A deadly virus engulfs the residents of Raccoon City in September of 1998, plunging the city into chaos as flesh eating zombies roam the streets for survivors.
An unparalleled adrenaline rush, gripping storyline, and unimaginable horrors await you.
Mortal Kombat 11 has been revealed! On a rainy Thursday, in an industrial building on the edge of the Koreatown neighborhood in Los Angeles, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon lifted the veil of secrecy from the latest chapter in the long-running fighting game series.
The story of Mortal Kombat 11 (we’ll call it MK 11 from here on out) picks up right where the last game left off. Shinnok is defeated, and Raiden has been corrupted into Dark Raiden. More importantly, there are new systems and a character customization adapted from the gear system in Injustice 2. And, naturally, there are hundreds of bone-crunching, blood splattering moves, all visualized with animations that might be the best in the series.
I got hands on time with MK 11 and came away with some detailed impressions about how the game is taking Mortal Kombat into the future.
A Roster of Old Favorites and New Fighters.
The character select screen in MK 11 has twenty-five slots. Seven characters were visible in our demo: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Baraka (who was in MK 9 but sat out MK X), Skarlet (finally a default selectable!), Dark Raiden, and the new guy, Geras.
We’ll get to Geras in a minute, when we talk about story. Ed Boon suggested that we’ll see young and old versions of characters, but neither he nor other developers would elaborate. Nor would the devs I spoke to say that the 25-character roster was the upper limit on the lineup.
A Fatal Blow Might Save You
The most significant new mechanic is the Fatal Blow system, which offers a special move when any fighter’s health drops below thirty percent. These moves behave in a pretty different way from the X-ray moves introduced in 2011’s Mortal Kombat. (But the close-up X-ray visual effects remain, with many of them incorporated into the flow of gameplay.)
Launch a Fatal Blow and gameplay goes into a set of slow-mo closeups that shove spears through chests and blades through faces. It’s not quite a fatality, but if you’re losing a round the Fatal Blow offers a chance to knock a big chunk of health off your opponent. The attack doesn’t land automatically, but in my play session it was fairly easy to pull it off. There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to use it every time — we’ll see how NetherRealms refines the mechanic as the game gets towards release — but if you’re getting beat down the Fatal Blow will probably be a good back-pocket move to rely on. I couldn’t tell in play sessions if there’s any downside to using it.
Get Kustomized!
As expected, there’s a significant character customization system in MK 11. The system is certainly inspired by the one from Injustice 2, but there are a lot of differences. The most crucial thing to know is that you can create, name, and save at least three variants of any character.
Each fighter has a host of different customizable options. “Kosmetics” encompass Intros, Victories, Taunts, Brutalities, and Fatalities. (Each of the characters I could tinker with today had two Fatality options, most of which were not viewable.)
Then there’s the actual gear. Unlockable gear options are also primarily cosmetic, and, broadly speaking, they cover masks, weapons, and special attacks. But each piece of gear has a set of Augmentation slots — typically three. Those Augmentations also have to be unlocked and/or collected, and that’s where your bonuses come in. You might be able to add punches or slashes to a specific move, get a damage buff as your health is whittled down, or increase the duration of some effects. That’s just a sample; there are dozens of options.
Other customization options include skins, with options of 20 per character; abilities, which let you swap special moves in and out of an active set; and AI attributes, which give you a set of points that can be allocated to six different broad tactical categories which define how that character will behave under AI control.
Gore Never Looked So Pretty
You’ve probably already watched the first gameplay footage, so you’ve seen it: this is a brutal, gory, gnarly game. Baraka puts his teeth to work biting legs, heads, and, in one fatality, brains. Faces are torn off in successive layers. Bodies are broken into pieces by every conceivable weapon, from hammers and stone to blades and even blades made out of blood. (Hello, Skarlet!)
