level three to four times, each version finds little ways to change your path and present new challenges to keep things fresh. If you’re interested in wringing absolutely everything out of Nioh 2–master every weapon, get the highest level loot–there are more than enough mission configurations to go through until you’ve had your fill.

Likewise, Nioh 2 never seems to run out of new enemies to throw at you. Almost every level has at least one new type of Yokai for you to study and struggle against. They run the gamut, from literal giant spiders to animalistic demon soldiers like the Enki, a giant monkey with a spear, and the harpy-like Ubume. Each enemy has its own range of abilities, and you need to learn everything about them in order to anticipate their attacks and get the upper hand. This process takes time–you won’t get it on the first try, or even after the first victory. Every enemy, even the little Gaki demon, which looks like a balding, red-eyed child, can kill you if you aren’t bringing your A-game. Dissecting enemy patterns and figuring out how to counter them is the sweetest pleasure Nioh 2 offers: That there are so many enemies with so many different attacks to navigate ensure that the game never loses its flavor.

Even when the levels seem similar–you single-handedly siege four to five castles across 20 campaign missions–varied level design in both pathing and detail make each one feel distinct and worth conquering.

You see this most clearly when you go up against each of the game’s extraordinarily difficult boss encounters. Like the levels, the bosses vary widely and are all sights to behold. From a giant snake with mini-snake arms to a three-story spider with a bull’s head, each flagship enemy design has a lot of character and is unlike anything you’ve seen in the game before. They all have one thing in common, though: They’re extraordinarily difficult. Even more than standard battles, the bosses effectively demand perfect play for an extended period. You need to be able to recognize every move they make as they make it and know how to respond instantly. Very few took me less than a dozen tries, and many of them took me multiple hours.

At times, I wondered if maybe some of these bosses should be a little shorter, as there were many bosses where I felt I had mastered their patterns but couldn’t finish because they landed a single one-hit-kill late in the fight. Ultimately, that excruciating difficulty and the feeling it evokes are baked into Nioh’s DNA, though, and its boss fights remain compelling even as they vex and frustrate. Though it sometimes feels like a curse as you play, it is a testament that Nioh 2 successfully grabs and holds your complete attention so close for so long.

Now Playing: Nioh 2 Video Review

Call Of Duty: Warzone Will Eventually Get 200-Player Matches

Call of Duty: Warzone has launched on PS4, Xbox One, and PC with 150-player matches, making it one of the bigger battle royale games out there. However, it’s not going to settle on that number for long–even more populated games are coming.

Talking to USA Today, Infinity Ward’s Patrick Kelly has said that Infinity Ward is currently running 200-person games in-house. “Actually, I can tell you we are already playing with 200 players,” he says. “We are going to release that a little bit later.”

200 player matches have been a rumored target for Call of Duty: Warzone for a while now–long before it was officially unveiled–so it’s good to have this figure confirmed.

Kelly also says that bigger squads will likely be possible in the future. “I can tell you we have four-and five-player squads we are already playing with,” he told USA Today. “But we want to launch with something we know works really well and we have tested to the nines and then play around with these different team sizes.”

Call of Duty: Warzone makes use of its huge numbers with a unique respawn mechanic, so it’s suited well to larger player numbers. Of course, 200 players will make it even harder to win and see the game’s excellent victory screen.

Now Playing: Call Of Duty: Warzone – Everything You Need To Know In Under 4 Minutes

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Deals: Save on Animal Crossing, Final Fantasy 7, and Persona 5 Royal Preorders

There are a lot of big games coming out in March and April for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One consoles. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay full price for any of them. If you want to be one of the first to get your hands on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Doom Eternal, Resident Evil 3, or Persona 5 Royal, you’ll actually be saving some money. Other standout deals today include a hefty discount on the 1-year PS Plus membership, the lowest price we’ve seen for an Xbox One X console, and some new Alienware gaming laptop price drops.

Out 3/20: Preorder Animal Crossing for Switch, Get $10 in Best Buy Credit

This is the only deal available right now for preordering the hottest Switch game of 2020 so far. You’ll need a MyBestBuy membership to get this free credit, but it’s free to sign up. If you like games such as Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon, this one should be right up your alley.

