This year, we connected with the creative minds behind major titles like Spider-Man 2 PS5, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, and Baldur’s Gate 3. Highlights of ESR’s Exclusive Interviews: Baldur’s Gate 3 Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, discussed the challenges and joys encountered while developing Baldur’s Gate 3. Addressing the recent layoffs in the gaming industry, Swen highlighted the importance of maintaining trust within the team. He believes that consistent and reliable leadership is crucial to building an exceptional team, rather than resorting to layoffs as a cost-saving measure.  Jason Latino, Cinematic Director told us that teamwork is the key to overcome the challenges they had faced in the making of Baldur’s Gate 3. Insights from Spider-Man 2 Developers We had the opportunity to speak with Robert Coddington and James Ham, developers behind Spider-Man 2. They discussed the innovative Quick Time Events (QTE) integrated into the game. Even when players fail a QTE, the game continues seamlessly with a sub-story. For instance, if a player fails to save someone in time, a second Spider-Man character steps in to save the day. This helped to keep the momentum going in the game without punishing players. Immersive UI in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Our conversation with Daanish Syed, art director at Bit Reactor, delved into the immersive UI design of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Daanish emphasized the importance of integrating UI into the gameplay to enhance player immersion. Instead of pausing the game to view a map, players can pull up a hologram, maintaining the flow of the game. Mapping out Hogwarts Legacy Stephen Dona, the Sr Tech Designer behind Hogwarts Legacy spoke with us about their process with mapping out systems and despite having previous knowledge before working with Avalanche.  It’s ultimately a never-ending learning process, but the team figured out a balance for the game to please both the Harry Potter fans and the hard-core gamers. Shifts in Focus: From Web3 to Core Gaming Last year, GDC had a noticeable focus on Web3 gaming. This year, however, the presence of Web3 was significantly reduced, with the conference placing greater emphasis on traditional game development and innovation. By attending GDC, ESR continues to stay at the forefront of gaming industry developments, bringing our audience the latest insights and trends from top developers around the world. You can watch more about GDC and our exclusive interviews with game devs on “Next Level Play!” Podcast, where we had ESR’s own creative director Chase Kuertz featured as a guest to discuss his time at the convention –https://youtube.com/watch?v=mxJ62tXz4lk%3Fsi%3DPRE-cNbYWWNuqb2L%26start%3D282   About ESR ESR is the first 24/7 Gaming TV Network in the USA. It features award-nominated exclusive gameshows, podcast, scripted comedy series, celebrity streamers, documentary-style coverage of Web2 and Web3 gaming events and major esports tournaments, including the biggest games and names in the world of gaming and Esports. ESR’s English and multi-language gaming channels are distributed in over 100 countries worldwide. ESR covers all top video games including Apex Legends, COD: Warzone, CS:GO, Dota2, FIFAe, For Honor, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Hero of the Storm, LOL, NBA 2K, Overwatch, PUBG, Rainbow Six, Rocket League, Smite, StarCraft, Super Smash Bro., Valorant, and WOW. ESR’s programming or live channels on XUMO TV, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Vizio, Pluto TV, Digicel, Alcom, DigitAlb, DNA, du, Elisa, Etisalat, KPN, Magenta, Omantel, Meo, MTS, MTN, STC, SKY TV, Telefonica, Telia, Tigo, O2, Orange, Proximus, Vodacom, Vodafone, Yettel, T-Mobile and many other platforms around the world.  Follow @esr_tv on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  For more information, visit https://www.esrevolution.com. About GDC Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games.  This year GDC has hosted nearly 30,000 registered attendees for five full days of inspiring sessions and networking opportunities with peers and leaders in the games industry.  GDC featured workshops and sessions led by some of the biggest names in the games and entertainment industry. Esteemed developers shared their insights into the creations of hit games including: Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Zelda: Tears of Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, and more. During GDC, there were several major reveals including Xreal’s live demonstrations of its Xreal Air 2 AR glasses, AMD’s announcement of AMD FSR 3.1 and Magmic’s unveiling of their Web3 MLB-licensed mobile and web game. Roblox, NVIDIA and Ubisoft also sparked interest with their AI reveals, where Roblox presented its AI-powered tools to boost 3D content creation, NVIDIA announced its AI B200 chip and Ubisoft unveiled its generative AI NEO NPCs. Lastly, Epic Games’ State of Unreal revealed news about its upcoming iOS and Android store debut, new Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra trailer, new Chrono Odyssey trailer, addition of MetaHumans to UEFN and expanded partnership with Lego Group. Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mxJ62tXz4lk%3Fsi%3DPRE-cNbYWWNuqb2L source: https://www.esrevolution.com/index.php/our-blog/63-esr-s-trip-to-gdc-highlights-and-insights

