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UncategorizedAnime Lovers Have Mixed Feelings About Fan Service
Anime’sfan service can be a minefield. Some fans scroll through each season’s offerings looking for the show with the greatest ratio of panty shots to plot. Others will turn off an anime and bury their face in their hands after even one lingering shot of an ice skater’s butt. But fan service means a lot…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
Call of Duty: WWII‘s Nine Multiplayer Maps Aren’t Nearly Enough
Call of Duty: WWII is a fantastic return to the historic WWII era, if you don’t mind playing your favorite game modes on only nine maps. As I continue to play the game, I am starting to mind. The guns and action of WWII’s multiplayer feel much better after a few patches to improve connection…
By S.E. Doster Published November 21, 2017 -
EsportsFight Me, Paul Tagliabue, In Real Life Or Street Fighter
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue doesn’t like the esports trend. He doesn’t bunk with his peers in traditional sports who have leapt to invest in esports teams and leagues. And he doesn’t think esports are “sports.” I think Tagliabue and I would agree on one thing, which is that the term “esports” sucks. It sounds…
By Maddy Myers Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedFinal Fantasy VII‘s Use of ‘Dandy’ In Japanese Is Surprisingly Complex
I’ve been playing through Final Fantasy VII in both English and Japanese at the same time. I’ve been making videos documenting all the tiny little nuances I’ve been finding. Wow! This is the seventh video of that series! Our cast of characters is following sparse clues as they chase Sephiroth around the world. Today, they’re…
By Tim Rogers Published November 21, 2017 - Culture
Valve Changes Steam Reviews To Stop Bots From Manipulating Pages
Valve has admitted that Steam reviews have a bot-brigading problem, and now it’s finally decided to do something about it. As part of an effort that’s already included anti-review-bomb charts, Valve has taken aim at yet another pernicious element of Steam reviews: vote manipulation. In short, it’s possible to rate reviews as “helpful” or not,…
By Nathan Grayson Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Is Charming But Sleazy
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a perfectly serviceable entry into the series, until the new mobile game reminds you that could be spending money on it. When you open up Pocket Camp it’s unsettling how much it looks and feels like the other Animal Crossing games. You’re first greeted by K.K. Slider, then Isabelle, two…
By Gita Jackson Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedThis Parody Of Battle Royale Games Looks Really Fun
A bunch of white dudes sit in an office, all of them wearing black suits and white collared shirts. Everyone sits in the same lime green swivel chairs. For a video game, Last Man Sitting sounds really boring. Add shotguns and ragdoll physics, though, and you have a recipe for the only battle royale game…
By Ethan Gach Published November 21, 2017 -
EsportsStreet Fighter Pro’s Wife Does Enough Shit-Talking For The Both Of Them
On Saturday, Marcus “The Cool Kid93″ Redmond fought his way back through the losers bracket in Red Bull Battle Grounds’ Street Fighter V last chance qualifier for Capcom Cup, eventually securing himself the first-place trophy and a spot in the North American Regional Finals the next day. Redmond held his trophy aloft for the cheering…
By Maddy Myers Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
Widespread Rumor About EA Firing Plants vs. Zombies Creator Isn’t Quite True
It’s easy to believe that video game publishers like Electronic Arts are full of cartoon villains, which is why people were so quick to share a recent rumor about the publisher firing Plants vs. Zombies’ creator for refusing to make the sequel pay-to-win. The truth, as always, is far more complicated than that. The rumor…
By Jason Schreier Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedFor Better Or Worse, Final Fantasy XIV Bards Can Play Music Now
Today’s 4.15 update for Final Fantasy XIV adds a massive new 48-person player-versus-player battle mode, but that’s not important. Bards can play music now. It’s beautiful and horrifying. Players who have achieved level 30 as an Archer and have made the jump to the advanced Bard class can now travel to Old Gridania and finally…
By Mike Fahey Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
A Small, Disturbing Side Story In Ultra Pokémon Sun and Moon
The original Sun and Moon are famed for having surprisingly dark story elements that redefined how we understood beloved monsters, along with core features such as Mega Evolution. Ultra Sun and Moon take that ball and run with it. One of the best examples of this actually happens early on in the new games. Not…
By Patricia Hernandez Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedNarita Boy just released its first gameplay trailer. The 80s cyberpunk beat’em up is infused with nostalgia for old tech and according to this latest footage at least, pretty violent. Wespoke with the developer when the project was Kickstarted earlier this year, which originally aimed for a release in late 2018.
By Ethan Gach Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
The FCC Is Trying To Destroy The Internet
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled its plans to roll back net neutrality regulations, and if those plans are successful, we can say goodbye to the internet as we know it. Right now, paying for internet in the United States guarantees you free and open access to any website or service you’d like. You…
By Jason Schreier Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedNew Capture Card Records 4K 60fps Video, If Your PC Can Handle It
Today marks the launch of Elgato’s 4K60 Pro, the first “consumer-priced” capture card that will grab 4K video at 60 frames per second. It works great, but its PC requirements are as steep as its $400 price tag. It takes a lot of processing and graphics power to process 4K, 60fps video on the fly.…
By Mike Fahey Published November 21, 2017 - Esports
7-Year-Old Magic Prodigy Can’t Shuffle Cards Yet But Can Kick Adults’ Butts
At the Magic: The Gathering Grand Prix in Portland this last weekend, one young upstart made waves. Dana Fischer runs a Temur Energy deck, finished 5-4 in the tournament, and is also just seven years old. Fischer is accompanied by her father Adam, who sits alongside her during matches. But during the game, he mostly…
By Eric Van Allen Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
Square Enix Puts Sky Pirate’s Den Back In Final Fantasy XII Remaster
When Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age released this summer it came with a new set of PSN trophies instead of the game’s original, unique achievement system. Square Enix announced earlier today that the feature will be returning with the game’s November 22 patch 1.04. While some people were no doubt hoping for new content…
By Ethan Gach Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedSuper Mario Odyssey Players Use Glitch To Break Jump-Rope Challenge Leaderboard
Super Mario Odyssey’s jump rope challenge is supposed to be a test of timing but a simple glitch has loaded the leaderboards with superhuman scores. One of Super Mario Odyssey’s most addictive mini-games is the jump rope challenge found in the Metro Kingdom. Completing a certain amount of jumps without hitting the rope is a…
By Heather Alexandra Published November 21, 2017 -
UncategorizedSplatoon 2‘s Big Winter Update Adds A Ton Of New Stuff
Here’s something for Splatoon 2 players to be thankful for this week. The game’s next big update drops on November 23, adding four battle stages, a new Salmon Run stage, four hairstyles, an increased level cap, fresh tunes and more. Four new stages begin rolling out on November 24, starting with the Black Friday-appropriate MakoMart,…
By Mike Fahey Published November 21, 2017 - Uncategorized
A Guide To The Endless, Confusing Star Wars Battlefront II Controversy
When 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront II was first previewed at E3 this year, people were cautiously optimistic. Its predecessor was slammed for being thin on content, but initial showings of the game looked promising and it seemed like EA had added the things fans wanted out of the game’s sequel, like a single-player campaign. Now,…
By Gita Jackson Published November 21, 2017