Playtonic's rather fab Yooka-Laylee sequel, the Impossible Lair, will soon be getting a demo on PC, PlayStation 4, and Switch - meaning those still on the fence can finally try before they buy.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, which launched toward the end of last year, sees the titular lizard and bat duo mixing things up for outing number two.

While the first, rather uneven, game in the series saw Playtonic riffing on developer Rare's beloved Banjo-Kazooie games, its sequel swaps fully 3D platforming for strictly side-scrolling action. The most obvious touchstone this time around is Donkey Kong Country - specifically, Retro Studios' critically acclaimed outings - and the result is an experience that feels tighter, more enjoyable, and supremely more assured.

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Disintegration, the new FPS from Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto and his studio V1 Interactive, will launch its first multiplayer beta on January 28 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

This is a closed beta, so you will need to be chosen to participate. You can sign up for a chance to get into the beta here on the Disintegration website.

The Disintegration beta will feature two modes and maps, as well as seven different "Crews," which are different character roles featuring unique loadouts. The main hook of Disintegration's multiplayer is its "Gravcycles," which enable you to hover above the battlefield. While you're shooting enemies mid-air, you're also controlling ground units.

Check out the gameplay video above to get a closer look at at Disintegration's multiplayer gameplay. The game also has a single-player campaign.

Joining Lehto at V1 Interactive is SOCOM director and co-creator Mike Gutmann. The studio is relatively small, as it describes itself as an indie outfit comprised of around 30 developers.

Disintegration is published by Private Division, the independent games label run by Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two. Private Division also published Obsidian's The Outer Worlds and Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets' new game, Ancestors.

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Activision Blog has shared a look at what’s coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare this week.

Infinity Ward confirmed in their community update on January 17 that a new patch update is expected for the game at some point this week, with patch notes for the update to come when the update goes live.

This week will see the addition of the Cross Bow to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Meet your new friend, the Crossbow. Arriving on January 22, this super-sleek one-hit kill weapon is available to earn and add to your Modern Warfare arsenal. Visit the Marksman Rifles tab in the Loadout menu to find the Crossbow. You’ll have to complete a marksman rifle related to challenge in order to earn this bad bolt of a weapon. Check out our Crossbow blog this week on the Games Blog for tips ‘n tricks to earning this weapon.

In addition Aniyah Palace returns to Ground War.

Aniyah Palace returns to Ground War. Play large-scale Multiplayer battles at this exquisite palace and landscape. Jump in to play this Ground War experience on January 22.  

This week also sees the launch of the Call of Duty League with the Launch Weekend Event in Minnesota.

The post This Week in Modern Warfare – New Weapon, New Updates, And More appeared first on Charlie INTEL.

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Activision Blizzard has announced that Call of Duty League team customization gear is coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as the company celebrates the launch of the brand new Call of Duty esports league.

All 12 Call of Duty League teams will have their own gear sets in-game in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for players.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Store on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC will see Call of Duty League Gear starting January 24, including Home and Away skins for Operators, Weapon Camos, calling cards, and more.

Players can visit the Store this week to get official Call of Duty League gear for your Operators in game. The team packs include home and away skins for your Operators, weapon camos that can be equipped to any weapon, calling cards, and more. Celebrate your favorite team by heading to the Franchise Store tab in the Modern Warfare Store and scroll down to pick up the Call of Duty League team bundle of your choice, scheduled to launch on January 24. 

The post Call of Duty League Team Skins coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare appeared first on Charlie INTEL.

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Rockstar and games industry trade association UKIE have responded to a report that the Grand Theft Auto developer claimed £37.6m in video game tax relief for the 2018/19 financial year, accounting for 37% of all UK games industry tax relief claims.

According to think thank TaxWatch, the figure, which is believed to relate to development of a new Grand Theft Auto game, means that Rockstar North has now claimed a total of £80m in UK Video Games Tax Relief, equating to a quarter of all relief claimed since the government scheme launched in 2014 following extensive industry lobbying.

