Game Rant

Hans Moke Niemann is known to cheat at chess. Does he still do that?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:50:00 +0000

Rwould dissolve would be much easier if you could hide a rocket in your back pocket. The problem with chess is that you can. In a scandal that has gripped the chess world, the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, now refuses to play another (seemingly) top player, Hans Moke Niemann. While Mr. Carlsen won’t say so directly, perhaps for legal reasons – he speaks through hints and cryptic internet memes – it is suspected that Mr. Niemann is using hidden computers to help him win. Does he?

The ruckus started with an extraordinary game. On September 4, Mr. Carlsen and Mr. Niemann found themselves face to face in St. Louis, in the Sinquefield Cup, an annual tournament in which ten of the world’s best players compete for a prize pool of $350,000, of which $100,000 is for the winner. Mr Carlsen made his seventh appearance. By far the highest-rated player in the game, and arguably the best ever, he hadn’t lost any of his previous 53 “classic” chess games (as opposed to faster variations).

Mr Niemann, 51st in the world at the time, shouldn’t have been there at all. He was only invited at the last minute to replace Richard Rapport, a Hungarian-Romanian grandmaster (13th).

Mr Carlsen had the white pieces, and thus the first move. He hadn’t lost in over a year with this advantage in a classic format. But things quickly took a turn for the worse. Mr Niemann played well, a little too well for Mr Carlsen. He had the impression that Niemann “wasn’t tense or even fully focused on the game in critical positions, while he outplayed me as black in a way that I think only a handful of players can.” Mr. Niemann won, in part because he played much faster than Mr. Carlsen, who was not accurate enough due to his time to think.

This was surprising, but two other developments caused what, by the polite standards of chess, is considered a disintegration of the professional scene. One was the interview with Mr. Niemann after the game. Normally, at rap battle speeds, grandmasters list a series of moves and counter moves they had considered while playing, while the interviewer and audience pretend to follow. It was unusual for Mr. Niemann to say that his opponent had played badly, claiming that by a “miracle” that morning he analyzed the exact and very rare positions they had achieved in the game.

Then, in analyzing the game he had just won, he referred to a game Mr. Carlsen had played against another grandmaster several years earlier, in which a similar position had been achieved. However, the match in question never took place. Perhaps most tellingly, as it seemed to indicate that he didn’t understand his own game, he also suggested a ‘possible’ move that would have lost him the match.

The second development came the next day. Mr. Carlsen announced via Twitter that he was withdrawing from the event. His only explanation was to include an internet meme video in which a famous football manager says, “I’d rather not speak, actually. When I speak, I’m in big trouble.” That meant Mr. Carlsen thought Mr. Niemann was cheating. And when the two met in an online tournament a few weeks later, Mr. Carlsen resigned after making just one move. (He still won the tournament.)

In response, Mr Niemann, who is 19, said he cheated once in an online tournament as a 12-year-old and then in a number of “random games” when he was 16. But he denied ever cheating in tournament games or in front of an online audience. He said he had sacrificed everything for chess and that cheating in the past had been the biggest mistake of his life. Mr. Carlsen said in another statement that he believed that Mr Niemann had cheated more and more recently than he had admitted, and that he would not play him again.

Chess cheating is much easier than you might think. Computer programs, even those on a cell phone, are much better at the game than humans: think of a motorcyclist competing in a bicycle race.

At the highest level, even microscopic hints – like knowing that a bold move is possible – can provide a decisive advantage. This week allegations surfaced that Mr Niemann had received much more help than in previous matches. Chess.com, a website where most of the world’s top players (and many modest players) play, has deactivated Mr. Niemann’s account and withdrawn an invitation to an upcoming tournament. The website had insisted on evidence that she believed he had committed far more fraud than he had revealed. After researching his play both on and off the platform, it published its findings on Oct. 4 in a 72-page report.

The report said he admitted to Chess.com that he had cheated several times and in all likelihood cheated in more than 100 games, including games in tournaments, while playing in front of an online audience, and as a 17-year-old . According to the report, Mr Niemann once cheated while playing against another cheater. While humans were making the mouse movements, the game was actually between two computers, as evidenced by the superhuman play on both sides.

However, the report found no clear evidence of cheating in offline play, such as in the game against Carlsen. In offline play, however, the biggest questions were asked by how quickly Niemann has improved and how recently. As the report notes, Niemann’s rise in ratings since he was 11 years old has been lightning-fast, as has his climb since becoming an elite player (achieving a rating score, called Elo in chess, of 2500). However, that is far from conclusive evidence and Mr. Niemann continues to deny all claims of cheating in offline games.

It remains possible that clever cheaters can now do this in ways undetectable by analyzing their games played offline. In the past, players have been caught using hidden phones that were accessed during bathroom breaks, using hidden buzzers, or receiving hand signals. But nothing of the kind is tied to Mr Niemann.

The controversy has divided the chess world. Chess.com has provisionally barred Mr Niemann from participating in a $1 million tournament it hosts, and Mr Carlsen has hinted at further disclosures: “There’s more I’d like to say. Unfortunately, I am currently limited in what I can say without Niemann’s explicit permission to speak openly.” Yet Mr Niemann continues to play. He is one of 14 players in the U.S Chess Championships, which started on October 6. On the second day he was in the lead. His post-match interviews are brief, however: After beating 15-year-old Christopher Yoo in the first round, he declined to provide any analysis. ‘Chess speaks for itself’, was his message.

Why I'm A Sony PlayStation Fan But Not A Fanboy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:29:00 +0000

I like a console, but only until a point can be seen (photo: Sony).

A reader recalls his life as a gaming expert. From the NES to the PlayStation 2, he shares a true story about him and his own life, and how he’s still alive.

Console wars and brand loyalty are never ideal, but I think it’s that simple. You look at every aspect of life, you find yourself being influenced by something. The above principles are followed by the politics, sports teams, subscriptions, supermarkets and general products, the product they buy; why do consoles have to be different?

I was born on Nintendo and could use the NES, so I loved Ninja Garden, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Blaster Master. Later I mastered the game’s own play. The game took me to a Mega Drive and led me to a new game in its own right, such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, Gunstar Heroes and Street Fighter 2. It was my childhood and gives me a lot of memories. I’ve never owned an SNES, but since the mid 90’s I was still on the Mega Drive, but I knew about the Sega Saturn, but then I remembered that it was known as a very expensive thing.

At that point, my interest in the game faded. Its 16-bit era had little to offer.

PS3 is out, but I completely forgot about it. My father bought it at a random time. But somehow he got chipped so I wasn’t sure how he knew that side of that game. This meant I could buy all PlayStation games for just $5. I remember looking forward to Sundays when I had my pocket money and going to my local market where they sold copyrights to the games. For me, this was a film with fond memories, where I wanted to choose games based on reviews from magazines.

I had a lot of magazines then. From now on, the console became my choice. I ignored the N64 and Dreamcast and bought the PlayStation 2. I recognize that N64 and Dreamcast have great games, but I’d rather be lucky and invest in a console for the best in games and accessories. As an example, the PlayStation 2 needed a multi-tap.

I started out a little bored in the PlayStation 2 years and gave myself a game with a gameCube, to play games like Metroid Prime, Zelda: The Wind Waker and Resident Evil 4. I also got an Xbox original to play Halo and Shenmue. Shortly after the release of the two brothers God of War and the Dungeon of the Colossus, PlayStation 2. It made me buy GameCube and Xbox, because I didn’t understand them much. Those are my high school days, where life wasn’t so boring before.

From this point, the PlayStation 3 came to an end. As many as 50 players have responded to the trailers, MotorStorm and Resistance. It was probably the most toxic era of movie fanboyism, when characters like Chad Warden stoked the flames and made fun of the Xbox 360 and Wii. I think it was a good choice for the competition to bring Xbox to the console market as it led Sony to embrace online gaming and introduce PS Plus as PlayStation 3 has struggled in recent years.

When Sony gained a lot of confidence in the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet and Valkyria Chronicles, Sony tried to revive the game in 2008, but Xbox was still using a lot of power to sell a Wii game and came out . The console wars were so ingrained in me that I would check the VG Chartz to see how well the PlayStation 3 performed against the competition. After that I remember being happy when it caught up with the Xbox 360 in world sales, I think Xbox 360 was a little more popular in the UK and US. Wii was just completely dominant. I like PS3, when Sony makes new movie series. It’s the age of a teenager. This means we are all a part of my life. I went to work for the most part the day I was young.

With the arrival of the PlayStation 4, I remember going to Eurogamer Expo. A huge 4 The Players slogan that Sony finally did worked. However, Xbox and its Kinect push with Don Matrick left Xbox One off to a very bad start. Sony is probably at the pinnacle of the PlayStation 4 platform, which it can’t possibly reach again. I remember playing big single player games like The Last Guardian, Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, Ghost Of Tsushima, Spider-Man, Last of Us part two and God of War just to name a few. My experience with games became more and more interesting as I became more involved in storytelling. Metal Gear Solid, my all-time favorite game series, is probably the reason.

Sure, I got the PlayStation 5, but I couldn’t get it until now. I finally got a bottle of CeX at a very high price. PlayStation 5 got off to a good start, but I was disappointed with more cross-gen games like Horizon Forbidden West and God Of War Ragnarok. I have always enjoyed returning. The PlayStation 5 is out today. I can’t wait to see what games will come in the future. I am aware that this will probably be the last conventional console as streaming will become more complex in the next generation. I’m going to appreciate that gift.

Consoles can be a time in your life and it’s interesting to see what you’ve collected for each console and what changes your gaming habits and tastes. I support Sony PlayStation as a sports team, it’s good to be passionate about something, but in the end it’s also important to know that other consoles get it right too. I’d like a PlayStation VR2, so I bought into the PlayStation ecosystem. If I have an Xbox X/S or a Nintendo Switch, I wouldn’t be able to invest in VR.

Astros Playroom for PlayStation 5 is an example of why brand loyalty should be valued. Playing that and navigating through history was extra special as I drove through the entire journey from the start of the day. In the end, enjoy playing the console you choose.

Matt Riddle is a reader.

The reader function does not necessarily take into account the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 word reader at any time, which, if used, will be published in the following week’s time frame. Just contact us at [email protected] or by using our Submit Stuff page. You do not need to send an email.

More: Horizon Zero Dawn PS5 Remake + Multiplayer Game Banned West DLC Leaked.

More: New PS5 model with compact disc drive has a detachable disk drive. Rumors that the new model will have a detachable disk drive.

More: The PS5 finale – from Star Wars VR to Stellar Blade.

Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and call [email protected] by email.

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For more stories like this, check out our game page.

The shortest of the most intense bid will be complete and dated

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:12:00 +0000

Over the past few years we’ve had excellent Need for Speed, but in December EA and Criterion Videogames can pass the Order for Pace Unbound to the arena.

If you turn on the most competitive race scenario, you’ll have a better time, a few yards outside that limit and a few points higher than the odds, the odds of racing, and a single hand on the world to put your specific character that the greatest international competition. In the second wave, as many as 30 people, this is only the second.

The chase could be on again when Want for Pace Unbound is a driving force behind their own side road racing myth as they grow incompetent with law enforcement and eventually solve the final roadside problem for Grand, Lakeshores.

For Pace Unbound is coming to Xbox Sequence X|S, PS5 and PC, offering a new and truly distinctive, visible genre, with a unique tendency to mix some side street art with a very real reality, such as looking around at cars inside the franchise’s historical past.

There could be an integrated marketing strategy that allows avid gamers in the city of Lakeshore to capitalize on their experience from their rise and reach.

Expect to see with one hour from one year to the next, and to see how you can easily use the 4K solution at 60 FPS by the second time the series launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X/S and PC on Dec 2, 2022.

Because for Pace Unbound is all about self-expression, taking dangers, disrupting the established order, by simply being yourself through your racing genre, distinctive cars, type, song and much more, according to Kieran Crimmins, the young director of criterium games. . We are excited to create a truly unique universe, the place where avid gamers are represented within the sport. The visible happiness of Unboundrede raises expectations, with a brand new art style that brings graffiti to life, amplifies competition and creates rapid movement.

If you do it at the back and are at the highest level, Want for Pace Unbound takes racing style convention and ups the ante – and with impactful potential and credit for every race, determination and bet made. Gamers will find the lakeside arena when a tusk stole two friends for a second while the owners destroyed a rookie racer on a journey to win the same side road races with a recoverable vehicle they stole from them. Want for the pace, but no free options?

The main options are given:

The Global is Every Participants canvas: Graffiti redefines the concept of living and learning based on the new design, with many gamers experience all over the city. What it’s doing now consists of a new toolkit, like Burst Nitrous, that rewards avid gamers with style-based spices, refining their power.
Run the Streets: The more avid gamers race, the more heat they build up. If you want to lose weight or outsmart law enforcement, use new dexter mechanics to protect yourself from a chase and earn big rewards and even tougher penalties for buying caught.
To improve your fitness, you need to pay your own attention to the condition of your condition.
To find freedom while sliding: Journey to a genre-defying soundtrack from groundbreaking artists from the hip-hop arena and the rise of multi-hyphenated artists, entrepreneur, actor and type icon A$AP Rocky and his ingenious company AWGE, alongside the arena premiere of a$AP Rocky’s new monitor Sh*ttin Me, also featured in the reveal trailer.
Takeover Scene with A$AP Rocky: A$AP Rocky will appear in the game because of the Chief of Takeover Scene, an all-new replayable precision usage mode that combines the neighborhood to take over parts of the city and rejoice with genre over natural tempo. AWGE performed well in sports.

You can move about pre-ordering Want for Pace Unbound. and by doing this you can buy the unique package of an unbound material, with, by acquiring the ‘data’, decals, license plate, banner paintings, stickers and, once you first subscribe to multiplayer and extra.