Elden Ring’s game director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, stated “there’s interest” in developing an adaptation of the acclaimed action RPG, specifically a film. Following the release of the much-anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, for the action fantasy RPG Elden Ring, Tarnished players globally have been exploring the Realm of Shadow, much to their untimely demise. While developer FromSoftware has released its latest patch notes following claims that its difficulty was too much for some Tarnished to burden, a recent interview with its game director has Elden Ring fans hoping for more content outside the Lands Between. Hidetaka Miyazaki, who also serves as FromSoftware’s president, was interviewed by the British publication The Guardian, where the game director shared comments regarding the development of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and what the future holds for the action RPG. As Miyazaki confirmed that he indeed played Elden Ring as preparation for the recently released DLC, adding that he sucks “at video games,” he revealed that the developer may be keen on exploring the Lands Between outside of the gaming sphere. Understandably, Shadow of the Erdtree concludes the developer’s run with Elden Ring as Miyazaki isn’t a fan of sequels; except for Dark Souls, he revealed that he wouldn’t mind exploring the fictional world “in a different medium.”  As for what that medium may be, he explained that a film adaptation of the action RPG is an idea he would be interested in as he doesn’t “see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring.” “But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium. So that’s where a very strong partner would come into play. We’d have to build a lot of trust and agreement on whatever it is we’re trying to achieve, but there’s interest, for sure.” Legendary fantasy writer George R.R. Martin was involved in the development of Elden Ring in terms of helping construct the world; FromSoftware may have a partner to help them close the gap on a potential film adaptation. What remains is a production company and a director to visualize the stunning open world of the Lands Between and adapt the main story, themes, and concepts that have been widely praised by critics and fans alike for the big screens of Hollywood. source: https://www.ginx.tv

Here are the top 5 esports award shows that celebrate the best in competitive gaming: Esports has seen an incredible rise in popularity over the past few years, and with it, the recognition and appreciation for the industry’s top talent has increased. One way to show recognition is through awards shows: The Game Awards – Launched in 2014, The Game Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious awards shows in the gaming industry. It celebrates the best games, developers, and esports athletes from around the world, making it a must-watch event for gamers and esports fans. The Esports Awards – The Esports Awards has been around since 2016, recognizing the best players, teams, games, and organizations in the esports industry. From “Esports Game of the Year” to “Esports Coach of the Year”, this awards show covers a wide range of categories. The Tempest Awards – The Tempest Awards is a new awards show launched in 2022, focused on recognizing the best in esports. With categories ranging from best player to best documentary, ESR was nominated for best series via the Esports Time! series. The Golden Joystick Awards – With a history dating back to 1983, the Golden Joystick Awards is one of the longest-running awards shows in the gaming industry. In recent years, it has expanded to include esports and recognizes the best players, teams, and games in the world of competitive gaming. These awards shows are a great way to celebrate the hard work and achievements of those in the esports industry and to recognize the impact that esports has on the world. Whether you’re a fan of the games, players, or organizations, these awards shows are a must-watch for anyone interested. source: https://www.esrevolution.com/

