Gamer's Outpost Press (Archived)

by Joe Durbin via VentureBeat

Attendees at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles will notice that a familiar structure has faded from the show’s sweeping skyline of corporate booths. The familiar black monolith bearing the Oculus logo will not be making an appearance at E3 2017.

Oculus has confirmed that it will not have a booth at E3 this year. This marks the first time since 2014 that Oculus will not be hosting a booth at one of the year’s biggest international trade shows, with the size of its structure roughly doubling every year since. It joins EA in skipping the event.

Even though it will not be incurring the expense of a dedicated booth at E3, Oculus could still have an impact at the convention. Partner developers will likely be using the event to showcase their upcoming Rift games. We are working to bring you a complete list of these exhibitors as soon as possible.

The decision to avoid an E3 booth this year makes more sense for the Oculus of 2017, which has gone through some dramatic changes since last year’s event took place. Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey was a huge presence at 2016’s Oculus E3 booth. This year, however, he has departed the company under ambiguous circumstances.

Last year, Oculus was poised to release a brand new hardware platform in Touch along with a full slate of launch titles to support it. This year, there is no new hardware on the horizon that would mandate such an aggressive push.

E3 itself is also in transition. This year, the show opened up ticket sales to the general public for the first time in its history. This is likely to combat declining interest from major exhibitors in incurring the massive expense and hassle of running a physical booth. Instead, many of the industry’s most notable companies, such as EA, Disney Interactive and Activision, have opted to either host their own off-site press conferences, or else release their news via the internet.

Oculus representatives emphasize that, despite not having an E3 booth, the team will have plenty of games and announcements to offer as the year progresses.

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by Ben Gilbert

It’s been less than two months since Nintendo released its massively successful Switch game console, a home console/portable console hybrid that serves as the company’s flagship system.

(This is the handheld form factor of the Nintendo Switch. It can also be docked at home and played on your TV.Nintendo)

On Thursday night, Nintendo announced yet another new console: the “New 2DS XL,” the fifth iteration in Nintendo’s 3DS handheld line. It’s essentially identical to the “New 3DS XL,” which launched in 2015. The new handheld costs $149.99 and is planned for launch on July 28.

It even looks the same:

(The camera has been moved from the top to the middle, and the 3D slider isn’t there, but this is otherwise identical to the New 3DS XL.Nintendo)

The main difference between this new console and the New 3DS XL that launched in 2015? Three dimensions!

That is literally the difference — there’s a slider on the side of the upper 3DS screen that enables varying levels of three-dimensionality in games. The 3DS does this by using two screens layered on top of each other, and then the slider moves those screens closer together or further apart. It’s an effect called “parallax” 3D.

In the case of the New 2DS XL, that function doesn’t exist. In every other way, the New 2DS XL is functionally identical to the New 3DS XL.

There’s one other crucial difference: Price! The New 2DS XL arrives on July 28, and it costs $50 less than the 3DS equivalent.

Interested in seeing a bunch of folks excitedly playing with the New 2DS XL? Who isn’t?! Check out Nintendo’s debut trailer for the New 2DS XL right here:

https://youtu.be/3lxNHhgMuTg

by Brian Truitt via USA Today

ORLANDO — Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy put to rest rumors Friday that Carrie Fisher could have a potential role in Star Wars: Episode IX.

The late actress’s brother, Todd Fisher, told  the New York Daily News earlier this month that she would appear in the 2019 movie written and directed by Colin Trevorrow, but Kennedy told a group of reporters at Star Wars Celebration that she had “no idea why he said that.”

Kennedy confirmed in a Good Morning America interview that Carrie Fisher would not reprise her iconic The Force Awakens character, General Leia Organa, in Episode IX but that she has a big role and is “absolutely phenomenal” in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in theaters Dec. 15. (Fisher finished her work on the upcoming film before her death last year on Dec. 27.)

“We have not read a script yet” for Episode IX, Kennedy told press Friday. “Obviously, when Carrie passed away in December, that was a huge blow for all of us and it caused us to sit with Colin and really rethink where we’re headed with Episode IX. Carrie was a significant part of that story — that was something she very much wanted and we very much wanted. But given the circumstances, we could not carry on with that.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in March that the filmmakers were “not changing (The Last Jedi) to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is,” and that they would not use a digital version of her as they did to show a young Princess Leia in Rogue One.

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by Ben Skipper via International Business Times (IBT)

Remedy Entertainment, the developer behind Xbox and PC titles Quantum Break and Alan Wake, has announced it is developing its Northlight engine for PlayStation 4 as it plans to go fully cross-platform for the first time since 2003.

The news was announced in a blog post following the company’s financial results for the 2016 fiscal year, which included year-on-year revenue growth of 19.4% to €16.4m (£14m, $17.4m) and an operating profit of €3.9m.

In the post, Remedy revealed its current projects. One is Crossfire 2, sequel to a hugely popular shooter in Asia, which Remedy is aiding developer Smilegate with. The other, it says, is a new project codenamed “P7”.

“The company’s strategy is to release the game on a wider range of platforms, which is why Remedy is developing its Northlight technology for PlayStation 4 consoles,” reads the post.

Remedy’s first Xbox exclusive was Alan Wake, released back in 2010, which was followed by mobile titles Death Rally and Agents of Storm, Wake sequel American Nightmare and experimental video/TV series hybrid Quantum Break last year.

Quantum Break was a third-person action game split up with episodes of a live-action television series. The game was met with generally positive reviews, but IBT called it a “glossy, charmless, wholly moderate outing” for Remedy.

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by  Rishabh Jain via International Business Times 

You might not have to wait until E3 to have a look at Microsoft’s next console, the Xbox Project Scorpio. Windows Central reported Saturday that the console’s internals were shown to a major gaming outlet and a planned exclusive report on the console’s specifications could come out this week, as soon as April 6.

Rumored Xbox Project Scorpio specifications listed in the report include an AMD Ryzen CPU, which will make the console capable of running 6 teraflops, which is significantly powerful in comparison to PlayStation 4 Pro’s 4.2 teraflops. The new console could also feature 12GB DDR5 memory instead of Xbox One’s ESRAM. Games, which have not been optimized at least up to ESRAM levels, will not be allowed on Project Scorpio, though all Project Scorpio titles will be available for Xbox One. The new console could also have a compact design because of advances in how large devices are cooled.

The upcoming console is said to be capable of running 4K games and its capabilities are expected to be demonstrated using “Forza Motorsport 7” and “Red Dead Redemption 2.” Both games will be run at 4K resolution. Tech Times reported Saturday, citing sources that “Forza Motorsport 7” running on the console “looks utterly stunning.” Other first-party games being tested with the console include “State of Decay 2” and “Crackdown 3.”  Besides these, some third-party games such as an unnamed “Call of Duty” title, “FIFA,” “Red Dead Redemption 2,” “Star Wars: Battlefront 2” and “Madden” are also being tested. While “Star Wars: Battlefront 2” was expected since it featured in the Project Scorpio trailer at E3 2016, the inclusion of “Red Dead Redemption 2” was a surprise.

According to Windows Central, there will be a large library of games available for Xbox Project Scorpio, as soon as it launches. The console will use a “change resilience” technology, which will scale 900p to1080p titles automatically to 4K resolution.

Xbox Project Scorpio is expected to be launched in the 2017 holiday season.

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by Shawn Knight via TechSpot

The gaming industry as a whole has enjoyed success as of late but those good fortunes haven’t been passed along to the nation’s preeminent video game retailer.

GameStop revealed in its recent earnings report that total global sales were down 13.6 percent to $3.05 billion. Drilling down deeper, the company said hardware sales slid 29.1 percent while sales of new software dropped by 19.3 percent.

Pre-owned sales outperformed new video game sales which were down 6.7 percent compared to the year-ago quarter although one can’t help but wonder if this metric is a result of its own questionable employee guidelines.

GameStop noted that the fourth quarter was significantly impacted by weak sales of certain AAA titles as well as aggressive console promotion from other retailers on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Increased overall competition from stores like Best Buy and Walmart in addition to continued encroachment from digital marketplaces have also impacted retail sales, one would think.

The company said it is planning to close between two and three percent of its stores worldwide, or at least 150 or so locations, over the course of 2017. At present, GameStop operates more than 7,500 stores across 14 countries.

GameStop took a beating on the stock market Friday with shares falling 13.61 percent on the news. As of writing (mid-Saturday), they’ve regained just 0.63 percent of their value.

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by Yahoo Beauty Staff

Scientists affiliated with Harvard Medical School have made a breakthrough that could potentially reverse the signs of aging. They tested a treatment in mice, and found that it improves the cell’s ability to repair DNA damage incurred by radiation or aging. Human trials are set to begin in six months.

After just one week of treatment, the cells from older mice were identical to those of younger mice.

“Our results unveil a key mechanism in cellular degeneration and aging but beyond that they point to a therapeutic avenue to halt and reverse age-related and radiation-induced DNA damage,” said senior author David Sinclair, professor in the Department of Genetics at HMS and professor at the University of New South Wales School of Medicine in Sydney, Australia.

NASA is interested too — scientists hope the treatment can mitigate the damage to the body done by deep space missions by repairing the effects of cosmic radiation.

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by Zach Epstein via BGR News

We just passed the two-week mark since Nintendo first released its hotly anticipated next-generation video game console, the Nintendo Switch. For those who haven’t managed to get their hands on the sold-out console at this point (your only real option right now is to pay a slight premium and get one on Amazon), here’s a spoiler for you: it’s awesome. The Switch is a fun new take on the gaming experience. While it’s not quite the paradigm-shifting device that the original Wii was, it still succeeds in offering a novel experience that gamers won’t find anywhere else.

