Sony dropping PS4 prices to $249 for E3 2017, including the new 1TB gold PS4, plus selected game deals

Sony will kick off E3 2017 right with a sale on PlayStation products throughout North America, including that ritzy gold 1TB PS4 for a very un-ritzy price. The “Days of Play” promotion will bring price drops to hardware, accessories, and even games from June 9 through 17. Here’s what you can get so far and stay tuned for updates:

Gold 1TB PS4 for $249.99

Not only is this an all-new color variant, it’s the lowest-ever price for a 1TB PS4 console. It also includes a matching gold DualShock 4 controller, naturally. The package doesn’t come with a game but at least you can store plenty of downloadable titles on that big ol’ hard drive.

Horizon: Zero Dawn and other games for $39.99

Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nioh, and MLB: The Show will all be $39.99 throughout the promotion, a saving of $20 off their normal sticker price. Not bad! Sony says other older titles may be on sale as well, depending on the retailer.

DualShock 4 controllers for $39.99

Need another controller? Pick one up for $39.99, no matter the color. If I didn’t already have five of the damn things I would definitely grab an extra one. This is a $20 savings.

Gold Wireless Stereo Headset for $79.99

Pick up the standard jet black PS4 headset for a $20 savings. I hear these things are pretty nice. Get it, hear? Because it’s a headset. Sorry. It also does voice chat.

These deals are only valid for North America. Europe will get its own Gold PS4 bundle starting on June 28. A silver version is coming the same day which – I’ll be honest – looks way nicer than the gold one. No word on when we’ll get the silver PS4 in North America.

 

The cunning method that Thieves are using to steal your PSN account

Lock your doors, hide your kids, hackers are coming for your PSN account and here’s how they’re doing it…

First of all, they’re buying lists of email addresses and passwords, and then cross-referencing them with PSN accounts. This is the exact reason that you’re always cautioned to use different passwords for different sites.

They’ll take lists of hundreds of thousands of email addresses and passwords that have already been hacked, and then they’ll match them up with PSN accounts using bots to see who uses the same password. If you do, that’s it, you’re done.

It’s worth mentioning that this practice isn’t unique to PSN. If you’ve ever had any type of account get hacked, and used that same password on any other site, it’s only a matter of time. People buy these huge lists of usernames and passwords, and they’ll cross reference them against any number of other sites, not just PSN.

Furthermore, they’ve even hacked smaller websites that use your PSN info to log you in, like trophy tracking sites. You’d be surprised how many people use the same password for those trophy sites as they do for their PSN account. Once again, if that’s you, you’re done.

Fingerguns.net recently spoke to a PSN hacker and got some insights into exactly how they operate:

“Yahoo, ClixSense and AFF were good for us. You’d be surprised by the number of people that use the same email address and password for every online account they use. We took some lists from hacks, set up some bots and we started to get some luck on PSN. We even managed to hack a few of the smaller PlayStation trophy tracking websites ourselves and 90% used the same username and password as PSN”

Once they have your info, they log into the PSN website and deactivate your account from your PlayStation. You can only deactivate accounts once every 6 months, which gives the hackers plenty of time to sell your account and all of the games you’ve purchased on that account.

The people buying these accounts will then register them as primary accounts on their own PlayStations, and in a lot of cases the original owner of the account won’t even know that they had been hacked, meanwhile someone else is sharing their games at a fraction of the cost.

Accounts can sell for anywhere from a few dollars, to $1000+ if the account has a ton of games on it. There are underground auction websites where people can bid on other people’s accounts in order to save a bit of money on games.

How to avoid getting your PSN account hacked

Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do, but there are steps you can take to deter 99.9% of common hacks.

• First of all, 2 factor authentication is a must. It can be a bit of a pain, but it improves your account security drastically.
• Secondly, don’t use the same passwords for everyone, AND change your passwords on a regular basis.

Why does changing your password help, if it’s already a strong and unique password? Well, if your password is already floating around on one of those underground lists of email addresses and passwords, it’s only a matter of time until someone gets into your account with it, even if it’s a strong password.

By changing your password, you’re making that info obsolete and useless to hackers. Once they try to log into your account and the data they have doesn’t work, it’ll get removed from the list.

