Amazon has reportedly canceled its long-awaited Lord of the Rings MMO game, making it just the latest in a growing list of unreleased projects from the tech giant. However, it appears this game's cancellation came from a contract dispute rather than any issue with creating something that met quality standards.Bloomberg reported on April 17 that issues arose after co-developer Leyou Technologies was purchased by Tencent back in December. Amazon and Tencent could not then come to an agreement to continue developing the game, which was also being co-developed by an internal Amazon team, and this forced it to be canceled. According to a statement Amazon gave to Bloomberg, the internal team will move to other projects.Leyou is the same parent company behind Warframe developer Digital Extremes and Gears Tactics studio Splash Damage. It also owns a stake in Certain Affinity, a studio that has worked extensively on support development for the Halo series.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

E3 2021 is going to look a lot different than the E3 events of years past. Rather than host a large, in-person event like we've seen every other year except 2020, the ESA has chosen to host a digital show featuring a number of development and publishing partners. This will give everyone the chance to see trailers and announcements online while also giving companies the freedom to run events their own way. GameSpot is also participating in the gaming frenzy this June with the return of Play For All, which includes support for important charities. It can be a lot to keep track of, particularly if you're used to the more rigid schedule of traditional E3 events. However, game companies have started to announce when they'll be hosting their own events, and we've organized them to make it as easy as possible to plan your personalized E3 viewing party.When Is E3 2021? Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Path of Exile 2 is on the way, but development also continues on the original game. Its latest expansion, Ultimatum, launched this week, and things didn't go as planned. It was a bit of a mess, to put it mildly, with players stuck waiting in server queues and unable to play. However, the problems were amplified because of Grinding Gear Games' decision to let paid streamers skip the lines and start playing right away. It appears the studio will not be making such a mistake again. As spotted by Eurogamer, Path of Exile producer Chris Wilson explained on a Reddit thread that the Ultimatum Challenge League, which is a risk/reward trial players are essentially competing against each other in, was letting players in far too slowly. "Human error" resulted in the normal trickle migration process not being run, and players continued being dumped out of the realm until an eventual fix was made several hours later.But why was this Path of Exile situation different than the server issues that plagued a game like Outriders, for instance? Well, because not everyone was affected. Paid streamers who Grinding Gear Games has brought on board for the launch were allowed in immediately, as they were supposed to stream for two hours. Not being allowed to play was, the team thought at the time, out of the question.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The NPD Group has released its monthly video US game sales report for March 2021, and they seem to further confirm that a game's inclusion on Xbox Game Pass does not doom its sales. Outriders, a surprise hit that launched day-and-date on the service, still managed to put up impressive numbers on Xbox.Outriders managed to take the third spot on the Xbox top-sellers list for March 2021, trailing only Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This put it above other huge games like Madden NFL 21 and Forza Horizon 4, both of which are also available on Xbox Game Pass. The game actually came out on April 1, but the sales data extended to April 3, meaning it did this in just a few days.But Outriders also managed to take the third spot on the PlayStation charts, only trailing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Spider-Man: Miles Morales while actually beating Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Outriders was third on the all-platform charts, as well, and because many of the games on that list are from last year, it's likely to climb even higher.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

IO Interactive, the developer behind Hitman 3, has just announced the opening of a new studio in Barcelona. This new studio, creatively named IOI Barcelona, is one part of its "ambitious and exciting plans for expansion over the coming years" according to a post on the developer's site.IOI Barcelona will be joining IO Interactive's two other studios, IOI Copenhagen and IOI Malmö. It will assist these other studios in supporting Hitman 3, which already has extra content on the way. The game's first DLC collection, Seven Deadly Sins, is now available, and its roadmap for April is packed with more new content.Two other projects will also be tackled by IO Interactive's new Barcelona studio. IOI Barcelona will be joining the developer's two other studios in working on both Project 007, IO Interactive's James Bond title, as well as another unannounced new intellectual property.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

