OFFICIAL: 2017 Lincoln Continental Gets $45,485 MSRP, Pre-Orders Open Now

UPDATE: Other sites seem to have received some additional information from dealers.

UPDATE: Other sites seem to have received some additional information from dealers. It has been added below the jump.

Those looking to put down money on one of the most storied nameplates in Lincoln’s history will have to shell out $45,485, which includes destination and delivery, for the privilege.

For that near-as-makes-no-difference $50,000, Lincoln will build you a Continental Premiere with a 3.7-liter V6 engine that sends power to the front wheels.

According to Lincoln spokesperson Stephane Cesareo, and counter to a recent report by CarsDirect, the Lincoln Continental will not launch with cash incentives. Instead, Lincoln will offer the vehicle with its typical financing deal of 1.9% APR up to 60 months.

The Continental is “a very important vehicle for us, a very important vehicle for Lincoln,” Cesareo said in a phone call with TTAC. A high level of interest from customers has garnered 40,000 hand-raisers for the car, he said. Not quite Tesla Model 3 levels of interest, but phenomenally healthy for any Lincoln introduced in the last 15 to 20 years.

Lincoln’s newest sedan debuted in concept guise last year to massive intrigue after intense speculation from the automotive press. The automaker followed up the concept with the reveal of a production version this past Januaryat the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

More detailed pricing information for the Continental will be available later today, and dealers can take pre-orders for the Continental starting today. The first production run should arrive at dealers toward the end of Q3 2016.

The Ignition Blogis reporting that Continentals powered by the optional 400-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 can be priced up to a “staggering $72,000 with every option checked.” We will know for sure later today.

The same site is also stating that “the first 1,500 to place an order will receive a limited-edition, framed rendering of Continental that has been signed by Lincoln Design Director David Woodhouse.”

This is the first time I’ve heard of David Woodhouse, but I’m sure he’s a nice guy with excellent penmanship.

Take a look at Uncharted 2 footage from The Nathan Drake Collection

Take a look at Uncharted 2 footage from The Nathan Drake Collection
Friday, 17 July 2015 09:11 GMT By Shabana Arif
Uncharted 2 never looked so good.

Uncharted 2 never looked so good. Here’s a snippet from the upcoming Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.

Running at 1080p/ 60fps, the four minute clip looks glorious, as Nathan Drake battles the helicopter from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

The trilogy is being remastered by Bluepoint Games, with “better lighting, textures, and models,” and in 1080p/ 60pfs. Photo mode and new trophies are being added as well as various other improvements.

Another bonus for picking up the collection is access to the Uncharted 4 beta, while the demo will be available this summer.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection will be released for PS4 on October 9.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

2016 Ten Best/Worst Automobiles Today Nominations Open! Vote Now!

Nearly 10 years ago, Robert Farago and Frank Williams stumbled upon a grand idea: to counter all those other websites, media outlets, and blogs competing to see who could fellate automakers the quickest and fastest, TTAC decided instead to put on a pair of size 12 steel-toe boots and swing its leg where the sun don’t shine.

Nearly 10 years ago, Robert Farago and Frank Williams stumbled upon a grand idea: to counter all those other websites, media outlets, and blogs competing to see who could fellate automakers the quickest and fastest, TTAC decided instead to put on a pair of size 12 steel-toe boots and swing its leg where the sun don’t shine. Thus, TTAC birthed the TWAT awards.

Since then, The Best Automobiles Going (TBAG) awards joined its elder sibling, and the two were renamed so as not to offend the sensibilities of some. This year, Ten Best and Ten Worst are back — in a new time slot, but on the same channel — and it all starts with you.

Your mission: Set your typing fingers alight with vitriol and smash some keys. Nominations are now open.

What’s undeniable: Cars are getting better. We have more horsepower than ever before, and more hybridized, electric, hydrogen, and other alternatively powered vehicles than when these awards were conceived a decade ago. To top it all off, most automakers have done a stint or two at the Betty Ford Clinic for Automotive Badge Engineering. It’s up to us to pick the best performers.

However, truly bad cars still exist, and it’s our duty to highlight the worst offenders. Four-door coupes? Four-door coupe SUVs? Four-door coupe crossovers? The automotive industry is high on the astronomical MSRPs of niche-fillers. Alphanumeric platform sharing is still rampant, and it will continue for the foreseeable future, even as shared parts across model lines continue to push recall counts skyward.

Justifications must be given for a nomination to be valid. Reaching into the archives, here are some guidelines for justification:

Looks That Stop Traffic : This goes either way: so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes away, or so ghastly that it qualified as a trainwreck as soon as it rolled off the assembly line. The “WTF” Factor : This also goes either way: a horrible decision usually produces a horrible car — but not always. Sometimes an automaker will ignore the beancounters and simply build something awesome. Misused Technology : Should a base BMW be sold without navigation? Does a Focus really need the ability to park itself? Misery Factor : When given to you as a rental, do you immediately request another car? Is it sold primarily on price and all the external factors instead of on merit? Is it a Mitsubishi Mirage or Dodge Journey?

This isn’t a one-way street where we crowdsource your answers for some easy content. Those who nominate their Ten Best and Ten Worst via the poll linked below will be entered into a draw for $100 Amazon gift card. The contest ends on Sunday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. ET, which is also the same time the poll closes. That gives you a full week to nominate your list of truly awful and wonderful automobiles.

Rules of Engagement

A number of changes have been made to the nomination rules, so please read through them thoroughly.

Any car or light truck offered for sale as a new vehicle in the U.S. for the 2016 model year is eligible for nomination, regardless of country of origin, price, market segment, automaker, production/sales numbers, or domestic content. You must provide a reason for your nomination. “Because it sucks” and “because it’s awesome” doesn’t cut the mustard, son. We reserve the right to cull lazy answers and their associated nominations. We reserve the right to do whatever we want, really. Badge-engineered siblings can be nominated as a team in either category if they all suck/win equally. A vehicle nominated in both the “Best” and “Worst” categories will be placed in the category in which it received the most nominations. It will be assigned a score that’s the net difference of those nominations. (e.g. if XYZ Car receives 20 “Best” nominations and 30 “Worst” nominations, the vehicle will be allotted 10 “Worst” nominations.) TTAC staff will select 20 finalists in each category from the nominees, taking into consideration how well the nominations were justified and our personal opinions of the vehicles in question. Readers will vote on those 40 cumulative vehicles to determine the Ten Best and Ten Worst. Nominations start now and end Sunday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. The 40 finalists will be presented for voting on or around April 27. Winners/losers will be announced June 9. You cannot nominate the Jeep Compass. (More on this later.)

2016 Ten Best/Worst Automobiles Today Nominations Open! Vote Now!

Nearly 10 years ago, Robert Farago and Frank Williams stumbled upon a grand idea: to counter all those other websites, media outlets, and blogs competing to see who could fellate automakers the quickest and fastest, TTAC decided instead to put on a pair of size 12 steel-toe boots and swing its leg where the sun don’t shine.

Nearly 10 years ago, Robert Farago and Frank Williams stumbled upon a grand idea: to counter all those other websites, media outlets, and blogs competing to see who could fellate automakers the quickest and fastest, TTAC decided instead to put on a pair of size 12 steel-toe boots and swing its leg where the sun don’t shine. Thus, TTAC birthed the TWAT awards.

Since then, The Best Automobiles Going (TBAG) awards joined its elder sibling, and the two were renamed so as not to offend the sensibilities of some. This year, Ten Best and Ten Worst are back — in a new time slot, but on the same channel — and it all starts with you.

Your mission: Set your typing fingers alight with vitriol and smash some keys. Nominations are now open.

What’s undeniable: Cars are getting better. We have more horsepower than ever before, and more hybridized, electric, hydrogen, and other alternatively powered vehicles than when these awards were conceived a decade ago. To top it all off, most automakers have done a stint or two at the Betty Ford Clinic for Automotive Badge Engineering. It’s up to us to pick the best performers.

However, truly bad cars still exist, and it’s our duty to highlight the worst offenders. Four-door coupes? Four-door coupe SUVs? Four-door coupe crossovers? The automotive industry is high on the astronomical MSRPs of niche-fillers. Alphanumeric platform sharing is still rampant, and it will continue for the foreseeable future, even as shared parts across model lines continue to push recall counts skyward.

