Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Exodus is a new sci-fi RPG from former BioWare, 343 and Naughty Dog developers

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Exodus is the first game from Archetype Entertainment, a studio established by Wizards of the Coast in 2019 and staffed by former developers from BioWare, 343 Industries, Naughty Dog and other AAA establishments. Exodus is a big and bold sci-fi RPG that deals with time dilation, the idea that time passes more slowly than we're used to during high-velocity travel, causing interstellar explorers to outlive their friends and family back home.

In Exodus, humanity has been forced to abandon Earth and establish a new civilization in a hostile galaxy. Players are the Traveler, a person tasked with exploring far-off solar systems for advanced alien technology. What the Traveler counts in days, the rest of humanity experiences in decades. With this conceit, players' choices will cause butterfly effects to ripple across humanity's new planet, particularly in the lives of their own loved ones, and the Traveler will watch these play out over generations.

Player choice is a big part of Exodus, affecting individual combat moments and helping to shape the overall story arc. The game includes alien weaponry and classic gunplay, a deep progression system, and a swathe of companion characters (yes, romance is on the table). Also, Matthew McConaughey is in Exodus in some way, and he presented the game at The Game Awards, unveiling its first trailer.

Archetype, a division of Wizards of the Coast, is packed with stellar sci-fi video game talent. It includes studio head James Ohlen (Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins), executive producer Chad Robertson (Star Wars: The Old Republic), director Chris King (Halo 4), and narrative director Drew Karpyshyn (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2). The focus on time dilation and personal loss in Exodus underscores the team's desire to build an emotional, narrative-driven game, with action as an engaging but supplementary feature — and they have the résumés to pull that off.

Exodus is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/exodus-is-a-new-sci-fi-rpg-from-former-bioware-343-and-naughty-dog-developers-011433508.html?src=rss

Thrasher looks like another nightmare-inducing game from the artist behind Thumper

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The Game Awards got off to a flying start with a string of fascinating announcements during the pre-show. One of the freshly revealed games that's coming your way soon is Thrasher, which is from Brian Gibson, the artist and composer behind the 2016 nightmare factory Thumper. 

Gibson (who is also the bass player in the band Lightning Bolt) teamed up with Rock Band VR and Fuser alum Mike Mandel to form Puddle Games. Gibson handled Thrasher's art and music, while Mandel was responsible for coding and research and development. The pair collaborated on the design.

Thrasher will see you take control of a space eel at the dawn of time. You'll need to master "fast-paced gesture controls" to evolve this creature into a so-called megabeast. While it might not be a direct sequel to Thumper, the trailer suggests it'll share some of the previous game's DNA. It seems like there will once again be mind-melting visuals to match a pulsating, anxious soundtrack. I'm terrified already.

Thrasher is coming to Meta Quest and other virtual reality platforms in 2024. It'll arrive on consoles and PC at a later date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thrasher-looks-like-another-nightmare-inducing-game-from-the-artist-behind-thumper-010802152.html?src=rss

Thrasher looks like another nightmare-inducing game from the artist behind Thumper

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The Game Awards got off to a flying start with a string of fascinating announcements during the pre-show. One of the freshly revealed games that's coming your way soon is Thrasher, which is from Brian Gibson, the artist and composer behind the 2016 nightmare factory Thumper. 

Gibson (who is also the bass player in the band Lightning Bolt) teamed up with Rock Band VR and Fuser alum Mike Mandel to form Puddle Games. Gibson handled Thrasher's art and music, while Mandel was responsible for coding and research and development. The pair collaborated on the design.

Thrasher will see you take control of a space eel at the dawn of time. You'll need to master "fast-paced gesture controls" to evolve this creature into a so-called megabeast. While it might not be a direct sequel to Thumper, the trailer suggests it'll share some of the previous game's DNA. It seems like there will once again be mind-melting visuals to match a pulsating, anxious soundtrack. I'm terrified already.

Thrasher is coming to Meta Quest and other virtual reality platforms in 2024. It'll arrive on consoles and PC at a later date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thrasher-looks-like-another-nightmare-inducing-game-from-the-artist-behind-thumper-010802152.html?src=rss

Watch The Game Awards 2023 here at 7:30PM ET

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The tenth edition of the Game Awards is upon us. The event unfolds Thursday evening, with host Geoff Keighley scheduled to take the stage at 7:30PM ET. In addition to the myriad trailers, announcements, gameplay clips and speeches, six titles will compete for the coveted Game of the Year award. Engadget will cover all the big news as it happens, and you can watch along below.

Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead the pack with eight total nominations. They’ll compete for Game of the Year with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (seven nods), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (five), The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (five) and the Resident Evil 4 remake (four).

Nintendo had a banner year, even as the Switch likely approaches its swan song. The company raked in 15 total nominations — the most of any publisher. Sony was next, with 13 nods, while Microsoft (including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard) received 10 noms. Meanwhile, Epic Games, the only non-hardware-producing publisher in the top four, snagged nine.

The awards show includes 31 total awards in areas as diverse as Best Action Game, Best Esports Coach and Best Independent Game. The indie category opened a can of worms this year, as the beloved Dave the Diver was included in the category despite being produced by a subsidiary of Nexon, a behemoth with an $18.3 billion market cap.

You can tune into the Game Awards on YouTube, Twitch (and other platforms) at 7:30PM ET on Thursday. Or, watch below:

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-game-awards-2023-here-at-730pm-et-190011911.html?src=rss

Watch The Game Awards 2023 here at 7:30PM ET

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The tenth edition of the Game Awards is upon us. The event unfolds Thursday evening, with host Geoff Keighley scheduled to take the stage at 7:30PM ET. In addition to the myriad trailers, announcements, gameplay clips and speeches, six titles will compete for the coveted Game of the Year award. Engadget will cover all the big news as it happens, and you can watch along below.

Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead the pack with eight total nominations. They’ll compete for Game of the Year with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (seven nods), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (five), The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (five) and the Resident Evil 4 remake (four).

Nintendo had a banner year, even as the Switch likely approaches its swan song. The company raked in 15 total nominations — the most of any publisher. Sony was next, with 13 nods, while Microsoft (including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard) received 10 noms. Meanwhile, Epic Games, the only non-hardware-producing publisher in the top four, snagged nine.

The awards show includes 31 total awards in areas as diverse as Best Action Game, Best Esports Coach and Best Independent Game. The indie category opened a can of worms this year, as the beloved Dave the Diver was included in the category despite being produced by a subsidiary of Nexon, a behemoth with an $18.3 billion market cap.

You can tune into the Game Awards on YouTube, Twitch (and other platforms) at 7:30PM ET on Thursday. Or, watch below:

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-game-awards-2023-here-at-730pm-et-190011911.html?src=rss

Streamlabs is bringing livestreaming tools to X

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Content creation experts Streamlabs has partnered with beleaguered social media platform X to offer a “seamless go-live experience”. This is part of X’s long-promised integration of game streaming to the site. To that end, it’ll allow X users to initiate streams without having to manually input stream keys and it’ll let those same users sign into the Streamlabs desktop app or the mobile app using social media credentials.

The system also integrates with X’s new live broadcast chat functionality, so you can monitor chat messages in the Streamlabs desktop add as you stream. The desktop app also lets you adjust monetization options on the fly, including custom alerts for tipping and overlays for branded content. Additionally, content creators have access to the Streamlabs merch store so they can hawk branded products while they stream. Creators using X will also have access to the company's line of widgets for increased engagement.

For regular users, this partnership will allow people to chat with their favorite streamers in real-time straight from X, though this feature looks to be paywalled behind one of those Blue subscriptions, or Premium or whatever it’s called these days. The one that gets you the universally-beloved blue check mark.

Of course, there’s the massive antisemitic elephant in the room. This is a strange time to announce a partnership with X, given Musk’s recent behavior and the ongoing exodus of advertisers from the social media platform. So far this exodus has included Apple, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Warner Brothers Discovery and others. It looks like Streamlabs, and by extension Logitech, has decided to buck trends and tie its horse to the X wagon. Still, new livestreaming tools are never a bad thing. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/streamlabs-is-bringing-livestreaming-tools-to-x-175752692.html?src=rss

Streamlabs is bringing livestreaming tools to X

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Content creation experts Streamlabs has partnered with beleaguered social media platform X to offer a “seamless go-live experience”. This is part of X’s long-promised integration of game streaming to the site. To that end, it’ll allow X users to initiate streams without having to manually input stream keys and it’ll let those same users sign into the Streamlabs desktop app or the mobile app using social media credentials.

The system also integrates with X’s new live broadcast chat functionality, so you can monitor chat messages in the Streamlabs desktop add as you stream. The desktop app also lets you adjust monetization options on the fly, including custom alerts for tipping and overlays for branded content. Additionally, content creators have access to the Streamlabs merch store so they can hawk branded products while they stream. Creators using X will also have access to the company's line of widgets for increased engagement.