And it all looks incredible. MK 11 is more fluid than ever, with impressive lighting effects that really come into play when Scorpion is seen as a fighting, burning skeleton, or Raiden electrifies an opponent with red lightning. The liquid modeling has also been improved, which results in a pretty significant visual upgrade, given how much blood flows in the game.
So What’s the Story?
Let’s circle back to the new character, Geras. He’s the enforcer for Kronica, who we saw in the game’s first teaser, putting hands on a giant hour glass at the end of the trailer. Ed Boon said today that Kronica has been pulling the strings from behind the scenes going all the way back to the original Mortal Kombat. (Or at least the original as revised in 2011.) Kronica didn’t think Shinnok would be defeated by Raiden, and now wants to set the timeline right. That’s how we’ll see different versions of some characters — she’s going to do something with time, we just don’t know what. Kronica will also be the game’s big boss, and so will probably be playable in some form.
As Kronica’s henchman, Geras also uses time-based attacks. Most of his attacks relate to time, and sand, but he can mold that sand into bludgeons and hammers — his moves are some of the most crushing and brutal in a game that already pushes the limits of violence.
A Few Other Details and Observations
An Xbox One beta has been announced for March 28, which will function more or less like NetherRealm’s previous betas. (Short version: you’ll have to pre-order.) Players can get a taste of a limited roster with the major game mechanics all intact, but we don’t know any more beta details yet.
There are three meters now: health, which powers the Fatal Blow as it decreases, and defense and offense, which fill over time, and power special moves.
Ronda Rousey voices Sonya Blade, a character she says has been an inspiration since she first played Mortal Kombat as a pre-teen. Since Rousey is the biggest new talent announced for the game, does that mean Sonya will be particularly important to the story?
What about Babalities and/or Friendships? While Babalities made a comeback in MK X, we don’t know if they’re an option in MK 11. And there’s no indication that Friendship is an option… but NetherRealm hasn’t yet said they’re out, either.
Rumour: Metroid Prime Trilogy For Nintendo Switch Is Ready To Be Released
No, it’s not some horrible nightmare, Nintendo has in fact announced the development of Metroid Prime 4 will be restarted, with the original developer Retro Studios now collaborating with producer Kensuke Tanabe.
Prior to this shock announcement from Nintendo, there were rumours circulating late last year about the re-release of the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Nintendo Switch as an appetiser. So, what’s the current status of this rumoured project? According to a series of tweets by Game Informer’s Senior Editor Imran Khan, “it’s been long done” and the initial announcement for the trilogy collection on Switch was supposed to happen last month, but not necessarily at The Game Awards. Why exactly this game wasn’t revealed by Nintendo around this time is unknown.
Over on ResetEra, Khan said Metroid Prime 4’s development reset is likely to alter Nintendo’s schedule and mentioned how there was more “Metroid stuff” in the pipeline to anticipate.
Now that Nintendo has revealed the news about Metroid Prime 4, do you think it should focus on releasing the Metroid Prime Trilogy as soon as possible, assuming it is more than a rumour? Tell us below.
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-27-2019, 09:35 AM - Forum: Lounge
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This Week At Bungie – 1/25/2019
This week at Bungie, we’re getting ready to turn up the power.
Next week, your Super abilities are in for a shakeup. Update 2.1.4 has a lot of different fixes in it, but the crux of it will be buffing a large amount of Supers to make them more powerful. There are also a few changes to bring some hot abilities down in hopes that the distinct sound of a Nova Warp won’t haunt your dreams… as much. You can read the full preview on subclass changes here, and a look at what is changing with weapons in last week’s episode of this weekly address.
Mayhem Returns
With all of these new Super changes, we figured you’d be eager to jump in and try them out. What’s the best mode for showcasing Supers? Mayhem! We’re turning up the recharge rates to 11, so pick your space magic of choice and start melting faces.
Mayhem!
Begins: January 29, 2019
Ends: February 05, 2019
As you battle it out amidst the chaos, please remember that the Crucible is not liable for injuries sustained therein.
