Hey, Xbox gamers! Tabz Llama here from the Tips & Tricks team. I’m going to show you 5 tips for Destiny 2, Bungie’s follow-up to their 2014 epic. Destiny 2 takes place one year after the events of the first game, starting you off in the middle of a war, where The Last City has been attacked by a Cabal fleet named The Red Legion. They want to take the Traveler’s light for themselves and crush humanity while they’re at it. It’s our job to defend The Last City and drive away the Cabal fleet.

These 5 tips talk about post-campaign content, so be warned that you’ll be entering spoiler territory. The original Destiny was well known for their post-game content, keeping you busy for hundreds of hours after you’ve beaten the main story. These 5 tips are to help you get the most from your Destiny 2 experience so hopefully you learn a thing or two.

For even more strategies and tactics on today’s hottest games, plus plenty of other gaming-related fun, tune in to Tips and Tricks live every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT on Mixer.com/TipsAndTricks!

The past few months has brought a steady stream of good news for Nintendo Switch owners. For fans of the eShop it’s been a terrific period, with lots of varied and talented developers confirming their games for the hardware. We’ve also – gradually – seen an increase in third-party support from the big players in the retail scene, and that’s what we’re addressing today.

After the Wii U was dropped by most major publishers after around 18 months of its life, it’s satisfying to be back in a position where Nintendo’s latest hardware is gaining support. The powerful portable / home console hybrid has achieved its most important goal in its first half year – a stong start in terms of sales. In fact all that’s held it back, particularly in territories like Japan and North America, has been logistics and manufacturing. The big N has struggled to meet demand, though has been making encouraging noises about ramping up manufacturing; restocks have been improving, too. The Switch is hot right now, getting favourable coverage in the broader media (and not just dedicated gaming sites) and also on social media. It’s a cool little device, and plenty of people are interested in it.

Nintendo, undoubtedly, will try to capitalise as much as possible, which will mean trying to get as many units as it can onto store shelves. Yet in some ways the well-earned buzz clashes with the stark reality; right now – as of 30th June – Nintendo’s official figure for hardware sales is 4.7 million units, now it may be somewhere between 6 and 8 million, depending on restocks. Forget the fact it’ll hit the Wii U lifetime sales as quickly as Nintendo can manufacture the systems – we’re in the early days and have a small-ish userbase. Nintendo’s financial year estimate was still 10 million as of 30th June; that’ll likely climb if manufacturing picks up, but it’s a reminder that we’re in the early days and any developer bringing games to the system is gambling on two things – a high adoption rate from early buyers, and ‘evergreen’ potential.

That’s how it is for all systems in their first year, of course, but coming back to retail third-parties the situation is more complicated for Switch. Outside of unique titles on the 3DS, a lot of these publishers haven’t even attempted to sell to a Nintendo audience in a big way for 3-4 years, maybe even longer. People online like to criticise these publishers for not ‘backing’ Switch, but a bit of realism helps – these companies are gambling on a new system when its predecessor (in some cases) burned them quite badly. Add to that the fact Nintendo produces concept-based hardware that makes ports quite challenging to produce, and it’s not so simple as ‘lazy third-party publishers are naughty’. Some of them are, no doubt, but let’s not tar the whole lot with the same brush.

Yet some big companies are stepping up with Switch, which is the encouraging thing. Plenty hold a grudge against Ubisoft, but it’s delivered the excellent Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, while Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition is a pleasant option. Let’s not forget, either, that the company put Switch up first in its big E3 reveal of Starlink: Battle for Atlas, a game that looks like an enticing fit for the Nintendo audience. Then there are the tasty recent announcements. L.A. Noire raised eyebrows and will have Switch-exclusive controls, and Bethesda turned heads recently with DOOM and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The latter two from Bethesda are bonafide current-gen big hitters, and they’ll be playable on a portable. DOOM on a portable, what a delicious phrase.

It’s a really good time, then, with others like Rocket League also on the way. Yet we’re also seeing occasional retail releases of the risk averse and sloppy kind – let’s peg NBA 2K18 with that label. On the one hand it’s impressive to get that on the Switch, but it’s not there yet; we had a good debate in our team on how to score it, or not as the case was. We’ve set a timed deadline (albeit loosely) for an update fix before we slap a score on, but our review certainly didn’t recommend a purchase – far from it, as we were rather damning of what it has to offer at launch.

That naturally makes us nervous about titles like FIFA 18 and WWE 2K18; will they be really solid ‘custom’ versions, or buggy messes?

