Niantic claims that Pokémon GO’s one-year anniversary is going to “be legendary”

Pokémon GO’s one year anniversary will be here in July, and Niantic Global Product Marketing Lead Archit Bhargava has dropped a hint at how the company plans to celebrate.

Speaking at the 21st Annual Webby Awards, Bhargava gave a speech assuring fans and players that this summer was going to “be legendary.”

Could mean nothing, could mean everything

My guess is that the people at Niantic have learned how to control the beast of their fame at this point, and using words like “legendary” when talking about Pokémon is only going to lead to assumptions and speculations. If they haven’t learned this at this point, then my goodness, will they ever?!

No, the hint was very specific in what it was trying to say. Legendary Pokémon will be available this coming July in Pokémon GO, meaning you’ll finally be able to catch the three birds and possibly even Mewtwo.

We’ll let you know when Niantic has a confirmation.

Microsoft has renewed the trademark for Scalebound

On May 3, 2017, as spotted by a gaming site by the name of SomosXbox, Microsoft was granted an extension on their trademark for Scalebound.

Scalebound was canceled not too long ago. This Xbox One title was being developed by Platinum Games, the house of Bayonetta and Vanquish. It saw the light of day at some conventions, presented with some frame rate issues. We saw a multiplayer demo after that.

Then? Nothing for a while until we all got word of its cancellation. Many fans of all things dragons and anime were depressed by the news.

Is it back!? Probably not…

Don’t get your hopes up about this trademark extension, friends. While it’d be nice to see a Scalebound revival just in time for Project Scorpio, the next, beastly iteration of the Xbox, I doubt this means anything.

The extension of Scalebound‘s trademark is likely Microsoft protecting its intellectual property. If that changes, we’ll let you know.

Magikarp’s theme song dubbed into English by The Pokémon Company

Back in July of 2016, the Japanese arm of The Pokémon Company released a music video about Magikarp. More specifically, the clip and song were about how weak and terrible Magikarp was. In spite of that terrible weakness, the singers still loved him.

That video was spread online to folks (like me) who have a soft spot for the Splash-using fish that eventually evolves into greatness. I love Magikarp, too, no matter how useless he is.

Now that clip has been dubbed into English by The Pokémon Company. Magikarp is still terrible, but at least this music video is awesome. Enjoy.

Call Of Duty: WW2 Release Date, First Details, And Beta Revealed

Call of Duty: WWII is launching on November 3 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

The release date was revealed alongside a full trailer during a worldwide reveal livestream. This confirms details that leaked earlier this week.This year's entry in the shooter franchise follows the US 1st Infantry Division as they fight their way through the European theater of the war. Missions include the D-Day invasion of Normandy and Battle of the Bulge.

Although you primarily play as the young, inexperienced Private Daniels in the single-player, there will also be a mission that casts you as a woman fighting in the French resistance.

A full multiplayer reveal is slated for E3 in June, but for now we know just a few details. As for co-op, little was shared, but it will apparently take the form of "a new and original story" featuring zombies.

Also from the leaks, Activision confirmed that a beta will be available ahead of launch, but there isn't a date yet. Finally, Transformers actor Josh Duhamel is confirmed to appear in Call of Duty: WWII as Technical Sergeant William Pierson, a 34-year-old from Oklahoma.

The Pro Edition that surfaced in leaks will be exclusive to GameStop, at least in the US, and will cost $100. It comes with the game, a steelbook case, the season pass, and "additional bonus content."

A marriage proposal went down in Overwatch

Wedding bells rain from above? Maybe. YouTuber and gamer Cleverdingbat shared a video of his proposal with the world that he titled “An Overwatch Marriage Proposal.” He tricks, now fiancee, into joining a private match, has some friends arrange Symmetra’s turrets into a heart, steps through a teleporter and pops the question.

Here’s the video. It’s, man, it’s something.

I always dig video game proposals like these. I mean, it’s absolutely not the way I’d do it, but my wife isn’t much of a gamer. I imagine folks who do this and see success made a great choice. Their brides and grooms-to-be are probably super pumped.

I just, yeah. I don’t think I could do it. Maybe I’m not brave enough. Maybe it’s too cheesy. I don’t know.

Would you ever propose in a game? Have you? How’d that go?

Insomniac’s Spider-Man game hitting this year on PS4, Marvel exec slips up

Until now, Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 had a completely to-be-announced release date. We didn’t know anything about its launch window, including the year it’s set to drop.

Thanks to Marvel Vice President and Executive Editor Ryan Penagos, we might have a good idea. The game will, according to him, launch before 2017 is up.

He let this slip during a recent video as he spouted off the coming of a few Marvel gaming properties.

While this isn’t a movie tie-in…

The Spider-Man from Insomniac is not a tie-in title with the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming. The old model of releasing games based on films isn’t one that works too well, and major studios and publishers seem keen on distancing themselves from releasing banner titles done in that style.

With that said, Spider-Man will be a hot topic this year with the release of Homecoming. Sony, Insomniac and Marvel simply can’t ignore the fact that Spidey will be rather loud in pop culture once the flick hits on July 7.

That, to me, is reason enough to push Insomniac to have Spider-Man ready for 2017. The window just makes good sense, regardless of the non-tie-in nature.

