A New Update For Halo 5 - Battle Of Shadow & Light

On the 11/18/2015, Halo has released a new update for Halo 5 called Battle of Shadow and Light and it is available for free the next time you log in to the game.

Battlefield 4 gets new, free DLC two years after launch

EA DICE will release a new batch of multiplayer DLC for its competitive first-person shooter Battlefield 4 by the end of 2015, continuing support for the game more than two years after its initial launch.

The Battlefield 2 map Dragon Valley will return in Battlefield 4 after leading a community vote gauging interest in recreations of “classic Battlefield maps within the Battlefield 4 universe.”
The re-designed Dragon Valley 2015 will be featured in the free Legacy Operations DLC pack for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of Battlefield 4. EA DICE notes that the map’s scale prevents a release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“We really wanted to push the envelope with Dragon Valley 2015, and that meant being able to make a bigger level, with a larger scale than anything currently in Battlefield 4,” the studio explains. “Because of that, we made the decision to focus on the more powerful platforms.

This doesn’t mean we’re no longer supporting players on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with critical updates when needed, but we really wanted to try something big for Dragon Valley, and we think that when you play it, you’ll see the difference.”

Dragon Valley 2015 will feature destructible and rebuildable bridges that will change the flow of combat throughout every match. Players will have a variety of tactical options with regard to rapidly changing terrain and cover. The redesigned map has also been altered with steeper terrain and cloud layering, enabling aerial combat above cloud level.

The map will support multiple gameplay modes, including a Conquest setup that “has more flags than any other Battlefield 4 map in the game.” Dragon Valley 2015 additionally supports Rush mode for the first time since its Battlefield 2 launch.

Battlefield 4‘s free Legacy Operations DLC will launch alongside a planned Holiday Update later this year. A specific release date was not announced.

Google Is Working On Glass Successors -- Some Without The Glass

The team behind Google Glass is reported to be working on a successor to the occasionally controversial device, though it may not include the screen that made the original so distinctive.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the company’s Project Aura would help raise Glass from the dead. Now, according to a new report by The Information, Google has at least three prototypes in the works. One of those devices, reports the site, is a headset that relies solely on audio and would be styled as a sports device.



There are few further details about how that might work in practice, but it wouldn’t be the first audio-only wearable device to be tested. A collaborative project between Microsoft and Future Cities Catapult last year developed a headset the creates 3D soundscapes to provide the wearer with information about their surroundings — though that was an experiment in helping visually impaired people navigate city streets more effectively.
The Information also reports that Google is working on a further two devices aimed at at businesses. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise: the original device seemed to find favour in the world of enterpriseso it would make sense for the company to focus on it as a market. It’s not clear what kind of hardware those devices may use — but screens may well be included.
[The Information via Verge]

VIDEO: Fallout 4 Review

A full game review on Fallout 4 taking about all the features, bugs and experiences in this game.

These Are The Best Fallout 4 Mods

Fallout 4 is an open world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. In this game you can apply different mods that changes your gaming experience and the ability to customise it as well. 

Here are the best mods that you can use in Fallout 4

NEW TECHNOLOGY: Wearable Smart Rings Is Coming To The Market

We have seen different wearable technologies in the past 2 years, Wearable watches, glasses and even smart cloths, but a new technology coming to the wearable technology is Smart rings.

Hoping to ride the emerging wave of tech-powered fashion accessories, a new smart ring called Neyya has just been launched as an interface tool for your devices.

With a base made of stainless steel, the top of the ring is a smooth, flat capacitive touchpad embedded with a tiny indicator LED. The touchpad's surface works as an interface, allowing you to swipe up, down, left and right as well as tap to initiate various functions.

Powered by a lithium ion battery, the smart ring gets about 10 days on standby and three days with regular use.

Once you connect the device via Bluetooth to your iPhone or desktop computer, you're afforded access to a wide range of ring-assisted controls. Right out of the box, the Neyya can be paired with your iPhone and serve as a volume and selection control for your iTunes app.

The device's manual promises more non-app functions when the ring is paired, such as Siri activation, but we were unable to get that feature to work. Once you download the Neyya app, a larger array of functions are available, including the ability to use the smart ring to control your Roku and GoPro devices or using it as a presentation tool in apps like PowerPoint.

Answering phone calls using the ring, which vibrates and lights up when a call comes in, is pretty seamless. And the cool blue LED power indicator on the ring's docking station is surprisingly attractive and cleverly designed (the base is magnetized, pulling the ring into place when you move it near).

And while this is definitely one of the better made smart rings we've seen (the fit and finish are impressive) the device falls a bit short in the style department.

Yes, you need a capacitive touchpad to be a certain size to facilitate all that swiping and tapping, but as a piece of jewelry the Neyya comes off as a bit clunky and oversized. Even though it comes in small, medium and large sizes, on nearly anyone's hand we tried it on (large and small folks alike), it looked, somehow, too big.

