Finnish mobile game studio Supercell said today it earned $810 million in profit and $2 billion in revenue for fiscal 2017. That’s down from 2016, when the company reported $1 billion in profit and $2.3 billion in revenues.

Supercell’s 2017 is still notable given that the company hasn’t released a game globally since 2017, and as sales from Clash of Clans seem to be winding down. 

“Our headline numbers for the year are not as high as last year, as we did not release a new game globally,” said CEO Ilkka Paananen in a statement. “Our vision is to create games for as many people as possible that are played for years and remembered forever. This is how we continue to build Supercell for the long term.”

In addition the company also paid a dividend of $615 million (~€523 million) to Tencent, after the Chinese online and video game giant purchased an 84.3 percent stake in Supercell back in 2016. 

Supercell announced last month that it had invested $4.2 million in funding to London-based studio TrailMix Games, continuing the company’s trend of investing in other game makers as they also spent over $55 million last year to take a majority stake in Space Ape Games.

New details and videos released for Nintendo Labo

You may have heard about the upcoming launch of Nintendo Labo, a series of kits that combine the magic of Nintendo Switch* with the fun of DIY creations.

Now we’ve got lots more details to share, along with three new videos that give you a deeper look at how you can Make, Play, and Discover with the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit and Robot Kit, both launching on April 20. You can check out the videos right away at https://labo.nintendo.com/

One particularly cool feature that’s part of the software included with each Nintendo Labo kit is Toy-Con Garage, which can be accessed in Discover mode. Toy-Con Garage introduces basic principles of technology in a fun and accessible way, allowing you to combine various simple inputs and outputs to invent new ways to play with your Toy-Con projects.

In addition to Toy-Con Garage, the Toy-Con projects in each kit offer many ways to have fun.

Nintendo Labo Robot Kit

• Build your own wearable Toy-Con Robot suit and assume control of a giant in-game robot, completing challenges and destroying in-game objects to unlock powerful new abilities.
• If you’re feeling competitive, you can even challenge a friend in two-player local battles or compare your high scores/rankings with other players! (An additional Robot Kit and Joy-Con controllers are required for two-player mode; sold separately.)
• Nintendo Labo encourages you to use your imagination and creativity to customize your cardboard Toy-Con creations in a variety of ways. The Robot Kit even allows you to customize and level-up your in-game robot.
• Learn more about the Nintendo Labo Robot Kit in this new video .

Nintendo Labo Variety Kit

• Toy-Con Piano: After assembling your 13-key Piano, you can host an impromptu recital or record your songs and play them back for your biggest fans-in-the-making. Experiment with different sounds and pitches to create something truly unique – even a song composed entirely of cat noises!
• Toy-Con Motorbike: Grab your newly-constructed handlebars and race through different tracks, challenging CPU opponents or collecting targets across mountainous terrain. You can even create your own custom tracks, so start planning your designs now!
• Toy-Con Fishing Rod: There are many exotic fish to discover, and some of the deep-ocean fish are particularly tricky to catch. Show off your collection in Aquarium mode and have fun creating your own fish with different shapes and colors – simply insert and scan different cards in the Toy-Con Piano to get started. (Assembled Toy-Con Piano is required to access Aquarium mode.)
• Toy-Con House: Befriend the cute creature living in your Toy-Con House (shown on the Nintendo Switch screen) and discover different ways to interact and play with it. There are a variety of experiences to discover, including mine cart races, bowling, and jump rope.
• Toy-Con RC Car: The RC Car is full of unique and surprising features. Since the Variety Kit includes materials to build two Toy-Con RC Cars, you can race against a friend, set up obstacle courses or even compete in a sumo-inspired challenge to try to knock your opponent’s RC Car over (additional Joy-Con controllers are required; sold separately). Create a path using the reflective stickers included in the kit, and set the car to auto-drive along a specific route using the IR Motion Camera on the Right Joy-Con controller.
• Learn more about the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit in this new video .

For more information about Nintendo Labo, visit https://labo.nintendo.com/.

*Nintendo Switch is sold separately.

Games Rated:

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!

