Friday, December 10, 2021

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First trailer for the Halo TV series shows Master Chief in live action

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:55 PM PST

A Halo TV series is heading to Paramount+ after years in development hell, and today we got our first taste of the show. The first trailer for the Halo series is dramatic, seemingly taking a serious, Dune-like approach to the franchise, and showing off Master Chief in his full, dusty glory.

Paramount+ stole the series from Showtime earlier this year, but this thing has been in development for nearly a decade. It was first announced in 2013, and it's now slated to come out in 2022.

Xbox Game Pass for PC is now just 'PC Game Pass'

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:51 PM PST

Microsoft has rebranded one of its game subscription services. Xbox Game Pass for PC is now just PC Game Pass. 

The move could help to avoid some confusion, since Xbox Game Pass is a separate plan with a different library of games. It should also be clearer that games on the PC plan aren't necessarily playable on consoles.

Xbox Game Pass includes more than 100 console games, with Xbox Game Studios titles joining on release day. PC Game Pass has its own selection of games, including first-party titles and access to EA Play.

Meanwhile, Game Pass Ultimate offers the best of both worlds. It includes PC and console games, Xbox Live Gold (which console gamers need for multiplayer titles that aren't free-to-play), EA Play access and cloud gaming. 

The PC Game Pass logo still includes an Xbox icon, though. That makes the connection to Xbox and Microsoft clear, but some folks might still call it "Xbox PC Game Pass." C'est la vie.

Meanwhile, Microsoft revealed a few more games are coming to PC Game Pass on their release day: Sniper Elite 5, Pigeon Simulator, the gorgeous-looking samurai side-scroller Trek to Yomi and an unannounced Hugecalf Studios game. 

Also, for a limited time, YouTube Premium members can get three months of PC Game Pass access for free. As 9to5 Google notes, Google is sending the invitation to subscribers via email. The US-only offer is available until the end of the year. 

'Dune: Spice Wars' is a strategy game set in Frank Herbert's sci-fi universe

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:33 PM PST

On the heels of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, a new 4X strategy game set in Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi universe is coming to Steam Early Access next year. Shiro Games, the studio behind real-time strategy game Northgard, is on development duties. Like Civilization or almost any other 4X game, you'll choose one faction to lead. Naturally, you can pick House Atreides or House Harkonnen, though there will be other two factions to choose from as well. It's then up to you to lead them to victory on Arrakis.  

There hasn't been a new Dune game since 2001's Emperor: Battle for Dune, which was one of the last projects legendary real-time strategy developer Westwood Studios worked on before EA shut it down in 2003. Dune also has a special place in the RTS genre. Alongside Blizzard's Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Westwood's Dune II helped establish many of the of tenets the genre. 

'Among Us' is heading to VR with help from the 'I Expect You To Die' team

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:21 PM PST

It may not be suspicious, but it certainly is a surprise. Among Us is getting the first-person, VR treatment, and the experience is heading to PlayStation VR, Meta Quest 2 and Steam. There's no release date, but this is seriously happening, people.

Among Us VR was revealed during Thursday night's The Game Awards, with a short trailer showing off a glimpse of first-person gameplay. It plays like the original, with players attempting to complete tasks and figure out who among them is the impostor, but from a first-person perspective. Developer Innersloth had the following to say about the new project:

"This new 3D experience will place you and our suspicious spacebeans in the heart of the Skeld, with all of the core mechanics of teamwork and betrayal you know and love. The VR edition will continue to support the multiplayer experience too, of course! Now you can really have an emergency meeting together."

Among Us VR won't be compatible with the original version of the game, of course. It's in development by Innersloth, Robot Teddy, and Schell Games, the studio behind I Expect You To Die.

‘Star Trek: Resurgence’ is an adventure game from former Telltale developers

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:10 PM PST

After a dearth of games, Star Trek fans have something to look forward to in 2022. Sometime in the spring, ViacomCBS will release Star Trek: Resurgence, a new third-person adventure game from Dramatic Labs, a studio made up of former Telltale Games developers, including individuals who worked on The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead.

Set after the events of The Next Generation, Resurgence will feature two playable lead characters: First Officer Jara Rydek and Crewperson Carter Diaz. In a setup that sounds like classic Star Trek in the best possible way, it's up to them to unravel a mystery involving two alien races that are ready to go to war with another. Dramatic Labs said Resurgence will also feature appearances from "returning" characters. It also noted its building the game in the Unreal Engine, which hopefully means the game won't have the jank Telltale's games were known for in the studio's later years.

