Control – DLC 1 The Foundation Trailer March 15, 2020

Buckle in boys and girls, because the trailer I’ve been waiting several weeks for has finally been released. Remedy promised two major DLC expansions for the multiplatform action game Control were coming with the game’s Season Pass. Some of us are literally weeks away from that DLC getting released and until now we’ve known very little about the upcoming expansion.

Now, please enjoy this trailer for Control’s first major paid DLC, The Foundation, in glorious 4K UHD.

Can we talk about what we just saw there for a second? SPOILER WARNING. A follow up with what happened to Marshall, who disappeared before the end of the main game story who’s current location in the Oldest House is unknown? And is that Former? Didn’t we kill that boss twice? Is he back or is this a memory?

Control is out now for the PS4, Xbox One and PC (through Epic Games Store). It’s first DLC, The Foundation, is coming March 26th on PC and PS4. It’s coming June 25th for Xbox One players.

Pokémon Go Adjusted in Light of COVID-19 March 13, 2020

A health scare has been shutting down major events as of late, and applications that require people to go out and interact with others might not be the best idea to use in these times. Pokémon Go’s developer, Niantic, has made some major announcements in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak. All these changes seem to be aimed at the goal of users to be able to play the game alone and at home.

First off, the scheduled Abra Community Day has been cancelled. To encourage players to play from home, a special 30-pack of incense can be purchased off the in-game shop for a single PokéCoin (USD value of a penny). Anyone with some loose coins can purchase the pack exactly once. They have also reduced the amount of distance eggs require to hatch (however you need to have started incubating the egg after this announcement was made). Even if you don’t have incense, Pokémon will also randomly generate in more places. Finally, PokéStops will generate more Gift items, encouraging users to trade items more frequently.

Stay safe, Trainers.

Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS Tablets and Smartphones.

DOOM Eternal Launch Trailer March 12, 2020

We are days away from the release of the next game in the DOOM franchise, DOOM Eternal. To celebrate the game’s imminent multiplaform release publisher Bethesda has released this launch trailer. Are you ready to rip and tear…again?

DOOM Eternal is coming March 20, 2020 to PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Stadia.

E3 2020 Cancelled March 11, 2020

Late last night the news broke on website Arstechnica that E3 2020, the staple trade show of gaming (referred to by many as “Gaming’s Super Bowl” or the Super Bowl as “Football’s E3”), has been cancelled for this year. This afternoon, E3’s organizers have indeed confirmed this news, which is why we are posting about it now.

The E3 organizers have confirmed that the cancellation was due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. E3, on a good day, hosted as many as forty-five to sixty-five THOUSAND attendees over the course of its three-day event. The risk of exposure and transmission on an event like that is just far too great. To say nothing of the fact it is being hosted in the Los Angeles Convention Center, where a state of emergency is currently in place due to the current transmission of the virus.

To cancel E3 in this matter, on the eve of a Christmas that could see as many as two new major console releases, is unheard of. Microsoft has announced they will be providing an alternative digital-only reveal of what was going to be their E3 lineup of games and announcements. They were expected to reveal the next Xbox and the first games for it at E3. I’ve talked with some insiders who have told me this outbreak will not effect Microsoft’s Xbox release plans for the year. Sony, who many are expecting to release the next PlayStation (currently dubbed the “PS5”) this Christmas, were not planning to attend this year’s E3 and the state of the PS5’s release schedule is currently unknown.

As you know, we have attended E3 in an official capacity many times over the years. Maniac personally has fond memories of the previous events. He wishes everyone in the gaming industry well as they continue to work.

UPDATE: UbiSoft and Square Enix have confirmed they will be hosting digital only online events due to the cancellation of E3 2020. That matches up with Microsoft’s earlier official statement.

Butterfinger Starts Giving Away Final Fantasy VII Remake In-Game DLC Content March 3, 2020

Candy Bar maker Butterfinger (who you might remember for their hilarious Simpsons crossover commercials back in the day) has just launched a generous promotion to tie into the upcoming release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PS4 next month. Starting now, anyone who buys two (2) of the three (3) following candy bars: Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, and Crunch in a single sales transaction will be eligible to submit their sales receipts to Butterfinger for some in-game Final Fantasy VII Remake goodies! That can include things like in-game items, PS4 themes, and more!

