Author - boothby

Xbox Celebrates 20 Years of Gaming

Starting today through November 2021, Xbox will be celebrating 20 years of gaming, commemorating the first console launch in North America, followed by many more launches around the world.

Time travel back to 2001 with us for a moment: Mary J. Blige had the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, Monsters, Inc. and Britney Spears set a new trend in fashion wearing a dress made entirely of denim. And best of all, fans met Master Chief and Cortana for the first time. However, playing on Xbox meant hooking up your console with three (or more!) cables to a standard TV, pre-ordering games and standing in line at your favorite retail store to pick them up and playing games by yourself or at a friend’s house sitting next to them on the couch.

Fast forward to present day, and gaming looks wildly different! You can play a variety of games with more diverse heroes than ever before, with friends all over the planet on a console, your laptop PC or mobile.

Below are a few ways we’re kicking off the celebration. For more details on planned celebrations, keep an eye on xbox.com/20-years-of-xbox and check out the Xbox Wire Post linked here.

Celebrating 20 Years of Xbox starting today….

  • Join Team Xbox today on Twitch.tv/Xbox at 11am PT/2pm ET to help kick off the celebration by reminiscing on two decades of gaming starting where it all began—Halo: Combat Evolved via Halo: Master Chief Collection.
  • Use #Xbox20 on social media to share your favorite Xbox memories, stories and more!
  • Fans can reminisce or discover a new favorite game with this collection with some of the greatest games that marked Xbox history < www.xbox.com/promotions/20-year-collection
  • Fans can also check out the first wave of 20th Anniversary Xbox Official Gear, now available.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Wrath of the Druids Expansion Trailer

Today, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla’s first major expansion, Wrath of the Druids, will be available tomorrow across all available platforms. Eivor’s new adventure will have players journey to bewitching and beautiful Ireland and unravel the mysteries of an ancient druidic cult, the Children of Danu. Diving into Gaelic myths and folklore, they will have to make their way through haunted forests and dazzling landscapes while helping Gaelic Kings unify Ireland.

The story starts as Eivor is summoned to Ireland by their long-lost cousin Barid. Quickly they are drafted by the High–King of Ireland Flann Sinna to embark on a perilous journey and unite the warring factions. The intriguing but treacherous Celtic Ireland is a whole new region to explore, including three provinces and the city of Dublin. The expansion also features famous historical landmarks such as the Giant’s Causeway, Tara Hill, Black Pig’s Dyke, Ben Bulben and more.

Developed by Ubisoft Bordeaux, Wrath of the Druids brings new features and content to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla:

  • Accomplish the Royal Demands from the Gaelic Kings to gather resources.
  • Claim and conquer the Ring Forts of Ireland, form alliances to dominate the trade routes to build Dublin’s wealth and establish it as the primary seat of commerce
  • Trade rare resources and exotic rewards with overseas nations to make Dublin a thriving city.
  • Master a brand new type of weapon: the Sickle, a fast and deadly blade that can be dual-wielded.
  • Use new abilities and skills like the Viking Salute, the Smoke Bomb Arrow, the Irish Hound Summoning, and the Sickle Combo.
  • Battle and defeat new powerful enemies including the Children of Danu, a mysterious cult of Druids; Drengrs; Irish factions; and new mythical creatures.
  • Discover a variety of new gear and weapons, and more customization options for Eivor’s longship, horse, raven, tattoos, hair, and settlement decorations.

Playing the expansion does not require to have completed the story arc of the main game. Wrath of the Druids will be accessible once players have reached England and completed one of the first narrative arcs – either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire, which both unlock just after they arrive from Norway. There is no mandatory power level to play Wrath of the Druids.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, as well as on Stadia, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft’s subscription service, Ubisoft+.* The Wrath of the Druids expansion can be purchased as a standalone for $24.99. Players can also access the expansion through the Season Pass, available now for $39.99 or as part of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gold, Ultimate, and Collector Editions.

With development led by Ubisoft Montreal**, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior, driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD. Players can relive the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped dual-wielding combat system and experience new gameplay features such as raids, assaults, and the settlement, as well as a revamped progression and gear upgrade system. Political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and their future.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com.

Galactic Civilizations IV Announcement Trailer

Stardock announced Galactic Civilizations® IV today. The newest installment of its award-winning space 4X strategy sandbox game series takes the best of what its predecessors had to offer and adds to it with many new and exciting features.

As the all-powerful leader of a spacefaring civilization, the player must seek out new star systems and discover the exciting potential of the subspace realm. There are thousands of worlds to colonize and dozens of civilizations – both old and new – to encounter.

