Disney’s Diablo-Style Game, Marvel Heroes, Shutting Down

Marvel Heroes, the free-to-play, Diablo-esque action game, is shutting down. Marvel announced the news today, revealing it has ended its business arrangement with developer Gazillion Entertainment.

In a statement shared with GameSpot, Marvel Entertainment stated, “We regret to inform our Marvel Heroes fans that we have ended our relationship with Gazillion Entertainment, and that the Marvel Heroes games will be shut down. We would like to sincerely thank the players who joined the Marvel Heroes community, and will provide any further updates as they become available.” This presumably applies to the PC version of the game (first released in 2013) and the Omega versions fully released on PS4 and Xbox One earlier this year. We’ve followed up with the company to find out more about the timeline for the game’s shutdown.

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No further explanation was shared for the decision. Kotaku, which first reported the news, notes that updates and communications from Gazillion have been absent recently. A current and former employee told the site that some people were told to not come into work this week, so it appears this move has been brewing for some time.

As noted above, Marvel Heroes is an action-RPG in the mold of Diablo, but with a free-to-play business model. It features a wide variety of Marvel characters, with players able to obtain everyone from the Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy to Inhumans. We’ll report back as we learn more about how Marvel is handling the shutdown.

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Last Chance For These Free Xbox One And 360 Games With Gold Titles

We’ve reached the midway point of the month, which means we’re on the verge of getting our hands on some new Games With Gold titles on Xbox One and Xbox 360. But it also means that this is your last opportunity to claim some of the freebies that are currently available.

On the Xbox One side, today is the last day to claim a holdover from October’s Games With Gold: The Turing Test. The puzzle game has been free since mid-October but will return to its regular price after today. On Xbox 360, it’s Nights Into Dreams (an HD version of the classic Sega Saturn game) that will soon drop its freebie status. Take note that, as with all Xbox 360 Games With Gold games these days, it’s backwards compatible with Xbox One, meaning owners of that system have two games to make sure they grab today.

Tomorrow, November 16, will bring with it the second half of the month’s Games With Gold lineup. Tales From the Borderlands, Telltale’s episodic spin-off of Gearbox’s Borderlands franchise, will be free on Xbox One. Additionally, Indiana Jones-esque action-adventure game Deadfall Adventures will go free on Xbox 360 (and Xbox One). High-octane racing game TrackMania Turbo remains free for the entire month on Xbox One.

You can see November 2017’s full Games With Gold lineup below; click any game link to queue up your download from Xbox.com. Meanwhile, Microsoft has launched the next set of weekly deals for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

November 2017 Games With Gold

Xbox One

Xbox 360

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Battlefront 2, Overwatch Being Investigated By Gambling Authority In Belgium

Belgium’s gambling authority, the Belgian Gaming Commission, has launched an investigation into Star Wars: Battlefront II and Overwatch to determine if the loot boxes in those games constitute gambling, according to VTM News. Games of chance require a permit from the Gaming Commission in Belgium, and due to the random nature of loot boxes, they could fall into that category.

Belgian Gaming Commission director Peter Naessens said (via PCGamesN), “If there is a game of chance, it is not possible without a permit from the Gaming Commission.” If the commission determines that the loot crate system is a game of chance, the publishers of the games in question–Electronic Arts and Blizzard–could have to a pay a fine amounting to “hundreds of thousands of Euros.” It’s also reportedly possible that the games could be removed from sale in Belgium.

Battlefront II’s loot boxes can contain items that actually affect gameplay, while Overwatch’s are cosmetic only. It’s unclear if this would impact the ruling, however.

“Games of chance cannot be compared to any other kind of economic services,” reads a line from the commission’s charter. “They may cause people to become addicted to gambling and cause them to lose a great deal of money. For this reason, a number of protective measures have been implemented to protect players against these sorts of potential risks.”

We have contacted Electronic Arts and Blizzard in an attempt to get their response to Belgium’s investigation. We’ll report back with new information as it comes to light.

The Chinese version of Overwatch displays some loot box odds, though the game does not in other parts of the world. For its part, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said Overwatch does not belong in the loot box controversy discussion because the game only offers cosmetic items in its crates.

According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which is not a government agency, loot boxes do not constitute gambling. “While there’s an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don’t want),” a spokesperson told Kotaku. “We think of it as a similar principle to collectible card games: Sometimes you’ll open a pack and get a brand new holographic card you’ve had your eye on for a while. But other times you’ll end up with a pack of cards you already have.”

EA has faced a wave of criticism over Battlefront II’s loot box/microtransaction systems. Just this week, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said “people need to be patient” as the developer responds to player feedback and makes necessary changes.

