Todd Howard Doesn’t Regret Having A New Fallout Game Launch With The Show
Game director and executive producer of Bethesda Game Studios Todd Howard said he doesn’t regret having a new Fallout game release alongside the show on Amazon Prime Video. He explained that he feels that Fallout as a franchise is doing well and is still as relevant as ever.
In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, he explained that the studio views Fallout as a “top-down franchise,” asking how healthy it is or determining how relevant it is to the world at the moment. “I think we’re doing really well there,” he said. Howard continued by saying that Bethesda has a dedicated team to Fallout 76, and because of that, there’s been a steady stream of Fallout content.
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Howard explained as a result of the show’s success, more people are willing to try out the new content in Fallout 76:
“I think what’s great about this moment is seeing all that work in Fallout 76. Understand a lot of people you know dismissed it from how it launched, understandably. It’s kind of been sneaky popular for the last, you know, three or four years,” Howard said, “And people coming in and saying ‘Oh.’ You know [they’re] really, really enjoying this as a Fallout experience, and I think right now, as of today, it’s the most people we’ve ever had in that game and so seeing all that response to particularly 76 that hadn’t had that level of success before. I’m super proud of the team here that’s been working on it.”
As the interview continued, Howard revealed that the studio has five separate teams. People are constantly moving around depending on whether they’re needed on other franchises, such as Elder Scrolls or Starfield.
For more news on what came out of the interview, check out our story detailing why Fallout 76 doesn’t have cross-play and the upcoming Starfield expansion scheduled for later this year.
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Xbox Reveals Modular Proteus Controller For Gamers With Disabilities
As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft announced the modular $300 Proteus Controller, a Designed for Xbox controller created by peripherals company ByoWave. The controller comes as a kit with multiple “snap and play” parts that can be configured to fit disabled gamers’ needs.
The kit comes with a number of pieces that can be connected in various configurations, with ByoWave’s store page claiming over 100 million variations can be achieved on the controller. Each kit comes with two Power Cubes–the building blocks of a controller that each house a battery and allow for Bluetooth connectivity–and two Analog Cubes, which provide the left and right analog sticks.
The controller is designed to work out of the box with the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 and 11. The Proteus is expected to start shipping in Fall 2024, and is retailing for $300, though ByoWave is offering a discount to $255 for a limited number of preorders.
In the same blog post for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft also announced it would be releasing an firmware update for its Adaptive Controller to add support for more accessibility peripherals. “Each port now supports up to 12 buttons, a second stick, and a hat switch,” Xbox says of the update, which will start rolling out to Xbox Insiders soon, with a general release over the next few months.
Hades 2’s First Patch Adds Major Quality-Of-Life Improvement
Hades 2 released in early access last week, and now has received its first patch. Supergiant Games is already proving the utility of its early-access period, with a majority of Patch 1’s changes implemented as a result of player feedback–including one major quality-of-life change.
The first patch makes resource-gathering far less of a chore, which will be a relief to everyone who found the original process too grindy. “You now can gather from any resource point once you have unlocked the corresponding Gathering Tool,” the patch notes read. “You now can Prioritize any available Tool in the Training Grounds to make its resources appear as often as before, while resources for Tools you do not Prioritize will appear far less often.”
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The update should go a long way towards solving players’ frustrations with resource gathering, making it easier to target the resources you really need from any given run.
The update has also made a number of changes to the player’s Dash and Sprint. “Your Sprint is innately faster and turning is more responsive,” the patch notes read, also noting that abilities that boost the Sprint have also been re-scaled. The Swift Runner tarot card has also received a new bonus, and will now make your Dash immediate as well.
The standard Dash has also gotten an overall upgrade, with it now being more reliable to Dash out of many attack-recovery animations. Supergiant has also tweaked the Dash to make it easier to cross chasms in a certain biome of the game.
The patch includes a handful of other small quality-of-life fixes and balance tweaks in response to players’ early feedback, such as being able to see your current Gold amount from a Well of Charon without having to check your Boon Info. A number of bugs have also been fixed up in Patch 1.