On December 2, 2022, Xbox Sequence X|S, PS5 and PC, the Standard Edition, and the Need for Speed Unbound Palace Edition, a deluxe service created in collaboration with Palace Skateboards, will provide avid gamers with unique content materials, as well as 4 shocking custom vehicles , a clothing pack and with impact, decals, registration, mana pose and banner paintings for $79.99.

EA Play is also a very powerful platform to play Play for Pace Unbound, with a 10-hour trial from November twenty-first twenty-nine. EA Play Professionals will easily be able to enjoy the Play for Pace Unbound version at the same time.

Have you been going past the wheel of the essentially thrilling side road racer lately? The desire for peace is now and this time it is untethered.

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"90+ rated Co-op Hit Barotrauma is free to play this weekend - major update adds a plethora of content!"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:11:00 +0000

HAMBURG, Germany – October 7, 2022 – Publisher Daedalic Entertainment along with developers FakeFish and Undertow Games are happy to open an invitation for gamers around the world to try barotrauma next weekend for free. Deep divers and submarine crews better strap in and prepare to dive into the fascinating frozen depths of the oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa for free, from October 6 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and through October 9 at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. barotrauma is currently available through Steam Early Access and will release the 1.0 version in early 2023.

To complement an already exciting weekend, Daedalic Entertainment is happy to confirm that too barotrauma is offering a staggering 75% discount on Steam that lasts all weekend and ends Thursday, October 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. No better time than the present to get your feet in the water and add barotrauma to your library!

barotrauma is a co-op sci-fi inspired 2D submarine simulator with survival horror elements that will keep even the most experienced captains on the edge of their seats. Set in the frozen oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa, the game lets players explore the hostile depths of the mysterious Galilean satellite as they navigate and repair a multi-station submarine and fend off the many creatures that inhabit the perilous waters around you. Crew a wide variety of submarines and deploy solo or with crews of up to 16 players online!

More information about the Hoist the Sails update

Press kit can be downloaded here

Request an Early Access code for: barotrauma here

hoist the sails will be the last major content update prior to the game’s full release in early 2023 and comes with a wide variety of additions and changes, including performance improvements, an all-new transport sub, the removal of the Deep Diver class, reworked upgrade systems, the addition of submarine levels, new and better weapons layout and a lot of quality of life upgrades.

Full overview of the Hoist the Sails update:

New Vanilla Sub Called The Camel: An early transport submarine.
Streamlined Submarine Upgrade System: Fewer upgrades for more profit at a time, and the introduction of some class-specific upgrades to make the submarine classes more noticeable.
No more Deep Diver: This class offered little benefit other than being able to guide you through the final levels of a campaign, so it was decided to remove it altogether. Deep divers become scouts and you can complete the campaign on any ship you have upgraded enough.
A new submarine level system: In addition to being a specific class, subs are now ranked in levels (I–III) depending on how advanced they are. Level is assigned based on the price of a submarine and can be adjusted in the sub editor. Tier and class together determine the maximum upgrade limit for a sub, making it more economical to buy new subs as well as upgrade existing ones.
New and bigger weapons!
Tutorials reworked: A new set of tutorials will be added to the game to make getting on board a little easier for new players. First of all, players are greeted by a simple tutorial to introduce general mechanics useful for all player roles. After that, the player can access more nuanced role-specific tutorials.
Performance and quality of life updates!

barotrauma is available on Windows PC and MacOS through Steam Early Access. The hoist the sails update, along with the free weekend and the special weekend deal are now live! For more information, visit the official game page at Steam.

###

For more information for the UK, Italy and Australia, please contact:

Mark Allen – Renaissance PR

Mark@renaissancepr.biz +44 (0) 7884 408 973

Stefano Petrullo – Renaissance PR

stefano@renaissancepr.biz +44 (0) 7828 692 315

About FakeFish and Undertow Games

Barotrauma started as an open development project by Undertow Games, the developer of the free open source horror game SCP – Containment Breach. In early 2018, award-winning fellow indie studio FakeFish Ltd. joined the project with their team of industry veterans and new talents to launch Barotrauma on Steam. Now, the joint studio, based in Turku, Finland, develops survival horror PC titles that support extensive user-generated content and are packed with built-in editors.

About Daedalic Entertainment

Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse range of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With an international team of about 90 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line of innovative games for consoles, PCs and mobile platforms.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple “Studio of the Year”) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany. Recent publications include Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Partisans 1941, and more.

Daedalic is currently developing The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The story-driven adventure tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never before seen in narrative media, while at the same time staying true to JRR Tolkien’s legendary books.

Wayward Strand, Cult of the Lamb nominated for Golden Joystick Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:07:00 +0000

The Golden Joystick Awards is the world’s longest-running video game awards ceremony, hosted by game media publisher Future. It is a People’s Choice awards ceremony which means that the winners of the categories are determined entirely by public vote. Two Australian games have been nominated for the Golden Joystick Awards 2022: Quirky Beachthe narrative game set on a floating airship, and Cult of the Lambthe hybrid game that crawls dungeons and builds colonies.

Quirky Beach (Ghost Pattern) is nominated for Best storytellingin addition to titles both large (Horizon Forbidden West) and small (Immortality, NORCO, Return to Monkey Island)

Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster) has been nominated forr Dear Indie against games like Tunic, rollerdromeand neon whitelike Best Visual Designagainst games like Elden Ring and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

In addition, Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) is nominated for Most wanted game.

It’s heartwarming to see Australian-made games included among the staggering number of big-budget international titles leading the nominations. If you want to support them, please consider voting.

How to Vote in the Golden Joystick Awards 2022

Voting in the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards can be done by visiting the voting page hosted on GameMe, where you will be asked to vote in all categories.

Voting for the awards closed on Nov 4, 2022.

Full List of Finalists for the Golden Joystick Awards 2022

The full list of finalists comes courtesy of GameMe:

best audio

We are OFK
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Metal: Hellsinger
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Gran Turismo 7
OlliOlli World

Best storytelling

IMMORTALITY
Return to Monkey Island
Horizon Forbidden West
NORCO
I was a teenage exocolonist
Quirky Beach

Best game community

To dream
Final Fantasy XIV
GRID Legends
No Man’s Sky
Splatoon 3
warframe

Best game expansion

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Cuphead: the delicious last course
GTA Online: the contract
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons
Total War: Warhammer III – Immortal Empires

Best gaming hardware

date
steam deck
Analog pocket
Backbone One: PlayStation Edition
Roccat Kone XP
WD_Black SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5

Best indie game

Cult of the Lamb
Tunic
rollerdrome
Dorfromantik
neon white
Cracks

Best multiplayer game

Elden Ring
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Sales
MultiVersus
Splatoon 3
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Best Visual Design

Elden Ring
Horizon Forbidden West
Cult of the Lamb
Ghostwire: Tokyo
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Lost in the game

Most wanted game

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Final Fantasy XVI
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Dead Island 2
pronounced
Street Fighter 6
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Honkai: Star Rail
starfield
Exoprimal
redfall
Hogwarts Legacy
The day before
Mass effect
Marvel’s Spider Man 2
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Kerbal Space Program 2
Empty space

Nintendo Game of the Year

Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
live alive
Splatoon 3
Nintendo Switch Sports

PC game of the year

neon white
Return to Monkey Island
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Cracks
Total War: Warhammer 3
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters

PlayStation game of the year

Gran Turismo 7
Horizon Forbidden West
strayed
Elden Ring
The Last Of Us Part I
sifu

Xbox Game of the Year:

Halo Infinite
contempt
grounded
When dusk falls
Sniper Elite 5
Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Still playing

Genshin impact
The Sims 4
Lot 2
Final Fantasy XIV
Minecraft
Fortnite
Pokemon GO
Apex Legends
lost ark
The Elder Scrolls Online

Studio of the Year

roll7
Terrible toy box
Half Mermaid
From Software Inc.
Interior / Night
Tribute Games

Best Early Access Launch:

Disney Dreamlight Valley
Slime Rancher 2
Dune: Spice Wars
core custodian
Vampire Survivors
Gloomwood

Best game trailer

The Callisto Protocol The Truth Of Black Iron Trailer
Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer
skate. Still working on it Trailer
Bloody Hell Hotel unveils trailer
Time Flies Announcement Trailer
Alan Wake 2 reveals trailer

Top 5 Sportsbook Promotion Codes for CFB Week 6 and NFL Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:58:00 +0000

pickswise offers exclusive sports betting content Syracuse.comincluding picks, analytics, tools, games and sportsbook offerings to help gamblers get in on the action.

We are in the midst of the NFL and college football season, which means there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of promo codes offered by a variety of sportsbooks.

There are different types of bonuses available so it is important to understand how they all work.

This article explains how the latest promotions work and how to claim them.

Each sportsbook also has its own unique features, which we’ll be sure to outline for you. All of these promo codes will cost you nothing, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of them today.

What are the best places to bet on the NFL and CFB this weekend?

In addition to the promo codes and welcome bonuses that we’ll outline for you, it’s important to know what to look for in a good sportsbook. All of the below have competitive odds, a wide variety of betting markets and are reputable and reliable.

Multiple sportsbooks allow users to shop around for the best lines and markets available for a particular NFL or CFB game.

Some users prefer mobile apps, which we’ll be sure to list below for applicable sportsbooks as well.

Best NFL and CFB Sports Books

1. Draft Kings

2. FanDuel

3. Caesar’s Sportsbook

4. Points Bet

5.BetMGM *Not available in New York*

Along with all the key features a sportsbook should look for, let’s take a look at how each of these promo codes works in time for all the NFL and CFB action this weekend.

1. DraftKings Sportsbook promo code: bet $5 and win $200 in free bets if your team wins

DraftKings Sportsbook is an official partner of the NFL and one of the largest sportsbooks in sports betting.

They are often among the first to list the odds for upcoming events and have a wide variety of betting markets. There is also the option to play daily fantasy sports with your sports betting bankroll.

DraftKings’ latest promotion focuses on the NFL and offers all new users the chance to win $200 in free bets on a $5 single bet.

Simply place a pre-game bet on an NFL team’s money line and if it wins, DraftKings will credit your account with $200 in free bets. The welcome bonus is issued as eight separate $25 free bets that you can use as you wish. No DraftKings Sportsbook promo code is required to activate this bonus if you sign up through one of our links.

Click here to win $200 in free bets on a successful DraftKings Sportsbook NFL moneyline bet.

2. FanDuel Sportsbook promo code: No Sweat First Bet up to $1,000

Competing DraftKings as the US’s most popular sportsbook is FanDuel, and if you click here you can currently claim their No Sweat First Bet offer.

FanDuel are the original creators of Same Game Parlay and continue to innovate with new betting markets. Their mobile app is unique and even offers users mini-games to play for real cash prizes.

FanDuel’s No Sweat First Bet welcome bonus allows new users to place their first bet without sweating the outcome.

Simply place your first bet of any amount up to $1,000 and if it loses, FanDuel will credit you the amount you wagered in free bets. It’s not often that users can bet without worrying about the outcome, so make sure to take advantage of this offer. No FanDuel Sportsbook promo code is required if you sign up at this link.

Click this link and claim your No Sweat First Bet up to $1,000 from FanDuel now.

3. Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code: Up to $1,250 Back on Your First Bet

Caesars is one of the most respected sportsbooks in operation, while also claiming to have some of the most luxurious personal gambling resorts and facilities.

Caesars resorts can be enjoyed using their unique reward system. New and existing customers can earn and accumulate specific credits that can then be redeemed for perks such as discounted hotel stays and dining experiences.

By clicking here you can automatically activate the latest Caesars promo code: VOLSYR, which offers all new users wagering insurance worth up to $1,250. In addition to this bet insurance, new customers are also greeted with 1,000 Rewards CreditsⓇ and 1,000 Tier Credits.

As with FanDuel, if your first bet loses, Caesars will credit the amount you wagered on free bets up to $1,250. The Caesars RewardsⓇ and Tier Credits will be credited to your account regardless of the outcome of your first bet.

You can click here to get up to $1,250 back on your first bet, plus 1,000 Rewards CreditsⓇ and 1,000 Tier Credits. Enter Caesars Sportsbook promo code if prompted VOLSYR.

4. PointsBet Sportsbook Promo Code: 4 x $200 in Free Bets with PointsBet Second Chance

PointsBet is arguably the most unique sportsbook currently available. They offer users the opportunity to win more for the more appropriate bet.

In addition to offering fixed odds betting, they have also developed a unique service called PointsBetting. For example, if you bet on a team to cover a spread of -2 and they win by four, you will win double the amount you would earn on a traditional fixed odds bet.

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Football High Live: Scores, Highlights, Updates from Friday's Week 8 Football Matches

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:44:00 +0000

Week 8’s weekly schedule features huge region games from Daphne to Decatur.

Some of the key matches tonight include Bob Jones at Sparkman, McAdory at Hueytown, Muscle Shoals at undefeated Decatur and Fairhope at Daphne.

Check back tonight for updates on those games and many others.

At the end of the evening a complete score list will be added.

20:40, Create distance: LaMarion McCammon with a hasty score from 6 yards. He had all 43 yards on that ride. Hoover leads Tuscaloosa County 17-6 with 7:03 left in the third.

20:21, Some more results:

Clay-Chalkville 49, Huffman 0 (Start second half)

Hoover 10, Tuscaloosa County 6 (9:14 3rd, THIS IS ONE TO WATCH.)

