Splatoon & Mario Kart 8 on Wii U are going back online

Nintendo is bringing Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 back online on August 3rd so fans can find online matches once again. According to a Nintendo UK Support site, these games will be going online to ‘resume online play’. You’ll have to download a new update for each game. Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 were both paused by Nintendo in March 2023 to address vulnerability related to online play. The issue has now been fixed. How many fans will be online? That remains to be seen since you can play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 3 on the Nintendo Switch. Recently, it was noticed the Call of Duty servers for the Nintendo Wii and DS were put offline after years of being on. Source: The Verge
Worldwide reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is expected take place August 17

Season 5 for Call of Duty Warzone and Modern Warfare II has officially arrived and more details regarding the Modern Warfare III reveal has been discovered. According to known leaker, Alaix on Twitter, the worldwide reveal for Modern Warfare III will be on August 17, 2023. The graphic found says “Don’t Miss The Worldwide Reveal Of Modern Warfare III – August 17 In Warzone”. https://twitter.com/HeyImAlaix/status/1686840333450039297 This information was found due to the recent Warzone update that shared new information for the next Call of Duty. More details will be coming next week regarding the official reveal according to CharlieIntel. Activision already said the reveal for ‘Call of Duty 2023’ would happen in Warzone, but now we have the exact date we’ll be seeing what the game finally looks like. Season 5 for Call of Duty Warzone will bring Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, 21 Savage and Lara Croft to the game during mid-season. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is expected to release on November 10, 2023.
Xbox Insider Update Tests Game Streaming Feature For Discord

Although Discord has been a prominent chat client for a few years now, it is still pretty fresh on console. Originally, it was inaugurated with the previous stake investment from Sony Interactive Entertainment – suggesting PlayStation would get first dibs on the platform. However, that was far from the truth. In fact, Xbox managed to get Discord Voice via Xbox Insiders ahead of its competitor. The same can also be said for public support as well as Discord Voice chat went live officially on Xbox last September. Of course, this would only be short lived as it was certain that the service would also be bridging over to PlayStation. And by February this winter, it shipped on PlayStation beta with blanketed support soon after. So where to next? Well, game streaming is the next major update to hit consoles for Discord. In a new blog post shared on Wednesday, Discord announces that Xbox Insiders will be the first to sample this new feature enabling users to stream their games to Discord. Today, we’re stoked to announce the ability to Stream to Discord is coming to Xbox soon! This is one of the most requested Discord features, letting Xbox players stream their Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One games directly to Discord. Now, the next time you get a fancy drop for your character build, your friends can see exactly what it is rather than you having to say “uhhh it’s Orange, it gives 115 armor, and makes my attacks all icy.” Or share what horror game you’re playing, because sometimes you just need a bit of motivation to go down the dark and scary hallway. “When we introduced streaming to players on PC and mobile, we wanted to help recreate the feeling of your friends lounging on the same couch, playing their favorite games and joking with each other, in a virtual environment from anywhere in the world. As cross-play between platforms continues to grow, so does our journey of bringing players together, wherever they play. Streaming your game on Discord is a great way to socialize with your buddies. “Some use it to show off a new party game to their friends, while others stream single-player games to share their character builds and spread the word on hidden areas. The more hardcore players even use streaming to show off their competitive skills and clutch plays in multiplayer matches! At the end of the day, streaming a game you love on Discord is a way to connect and bond with your friends, no matter what you happen to be playing.” What has you excited for game streaming coming to Xbox Insiders? Source: Discord
Microsoft Now Sells Components To Do Self-Repair On Xbox Controllers

This week, it announced another decorative choice – the Stormcloud Vapor Xbox Special Edition controller. And the offerings continue as customization is a given over at Xbox too. Previously, Microsoft resurrected Xbox Design Lab for Xbox Series X|S paddles offering more creative options for the new gamepad. Additionally, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 was met with more variety as well with Xbox Design Lab support too. Even Xbox itself features some flexibility as a previous update includes adjusting the LED within the controller with a light tuner. Again, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core faced some choices with the Red & Blue variants this year. But what about repair? Well, the simple answer is to go purchase a new controller. However, Microsoft is now urging consumers to pursuing repair to their own extent by offering select components on the Microsoft Store. On Xbox Support, Microsoft vocalizes this directly. There is already an Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 repair tutorial which you can view below: “Xbox replacement components provide you the freedom to make repairs to out-of-warranty Xbox devices yourself. These components are available for purchase directly from the Store, and require tools and moderate technical skill to use,” Microsoft writes in the support post. On the Microsoft Store, it offers a selection of Xbox Controller & Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 components including face plates, buttons, analog sticks, and bumpers & triggers. One surprise from the endeavor pointed out by Microsoft is that self-repair does not void the limited warranty for its controllers. “No. Self-repair with Microsoft replacement components does not affect Microsoft’s Limited Warranty on Xbox hardware. However, any damage that is caused to the hardware, device, or replacement component will not be covered under Microsoft’s Limited Hardware Warranty.” Do you see yourself taking advantage of this new self-repair push by Microsoft? Source: Xbox Support, (1)
Call of Duty servers for the Nintendo Wii and DS are now offline

UPDATE: Activision reached out to Rectify Gaming saying The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was discontinued being the reason for Call Of Duty becoming offline. Here is the official statement: “The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, which provides certain online functionality for many Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo DSi software titles, was discontinued.” We initially thought the servers were taken down, but it was the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service that turned off. Original: While Call of Duty servers have come back online for Xbox 360 games such as Black Ops 1, 2, and Modern Warfare 2, servers have become offline for the Nintendo Wii and DS. When trying to connect to any online Call of Duty title for the older Nintendo consoles you’ll receive an error. Twitter user, @racerize shared images of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex, Black Ops and Modern Warfare III. Yes, in case you didn’t know the servers for these COD titles on Nintendo consoles were still online until now. If people were actually online is another story. Call of Duty hasn’t been on a Nintendo console since Call of Duty: Black Ops II on the Wii U. Microsoft signed an agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to their future console for the next 10 years once the Activision Acquisition goes through. Nintendo’s next console is reported to come out in late 2024.
Xbox will have their largest booth ever at Gamescom 2023

Microsoft has revealed what they’re bringing to the Xbox booth at Gamescom 2023 and it’ll be their largest booth ever at any event. There will be over 25 games available to play from third-party partners and ID@Xbox friends. Starfield and Forza Motorsport will be there, but Xbox will have ‘Theatre Presentations’ exclusively to Gamescom attendees. The following games that’ll be playable are S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, Payday 3, Jusant, ARMORED CORE VI: Fires of Rubicon, Party Animals, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Spotlight by Quantic Dream’s Under the Waves, Persona 5 Tactica, Lamplighter’s League, SteamWorld Build, Lightyear Frontier, and a lot more. The games that stick out are S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, Payday 3 and the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC. Initially many thought Forza Motorsport would be playable at Gamescom 2023, but it doesn’t look like it despite it coming out on October 10. Xbox will be hosting a three day show, Xbox @ Gamescom 2023: Live From The Showfloor that will be 3 hours long. The show will take place Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Gamescom week and they’ll be joined by developers to take a deep dive into some of the highly anticipated games. Gamescom 2023 takes place August 24-27 in Cologne, Germany.
Report: Sony To Increase 10% Spending In R&D To Bolster For PlayStation Live Service Initiative

While PlayStation has certainly established a mainstay in the video game industry thus far, the PlayStation firm is soughting out now for new platforms & endeavors. Currently, titles once exclusive for PlayStation has slowly rolled out in trickle down fashion to Steam. In one report, Sony is projecting its PC initiative to double revenue for first-party releases by the next fiscal year, one financial report reveals. Additionally, PlayStation is also shaping up to tackle live-service games as well. This new endeavor is played in part thanks to the previous Bungie acquisition as president & CEO Jim Ryan explains it’s the first step for the pursuit. So far, titles such as Marathon, Fairgame$, Condor, and The Last of Us: Factions II are all projects for this next initiative at PlayStation. From a new report by Nikkei, in total more than $2.13 billion (¥300 billion) is said to be invested into in-house R&D for this live-service approach on behalf of PlayStation. The report mentions that the notion is roughly 40 percent of the total spending for R&D and is projected to be done before the closing of the current fiscal year by March 2024 next spring. Previously, spending for R&D is reported to be roughly ¥271.1 billion more than the past fiscal year and even twice of the ¥144.5 billion before that. Ultimately, there is a 3 percent increase in spending for company-wide R&D investments. Sony also projects that the add-on market for these modeled games is priced around $19 billion by 2026. As for the overall PlayStation 5 spending, it is projected about 55 percent of it will be utilized towards live-service before March 2024 and then 60 percent by March 2026. Before, Sony Interactive Entertainment aimed to ship at least 10 live-service projects by 2026. That has since been increased to a dozen now. You can read the initial report by heading here. What has you interested in this approach from Sony? Source: Nikkei
New Feature For Pokémon Go Adds Player-Generated Routes

Recently, Niantic despite the ongoing craze of Pokémon Go since 2016 has faced a slump in its workforce. In that, the developer was met with a mass layoff in California as its Los Angeles team was shutdown with 230 employees out of a job. Additionally, this also included the closure of NBA All-World and the upcoming Marvel World of Heroes title as well. However, elsewhere the team is busy with more work on other properties. For one, the team announced a new collaboration with Capcom to ship Monster Hunter Now. The game plays in similar fashion to Pokémon Go, but with actual monsters from the series to fight. In a recent update Niantic & Capcom confirmed that Monster Hunter Now is prepared to launch in September next month. In a separate announcement recently, Niantic announces new player-created ‘Routes’ are coming to Pokémon Go. You can watch the brief trailer in the video below: “Explore the globe with the Pokémon GO community as your guide! Chart a course to show off your favorite sights, or follow in the footsteps of local Trainers to see what that community loves. Routes are created by adventurous Trainers, just like yourself! Imagine what you’ll find as you travel another Trainer’s Route—an encounter with your favorite Pokémon? A new friend to share Raid Battles with? Follow a Route and find out!” Niantic writes. Noted, Routes is out now for players to engage in pre-set from Niantic. But the developer plans to roll out player-generated route tool in a later update. “While all Trainers can explore Routes right now, Route creation is still being rolled out,” Niantic adds. The developer also hints at new ‘Zygarde Cells’ that can be obtained from the new Routes feature. “Fun isn’t the only thing you can find on Routes. What new curiosities will you discover on your next Route adventure? […] Keep an eye out while you’re exploring a Route—you might come across a Zygarde Cell! Zygarde Cells are the components that make up Zygarde, the Order Pokémon. You can collect Zygarde Cells in your Zygarde Cube and use these cells to change Zygarde’s form.” What has you most excited for the new Routes in Pokémon Go? Pokémon Go is out now for Android & iOS. Source: Niantic
Game Director Explains Guest Characters For Tekken 8 Is On Ice As Team Focuses On Launch For Base Roster

For 2023, fighting games is in a good place as both Street Fighter 6 already shipped alongside Mortal Kombat 1 ready to hit store shelves next month. Additionally, Tekken 8 is shaping up well with fans anticipating a potential launch this year as well. Last month, Koei Tecmo hosted a closed beta for the game for players to sample what the next installment has to offer. As for other planned endeavors, Tekken 8 was actually at San Diego Comic-Con. Originally, it was revealed that the game would be on the show floor with a scheduled panel for the game. What came at a later surprise was the hosts for said panel – Mike Tyson & Xavier Woods. With the iconic pair of professional fighters, it does give an impression on what the team could be adding in post-launch for the game. On Twitter, one fan asked game director Katsuhiro Harada what the floor plans appear to feature for Tekken 8’s guest characters; namely how many is planned. In response, Harada told there is nothing on the table as the studio focuses on the main roster in preparation for launch. Of course, this is for the time being. Alike entries before, Tekken has featured additional characters to fight against the base roster. But for Tekken 8, the team is committed to shipping a properly tuned experience and that sacrifices plans to anticipate add-on fighters. Sometime after the release of Tekken 8 – whenever that is – will be when the developer reveals its post-launch plans. Elsewhere recently at San Diego Comic-Con, NetherRealm Studios announced its post-launch roster for Mortal Kombat 1. As part of the Kombat Pack, Homelander Peacemaker, and Omni-Man are all confirmed. Returning series character Quan Chi & Ermac is also included. You can read the full report by heading here. What is your opinion on Harada’s comment for Tekken 8’s post-launch plans? Tekken 8 is listed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Madden NFL 24 – Washington Commanders Player Ratings

The Madden NFL 24 ratings are now out for all Teams and Players. We are going to list off the top rated players on the Washington Commanders of the NFC East. These ratings are from EA Sports and this is what you’ll officially see in game. The top rated player on the Washington Commanders is Defensive Tackle Jonathan Allen at an Overall Rating of 92 followed by Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin at 92 as well. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is rated at 72 Overall. Here is the lineup for the Washington Commanders. Player Name Position Rating Jacoby Brissett QB 72 Jonathan Allen DT 92 Terry McLaurin WR 92 Kendall Fuller CB 87 Chase Young LE 85 Da’ron Payne DT 83 Kamren Curl SS 83 Charles Leno JR LT 82 Curtis Samuel WR 82 Darrick Forrest FS 82 Montez Sweat RE 82 Brian Robinson JR HB 79 Tress Way P 79 Jahan Dotson WR 77 Logan Thomas TE 72 Joey Slye K 72 The Washington Commanders look to be the lowest rated team in the NFC East compared to the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Madden NFL 24 releases for Xbox Series XlS, PlayStation 5 and PC on August 15, 2023.