It also means, as per TaxWatch's report, that Rockstar has paid no Corporation Tax for the fourth year running in the UK, despite the developer's GTAV having amassed more than an estimated $6bn USD in sales since releasing in 2014.

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Funko revealed the first wave of Cyberpunk 2077 Pops at this year's London Toy Fair. Unlike McFarlane Toys' recent announcement of Cyberpunk action figures which just consists of a male version of main character V, Funko is creating both male and female figures. You'll also be able to purchase two different versions of Johnny Silverhand: one with dual pistols and sunglasses, and the other calmly sitting on one knee.

All four of these Pops are expected to hit store shelves on April 16, which was at one time the release date for the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. After a delay, it now has a release date of September 17 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. You can view all of the Pops below:

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After a week of community-wide puzzle-solving, the maze-like Corridors of Time have finally been traversed in Destiny 2. Finding your way through the maze unlocks the Exotic quest for Bastion, a new Kinetic fusion rifle, fully two weeks early. You can wait until Tuesday to get the quest without the extra step of solving the Corridors of Time, but even if you skip the maze portion of the quest, you'll still have to hunt down another secret.

That secret is a specific location on the Tangled Shore: a Fallen gravesite. It's a bit out of the way and easy to miss. Here's where you need to go to find the grave, which unlocks a new version of the Tangled Shore Strike known as The Hallowed Lair. If you need more info, check out our Bastion guide for a complete rundown on the Exotic quest.

Where To Find The Fallen Gravesite

Head to the Tangled Shore and make your way to Four-Horned Gulch. Once there, you're looking for the Trapper's Cave Lost Sector, located in the middle of the area in a trench near its western side. Yo You won't need to fully complete Trapper's Cave to find what you're looking for, but you'll need to keep your eyes open to locate the gravesite.

Head Into Trapper's Cave

Descend into Trapper's Cave and make your way forward. You'll first hit a group of sleeping Cabal War Beasts. Clear them out and keep moving into the next big room. You should find yourself at the top of a waterfall, with a bunch of Cabal Legionaries and Psions hanging out in the area below you.

Clear the enemies and drop down to the base of the waterfall. With the waterfall at your back, look to your left. You should see the smoky blue trail of Corrupted Ether swirling around the area, making a trail to the left wall of the room. Approach the spot, which is hidden a bit in shadow, and you'll be prompted the check the gravesite.

Interacting with the grave will give you a new step in the Bastion quest, awarding you the Altered Chief quest item. You'll also trigger a Scorn ambush, so be careful not to get yourself blown up while you're investigating the grave. Once you have what you need, you're clear to leave Trapper's Cave without moving on to complete the Lost Sector if you so choose.

Return To Saint-14

Once you've found the gravesite, your next step is to head back to Saint-14 and show him what you've found. That'll unlock a new version of The Hallowed Lair on your Director, titled "The Hallowed Lair, Memento." Head into the Strike and complete it to finish the Bastion quest. Check out our full Bastion guide and our Corridors of Time guide to make sure you complete all the steps, gather all the rewards, and unlock all the story for the Bastion quest.

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Techland has confirmed that Dying Light 2 has been delayed. The game was originally scheduled to land in Spring 2020, but the studio has officially pushed the Dying Light sequel indefinitely for the time being.

The developer tweeted out a statement, saying it needs more time on the project. "We were initially aiming for a Spring 2020 release with Dying Light 2, but unfortunately we need more development time to fulfill our vision," Techland wrote. "We will have more details to share in the coming months, and will get back as soon as we have more information.

"We apologize for this unwelcome news. Our priority is to deliver an experience that lives up to our own high standards and to the expectations of you, the fans."

Techland has not announced a new release date for Dying Light 2. However, the game is still expected to arrive on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Dying Light 2's delay follows a week of game delays for some of the year's most anticipated projects. Square Enix confirmed delays for both Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel's Avengers, while RPG studio CD Projekt Red announced a significant delay for Cyberpunk 2077, which will now launch this September.