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll highlight the top 5 free-to-play games that you can enjoy right now. Looking for some of the best free-to-play games? The gaming industry has experienced massive growth in recent years, and there are many fantastic games available to play without spending a single penny. Fortnite Battle Royale – Unironically good now Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the most popular games in recent times, offering a unique blend of building and shooting. This fast-paced, action-packed game can be played solo or with friends and has taken the gaming world by storm. In the past it was easy to roast Fortnite since nobody took it seriously, but over time the game has improved with every update. Have fun getting eliminated by Rick Grimes. Watch our partner “Prospering” play Fortnite every weekday at 3-4 am/pm EST via SlingTV Apex Legends – The overwatch of battle royale games Apex Legends is another popular battle royale game that focuses on character abilities and teamwork. With a large player base and regular new content, this must-play game offers a unique take on the battle royale genre. Checkout Gdolphnn and Gloriiuh from 10 – 11 am/pm EST via SlingTV Call of Duty Warzone 2- Call of Duty + Battle Royale = Fun Call of Duty Warzone is the latest addition to the Call of Duty franchise, offering intense battles and fast-paced gameplay. With the recent addition of proximity chat, players are given a chance to mess around with players and create hilarious memories. Watch streamers TreAndJ play warzone weekdays from 6 – 7 am/pm EST via SlingTV League of Legends – A Strategic, Team-Based Game League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world and has been entertaining millions of players for over a decade. With a large community and constantly evolving gameplay, this game is a must-play for fans of strategic, team-based games. I have never been able to get good at this game so I tend to watch streamers play instead of playing it myself. You can check out OhBrooke play league of legends weekdays from 5 – 6 am/pm EST on SlingTV Overwatch 2 – Don’t queue while tilted Overwatch 2 is the highly-anticipated sequel to the popular Overwatch game, offering a unique blend of first-person shooting and hero-based gameplay. The game features new heroes, maps, and game modes, making it a must-play for fans of the first game and newcomers alike. Much like the first Overwatch, tilting is still a very prominent feature in the series. If I hadn’t sunk over 2,000 hours into the game, I would still be playing it myself but nowadays I prefer watching streamers play it instead. Streamers like Fareeha, and QueenE  2 – 2:30 EST via SlingTV source: https://www.esrevolution.com/

Throwback to the games from the 80’s that changed gaming forever Video games’ popularity keep spreading every year, but there was a time where they were not to the taste of everybody. Yet, some games in the 80’s clearly contributed to today’s video games’ fame, design and long story. Let’s remind us of the games that shaped the gaming world! PAC-MAN One of the most memorable games from the 20th century is certainly Pac-man. Released in 1980, it is the most sold arcade game ever, with more than 400,000 sales worldwide. Two years later, the game was launched on the Atari 2600, and then on several other game consoles.  The concept was simple : guide Pac-Man in a labyrinth, gobbling up dots while avoiding ghosts. To add some strategy, Pac-Man could swallow super-powers to kill the ghosts. This simple concept clearly helped the democratization of gaming to a wider audience, everyone could easily enjoy the game’s aesthetic and gameplay. 40 years after its first launch, the pie shaped mouth is still famous in the gaming community. SUPER MARIO BROS. He is certainly the world’s most renowned plumber, instantly recognizable with his iconic outfit and mustache, cherished by both children and adults. Originally discovered in the Donkey Kong series, a global hit with over 49 million sales, Mario took center stage in 1985 as the protagonist of “Super Mario Bros.”. Set within a 2D universe, Mario embarks on adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom, deploying superpowers across themed worlds in order to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. The game’s captivating aesthetics and innovative mechanics earned it a spot as the 12th highest-selling video game, reaching 43 million copies sold for this singular opus. TETRIS It is rare to play a video game without any characters, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be popular! It’s what Tetris proved with its unique gameplay. The concept is simple : various blocks of 4 square shapes fall down, and the player must manipulate them so as to create lines. When a full line is formed, it vanishes, allowing players to continue stacking blocks. If the player manages to vanish 4 lines at once, he creates a Tetris, which gives much more points than erasing a regular line.  If the game seems simple, it actually requires a lot of strategic thinking and quick reflexes to win the most points and not make holes between the squares, that can be a real handicap in the game. The game’s popularity exploded with the Gameboy, allowing people to play during their commutes, breaks, travel and more, making it today’s 2nd most sold video game ever, with more than 100 million sales worldwide. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Peach isn’t the only princess who needs to be rescued. In 1986, The Legend of Zelda introduced us to the heroic Link in a fantasy world. With its large exploration, combat and puzzle-solving system, the game was far from being as simple as other popular games at the time such as Tetris, Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Yet, the story-line and the universe became extremely popular, reaching more than 6 million sales for this opus. Whether you played these games or not, they surely had an influence on the games we play today, with their great gameplay and unique world, especially Mario and Zelda, which are games that are still highly popular nowadays. Those can make us nostalgic of the great improvement gaming has made since its creation! If you miss retrogaming, how about watching some talk-show that discusses it? BIGG TV broadcasts some of the best talk-shows about retrogaming every month, so make sure to not miss it! source: https://bigg.tv/

Access hundreds of games through the Xbox app, which launches for selected Amazon Fire TV devices in July 2024 in 25 countries yet to be announced. ByAshleigh Klein|  First Published June 28, 2024, 07:27 Xbox announced a new partnership with Amazon that will bring cloud gaming capabilities to Amazon Fire TVs. The latest Xbox Wire post detailed this, which confirms that the Xbox app will be available for selected Fire TVs in “over 25 countries,” granting Game Pass Ultimate subscribers access to Xbox Cloud Gaming for these devices. This collaboration between Xbox and Amazon will begin in July 2024 when the Xbox app launches for Amazon Fire TV devices, including the Fire TV Stick 4K and its Max version. Players can begin or continue their gaming experiences through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by accessing an extensive library of “incredible” gaming titles like Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 5, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Starfield. Xbox further detailed how players can begin their gaming experiences with Amazon Fire TV, which starts with installing the Xbox app on their device. They can sign in or register a Microsoft account before accessing the huge Game Pass library, which, if they’re not subscribed yet, they can sign up through the Xbox app. All that’s left is for players to connect any Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller and start playing their games through Xbox’s cloud gaming capabilities, with no console needed. This latest collaboration means that players can play their games wherever they go, whether moving from one room to the next or on their next holiday if their Fire TV device is being supported. It has yet to be confirmed which countries will support Cloud Gaming via the Xbox app through Amazon Fire TV devices. Xbox will announce more details before its launch, so we’ll update this news article to reflect the latest developments. source: https://www.ginx.tv/en/xbox/psa-xcloud-gaming-issues

This year, Summer Game Fest returned to slightly less fanfare than the previous two events. In its first year, the event flourished out of necessity. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Events were canceled left and right — even E3. Months after the announcement of its cancellation, a digital event birthed itself from the ashes of the Electronic Entertainment Expo: Summer Game Fest. Sure, it wasn’t exactly what anyone wanted, but it was a welcome announcement. A modern digital showcase built for a then-broken world was an escape that the public craved. Throughout the years, SGF has changed from a developer-focused showcase to a consumer-oriented one — focusing on game reveals and hype rather than in-depth developer conversations. While 2023’s SGF left out some developer insight, it redeemed itself by showcasing some of the best reveals in the last 3 years. Easily one of the most puzzling moments of Summer Game Fest’s official opening stream occurred when famed actor Nicolas Cage showed up in Dead by Daylight and then strutted onstage a few minutes after. This wasn’t a particularly interesting reveal in terms of the game itself — the absurdity of it is what pushes it over the edge for me. Why Nicolas Cage? Why Dead By Daylight? I know he explains why he likes the game, but why put him in the game? It’s not like the addition of the Cage changes the game in any way, you can just… play as him. It’s one of the most utterly baffling gaming reveals in a long time. It’s almost as baffling as Kaz Hurai exclaiming “Riiiidge Racer!” at E3 2006 or John Vechey’s Peggle 2 Reveal at E3 2013. It was refreshing to see this flavor of awkward unfold live, and I’m here for it. As the kids say: We’re so back. It’s quite rare, especially in the modern age of gaming, for a new IP to show its face and immediately blow everyone’s mind. S-Game’s Phantom Blade 0 is a hack-and-slash game set somewhere called “Phantom World,” which