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Switch 2 And Switch Get New System Updates, And They Add More Than Just Stability
Yes, there are stability improvements, but that's not all with the new system updates rolling out for Switch 2 and Switch. The patch notes for version 21.0.0 highlight better visual clarity on the home menu for whether a game is owned physically or digitally, GameChat improvements, and a battery description alteration.
Switch 2 and the original Switch are receiving the new symbols that will "indicate whether the software is a physical or a digital version," according to Nintendo. The icons are now red like the cartridges for physical Switch 2 games, while they're black for physical Switch titles. However, in general, Switch 2 is seeing more changes with this update. For instance, GameChat should now ensure a game doesn't go to sleep while talking online with a friend. Plus, the system setting language for limiting a charge on the console now says, "Stop Charging Around 80-90%."
This is the first Switch 2 system update since version 20.5.0 released in September. That only brought about "stability improvements," something that's expected and joked about constantly in the video game community.
Continue Reading at GameSpotSony Takes A $204 Million Hit As Destiny 2 Falls Short Of Expectations
Sony has confirmed that Destiny 2 has fallen short of expectations, forcing the company to record an estimated $204 million impairment related to Bungie’s assets. During its Q2 FY2025 earnings call, Sony acknowledged that the popular shooter's player engagement and revenue have been weaker than anticipated since the 2022 acquisition of Bungie for $3.6 billion.
"Regarding Destiny 2, partially due to changes in the competitive environment, the level of sales and user engagement has not reached the expectation we had at the time of the acquisition of Bungie," CFO Lin Tao explained (translated via The Game Post).
Tao noted that Sony has "downwardly revised the business projection for the time being and recorded an impairment loss against a portion of the assets at Bungie." The ¥31.5 billion (approximately $204 million) impairment, combined with an additional ¥18.3 billion (about $118 million) expense tied to development cost corrections. Tao said these adjustments were necessary to reflect the game’s current performance, which has been affected by lower player activity and market competition.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDisco Elysium Fans Should Keep An Eye On Rue Valley, Out Today On PC And Consoles
Rue Valley, the isometric, story-driven RPG that looks quite like Disco Elysium, arrives today on PC, last- and current-gen Xbox and PlayStation platforms, and Switch. Though they look quite alike and both deal with some heavy themes, the specifics of Rue Valley help it stand apart.
The game tells the story of a man trapped in a timeloop where each reset changes who he will become and what he can do. Since players can bring their memories and knowledge with them across loops, you'll unlock new dialogue options and other interactions as the story unfolds.
With each loop, the player-character can be quite unlike his past or future self, said the creative team, with him acting like a "cold-hearted loner in one loop and a melodramatic loudmouth in the next." But all the while, a central mystery and the personal lives of other characters become focal points, with the team exploring some of its more serious themes through these characters.
Continue Reading at GameSpotLumines Arise Review - Sensorial Triumph
As many video game studios continue to leverage technology in the pursuit of photorealism, developers Enhance and Monstars Inc. understand that technology can also be used in the pursuit of emotional impact. Their new game, Lumines Arise, exposes you to a display of perpetual creativity, where every inch of the screen is bathed in a cascade of visual effects that mesmerize you. It takes the foundation of a series that started back in 2004 and turns it on its head by giving it the Tetris Effect treatment, presenting a sensorial experience that's equally enchanting and confident.
Lumines has been largely dormant for the past decade. But while Arise is a synesthesia-fueled sequel, the core conceit of this popular series is largely unchanged. You're still presented with a playfield divided into a grid, in which 2x2 blocks descend from above. Each of those blocks is composed of four squares, and each of those squares is painted with one of two colors or patterns. The goal is to drop the blocks so that squares of the same pattern touch each other, combining them into larger squares of the same type--the bigger the combined square, the more points you earn.
All the while, a timeline--which is represented by a vertical line that moves from left to right with the tempo of the music--will sweep away the combined squares when it comes into contact with them. Therefore, the key is to make squares of a single type so the timeline will remove them and prevent the playfield from becoming full, which is an instant game over, while also attempting to make as many square combos as possible, either by enlarging existing ones or creating several at once. Your squares only score when the timeline sweeps through, so it's a race against the clock to make the biggest combos you can for each pass.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAll Grow A Garden Cosmetics - How To Get And How To Use Them
With the inclusion of Cosmetics in Grow A Garden, you have almost complete freedom to tinker with how your plot of land looks. If you have a theme in mind, chances are that there are enough appropriate items to decorate the surroundings. With each new event, you can purchase or win more and more of these items, each one of which you can find in the designated cosmetics menu.
Of course, given the many trends of Grow A Garden’s mechanics, it’s not just a simple case of being an optional extra that you don’t need to engage with. The rarest of cosmetic items may be required to trigger the abilities of some of the best Grow A Garden pets available. Other, more recent cosmetic items also apply specific Grow A Garden mutations to increase the value of your plants.
Table of Contents [hide]Clicking on a cosmetic item will bring up the UI to allow you to reposition it on your plot.How to move Grow A Garden CosmeticsTo access the Grow A Garden Cosmetics menu, open the game and click or tap the icon that resembles a hammer and spanner crossed together. If you have any unseen cosmetic items, they’ll have a number in red next to their icon. You can use the arrow at the top of the inventory screen that appears to expand the number presented at any time. You can find a specific cosmetic by using the search bar in the Cosmetics menu.
Continue Reading at GameSpotGTA 6 Delay Could Cost Rockstar $60 Million, As Insiders Report Game Is Content Complete
Take Two sent the internet into a spin last week when it announced that GTA 6--by now one of the most anticipated game releases of all time--would be delayed another six months to November 19, 2026. Insider reports suggest the delay will cost Rockstar as much as $60 million, while other reports claim the game is already "content complete," with the extra time needed for polishing and bug fixes.
Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson revealed the cost of the delay in his November 8 podcast, as reported by Dexerto. "I got a number from a developer on this, and they think this is going to cost Take Two $10 million a month extra now. So, we're talking an extra $60 million." Henderson added that it could be as much as $100 million with additional costs factored in.
While $60 million is a huge chunk of money on its own, it's a fairly insignificant sum in the context of GTA 6's projected $2 billion budget--and the game is expected to be a huge earner, propping up not just Take-Two's profits, but the entire gaming industry's.
Continue Reading at GameSpotEA Announces $12 Veteran's Day Pack For Battlefield 6, But Proceeds Won't Be Donated
EA has announced a $12 Lead The Way DLC pack to honor Veterans Day in Battlefield 6 and Redsec, designed in collaboration with the National Ranger Association. However, eagle-eyed players have noted fine print in the bundle image that specifies: "no portion of the Lead The Way pack sales is donated."
The DLC pack is named for the "Rangers Lead The Way" slogan and rallying cry, and EA says the pack was created in collaboration with the National Ranger Association to "ensure authenticity." The pack includes the NATO Assault Soldier Skin, Glider 96 Vehicle Skin, a weapon package, a couple of customization items, as well as an XP boost and battle pass tier skip.
While players might have expected that proceeds from the bundle would go back to the non-profit it was created in tandem with, EA instead specified that no portion of sales will be donated. Instead of donating the profits, or even a portion of them, EA made an "independent donation" to the National Ranger Association.
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