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Crytek's atmospheric multiplayer horror romp, Hunt: Showdown, will finally make its way to PS4 on 18th February - and console cross-play is confirmed for a future update too.

Hunt: Showdown initially launched on Steam early access back in February 2018, and an Xbox Game Preview version arrived last May. Both versions saw a full release at the tail-end of 2019, so it's been a fair old wait for those PS4 owners hoping to get involved.

The good news is that Hunt: Showdown's tense, unsettling spin on team-based multiplayer has been well-received. The gist, for those unawares, is that each match sees 12 bounty hunters - working solo or in teams of two or three - set loose across either monster-infested Louisiana swampland or, in the newest map, through an equally atmospheric, ramshackle town.

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The PC version of Monster Hunter: World will quickly catch up to its console counterparts in regards to new content, in-game events, and title updates. Capcom has shared a roadmap for the Iceborne expansion, outlining everything coming to the game over the next few months.

The exciting news for PC players is the fact that PC and console update schedules will finally sync up beginning in April. The PC version has lagged behind in this regard ever since it launched seven months after the initial console release back in January 2018. As such, content updates and in-game events occurred on a PC-specific schedule, with the belated PC release of Iceborne facing the same situation. This will be a thing of the past come April, as every platform is set to achieve update parity.

Before then, however, Capcom has a swathe of new content coming to both the PC and console versions of Monster Hunter: World. The Grand Appreciation Fest kicks off simultaneously across all platforms on January 24 to February 13, celebrating the game's second anniversary with an opportunity for players to attain new layered armor and unique gear. February 6 sees the first title update for PC, which introduces the fearsome Rajang along with adding the Volcanic Region to the Guiding Lands endgame area. The limited-time event, Racoon City Collaboration, also arrives on PC in February, letting you craft Leon and Claire armor from Resident Evil 2. The Holiday Joy Fest event occurs in February for PC players, too, with yet more layered armor to earn.

March 12 marks the release of the second title update on PC, introducing the Stygian Zinogre and Safi'jiiva to the game. The Guiding Lands will also be expanded even further with the addition of the Tundra Region. In April, PC players will be getting the console version's March updates, as well as a third major title update. This will include two new monster variants, and Arch-Tempered and Master Rank versions of existing monsters, marking the point when both PC and console schedules sync up. After this, May sees the return of a fan-favorite monster, while new monsters and updates are planned for June and beyond.

Monster Hunter: World is far and away Capcom's most successful game in history, surpassing 15 million copies shipped worldwide, while Iceborne itself has climbed to 4 million copies. Capcom is even working with Hollywood to produce a new Monster Hunter film starring Milla Jovovich coming this September.

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During last month's Game Awards, Gearbox Software revealed that it will publish upcoming "looter-slasher" Godfall, which is being developed by Counterplay Studios. Set for release Holiday 2020, the third-person action-RPG is the first game officially confirmed for the PlayStation 5, Sony's upcoming next-gen console--also set to arrive Holiday 2020.

A brief snippet of gameplay footage for Godfall has now leaked online. The small clip initially appeared on Reddit and appears to be taken from an internal trailer at Counterplay Games that was shown at the beginning of 2019. This could be the first six seconds of PS5 footage we've seen, or it might simply be captured from the PC version of the game. Either way, the use of flashy effects and impressive lighting certainly look the part, and it offers a hint of Godfall's presumably weighty melee combat. You can watch the footage here.

The announcement trailer shown off during The Game Awards didn't reveal much else about the upcoming next-gen title, but the developers have since let slip a few more details. Godfall takes place in a fantasy setting and sees you step into the shoes of a member of the exalted Knight's Order, who are tasked with holding back the apocalypse. You can play the game solo or team up with groups of up to three players and battle across the realms of Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit, slashing through enemy combatants and gathering loot to create a formidable warrior.