Enterprise 29, Dothan 7 (MJ Johnson with a 69m TD run. This has huge implications for the 7A Region 2 playoffs)

Opelika 17, Smiths Station 7 (Half, Bulldogs try to get back in the win column after 3 consecutive losses)

Fairhope 20, Daphne 0 (Caden Creel with a 50-yard run. Pirates bounced back nicely after last week’s upset loss to Foley. Trojans came in as the only undefeated team in 7A, Region 1)

Baker 20, Mary G. Montgomery 14 (3rd, Josh Flowers 61-yard TD run)

Deshler 31, Central Florence 14 (9:36 3rd)

Montgomery Catholic 42, Bullock County 0 (semi)

Andalusia 42, Slocomb 0 (6:50 3rd)

8:23 PM, rest: Muscle Shoals leads Decatur 28-21 at the break. Red Raiders come in at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Class 6A, Region 7. Muscle Shoals is 5-1, 2-1 after last week’s loss to the undefeated Hartselle.

James Clemens 27, Austin 20 (half)

Spanish Fort 16, McGill-Toolen 10 (half)

Orange Beach 28, Bayside Academy 14 (half)

20:18, getting defensive: Class 6A No. 3 Theodore has limited Blount to one first so far. Bobcats leads 21-0 at halftime. Brayden Jenkins with 75 yards on 11 carries and 2 TDs.

To come closer: McGill takes advantage of an interception with a 27-yard field goal. Yellow Jackets within 16-10 of Spanish Fort with 36 seconds to go.

Many points: Hewitt-Trussville, trailing 16-0 in the first quarter, now leads Vestavia Hills 35-23 with 3:08 remaining in the half. Donovan Price with a 14-yard TD reception. Ricky Gibson with an interception in the end zone for the Huskies as the first half ends.

St James 21, Trinity 7 (half)

8:11 PM, Skol Vikings: Jared Hollins hits James Bolton with a 24-yard TD pass. Mary G. Montgomery leads Baker 14-13 in the half. Huge Class 7A, Region 1 match between playoff candidates.

Gardendale 10, Minor 6 (Kareem Kaye with a late Minor TD to close the gap)

Muscle Shoals 28, Decatur 21 (late 2nd, Slugfest in one of the bigger games in the state)

Flomaton 0, WS Neal 0 (half)

Scottsboro 12, Sardis 0 (half)

Etowah 34, Hanceville 0 (half)

Gadsden City 53, Mae Jemison 0 (half)

Saks 35, Weaver 6 (half)

Westbrook 13, Geraldine 7 (half)

Arab 49, Boaz 14 (half)

James Clemens 27, Austin 20 (:29 2nd)

Faith Academy 41, Pike Liberal Arts 0 (start 2nd half)

20:03, On the board: McGill’s Andrew Murchison with a 25-yard TD pass. He got a late hit, but jumps back up. Huge game for the Yellow Jackets with over 6 minutes left at halftime. Bad game from Spanish Fort there. Totally unnecessary shot. McGill reduces the Spanish fort’s lead to 16-7.

Elsewhere:

Hartselle 24, Athens 0 (half)

Fairhope 14, Daphne 0 (half)

Theodore 21, Blount 0 (2:04 2nd, Kamrean Johnson 22-yard TD reception for the #3 ranked Bobcats)

Midpoint 23, Pinson Valley 7 (half)

UMS-Wright 35, BC Rain 0 (half, Joe Lott with a Pick 6 and 2 TDs rushes. Sutton Snypes with 2 TD passes to the Bulldogs)

Carver-Montgomery 20, Wetumpka 0 (half)

Bob Jones 21, Sparkman 14 (half)

19:54, Angry special? Vestavia Hills leads Hewitt-Trussville 16-7 after 1 quarter.

Spanish Fort 16, McGill-Toolen 0 (9:32 2nd)

Orange Beach 21, Bayside Academy 14 (UAB commits Chris Pearson with a 13-yard TD run)

Leeds 20, Alexandria 7 (2:32 left at half)

Pike Road 27, Russell County 0 (Half, Kaleb Foster 2 TD passes)

Andalusia 35, Slocomb 0 (Bulldog defense with a point return for a TD and an interception return for a TD. They have kept Slocomb in negative yards so far)

Enterprise 22, Dothan 7 (2nd)

7:45 PM, Bag change: Cole McConathy with three sacks in the first half for Spanish Fort. Toros leads McGill-Toolen 13-0 after 1 quarter.

Spartans ahead: Blocked punt provides short field for Pleasant Grove to lead 13-0 after a quarter. Long TD on Fairfield double pass marked as two forward passes.

Theodore 14, Blount 0 (9:25 2nd, Brayden Jenkins 5-yard TD run, his second score of the evening)

Andalusia 21, Slocomb 0

Baker 13, Mary G. Montgomery 7 (Jaden Campbell 55-yard punt return for the Hornets, 7:20 2nd)

Austin 20, James Clemens 20 (9:47 2nd)

Center Point 23, Pinson Valley 0

Hoover 7, Tuscaloosa County 3 (Late 2nd)

Munford 17, Jacksonville 7

Fyffe 42, Sand Rock 0

Arab 28, Boaz 14

Cherokee Co. 20, Fultondale 0

Priceville 14, North Jackson 0

Coosa Christian 14, Cedar Bluff 0

Locust Fork 12, Southeast 7

Good Hope 7, Ashville 0

19:35, A Lott to a little: Joe Lott with a pair of first quarter TDs for Class 5A No. 1 UMS-Wright. Bulldogs lead BC Rain 14-0 after 1. The game will be played at Alma Bryant.

Upset? How about Center Point lead Pinson Valley 21-0. Center Point has attempted onside kicks on two of its three kickoffs so far.

Picked: JoJo Hixon of the Spanish Fort intercepts a McGill pass. On the next play, Jake Godfrey hits a wide open Nick Passarelli on a double pass for a 58-yard TD. Toros led McGill 13-0 with 3:15 to go in the first.

Bob Jones 14, Sparkman 0 (End 1)

Hueytown 13, McAdory 7 (End 1)

Mary G. Montgomery 7, Baker 6 (End 1)

Holly Pond 14, West End 7 (End 1)

Clarke County 14, JU Blacksher 0 (End 1)

Orange Beach 14, Bayside Academy 14 (2nd)

Fairhope 14, Daphne 0 (Caden Creel to Preston Godfrey on a 7-yard TD pass. It covers a 13-play, 95-yard drive)

James Clemens 20, Austin 14 (End 1)

Meek 30, Shoals Christian 0 (2nd)

Faith Academy 35, Pike Liberal Arts 0 (7:30 2nd)

Carver-Montgomery 8, Wetumpka 0 (End 1)

7:25 PM, Happy fumble: Spanish Fort QB Brayden Walker falters on his way to the end zone, but Sawyer Wilson falls on it for a Toro touchdown. The PAT is not good, but Spanish Fort leads McGill-Toolen 6-0 in an important game in Division 6A, Region 1, with 6:00 to go in the first quarter. Wilson had 69 yards on 7 carries on the drive.

Austin 14, James Clemens 13 (4:10 1st)

Leeds 10, Alexandria 0 (5:16 1st)

Mary G. Montgomery 7, Baker 6 (Keshun Johnson with a 3-yard TD run for the Vikings)

Randolph County 7, Walter Wellborn 6

Hartselle 17, Athens 0 (End 1)

Pike Road 14, Russell County 0 (Kaleb Foster with TD run and TD pass)

Deshler 10, Central 0

Decatur 7, Muscle Shoals 0 (End 1)

7:15 PM, Vizzina in the end zone: Clemson QB started Christopher Vizzina with an 11-yard TD run followed by a blocked punt. Briarwood leads Calera 7-0 with five minutes left in the first.

Baker 6, Mary G. Montgomery 0 (Josh Flowers 16-yard TD run)

Faith Academy 21, Pike Liberal Arts 0 (Notably, Faith hasn’t had an offensive snap yet)

Bayside Academy 7, Orange Beach 7

Theodore 7, Blount 0 (6:44 1st)

Center Point 14, Pinson Valley 0 (CP recovers and kick onsides to extend lead with 6:49 left in 1st)

Austin 14, James Clemens 6 (5:40 1st)

Mobile Christian 6, Cottage Hill 0 (1:54 1st)

Gadsden City 13, Mae Jemison 0 (Dre Kirkpatrick 8-yard TD run)

Hartselle 10, Athens 0 (5:59 1st)

19:07, Those Red Devils: Fyffe is at an incredible pace this year. Brodie Hicks’ blocked punt return for a TD. PAT good. Fyffe 7, Sand Rock 0 with 10:33 remaining in the first quarter.

At Daphne, Preston Godfrey with a 14-yard TD run as the Pirates take advantage of Daphne’s early turnover. Fairhope leads 7-0.

Austin 7, James Clemens 6 (8:29 1st)

Orange Beach 7, Bayside Academy 0

Center Point 7, Pinson Valley 0 (8:39 1st, Dion Moore 52-yard TD run)

Arab 14, Boaz 0 (1)

Leeds 7, Alexandria 0 (7:56 1st)

Gardendale 7, Minor 0 (Tyler Nelson with a 59-yard TD run for the Rockets)

19:03, Sales problems: Fairhope and Daphne are already on their way. Not a good start for the Trojans. They’re messing out the Wildcat and the Pirates have the ball on the Daphne 20. And we’re on our way in week 8.

18:55, A few scenes before we start…

18:53, great honor: Thomas Johnston, the state’s greatest tackler of all time, was inducted into Spain’s Fort Hall of Fame before Toros’ game against McGill-Toolen tonight. Johnston was the Class 6A Lineman of the Year, finishing second to Mr. Football as a senior. He went on to sign with UAB and played with older brother, Tyler.

6:50 pm, watch closely: We’re trying as usual tonight to cover as many games statewide as possible, but here’s a list of some of our key games and the reporters who will be submitting live updates:

Bob Jones vs. Sparkman — Skip Vaughn

Hartselle in Athens – Jerry Felts

Austin at James Clemens — R. Sirvell Carter

Gardendale at Minor — Evan Dudley

McAdory in Hueytown — Cameron Buford

Fairhope at Daphne – Darron Patterson

McGill-Toolen at Spanish Fort — Jonathan Thompson

Mary G. Montgomery at Baker — John Vella

Theodore at Blount — Arthur L. Mack

Carver-Montgomery at Wetumpka — Jimmy Wigfield

Orange Beach at Bayside Academy – Randy Kennedy

18:40, Todd’s Take: We kicked off a new feature this week in which Jacy Todd, former high school football defense coordinator, breaks down one of the state’s biggest games. This week Todd told us the keys to Fairhope vs. Daphne — two schools where he served as an assistant coach. Read the first Todd’s take before tonight’s game kicks off at Jubilee Stadium.

6:33 PM, Line-up change: Freshman Noah Schuback, was announced as the starting QB for Hoover tonight against surprising Tuscaloosa County. It doesn’t look like the Bucs will let Ahamari Williams carry the ball tonight. Schuback played along a bit at the end of last week. We follow this evolving story.

18:30, sibling rivalry: It’ll be brother to brother again tonight as Bob Jones takes on Sparkman. Sparkman’s Laron White wants to break his record against younger sibling Kelvis White. Read Mike Perrin’s preview of this game.

18:27, Bulldogs on a roll: Andalusia looks set to go 8-0 tonight as Trent Taylor’s team face Slocomb. The Bulldogs, who have only scored 91 points all season, appear to be on their way to a matchup with No. 1 Montgomery Catholic on October 21. Read Ben Thomas’ column about Andalusia’s season so far.

THURSDAY RESULTS

Buckhorn 38, Lee Huntsville 20

Central Phenix City 55, Lee-Montgomery 20

Chambers Academy 56, Abbeville Christian 7

Danville 49, Asbury 6

Decatur Heritage 49, Woodville 8

Donoho 48, Talladega Co. Central 14

East Limestone 54, Lawrence Co. 13

Edgewood 35, Macon East 34

Elba 62, Georgia 28

Foley 55, Alma Bryant 32

Gordo 35, Fayette County 0

Gulf Shores 49, Elberta 3

Homewood 31, Chilton County 10

Hooper 72, Sparta 50

Houston Academy 52, Northside Methodist 0

JB Pennington 55, Brindlee Mountain 0

Mountain Brook 35, Parker 6

Patrician 34, Lowndes Academy 6

Pelham 30, Benjamin Russell 20

Plainview 33, Sylvania 30

Ramsay 56, John Carroll 7

Sidney Lanier 41, Stanhope Elmore 17

Southside-Selma 52, Greensboro 30

St. John Paul II 27, New Hope 20

St. Michael 49, Wilcox Central 6

St Paul’s 39, Robertsdale 14

Thompson 51, Oak Mountain 0

Valley Head 34, Appalachian 28

Westminster 70, Madison County 42

Williamson 20, Citronelle 0

Worst Stepdads Of Video Games

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:40:00 +0000

The entertainment industry often demonize stepfathers. Many stories portray these boys as horrific perversions of parental figures. They bombard their stepchildren with all kinds of abuse, from physical to emotional to sexual. Just marrying into an established family apparently makes a man a maniacal tyrant.

Related: Worst Stepdads In Movies

In video games, stepdads provide useful enemies. Their family relationships can make them an intensely personal antagonist. At the same time, they are not blood related, which means that heroes can feel less guilty about overcoming them. The stereotype may be tired and transparent, but it has led to some really twisted figures in gaming history.

GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

6/6 Zack’s Stepfather – Angels Of Death

Really disturbed people have often had a traumatic upbringing. This is evident both figuratively and literally in Isaac Foster. This serial killer has bandages all over his body: a constant reminder of a gruesome childhood.

Zack’s stepfather often burned him and his mother. This not only left him with the aforementioned wounds, but caused him to develop a crippling fear of fire. The devil then subjected his stepson to further abuse from a deranged orphanage. While this is nothing to sneeze at, Foster’s misfortunes all started with his stepfather. Of all his hardships, this one feels the most personally sadistic.

5/6 Jimmy’s Stepfather – Bully

In true Rockstar fashion, the people of Bully are caricatures and stereotypes that ridicule all walks of life in ridiculous ways. That description also applies to Jimmy’s stepfather. He only shows up in the beginning, but he makes players hate him in that short amount of time.