Justifications must be given for a nomination to be valid. Reaching into the archives, here are some guidelines for justification:

Looks That Stop Traffic : This goes either way: so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes away, or so ghastly that it qualified as a trainwreck as soon as it rolled off the assembly line. The “WTF” Factor : This also goes either way: a horrible decision usually produces a horrible car — but not always. Sometimes an automaker will ignore the beancounters and simply build something awesome. Misused Technology : Should a base BMW be sold without navigation? Does a Focus really need the ability to park itself? Misery Factor : When given to you as a rental, do you immediately request another car? Is it sold primarily on price and all the external factors instead of on merit? Is it a Mitsubishi Mirage or Dodge Journey?

This isn’t a one-way street where we crowdsource your answers for some easy content. Those who nominate their Ten Best and Ten Worst via the poll linked below will be entered into a draw for $100 Amazon gift card. The contest ends on Sunday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. ET, which is also the same time the poll closes. That gives you a full week to nominate your list of truly awful and wonderful automobiles.

Rules of Engagement

A number of changes have been made to the nomination rules, so please read through them thoroughly.

Any car or light truck offered for sale as a new vehicle in the U.S. for the 2016 model year is eligible for nomination, regardless of country of origin, price, market segment, automaker, production/sales numbers, or domestic content. You must provide a reason for your nomination. “Because it sucks” and “because it’s awesome” doesn’t cut the mustard, son. We reserve the right to cull lazy answers and their associated nominations. We reserve the right to do whatever we want, really. Badge-engineered siblings can be nominated as a team in either category if they all suck/win equally. A vehicle nominated in both the “Best” and “Worst” categories will be placed in the category in which it received the most nominations. It will be assigned a score that’s the net difference of those nominations. (e.g. if XYZ Car receives 20 “Best” nominations and 30 “Worst” nominations, the vehicle will be allotted 10 “Worst” nominations.) TTAC staff will select 20 finalists in each category from the nominees, taking into consideration how well the nominations were justified and our personal opinions of the vehicles in question. Readers will vote on those 40 cumulative vehicles to determine the Ten Best and Ten Worst. Nominations start now and end Sunday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. The 40 finalists will be presented for voting on or around April 27. Winners/losers will be announced June 9. You cannot nominate the Jeep Compass. (More on this later.)

Destiny: Xur location and inventory for July 17, 18

Destiny: Xur location and inventory for July 17, 18
Friday, 17 July 2015 10:17 GMT By Shabana Arif
Happy Xursday!

Happy Xursday! What does Xur have in his sack for you this week?

You can find Xur taking a load off at the North Tower. As always, he’ll pack up shop by Sunday 9am GMT, so be sure to pay him a visit before then.

Helm of Inmost Light[Exotic Titan helmet] – 13SC Celestial Nighthawk[Exotic Hunter helmet] – 13CS Sunbreakers[Exotic Warlock gauntlets] – 13SC Exotic Shard– 7SC Exotic Engram– 23SC [helmet]

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 trailer shows off deadly precision

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 trailer shows off deadly precision
Thursday, 24 May 2012 09:30 GMT By Alex Donaldson
City Interactive has released a new trailer for Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 showing off urban combat in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

The trailer has a sniper supporting a ground-based squad with pinpoint accuracy that goes from unseen headshots to hitting a package of C4 to cause a massive explosion. The CryEngine 3-powered shooter looks pretty damn impressive.

The trailer provides an early glimpse of what City will be showing off when they demo the game at E3 in two weeks.

The final game’s out in August. See the trailer for yourself below.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End delayed to April

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End delayed to April
Monday, 4 January 2016 15:43 GMT By Sherif Saed
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has received another delay.

Over the holiday break, Uncharted 4 developer Naughty Dog confirmed that the release date for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Endhas been pushed back to April.

Previously due March 18, Uncharted 4 will now launch April 26. “We need a bit more time to finish the game so that it meets our standards and vision,” wrote the developer on the PS Blog.

“This is our largest Uncharted game to date, and the team has been working incredibly hard to meet the challenge of closing out the game’s development in a timely manner.

“However, as we approached our final deadlines and started wrapping up the game’s levels, we realized that several key sequences needed extra resources to bring them to the finish line. After carefully considering all of our options, we decided to extend our schedule, making sure that we get a few more polish passes,” the studio said.

Naughty Dog apologised for the delayed and said this was the “best course of action”, and that it wasn’t an easy choice.

Go hereto learn more about Uncharted 4’s launch editions, prices, and more.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Free Brutal Doom: Hell on Earth campaign mode available now

Free Brutal Doom: Hell on Earth campaign mode available now
Monday, 4 January 2016 13:21 GMT By Matt Martin
Expansion adds 32 levels to Brutal Doom mod.

Brutal Doom’s Hell on Earth expansion is now available to download for free.

Hell on Earth is an expansion to the bloody popular Doom mod, adding new levels set in Hell, Mars and Los Angeles, and a bunch of set pieces throwing in tanks, jets and a tonne of UAC Space Marines.

Over on the Mod DBsite you can grab a “unzip and play” pack that allows you to do just that, without any editing, although it is recommended you playing using a commercial version of Doom II rather than FreeDoom.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Dungeon Defenders blends RTS and tower defence with new ‘Summoner’ class

Dungeon Defenders blends RTS and tower defence with new ‘Summoner’ class
Friday, 25 May 2012 08:33 GMT By Alex Donaldson
Trendy Entertainment has revealed a new class for Dungeon Defenders that pulls traditional real-time strategy elements into the tower defence title – The Summoner.

The Summoner drags RTS elements into the tower defence gameplay of the popular downloadable title thanks to his unique ability to switch to a top-down view. From there he can command the troops that he’s summoned into battle with precision and a suite of options that looks like it’s been ripped straight from a title like Command & Conquer.

It comes at a cost, though – the Summoner doesn’t get any towers and he can’t attack enemies himself unlike other characters in the game. He makes up for that with the ability to float above the battlefield freely, dropping down to heal his summoned warriors.

The Summoner is the latest character to be added and brings the total number of heroes available in the game to 12. It’s available as an optional download for the PC version of Dungeon Defenders for $3.99. See the Summoner in action for yourself in the new trailer below.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Darkest Hour mod gets new vehicles, maps, weapons in hefty update

Darkest Hour mod gets new vehicles, maps, weapons in hefty update
Tuesday, 10 May 2011 06:28 GMT By Jessica Citizen
If you’ve got a copy of Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, then you’ve also got a copy of the Darkest Hour mod, and you’re in luck!

If you’ve got a copy of Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, then you’ve also got a copy of the Darkest Hour mod, and you’re in luck! It’s just been patched.

This time around, the update is pretty substantial, adding two new weapons, six new roles, 11 new maps and an amazing 13 new playable vehicles – certainly nothing to sneeze at!

New Maps

Bridgehead Caen Cambes-en-Plaine Carentan Causeway Gran Hill 400 Kommerscheidt Lutremange Poteau Ambush Simonskall Vieux Recon

New Vehicles:

Sherman M4A3E2 ‘Jumbo’ GMC 2.5 Ton Truck Sherman M4A3 (75 mm)W Sherman M4A3 (76 mm)W M-8 Greyhound M-18 Hellcat Jagdtiger (Jagdpanzer VI Ausf. B) Marder III Ausf. M SdKfz 234/1 Armored Car SdKfz 234/2 “Puma” Jagdpanzer IV Ausf F (L/48) Jagdpanzer IV Ausf J (L/70) StuH 42

That’s just the start. There are also crewable mortars as well as that new batch of playable roles – and the usual “very long list” of other changes.

Want to see how it all fits together? The developers have created this handy trailer to show off their new wares.

For more information, head to the Darkest Hourwebsite, or log into Steam. If you’ve already got the game installed, it will update all by itself, and if you don’t, why not take this opportunity to install it?

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

The Division 1.1 update wiped out some players’ characters

The Division 1.1 update wiped out some players’ characters
Wednesday, 13 April 2016 08:48 GMT By Sherif Saed
The Division’s big update seems to have caused a big issue for some players.

