Hands-on with the Switch build Very early in the life-cycle of the Nintendo Switch, Koei Tecmo made it clear it was going to bet big on the system. In Japan, the publisher has ported many of its games to the device with apparent success, including several of the older titles in theWarriorsfranchise.Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate,Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, andDynasty Warriors 8: Empiresall saw release on the system exclusively in Japan, as well as theHyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3andFire Emblem Warriorstitles we got in the west....

Gotta protect against that digital Cheeto dust Now that most of the hard work is done withMagic: Arena(read: every standard card from the paper version is in and works), the team is moving on to quality of life features as they gear up for the eventual full launch. That includes cosmetics, which are coming in the form of card sleeves and styles. The former is just how it sounds: card backs to distinguish your deck are commonplace in digital card games, but withMagic‘s lengthy tabletop history, “sleeves” only makes logical sense....

First hands-on with multiplayer Harmonix revealeda multiplayer mode forFantasia: Music Evolvedat GDC last week alongside some new songs and levels. I jumped in front of a Kinect sensor to try out the new mode, and it wasn’t long before I was flapping my arms to the beat. Can’t you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? Fantasia: Music Evolved(Xbox One, Xbox 360)Developer: HarmonixPublisher: Disney InteractiveReleases: 2014 What’s great aboutFantasia‘s cooperative mode is that players will collaborate with each other to make their own musical interpretation of a given song....

I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s right Mere hours after the May reveal of theXbox One, the new Microsoft console had already been dubbed the “Xbone” — a widely accepted nickname that’s stuck around. Microsoft acknowledges that this moniker isn’t going away anytime soon; it just wishes its employees had thought of it first. Phil Spencer toldGameSpotthat his initial qualm with the less-than-flattering nickname was that he couldn’t forecast it....

Well, I’d hope so… Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Google have come together to throw a combined $30 million at San Francisco-based Niantic, developer of the recently announcedPokémon Go. Niantic started as an internal Google team and obviously Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, who’ve allowed Niantic to use the property, is on board. The funding includes $20 million upfront and “$10 million conditioned upon achieving certain milestones.” Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara stated, “The Pokémon Company is committed to partnering with companies like Niantic that share the same spirit of community and innovation....

Vae Victis! Psyonix’s team-based competitive multiplayer gameNosgoth, which pits humans versus vampires, will be free to play this weekend. The game is currently in closed beta, but by buying a Founder’s Pack you may gain access right now. The free weekend begins Thursday, August 7 at 7 AM EST and ends Monday, August 11 at 3 AM EST. Those who play during the free weekend will receive double experience points as well as an in-game badge....

ThePalworldGrizzbolt location is far off the beaten path and can be easily missed. Thankfully, we’ve spotted where it spawns in the wild. Where to find Palworld’s Grizzbolt After taking onGrizzbolt & Zoe, I don’t blame you for wanting this boss-led Pal in your party. It has powerful moves and looks daunting against your foes. Grizzbolt inPalworldcan be spotted on aremote island southwest of the Plateau of Beginnings. It’s also east of the Sea Breeze Archipelago Castaway Beach fast travel location....

And a totally normal lake Halloween’s a great time to go ghost hunting, or at least to do so from the safety of your own home. A newPhasmophobiaupdate goes live today with plenty of new frights to make you keep the lights on. The core of thev0.4.0, a.k.a. Nightmare, updateis the new map: Maple Lodge Campsite. This medium-sized map has picnic areas, tents, games, and a log cabin. And there’s even a lake!...

‘We are committed to this cause’ Niantic, developer of mobile phenomenonPokémon GO, has announced its intentions to donate a minimum of $5 million USD to supporting black gaming projects and communities. Niantic CEO John Hanke made the announcement yesterday in adetailed statement on Twitter. “We’ll be donating Niantic proceeds fromPokémon Go 2020 Festticket sales, committing a minimum of $5m,”said Hanke. “Half of the proceeds donated will be used to fund new projects from Black gaming and AR creators that can live on the Niantic platform, with the ultimate goal of increasing content that represents a more diverse view on the world....

…and the creators of Skullgirls? Lauren Faust is a powerful person. She helped take a relatively unremarkable children’s show aimed at pre-teen girls and transform it into a multi-media, multi-generation, multi-billion-dollar sensation. She also apparently has the power to resurrect dead videogames. Free fan gameMy Little Pony: Fighting is Magicwaskilled off by Hasbro for infringement of copyright. Now it’s back in production, featuring all new characters designed by Faust herself, presumably for free....

Come for the audio tapes, stay for the balance changes It’s a big day forPredator: Hunting Groundswith not only Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arriving as a premium character skin, but also audio tapes that expand his post-film story and lots of game balance changes and enhancements. I’m glad to have a reason to play again after taking a short break. There are a few things to note, the most important of which is that you can customize old man Dutch with items you’ve unlocked through crates....

While I can’t say I was wholeheartedly impressed with every one of the Wii U’s offerings at PAX this year, one game did stand out as a fun and unique addition to the system’s growing compendium of third-party titles. Project P-100, the latest from Platinum Games, pits superheroes against aliens in a battle to save earth from supernatural annihilation. Players recruit and control citizens withPikmin-like precision, solving puzzles and fighting bosses along the way....

You only wanted to play two levels, right? Sonic Forceshas already had a bit of an uphill battle to face releasing afterSonic Mania, but it looks like PC users are going to have an even rougher time of it. Thanks to the magic of Denuvo DRM, most users can’t even progress past the second level in the game. Upon reaching the first mission with yourcustom avatar, the game promptly crashes with little explanation....