Sega’s Super Game Project Involves Multiple Games, May Include NFTs

Sega has revealed more details on its ‘Super Game’ project, which consists of multiple games and the potential incorporation of NFT and cloud technologies.

In an interview on Sega Japan’s recruitment website which was translated by VGC, executive VP Shuji Utsumi explained the company’s new strategy. “Sega offers a wide range of game content, including hardware and arcade content, which is made possible by its diverse range of technologies,” Utsumi said. “We have defined ‘Super Game’ as the development of AAA titles that cross over Sega’s comprehensive range of technologies, and we will aim to achieve this in our five-year plan.”

According to Utsumi, several titles are being developed within the Super Game framework and each one is being designed to “go beyond” the traditional framework of games. For a Sega title to meet the criteria of a Super Game, it will have to be multiplatform, have a simultaneous worldwide release, feature global multi-language development, and have a AAA scope to its design.

As for how other technologies will be incorporated into Sega’s Super Game design, Sega producer Masayoshi Kikuchi mentioned social networking and game video viewing as natural extensions for the future of gaming that will also expand into new areas such as cloud gaming and NFTs. “We are also developing Super Game from the perspective of how far different games can be connected to each other,” Kikuchi said.

Sega began laying the groundwork for its Super Game push back in November when it entered into a “strategic alliance” with Microsoft, which will allow the company to develop games using the Azure cloud platform. Sega NFTs were trademarked in January, although CEO Haruki Satomi noted later that the move had been met with negativity from Sega fans.

Currently, Sega has several projects in development with its IP. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is proving to be a blockbuster at cinemas that could lead to a Sonic cinematic universe, and Sonic Frontiers is scheduled for release on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

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Sony Invests $1 Billion More Into Fortnite Studio Epic Games To Help Create The Metaverse

Sony Group and the owners of The Lego Group are investing $2 billion into Fortnite studio Epic Games as the company continues its mission to create a metaverse.

Sony Group and KIRKBI–the holding an investment company that runs The Lego Group–are each investing $1 billion into Epic Games. This is just the latest investment from Sony, which has already invested $450 million into Epic Games over the years.

As for Lego, its investment is no surprise, either, as Epic and Lego just announced a massive deal to create new family-friendly virtual playspaces aimed at children.

Sony Group CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said, “We are thrilled to invest in Epic to deepen our relationship in the metaverse field, a space where creators and users share their time. We are also confident that Epic’s expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony’s technologies, will accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives.”

KIRKBI CEO Søren Thorup Sørensen added, “A proportion of our investments is focused on trends we believe will impact the future world that we and our children will live in. This investment will accelerate our engagement in the world of digital play, and we are pleased to be investing in Epic Games to support their continued growth journey, with a long-term focus toward the future metaverse.”

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic needs partners “who share our vision” for the “future of entertainment,” and those companies include Sony and Lego.

“This investment will accelerate our work to build the metaverse and create spaces where players can have fun with friends, brands can build creative and immersive experiences and creators can build a community and thrive,” Sweeney said.

With this new $2 billion investment, Epic said it’s now valued at $31.5 billion. Epic founder and CEO, Sweeney, continues to control the company, which has only a single class of common stock.

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Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link Mobile Game Announced, Closed Beta Coming Later This Year

Square Enix has announced a new Kingdom Hearts mobile game called Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link, which will have its first closed beta test later this year. Revealed in the 20th Anniversary announcement trailer, gameplay features 3D-rendered environments, plenty of Heartless to battle, and what appears to be customizable Keyblade Masters.

A number of Disney locations can also be spotted in the trailer, such as the forest from Tangled that was featured in Kingdom Hearts III.

“Light and darkness brought about the beginning, and hearts nurtured it,” the narration for the trailer says. “Life was passed down time and time again until the land was filled with thriving people. This is a city for light and darkness, dreams and distortion, the remembered and the forgotten–Scala ad Caelum, the Missing-Link. Here, people gathered to be a part of a whole, in societies that sprawled and branched like veins through the city. The night you awoke in this world, the stars shone contorted in the pitch-black sky.”

