Monthly Archives: September 2018
Madden Tops US Sales Charts for August
The August NPD report is in, and Madden NFL 19 has taken the top spot on the US sales charts, with Monster Hunter: World making a return at number two.
The report, with analysis from Mat Piscatella, notes that Madden has been the best-selling game in August every year since 2000 - with the notable exceptions of 2011 and 2012, though those only missed being the best-selling games in August because they happened to launch in the September tracking period. The report notes that it has achieved the highest launch sales in the Madden series since Madden NFL 2013.
Monster Hunter: World returned to the number two spot after launching in January, largely due to its PC version releasing on August 9. Grand Theft Auto V has made the fourth spot, making it the fifty-ninth month that the title has been in the charts. Originally released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, GTA5 is the best-selling game in NPD’s tracking history.
Ubisoft Unveils Alexios, an Assassin’s Creed Odyssey-Themed Alexa
Ubisoft today announced the Assassin's Creed Odyssey Spartan Skill for Amazon Alexa. A free download, the app changes Alexa's voice to that of the character Alexios from Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Spartan Skill performs all the same functions that Alexa normally does, but it will bring some new functionality as soon as Odyssey becomes available on October 2 to those who preordered the Gold Edition (the full release is October 5). Once Odyssey is out, Spartan Skill will be able to provide historical background information about certain in-game locations. To use Spartan Skill after downloading it, Alexa owners just need to say, "Alexa, open the Spartan" before asking it their question.
Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue Form Confirmed for Jump Force
Bandai Namco has officially confirmed that Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue form will be featured in the upcoming Jump Force fighting game.
Revealed on the official Bandai Namco Twitter account, Dragon Ball's Goku will appear in his blue SSGSS (Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan) form. Though unconfirmed, it’s likely that Goku Super Saiyan Blue will simply be a powered up version of the Goku fighter, and not a separate fighter on the roster.
S-S-G-S-S #JUMPFORCE pic.twitter.com/qTELhJJePE
Blizzard Halts Development on Hearthstone’s Tournament Mode
Blizzard announced today that it's putting development of Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft's tournament mode, which Blizzard had previously planned to release this year, "on hold." According to Blizzard, the company felt the tournament functionality it was creating would only appeal to a small audience of players.
But the publisher still sees tournaments as "an important part" of expanding Hearthstone's social features.
"Tournaments can serve many different audiences, but the implementation we’d arrived at catered to a very specific audience of players. Instead of broadening Hearthstone with an exciting new way to play, it felt 'tacked on,'" reads a post on Hearthstone's website "and wasn’t integrating well into the larger Hearthstone experience."
Sesame Street Responds After Writer Confirms He Wrote Bert and Ernie as Gay Couple
Though many have questioned the Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie’s relationship over the years, a former writer for the show confirmed that he wrote the two as a gay couple. Despite this, Sesame Street officially denounced this and confirmed the two have no sexual orientation whatsoever.
In an interview with the website Queerty, former Sesame Street script and songwriter Mark Saltzman stated that when writing skits involving Bert and Ernie, he often used them as an analogy for the relationship he had with his own partner, Arnold Glassman.
Shown: Two close friends that just happen to be roommates for nearly 50 years. Photo credit: Sesame Street.
Destiny 2 Fans Are Conflicted Over Forsaken’s Raid Requirements
Destiny 2's latest raid, Last Wish, launched last Friday as part of the new Forsaken expansion and of all the Guardians who attempted to conquer its challenge, only 18 Guardians completed the raid in the first 24 hours and 2 minutes.
According to the Destiny Raid Report, the first team of Guardians to complete Last Wish and become World First were members of Clan Redeem and finished in 18 hours and 48 minutes. Yes, 18 hours and 48 minutes straight.
For comparison, Destiny 2's first raid, Leviathan, was completed in 5 hours and 34 minutes and over 4,500 Guardians finished the raid in the first 24 hours.
What Time Does Nintendo Switch Online Launch?
Nintendo previously announced the Switch Online subscription service would launch on Sept. 18. Of course, today is Sept. 18, and the service hasn't yet launched — but if you're worrying, fear not, we do have a specific time frame in mind for when you can subscribe.
The Nintendo Switch is going through maintenance today, Sept. 18, from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET/1-4 a.m. BST on Sept. 19/10 a.m.-1 p.m. AEST on Sept. 19. The 6.00 update is scheduled to be deployed at the beginning of that timeframe, and the eShop will be going through maintenance and will be inaccessible during that time.
Sega Genesis Classics Coming to Nintendo Switch
SEGA is bringing its SEGA Genesis Classics (SEGA Mega Drive Classics in the UK) collection over to the Nintendo Switch, the publisher announced this morning.
SEGA Genesis Classics will arrive on Switch this winter with both physical and digital versions available. The collection features over 50 classic SEGA games and was first released on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One in May.
The 50 games include obvious classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mortal Kombat as well as a bevy of deeper cuts. They feature upgrades over their original releases like online multiplayer, achievements, mirror modes, rewind and save states. A full list of all 50 games compared to those included in two similar collections SEGA released in 2009 and 2017 appears is below, with the exclusives to each bundle bolded.
New Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Series Coming to Netflix
Netflix has announced that it will bring Aang's epic story to Netflix in a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Beginning production in 2019, Avatar: The Last Airbender will be helmed by original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.
"We're thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We can't wait to realize Aang's world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone's great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building. Netflix is wholly dedicated to manifesting our vision for this retelling, and we're incredibly grateful to be partnering with them," explained Konietzko and DiMartino.
The Best Mega Man Games You Probably Never Played
With the arrival of Mega Man X Legacy Collection in July, gamers are falling in love with the X series all over again. Most fans would tell you that the X games revolutionized Mega Man, but that the series lost favor in the early 2000s, with X6-X8 being the nails in the coffin for these action platformers. Capcom had begun transitioning to the Battle Network style in the early 2000s, but this telling leaves out some of the most exciting and engaging Mega Man games to date.
Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent were released on the Nintendo DS in 2006 and 2007, both of which are sequels to the more widely appreciated Mega Man Zero. The ZX series had generally strong reviews, but some of the lowest sales in the franchise’s history. It’s really a shame, because both games not only provide the high-paced side-scrolling action that fans crave, but they also push X-style gameplay forward in several interesting ways.