Poor Kinect. Microsoft’s motion-control device has encountered a less-than-stellar first year in Japan, which really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the tech’s room-size restrictions. RecappingFamitsu‘s coverage, andriasang reports (viaSokuho) that Kinect has sold 114,000 units through November 13. Sad as that figure is, you shouldn’t feel bad. (Not simply because it’s an inanimate object.) Last we heard, more than 10 million Kinects had been sold worldwide, and I’ll be shocked if this isn’t another terrific holiday season for the sensor....

Another change to the ranking system Blizzard has the ranked season system almost where it wants it. After a massive overhaul following fan outcry over the sudden death and confusing ranking system of Season 1, the second go-around has gone much smoother on PC (I can’t speak to consoles), but naturally there’s more improvements to make. Taking to Blizzard’s forums, designer Scott Mercer notes that now,partof your rankings will carry over to the next season — again, progress will not be entirely wiped....

While Nintendo has comfortable dominated the motion-controlled-gaming space for the past few years, that all changes this Fall. Both Sony and Microsoft will be stepping into the ring, with the motion control wand and Project Natal respectively. But which solution, if any, will consumers flock to? Analyst Michael Pachter is giving the nod to Microsoft, saying that in the first year Natal will outsell the currently-unnamed Sony motion controller 5-to-1....

It’s Saturday, the start of Labor Day Weekend, and you don’t have any plans. Rather than cry into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, why don’t you give this little Flash game a go? The hours will melt away. / ESCAPE \is a simple one-button score attack game, not unlikeCanabalt,in which the object is to climb as high up a vertical shaft as you can. You are little black-and-purple ninja dude who bounds off the walls whenever you press the ESC button....

PS4 game and hardware deals begin June 7 Not to be confused with PlayStation’sState of Play streams, Days of Play is an annual sales promotion with deals on popular games and hardware including PS4 Pro consoles and PlayStation VR bundles. For 2019, Sony is offering discounts on games likeDays Gone,God of War,Spider-Man, andMLB The Show 19–they’re “starting at $19.99.” That carefully-worded phrasing leads me to believeDays Gone, a successful game many of us have sidelined while we wait for a discount, will probably only dip down to $39....

Go to sleep and enter this code: DA-6382-1459-4417 So the new Nintendo dream island is finally open for business inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, and it’s fairly easy to access. While it’s nothing to write home about within the confines of the game, it does get you a quick and easy Mario mission completion. Here’s a quick runthrough. If you haven’t playedNew Horizonsin a while (raises hand), just boot it up and head to your house....

Metroidvania and space shooting goodness As someone who never got into non-linearCastlevaniagames and had never finished aMetroid, I’ve recently been really turned on by metroidvania games. Aroused, even.A.N.N.Etakes the genre a step further and mixes it with a space shooter. It centers around a couple of cute robots, one being torn apart with their parts spread about a planet, while the other looks for their lost love. Luckily you’re able to play as the “male” or “female” robot, so there is no damsel in distress unless you want there to be, you sicko....

PC cowpokes will have to hold their horses It’s official. The RockstarRed Dead Redemption 2page is now live. Not a surprise given the recent hints dropped on Twitter. Some may have been wishing for a new a title in theRed Deadseries, but given the massive success ofRedemptionit only makes sense. We’ll be getting the first trailer this Thursday, October 20 at 11:00am EST. Logos for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are shown....

PC, free-to-play, powered by GGPO3 If you were one of the many watching the EVO 2015 livestreams over the weekend, then you no doubt saw a trailer forRising Thunder, a brand new fighting game featuring battling robots. While viewers didn’t get much info about it, they were treated to a pretty stylish title that will be in players’ hands very soon. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to have been given a crash course in what this new title aims to achieve....

This game won’t take your life Whenever evil raises its ugly head, a hero will rise up to kick them in the face. To an extent, this is theKamen Riderfranchise’s main premise. As the next show,Kamen Rider Build, prepares for its debut in Japan, its star is joining forces with his predecessors inKamen Rider City Wars, the series’ upcoming game for iOS and Android. At the moment, we only know about the title focusing on the Riders protecting a city from danger....

Keyboard & mouse, or controller. Which is better forHogwarts Legacy? For those of you deciding whether to playHogwarts Legacyusing either a keyboard or a controller, you’ve likely had a few questions, such as how will it impact the combat, flight, or other gameplay mechanics integral to the broaderWizarding Worldexperience. The good news right off the bat is that there really is no obvious difference. Setting aside any PC vs console debate, there are no obvious pros or cons involved....

A chocolate reskin of an existing mount It seems like Square Enix isn’t done with candy bars yet! After rolling with theFinal Fantasy VII Remaketheme bonus (which involved Butterfingers, Crunch, and Baby Ruth bars), the publisher is back with the former candy forFinal Fantasy XIV.If you submit “$5 worth of receipts for Butterfinger” to this site, you’re able to get a code for the “Chocorpokkur Mount.” There are a few provisos though....

It seems a bit odd that I would want to spend any time inStarfieldvisiting Earth. Humanity is wide-eyed with dreams of discovering new planets, colonizing homesteads among the stars. Our science fiction texts are overflowing with the lofty possibilities of leaving our home world behind to seek a future elsewhere. Yet, I was intrigued. I knew the backstory of Earth – or at leastStarfield‘s version of it – so I wasn’t hopeful about seeing any level of detail....