Crimson Days
Crimson Days is coming soon. It was originally scheduled to start on February 5. That date is being shifted slightly. Grab your partner and get ready for action and rewards.
Crimson Days
Begins: February 12, 2019
Ends: February 19, 2019
If you missed out on Crimsons Days last year, or didn’t get everything you wanted, you’re in luck. This is your chance to get the rewards exclusive to this event. The event is very similar to last year, but we have added a few new rewards and ways of obtaining them. We’ll give you the full details closer to the special day.
Cleaning House
Starting with Season of the Drifter, we’re making a slight change to the way bounties grant powerful rewards. To ensure an even playing field each time we kick off a new season, bounties acquired during previous seasons will have a maximum possible power reward. This change is intended to prevent players from feeling the need to hoard bounties and raid keys that grant powerful rewards until the Power cap is raised in an attempt to get a leg up in the push toward the new Power cap.
Example:
A player has completed the “WANTED: SILENT FANG” bounty during the Season of the Forge, but has not yet claimed the reward.
If they claim this reward after the Season of the Drifter has begun, the reward will have a maximum Power of 650.
If they instead acquire this bounty after the Season of the Drifter has already begun, the reward will have a maximum Power of 700.
The cap is applied to bounties on acquisition.
NOTE: Completed bounties have no mechanism to “dismantle,” so keeping completed bounties could negatively affect players for the first week of a new season. By holding on to the old bounties, this locks players out of an “uncapped” bounty that could become available with the start of a new season.
We strongly recommend either completing or discarding any powerful rewards bounties before the new season begins. Completing these bounties after the season changes could result in missing out on the new season’s version of the bounty with the higher Power cap.
We are also looking to address stockpiles of Raid Keys as well. We are currently finalizing details, and will give additional information when available.
Final Preview
We’ve talked about a lot of changes coming next Tuesday in 2.1.4, but we have a few more you may not know about yet. Here is a final preview before the official patch notes ship with the update on 1/29/19.
Redrix’s Broadsword Quest:
Valor Rank Resets
The Valor Rank resets step will now look at previous seasons’ accomplishments as well.
Five Valor resets are still required during a single season, but this is no longer restricted to the current season. Example: If a player had five Valor resets in Season 4, this will now grant progress towards the quest.
Completion Inconsistencies
Fixed various issues where the quest was not progressing to the pickup step until a player re-entered orbit.
Enhancement Cores
Fixed an issue that prevented Enhancement Cores from being awarded when reaching Legend in Valor and Glory ranks.
Grenade Launchers
Tweaked Grenade Launcher projectiles to feel more consistent on direct hits.
Proximity Grenades can no longer impact directly (prevents Special ammo Grenade Launchers from one-shotting with the perk active).
Increased ammo reserve size of Special ammo Grenade Launchers.
Increased initial spawn ammo in PvE for Special ammo Grenade Launchers.
New Year’s Resolutions
The DPS team is always working diligently behind the scenes. They are making sure you have the info you need to have the best Destiny 2 experience.
This is their report.
Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 Resolved Issues Preview – Part 2
Resuming the conversation from last week, the following known issues are expected to be resolved with the launch of Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 on January 29.
“Like a Diamond” Triumph: The “Like a Diamond” Triumph is not unlocking for fireteams who complete the “Scourge of the Past” raid in a single session with no deaths.
“Always on Time” Sparrow: The “Always on Time” Exotic Sparrow from the “Scourge of the Past” raid cannot be reclaimed from Collections.
Modulus Reports to Postmaster: Modulus Reports earned when a player’s Pursuits inventory is full are not sent to the Postmaster.
“No Feelings” Kill Tracker: The “Scourge of the Past” raid Scout Rifle “No Feelings” does not correctly track kills when Masterworked to tier 6 or higher.
“Rasmussen” and “Satou” Ghost Projections: There is a discrepancy between the assets used in the “Rasmussen” and “Satou” Ghost projections available in the Etched Engram.
