Author: Game Infliction

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Has Done So Well Capcom Is Paying Out More Money to Shareholders

Capcom has announced plans to pay out more money to its shareholders after the breakout success of Dragon’s Dogma 2.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a big hit for Capcom, selling 2.5 million copies across PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S in just 11 days. The sprawling action role-playing game went on sale on March 22, and Capcom announced Dragon’s Dogma 2 had passed 2.5 million sold on April 2. Total Dragon’s Dogma franchise sales have now exceeded 10 million units, Capcom added.

To put Dragon’s Dogma 2’s sales into context, it took the first Dragon’s Dogma game a month to sell 1.05 million units after it went on sale at the end of May 2012, a tally Capcom declared a success at the time.

Now, Capcom has revised its full-year earnings forecast and its dividend forecast for the financial year ending March 31, 2024. Sales, profits, and earnings per share all all revised up in single digit percentages versus the previous forecast, Capcom said.

Explaining the revision, Capcom namechecked Street Fighter 6, which has sold three million copies since going on sale in June 2023, and Dragon’s Dogma 2, which the company said “has performed favorably.” Sales for Capcom’s back catalog titles also grew. Here’s the statement:

“In our core Digital Contents business, in addition to Street Fighter 6, the latest title in the Street Fighter series, being met with broad acclaim globally, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was released in the fourth quarter and has performed favorably. Further, sales grew for catalog titles consisting primarily of past titles from major series due to their steady popularity. Altogether, this has led us to expect earnings for this business to exceed our plan.

“As a result, we expect net sales, operating income, ordinary income, and net income attributable to owners of the parent to all outperform our previously announced forecast.”

“Dragon’s Dogma 2 was released in the fourth quarter and has performed favorably.

It’s certainly good times for Capcom, whose games typically enjoy critical acclaim and commercial success. Despite a controversy over microtransactions and a backlash to the game’s performance, particularly on PC, Dragon’s Dogma 2 saw the biggest launch for a single-player Capcom game on Steam, with an impressive 228,585 peak concurrents. Capcom has surveyed Dragon’s Dogma 2 players about their experience with the game, as well as potential DLC. Given Dragon’s Dogma 2’s sales success, it seems more meaningful DLC is an inevitability.

As for the future, Capcom is working on the next big Monster Hunter game, Monster Hunter Wilds, and new Resident Evil games.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Paper Sky is a joyful flight sim for people who suck at flight sims, and there’s a demo out now

My experience with actual flight simulators typically amounts to approaching the runway far, far too quickly at far, far too perpendicular an angle, so perhaps I’m better off just flying folded-up bits of A4. Happily, that’s exactly what Paper Sky, a “semi-open world paper plane adventure” from solo indie dev Brute Force, is offering.

Read more

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Patch Nerfs Dragonsplague, Gives Infected Pawns Glowing Eyes

Capcom has released a new update for its open-world fantasy game Dragon’s Dogma 2 that nerfs the dragonsplague, among other things.

Dragon’s Dogma’s pesky dragonsplague illness turns pawns murderous but only exhibited a few subtle symptoms up to now (modders had already made things really obvious for PC players by sticking a big number on the follower’s forehead).

The title update, out now across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, reduces the infection frequency of dragonsplague and adjusts the signs of pawns infected with dragonsplague to be more noticeable. For example, when infected, glowing eyes will be more noticeable, Capcom said in the patch notes.

Elsewhere, there are adjustments to pawn behavior and dialogue, including a reduction in the frequency of some pawn dialogue lines. However, this patch does not make any performance improvements to the game. Following the release of Dragon’s Dogma 2 in March, players experienced inconsistent framerate performance, particularly on PC. Whereas games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gives players a Performance or Graphics mode option — prioritizing either a consistent framerate or increased graphical output — Dragon’s Dogma 2 only has one visual mode across all consoles. Check out IGN’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 Performance Review – PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S vs PC, for more.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 arrived more than a decade after its predecessor and proved a monster hit for publisher Capcom despite controversy, selling 2.5 million units in 11 days amid microtransaction and the performance complaints.