It’s a minefield then, which is unsurprising. Yet with recent reveals we’ve seen borderline over-confidence from some Switch fans about third-party prospects; on social media, YouTube and comments sections we’ve seen language like “third-parties have no excuses now” and “I want all the games”, and we think a bit of context and sanity is needed. The Switch could have some enticing multi-platform games in the future, and if sales momentum remains high for the hardware publishers may even consider some left-field exclusives. But don’t start placing your bets on all the biggest triple-A multiplatform games of 2018 and beyond rushing to Switch.

Some will throw Wolfenstein II at us now, but let’s throw a phrase back – id Software. This team and their id Tech 6 engine are sensational, and DOOM is an example. It is gorgeous and mostly 60fps on PS4 and Xbox One, when many major games on those systems struggle to hit a solid 30; when playing DOOM on PC the scalability to support humble rigs is seriously impressive. It’s that fantastic technology that is helping bring the likes of DOOM and Wolfenstein II to the Switch, along with the seemingly talented Switch specialists at Panic Button.

Digital Foundry addressed this and did an intriguing video where they built a PC to mimic a Switch, a slightly inelegant but interesting idea. It demonstrated the sort of compromise required, and also showed how games using other engines toil terribly. As DF admitted the testing wasn’t perfect – for one thing console development allows talented teams to get ‘close to the metal’ and extract every ounce of performance, whereas a PC gets distracted more by background tasks. In other words, you can conceivably do more with a Switch than a PC build clocking similar numbers.

Yet still, there’s another factor. Every Switch release has to support its portable mode, even if an Indie game like VOEZ is portable only. When docked the Switch works harder because it has a solid power supply, but undocked the clock speeds are reduced in the interest of efficiency. In theory it helps that the handheld only goes up to 720p because of the screen, but the discrepancy between docked and portable resources is a factor. Sometimes the docked performance is only a little better – games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle are 900p docked, and other times there’s a bigger difference. At launch LEGO City: Undercover ran pretty well docked but was rather messy on the portable. Conversely, some games don’t quite nail the extra speed available docked and mess up the balance in boosting resolution, making games run better in portable mode. Mostly developers make it work, but any Switch game review needs to test a game in both configurations in case there’s a difference.

The overall picture seems to result in the Switch, even docked, not quite supporting all modern engines to make porting seamless, and then developers need to cater to the portable performance and perhaps prioritise that area. That may explain why the likes of Bethesda and EA continually focus on their upcoming games as ultimate portable experiences; EA focused on that angle with its FIFA marketing, and Bethesda showcased DOOM that way to the press, focused on tabletop / handheld demonstrations.

Take all of this together, and it’s over-optimistic to simply expect a golden future of major games making their way to Switch without hiccups – E3 should have taught us that. What we can hope for, provided the Switch maintains its excellent momentum, is cleverly targeted ports with some exclusive features, and in the longer term maybe more unique releases as publishers take more of a financial punt on Switch projects. Yet the Switch hardware has its limits, and with developers chasing the gravy train on PS4 / PS4 Pro / Xbox One / Xbox One S that drifts towards optional 4K and visual splendour, not all games will work on Nintendo’s hardware. Not all engines are as adaptable as id Tech 6, and no matter how talented the Switch porting houses are – that are making some of these third-party games possible – there will always be steps that are too far.

And you know what? That has to be ok. Besides, the Switch has a lot more going for it than this specific space. It has Nintendo games, first and foremost, and then particular development partners eager to work with Nintendo on specific types of Switch-exclusive games. It has a thriving eShop scene, and the potential for lots of unique and fascinating titles to download. Plus it has the system’s fundamental positives – intuitive multiplayer, the ability to share games with friends and family wherever you go, portable and TV play; you know, that Switch Life.

Add a select range of tasty current-gen multiplatform games to that mix, and we have a system that could be a huge success in the coming years for Nintendo.

This weekend is one of the most anticipated periods in the Japanese gaming calendar, with the Tokyo Game Show halls being open to thousands of eager members of the public. Among the world’s most popular and renowned expo events, it’s a significant part of game promotion and reveals in Japan.

As we reported at the start of the month, CIRCLE Entertainment and Flyhigh Works – two entities that combine forces across markets – have one of the most packed line-ups at the event from a Switch perspective. Both names are familiar for publishing games like VOEZ and Kamiko in the West, but they’re also active bringing Western games to Japan. The following list is all of the games they’re publishing in the country that are on show in Tokyo, along with some snaps of their booth; some of these titles naturally have different publishers in North America and PAL regions.

We asked CIRCLE Entertainment’s Chris Chau for his perspective on Tokyo Game Show, and he talks of its vibe and the continued interest of gamers from around the world.

Tokyo Game Show has so much Western media in attendance, and also many Western developers show up; they seek entry into the Japanese market, plus Korean and Chinese markets for many platforms. Asia seems to be very interesting for these developers.