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The Destiny 2 community has spent the last week figuring out a massive puzzle as part of a new secret quest that sent everyone back to the strange Corridors of Time. With that out of the way, a new Exotic quest has been unlocked--one that leads to a new Fusion Rifle called Bastion. Solving the puzzle allows you to advance the quest, and you can unlock the gun now with a little grinding, ahead of its scheduled release on January 28.

To get the gun, you'll need to head to the Tangled Shore and complete a number of steps. None of them is particularly difficult. First, though, you'll need to deal with the Corridors of Time. Here's everything you need to do to get Bastion right now.

Solve The Corridors Of Time

First and foremost, you'll need to finish the quest "Explore the Corridors of Time." Visit Osiris to get the quest, then use the panel beside him at the Sundial to access the Corridors. There are a lot of things you can get in there, including lore and a special secret emblem. Check out our complete Corridors of Time guide to see how.

When you enter the Corridors, head through the first door to enter a room with five different exits. Each one has a signpost beside it with a symbol. To finish "Explore the Corridors of Time," you'll need to go through the doors in a specific order to reach the Timelost Vault. This is the puzzle the Destiny 2 community has been working on for the last week, and all that effort has revealed a 30-symbol code that will lead you through the maze.

Go through the doors in this order to finish the quest:

1. Clover
2. Diamond with three plants
3. Snake
4. Clover
5. Plus sign
6. Plus sign
7. Interlocking hexagon
8. Interlocking hexagon
9. Interlocking hexagon
10. Plus
11. Diamond
12. Plus
13. Snake
14. Diamond
15. Clover
16. Snake
17. Plus
18. Plus
19. Snake
20. Snake
21. Hexagon
22. Diamond
23. Clover
24. Plus
25. Diamond
26. Hexagon
27. Hexagon
28. Diamond
29. Plus
30. Diamond

Once you reach the Vault, access it and listen to Saint-14's dialog to receive an item called a Chronometric Core. Return to Saint-14 to turn in the core and receive the next step of the quest, "A False Refraction."

Note that you'll want to complete the "Explore the Corridors of Time" quest on whatever character you previously completed the other Osiris quests on to save Saint-14. If you complete the Corridors on another character, try switching to the one that completed the previous quests, which should bring up "A False Refraction" in Saint-14's vendor inventory.

A False Refraction

Next, head to the Tangled Shore. You'll need to start by killing five Fallen Servitors and Captains to gain Fallen Intel. You should be able to find all five pretty quickly in the Thieves' Landing area. After that, head to Spider for the next step.

Backroom Brawl

Speak to Spiderer5trtrt5ttr and he'll send you after a Fallen Captain called Aksiniks. You'll find him in the Thieves' Landing Lost Sector called The Empty Tank, which is right next to the Spider's area. Head inside and clear the Lost Sector like usual; you'll find Aksiniks in the arena near where you'd usually fight the Lost Sector boss.

With Aksiniks down, return to the Spider for the next step in the quest.

A Strong Arm

Now you're on to the grinding portion of the quest. You'll need to clear 10 of Spider's bounties, while also killing 30 Challenging enemies and finishing eight Public Events on the Tangled Shore. Those should go pretty quickly. Both daily Spider bounties and his Wanted bounties work for this step, including those Wanted bounties that take you to other planets.

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Yet another spring game has been delayed, as today developer Techland announced Dying Light 2 will not make its scheduled release window.

Originally planned for release sometime this spring, Techland explained more time was needed to "deliver an experience that lives up to our own high standards and the expectations of you, our fans."

"We know you are awaiting the game eagerly, and we want to deliver exactly what we promised."

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Polish developer Techland has delayed Dying Light 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) from its original spring 2020 release goal, and the studio says it will announce more on this front in "the coming months."

In a letter to the community, CEO Paweł Marchewka says Techland needs "more development time to fulfill our vision," noting that the game is the studio's biggest to date.