Out 4/10: Preorder Final Fantasy VII Remake for PS4, Get $10 in Best Buy Credit

Our preview is up, but I’d suggest you give the demo a whirl and make your own opinion first. After all, it’s free. The game is out in just over a month and Best Buy is the only place you can preorder it with cash back. You’ll need a MyBestBuy membership, which is free to sign up.

Out 3/31: Preorder Persona 5 Royal Steelbook Launch Edition for PS4, Get $10 Best Buy Gift Card

If you thought Persona 5 couldn’t get any better, guess again. One of the best (if not the best) RPGs to grace the PlayStation 4 console is receiving the royal treatment in 2020. Persona 5: Royal Edition introduces a new character, the ability of customize your Thieves’ Den, and new story lines with new cutscenes and new endings. The Steelbook Launch edition throws in a snazzy metal case at no additional cost.

Xbox One X (Factory Refurbished) for $229.99

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Xbox One X gaming console from a reputable vendor. Note that this is a Microsoft refurbished item, which means that it still comes with a 90-day warranty. Microsoft refurbished items generally look brand new and come in its original packaging. Since you’re getting it from Walmart (and not a marketplace vendor), it’s easy enough to return to your local store if you have any problems with the unit.

Sign Up for Verizon Fios Gigabit Internet $79.99/mo, Get Google Stadia Premiere Edition

This sponsored deal is brought to you by Verizon FIOS.

If you’re eligible for FIOS, Verizon’s fiber optic internet service, then you have access to one of the fastest internet services available at a price that traditional cable and DSL companies simply can’t compete with. Once you’ve had a taste of fiber, there’s no turning back. This internet only deal gives you blazing fast 940/880Mbps internet speeds. For a limited time, sign up for this $79.99 Gigabit plan and you get perks like 3 years of router rental, Disney+ subscription, and Google Stadia Premiere Edition. This  Premiere Edition includes the console and controller, Google Chromecast Ultra, and 3 months of Stadia Pro.

Out 4/3: Preorder Resident Evil 3 and Save $10

Resident Evil 3 has dropped $10 to $49.94. For those of you who have already preordered the game from Amazon, your price is automatically adjusted to the lower one. Resident Evil 2 was a remake done right, and we expect RE3 to receive the same treatment. RE3 completes the Raccoon City arc, and this time you’re playing as the iconic Jill Valentine.

Out 3/20: Preorder Doom Eternal and Save $10

Doom Eternal is another hugely anticipated release and you can save $10 when you preorder it. If you’ve watched any of the gameplay trailers you already know this game is going to pretty amazing. Preorder it and you’ll also receive a digital copy of Doom 64.

33% Off 1 Year of PS Plus Membership, Now $39.99

PS Plus membership discounts only happen a few times a year so grab this deal when you can. This membership lets you play games online (absolutely necessary for games like NBA 2K20, Madden NFL 20, FIFA 20, Overwatch, Rocket League, and more). You’ll also get PS Plus exclusive discounts at the PlayStation Store as well as new free games every month. For example, PS Plus members get the outstanding Titanfall 2 game FREE until tomorrow.

Out 5/29: Preorder The Last of Us Part II Collector’s Edition Only at Best Buy and Gamestop

Last of Us Part 2 is the other huge release for 2020 and the Collector’s Edition is back in stock for a limited time at Best Buy and Gamestop only. The Collector’s Edition includes a steelbook case, 48-page mini artbook by Dark Horse, and some DLC. The Collector’s Edition includes the game with steelbook case, a 12″ Ellie statue, Ellie’s bracelet, lithograph art print and thank you ltter, stickers, pins, 48-page mini artbook by Dark Horse, DLC, and more.

Out 3/31: Preorder Star Wars The Skywalker Saga 9-Movie 27-Disc 4K UHD or 18-Disc Blu-ray Collection

The 27-disc 4K Ultra HD edition will be available exclusively at Best Buy and the 18-disc Blu-ray edition only at Walmart. These are the first official sets that contain all nine of the Saga movies that follow the Skywalker storyline.