Related: Best Open World Games on the PlayStation 2

This man embodies the child-hating stepfather that the mother wants for herself. He drops Jimmy off at a boarding school notorious for delinquents before going on a one-year honeymoon. What’s more is that he verbally abuses the kid throughout the ride. Granted, Jimmy gives the best he can, but he’s a teenager. People expect people in that age group to be petty and disrespectful. The stepfather here is a grown man, but he’s just as childish.

4/6 Richard’s stepfather – the medium

It’s hard to be worse than the Nazis, but Richard’s stepfather gives it a shot The medium. During World War II, he and his family squat in their home and wait for the chaos to subside. Unfortunately, he uses this time to abuse both his wife and little Richard. In the first case, he adds rape to his offenses. As regrettable as that is, it is reinforced by the circumstances.

Richard and his mother are already living in fear and incarceration under the Nazi regime. A paternal figure who piles up his own kind of terror is just despicable, especially since his victims can’t escape. Given these factors, one can almost understand that Richard’s mother is calling the Gestapo, because it offers a way out of the circle of misery. However, her husband should never have put her in that position.

3/6 John – Lorelai

This man embodies the archetype of a sexually frustrated alcoholic. He routinely hunts both Lorelai and her mother. He even forbids them to lock the doors, meaning he can invade the heroine while she is bathing. As embarrassing as this behavior is, it continues when he derails.

John is capable of murder during his drunken tirades. He actually kills Lorelai multiple times during the game. At least she has the ability to fight back. The same cannot be said of his daughter, whom he also spits out. It takes a special depravity to destroy something as innocent as a baby.

2/6 Arvis – Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

The insults of this Imperial adversary begin long before he meets his stepson Seliph. fire emblemArvis kills his sister’s husband before marrying that sister himself. Yes, it’s disgusting, but unfortunately incest has been common in royal families throughout history.

Related: The Worst Anime Stepdads

Also common was the mentality of the end justifying the means, which Arvis takes to the extreme. He repeatedly betrays his allies and sacrifices his subjects, all to supposedly achieve a peaceful world. Like most tyrants, he is so focused on the big picture that he loses the perspective of the people he is trying to help. Seliph is probably ashamed to be related to him on several levels.

1/6 Tanaka/Ssech King – Iwaihime

This eerie visual novel aspires to Alice in Wonderland more twisted than it already is. Minobe’s stepfather illustrates that philosophy with his actions. mr. Tanaka – also known as the “Ssech King” – drugs her and renders her unconscious. This frees him up to give her a caterpillar tattoo. Changing people’s bodies against their will is already a red flag, but the meaning behind it is more confused.

This particular tattoo initiates Minobe into the cult of the Ssech King. It’s his way of building a demented version of a family. He uses such family love to eliminate loneliness while rejecting any romantic love. That mindset takes helicopter parenting to a disturbing new level.

More: Best Video Game Step Dads

Dreadwolf's Solas is essentially the Tony Stark of Thedas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:27:00 +0000

Dragon Age: DreamwolfSolas and the MCU’s take on Tony Stark/Iron Man aren’t two characters that come to mind at the same time. One is an old Elf determined to restore his people to their former glory, while the latter is a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist in a highly sophisticated suit. Iron Man’s storyline in the MCU is arguably the most iconic, as when he snaps his finger, destroys Thanos and his army, and repeats his last witty one-liner, he dies a hero.

GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

However, many have often argued (sometimes jokingly, sometimes not) that Iron Man is often the villain of the MCU. It’s not that he intends to, but that he tends to make good decisions that have bad results. In fact, that’s pretty much the entire storyline of Solas in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and come Dragon Age: Dreadwolfit’s just another decision made for the right reasons and likely to go horribly, horribly wrong.

RELATED: Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Doesn’t Need To Play The Original Trilogy To Understand

Iron Man: How His Best Intentions Led to Unfortunate Consequences

Before he became Iron Man, Tony Stark sold weapons to enemies of the United States and was in fact responsible for Ten Rings and Sokovian Forces (the latter being responsible for the creation of the Scarlet Witch). Tony Stark minimized many people, leading to Mysterio’s motivation in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Vanko in Whiplash turn into Iron Man 2. Perhaps the biggest element is that, after the invasion of New York, Tony tried to protect the world with a suit of armor… which became Ultron.

Stark has been hiding many things from the Avengers, believing in his own abilities and intelligence as an answer to everything, which has led to conflicts big and small. He founded Damage Control, which turned out to be an antagonistic agency; he supported the Sokovia Accords, which ultimately undermined the Avengers; and for better or for worse, many of his best actions had unintended consequences. Tony Stark isn’t bad, but a lot of what goes wrong in the MCU can be traced back to him.

Dragon Age: What Solas does, he does for his people

And the same can be said of Thedas. Solas can be a villain in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, starting from Tony Stark (at least on paper), but he’s a lovable villain. It’s still possible that he ends up on Iron Man a lot too. Before that possibility, however, Solas was heralded as a hero under the Elven Rebellion as its leader known as The Dread Wolf, just as many heralded Iron Man as a hero. The Evanuris killed Mythal and abused the elves, causing Solas to create the Veil of Skyhold. This was intended to separate the world of the physical from the magical and spiritual world of the Fade, essentially creating the world that fans in every world have known. dragon era game. However, this act of kindness had unintended consequences: it weakened the Elves and no longer allowed them to be immortal.

This in turn leads to Tevinter conquering the Elves and losing much of their history and origins, with even the Dalish Elves not always understanding their background. Solas’ action to save the Elves forever changed them and made them all less so. Solas couldn’t even help them, because creating the veil made him fall asleep for a long time. When he awoke, realizing that his actions were leading to the destruction of his people, he tries to break down the veil and restore his people. To do this, however, he had to activate Fen’Heral’s Orb, which he gave to Corypheus. His intention is good – save the Elves – but his actions created every event in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

And his plan continues, again, in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. The problem is, for all his wisdom, Solas often seems to be short-sighted. Breaking the veil may or may not restore the Elves to their glory days, but there’s so much in the Fade now. Demons are probably stronger, there is clearly a connection to the Archdemons, not to mention the Evanuris were sealed because they couldn’t be killed. Restoring his people is an honorable cause, but somehow it feels safe to say it will have more consequences than Solas understands, is prepared or can handle.

Dragon Age’s Solas and MCU’s Iron Man: The Best Plans…

A safe bet would be that Solas isn’t necessarily the main enemy players will face at the end of the year Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. It’s what he unleashes and whatever he does to help stop it. Maybe Solas will eventually get some form of redemption. Maybe he can save everyone like Tony Stark did. The two characters are different in how they grow in their storylines, but what is clear is that the path to hell, for both of them, is paved with good intentions.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is under development.

MORE: Dragon Age: Dreadwolf May Not Be Limited To The Tevinter Imperium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:24:00 +0000

Why Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Acquisition Doesn't Live Up to Expectations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:24:00 +0000

When Microsoft announced its ambitions to acquire Activision Blizzard, it sent a shockwave through the gaming community. Since then, things have become uncertain as several approvals are needed to complete the deal. As the situation now stands, much of the initial hype and shine that was created seems to be lost.

Deals and acquisitions in the gaming industry are not uncommon and have been happening for a while. However, the sheer size of the franchises involved and the appreciation caused the community to react like never before. That said, the earlier euphoria is somewhat lost and there are plenty of reasons to guess.

A deal worth about $70 billion is sure to take time, and Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been no different. The loss of gloss is much more than that and has also caused fans to lose interest. While there is little doubt about the deal’s potential success, the impact could be much deeper than expected.

Microsoft’s efforts to get its Activision Blizzard deal green-lit seem forced and naive

In a recent development, Microsoft released a dedicated website where the company highlights its vision for the future and discusses how it will benefit various stakeholders. While the attempt could be in order, what has happened so far has raised questions about its expected impact.

The biggest threat to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is its valuation. A figure of $70 billion is staggering in every sector except the gaming industry. Still, the valuation is not unnatural, given the franchises involved. A series like Call of Duty made more than $5 billion in revenue last fiscal year.

One area where the deal has lost some steam is with the future of Call of Duty. The military shooter has not only made money for Activision, but also for Sony PlayStation.

Once the acquisition is complete, the franchise could eventually become an Xbox exclusive. Based on the information available, Sony may keep the franchise for another three years after the deal closes.

Phil Spencer says the goal is to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and expand it where people can play and that’s the goal for any game. 20 seconds later…Says Exclusives the backbone of the industry and Xbox will continue to have exclusives….Exclusively against gaming🙃🥴 https://t.co/3suVpBcYxc

Again, this contradicts what Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has reiterated about gaming and exclusives. He’s talked regularly about how exclusivity can hurt consumers who are deprived of the chance to play a title simply because they don’t have the right platform.

Still, it will seem a bit hypocritical to make Call of Duty exclusive after Microsoft’s acquisition, even after three years.

Franchises like Call of Duty aren’t the only big ones under Activision Blizzard’s house. Making them exclusive to Xbox consoles and as part of the Xbox Game Pass could be hugely profitable for the company. It could help establish the same ecosystem that Phil Spencer has talked about in the past.

Now let’s see if the UK regulator agrees that it’s not their job to protect Sony’s revenues, because ultimately that’s the only real impact this deal has here. Nintendo will get Call of Duty as a result of this deal, gamers will also get it in XGP/cloud, Steam Deck will also get more Acti games twitter.com/Rand_al_Thor_1…

Xbox has dragged the line of exclusivity into the current generation, with Starfield being an example. What makes the deal lose its charm are the uncertainties surrounding it. Closing the deal is the most certain outcome at the moment. Still, there’s no certainty at this point that this will happen, despite Phil Spencer and Microsoft Satya Nadella being quite optimistic about their chances.

The website’s release has sent mixed signals to players who had hoped the deal would close. Details are predicted to be finalized around mid-2023, so there doesn’t appear to be any delay as of now. Given the parties involved, it seems highly unlikely that the deal will be cancelled.

That said, fans will want to see some closure on the finer details at play. If Call of Duty goes the exclusive route in the future, an enthusiast will likely invest in an Xbox Series XLS. While delays in the legal process are expected, the lack of clarity about the future of the franchises has left many consumers questioning the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.

The steam deck is the perfect emulation station

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:24:00 +0000

As someone with a great interest in game history, I use a lot of emulators. Games are unfortunately a highly disposable medium, and a combination of technological advancements and a lack of interest or passion on behalf of publishers means it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on the best games of yesteryear through fully legal or official means. Games like Paper Mario, Eternal Darkness or even Silent Hill 2 are available almost exclusively through emulators for many people.

Hooray for emulation then, where would we be without it? But what’s the best way to get started? Getting them to work on consoles can be a chore, and there’s a bit of tethering involved in playing them on a PC. That’s where the Steam Deck comes in – the perfect handheld emulation station.

DUALSHOCKERS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Related: Steam Deck Client Update (SteamOS) 3.3 Patch Notes

Getting emulators up and running was a very simple process. If you’ve ever dipped your toe in the waters of emulation before, there’s nothing here to catch you off guard. It’s easy to forget that the Steam Deck is a fully featured PC, but it absolutely is, making getting solid emulators like PCSX2 (PS2), Dolphin (GameCube), SNES9X (SNES) and the like installed completely hassle-free. I was playing Dragon Quest before I knew it.

Don’t be put off by the fact that the Steam Deck also runs a modified form of Linux. I know that particular operating system scares people more than black magic does, but Valve did a great job of making it familiar and you don’t have to use the terminal. Most of what you need is available through a pre-installed app store, and to top it off, most emulators are automatically compatible with your gamepad.

Related: Steam Deck Mock-Up Displays Sleek Atari 2600 Aesthetic

Games of more recent generations – Playstation 2 and 3 in particular – run surprisingly well. I managed to run Demon’s Souls at a solid 30fps, and Skate 3 ran at 60fps with only a few minor dips. PS2 games run even better. Even Shadow of the Colossus runs well north of 45 fps, and less demanding games like Ratchet: Deadlocked and Jak 2 never went below 50 fps. It’s remarkable that these games are running at all, to have so many ready to play was a nice surprise. Leaving the house with games from that era in my backpack, I never thought I could.

As a fan of retro games, Valve’s handheld really shone for me when playing simple, older games on the go. As much as I love the PS2 and the PS3, games like Earthbound and the SquareSoft RPGs just feel that way cozy on the steam deck. Their relative simplicity makes them perfect for playing in short bursts, they don’t really benefit from being blown up on a 32-inch gaming monitor, and the smaller Steam Deck display keeps those pixels compressed and those images sharp.

Portable Game Boy games like Pokémon are also great on Steam Deck. Playing Pokémon Emerald while waiting for a bus, or doing some farming in Harvest Moon in between college classes, felt great. I even found time to play a little Super Mario RPG in my dentist’s waiting room – I never thought I’d live through the day!

There always felt something wrong playing SNES games at the same desk I work at, but curled up on the couch is a completely different proposition. I want an emulator to help me get some of that old-fashioned console magic back, and that’s exactly what the Steam Deck does.

The hybrid nature of the Steam Deck is what makes it so successful. It’s a strong value proposition and has all the convenience and low barrier to entry of a console, but the power and customizability of a PC. It can handle just about anything and emulating my favorite games is a breeze. I don’t know if Valve focused specifically on emulation, but if they did, they couldn’t have done better. Freedom is really the keyword. The Steam Deck has so many strengths and so few caveats that it’s a natural emulation powerhouse.

There’s another reason to mimic games on the Steam Deck that puts Valve in a slightly less favorable light. As impressive as the Deck is on the hardware front, the number of games currently rated “Great on Deck” isn’t as high as it should be. That number will almost certainly increase as time goes on, but right now you might feel like there are just one or two major holes in your handheld library. We have a list of incompatible games here.