Given the size of Dying Light 2 – the world is four-times as large as the first – it's understandable that more time might be needed to bring it to life. Player choice and the sheer number of things to do are large components of the title as well, making it understandable that more time might be needed to bring it to life.

Dying Light 2 is among several recently delayed games, including Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Iron Man VR, and Avengers.

For more on Dying Light 2, check out our impressions from E3, as well as a 26-minute long demo.

[Source: Techland]

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Here's something to warm your heart on a chilly Monday morning: a Dad from Jersey has built a custom version of the Xbox Adaptive Controller to let his daughter play Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and there's a lovely video of her trying it out.

Rory Steel, head of learning centre Digital Jersey Academy, decided to create the controller after his daughter Ava struggled to play Breath of the Wild on Switch. Speaking to Channel 103, Steel explained Ava has HSP, a condition which limits her dexterity and makes standard controls unsuitable.

"We bought a Nintendo Switch for my daughter for Christmas, and she's got fine motor neurone issues - so it's great because she only needs to move the controller up and down - but when she started watching me play Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is quite a complex game but she wanted to have a go but the controls were too complicated," Steel told Channel 103.

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Arc System Works has released a new gameplay video for Guilty Gear - Strive - and it looks great.

The upcoming fighting game has cel shaded anime visuals, and I'm once again blown away by the character models and animations.

This latest video shows off a redesigned Faust, who certainly looks like he's gone back to his creepy roots.

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Guilty Gear Strive has been confirmed for PlayStation 4, but if you're in Japan, you'll also have the option of playing it in an arcade. The arcade release of the game was reported on Arc System Works' website, and was picked up on and translated by Gematsu.

While it's possible that the cabinets will make their way outside of the country, they're bound to be rare--arcades are still fairly common in Tokyo and other areas of Japan. For most players, the PlayStation 4 version will remain the most accessible.

A new trailer for Faust, a returning character first seen in the game's name announcement trailer, has also been revealed. You can watch it below.

A demo of the arcade version will be playable at Japan Amusement Expo 2020 in February; otherwise, a closed beta of the game is coming later this year, although details have not been announced yet.

The new Guilty Gear has been described by the game's general director as "a full-frontal confrontation with the essence of the fighting game genre."

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The Xbox Adaptive Controller has been an important step for making games more accessible, but it's had an obvious downside--it's only compatible with Xbox. However, one man has found a way to change this, customizing an Xbox Adaptive Controller to work on Switch for his daughter.

Rory Steel, head of the Digital Jersey Academy, tweeted out a video of his daughter playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch using a heavily customized Xbox Adaptive Controller. There's a lot of cables involved, and he says that this is only the first version, with further iterations to come. But it all works, and his daughter is clearly very pleased.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shared the tweet as well, calling it "incredible." Steel posted an in-progress photo earlier, too, showing how much wire work was involved. He completed the project in a single weekend.

Microsoft said back at E3 2018 that it would love to see the controller working on PS4 and Switch, and while official support has not come, it looks like it's technically possible on Switch at least.

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The first beta test for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's release on PC is coming up soon. Developer 343 Industries announced in a blog post (via Windows Central) that the first public test--or "flight" in the Halo vernacular--will begin in February.

You can sign up for the Halo Insider program for a chance to get into the testing phase.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is the second title within Halo: The Master Chief Collection that's coming to PC and other digital stores, following Halo: Reach at the end of 2019.

Microsoft is looking to test various elements of Halo: Combat Evolved, including the campaign (both solo and co-op), as well as multiplayer and its progression system.

In addition to launching the first Halo on PC, this next testing phase will include updates and improvements for Halo: Reach that Microsoft is testing before rolling out publicly. One of the updates is a feature that allows players to crouch while moving, which is supported on both mouse and keyboard and controller.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for PC will cost $10 USD on its own or $40 USD through The Master Chief Collection. A release date for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's final version for PC hasn't been announced yet. The remaining titles in the package--Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4--will release later. They will also be tested first through the Halo Insider program before launching publicly for everyone.