The best part of this promotion is unlike the horrible Gears 5 Rockstar promotion, you do NOT need to find specially marked Final Fantasy VII Remake candy bars! Simply visit the promotion’s official website, enter your email address, and submit a copy of your sales receipt!

Butterfinger says only one sales receipt will be allowed per day for a total of five redemptions. You can redeem a single sales receipt that shows you bought more then two participating candy bars on it (like a sales receipt that says you bought four or six bars) to earn cumulative awards but Butterfinger says they will not combine sales made from multiple receipts. Eligible candy bars MUST be purchased in PAIRS. That means submitting a receipt on one day for three bars with a receipt the second day with three more will not combine as six purchased bars, it will only count as four. Sales made before 12:00pm EST today will not be eligible. Even after a redemption has been successfully verified, codes will not be valid until the game’s release date, April 10th.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming April 10th, 2020 to the PS4. The Butterfinger event will end on May 14th, 2020.

Internet Legends: Duct Tape Gamer Trailer March 2, 2020

We take for granted today’s availability of high-speed Internet. When I got my first PC, I was stuck with internet speeds that were a fraction of even the lowest speeds available today. That unfortunately would endure for many years beyond what it should have. I come from an age where multiplayer gaming required lugging your large and expensive self-built PC to your friend’s home or co-opt a local business during off hours (with their permission of course).

Why did we do this? We needed access to a high-speed local area network (LAN)…so we could play games against each other! These are called LAN Parties and before the advent of services like Xbox Live or Steam, were how gamers could get the best possible gaming experience. Latency was low, lag was non existent, and the games we played (Quake, Unreal Tournament, Counter Strike) are still talked about to this day.

However, on rare occasions, stories of LAN parties would enter internet legend status. Some would be of underdogs defeating champions. Some would be of incredible impossible computer cases. Then, there was the guy who was duct taped to a ceiling.

The documentary currently has no release date. We will keep you posted when it gets released. Here is the official website.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Released on PC March 2, 2020

Microsoft has released the second title they promised for their PC version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo: Combat Evolved. Here’s the announcement trailer!

If you’ve purchased the entire collection when Halo: Reach was released on PC, you can download this game right now at no additional charge. If not, Halo: Combat Evolved can be purchased separately through various PC marketplaces including Steam and Windows Store.

As of the time we’re posting this, an Xbox One patch for Halo: The Master Chief Collection has not been released, but Microsoft has promised one is coming. Current estimates have it at 60GB.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is out now for PC and Xbox One.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo Released March 2, 2020

If you own a PS4, turn it on and log into the Playstation Store RIGHT NOW! This morning, with no warning or fanfare, the demo was released for the extremely anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake. Here’s the trailer for the demo!

Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming April 2020 to the PS4.

The Second Game in The Dark Pictures Series is Revealed March 1, 2020

The first game in all-new horror game franchise The Dark Pictures was a smash hit. At the end of that game, a second title was announced as in-development. Now, we have some new details about the second game in The Dark Pictures series, Little Hope.

Sadly, the trailer Namco released to announce the new game decided to focus on showing clips from various let’s play footage of the previous game. Because of that I don’t recommend watching it if you plan to play Man of Medan without spoilers.

The Dark Pictures: Little Hope is coming Summer 2020 to Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Happy Pokémon Day 2020 February 27, 2020

Hello Pokémon trainers, Happy Pokémon Day 2020! Today is the anniversary of the release of the original Pokémon games in Japan. To celebrate, a few events are taking place across the various games.

First off, here’s a reveal of the newest Mythical Pokémon coming to Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.

Pokémon Go players will have an easier time finding Eevee and Pikachu with special party hats. However these Pokémon will not evolve so keep that in mind. You might also find five-star raids for a special Armored Mewtwo!

Finally, Netflix has released the CG remake of the first Pokémon movie, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution! Here’s the newest trailer.

Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS Smartphones and tablets. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are out now for the Nintendo Switch.