British actor Fabien Frankel (The Serpent, NYPD Blue) has joined the cast of House of the Dragon, the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, according to Deadline. Frankel will play Ser Criston Cole, a "common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven… all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword."Frankel is part of a cast that includes Doctor Who actor Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, and Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. It's been rumored that the series will have five lead characters, so it's possible these actors will fill those roles.House of the Dragon is co-created by author George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (Colony, Rampage). Miguel Sapochnik (Trainspotting, Game of Thrones) will serve as showrunner along with Condal. Joining them as a writer and executive producer will be Sara Lee Hess (Orange is the New Black, Deadwood).Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A former Nintendo game designer doesn't believe the F-Zero franchise is dead. However, Nintendo's own design philosophies are likely behind why we haven't seen a new entry in the racing series in more than 16 years.Speaking to IGN, retired designer Takaya Imamura said that he doesn't believe F-Zero is dead at Nintendo, even with such an extended absence. However, he said that without a "grand idea," it's a difficult series to revive. The other games were fairly straightforward sci-fi racers, not featuring major overhauls aside from much better visuals when coming to different platforms. These days, that might not be enough. Nintendo isn't one to pump out sequels to games without some sort of hook or huge, innovative idea, and we've seen big franchises like Star Fox also suffer long inactive periods.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Nier Replicant releases next week for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and Square Enix and Sony have released a new video to show off the game's upgraded combat and signature bosses.The video, which is from within the first few hours of Nier Replicant in case you're wary of spoilers, shows how the combat has evolved since the original version released in 2010. It's more fluid this time around, bringing it more in line with the combat from Nier: Automata. There's a countering system, too, letting you deliver a powerful blow to enemies after parrying their attacks perfectly.You can mix heavy and light attacks just like you did in Automata, and if you remember the pod characters' ranged attacks from that game, then Grimoire Weiss' abilities will feel right at home. He's got a few other tricks up his sleeve, too, if you want to stay up close to your targets.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

If you ever thought that Mario's Lego incarnation looked a bit lonely without his brother Luigi by his side, then the feeling is mutual, as Nintendo's iconic plumber appears to be looking for his green sibling.As spotted by Eurogamer, Twitter user Jay Phoenix updated his Lego Super Mario toy and when he was switched back on, Mario immediately started calling out for Luigi. Here's the video, which isn't creepy at all:So, was fiddling about with LEGO Mario for the first time in ages cos of that new treasure hunt update and pic.twitter.com/Ztk44ZAY3G — Jay Phoenix (@AyliffeMakit) April 15, 2021On a Facebook post that detailed this week's Super Mario toy update, Lego's official account wrote in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that it was investigating Lego Mario's sudden insistence on finding its brother.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Netflix has revealed the release date of Castlevania Season 4, and confirmed this will be the final season. It hits the platform on May 13.A new trailer for Castlevania Season 4 has also been released. The promo doesn't contain any footage from the show, but instead shows a map of the various Eastern Europe locations the series has traveled to, accompanied by ominous voiceovers from a variety of the main characters including Trevor Belmont, Carmilla, and Alucard. Check it out below:This is where it all started. The final season of Castlevania arrives May 13. pic.twitter.com/sLqWjJxjoA — NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 16, 2021Castlevania is based on Konami's classic video game, and the show was created by comic book writer Warren Ellis. It stars Richard Armitage as monster hunter Trevor Belmont, and the first season was released to acclaim in 2017. The final season will consist of 10 episodes.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Season of the Chosen is almost over in Destiny 2, but there's one last big activity before the game's next season kicks off: the Guardian Games. Prepare to stomp last year's winners, the Titans (or gear up for another thrashing if you are a Titan) with new Exotics from Xur this week. Here's where to find him and what he's offering.Head to the Tower, in the Hangar area, to find Xur this week. For his weapon, Xur is offering The Jade Rabbit. Hunters can pick up the Lucky Raspberry chest armor; for Titans, there's the Ashen Wake guantlets; and for Warlocks, Xur has the Starfire Protocol chest armor.Xur LocationSpawn in at the central Tower transmat zone and turn left to head down the stairs to the Hangar. At the bottom of those stairs, hang another left and pass under the structure to find a catwalk staircase in the back corner of the area, to the north. Xur is up the stairs a bit, surveying the Last City below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Codemasters is once again at the helm of another Formula 1 game, with F1 2021 set to launch this July. But unlike its previous entries, it will be a lot more expensive in many regions.Games have generally stuck to the same price for a long time, with the now recognizable $60 price tag for most big, new releases. In other countries, especially those with more developing economies, publishers sometimes choose to value games differently--as a means to improve sales or combat piracy in regions where direct currency conversion would put the game out of reach.In the past, Codemasters' F1 titles have seen this case-by-case strategy put into effect, with some prices being extremely reasonable. For example, F1 2020 cost ARS$ 650 in Argentina, the equivalent of $7, while in South Africa it cost ZAR 330, just over $23. With F1 2021, this pricing has skyrocketed. In South Africa the game will retail for ZAR 1000, nearly three times as much and well over $70 when converted. Similarly in Argentina, the game will now be ARS$ 3500, a 400% increase that converts to over $38.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

