The backward compatibility crew at Microsoft took a nice break during December and the holiday vacation has come to an end with the release of three games, two of which are classics.

Sniper Elite V2, Far Cry 2 and Driver San Francisco are available through the backward compatibility feature on the Xbox One.

Far Cry 2 first released in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It was met with positive reception upon release, with some criticism reserved for glitches (which comes with most open world games). Sniper Elite V2 released in 2012 for the PC, PS3 and Xbox One, and saw a subsequent release in 2013 on the Wii U. The game saw mixed reviews across platforms. The PS3 and Xbox 360 version received an average of a 7/10, while the PC averaged a 6.5/10 and the Wii U scored around 5.5/10.

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As much as we’d like to see more of the record-breaking world of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo and Aonuma have finished expanding the game, according to an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. They are, however, adding additional content, but not in the same depth as a DLC expansion.

Earlier this week, Breath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi talked about ideas for future Zelda games and his motivation. “I can’t say at this point if it will be in sequels or in continuations, or what form it will take, but I definitely have lots of ideas and lots of motivation right now.”, he said during an interview with IGN.

The Champion’s Ballad was released earlier in December. Final Fantasy XV director noted that Breath of the Wild could be a major inspiration on his next, yet to be announced, project.

The post Aonuma: No More Zelda Breath of the Wild DLC, Champion’s Ballad Is The Finale appeared first on GameZone.

Japanese video game website, 4Gamer posted a similar question to Monolith Soft president Tetsuya Takahashi. Here's how it went down courtesy of Siliconera.

4Gamer: Just as Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was made available on the New 3DS, are there any chances we’ll see Xenoblade Chronicles X on other hardware?

 

Tetsuya Takahashi, Monolith Soft President: “Personally speaking, there are times I feel like playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and think about how nice it would be to play it on the Nintendo Switch. Of course that will depend on demand and such,  but I will think about it while discussing future plans with Nintendo.

It's by no means a confirmation, but at the very least, Takahashi appears to be amenable to the idea. However, given that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is on the cusp of release, it seems as though the company will wait and see how things play out while giving the new game a chance to breathe on its own. 

Xenoblade Chronicles X was one of the highest rated games on Wii U when it launched back in 2015. In the official GameZone Review, our own Mike Splechta declared that the game was a console seller on its own merits. The original Xenoblade Chronicles came stateside on the Wii back in 2012 as a GameStop exclusive, and ended up with an overall Metascore of 92, and is fondly remembered as the console's best RPG. 

Early reviews on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 are mostly positive as well, giving the Nintendo Switch yet another highly rated exclusive in its first year. It's a great time to be a Nintendo fan.

[4Gamer via Siliconera via ResetEra]

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According to sources close to the issue in a report from Bloomberg, the United States Federal Communications Commission is planning to kill off the rules that demand fair treatment of web traffic and might decide to remove the regulations the rule put in place altogether this December.

To this date, Net Neutrality has maintained that internet service providers must provide equal broadband access to ensure an "Open Internet." It kept internet users from facing higher prices to reach certain services (think Xbox Live, PSN).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai plans to seek a vote in December, said two people who asked not to be identified because the matter hasn’t been made public. In addition to that, Pai may " call for vacating the rules except for portions that mandate internet service providers inform customers about their practices — one of the more severe options that would please broadband providers."

Here's how Net Neutrality being reversed (or removed) could affect gaming or your browsing/streaming habits. 

If an anti-Net Neutrality law is passed, internet service providers will be legally allowed to charge you more money to access premium sites (ie. Netflix, Amazon, XBL, PSN, etc), like cable networks do for HBO, Showtime, Starz, and the rest of the special channel packages. 

Essentially, if you are using up plenty of broadband to stream YouTube, Netflix, or play games online, you're looking at a price hike that will allow you to stream data and maintain a decent internet connection. Internet service providers have already been caught throttling bandwidth and attempting to force internet users to pay extra for using an excessive amount of bandwidth.

Overturning net neutrality would allow internet service providers to do this freely.

