Project Scorpio's extra power will enhance 1080p visuals
Project Scorpio, which showed up on the Microsoft Store website this morning (sort of), was announced as a ‘true 4K’ games console at Microsoft’s E3 event last year. Since then, we’ve learned that it will feature full Xbox One compatibility, VR and AR capabilities with Windows Mixed Reality, and a whole heap of processing power to push its pixels across 4K displays. Today, Jez Corden of Windows Central broke an exclusive regarding graphical scaling and display resolution. In his piece, Corden makes specific mention of a few aspects of Project Scorpio that will allow 1080p content to run better. First, Corden mentions Shader Model 6, SM6, which is an API for shader creation. This latest version of the API should, as Corden writes “bump up efficiency across the board, saving developers time and system resources.” Next, Corden brings up the Xbox One’s dynamic scaling capabilities. We’ve seen Xbox One titles dynamically adjust resolution and detail level to maintain framerates. Project Scorpio will also utilize the dynamic scaling to power the game’s target-resolution visuals on compatible displays, but will also be able to use its processing power to boost visuals on lower resolution displays like an existing 1080p TV. These dynamic resource utilizations will be handled by the machine, not the game so there will be no extra patches or updates necessary. The final point Corden makes is that 4K assets will positively affect 1080p displays. Games that update to have or come with True 4K graphical assets will be able to utilize Project Scorpio’s supersampling to make 1080p-like assets out of the 4K ones for a better-looking gaming experience. Corden also notes that, according to reliable sources, Project Scorpio will have a fair few first- and third-party games that ship with True 4K graphical fidelity. We still don’t know Project Scorpio’s specific performance figures, but knowing that it will be able to take advantage of existing technologies to improve the gaming experience without needing to update TV or monitors. If we learn any specifics or hear any more news regarding Project Scorpio, we’ll keep you updated. Until then, be sure to stay tuned to Rectify Gaming for the latest. Source: Windows Central
Minecraft v1.0.4 for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile brings Villager Trading, new Skins, and bug fixes galore
Minecraft hit version 1.0 a while ago, and since then, we’ve seen Minecraft: Pocket Edition be updated to run v1.0+ on Windows 10 Mobile and get all the content and get feature parity with the Windows 10 Edition. Now, the Windows 10 versions of the game are getting an update that brings a bunch of fixes and some nifty features. The big-name feature is that players can finally trade items with Villagers, and baby villagers now have their classic-and-comical big heads. Along with trading, players will have new skins, in the form of the Strangers Skin Pack, to purchase and accessorize their character with. Finally, of the big new inclusions is adding sound, music, UI, and new format for Add-Ons. Here’s the official wording for the new features, as well as the full list of tweaks and bug-fixes. New Features: Added Villager Trading! Added Strangers Skin Pack Music, sounds, and user interface can now be modified using Add-Ons Added the Storage screen in Settings to manage worlds, resource packs, and behavior packs New Add-On format: All of your old Add-Ons will automatically update to the new format. You may see warnings on those Add-Ons but they will be fully functional Tweaks: The models for the Shulker and Ender Dragon can now be edited using Add-Ons Husks are now a little bit taller than Zombies Baby Villagers now have adorable, larger-sized heads Addition of CDN for downloading optional content, reducing game file sizes Added low render distance options for older devices Bug Fixes: Clicks are now registered when quickly right-clicking items in the inventory Field of View will now increase properly when sprinting and Field of View is set to max in the settings The Nether Star can no longer be destroyed by explosions Capes will no longer appear when wearing Elytra Fixed the hitbox on Stone and Wooden Buttons so they can no longer be stepped on by players and other mobs Zombie Villagers of different variants now keep their professions when importing a world from 0.15.9 or earlier Destroying a painting no longer destroys the block behind it Ridden mobs (e.g. Spider Jockeys) can now be pulled into Minecarts Villagers will no longer wander too far away from their Village and run slower when attacked. Achievements no longer unlock in Survival if Behavior Packs are used Several achievements fixed and will now unlock Several texture issues fixed Several crash issues fixed The game no longer needs to be restarted before a shader pack is applied Villagers will no longer do farming work if they’re not a farmer Villagers are less greedy and will no longer immediately pick up items thrown at them. They’ll even throw food for other Villagers Loads more smaller fixes that you can find at feedback.minecraft.net Version 1.0.4 is rolling out now to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile owners of Minecraft Windows 10 Edition and Minecraft: Pocket Edition. So if you’re looking forward to the update, go check in the Windows Store and head back into your blocky world to make some stellar trades. Source: Minecraft Blog