is characterized by something called “kung fu punk,” according to Soulframe Liang, the founder and CEO of S-Game. What I find particularly interesting about S-Game is that they have no experience with 3D action/adventure titles. Their previous games are all side-scrolling action platformers. Sony has taken a little-known indie developer and strapped them to a triple-A project. This is an undeniably huge gamble, and it could either be the biggest success story since Shovel Knight or the biggest disappointment since Mighty Number 9. But as it stands now, this is easily one of the most exciting things to come out of Playstation’s showcase. The combat looks wildly interesting, featuring precise blade combat mixed with a cover system. The gameplay, visuals, and setpieces all harbor the makings of a truly promising experience. Unless you count Super Mario Run or Super Mario Maker 1 and 2, Nintendo hasn’t put out a proper 2D Mario game since New Super Mario Brothers U, and even then, that game wasn’t well received. It was derivative, visually monotonous, and mechanically obvious. At the end of their Direct, Nintendo announced Super Mario Bros. Wonder, an evolution of the classic 2D Mario formula. Rather than the typical New Super Mario Bros. formula, Wonder aims for a more stylistic approach. There’s not much else to say about the reveal except that this is the first time I’ve been excited about a 2D Mario game since the first time I played New Super Mario Bros at 8 years old. Before Destiny, Microsoft, and the Halo series, Bungie made a trilogy of games for MacOS called Marathon. It was an early first-person shooter with gameplay similar to Doom or Quake but made great strides with its multiplayer mode and its single-player campaign. Its multiplayer mode featured maps exclusive to multiplayer, and the latter entries of the game featured multiple game modes — something rarely included in multiplayer games at the time. Its single-player mode featured narrative content previously unseen in similar titles. Decades later, Bungie attempts to revive the franchise with a brand new, multiplayer-only entry in the franchise. Very little is known about the game itself other than that it is a PvP first-person shooter, its art style fuses elements of Westworld’s biomechanical future and Cyberpunk, and that it will not have a single-player campaign, which might be a bummer to fans of the original series. But because of Marathon’s focus on its PvP elements, the game could be a promising step for a post-Halo Bungie to revitalize itself in the esports scene. More than a decade after Payday 2’s release, we’re finally getting a sequel. We knew almost nothing other than the fact that it’s coming out, and now we know exactly when it’s coming out and what the game looks like. The visuals have been updated slightly while still keeping the art style of the other entries, and while the gameplay reveal trailer showcased more high-octane Payday 2 action, the game also includes a new heist phase revolving around stealth, which adds a new level of precision to the Payday formula. But despite this change, this looks like a return to the Payday we all know and love. Payday 3 launches on September 21st. The popular shooter Helldivers is making an ambitious comeback in 2023, but not in the way fans might think. Instead of being a top-down shooter like the 2015 game, Helldivers 2 is a prestige 3rd person shooter. This kind of dramatic change in gameplay style is exciting, but troubling, especially since Arrowhead Games — the developers behind Helldivers 2 — is a studio that has never made a 3rd person shooter before. While it’s exciting to see Helldivers make a triple-A return, the gameplay looks a little shoddy and soulless despite the creativity of the trailer’s cinematics. Hopefully, things will look better upon release, but since the release window is set for later this year, I have my doubts. Kraven, Venom, symbiote powers, a wingsuit, character switching — all of this and more was revealed at the end of Playstation’s showcase during a lengthy Spider-Man 2 gameplay reveal. On top of a slew of new gameplay mechanics, we were introduced to two new New York City boroughs that players will be able to explore in Spider-Man 2: Queens and Brooklyn. These are more low-to-the-ground areas for the webbed wonder, but players will likely enjoy a change of scenery from Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Manhattan. Spider-Man 2 is set to release on October 20th. In their most recent Direct, Nintendo announced a remake of Super Mario RPG, a spiritual successor to WarioWare: Smooth Moves, and re-releases of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, and Pikmin 1 and 2. This is highly uncharacteristic of Nintendo, who consistently strikes down fan-made ports of their games for modern emulators. Typically, the argument for emulating Nintendo games has been that they don’t port their own, therefore there is no way to play them without first buying