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New Retail Releases: Saints Row: The Third for Switch, Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, More
As we inch ever closer to the Summer sun, there’s just a small smattering of new releases heading to your local game shop this week.
Deep Silver and Volition will bring Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package to the Switch, making it the first game in the franchise to land on a Nintendo console. The Full Package will include the entire Saints Row: The Third experience, including the main game and all three expansions.
Also this week, PS4 owners will be able to give Ghost Giant a look. The puzzle adventure is a PlayStation VR title where players take control of the titular Ghost Giant and help a little boy named Louis feel less lonely.
Finally this week, Microsoft will take their first step into a discless “all-digital future” with the release of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. The console will feature a 1TB hard drive and it’ll come packaged with full-game download codes for Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3.
That’s it for this week’s retail releases, but you’ll find plenty of other new games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop later this week.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Saints Row: The Third, Sea of Thieves
No surprise there… Madden NFL 18 was the best-selling game in August 2017
It gets harder and harder every year to interpret the NFL rulebook, but one thing is always certain… the latest entry in the Madden NFL series will be the best-selling game in August.
That axiom held true once again this year, as The NPD Group declared that Madden NFL 18 was the best-selling game of last month. August 2017’s other big sellers include Grand Theft Auto V (#2), Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (#3), Splatoon 2 (#4), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), and the newly-launched Agents of Mayhem (#16).
You can read more about last month’s best-sellers and view the monthly Top 20 after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Agents of Mayhem, Battlefield 1, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Crash Bandicoot, EA Sports UFC 2, For Honor, Forza Horizon 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Injustice 2, Madden NFL 18, Mario Kart 8, Minecraft, NBA 2K17, NPD, Overwatch, Splatoon 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The 1-2 punch of Tekken 7 and Injustice 2 sit atop the best-selling games list for June 2017
Fighting game fans have proven, once again, that the genre is alive and well. According to the NPD Group’s recounting of the best-selling games in June, Tekken 7 (#1) and Injustice 2 (#2) took the top two spots. Nintendo’s bizarro take on the genre, Arms, also made a strong debut in the #5 spot.
Speaking of the Switch, Nintendo’s newest console continued to push the game industry to new heights in June, as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#6) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#7) stayed in the top ten.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella said: “The Nintendo Switch has been the catalyst for year-to-date growth. Year-to-date, hardware spending has grown 19% versus 2016 to $1.4 billion.”
However, older titles also performed well in June, including Grand Theft Auto V (#3), Overwatch (#9), and Minecraft (#17). 2015’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III (#12) even managed to outsell 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (#15).
A complete look at the Top 20 for June 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Arms, Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, FIFA 17, Forza Horizon 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Injustice 2, Mario Kart 8, Minecraft, MLB The Show 17, NBA 2K17, NPD, Overwatch, Tekken 7, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Scorpio renamed Xbox One X and it’ll be available on November 7 for $499
Not surprisingly, Microsoft’s Project Scorpio was at the center of the consolemaker’s E3 Press Conference. As of now, we know the souped up system’s official name (the Xbox One X), as well as when it’ll be available (November 7), and how much it’ll cost ($499).
Boasting “40% more power than any other console,” the Xbox One X will deliver games in 4K resolution, as well as HDR support for gaming and video. All Xbox One games and accessories will be compatible with the Xbox One X, but free updates will provide a performance boost to games such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Final Fantasy XV, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Rocket League, and dozens of others:
Games play better on Xbox One X. The world’s most powerful console begins rolling out to all Xbox One markets starting on November 7. With 40% more power than any other console, experience immersive true 4K gaming when paired with a 4K display. Xbox One X makes your existing library even better, with better textures, smoother frame rates, and faster load times, even on a 1080p TV. Xbox One X also offers the ultimate 4K entertainment package with 4K Ultra HD for Blu-ray X and streamed content, HDR support for gaming and video, and Dolby Atmos support. Xbox One X will join the Xbox One family of devices and coexist alongside Xbox One and Xbox One S, and all Xbox One games and accessories are compatible.
Every Xbox One X unit will come with a 1TB hard drive, a matching Xbox Wireless Controller, HDMI cable, power supply, a 1-month free Xbox Game Pass subscription, and a 14-day free Xbox Live Gold membership.
Now, let’s have a moment of silence for the poor retail employees who’ll have to deal with customers who won’t understand that the Xbox One X and the currently-available Xbox One S will be sold in different bundles with very different prices.
Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels expansion is now available
If you’re a Hot Wheels fan, you’re likely very familiar with the massive orange tracks and loop-the-loops that have become the brand’s signature accessory over the years. Starting today, you can transport that same style of racing into Forza Horizon 3 with the brand new Hot Wheels expansion.