For regular users, this partnership will allow people to chat with their favorite streamers in real-time straight from X, though this feature looks to be paywalled behind one of those Blue subscriptions, or Premium or whatever it’s called these days. The one that gets you the universally-beloved blue check mark.

Of course, there’s the massive antisemitic elephant in the room. This is a strange time to announce a partnership with X, given Musk’s recent behavior and the ongoing exodus of advertisers from the social media platform. So far this exodus has included Apple, Disney, Paramount, Sony, Warner Brothers Discovery and others. It looks like Streamlabs, and by extension Logitech, has decided to buck trends and tie its horse to the X wagon. Still, new livestreaming tools are never a bad thing. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/streamlabs-is-bringing-livestreaming-tools-to-x-175752692.html?src=rss

THQ Nordic says it’s avoiding holiday crunch by delaying Alone in the Dark reboot to March

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THQ Nordic has once again delayed its reboot of Alone in the Dark. The revival of the totemic survival horror series was originally supposed to debut in October before the publisher pushed back the release date to January. THQ Nordic now says that Alone in the Dark will arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on March 20, 2024.

The main reason for the latest delay is to prevent the folks at developer Pieces Interactive from having to work long hours over the holidays to ensure the game would ship next month. "With our initially planned release date in January 2024, the Christmas season would have been filled with stress and anything but a jolly time for them," THQ Nordic said in a statement.

"The well-being of the teams is a top priority, and both companies want to avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays," the publisher added. "Furthermore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David [Harbour] and Jodie [Comer] as the main protagonists."

A delay from January to March shouldn't be a huge deal for the publisher, given that the game will still arrive in the same financial quarter. That said, given THQ Nordic's parent company Embracer is in the midst of an intense cost-cutting drive, the publisher will want to give Alone in the Dark every chance possible of becoming a hit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thq-nordic-says-its-avoiding-holiday-crunch-by-delaying-alone-in-the-dark-reboot-to-march-164313897.html?src=rss

THQ Nordic says it’s avoiding holiday crunch by delaying Alone in the Dark reboot to March

Posted on by

THQ Nordic has once again delayed its reboot of Alone in the Dark. The revival of the totemic survival horror series was originally supposed to debut in October before the publisher pushed back the release date to January. THQ Nordic now says that Alone in the Dark will arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on March 20, 2024.

The main reason for the latest delay is to prevent the folks at developer Pieces Interactive from having to work long hours over the holidays to ensure the game would ship next month. "With our initially planned release date in January 2024, the Christmas season would have been filled with stress and anything but a jolly time for them," THQ Nordic said in a statement.

"The well-being of the teams is a top priority, and both companies want to avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays," the publisher added. "Furthermore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David [Harbour] and Jodie [Comer] as the main protagonists."

A delay from January to March shouldn't be a huge deal for the publisher, given that the game will still arrive in the same financial quarter. That said, given THQ Nordic's parent company Embracer is in the midst of an intense cost-cutting drive, the publisher will want to give Alone in the Dark every chance possible of becoming a hit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thq-nordic-says-its-avoiding-holiday-crunch-by-delaying-alone-in-the-dark-reboot-to-march-164313897.html?src=rss

Disney+ adds a Hulu tab as the streaming services start integrating

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Disney Bundle subscribers in the US should now be seeing some more general entertainment fare popping up on Disney+. The long-awaited integration of Hulu into the company's namesake streaming platform is underway. Disney has added a Hulu tab to the platform for those with a bundle subscription. The company is calling this a limited beta of Hulu on Disney+ ahead of a broader rollout in the spring.

The Hulu tab appears alongside those for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic on the Disney+ homepage. Clicking or tapping on the tab will take you to a Hulu Hub, which features thousands of movies and shows, including episodes that aired on TV the day before. The idea is to make it easier for subscribers to access everything they might want to watch from within the same app.

According to Disney, by rolling out the Hulu tab in beta to begin with, subscribers will have time to set up parental controls and family profiles if they haven't already done so. That should help them stop kids from watching movies and shows that perhaps aren't age appropriate.

It's worth noting that the integration won't spell the end for Hulu (which Disney will soon take full ownership of) as a separate app. You'll still need that to access the Hulu + Live TV and Premium add ons, for instance. Additionally, you'll have to go to the Hulu app for the service's full on-demand library. 

It seems that nothing much will change for folks in other countries as things stand. Disney+ subscribers in many territories already have access to Hulu originals as well as titles from the ABC, Disney and 20th Century back catalog through the Star tab.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disney-adds-a-hulu-tab-as-the-streaming-services-start-integrating-153023092.html?src=rss