Part of the reason why Microsoft is being so thorough and extensive with its testing is because Halo: The Master Chief Collection got off to a horrible start on Xbox One back in 2014, and the company doesn't want to repeat those same mistakes. It's also worth noting that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is in a very good places these days with active player populations and ongoing support and updates.

2020 is a very big year for the Halo brand, as 343's other internal team is working on Halo: Infinite for release across Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC later this year.

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Fortnite is one of the world's most popular video games. TikTok is one of the world's most popular apps. Now, the two are joining forces for a new crossover campaign.

The Emote Royal Contest on TikTok is a new challenge that Epic and the makers of the uber-popular app have announced. Here's how it works: film yourself performing an original dance move, then submit it on TikTok using the hashtag #EmoteRoyaleContest.

The winning dance, as decided by Epic, will then become a real emote in Fortnite. The winner will also receive 25,000 V-Bucks and a "Fortnite VIP giveaway package." This includes two hoodies, a crossbody bag, a battle bus drone, a Funko toy, and the Fortnite edition of Jenga, among other things.

Fortnite players Jordan Fisher and Pokimane already created TikTok dances that will be turned into emotes in Fortnite. You can check out their videos embedded in this story to see what you want to try to do to get selected for the contest.

You must use one of Fortnite's pre-chosen music tracks for this contest; download them here. The official contest rules also state that contestants must perform original dance moves. This line is notable because Epic has faced and fought numerous lawsuits related to how Fortnite's in-game emotes are based on other people's dances.

The contest started January 18 and runs through January 24.

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Dragon Ball FighterZ will get at least one more fighter, with Ultra Instinct Goku set to appear in the game this year. The new DLC was announced in Japanese V Jump Magazine, and shared by the Twitter account Dragon Ball Hype.

It's unclear if this new character heralds a third FighterZ Pass, but Gematsu reports that we'll learn more during the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals 2019 – 2020 in February.

This is the eighth Goku in the game, not counting the very Goku-like Bardock. Ultra Instinct Goku will join a roster that already includes Super Saiyan Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Goku, Goku Black, base form Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Vegito (Goku and Vegeta fused), Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta (Goku and Vegeta fused, but with a different method) and kid Goku from Dragon Ball GT.

Ultra Instinct was introduced in the latest anime series, Dragon Ball Super, during the Tournament of Power arc. The form shown in the magazine is "mastered" Ultra Instinct, a form in which the body reacts instinctively to every situation. The power-scaling in Dragon Ball FighterZ means that even Yamcha and Videl will potentially be able to beat Goku in this form. It's not yet clear what Ultra Instinct Goku's moveset will be.

A brand new Dragon Ball game, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, is also out now.

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Joe Biden, the former vice president of the United States of America, is currently campaigning to be the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election. In an interview with the New York Times, when asked about the expanding power of Silicon Valley during Obama's time in office, Biden found himself discussing a meeting with "the leaders of Silicon Valley," and one unnamed game creator evidently left a sour taste in his mouth.

"And you may recall, the criticism I got for meeting with the leaders in Silicon Valley, when I was trying to work out an agreement dealing with them protecting intellectual property for artists in the United States of America," Biden says. "And at one point, one of the little creeps sitting around that table, was a multi- —close to a billionaire—who told me he was an artist because he was able to come up with games to teach you how to kill people..."

This off-hand comment is not the first time Biden has expressed a distaste for violent games. In 2013, as vice president, he spoke about the possibility of applying additional taxes to violent media. He was also seeking to meet with members of the games industry to discuss the links between games and gun violence, and an open letter published at the time implored him not to blame games for real-world violence.

An interviewer asks if he's referring to video games, and Biden continues, "Yeah, video games. And I was lectured by one of the senior leaders there that by saying if I insisted on what Leahy’d put together and we were, I thought we were going to fully support, that they would blow up the network, figuratively speaking. Have everybody contact. They get out and go out and contact the switchboard, just blow it up."