We'll have to see how Resurgence turns out, but based on the talent involved, Star Trek fans can at least be cautiously optimistic. That's not something that's been true in recent years. Outside of Bridge Crew, there haven't been many great Star Trek games since the early 2000s when titles like Bridge Commander and Elite Force did the universe justice.

Star Trek: Resurgence will arrive in spring 2022 on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Windows. On PC, it will be exclusive to the Epic Games Store.

Google Play Games are coming to Windows PCs in 2022

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:07 PM PST

Starting next year, Google Play Games will be available on screens far beyond its current confines of Android and ChromeOS devices. Google executives announced on stage at the 2021 Game Awards that, come 2022, the app service will be available on Windows PCs as well.

"Players will be able to experience their favorite Google Play games on more devices: seamlessly switching between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and soon, Windows PCs," Greg Hartrell, Product Director, Games on Android and Google Play said in a release. The company was quick to note that this is not a partnership between the two tech corporations but rather a new product altogether "This Google-built product brings the best of Google Play Games to more laptops and desktops, and we are thrilled to expand our platform for players to enjoy their favorite Android games even more." 

Details are still scarce as to when exactly the new functionality will be made public and, more importantly, if our existing controllers will be cross-compatible. But given how quickly gamers embraced playing on Chromebooks, providing Windows users with access the same access to one of the world's largest gaming ecosystems could prove a lucrative venture for both companies. 

Square Enix action-RPG 'Forspoken' hits PS5 and PC on May 24th, 2022

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:53 PM PST

Forspoken, the action role-playing game from Final Fantasy XV studio Luminous Productions, will hit PlayStation 5 and PC on May 24th, 2022. Publisher Square Enix revealed the release date in a new trailer during The Game Awards, showing off fresh gameplay and world-building elements.

In Forspoken, protagonist Frey Holland is transported from her hometown of New York City to the fantastical land of Athia. 

"Frey soon learns this beautiful land once flourished under the reign of benevolent matriarchs, called Tantas, until a devastating blight relentlessly corrupted everything it touched," the new video's description reads. "At the center of their shattered domains, the Tantas now rule as maddened and evil sorceresses."

Frey agrees to help save Athia from corruption, and in the process, tries to find her way home.

The 'Cuphead' DLC will finally arrive on June 30th

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:33 PM PST

Studio MDHR has finally announced a release date for the long-awaited Cuphead expansion. After a string of delays, The Delicious Last Course will arrive on June 30th, nearly five years after the run-and-gun platformer debuted.

A trailer that emerged at The Game Awards shows more of that gorgeous 1930s-style art that helped make Cuphead so compelling in the first place. The Delicious Last Course takes place on a new island, Inkwell Isle. Along with new weapons and charms, you'll have even more fiendish bossies to battle.

Ms. Chalice, who has unique abilities, will join Cuphead and Mugman on their new adventure. She'll be a playable character in the original game too.

The DLC was announced all the way back in 2018, with a planned release window of sometime the following year, so it's been a long time coming. Even though this is billed as Cuphead's "final challenging quest," this won't be the last we see of the character. An animated Netflix series called The Cuphead Show is in the works.

'Slitterhead' is a new horror game from the creator of Silent Hill

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:32 PM PST

We finally know what Keiichiro Toyama has been up to since leaving Sony. At The Game Awards, Toyama's Bokeh Game Studio revealed Slitterhead. It's a horror-action game that will see you fighting grotesque skeletal monsters. Beyond that, the first trailer the studio shared didn't reveal much about the game's plot. Toyama is best known for his work on Silent Hill and more recently the Gravity Rush series. Also working on the project is Devil May Cry character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa. 

Slitterhead does not have a release date currently.

There's a Wonder Woman game coming from the 'Shadow of Mordor' studio

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:14 PM PST

Monolith Productions, the studio responsible for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, is working on a new game in the Wonder Woman franchise. It features an original storyline where players will "become Diana of Themyscira in the fight to unite her Amazon family and the humans from the modern world," Monolith says. 

Publisher Warner Bros. Games showed off a teaser for the new project during The Game Awards.

Wonder Woman is being billed as "a new third-person, open-world action-adventure" game, according to Monolith, and really, that's no surprise. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was a third-person action RPG with the Nemesis System, a clever orc-management mechanic, tacked on top of it. It was very well-received when it came out in 2014, and it was followed in 2017 by Shadow of War. 

