Minecraft's Nether Update Will Have Music From Celeste Composer
The upcoming Minecraft Nether Update will feature music from composer Lena Raine, most known for her award-winning work on Celeste and Guild Wars 2. Three original tracks will be featured across the new biomes introduced to the Nether when the update releases at some point later this year.
The track Rubedo will be played in the Nether Wastes, Chrysopoeia can be heard in Crimson Forests, while So Below will feature in both Soulsand Valleys and Basalt Deltas.
I am extremely honored & excited to finally say that I'm the composer for the upcoming Nether Update for @Minecraft !!
"I am extremely honored and excited to finally say that I'm the composer for the upcoming Nether Update for Minecraft," Raine said on Twitter. In the latest Snapshot blog post, meanwhile, the composer explained her approach to creating new music for Minecraft: "One of the primary instruments in Minecraft is the piano, and so one of my challenges to myself was to see how far I could push the sound of the piano until it resembled other things entirely–again, that alchemical process.
E3 2020 Won’t Get An Official Digital Replacement, Despite Initial Plans
When E3 2020 was cancelled earlier in the year, event organiser Entertainment Software Association said that an “online experience” which could replace the physical event was being explored. It has now been confirmed that no such digital event will be happening this year.
The news comes from an E3 representative, who shared the following statement with PC Gamer:
“Given the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June. Instead, we will be working with exhibitors to promote and showcase individual company announcements, including on www.E3expo.com, in the coming months. We look forward to bringing our industry and community together in 2021 to present a reimagined E3 that will highlight new offerings and thrill our audiences.”
Several publishers have confirmed that they either are, or are considering, hosting their own digital events this summer to replace E3 2020, including the likes of Nintendo, Microsoft, Square Enix, and Ubisoft; Bethesda has confirmed that it will not host an event.
As for E3 2021, the “reimagined” show mentioned in the statement above has now been confirmed to be taking place next June.
Were you hoping to see an official replacement event from E3? Or are you happy enough for publishers to just get on with their own thing this summer? Share your thoughts with us below.
Xbox Series X Won't Change The Xbox User Interface At Launch
The Xbox Series X is due at the end of 2020, and although Microsoft has revealed a lot about the new console, many things remain mysterious about it too. The new console is unlikely to radically reinvent the user interface offered by the Xbox One--in fact, all signs indicate that it will essentially be the same.
According to The Verge, Microsoft will make some further tweaks to the Xbox One interface soon, improving the "Guide" functionality on the dashboard and allowing you to customize the order of your navigation tabs. A new "Parties & chats" tab will correlate social features, and a few other parts have been streamlined and simplified.
As this article point out, in preview videos for the Xbox Series X, the interface looks identical to this; it's likely that these changes will carry over exactly to the new system. On Twitter, a member of the Xbox support team circa 2013, Missy Quarry, has explained that this makes a lot of sense. "One of the biggest user problems was getting used to an entirely new UI and they begged for the 360 dash," she says.
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Posted by: xSicKxBot - 04-08-2020, 05:40 AM - Forum: Windows
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News recap from ‘Inside Xbox’ April 7 episode
Today, on our first Inside Xbox episode of 2020, we got a closer look at the single-player campaign in Grounded, the upcoming survival adventure game from our friends at Obsidian Entertainment, revealed the latest Xbox Game Pass titles, discussed the recently revealed Xbox Series X tech, and gave viewers the skinny on the most important things to know about the upcoming Gears Tactics.
There was also plenty of surprise news dropped on today’s show: Typhoon Studios revealed the Journey to the Savage Planet DLC, Hotline Miami Collection is getting a surprise Xbox One release, and we got our very first look at The Last Campfire, an intriguing new title from developer Hello Games.
For a full recap, read on below or watch the replay of Inside Xbox episode above when the VOD is available.
Go Big or Never Go Home in Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded
Obsidian Entertainment announced upcoming survival adventure game Grounded will enter Xbox Game Preview with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Steam Early Access on July 28, 2020. As part of today’s announcement, the team also revealed a brand new trailer focusing on the single player experience for Grounded, and a first-ever livestream with Obsidian Entertainment’s Game Director, Adam Brennecke and Social Media Manager, Shyla Schofield, who gave a closer look at the game. For more details, check out the full Grounded Inside Xbox post here.
A Closer Look at Xbox Series X Technologies
A few weeks ago, we took an in-depth look at some of the tech powering the Xbox Series X and got our first look at the new Xbox Wireless Controller. On today’s show, our own Major Nelson had a chance to sit down with Jason Ronald, Director of Product Management on Xbox Series X, to break down some of what was shared about our most powerful console ever. They discussed everything from graphics technology like DirectX raytracing and variable rate shading to audio processing, Quick Resume and storage options. Ronald also highlighted the Xbox Velocity Architecture, including what this entails and what it will enables for games.