Back when Net Neutrality first passed, the Entertainment Software Association spoke out in favor of the ruling, saying that:

“Great online video game experiences depend upon low latency, high bandwidth connections. We hope that the rule announced today by the FCC will promote continued development of fast online connections while protecting gamers from anti-competitive and discriminatory practices.”

Netflix has already spoken out about overturning Net Neutrality, but it's up to the folks this will directly affect to speak up on the issue and actually take the steps necessary to do something about it, instead of complaining from home.

The post FCC Plans Vote to Kill Net Neutrality Rules This December, Say Sources appeared first on GameZone.

Modders WilianZilv and Skriller, however, are working on a mod that will let you play as Princess Zelda herself and released a work-in-progress screenshot of the character.

Check it out:

The head was ripped from the Zelda that was in the game, while the rest of the body was built from scratch by the modders. 

Also new to Cemu; update 1.10 brought some added fidelity to Breath of the Wild's soundtrack. You can take a listen below. Headphones are encouraged.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now on Nintendo Switch and Wii U.

[Reddit via WCCFTech]

The post A playable Zelda mod is on the way for Breath of the Wild via the Cemu Emulator appeared first on GameZone.

There has been quite a bit of Call of Duty: WWII news in the past two weeks, a new awesome looking Call of Duty: WWII themed limited edition PlayStation 4 was announced, the first singleplayer story trailer was revealed containing quite a lot of details, then a batch of four trailers introducing the main character of the campaign was released during the same day, and then a documentary about the making of the campaign and the historical accuracy was released.

Sledgehammer has been going full steam ahead when it comes to the singleplayer part of the game but the highly regarded Zombies mode has been kept closely under wraps, save for one trailer and a short interview with the PlayStation Blog which revealed some new details. So to keep the hype train going, the studio head of Sledgehammer Games, Glen Schofield, released some new close-up pictures of the horrifying zombies players will be facing.

Apparently, these pictures were not a planned release. At least if we are to trust Schofield himself who after posting the final and third picture said "Since you all have been so positive, here's one more. Gonna get fired for this.." But something we did learn from this, besides that these zombies are actually really scary looking, are that some have their helmets screwed on! Because "wouldn't want to lose a good helmet". This is something that might indicate that players will have to be even more accurate, or fire more lead, to get their headshots, or that players will have to find a different way to kill those zombies. Schofield also reconfirmed that this iteration of Call of Duty: WWII will be scarier and more horror-oriented than ever before.

Anyhow, check the released/ leaked pictures out for yourself below.

Since you all have been so positive, here's one more. Gonna get fired for this.. pic.twitter.com/Dd3cmgnuLh

— Glen Schofield (@GlenSchofield) 23 september 2017

How about some Zombies? pic.twitter.com/TB4DPvqhzA

— Glen Schofield (@GlenSchofield) 23 september 2017

Call of Duty WW: II is set for release November 3rd on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, where PlayStation 4 will get access to any new DLC 30 days before the other platforms. You will also be able to check the game out for yourself via the Open Beta.

The post Call of Duty: WWII Zombies “head” shots released by Sledgehammer boss appeared first on GameZone.

Spoilers Begin now:

Unlike previous entries in the Zelda franchise, where players follow a quest that essentially lays out the story for them, Breath of Wild has players track down lost memories, that when pieced together, tell the story of Link and the heroes that fought Calamity Ganon alongside him.

Upon fighting Calamity Ganon, Zelda will speak to players, when Ganon changes form into a large, Warthog/pig with horns. Depending on whether or not you're playing the game in English or Japanese, the finality of this encounter may differ.

According to Legends of Localization, in English, Zelda tells players:

"He has given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form."

This basically means, rather than protect himself from truly dying, he's given up on that plan and has become his pure form, in order to kill Link. This means, that if Link were to kill him, Ganon would die, permanently. As in, the cycle of his reincarnation will be over.

However, in Japanese, the same line goes like this:

"This form was born from his obsessive refusal to give up on revival…"

This is a whole different meaning, in Japanese, it's believed that the form Ganon takes after being beaten in the castle, is just another form he has manifested and even if beaten, he could find another way to reincarnate himself and come back at a later time.