Wonder Woman will use the Nemesis System as well, allowing players to "forge deep connections with both enemies and allies as they progress from a heroic fighter into a proven leader," the studio says.

'Lord of the Rings: Gollum' reveals new gameplay footage

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:08 PM PST

Gollum promises to be a journey through Middle Earth through the eyes of one of its least heroic inhabitants. Now we're getting to lay eyes on how it'll look in action, thanks to a new trailer released during the Game Awards.

We've been teased with some idea of its locales already, like the fire and brimstone of Mordor, and the lush forest of Mirkwood. It's also been revealed that dialog options will allow players to carve a narrative path based on the choices of either the bitter and debauched Gollum, or his timid but moral alter-ego Smeagol. 

Initially scheduled for release in 2021, Daedalic Entertainments Gollum is set to come out at some point next year, and will be available for PC, Playstation, Xbox, and Switch. The company has also claimed it will be the first in a series of games set in Tolkien's worlds.

'Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade' heads to PC on December 16th

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:04 PM PST

As expected, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is coming to PC. At The Game Awards, Square Enix announced it will release the title to the Epic Games Store on December 16th. Announced at the start of the year, Intergrade initially came out on PlayStation 5 on June 10th. On top of adding a new chapter featuring Yuffie, the enhanced port featured improved graphics, including sharper textures and more realistic lighting and fog effects.  

Lady Gaga brings ten of her hits to 'Beat Saber'

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:03 PM PST

No, Meta and Beat Games still aren't done adding big-name musicians to Beat Saber. They're releasing a 10-song Lady Gaga Music Pack that, as you'd imagine, brings some of the pop superstar's best-known songs to the VR rhythm game on Quest and Rift headsets. There aren't any surprise picks here — the collection ranges from early hits like "Poker Face" to the Ariana Grande collaboration "Rain on Me." Still, you might appreciate slicing to Gaga's beats with a Chromatica-inspired backdrop.

The pack should be available tonight (December 9th) at $13 for the whole bundle, or $2 per song. Completists could undoubtedly poke holes in the selection (you won't get singles like "Applause"), but it's hard to object loudly when Gaga's dance pop should lend itself well to Beat Saber's gameplay.

'Star Wars: Eclipse' is a new adventure game from the 'Detroit: Become Human' team

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:47 PM PST

Quantic Dream, the developer ofDetroit: Become Human andBeyond: Two Souls, is working on a Star Wars game set in the franchise's High Republic era. That's a sentence we never thought we would ever write, but here we are. Lucasfilm Games announced the title at The Game Awards. Host Geoff Keighley said the game is in "early development." The publisher also shared a cinematic trailer, showing off locations that will be familiar to anyone who has seen the prequel trilogy. Spoiler warning: Jar Jar Binks sadly does not make an appearance in the trailer.

Star Wars: Eclipse does not currently have a release date.

'Alan Wake 2' will arrive in 2023

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:43 PM PST

It's been more than a decade since Alan Wake first captured gamers' attention, and now it's finally official: the game is getting a sequel. At The Game Awards, we got a first first minute-long look to set up Alan Wake 2, which Remedy Entertainment says will arrive sometime in 2023. Yep, it's going to be a long wait, but at least we know for sure it's coming. Remedy says that the game will be released for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and the PS5.

This announcement comes a couple months after Alan Wake was remastered and released across multiple platforms, and that game contained the tease found in the original game that claimed "Alan Wake's journey through the night will continue." Some speculated that it would be removed from the remaster, but it was in kept intact. Turns out, the line is correct — it just took a long time to come true. 

As for what we'll get from Alan Wake 2, the trailer doesn't give us a whole lot of detail. It's more of a vibe-setting video, and it does a great job at setting up some seriously creepy vibes. While there's not much more to learn about the game right now, you can plan the remastered original on the Xbox One, Series X/S, PS4 or PS5 now. Remedy also says that it'll have more details about the game to share in the summer of 2022.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II's first gameplay trailer is ridiculously good-looking

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:37 PM PST

Ninja Theory revealed Senua's Saga: Hellblade II two years ago at The Game Awards, and since then, it's kept fairly quiet about the sequel, and we've certainly never seen any gameplay. That is, until today. Ninja Theory showed off a hefty chunk of gameplay from Hellblade II Thursday evening, once again at The Game Awards.