The Evolution of Xbox Game Bar Continues
We’re continuing the evolution of Xbox Game Bar, the customizable gaming overlay built into Windows 10 for PC. Starting today, Insiders will have access to apps from partners like Razer, XSplit and Intel directly from Xbox Game Bar through new widgets — no more having to Alt+Tab to separate apps while gaming. We’ve seen incredible interest from PC gaming partners in this fan-requested feature, and we look forward to growing the number of available widgets. For more information on the Xbox Game Bar news announced today, please check out this post.
Announcing More Great Titles Hitting Xbox Game Pass
We’re thrilled to announce that on April 13, Xbox Game Pass will be expanding to Japan and Korea. Xbox Game Pass for PC will launch in beta for gamers in Korea and will be included as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits, which is already available for gamers in the region, while all Xbox Game Pass services for console and PC will come to Japan for the first time. We also shared new titles joining the Xbox Game Pass libraries across console and PC, including Alvastia Chronicles, Journey to the Savage Planet, Overcooked! 2, Football Manager 2020, Mistover and Stranger Things 3: The Game. For more details on our Xbox Game Pass news this episode, check out the Xbox Game Pass post here.
Project xCloud Preview Adds More Great Games from EA
We’ve added even more titles to the Project xCloud preview! Beginning today, participants can play three more great games from EA on their Android phones or tablets, including The Sims 4, Unravel Two, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Additionally, this morning we announced that the Project xCloud preview will be heading to 11 new countries across Western Europe. If you’re interested in joining the Project xCloud preview so you can stream these great games, please visit xbox.com/projectxcloud.
Forza Street Races onto Mobile on May 5
Get your engines ready … Forza Street is coming to your iOS and Android devices on May 5. We’ve received incredible engagement from players during Android pre-registration and are excited to let iOS gamers know they too will hit the streets in just a few weeks. For a limited time, we’ll also be giving out the Founder’s Pack to anyone who plays Forza Street between May 5 and June 5 as a welcoming gift. Pre-register now on Google Play and the Samsung Galaxy Store, and for more information, check out the full Forza Street Wire post here.
Breaking Down Five Things You Need to Know About Gears Tactics
Today, The Coalition celebrated Gears Tactics going gold with a new video highlighting five badass things you need to know before launch and their commitment to a gameplay experience tailored to PC, including new details on a partnership with Intel. Available April 28 on Windows 10 PC, Steam and with Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta), Gears Tactics has players assume the role of Gabriel “Gabe” Diaz as he recruits, equips, and commands his squad on a mission to hunt down the relentless leader of the Locust army: Ukkon. For more on Gears Tactics, including the latest design collaboration with acclaimed artist Luke Preece, click here.
Set Sail with Sea of Thieves’ Free Ships of Fortune Update
Prospective pirates got a look at the new Sea of Thieves Ships of Fortune update arriving later this month. Ships of Fortune adds new depth to the game’s trading companies, allowing players the option to represent their favorite Trading Companies as emissaries for boosted rewards and exclusive cosmetic items. What’s more, a new and mysterious Company known as The Reaper’s Bones is also making their debut tasking players with pillaging rival ships and taking their Emissary Flags and loot as trophies. For more details on our Sea of Thieves news this episode, check out our full post here.
A New Batch of ID@Xbox Games is Coming to Xbox One
In today’s show, we took a look at a brand-new game called The Last Campfire, a dark fantasy from developer Hello Games that combines a beautiful art style with a wide variety of puzzles to create a wholly unique experience. There was also a new trailer for Atomicrops, an action-packed farming simulator where you must cultivate and defend the last farm in a post-apocalypse wasteland. Finally, it was announced that the action-packed top-down shooter Hotline Miami Collection is not only coming to Xbox One, but is actually available right now. Surprise!
We hope you enjoyed the show, and we’ll see you next time!
Overcooked 2 Has Just Received A New ‘Gourmet Edition’ Release On Switch
One of Switch’s top multiplayer co-op games, Overcooked 2 has just received a brand new release on the Nintendo eShop. The ‘Gourmet Edition’ will include all pieces of DLC on top of the base game.
The game has been receiving regular DLC updates ever since it launched on Nintendo’s platform, and piecing it all together makes for one hefty full product. If you’re yet to experience Overcooked 2, now is absolutely the time to get stuck in.
Key Features: –Every mouthful:Overcooked! 2:Gourmet Edition features Overcooked! 2 and every piece of previously-released DLC for the game, including Surf ‘n’ Turf; Campfire Cook Off; Night of the Hangry Horde; and Carnival of Chaos –A banquet of chefs: 58 chefs are ready to cook up a storm, including those featured in the Too Many Chefs pack – Dozens of kitchens: The base game and the DLC takes players on a journey through 130 weird and wonderful levels with equally bizarre kitchens! – A smorgasbord of dishes: From s’mores to sushi, there is a delicious selection of 26 recipes to serve up – Co-op multiplayer: Up to four players can aim for high scores either online or couch co-op through local multiplayer
Overcooked! 2: Gourmet Edition is available to buy right now on the eShop. Usually, the bundle would be priced at £37.49 / $48.49 / €42.49, but a launch discount taking the game down to £28.12 / $36.37 / €31.87 is active for a limited time.
