Gadgets Philippines – July 2019

http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph july 2019 85

BITS &

ByTeS

Stadia, Project Scarlett, Cyberpunk

take centerstage

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or more

commonly known as E3, has captivated gamers

every year with major game developers

showcasing their upcoming titles and console

makers announcing the next generation of

gaming experience. Here are some of the

biggest news from E3 2019.

Google unveils Stadia

Google finally unveiled its longtime gaming

project called Stadia. Stadia is a game streaming

subscription service that lets gamers play the

latest games via a cloud network. The service

also lets players play on multiple devices and

integrates supported games to the Google

network meaning you can play games as you

search for them in Google.

Google also announced a controller for Stadia

that connects via WiFi directly to the cloud

server. Stadia subscription would be priced at

$130 for the special Founder’s edition which

comes with a special controller and Chromecast

Ultra puck. A Stadia Pro subscription will also be

available for $10 a month while a free version

Stadia Base will start next summer.

Stadia Pro Subscribers and Founder’s edition

buyers can start using the service as soon as

November of this year, while Base users can gain

access next summer. The Stadia would only be

available for countries in North America and

Europe. There’s no word yet when the service

would launch worldwide.

Microsoft teases Project Scarlett and xCloud

With Playstation opting out of an E3 press

conference, Microsoft took the opportunity to

tease gamers with the next generation Xbox

dubbed Project Scarlett. The new Xbox will use a

custom-build AMD ZEN 2 processor and a video

card based on AMD’s Navi architecture. Microsoft

notes that Project Scarlett can run games on 8K

graphics and support 120 fps.

Aside from Project Scarlett, Microsoft also

revealed its own cloud-based gaming service

called xCloud. The service specially made for Xbox

fans lets them play Xbox titles even without the

console. The service is Microsoft’s direct response

to Google’s Stadia.

Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII, Marvel’s

Avengers get release dates

Three of the most hyped up games from past

E3 finally get a solid release date. Polish game

developer CD Projekt Red finally reveals the story

and release date of its much-awaited futuristic

FPS-RPG game Cyberpunk 2077. What’s more

exciting is the fact that Hollywood actor Keanu

Reeves himself (who also stars in the game)

announced the game and release date. The game

is to be released on April 16, 2020.

Japanese developer Square Enix also revealed the

release dates for two of its games. The much-

loved Final Fantasy VII remake is set to be released

next year but would come as an episodic title.

Square Enix divided the game into multiple parts

with episode one set to be released on March 3

next year. According to game director Tetsuya

Nomura, the game is so big that even the first

episode is worth two Bluray discs.

Another game Square Enix announced was their

Avengers game in partnership with Marvel. The

game which was teased two years back, now has

a solid release date and some gameplay footage.

The game lets you play as anyone of the original

five Avengers (excluding Hawkeye). According

to Marvel Games, the game’s story is all original.

Additionally, Square Enix promised years more of

content and online co-op mode. The game will be

available on May 15, 2020.

Nintendo’s new Zelda Breath of the Wild 2

After the successful release of Legend of Zelda:

Breath of the Wild back in 2017, Nintendo

announced the development of its sequel.. Breath

of the Wild was the first open Legend of Zelda game

and one of the most love games from the franchise

expectations are high for the next iteration of the

series. There’s no word yet when the game would

come out.

Nintendo also showed demos for two of its

upcoming games, Pokemon Sword and Shield and

Animal Crossings: New Horizons. Nintendo revealed

the gameplay for both games but announced that

Animal Crossing will be delayed to March 20, 2020.

Pokemon Sword and Shield will push through the

launch this November for the Nintendo Switch.