I have over 200 games in my Steam library, only 49 of which have been given the green light by Valve, while games like Halo Infinite and Destiny 2 don’t work at all because they use incompatible anti-cheat software. Emulators fill the gap perfectly as we wait for the Deck to expand its collection of games confirmed to work well with them.

If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself using more emulators than SteamOS itself.

Next: Returnal On PC Speculation Continues As Steam Deck Support Is Spotted

7 things you didn't know the PlayStation 5 could do

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:21:00 +0000

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Whether you were one of the lucky few to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 when it was first released, or have only recently gotten your hands on Sony’s latest console, there are plenty of things the PS5 can do that you probably didn’t know about. . We’re always looking for tips and tricks for the PS5, and thought we’d share some of the best things you didn’t know the PlayStation 5 could do here.

PS5 Tips and Tricks

1. Change the stand

Adamya Sharma / Android Authority

The PS5 has a detachable stand that either comes fixed to the bottom or comes loose in the box. If it’s attached to the bottom, that might not work for you if you don’t want to prop your console up – it’s pretty massive after all.

It’s easy to swap the kickstand to the base panel so you can place your PS5 horizontally. If you have a thin coin (or screwdriver) and a few minutes free, you can move the stand as you wish. Need visual? Push Square has a great video showing you how to do it.

2. Use Game Boost to automatically improve PS4 games

Less of a trick, more of a tip, but you may not know about Sony’s Game Boost feature. It allows you to automatically remaster backwards compatible PS4 games to make them look even better on your PS5. Game Boost is active automatically, so if you’ve been wondering why your old PS4 games look so good, don’t wonder.

Remark: You’ll need to make sure your console and the game you’re playing have the latest updates installed for this to work.

3. Stream PS4 games with Remote Play

Paula Beaton / Android Authority

While you can easily download your PS4 games from the PlayStation Store and store them on your PS5, that takes up precious hard drive space that you could save for new titles. The Remote Play feature allows you to stream your PS4 games on PS5, so you can play your favorite games without worrying about hard drive space.

How to use remote play:

Make sure both consoles are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Depending on your network speed, you may notice input lag. Use a wired connection for best results.
On your PS5, go to Settings > System > Remote play. highlight Enable remote playand then press X to enable the function.
On your PS4, open the PS5 Remote Play App from the main menu. Select Find your PS5 or Connect to PS5-xxx.

Learn more: Use PS Remote Play on any device

4. Customize your console

The PS5 side plates can be easily removed and replaced, allowing you to customize your console. Right now, you’ll find five different panel colors on the official PlayStation website, as well as a number of third-party options, but be sure to do your homework to make sure the site you buy from is trustworthy and the plates will fit yours. console. From a purple console to a cool Spider-Man design, the sky’s the limit.

5. Jump into specific game modes with PS5 activities

This PS5 tip focuses on the Activities feature, which makes it easy to jump into specific game modes, such as multiplayer, load specific missions, or earn trophies quickly. Just press the PS button on the DualSense controller and maps will appear at the bottom of the screen with individual levels, unlockable items and more in the game you are currently playing. Very handy!

6. Use your old DualShock 4 controller for couch co-op

Okay, so you can’t use the PS4’s DualShock 4 controllers to play PS5 games on Sony’s next-gen console, but did you know you can use them to play backward-compatible PS4 titles? Good news if you only have one DualSense controller but want family co-op on your favorite PS4 games.

Also see: The best PS5 games you can buy

7. Share your screen in game

The PS5 supports plenty of social features, so it’s probably no surprise that you can share your screen with your friends or others in your party so they can watch you play. While that probably doesn’t seem too impressive, the Multi-tasking feature has another trick up its sleeve. You can stream a friend’s gameplay via Picture-in-Picture mode while you’re playing – pretty cool if you’re in a multiplayer game and want to see the action from a different angle. You can overlay this gameplay over your own game or click on the side so it doesn’t get in the way.

Here’s how to share your screen:

press the PS button to access the Control Centerand then select Game base.
Select or create a party with the friends you want to share your screen with.
Select Start screen sharing is located under the name(s) drop-down list.
Your friend(s) will receive a notification when you share your screen. They must accept this, which will appear as a card.

Do you have PS5 tips and tricks to share? Let your fellow players know in the comments!

Next one: Did you know that the PS5 has a hidden web browser? Here’s how to find it.

The myth of the missing Witcher games on PlayStation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 01:03:00 +0000

The Witcher series currently has two main RPGs not available on PlayStation consoles: The Witcher 1 and The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings. While both of CD Projekt’s games would undoubtedly earn some serious coin, it could be impossible.

The Witcher 1 and The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings are missing from PlayStation, despite the fact that they would undoubtedly sell very well. CD Projekt Red, developers of The Witcher series, actually planned to release both formative RPGs on the PS3, but had issues with both. Let’s get into the how and why.

The Witcher 1 and 2 will unfortunately find PlayStation.

What happened to The Witcher Rise of the White Wolf on PlayStation?

The original Witcher game from the then fledgling CD Projekt development team from Poland released its RPG based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels in 2007. With a beast slayer tied to a prophetic fate he hated, it only came to PC, before a 2008 Enhanced Edition release on the same systems would exponentially improve the game with additional animations. It was positively received at the time, although it now feels very dated in terms of graphics and gameplay. Built on Bioware’s Aurora engine and the beginning of Geralt of Rivia’s story in the video games, it’s still conspicuously missing from PlayStation, despite coming out during the PS3 era.

However, it was planned. The Witcher Rise of the White Wolf is licensed by CD Projekt to a French company called Widescreen Games. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game would be built from the ground up on the DaVinci Engine and would feature enhancements, DLC expansions, and (probably) trophies. However, not all went well. In 2009, it was announced that the project would be canceled in a dramatic and accusatory message from Widescreen Games, with CD Projekt stating that it was taking action after deadlines were missed and the expected quality bar was not met.

The Witcher The Rise of the White Wolf never got far enough to rise

While missed payments and drama make for very interesting drama, it doesn’t make for a good or completed game. We’ve heard very little about the project since then, and almost nothing about restarting development. It seems CD Projekt was burned and too busy with the sequels to return to the project.

Oddly enough, the team never came back to the idea and hasn’t talked about it since. However, this fallout strongly reminds us that CD Projekt also outsourced the PS5 remake of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt to Saber Interactive, but then had to take it in-house due to that third-party developer’s position as a Russian studio during the invasion. in Ukraine. It seems CD Projekt doesn’t like doing remasters and upgrading itself on console, but hasn’t had much luck with its partners either.

The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings has some dope covers

What happened to The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings on PlayStation?

This may be a shorter story, but no less sweet for PlayStation gamers. The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings was released in 2011 on PC and Xbox 360, but not for PS3 to the surprise of many. For most players, it was a step up from the original with more complexity and moral conundrums at every corner. It was a bit more political and had more of those fantastic Slavic roots that fans of the series had come to love. It sold particularly well, and featured the first use of the RED Engine.

Despite announcing plans to bring the game to PS3, CD Projekt never got around to it. Tomasz Gop, the senior producer, told Eurogamer that “the technology, the RED engine, is capable of doing all three: PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. We are now focused on Xbox 360. Of course that doesn’t mean we don’t like Doing PS3 later in the line, like after that. We’d like to. The size of the studio and the approach we have to the projects” was the problem. “We don’t like going 50/50. With everything we go at full speed, all the time.

“The other thing is that moving from PC to Xbox 360 was quite easy. We already have people on board who have done 360 games. Right now we are looking for a good PS3 developer, so it could happen. ” In a later interview, managing director Adam Badowski said: “There are a lot of PS3 fans who probably want to play The Witcher 2, and we know about it, so we should always consider such paths”, before again suggesting that the team would like to work on something new.

Geralt moddily misses the PS3

To us, despite Gop’s words on the matter, this suggests that PS3’s annoying CELL processor – the bain of backwards compatibility on PS Plus Premium – was in fact the problem. This was a developer used to PC and could easily create a port yourself (very unusual given the Rise of the White Wolf debacle) to the very similar architecture of the Xbox 360. However, the team would have to outsource the work for PS3, suggesting that the team simply decided it wasn’t worth it rather than there are console exclusivity deals.

However, with the team now full steam ahead on six Witcher projects, it seems like a piece of The Witcher history is missing from consoles, despite the fact that it would be the perfect holdover to the fourth game in three years or so. With Unreal Engine 5, we imagine the process of a remaster would be much simpler. Indeed, we imagine Bluepoint would do incredibly well for PlayStation Studios.

Despite the obvious reward of mega coins, we imagine CD Projekt has plans to add its older games to the best PS4 games and best PS5 games list at some point, it will just be doubtful whether a external studio does the work. What do you think of the problems Witcher has had on PlayStation? Let us know in the squad comments, yeah

Kite Review — Let's Fly Kite!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:55:00 +0000

Trying to fly a kite can be a frustrating feeling. Sometimes it floats on the perfect breeze, but often ends up more like Charlie Brown’s efforts, hopelessly entangled in a tree. The Kites game can often get in a mess as you and your fellow players race against the hourglasses, but you’ll probably laugh in between the screams instead of complaining about the mess.

The concept of Kites is simple: play cards to flip the brightly colored hourglasses and race against the falling sand to play all the cards in the deck. The cards are marked with one or two colors that correspond to the hourglasses. On your turn, you play a card and spin the appropriate timer(s). If you manage to keep all the hourglasses spinning and play all the cards, congratulations! You win!

The colored hourglasses from the Kites game along with some cards

While that may sound simple, Kites isn’t easy. Managing up to six hourglasses, all with different durations, is tricky. If you really want to increase the difficulty, the game features 12 challenge cards, divided into three types, that will make you wish you had to deal with Charlie Brown’s kite-eating tree alone.

The Storm card causes whoever played it to turn over all the hourglasses. The Crossed Lines card forces you to swap a card with both the player to your left and right. If you get stuck with the airplane card, no one can talk until you play your next card. What makes the challenge cards even more interesting is that when you take the Storm card from the deck, you announce that you have it and will play it the next turn.

The other two challenge cards are not announced, but you must still play them on your next turn. The Airplane card can be the most devastating card, as much of playing Aircraft is based on communicating with your fellow players. Playing the right card versus the wrong card can make all the difference when the timer runs out.

The other spin involves the white timer. It is the only timer that does not have a specific card. At the top of the white timer you can see all the other colors running over it. This is because you can choose to flip the white timer by playing a card with only one color symbol on it.

However, if the draw pile(s) are exhausted, the white timer cannot be turned over unless the storm card comes out. The last card drawn activates the endgame. How much time is left on the white timer is how much you and your fellow players must play each last card.

If the challenge cards sound too difficult, the rulebook is also marked “Warm up Mode”. This will remove the orange and purple hourglasses, as well as any card with one of these colors on it. It removes about half of the cards, making it easier to get through.

Kite instructions for the Warm-up and Challenge variations

This mode was perfect for introducing my nine year old to Kites. Managing four timers is easier than trying to manage six while still experiencing the thrill of trying to beat the falling sand.

Kites is a very different experience from two players to five or six. Playing with two players feels more methodical during the first phase of the game, allowing for a higher degree of control. However, once the last card from the draw pile is drawn, the endgame can be a bit chaotic as both players try to play all five cards in their respective hands.

With five or six players, each player has only three cards in their hand. It can feel quite chaotic and any player can feel a little helpless as they yell about which timer is running out but not be able to play at that exact moment. However, the endgame feels much faster as players simply toss the card they have in a race against that white timer that is ticking away.

Kites is a brightly colored game that is easy to learn and pick up. It’s a fast game, but I found that even with the higher number of players, we kept coming back to it in an effort to get better. The difficulty levels for scaling make the game really replayable. It would be easy to get discouraged if the highest difficulty was the only way to play the game, while the game would be too easy and lose replayability if it was just the ‘warm up mode’.

Beth Sobel’s artwork on the cards is beautiful, ranging from the simple one-color cards to the multi-colored cards with intricately designed kites. The hourglasses are not only colored but have their own signature symbol on both the cards and the ends of the timers. This can certainly help distinguish what each hourglass is for people who can’t distinguish certain colors.

Kites is a fantastic game that works for all player counts with customizable rules for experience and age. Kids and adults alike will enjoy playing, and the desire to improve and chase that elusive victory will keep players coming back for more.

—Jeremy Pike

PROS

Beautiful artwork on the cards
Scalable difficulty levels to keep the excitement high
Lots of fun for younger players and adults

CONS

With two players, the first part of the game can feel a bit long
All cards come sealed together in a single deck and not in the same direction, making separating the challenge cards and the orange and purple cards time consuming

Jeremy is a freelance writer who covers multiple topics from board games to sports to barbecuing. He lives outside of Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and their three children. They enjoy playing board games together, ranging from Qwixx and Azul and Splendor to Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth.

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The games that make the most of adaptive triggers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:50:00 +0000

The evolution of video games took off when Super Nintendo came out with its 16-bit graphics and blew everyone away. Since then, many advancements have been made in the game industry, from the introduction of 3D graphics to the growth of genres such as first-person shooters, role-playing games, etc. Fast forward to 2022, video games have made such a big leap that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them from real life.

RELATED: Sci-Fi Games You Can Play on the PlayStation 5

In addition, companies like Sony have created some great features to enhance the taste of their games. One of those add-ons is the adaptive triggers in PlayStation 5, which make the already realistic games even more lifelike. Let’s take a look at a few PS5 titles that make the most of this technology.

GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

10/10 Astro’s playroom

Astro’s playroom is a launch title for PlayStation 5 and comes preinstalled on the console. The game was released alongside Sony’s PS5 in November 2020 and was a sequel to a paid PSVR game titled Astro Bot Rescue Mission. In the core, Astro’s playroom is a three to four hour game that is intentionally a technical demo for the features of PlayStation 5.