Deus Ex GO launches on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile
We heard a while ago that Square Enix would be launching a third GO-version of a popular full-fledged game. Previously, Square Enix has launched puzzle / board game GO versions of both Tomb Raider and Hitman, with the titles launching on iOS, Android, and even Windows and Windows Phone. Since then, Deus Ex GO was announced for iOS and Android, with no remark made for a Windows launch. Today, however, that changed and Deus Ex GO is now out for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. The game brings the same board game-navigating puzzle mechanic that made previous GO titles popular, especially with mobile players. Deus Ex GO lies outside the most recent full Deus Ex game’s story arc, so this will make a great standalone experience, even if you’re only in it for the puzzling. The full Windows Store listing description is below. “Challenge all-new turn-based logic puzzles and solve a futuristic mystery in Deus Ex GO, the next tactical board game from the makers of the award-winning HITMAN GO and LARA CROFT GO. Puzzles in Deus Ex GO challenge you to utilize a mixture of stealth, espionage and raw intelligence as you guide secret agent Adam Jensen across a visually stunning storyline. Sneak, hack and fight your way past enemies, and augment Adam with futuristic upgrades to solve the GO series’ most intricate puzzles yet! DEUS EX GO FEATURES: STRATEGY BASED LOGIC PUZZLES Turn based logic puzzles challenges you to outsmart guards, turrets, drones and other fierce enemies Challenge over 50 unique puzzles in a mysterious new storyline SPECIAL EVENTS New time-limited puzzles! Challenge them all and prove your puzzle solving skills MYSTERY & ADVENTURES Adventure through an Intricate and mysterious storyline set in a beautiful vision of the future HACK, AUGMENT & CONTROL Augmented Puzzles Overcome puzzles and obstacles using Adam’s iconic augmentations Intelligence isn’t always enough! Turn invisible, hack enemy turrets and even change the layout of the map itself LEVEL CREATOR Create your own puzzles in an elegant, intuitive Puzzle Maker Share your levels to challenge the community INFINITE BRAIN TEASERS New brain teasers and puzzles are always available in Infinite Mode Puzzles are curated by your play data so each challenge is personalized Following Hitman GO & Lara Croft GO, Square Enix Montreal brings yet another beloved franchise to mobile with this unique take on this near future dystopian world. Adventure awaits in all-new GO series puzzles! Can you unravel the mystery?” It’s great to see Square Enix adding a level editor and creator so this one game lets you keep puzzling. The important thing to know about Deus Ex GO is that it is only compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, whereas both Lara Croft GO and Hitman GO are available for Windows 8.1 as well as Windows 10, so if you aren’t on Windows 10 yet you better consider upgrading if you want to pick up Deus Ex GO on your Windows PC or tablet. Deus Ex GO is $4.99 USD so if you’re a fan of the franchise or are just looking for a good puzzle game for your PC, give this one a go. Source: Windows Store Via: MSPoweruser
Rectify Gaming Podcast Episode #43: PAX East 2017 Preview
https://soundcloud.com/rectify-gaming/podcast-episode-43-pax-east-2017-preview Welcome to another podcast episode! Join Tyboy, Wifiplayer and Dual Blade who makes his official podcast debut after being on the team for years he finally opens up to casting. We talk about what to expect at PAX East with major companies going and what to expect us to do there with our coverage. We also talk about Xbox One’s future once again and Nintendo Switch’s success. iTunes Google Play Stitcher Follow the podcast crew: Tyboy Wifiplayer DUAL BLAD3
The Gran Turismo Sport closed beta will start on March 17th, selected PSN users will get a message via PSN
Start your engines GT fans! Sony have officially announced the Gran Turismo Sport closed beta. Beta participants will get a sneak peek at how the Gran Turismo will pave the future of racing, competing in highly competitive races against other users across the country, and eventually, across the globe. Participants will be able to choose from a select rotation of cars and tracks each day to race online against others during the beta phases. Track and car selections will vary during this period, and we made sure to offer different race class categories and course configurations. The GT Sport beta will be the first time fans will see how the Driver Profile is integrated within GT Sport. The introduction of Sportsmanship Rating (tracks a player’s behavior and manners on-track) and Driver Rating (represents the overall speed of the player and how well they perform in races) will ensure those that race online will be equally matched, naturally creating a balanced group of competitive drivers for every race. The initial phase of the closed beta, starting on 17 March, will only be open to selected US PSN IDs. More users will get into the beta once they add in Phase 2, etc. Remember that with every beta nothing is final.
