BioWare confirms ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ delayed to 2017

BioWare has confirmed what we already knew: the next instalment in the Mass Effect franchise has been pushed back to next year. Publisher EA teased the bad news during an investor’s call in March, when CFO Blake Jorgensen said it was scheduled for a fiscal “fourth quarter” release. Still, today’s announcement is a useful confirmation — there’s no way to misinterpret BioWare’s new blog post, which states the game will “ship in early 2017.” The studio says the delay is due to the scale of Andromeda, which will provide players with “an unprecedented level of freedom.”

“We’ve been playing the game at the studio recently, it’s showing us that we’re taking the game in the right direction,” Aaryn Flynn, General Manager of BioWare explains. “But we also know we need the right amount of time to make sure we deliver everything the game can be and should be — that’s our commitment from all of us to you.” She also reiterates that the game will be running on EA’s Frostbite engine, delivering “visuals, story, and gameplay that have never been done in franchise history.”

There is one silver lining: the studio has confirmed that an “update” for Mass Effect: Andromeda will be shown at EA’s E3 press conference on June 12th. Fingers crossed that includes some gameplay footage.

Source: BioWare

‘Final Fantasy X’ re-released again, this time on Steam

Final Fantasy XV finally launches this September, but publisher Square Enix wants you to take a look back in the vaults ahead of that. Final Fantasy X and its direct sequel X-2 got the HD remaster treatment on PlayStation 4 last year and now the double pack is headed to PCs by way of Steam. That means a remastered soundtrack, better-looking graphics and a few bits and bobs from the International Editions like a special boss fight mode for the first. No word on improved voice acting, though. However, there’s a quasi-Pokémon feature that allows for capturing and training enemy monsters to use as their own during battles — something first seen in the the second launch of FFX-2 in Japan. It’s confusing, okay?

Price hasn’t been announced just yet, but based on previous PC ports expect to pay between $12 and $20 come May 12th. You know, about how much the mobile ports cost.

Via: VG 24/7

Source: Steam

Play ‘Doom II’ on a Raspberry Pi-powered Painsaw

For a game as extreme as Doom II, you need an equally extreme piece of tech to play it on. Sure, you could fire up DOSBox to go a few rounds, or you could nab a Raspberry Pi Zero and get the game running on a toy chainsaw. But it’s not just any toy chainsaw anymore. It’s the Painsaw now.
Created by George Merlocco, this insane project came to fruition thanks to a Echo Junior Chainsaw toy, Adafruit PowerBoost 1000 Charger, Raspberry Pi Zero, and the Adafruit PiTFT 2.2″ HAT LCD screen.

The chainsaw toy itself started out with some pretty impressive working internals including a rubberized chain “blade” and sound effects as well as a trigger with working safety. Merlocco did away with those niceties since he had to, but the end result is still a grisly and totally sweet way to experience one of the greatest first-person shooters of all time.

There’s even a charmingly retro video showcase to give it a more realistic lilt, and even though it references the original release date for Doom (December 10th, 1993) it’s still very impressive.

Via: VG247

What’s on your HDTV: ‘Deadpool,’ ‘Uncharted 4,’ ‘Doom,’ ‘Chelsea’

There’s a lot to unpack this week, including the ongoing NHL and NBA playoffs and Drake taking over SNL. Of course, my favorite highlight is the arrival of Deadpool on Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, following its record-setting digital download debut two weeks ago. Netflix will take its big leap into almost-live content this week, as it presents the first three episodes of Chelsea Handler’s new talk show, starting on Thursday morning. Of course for gamers the big attractions are Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Doom. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Deadpool (4K)
• Father of the Bride
• The Manhattan Project
• The Boy
• Synchronicity
• Killjoys (S1)
• Where to Invade Next
• The Girl Down the Lane
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)
• The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth (PS4, Xbox One)
• The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (Wii U)
• Raiden V (Xbox One)
• Rocket Fist (PC)
• Super Meat Boy (Wii U)
• Solar Shifter EX (Xbox One)
• Doom (PC, PS4, Xbox One – 5/13)

Monday

• Mike & Molly, CBS, 8 & 8:30PM
• Reign, CW, 8PM
• Gotham, Fox, 8PM
• Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 8PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
• American Dad, TBS, 8:30PM
• Houdini & Doyle, Fox, 9PM
• 12 Monkeys, Syfy, 9PM
• Bates Motel, A&E, 9PM
• The Odd Couple, CBS, 9:30PM
• Turn, A&E, 10PM
• Hunters, Syfy, 10PM
• Damien (season finale), A&E, 10PM
• Blindspot, NBC, 10PM
• Castle, ABC, 10PM
• After the Thrones, HBO, 12:35AM