In our 8/10 review, IGN said: “More of a redo than a sequel, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a strange and wonderful action-RPG that bolsters the original’s strengths without addressing its weaknesses.”

Dragon’s Dogma 2 April 25, 2024 Title Update patch notes

Reducing the infection frequency of dragonsplague and adjusting the signs of Pawns infected with dragonsplague to be more noticeable.

  • For example, when infected, glowing eyes will be more noticeable.

Adding the option to zoom in on the faces of the Arisen and Pawns in the status screen, shops, etc.

Fixing some issues and implementing adjustments related to the mini map.

  • Treasure chests that have already been acquired won’t be displayed on the mini map.

Adjustments to Pawns’ behavior and dialogue.

  • Fixing issues where occasionally the player couldn’t high five Pawns.
  • Fixing issues where Pawns wouldn’t start guiding after offering to guide.
  • Making Pawns less likely to fall off cliffs.
  • Reducing the frequency of some Pawn dialogue lines.
  • Improving Pawn lines to better match circumstances.
  • Fixing some issues where Pawns stop speaking outside of combat.
  • Fixing some issues where the Main Pawn speaks support Pawn’s dialogue.
  • Making Pawns more likely to aid the Arisen if the Arisen commands them to help while being held by enemies.
  • Reducing the frequency of Pawns offering to be hired by the player while in the field.

Fixing issues where sometimes escort quests are considered failed when accessing Character Edit or other specific situations.

Fixing issues where the player could be jailed when fighting monsters in town.

Fixing some crashes and freezes in specific circumstances.

Miscellaneous bug fixes.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The next free Total War: Warhammer 3 update makes spreading Nurgle plagues even more rewarding

I can feel some kind of sore throat bug coming on. It must be the baleful influence of Creative Assembly’s latest free update for bellowing strategy bonanza Total War: Warhammer 3. Out 30th April, the update introduces Epidemius, Proctor of Pestilence – a new Nurgle Legendary Lord who gains rewards based on how many ickle diseases you’ve spread to other factions (already my favourite aspect of playing Nurgle in the game). Does Epidemius also get buffs if the player is infected by something? I hope so. It would be a consolation to know that my ailing trachea is contributing to the Nurgle cause.

That’s not the only new addition in TWW3 patch 5. They’re also bringing a Gold Wizard hero, who is sort of Magneto but blingier, and a cursed crown that will make everybody hate you. Let’s dig in.

Read more

Capcom Issues Reminder About Monster Hunter Stories Switch Pre-Order Goodies

Unlock some exclusive outfits.

In case you missed it, Capcom is releasing a remastered version of Monster Hunter Stories on the Switch this June.

It’s now also issued a reminder about the game’s pre-order bonuses. If you order this title from the Switch eShop before 14th June 2024, you’ll get some exclusive “King” and “Queen” outfits for the Felyne Navirou. Here’s a quick look:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Garry’s Mod Removing All Nintendo Content From Steam Workshop After Takedown Request

The developer of Garry’s Mod has announced it is in the process of removing all Nintendo-related content from Steam Workshop after receiving a takedown request from Nintendo.

In a posting to Steam, Facepunch Studios confirmed the takedowns were in fact legitimate – perhaps in contrast to previous takedowns this year thought to be sent by a fraudster. Facepunch added that the request was “fair enough” given that the content does belong to Nintendo, but noted that the process would take time as “we have 20 years of uploads to go through.”

“If you want to help us by deleting your Nintendo related uploads and never uploading them again, that would help us a lot,” Facepunch wrote.

Nintendo has historically been extremely protective of its owned content, having in the last year issued legal challenges to Palworld Pokemon mods, a popular Switch emulator, and a Nintendo 64 Portal revival that used the official Nintendo 64 SDK. So Nintendo asking (well, demanding, really) for Nintendo-related content to be taken out of a goofy sandbox game isn’t shocking.