“Veterans of the Hunt” Emblem: The “Veterans of the Hunt” emblem uses art from the “Universal Hero” emblem, causing the “Universal Hero” emblem to not display properly.
For the full Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 patch notes when they are available, players should monitor our Updates page.
Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 Deployment Timeline
Next Tuesday, January 29, Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 will become available to players. This update marks the arrival of the Exotic quest, “The Draw,” as well as the expected resolution to issues described in our Resolved Issues Previews—Part 1 and 2.
All Destiny 2 players will need to download and install this update when it is available. Please see below for the Update 2.1.4 deployment timeline for Tuesday, January 29.
8 AM PST (1600 UTC): Destiny 2 maintenance is scheduled to begin. Some Destiny Companion features may be unavailable on the web, mobile, and third-party apps.
8:45 AM PST (1645 UTC): Downtime in Destiny 2 will take place at this time. All players will be removed from the game. Players will not be able to log into the game.
9 AM PST (1700 UTC): Update 2.1.4 will begin rolling out across all platforms and regions. Downtime in Destiny 2 is expected to end, but maintenance will be ongoing.
10 AM PST (1800 UTC): Destiny 2 maintenance is expected to conclude.
11 AM PST (1900 UTC): Destiny Companion features will be re-enabled on the web, mobile, and third-party apps. Players who encounter issues should report them to the #Help forum.
Season of the Forge Vital Information and Known Issues
In addition to the items listed above, Destiny Player Support would like to make sure players are aware that the following known issues are being investigated in Destiny 2.
GUITAR Errors in “Last Wish”: Elevated GUITAR errors are ongoing in the final encounters of the “Last Wish” raid. For the latest info, see: This Week at Bungie – 1/11/201
Obsidian Accelerator: The tooltip for Obsidian Accelerators says “Use,” when it should say “Discard.” Players should turn these items in to Ada-1 and may re-earn them in forge activities.
Stryker’s Sure-Hand: The perk “Surrounded” no longer does bonus damage on the Stryker’s Sure-Hand Sword after it is been upgraded to a tier 10 Masterwork.
Collections Badge Count: The Collections screen incorrectly shows a count of only 10 badges instead of 11.
Dutch Angle
What will they do next? It’s a question we often ask ourselves. Movie of the Week is one of the ways we like to highlight the awesome things the community creates. It can be anything from a huge accomplishment to a funny short. Every week, we pick a few of our favorites and show off their creations here.
Movie of the Week: How to Titan
Honorable Mention: Live like Legends
As always, both creators of these videos and any helpers they had will receive a special emblem for their efforts. If you are one of the winners, make sure you put everyone’s player name who helped in the description.
Next week is going to be a great time to jump in and play some Destiny. We haven’t even covered the Hand-Cannon-shaped elephant in the room. Along with everything else we‘ve talked about, next week is also when you’ll be sent out on a quest to claim the Last Word. We can’t wait to watch as Guardians wield a familiar weapon forged for heroes once again.
Fallout 76's New Survival PvP Mode And Next Patch Detailed
Bethesda has a number of new features in the works for Fallout 76 this year, including a more competitive type of PvP mode. The developer has shared some new details about this mode in its latest blog post, along with an early glimpse at what's coming in its next update for the online RPG.
Dubbed Survival, the new mode was devised to offer players a much more challenging PvP experience. "Since the launch of Fallout 76, we've received lots of feedback from some of our more competitive players who requested greater challenge, fewer restrictions, and more incentives when it comes to PVP combat," Bethesda wrote. "With this in mind, we began developing Survival mode, which will bring a new way for you to engage in even more demanding, high-stakes, and deadly adventures in Fallout 76."
When Survival launches in beta later this year, players will be able to choose between it or Adventure mode--the standard Fallout 76 experience--when they boot up the game. Both modes will feature the same quests, events, and story, but Survival eschews the restrictions that previously governed PvP encounters. All players outside of your teammates will automatically be flagged as hostile, and you won't need to retaliate against another player to initiate a battle.