Of course, styles vary from person to person, so some users may like the design just fine. And the style issue is no small point, as the Neyya is getting a pretty high-end roll out in Bloomingdales later this month. But most of the men and women we showed it to in our unscientific office poll didn't seem too enthusiastic about the prospect of wearing it.

Offered in a titanium finish ($129) or gold finish ($169), the smart ring will be also be sold at Target and on Amazon later this month. You can also order it directly from the company's website today.

Main Source: Mashable.com

'Star Wars: Battlefront' news: players can get mini-game through EA Access as part of 10-hour preview

Even though the "Star Wars: Battlefront" is only due to launch on the Nov. 17, the game is already available to those who are members of EA Access and have an Xbox One console. Additionally, there is a mini-game available for those who are planning to download and play the game right now.

GamesRadar reporting on the availability of the "mini-game" states that gamers should be aware that if they do go ahead and start playing it, that it will immediately count towards the total of 10 hours they are allowed on "Star Wars: Battlefront." The 10 hour preview of "Star Wars: Battlefront" is currently being offered to those with EA Access and the Xbox One console ahead of game's release on September 17th.

As soon as 20 percent of the game has been downloaded, EA Access members can start playing the mini game and importantly they can step into the role of Darth Vader. As Darth Vader players can take on rebels at a Hoth base that is situated on Tatooine. Gamespot states that the mini-game is set in a hangar and Vader's abilities such as heavy-attack, Force choke and several other moves with a lightsaber can be employed by the gamer. With players being able to explore most of the moves provided to Darth Vader the mini-game acts as a tutorial for those who want to experience the game before it finishes downloading and installing. Importantly EA Access members once they download "Star Wars: Battlefront" can play the full version including all its modes for 10 hours.

However, there is an embargo on reviews in place which prevent any from being published until the day the game launches. Forbes states that this is a bizarre situation as anyone can play the entire game on the Xbox One if they have EA Access and they are not bound by any embargo. Members of the media meanwhile were provided access to "Star Wars: Battlefront" at a special event and have to wait until November 17th to publish reviews.

A Detailed DLC Pass Content In Star Wars Battlefront!

The Star Wars Battlefront website has been updated with new details about the post-launch content coming to the just-released sci-fi shooter through its DLC pass.


Players can expect four expansion packs, which will together deliver the following content:

• Over 20 new items, including weapons, vehicles, and Star Cards for both Rebels and Imperials. 
• 4 additional Heroes and Villains (these were not named).
• 16 new multiplayer maps featuring "new locations."
• 4 new game modes.

In addition, as was previously announced, everyone who buys the Battlefront DLC pass gets access to all of this content two weeks before everyone else. They also get an "exclusive" Shoot First emote.

The Battlefront DLC pass costs $50 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Assuming EA and DICE follow the same setup as the recent Battlefield games, the DLC packs are likely to cost $15 each.

The first of Battlefront's four expansion packs is set to launch in "early 2016."

Players don't have to spend any extra money to get more Battlefront content, however, as the Force Awakens-inspired Battle of Jakku DLC arrives in December. People who pre-ordered Battlefront will receive access to this content on December 1, while everyone else gets it December 8.

Battlefront launched today, November 17. GameSpot's review scored it a 7/10.

"Star Wars Battlefront brings grand spectacle to the iconic sci-fi universe, but the overall experience wears thin with time," critic Mike Mahardy wrote.

Google Mobile can show you almost anything

Frankly, it had been always possible to ask Google anything, except for slightly a lot of sophisticated questions, the answers were a bit...wanting.

Now, Google has updated its mobile app to better understand advanced queries. in a blog post monday, Google product manager Satyajeet Salgar explains A couple of the improvements that help the app make sense of your weird, human thought processes.

SEE ALSO: The World's First Water-Cooled Laptop


First, Google better understands superlatives and ordered items; for example, it understands queries such as "What are the largest cities in Texas?" Also, you can ask it about a particular point in time — so you can ask that same query about the largest cities in Texas, but in 1953, for example. Perhaps most importantly, Google is better at understanding complex combinations of these queries, such as "Who was the U.S. president when the Angels won the World Series?"

In the image below, you can see how Google handles a similar query, breaking it down into pieces and then reaching into its Knowledge Graph to fetch the correct answer.

Google readily explains that the system is not perfect yet, even giving an example of a query that will not yield a correct answer (Who was Dakota Johnson's mom in the movie? — that query will net you the name of the real-life person, not the actress). However, the company claims these changes are a foundation that will make its search algorithms even smarter in the future.

You can get the free Google Search mobile app for iOS and Android here.

Here's what's inside the world's first water-cooled gaming laptop - Asus GX700 deep-dive

Asus' GX700 gaming laptop sure turned a lot of heads when it was introduced at the IFA trade show, but the reason wasn't the hardware—or at least, it wasn't the type of hardware that people usually fawn over.

Sure, the GX700 has an overclockable, quad-core Skylake Core i7-6820HK CPU, Nvidia’s bad-ass GeForce GTX 980, a buttery-smooth G-Sync panel, and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, but the real story on this laptop is the water-cooling.