The new game, scheduled to go into early access later this Spring, aims to vastly increase the game’s scope and depth by introducing AI characters, star sectors, ministers, central control, a much bigger technology tree, and more.

“The focus in Galactic Civilizations IV is the player actually dealing with AI characters,” said Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock. “In previous versions, the computer AI meant other civilizations. Now, every civilization is made up of hundreds of characters who have their own agendas. In 4X terms, it’s like dealing with Civs of Civs.”

To go along with the greater depth in the way civilizations are handled, the game’s galactic scale has been vastly increased.

Popular features from the previous versions of the game have also been greatly improved, including ship designs, planetary invasions, combat, diplomacy, research, planetary improvements, and more.

Replacing the traditional campaign system of previous Galactic Civilizations games is the new “Missions” feature. These story-driven elements allow players to feel like every game is effectively a unique, compelling campaign unto itself.

Because of the dramatic changes from previous Galactic Civilizations games, the early access program for Galactic Civilizations IV will start at the Alpha phase rather than the more typical Beta phase, so that player feedback can be incorporated early.

The Hand of Merlin Early Access Launch Trailer

Independent developer Room C Games in co-production with Croteam and in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil are excited to announce that their rogue-lite RPG game The Hand of Merlin will be available today on early access for PC via Steam, Epic Game Store and GOG.

The Hand of Merlin is a turn-based rogue-lite RPG in which Arthurian legend clashes with sci-fi horror. Players recruit three mortal heroes on a desperate journey from Albion to Jerusalem to explore richly-imagined medieval lands on the brink of apocalypse – assaulted by an otherworldly evil. Written by Jonas Kyratzes (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam 4) and Verena Kyratzes (The Lands of Dream, Serious Sam 4). The Hand of Merlin is a story inspired by Arthurian legend but with an unusual twist that introduces a wholly unique sci fi element to its storytelling. “We wanted to create a player focused, rogue-lite RPG that merged two complete contrasting genres but in a uniquely rewarding way. This forged a whole new universe for players to explore and craft their destinies. Creatively it gave us the scope to bring something really exciting and fresh to the turn-based and squad based RPG genre“ said Robert Sajko, Creative Director at Room C Games.

Utilizing squad-based and turn-based combat, players can employ tactical cunning to use cover, set up ambushes and coordinate attacks with ranged, melee and spellcasting combat to conquer both human and demonic foes looking to do them harm. Additionally, players can utilise relics they purchase or are rewarded with, some of which are imbued with magical power. These abilities will be important as players weigh the risk and reward for the paths they choose.

In The Hand of Merlin choices are permanent depending on the decisions players make as they carve a path across the lands of Albion, Marca Hispanica and Al-Andalus. Combat is inevitable and mastering the tactics of squad-based and turn-based combat is essential to survive in a world where evil never rests. Players can seek out towns to improve their arms and armor, or trade with hermit artisans in the wild. Renown is the backbone of progression and can be used to level up party Heroes, and players can choose between a randomized set of new skills or improved attributes to balance out the combat prowess of their party to improve their chances.

With a large focus on exploration and encounter, mortality is the consequence of existence in human form, but even in defeat, players retain collected arcane knowledge as they jump from one parallel dimension to the next. No two worlds are ever quite the same, and each journey will be unique. Defeat is not the end in this realm, only a new beginning.

There are as many worlds as there are stars in the sky. In each stands Camelot; in each there is a Grail. But there is only one Merlin, and his eternal burden is to stand against the horror from beyond. Each world that is saved is saved forever; each world that is lost is lost for good.

The Hand of Merlin will be available today on PC via Steam early access priced $24.99 / £18.99 / €22.49 for the Standard Edition with a Deluxe Edition priced at $29.99 / £22.49/ €26.99, A soundtrack of the game is also available for $7.99/ £5.99 / €6.99.

Versus Evil has a 20% launch discount in place for its first week on sale during early access and Room C Games aims to add more guardians, heroes and encounters for the games full launch later this year.

Tour de France 2021 My Tour Features

NACON and Cyanide are pleased to reveal the new My Tour mode features in Tour de France 2021. Personalization is now integrated even deeper into the renowned cycling simulator.

In My Tour mode, cycling fans can explore their creative side. Create your own team from 89 riders available. Start with a time trial between Changé and Laval, followed by a mountain stage from Cluses to Tignes, and finish with one of the big Classics, such as Paris-Roubaix or Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Choose your dream stages to create a unique competition. You will also obviously want to choose some rest days to give your riders time to recover.

