Core, a game development platform by Manticore Games (previous hands-on here), have just announced a pilot program enabling game developers to get paid for their game creations.  Core is built on top of the Unreal game engine and provides you everything you need to create your own games.  Details of the pilot payment program from the Manticore blog:

We designed the Creator Payouts Pilot Program around one simple concept: the more people play your game, the more you should get paid.

Each calendar month, creators in the program can receive $3 per average daily player. This will be calculated by taking the daily number of unique users who log into your games and averaging them across that month.

This means that if you have 500 unique users log into your games every day (they do not need to be the same players) you could receive $1,500 after the end of the month. If you average 1,000 users, you could receive $3,000. If you average 10,000 … you get the idea.

We chose this system because we want creators to be unified in the mission of making fun games and bringing new players to Core. You don’t need to manage subscriptions or design a vast catalog of microtransactions. Instead, the only thing you need to focus on is making great games that attract and retain players. The more players you and your fellow creators bring in, the more money you could make.

During the pilot, spots are limited for the chance to monetize your Core creations.  If you are interested in getting in the pilot, you need the fill out this form.  Be sure to check out the terms and conditions and the FAQ.  Check out the video below for more details.

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GameDev News Unreal

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If your in-game character is moving when you’re not touching the left stick, or your aiming is slow or limited in one or more directions, you could well be suffering from something called ‘stick drift’ or just ‘drifting’. This is when something’s gone coco in your controller’s analogue stick, and it’s not functioning like the reliable potentiometer that it should be.

Drifting is a problem that is undeniably common in the Switch’s Joy-Con, but it can also affect Pro Controllers as well. That’s not to say Nintendo’s products are cheap or shoddy universally; drift is an issue that can affect any controller on the market – even the mighty Xbox One Elite Controller isn’t safe. We already have a guide up on how to fix drifting Joy-Con if you need it, but the same rules don’t completely apply to the Pro Controller.

Although the steps detailed below are simple and not tremendously challenging, we do have to state that you follow this guide at your own risk, we cannot take responsibility for any whoopsies that may occur.

Guide: How To Fix A Drifting Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Calibrating

First things first, and we know this may seem obvious to some, but it’s only obvious if you know. You want to go into your Switch’s settings menu and recalibrate the offending stick – it’s usually the left stick but we aren’t here to judge.

Go to the Home Menu, navigate down to System Settings, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the left menu and select Controllers and Sensors.

Scroll down on the right hand part of the screen and select Calibrate Control Sticks because we’re planning to do just that. A little popup menu will let you know that any button mapping changes you may have made will be temporarily disabled; just select OK.

You’ll then need to click in the stick that’s been drifting. You’ll then be presented with a screen that shows how the console interprets the stick movement; rotate the stick on its axis, flick it around, generally get a feel for how it’s behaving.

Also be sure to leave it alone for a time. If the crosshair moves without you doing anything (however little), if you’re unable to make a clean, smooth 360º rotation, or if it doesn’t even want to move all the way to the edge in some areas, you’ve got a problem. Thankfully you’re in the right place to sort it out.

Press the X button to enter calibration and follow the onscreen instructions as best as you can. Once that’s complete run through the same tests we mentioned earlier like flicking the stick and rotating it. If the issue no longer presents itself you’re one of the mega lucky ones, and you don’t need to do anything more. If you’re still seeing problems however, you’re going to need to get a bit more technical.

Cleaning the Stick

If you’re still stuck in a drifting pickle, you’ll need to get a few supplies, namely these:

• Small Phillips Head Screwdriver (long-necked)
• Compressed Air
• Contact Cleaner

You’ll need to disassemble the Pro Controller to a degree in order to effectively clean it, as unlike the Joy-Con there’s no rubber skirt you can pull up to access the stick’s internals. Don’t worry, if you click this link it will take you right to the part of our handy guide video that should help you out if you’re not sure what to do or where, but it’s a fairly simple procedure as long as you pay attention to which screws come from where, and make sure you don’t lose any. Seriously.