Yes, a water-cooled laptop. We’ve known about the water-cooling existence since the laptop's first unveiling, but Asus is starting to finally spill some details on how it works.

The water-cooling dock contains two 90mm radiators, fans, a pump and reservoir. 

How it works

If you’ve seen pictures of the GX700's bulbous rear-end, you know the water-cooling's not exactly portable. Asus knows this, of course, so the water-cooling can come undocked. The question is how did the company pull it off?

The dock itself contains all of the liquid-cooling components. There are two 90mm radiators and fans under the vents, along with a pump and reservoir. The liquid-cooling dock connects to the laptop using a pair of quick-disconnects. You can see them in the image below.

Here’s a close up of the power and liquid inlets on the GX700.

To mate the laptop, you slide it onto several guidance pegs and then push it down, where it locks in place. Asus said it spent extra engineering resources to make sure you can’t screw it up, and the company doesn’t expect people to be able to.

The dock insludes the nozzles and more pegs to ensure proper alignment with the laptop.

Once once you’ve locked the laptop in place, the quick release nozzles open up and the liquid flows into the laptop. One question I have is how well those quick release nozzles seal. I’ve used them on custom water cooling loops in the past and there’s usually a drip or two leaking out after they're disconnected. On the GX700 I decided to see if I could reproduce that by doing removing and inserting the GX700 from the dock 10 to 15 times. Even after that many attempts, I couldn’t get one single drip to spill.

The GX700 is, of course, a Republic of Gamer laptop.

Still, Asus does anticipate possible maintenance at some point: Even without the liquid dripping out on occasion, water goes away over time. Asus officials said the laptop will be able to alert you if the reservoir gets too low.

When it does get low—and this will chaffe customers—service is not something it wants customers to perform. Instead, the dock will have to sent back to the company for servicing. That’s a bummer, but fortunately the laptop still works perfectly fine without the dock.

Inside the GX700

The GX700 relies on a pair of conventional heat pipes for cooling inside the laptop itself. It’s easy to confuse a heat pipe with a conventional water-cooling system, but they’re not the same, and the water from the dock doesn’t actually flow through the system inside the GX700. If Asus did that, the cooling on the laptop wouldn’t be effective when not docked.

So Asus used a hybrid system that features dual heat pipes for the GPU and CPU and some kind of proprietary thermal interface that helps the water cooling system suck as much heat out of the heat pipes as possible when you're docked. Here’s a look inside the GX700 that helps you understand that the water doesn’t actually mix with the heat pipe. This shot also gives you an idea of how the radiators are arrayed in the dock.

The cooler in the GX700 is actually a hybrid system using heat pipes and water cooling. 

Will a hybrid system like this work? Asus seems to think so. With the laptop docked, the company says you can achieve a 20 percent overclock on the GPU as well as healthy overclocks out of the CPU, as both are water-cooled.

Here’s the reservoir for the dock, which Asus said will eventually need maintenance. 

What we still don’t know about the GX700 is the price or availability. It’s expected to hit the streets in time for the Christmas shopping season but the price? Expect it to be pretty penny. This kind of system appeals to a small, select crowd of gamers who want to be cooler than everyone else—and with the GX700, they can actually be water-cooler than everyone else. (Sigh--Ed.)

A Surrender Option Might Be Presented In Dota 2

Dota 2 has a lot of great qualities. The lack of a surrender option isn't one of them. 

Rival MOBA League of Legends lets teams surrender after 20 minutes, roughly the halfway point for matches. Valve hasn't shown any desire to incorporate a similar feature into Dota 2. Director Erik Johnson explained the decision in an interview a couple years back (via Reddit):

One of the things we never want to lose is the amazing comeback, like the game we just played - both sides probably would have surrendered in that game at certain points. That would have been a robbery of fun.

Also Check: eSports made a Curious Comeback This Week for Dota 2 Hero Alchemist

This is a compelling arguments. Any MOBA veteran has seen their share of comebacks and knows they feel incredible. There's nothing better than hanging onto a game by your fingernails and then clawing your way to a victory. Even when you're on the losing end of these types of matches, you have to appreciate the roller coaster of emotions. 

Let's be real, though: some bad games start bad and end bad. Dota 2 and other MOBAs reward players that are doing well with experience points and gold, allowing them to out-level and out-gear their competition. In addition to playing better, the winning team becomes objectively stronger than the losers. The odds are stacked in their favor. This is especially true in Dota 2, where players lose money from dying.  

Yes, a group of skilled players can overcome these long odds by working together and not losing their cool. However, you can't count on having teammates like that. Some players don't have the knowledge or talent to turn a game around. Others will quit as soon as the game sours. Even the players that do stay around until the end might decide to just berate their teammates or feed kills to the enemies. Then there are the people who genuinely disconnect or remember they've got class in 20 minutes. With teammates like this, you're not going to mount some kind of miraculous comeback. 