The Division 1.1 update wiped out some players’ characters

The Divisionwent live yesterday. 1.1 introduced many new additions to the game such as loot trading, new daily and weekly assignments, new gear sets, a new Incursion and more.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t without its issues. A number of reports on Redditas well as Ubisoft’s own support Twitterindicate there’s an issue where some players are not able to locate their characters.

For some, this happened the first time they tried logging in after applying the patch. Others managed to log-in once, but had their characters go missing on later attempts.

Ubisoft officially acknowledged the issue on Twitter, promising to investigate. It seems this investigation will take longer than players expect, however.

Please note that the missing character issue will require further investigation and will not be resolved with the upcoming hotfix

— The Division (@TheDivisionGame) April 12, 2016

It’s not clear at this stage if these players will be able to get back their characters, or if they’re gone for good.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Hatred’ Review: A Sub-Par Shooter Hidden Behind Violent Controversy

‘Hatred’ Review: A Sub-Par Shooter Hidden Behind Violent Controversy
Much-publicized controversy and an impressive art style cannot hide the tedious shooter underneath Hatred’s veneer.

When Hatred made its first public appearance, it became immediately clear that the title was going to become a serious talking point in the video game sphere. The game was born out of notoriety, finding an audience through the extreme backlash to its content. After all, its initial release trailer was criticized for offering little more than a massacre simulator, prompting Epic Games to ask for the Unreal logo to be removedfrom promotional material.

Since then,has been perpetually on the merry-go-round of the censorship versus free speech debate. Valve pulled the game from the Steam Greenlight processwhilst the title was riding high in the Greenlight rankings, prompting advocates to claim that developer Destructive Creations was being stifled by outside influences. Eventually, the title saw a return to the distribution service, after Gabe Newell brought Hatred back to Steam.

It’s said that no publicity is bad publicity, and Hatred has certainly found a home through its promise of brutal violence and an anti-art, anti-politics sentiment. The title may have been refused release on Good Old Games, but Hatred has already grown fat off backers and initial sales. The question is, however, whether the title itself offers anything to gamers outside of the backlash and counter-backlash of its provocative pre-release.

What’s more, Hatred offers little more beyond an extended Kill Frenzy from the original, top-downtitles. Players shoot through stages including a moving train, an area of downtown NYC, and (obviously) a sewer system, and are given a number of objectives to complete. These objectives eventually boil down down to having to kill NPCs, whether directly targeting unarmed civilians or fighting squads of police or military personnel.

For all the discussion of Hatred as a murder simulator, players may be surprised to find how much play time is given to fighting armed enemies. Although levels will often start with an arbitrary quota of innocent people to butcher, this will inevitably alert an armed response. At its core, Hatred turns into the most bog-standard of all video game types: a man with a gun fights other men with guns, resulting in blood and explosions.

Indeed, the last two levels of the game – taking place on a military base and in a nuclear power plant respectively – revolve almost entirely around shooting armed combatants, with a few NPCs unable to fight back thrown into the mix. This decision is perhaps due to how awkward the gameplay feels when there is no danger to counteract or ‘enemy’ to overcome, as the homicidal aspect of Hatred straddles an awful middle ground between being incredibly disturbing and outright boring.

The title has more problems than this fundamental flaw, however, as Hatred suffers from the occasional frustrating bug. The player’s movement can sometimes be hindered through barely visible in-game objects, which is often debris remaining from the game’s destructive environments. ‘The Crusader’, as the player-character is dubbed, may blow a hole in the wall of a building, but his feet may apparently get stuck on some of the rubble left behind.

Overall, however, the game’s destruction mechanics are fairly impressive. Players will find themselves able to crash through scenery using the (admittedly touchy) driving controls, whilst grenade and molotov cocktail use will also cause damage to the surroundings. The fire itself is also visually appealing, with patches of color bursting from Hatred’s normally monotone art style akin to the Platinum Games-developed MadWorld .

Indeed, Hatred’s graphics are far and away the most impressive aspect of the title. Neon signs, vicious explosions, and morbid patches of blood stand out against the black-and-white world, and the blue and red of police lights flickers ever-present. It gives the title a grimy, gritty feel, similar to the seminal Belgian mockumentary Man Bites Dog .

Unfortunately, the game offers none of the subtlety or meaning required to pull off any kind of lasting impression. In fact, Hatred fails to give an entertaining enough gameplay experience to forgive the lack of depth on display. For all the talk of the title being solely gameplay-focused, Hatred instead feels like a repetitive chore, whilst the lack of checkpoints and occasional moments of ungainly bullet hell lead to a frustrating player experience.

So, instead, players have to turn towards the reasons behind Hatred’s existence, and the kernel that led to the creation of the title. Although Destructive Creations claims that its game is free of any political leaning, there is a huge anti-establishment theme running through Hatred , and not only through the excessive violence and overused expletives that litter the game’s script. The plot directs the player into situations where authority must be destroyed, assassinating politicians and killing wave upon wave of police and soldiers.

In spite of this, Hatred is anything but transgressive, offering little that had not already been achieved with 1997’s Postal , and leaving behind the cartoonish satire that the series provided. Playing as a villain has been part of video games for decades, and even games with a larger budget have offered players moments where large-scale massacres can take place. Modern Warfare 2 had the notorious ‘No Russian’ mission, whilsthad the player committing war crimes, as part of a plot that became a dark critique of what impact a video game hero may have in a complex situation.

Hatred may not have attempted to be the Funny Games of the video game world, but at the same time it fails to find the silly, satirical ground needed to succeed with mass violence as its only selling point. ‘The Crusader’ is nowhere near the calibre of Vice City’s Tommy Vercetti, instead coming off as an angst-ridden Duke Nukem , offering one-liners such as “only my weapon understands me” and “sometimes I think I kill them too fast.” The end result is awkward laughter, and a goofiness that is hard to read as satire.

In the end, Hatred severely struggles to find any kind of quality, or even a voice of its own. It may look like Sin City , but there is little stylish about the title, lacking the sleaze of Hotline Miami or the snuff-esque grindhouse of Manhunt . When the context and controversy of Hatred is stripped away, players are left with an off-putting and boring shooter, offering little but a sense of unease and repetitive gameplay.

Trailer

Hatred is out now for PC. Game Rant was provided with a PC code for the game.

The Division’s high-end backpack bug to be fixed in the April update

The Division’s high-end backpack bug to be fixed in the April update
Monday, 4 April 2016 19:53 GMT By Sherif Saed
The infamous backpack bug will soon be fixed.

Ubisoft previously announced that a fix for the connection bug affecting some users had been identified. Today, the developer revealed that this fix is coming with the next patch.

The bug/glitch was known among the community as the high-end backpack bug. It earned that name because it occurred whenever players would craft high-end backpacks, and would later prevent players from logging into the game.

In a development update, Ubisoft advised players not to attach mods to items they’re not using, until the the fix is added in the April update.

The Division‘s April 12 update adds loot trading, Incursions, and more.

Check out The100 if you’re looking for players to join you on your Division adventures.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Controversial Shooter ‘Hatred’ Removed from Steam by Valve

Since its very first trailer debuted, Destructive Creations’ FPS Hatred has been a seemingly endless source of controversy.

has been a seemingly endless source of controversy. First, gamers began criticizing the game for its depictions of senseless violence. Then, Epic Games asked to have their logos removedfrom any finished versions of the game. Needless to say, Hatred was getting press, but for all the wrong reasons.

That trend continues to remain true, as Hatred has now made headlines after the launch of its Steam Greenlightcampaign. Within just hours of launching the campaign, Hatred found itself rising through the ranks, all the way up to number 7, before Valve stepped forward and pulled the plug.

Rather than draw any undue attention its way, Valvedecided it best to distance themselves from Hatred as well. Since a successful Steam Greenlight campaign eventually results in Valve publishing the game on their digital platform, the company took every step to prevent that scenario.

For those who might not be following the Hatred story as closely, the game is an isometric shooter whose sole focus is on killing as many people as possible. Not enemies, mind you, but everyday citizens, random bystanders, and even law enforcement officials. Developer Destructive Creations says that their vision is to deliver mindless entertainment rather than “higher art,” and also mention developing “something against trends,” which led many to believe the game’s sole purpose was provocation.