As well as stages, you can select the participating teams from some of the most famous ones, like Jumbo-Visma, Groupama-FDJ and Ineos Grenadiers, as well as the riders in each team. Finally, the statistics of the biggest champions can be edited and saved in three databases, resulting in even more difficulty tuning options.

Tour de France 2021 will be available the 3rd of June on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC
The game will arrive later on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S

PNY Unveils XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB DDR4 Memory

PNY announced today the addition of the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB™ DDR4 4,000MHz Desktop Memory to the company’s line of high-performance XLR8 line of PC memory for gaming. The new 4,000Mhz modules will deliver the ever-higher levels of overclocked performance demanded by today’s gamers, while RGB lighting adds style to any PC build.

Ever-Higher Performance

As games become ever more competitive, gamers call for faster performance out of their systems. PNY answers that call with each addition to the XLR8 lineup. For creators looking to edit video or render photos, students wanting to have the answers first, or hardcore gamers looking to squeeze the maximum frames per second (fps) from their system, PNY has everyone’s back.

Built to Perform

Rigorously engineered for extreme performance, these new modules were selected for durability and excellent heat dissipation thanks to the built-in aluminum heat spreader. Combine that with preconfigured XMP 2.0 profiles for automatic and consistent overclocking, PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB DDR4 4,000MHz Desktop Memory delivers extreme overclocked performance off-the-shelf and is fully compatible with the latest Intel and AMD platforms.

Designed to Impress

When upgrading a gaming PC, performance shouldn’t compromise style. The PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB DDR4 4,000MHz Desktop Memory will impress with its radiant dual-sided 5×2 configuration of RGB LEDs and massive frosted light guide lens, which combined creates brilliant lighting effects to match any system’s theme. The RGB elements are compatible with major motherboard brands and are ready-to-sync with Asus AURA SYNC™, Gigabyte RGB FUSION 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome SYNC1 for impressive levels of control.

Product Specification

  • Frequency: 4,000MHz (PC4-32000)
  • CAS Latency 18
  • Voltage: 1.35V
  • Built-in heat spreader
  • Integrated RGB illumination
  • Warranty: Limited Lifetime & 24/7 U.S. Based Technical Support

Product Availability

PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB DDR4 4,000MHz Desktop 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) is available immediately at Amazon, Best Buy.com, and www.pny.com.

EPOS Teams with Sprout for 2021 Pro Esports Audio

Sprout is elated to officially welcome EPOS, the unchallenged pioneer of high-end audio solutions and innovative technology, to their ranks as Official Audio Partner. Sprout, together with EPOS, look forward to elevating the gaming experience of our players through the Power of Audio.

EPOS has already made a name for themselves in esports – and how could they not? EPOS was founded with a mission to unleash human potential by perfecting audio experience and delivering innovative designs with their entire product range of audio solutions. EPOS products open the way to superior audio technology for all gamers. EPOS provides excellent products of unmatched quality that are the perfect fit for the highest level of competitive esports.

Sprout has had a very fruitful first half of 2021 already, coming out on top at the German championship, prevailing at the Unites Pro Series and pocketing the gold medal at the European Development Championship.

We are now ready for the next leap and are looking forward to a great upcoming season where Sprout and EPOS are thrilled to pursue the next level of #GrowSprout.

“With EPOS we have the perfect partner to meet the auditory demands of a professional esports team. We want to offer our players the best possible solution to utilize their full potential. Now we can support this with innovative products.” Sven Thomas, Executive Manager of Sprout

“We are thrilled to join forces with Sprout as Official Audio Partner. In throwing the full weight of our exceptional engineering, technology and product portfolio behind the team, EPOS will elevate Sprout to the next level of competitive gameplay, through total immersion and unrivalled accuracy in audio and communications. We look forward to joining Sprout as they build on the incredible success so far.” Steven Smith, VP Global Sales, Gaming, EPOS

Hotel Transylvania: Scary-Tale Adventures Announcement Teaser

Outright Games, the leading global publisher of family-friendly interactive entertainment, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Consumer Products, are thrilled to announce ‘Hotel Transylvania: Scary-Tale Adventures’. This brand-new video game features a host of fan-favorite characters from the smash hit animated movie franchise and will be out this Halloween on PlayStation®, Nintendo Switch™, Xbox and PC digital.