What’s a bit more surprising is how long it took Nintendo to actually do anything about it. Twenty years is a long time to let mods like this one that lets you fill the world with gun-toting Marios or this one that turns Waluigi into a weapon go unremarked upon! It’s not like this has been some well-kept secret, either. Garry’s Mod’s whole deal is letting people, well, mod it. You’re supposed to throw a bunch of weird characters and items and ideas together in its sandbox and make goofy scenarios. That’s what’s made it such popular streaming and video fodder.

Searching for “Mario” in Steam Workshop for Garry’s Mod at the time of this post brings up over 5,500 entries alone, and Luigi listings are at over 1,200. “Zelda” brings up 800. “Kirby” gets 739. “Waluigi” has 286! This is a gold mine we’re losing, here!

Regardless of what prompted Nintendo to start caring about this now, care they do – so say goodbye to making jumpscare horror games starring Kirby in Garry’s Mod. IGN has reached out to Nintendo for comment.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Manor Lords Dev Explained Why The Price Hasn’t Been Revealed: ‘It’s a Bit Complex’

Manor Lords brings its in-depth medieval city-building to early access in just two days, so publisher Hooded Horse took the time to explain why it hasn’t announced pricing information yet.

While many players would’ve expected to see some sort of update by now, it’s still not clear how much Manor Lords will actually cost to purchase. Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender explained why fans have been left waiting in a Reddit post. He explains that the issue is a matter of managing expectations.

“Manor Lords, like all other games on Steam, will not have one price,” he says. “It will have regional prices that distribute across the world. These aren’t just different currencies — there are large regions of the world where Steam uses US Dollar pricing but in a different way.”

He continues: “For example, parts of Southeast Asia, many CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) regions, Turkey, many Middle Eastern countries, Argentina, many South American countries…all have prices in US Dollars but different from that of the US in order to provide some help for local customers be able to afford the game given the prices and wages in their country (though inflation is making that more and more difficult when local currency cannot be used).”

Hooded Horse says these examples are why it wants to stray from announcing price before launch arrives. If the US price were to be announced before Manor Lords launches, players in other territories may fear that they won’t be able to afford it. The company worries that too many potential buyers would “lose hope and feel the game won’t be affordable in their country” even if it was to attach disclaimers to a price announcement.

However, this is only one of a few major concerns Hooded Horse has tied to pre-release price announcements. Bender also references the company’s fear of scammers that may try to take advantage of excited fans who want to pre-order Manor Lords.

“They don’t have any keys, and they aren’t going to be getting any from us,” he says. “But they are attempting to capitalize on the hype, and, despite our stance that we are NOT doing pre-orders because we don’t want to take your money until after release, they are claiming to take pre-orders for key sales. They have no idea what the price will be, so they are taking their wild guesses and probably figuring they can get a key through some questionable means later (or just leave the customer not getting what they paid for if not perhaps). We don’t want players to get scammed or cheated by such sites, and giving them a definite price to plan around would probably just increase their proliferation and marketing of these ‘pre-orders’.”

Hooded Horse doesn’t want Manor Lords players worried about what the price will be, as the post explains that it has “never done AAA pricing on a game” and has no plans to start. Furthermore, Bender reminds that, in the past, it has offered launch discounts that range from 10-25% for the first few weeks.

“We’re not trying to squeeze every last dollar out of people, we won’t be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap,” Bender adds. “There’s going to be a fair price there at launch with a fair discount.”

Manor Lords is Slavic Magic’s highly-anticipated medieval city management game. Despite what many had started to believe, it’s not an RPG or a Total War competitor but instead a grounded city-building strategy experience that aims to give fans an immersive world to play in. We reviewed the early access build and gave it a 7/10, saying, “Manor Lords is a gorgeous medieval city-builder that kept me occupied for hours building my perfect, cozy hamlets, but it definitely feels very early in its Early Access development.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

The Arzopa 15″ 1080p USB Type-C Monitor Is $60.79 for Amazon Prime Members (Switch and Steam Deck Compatible)

Amazon is offering an excellent deal on this Arzopa 15″ 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. It’s normally $129.99, but Amazon Prime members can get it right now for $60.79 shipped after a 20% off clippable coupon. That’s the best price we’ve ever seen for this particular model, and the lowest price compared to other legit 15″ USB Type-C monitors on Amazon. This is a great portable display for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld.

