In a gaming landscape that feels like it's dominated by sequels, remakes, and remasters, Capcom's new original game, Pragmata, launched recently and got off to a very good start. Capcom said in a news release that the game sold more than 1 million units over its first 48 hours following its release on April 17.

Pragmata is a near-future-set sci-fi action-adventure game focusing on the character Hugh Williams and an robot girl, Diana. Capcom said in its announcement of the sales milestone that Pragmata was developed "by a team of younger Capcom developers" who brought new ideas into the mix.

Capcom said it promoted the game with a range of marketing pushes and offered a playable demo for players to try. Additionally, Capcom said it tried to reach a wider audience by bringing the game to the Switch 2 at launch (it's coming to Switch 2 in Japan and other parts of Asia on April 24). Capcom said its efforts "generated significant momentum" for Pragmata , which helped the game reach 1 million sales in 48 hours.

While Nintendo has been a prominent force in the game industry for decades, it took some time before they became the absolute powerhouse they are today. Long before their dominance in home consoles, Nintendo manufactured playing cards, toys, and various gadgets--and, during the 1970s and 80s, they invested heavily in creating coin-operated entertainment for arcades. Even years before Donkey Kong became a company-defining hit, Nintendo was doing some wild things in arcades.

Wild Gunman '74, named such by gaming historian Kate Willaert to avoid confusion with other Nintendo products bearing the same name, was engineered by Nintendo's legendary creator and inventor Gunpei Yokoi. It was a massive lightgun game that used full-motion video to depict Wild West quick-draw shootouts with outlaws--an absolute technological marvel for the time that earned a lot of fawning press in coin-operated trade magazines. Unfortunately, that impressive technology did not translate to sales for the expensive cabinet, with roughly 100 units being sold, making Wild Gunman '74 extremely rare. Because of the machine's age, size, proprietary technology, and obscurity, working Wild Gunman '74 units are practically impossible to find--only one original machine is known to exist, in the hands of a private collector.

But when Canadian arcade collector and repair expert Callan Brown got ahold of some of the original Wild Gunman 74 film reels used in the arcade machine from an eBay auction, he felt a need to try and restore it to its full, working glory--which he documented in a detailed YouTube video.

PlayStation users who want to make use of certain console features--namely, online communication with other players--will soon be required to verify their age, according to a recent report from Insider Gaming.

The report cites an email from Sony Interactive Entertainment that reads, "Verify your age to keep using communication features," and goes on to reveal plans to implement world-wide age verification later this year (though the email does not provide a specific date).

"At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are committed to creating safe, age-appropriate experiences for players and families while respecting privacy and giving players and parents meaningful control over their gaming experience," the message continues. "As part of our compliance with global regulations, you'll need to verify your age later this year to continue using PlayStation communication features, such as messages and voice chat. You will still be able to access other PlayStation services, like games, trophies, and the Store, if you do not verify your age."

Fast travel in Windrose can be a bit of a pain, but a new mod for the swashbuckling survival-crafter makes it as simple as clicking on the map.

Normally, to fast travel in Windrose, you need to create at least two fast travel points yourself, using the somewhat rare Fast Travel Bell item. These points can only be placed on coastlines, and when you're on foot, only allow you you to travel between the points when you physically interact with one--although you can also fast travel to any fast travel point while on your ship.

Fast-traveling while on foot isn't exactly convenient, especially when you find yourself in the middle of an island far from the shore. Thankfully, a mod from creator yakuzadeso (which you can find and install over on CurseForge) makes fast travel a breeze. With the Fast Travel From Anywhere mod installed, fast traveling between points is as easy as opening the map and clicking on the desired fast travel point location. The limitation of needing to physically interact with the fast travel point is removed, as is the need to have a minimum of two fast travel points placed.

Another World of Warcraft private server will soon be no more, as the creators behind Stormforge have announced the project's shutdown following a cease and desist request from developer Blizzard.

In a post on the Stormforge website, the development team behind the server said it had agreed to cease all operations, development, and distribution of the project by May 14, following a cease and desist request and "positive" discussions with a legal entity representing Blizzard. Stormforge allows users to play modified versions of various old WoW expansions for free without a subscription.

"We know this is not easy news," the Stormforge team wrote in a statement on the server's website. "Over the years we have strived to deliver the best experience and the highest quality possible. We have put years of hard work, dedication, and passion into building Stormforge what it is today and we could not be more proud of what we achieved and the community we have fostered."

One of the worst kept secret's in gaming--according to Ubisoft's own admission--will be unveiled on April 23, with Ubisoft confirming that's the date for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's upcoming remake/remaster.

The "Worldwide Reveal Showcase" for the game, called Resynced, will debut on YouTube that day at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Ubisoft's teaser video called Resynced "gaming's worst-kept secret."

Ubisoft confirmed Resynced back in March as part of a wider announcement about the franchise in general, showing off a piece of concept art depicting Edward Kenway standing on a ship's mast (see below).

The rumor beacons are lit, as it looks like a Lego Lord of the Rings set that fans have been dreaming about for years might finally be on its way to store shelves.

Reports of a Lego set capturing the capital of Gondor, which extends out of a mountain, have been circulating for quite some time now, and it looks like the fan-favorite Middle-earth location is finally close to an official release. According to new leaks, this might be the biggest Lego set to date purely by the number of bricks included in the fortress city set, but you can also expect it to cost a whopping $650 when it launches.

Images of the set were revealed by the Lego account Brick Built Blogs, showcasing a massive 8,278-piece set. That's several thousand more bricks than previous Lord of the Rings sets, like the Shire (2,017 pieces), the imposing Eye of Sauron AKA the Barad-dûr Tower (5,471 pieces), and the elegant Rivendell (6,167 pieces). Reportedly launching on June 1, the eye-watering price tag makes this one of the most expensive Lego sets of the year--you might want to cut back on buying tiny, juicy tomatoes if you plan to save up for it--and it looks like the full build recaptures the fortress in all of its cinematic glory.

The pirate game Windrose is off to a great start, as the game has sold 1 million copies and reached more than 220,000 peak concurrent users on Steam alone, the developer announced.

The early access game's all-time high for peak concurrent users on Steam was 222,134, and that record was achieved on Sunday, April 19. The game is also available on the Epic Games Store and Stove, so the Steam audience represents just a piece of the game's total audience.

Windrose is the No. 1 best-selling game on Steam in the US right now and ranks No. 2 globally.