Far Cry 5 Will Have Dynamic Story and AI Unlike Previous Games, Says Ubisoft

Far Cry 5 was officially announced this Friday by Ubisoft, confirming the leaked Montana setting. After the announcement, several interviews with the developers appeared on the Web thus revealing additional information on the game. For instance, in a video interview with YouTube channel UbiCentral, Creative Director Dan Hay explained that Far Cry 5 won’t have a linear story like previous entries in the franchise:

The map is big! I can’t tell you the specifics of the size just yet, I can tell you that when people are going through the world, they’re altering it in a dynamic way. In previous Far Cry games, you would pretty much go through and have a very – or at least, the feeling of a linear story. What’s interesting about playing Far Cry 5 is that gamers will alter the experience in their own way. Maybe they’re spending a lot of time in one region or they’re really loving one specific character among the Guns for Hire.

It really depends on how you want to play. For instance, what’s really cool is once you meet someone in the world who’s already been dealing with the cult and they have their own agenda and plan. You can basically invest in their plan or you can take your own plan and when you meet them, they’re unique.

That seems to be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Far Cry 5’s “dynamic” features. In fact, the official website of the game also mentions that the AI will keep track of your actions and alter their strategies accordingly.

When you hit hard, the enemy’s gonna hit back harder. Far Cry 5’s dynamic AI tracks the effect you’re having in the game, and alters the enemy’s strategy against you. Be prepared: The cult will boost their efforts when you become less of a nuisance and more of a threat.

Far Cry 5 is due to debut on February 27th, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Far Cry 5 is Set in Montana, America; Features Character Building and “Dynamic Toys” [Updated with Release Date]

[update] In contrary to Amazon’s listing below, Ubisoft has announced that Far Cry 5 will release on February 27. Check out the official announce trailer below:

As the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana, players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Caught off guard and drawn into a power struggle, players must disrupt the carefully laid plans of the Project at Eden’s Gate, and fan the fires of resistance to help liberate the Hope County community and themselves.

Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance. The fight against the cult will take players to unique locations throughout Hope County that provide different gameplay experiences. During their journey, players can fly planes to engage cult forces in aerial dogfights across Big Sky Country. While tracking down cult members and gathering resources for survival across farmland, forests, mountains and rivers, players can get behind the wheel of iconic American muscle cars, big rigs, ATVs and boats. Vehicles also provide refuge when under attack by animals or as a way to quickly escape when things don’t go as planned.

To take down the cult, players will need to utilise any and all weapons at their disposal, including ranged weapons such as guns and grenades and melee weapons like a sledgehammer or baseball bat. Additionally, players can recruit Guns for Hire from a large cast of characters, or even Fangs for Hire, specialised animals like bears and cougars to complement players’ playstyles whether they’re going in stealthily or forcefully. How players approach each situation and the chaos they create in Far Cry 5 is up to them. Far Cry 5 will also see the return of the map editor, giving players the opportunity to create and play an infinite amount of new playgrounds. The map editor will include new features that add a new dimension to the content created by fans, with more details coming soon.

[original story]Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 is set in Hope County, Montana, and players will fight against a deadly cult called ‘Eden’s Gate’.

Ubisoft will fully unveil the next Far Cry installment later today, but retailer Amazon already revealed some new information about the game.

As posted by eagle-eyed twitter user BHGamer, Far Cry 5 is set in Montana America. Players will battle against a dangerous cult called ‘Eden’s Gate’ led by Joseph Steed.

The game will be playable in solo or cooperatively with 2 players, and players will be able to recruit Guns and Fangs to help defeat Steed and his siblings.

According to Amazon’s description, Far Cry 5 will be the largest customizable game in the series so far and players can build their own character.

Toys such as muscle cars, planes and ATV’s will also make their entry in the game, and allows players to wreak havoc on the fanatical doomsday cult. As can be seen on the boxart above, Far Cry 5 will have exlusive content on PS4, and will release this November.

More regarding Far Cry 5 will be announced today. We will keep you updated.

Far Cry 5 reveal art teases a creepy cult, plane fights, and a good dog yes he is

Ubisoft put us in a rural violence mood with its first Far Cry 5 teaser trailers and now this teaser art is making good on it. Are you ready to shoot your way across an open world, attempting to foil the plans of another charismatic villain? What if I told you that you could probably fly planes this time and the villain has a cult? Let’s take a look at every little detail we can glean from this art.