                                       

Pokémon GO‏ players caught 589 million Magikarp during recent event

Still playing Pokémon GO‏? Admittedly, I’m not. I haven’t fired it up since Christmas. In fact, wait…

…Yep, just checking… It’s not even installed on my phone anymore. Anecdotally, you’d think no one plays Pokémon GO‏ anymore. Realistically? They do. They play it a lot.

The official Pokémon GO‏ Twitter account indicated that during the recent Water Festival that ran from the 22nd to the 29th, players caught a ton of Magikarp. Too many. More than half-a-billion.

 Follow

Pokémon GO 

✔@PokemonGoApp

Great work, Trainers! Collectively, you caught over 589 million Magikarp during the #PokemonGO Water Festival.

9:30 PM - 31 Mar 2017

 
•  1,0631,063 Retweets
 
•  6,3236,323 likes

By all accounts, this was a great event

Water-type Pokémon were all over the place during the event. There was plenty of opportunity to gather Magikarp for that Gyrados you’ve always wanted, and it looks like players took advantage. Half-a-billion of one type caught is downright wild.

Are you still playing Pokémon GO‏?

You Can Play Pac-Man On Google Maps Again

Here's another chance to play.

On April Fools' Day , you can celebrate by playing Pac-Man around your neighborhood on Google Maps.

Reviving the gag it's offered before, Google has enabled the ability to play Ms. Pac-Man using the streets in most areas on Google Maps. Provided there are enough roads in the area you're looking at, you can play a working version of the game, complete with ghosts, sound effects, and music.

On the web version, Ms. Pac-Man is turned on by clicking a button in the bottom left; the arrow keys are then used to control your character. You can also play in the mobile app--you won't miss the option to turn it on--by swiping on the screen.

Either way, it can get a bit confusing with diagonals and strangely laid out streets, but it's still a fun distraction that works surprisingly well.

source:gamespot

Nintendo admits Super Mario Run didn’t meet sales expectations

Revenue from Super Mario Run “did not meet our expectations.” That comes from Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima in a report by Nikkei, a Japanese publication.

Super Mario Run launched exclusively for iOS devices in December of last year. It hit the Android platform this week. In both instances, it offers the same payment model. Players can enjoy a handful of levels for free, but then Nintendo throws up a $9.99 paywall for the rest of the game.

There are no microtransactions after that initial purchase. $9.99 unlocks everything. Still, it’s an auto-runner, and that price is a tall order for the genre.

Don’t expect them to drop the model entirely

Nintendo tried a different style for mobile game selling. That’s with Fire Emblem Heroes. It’s a free download, and it offers smaller microtransactions in a “gacha” system. They’re seeing success, but it doesn’t sound like that’s the future for their style of sale in the mobile space.

Here’s what an unnamed senior company official told Nikkei.

“‘Heroes’ is an outlier…We honestly prefer the ‘Super Mario Run’ model.”

Nintendo wants games that push mobile players to their consoles, and it seems like they think they’ll find that success with games like Super Mario Run. We’ll see.

source: nikke

                          

Xbox Boss Teases E3 Plans

"I want to give our games more time on stage at E3."

With E3 2017 still a few months away, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now spoken out to say that fans can expect Microsoft to dedicate more time to games during the presentation.

Writing on Twitter, Spencer said, "I want to give our games more time on stage at E3. I sometimes feel like we rush telling the story of our games at E3."

This is not to say that the briefing will be exclusively focused on software. It most certainly won't be, as Microsoft's Project Scorpio is coming out this year. However, Spencer's new comments do lend further credence to the suggestion that Microsoft may hold an event dedicated to Scorpio before E3.

Microsoft's E3 2017 briefing is slated to take place on the afternoon of Sunday, June 11. This is a change for Microsoft, as the company historically holds its presentation on the Monday of E3 week.

What are you hoping to see and learn from Microsoft at E3 this year? Let us know in the comments below!

                             

GTA Online promises weaponised vehicles, illegal arms trade, dodgeball in coming months

Grand Theft Auto 5's ever-growing online component GTA Online has outlined its plans moving into 2017, which includes new stunt races, game modes, vehicles, and missions—the latter of which will involve players at some stage fighting "for supremacy in the illegal arms trade and wage war with the latest in high-powered military hardware."

Due in March, the next GTA Online Title Update will see the Rocket Voltic, Ruiner 2000 and Blazer Aqua vehicles privy to a new style of Stunt Race under the game's Cunning Stunts banner. Against these vehicles' very specific gravity-defying traits, players will also be able to craft their own racetracks.    

Further into spring, two new Adversary Modes named Resurrection and Top Down will make their way to Los Santos. The former is billed as "a gallows humor take on dodgeball", while the latter offers a "nostalgic homage to the 2D GTA era with some explosive twists". Expect new vehicles around this time too—including the Infernus Classic which hasn't been seen since 2001's Grand Theft Auto 3. 

Further into the year still, and GTA Online promises gunrunning-related missions and new weaponised vehicles. Here's Rockstar with the skinny on that:

"Stock up and bunker down as you take on the craziest militias across the state of San Andreas in another massive update for GTA Online. Featuring brand new weaponized vehicles and exciting new missions, get ready to fight for supremacy in the illegal arms trade and wage war with the latest in high-powered military hardware."

As noted by the Rockstar Newswire, the 2017 GTA Online Stunt Race Event is live right now through March 13. 

source: pcgamer