Some have noted that Steamhas plenty of ultra violent games in its library already, and so striking down Hatred may appear hypocritical. The Call of Duty franchise has notably featured violence against innocents, albeit in a very different context, and is regularly promoted by Valve. But, they are the curators of Steam and if they make a decision there isn’t much a developer can do. For Hatred , it appears more likely that the developers will have to find a new outlet for their game once again.

Obviously, Hatred is going to continue to generate buzz for all the wrong reasons and we won’t be surprised when it does eventually come out. But the fact that companies like Valve and Epic Gameshave tried to distance themselves from the game speaks volumes. At the same time, picking out one piece of “entertainment” and labeling it “bad” when compared to other forms of entertainment is a slippery slope.

Do you think Valve made the right choice with Hatred ? Will this controversial game ever release?

Source: Polygon

Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina

Valve’s Gabe Newell Brings ‘Hatred’ Back to Steam

Almost as quickly as it was taken down, the Steam Greenlight campaign for controversial shooter Hatred is back up again.

is back up again. Not only that, the game has rocketed to the top spot among all Greenlight games, capturing more than 27,000 up votes since its return.

Some may remember that Valvestepped in earlier this week and took Hatred off Greenlightciting the game’s controversial subject matter as a key factor. Since Valve would eventually become the publisher and distributor should Hatred ‘s campaign prove successful, they wanted to distance themselves from the project. However, that decision was not made by every member of the higher-ups at Valve, chief among them Gabe Newell, who decided the cancellation was the wrong thing to do.

And so late Tuesday, Newell e-mailed Hatred developer Creative Destructionsto tell them that their project’s removal “wasn’t a good decision” and that the game would return to Greenlight. Shortly thereafter, the campaign drew massive up votes from the Steamcommunity, and currently sits as the #1 game among more than 2,000 on Greenlight.

Hi, Jaroslaw.

Yesterday I heard that we were taking Hatred down from Greenlight. Since I wasn’t up to speed, I asked around internally to find out why we had done that. It turns out that it wasn’t a good decision, and we’ll be putting Hatred back up. My apologies to you and your team. Steam is about creating tools for content creators and customers.

Good luck with your game.

Gabe

Immediately after Valve removed Hatred from Greenlight gamers began to criticize the decision for many reasons, not the least of which was the hypocritical nature of singling this game out. While Hatred may have a very controversial approach in its depiction of violence and character motivations, it’s hardly the worse thing to come around. In fact, some gamers had no problem finding similarly unseemly games within Steam’s library (e.g. Grand Theft Auto , Call of Duty ).

Either way, it seemed pretty clear that Hatred was going to get published regardless of it was on Steam or some other platform. The project had already generated a ton of buzz(both good and bad) and so it was only a matter of time before someone stepped in after Valve dropped out. However, we never expected Valve to pull a complete 180 on their decision, nor did we expect that the move would come straight from Gabe Newell.

Now, Hatred is likely to get the attention it needs and should end up on Steam whenever Creative Destructions finishes the project. And the developers have Gabe Newell to thank for making it happen. Now if only he could help push Half-Life 3 along.

Do you think Valve made the right call in returning Hatred to Steam Greenlight? Will you buy the game when it eventually releases?

Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina

Destiny: The Taken King – how to take on Thalnok, Fanatic of Crota in the Court of Oryx

Destiny: The Taken King – how to take on Thalnok, Fanatic of Crota in the Court of Oryx
Wednesday, 23 September 2015 03:44 GMT By James O'Connor
It seems that the Court of Oryx tier 3 boss changes on a weekly basis, and this week players have to deal with Thalnok, Fanatic of Crota.

Destiny ace Arekkz assures us that if you already beat Crota, this fight won’t be too much of a challenge.

You need to make good use of the Relic in this mission to do maximum damage, although you need to watch out for his one-hit kills. You’ll have four minutes to beat him.

Arekkz says that he’ll continue to produce guides as new Tier 3 bosses appear, so if you’re a Destiny fanatic it’s worth subscribing to his channel.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Cibele Review

Cibele is a mature interactive game based on a true story which tells the story of Nina, a young 19 year college student who falls in love with a man in an online videogame.

Nina Freeman is no stranger to the creation of short games that explore sexual topics, and Cibel e doesn’t stray far from her current curriculum vitae. She plays the role of her 19-year-old-self in Cibele , a Steamgame based on a true story that unfolds across three mediums: click-based gameplay, audio conversations, and video intermissions.

The game aims to relive the moments of a first love, sparked between Nina (who goes by the online name of Cibele) and another player named Ichi. Players will dive into Nina’s life at the time, exploring her computer files, old photos, and interacting with Ichi through an in-game MMORPG called Valtameri, which is loosely based on.

The game jumps between clicking through an interactive computer, audio conversations during bouts of Valtameri, and real-life video cutscenes (which is where the game garners its mature recommendation). Cibele cycles between all three mediums repetitively as the story unfolds throughout three seperate acts, which span several months in 2009. The mesh of mediums doesn’t always work, however, and we were left feeling that Cibele could have been a better story hadn’t tried to cross streams between separate video only, audio only, and click-based content, which each come into focus at separate times.

It quickly becomes apparent that Cibele is much less of a game than it is an interactive film, and its worst parts are when it forces players to attempt the in-game MMORPG, Valtameri. As Cibele plays with Ichi, the characters are expected to go and defeat a bunch of grind-based enemies to lure out a final boss, with players following the same template over all three acts that Cibele brings to the table.

In contrast, the storytelling the game puts out through the interactive computer – outside of when it forces players into Valtameri – does a fantastic job in creating a setting where players can really get into Nina’s head. These portions, which allow players to explore her desktop computer and read everything from notes, photographs, and old website archives, paint a vivid picture of what life is like and has been like for the introverted 19 year old girl, and are easily the highlight of the game. The videos themselves help push the plot forward, but even for a $7 title, the handheld noisy DSLR footage could probably have been of higher quality.

At a young age, its shown that Nina was envious of her friends who could attract boys. As Ichi and Cibele’s relationship grows, he begins to compliment her more, and gamers can feel the tension growing between the two. The game may bring a sense of deja vu to the awkward high school days, and in a very real sense this is exactly what it’s trying to do. Nina’s feelings are valid, but it’s a shame that the game can’t provide any truly original, exciting, or memorable moments in its story. The narrative goes in a slow and predictable direction, ambles between three main plot points, shows the outro video, and then rolls the credits – all within an hour.

In short, Cibele is much more of an interactive movie than it is a game, but neither the plot nor gameplay engage on enough of a level to make the short title – which we finished in an hour – worth the $7 price it comes with. While we can appreciate that it’s based on a true story (and videogames could always use more female protagonists), it could have been presented in a much more engaging way to keep the pace going.

With the game giving such an importance on the audio of conversations and the inclusion of real-life video scenes, one wonders if Cibele would have been better off as a YouTubeshort, instead of forcing itself into an interactive medium. Nevertheless, the game still manages to be a somewhat enjoyable tale of first love, even if it feels like a ‘you had to be there for it’ story.

Cibele is currently available on Steam for Windows and Mac. Game Rant was provided with a download code for this review.

Destiny: How to defeat Oryx Challenge mode

Destiny: How to defeat Oryx Challenge mode
Tuesday, 5 January 2016 11:10 GMT By Paul Davies
The Oryx Challenge mode is back again.

The Oryx Challenge mode is back again. Want a 320 hat? Follow this guide to reign triumphant.

Destiny King’s Fall raid: how to defeat Oryx Challenge mode

Destiny’s Oryx Challenge mode is honestly not too hard. In fact, we dare say that this efficient strategy could become the most widely practiced from now on.

There really are no corners to cut in the final encounter of the King’s Fall Raid while playing Heroic. There are, however, ways of manipulating the mechanics to suit the capabilities of your fireteam. But this is Challenge Mode, and the rules for defeating Oryx are pretty much set in stone. It’s how you handle the risks that’ll make the most difference, but having a clear strategy helps to focus.