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Toys R Us Black Friday 2017 Ad Deals: All The Switch, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS Games On Sale

It took a bit longer than some other retailers, but Toys R Us has finally given us a look at its Black Friday 2017 deals. The retailer’s ad has been released, and while its focus is on toys, as you’d expect, there are also quite a few deals to be had across PS4 and Xbox One, as well as some for Nintendo Switch and 3DS.

In terms of hardware, we’re seeing similar offers to elsewhere. The Switch console itself is not listed, nor is Xbox One X or PS4 Pro. However, the older models of those two consoles are on sale. You can pick up a 1 TB PS4 for $200, or a 500 GB Xbox One S for $190. In both cases, you won’t get any bundled games. The LucidSound LS20 wired headset, which works with both consoles, will be on sale for 50% off, dropping its price to $40. Select controllers for Microsoft and Sony boxes are $20 off, bringing the cheapest options to $40.

A number of games are on sale as well, although frustratingly, the ad only lists the amount you’ll save–not the actual price. In our comprehensive list of deals below, we’ve calculated the sale price using the currently listed MSRP on the Toys R Us website. In some cases, this results in prices that are markedly higher than what the competition is offering, while other prices are roughly in line with what you’ll find at places like Best Buy and Walmart. In other words, some of the actual prices may end up being lower than what we’ve listed, but you can at least get a sense of what the possible costs will be. None are likely to end up higher than what we’ve laid out.

Among the prices we’ve fairly confident in, Call of Duty: WWII, the just-released shooter, will be on sale for $45. Destiny 2, NBA 2K18, and WWE 2K18 will all be $35, while South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Forza Motorsport 7, and Assassin’s Creed Origins will be $40. Persona 5 will drop to $30, as will Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, and Grand Theft Auto V.

You can find the full list of games, consoles, and accessories in Toys R Us’s flyer below or on its website. The ad doesn’t make it clear if it will have more games on sale than those included. Also of note is the special green Zelda 2DS, which is launching on Black Friday at select retailers, is not shown, so you may need to head elsewhere if you’re interested. For a complete rundown on Black Friday deals, hit the links below to check out our other sale roundups.

Toys R Us Black Friday 2017 Game Deals

PS4

Games

  • Assassin’s Creed Origins — $40
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III — $40
  • Call of Duty: WWII — $45
  • Cars 3: Driven to Win — $40
  • Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy — $25
  • Destiny 2 — $35
  • FIFA 18 — $30
  • For Honor — $20
  • Ghost Recon: Wildlands — $30
  • Grand Theft Auto V — $30
  • Injustice 2 — $30
  • Lego City Undercover — $40
  • Lego Dimensions Starter packs — 50% off
  • Madden NFL 18 — $30
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War — $30
  • NBA 2K18 — $35
  • Outlast Trinity — $30
  • Overwatch — $30
  • Persona 5 — $30
  • PES 2018 — $30
  • Rainbow Six Siege — $20
  • All Skylanders Starter packs — 50% off
  • South Park: The Fractured But Whole — $40
  • Tekken 7 — $30
  • Watch Dogs 2 — $20
  • WWE 2K18 — $35

Hardware And Accessories

  • PS4 Slim 1 TB — $200
  • Select PS4 DualShock 4 controllers — $20 off
  • Lego Dimensions figures — 50% off
  • LucidSound LS20 wired headset — $40
  • PS4 Player’s Kit — 50% off

Xbox One

Games

  • Assassin’s Creed Origins — $40
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III — $40
  • Call of Duty: WWII — $45
  • Cars 3: Driven to Win — $40
  • Destiny 2 — $35
  • Disneyland Adventures — $10 off
  • FIFA 18 — $30
  • For Honor — $20
  • Forza Horizon 3 — $40
  • Forza Motorsport 7 — $40
  • Gears of War 4 — $440
  • Ghost Recon: Wildlands — $30
  • Grand Theft Auto V — $30
  • Halo Wars 2 — $40
  • Injustice 2 — $30
  • Lego City Undercover — $40
  • Lego Dimensions Starter packs — 50% off
  • Madden NFL 18 — $30
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War — $30
  • NBA 2K18 — $35
  • Outlast Trinity — $30
  • Overwatch — $30
  • Persona 5 — $30
  • PES 2018 — $30
  • Rainbow Six Siege — $20
  • Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure — $10 off
  • All Skylanders Starter packs — 50% off
  • South Park: The Fractured But Whole — $40
  • Super Lucky’s Tale — $20
  • Tekken 7 — $30
  • Watch Dogs 2 — $20
  • WWE 2K18 — $35
  • Zoo Tycoon — $10 off