Check out the full patch notes below, though beware they do contain some spoilers. If you’re looking for help on your journey through the Underworld, check out our Hades 2 guides hub.
Hades II: Early Access Patch 1
Note:π’ indicates a change inspired by community feedback! (Almost everything in this case…!)
General Gameplay
π’ Your Sprint is innately faster and turning is more responsive; re-scaled abilities that boost this
π’ You now can Dash out of many attack recovery animations more reliably
π’ You now can gather from any resource point once you have unlocked the corresponding Gathering Tool; you now can Prioritize any available Tool in the Training Grounds to make its resources appear as often as before, while resources for Tools you do not Prioritize will appear far less often
Altar of Ashes
π’The Swift Runner: now also makes your Dash immediate (note the faster speed means you are invulnerable for very slightly less time); re-scaled Sprint speed bonus since Sprint is innately faster now
Level Design & Environments
π’ It is easier to Dash across chasms in Oceanus
π’ Driftwood resources are more common in the Rift of Thessaly
Menus & UI
π’ Using a Well of Charon displays your current Gold without the need to check your Boon Info
π’ The Grasp Upgrade Tutorial in the Altar of Ashes will repeat if ignored
π’ Added Patch Notes option to the Main Menu (where you can read this!)
Miscellaneous
π’ Early encounters with Eris are less likely to occur; she also drops something of value…
π’ Related, if this already occurred, look for a one-time bonus in the Crossroads while Eris is present
π’ Entries in the Book of Shadows are generally easier to reveal
π’ You can gift Echo without having to wait around as long after conversing
π’ Adjusted Animal Familiar upgrades invalidated by the Gathering Tool changes above
π’ In the Hades Flashback, a hint will eventually play for players who don’t realize they are in control
π’ Improved mouse selection in various cases
π’ Improved support for some additional controllers
β’ Abilities that boost Sprint speed display more-accurate numbers (generally lower than before)
β’ Updates and fixes to translations in some languages
Bug Fixes
π’ Fixed several issues with Dark Side (Selene)
π’ Fixed Sun Worshiper (Apollo) sometimes preventing new foes from spawning
π’ Fixed Fire Extinguisher (Hestia) not dealing damage as expected
π’ Fixed Sister Blades Omega Attack not hitting Chronos reliably from certain angles
π’ Fixed Satyr Hoplites retaining the ability to block while afflicted with Twilight Curse (Selene)
π’ Fixed various cases of foes sometimes spawning out of bounds
π’ Fixed camera zoom-in getting stuck vs. Polyphemus in certain situations
π’ Fixed cases where you could Dash out of bounds in the Crossroads
π’ Fixed Fishing Pier events in the Crossroads not passing Whiles like other similar events
π’ Fixed autolock not clearing as expected while using mouse controls
π’ Fixed keyboard inputs sometimes getting stuck unexpectedly
π’ Fixed several input issues switching from gamepad to mouse-and-keyboard controls
π’ Fixed several issues playing in ultrawide resolutions
π’ Fixed some visual effects vs. Chronos lingering between phases or after the fight
π’ Fixed a MelinoΓ« voice line repeating unexpectedly around the City of Ephyra Bat Cages
π’ Fixed various rare crashes
π’ Fixed several text errors
π’ Other minor fixes
Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller Receives Massive Discount, Will Likely Sell Out
If you’re looking for the best controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and arguably PC, too, Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 is the answer. Though it retails for a fairly lofty $180, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is currently on sale for only $108 on Verizon’s online store. You don’t need to be a Verizon subscriber to take advantage of this deal, and it comes with free two-day shipping. Since this is the best Xbox Elite Series 2 deal we’ve seen in 2024, we don’t expect this to be available for very long.
Verizon also has great deals on the Robot White Xbox Wireless Controller ($36) and the Pulse Red edition ($39). Those controllers typically go for $60 and $65, respectively, and we rarely see them discounted to less than $45.