The "Leahy" line is likely a reference to Vermont senator Patrick Leahy, although the context is not entirely clear from Biden's response.

Biden recalls that one of the Silicon Valley people he was meeting with described them as "the economic engine of America," which he took issue with. "As I added up the seven outfits, everyone’s there but Microsoft. I said, you have fewer people on your payroll than all the losses that General Motors just faced in the last quarter, of employees. So don’t lecture me about how you’ve created all this employment."

"The point is, there’s an arrogance about it, an overwhelming arrogance," Biden said, referencing the idea that Silicon Valley was bolstering the economy.

It's not clear which meeting, or developer, Biden is talking about. Kotaku has theorized several identities for the "creep," but there's no definitive answer.

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As January rolls on, it brings us new adventures, more content for some big titles, and the chance to revisit some previous releases. The Pokemon-inspired MMO Temtem is full of creatures to collect, while The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is full of zombies to gun down. You can also jump back into Kingdom Hearts 3 with the Re:Mind expansion. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is getting an updated Nintendo Switch port, while the dystopia adventure game Mosaic makes its console debut.

Temtem -- January 21

Available on: PC

At first glance, you might think Temtem is related to Pokemon Sword & Shield. Well, the Pokemon series is developer Crema's chief inspiration. But there are some key differences: chiefly, Temtem is an MMO. That means you can explore the archipelago, catch creatures, and throw down in 2v2 battles with friends. Those battles involve a elemental strengths and weaknesses, yes, but Temtems can also synergize for deeper strategies.

More Coverage:

• What Pokemon Can (And Should) Learn From Temtem

• Getting An Evolution As Fast As We Can In Temtem

Kingdom Hearts III - Re:Mind -- January 23

Available on: PS4

Re:Mind brings more of what you love about Kingdom Hearts to the latest game, with more boss fights, story content, and two new Keyblades for Sora to wield: Oblivion and Oathkeeper. It focuses on his search for Kairi in the Keyblade Graveyard, but Kairi herself is also playable. Re:Mind also brings back Final Fantasy favorites like Aerith, Yuffie, and Leon.

More Coverage:

• Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC: Pre-Order Editions, Concert Video, And Release Date

• Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind Will Get You Granular Difficulty Control And New Photo Modes

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD -- January 23

Available on: Switch

The Oddworld series is, well, odd. The titular stranger wields a crossbow that fires tiny creatures as ammo, letting you take down enemies with unique effects. This Nintendo Switch port lets you do that with new gyro controls. The Stranger himself is a bounty hunter who can leap and climb around the environment, and there's plenty of platforming to be had here too.

More Coverage:

• Oddworld Stranger's Wrath Review

• Nintendo Switch Getting Axiom Verge 2, Dauntless, & Oddworld - GS News Update

Mosaic -- January 23

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Mosaic is set in a dreadful world: a sprawling, depressing city with lifeless people just going through their daily routines. The game tasks you with breaking out of this dystopia, going on a journey to overcome your urban isolationism. That sounds abstract, I know, but at least there's a fun saxophone player in the trailer.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners -- January 23

Available on: PC

What's an episode of New Releases without a virtual reality game? Saints and Sinners is set in a flooded New Orleans, where you'll have to scavenge for supplies, make tough decisions, and meet with various factions if you want to survive. There's also a secret hidden in the city that just might put a stop to this whole zombie plague thing too.

There's still another batch of hot January games in the oven. Next week, New Releases will bite into Journey to the Savage Planet and the long-awaited final episode of Kentucky Route Zero.

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Xbox Achievements remain a core part of the Xbox ecosystem, and having a high gamerscore in a game--or finally snagging a difficult Achievement--can feel pretty good. Xbox achievement tracking site True Achievements has created a tool, called #MyDecadeOnXbox, to give you some insight into your own play habits.