Note: You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime account to see these prices.

Arzopa S1 15″ 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $60.79

Amazon Prime member exclusive

This 15″ 1080p monitor works as a secondary display for your laptop, tablet, phone, gaming console, or pretty much any device that has either a USB or HDMI output. If your device has a USB Type-C output with Power Delivery, than you may only need a single USB Type-C cable (included) for both power and data. If your USB Type-C output doesn’t support Power Delivery, then a USB Type-A to Type-C cable is also included for additional power. If your don’t have a USB Type-C port at all, an HDMI cable is included, however you will need to supply your own USB wall charger to provide power to the display.

The monitor is designed to be portable. It weighs only 1.3 pounds and measures 0.3″ thin. It sports a sturdy metal frame and even includes a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The 15″ display boasts a 1920×1080 resolution with 60Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel that offers respectable viewing angles and color gamut, and an anti-glare matte surface. It even has built in speakers.

Because this monitor can connect via USB or HDMI, it supports a lot more devices than your typical monitor. You won’t need to install any app or drivers, either. It’s definitely worth the price if you want an inexpensive second screen to boost your productivity without weighing you down.

Upgrade to the Arzopa Z1FC 16″ 144Hz Monitor for $99.99

Amazon Prime member exclusive

The higher end Arzopa Z1FC is also on sale at Amazon. It’s normally $169.99 but a $50 clippable coupon drops the price to only $119.992. The Z1FC’s upgrades include a larger display (16.1″ vs 15.6″), a higher refresh rate (144Hz vs 60Hz), and a 100% sRGB color gamut. The larger display and better color reproduction makes it a nice upgrade for Switch and Steam Deck gamers, however because the Z1 uses a bit more power than the S1, you’ll need to keep the Z1 plugged into a wall charger since neither gaming system can power the monitor by itself. This monitor is a perfect complement for PC and laptop gamers who will be able to take advantage of the 144Hz refresh rate. I have this monitor and can confirm that the image quality is great. It’s also extremely thin and lightweight, with a nice solid metal chassis. The little flip out stand works well and retracts out of the way when not in use.

An Excellent Portable Monitor for Your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck Gaming Console

This monitor works quite well with both the Steam Deck or Switch consoles. I’d recommend using the wall charger to power the monitor, otherwise you’ll be draining the gaming system pretty quickly (you can use the one provided with your Steam Deck or Switch console). The 1080p and 60Hz specs on the monitor is more than good enough, since neither the Switch nor the Steam Deck supports refresh rates higher than 60Hz. If you’re looking for other USB monitor options, check out our picks for the best portable monitors of 2024.

Looking for more deals of Switch and Steam Deck accessories?

Review: Slave Zero X (Switch) – Slick, Stylish, But A Hot Mess On Switch

Slice ‘n’ dice the frame rate.

Many games can get away with slightly sketchy performance if the gameplay experience is a bit more laidback and relaxed (or ‘cinematic’, if you like). Others, however, like Slave Zero X, which focus on blistering combat and stylish visuals, can be almost impossible to recommend if their performance isn’t up to scratch. Sadly, this is exactly the case with publisher Ziggurat Interactive’s retro action game, which honestly has the potential to be one of the most respectable hack ‘n’ slash/beat ‘em ups in recent memory, but for now, squanders this on Switch with a dreadful frame rate.

This is genuinely frustrating because the core gameplay is exceptional – truly. And for a short period as we worked our way through the game’s opening level, we thought to ourselves, “Good lord, this is great!” Unfortunately, while the introductory level boasts reasonably stable performance to complement the non-stop action, the frame rate tanks after you beat the first boss and move onto the second stage. It got so bad that we had to swallow our pride and eventually call it quits before the end, defeated by the poor optimisation on Nintendo’s console. The publisher says there’s a patch on the way which should alleviate this, but the game came out nearly two weeks ago at the time of writing, and the damage is done.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com