Two sequences stand out as the most problematic and frustrating of the Oryx encounter: running away from light bombs, and surviving the Shade battle inside the Darkness Dimension. The bad news is that the Oryx Challenge hinges so much on the latter. The great news is that dodging light bombs and Taken Knight walls of flame is something you may never need to worry about ever again.

To understand how this Challenge gets done, it’s good to know the theory behind it. In short, Oryx is mainly hurt by the explosions of the Blight bombs. Shooting at his chest when it opens only serves to stagger him long enough to detonate the Blight bombs, and it takes a total of 16 to destroy him.

If you ‘fail’ to detonate a single Blight bomb during one sequence, Oryx summons the Darkness Dimension to send the Shade of Oryx after your team. The prevailing school of thought until now has been that this is some kind of intimidation tactic for being basically incompetent. Until now, teams have been looking to detonate all four Blight bombs to deplete precisely 25 percent of Oryx’s health. Then it’s time to run circles around allocated plates, or jump-dash along the centre corridor while some poor sod gets dizzy sprinting miniscule laps atop one of the defeated Daughters’ platforms. It hasn’t mattered much if only two or three bombs have been put to work, just as long as everyone is cool with the running thing, downing your Ogres in good time, defeating Light Eater Knights or not.

So, what if you just don’t detonate any of the bombs on purpose? Respect to those teams that have already been running this as their weekly strategy because this is the crux of the Oryx Challenge: Arrange 16 perfectly placed bombs to detonate simultaneously, and the Taken King instantly dies.

Choose your team

Assemble a fireteam that includes at least one Defender Titan, with Blessings of Light enabled. The Titan’s role is to provide additional DPS when taking down Light-Eater Ogres, the Blessings allowing them to equip Touch of Malice and shoot the Ogres as they appear in sequence, always protected. There should also be at least one Nightstalker Hunter to generate Orbs with Black Hole Shadowshot when the encounter begins. The remaining Guardians should be everyone’s highest Light level, but Sunsinger Warlocks whose Fireborn lets them self-revive are a great fallback. Finally, elect your most reliable runner.

Arrange your team

With the runner and Titan DPS guy already decided, the first business is assigning Guardians to activation plates. There are two ways to go about this, depending on the strength of your team.

The easiest to manage method is to pick specific plates: front-left, front-right, back-left and back-right. This plate, its Ogre and Light-Eater Knight is then that Guardian’s responsibility for the whole encounter. Whoever’s plate is last in sequence becomes your ‘floater’, free to join the Titan in the middle of the room and assist with DPS on Ogres then adds using Touch of Malice.

Alternatively, you may wish to assign a permanent DPS buddy for the Titan, which means that the remaining three guys choose to be number one, two or three and take up positions on the plates in the order that Oryx slams. One is first up after the runner, then two and three in the anti-clockwise sequence so that your runner has a stairway to the Spark. One of the DPS guys needs to know the final plate in sequence for the last round, in order to have four Guardians detonating bombs.

In either case, be aware that the Light-Eater Knight from Ogre four may need stopping in its tracks after everyone has assembled to DPS Oryx under the protection of the Aura of Immortality. Your main consideration after shooting Ogres and ideally all the Knights is to stay alive for four rounds.

Starting the encounter

Before triggering the event, ensure that your Nightstalker Hunter has a Super ready to ensnare the first wave of adds that approach from front left and front right. Everyone should hang back behind the daughters’ empty pillars to target the adds that have been tethered by a Black Hole Shadowshot. This generates Orbs to fuel the DPS Titan’s Super in the main, but of course everyone else benefits.

Routine A: Ogres, Knights and the Vessel

After killing the first wave of adds, Oryx chooses his first plate to slam at the front of the room. Your DPS Titan activates a Blessings of Light bubble to protect themselves and the ‘floater’, both of them firing upon Ogres in order of appearance anti-clockwise, dipping into the Blessings between times.

Your runner is first to go, followed by the allocated Guardian for that plate and the subsequent guys in sequence. It is essential that the Ogres fall quickly, so each Guardian on the plates are advised to use Heavy Machine Guns to waste the Ogre next to their plate, and assist with sniper fire to drop the Ogre on the opposite side. In addition to placing Blight bombs where you need them, swift kills buy the plate guys valuable seconds to line-up Light-Eater Ogres in their sniper rifle sights as they appear across the way. The runner usually grabs the Spark at the moment the fourth Ogre is killed, at which point everybody should hurry to assemble with the DPS guys under the protection of their Blessings. It’s likely that the fourth Light-Eater Knight is still active since it’s tricky to snipe him down in time. Have one Guardian stop him in his tracks while the rest concentrate on dropping the Vessel fast.

Routine B: Stagger Oryx, Kill all the adds

If everyone is communicating well, the Vessel and runaway Light-Eater Knight fall just before Oryx slams a plate and opens his chest. Be sure to have everyone shooting at him to stagger him. Once staggered, have one guy maintaining fire on Oryx’s chest while the rest clear away every add that can be seen. Kill as many of them as possible, even the Taken Thrall, because any that remain could make their way into the Darkness Dimension which is where you’re all heading next…

Routine C: Darkness Dimension and Shade of Oryx

Oryx summons the Darkness Dimension and the team is transported one by one into the bubble. More adds appear, which include Taken Knights on the front plates, all of which must be stopped. There are two things to bear in mind for surviving your tango with the Shade: try to have your most confident player attract the Shade’s attention as it searches for victims to slam. That player can leap over the Shade’s head as it slams to avoid taking the additional splash damage. If they are a Warlock, their self-revive can come to the rescue if they are killed. The rest of the team stays out of the way. The other important rule is never to tether the shade while it is in the centre of the bubble. Tether after it has slammed, and is on the outskirts of the bubble.

Rinse and repeat until you have at least 16 bombs

Follow routines A, B and C exactly as before two more times, ideally leaving two more sets of Blight bombs in exactly the same positions as the first round. After emerging from the Darkness Dimension a third time, with 12 bombs already in place, you only need to repeat routines A and B because after clearing all the adds it is time to detonate all the bombs.

There is no huge rush. Make sure that the areas in front and back are completely clear of adds and that the person responsible for plate four is crystal about which one this is. Have one person, usually the runner, provide a countdown from three to send out the detonation team. Each detonator must wait for their name to appear in the HUD before rushing back to the Aura of Immortality. Sixteen Blight bombs explode in unison, completely depleting Oryx’s health. Your work is almost done.

Killing Oryx (and a contingency plan)

After all the bombs have exploded, the last remaining thing to do is face Oryx at the front of the room and shoot at his chest the moment it opens. If you have performed each routine exactly as described, the King is dead (again) and you’ll have a new Emblem, Ship and 320 Light gear to collect. Oh, and Calcified Fragment XLV to complete your collection of 50… if you’ve been especially smart.

Now, it could be that the team missed some Light-Eater Knights along the way. If this is known for sure or suspected to be the case, the simple thing to do is run Routines A, B and C one more time so that you have at least 16 bombs to detonate. You may end up with 20, but the more the merrier.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

The Division’s daily missions haven’t updated… again

The Division’s daily missions haven’t updated… again
Monday, 18 April 2016 10:35 GMT By Matt Martin
Complete the Madison Field Hospital mission for the third day running.

The Division’s daily missions haven’t changed for the past three days.

Still, at least they’re playable and haven’t disappeared completely.

Daily missions should rotate every 24 hours, tasking the player with two Hard and one Challenging difficulty mission. Complete them and be rewarded with the all-important Phoenix Credits and a High-End loot drop from the final boss.

But from Saturday to Monday the missions have remained the same: Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint is your Challenge mode, Hudson Refugee Camp and Madison Field Field Hospital on Hard. That’s the same Madison Field Hospital mission you hammered in the closed and open betas.

I’m all for assignments and daily missions. They take around 15-20 minutes to solo and the rewards are worth the time. But there’s 16 missions in the game that we can try on Hard. Massive needs to switch it up.

And while we’re at it, maybe create more than four alternatives for Challenge mode?

This seems to be one of many little bugs that have crept into The Division since last week’s 1.1 Incursions update. It’s not game-breaking, it’s not a disaster, but it is another niggle in a long list of complaintsbeing thrown at Ubisoft.