The standalone game is usually £20 / $25 without any DLC included, so this early discount is really good value.
Will you be buying this bundle? Already own the game on Switch? Let us know with a comment.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 04-08-2020, 05:40 AM - Forum: Lounge
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All The Xbox Game Pass Titles Coming Soon And Leaving
As part of the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced the next batch of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass and also confirmed which games are headed out of the subscription service.
Xbox Game Pass for PC is also getting new titles, including Football Manager 2020, Alvastia Chronicles, and Mistover on April 9. Additionally, the program is adding the officially licensed Stranger Things 3: The Game on that day for subscribers.
Shiro Games, the developers behind such games as Evoland, Northgard and Darksburg, just posted a blog post on the technology they use to develop their game.
The primary parts of the development stack include:
Haxe is a cross platform open source programming language with a high-level strictly typed language capable of being compatible to multiple languages or runtimes.
A game focused game engine with a built in tilemap editor. You can learn more about the CastleDB here.
Combined together you get a complete, battletested and production ready game engine with several high quality shipped titles under it’s belt. You can learn more about the entire technology stack in the video below.
Video: See The LEGO Mario Starter Course In Action
If you’re wanting to get a proper look at what you can get up to with the new Super Mario LEGO set, this new video from LEGO itself should do the trick.
The project’s lead designer Jonathan Bennink talks us through how the Starter Course brings Mario to life and also shows off two expansion sets that will soon be on the way. In a press release accompanying the video, Bennink has shared the following:
“We were thrilled to see the global reaction to news of LEGO Super Mario. Fans have been keen to learn more, so I am pleased that today we were able to reveal more details about this exciting new collaboration that has led to a reimagination of the LEGO building experience and an entirely new way to play inspired by the beloved video game icon, Super Mario. We can’t wait to see fans get creative and challenge each other with this highly engaging and social play experience.”
Pre-orders have already started to go live, so you can go ahead and grab a Starter Course as we speak. The expansion sets aren’t available just yet, but we’ll make sure to update you as soon as any pre-orders appear.
Are you excited to get your hands on this Mario x LEGO collaboration? Tell us below.
Guide: Where To Preorder The Totally Adorable LEGO Super Mario Sets
It’s finally happened: the union that kids (and big kids) have wanted for so long has come to pass with Super Mario finally available in LEGO form. Typically for Nintendo, the LEGO Super Mario sets are more than just standard LEGO sets – they are connected via a neat touch of technology that enables you to build Mario courses and ‘run’ them like you do in the plumber’s video games.
The first wave of sets is set to release on 1st August 2020, and pre-orders are live for the (rather cumbersomely-named) LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course. The LEGO Mario figure has little LCD screens powered by two AAA batteries that react to movement, colour and certain special bricks. His eyes, mouth and belly react to these inputs and a little speaker in the figure adds trademark sounds and musical phrases from the series, too.
We’ve scoured the web and tracked down the best pre-orders for the Starter Set and announced Expansion Sets in the UK and US. We’ll update this article with more pre-orders as we find them, so be sure to check back.
Please note that some links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Preorder LEGO Super Mario in North America:
Right now the only place we could find to pre-order the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course is from LEGO itself, Target is another option:
Preorder LEGO Super Mario in the UK:
In the UK you can currently pre-order the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course Set direct from LEGO, GAME, Smyths or Zavvi:
What LEGO Super Mario sets are available?
The base set – the Starter Course – can be combined with a number of Expansion Sets that the LEGO Group announced alongside pre-orders for the Starter Set (see above). Each one will “unlock unique challenges and characters to play with and against friends”, according to the official PR. All sets are modular and give the builder the opportunity to mix and match to create whatever Mario course they wish to.
The 231-piece Starter Course Set will retail for $59.99 / 59,99 € / £49.99, and pre-orders will come with a free (and much smaller) Super Mushroom Surprise Expansion Set gift. Pre-orders from LEGO will also include a Monty Mole Expansion Set as an additional pre-order bonus.
The first round of announced Expansion Sets include the following (pictured above):
Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set
Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set
We’ll add pre-order info for these Expansion sets when we get it. The Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set is set to retail for $29.99 / 29.99€ / £24.99, while Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set has an RRP of $99.99 / 99.99€ / £89.99.
There is also a LEGO Super Mario app that works in conjunction with the Mario figure and special bricks to track scores and provide digital instructions.
Can you resist these super (Mario) sets? Let us know below which ones take your fancy, and don’t forget to check back as we add the best offers when they pop up.