First up, here’s the full teaser image, which references Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

The minister

If previous Far Cry cover art is anything to go by, we have our main villain right here (or at least the most interesting villain, sorry Hoyt). He’s the best-groomed guy in the picture and he’s sitting squarely in Jesus’ seat from The Last Supper. Note how he’s dressed in shades of gray, with a graying beard and hair, and even gray eyes under his yellow aviator shades. But at his most vulnerable point – his neck – he wears what looks like a black minister’s collar (they’re typically white). I think we’re looking at a man who wraps himself and his followers in convenient uncertainties and contradictions, but is undeniably evil at his core.

Scruffy Judas

I’m not going to analyze each of the good ol’ boys in full detail, but take note of the fact that the guy with the long, unkempt hair and beard is sitting in Judas’ seat from The Last Supper. He’s reaching out to the man in the center, as if to ask (or demand) something from him. He also looks generally unimpressed even as the others gaze in admiration. Taking on the treacherous role of Judas might actually make him a good guy in this situation – we could be looking at our first ally.

The dog

Befriending wolves was one of the best parts of Far Cry: Primal. If the bad guys can have dogs, why not us too? Here’s hoping.

The planes

Why is that WW2-era fighter plane shooting down a seaplane? Well, it’s not just a seaplane, for starters. Look closely and you’ll see it’s armed with machine guns and bombs. This is a pretty strong teaser for player-controlled planes in Far Cry 5, which would be a step up from the mini-helicopter featured in Far Cry 4.

The bow

Can’t have Far Cry without a bow!

The sinner

The man with “sinner” written on his back follows an unusual tradition of captives on the cover of Far Cry games. He’s slumped over helplessly, looking utterly subdued, and with a bad case of bacne to boot. A tattoo on his left inner arm has the words “Forever” and “Ghost” visible. Are these the Ghosts and he’s a disgraced former member, or could they be an opposing group? Is this a secret prequel to Call of Duty: Ghosts?! Probably not that last one.

The flags

Far Cry is coming to America for the first time, but it looks like Hope County, Montana has its own way of doing things. Notice anything unusual about the flag situation here? Patriotically speaking, you’re not supposed to fly another flag above the stars and stripes (nor are you supposed to redesign it with your religious symbol in place of the stars). That, and the same flag being draped over the nearby church, tells us something about this group’s priorities. Meanwhile, the farm off to the right that’s only flying a standard American flag is burning to the ground. I doubt that’s a coincidence.

For more big announcements that may be on their way soon, check out our E3 2017 leaks and rumors roundup.

PlayStation Network reaches record number of users, crosses this magical number

Sony’s PlayStation Network is slowly becoming the ultimate online gaming service. Recently, PSN has reached a record number of active consumers according to a recent Corporate Strategy Meeting.

During the meeting, Sony acknowledged that the network had reached a total of 70 million monthly active users. When you take into account that Xbox Live only achieved a record-high of a 52-55 million active users in 2016, this is a huge milestone for Sony.

Additionally, the company announced another milestone would be reached by the end of the year. The company is predicting that 78 million PlayStation 4 units will be shipped by the end of this year.

Keep in mind that number is not units sold, however, with E3 2017 coming up soon and several highly-anticipated exclusives on the way I am positive that the PlayStation 4 will sell very well for the rest of the year.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Episode 5 Release Date Announced

A New Frontier’s finale debuts this month.

The fifth and final episode of Telltale’s current Walking Dead season, A New Frontier, is just over a week away.

Telltale has officially announced a release date for Episode 5 of A New Frontier. It launches on May 30 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android. If you own the game’s season pass, you’ll be able to automatically download it then. A physical release of A New Frontier is already available.

Ubisoft’s Financial Year Results

Over the past month we’ve covered the financial results of Activision Blizzard, Square Enix and Paradox Interactive. One thing they all have in common is a good level of success, revealing strong quarterly or yearly performances. Continuing this trend are Ubisoft (EPA: UBI 47.90 1.98%) who have revealed a non-IFRS operating income of €236.7 million, a record high for the company. This is a marked 40.7% increase on the previous year, coming from increased sales revenue and relatively stable expenses. Sales have increased 4.7% year on year, rising to €1.46 Billion, with a record high non-IFRS profit margin of 16.3%.

The Breakdown of Sales

While sales certainly didn’t increase to the same level of income, what has worked for Ubisoft is the diversification of these sales. For the first time, digital now accounts for 50% of sales revenue, rising from 32% in 2015-16. This has risen on the back of a 131.2% increase in player recurring investment to €304m. This measure includes downloadable content (DLC), season passes, subscriptions and advertising. A further boost has been a sharp 26.7% increase in monthly active users (MAUs).