Here’s hoping tomorrow’s weekly downtime will fix it.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

2016 Honda CR-V Priced Starting from $24,475

According to Honda, nearly 3.5-million CR-V crossovers have been sold since the model was introduced in 1997 and has become the segment’s best-selling model of all time based on PAI/Autodata cumulative sales from 1997 to 2015 for the entry crossover utility vehicle segment.

The 2016 HondaCR-V will be priced from $24,475 including destination.

The model received a major refresh for the 2015 model year, so the only significant change to the 2016 lineup is the addition of a Special Edition trim, positioned above the LX model. The 2016 Honda CR-V Special Edition is priced from $25,275 and adds larger 17-inch wheels with an exclusive two-tone finish, second-row and rear privacy glass and security system.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Honda CR-V Review

All-wheel drive is available as an option across the entire 2016 Honda CR-V lineup for $1,300 additional and the range-topping Touring model will start from $32,825 in front-wheel drive trim. The front-wheel drive CR-V will return 26 miles in city and 33 miles on the highway for a 29-mpg combined rating while the all-wheel drive variant gets 25 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with a 27-mpg combined rating. All models are powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Discuss this story on our Honda CR-V Forum

Watch Hennessey Venom GT Set Record for World’s Fastest Convertible

Get AutoGuide.com in your Inbox
Like AutoGuide.com on Facebook

Fallout 4 Mod Adds Doom’s BFG to the Game

Modder LeGioN675 releases a mod for Fallout 4 that adds one of gaming’s most iconic weapon, the BFG from the Doom franchise, to post-apocalyptic Boston.

Over a month since it released, Fallout 4 remains one of the most popular games in the industry, thanks to players continuously discovering new content. This has included hidden underwater treasures, Easter Eggs, and other secrets, but for PC gamers,‘s popularity has also been maintained thanks to a steady stream of mods from the community. These mods have added a number of new features to the game, with one such mod adding one of gaming’s most iconic weapons to the world of Fallout 4 .

The weapon in question is the BFG from the Doom franchise. Often praised as one of the best weapons in all of gaming, the BFG 9000 mod for Fallout 4 allows players to hit enemies with a flurry of powerful plasma blasts, giving them a serious edge over the many enemies roaming post-apocalyptic Boston. Those that are interested in downloading the Doom BFG mod for Fallout 4 , created by LeGioN675, should check out NexusMods.

So far, Fallout 4 has received tremendous support from the modding community, as was expected when the highly anticipated game finally released. The Doom BFG mod is one of the neater mods available, as it combines two franchises that currently fall under the Bethesda umbrella, and allows gamers to utilize one of the most memorable weapons in gaming history.

Hopefully console gamers will also have a chance to use Doom ‘s BFG in Fallout 4 . We know that Fallout 4 mod support for consolesis in our future, but Bethesda has yet to peg a release window for it. We also don’t know which mods will actually be downloadable on consoles, and which ones will remain exclusive to PC users. Over a month removed since the release of Fallout 4 and with 2015 coming to a close, it seems likely that we will hear more about mod support on consoles for the game sooner rather than later.

Moving forward, expect even more mods to be created for Fallout 4 . The game’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, and will likely receive significant mod support well through 2016. There will probably be a wide variety of mods released, but it will be especially interesting to see what other weapon mods the community manages to add to Fallout 4 . With mods based on Doom ‘s BFG and a lightsaber from Star Wars , modders will have to come up with something truly unique to get noticed at this point.

Source: IGN

Black Ops 3 Season Pass Offers Remakes of World at War Maps

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ‘s season pass will feature “re-imagined” maps from Call of Duty: World at War ; however, the pass isn’t available on Xbox 360.

Although Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 ‘s multiplayeroffers players plenty of things to do – from the range of super-powered specialists to the new and impressive movement system – fans have been eager to find out what downloadable content will be available post-launch keeping the game feeling fresh. However, although the game’s publisher Activision has yet to reveal any screenshots for Black Ops 3 ‘s season pass, the game’s official listing on the Xbox store reveals that long-time Call of Duty should be pleased with its content.

The season pass’ description, which was recently updated, explains that in 2016, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 players will be able to buy four DLC packs. These DLC packs will include “all-new multiplayer content” , but they’ll also include “re-imagined fan-favorite maps” from Call of Duty: World at War as well as the previous Black Ops games. One of these remakes is The Giant for the Zombies game mode; it’s a remake of Der Rieseand it allows players to battle zombies in a World War 2 research facility, use the “weapon upgrading” pack-a-punch machine, and “re-live the chaos” of the original map, “picking up the Zombies story with Dempsey, Nikolai, Richtofen, and Takeo where Origins left off”.

Some fans will be over the moon by this news as it means that they won’t have to fire up their last-gen consoles just to play through their favorite maps but others will be disappointed, as they will have hoped that their season pass would have included entirely new content rather than content they’ve already played (albeit without the current gen visual sheen and revamp). The fact that Nuk3town (a pre-order bonus based on the Nuketown series of maps)is also being added to Black Ops 3 won’t do much to alleviate their concerns either.

Also set to frustrate some gamers is the fact that neither The Giant map nor the season pass will be available in the Xbox 360 version of the game. While it’s currently unclear whether the PS3 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will miss out on the extra content as well, last-gen gamers have already been hit with the news that their version of Black Ops 3 only has the Zombies and multiplayer game modes, with the campaign mode being cut from the game. This could also stoke fears that Black Ops 3 will be the last Call of Duty game on the aging consoles.

Source: Store Xbox

Destiny King’s Fall raid – how to beat this week’s Oryx challenge

Destiny King’s Fall raid – how to beat this week’s Oryx challenge
Tuesday, 15 December 2015 13:19 GMT By Sherif Saed
This week’s King’s Fall raid challenge involves the king himself, Oryx.

This week’s King’s Fall raid challenge involves the king himself, Oryx. Find out how to beat it.

Alexbrings you the another King’s Fall raid challenge guide. With the weekly reset, a new raid challenge appeared. From now and for the rest of the week, the final encounter of the raid gets a bit harder.

For this fight, you need to hold off on detonating those corrupted light orbs each phase. Instead, detonate them all at the end of the fight. The video above explains everything.

This is the third challenge to be added to the raid, after last week’s Golgoroth encounter, and the Warpriestthe week before.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Best-Selling Games of March 2016 Revealed

Amongst the hype of this month’s new releases, it’s time to take a look back at March 2016 as the top 10 best-selling titles of last month are revealed.

The first quarter of 2016 is up already and market research company NPD Group has released a sales report, detailing which of this year’s early releases have made it into the top 10 best-sellers of March 2016. The statistics take into account any new, physical sales of a game in the United States during last month.

Tom Clancy’s The Division takes the number one spot on the list, helping to drive up the month’s software sales by 8%. The PlayStation 4 was the platform that sold the most copies of the game and was also the top selling console in March, a fact that is unsurprising when you consider the console is predicted to reach 69 million units soldby 2019. These numbers are likely to shoot up even further if rumors are correct about a new 4k PS4 release. The full top 10 list is as follows: Tom Clancy’s The Division (PS4, Xbox One, PC) Far Cry: Primal (PS4, Xbox One, PC) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC) UFC 2 (PS4, Xbox One) MLB 16: The Show (PS4, PS3) Pokken Tournament (Wii U) NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3) Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Minecraft (Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS3)

According to NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan, software sales have easily surpassed last March, rising from $395.4 million to $425.8 million. Not only that but sales of new games have overall risen by 26%, and games that launched in 2016’s first quarter sold 28% more in March than 2015 did. Callahan also pointed out that The Division is performing much better than you might think. Whether or not you’ve bought into the hypethat preceded the game’s release, The Division has outperformed every other Tom Clancy title to date. The post-apocalyptic shooter has beaten the previous number one best-seller, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 , by a margin of 40% so far.

The two Wii U titles that have made the list, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and Pokken Tournament , are both exclusive titles to a platform that only this year surpassed 12 million unitsin sales, which makes their placements all the more impressive. A Nintendo spokesperson commented on the performance of Twilight Princess , claiming that the title has outperformed every first-party Wii U game in first month sales, other than Super Smash Bros , Super Mario Maker , and Mario Kart 8 .