Explore Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 for Free This Weekend with Xbox Live Gold
Welcome back Time Patrollers to Conton City! Feel free to explore, train, and converse with the locals this weekend in the world of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 for free thanks to Xbox Live Gold. But be warned that we do get the occasional invasion from time to time. From Wednesday, February 7 at 11:01 p.m. PT to Sunday, February 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT, Xbox Live Gold members can play Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 for free… Read more

How We Made Little Triangle Unique and Fun Among Other 2D Action Games
Earlier this year we introduced the development story of Little Triangle and how we made the first Xbox Play Anywhere game from China. In this article, we’d like to talk more about how we made sure Little Triangle is unique and fun. We looked to meet modern players needs with proper difficulty management. With so many good games available nowadays, and busier lifestyles, many players have less time to spend on difficult hardcore games… Read more

Join the Worldwide Phenomenon with the Xbox One S PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Bundle
Since its release as a console launch exclusive on Xbox One in the Xbox Game Preview program, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has reached incredible milestones, most recently surpassing 4 million players across the Xbox One family of devices. We’ve been blown away by the response to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Xbox One and today, we’re excited to announce the Xbox One S PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Bundle… Read more

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Tips and Tricks
Hey, Xbox gamers! The Mixer Tips & Tricks team is back with five tips for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter! What would you do if you were walking through the woods and suddenly stumbled upon, oh, let’s say, an astronaut? It’d be weird, right? Not for detective Paul Prospero. In The Vanishing of Ethan Carter you play as Prospero and it’s your job to figure out what happened to a missing boy named Ethan Carter… Read more

The Sea of Thieves Controller Has Some New Pirate Accessory Companions
In December, we announced the Xbox Wireless Controller – Sea of Thieves Limited Edition, featuring a deep purple translucent design adorned with laser-etched barnacles, one treasured golden trigger and haunted by a mesmerizing glowing skull. Today, we are excited to announce the line-up of Designed for Xbox Sea of Thieves companion gaming accessories from our partners at Seagate and Controller Gear… Read more

Announcing the HypeZone Fortnite Battle Royale Channel on Mixer
In December we introduced HypeZone on Mixer: An all-new, one-of-a-kind viewing experience dedicated to the most intense moments from Mixer streamers of all sizes. The response has been incredible. Not only did HypeZone see more than one million views in less than two months, but we heard loud and clear that you want to see more of this type of action on Mixer. We’ve been hard at work, and today… Read more

Chaotic Party Game Marooners Available Now on Xbox One
Me and my brother Matt have always shared a love of competitive multiplayer games… even though only one of us can win them. Our first games were multiplayer, and we just kept going. Marooners started life as a Global Game Jam entry, which won the National Jury and Audience Award in the Netherlands. Marooners has a classic formula: chase treasure and beat up your friends in a dangerous environment… Read more

Innovative Platformer Dandara Available Now on Xbox One
Hello Xbox gaming friends! We’re Long Hat House, the developers of the upcoming metroidvania and hopefully smash-hit success game Dandara. Our publisher Raw Fury and friends at Xbox offered us the chance to connect with you and write this post in celebration of the upcoming launch on Xbox One X and Xbox One, so we figured we’d do this interview-style and give you a little background on who we are… Read more

World of Tanks 4-Year Anniversary on Xbox One
This is a very exciting time of year for Wargaming, as we are celebrating the 4-year Xbox Anniversary for World of Tanks! On February 12, 2014, World of Tanks launched exclusively to Xbox 360 bringing massive 15v15 tank battles to console for the first time. Over the years, the game has evolved to bring tank warfare to gamers across the Xbox One family of devices with hundreds of content and graphic enhancements over the years… Read more

Play Rainbow Six Siege Free Next Weekend on Xbox One
If you haven’t yet joined the growing throngs of Rainbow Six Siege players, you’ll be able to jump in for free on Xbox One next weekend. Starting 12:01 a.m. PST on Thursday, February 15, the free weekend is a chance to join high-stakes tactical team battles until Sunday, February 18 at 10:59 p.m. PST. During that time, you’ll get access to the full range of content and progression available in the Standard Edition… Read more