Tuesday

• The Mindy Project, Hulu, 3AM
• New Girl (season finale), Fox, 8 & 9PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• NCIS, CBS, 8PM
• Grandfathered (season finale), Fox, 8:30PM
• Real O’Neals, ABC, 8:30PM
• Containment, CW, 9PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 9PM
• Chicago Med, NBC, 9PM
• America’s Greatest Makers, TBS, 9PM
• The Grinder, Fox, 9:30PM
• Battlebots: The Gears Awaken, ABC, 10PM
• Person of Interest, CBS, 10PM
• The Night Manager, AMC, 10PM
• Stitchers, Freeform, 10PM
• Awkward, MTV, 10PM
• Chicago Fire, NBC, 10PM
• First Impressions: Steve Carell (series premiere), USA, 10:30PM
• Faking It, MTV, 10:30PM

Wednesday

• Chelsea (series premiere), Netflix 3AM
• The Path, Hulu, 3AM
• Survivor, CBS, 8PM
• Rosewood, Fox, 8PM
• Heartbeat, NBC, 8PM
• Arrow, CW, 8PM
• The Goldbergs, ABC, 8:30PM
• Maron, IFC, 9PM
• Catfish, MTV, 9PM
• Empire, Fox, 9PM
• Rogue, DirecTV, 9PM
• Supernatural, CW, 9PM
• Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CBS, 9 & 10PM
• Black-ish, ABC, 9:30PM
• The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
• The Americans, FX, 10PM
• The Last Panthers, Sundance, 10PM
• Nashville, ABC, 10PM
• Underground, WGN, 10PM

Thursday

• Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
• Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8PM
• The Big Bang Theory (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• Strong, NBC, 8PM
• Bones, Fox, 8PM
• WWE SmackDown, USA, 8PM
• DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, CW, 8PM
• The Odd Couple, CBS, 8:30PM
• Live from Daryl’s House, MTV Live, 9PM
• Scandal (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 9PM
• The Eighties, CNN, 9PM
• Mom, CBS, 9PM
• Alone, History, 9PM
• 2 Broke Girls (season finale), CBS, 9:30PM
• Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Archer, FX, 10PM
• Rush Hour, CBS, 10PM
• The Catch, ABC, 10PM
• The Real World, MTV, 10PM
• Orphan Black, BBC America, 10PM

Friday

• Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
• The Amazing Race (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• Just Let Go – Lenny Kravitz Live, Showtime, 8PM
• The Vampire Diaries (season finale), CW, 8PM
• Beyond the Tank, ABC, 8PM
• Adele Live in NYC, NBC, 8PM
• iHeartCountry Festival, DirecTV, 9PM
• The Originals, CW, 9PM
• Shark Tank, ABC, 9PM
• Hawaii Five-0 (season finale), CBS, 9PM
• Michael Ian Black: Noted Expert, Epix, 10PM
• Banshee, Cinemax, 10PM

Saturday

• Outlander, Starz, 9PM
• 30 for 30: Believeland, ESPN, 9:30PM
• Party Over Here, Fox, 11PM
• Saturday Night Live: Drake, NBC, 11:30PM

Sunday

• Once Upon A Time (season finale), ABC, 7PM
• Little Big Shots, NBC, 8PM
• Call the Midwife, PBS, 8PM
• Under the Gun, Epix, 8PM
• The Girlfriend Experience, Starz, 8PM
• Game of Thrones, HBO, 9PM
• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN, 9PM
• House of Lies, Showtime, 9PM
• Fear the Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
• The Family (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• The Carmichael Show, NBC, 9PM
• Wallander, PBS, 9PM
• Undercover Boss, CBS, 9PM
• The Last Man on Earth (season finale), Fox, 9:30PM
• Crowded, NBC, 9:30PM
• Dice (season finale), Showtime, 9:30PM
• Penny Dreadful, Showtime, 10PM
• Silicon Valley, HBO,10PM
• United Shades of America, CNN, 10PM
• Mr. Selfridge, PBS, 10:30PM
• Girls, HBO, 10PM
• Quantico (season finale), ABC, 10PM
• Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

(All times listed are ET)

Why I don’t have the stomach for ‘Battlefield 1’

Battlefield is a tentpole AAA gaming franchise that has made its name by thrusting players into some of the world’s most brutal and deadly combat zones. So while it was a little surprising to learn that that Battlefield 1 would be set in World War I (few historical combat games have tackled this particular conflict), it’s still in keeping with the series’ history. In a more general sense, plenty of movies, games and books use war as a backdrop for storytelling, and plenty of those stories are quite violent.