There's no word on a release date for the game, but it's heading to PC and Xbox platforms. It's a much more ambitious effort than the original Hellblade, which came out in 2017 to much acclaim, with high praise for its graphics, mo-cap performances and emotional storyline. 

Engadget senior editor Nick Summers visited Ninja Theory in 2017 to get a taste of how the original Hellblade was made, and stepped inside the mo-cap suit himself.

'Homeworld 3' continues the classic sci-fi RTS series in 2022

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:15 PM PST

More than two years after its initial announcement, Homeworld 3 has a release date. Gearbox and developer Blackbird Interactive announced on Thursday during The Game Awards the next entry in the classic real-time strategy series will debut before the end of 2022. They also shared a first look at gameplay. 

The trailer opens with a shot of the Khar-Toba, the ship that set the Kushan, the protagonists of the Homeworld series, on their journey to return to their home of Hiigara. The clip is narrated by Karan S'jet, who fans will remember as one of the main characters of the first two games. S'jet recounts some of the pivotal moments of Homeworld and Homeworld 2 before the footage turns to the space battles players can expect to experience once the game comes out. 

Blackbird Interactive, a studio made up of former Relic Entertainment employees — including Rob Cunningham, the original art director on the first two games — is developing Homeworld 3. The studio previously worked on the excellent Deserts of Kharak, which is a prequel to the first game. 

Homeworld 3 is available to wishlist on Steam and the Epic Games Store. 

'The Expanse' is getting the Telltale Games treatment

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:08 PM PST

Telltale Games is best known for its narrative-driven spins on existing franchises, and next up for the revived studio is an adaptation of Amazon Prime sci-fi series The Expanse. Telltale says the game, which it's working on with Deck Nine Games, will delve into the story of Camina Drummer. 

In The Expanse: A Telltale Series, a mutiny has broken out on the Artemis. As is the case in other Telltale titles, you'll have to make decisions that impact the story and, more specifically, determine the fate of the spaceship. Telltale hasn't announced a release window or which platforms the game is coming to.

Much like Telltale, The Expanse got a second chance. Syfy canceled the show after three seasons, but Amazon picked it up. The sixth and final season premieres on December 10th.

Annapurna's latest RPG is about disappointing your family

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:00 PM PST

Annapurna Interactive—now practically a byword for beautiful, experimental games—have struck oil publishing some unlikely titles, like 2019's Groundhog Day-meets-flight sim Outer Wilds, or the splattery meditations of The Unfinished Swan. Announced today, the studio's newest gambit will be a turn-based RPG based around small town drama and the tension between immigrants and their second-generation kids.

Thirsty Suitors drops players into the story of Jala, who visits her a suffocating hometown to attend a wedding, and in the process is confronted by her history of romantic mistakes and a string of the titular suitors summoned by her grandmother. The turn based battles against ex lovers recall Scott Pilgrim, but will be broken up by cooking and skateboarding segments, all rendered in a gorgeous cell-shaded style. (Not too late to call this one Tony Hawks' Pro Dater, folks.)

Watch the reveal trailer here.

Netlix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop is over after one disappointing season

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 04:01 PM PST

Netflix has canceled its much-hyped and equally maligned Cowboy Bebop adaptation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant decided against renewing the series. The decision comes just three weeks after the show's November 19th premiere. Like with many of its other high-profile cancellations, Netflix is said to have weighed the show's viewership numbers with the potential cost of filming another season.

The cancellation shouldn't come as a surprise, however. Many reviews of Cowboy Bebop were critical of the adaptation. Here at Engadget, we said it was "everything wrong with nostalgia reboots." Even if the series had been better, it's safe to say it had an impossible task before it. Cowboy Bebop is one of the most-loved anime series in history. For many western fans of a certain age, it was their introduction to the medium and they would have been critical of the final product no matter what direction the crew took it. 

Watch the 2021 Game Awards here at 8PM ET

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 04:00 PM PST

The Game Awards are in-person once again, but you'll still have an opportunity to tune in online. The games industry ceremony is streaming live at 8PM Eastern, and you can watch it here through YouTube as well as through multiple other services that include Twitch, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook Live, Steam and even in VR (albeit 2D) through Oculus Venues.

You can expect sizzle from the awards themselves, with frontrunner nominees like Deathloop and Ratchet & Clank vying for attention alongside indie darlings and odd choices like Cyberpunk 2077. You'll also likely see a surprise or two among the many game premieres and updates that define the show. That's not including simultaneous launches like the Unreal Engine 5-based The Matrix Awakens demo.