Inside Xbox One X Enhanced: Dragon Ball FighterZ
Many of gaming’s most compelling stories come from those who’ve helped to create our favorite Xbox One games. In our Inside Xbox One X Enhanced series, these creators will share the behind-the-scenes accounts of the work involved in enhancing these epic games for Xbox One X, how they’ve helped chart the course of the world’s most powerful console, and what that means for the future of gaming… Read more

Puzzle Game Samsara Available Now on Xbox One
We’re in a unique position here in New Zealand because there are very few big players in the games business over here. As a result, the indie scene has grown dramatically over the last few years with the industry hitting $100M dollars in revenue in 2017. What makes New Zealand’s game development interesting is the focus on creativity, so a lot of the games are original IPs. Most studios self-publish, as we have with Samsara… Read more

I Spent Six Years Making Pinstripe All Alone, Now I’m Sharing it With You
Hi there! My name is Thomas Brush, and I’m the developer, artist, game designer, and musician for Pinstripe. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to launch my game about a minister in Hell on Xbox One… to say it’s been a long road getting here is kind of an understatement, but what a journey it’s been. On the tin, Pinstripe is a game about Ted, an ex-minister whose daughter, Bo, is kidnapped by a shadowy figure… Read more

Bleed 2 Available Now on Xbox One
Hey there! My name’s Ian, and I’m here to announce my game Bleed 2, launching today thanks to indie publishing label Digerati and Nephilim Game Studios! Bleed 2 is the arcade action game I always wanted to play… so I made it! It’s all killer, no filler — just boss fight after boss fight and setpiece after setpiece, with almost zero repeated content or downtime. Thanks to a dazzling soundtrack and outrageous sound design… Read more

Descenders Rides Into Xbox Game Preview This Summer
Hey everyone! This is Mike Rose from publishing label No More Robots, and I’m rather excited to announce today that Descenders, the downhill mountain biking game from Action Henk studio RageSquid, is coming exclusively to console on Xbox One in Xbox Game Preview! We’ve spent the last two years building Descenders… Read more

Yesterday brought with it the fascinating news that the upcoming re-release of the Mega Man X series will likely be split between two separate collections, echoing the predecessor collection for the classic Mega Man series. It was assumed that Mega Man Legacy Collection would simply be re-released in two parts as it appeared on other platforms, but a new ratings listing seems to indicate otherwise.

The ESRB recently published a rating for Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2, indicating it will be a single release. If this turns out to be an accurate listing, then that would mean that Capcom will be tossing the full Mega Man classic series onto one cartridge. It wouldn’t be too surprising if this did come to pass, but nothing’s official until we hear about it from Capcom. Given the recent influx of Mega Man news, it probably is gearing up for an announcement.

What do you think? Would you buy a complete Mega Man Legacy Collection? Which Mega Man game is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

© 2018 Valve Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries.

Minecraft News

This week at Bungie, we invited you to celebrate Crimson Days with us.

When one celebration ends, another begins.

Rally Caps

New Monarchy

Dead Orbit

Future War Cult

If this is your first Faction Rallies, here is what you need to know. First, visit the Tower and pledge your loyalty to one of the factions. Then, it’s time to set out into the wild to complete various activities. Once you’ve earned enough tokens to qualify for a reward, exchange them for packages full of loot. 

There will be some new weapons added to the packages for this event. Here is what we are adding to the reward pool:

That’s not all that is at stake. At the end of the event, the faction with the most packages redeemed will offer their prized weapon as a reward. Those who were loyal to the winner get a big discount and can pick it up for 1,000 Glimmer. Everyone else can still get it at 50,000 Glimmer. Here is what the factions have to offer in the event they are victorious:

New Monarchy Pulse Rifle

Dead Orbit Pulse Rifle

Future War Cult Scout rifle

Fine Tuning

Senior Designer Jon Weisnewski is visiting us from the kitchen with an update on the Exotic Tuning Pass our team is working on diligently to make Exotics more “Exotic-er.”

Jon: Hello players! I’m here to talk to you about the work going into the Exotic Tuning Pass on the D2 road map.

When Destiny first launched, we built, play-tested, and shipped a batch of Exotic weapons that we hoped would be worthy of your time and hype. Shortly after release, we were happily inundated with a mountain of player feedback. This allowed us to check our assumptions, do some tuning, and push out one of the first Destiny sandbox updates which were solely focused on Exotic weapons. We’re doing this again with Destiny 2 and this time we’re including Exotic weapons and armor. 