In short, some matches are hopeless. Dota 2, however, makes you stay until the end out of principle. The lack of a surrender option means you have to endure an extra 20 minutes or so of the enemy team smashing through your defenses, swatting away your counterattacks and eventually leveling your base. If you're unlucky, your opponents will be the sort who hang out in your base and wait for you to come out of your spawn point so they can score some easy kills. 

There's no one in this situation that wouldn't benefit from a surrender option. The losing team would be able to concede and save themselves some aggravation. The winners still get the satisfaction of a win without the tedium of mopping up opponents that can't muster competition. Everyone saves time. 

Comebacks are a satisfying part of any MOBA but they still exist in games that let you surrender. Will players potentially bow out of games they could've turned around? Sure. But they'll definitely escape games that they had no chance of winning. The reason that comebacks are such satisfying games is that they're balanced. Each team has a shot at a win and knows that the match could hinge on the very next play. A surrender option lets players leave the hopeless matches behind and potentially find one of those legendary bouts decided in the last five minutes. What's so bad about that?

Main Source: cinemablend.com

Facebook launches Messenger on the Apple Watch FINALLY!

After teasing it at the Apple Watch event in September, Facebook has finally delivered the watch version of its Messenger app.

The social network quietly rolled out the Apple Watch app in an update to the Messenger app Thursday. The update also adds support for iOS 9 features, including universal search and multitasking for iPads.


The watch version of the messaging app supports watchOS2, the latest version of Apple's software for the Apple Watch. It actually manages to squeeze in quite a bit of Messenger's functionality into it.

You can't type out full responses to messages but you can choose from a list of canned answers, send your location, "like," post stickers or record a voice message with the watch's built-in microphone. On the receiving side, you can also check out photos, videos and voice messages.

Though the app supports Facebook's stickers, animated stickers and animated GIFs will only appear as static images on the watch app.

While not technically Facebook's first watch app — that distinction belongs to Instagram — Messenger will be a welcome addition for many users. Apple teased what appeared to be a watch version of the main Facebook app back in March, but such an app has yet to appear.

For Android users, Messenger is also compatible with Android Wear. The Android Wear app, which rolled out earlier this year, also allows you to record and send voice messages and send "likes" from your wrist.

Sony Reduces PS4 prices to $350 Including Games

Sony has dropped the price of the PlayStation 4 in the US from $400 to $350, and that includes a copy of either Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection or Star Wars Battlefront.

Starting Friday, the PS4 will be on sale at the new price, which will put Sony's console at the same price as the Xbox One in plenty of time for Christmas.

The price drop was expected, given that there was a similar cut in Japan in September. Sony says it has nothing to announce regarding prices in the UK, elsewhere in Europe or Australia. The Japanese company will have a presence at the Paris Games Show later this month, which it could use as an opportunity to address regional differences in price.


Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One both made their debuts in November 2013, and the two consoles have been in fierce competition with one another ever since. From April this year onward, the PS4 has been outselling the Xbox One, GameSpot reported last month, but the run-up to the Christmas holiday is the most important time of year for console sales.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has been busy packaging up Xbox One bundles. In August, the company said, Xbox One sales in the US rose by 26 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.

Several other console and game bundles have also seen reductions in the US. The PS4 with Limited Edition Call of Duty: Black Ops III or NHL 16 will set you back $430 and to get hold of Limited Edition Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars or Star Wars Battlefront you'll have to shell out $400.

Main Source: CNet.com

eSports made a Curious Comeback This Week for Dota 2 Hero Alchemist

This past weekend saw Dota 2 descend on New York City’s Madison Square Garden theatre for the eSports tournament ESL One. One thing that surprised a lot of Dota 2 fans was the return of Alchemist, a hero who hasn’t had a huge impact on the game’s pro scene for a while now.

Alchemist is a melee fighter in Dota 2 who was recently buffed in a curious way. The humongous 6.84 patch that was released back in April gave him a unique and very powerful method of using one specific item in the game known as “Aghanim’s Scepter.” Normally, the way Aghanim’s Scepter is it supercharges their abilities. It’s the same effect when Alchemist has and uses the scepter, the only difference that was introduced in 6.84 is that he can cast it on his allies as well as himself.

Alchemist is one of the best heroes in Dota 2 when it comes to farming gold, meaning he can accumulate a lot of currency in a (relatively) short amount of time if he wants to and then use it to buy himself bigger and better in-game items and equipment. The idea post-6.84, then, was that Alchemist players could potentially outfit their entire team with crazy aghanim’s buffs.

Or at the very least since Aghanim’s is relatively expensive (4200 gold), Alchemist could strategically apply it to his teammates that he knows would use it most effectively.