Square Enix added that the closed beta will roll out later this year in select regions, although those exact locations have not yet been revealed. An exact release date for the iOS and Android device launch hasn’t been nailed down yet either. This isn’t the only Kingdom Hearts mobile game available, as Kingdom Hearts Dark Road has been around for a few years now. Square Enix revealed that the grand finale to the Kingdom Hearts Union X storyline will be released for free in August.

The other big news from Square Enix was the reveal of Kingdom Hearts IV, the next entry in the long-running series that Missing-Link spins out of. Development is underway on the next mainline entry, kicks off a new storyline for the franchise called the Lost Master Arc.

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Kingdom Hearts 4 Announced, Watch The First Trailer

Square Enix has announced that development is underway on Kingdom Hearts IV, the next entry in the long-running Disney RPG series. The news came as part of a 20th-anniversary celebration event and included the release of the very first trailer, which you can watch below.

Kingdom Hearts IV kicks off a new storyline for the franchise, the Lost Master Arc. Sora returns, though as you’ll see in the trailer and screenshots, he’s sporting a new look. The KHIV portion of the trailer begins at around the 4:05 mark:

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The trailer showcases some brief glimpses of gameplay as Sora squares off against a giant shadow monster in the middle of a city street. This new location is Quadratum, which Square Enix describes as a “large, expansive city set in a gorgeous, realistic world unlike anything ever seen before” in Kingdom Hearts.

No further details were shared on Quadratum or the overall gameplay or story. Donald and Goofy both return in KHIV, and a new “mysterious” new character named Strelitzia will also be introduced.

There’s no word on what platforms KHIV will be available for, although Kingdom Hearts 3 was eventually released for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, with the latter being a cloud-streaming version. Likewise, there’s also no release date shared.

Alongside word of the next core entry in the series, Square Enix used the anniversary event to announce a new mobile game called Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link for iOS and Android, which can also be seen in the trailer montage above.

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Apex Legends’ Control Mode Is Teasing Newcastle For Season 13

After teasing potential upcoming map changes for Storm Point in Apex Legends Season 13, Respawn has seemingly confirmed that Newcastle will be the next playable character to come to the battle royale. You can spot the teaser by loading into Control, which will remain in Apex Legends as a limited-time mode until April 12.

If you load into Control, regardless of map, the loading screen will depict holographic signs advertising that “The wait is over, he’s here!” Alongside this message is a blacked-out depiction of an armored figure.

That outline sure looks a lot like the leaked images of Newcastle.

Newcastle was first mentioned years ago, when Respawn was advertising that Revenant would be Season 4’s new playable legend. The organizers of the Apex Games were discussing what to do in order to keep Revenant from going on a murder spree, and it was suggested that Newcastle be passed over as Forge’s replacement to instead throw Revenant into the games.

Since then, it’s been one excuse after another, as exceptions have been made to add numerous people into the Apex Games. So this teaser is likely referencing that–that in-universe fans of the blood sport have been eager to see Newcastle finally debut after being passed over nine times. Seems it’s finally his moment.

In my weekly Apex Legends column, I theorized that Newcastle would be the next playable character. He appeared in a giant Apex Legends leak alongside eight other characters, and The Williams Sendoff seems to be setting up that Newcastle is Bangalore’s brother, Jackson Williams.

In the aforementioned leak, Newcastle is described as the “Mobile Defender.” Like Gibraltar and Caustic, he has a larger than average hitbox and the Fortified perk. His abilities are listed as:

Passive: Retrieve the Wounded – Drag downed allies while you revive and protect them with your revive shieldTactical: Mobile Shield – Throw a throwable drone that creates a moving energy shieldUltimate: Castle Wall – Leap and slam to a target, ally, or area and create a fortified stronghold.

Based on when Season 12 ends, Apex Legends Season 13 will likely begin in mid-May around May 10.

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iiRcade Gold Edition Revealed With Authentic Form Factor, Preorders Live

Home arcade company iiRcade makes some of the best cabinets around, and today it opened preorders for the new Gold Edition lineup. Alongside the previously announced Dead Cells machine, iiRcade Gold Edition includes the customizable Black Edition (with included Double Dragon decals) as well as Space Invaders and Dragon’s Lair models.