an older console at a higher price or through emulation. Nintendo seems to be listening to these complaints. They’ve offered ports of a wide range of their classic games for Nintendo Switch Online members, including the NES, SNES, N64, GameBoy, and GameBoy Advance. They have also ported many of their titles from the WiiU era, as many fans missed out on those games. But despite this recent newfound love for their recent past, Nintendo is missing ports of almost all titles from the GameCube and Wii lineup. The impossible is possible again. Konami – who spent the last decade leaving their IPs untouched or using them to make slot machines – is now officially reviving their two most beloved franchises. A few months ago, it was Silent Hill. Now it’s Metal Gear. During the Playstation showcase, Konami announced a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — now titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater — and Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes re-releases of Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2 (both the MSX and NES versions), Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and several other rare goodies. However, despite Konami’s apparent newfound zeal for the Metal Gear franchise, Hideo Kojima — the creator of the franchise — will not be involved in either the MGS3 remake or the re-releases of the other Metal Gear entries. I’m a little skeptical of Metal Gear without Kojima, but I’m still looking forward to playing these classic games on newer consoles and seeing the new direction that the Metal Gear series takes. Final Fantasy’s first appearance at Summer Game Fest was pretty disappointing. It debuted with Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis — a mobile game that attempts to replicate Final Fantasy VII’s original turn-based gameplay mechanics. It looks fine, but it isn’t what anyone wanted to see at the moment, least of all Final Fantasy fans. Then, Geoff Keighley said the words “speaking of Final Fantasy…” as if to reveal something larger from the franchise. As everyone cheers in excitement, he quickly lowers everyone’s expectations and reveals a DoorDash tie-in with Final Fantasy XI, which was released later last month. This resulted in groans and laughter from the crowd. Geoff chuckled along with them. Then, at the very end of the show, an immediately-recognizable trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth — the long-awaited second part to Final Fantasy VII: Remake — drops. The crowd erupts, and murmurs about the game continue well after the trailer ends. The hype surrounding the fake-out alone made this the best reveal out of every showcase this year. source: https://www.esrevolution.com/index.php/our-blog/57-10-best-summer-game-fest-moments-of-2023

Get ready to dive into Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree with or against your friends as the seamless co-op mod is now available for the DLC. ByShane Moosa| First Published July 1, 2024, 16:22 Elden Ring boasts a fantastic community of gamers who have dedicated their time to creating one of the best multiplayer co-op mods for the base game. Many were excited to see how it would integrate with the DLC. Thankfully, the wait is over, as the seamless co-op mod is now available to play in Shadow of The Erdtree. If you’re curious to know more about the mod, its implementation in the DLC, and some of its drawbacks, we have you covered. Below, you can check out all the latest details on the new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree seamless co-op mod. Seamless Co-Op Mod Now Compatible with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC When it comes to co-op for most of the Soulsborne titles, the early attempts were often janky and almost unplayable, as seen in Dark Souls 1 and the original Demon’s Souls. With the release of Dark Souls 2 and beyond, the co-op system became more “passable,” though it still required effort to work correctly. This was also the case for Elden Ring, but fortunately, a mod called “seamless co-op” existed to make the system easier to manage and more functional. This mod significantly boosted Elden Ring’s co-op popularity, and now it’s available for the DLC as well, allowing you to journey through the Land of Shadow with your friends more conveniently. However, since the DLC was only released a week ago, there are bound to be some kinks to iron out. “While not perfect, it has reached a state where it can be used to play Elden Ring and the DLC in co-op,” said Dalvik, a moderator for the seamless co-op mod’s Discord server. So, if you do boot it up, don’t expect everything to run smoothly, especially considering some of the framerate issues the DLC currently has without any mods in place. The new mod isn’t perfect just yet, so expect some bugs here and there, but also expect it to be improved over time. (Picture: FromSoftware) Of course, this is likely just some initial growing pains for the mod. As time goes on