You can see how Team Secret used this exact technique to their benefit in one of their games against CDEC this week at Madison Square Garden, as captured in this highlight video by the YouTuber NoobFromUA:


The specific highlight comes very late in the game, when team Secret is chasing after a single hero named bristleback who looks sort of like an angry, anthropomorphised porcupine:

Notice how the commentators shout excitedly that the kill is proof of “the late game potential of the Reaper’s Scythe with the Aghanim’s upgrade.” The Scythe is a powerful stun move used by an undead hero named Necrophos that adds 30 seconds to an enemy’s death timer if they’re killed with it. Already a pretty killer move, right? But when it’s upgraded with Aghanim’s Scepter, it becomes bonkers: An opponent who’s killed by a Scythe can’t buy themselves back into the game, which makes the supercharged special ability absolutely devastating late in a game when everyone’s death timers are already super long and being a man down can make the difference between victory and defeat.

The tl;dr version of this that I had my Dota 2-playing friends explain to me in painstaking detail is: Alchemist’s upgrade for Necrophos let him take an opponent out of the fight for a whole two minutes late into the game, a play that the commentators described as basically sealing the deal for Team Secret’s victory.

It’s not like a single pro game or individual hero pick is going to change the course of the entire pro Dota 2 meta, so I’m not sure how much of an impact Alchemist will end up having. The other major game from this past weekend that featured Alchemist didn’t go as well for Invictus Gaming, the team doing the picking, as it did for Team Secret. 

They ended up losing the match to Vega Squadron, who emerged as the tournament’s champions at the end of the weekend. And there’s always the possibility that Dota’s next game-changing update, which is expected to come out soon, could end up knocking Alchemist down a few pegs before he ever has a chance to become a top-tier character — if he’s even capable of such a think in the first place.

Giving a MOBA hero an ability to essentially donate an ultra-powerful item to even one of his allies strikes me as a ludicrous thing to do, but I’m looking at this from the perspective of playing a whole lot more of League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm than I have Dota 2. Adding to an enemy’s death timer would also seem like an insane thing to introduce to League or HOTS as well, I’m sure. So if you’re a seasoned Dota 2 player and eSports fan, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what Alchemist’s performance this past weekend could mean.

Main Source: kotaku.com.au

NEW UPDATE: Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Zombies mode! Crazy

CALL of Duty news this week includes Advanced Warfare's latest update that brings changes to Zombies mode and some rather unusual new content for fans.

Advanced Warfare is getting a new patch that will help bring fixes for a range of COD game features, including the popular undead spinoff.

Exo Zombies Updates revealed by developers Sledgehammer Games (fixes):

Weapon upgrade cost shown wasn't being subtracted correction in Double Feature mode on the Descent Exo-Zombies map.
The music when attempting the Easter Egg on the Descent Exo-Zombies map was not present.
Map exploits where players could remain in place and not be attacked by zombies on the Descent Exo-Zombies map.

Other game modes, map exploits and scoresheet updates have also been added and can be found here for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Fans on last-gen consoles will have to wait longer for their own platform fixes.

Today also saw the release of the new M1911 & MP40 weapons in Supply Drops and Advanced Supply Drop on Xbox One.

Coming later to PS4 and PC, Sledgehammer decided to go back to the roots of the Call of Duty series to introduce the new secondary pistol as well as the returning SMG.

Advanced Warfare fans should also be on the lookout for the new Legendary gear that has been added to the game, including five new sets.

Want to look like you're fresh out of a shark tank? The Combat Diver has you covered, you can also check out the Bomber, Bank Heist and Pilot gear that has been included with a steampunk inspired 'Proton' suit.

Sledgehammer say they're committed to providing fans with new content like this well into the future but have drawn the line at providing it for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

NOW LIVE: Exclusive New Gear + New #AWLegendary available in #AdvancedWarfare’s Advanced Supply Drops on @Xbox! pic.twitter.com/vVNSmKj4iR

— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) September 29, 2015

Explaining why it isn't possible to continue supporting the last-gen devices, studio head Michael Condrey explained: "We have hit a hard memory limit on last generation consoles. This memory limit prevents us from adding more weapons to those platforms.

"We don’t like it any more than you, because we care about Advanced Warfare players on all platforms, but it's a limitation that is outside of our control.

"People far smarter than I spend a lot of energy trying to solve this hard development limit, and we simply can’t deliver new content at the rate we’re currently producing it for next generation devices (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC)."

NOW AVAILABLE: M1911 & MP40 in Supply Drops and Advanced Supply Drops on @Xbox One: http://t.co/xj5Q3q9IaE pic.twitter.com/Fc47qIcK7B

— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) September 29, 2015

Main Source: Express.co.uk 

Halo 5 To Land It Self A Teen Rating.

The ESRB has ruled, and somehow, some way, Microsoft’s Halo 5: Guardians has landed itself a Teen rating. While it seems logical for the largely gore-free Halo series, it is the first Halo game ever to land itself a T-for-Teen instead of M-for-Mature from the ratings board.

What’s different this time around? See if you can tell:

“Players use pistols, machine guns, grenade launchers, and futuristic weapons to kill alien and human enemies in frenetic combat. Battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire, explosions, and occasional blood-splatter effects. Characters can also use ‘assassinations’ to kill characters by snapping their necks, or by stabbing them with bladed weapons.”