One other major contributing factor to the sales has been the sizable back catalogue of the company. 44%, or €649.2m of the year’s sales figures were from older titles. This is a marked increase from last year, which saw only 26% of sales revenue come from their back catalogue.

What may come as a slight surprise is the division of sales by platform. Where other companies are seeing increased growth from mobile, Ubisoft don’t appear to be. Sales on the PlayStation 4 platform are at 41%, down 1% year on year. The Xbox One gained 1%, rising to 27%. The older generation of platforms (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, etc) saw the largest decline, falling 5% to just 7%. This should be expected, although the gains were unevenly divided with the PC gaining 4%, rising to 18%. Other platforms, which includes mobile, only gained 1%, rising to 7%. However, this has a large potential to change in the near future. The acquisition of mobile developer Ketchapp in September 2016 offers Ubisoft a platform to build a strong base to benefit from the growing mobile gaming sector.

Look to the Future

CEO Yves Guillemot stated “The execution of our strategic plan fully paid off in 2016-17, with further very strong growth for the digital segment – which now accounts for 50% of total sales – and an ever-more recurring profile.” Mr Guillemot then went on to speak of future plans by saying “Over the last three fiscal years, Ubisoft has – with remarkable success – created numerous new brands and re booted Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. These successes have strengthened our visibility for the coming two fiscal years, with a line-up of releases principally comprised of established franchises. In 2017-18 we will see the exciting returns of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, The Crew and South Park. In 2018-19 we intend to pursue our digital transformation and consolidate our new business model, which is much more recurring and more profitable and is now significantly less exposed to new releases. This revision of our assumptions gives greater visibility for meeting our targets.”

Ubisoft’s guidance for the 2017-18 financial year is for sales of around €1.7bn with a non-IFRS operating income of €270m. Strategic targets for the 2018-19 fiscal year are sales of around €2.1bn with digital revenue exceeding 55% of total sales. To meet this the company expects four AAA titles releases, selling around 28 million units. This will be combined with an increase lifespan of titles, increasing back catalogue sales. This looks to increase the profit margin to a target of 21% with a non-IFRS operating income of €440m.

Ubisoft have started on the route to a targeted increase of presence in the mobile sector due to the purchase of Ketchapp. In addition, Ubisoft have partnered with Tencent (HKG: 0700 268.40 1.90%) for an upcoming Might & Magic game targeted at the Chinese market. The strong year with the high plans for the near future could lead to good things by Ubisoft, though the same strong results increases how compelling a target they are in the long-running saga with Vivendi (EPA: VIV 18.94 0.91%).

Injustice 2 Game-Breaking Bug Has a Workaround

Game-breaking bugs suck. Game-breaking bugs suck even more if it means hours of gaming and hard work go bye-bye in a moment. Thankfully WB Games and Netherrealm recognize this since Injustice 2 is having a very serious issue.

Some players have experienced a problem where they play the game, have fun, then quit and enjoy their merry real lives. When they come back to their game of Injustice 2 for some butt-kicking action, a terrible discovery is made. Their character has been demoted many levels, but their gear remains. The problem here is not only that their character level is lower, but that they cannot change out their gear because once it’s off it can’t be put back on.

Developer Netherrealm is working on a fix for this currently, but in the meantime there’s a fairly easy fix. You simply have to clear your local cache. The way to do this is to power down your system. Whether you have Injustice 2 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you simply need to shut down your console from the in-game menu. After waiting 20 or 30 seconds you can turn your system back on and that should put your character levels back up where they were before.

So before you panic about your levels having been dropped, give this fix a try. You just might find that every little thing is gonna be all right. Past that, the developer is working on a fix, so hopefully this workaround will only be relevant for a short time

 

Here are some new beautiful screenshots for Project CARS 2

Project CARS 2 – New screenshots & developer diary released

Bandai Namco has released some new beautiful screenshots for Project CARS 2, showcasing some of its environments and its cars. In addition, the big publisher has also released a new behind-the-scenes video for its upcoming racer.

According to the press release, this first episode shares a behind-the-scenes look at how McLaren’s Chris Goodwin and his team of engineers at McLaren Automotive are working directly with the Slightly Mad Studios team to contribute their knowledge of high performance engineering into the development of the McLaren 720S supercar in the game.

Project CARS 2 is planned for a late 2017 release!