Nintendo staff went to many booths at the start and gave exhibitors a Switch label box to mark Nintendo Switch titles; that allows for very clear information to tell the public that a game will have a Nintendo Switch version.

Like a Western game show it’s loud because there are many stages with live shows, with high volume speakers. Most people are particularly hyped for Japanese traditional titles, many that are Manga styled.

One thing I feel is really good is you won’t be lost in the exhibition venue; the hall is connected with one straight way, it’s very clear – you can really walk from Hall 1 to Hall 8 step-by-step. The staff of exhibitors always smile and are pleasant when showing their games to visitors; they are positive, say hi and want to give you some free gifts.

Setting the game show in September also means it doesn’t feel too hot; it’s quite comfortable to wait in a queue or wait to purchase a ticket.

As an exhibitor you need to be positive to manage your table, keeping the space, headphones and controllers clean, and to also manually reset games for the next visitors. I think the service, positive attitude and professional spirit are a big part the week; they’re important for Japan and the Game Show.

Let us know if you’re at Tokyo Game Show this year, or if you hope to go in the future.

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

[Video Game Deep Cuts is a weekly newsletter from curator/video game industry veteran Simon Carless, rounding up the best longread & standout articles & videos about games, every weekend.

Some of the highlights include pieces on Nex Machina’s intense gameplay, Shadow Of War’s Nemesis system, & the latest Dishonored game’s choices.

Barely managing to keep the ‘every week’ streak alive here on week 55 of the newsletter, due to a trip to New York immediately followed by our VRDC Fall 2017 event here in San Francisco – which went great, btw, pics here, write-ups here, & select talk videos to appear on GDC Vault & YouTube soon. But made it in the nick of time! And lots of goodness here.

‘Til next time…
– Simon, curator.]

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Raw Data devs share their missteps so you won’t make them too (Alex Wawro / Gamasutra)
“Survios’ Raw Data has been one of the standout successes in virtual reality game design. But at VRDC Fall 2017 in San Francisco today, a pair of Survios devs took the stage to talk about how development went wrong along the way — and what they’ve learned from the experience.”

Space Lions – Shut Up & Sit Down’s TI4 Documentary (Shut Up & Sit Down / YouTube)
“Today, we present a first for the board game industry. Please enjoy our amateur attempt at a documentary on the history of the game – which is really the history of Fantasy Flight Games – and the development of the new, shiny, 4th edition.”

Build, gather, brawl, repeat: The history of real-time strategy games (Richard Moss / Ars Technica)
“At 25 years old, the real-time strategy genre remains relevant for its ideas and legacies. And with it deep in a lull, now is the perfect time to give it the same in-depth historical treatment that we’ve already given to graphic adventures, sims, first-person shooters, kart racers, open-world games, and city builders.”

Game Design Deep Dive: Maintaining tension in Nex Machina (Henri Mustonen / Gamasutra)
“”Instant action. Eliminate downtime as much as possible” was one of our guiding principles when designing the core gameplay. We wanted players to be immersed from the very start of the level and to keep the action ongoing. This meant we needed to cut as much excess fat as possible and figure out what was really necessary to get the feeling you are on the “knife’s edge”.”

The Enduring Influence Of Metroid (Andrew Webster / The Verge)
“Metroid, which debuted in 1986, would go on to spawn one of Nintendo’s most-revered franchises. The ongoing adventures of bounty hunter Samus Aran differed quite a bit from the company’s other big names, like Zelda and Mario. In comparison, Metroid was dark and solemn, with a looming feeling of isolation and a powerfully alien sense of place, inspired in large part by the first Alien film. [SIMON’S NOTE: Here’s a bonus link – a new Nintendo.com interview with the Super Metroid creators!]”

Why Video Games Cost So Much To Make (Jason Schreier / Kotaku)
“Video game publishers are notoriously secretive about the budgets behind their games, but when a number does slip out, it can be shocking. Games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make, which is tough to fathom—until you do the math. [SIMON’S NOTE: of course, there are less and less game studios that can afford this burn rate, & more and more quality non-‘expensive country’ & bootstrapped games out there, making game market financials…. complicated right now.]”

The Violent Path Feels Damn Good in ‘Dishonored: Death of the Outsider’ (Patrick Klepek / Waypoint)
“With Death of the Outsider, an expansion to Dishonored 2 and possibly a conclusion to the series, I’ve completely flipped. Blood is on my hands, the body count has risen—and it feels good.”

Infocom: The Documentary (Jason Scott / YouTube)
“As part of the 2010 documentary GET LAMP, director Jason Scott talked to creators, management, fans and academics about the Infocom story, and produced this 45 minute overview of this unique and wonderful company.”