Log into your Xbox account and the site's tracker will tell you how many games you played over that decade on Xbox, how many achievements and gamerscore you unlocked, how many of those achievements were rare, and much more. It tracks your best month and day for achievements, gives you a platform breakdown, and lists your rarest achievements.

It's worth noting that this is not an official Microsoft initiative--you will need a True Achievements account, and you'll need to give them access to your Xbox account information to get these figures.

It's an interesting list of statistics, and a good way to chart how your play habits on Xbox systems have or have not changed. Xbox Achievements have changed a lot over the decade, as the distinction between retail and "arcade" games has been dropped, and Microsoft has been less rigid over how many Achievements a game can or can't have. You can even earn them on Switch, but only in a tiny handful of games.

Achievements will likely remain a big part of the Xbox Series X when it launches in late 2020. There are still plenty of Xbox One games on the horizon as well, though, so Achievement hunters will be able to keep busy this year.

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Technology giant Microsoft has announced a bold new plan to do its part to save the planet amid growing concerns about climate change. There are two key takeaways from this announcement, the first of which is that Microsoft is planning to become "carbon negative" by 2030. By 2050, the Xbox-maker also aims to remove all the carbon it has created as a company since its foundation in 1975.

Microsoft's "aggressive program" plans to cut carbon emissions from its direct sources and from the chain of companies it works with to create its various products. Microsoft said it will create a $1 billion "climate innovation fund" to help with these efforts, and progress on all fronts will be detailed in a yearly Environmental Sustainability Report.

"We must begin to offset the damaging effects of climate change, and that's what we are here to talk about today," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. "The scientific consensus is clear. The world, today, is confronted with an urgent carbon crisis. If we don't curb emissions and the temperatures continue to climb, the science tells us the results will be devastating.

"Each of us is going to need to take action, and that includes businesses. No one company can solve this macro challenge alone, but as a global technology company, we have a particular responsibility to do our part. That's why today we're announcing an ambitious new plan to help address the sustainability of our planet."

Carbon negative, by Microsoft's definition, means that a company is removing more carbon than it creates each year. "While it is imperative that we continue to avoid emissions, and these investments remain important, we see an acute need to begin removing carbon from the atmosphere, which we believe we can help catalyze through our investments," Microsoft said.

Microsoft said it plans to make use of the "best available science and most accurate math" to make its decisions about sustainability. The company said it also plans to enact various measures to help both its suppliers and customers become more informed about best practices as it relates to reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, Microsoft will use its platform as one of the world's biggest companies to work with politicians and other agencies to "accelerate carbon reduction and removal opportunities."

Lastly, Microsoft said it will create new opportunities for its employees to help with the company's overall ambition to reduce its carbon footprint. Microsoft is among the largest employers on planet Earth, as it has nearly 150,000 employees worldwide.

Microsoft is producing 825,000 carbon-neutral Xbox game consoles as part of a pilot program that represents the first gaming consoles in history to bear that designation. "We love Xboxes, but we all know that an Xbox works only when it's plugged in, and it's using electricity," Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a statement.

As for Sony, the company has said the PlayStation 5 will be more environmentally friendly.

You can visit Microsoft's website to see a detailed breakdown of how the company will go about reducing its carbon footprint.

In 2019, the United Nations announced an initiative called "Playing for the Planet," which saw gaming giants like Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and Niantic announce plans to work together to come up with best practices for reducing the environmental impact of the video game industry. Nintendo is missing from the alliance but the company already operate an Environment Committee at the company's headquarters in Japan, while each of its overseas subsidiaries have their own committees that look into environmental impact in their regions.

In total, the efforts undertaken by the 21 game companies is estimated to result in a "30 million ton reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030." Additionally, "millions" of trees will be planted, while game companies will enact practices to do better in the areas of "energy management, packaging, and device recycling."

A researcher in Australia is trying to further analyze the impact on the environmental impact of the gaming industry and also learn what game developers think about climate change and sustainability.

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