Canadian Prime Minister Proves Anyone Can Make a Game

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a game about ice hockey, which shows that making games is easy, but making games that aren’t broken is more of a challenge.

As part of The Hour of Code, a worldwide celebration of computer science designed to demystify and introduce programming to kids, Trudeau built a simple ice hockey bounce game using the introductory programming tool Code Studio.

Code Studio is a building-block programming tool, that allows users of all ages to create simple programs out of previously-established blocks. Blocks have pre-defined characteristics, some of which can be modified by the user. For instance, Trudeau was able to change the speed of the hockey puck in his game by editing the block “set [dropdown] ball speed.” This could be modified to anywhere from “very slow” to “very fast,” or even “random” if he chose. That building block could then be attached to the “when ball misses player” action block, meaning that on failing to hit a puck, he could change the speed of the next ball to be thrown.

Trudeau attended the Hour of Code event held at the Shopify headquarters in Ottawa, Canada. “Every job we’re going to do in the future will rely on technology and be benefited if you are powerful users of the technology that surrounds us,” Trudeau said to several dozen students at the event, reports The Star. “This is part of making sure we have a great resource in terms of young people who understand how to code and understand how important it is, he said, “and that’s what we’re working on right here.”

Trudeau’s hockey game won’t set the world on fire, though it may attempt to set your computer on fire if you let it run too long. A bug in his code will eventually cause a cascade of pucks to be thrown, causing the game to chew-up huge amounts of memory until your browser crashes.

The Hour of Code runs from December 5-11, in locations across 180+ countries, and is aimed at people aged from 4 to 104. Apologies to our 105+ year-old readers.

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Marvel vs. Capcom 4 Reportedly Coming Next Year

A long-awaited follow-up in the Marvel vs. Capcom series is in the works and will be announced quite soon, according to a new report.

Polygon reports Marvel vs. Capcom 4 will be unveiled later this week at PlayStation Experience, which takes place December 3-4. That announcement would coincide with the tournament for another Capcom fighting game, Street Fighter V. It's unclear if a PSX announcement is indicative of any kind of exclusivity; the most recent MvC games were released on both PS3 and Xbox 360.

There aren't many details to be had at this point about the game itself, except for some interesting tidbits regarding the roster. Rather than featuring X-Men, as is the norm for the series, we'll instead be seeing a focus on characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ant-Man and Groot are both identified as likely characters, while we won't be seeing Wolverine or Magneto.

Marvel had previously declined to address the future of the series after MvC games were pulled from digital marketplaces. However, it did say earlier this year that it was aware of fan interest in seeing the series continue.

Polygon further suggested there may be "good news" on the way for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 players. That's the most recent game in the series, save for the Ultimate version released in late 2011.

We'll report back as more information is made available, but don't expect Capcom to address the situation before PSX.

Source : eight off

 

Digimon World: Next Order Arrives in January

I might never have believed it could happen as a kid, but we live in a world where Pokemon and Digimon can coexist, and that's pretty rad. The slightly edgier Pokemon alternative is still going strong, and an announcement from Bandai Namco has locked in a January release date for the latest title in the series: Digimon World: Next Order. Europeans will be able to get their hands on the game beginning January 27, 2017, with a North American release to follow a few days later on January 31.

Pre-ordering the game in North America will net you a sweet pack of bonus items, including soundtracks for Digimon World and Digimon World: Next Order, an "Adventure Aid Item Set" DLC pack, and an "Omnimon Ultimate Digivolution Core" DLC pack. All of this is included at the launch price of $60.

Bandai Namco released a new story trailer for the game alongside the announcement. It's embedded below for your viewing pleasure. That reminds me, I still have an unplayed copy of Cyber Sleuth sitting on my shelf...

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Here's When Battlefield 1 Goes Offline Tomorrow for Its Fall Update

Battlefield 1 multiplayer will be offline while the update goes live.

Battlefield 1's Fall Update is set to go live tomorrow, and when it does, there will be a multiplayer downtime of one hour on each platform. Developer DICE detailed them in a forum post.

Patch notes for the Fall Update will be posted on the Battlefield forums after it goes live. All downtimes are supposed to last for an hour at the following times:

• PS4 -- Noveber 15 at 2 AM PT
• Xbox One -- Noveber 15 at 4 AM PT
• PC -- Noveber 15 at 12 AM PT

We'll keep you updated once the patch notes are released. If you've yet to jump into the multiplayer, you can check out these 12 tips for beginners.

Battlefield 1 became the biggest launch in developer DICE's history based on the number of daily active players. The exact number was not disclosed, but we do know that players spent a collective 59 million hours in-game. You can see more statistics here.

The World War I first-person shooter is also a critical hit. GameSpot's review scored it a 9/10, with critic Miguel Concepion concluding, "EA and DICE have proven the viability of World War 1 as a time period worth revisiting in first-person shooters. ... Battlefield 1 is just an introduction to one of the deadliest world events in history, but it is an outstanding, feature-rich package in both its emotional stories and strong multiplayer."

For a wider view of the critical reception, check out GameSpot's review roundup.

