Category: Gamespot

Nintendo has detailed its financial results for the six-month period spanning April 1 to September 30, 2016, reporting a decline in sales compared to the same period in 2015.

In its latest earnings report, sales were cited as $1.3 billion, which is around a 33 percent decline from 2015’s $1.9 billion. Operating income, meanwhile, also decreased, coming in at around $57 million in 2016, which is approximately a 33 percent drop from 2015’s $86 million.

Nintendo managed to make a profit by selling the Seattle Mariners baseball team, which it said it “recorded gain on sales of investment securities” totalling [$595 million]. The release of Pokemon Go was said to have “led to increased sales of software in the Pokemon series released in the past and drove the Nintendo 3DS family hardware sales growth, particularly outside of Japan.”

Sales of the 3DS for the period were reported as 2.7 million units, which is an increase over the previous year.

In the statement accompanying the report, Nintendo explained that, for the Wii U, there “were no hit titles this period to compare with Splatoon and Super Mario Maker last year,” which resulted in the decrease in software sales for the platform.

Sales of the Amiibo were also cited as a slipping owing to a decreased number of games supporting them. Amiibo sales “were reduced to 3.8 million units for figure-type and 1.7 million for card type.” Additionally, “fewer offerings of downloadable content during this period” also resulted in much less digital sales than last year.

During this six month period Nintendo sold 560,000 Wii U consoles. In 2015 it managed to sell 1.1 million units.

Looking ahead, Nintendo highlighted the upcoming launch of Pokemon Sun/Moon as well as the 3DS version of Super Mario Maker for 3DS. Other upcoming releases that were mentioned include the NES Classic Edition, which will be available in November, and Super Mario Run, a mobile title launching on iOS later this year.

Although the company’s next platform, the Nintendo Switch, was mentioned, it simply said it would be available in March 2017. For lots more on the Nintendo Switch, check out GameSpot’s recent coverage in the links below.

News:

• Nintendo Switch: Reveal Trailer and All the New Details
• New Mario Game Teased for Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch Development Partners Include Skyrim, Resident Evil, Dark Souls Devs, and More
• Xbox Boss Reacts to Nintendo Switch Announcement
• Nintendo Switch’s Amiibo Support Confirmed
• Skyrim Not Confirmed for Nintendo Switch, Despite Appearing in Video Reveal
• Nintendo Switch Could “Redefine” Gaming, Ubisoft Says
• The Nintendo Switch Dock Is “Not the Main Console”
• Nintendo Switch Price, Hardware Specs May Not be Revealed This Year
• Nintendo Stock Value Drops 6.5 Percent After Switch Reveal, Some Analysts Doubt Its Appeal
• Nintendo Switch Trailer Becomes Most Popular Video on NoA’s YouTube Account
• Nintendo Switch Is Not Backwards Compatible With Physical 3DS or Wii U Games

Features:

• Nintendo New Switch Console: Our Biggest Unanswered Questions
• How Accurate Were the Rumors About Nintendo Switch
• How Much Should Nintendo Switch Cost? — GameSpot Q&A
• Analyzing the Nintendo Switch’s Tegra Processor

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This week’s Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD contains more answers and plenty of jail-fighting action. The hunt for the Darkhold continues, and you would think sending SHIELD agents, an Inhuman, and a demon-possessed killing machine would make it an easy mission. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have such an exciting episode.

Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 4 of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, “Lockup,” will be discussed below.

The Darkhold Is Revealed

Lucy, the main ghost, is after the Darkhold. A flashback reveals the moment she and her husband found the “book of sins” buried in a cellar. This is the book that the Red Skull, Daniel Whitehall, and Nick Fury could not locate. The pages appear to be blank at first, but text suddenly appears in different languages for Lucy and her husband. The languages are the ones they first learned. This brings her to question if the book is actually reading them.

Lucy retrieves the book in the present day and discovers she can no longer read the pages in her ghostly state as the text has dissolved and the pages don’t respond to her touch. This leads her to force Robbie Reyes’ Uncle Eli to help her due to his connection with her group’s original research with the book.

Ghost Rider Goes to Jail

Coulson recruited Robbie and Daisy to help them find the Darkhold. Running out of answers and time, the decision is made to visit Robbie’s uncle at the penitentiary. Lucy arrived before them, and several guards and the warden have become infected. Inside the prison, Robbie sees a member of the gang responsible for the drive-by shooting that put his brother in a wheelchair. Later when Robbie and Mack are taking Eli out amidst the chaos of a prison riot, Robbie can’t resist taking out the gang member.