Death To The Author: killing creators in Dishonored, Portal and BioShock (Hazel Monforton / RockPaperShotgun)
“When we meet the creators of fictional worlds, we often want to kill them – whether its Bioshock’s Andrew Ryan and his deadly Rapture, GlaDOS and the sadistic test chambers of Portal, or Kirin Jindosh and the Clockwork Mansion.”

Owlchemy shares lessons learned making Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (Alex Wawro / Gamasutra)
“A few months ago, Owlchemy Labs followed up its success with Job Simulator by releasing Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, a VR game that expands on Owlchemy’s stock-in-trade (“pick up and play with things”) while also incorporating elements of Adult Swim’s hyper-popular animated show. [SIMON’S NOTE: the rest of our VRDC Fall 2017 session write-ups – plenty of neat stuff – is over here.]”

The iPhone X’s notch is basically a Kinect (Paul Miller / The Verge)
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly how fast technology is moving. “We put a man on the moon using the computing power of a handheld calculator,” as Richard Hendricks reminds us in Silicon Valley… But Apple’s iPhone X provides a nice little illustration of how sensor and processing technology has evolved in the past decade. [SIMON’S NOTE: some interesting game-related possibilities here if this tech gets into more phones!]”

Creating the Art of ABZU (Matt Nava / GDC / YouTube)
“In this 2017 GDC talk, Giant Squid Studios’ Matt Nava offers insight into the unique art style of Abzu, and the processes that he and the team at Giant Squid developed to create it.”

How Tomb Raider got lost in the wilds (Christian Donlan / Eurogamer)
“Have you heard of the North Pond Hermit? It’s a wonderful story: strange and wistful. For 27 years a man named Chrisopher Knight lived in the wilderness of Maine, sleeping in a camp beautifully hidden amongst boulders and sneaking out, every few weeks, to steal supplies from the surrounding homes.”

“You Are Not a Real Gamer” (Keza MacDonald / Kotaku UK)
“The first time someone told me I wasn’t a real gamer, I was at a friend’s birthday party when I was 10 or 11. At this point I was a nerdy little girl, probably at the height of my childhood obsession with video games. I’d been playing them for long enough to figure out what it was that so enthralled me about them, and had started writing little reviews in my school notebooks in the style of the games magazines I read religiously.”

Upgrading the Nemesis system for Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Bryant Francis / Gamasutra)
“In Shadow of War, Monolith is upgrading the Nemesis system to tell more emergent orc stories. At PAX West this year, we were able to talk with design director Bob Roberts about how Monolith is upgrading its emergent narrative tech.”

Beep: A Documentary History of Game Sound (Festival Cut) (Beep / Vimeo)
“No longer just the “ugly stepchild” of the games industry, Beep traces the history of game sound from the Victorian penny arcades through pinball and to today’s massive industry of soundtracks and live music.”

15 Years Later, Looking Back on Animal Crossing’s Sugarcoated Dose of Reality(Caty McCarthy / USGamer)
“In the world of Animal Crossing, you never want to upset resident mole Mr. Resetti. The only way to really rile him up is to turn off your game without saving. It loses your progress, as a consequence of course, but it also makes Mr. Resetti chew you out for a fleeting moment upon rebooting.”

Gamasutra plays Ark: Survival Evolved with lead designer Jeremy Stieglitz(Gamasutra / YouTube)
“A few weeks ago, Ark: Survival Evolved left Early Access and launched into 1.0 on Steam, Xbox One, and PS4. We sat down with lead designer Jeremy Stieglitz to talk about the game’s development process, and what he’s learned about making games in Early Access.”

Games on the Mersey, Part 1: Taking Scousers Off the Dole (Jimmy Maher / Digital Antiquarian)
“Once upon a time, the BBC played host to a half-hour current-affairs program called Commercial Breaks, which endeavored to document innovative businesses and emerging markets in Margaret Thatcher’s new, capitalist-friendly Britain. In April of 1984, Paul Anderson, one of the program’s stable of directors, began to shoot an episode about the computer-game industry, as seen through the eyes of Liverpool’s Imagine Software and Manchester’s Ocean Software. [SIMON’S NOTE: read all 3 parts of this – amazing stuff.]”

PUBG vs. Fortnite: A game-genre copycat face-off heats up (Sam Machkovech / Ars Technica)
“It’s inevitable: every time a wildly successful video game comes along, imitators quickly follow in its footsteps. The tradition began with Pong and Pac-Man clones, and that practice has continued on PCs, consoles, and smartphones ever since. “Homages” at best and “blatant ripoffs” at worst have always been a part of the game industry.”

The state of the VR industry: devs weigh in (Rich Moss / Gamasutra)
“Virtual reality has had a shaky 18 months. After years of hype about the world-changing potential of its second coming (following a dud first wave in the 1990s), its poster child headset the Oculus Rift launched to a lukewarm reception.”

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