Key Note Gaming

Rise of the Ronin may be a little shy over a month out from its release on PlayStation 5, but that isn’t stopping the action RPG's sales from outpacing its spiritual predecessors, Nioh and Nioh 2. News of Rise of the Ronin’s sales comes from Koei Tecmo’s recent financial report . In the report, Koei Tecmo noted that Rise of the Ronin’s sales are surpassing the Nioh series and that it might usher in a “significant step toward mid to long-term growth” for the holdings company despite being a new triple-A game. No specific sales figures, however, were mentioned. Back in 2022, Team Ninja had announced that the Nioh series collectively had shipped 7 million units worldwide . In tandem with Koei Tecmo’s internal findings of Rise of the Ronin, the financial report also underscored the acclaim the game has received from both critics and players. More specifically, Koei Tecmo cited Rise of the Ronin’s "very high" user and "generally favorable" Metacritic score , w...

Manor Lords, the medieval-themed strategy game released in early access last week, recently got a mod that allows it to be played with a VR headset, and it's even caught the attention of the game's developer. Flat2VR, a community of modders and developers aiming to port "flat" games into virtual reality, announced on X/Twitter that there is now a VR mod for PC players looking to play Manor Lords on a virtual reality headset. Flat2VR notes that the mod currently uses mouse and keyboard controls and that "it works perfectly" in six-degree-of-freedom VR (6DOF VR). It's made possible thanks to UEVR , a mod that allows developers and modders to make VR mods for games powered by Unreal Engine . Wow I have no idea how it's done but I'm impressed it works https://t.co/G1W6l5oDcq — MANOR LORDS (@LordsManor) April 29, 2024 A video shared by the modding group caught the eye of Manor Lords developer Slavic Magic, who responded with awe that modders...

Star Wars: Hunters, the free-to-play team-based battle arena shooter from Zynga and Lucasfilm Games, is set to be released on June 4, 2024, on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. At launch, Star Wars: Hunters will feature 13 characters who are all very unique, including one named Utooni who is actually two Jawas stacked on top of each other wearing a trench coat. There is also a droid who thinks it is a Jedi and is aptly named J-3DI, an Ugnaught named Slingshot who fights inside a Droideka, and much more. You can find the full list of characters below and check them out in the image below that, from left to right; Sprocket (Mon Calamari Prodigy) Utooni (Jawa Scavengers) Zaina (Rebel War Hero) Grozz (Wookie Juggernaught) Skora (Rodian Sawbones) J-3DI (Jedi Droid) Aran Tal (Mandalorian Vanguard) Rieve (Dark Side Assassin) Sentinel (Imperial Heavy Gunner) Diago (Miraluka Sharpshooter) Imara Vex (Unrelenting Bounty Hunter) Slingshot (Droideka Speedster) Charr (Trandoshan ...

With the Fallout TV series topping 65 million viewers to become one of the most watched Prime Video shows ever, the pressure is on for more content set in the wasteland, and Bethesda is seemingly ready to oblige. In a new interview with Kinda Funny Games , director Todd Howard appeared to tease two unannounced Fallout projects, saying, "We look at what we are doing with the [Fallout] franchise and then we say do we still feel good about — I can't reveal it now — but here is our runway for Fallout as a franchise." He continued, "When is Season 2 happening. What are we doing on mobile. What are we doing in [Fallout 76]. What are we doing with this thing. What are we doing with this other thing. And when are these landing. And again if I could snap my fingers and have them all be out and ready I would. But the main thing is how do we deliver these at a high quality level. That is always most important." Howard's oblique comments appear to suggest that at...

Jackbox players who are older and have been wishing for an adult-themed Party Pack: your prayers have finally been answered, as Jackbox Games announced at ID@Xbox today that its next party pack is aimed at the older demographic. As the name implies, Jackbox Naughty Pack is the next entry in the party game franchise and is designed specifically for adults. Though there are no details, such as what mini-games would appear in the pack, we do know it is out this year. Jackbox Games has released a new party pack nearly annually since the first installment was released in 2014. Each Party Pack entry consists of five mini-games designed to be played ideally with three or more friends while everyone uses a device with an internet browser, most commonly a phone, to play. The Jackbox Party Pack series grew in popularity thanks to content creators hosting streams where they play one of the ten currently available Party Packs. The series spiked exponentially in 2020 during the pandemic as ...