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40 Games Will Be PlayStation 4 Pro-Ready at Launch

We’re a week away from the PlayStation 4 Pro’s launch on November 10. You’re probably wondering if it’s even worth paying the $399 to get one of these systems. Especially if you don’t have games that will even be getting updates to take advantage of its power and capabilities. Fortunately, Sony has a list of 40 games that’ll be prettier on the PlayStation 4 Pro at launch, and they’re all pretty popular titles!

Here’s the official list of games that will be getting PlayStation 4 Pro-related updates and patches next week.

• Battlefield 1
• Battlezone
• Bound
• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Dishonored 2
• Driveclub VR
• EA Sports FIFA 17
• Firewatch
• Helldivers
• Pyramid solitaire free
• Hustle Kings
• inFAMOUS: First Light
• inFAMOUS: Second Son
• Knack
• Mafia III
• Mantis Burn Racing
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
• NBA 2K17
• Paragon
• PlayStation VR Worlds
• Ratchet & Clank
• Rez Infinite
• RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Robinson: The Journey
• Smite
• Super Stardust Ultra
• The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
• The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
• The Last Of Us Remastered
• The Last Of Us: Left Behind
• The Playroom VR
• Thumper
• Titanfall 2
• Tumble
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
• Viking Squad
• Wheels of Aurelia
• World Of Tanks
• XCOM 2

There’s even more good news. In addition to those 40, there’ll be more games joining that list by the end of this year. Final Fantasy XV, Killing Floor 2, The Last Guardian, and Watch Dogs 2 will all be PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced. And next year, Days Gone, For Honor, Gran Turismo Sport, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nioh, and Resident Evil 7 will all work with it too. The future looks pretty bright!

New Xbox One Ad Calls It the "Best-Selling Console in America," With a Catch

The Xbox One has outsold the rival PlayStation 4 in the US for three months running, according to the NPD Group. Less than a week after the NPD confirmed the Xbox One came out on top in September, Microsoft today released a new commercial for the Xbox One S titled "Xbox One: The Best-Selling Console in America." The major caveat here is that Microsoft is saying the Xbox One is the best-selling console in America from July-September 2016, not all year or life-to-date.

The video also boasts that the Xbox One is the only console with nearly 1,000 games available (this figure may count Xbox One backwards compatibility titles), including more than 100 exclusives. Additionally, it makes mention of the Xbox One S's 4K Blu-ray player, something that Sony's PlayStation 4 Slim and PlayStation 4 Pro do not have. Here's the video:

Also in the video, Microsoft says Xbox Live is the "fastest, most reliable" gaming network. This is likely a reference to the independent study that found Xbox Live was faster and more dependable than PlayStation Network.

Sony has sold more than 40 million PS4s and projects to sell another 20 million by April 2017. For its part, Microsoft does not share Xbox sales figures, making direct comparisons difficult. It is expected that the PS4 is the global sales leader in the new-generation console sales race.

Sony's new PlayStation 4 Pro comes out in November, priced at $400. It's possible that people are holding out for that system, which could be depressing PS4 sales right now.

A year ago this month, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the PS4 had such a large sales advantage over Xbox One that he was unsure if his company's console could ever catch up. Whether or not he still feels that way, after Microsoft's three-month streak, remains to be seen.

Heroes of the Storm Imports Overwatch's Brawl Mode for Some Crazy Match Types

One will make everyone play as a permanently speed-boosted Sgt. Hammer.

Heroes of the Storm is again drawing inspiration from fellow Blizzard game Overwatch. After bringing over its post-game accomplishments screen, HotS will soon feature a weekly Brawl mode that messes around with the game's rules in different ways.

Each week's Heroes Brawl changes things up in one of several ways. There can be special rules about which characters can be played, such as giving everyone the same character or randomizing who you end up as. Hammer Time is one example: everyone plays at Sgt. Hammer, but with her thrusters permanently engaged (letting you speed around the map). Others may put everyone in Nova's shoes and make it so her Snipe ability instantly kills enemies.

Maps can be adjusted so that your goal is no longer to destroy the enemy's core (or to do so in a specific way). Blizzard described the Punisher Arena where you earn points by killing enemy heroes and punishers, with teams racing to get to 100 points. Sky Temple Arena sounds as if you can only damage the core by capturing temples around the map. Garden Arena asks teams to be the first to collect 100 seeds, obtained by killing Garden Terrors and Shamblers. The aforementioned Hammer Time asks you to capture towers to win. There's also a one-lane map, the previously announced Lost Cavern, that will show up.

Blizzard said there are "a substantial number" of mutators that can be modified, though it didn't want to spoil the the surprises. "Suffice to say, expect these gameplay modifiers to add completely new and unexpected quirks to drastically change how you play Heroes of the Storm," it said.

Special rewards will be available for playing Brawls. These include new portraits and 1,000 gold for playing three in any given week.

Heroes Brawls will debut with the public test realm on October 10, followed by a launch in the live game on October 17.

This is an evolution of Arena mode, which was first revealed last year. We recently spoke with Blizzard about how that turned into Heroes Brawl and learned some additional deals about how it will work.