Month: May 2021

Microsoft Reportedly Only Has Three-Month Exclusivity On STALKER 2

Allegedly leaked documents that also showed Microsoft’s plan to cut its profit share for games sold on the Xbox Store also suggest STALKER 2 will not be an Xbox console exclusive for long.

Currently set to a 30% revenue split on game sales, the Xbox Store will change to give Microsoft just 12% of the profits from digital game sales, according to court documents obtained by The Verge that also touch on a potentially very limited exclusivity period for STALKER 2. According to the document, it will only be on Microsoft systems for three months before it can come to other platforms.

Tetris Effect: Connected is listed with a six-month exclusivity period on the Connected updates, which means those will likely be coming to PS4 very soon. Meanwhile, The Gunk will never come to other platforms, if the document is accurate, and will be available on Game Pass “in perpetuity.”

The documents say the Xbox Store change will happen at some point this year, but it’s not clear if a provision requiring exclusive streaming rights for PC games will take effect. PC games using the split would need to be on xCloud, should that still stand.

Not everyone is so sure such a generous profit split will be implemented, however. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella is skeptical, tweeting that the increased audience size such a move would encourage would need to be “massive” for it to work.

Microsoft has more money than Scrooge McDuck, however, so it’s very possible the company is willing to take a hit for years in order to strengthen the Xbox brand further. Its profits in just three months were high enough to pay for its $7.5 billion ZeniMax purchase twice.

Now Playing: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — Official Gameplay Teaser Trailer

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Nier Reincarnation Is Nierly Ready For English Release

Nier Reincarnation–a mobile game set in the same universe as Nier and Drakengard–has been playable in Japan for several months now, but it looks like the game is almost ready for a Western launch, as well. The game’s localization process has been completed, and a pre-registration phase is going to kick off very soon.

The news came via the game’s official Twitter account, where director Daichi Matsukawa thanked players for being patient.

“I apologize for the long wait, but we’re doing our very best to ensure that everyone will enjoy playing Nier Reincarnation and it would be greatly appreciated if everyone could wait a little longer until the pre-registration announcement,” Matsukawa added.

Matsukawa is just one director on the project, with series creator Yoko Taro also contributing to development. Nier Reincarnation will feature a different battle system than the other games, and it makes use of a gacha mechanic. However, it looks to retain the melancholy storytelling Taro is known for, and details on where it fits in the timeline are being kept under wraps for now.

In the meantime, you can play the upgraded Nier Replicant on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game retains the story of the original 2010 version but adds in a fifth ending and an additional story thread within the main questline. It also massively overhauls the combat to make it more similar to Nier Automata. Check out our interview with Yoko Taro to learn why he didn’t mean to make the games so darn sad.

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Battlefield 6 Images Apparently Leak, Show Massive Storms And Rocket Ship

We’ve previously heard reports that the next Battlefield game–which may or may not be called Battlefield 6–will be returning to modern-day combat, and allegedly leaked screenshots appear to confirm this. Not only that, but it looks like the weather will play a big role in the game’s environmental destruction.

Images apparently taken from the game by Twitter user Tom Henderson (via VGC), which we’ve also seen as a very short video, show an enormous beachside city with a storm approaching from the ocean. You can see them with the links above, should you not mind the surprise being spoiled.

Several air vehicles that appear to be troop-transport helicopters are coming from the other side, and one side of the map is covered in grass and trees on top of a cliff. The other side features a few tall buildings, which will almost certainly be destructible for some of the series’ signature “Only in Battlefield” moments.

The other image also features a big storm, though it isn’t clear if it’s the same area. From the player’s cockpit, we can see a big rocket ship waiting to blast off, and there are a few large metal towers on the sides.

Battlefield, particularly Battlefield 4, put a very large emphasis on big destruction moments during multiplayer matches in a system called “Levolution.” More than just enhanced destruction, this feature caused a giant central structure like a skyscraper to collapse and transform part of the map, adding a strategic element to the chaos. It appears storms could be playing a role in this feature’s return–or something close to it–for Battlefield 6.

Battlefield 6 will feature more players than we’ve ever seen in a Battlefield game before, and EA is also producing a mobile Battlefield game that will be completely separate. This game won’t arrive until 2022, and it’s being developed by Industrial Toys rather than DICE.

Daily Deals: Workout Equipment on Sale, Nespresso Machines, Breath of the Wild & More

This Saturday has brought with it a ton of interesting and unique deals. Workout benches and row machines are on the list today thanks to some great deals at Amazon and Best Buy. Walmart has a killer arcade machine discounted still and if you’re a content creator, Amazon has some handy LED light strips that are perfect for making your videos or stream look a little more vibrant and exciting.

Daily Deals for May 1

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More Video Game Deals

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