Capcom has finally fully revealed Street Fighter 6’s long-awaited DLC character Akuma, confirming a release date and showing off gameplay. The famously overpowered Street Fighter fan-favorite launches on May 22, Capcom said. Owners of the Deluxe and Ultimate Edition or the Year 1 Character Pass and Ultimate Pass for Street Fighter 6 get Akuma immediately when he releases. Year 1 Ultimate Pass owners also receive the new stage, Enma's Hollow. The gameplay reveal, below, shows off Street Fighter 6’s version of Akuma, older than previous incarnations but complete with his famous moveset. Akuma has his air fireball, dive kick, and his teleport move. Capcom saved the best for last: Akuma’s iconic Raging Demon attack. It very much looks like poor Ryu dies one thousand deaths. Alongside the Akuma update comes a major balance patch where all characters will receive changes, Capcom signaled. The Year 1 DLC characters for Street Fighter 6 are Rashid, Akuma, Ed, and A.K.I. Akuma round...

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has released a significant patch for the game that makes big balance changes to weapons, stratagems, enemies, and missions. Patch 01.000.300 includes a much-needed tweak to burning damage, now reduced by 15%. Burning damage was causing chaos to friend and foe alike in the hugely popular PlayStation 5 and PC co-op shooter after a recent buff. Hopefully now planets such as Hellmire, which features fire tornados, will be more manageable. Elsewhere, armors with an armor rating above 100 now also reduce damage on headshots, and victory poses will now only play for the extracted, which means, as Arrowhead put it in the patch notes: “no stolen valor on my ship.” As for weapons, it’s worth checking out the patch notes, below, for the details, but one highlight is a quickfire change to the recently released RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher, which was causing havoc. It will now no longer detonate when shot near stratagems (HMG turret, Sentries, Resupplies) a...

Bandai Namco has revealed its roadmap for Tekken 8 throughout the rest of 2024, including the game’s second DLC character, new story, and plenty more. The second DLC character is Lidia Sobieski, who is teased at the end of the roadmap trailer, below. In the world of Tekken, Lidia is the Prime Minister of Poland who made her debut in Tekken 7 as DLC in the Season 4 Pass. For Tekken 8, Lidia launches this summer, with early access for Character Year 1 Pass owners. Meanwhile, In the fall, a brand-new story involving Eddy Gordo launches as a free update. Fight with honor and your future is bright. Learn what's coming next for #TEKKEN8 in Season 1! pic.twitter.com/leRkNGTpa8 — TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) April 29, 2024 Other additions include a sweeping balance pass in the spring (the first battle balance adjustments for the season are coming soon, with patch notes for update 1.04 set to be released tomorrow, April 30, 2024), and a new stage, the Seaside Resort, and the photo mode in th...

The weekend is here, and there are loads of exciting deals you do not want to miss! This Saturday, new deals on some amazing video games, technology, and devices have appeared, and we've rounded up our picks. The best deals for Sunday, April 29, include the Glorious GMMK 2, Tekken 8, 2024 MacBook Air, Armored Core 6, Apple Watch Series 9, and more. Glorious GMMK 2 Keyboard for $64.99 This keyboard from Glorious is one of the best deals you can find today. It's a 96% full-sized keyboard that features a numpad and function buttons. Each of the switches is hot-swappable, which isn't a feature you see too often on a keyboard at this price point. Additionally, the standard keycaps included with the GMMK 2 are double-shot and sit atop custom-made Fox linear switches. Tekken 8 for $49.99 Tekken 8 is the latest major fighting game to be released for the current generation of consoles. Over 32 characters are already playable, far surpassing titles like Street Fighter 6 or Mo...