So why did the violence on display in Battlefield 1’s trailer bother me so much?

It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I saw the game unveiled at an EA/Dice event last Friday. I play plenty of violent games myself, and while graphic executions occasionally make me cringe, I’m not going to say no to taking control of Nathan Drake in Uncharted 4 and gunning down hordes of attacking mercenaries.

But apparently, I find it easier to look the other way at the atrocities my character is committing when it’s in a made-up universe, or when I’m slicing up orcs in fantasy games. Real, up-close-and-personal, human-on-human violence — like crushing a soldier’s head with a mace — is a bit much for me. Particularly when the conflict in question remains one of the most deadly wars of all time, with 8.5 million dead combatants and 7 million civilian casualties. Not to mention, the events of WWI contributed to the rise of Nazi Germany and, by extension, the massive losses of World War II. It also helped shape a decades-long isolationist policy here in the US, something that kept America out of WWII until the Pearl Harbor attack.

It goes beyond the trailer, too. The vibe I got during a roundtable discussion with the game’s developers was that the studio chose to glorify a brutal war because they knew it would make for a great video game. There was lots of talk about how the vast scope of WWI allowed for incredible amounts and varied types of destruction to be carried out by the players. Indeed, the audience at the event hooted and hollered at every close-up mace kill and bayonet stabbing.

Lots of movies have used war as a backdrop to tell human stories — even if those stories contain plenty of violence — but Battlefield is purely about destruction. Yes, there will be a single-player campaign that may seek to tell a story, but it’s secondary to the massive multiplayer conflicts that define the series.

will battlefield 1 feature gas attacks where the death sequence takes hours and is unbearable for the player

— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) May 6, 2016

Part of what makes Battlefield 1 feel different is a greater emphasis on close-range, hand-to-hand combat. WWI was defined by a collision between old and new warfare tactics and techniques. Armored tanks and horses were both viable war tools, and bayonets were still in use. In fact, the game’s trailer showed a number of gruesome close-up deaths. Somehow, these were harder to watch than, say, the infamous chainsaw executions in Gears of War.

When I asked Dice’s multiplayer producer Andreas Morell how the studio justifies making a fun game out of a massive historical conflict that killed millions, he compared the medium to war movies. “Ultimately, we’re making a game: It’s an entertainment product just like any movie,” he said. “If players are able to dive into this, they’ll get an understanding of the horrors that were in this conflict, but the horrors are there in every war.” It felt a little bit like Morell was saying he’s giving the masses what they want, but Dice is hardly the first to use war as a backdrop for entertainment, and he won’t be the last.

It’s possible that I’m drawing too fine a distinction between violence based on real events and fantasy violence. Whether you’re playing Gears of War or Battlefield, the intentions and actions of the characters generally remain the same: to commit gory acts in the name of war. And I have to admit that The Great War is a particularly compelling conflict to explore. The collision of old warfare techniques with industrial-era technology like the tank makes for varied combat options; the global scale of the war provides a huge variety of different terrain to do battle in. It’s a fascinating era to use as a backdrop for a war game.

That said, I just don’t think it’s for me. I find little cause for celebrating war, and I can’t shake the feeling that these games minimize the sacrifices made by millions of humans. In short, I feel guilty enjoying a game like this. Don’t get me wrong, Battlefield 1 has the potential to be extremely fun, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to see how Dice and EA manage to take advantage of this vast and varied war. But I suspect that in the back of my mind, every kill I made would make me think about the actual lives lost.

here’s what an accurate WWI game involves: being astonishingly frightened, being extremely confused.

— Jack (@notquitereal) May 6, 2016

I don’t judge anyone who enjoys these games — and given Battlefield’s success, that is clearly many, many people — and I don’t think that violence in video games is inherently bad. When I want to get my violent gaming fix, though, I prefer not to be reminded of actual historical atrocities. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some nameless, faceless soldiers in Quantum Break to gun down.