and the developers of the mod become more familiar with the DLC’s codebase, it will likely improve. This is promising, as the mod already offers great features such as allowing you to retain your saves from previous seamless co-op playthroughs, classic invasions, enemy scaling options, and some quality-of-life fixes. This makes the mod a must-try for players with tons of hours in the game, looking for something new in The Lands Between and the Land of Shadow. Even Miyazaki himself approves of these experimental ways to play the game, as he doesn’t mind if people use mods like this one. So, give it a shot the next time you load into the Land of Shadow and prepare for a new challenge or group experience in Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree. source: https://www.ginx.tv/en/elden-ring/seamless-co-op-mod-shadow-of-the-erdtree

During an Investor Q&A session, Nintendo’s president commented on scalping measures for the Switch 2 launch and the persistent semiconductor shortages. By Ashleigh Klein| First Published July 2, 2024, 08:09 Players globally are awaiting news of the launch date for the next gaming console, which is rumored to arrive in the global markets within the next year or so. The Nintendo Switch, which debuted in early 2017, will see its successor, the Switch 2, launching at any moment’s notice; the Japanese publisher has revealed it is taking measures to anticipate huge consumer demands for the forthcoming console. This sentiment was expressed during Nintendo’s recent Investor Q&A session, during which details on how the company intends to avoid scalping were highlighted. Given recent events that occurred within the last few years, like the global semiconductor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa discussed what the company has plans to avoid a similar situation from arising. According to comments made by Furukawa (as translated by IGN), Nintendo is looking to implement precautions to guarantee it has enough available stock of the Switch 2 into the hands of consumers and possible legal action if problems arise. The strategy outlined by Nintendo aims to prevent scalping and safeguard players from looking to resellers to obtain a console from authorized retail outlets. As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year. In addition to this, we are considering whether there are any other measures that can be taken to the extent allowed by laws and regulations, taking into account the circumstances of each region.  Furthermore, Furukawa provided a statement on the aforementioned semiconductor issue, which was why Nintendo was “unable to produce sufficient quantities of Nintendo Switch hardware,” and he later added that the problem has “now been resolved. At present, we do not believe that the shortage of components will have a significant impact on the production of the successor model.” source: https://www.ginx.tv/en/hardware/nintendo-aims-to-meet-customer-demand-avoid-scalping-switch-2-console

Rockstar’s new DLC has locked arguably one of the most helpful quality-of-life features behind a paywall. Earlier today Rockstar Games released a brand new DLC to GTA Online, with the Bottom Dollar Bounties update. When fans log back into the game they’ll soon be greeted with messages from Maude Eccles inducing players to the new Bail Enforcement Business, but there are also loads of new vehicles on offer and plenty more content coming in future weeks. But as with any update, there’s also a variety of bugfixes and quality-of-life features which also improve the overall experience for players. But in what might be one of the most unsurprising moves ever, Rockstar Games has locked one of the most helpful quality-of-life features behind their GTA+ subscription. The feature in question allows players to claim business earnings from their character’s phone. So rather than traveling to your Arcade, Agency, Salvage Yard or other business to get your cash from the safe, you can quickly claim your money from the in-game phone app. Rockstar’s GTA+ subscription costs $7.99 / £6.99 / €7,99 a month (up previously from $5.99 / £4.99 / €5,99 as of June 2024) and is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. So for context, an obvious quality-of-life improvement, which would instantly improve the game for all players, has been stuck behind a paywall, which is also limited to next-gen consoles, and not even for PC players. Naturally, this hasn’t gone down well with fans, with one particular Reddit thread filled with unhappy GTA players upset at Rockstar’s latest grift. Hopefully, Rockstar sees common sense and brings this particular feature to the whole player base. We can completely understand locking certain features behind a paywall, like early access to new content, or extra incentives like more garage space for cars. But locking a QoL feature which makes the game less tedious for players, just seems obtuse at the expense of trying to earn a quick buck. source: https://www.ginx.tv/