There will also be some steep penalties and rewards in this mode. Bethesda says it will continue to tweak these rules based on player feedback, but when Survival first launches, players won't be able to use the "seek revenge" respawn option; instead, they'll only be able to respawn at their CAMP or Vault 76. If you kill another player, you'll receive twice as many Caps, and there's a chance they'll drop their Aid alongside their junk.
Bethesda is planning to roll out the Survival beta in March. In the meantime, the developer has another patch coming at the end of January. This one will fix another "massive round" of bugs and make a handful of gameplay and quality-of-life tweaks, like the addition of a "(Known)" tag for recipes and plans that you've already learned. You can read more on Bethesda's website.
Glass Masquerade Brings Relaxing, Stress-Free Puzzles To Switch Next Month
Indie publisher Digerati has revealed that it’s bringing a relaxing puzzler to Switch in the form of Glass Masquerade, and it’ll be available as soon as next month.
The game features artistic, stained-glass puzzles inspired by Art Deco artisans of the 20th century, allowing players to unwind and complete each offering in their own time. You’ll be combining hidden glass pieces to unveil various pieces of art with absolutely no pressure – as you can see in the trailer, there are no time limits or restraints to speak of.
It’s an interesting concept, and one which certianly offers something a little different on Switch. Here’s a list of its key features:
Key features: – 25 beautiful and intricately designed stained-glass jigsaw puzzles to complete – Journey around the world – Each puzzle is inspired by a different country – Art Deco mosaics and presentation give the game a distinct visual style – Relaxing gameplay provides a calming experience – no time limits, no stress – Soothing, atmospheric soundtrack by Russian composer Nikita Sevalnev – Finish the game and replay the puzzles to improve your completion times – Interface support for the following languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, – Japanese, Korean, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
The game launches on Nintendo Switch on 8th February and will be available to purchase directly from the Nintendo eShop.
Do you like the look of this one? Do you like your games to be more on the relaxing side of things? Let us know in the comments.
Another Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Game-Breaking Glitch Has Been Found
Another game-breaking glitch has recently been discovered in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this time involving Duck Hunt Duo and a very specific setup for Mii Swordfighter.
FlamingOranges says that any stage is fine, as long as you have those two fighters, but the Mii Swordfighter must have the specific moveset listed below. Despite this, all you have to do is use the Mii Swordfighter’s side special attack after Duck Hunt Duo’s Gunman has fired a shot. The uploader states that “it’s incredibly easy to pull off, and this was found through normal play”.
– Neutral Special: Shuriken – Side Special: Gale stab – Up Special: Stone Scabbard – Down Special: Reversal slash
Usually, we’d suggest trying to recreate the glitch yourself at home for a laugh, although this one is probably more of a nuisance than a comical quirk. Perhaps it’s best to avoid playing with just these two characters unless a fix is patched in?
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-26-2019, 09:12 PM - Forum: Windows
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Be the Xbox G.O.A.T. with the Madden NFL 19 Sweepstakes
The Big Game is on the horizon and what better way to pre-game than to earn your bragging rights and take your fantasy team to Atlanta with Madden NFL 19? Starting today through February 12, one ultimate Madden fan will have the chance to win the official Xbox Madden NFL 19 G.O.A.T Prize Pack, valued at over $10,000. Click here for official details of how to enter (open to U.S. residents only).
You’ll be well on your way to building up your football team dynasty and becoming the “Greatest Of All Time” with the following:
Xbox G.O.A.T ring that features 10 carat premium gold (plated black) and weighs over 1.5 ounces, with 188 black diamonds and 46 green tsavorite stones
Custom G.O.A.T Xbox One X
G.O.A.T merchandise pack
Copy of Madden NFL 19 for Xbox One
Football jersey autographed by Antonio Brown
Madden NFL 19 gives you game-changing control on and off the field and enhanced by Real Player Motion (RPM) by delivering gameplay control with precision and intent. Create and share custom draft classes, design your game strategy, progress your players, and execute your game plan with all new positional archetypes in franchise mode. Explore all-new ways to train your favorite players to fit your roster and lead your team to glory.