Yup, pretty much nothing is different from past games in the series. Either it’s possible the ERSB finally realized they were being overly harsh on Halo, a series that has always been on the very, very light side of an M-rating compared to most mainstream shooters. Or, enough tiny things were taken out to make a difference. Perhaps what little blood splatter there had been in the game has been toned down further, and the complete elimination of the Flood could have something to do with it as well. While not specifically “bloody” the Flood taking over the bodies of the dead and being blown apart by the player may have been enough to make past Halo games rated M on occasion, but then again, what goes on in the minds of the ESRB is a mystery, most of the time.

The question is, does it matter?

For sales? Almost certainly not. I’ve pointed out time and time again that ill-informed parents have made the M-rating almost meaningless in video games, compared to the R-rating of movies which is well known to (often) curb box office receipts over PG-13. Instead, parents will buy M-rated games for their kids like practically any other title, and mainstream T-rated games are often few and far between. The most recent example of a prominent game being rated Teen is Destiny, which again, was also a surprise at the time given its similarities to Halo.

But in the grand scheme of the gaming industry? There are few barriers to M-rated games being huge sellers. The top 20 best-selling video games of all time contain all E and M titles, and no teen games. M-rated games like Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and Diablo adorn the list, and the first T-rated game I can even find is The Sims 2 in 29th place.

All this is to say a Teen rating isn’t likely to boost Halo 5’s fortunes on Xbox One any more than an M-rating would, though I don’t think the scaling down will work against it either. Halo isn’t Doom or Gears of War. Visceral violence and gore aren’t really innate to the series (and needless to say, neither are sex and cursing in the campaign). I don’t foresee a “PG-13 Expendables” style backlash in this case.

What a Teen rating might provide is an easier avenue for Halo 5 to become a mainstream eSport. 343 is clearly making a play for the competitive Halo scene to come roaring back, building in spectator casting tools directly into the game including instant replay and those little arrows you see on football broadcasts that show where players are heading. They’re throwing a million dollar tournament, and it’s clear they want to bring Halo back into the competitive scene, as it’s been dormant for a very long time.

A Teen rating can help with that, though it’s not a magic key unlocking the doors of eSports success. Obviously other shooters like Call of Duty and CS:GOare successful eSports despite an M-rating. But a T-rating will make it easier to attract a wider array of sponsors who may shy away from more violent games. It also will potentially allow a Halo tournament to show up somewhere like ESPN, where broadcast TV would be far less likely to show an M-rated game for legal reasons. Ever seen an MA-rated show on ESPN? Certainly not often, if ever.

While COD and CS:GO are rated M, the biggest eSports in the world fromStarcraft to Hearthstone to League of Legends are all rated T (I couldn’t tell you why Hearthstone is rated T instead of E, but again, that’s the ESRB for you). DOTA 2 doesn’t have an ESRB rating, but it would likely be Teen as well, as it features minimal violence from a traditional zoomed out MOBA perspective. These games are more attractive to advertisers and broadcast partners, even if normally M-ratings of games mean practically nothing.

Ratings in these games are often hilariously arbitrary, especially so when the caveat “Online Interactions not rated” is factored in. League of Legends may lack nudity and gore meant to corrupt young minds, but can turn a child into a toxic, hate-spewing troll after interacting with other players in chat. And you can experience enough cursing over your headset in one match of Halo to bump that T to an AO very quickly.

Halo 5 likely deserves to be rated Teen, but then again, so did most of the other Halo games before it. It’s going to be a huge-seller for Microsoft either way, but the T-rating may open up a few more doors in the eSports realm, despite how illogical all of this sounds.

Main Source: Forbes.com

Resident Evil 2 Remake

The producer at R&D Division 1 at Capcom "Yoshiaki Hirabyashi" has annouced early the new plans for the remaking process of Resident Evil 2. Due to large request for remaking the old famous game, Yoshiaki Hirabyashi declared that the company is willing to remake the game and it granted permission to forward with the development.

The remaking of the Resident Evil 2 might involve some updates  , while capcom didn't mention any further details about it or about what are the platforms that it's going to be published on, but it shared a couple of HD photos of the Game on PC in January this year.

Check out the following photos from Capcom about the new Resident Evil 2 Remaking!

BATTLEFIELD 4 (PS4) A Guide To Ranking Fast (Video)

If you are looking to rank up fast, this video will give you great tips on how to rank up fast in Battlefield 4.

10 Upcoming Video Games That Could Score 10/10

Source: Konami

When a video game finds itself branded with the coveted 10/10 score, the likes of which are rarely glimpsed, the reviewer in question is essentially saying:
“This is an amazing video game. It is as close to perfection as it is possible for a video game to come. This video game offers up everything that is great about the medium of video games – and then some. You, and everyone you know should play it immediately.”

Or something like that.