Once it’s open you’ll be able to access the problem stick’s internal gubbins and have a proper look at what’s going on. In all likelihood you’re going to see dust, debris, hair, the usual suspects for why precise electronics aren’t cutting the proverbial mustard. Grab your handy can of compressed air and blast these intrusive bits of rubbish out of your precious equipment. Make sure you follow the instructions on the can of compressed air that you have, as some contain a liquid that may potentially damage your controller. Follow the instructions, and don’t go being a silly sausage now you hear?

Once you’ve got out as much as you can, it’s time to whack out that contact cleaner. Spray the area underneath the plastic stick cap generously but carefully; you want to coat it but not drown it. Give the stick a general wiggle to make sure the cleaner gets in and around everywhere it needs to, and don’t be afraid if it feels like the stick is catching in places, that’s just because the faceplate of the controller usually stops it from moving this far. Be gentle, but be firm.

Wait for a few minutes and repeat the process, feeling free to apply and rotate at the same time if you like, as long as you don’t put too much on as we said before. You can repeat the process again if you like, but it likely isn’t necessary.

Once you’ve applied the final dousing of cleaning, wait a good ten minutes with the controller in a well-ventilated area to make sure it’s all lovely and dry in there before putting it back together.

Now put it back together.

Return to the Stick Calibration screen and test out your newly cleaned stick. Still not working perfectly? Don’t worry, a quick recalibration just like before should solve any woes that may befall you.

Once you’ve completed that you should now have a fully-working Pro Controller again, unless there was something else wrong with it like the A button had melted. Hooray!

Still not Working?

It’s possible to replace the analogue sticks in a Pro Controller, but we’re not really happy to recommend that; the sticks are soldered in place which may seem trivial to some, but there’s too much that can go wrong with a soldering iron for us to feel comfortable taking you through that, nor the process of ordering replacement sticks.

In that case your only other option is to get in touch with Nintendo directly and discuss repairing the controller with them. It’s possible you may be charged for a repair depending on various circumstances, so be prepared to cough up a bit to get back on the Pro Controller train.

Has this guide helped at all? Let us know in the comments below.

Remember when a super rare sticker sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. on NES sold for $100,150 USD last February? Well, another copy of the exact same game (in a similar condition) has now broken this record – going for the sum of $114,000 USD (this roughly equates to £90,000). That makes this particular copy the most expensive video game ever sold.

Why exactly did this US retail version go for more, you ask? Apart from its sealed state and 9.4 out of 10 grade, it’s all to do with the cardboard hangtabs. Heritage Auctions explains the appeal and history of these variants underneath the listing:

What’s the deal with cardboard hangtabs? one may, understandably, wonder.

Cardboard hangtabs were originally used on the US test market copies of black box games, back before plastic was used to seal each game. As Nintendo began to further establish their company in the US, their packaging was updated almost continuously. Strangely, the addition of the plastic wrap came before the box cutting die was altered to remove the cardboard hangtab. This rendered the functionality of the cardboard hangtab completely useless, since it was under the plastic seal.

There are four sub-variants of the plastic sealed cardboard hangtab box (this particular copy of Super Mario Bros. being the “3 Code” variant) that were produced within the span of one year. Each sub-variant of the cardboard hangtab black box, produced within that timeframe, had a production period of just a few months; a drop in the bucket compared to the title’s overall production run.

In short, a cardboard hangtab copy of any early Nintendo Entertainment System game brings a certain air of “vintage” unrivaled by its successors.

Part of the interest is also the fact it’s a copy of Super Mario Bros. – an iconic game from 1985 that’s sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and happens to be the highest-selling NES game of all time. The winner of this latest auction wishes to remain anonymous – fingers crossed it’s going to a collector’s home.

If you would like to revisit the original Super Mario Bros. release, but don’t fancy forking out 100k or don’t have access to an original copy of the game, the good news it’s playable on Nintendo’s Switch Online subscription service.

As you might have already heard, there have been rumours swirling around the internet for the past week about a possible Nintendo Direct broadcast taking place later this month, on 20th July.

It all stems from an insider, who goes by the name Kelios on ResetEra. According to VGC, this user previously leaked accurate timings related to Nintendo Directs – including the mini one, which took place earlier this year in March.

Now, to help fire up this rumour, a new batch of Switch SKUs have surfaced on GameStop’s internal database. As can be seen in the image below, there are four unannounced Switch games on the list. Each one has a tentative release date of 31st December 2020 and a placeholder price of $59.99.

The following GameStop notice – about Nintendo of America performing maintenance on its retail integration services, on 14th July – has also been doing the rounds, but there is no guarantee there is a connection between this and the above-listed SKUs.

Now that its surprise Treehouse presentation is out of the way, could Nintendo be gearing up for something else? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Yet another week has passed us by, giving us the very first review score for the upcoming Paper Mario game, as well as not one, but two cases of Animal Crossing fans being left upset over the game’s latest updates. Now, though, it’s finally time to sit back and relax.

Members of Team Nintendo Life have discussed their gaming plans below, and we’d love for you to join in via our poll and comment sections. Enjoy!

Gavin Lane, features editor

Next week I’m on holiday, which in the past would mean indulging in a whole bunch of games I’ve been saving up. However, given the events of 2020 so far, I’m in serious need of properly disconnecting and giving body and mind some real R&R. As much as I’d love to devote hours to Witcher III, I’m genuinely considering leaving my Switch at home and turning my phone off for seven days.

Maybe that’s a bit extreme, though. A decent compromise might be to throw (read: carefully place) my freshly backlight-modded Game Boy in a suitcase along with a handful of carts I’ve been wanting to play – Donkey Kong, Wario Land II, Gargoyle’s Quest, QIX and Duck Tales are on the list. None of your fancy internet connections, just some good old-fashioned handheld gaming. Lovely.

Liam Doolan, news reporter

I can’t believe we’re now only a week out from the release of Paper Mario: The Origami King. I don’t know about anyone else – but I feel like it’s arrived so quickly! I guess it did, considering when it was announced. With my gaming schedule soon to be paper-filled with that, this weekend I’ll be trying to cram in as many other games as possible.

On the top of my to-play list is Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, and I might see how the Switch version of Catherine: Full Body holds up if I get the chance. I’d also like to revisit River City Girls after WayForward confirmed its return earlier this week. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Austin Voigt, contributing writer

This weekend, I’ll be focused on fitness. Quarantine has not been kind to my waistline – and a group of us are planning on holding a livestreamed ‘Ring Fit Olympics’ in a few weeks. Therefore, it’s imperative that I begin my training. Also, it’s extremely hot and humid outside these days, so a bit of indoor activity is much appreciated.

Of course I’ll be playing Ring Fit Adventure, but I’m also eager to try Jump Rope Challenge (give me a Link costume and I’m sold). There’s also Fitness Boxing, ARMS and Swing Mode in Mario Tennis Aces. My body is ready!

Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer

I’m looking at a shooting game heavy weekend with the arrival of Shmup Collection along with a 27-year late release of Amiga euro-shmup 1993 Shenandoah. Having given up hope of a physical release I also snapped up the eShop discounted Pawarumi. Add the PC Engine Mini shmup selection into the mix and you can bet those windows are gonna shake with all the reverb coming from my speakers.

My game of the week is Catherine: Full Body. At long last I am playing this surreal masterpiece. Please do remind me to never date a Catherine or Katherine, just to be sure.

Zion Grassl, video producer

The Switch’s most recent release window of games has done a real number on my backlog! Thankfully though, I’m taking the next weekend off and am sure I’ll find some time to knock out a few titles off the list.

I started up both Deadly Premonition 2 and Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town this week for the video reviews we did on the YouTube channel, and as much as I’d like to continue both of them, I might strangely play Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair instead. It’s a game that’s been on my radar ever since it was announced and I’ve been waiting for a free week to dive headfirst into it. Donkey Kong Country 2 is one of my all-time favorites, and I’ve heard this captures its essence perfectly and mixes it up with a bit of 2D Zelda overworld elements. I’m all in!

I also recently finished up my first playthrough of Catherine: Full Body on Switch, and man, did that game nail a successful jump to Switch. I took the good boy route the first time though but am curious to see how Vincent’s life changes when he gives in to temptation. But, I may also just pick up Deadly Premonitions Origins, as I feel I should play through it before I fully commit to the sequel. Any thoughts on the matter, Zach?

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days…