Last week, THQ Nordic Gmbh caused a stir when it announced it was holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on 8Chan, an image board with a reputation for hosting child pornography. After an initial apology from the company's marketing director Philipp Brock, there was radio silence as members from all parts of the industry continued to criticize the company for holding the AMA.

Today, the CEO of Gmbh's parent company, THQ Nordic AB, issued an apology in a statement. Here's the apology in full from CEO Lars Wingefors:

THQ Nordic is responsible for publishing a number of recently released and forthcoming titles, including Metro Exodus, Biomutant, Darksiders III, and Battle Chasers: Nightwar. For more on matter, check out our News editor's opinion piece on how the industry fails to hold itself accountable here.

[Source: Gameindustry.biz]

When its founders were peddling pirated games on the streets of Warsaw in the early ’90s, no one knew the name CD Projekt. Fast forward three decades, and the developer is the darling of the gaming industry. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s vibrant open world, compelling characters, and short-story quality side quests earned it universal accolades. Game Informer readers recently voted it the best game of all time, and its popularity compelled Netflix to commission a series based on the franchise. Since release, the studio has built a loyal fan base thanks to a steady stream of free downloadable content, several high-quality paid expansions, and a fierce stance against nickel-and-diming microtransactions. All eyes are now on its next game, Cyberpunk 2077, to see how – not if – CD Projekt can raise the bar for open-world RPGs once again.

The world may be focused intensely on CD Projekt, but if you widen the angle slightly to take in the entirety of the Polish development scene, what you find may astound you.

Over the last 20 years, Poland has become a hotbed of game development talent, delivering memorable titles like This War of Mine, Dying Light, and Bulletstorm. To understand how this small country once trapped behind the Iron Curtain has become an epicenter for interactive entertainment, I traveled to Poland to speak with the people who put the country on the map.

Read more...

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The newest hero in DC's "Extended Universe" of films is only 15 years old and has no idea what he's doing. The growing pains he undergoes will hopefully be much to theatergoers' delight. Shazam releases on April 5, and the latest trailer makes it look a silly origin story that will eventually give way to darker tones. The trailer focuses heavily on Shazam (Zachary Levi) getting to know his powers as he goofs off with his best friend. This lengthy video also gives us a good look at Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), a villain who clearly has no time for kid games.

Following the enjoyable Aquaman film, let's hope DC gets on a roll similar to Marvel with its other character-based movies. Shazam is directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) with a screenplay by Henry Gayden (Earth to Echo).

Last week, Nintendo and Game Freak revealed Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the two new eighth generation mainline games in the series. Of course, as soon as something new Pokémon is revealed, the internet gets to work with jokes, and we very quickly had people making a joke about a third version of the game titled Pokémon Gun.

However, a newspaper in Mexico mistakenly used that joke as part of their story about the game's announcement, so innocent little Grookey is now wielding hot fire. The news comes from Twitter user @cin_ceja.

My local newspaper, always doing research before publishing anything. pic.twitter.com/TP8GnKWkqK

— Cin Ceja (@cin_ceja) March 3, 2019

The actual text of the story does not make reference to Pokémon Gun, which means their layout designer likely just pulled the first piece of art they saw on Twitter or Google Image Search without really checking where it's from, but it's still kind of funny. The joke first appeared around ten minutes after the Direct aired from Twitter user @Sir5000.

Holy s--- today's #Pokemon announcement was wild!! pic.twitter.com/3oEFy8l0qQ

— 🧝‍♂️ ６＇９＂ ⁽ʷᶦᵗʰ ʰᵒʳⁿˢ⁾ 🐛 @ ＰＩＮＮＥＤ (@Sir5000) February 27, 2019

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are releasing in late 2019 on Nintendo Switch.

Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame releases in theaters on April 26, and you know what that means: the new toys are coming! An Amazon listing for Lego's first official toy sets give us a few ideas and lead to further questions about what to expect in the Avengers finale.

One set is based around Iron Man's hall of armor and shows several new and returning versions of his many suits. With Tony Stark last seen in dire straights in a derelict space vessel, this leads us to wonder if he finds his way home, or if these suits might potentially have different characters behind the metaphorical wheel. Additionally, the set shows a big blue mechanical suit that appears to be somewhat Hulkbuster like, and Thanos' outriders make a return to potentially finish the mission that they started in Infinity War.

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Another set shows a large battle at the Avengers compound where we see Captain Marvel getting in on the action alongside Nebula, Ant-Man (sporting a nice, new white suit), and the Hulk. They are all fighting Thanos who is wielding a cartoonishly large hammer that I'm sure will make a dent in some of Tony's suits. This is just a Lego set, so this should not be taken as hard facts about the movie, but it is at least a good hint about a location we might see.

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There are also sets for the Ultimate Quinjet showing Rocket Raccoon, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow making quick work of what appear to be some of Thanos' thugs, and another set for the War-Machine Buster, which should be a solid contender in the Avenger's corner. It seems like maybe War-Machine has made quite the recovery at least.

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This should all be taken with a large, Lego brick of salt, but with the film so near to release, this seems to be pointing in some interesting directions. You can watch the trailer for Avengers: Endgame here.

How are the Avengers going to save the day this time? Tune in next month, and give us your best guess in the comments section below.

Beat Saber's lineup of techno tracks was thin when the hit VR rhythm game launched last year, coming in at just 16 original songs. You'll soon have new reason to dust off your lightsabers and jump back in though: new music is coming to the game next week, according to a Tweet on the game's official Twitter account:

🚨 WE HAVE THE DATE! 🚨 Our first Music Pack lands in Beat Saber on March 14th!

See a little sneak peek to our updated UI so you can easily browse OSTs and upcoming Music Packs. pic.twitter.com/GiTLvAdBKG

— Beat Saber (@BeatSaber) March 4, 2019

Developer Beat Games hasn't revealed what tracks are included in its first paid music pack, but we won't have to wait long to find out: the new music comes March 14.

If you haven't played Beat Saber, you're missing out. Check out our review here. The game also made headlines at the annual DICE awards, taking home the prize for Immersive Reality Game of the Year.

When the Switch came out, I expected the viable sports game options to be scarce. Fast-forward to today, and the genre still isn’t a strong suit of the system, but the Switch has put together a decent roster. Surprisingly, it’s not just all the same franchises you might expect. 

Although the Switch will never have the online support or features of games on the other systems, here are some of the standouts on the console (sans racing titles, BTW). If you want to check out some less-traditional/popular sports, there are a variety of options from OlliOlli: Switch Stance to Rapala Fishing Pro Series, and Trials Rising. 

Super Volley Blast ($9.99)*
Developer: Unfinished Pixel
In a video game context, volleyball could be simple to the point of bland, but Super Volley Blast avoids such a fate. The 2-on-2 title (including 4-player multiplayer) requires some positioning teamwork and strategy with your partner to set up your volleys across the net. There is some variety where A.I. opponents place the ball, and the timing of jump spikes can be hard to master (and a little inconsistent in my experience). Moreover, Super Blast Mode’s gameplay variations (there’s also a story mode) include Chicken Ball, Bomb Ball, Max 2 Hits, and others. Chicken Ball, in particular, replaces the ball with poultry with a penchant for erratic movements, making for a fun variation.

NBA 2K19 ($59.99)
Developer: Visual Concepts
FIFA 19 ($59.99)
Developer: EA Romania
I’ve included these two games in one entry because they are already known quantities and for what they share in common: They’re modeled after famous triple-A counterparts on the other home consoles, and while they’re not 1-for-1 ports, suffering in areas such as graphics, online play, and other differences, they still offer solid sports experiences on and off the court/pitch. Click here for some of my thoughts about FIFA 19 on Switch in particular.

Football Manager 2019 Touch ($39.99)
Developer: Sports Interactive
The text and menu-heavy nature of this port of Sports Interactive’s revered soccer management title isn’t ideally suited for the Switch (here are some thoughts about this year's game overall), but it’s worth it due to the options the game gives you as a manager. Oversee as little or as much of your team’s operations, from training to in-match tactics for the team and individuals. Football Manager can be a daunting game, but the Switch’s portability and streamlined nature of this port help it be more accessible.

Mario Tennis Aces ($59.99)
Developer: Camelot
Aces (click for Kyle's review) gives the franchise a return to form thanks to the inclusion of a full-on Story mode, augmenting the stellar gameplay, boss battles, racket break system, and first-person Zone Shots. Nintendo doesn’t deal in a lot of first-party sports titles, but Mario Tennis is good enough that it easily beats out less-accomplished licensed games like Tennis World Tour on the system.

Rocket League ($19.99)
Developer: Psyonix
Not much more needs to be said about this fabulous and famous soccer-with-cars title other than it won’t take you long to get hooked on its crazy charm. It’s also worth noting that it has cross-platform play with the other platforms.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($29.99)
Just before release 2K stepped in to publish this title, adding it as an arcade-gameplay counter to the publisher’s sim-based NBA 2K series already on the Switch. This sequel retains the gameplay of the first title, which is a good thing, surrounding it with more modes like Playground Champion and Season. Getting good players is a grind (aided by microtransactions, of course), but the arcade basketball itself isn’t bad.

New Star Manager ($19.99)
Developer: New Star Games
This title was a free mobile game, and as such, it revolves around card packs for fundamental elements in the game from players to training, etc. The Switch version doles out packs as you level up, changing the tone of the title, and the optional analog stick gameplay is better than mobile’s touch controls. Overall, the game is about working your way up the promotion ladder while managing your players, staff, and stadium along the way.

Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition ($29.99)
Developer: Digital Dreams
The Dynasty Edition of this spiritual successor to 1993’s Mutant League Football adds a multi-year Dynasty mode (complete with trades, and XP system, custom playbooks, free agency, and more), four new teams, and additional dirty tricks giving depth to the on-the-field experience that already pushes the envelope of the sport with traps and player deaths. For more on the game, here's our review BEFORE the inclusion of Dynasty mode.

Football Heroes Turbo ($14.99)
Developer: Run Games
Similar to Mutant Football League, Football Heroes offers a non-traditional gridiron experience. The title lets you punch players out of your way by button tapping – including when you’re on defense – and gives players power-ups like powerful hurdles, fumble-inducing tackles, and sure-handed catches as they level up. Your team also gets better as you make your way up the seasons ladder, adding more money to its salary cap and training points for the players. I played the Early Access PC version of the game, and was charmed by its look and rough-and-tumble gameplay, and intrigued by its team-building options.

*Prices may vary 

THE TICKER

Out Of The Park Baseball 20 Coming On March 22

MLB the Show 19's Diamond Dynasty Revamp Includes Eliminating Souvenirs, Immortals & The Ticket Counter

MLB the Show 19's March To October Mode Detailed

A Sports Newbie (Javy) Plays NHL 19 For A Week

GT Sport Update Coming March 5

Madden 19 Getting Series Of Fixes

Football Manager 19 Gets A Winter Update

Video game announcements are so weirdly coordinated, secretive, and orchestrated that hints or hints of hints tend to send marketing departments into widespread sighing and denial. It's a little harder to deny, however, when the developers themselves accidentally make the announcement.

In a news post from Turn 10 as part of the Forza Motorsport Week in Review, the developer tried to talk about a recent esports winner, but the wrong URL was inserted into the hyperlink. The link instead directed to a page which had info about a mobile game called Forza Street.

"Developed in partnership with UK-based studio, Electric Square, Forza Street is built from the ground up to support a wide range of Windows 10, iOS, and Android devices," the description read.

The link has been fixed, but it is the internet and things don't go away that simply. That said, a Forza mobile game is not a particularly huge bomb to drop, but I imagine there's someone out there who isn't quite happy that this got leaked out quite so officially.

[Source: GT Planet]

Kingdom Hearts III has been out for over a month and fans all over have gotten a chance to take journeys through all the major Disney worlds the game has to offer, at least before any DLC gets revealed. While the series branched out to Pixar with the third game, fans have been wondering whether Sora and friends will ever branch out to other Disney properties like Marvel or Star Wars. Director Tetsuya Nomura is game, but it's not that easy.

In an interview in the Ultimania book for Kingdom Hearts III, a Square Enix staple that is usually the final word on internally developed games, Nomura was asked about the possibility of Marvel and Star Wars in future games. The translation is courtesy of KH13, which put up Nomura's interview from the Ultimania book.

"That's right," the director said acknowledging that Lucasfilm and Marvel are now Disney properties. "However, in order to change those [properties] into a game, contracts must be made with each company separately, and there are cases where other game companies already have contracts, so although the Disney Group has indeed added those [properties], incorporating them into KH isn't so simple. That's also the reason Mickey is in only one scene in KH1. At the same time, another company was releasing a game that had to do with Mickey, so though we were denied his usage, we persisted and eventually got "as long as you only have one scene, from far away, as a silhouette, with him waving his hand or something". Since we had to make the best of the biggest [and only] chance we had, that's why that scene appears that way."

It's a lengthy answer that essentially comes down to "A lot of people have to sign off and they all have their own agendas." Nomura's answer about how Mickey Mouse could only be in one scene even after an intense negotiation is both enlightening and no doubt frustrating. It is a wonder that these games get made at all. But it does seem like Nomura would be happy to do it, if they could figure out a way to get it done. Elsewhere in the interview he described that, to even get Pixar to agree to a Toy Story world, he had to write the entire plot of the world before the game was even written.

Hopefully all the parties can get it together, because I desperately want to see Spider-Man drag Donald Duck. If you've finished KH3 and want to hear the Game Informer staff talk about it, we recently put up a Spoiled discussion just for you.

While Sonic the Hedgehog's design for the upcoming movie has been teased a few times, it was mostly shrouded in darkness or otherwise obscured. Now, thanks to a style guide, it appears we might have our first good look at what Sonic looks like in this movie. 

The pictures come from Hamagami Carroll Associates, which created a brand guide for Sonic the Hedgehog and features multiple images of the blue hedgehog in a CG form. The guide was apparently accidentally uploaded to their website and has since been taken down.

Based on the silhouette image that was teased for Sonic before, this design looks accurate, though it is impossible to say with certainly until it is officially confirmed. For some reason, instead of gloves, he just has white hands, which I am utterly baffled by.

The guide also makes references to a multi-pronged approach with Sonic, referencing "Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, Film Sonic, Animation Sonic," indicating that it is likely Sega will pursue all these avenues in the near future.

[Source: ResetEra]

Over the weekend, reports began circulating over Twitter and on Anthem's subreddit about peculiar crashes happening on the PlayStation 4 version of these games. Some of these crashes reportedly shut the PlayStation 4 off completely, requiring them to be manually powered on again and the operating system to have to rebuild the saved data on it.

Today, EA acknowledged that they've received the reports and have begun looking into it.

We’re aware of a crashing issue some of you have been reporting for #AnthemGame. We’re investigating and ask that you share your crash data reports when prompted. If you have, we’ll be reaching out to gather info; if not, please reply to this thread on AHQ:https://t.co/36P21YFjYL

— EA Help (@EAHelp) March 4, 2019

Some users have reported that their consoles would not even turn back on after the Anthem crash. We have sent an inquiry to Sony to ask for data on the crash reports or why this might be, but have not received anything back by time of writing. Some speculate within the subreddit that Anthem is causing a part to overheat in the PlayStation 4 and the system shuts down as a failsafe, refusing to turn back on until it has cooled down, but there has been no confirmation this is the case.

Whatever the reasons, EA is asking players to submit their crash data using the PlayStation 4's OS prompt when a crash happens and also report the crash to them in your own words. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to wait for an update. The problem does not seem incredibly widespread, but it doesn't look like a few isolated cases, either.

Gwent has had quite a path from its Witcher 3 minigame routes to now being a pretty core part of CD Projekt Red's development resources, so it makes sense that expansions would be coming sooner or later. Today, we got our first look at one of those upcoming expansions, titled Crimson Curse, and it appears to be moderately vampire-themed.

"The Blood Moon is rising," CD Projekt writes. "This is a time of the Crimson Curse, a time of madness and despair. A dark ritual performed by a mighty higher vampire Dettlaff turns the moon blood red, corrupting the land and its inhabitants. No one is safe and there’s nowhere to run — new breeds of monsters are awaking from their slumber, thirsting for blood. Will you join Dettlaff in his quest for revenge and destruction or choose to fight back and protect the innocents?"

As a general rule I feel like you probably shouldn't side with the time of madness and despair, but I'm not going to tell you how to Gwent.

The expansion will boast over 100 new cards, which include 14 cards per faction and 31 neutral cards. The Crimson Curse website already has a few cards ready to show off and will presumably be updating them as time goes on. The expansion releases in just a few weeks on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 28.

Since the beta phase kicked off last November, Rockstar has continued to chisel away at the foundation of Red Dead Online by fixing bugs, stabilizing servers, and slowly introducing new content. Today's latest news of the Fool's Gold free roam event and Evans Repeater Rifle going live carried with it a telling statement about Rockstar's ultimate intentions with the mode.

"This beta period allows us to shape and improve the fundamentals of that world before the journey of Red Dead Online truly begins," the statement reads. "As Red Dead Online evolves, we will keep adding and improving features to give you a deeper connection to the world, your character, your horse and your weapons, as well as adding new gameplay that will help players carve out their own fate across the lawless frontier."

This statement reads like an implicit promise to those unhappy with the speed at which Red Dead Online has rolled out bigger updates thus far: the content is coming. 

Taking a closer look at today's content drop, the Evans Repeater Rifle should be familiar to fans of the original Red Dead Redemption, as it was one of the best weapons in the game. This high-capacity rifle holds 22 bullets in its clip and is useful in both medium- and long-range combat. The gun comes with several customization options as well.

You can put the weapon to the test in the Fool's Gold free roam event, where the player wearing the Golden Armor can rack up kills for points while the rest try to take him or her down. Killing the armored foe is followed by a mad scramble as rivals try and recoup the Golden Armor and go on their own point spree. 

As a reward for those who have continued to play Red Dead Online through the beta period, Rockstar is also issuing a care package that comes with 60 high-velocity pistol bullets, 60x high-velocity repeater bullets, 2 fire bottles, 8 fire arrows, 2 jolly jacks, 2 potent horse medicine, and a lake lure. You can redeem the care package at your camp lockbox or at any of the post offices found in the world. 

Last but not least, fisherman take note: If you complete five daily challenges between today and March 11 you will be gifted a special spinner next week. 

One Piece: World Seeker comes out on relatively soon (March 15 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC), and today publisher Bandai Namco and developer Ganbarion have released the open-world action title's opening cinematic. Luffy and the Straw Hat gang have arrived at Prison Island with a plan in mind.

The movie not only introduces the crew, but also gives a glimpse of Luffy's arms in action, as well as reveals that Warden Isaac is a more than formidable opponent.

For more on World Seeker, be sure to check out Imran's hands-on impressions of the title.

HBO released a new trailer for Game of Thrones' eighth season. The two-minute clip doesn't show a whole lot, but it should keep fans busy until the season starts.

Season 8 debuts April 14 on HBO. 

Remedy has long built a reputation for creating compelling action games with experimental storytelling and strong character leads. The studio's first major success, Max Payne, astounded players with its graphic novel format and an innovative bullet time mechanic, which has since been reiterated and expanded upon by several other studios. Alan Wake and Quantum Break, the developer's later games, took ambitious paths with their stories. This is especially true for the latter, which intertwined an entire television drama into segmented episodes in-between gameplay. This concept tied TV and gaming together not just through story, but through choice and consequence as well.

Now, Remedy is working on its newest project, Control, an action game that is due out this summer and was first revealed in a mesmerizing trailer during E3 2018. We flew out to Espoo, Finland, to find out everything we could about the game.

Control puts you in the shoes of Jesse Faden, a young woman who seeks to discover more about who she is while finding answers to questions she's had about the supernatural her entire life. Her search brings her to the Federal Bureau of Control, a government branch that heads paranormal investigations. Upon her arrival, however, an otherworldly threat has taken over the headquarters and threatens to possess or kill everything in its sight. As Jesse, it's up to you to harness control over this entity with everything you've got.

During our cover story trip, we learned about Jesse's powerful abilities, such as levitation, launching almost anything with telekinesis, and "seizing" the minds of enemies so they work alongside her instead. We got hands-on impressions, a better understanding of the enigmatic astral plane, and the mysteries to be found in the ever-shifting headquarters of the Bureau, known as The Oldest House.

Watch our trailer below for a sneak peek on what to expect during our month-long coverage for Control.

Outside of our cover story, our April issue has tons of other engaging content to offer. Our annual parody section, Game Infarcer, returns to poke fun at the game industry. We also have an in-depth feature about the story behind Telltale's abrupt and shocking end, where we spoke to former employees and executives about the studio's closure. Additionally, several prominent developers like BioWare and CD Projekt Red spoke to us about the intricacies of building meaningful choice and consequence in video games. If you're looking for a lighter read, we look at the collaboration between Nike and PlayStation where the two are making video game-themed footwear. 

Print subscribers can expect their issues to begin arriving in the coming weeks. The digital edition of this issue launches today for PC/Mac, iOS, and Google Play. You can also get the latest issue through third-party apps on Nook and Kindle later this week. To switch your print subscription to digital, click here, or to create a new subscription to the digital edition, click here.

Click the banner below to visit our coverage hub for Control, which will be updated throughout the month with exclusive interviews, features, videos, and more.

Gun Media has announced that Friday the 13th: The Game will be heading over to Switch this spring, presumably accompanied by that weird "ki-ki-ki-ma-ma-ma!" sound from the movie. Sorry.

The Switch version of the game will include all of the released content and paid DLC, with the exception of the Savini Jason character or the backer-exclusive clothing pack. 

Last year, development on the game stopped amid a lawsuit between the original film's writer and director. While that may have stopped planned DLC, it didn't prevent the game from getting ported onto the Switch.

R.B.I. Baseball 19 is releasing today for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch in spite of our thoughts on the previous entry. If you consider yourself the daring type, though, and will be picking up the physical version of the game you can snag yourself a few exclusive Topps trading cards. Exclusively at Walmart (and only the Xbox One and Switch versions – sorry PlayStation fans) there will be specially marked copies of the game that include the cards.

The cards feature Alex Bregman (the cover athlete), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (the Canadian cover athlete), and a handful of other players. So if the spokes on your bike are noticeably lacking a certain flair...this is certainly one way to get some baseball cards.

The Division 2's latest trailer displays myriads of intense gunfights along the streets of America's capitol. Just beyond some of D.C.'s most famous monuments, gunmen take cover behind piled sandbags. Explosions scatter debris and bring combatants to their knees. Amid the chaos, a group of Division operatives employ combat drones, grenade launchers, and bulletproof shields to best their adversaries. 

The Division 2 launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 15. If this trailer excites you, head here to watch our time with the game's open world. 

Every day it seems like there’s a new promising game concept being crowdfunded by an excited audience willing to take a chance on it. Back in 2014, Treachery in Beatdown City was one such project. A unique fusion of beat ‘em up and turned-based RPG battles, it began life as an homage to brawlers of old like Double Dragon. Former Rockstar Games alumni Shawn Alexander Allen started working on art for the project in his free time in 2009 and says he yearned for beat ‘em ups to make a comeback. Early designs for the game weren’t panning out and then he struck upon the idea to combine brawlers with another favorite genre: RPGs.

“I was dejected because things were taking longer than we had hoped to get something going,” Allen says. “After a day of work, when I was in the shower, my love of RPGs like Super Mario RPG, Hybrid Heaven, and Fallout 3 coalesced into this exciting moment where I shouted, ‘It’ll be turn-based!’”

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