Sporting a taller form factor with a curved top, more discrete speaker placement, and the same premium controls and specs as the original iiRcade system, the Gold Edition more closely resembles a real arcade machine now. The marquee also lights up for that authentic arcade look, and it has 128GB of storage space for downloading new titles from the store. Given the tiny file size of most of them, that’s enough for literally hundreds of games without having to delete any, and 11 games (12 on the Dragon’s Lair and Space Invaders models) are included out of the gate.

You’re going to lose a lot at this game.

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During the 30-day preorder discount window the iiRcade Gold Edition systems will cost $800, with the price rising to $1,000 after that point. They’re expected to ship in July, and having owned my own Black Edition original system for over a year, I’ve been building up a game collection with lots of shoot-’em-ups like Strikers 1945, R-Type, and Truxton. Through the Jukebox app and Bluetooth, you can also utilize its 100-watt speakers for an enormously loud way to play your music.

Those who are within first 100 to preorder will also receive an iiRcade hoodie, while the next 100 will receive a free T-shirt. Additionally, one person picked at random will get a “golden ticket” trip to the iiRcade HQ in Chicago for a game-and-brew night.

“We’d like to thank our entire iiRcade community for all their support and feedback since we first launch,” founder and CEO Jong Shin said in a press release. “We’re taken their suggestions and integrated them into the new design of iiRcade Gold Edition as well as adding exciting new features.”

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Best PS5 Headsets In 2022: SteelSeries And Razer Lead The Way

A gaming headset is one of the most important accessories you can purchase for any gaming platform, including the PS5. Whether you play competitive multiplayer games or not, a gaming headset can add a new level of immersion. We’ve rounded up the best PS5 headsets, from high-end wireless options to budget-minded picks that still get the job done. With so many headsets to choose from, it’s not the easiest choice to make. We hope that our list of the best PS5 gaming headsets will make your decision a bit easier.

One of the PS5’s unique features is Sony’s proprietary 3D audio technology called Tempest 3D AudioTech. This enhances directional audio, giving you a better idea of where everything is coming from. This is particularly helpful in first-person games and it’s also extremely useful in quick-moving games like Returnal. Sony’s Pulse 3D headset was designed to work with it, but other headsets you connect to the PS5 utilize it as well, including our favorite PS5 headset: the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+.

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Elden Ring: How To Beat Malenia Easily Using The Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook

Anyone who has encountered Malenia in Elden Ring knows that she is easily one of the toughest bosses in the game. She is incredibly fast, has two stages, and regenerates health whenever she hits you. One of her most dangerous attacks is the Waterfoul Dance, where after floating in the air for a brief moment, she flies into you rapidly swinging her sword. If this attack doesn’t kill you, it will regenerate a ton of Malenia’s health bar. However, someone has discovered a hard counter to the Waterfoul Dance that anyone can use.

Use the Freezing Pot to stop the Waterfoul Dance

Reddit user toxicBird7 shared a video of the strategy, which shows Malenia charging up the Waterfoul Dance when they throw the Freezing Pot at her. The Freezing Pot cancels her attack, which will increase most people’s chances of beating her significantly. Since you can carry up to 10 Freezing Pots–assuming you have the materials–you can stop Melania from using the attack during the entire fight. Since this strategy involves using a throwable item, it doesn’t matter what kind of build you have. Anyone can use the Freezing Pot, but you might need to go out of your way to gather the materials to make them.

Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook (6)

The room you are looking for is in the southern corner of Caria Manor, inside the castle wall.

The first thing you will need is the Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook, which can be found in Caria Manor in the northwestern part of Liurnia. From the Manor Upper Level Site of Grace, head south and take the elevator down. Head down the stairs and jump down to the rooftop on the left side. From here jump down to ground level and head south until you find a room. The Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook is found on a dead body inside the room.

Crafting materials

The Isolated Merchant sells Ritual Pots.

To craft Freezing Pots, you will need a Ritual Pot–the reusable larger version of the cracked pot–and two Rimed Crystal Buds. Ritual Pots can be found throughout the game, especially in some of the later game regions. If you managed to make it to Malenia without picking any up, you can buy some for 3,000 Runes from the Isolated Merchant in Caelid.

