News | This is how certain sounds were recorded for The Last of Us: Part 2
A video has surfaced on SoundWorks Collection in which Beau Anthony Jimenez, sound designer at Naughty Dog, briefly shows how certain sound effects were recorded for The Last of Us: Part 2.
The short video shows recordings of all kinds of different sound effects. In the beginning of the video you can see how the unsavory sounds of different zombies were recorded. For example, we learn that Shambler attacks are recorded by squeezing fruit and blowing life jackets.
In addition to inventing sounds for fictional monsters, creative solutions have also been found for everyday sounds. Stringing a bow, for example, is recorded by slowly turning a tuning machine of a violin. The video also demonstrates how to incorporate different breathing patterns to make the game’s characters sound as realistic as possible under different conditions.
News | Servers Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout can't handle popularity
The servers of party game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout have succumbed to the attention a number of times. The game launched yesterday and is free for PlayStation Plus members.
The game is sort of a battle royale version of a game show like Takeshi’s Castle of Wipeout. Players have to survive all kinds of bizarre obstacles and win strange games in different rounds. In the end, one winner remains.
Fall Guys was already extremely popular on Twitch during the beta and now also appears to appeal to many players after release. The developer indicates on Twitter that the number of players is far above the most positively estimated number.
The matchmaking was therefore disabled several times yesterday while the servers were strengthened. The Twitter account reports that the biggest problems have now been resolved. However, for some players, the improvements did not come fast enough. The developer reports that the game has fallen victim to review bombing on Steam, with many players quickly leaving a negative review while the servers were down.
🚨 We're going to switch off matchmaking for 30 mins so that we can BEEF the servers up to MAXIMUM BEEF
— Fall Guys 👑 (@FallGuysGame) August 4, 2020
We've basically skyrocketed right past our 'absolute highest number of expected players for the entire day' 😅
We just need 30 mins to brace ourselves and we should be 😙👌
We're currently being review-bombed on Steam... ☹️
— Fall Guys 👑 (@FallGuysGame) August 4, 2020
We're working really hard to get running smoothly for SO MANY players!
We know it's super frustrating, but if you could hold off from negatively reviewing - Until you get chance to play the game, it would really help us out ♥️
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is now available on PC and PlayStation 4.
News | More PlayStation exclusive content revealed for Marvel's Avengers
After yesterday's reveal that Spider-Man is only available on PlayStation consoles in the upcoming Marvel's Avengers game, even more Sony exclusive content has been announced.
These include in-game special events, rewards, and 30 days earlier access to certain cosmetic items for all heroes. Developer Crystal Dynamics names the Legendary Outfit, Legendary Emote, Epic Takedown and a nameplate for each new hero coming out. That includes the six heroes that are playable at the release of the game.
In a post on PlayStation Blog, Crystal Dynamics also explains that PlayStation players can play exclusive challenges in the game. These are so-called Community Challenges, in which all players have to work together to achieve a larger goal. A number of challenges that are exclusive to PlayStation are underway.
Publisher Square Enix announced yesterday that superhero Spider-Man will only be playable by owners of a PlayStation console. The news received a lot of criticism on social media. Some gamers don’t consider it fair that Xbox and PC players, who pay the same amount of money for their game, get less content.
News | Baldur's Gate 3 will not be released this month
Baldur's Gate 3 was originally due out this month, but that's no longer feasible.
As stated by developer Larian Studios. Earlier, the studio indicated to provide more clarity about the release date. However, according to Larian, the game will not be that long in finishing and release.
The actual release date of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be revealed on August 18 at 7:00 PM Dutch time. This will be done on the Summer Game Fest live stream.
Last week, Larian Studios indicated that players should not reserve Baldur’s Gate 3. “We have no pre-order period, no plans to partner with retail, and no third parties distributing the game. We haven’t announced a price or release date yet. We can’t guarantee you will receive anything from them.”
Good news and bad news. BG3 won’t hit August, but it’s just around the corner. We’ll be announcing the release date, as well as big news on the Panel From Hell alongside @geoffkeighley, @LarAtLarian and the Larian crew. Tune in Aug 18th. https://t.co/S1RlVpJ8yw pic.twitter.com/NCkrnHHpH0
— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) August 4, 2020
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to Google Stadia and PC.
News | Spider-Man is coming to Marvel's Avengers on PlayStation consoles
The PlayStation versions of Marvel's Avengers will receive Spider-Man as an extra character after release.
The popular character is set to appear for free on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game in 2021. Crystal Dynamics has indicated that they’ll pay a lot of attention to the controls of Spider-Man, so that players feel “graceful and light” when they websling through the city.