That’s why it does an excellent job of using everything, including the DualSence controller’s adaptive triggers. Despite its short height, Astro’s playroom is a must-play for anyone getting a PS5, even in 2022.

9/10 Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart is a game from 2021 and the latest entry in Sony’s long-running Ratchet And Clank series. This beautiful game stands out for its stunning visuals that look like animated movies and its new gameplay mechanics that take advantage of the PlayStation 5’s internal Ultra-High Speed SSD.

Plus, the game is one of the top-rated PS5 exclusives on the market, thanks to its Pixar-esque quality. Unfortunately not many people talk about Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart‘s amazing adaptive trigger implementation, making each weapon feel different.

8/10 Ghost of Tsushima

unlike Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Tsushima is not a PlayStation 5 exclusive title. However, it is a Sony exclusive that initially came out for PS4 in 2020 and later made its way to the next-gen console in 2021. Ghost of Tsushima is an excellent samurai game that amazes everyone with its stunning visual style and painterly aesthetic even on the older system.

However, the PlayStation 5 version takes it up a notch by taking advantage of the adaptive triggers. Gameplay on the newer console can make players feel the thrill of drawing a bow, the weight of Jin’s grappling hook, and the stroke of each stroke of the sword.

7/10 Demon Souls

Demon Souls is an action role-playing masterpiece on PlayStation 3 and the first game that started the mainstream souls-like genre. The FromSoftware game was such a successful and memorable title that Sony decided to recreate it and release it as one of the first launch titles on PlayStation 5.

RELATED: Best Games with the Most Detailed Environments

Demon Souls remake came out in 2020 alongside PS5 and used the next-gen hardware to showcase various features. From graphics to gameplay, it was widely acclaimed for its attention to detail and fidelity to the original. The game also uses adaptive triggers to add tension to the buttons so that players can feel every stroke.

6/10 Check

Whenever developer Remedy releases a game, it gets a lot of credit for its writing, gameplay, and overall design. The same happened with Check, which emerged in 2019 and quickly became one of the most popular games. The action-adventure third-person shooter won multiple awards over the next two years and was released on Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Stadia, and PlayStation 5.

The Manage Ultimate Edition on PS5 has many new features including support for better resolution, 60 fps, ray tracing and more. Plus, it uses adaptive triggers, which makes The Service Weapon pop into the game, and the haptic feedback just adds to it.

5/10 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

When Marvel’s Spider-Man first came out in 2018, it blew everyone away with its quality. From a moving storyline to villains, the game had it all. The best thing about the game, however, was the new and improved web swing, which still feels just as good four years later.

The spin-off of the original game Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes the same web swinging one step further by adding “The Exaggerated Swagger of a Black Teen” to the mix. In addition, the PlayStation 5 version of the game uses adaptive triggers that make each swing heavier.

4/10 Return

Return is another PlayStation 5 exclusive that came out a few months after the console’s launch. The third-person shooter game offered a roguelike gameplay design but offered the players more accessibility than other similar games. The game also featured breathtaking visuals and unique art direction, and took full advantage of PS5’s hardware.

Additionally, Return showed off many excellent features, including a ray-tracing enabled 60fps mode, fantastic haptic feedback on the DualSense controller, and an intriguing adaptive trigger implementation that enhances the overall experience.

3/10 Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game that was recently released in 2022. Again, it is a Sony exclusive title that works on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The game follows the journey of the protagonist Aloy, who is part of a post-apocalyptic world filled with beautiful beasts and enemies.

RELATED: Open World Games You Must Play While Waiting for STALKER 2

Ever since Horizon Forbidden West is an exclusive title, it takes advantage of the console’s advanced technology, including faster load times thanks to SSD, better visuals thanks to the PS5 graphics card, and more immersive gameplay thanks to its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.

2/10 Resident Evil Village

Capcom has been on a roll lately because all their latest games are simply amazing. From the epic Devil May Cry 5 to the memorable Resident Evil 2 remake, every new title from the famous Japanese developer is a must experience. One such game is Resident Evil Village that continues the unique survival horror formula that Capcom created in Resident Evil 7.

In the seventhResident Evil In the game, players once again step into the shoes of Ethan, who is exploring a scary village to find his missing child. Unfortunately, the place is riddled with horror and monsters that are not easy to defeat. Ever since Resident Evil Village is a first-person survival game, it offers unique weapons and pistols, all of which feel much better with the adaptive triggers.

1/10 The Last of Us Part I

The last of us was a great post-apocalyptic game in 2013 with a memorable storyline. So ten years later, Sony decided to give the same game to players by recreating it with better graphics. The Last of Us Part I is an enhanced version of the original game, harnessing the power of PlayStation 5 to bring out the cordyceps world.

Plus, it offers some great accessibility options and adaptive trigger support that take the experience to the next level. Players would never have felt so bad killing the enemies as in The Last of Us Part Ibecause it feels incredibly realistic.

MORE: Unique Powers Spider-Man Has Had in Games

Is the PS5 Sony's fastest-selling console ever?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:50:00 +0000

Adam Birney / Android Authority

Sony has experienced unprecedented demand with the launch of the PlayStation 5 console, and supply chain issues haven’t really helped them get into the hands of anyone who wants one. Still, the PS5 is selling like hot cakes, delivering more than 20 million units to households around the world in its first two years. With some of the best exclusive games still on the way and supply finally catching up with demand, PS5 sales are on track to continue rising. Here’s everything you need to know about PS5 console sales history and future.

Read more: PS5 Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Sony’s PlayStation 5

THE SHORT ANSWER

Two years after launch, Sony sold more than 20 million PlayStation 5 consoles worldwide, achieving record profits. The supply restrictions are expected to go away in 2024, meaning PS5s may remain in stock.

IMPORTANT SECTIONS

PS5 sales figures: here’s how many were sold and why

As of June 2022, 20 million units of the PlayStation 5 have been sold worldwide. And believe it or not, that number could have been greater.

If you’ve tried to buy a PS5, you know that they usually sell out in minutes, if not seconds. Since its launch in November 2020, retailers in the United States have sold PS5s at a rate of nearly 1,000 units per minute. In comparison, at the same stage of the product lifecycle, PS4 units in the US were selling at six per minute.

Not only does increased demand make it harder to buy a PS5, but limited supply makes it nearly impossible. PS4s, on the other hand, are still available in abundance. To Sony’s credit, many new games have been dual-released on both PS4 and PS5 consoles, giving players a free upgrade to the PS5 version once they get the console so they don’t have to wait to get the latest titles. to play.

How has the pandemic supply chain disruption affected sales?

The PS5 was better than the PS4 in its first year on store shelves. But due to supply constraints, the PS5 undersold the PS4 in its second year. The two biggest obstacles to getting more PS5s produced were the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused staff shortages and factory closures, and Russia’s impact on logistics, which slowed parts supplies.

The good news is that the PS5 is expected to close the gap with PS4 sales for its third year. Sony is seeking multiple suppliers for greater flexibility in unstable market conditions and is negotiating new logistics partnerships to maintain delivery routes for their consoles. If all goes according to plan, the PS5 should again overtake the PS4 in terms of sales by its fourth year.

Read more: Grab a seat; the global chip shortage may be with us for a while

How do PS5 sales compare to the first two years of PS4 sales?

The PlayStation 4 has been an incredibly popular console for Sony, with over 100 million consoles sold to date, more than twice as many as the Xbox One in its lifetime. The PS4 managed to reach the milestone of 20 million units sold earlier than the PS5, in 15 months compared to 18 months, but to be fair, had it not been for the global chip shortage, the PS5 would have reached that milestone much earlier.

In terms of revenue, the PS5 has been a huge success for Sony, with net sales exceeding $2 billion in 2020. Granted, the PS5 console costs more than the PS4, but there has also been a significant digital shift. . With more people staying at home during the pandemic, more players were buying games directly from PlayStation Store rather than physical discs from traditional brick-and-mortar stores. In 2017, sales were nearly 50/50 split between digital and disc games, but in 2021 they were split 80/20.

Does the PS5 sell more than the Xbox Series X?

How does the PS5 compare to its rival Xbox Series X console? Well, as with the last generation of gaming, Sony is leaving Microsoft in the dust. The PlayStation 5 currently has lifetime sales of 21.61 million, while the Xbox Series X/S has lifetime sales of 15.98 million.

Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

However, the best-selling console is neither the PS5 nor the Xbox Series X. Topping the charts is the Nintendo Switch, which has sold a whopping 110.71 million units in its lifetime. Part of the reason is that the Switch is less powerful than the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, uses weaker components and thus suffers less from the chip shortage. More Switches on the shelves at a more affordable price have made for a tempting option for gamers.

Read more: Can Google keep up with demand for the Pixel 6 series?

Frequently Asked Questions

To date, approximately 21.61 million PlayStation 5 consoles have been sold worldwide.

The demand for the PlayStation 5 is greater than any other console in Sony history. In addition, supply chain restrictions and chip shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed production. Retailers have limited stock for the PS5 and have generally set a limit of one unit sold per household to deter scalpers.

Sony has sold about five million PS5s more than Microsoft Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Nier Automata's Switch port is very impressive - but not quite perfect

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:40:00 +0000

One of the most celebrated action titles of the last generation, Nier Automata combines Platinum Games signature styles with inventive, diverse gameplay and a stunning story. From a technical standpoint, however, the situation was far from ideal: the game was plagued with frame rate and image quality issues on last-generation machines, with shaky performance coupled with a lot of aliasing. This is why the Switch port was a bit of a surprise when it was announced a few months ago: there’s a huge performance gap between the Switch and even the basic last-gen consoles with little room to cut the resolution before the picture quality becomes unacceptable. gets bad. This seems like one of the so-called “impossible ports” – a technically demanding title that has been scaled down for Nintendo’s hybrid console, often with somewhat mixed results.

The challenge is clear – and it all comes down to how difficult this game was to run on PS4 and Xbox One. Despite relatively pedestrian imagery, the title was aimed at 900p without any anti-aliasing, with somewhat messy performance on both machines. The typical runtime was 40-60 fps, with combat and open-world traversal causing problems. It’s important to keep this relatively poor rendering in mind, as the Nintendo Switch falls far behind those machines in raw computational performance. So what kind of compromises are we seeing here?

Relative to the base last-gen consoles, the Switch release has been completely downgraded – although the overall picture still looks surprisingly similar. When compared to its Xbox One S counterpart, the first thing you notice is a significant reduction in texture details. Textures are broken down across the board, with lower resolutions, not to mention simplified layers and material properties. In some areas, the textures look smooth, with no fine detail to speak of, although usually it’s not that severe.

Nier Automata on Switch – the Digital Foundry video technical review.

The foliage has been brought back and tweaked to better suit the Switch. Trees and shrubs have much lower resolution alpha textures and simplified layouts, making them appear much less dense. The grass density has only been slightly reduced, but curiously, the 3D polygonal grass has been replaced with alpha-tested textures in the original versions of the game. It’s a big change visually, but the results look good overall, though they look a bit too bright when rendered under shadow areas.

Lighting is also somewhat simplified. This is most apparent with regard to the game’s dynamic light sources, which have often been removed or removed. Notably, most of the point lights in background areas have been removed. Volumetric lighting also seems absent on Switch, or at least scaled back significantly. There are also sometimes quite large differences in ambient lighting. It’s not entirely clear what’s going on, though I’d imagine tweaks to the demanding global lighting system present on last-generation consoles, or possibly its removal, could be to blame. Most of the time, though, the Switch version holds up on its own terms – it’s mostly the smaller details that stand out when there are differences.

Elsewhere, some of the geometric details in the environments have been lost. This is pretty obvious at times, but most of the time the downgrades are minor and only really stick out in side-by-side comparisons, things like less round barrels or blockier debris on the ground. Particle effects are also modestly scaled back, with fewer particles spawned during explosions, sword strikes, and dodges. In the heat of battle, this concession isn’t too noticeable, but it makes the fights seem a little less intense.

Overall though, the Switch release seems very similar to the last generation console versions overall. While there are a whole host of cuts, most don’t really stand out during gameplay, and the game still looks and feels like Nier: Automata. In some scenes, the two machines are basically neck-and-neck, delivering slightly different looking but similarly capable versions of the same shot.

However, there is one big settings benefit that the Switch release does have. Switch comes with anti-aliasing. The anti-aliasing coverage doesn’t really impress and gives the impression of a simple post-process technique, but it does outperform the last-generation versions on base consoles that, for some inexplicable reason, didn’t have AA. In areas with a lot of distant detail or fine foliage, the Switch often shows better image stability than Xbox One. However, some shots look significantly softer, which comes down to the Switch’s resolution setting.

In docked mode, the Switch aims for a resolution of 1080p – which is higher than the base consoles of the last generation. Some shots count a little below that figure, but you can find 1080p edges in most shots with some form of countable detail. Resolving power during a given shot varies quite a bit, especially during movement, and there are some stipple artifacts on certain edges, suggesting some form of reconstruction may be at play. Portable mode has a similar setup, but this time the target resolution is 720p. Compared to side-by-side, the image resolves a little less clearly than in docked mode, but clearly holds up much better on the Switch’s screen. It looks reasonably sharp and clean on the internal display – although it does look a little soft at times – and a lot of scenes really come to the fore on the Switch OLED panel in particular. Outside of the resolution, it seems to match the docked mode in terms of visual settings.

So how does the performance look? Virtuos has wisely lowered the frame rate target here from 60fps on last-gen home consoles to 30fps here. Since 60 fps was a challenge on exponentially more powerful hardware, the lower frame rate was probably unavoidable. In the beginning I was very impressed with the level of performance. Yes, this is a 30fps game, but it felt remarkably consistent – essentially a locked-down 30fps with stable frame pacing for the first hour or so of the game. I noticed a few drops while playing but they were very small.