The Elite Series 2 offers the same great ergonomics as the standard Xbox Wireless Controller, but it has a better build quality, a textured grip, and some awesome customization features. Inside the box, you’ll find four removable back paddles, an extra D-pad, and four additional analog stick caps that can be swapped on the fly. All of the extra components are neatly stored inside the included hardshell controller carrying case.
The Elite Series 2 also has trigger locks that reduce the pull length of RT and LT, which can be useful for certain types of games like first-person shooters. You can use the Xbox Accessories App on console and PC to save profiles to your controller and remap inputs.
Super Mario RPG Gets Huge Discount Ahead Of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’s Launch Next Week
Super Mario RPG for Nintendo Switch is on sale for a low price at Amazon and Walmart. You can grab a physical copy of the beloved turn-based RPG for only $43 at Amazon and Walmart. This is the lowest price we’ve seen at a major retailer since the modernized Super Nintendo hit launched last holiday. It’s also a pretty great time to dive into the world of Mario role-playing games, as the Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door releases next week.
Incredibly faithful to the beloved original, Super Mario RPG is a charming Switch game enhanced with several quality-of-life changes that make it more approachable to newcomers. Mario RPG veterans will appreciate the series of post-game fights that really test your prowess. Beyond those additions and tweaks, Super Mario RPG on Switch plays very similarly as the iconic original on Super Nintendo. The excellent turn-based combat still feels great today, the characters and writing are heartfelt and humorous, and the world design still has that classic Nintendo charm.
GameSpot’s Super Mario RPG review found the modernized version of the SNES classic to be a delight. “Super Mario RPG is one of the wildest games in Nintendo’s catalog. Loaded with eccentric characters like a Santa-esque big bad, random bouts of dark comedy–Toad cosplayers tickle as a form of torture and a four-eyed dog swallows you whole and comments on the taste–and moment-to-moment gameplay that is as raucous as it is eclectic, Super Mario RPG memorably capped off the SNES lifecycle. Fittingly, the new Switch version is one of the weirdest remasters I’ve ever played. Its surface-level appearance as a modern Mario game is merely a facade. Relentlessly faithful to the original, Super Mario RPG is a bold and largely successful experiment.”
If you haven’t preordered Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Nintendo Switch and are interested in owning a physical copy, it’s worth noting that Amazon has been out of stock for over a month, and Walmart will only be selling the game in stores and has canceled online preorders for at least some customers. However, you can still preorder a copy of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Switch at Best Buy, Target, and GameStop ahead of its May 23 release.
Pokemon: Ultimate Journeys, Ash Ketchum’s Last Adventure, Is Up For Preorder At Amazon
Though it’s not seeing a discount, the Ultimate Journeys DVD is now up for preorder. As mentioned, this season is particularly notable to Pokemon fans, as it brings the story of Ash and Pikachu to a close. It’s a lengthy season too, clocking in at 54 episodes. You’ll also get episodes 43-54 of Pokemon: To Be A Pokemon Master, along with clean opening and ending special features. The collection releases on July 23.
Snag An Xbox Wireless Controller For $36 At Verizon
If you act fast, you can grab a new Xbox wireless controller for just $36 from Verizon. Normally, a new Xbox controller costs $60, so you’re saving 40% on a new gamepad if you use this deal. The offer is available to anyone–you do not need to be a Verizon subscriber to access the discount or buy from the company’s online store. To top it off, the deal applies to the Robot White and Pulse Red controller colors.
See Xbox wireless controller at Verizon
The discounted Xbox controllers are available through Verizon’s online store, which offers free three- to five-day shipping for orders under $49, so you won’t have to wait long for your order to arrive once it ships. You’ll get free two-day shipping if you order two controllers or more. Alternatively, you can opt for in-store pick-up if the controllers are available at your local Verizon stores.
The standard Xbox controller might not have the frills of some higher-end gamepads out there, but it still ranks as one of our favorite wireless video game controllers to use on Xbox and PC, and $36 for a new one is a pretty sweet deal. Just make sure you grab Verizon’s deal soon since we expect stocks will sell out fast at this price.
If you’re looking for suggestions on other great gamepads, be sure to check out our lists for the best controllers on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC.