Pokémon GO’s Hatchathon Event Returns With Some Amazing Rewards
Pokémon GO’s Hatchathon Event is making a comeback this week, giving players the opportunity to earn some tasty rewards and hard-to-find items.
Starting today, you can earn extra Stardust, Rare Candies and rare rewards like Unova Stones – just by walking certain distances.
That’s not all – you’ll earn twice the usual amount of Candy and Stardust for every Pokémon you hatch, and there’s the chance to bag some party hat-wearing ‘mon.
Party hat versions of Pichu and Wurmple can be found in 2km eggs, while party hat Pikachu can be seen in the wild. In addition to this, party hat Raticate and Wobbuffet will appear in two-star Raid Battles.
The Hatchathon runs until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on January 16th. Will you be returning to the game to take advantage of these rewards? Let us know with a comment.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-03-2020, 09:35 AM - Forum: Lounge
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GameStop Weekly Sale Features Discounts On Some Of 2019's Best Games
Though the holidays are just about over, it's time to start spending those gift cards and pick up some games and accessories for your new console. GameStop's latest weekly ad features deals on a number of Xbox One, PS4, and Switch games. PC gamers can also save on some awesome Corsair gear.
The weekly sale technically runs until January 4, but most of the game deals are deemed "special offers" and are only discounted until January 1. The Division 2 drops all the way down to $12 on PS4 and Xbox One, which is a remarkable price for a game that released in 2019. Gears 5 is 50% off, lowering the price from $60 to $30.
You can browse the full ad at GameStop and check out our favorite deals below--some of which are holdovers from GameStop's winter sale. You'll also probably want to take a peek at Amazon's end-of-year sale, which includes a larger selection of game deals.
By Mikey Campbell Thursday, January 02, 2020, 04:11 pm PT (07:11 pm ET)
Apple CEO Tim Cook last week donated 6,880 in personally owned company stock to an as-yet-unidentified charity, an amount worth about $2 million as of the trading date.
According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday, Cook conducted the transaction on Dec. 27, when Apple shares were priced at $289.80. No shares were sold and a reporting price was not applied to the transfer, meaning the exact sum Cook donated will likely remain unknown.
Executives of publicly traded companies are not required to reveal the destination of charitable donations, but Cook has in the past made donations to the Human Rights Campaign’s Project One America, a gay rights initiative. The Apple chief in 2014 donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Pennsylvania’s Steel Valley School District, a gift that funded the purchase of iPads for students and teachers.
Cook routinely participates in philanthropic activities like auctioning off one-on-one meet-and-greets through CharityBuzz. In 2014, for example, a lunch with Cook at Apple’s headquarters sold for $330,000. Proceeds of the online sales typically go to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights.
Like other tech executives — albeit not a multi-billionaire — Cook has promised to give a bulk of his money away to charity and in 2015 said he plans to take a “systematic approach” to philanthropy.
In addition to today’s reported donation, Cook made similar gifts to unspecified organizations over the past few years. He donated 50,000 Apple shares to an unidentified third party in 2015, 23,215 shares in 2018 and 23,700 shares in 2019.
Following last week’s trade, Cook controls 847,969 shares of beneficially owned Apple stock that, as of today, is worth $256.5 million.
Gallery: Nintendo Shares More Screenshots Of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Apart from its E3 treehouse presentation, last year Nintendo didn’t share much information at all about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Now that we’re in 2020, though, it seems to already be gearing up for the game’s big release in March.
We’re only two days into the year, and we’ve already got a new commercial, confirming Isabelle’s return, and now some brand new screenshots have been uploaded to the game’s Japanese website. The first is a picture of a group of villagers and the rest showcase the different seasons in the new entry for Switch.
Take a look below:
Are you excited as we are about the upcoming release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Leave a comment down below.
Uncharted Movie Hits Setback, Loses Yet Another Director - Report
Sony's Uncharted film adaptation has incurred an unexpected setback. Travis Knight, who signed on to helm the project in September 2019, will no longer direct Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, according to a new report.
Deadline states that Holland's work with the next Spider-Man installment has caused scheduling conflicts with Knight. As a result, Knight has been pushed out of the director role and the film will receive a brand-new release date. Uncharted was scheduled to hit theatres on December 18, 2020. Sony still plans to move the film forward with a new director, but an announcement on who will lead the project has not been made.
Knight, an animator at stop-motion studio Laika, made his live-action directorial debut with 2018's Bumblebee. Knight has also worked on 2009's Coraline, 2012's Paranorman, 2014's The Boxtrolls, 2016's Kubo and the Two Strings, and more. Uncharted would've served as Knight's fifth directorial project.
2019 marked a year of consistent changes for Sony's Uncharted film adaptation, a project that has been in the works since 2008. It was reported over the summer that the film had been rewritten, with Joe Carnahan penning the first draft. The current script was written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Rafe Judkins. In addition to several script changes, Uncharted has seen a number of directors sit in the chair, from Shawn Levy to Dan Trachtenberg to Seth Gordon. Knight is the latest director to walk away from the film.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-02-2020, 04:06 PM - Forum: Windows
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CES 2020: Samsung expands its computing portfolio with Galaxy Book Flex α
Prior to CES, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Book Flex α (alpha), a new variant of Galaxy Book Flex and the latest installment in the company’s new line of Galaxy Computing devices that combine the productivity and premium experience of a laptop with the mobility and flexibility of a smartphone.
It offers long-lasting battery, an immersive QLED display capable of producing over 1 billion colors and an ultra-thin bezel. The 2-in-1 PC delivers a super-bright display that allows you to enjoy the screen’s 100% color volume and vibrant picture in almost any lighting.
You can do more with up to 17.5-hours battery life* and when charging does become necessary, you’ll find its Fast Charge capability handy, as it allows topping off the battery in a pinch when you’ve got somewhere to be.
It weighs in at 1.19kg and is 13.9mm thick, so it can fit into any bag with ease, and still leave room for whatever else you need to get through the day. It has sharp, diamond-cut edges and a crisp, durable aluminum frame so it can withstand typical wear and tear.
Underneath that stylish exterior is an Intel 10th Generation processor and built-in biometric credentialing for a more secure experience wherever you are.
It’ll available in Mercury Gray in the U.S. in the first half of 2020, starting at $829.99.
Hideki Kamiya Thinks The Switch Home Menu Is A “Piece Of Crap”
We love the Switch to bits, but there’s certainly room for improvement – and one area which needs an overhaul is the system UI.
It seems we’re not alone in this conclusion, as PlatinumGames’ Hideki Kamiya has taken to Twitter to express his annoyance at the console’s current interface.
The legendary game designer posted his rant on social media, which has been translated by Nintendo Soup:
The Nintendo Switch’s Home Menu is a piece of crap, all of the sh***y gigantic game icons are lined up in a row, but the rest of the games are tossed into a trash can called ‘All Games’… I wonder have they (the people that made the menu) ever played the Nintendo fan boys’ Switch?
We can’t say we disagree with him, either – perhaps 2020 is the year that Nintendo will improve the Switch’s menu system with a timely update?
Let us know if you think Kamiya is correct – or if you think the Switch UI is fine – by posting a comment below.
The Witcher 3 Just Had Its Biggest Day Ever On Steam
CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still going strong four years after launch--stronger than ever, as it turns out. With the recent release of Netflix's The Witcher series on December 20, the open-world action-RPG is seemingly attracting a huge audience on PC, with the Steam version recently seeing more players than ever before--including its original release day.
According to Marcin Momot, CDPR's global community lead, The Witcher 3 hit a concurrent Steam player count of 93,835 on Sunday, December 29. That wasn't a one-day fluke--the number has since been beaten by December 30's peak of 94,651. Steam indicates that the open-world action-RPG is one of 2019's top-selling titles. No specific data on that front was shared, but it is positioned in the "Gold" tier alongside games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Resident Evil 2 Remake.
The Witcher 3 also saw an increase in Steam players right after Netflix's The Witcher debuted and has steadily grown ever since. The TV series is based on the books, not the games (which were also inspired by the books), and has been renewed for a second season.
CDPR and The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski have settled their dispute recently, with the agreement "confer[ing] new rights" to the developer while keeping its existing title rights for everything The Witcher related. Sapkowski had previously filed a legal demand for $16 million and CDPR responded by saying it "will go to great lengths to ensure [an] amicable resolution."
The Witcher 3 has received a plethora of accolades since its 2015 launch, including several Game of the Year awards. It is also one of the few games to earn GameSpot's coveted 10/10 "Essential" rating, with our review calling it 'incredible, sumptuous, captivating, and inspiring."
Skyforge: Rock and Metal Expansion Now Available on Xbox One
Summary
Return to Terra, stop a deadly excavation, and face off against the villainous Draconids
Gear up with trio of rock ‘n’ roll themed weapons for the Grovewalker, Soundweaver, and Firestarter
Unlock a powerful new Elder God form for ranged classes: the Aspect of Vengeance
Something of great value to the Draconids is buried in the rocky crust of Terra, and these cold-blooded fiends will stop at nothing to get it out. An army of lizards, giant laser drills, and an extinction-level planetary threat… the odds sound about even, wouldn’t you say, Immortal? Welcome to Rock and Metal, the newest expansion to the world of Skyforge!
We’ve been building the Draconids up for a while now, from their first appearance as a fairly benign presence in the New Horizons update, to their skirmish in the Heart of the City during the recent Ignition update. Captain Garos’ intelligence shows that your scaly enemies have taken refuge in a giant, impenetrable dome in Terra’s Toxic Wasteland. This abandoned industrial site is rife with pollution and is considered inhospitable to all but the most despicable lifeforms.
Your adventure will take you into the heart of the Draconids’ operation to find out what the lizards are drilling for. You’ll have to contend with legions of Draconid warriors to infiltrate their dome and shut them down. But amidst the rocky excavation, a metal malice lies in wait…
Kerax is an unnaturally large Draconid commander encased in mechanical armor. Known by the Draconid legions as the Assault Cyborg, his cybernetic suit greatly enhances his combat abilities, so bringing down your reptilian rival won’t be an easy task. Be sure to buddy up with other Immortals if you want to stand a chance against this monstrous threat and get out of the mission alive!
If you’re in need of some extra firepower, the new expansion heralds the thunderous arrival of the Black Metal collection, a set of weapons designed for the Firestarter, Soundweaver, and Grovewalker classes. Inspired by the fashion and iconography of metal culture and bands like Rammstein, Iron Maiden, and AC/DC, these weapons really pack a rock ‘n’ rollin’ punch!
The Firestarter, the newest class in the Skyforge universe, gets a set of demonic-looking torches to switch up the heat in battle. Pentagrams and pyrotechnics are common fare in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, so we channeled their fiery flair when designing the Firestarter’s new weapons, and the attack bonuses and effects granted while wielding them.
The Grovewalker wields a heavy metal thyrsus, an ancient weapon originally made from fennel, and a symbol of the Greek god Dionysus. This particular design incorporates an imposing metal skull that’s sure to make enemies quake before the Grovewalker’s earthly powers! Its new attack effect sees large glowing spikes protruding from its back, a look inspired by punk rock culture (sadly, they don’t make cool leather jackets in the Grovewalker’s size).
As Aelion’s resident guitar hero, the Soundweaver was already heavily immersed in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, so we had to turn the swagger up to 11. The Soundweaver wields a new demonic-looking guitar swelling with fire and a furious, otherworldly energy. In designing the look of the Soundweaver’s new toy plus its attack effects, we took influence from the magnificent flamethrower guitar guy shredding away during a high-speed chase in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Meanwhile, the exploding amps might remind you of a young time traveler amping up in Back to the Future!
Skyforge players who have ascended to their Elder God form can also unlock the powers of the Aspect of Vengeance. This new form is primarily available for the Archer, Outlaw, and Gunner classes (but you can switch to it even with your non-ranged classes), and it’s primed to enhance and amplify your ranged combat abilities. Fire arrows or a gun (depending on the Aspect’s current stance, which can be switched), summon lightning, order a volley of arrows, or unleash hell with the Aspect’s ultimate form!
If you haven’t yet unlocked your Elder God form, there’s still time! Defeat Tol Monter, the Avatar of the Oceanid Invasion, to access the Aspect of Vengeance and a host of other Elder forms. Tol Monter is a powerful ocean dweller and a monstrous challenge to even Aelion’s greatest defenders, so get your best team together if you want to take it down! If you don’t claim victory before the current Invasion cycle ends, you can also wait for the next one and challenge the Avatar of that Invasion instead.
Ready to rock? Skyforge and the Rock and Metal expansion are now available to download for free from the Microsoft Store! The Black Metal Collection weapons can also be purchased in the Flower of Evil, Rhapsody of Pain, and Playing with Fire bundles.
Learn more about chronic illness in game dev at GDC 2020
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that roughly 6 in 10 adults in the US have chronic disease; 4 in 10 have two or more, so you can expect to encounter folks with chronic disease on a regular basis in your career.
Dorn will discuss how folks dealing with chronic illness can still lead a relatively normal work life, and how you as a co-worker, boss, or fellow human being can help make their life a little easier. Expect to walk away with new ways to navigate the workforce more effectively, if you have chronic illness, while those without will be more aware of folks living with these unpleasant health issues and be able to provide better support!
Next year GDC 2020 runs from Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th. This will be the 34th edition of GDC, and now that registration is officially open, you’ll want to take a look at the (ever-expanding) session schedule and your GDC pass options — register early to lock in the best price!