But as I progressed, the picture became less rosy. Small frame rate stutters were more common, especially when traversing parts of the open world and fighting enemies. It was still pretty consistent, but these little interruptions were definitely noticeable. However, as I wrapped up my time with Nier Automata, more pronounced frame rate issues became quite common. Some of the bigger fights were mostly in sub-30fps territory, at worst in the low to mid-20s. A handful of environments also caused framerate issues.

In general, however, I think the level of performance is reasonable given the hardware and the relatively strong quality of the visuals compared to last generation home consoles. 30fps is the norm, with temporary dips that don’t detract too much from the experience. It’s really the bigger battles that can be seriously problematic, although this is hardly representative of the majority of the action. The portable mode seems to speak for itself too, with generally good performance with occasional sub-30 fps moments. My impression is that the framerate level might be a bit more consistent here, with fewer drops overall – a motif common to many Switch titles.

A lot of time and effort has clearly gone into making this port shine. Virtuos has reworked the game so that it generally looks like the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game, and can sometimes even look a bit better. The performance isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty good and manages to hold 30fps during most gameplay. Nier Automata is a modern action classic worth experiencing, and Nintendo’s hybrid console offers a cleverly optimized reinterpretation that works great on the go.

PSN's Most Downloaded Games for September 2022 Revealed: NBA 2K23 and FIFA 23 Top

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:36:00 +0000

Like every month, Sony has announced the most downloaded games on the PlayStation Store for September 2022. The lists reveal the most popular PS4, PS5, PS VR and free-to-play games of the month for both North America and Europe, and there aren’t many surprises in store this month.

Starting with PS5 games, NBA 2K23 was the most downloaded game on PSN in September in North America, while FIFA 23 was the top game in Europe (which is no surprise given the popularity of football in that region). Another new September release, The Last of Us Part 1, is in third place in both regions.

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Now playing: NBA 2K23 Video Review

Switching to PS4, NBA 2K23 was the most downloaded game of the month in the US and Canada, while FIFA 23 took the top spot in Europe. For PSVR games, Beat Saber was the number 1 game in both North America and Europe, with Job Simulator and Superhot VR in second and third place in both regions.

For free-to-play games for PS5 and PS4 combined, Fortnite was the most downloaded game in the US and Canada, while Rumbleverse was the most popular free-to-play game in Europe.

Below you can see the most downloaded PSN games for September, as compiled by Sony and posted on the PlayStation blog.

In other PlayStation news, Sony’s God of War Ragnarok has now officially gone gold, as PlayStation has confirmed that the game was developed by nine different studios.

PlayStation Top Monthly Downloads – September 2022

Playstation 5

US/Canada

NBA 2K23
FIFA 23
The last of us part 1
Madden NFL 23
Cyberpunk 2077
Grand Theft Auto V
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Saints Row 5
Rainbow Six Siege
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

FIFA 23
NBA 2K23
The last of us part 1
Cyberpunk 2077
Grand Theft Auto V
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Rainbow Six Siege
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
F1 22
Saints Row 5

Playstation 4

US/Canada

NBA 2K23
FIFA 23
Madden NFL 23
Grand Theft Auto V
Minecraft
Red Dead Redemption 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Dead Island: Definitive Edition
EA Sports UFC 4
The forest

Europe

FIFA 23
NBA 2K23
Grand Theft Auto V
Minecraft
The forest
Red Dead Redemption 2
Dead Island: Definitive Edition
EA Sports UFC 4
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
F1 22

PSVR

US/Canada

Beat Saber
Task Simulator
super hot VR
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Credo: Rise to Glory
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rickality
NFL Pro ERA 22
Swordsman VR
Sniper Elite VR
Transformers beyond reality

Europe

Beat Simulator
Task Simulator
super hot VR
Sniper Elite VR
Swordsman VR
Credo: Rise to Glory
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Iron Man VR
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rickality

Free to Play (PS5 + PS4)

US/Canada

Fortnite
Autumn boys
MultiVersus
rumbleverse
Call of Duty: Warzone
Apex Legends
PSO2 New Genesis
Rocket League
Lot 2
eFootball 2023

Europe

rumbleverse
Fortnite
Autumn boys
eFootball 2023
MultiVersus
Rocket League
Call of Duty: Warzone
Apex Legends
Genshin impact
Century: Age of Ashes

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Square Enix brings Crisis Core and Forspoken to the big show

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:23:00 +0000

Square Enix has been surprisingly busy releasing role-playing games (RPGs) this year. The Japanese publisher – known for its legendary Final Fantasy series – released Valkyrie Elysium in September and plans to release Star Ocean: The Divine Force later this month.

Square Enix has even more RPGs this winter, though, with Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) and Forspoken (PC, PS5) hitting the shelves December 12 and January 24 respectively. We got playtime with both games at New York Comic-Con, giving us a sense of what these highly anticipated games have to offer from a visual, performance and gameplay perspective.

Crisis Core Reunion is a reborn PSP classic

Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion (also referred to as Crisis Core Reunion throughout the rest of this article), is a high-definition remaster of the PSP prequel to Final Fantasy VII. You play as Zach Fair, a young warrior who works his way up the ranks of the prestigious spec ops troop SOLDIER. The world of Final Fantasy VII is a fantastic, pseudo-futuristic dystopia ruled by the Shinra Electric Power Company. This global conglomerate has its hand in many businesses, including energy production, weapons technology, and military involvement (not to mention the more nefarious evil science the corporate heads do behind closed doors). Zach becomes embroiled in the nightmarish horrors that Shinra unwittingly unleashes, setting the stage for the events that take place in Final Fantasy VII.

As an HD remaster, Crisis Core Reunion graphics will be updated. This includes updated 3D models and backgrounds. The soundtrack has been re-arranged by the original composer, Takeharu Ishimoto, and the game is now fully narrated in both English and Japanese (the PSP version only had limited voice actors).

Crisis Core for the PSP was definitely more action-oriented than the turn-based affair of the original FFVII. Crisis Core Reunion takes it one step further, introducing a remarkable combat rebalancing that brings it closer to the action seen in Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Zach now has the right combos to match Cloud Strife’s speed and cadence in Remake, rather than oddly boring single-strike attacks. You can supplement your melee combos with special abilities and spells through Materia equipping you, which you find while exploring. These unlock new abilities, including area-of-effect attacks and fireballs that follow the enemy.

Crisis Core Reunion

Crisis Core’s biggest quirk, the Digital Mind Wave (DMW), is still present in Crisis Core Reunion and still carries a lot of weight during combat. Do you like pachinko? Does earning super attacks and bonus buffs through a completely random slot machine system sound like fun? Like it or not, it’s here, and it’s just as shocking as it used to be.

Essentially, the game has spinning slot reels in the top left corner of the screen at all times. This happens automatically during combat, and while you can influence it somewhat based on your performance, the system is largely random.

When tied to a specific number value, you’ll gain bonus enhancements, including Physical Immunity, Magical Immunity, Zero MP/AP Skill Cost, Enhanced Critical Attacks, or even Outright Invincibility. When linked to a character portrait, a Limit Break super attack based on the character depicted becomes available. For example, Sephiroth gives you Octoslash, while Aerith gives you Healing Wind. Summon spells are also linked to the DMW and work the same way. The only notable change made to DMW in Crisis Core Reunion is that you now have the option to skip the long animations.

Unfortunately, Materia Fusion wasn’t available in the demo I played, nor were the optional combat missions you take on save points. These systems have not changed significantly from their PSP counterparts. Likewise, the story has not been changed to reflect the changes made in Final Fantasy VII: Remake. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for December. Get ready to cry in HD this winter.

Forspoken is a mixed magic bag

pronounced

Forspoken is an open world RPG developed with Square Enix’s Luminous Engine (the same engine that powered Final Fantasy XV). In it, hapless New Yorker Frey Holland is dragged into an Isekai adventure when she falls into the mysterious fantasy world of Athia. Armed with a magical smart bracelet, Frey must save the ravaged world from a caustic plague called the Break, which mutates and destroys everything it touches. Once benevolent matriarch rulers now rule like mad sorcerers, further escalating the spiral of decay in the world.

What immediately stands out about Forspoken is Frey’s excellent mobility. As an open-world game, Forspoken expects you to run through the vast zones, take down enemy haunts, take side missions and dig up treasure. Frey moves through beautifully animated magical parkour, allowing you to run, jump, slide and teleport with an ease and grace that quickly becomes second nature.

Frey’s combat equipment is also surprisingly extensive, with magical arrows, stone arrows, water barriers, explosive geysers, fiery spears and more, Frey can destroy hordes of enemies and elite warriors with her impressive skills. It’s not often you find yourself playing a wizard-like character who has so many viable and powerful abilities at any given time, which makes Frey’s unique playstyle particularly appealing.

Spells have a quick tap attack, as well as a longer charged version that you perform by holding the trigger for a second. Pressing both triggers at the same time casts a devastating super spell, though this attack has a notable cooldown. You can switch between pre-assigned spell kits by tapping the D-pad left or right, giving you more options to switch on the fly. Additionally, holding L1 or R1 opens a radial menu with even more spells.

pronounced

That said, Forspoken is remarkably clunky. Her movements are smooth and impressive, but controlling her in-game feels imprecise and not nearly as satisfying as it seems.

Worse, the camera doesn’t track the action well. To fix this, Forspoken offers a warning arrow when attacks come in from outside the screen, but this is a cheap patch that doesn’t solve the much bigger problem. Neither Frey’s soft lock-on or hard-lock-on ability affects the camera enough to be functional. If an enemy zips off the screen, the camera stops following him. If you move past an enemy during an attack, there’s a good chance the camera won’t track him either. All too often I found myself fighting blind. Coupled with the clunky controls, the combat experience quickly changes from fascinating to frustrating.

The open world environment is promising, but it is also quite scarce. There are enemies to fight against, materials to collect for upgrades and spell upgrades to collect, as well as challenges to undertake missions. These are satisfying enough, but traveling between points of interest is a bit generic, saved only by Frey’s awesome movement kit.

Hopefully Square Enix sharpens up the camera for the January launch. A dull world can be forgiven if the underlying combat remains fun. However, a blunt camera can easily ruin the overall experience.

Great RPGs for Winter

Crisis Core Reunion and Forspoken are promising titles launching this winter. Of course, Crisis Core Reunion uses its acclaimed PSP predecessor as its framework, so fans of the original are sure to enjoy the impressive graphics overhaul. The tighter and more expansive combo system is also an easy sell for newcomers, as well as FFVII: Remake fans.

Forspoken, on the other hand, is Square Enix’s dark horse. It has a surprisingly rich and polished magical combat system, combined with impressive parkour and vast areas to navigate. It just needs some work to fix the camera and imprecise movement. Be sure to check out PCMag for reviews of these upcoming games.

Al Michaels delivered a broadcast clinic during Colts-Broncos match

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:23:00 +0000

1. When several high-profile NFL broadcasters landed monster contracts last season (following Tony Romo getting an additional monster contract in 2020), a debate arose about the importance and value of game announcers.

CBS’s Greg Gumbel made headlines in March when he appeared with me on the SI Media Podcast and said, “What excites my thought process is that in all my life I’ve never felt like there’s an announcer who can bring someone to TV to watch a game that viewer hadn’t seen before.” And I believe the only thing a broadcaster can do is drive people away.”

Gumbel later added: “People have said to me, ‘Oh, Al [Michaels] and Cris [Collinsworth] did great on Sunday night.’ Yes, they always do a great job. However, they are playing the best game of the week.”

Well, Al, who worked with Kirk Herbstreit, certainly didn’t have the best game of the week on Thursday night when the Colts and Broncos couldn’t find the end zone and gave us a 12-9 snoozefest. And Al beamed.

Part of why All can do these things in these situations is because he’s Al Michaels. He’s always been there, Amazon desperately wanted him in hopes of giving their broadcast credibility, and Al has reached the point in his career where he doesn’t care.

It was still a little surreal and absolutely awesome when Al, frustrated with the lack of action late in the second quarter, dropped this great line.

Quick sidebar here. We have to give a big kudos to Andrew Catalon of CBS, who has often called the fifth regional contest on CBS for recognizing Al’s line.

Though it didn’t stop there either. He held the reins throughout the match.

NFL broadcasts are not the place to go for honest ratings. That’s what made Al’s performance so great. He wasn’t about to tell viewers that this was a tough, defensive football battle. There was no action at all and Michaels embraced that reality.

That’s why I stayed with the game. If I hadn’t felt that Al would have fun with the grossness of the game and thought he would play it fairly, I would have put the game on my iPad without sound and watched something else on my TV.

But the commentary became so entertaining that I couldn’t turn away.

Micheals made every cent of his lucrative Amazon contract Thursday night.

And he’ll have earned it again next week when the Commanders take on the Bears and we’re treated to a match between Carson Wentz and Justin Fields.

2. One last thing about Al Michaels (I had to go to a separate item for this, because it’s that good). Because Al on the… SI Media Podcast several times, including last month…

… I have Al’s phone number. I never texted Michaels during a match. But last night I couldn’t help it because the game was so terrible. So at halftime I shot this quick message to Michaels: “The only thing that can make the second half watchable if you drop a farcical.”

If you follow me on Twitter or if you’re a regular Traina Thoughts reader, you’ll know that I think the Howard Stern/OJ Simpson/Al Michaels/Peter Jennings joke is the greatest moment in live TV history.

Michaels didn’t respond to my text during the match, but this happened.

3. Al Michaels wasn’t the only one having fun at the expense of the Colts and Broncos. Twitter was on fire, mocking the ineptitude of each team and the pain we suffered as viewers.