Gameplay goals for this pass:

• Tuning pass on Exotic gear focused on adding and/or increasing player Power spikes. 
• Focus on low-usage items, but all items are being considered. 
• Lean into an item’s established gameplay and push it harder. Avoid catch-all improvements that dilute item identity. 

So how does this play out? We can look at Graviton Lance as an example. The functional concept is a weapon that fires two Cosmic Void rounds that create a zero-air-resistance tunnel for a high-caliber precision shot to fire through. The first two rounds have almost no recoil and prime the air, and the third round does high damage with no falloff. A kill knocks the body back with considerable force, it tumbles, and then explodes.

Resounding player feedback has been along the lines of “looks great, sounds great, neat explosion! I can’t get kills in PVP because all the damage is at the end of the burst, kicks too hard for the follow up, and I can’t reliably damage targets with the death explosion in any activity because the body goes flying too far backwards.” 

All spectacle, not enough utility. 

To target the first pain point we reduced the recoil of the burst, added some aim assist, and changed it from three rounds to two. This still plays into the fantasy of a low-damage gravity-neutralizing round forming a projectile tunnel for the last bullet. It also allows us to ensure the damage per burst is at a competitive level for PVP engagements. In fact, it gives Graviton a slight mathematical edge against other pulse rifles.

On the second feedback item, we did some tuning to the ragdoll body. We made it so that rather than violently flying backwards and likely out of range of a potential splash damage opportunity, the defeated opponent floats back and up. Then we made the explosion bigger, increased the damage, and added some void field projectiles that seek out any remaining targets.

This is one of the more exaggerated examples to help describe how we’re looking at our goals and applying them to the gear. At the time of this writing, the weapons that ARE NOT getting an update are Merciless , Telesto, Wardcliff Coil, MIDA Multi Tool, Colony, Legend of Acrius, and Vigilance Wing. Some of the above perform well without needing changes, while others, like the Vigilance Wing Pulse Rifle, are already benefitting from the tuning changes planned for Update 1.1.4. Everything else has had some degree of power or utility increase, whether it’s simply bumping a stat or some deeper plumbing as described above.

We’ll be touching a lot of powerful gear with this update and to truly understand the impact for players requires a lot of design iteration and test time. It isn’t enough to crank up the damage and run one strike or Crucible match with a gun and helmet and move on. Dialing in the right amount of power, testing in all activities with all types of load outs, finding the bugs, fixing the bugs, updating the perk description text to reflect new behavior, and then handing that off to localization for translation—it’s a ton of work, but we’re up to it. We sincerely appreciate your patience. I believe it will be worth the wait.

We’ll be back soon to talk about Exotic Masterworks as well! Until then, continue being excellent to each other.

Crimson Clarity

This is their report.

Crimson Days Clarifications

Crimson Days is live in Destiny 2, and lasts until the weekly reset on February 20. Upon monitoring chatter from players, we’d like to take the opportunity to clarify the following:

• The Burnout Crucible map, introduced to Destiny 2 for Crimson Days, is exclusive to the Crimson Days Crucible playlist only until Crimson Days ends on February 20. From then on, it will be joining existing maps in the Crucible rotation.
• The Undeterred Exotic Sparrow, earned by participating in the Crimson Days Crucible playlist, does not come from the Crimson Engram and does not contribute to the Crimson Engram knock-out mechanic. The Undefeated Exotic Sparrow does contribute to the Crimson Engram knock-out list when obtained, and is only available through Crimson Engrams or Eververse Trading Co.

Hotfix 1.1.2.1

Earlier this week we deployed Destiny 2 Hotfix 1.1.2.1. This hotfix removed timers on Lost Sector rewards, and adjusted Lost Sector chest behavior to only open once per boss defeated. 

Cells

Straight from the Creations page to your device of choice. The movies are here.

Movie of the Week: Drop the Mic

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Honorable Mention: Monster

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I think I might pledge to Future War Cult next week. Starting to feel sorry for them. Who’s with me?

<3 Cozmo