As for the Rimed Crystal Buds, they can be found in cold regions of the Lands Between. toxicBird7 shared a farming location in the western part of the Mountaintops of the Giants, Southwest of the Inner Consecrated Snowfield.

Rimed Crystal Buds can be found around the large white trees found in the Mountaintops of the Gaints.

The Rimed Crystal Buds spawn around the large white trees in this area. It takes two to make a Freezing Pot, along with a Ritual Pot. While this item will make the Malenia fight much easier, you might still need a few attempts to defeat her, so grab a few dozen extra while you are in the area.

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Genshin Impact – Ruin Serpent Boss Guide

If there’s one thing to know about Genshin Impact‘s new normal boss, The Ruin Serpent, is that it moves around a lot. Too much. To get to the Ruin Serpent, you’ll need to have access to the underground area of The Chasm and the Surreptitious Seven-Star Seal Sundering quest must be completed. The Ruin Serpent costs 40 resin and also drops the unique Runic Fang item, which will likely be an Ascension material for future characters. It has a set of unique ooze-clearing mechanics, so make sure your Lumenstone Adjuvant is equipped when you’re fighting this boss. The higher your Lumenstone Adjuvant level, the easier this fight is.

How To Beat Up The Ruin Serpent

Stun the Ruin Serpent: The boss will spit up four puddles of ooze, and at some point, the Ruin Serpent will start absorbing energy from the ooze. You need to pay attention to when it starts doing this. If you purify the ooze pools the boss is attempting to absorb with your Lumenstone Adjuvant, this will stun the Ruin Serpent. A few seconds of immobility is a godsend and you can deal a lot of damage to the boss in this timespan.Recharge your Lumenstone Adjuvant: What if your Lumenstone Adjuvant runs out of energy? No worries. Periodically, geo ore will sprout up on the arena. Use a character to break the ore and restore your energy.Clear the ooze with your Lumenstone Adjuvant when the Ruin Serpent starts absorbing it.

Team Comp Recommendations

Bring a mobile healer (ex. Barbara, Kokomi, and Diona) if your DPS is adept at close combat. Bennett can work too, if you’re mostly working with ranged characters.Bring a shielder (ex. Zhongli, Xinyan, and Noelle). You have to chase the Serpent around the arena constantly and there are a few hard-to-evade attacks, so a shielder is definitely helpful.Geo characters are also great because they can break the geo ores easily, and you can charge your Adjuvant faster.Bring a DPS with good burst damage (ex. Hu Tao and Ayaka) or a ranged DPS (Ganyu and Yoimiya)An additional suggestion, but strictly not necessary: an off-field DPS (ex. Fischl or Yae Miko) is also useful for constant elemental reactions. I used Fischl’s Oz to deal constant damage to the Ruin Serpent (when the Serpent is above-ground). Nice to have extra damage while my on-field DPS main (Diluc) is whacking away at the boss.Sample Ruin Serpent team

Full List Of Ruin Serpent Abilities:

Diving in and out of the ground followed by a lunging attack. This travels quite the distance across the arena. This means the window for damaging it is quite short (as it can’t be attacked when underground), and you’ll need to take advantage of when it is open for attacks.Spitting up four puddles of ooze, located in the cardinals in the arena.Draining your Lumenstone Adjuvant of all energy except for two bars, at the beginning of the fight only.A spinning attack that can get the characters stuck in the middle, preventing them from clearing the ooze on the side of the arena and thereby unable to stun the Ruin Serpent.It’ll also go horizontal and do a sweeping attack, rolling left and right. This is telegraphed quite early, so it’s not hard to evade. But it can catch you off-guard.At some point, it’ll do a “black hole” attack where players are sucked into the center of the arena.If you let the Ruin Serpent absorb energy from the ooze, it’ll have a projectile-firing attack and a downward attack with a sizable range. (Hint: You don’t want the Ruin Serpent to get to these stages!)Stunned Ruin Serpent

So there you have it: How to effectively take down the Ruin Serpent. Happy farming! For other Chasm-related guides, you can check out our Archon quest walkthrough guide and The Chasm Delvers walkthrough guide.

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