Aside from the frustratingly small list of available games at this point, there aren’t very many widespread complaints about the new Nintendo Switch. While that’s obviously a good thing, the few complaints there are somewhat serious, and now Nintendo has finally issued a formal response to the biggest one.

One of the coolest things about the Switch is Nintendo’s new controller design. The Joy-Con controllers consist of two separate pieces that attach to either side of the console, but can also be removed and used wirelessly as two separate controllers, or as one controller when mounted on a special grip. It’s a fun and smart new take… when it works.

It’s unclear at this time exactly how many units are affected, but there is an annoying problem with at least some Joy-Con controllers that has been plaguing gamers ever since the console was first released. In a nutshell, the left half of the Joy-Con tends to temporarily lose its connection with the console when being used wirelessly, either alone or on a grip. This causes the controller to become unresponsive for varying amounts of time up to 5 or 6 seconds.

by Zach Epstein via BGR News

Nintendo America’s chief operating officer Reggie Fils-Aime has been a busy little bee since the hot new Nintendo Switch debuted last Friday. The executive gave extensive interviews earlier this week to discuss all things Switch, and he addressed several big questions people have voiced surrounding Nintendo’s new console. Namely, Fils-Aime confirmed that Nintendo is working to bring streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video to the Switch, and he also addressed a number of big complaints people have so far about the console. Now, the executive is back with some more good news, and this time it’s news that eager Nintendo fans are definitely going to want to take note of: Super Smash Bros. is coming soon to a Switch near you.

Like the original Wii — though to a lesser degree — the new Nintendo Switch succeeds in reimagining console gaming. The convertible form factor with the Switch is just the beginning; the Joy-Con controllers are also a novel twist on the original motion controllers that made the Wii so fantastic. Of course, the Wii had a handful of games available on day one (namely Wii Sports) that showcased the controllers’ capabilities. The Switch, on the other hand, does not.

The lack of top-tier games available at launch seems to be gamers’ biggest gripe so far with the system. The good news, however, is that things should change somewhat quickly. Indie developers see how well the Switch is already selling, which should certainly attract a great deal of attention and bring some fun third-party titles to the console. Plus the next big launch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is already available for preorder and due to launch at the end of next month.

by Sean Hollister via CNET

Ask any expert: You’ve gotta try virtual reality before you can understand its true potential. So it wouldn’t be a particularly good sign if, say, Facebook was having a hard time getting people to try in-store demos of its Oculus Rift VR headset.

Business Insider reported Wednesday that Facebook is closing 200 of its 500 pop-up Oculus Rift demo locations across the United States, due to “seasonal changes.”

“We’re making some seasonal changes and prioritizing demos at hundreds of Best Buy locations in larger markets,” an Oculus spokeswoman confirmed to CNET.

According to Business Insider’s sources, though, “seasonal changes” may be a euphemism. According to multiple unnamed Best Buy workers who reportedly spoke to the publication, it was common for the Oculus Rift pop-up stations to go days without giving a single demo.

(I can personally attest that whenever I walk into my local Best Buy store, the dummy headsets are left unmanned and it’s not clear how to actually try one on. But I understand many people start by signing up at this website before they walk into the store.)

It’s also not yet clear whether other stores beyond Best Buy, and other manufacturers, are experiencing a lack of interest in the headsets. (Microsoft Stores, for instance, also often do demos of the Oculus Rift.) Sony, HTC and Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Google declined to comment.

Also worth noting: In Best Buy’s third-quarter earnings statement in November, based on data ahead of the busy holiday season, CEO Hubert Joly said Best Buy had already given 300,000 VR demos — though that could include other headsets demoed at Best Buy, like Samsung’s prominently placed Gear VR. Samsung declined to comment.

“We still believe the best way to learn about VR is through a live demo,” said Oculus in an emailed statement, pointing out that hundreds of Best Buy stores in the US and Canada will still offer demos, as will Microsoft Stores and other partners in Canada, the UK, France and Germany. “We’re going to find opportunities to do regular events and pop-ups in retail locations and local communities throughout the year.”

“Making seasonal changes to where we demo Rift at Best Buy is not an indication of the health of Oculus or VR as an industry,” an Oculus spokeswoman added.

Best Buy also points out that even at stores that are no longer offering Oculus Rift demos, the Oculus Rift headset and Oculus Touch controllers will still be on display and for sale.

“We’re always testing, trying and changing things in our stores to give our customers the best opportunity to experience and shop for technology,” writes the retailer, in an emailed statement.

While excitement was high early on, virtual reality has had a pretty slow start, and publicly, momentum seems to have slowed.

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