English actor Helen McCrory, perhaps best known for playing Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise and Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders, has died of cancer at 52. The news was first shared by McCrory's husband, Billions actor Damian Lewis, who on Twitter said she died at home."I'm heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," Lewis wrote. "She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."While Harry Potter and Peaky Blinders are both fairly recent credits, McCrory had worked as an actor since the 1990s beginning in stage productions. Throughout her career, she appeared in more than 25 productions including MacBeth, Pride and Prejudice, As You Like It, Medea, and many more. In 2012, she had a formidable role as Clair Dowar MP in the James Bond movie Skyfall; in 2009, parallel to her Harry Potter role, she showcased a lighter sensibility as the voice of Mrs. Bean in Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Best overall 240Hz monitor ViewSonic Elite XG270 See at Amazon Best 1080p 240Hz monitor LG 27GN750-B See at Amazon Best 1440p 240Hz monitor Alienware AW2721D See at Amazon Best budget 240Hz monitor Acer XF250Q See at Amazon Best 280Hz monitor Asus TUF VG279QM See at Amazon The higher the refresh rate on your monitor, the better when it comes to multiplayer games where every millisecond you have on your opponent makes a difference. 240Hz gaming monitors reigned supreme as the fastest displays on the market for quite some time, and while the advent of 360Hz monitors has come, 240Hz screens are still much more affordable--and the difference between the two isn't as big as the numbers suggest. So if you're a competitive gamer looking for an edge, high refresh rate monitors are the way to go, and there are a number of fantastic 240Hz gaming monitors that we'd recommend.If 240Hz is too much for you, check out our roundups for the best 4K monitors and the best 144Hz gaming monitors. There is no shortage of great options no matter what type of gamer you are.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Resident Evil Village is difficult to separate from its main antagonist, Lady Dimitrescu. The villain has been one of the biggest talking points of the sequel, but it turns out few of us might have been pronouncing her name correctly.That's at least according to Capcom, who advised Brittney Brombacher, the host of the latest Resident Evil Village Showcase, on the correct pronunciation. You can hear Brombacher pronounce the name in the video below, which she explains was the take that Capcom ultimately went with.I’ve received a few questions about the pronunciation of Lady Dimitrescu! Capcom briefed me on how to say it properly (believe me, I asked) and they approved the take, soooo take that for what you will. ;) https://t.co/GsZuUviEuV — Brittney Brombacher (@BlondeNerd) April 16, 2021That might be surprising given the spelling of the name, and some estimations of what pronunciation might be like from natives in Romania, a country that heavily inspires Resident Evil Village's vague European setting.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com