Available as part of Forza Horizon 3’s Season Pass (or as a standalone download for $19.99), the Hot Wheels expansion includes a very unique new locale to explore:
The Horizon Festival and Hot Wheels have teamed up to create the ultimate playground for cars! Located off the coast of Australia, this chain of islands is here to make your Hot Wheels fantasies come to life with loops, corkscrews, boost pads, high bank turns, half-pipes, insane jumps – and even mechanical dinosaurs! Use the new Stunt Swap feature to modify stunt track sections and dare your friends to try them. Race ten new cars including Hot Wheels icons like the Twin Mill and Boneshaker. Discover a new hidden barn find car, earn new Xbox Live achievements, and more.
To celebrate its launch, developers from Playground Games will showcase Forza Horizon 3’s Hot Wheels expansion during a special livestream scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time) today. Tune in to watch it on Beam or Twitch.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Forza Horizon 3
Overwatch wins Game of the Year at 2016 Game Awards
The 2016 Game Awards were filled with surprises, but I’m sure no one was shocked when Blizzard’s Overwatch walked away with the most statuettes last night, including the coveted “Game of the Year” prize. The popular online shooter also won the “Best Multiplayer” award, as well as the fan-voted “Best eSports Game” award. And Blizzard was honored for their development work on Overwatch with the “Best Game Direction” award.
Naughty Dog and id Software also had a good night with two wins apiece. The familial tale at the center of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End won “Best Narrative” and Nolan North won “Best Performance” for his final turn as Nathan Drake. Meanwhile, Doom blasted its way into the spotlight with wins in the “Best Music/Sound Design” and the “Best Action Game” categories.
Playdead’s Inside (“Best Art Direction” and “Best Independent Game”) and Pokemon Go (“Best Mobile/Handheld Game” and “Best Family Game”) also earned multiple awards last night at the Game Awards.
Congratulations to all the nominees, and the full list of winners can be found after the break. (more…)
Sports! NBA 2K17, Madden 17, FIFA 17, NHL 17 are the best-selling games in September 2016
Football season is in full swing, and the NBA season is getting ready to tip-off this weekend, so it’s a great time to check out this year’s newest sports simulations. Gamers definitely agreed, as four sports titles were at the top of September 2016’s sales report from The NPD Group.
2K’s NBA 2K17 was #1, and it was followed by three from EA Sports: Madden NFL 17 (#2), FIFA 17 (#3), and NHL 17 (#4). Shooters dominated the rest of the list with BioShock: The Collection rounding out the Top 5, and Destiny: The Collection (#6), Overwatch (#8), and Call of Duty: Black Ops III (#10) all in the Top 10.
Believe it or not, Minecraft failed to find a place in the Top 10 for the first time in nearly a year. Perhaps this is why hardware, software, and accessory sales totaled $838.2 million last month, which is down from September 2015’s $1.09 billion tally. But the NPD is pinning the blame on the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S.
“Spending on software, hardware, and accessories declined by 23% compared to this time last year,” NPD Analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz. “The release of the PS4 Slim and the second month of the Xbox One S was not enough to stimulate total hardware spending and this month’s new software releases could not compete with last year’s stronger slate of new games.”
The full Top 10 from September 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged BioShock, BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, FIFA 17, Forza Horizon 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Madden NFL 17, NBA 2K17, NHL 17, NPD, Overwatch
Xbox Store Today: Forza Horizon 3, FIFA 17, XCOM 2, more
The Xbox Games Store is heading down under this week as Forza Horizon 3 is now available to download. Developed by Playground Games, Forza Horizon 3 brings the series to Australia for some coastal racing in more than 350 of the world’s snazziest cars. And players who purchase it through the Xbox Games Store will receive a digital copy of the game for the Xbox One and the PC.
Also available this week is FIFA 17, the latest soccer sim from EA Sports, for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. EA Sports has upgraded the game engine for FIFA 17, while also adding a story-focused career mode known as “The Journey.” Do you have what it takes to make it in the Premier League? Now’s your chance to find out.
Professional soccer players might seem like a completely separate species, but Xbox One owners will also be able to battle it out with actual extraterrestrials this week in XCOM 2, a tactical alien invasion simulation from 2K and Firaxis. XCOM 2 was previously released for the PC earlier this year, and this time around, players will fight to take back the Earth, which is under alien rule.
Elsewhere on the Xbox Games Store this week, Sierra Games will continue their rebooted King’s Quest adventure on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 with a brand new chapter, Snow Place Like Home. King Graham is still telling stories, and this time he spins a yarn about the time he rescued Prince Alexander from Queen Icebella’s Frozen Castle.
Finally this week, the Xbox Game Preview program grows by one with the release of Everspace, a space shooter with roguelike elements, from Rocketfish.
As usual, more information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged FIFA 17, Forza Horizon 3, King's Quest, XCOM 2