This 3D platform adventure will take players on a fairy tale journey, putting them in control of their favorite characters as the game re-imagines classic stories, such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” ​

Hotel Transylvania is one of Sony Pictures Animation’s most successful original movie franchises to date, with the first three movies achieving a combined box office of over $1.3 billion. The upcoming final film in the series, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is set to release this summer.

“We are so happy to be returning to Hotel Transylvania for another scary-fun adventure this Halloween season,” said Terry Malham, CEO of Outright Games. “We are delighted to be able to incorporate our own unique story into this incredible world and retell classic fairy tales using the franchise’s eccentric characters. We will have a lot more to reveal about this game in the coming months so please stay tuned”

Railway Empire – Japan Out Now

Between cherry blossoms and snow-capped ranges, Kalypso Media and developer Gaming Minds Studios have today announced that Railway Empire – Japan, the ninth DLC for beloved rail tycoon sim, is now available for Windows-PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Railway Empire – Japan comes by way of passionate request from the series’ community and widespread fan-base. Windows PC players can plot a detour to the Kalypso Store, Steam, the Epic Games Store or GOG to pick up the expansion while console tycoons can head to the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store to punch their ticket. The DLC will arrive on Nintendo Switch™ at a later date.

Railway Empire – Japan transports the series to late-1800s Japan where an industrial revolution is booming and the people are crying out for a nationwide railway. After the successful restoration of the Meiji rule, the Land of the Rising Sun’s long-term ambition to develop its own modern, nationwide railway network has become a reality and people from formerly feudal regions are yearning to travel to booming metropolises. Players can lay tracks between mountains and hot springs, using foresight, planning and clever strategy to establish a railway network and facilitate the ‘great commute’, moving Japan into a new industrial age.

The original Railway Empire earned praise from critics and fans alike thanks to its compelling mix of trading, rail network management and corporate espionage. Railway Empire – Japan DLC will be the ninth expansion to the rail sim’s expansive geographical roster, previous locations including Australia, Sweden, France, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Final Trailer Released

SQUARE ENIX® today revealed gripping new scenes from FINAL FANTASY® VII REMAKE INTERGRADE, the enhanced and expanded version of the critically acclaimed and award-winning FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE on the PlayStation®5 (PS5™) console. The new footage showcases the impressive PS5™ graphics for FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE and new content from FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, which follows Yuffie Kisaragi and her partner Sonon Kusakabe, on a dangerous mission to infiltrate Midgar and steal the Shinra Electric Power Company’s most powerful materia.

In FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, players will fight as Yuffie, alongside Sonon, as they use fast and furious attacks to team up in all-new exciting battles against Shinra’s Director of Advanced Weaponry Division, Scarlet, and Nero, a member of the elite unit within Deepground known as the Tsviets. A new Summon Materia to call upon Ramuh, the fabled Lord of Levin also newly appears. And finally, the trailer showcases gameplay of Fort Condor, a new tactical mini-game playable in FF7R EPISODE INTERmission.

In addition to the trailer, new live gameplay footage and information for the upcoming mobile title, FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER, was revealed on a special livestream where it was announced that the battle royale action mobile game is now accepting pre-registrations for an upcoming closed beta test to be held from June 1 through 7, 2021. Players looking to prove themselves as prime SOLDIER candidates can sign up here through the Google Play Store, now until May 27, 2021.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE takes advantage of the latest generation hardware and includes a wealth of graphical, gameplay and system enhancements for the PS5. Players who have purchased FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE for the PlayStation®4 console will be able to download a free PS5 enhancement update* that will include all the next-gen visual and gameplay enhancements detailed above at no extra cost when playing on a PS5 console, and can purchase the new episode featuring Yuffie, FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, as a standalone download from the PlayStation®Store. Owners of the disc version of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE on PS4 will require a PS5 console with disc drive in order to take advantage of this digital upgrade.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is rated T (Teen) and will be available as a physical and digital Standard Edition, and as a Digital Deluxe Edition from the PlayStation®Store on June 10, 2021. The Digital Deluxe Edition of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE comes with a digital mini soundtrack featuring songs, such as “Descendant of Shinobi,” and a digital artbook which includes concept art and character sheets. Customers who pre-order the digital Standard Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE will receive the pre-order bonus Cacstar weapon for use in FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, the new episode featuring Yuffie.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is available to pre-order now from local and online retailers, and digitally as a Standard Edition for $69.99 or Digital Deluxe Edition for $89.99 at the PlayStation®Store. For users who download the free FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE PlayStation 5 enhancement update, the new episode featuring Yuffie, titled FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, will be available as a separate purchase on the PlayStation®Store for $19.99 starting June 10, 2021.