EVOO Gaming 15″ 1080p 144Hz Intel Core i7-9750H GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop for $999

If you’re looking for a 15″ gaming laptop, it’s hard to find a deal better than this. This EVOO laptop comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor, GTX 1660 Ti video card, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage, all for under $1K. It even sports a 144Hz refresh rate, THX tuned display and speakers, and an RGB mechanical keyboard.

Alienware m17 17-Inch 4K 3840×2160 Intel Core i7-9750H RTX 2060 Gaming Laptop for $1399.99

Use code “AFF700AW”

The m17 is the 17″ variant of the new generation of Alienware m-series gaming laptops. Despite the larger screen size, it still clocks in at only 5.8 pounds. It’s equipped with a gorgeous true 4K (3840×2160) IPS display and an RTX 2060 Max-Q video card. The RTX 2060 is more powerful than the GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q and even the GTX 1070 Max-Q. You’ll need this kind of firepower for games like the upcoming Horizon Zero Dawn.

Alienware m15 Intel Core i7-9750H 15″ 1080p 144Hz GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for $1199.99

Use code “AWM15R1AFF”

The Alienware m15 is the newly designed 15″ laptop and weighs only 4.8 pounds, which is remarkable given its payload. We reviewed the m15 and highly recommend it. It’s easily one of the best laptops you can get in terms of build quality and under-the-hood power.

Alienware Aurora Intel Core i7-9700 RTX 2060 SUPER PC with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 1TB HDD for $1199

Use code “AWAUR8AFF”

This gaming PC is equipped with the newest generation RTX 2060 SUPER video card. This “SUPER” model performs about the same as the original RTX 2070 video card and is perfect for 1080p and 1440p gaming. It’s paired with a 9th generation Intel Core i7 8-core processor, tons of RAM, a big SSD to serve as your boot drive, and a 1TB hard drive for extra storage.

Happy Mario Day: 25%-33% Off Super Mario Maker 2 and More Nintendo Switch Games

All of these discounted games are part of the Mario Day Event running from now until Saturday, March 14. These first party Nintendo titles are discounted only a handful of times per year. They’re also physical copies, meaning you have the option to trade them in or sell them once you’re done playing them (you still can’t do that with digital).

Sign up for a Free 30-Day ComiXology Unlimited Trial

ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

55″ Vizio M558 4K HDR QLED Smart HDTV for $499.99

The Vizio M-series QLED TVs are one of the best values you can get if you’re looking for a TV that’s fully HDR capable. The new Vizio M-series Quantum TVs utilize the same “Quantum Dot” technology used in Samsung QLED TVs. This particular model is the best M-series TV that Vizio offers: it features a wide color gamut, full-array backlight with 90 local dimming zones and 600 nits of brightness for excellent HDR.

Nintendo Switch Video Game Deals:

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons + $10 Best Buy Credit for $59.99
  • Battle Chasers: Nightwar for $14.99 on Amazon
  • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night for $19.99 at Gamestop
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for $29.99 on Amazon
  • Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition for $39.99 at Gamestop
  • God Eater 3 for $29.99 at Gamestop
  • Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition for $44.97 on Amazon
  • Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle for $14.99 at Best Buy
  • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for $34.99 on Amazon
  • Mario Tennis Aces for $44.99 on Amazon
  • Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden for $9.99 at Gamestop
  • Our World is Ended for $19.99 at Gamestop
  • Pokemon Sword for $49.49 on Amazon
  • Super Mario Bros U Deluxe for $44.99 on Amazon
  • Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $44.99 on Amazon
  • Super Mario Odyssey for $44.99 at Best Buy
  • Super Mario Party for $39.99 on Amazon
  • Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales for $19.99 at Nintendo eShop
  • Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition for $49.99 on Amazon
  • Yoshi’s Crafted World for $39.99 on Amazon

PS4 Video Game Deals:

Xbox One Video Game Deals:

PC Video Game Deals:

______________________________

Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.