Despite Spider-Man coming only to the PlayStation consoles, this version of the superhero has nothing to do with the character from Marvel’s Spider-Man, the Insomniac game released on PlayStation 4.
Marvel’s Avengers will be released on September 4 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. On an as yet unknown date, the game will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X – the next-gen consoles should be available sometime late this year.
News | Dualshock 4 only compatible with PS4 games on PlayStation 5
Sexretly, we hope you can use the trusty old DualShock 4 on the PS5, But unfortunately that's not the case. The PS4 controller only works with backwards compatible PS4 games.
The Dualshock 4 controller only works with backwards compatible PS4 games on the PS5. That’s what Sony says in a Q&A on PlayStation Blog.
That means that the PlayStation 4 controller will not work with PlayStation 5 games, as “PS5 games must utilize the new capabilities of the DualSense controller.” This means the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that should provide more immersion. Third party controllers also only work with PS4 games.
Sony also shares that the PlayStation Camera works on the PlayStation 5 for VR games. This requires a special adapter, which all PS VR users can obtain for free. Later, the company will let us know how the adapter will be distributed. Associated Move controllers are also supported.
The company will let us know what other accessories work on the PlayStation 5. Peripherals such as official racing wheels, arcade sticks and flight sticks work with PS5 and PS4 games. Sony’s own Platinum and Gold headsets and third-party headsets also work with a USB or 3.5mm connection on the PS5.
Finally, Sony mentions that not all accessories may be supported. The company therefore recommends consulting the manufacturer for each product if needed.
The PlayStation 5 will be released this fall. A price and release date are not yet known.
News | Microsoft customized Game Pass logo
Microsoft has changed the Xbox Game Pass logo, with the name 'Xbox' being dropped.
On Twitter, the logo has been changed from ‘Xbox Game Pass’ to ‘Game Pass’. As a result, the name of the service is now the same on PC and Xbox consoles. However, the Xbox logo is visible in the Game Pass logo.
The change is in line with Microsoft’s current strategy, with a strong emphasis on Game Pass. Players are free to play Xbox games on both Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC – the platform seems to be of minor importance as long as one takes out a Game Pass subscription.
There have been rumors for a while that Xbox Live Gold will also change or possibly even expire. Whether that means that online gaming will become free on Xbox consoles, or whether it will become part of Game Pass, is not yet known.
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News | Epic Games Store will get an achievement system
The Epic Games Store will soon receive achievements.
Epic Games announced this in a tweet. “Certain games on the Epic Games Store may soon show achievements when you unlock them. This is just an early version of the feature and you can expect to see changes. We’ll be sharing more information about the feature in the future.”
Achievements can be unlocked in certain forms on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but the Epic Games Store didn’t have them yet. It was therefore a much requested feature among users of the webshop.
Certain games on the Epic Games Store may begin to display achievements as you unlock them.
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) July 29, 2020
This is an early version of the feature and you can expect to see changes & adjustments.
We'll have more info to share on achievements in the future, so stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/80dnoLYegV
It is not yet clear when the achievements will become available. Its also not known whether players will retroactively receive achievements for previously played games.
News | PlayStation 5 may include an 'Activities' option
The PlayStation 5 may include an Activities option that allows players to launch certain aspects of a game directly from the menu. As stated in a preview of WRC 9 on Gamereactor.
The currently removed preview briefly mentions Activities and claims that it is a ‘direct link to specific races from the console’s menu’. System architect Mark Cerny previously told Wired about such options. “Although it is relatively fast to start games, we don’t want players to start the game, check the game, start the game, etc. Game servers provide the console with available activities in real time.
For example, single player games provide information about missions you can do and what rewards you may get – and all those choices are visible in the interface. As a player you can dive straight into the game. “
Apart from the possibilities in WRC 9, nothing is yet known about Activities. According to rumors, Sony will hold a second PlayStation 5 presentation in August, where more about the feature may be revealed.
News | Spider-Man: Miles Morales releases with remaster of the first game.
The PlayStation 5 game Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales may come with a remaster of the first Marvel's Spider-Man.
This is rumored in the most recent issue of Game Informer magazine. Reddit user 77good123 posted a photo of the text in which it is stated.
“Miles Morales is not a traditional sequel,” the text reads in the magazine, “as it comes bundled with a remaster of Insomniac’s Spider-Man that takes full advantage of the PS5 hardware.”
Since the announcement of Miles Morales in the PlayStation 5 reveal video earlier this year, there has been confusion surrounding the game. In the meantime, developer Insomniac Games has announced that it is a stand-alone release that is comparable in length to the shorter Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. However, the PS5 game may therefore come with a remaster of the original. Sony and Insomniac have not yet confirmed this.
The game should be released on PlayStation 5 by the end of this year.