Video games, after all, rarely manage to reach the heights of a 10/10 review (or 5 out of 5, depending on your preferred publication). A video game has to be something special to find itself on the tail end of a 10/10 – it has to push boundaries and offer up a progressive take on its genre, whilst feeling natural and comfortable to play at the same time. It’s a tough thing to get right, but – generally speaking – you know a 10/10 when you play one.

Each year, just a handful of games are met with 10/10 reviews. Looking ahead at the eclectic set of video games set for release across the span of 2015 (and some thereafter), here are 10 titles that just might have what it takes to nab that elusive “perfect” score…

10. Batman: Arkham Knight

 

Source: Rocksteady Studios

Release Date: June 23 2015

It would be an understatement of sorts to merely state that the Batman Arkham games have been “successful.” These titles have emerged as behemoths of the industry, garnering overwhelmingly popular critical reviews and great commercial success. Is there any reason to doubt that the fourth instalment, Arkham Knight, will be any different?

Set a year after the events of Arkham City, Arkham Knight will see Batman going up against the Scarecrow as the latter attempts to unite the Caped Crusader’s worst enemies in a bid to end him once and for all – including a new and terrifying foe.

And guess what? This time players will be able to drive the freakin’ Batmobile, which is as good a reason as any to assume this game will garner 10/10 reviews (also: there are apparently no loading times, either, which is frankly genius).

The hype surrounding Arkham Knight is kind of immense, of course, and from what has been unveiled so far, things are looking incredibly positive. There’s no reason why Arkham Knight won’t be the best Arkham game ever, after all – especially since the environment is five times bigger than that of the open-air Arkham City prison. What a playground!

 9. The Witness

 

Source: Thekla Inc.

Release Date: TBA 2015

Braid turned out to be one of the most popular indie games ever made – a throughly original and ultimately shocking little title that packed tons of creativity and replay value into a seemingly “simple” platform package. With its cute graphics and time travel gimmick, it was something of a sensation upon release and garnered great critical reviews.

So it’s not hard to believe that The Witness, designer Jonathan Blow’s long-awaited follow-up, will emerge just as victorious as Braid once did, come release day.

According to the press release, The Witness is “a puzzle adventure game, experienced in the first-person view. The player, as an unnamed character, finds himself on an island with numerous structures and natural formations,” which sets the stage for a mysterious quest built with secret mechanics that its developer is desperate to keep under wraps.

From what has been glimpsed thus far, though, the game itself looks gorgeous; there’s a good chance that Blow could have a second masterpiece on his hands with this one.

 8. Until Dawn

 

Source: Supermassive Games

Release Date: August 25 2015

It’s rare that a survival horror game will ever live up to hype and expectations, but Until Dawn – the upcoming title from developer Supermassive Games – could do just that.

Though the plot – which has six friends spending a night in a log cabin whilst being hunted by a serial killer – is super familiar, Until Dawn isn’t your run of the mill horror title.

According to the developer, this game is wholly unique on account of its innovative narrative approach. That’s to say, each 9 hour play-through utilises a special in-game system called the “Butterfly Effect” in which “any choice of action by the player may cause major unforeseen consequences later on.”

Which means that everybody’s experience of Until Dawn will be totally different. Not to mention that the graphics are stunning, and the voice acting is of the professional kind. Seriously: this game stars actress Hayden Panettiere and everything! Here’s hoping that it manages to grant players an unforgettable experience with ultimate replay value, then.

7. Inside

Source: Playdead

Release Date: TBA 2015

Remember Limbo? It was that amazing little game from Danish indie developer Playdead that everybody was talking about for months on end back in 2010, thanks to its intricate level design, creepy atmosphere and finely detailed world.

Well, now Playdead are back with their follow-up to Limbo. The game is called Inside, and from what has been made available to see thus far (by way of an E3 teaser trailer), it looks absolutely fantastic. It almost appears to be a spiritual sequel to Limbo, with the dim visuals and platform gameplay, but there’s a sense of progression and maturity – not to mention that it looks to have been made even darker in tone. Who’d have thought?

Major details are light, but there’s no reason why this won’t turn out to be an indie masterpiece. Expect 10/10 reviews across the board come release day, then.

6. Rise Of The Tomb Raider

Source: Crystal Dynamics

Release Date: Q4 2015

After a series of disappointing titles, the Tomb Raider franchise finally rebooted itself back to its former glory with a gritty origin story that revealed there was life in the old series yet.

That’s to say, 2013’s Tomb Raider – developed by Crystal Dynamics – was met with fantastic reviews all round, most of which praised the pacing and atmosphere of the game. Rise of the Tomb Raider, then, picks up years later in Siberia, with the titular heroine on a mission to prove she’s not insane.

Rise of the Tomb Raider purports to improve on the original chapter in every way, and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t succeed. Interestingly, the game will feature a crafting system, which will give players the opportunity to scavenge and combine materials from plants and animals – there’s very much an emphasis on “survival” with this one.