The weekend is here, and there are loads of exciting deals you do not want to miss! This Saturday, new deals on some amazing video games, technology, and devices have appeared, and we've rounded up our picks. The best deals for Saturday, April 27, include Tekken 8, 2024 MacBook Air, One Piece Odyssey, Apple Watch Series 9, and more. Tekken 8 for $49.99 Tekken 8 is the latest major fighting game to be released for the current generation of consoles. Over 32 characters are already playable, far surpassing titles like Street Fighter 6 or Mortal Kombat 1. The online modes far surpass their predecessors, with good netcode and many different ways to play. In our 9/10 review , we stated Tekken 8 is " an amazing new entry in the long-running series." Save 10% Off Apple 2024 MacBook Air Amazon currently has the 2024 MacBook Air on sale for $989. This device utilizes the M3 chip, which is extremely powerful and features a 50% higher memory bandwidth compared to the M1. If y...

As great as it is to see the 3D Fallout games enjoying another moment in the sun following the popularity of Prime Video’s excellent TV adaptation , the games I most want to direct new fans toward are the classic original Fallout and Fallout 2. Aside from being where it all began, those are the stories that hold many of the answers people coming off of the show are looking for: the origins of Shady Sands, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, what happens when a vault’s water chip fails, and much more. Their stories, scenarios, and memorable moments have stuck with those of us who played them for decades, and bringing those same experiences to an entirely new audience that’s ravenous for Fallout content seems like a slam dunk. However, in 2024 that recommendation comes with more caveats than it ought to: While both are readily available on Steam (and included in PC Game Pass) and run on modern PCs, when you fire it up you’re presented with an array of tiny buttons, no tutorial, an...

We've been making our way through The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask the past few weeks for our weekly Replay stream , but this week Marcus Stewart is busy on assignment, so Brian Shea joined me for a look at a different Zelda sequel. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass released in 2007 for DS and is controlled entirely by touchscreen. Back in 2017 while speaking with longtime Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma for our Breath of the Wild cover story, he cited Phantom Hourglass as his personal favorite Zelda game saying that his wife is a fan of that entry, and it was the first time he was in the role of producer. "I have a lot of sentiment for it,"Aonuma said. Check out the video below for an hour Phantom Hourglass gameplay below. If you enjoy our livestreams but haven’t subscribed to our Twitch channel, know that doing so not only gives you notifications and access to special emotes. You’ll also be granted entry to the official  Game Informer  Discord channel , where...

Amazon is offering an excellent deal on this Arzopa 15" 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor . It's normally $129.99, but Amazon Prime members can get it right now for $60.79 shipped after a 20% off clippable coupon. That's the best price we've ever seen for this particular model, and the lowest price compared to other legit 15" USB Type-C monitors on Amazon. This is a great portable display for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld. Note: You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime account to see these prices. Arzopa S1 15" 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $60.79 Amazon Prime member exclusive This 15" 1080p monitor works as a secondary display for your laptop, tablet, phone, gaming console, or pretty much any device that has either a USB or HDMI output. If your device has a USB Type-C output with Power Delivery, than you may only need a single USB Type-C cable (included) for both power and data. If your USB Type-...

Sonic the Hedgehog is having a great year with plenty to look forward to. The third Sonic movie is coming out in December, Knuckles is getting his own show on Paramount+, and Sonic is sharing the spotlight with Shadow in Sonic x Shadow Generations. In the last few years, the Blue Blur has become such a popular video game character in the multimedia landscape that Sega has produced toys to introduce the next generation of fans to the franchise. Older fans can add those toys and plushies to their collection for the sake of nostalgia or for sharing their love of Sonic with their children. Either way, we prepared a list of the best Sonic toys to help prepare fans for the upcoming Sonic games and movies — not to mention introduce your kids to the franchise's lore. Here are the best Sonic toys you can buy right now. Sonic LEGO Sets LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge LEGO set is a fun set for Sonic fans of all ages, especially for...

Escape from Tarkov players are in an uproar over a new $250 upgrade called The Unheard Edition , with many deeming the pack “pay-to-win” and “selfish." The Unheard Edition of BattleState Games’ popular extraction shooter includes exclusive access to a laundry list of content, including an exclusive PvE co-op mode where progress doesn’t reset. Although the price tag without tax is steep as is, what many find offensive are the extra bonuses that the pack includes. Some notable features include expanded PMC pockets and increased Fence standing, which give buyers an edge by, for example, making NPCs less aggressive depending on player distance. “This isn’t just perks like ‘increased stash space’ or ‘larger secure pouch,’” one Reddit user said . “This is blatant ‘you get a giant head start in front of everyone else.’ “Any other good extraction shooters out there?” they add. Pay-to-win is a term most multiplayer fans hope they never hear when their favorite game is being describe...

Microsoft's gaming revenue climbed significantly year over year, according to its Q3 earnings report. But the massive jump in takings is deceptive — most of it is just reflective of the addition of Activision Blizzard (and King!) . For the third quarter of fiscal 2024, Microsoft reported gaming revenue up 51% year-over-year, or $1.8 billion, to a total of $5.45 billion. It's a record Q3 for the segment, but it comes with a caveat. 55 points of that net impact were from the Activision Blizzard acquisition, meaning that Xbox content and services revenue not related to Activision Blizzard was actually down 4% year-over-year. We saw a similar situation last quarter , too, and will almost certainly see it again in the next two. Xbox content and services revenue is in a similar boat. It's up 62% year-over-year, but with 61 points of net impact from Activision Blizzard, meaning it's only up 1%. And hardware revenue, which wasn't touched by the acquisition, is down 31% ...

In its weekly This Week in Destiny blog post , Bungie announced today it would be reversing one of its most controversial Destiny 2 decisions: the one that "sunset" older weapons by giving them a power limit. The news comes just as Bungie prepares for the final chapter in Destiny 2's Light and Darkness saga, which began way back in 2014. "As we close out the Light and Darkness saga, we want to rally all Guardians (active, returning, and new) to help fight the Witness, and there is no better way to play Destiny than with your fireteam," the blog post reads. "As we pursued this goal, it became apparent that Power limits were fundamentally incompatible with Fireteam Power." Over three years ago, Bungie announced they'd be making older weapons in Destiny 2 essentially irrelevant by giving them a maximum power that would reduce their effectiveness over time. The move was controversial, as many saw it as invalidating their previous accomplishments...

The developer of Garry's Mod has announced it is in the process of removing all Nintendo-related content from Steam Workshop after receiving a takedown request from Nintendo. In a posting to Steam , Facepunch Studios confirmed the takedowns were in fact legitimate - perhaps in contrast to previous takedowns this year thought to be sent by a fraudster . Facepunch added that the request was "fair enough" given that the content does belong to Nintendo, but noted that the process would take time as "we have 20 years of uploads to go through." "If you want to help us by deleting your Nintendo related uploads and never uploading them again, that would help us a lot," Facepunch wrote. Nintendo has historically been extremely protective of its owned content, having in the last year issued legal challenges to Palworld Pokemon mods , a popular Switch emulator , and a Nintendo 64 Portal revival that used the official Nintendo 64 SDK. So Nintendo asking (w...

Decades after it took place, the Chornobyl disaster remains so ingrained in the public imagination that it's easy to forget its terrible real-world consequences. But Chornobyl Liquidators, a new immersive sim set to release in June, aims to delve into some of that history in what developer Live Motion Games calls a "commemoration of the disaster and its victims." A new gameplay trailer released by Live Motion Games and publisher Frozen Way highlights how the new historical sim will put players in the boots of the Liquidators — the firefighters, soldiers, and other personnel who were called in to deal with the consequences of the 1986 nuclear disaster. According to the official release, it will use historical documents and other items from Soviet Ukraine to present what it's calling an authentic version of the event, but with a fictional story. "In this production, you won’t have to face mutated creatures or anomalies caused by radiation," it reads. ...

Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler has taken the time to sing the praises of early access, going as far as to say that FromSoftware’s seminal action RPG, Dark Souls, might have benefited from the communication-driven model if it had been around upon its release. The Ori and the Blind Forest developer spoke about how the studio has utilized early access for its upcoming action title, No Rest for the Wicked, in a post on X/Twitter . Mahler says that releasing the pre-release version of its game in this way is “one of the best decisions we could have made.” He even goes as far as to say that Moon wouldn’t be able to ship its eventual 1.0 build without feedback from fans. “I think as games become more and more complex and sophisticated, we'll see some form of Early Access happening more and more often,” Mahler explains. “Speaking from our own experience, there is just no way we could have ever shipped Wicked 1.0 without being able to see all the data we're seeing now and getting al...