Daisy’s Last Stand

In the prison, Daisy, Coulson, and May discover several members of the anti-Inhuman group, the Watchdogs, are inside. This is where a lot of them are being recruited. When Lucy’s actions caused all the prison cells to be opened, they are soon outnumbered. As the three are escaping the swarm of inmates, Daisy sets it up so Coulson and May can escape while she takes on prisoners. Daisy is unable to use her powers because they could shatter all the bones in her body. She does a great job taking them on but eventually becomes overwhelmed. Coulson and May eventually find a way back to help out Daisy. She’s still carrying the guilt over Lincoln’s death and didn’t want their lives put at risk. May makes it clear it was a dumb move.

Simmons Takes a Lie Detector Test

Simmons reports directly to the new Director, Jeffrey Mace, and has to take mandatory lie detector tests. The problem is, she’s learned several things being kept from him, such as Coulson working with Daisy, Ghost Rider’s existence, the life model decoy Dr. Radcliffe created, and the ghosts that are on the loose. Asked if she ever withheld vital information from the Director, the test begins to detect her reluctance to answer. Mace pulls her out just then because he needs her expertise for a press conference. Afterwards she’s told she needs to complete the testing process. She lays out to the Director that she is aware he told a lie about a heroic moment from his past. She suggests taking a lie detector test could force her to reveal the truth about him. Forced into a corner, Mace decides she no longer is required to take the mandatory tests.

Jeffrey Mace’s Big Revelation During Press Conference

The Director’s press conference involves several hard-hitting questions from Senator Nadeer. As a supporter of the Humans First movement, her concern is SHIELD is not doing its job against the threat of Inhumans. She questions his qualifications in being the right person for the role of Director and dealing with the Inhumans. Mace decides to reveal to the world he is an Inhuman. Luckily the approval ratings in the polls were in his favor.

Mace does secretly meet with Nadeer later. She has footage from the prison showing SHIELD working with Quake, a wanted fugitive. She also mentions evidence of SHIELD working with a flaming killer who murdered a model inmate. When she informs Mace of her plans to leak the footage, he asks her what she wants in order to change her mind.

Our Thoughts

With Jeffrey Mace revealed he was an Inhuman, it appeared he’s trying to be completely honest with the public. Simmons mentioned he was hiding something and Coulson doesn’t fully trust him. We’ll have to wait to see what sort of agreement he’ll reach with the senator.

We’re getting more answers about the Darkhold, but there’s still a lot we don’t know. It’s not clear what Ghost Rider’s connection to it is. He is able to kill the ghosts but has mentioned several times he made a “deal with the devil.” It’s also unclear how exactly Eli is involved with the project at the Momentum facility. He was not transformed into a ghost like the others. By helping Lucy at the end, will he turn into one?

We had a nice Easter egg when Lucy and her husband found the buried Darkhold. A poster was seen for Quentin Carnival. This is where, in the comics, the original Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, performed as a motorcycle stunt driver. This was likely included as a nod towards the comics but not necessarily proof that there is any connection to the original Ghost Rider.

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer has provided an update regarding how the Project Scorpio console is coming along. Spencer said he attended a day-long meeting for the console this week and is optimistic about the company’s ability to have it out on schedule next holiday.

“I’m in a day-long review of where the team is on Scorpio right now,” Spencer said on Twitter in response to someone who asked if Scorpio might be released early. “Amazing progress and we are feeling good about schedule.”

Spencer’s comments about Project Scorpio follow on from what he told GameSpot earlier this month about the device and how development is shaping up. Things are going “really well,” he told us, adding that Microsoft is in fact “a little ahead of plan” as it relates to the hardware timelines.

“There is a lot of time to go, but we feel good about how the things are coming together,” he said. “The teams understand the performance spec that we’re building. We went through some of the high-level specs at E3 in the video. And it gives the teams time to make sure that they’re targeting that performance for their games. Luckily so many of both our internal teams and partners are also building on PC.

“So it’s not hard for us to say, ‘Okay this is the PC spec that you can expect with what we’re building on Scorpio,’ so it allows them to make sure they have the assets and capability to deliver. Since we’re focusing on a box that can support true 4K and a 4K frame buffer and a lot of PC games already support that; it’s not a new language or asset base for them in terms of things that we’re asking them to go do. I’m also pretty confident in the content lineup that we’ll see.”

Project Scorpio is described by Microsoft as the “most powerful console ever made.” Spencer, like others before him, have said the console is “premium” in nature, which suggests it won’t be cheap. Since it’s going to be more powerful than the Xbox One S, it will be priced accordingly, but the exact price point remains a mystery for now.

“We expect both of these products [Xbox One S and Project Scorpio] to be in market at the same time, and that there’s a clear performance difference and obviously there will be a price difference between the two things,” he said. “But I also want people to understand that Scorpio is going to be a premium console. Like, I’m not trying to sell you a high-end gaming PC rig for a couple of thousand dollars or something. We look at consumer price points of consoles and definitely our target is to hit that.

“But it will be a premium version of an Xbox One and we’ll talk more about pricing as we’re cutting it closer to the launch and everything else. But I’m confident that we’ll be able to deliver a product at a price point that gamers will feel like is worth it.”

Sony’s new, more powerful console, the PS4 Pro, goes on sale in November, priced at $400.

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A new update for the PlayStation 4 has arrived, but you may not want to get too excited.

The patch notes for update 4.05 are a single line long. “This system software update improves the quality of the system performance.” No new features or changes are added with this update.

This is the second time this month that Sony has released a stability-focused update for the PS4. The other one came out on October 3. Today’s update is 312.1 MB, the same file size as the previous one.

PS4 4.00, the console’s latest major update, came out in September. It introduced folders for managing games and apps, while some menus were also redesigned. PS4 4.00 also added HDR support for all PS4s. You can see everything new and changed for PS4 4.00 in GameSpot’s previous report.

The PS4 Slim launched September, priced at $300. Sony will launch its new, more powerful PS4 4 Pro in November. This console, which features 1 TB hard drive and extra processing power, will sell for $400. For lots more on the console, check out GameSpot’s roundup of everything you need to know.

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Ubisoft’s The Division changes in a big way today with its long-awaited 1.4 update.

The game’s servers were down for about three hours this morning to apply the update and for maintenance on all platforms. Servers should be back up now, and the next time you play, you’ll be prompted to download 1.4. This comes in at 4.5 GB to 5.7 GB, depending on your platform.

The patch makes a series of major changes to weapons, balance, and more. Ubisoft is releasing the 1.4 update in response to fan feedback and to fix “lingering issues.” The focus of the patch is on fixing bugs, making loot drops “more relevant,” and balancing gear sets and weapons.

The patch also aims to improve the solo play experience and add a number of quality-of-life features. You can see the full patch notes here on Ubisoft’s website.

If you’re looking to pick up a copy of The Division, Amazon is currently offering the game at a significant discount. It’s available on all platforms–PS4, Xbox One, and PC–for under $18.

In part due to the work that had to be done on 1.4, Ubisoft delayed The Division’s Survival and Last Stand expansions. Survival is now expected sometime later this year, while Last Stand will come out in early 2017.

As of the end of September, The Division holds the title of best-selling game of 2016, according to Ubisoft. Whether or not this is still true remains to be seen, as powerhouse games like FIFA 17 and Battlefield 1 have since launched.

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Like other games, Titanfall 2 will have a day one patch, Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella has confirmed. But you probably don’t need to worry about having to delete any games to make room.

He confirmed on Twitter (via Eurogamer) that Titanfall 2’s day one patch is quite small. Zampella jokingly wrote, “Clear some space on your [hard drive], the Titanfall 2 day one patch is… 88 MB.” He added, “The Titanfall 2 patch is super tiny, I was being goofy…” Zampella didn’t say what’s included in the update.

By comparison, last year’s Halo 5: Guardians had a 9 GB day one update, while this month’s Gears of War 4 had an 11 GB day one update, though that was only for people who bought a physical copy. When a game “goes gold,” it heads to the manufacturing plant for mass production on discs. This can sometimes happen weeks before launch, so a development team may continue to work on the game in that time and put out a day one update containing some of what it’s been working on.

Not every game handles this the same way. For Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV, one of the most substantial reasons for its latest delay was so the developer could avoid a major day-one patch. Not everyone’s console is connected to the internet, game director Hajime Tabata said.

Titanfall 2 comes out this Friday, October 28. GameSpot’s review scored the game a 9/10.

“Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn’t. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable,” reviewer Mike Mahardy said. “In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It’s a fantastic sequel. It’s a fluid shooter. It’s a spectacular game.”

For more on the critical reaction to Titanfall 2, check out this roundup of review scores.

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Destiny gets a Halloween makeover of sorts today, as the game’s Festival of the Lost event has begun. A patch that introduced the spooky content came out at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET earlier today.