Fingers crossed that this turns out to be the first Tomb Raider game since the original and its sequel, Tomb Raider II, to find itself met with scores of 10/10.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

 

Source: Konami

Release Date: September 1 2015

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes proved to be something of a disappointing experience – more like an extended demo than a full-on game. But taken as an appetiser for the main course that is the upcoming Phantom Pain, and all could very well be forgiven.

After all, The Phantom Pain looks insanely good on every level; a vast and sprawling epic of a game that appears to be taking what is great about the MGS franchise and making it even greater – not to mention the added addition of free-roaming gameplay, a first for the series, coupled with combat sequences and a home base.

There has been a lot of controversy and tons of production problems associated with the release of Phantom Pain, of course (talks of creative struggles within Konami), but given what has been glimpsed thus far, and the integrity of the entire MGS franchise to date, there is hope for this game; hope that it will secure itself as one of the Playstation 4’s best releases ever, and as an easy candidate for a huge explosion of 10/10 scores.

4. Mario Maker

Source: Nintendo

 

Release Date: September 2015

Nintendo fans have been waiting for something like Mario Maker for a long, long time – to the point where its very unveiling almost feels like a joke or an April Fool’s trick.

Essentially, the game is poised as something akin to Super Mario Level Designer; the game literally allows players to build platform levels using an intricate toolbox built from all the classic Mario enemies, power-ups and pipes – complete with the option to render it using either 8-bit or modern 3D graphics. The idea is that players can create their own Mario levels, separate them into worlds, and pass them around between friends.

To repeat that one more time: YOU CAN LITERALLY MAKE A MARIO GAME.
This is a dream come true for all the Nintendo lovers who have spent countless hours wondering if they have what it takes to design their own Mario game.

From what looks to be its easy-to-use design, beautiful graphics, ability to share with friends, and creative potential, there is arguably no game more inherently exciting on the horizon than this one. Just through existing, it automatically earns a preliminary 10/10 score.

3. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Source: UbiSoft

 

Release Date: October 23 2015

There have been great Assassin’s Creed games and there have been not so great Assassin’s Creed games; whilst many instalments in this sprawling franchise have felt immersive and carefully made, other chapters have felt half-assed and rushed.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, two years in the making, appears to fall into that of the former camp – a return to form for a franchise known to occasionally phone it in.
Set in Victorian London during the Industrial Revolution, Syndicate finally offers players the chance to scale the rooftops in one of the environments that fans of Assassin’s Creed have been pining for every since people starting saying, “Hey, where would be a cool place to set an Assassin’s Creed game?” Going by the footage glimpsed thus far, the developers have taken a lot of time and energy to ensure that London has been properly rendered.

It looks to be the most promising Creed title in a long time. Yes, like other instalments in the series, Syndicate will make use of famous historical persons of its timeframe, so Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin will both appear here, apparently. But really the main reason everybody wants to play this game is to climb Big Ben, isn’t it? Don’t fret: you can.

2. Halo 5: Guardians

Source: 343 Industries

 

Release Date: October 27 2015

Halo 4 was a solid game, but in retrospect it wasn’t a particularly memorable chapter in the Halo franchise. It did everything that a good Halo game should, of course, but it lacked that oomph factor. You don’t remember Halo 4 in the way you remember Halo or Halo 2 or Halo 3, even. Halo 5, on the other hand… well, the oomph factor looks to be firmly in place.

In other words, Halo 5 is switching things up with a twisty and exciting plot, which shifts the focus from Master Chief slightly and positions the player as a different Spartan named Locke, who’s tasked with seeking out the iconic hero as the galaxy explodes around him. Little else is known of the story right now, but it already has fans of the series salivating.

Halo 5 is also the first Halo game to appear on the Xbox One, so you better believe that 343 Industries have pushed the boat out with regards to every aspect – graphically, narratively, and in terms of its gameplay, weapons, enemies and script, Halo 5 has the potential to be the most impressive chapter in the sci-fi saga yet. 10/10? Very likely.

1. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

 

Source: Naughty Dog

Release Date: Q1/Q2 2016

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the longest way off of all the games mentioned here, but it also might be the one title of the entire bunch most likely to find itself branded with an endless stream of 10/10 scores upon release date. Why, you wonder?

Well, firstly, it’s an Uncharted game, and all three Uncharted games thus far have either been masterpieces or close to masterpieces. Secondly, this is the first Uncharted game on the latest generation of consoles – can you imagine the possibilities? Thirdly, Naughty Dog are one of the great game developers of this here modern era (The Last of Us, anyone?)

The plot, set three years after the events of the previous game, find hero Nathan Drake settled into a normal existence. Out of nowhere, Nathan’s long lost brother appears and pulls him into a conspiracy, which – according to developer Naughty Dog – will be “his greatest adventure yet and will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he’s willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves.”
It seems rude to suggest that this is going to receive anything less than a 10/10 game.


Let us know if you know any other coming games in the comments!

Source: http://whatculture.com