It's clear that this bit of translation could confuse players who are playing the English version, to them, it appears that Ganon is for all intents and purposes, dead. Whereas the Japanese audience knows that like always, Ganon could find another way to return.

To muddy up the waters, even more, there is another line that is just as confusing.

"Although Ganon is gone, for now, there is still so much more for us to do."

That's the English line that Zelda speaks after Link defeats Ganon, which is odd, that she would say, "Gone for now," when she just said he has given up on reincarnation for this pure form. It's the opposite in Japanese, where she says, "the threat of Calamity is gone."

So as you can see it's sort of a back and forth for both languages. In one line we here Ganon is gone, but he could be back and yet, Ganon could be back, but is now gone. Translations can really be a tricky thing to deal with, especially in games with such a strong narrative.

The post Breath of the Wild localization potentially changes major story detail appeared first on GameZone.

The hoodie will retail for £46.99/€49.99/$56.99 and will launch in September. The second of the two cosplay items is a T-Shirt, which looks pretty similar to the hoodie. But if you are a more frugal shopper than the T-shirt is the way to go as it will price itself at £22.99/€26.99/$27.99. Admittedly it's not the cheapest of T-Shirts, but it'll still fulfill that inner need to show off some Zelda swag.

If you're interested in either item, you can head here to check out and pre-order the hoodie and here to see the t-shirt.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now for Nintendo Switch and Wii U.

[Source]

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Starting on August 19, fans of all ages around America and Canada can enter qualifying events hosted at select Best Buy stores to compete in both recent and retro titles. There will be eight locations for the qualifying events. Players will be divided into two groups based on age, then compete within each group in a game of Mario Kart 7 on 3DS. The younger age group will play on the Luigi's Mansion course, while the older group, 13 and older, will play on a more difficult level. Those with the best times will qualify to move up to the Nintendo World Championships.

However, it wouldn't be Nintendo without making the competition a full-fledged event. Nintendo loves their exclusive experiences, and as such, there will be a demo version of Super Mario Odyssey for the Switch available to try at each event around the country. There will also be a demo of Metroid: Samus Returns available. We just learned of the latest Metroid launching with an exclusive 3DS model today also.

During the actual championships, players will battle across various games, both retro and current, where they will be eliminated or advance to the top.

“The format of the Nintendo World Championships means that anyone has a chance to become the winner,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Audiences are hungry to watch competitive video games in action, and many of our most classic games, both old and new, are well-suited to competition by players of all ages.”

The qualifying rounds only take place in eight locations around the country, so travel may be required. But if you're nearby or can justify the trip, here's a list of locations:

• 610 Exterior St.
  Bronx, NY 10451
  • Aug. 19-20   
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 181 Curtner Ave.
  San Jose, CA 95125
  • Aug. 19-20  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 3675 Pacific Coast Highway
  Torrance, CA 90505
  • Aug. 26-27  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 2301 Howard St.
  Evanston, IL, 60202
  • Aug. 26-27  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 9378 N. Central Expressway
  Dallas, TX 75231
  • Sept. 2-3  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 1000 W. 78th St.
  Richfield, MN, 55423
  • Sept. 2-3  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 4001 W. 20th Ave.
  Hialeah, FL 33012
  •    Sept. 9-10  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 17364 Southcenter Parkway
  Tukwila, WA 98188
  • Sept. 9-10  
  • Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

More information, including specific rules and regulations, can be found on the Nintendo World Champion website.

The post [Watch] Nintendo World Championships is Back for 2017 appeared first on GameZone.

YouTube user Will recently shared a new video of Mario Kart 8 being played in 8K supersampled to 4K. Unfortunately, YouTube compression did its damage, but the difference can still be noticed, and it's quite impressive. Check it out!

The Cemu emulator was updated last week, introducing several new features such as a new controller configuration UI, support for XInput, improved gyro controls and more. 

Mario Kart 8 had a re-release of sorts in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. It includes DLC and a myriad of improvements and additions. As far as re-releases are concerned, this one is definitely one done right. According to our own Mike Splechta, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is worth another lap around the track."

The post [Watch] Mario Kart 8 (Not Deluxe) Up To 8K Resolution on Cemu Emulator appeared first on GameZone.