Game streaming social platform Player.me coming to Windows 10
If you’re new to game streaming, either as a viewer or a broadcaster, you’ll know that getting started is daunting. Even with Xbox and Windows 10 including built-in Beam streaming capabilities in the upcoming Creators Update, starting a career streaming video games is tough, and Player.me recognized that in launching their platform. That platform has grown and is now preparing to launch a dedicated desktop app for Windows. Player.me, for those unfamiliar, is part-social network and part-promotion platform as it stands. Player.me lets streamers and viewers alike write posts, comment, and join communities based on games they’ve played and enjoyed. Player.me also allows cross-network linking with Facebook, as well as content postings natively on Player.me as well as remotely on YouTube and Twitch. With the new desktop app, Player.me is looking to expand what it can do for streamers and viewers. The new app, which is scheduled to release into a closed beta test in late-March and early-April, will be released on Windows as a .exe download followed later by a Mac version later on. In addition to the existing Player.me features, the app will incorporate a lightweight broadcast client, called Strexm, and allow the app to function both as broadcast suite software and recording and capture software, if VOD-style content is the preferred medium. The app’s streaming capabilities will allow broadcasters to plug into Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Hitbox, and Beam, and will even support broadcasting via a connected capture card for console players to be able to take advantage of the app. One of the more interesting features coming in Player.me’s app will be the overlay catalog. When watching or streaming, the video feed’s overlay, notifying both parties of new followers, donations, and chat messages, plays an essential role in giving the stream a heads-up view of what’s happening. With their new app, Player.me will be offering a catalog of overlays for broadcasters to implement on their own streams, as well as the option to create their own overlay from scratch. The final major feature to come in the app is the in-game overlay. Player.me describes it like this: “Once you’re playing, you can hit a hotkey and pull up your in-game overlay (IGO). Easily control your stream or recording, catch up on the newsfeed, follow and post to your stream chat, share newsfeed updates, and even tell that one guy to shut-up about Dark Souls in your private group chat. (praisethesun)” And while the app will launch in .exe form initially, Player.me is looking at bringing it to the Windows Store after a public rollout, according to Windows Central. If all that sounds compelling and you’re looking to expand your audience, want to try a new broadcast suite, or are just starting your career in game broadcasting, you can sign up for the beta at app.player.me. If we learn more before the beta, we’ll keep you updated, but until then be sure to stay tuned to Rectify Gaming for the latest. Via: Windows Central
Project Scorpio lands in the Microsoft Store, sort of
Since it was first unveiled at E3 2016, Microsoft’s Project Scorpio has been the talk of the Xbox and Windows 10 gaming town. We’ve heard various vague mentions of how the effort is going from Xbox head Phil Spencer via Twitter, and we also heard about some of the technical goals of the project courtesy of a leaked whitepaper document a while back. Now, courtesy of onMSFT’s Arif Bacchus, we know there’s a listing for Project Scorpio in the online Microsoft Store. It just doesn’t do anything yet. Well, technically it lets you register interest and opt-in to receive an email when the hardware in question is in-stock for you to buy. But other than that, it’s largely useless. The listing, a screenshot of which is embedded below, doesn’t tell us anything new about the hardware, sadly. The listing, as well as the page’s tab text “Pre-order Project Scorpio” tells us that either Microsoft listed this way before the product will launch, or pre-orders will open up before Holiday 2017, perhaps after an E3 2017 reveal. The latter is conjecture, mind you. When we learn more though, we’ll be sure to keep you updated. Until then, stay tuned to Rectify Gaming for the latest. Source: Microsoft Store Via: onMSFT
Bulkhead Interactive has partnered with Square Enix to publish WWII shooter Battalion 1944
Battalion 1944, the upcoming WWII FPS game from Bulkhead Interactive, is going to be published by Square Enix Collective the company announced today. After the huge success of last year’s The Turing Test, Bulkhead Interactive chose once again to partner with Square Enix Collective for their latest title. Fans are the heart of multiplayer games and by choosing to work with Square Enix Collective, Bulkhead Interactive knows the task of expanding and nurturing Battalion 1944’s community is in very experienced hands. “From having partnered with Bulkhead before on the hugely successful The Turing Test, we know they’re a very talented studio making great games”, said Phil Elliott, Director of Community & Indie Development at Square Enix Limited. “We trust Joe and the team as we know what they’re capable of and we see them actively listening to their community. Our relationship is built on a foundation of minimum publisher interference with maximum support where needed. We’ll help nurture and grow the community while Bulkhead can focus on crafting a fantastic FPS experience with Battalion 1944”. “We received some strong offers from other very big publishers on Battalion 1944. But ultimately, the one team that really stood out for us was Square Enix Collective”, said Bulkhead Interactive’s Senior Game Producer Joe Brammer, “Why? Because they published our previous game, The Turing Test on PC, so we’ve gotten to know them well and that means we know how they work. Crucially, we know that the relationship will be based on trust; and that’s something which works both ways”. Joe continued: “On the one hand, we know that Phil and the team will come to us with suggestions or ideas but they’ll leave us to make the creative decisions. On the other hand, from past experience we know they’ll trust us (as FPS players) to make those decisions in the best interests of the game and its community and that we’ll keep our heads down, work hard, and design the best game possible. Not only that – and it shouldn’t be assumed even now – but the deal enables us to keep all IP rights to Battalion, and it was exactly the same thing with The Turing Test. So what Collective is doing is helping us build a sustainable business”. Battalion 1944 should release this year on with no exact date yet
