gaming

Harry Potter fans will be rather disappointed to learn that Electronic Arts had almost created an MMORPG based around the beloved franchise. Speaking to Twitch streamer The Real Brandolorian, former EA director of product marketing Kim Salzer revealed that the giant games studio had set its eyes on an online multiplayer title set in the Harry Potter world but the company ultimately “killed” the project because it didn’t believe that the IP’s longevity would last past two years. “A big one for me, because I was so personally involved in it, and it’s such a huge IP that has lived on is an online massively multiplayer game for Harry Potter,” Salzer said when asked about one of her most memorable games that never came to be. “We did all the research, we had the beta built out, it was a combina...

Final Fantasy XVI producers Square Enix have officially confirmed that they will be delaying the project. Information regarding the next chapter of the long-awaited RPG series was initially promised to arrive by the end of 2021, however, development of the game has been slowed due to COVID-19. In a Tweet, the game’s producer Naoki Yoshida gave fans a lengthy explanation stating, “When we last spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021.” He added, “However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise, as complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost half a year.” Initially, Square Enix allowed its partners to continue working from home during the pandemic, however it has l...

For CES 2022, XPG (Xtreme Performance Gear), gaming hardware and accessories product line of the Taiwanese memory and storage manufacturer ADATA, revealed an inventive concept mouse. Dubbed the “XPG Vault Gaming Mouse,” the wired USB-C mouse features a high-speed 1TB SSD built-in. With speeds of 985 MB/s, the peripheral is marketed as a “gaming library in the palm of your hand.” Games stored on the mouse are accessed by XPG’s own gaming software app. “Gaming Launcher software… promises to make your gaming libraries conveniently portable and [add] a higher level of game integration with XPG Prime Software Ecosystem.” No DPI or gaming specs for the XPG Vault Gaming Mouse were revealed but more information is expected to arrive ahead of an expected 2022 release. In case you missed it, TikTok ...

Retro Games Ltd recently confirmed the release of the Amiga A500 Mini March 2022, along with a reveal of the 25 games bundled with the device. Inspired by Amiga home computers in the late ’80s, the Amiga A500 Mini features the 1987 A500’s integrated keyboard and the A1200 computer’s Advanced Graphics Architecture. The reimagined mini console with a 720p HD display also comes with the original 2-button mouse and controller. Other than Alien Breed, Chaos Engine, Battle Chess and nostalgic games alike, players can also seamlessly load their own games via USB stick through WHDLoad. A “save and resume” option is also included to get you through challenging levels. Priced at $140 USD, the Amiga A500 Mini is set to release on March 25, 2022. Check out the full list of games on Retro Games Ltd’s w...

Niantic is giving everyone party hats to celebrate the upcoming New Year’s event on Pokémon GO. Taking place from December 31 to January 4, 2022, the series of celebrations will introduce to the game a Shiny New Year’s Hat Hoothoot, a regular Shiny Hoothoot (after the event), a regular New Year’s Hat Hoothoot, and a 2022 Glasses Slowking. Of course, there’ll also be plenty of familiar faces returning as well, including Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Pichu, Raichu, Gengar, Wurmple, Wobuffet, Nidorina and Raticate, all wearing fancy party hats to mark the beginning of a new year. Pokémon aside, there’ll also be plenty of celebratory items for your to purchase over on the game’s store, spanning across themed eyewear and clothing such as a jacket set with pants and shoes, a special ...

A first-of-its-kind high school for esports will be opening in Tokyo’s Shibuya district this April, Kotaku reported. The institution is called Esports Koutou Gakuin, which translates to Esport High School. The school is funded by the esports outfit of Japanese telecom company NTT and the Japanese soccer club Tokyo Verdy. The staff will be made up of industry professionals from both NTT and Tokyo Verdy and professional esports players. Enrolled students will have access to an elite gaming setup rigged with 40 Galleria XA7C-R37 PCs with Intel Core i7-11700 and outfitted with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics cards, according to Kotaku. Students will still learn the standard Japanese high school curriculum alongside their esports training in first-person shooters, third-person shooters, strate...

Secretlab has debuted two limited-edition gaming chairs in celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary. The collection combines Secretlab’s popular TITAN Evo 2022 model with beloved Pokémons Pikachu and Charizard. Upholstered in a hybrid leatherette, each chair comes with the chosen Pokémon stitched into the backrest and embossed on the chair’s side panels. On the shoulder of the chair are two Poké Balls. Available in sizes small and regular, the Pokémon collection will launch with a limited quantity in Japan first. Fans unable to get their hands on a gaming chair will be able to register their interest to stay updated on future launches. The Pokémon Company has collaborated with brands on a series of exclusive product releases. In October, Pokémon teamed up with HYPEBEAST to create a s...

Though Quantic Dream dropped a reveal trailer for Star Wars Eclipse back at The Game Awards 2021, not much has been revealed about the upcoming title aside from its description, which says that it’ll bring players back to the era of the High Republic. Luckily, new leaks have now potentially shed more light on what Star Wars fans can expect from the game. According to leaker AccNGT, who previously leaked images of Star Wars Eclipse itself prior to the release of the reveal trailer, the new installment will be an open-world action-adventure RPG with interactive storytelling elements as well as a few multiplayer dimensions. It’ll feature a brand new, original storyline that has drawn inspiration from The Last of Us but will also be non-linear, following in Quantic Dream’s usual styl...

It’s another disappointing day for Super Smash Bros. fans, as the series’ famed creative director Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that there are currently no plans for a sequel to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which came out for the Nintendo Switch three years ago and ended support just weeks ago. Speaking about the future of the franchise in a recent interview, Sakurai said that no new installment is currently in development and that he isn’t tied to any future plans yet. “I can’t really think about future prospects at the moment. If Nintendo decides they want to make another one and offers me the job, that’s when I’d start thinking about it,” the creative explained. “When you say ‘returning to the series’, it makes it sound like there is going to be another Super Smash Bros. title...

New leaks have surfaced suggesting that Square Enix‘s Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally heading to Steam. According to Twitter user AtelierTool, an AppID linking to a Steam page was found when he was digging through the files of the title, which is currently an Epic Games exclusive on PC (outside of its PlayStation release). When punched into SteamDB, the ID number brings out a private page created by the Japanese video game developer as early as October 2020, suggesting that the title will eventually hit the platform after its exclusive license ends with Epic, similar to its previous arrangements. When asked if there’d be an Xbox release on the social media platform, AtelierTool also revealed that nothing he’s seen had related to Microsoft‘s console, with only the PlaySta...