4. Good morning football‘s Kyle Brandt went all in for Russell Wilson on Friday’s show.

Speaking of Kyle, I was a guest on his new show on Thursday, Kyle Brandt’s Basement and had a great time chopping it up with him.

5. For the first time ever, Twitter is offering live look-ins for post-season games. bills including @MLB, @BleacherReport, @BRWalkoff, @ESPN and @MLBonFOX will provide livestream cut-ins during all four rounds.

6. Of this week SI Media Podcast includes an excellent conversation with martial arts journalist Ariel Helwani.

The longtime MMA reporter, who also covers professional wrestling and boxing, explained how he built a successful career in sports media after leaving ESPN, the challenges he faced while working at Fox and ESPN, why he left ESPN, his tumultuous relationship with Dana White, the art of interviewing WWE superstars, what he tries to get out of interviews and much more.

Following Helwani’s lead, Sal Licata of New York’s WFAN radio and SNY TV joins me for the “Traina Thoughts” weekly segment. This week Sal talks about going viral after stating that the Mets packed the NL East in June, I reveal my favorite story from the day and we give our weekly NFL best bet.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:13:00 +0000

Microsoft Xbox One S Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:13:00 +0000

In many ways, the new Xbox One S is the physical embodiment of Microsoft’s efforts to reconnect with the core gamer. Gone are the functional, plate-like set-top box aesthetics of the original hardware and come a fresh new design. Yes, it’s smaller, lighter, more refined – but most importantly, this is a piece of hardware that isn’t ashamed of what it is or trying to be something different; it’s a beautifully designed game console and a marked improvement over the launch model in almost every way.

There’s a lot to love here – the integration of the multi-voltage power supply into the main chassis is welcome, of course, while the sturdier plastics don’t attract hairline scratches to the same extent as its predecessor’s shiny bits. The revised USB port placement makes more sense, the lack of a Kinect port isn’t really missed, and the ability to lay the console horizontally or stack it vertically is a great feature to have. Oh, and Microsoft has bundled the stand into the package – so there’s no extra blackout for what’s essentially an extra bit of plastic. There’s even a high-speed HDMI cable in the box, good to have for a 4K UHD 60Hz connection.

Also notable is the addition of a revised Xbox One controller, which shares the rougher matte plastic of the main console, allowing for higher purchase levels. It just feels better in the hand, with Microsoft also reworking the thumbsticks for less wear and tear – not really an issue in our experience, but nice nonetheless. Plus, a new Bluetooth radio allows for easier wireless connectivity to Windows PCs, while preserving its own custom connection to Xbox One hardware – it works on consoles old and new.

All of this on its own is more than enough for what you might call an ‘Xbox One Slim’, except Microsoft has gone a step further here. The machine’s smaller size is a factor in the old 28nm processor being replaced with a 16nm FinFET chip, which means lower power consumption and less heat – a fact confirmed to us in the Xbox’s exclusive tech interview. One S of today. The process scaling requires a complete redesign of the architecture – an opportunity Microsoft has taken to add functionality, something we never saw in the previous console generation.

Our video review of the Xbox One S. Not only is it a big improvement over the launch model, it’s rare for a console overhaul to go hand-in-hand with tangible feature set improvements.

So yes, it is now 4K enabled. Plug the Xbox One S into a UHD display and it will ask you if you want 3840×2160 output by default. The display area in the Settings app has been revamped with the ability to switch between 720p, 1080p, and 4K output. In the advanced settings, the Xbox One S conveniently tells you which advanced display features are available with your chosen screen – a useful readout given the vast array of different features typically crammed into the cutting-edge 4K displays, and also serves to confirm that older 30Hz 4K TVs are not supported.

The Xbox One Blu-ray app – downloaded from the Microsoft Store – is getting an upgrade and will support the new UHD discs that are now hitting the market. In addition, Netflix 4K and the limited range of HDR content are also supported. We’ll be exploring the Xbox One S’s expanded media functionality in a future feature, but for now it’s safe to say it works well, but there’s room for improvement. Dolby Vision HDR is not supported (HDR10 is the preferred format and to be honest there are very few screens embracing the Dolby system), but more pressing is the lack of bitstream audio functionality, allowing next-gen audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS are excluded: X.

Also a bit frustrating is the lack of HDR gaming content we get to test for this review, meaning we weren’t able to try out one of the machine’s most promising features. Microsoft didn’t want to provide the demos for Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 that we saw at E3 that came across as really impressive. At this point, all we can say is that HDR gaming is coming and the first impressions look promising.

In the here and now, the upscaling from 1080p to 4K is competent, but could be better. By hooking up the Xbox One S to a 58-inch Panasonic DX750, we noticed that the UI was better scaled up to 4K using the screen’s scaler compared to the Xbox One S’s efforts (yes, the front-facing). end is not a native UHD).

In-depth analysis of the Xbox One S GPU’s overclock and the extent to which the improved spec affects the gameplay experience.

	Xbox One S	Xbox One
Processor	1.75GHz AMD Jaguar eight-core	1.75GHz AMD Jaguar eight-core
GPU	12 units of account	12 units of account
GPU clock	914MHz	853MHz
Math performance	1.4TF	1.31TF
ESRAM bandwidth	219GB/s	204GB/s

We’d love to see a 4×4 scaler mode added – it’s basically a simple ‘nearest neighbor’ upscale, but it works well because 4K is a simple 2x scale in both directions compared to full HD. The feature is supported on our Panasonic DX750, and by range it’s definitely better for gaming than both the Xbox One S and the DX750’s own standard upscaler.

All things considered, the 4K addition is a great ‘value addition’ to the Xbox One S, and while media app support is thin at the moment (we’ve heard Amazon is coming – but Plex would be really nice), the bottom line is that the lion’s share of UHD video content, especially in the field of HDR, comes from the new series of Blu-rays. The lack of support for bitstreaming here is puzzling, but we’re told it will be in a future update. All in all, if you’re considering a UHD Blu-ray player, the fact that you’re getting one integrated into the Xbox One S makes it a significant value proposition.

So by moving to a new 16nm FinFET processor, Microsoft is updating its media decoding blocks and adding the required HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 support to interface with new UHD displays. However, Microsoft went further. To support HDR gaming while handling traditional outputs for GameDVR, streaming and screenshots, a GPU boost was needed to get the job done. Xbox One S sees an increase in clock speed from the ‘stock’ 853MHz to 914MHz in the new console – a 7.1 percent increase. And curiously, Microsoft has enabled the ‘overclock’ for all applications.

As we explain in detail in our Xbox One S GPU benchmark analysis elsewhere, this allows games to better meet their 30fps/60fps targets and while most people probably can’t tell the difference, it’s there and essentially makes for a more refined look. , slightly smoother gaming experience: fewer drops from 60 fps and less tearing. And despite the overclocking, the Xbox One S is indeed significantly more power efficient than its predecessor. In our tests, it pulls 25 to 40 percent less juice from the wall, depending on the application.

Bluetooth functionality is a nice bonus for PC users, but the Xbox One pad’s redesigned handles are a small, but powerful feature.

We compared the Xbox One S to original hardware in a number of tests – using a disc-based game (where the disc keeps spinning) and a digital download (where it doesn’t). Plus, we’ve stacked the power consumption when playing media — especially the Blu-ray player — and added some Xbox One S-specific tests for UHD BD playback.

And while we were running these tests, we also broke out the sound meter to measure the acoustics of the new console compared to the launch version. We placed the gauge right next to the machine, so don’t take these numbers as representative of experience, but rather rely on them as a point of comparison between the two iterations of Microsoft hardware. As things stand, the bottom line is clear: The new console has significant energy efficiency benefits over the older model thanks to the process shrinkage, but the trade-off is a louder machine—most likely due to the reduced form factor.

Usually we notice a 3dB increase in noise from the Xbox One S – a bit disappointing for a media credentials machine, where we would really like the most discreet experience possible. However, the noise factor of 42-44dB is still a huge improvement over PlayStation 4, which is up to 10dB louder under load. Xbox One S is still a bigger console than its Sony competitor, but it houses a bigger cooling unit and simply put, a bigger fan that spins slower makes less noise.

Console noise is indeed more noticeable in the room compared to the older model, but overall it’s still a relatively quiet machine. That said, one thing we did notice is that UHD Blu-ray playback seems to be a little louder than standard BDs – and we wonder if the disc needs to spin faster to read higher bit rate video, resulting in more noise.

Power/Acoustics	Xbox One S Power	Xbox One Power Supply	Xbox One S Noise	Xbox One noise
Project Cars (Disc)	79W	109W	47dB	44dB
Tomb Raider (digital)	74W	108W	45dB	42dB
Play Blu-ray	37W	61W	47dB	43dB
UHD Blu-ray Playback	44W	–	49dB	–

Valkyrie Elysium Review - Saving One Soul at a Time (PS5)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 00:08:00 +0000

For over a decade, the much-loved Valkyrie Profile series has been lying dormant, as have many other classic turn-based RPGs. So when Square Enix announced they would be returning to the franchise, there was a lot of excitement in the air. However, like so many other classic RPGs out there, Valkyrie Elysium, the new title, would see itself moving away from its roots and instead embrace some modernization in the form of an action RPG. A change that has worked wonders for Final Fantasy 7 Remake gameplay, and seemingly for Valkyrie Elysium too, though everything else is in it? Not so much.

A familiar, yet forgettable story

If you’ve played any of the Valkyrie games (more specifically Profile), Elysium’s story will no doubt sound a little familiar. In fact, there could be a strong argument that it’s a retelling to some extent (it’s a sequel, after all), and while that may sound a bit exciting given the “modern” view, it’s anything but.

The story of Elysium begins right at the climax of the battle between the Norse god Odin and Fenrir, the gigantic demonic wolf. An epic battle, and like many familiar with Norse mythology, it is Odin’s final battle when he is finally killed by the beast. In this version, however, Odin does not die, but is weakened and retreats to his realm to regain his strength.

It is here where Odin creates his legion of Valkyries; warriors whose sole purpose is to fight, and lead worthy souls to Odin himself, so that he can rise again and conquer all who dared threaten.

It sounds like a pretty cool idea, and while I enjoyed the portrayal of these characters, the story ultimately falls flat.

Surprising to say, as the voice acting isn’t bad at all, if not very well done. It’s just not used well enough, because I often found the plot boring and boring. Nora, the name of the Valkyrie you play with, wasn’t all that interesting. She lacked the depth for me to really care for, and sadly, that same feeling spewed into every other character. I found the Einherjar (ghosts serving the Valkyries) more interesting, but only in the least because most of the story and background information is scrapped into the second half of the game, which was a bit too late at the time.

It’s a shame, because there’s a great foundation here, but I suppose that’s one that’s already built up from previous entries, which had bigger and more compelling stories to tell. Useful at best, although the combat thankfully makes up for some of those shortcomings.

A struggle worthy of Valhalla

When I first saw Valkyrie Elysium, I was a little concerned because the franchise is so well known as a turn-based RPG. Square Enix’s approach to modernizing it is in the same vein as their Final Fantasy franchise, in that it, too, has moved away from turn-based, in favor of more action-packed battles. Whether you like that change or not is up to you, but personally I like the way Elysium plays.

Essentially, it’s an action RPG, similar to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and even similar to Devil May Cry and the NieR series.

There are many weapons to unlock, each with their own upgrades that unlock more combos and special attacks. Some are easy, some are hard, but either way, it all feels great fun and different from each other. Some thought has gone into the combat, and it really shows when you let go of an enemy.

There’s even a mechanic known as “Soul Chain” that shoots a chain at an enemy that you can swing at. That makes the flow of battles even faster as you can quickly lock onto different enemies. Magic also exists, and combining all these things is extremely seamless and easy to do.

You can also summon up to two Einherjar, each of which has its own special abilities. They will perform some devastating attacks and fight alongside you, assisting you through some of the tough battles. The nice thing about them is that not only are they specific element types, but they also give your weapons exactly the same element type as they are. That comes into play when exploiting an enemy’s weakness, as each enemy is vulnerable to a particular element.

It’s a lot of fun once you get started, but there are some mistakes that hinder it.

Take locations. Once you’ve gone through a few missions, you’ll start to get a sense of familiarity as they all seem to flow into each other. Nothing really stands out as memorable. Sure, there are some nice sections that you’ll go through, but for the most part, it’ll all look the same.

The enemy variant isn’t any better either. You’ll be up against many of the same ones you fought at the start of the game, with a few different types here and there. Boss fights at least keep things interesting, but getting to them feels repetitive, even with new weapons and combos thrown into the mix.

The fight can only last so long before you realize how you’re doing the same thing over and over. At least the stages aren’t long, so you won’t be spending much time unless you want to go after some of those pesky collectibles and side missions.

I also despised an old mechanic where a cutscene would play when a gate would open. The game is pretty linear for the most part, so I don’t necessarily think players need to be guided where they need to go, especially right after a fight where the only way forward is. It’s a nit-pick, but a nasty one nonetheless.

verdict

Valkyrie Elysium’s battles definitely make it worth playing at some point, but if you’re looking for a game that feels right up there, this probably isn’t it. There’s fun to be had with the gameplay, but the story, lack of location and enemy variety, and dated mechanics really let the whole experience down. What should have been a refreshing take on an old IP ends up feeling like a half measure.

Rating: 6/10

Pros

Combat is fantastic, I love how each weapon handles and how different they are from each other.
Boss fights are quite epic, fun and engaging.
The English dubbing cast generally gave a pretty good performance.

cons

Lack of location and enemy variety makes it feel repetitive.
The stages are very short, although I suppose that could be a good thing given the lack of variety.
The story is forgettable, with characters lacking real depth.
Some dated mechanics, such as using cutscenes for opening gates.
Camera can be a little janky at times.

Valkyrie Elysium review code provided by the publisher. Played on PS5. You can read MP1st’s rating and scoring policy here.