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future news and details on Xbox sweepstakes.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-26-2019, 09:12 PM - Forum: Windows
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AI & IoT Insider Labs: Helping transform smallholder farming in Kenya
This blog post was authored by Peter Cooper, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft IoT.
From smart factories and smart cities to virtual personal assistants and self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming how people around the world live, work, and play.
But fundamentally changing the ways people, devices, and data interact is not simple or easy work. Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs was created to help all types of organizations accelerate their digital transformation. Member organizations around the world get access to support both technology development and product commercialization, for everything from hardware design to manufacturing to building applications and turning data into insights using machine learning.
Here’s how AI & IoT Insider Labs is helping one partner, SunCulture, leverage new technology to provide solar-powered water pumping and irrigation systems for smallholder farmers in Kenya.
Affordable irrigation for all
Kenyan smallholdings face some of the most challenging growing conditions in the world. 97 percent rely on natural rainfall to support their crops and livestock—and the families that depend on them. But just 17 percent of the country’s farmland is suitable for rainfed agriculture. Electricity is unavailable in most places and diesel power is often financially out of reach, so farmers spend hours every day pumping and transporting water. This limits them to low-value crops like maize and small yields, all because they lack the resources to irrigate their crops. Additionally, irrigation technologies have an important role to play in reducing the impact agriculture has on the earth’s freshwater resources, especially in Africa.
SunCulture, a 2017 Airband Grant Fund winner, believed sustainable technology could make irrigation affordable enough that even the poorest farmers could use it without further aggravating water shortages. The company set out to build an IoT platform to support a pay-as-you-grow payment model that would make solar-powered precision irrigation financially accessible for smallholders across Kenya.
How SunCulture’s solution works
SunCulture’s RainMaker2 pump combines the energy efficiency of solar power with the effectiveness of precision irrigation, making it cheaper and easier for farmers to grow high-quality fruits and vegetables. Using the energy of the sun, the SunCulture system pulls water from any source—lake, stream, well, etc.—and pumps it directly to the farm with sprinklers and drip irrigation.
This cutting-edge solution combines ClimateSmart™ solar and lithium-ion energy storage technology with cloud-based remote monitoring and optimization software developed with support from AI & IoT Insider Labs. It’s a powerful platform that makes it simple and cheap to deploy off-grid energy and connected solutions.
Farmers get the information they need to make good irrigation decisions at scale, without the costs involved in sending agronomy experts into the field. How? SunCulture processes a steady flow of sensor data, like soil moisture, pump efficiency, solar battery storage, and other factors, that is analyzed within Microsoft Azure’s cloud environment. This sensor data is combined with data from SunCulture’s network of 2,000 hyperlocal weather stations to leverage Azure machine learning tools and provide simple, real-time, precision irrigation recommendations directly to the farmer via text messaging (SMS).
The platform also enables real-time locking and unlocking of devices that makes the pay-as-you-grow model feasible. The platform is smart enough to shut off pumps automatically when power levels are getting low on a cloudy day, or when optimal irrigation thresholds are reached.
How farmers are benefiting from SunCulture
SunCulture’s pay-as-you-grow revenue model allows farmers to make small, monthly payments until they own their precision sensor-based irrigation system outright, empowering even the region’s poorest smallholder farmers to take control of their environment.
On average, SunCulture customers enjoy a 300 percent increase in crop yields and a 10x increase in annual income. Farmers with livestock double their milk yield, earning an extra $3.50/day in income from milk alone. The 17 hours per week they used to spend moving water manually is now directed to better tending their crops and livestock. At a price point of $1.25/day for the RainMaker2 with ClimateSmart™, a farmer’s investment is recouped quickly, and profit starts flowing from increased agricultural productivity.