However, this year's event may be as notable for the surrounding drama as the actual presentation. Activision Blizzard will be a no-show (beyond the advisory board, that is), and the company's sexual harassment scandal may cast a shadow over some nominees. You can also be sure the organizers will make full use of a real-world venue, with performances from the likes of Sting and Imagine Dragons. In that light, the 2021 gala still won't represent business as usual.

Google won't raise employee pay to match inflation

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 03:32 PM PST

Google told employees at a virtual all-hands meeting Tuesday that it will not be adjusting workers' pay to match inflation. In other words, Google's rank and file will be effectively earning less, even while the company has thrived, achieving record profits for five consecutive quarters.

According to audio shared with CNBC, CEO Sundar Pichai read a question from his staff concerning the rising cost of just about everything, and the decision by some companies to offset those hardships with commensurate pay raises. The company's vice president of compensation, Frank Wagner, reportedly responded that: "As I mentioned previously in other meetings, when we see price inflation increasing, we also see increases in the cost of labor or market pay rate," and that "those have been higher than in recent past and our compensation budgets have reflected that."

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Raises of this kind are fairly standard for many businesses, and are typically referred to as "cost of living adjustments." Wagner, however, claimed any potential pay raises ought to reflect "performance" instead of a smaller but more broadly implemented increase.

Google has shown a willingness to adjust compensation related to the realities of the pandemic: by cutting pay for workers who chose to remain remote in locations with lower costs of living. In some cases these salary reductions were estimated to be as much as 25%, according to Reuters.

Texas Apple store closes due to COVID-19 outbreak

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 02:12 PM PST

Apple has generally been cautious in dealing with COVID-19 even as it loosens store policies, but that apparently wasn't enough to prevent an outbreak among staff. NBC Newsreports the Apple store in Southlake, Texas is closed until December 13th after 22 workers tested positive for the illness. Four employees tested positive right after Black Friday, NBC learned, and the cases appear to have spread.

Affected workers will have to isolate for 10 days and go two days without symptoms before they can return, according to a virtual team meeting. Everyone returning on the 13th will have to take a rapid antigen COVID-19 test the day before.

There are concerns the outbreak might have been avoidable. One worker at Southlake said it was difficult to maintain social distancing even before Black Friday, while others said they were encouraged to come to work even when they reported COVID-like symptoms in a mandatory survey. Staffers were also incorrectly told they couldn't claim special sick leave unless they tested positive.

We've asked Apple for comment on these reports. In a statement to NBC, a spokesperson focused on an overall "comprehensive approach" to safety that included regular testing, masks, cleaning and paid leave.

Apple has faced accusations of poor retail employee treatment in the past, including (discontinued) off-the-clock bag searches. There may be multiple factors at work in this case, however. Whether or not the leadership was responsible, staff are reportedly concerned there's too much pressure to meet certain sales targets. Managers may feel compelled to put sick staff to work rather than risk falling short of store goals.

The Epic Games Store finally has a shopping cart

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 01:04 PM PST

It only took three years, but the Epic Games Store finally has one of the staples of online stores: a shopping cart. Visit the store on your computer and you can grab multiple games, apps and add-ons at the same time. You can review and remove items before checking out, and move content to your wishlist if you'd rather wait for a sale. You can still click "buy now" if you're only bent on picking up a single item.

It seems like a simple addition, and Epic is keenly aware of how late it is to the party. The company opened its store in 2018 with a barebones feature set and spent a long while adding features people take granted from rivals like Steam, such as gifting. This is just the most prominent catch-up in recent memory. Still, it's difficult to complain loudly if it helps you buy a bunch of discounted classics.

YouTube TV arrives on Xfinity Flex set-top boxes

Posted: 09 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST

As of today, there's yet another way to access YouTube TV. Google's streaming television service is now available on Comcast'sXfinity Flex set-top boxes. It joins Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV as one of three alternatives to the company's own Xfinity TV service.

As with the other platforms where it's available, YouTube TV offers access to more than 85 channels, including ones from ABC, CBS and Fox. It also comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage and support for three simultaneous streams. Outside of the app, you can access the service using the Xfinity Voice Remote. The announcement comes just one day after Google and Roku reached a multi-year deal to end a dispute that had seen the YouTube TV app removed from the Roku Store.
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