As announced previously, Destiny’s Festival of the Lost event runs October 25 through November 8. During that time, players can unlock new masks, gear, emotes, and consumables themed around Halloween and things that are spooky/creepy/weird. Additionally, there is a new quest in the Iron Temple, which was introduced to Destiny in September’s Rise of Iron expansion.

Destiny’s Festival of the Lost event also introduces some new Exotic weapon Ornaments for Bad Juju–they are on display in the video above and can also be seen here. Additionally, The Tower, Reef, and Iron Temple get a Halloween makeover, while some festive music has been added. Read GameSpot’s previous Destiny Festival of the Lost coverage to learn even more about this year’s event. You can also visit the official Festival of the Lost website to get more details.

Bungie’s Festival of the Lost plans were revealed early through a leak. You can see the complete patch notes for the Destiny Halloween update, as posted on Bungie’s website, at the bottom of this post.

Destiny is not the only game celebrating Halloween. Overwatch, Rocket League, World of Warcraft, Smite, Street Fighter V, and others are also taking part. Check out GameSpot’s roundup here to learn more.

Destiny Festival of the Lost Patch Notes:

Activities

• Visit Eva Levante in the Tower to Trick or Treat and earn paper Masks
• Visit Tyra Karn in the Iron Temple to assist with a task
• Trials of Osiris has become a bit spookier during Festival of the Lost
• The following sources can yield a unique Festival of the Lost vanity item:
  • Trials of Osiris
  • Crucible Matches
  • Strike Hoards

Social

• The Tower, Reef, and Iron Temple have been decorated in honor of Festival of the Lost
• Festive music has been added in social spaces

Eververse

• Treasures of the Lost is now available and contains new Masks, Bad Juju Ornaments, a Sparrow, Ghost Shells, and Consumables
• Once Festival of the Lost ends, the Bad Juju Ornaments will be added to Radiant Treasures
• Last year’s Festival exclusive Emotes Monster Dance, Zombie Dance, and Boo, have returned to Eververse
• Two new limited Emotes are available: Terrify and Howl

Vendors

• Eva Levante will stop selling Emblems during Festival of the Lost in order to provide players with special Festival items
  • After Festival of the Lost, her normal Emblem inventory will return

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It’s a big day for Dark Souls III, as the role-playing game’s first expansion, Ashes of Ariandel, launches today, October 25, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Bandai Namco has put out a slick video for the expansion, featuring an eerie voiceover and lots of action, including bossfights and more. It uses a cover of Nirvana’s “Lake of Fire.” Check it out:

Ashes of Ariandel costs $15, but you can buy it in a bundle with a second unannounced expansion for $25. It tasks players with venturing into the “frozen land of Ariandel” to “defeat the evil within” and discover what destroyed the region.

The DLC also includes “new weapons, armor sets, and magic for players to discover and experiment with.” You can check out some screenshots and art of Ashes of Ariandel in the gallery below.

Little is known about Dark Souls III’s second expansion, except for the fact that it’s expected in early 2017. We’ll keep you up to date as more information is revealed.

Dark Souls III received a score of 8/10 in GameSpot’s review. Critic Mike Mahardy praised its expert level design, thrilling combat, and beautiful setting, though he was disappointed by the inconsistent camera and redundant late-game bosses.

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[UPDATE] Dark Souls III’s Ashes of Ariandel DLC is now available on all platforms.

Original story: Although Dark Souls III‘s Ashes of Ariandel DLC accidentally went up (and was taken down) from Xbox One last week, it’s now back on its regular release schedule. PC players can start playing now through Steam, while PS4 and Xbox One owners will gain access to it tonight, October 24, at 9 PM PT.

The first expansion costs $15, but you can buy it in a bundle with a second unannounced expansion for $25. It tasks players with venturing into the “frozen land of Ariandel” to “defeat the evil within” and discover what destroyed the region. The DLC also includes “new weapons, armor sets, and magic for players to discover and experiment with.” You can check out some screenshots and art of Ashes of Ariandel in the gallery below.

We don’t know much about the second expansion, except for the fact that it’s expected in early 2017. We’ll keep you up to date as more information is revealed.

As for future projects, Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed that From Software is working on a new entry in the Armored Core series, in addition to a game that’s described as “a little weird.” He’s also stated that the studio has no intention of following Dark Souls III up with another sequel.

Dark Souls III received a score of 8/10 in GameSpot’s review. Critic Mike Mahardy praised its expert level design, thrilling combat, and beautiful setting, though he was disappointed by the inconsistent camera and redundant late-game bosses.

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