Hardware And Accessories

  • Xbox One S 500 GB — $190
  • Select Xbox One controllers — $20 off
  • Lego Dimensions figures — 50% off
  • LucidSound LS20 wired headset — $40
  • Xbox One Player’s Kit — 50% off

Nintendo Switch / Wii U

Games

  • 1-2-Switch — $20
  • Disgaea 5 Complete — $40
  • FIFA 18 — $30
  • Just Dance 2018 — $40
  • Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game — $30
  • Lego Worlds — $3
  • Paper Mario: Color Splash — $35 (Wii U)
  • Star Fox Zero — $35 (Wii U)
  • Super Bomberman R — $30

3DS Games

  • Kirby: Planet Robobot — $25
  • Mario Party: Star Rush — $25
  • Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World — $30

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YouTube Says Nintendo Can Do Better for Content Creators

Nintendo has come under criticism from YouTube for how it handles monetization for content creators on the platform.

YouTube’s head of gaming, Ryan Wyatt, explained in an interview with Polygon that the two companies are in constant talks on how to improve things for publishers and content creators on YouTube. “They’re spending a lot of time looking at how to engage their creation community and how to handle monetization,” he said.

Wyatt noted that YouTubers “are able to livestream Nintendo content and monetize through our non-ad products,”  but said he thinks “there are ways to better improve and better optimize how they work with the creators.”

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PS4’s Doom VFR Included In New PSVR Bundle

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is coming to PSVR this week, but it isn’t the only Bethesda game being adapted to virtual reality. Doom VFR will follow it early next month, and Sony will offer players who have yet to pick up a PSVR headset a new option for buying one.

Today, the company announced the PlayStation VR Doom VFR Bundle, which will release alongside Doom VFR on December 1. The bundle includes a copy of the game, the updated PSVR headset, a PlayStation Camera, and a new PSVR demo disc that features demos of 13 titles. You can take a look at the packaging below.

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As was the case with the recently announced GT Sport PSVR bundle and the Skyrim VR bundle, the Doom VFR set has only been announced for the US and Canada. It will retail for US $400 / CA $500 and is available for pre-order beginning today, November 15.

The Skyrim PSVR bundle, meanwhile, releases alongside Skyrim VR this Friday, November 17, and retails for $450. It comes with all the same contents as the Doom VFR bundle (except with a copy of Skyrim), as well as two PS Move controllers. Both Skyrim VR and Doom VFR can be played using a standard DualShock 4 controller, while the latter also supports the PSVR Aim controller. You can watch 10 minutes of Doom VFR footage here.

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Chromecast Ultra Review

Be sure to visit IGN Tech for all the latest comprehensive hands-on reviews and best-of roundups. 

There are two kinds of streaming content consumers. There are those who sit in front of the TV, pick up the remote, and find something to watch. And there are those who are glued to their phone, consume content through apps, and just wish they could easily kick it up to the big screen in their living room.

The Chromecast Ultra (See it on the Google store) is made for the latter, and exclusively for them. There’s no remote, and no TV interface at all. You simply find something you watch or listen to on your phone or tablet, tap a button, and you beam it to your TV. If that’s what you’re after, the Chromecast Ultra is a seriously great device. Its simplicity is its greatest virtue, but also its biggest drawback. Let’s get into some specifics:

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Red Dead-Like PC MMO Enters Early Access Today

Wild West Online, the PC MMO that bears some resemblance to Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, has been available in a limited test for the past couple months. Today, its reach expands with the launch of the Early Access version that everyone can buy.

The Early Access version of Wild West Online includes a limited selection of what will be in the full release. Some of the content includes server-wide public PvP events, along with quests and missions to take on. The progression system is also in the Early Access version, meaning you can unlock new abilities and get better gear as you play. Some amount of character customization is also featured, while you can also personalize your horse.

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Even more content will be added to Wild West Online over time as it approaches its full release later this year, including new public events and more. You can get into Wild West Online today by picking up the Townie ($35), Collector ($94), or Pioneer ($59) bundles through the game’s website.

Based on your decisions and actions, you become a law-enforcer, outlaw, or pioneer in the Western Frontier. The game incorporates PvP combat and PvE game missions with world exploration, resource gathering, and treasure hunts.

Wild West Online was originally bound for Kickstarter and Steam Early Access, but secured enough funding from private investors to skip that step and go right into development. The target for its full launch is this December. The game is being developed by a new studio, 612 Games, whose staff worked on games like Crysis and League of Legends.

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