In terms of console sales, all hardware purchases have lowered by a rather substantial 19% for March when compared to last year. The previous generation consoles are down a steep 78% in sales, suggesting that many gamers have completed their transition onto a current-gen console.

Dark Souls 3 Suffering From Poor Frame Rate

Dark Souls 3 is already known to have some issues with its frame rate, but it seems that they are far more severe in an area known as ‘Halfway Fortress’.

With less than a week until Dark Souls 3 is available to play worldwide, gamers are getting excited to jump into FromSoftware’s unforgiving world. However, it seems that the game is having a few performance issues at the moment, something that will need to be fixed soon or else it’ll risk upsetting the Western world.

Yesterday saw the reveal of a game-crashing bugthat will trigger when a player walks over a certain number of summon signs, but that’s not all that needs to be fixed in Dark Souls 3 . According to, the game also experiences serious inconsistencies in its frame rate. So far, several reviewshave mentioned the frame-rate issues but thisgengaming has been able to detail the area where the slowdowns are more prominent.

Reportedly, the area named “Halfway Fortress” is one that will cause serious frame rate issues. The area features a huge swamp filled with crab enemies to fight, and as a result causes slowdowns when there are too many of these enemies on-screen at one time. The frames will also begin to drop when the player character is running, or when multiple enemies attack at once. These issues are seen in other areas of the game as well, though they are not nearly as severe as in “Halfway Fortress.” Hopefully we’ll see a patch to fix the frame-rate problems, just as FromSoftware has promised for the crashing bug.

Regardless of any issues, Dark Souls 3 is still going to be the cause of a lot of excitement when it releases in a few days. Available now to those in Japan, or those who cheat the system, many people have already begun their death-filled adventures. One determined gamer has beaten the first boss using only their fists, whereas another has impressively cleared the full game in under 2 hours. These players are just a couple of examples of the sort of dedicated fans that the Dark Souls franchise attracts. It’s only a matter of time now before people are coming up with all sorts of crazy and unusual ways to beat the game at an even higher level of difficulty than the title normally provides.

As of this week, a team of blacksmiths were so devoted to the Dark Souls franchise that they have forged a real sword, based after the iconic Greatsword of Artorias. With fans like the ones that this series has, we’re sure to only hear more impressive feats as the new game releases and the world of Dark Souls 3 is explored.

The Division handing out 100s of Phoenix Credits in compensation to players

The Division handing out 100s of Phoenix Credits in compensation to players
Tuesday, 19 April 2016 11:00 GMT By Matt Martin
Compensation for backpack, missing character and daily assignments bugs.

The Division handing out 100s of Phoenix Credits in compensation to players

The Division will hand out 100s of Phoenix Credits to players who’s games have been disrupted by bugs.

Those that suffered due to missing charactersand the infamous backpack bugwill receive 500 Phoenix Credits and 10 of all High-End crafting materials – fabric, division tech, gun parts, tools and electronics.

Phoenix Credits can be used to buy High-End gear and blueprints, and crafting items are used to created specific weapons and items.

On top of that, this weekend everyone logging into The Division will receive another 150 Phoenix Credits to make up for the daily challenges, which didn’t update three days in a row.

The information was confirmed on the latest State of the Game Twitch stream.

Compensation for the backpack and missing character bugs will be handed out sometime during the next two weeks.

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Share on:

Top 10 Boutique Supercars You Didn’t Know Existed

The 2016 Geneva Motor Show reminded us just how many boutique supercars exist in the world.

Unlike auto shows in the U.S., the halls of the Geneva Motor Show are traditionally packed with exotics priced well above the $1 million mark, making it a paradise for those with high aspirations or a lot of money. Each year, we walk through the Palexpo with eyes wide open, admiring the sheetmetal that most people never get to see, nevermind drive.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Cars You Probably Forgot Are Still For Sale

So, what better time than now to look at some of the world’s finest boutique supercars you may not know even exist?

DS E-Tense

Making its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Citroen is trying to show off that its DS premium brand is indeed luxurious. Although it’s just a concept, the DS E-Tense is an all-electric supercar with 402 horsepower and 381 pound-feet of torque to go with its stunning good looks. The French automaker claims that it has a range of around 193 miles with mixed driving or 224 miles in urban city piloting. Riding on a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, the concept weighs in at 3,600 pounds.

Interestingly enough, the automaker wants to bring the DS brand to the U.S., so it’s not a far-fetched idea that one day we could see the E-Tense roaming the streets.

Trion Nemesis RR
Apollo Arrow

You may have heard of the Gumpert Apollo, but this the Apollo Arrow. You see, the German automaker ran into financial troubles in recent years, but has since received a sizeable investment to rise from the ashes. And it has done so with a bang, presenting the Apollo Arrow at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Although Roland Gumpert is still at the helm, the company has re-branded itself to Apollo, shedding the Gumpert name.

Powering this gorgeous supercar is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine from Audi, churning out 1,000 hp and 740 lb-ft of torque. There isn’t much we didn’t like about the Arrow when we saw it up close and personal and hopefully this time around, it’s here to stay.

Zenvo ST1

Zenvo has had an interesting history, first debuting the ST1 with 1,104 hp and 1,054 lb-ft of torque. But things got interesting for the Danish automaker when Top Gear put the ST1 to the test. The car caught on fire after experiencing various issues and it failed to go faster than a Ford Focus ST with the Stig behind the wheel on the show’s test track. Of course, Zenvo released a rebuttal to the Top Gear disaster, saying that the Stig took it out on a day where driving was not recommended in many parts of Britain due to low temperature and extreme rain. It also noted that it did unofficially reach 189 mph, which was the highest speed measured on the straight of the Top Gear test track at the time. The company also mentioned that Top Gear didn’t even bother to say the ST1 went zero-to-60 in 2.69 seconds on a damp tarmac.

Now the company is looking to put that all behind them with the debut of the TS1 and swapping letters aside, the latest iteration has aerodynamic tweaks and minor changes to its styling – all with the goal of reducing weight, lowering the car’s center of gravity and increasing downforce. The biggest change is a new powerplant in the form of a 5.9-liter V8 with a pair of superchargers. Unfortunately, Zenvo didn’t bother announcing its specifications when the TS1 debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, but it’s a safe bet it will be more than the ST1’s figures.

Like the model before it, the TS1 will be limited to just 15 units.

Marussia B2

Surprise! The Marussia B2 does actually come from Russia. The aggressive supercar might look like something out of a Need for Speed video game, but it is Russia’s second supercar, following the original Marussia B1. Although the B2 is built on the same frame as the original B1, it is powered by a 3.5-liter Cosworth V6 engine that ranges from 245 hp to 420 hp. Yes, it’s not quite as ridiculous as the 1,000-hp monsters that other automakers produce, but it looks pretty insane and originally debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. And chances are, you didn’t even know it existed.

W Motors Fenyr Supersport

You may know about the W Motors Lykan Hypersport since it was featured in Fast and Furious 7 , but did you know there’s something even better? The Lykan Hypersport was the first Arab supercar with a 3.8-liter flat-six engine pushing 780 hp and 708 lb-ft of torque, but the Fenyr Supersport gets a 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine with 900 hp and 885 lb-ft of torque. The result is a zero-to-62-mph time of 2.7 seconds, while its exterior gets a much more track-focused design compared to the Lykan Hypersport. Oh yeah, there are only 25 units ever being produced, so the Internet might be the only place you will ever see it.

Mazzanti Evantra

Most popular, well-known supercars come from Italy, but here’s one that isn’t quite as well known. The Mazzanti Evantra made its world premiere at the Top Marques Show Monaco in 2013 and is limited to a mere five units per year. Those willing to be one of the rare few to get one gets to choose between a turbocharged six-cylinder engine with up to 600 hp or a 7.0-liter V8 pushing 701 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque. The supercar tips the scales at under 2,870 lbs and is capable of sprinting to 60 mph from a standstill in around 3.2 seconds.

Rimac Concept_One

Now that the Rimac Concept_One and Concept S made their official debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, we can’t help but admire what is going on underneath the gorgeous sheetmetal. The Croatian supercar company also dabbles with battery engineering, so it’s no surprise that its latest offerings are electric vehicles. According to the company, what it has shown off is the production version of the car, while the Concept S is more powerful and aerodynamic.

Total system output on the Concept_One is a menacing 1,073 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque fed by 8,450 lithium-ion battery cells. Rimac claims the Concept_One is capable of returning a 205-mile range, although it didn’t specify the drive cycle. Total curb weight is 4,080 lbs, which isn’t quite that light, but understandable since it is all electric with four motors and four gearboxes.

If that wasn’t enough, the Concept S packs 1,365 hp and 1,328 lb-ft of torque while weighing 120 lbs less than the Concept_One. Yikes.

Arash AF10

Arash claims that its AF10 has a “warp drive” engine and while it may sound like something from a science-fiction movie, it’s real and we saw it at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. This particular supercar likes to brag that it has 2,080 hp from a hybrid powertrain featuring a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine and four electric motors. There’s also 1,682 lb-ft of torque to boot and customers can choose from a six-speed manual or paddle-shift automatic transmission.

The standard hybrid version will cost you a cool $1.6 million and there’s even a racer variant packing a roll cage, fire extinguisher and intercom system for $100,000 more. If you just want a stunning, good-looking supercar, there’s a budget-minded variant that has a V8 engine providing 550 hp and a price tag of $495,000.

Devel Sixteen

We’ve seen cars with over 1,000 hp and even hybrids with over 2,000 hp. So what could possibly be cooler? How about something with 4,515 hp on an engine dyno? That’s exactly what Devel showed off late last year, a 12.3-liter quad-turbocharged V16 engine that is just absolutely bonkers. The Devel Sixteen claims to have 5,000 hp and will go zero-to-60 in 1.8 seconds while its top speed will be around the 350-mph mark. Insanity? Yes. Reality? Well… that remains to be seen.

Discuss this story on our Luxury Lifestyle Forum

Microsoft Purchases ‘Gears of War’ IP From Epic Games

Fans of the Gears of War franchise have had very little to go on in recent months, to the point where even Microsoft stated that the series had fallen on the back burner .

. Those who preferred the core installments of the third-person shooter were less than impressed by Gears of War: Judgment , and the sales for that particular entrybacked up what many in the industry already knew.

Fortunately, Microsoft has no intention of allowing Gears of War to dwindle into obscurity, because it has officially purchased the rights to the series — making it forever an Xbox exclusive.

After Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Studios, announced that Microsoft would be making a game announcement this morning, many believed that Ruffian Games’ rumored Crackdown 3 would finally be unveiled. As it turns out, this wasn’t the case, but the return of the beloved Gears of War franchise is more than reason enough to get excited about Microsoft’s latest announcement.

Spencer, understandably excited about the acquisition, then proceeded to talk about why his company opted to buy the Locust-centric property and just how important the brand is to Xbox in general.

“It all comes back to our commitment to Xbox fans. The “Gears of War” franchise has a very strong, passionate and valued fan base on Xbox. Over twenty-two million units have been sold across all “Gears of War” titles worldwide, grossing over $1B dollars (US). This franchise, and these fans, are part of the soul of Xbox. By acquiring this franchise, Microsoft Studios will continue to offer them more of their favorite games and entertainment experiences from the “Gears of War” universe.”

Fergusson previously took on the positions of executive producer and director of production for the first three Gears of War titles, so it’s obvious to see why he was approached to continue his work on the franchise. After Rod’s departure from Epic Games in 2012, the acclaimed producer moved on to help 2K Games finish off. After development on the award-winning title wrapped up, however, 2K Games had previously announced plans to allow Fergusson build a brand new 2K-owned studio. As is now apparent, that deal has fallen through, and the Gears of War veteran will be returning to the brand he helped put on the map.

Rod Fergusson is understandably excited to be going back to his roots, and issued the following statement:

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Black Tusk Studios to oversee development on the “Gears of War” franchise. I’ve been privileged to work on a lot of great games with a lot of great teams, but “Gears” has had the most impact on me professionally and personally, so this really feels like a homecoming. I can’t wait to share more with you all soon.”

The acquisition of Gears of War from Epic Games occurred for a currently unknown price, but it gives Microsoft full rights to the previously released games, merchandising, and future “entertainment experiences.” These entertainment experiences will almost definitely tie in with the cross-media push that’s begun for Microsoft all-in-one console, the Xbox One, which will see that Halo gets a television seriesin the near future — the same Halo series that was recently rumored to have its pilot directed by Neill Blomkamp.

Word on official plans for the next iteration of Gears of War is still missing in action, but Hanno Lemke, general manager of Black Tusk, announced that news will be coming later this year. Furthermore, some may recall seeing a teaser for a new Black Tusk Studios game during E3 2013. It’s now been confirmed by Phil Spencer that the trailer shown at the media briefing “was something that was done in Unreal and more of a concept piece,” so don’t expect to see that title in action anytime soon — if ever.

Are you excited for the return of Gears of War ? Do you think Black Tusk Studios is the right team for the job? Does Rod Fergusson’s return to the franchise make you excited?

You can follow Riley on Twitter @ TheRileyLittle.

Sources: Polygon& Xbox Wire

The Division’s April Update Adds First Raid, Dark Zone Supply Drops, and More

Ubisoft finally details Incursions, The Division ‘s version of raids, and also reveals that the game’s April update will add Supply Drops to the Dark Zone.

Gamers that have already conquered Tom Clancy’s The Division and have reached the game’s level cap will soon have a lot more content to keep them busy. That’s because Ubisoft has finally detailed The Division ‘s big April 12th update, which will be adding a significant amount of content to the game.

First and foremost, The Division ‘s update will add the game’s first raid to the experience. In The Division , raids are referred to as Incursions(putting to rest previous speculation that Incursions would be renamed to Operations), and the game’s first Incursion will be called Falcon Lost.

Falcon Lostwill have players venturing into New York’s sewers in order to infiltrate a water treatment facility, where they will find a dangerous group of enemies called the Last Man Battalion. The Falcon Lost Incursion will sport two distinct difficulty modes, and will also support matchmaking, so those without enough real life buddies can stand a better chance when taking on Falcon Lost’s higher difficulty level.

To give players a better idea of if they’re properly equipped to tackle the challenges that Falcon Lost will bring to the table, the update will also add gear level to The Division . This is a system similar to “light level” in Destiny , and essentially allows for max level players to continue improving their character’s stats in a meaningful way beyond the level cap.

While the Falcon Lost raid is definitely the main attraction when it comes to The Division ‘s major April update, the Dark Zonewill also be given some love come April 12th. It is then that Supply Drops will be added to the Dark Zone, which will drop in a random location every hour. Groups will have to race to the Supply Drops, and unlike other items collected in the Dark Zone, Supply Drops do not have to be extracted.

April’s sizable update for The Division will be free and will release on all platforms at once. It seems to be adding a significant amount of content to the game, and should keep players plenty busy while they wait for The Division ‘s first paid expansion to release later this year.

Tom Clancy’s The Division is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game’s Incursions update will releases to the masses on April 12th.

Source: Game Informer

The Other Happiest Place on Earth: Ferrari Opening new Theme Park

Ferrari, in partnership with PortAventura Entertainment, have put together a deal to build a new park, called Ferrari Land, inside a resort near Barcelona, Spain.

FerrariWorld is a theme park inspired by cars from the prancing horse brand, and now the number of locations is set to expand from one to two.

Ferrari, in partnership with PortAventura Entertainment, have put together a deal to build a new park, called Ferrari Land, inside a resort near Barcelona, Spain. This follows the first Ferrari theme park, known as Ferrari World, located in Abu Dhabi, which also lays claim to being the largest indoor theme park in the world.

Ferrari Land will span 807,000 square feet, and include a record-setting roller coaster that will be the highest and fastest in all of Europe. A driving simulator will also be part of the fun, and the entire park will be connected to a Ferrari-themed resort with 250 rooms.

The existing PortAventura resort is already a large attraction, drawing in about four million visitors each year. The entire project is estimated to cost about 100 million Euros, and is supposed to be completed in 2016.

Discuss this story at our Luxury Lifestyle Forum