For many rookies in Dota 2 and other multiplayer online battle arena games, the biggest obstacle isn't the game itself -- sometimes, it's the community. There are certainly helpful players, but MOBAs are notorious for jaded players who are hostile to anyone who isn't already a grizzled veteran. Valve wants to fix that. It's delivering a Dota 2 update that matches newcomers with players with reliably high behavior scores, reducing the chances that someone will berate you while you're still learning the ropes. There's no guarantee they'll be forgiving, but it's better than risking a stream of profanity just because you haven't spent 200 hours mastering your hero.

Source: DOTA 2 Blog

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We've had a few cracks at LawBreakers, the futuristic cops vs. robbers game from Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski and Boss Key Productions, but now anyone can play on PC and PS4. An open beta test runs until 10 AM ET Monday morning, which should be plenty of time to see if it's a worthy competitor to the likes of Overwatch. There are some new wrinkles in this beta test like direct integration with Twitch and the PS4 version is tweaked for better play on the console, so go ahead and dive in (after checking out a few tutorials) before the game officially launches on August 8th.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Boss Key Productions, Lawbreakers Patch Notes

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Are you still pining for the elusive NES Classic Edition a few months after its abrupt discontinuation? If you're in the right US city and act quickly, you might have a chance. Amazon's Treasure Trucks in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle are offering the retro console at its original $60 price as part of a one-day sale on July 29th. You just have to order from the Amazon app and pick one of the trucks as your pickup point. The offer is only available from 11AM to 5PM local time, and only while stocks last, but this may be your best (and possibly last) opportunity to get the Classic without being gouged by a third-party reseller or online auction. And if you miss out? Well, there's always the SNES Classic.

Source: CNET, Amazon

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Were you aware that Night Trap was originally being produced by Hasbro games for a failed video format? How about that the footage for the game was filmed in 1987, five years before the game officially shipped? Would you be surprised if I told you the original source code was lost?

There is a lot of great insight on Night Trap in this documentary from the YouTube channel "My Life in Gaming." Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the game and next month's release of the remaster, the guys from MLiG sat down with the director and co-writer of the game, James Riley, and the developer behind the upcoming remaster, Tyler Hogle, to shed some insight on how the title came to be and what was left unused from the original shoots.

Even if you have no interest in Night Trap, this video does a fantastic job of archiving what game development used to be like. With how expansive and open our current hardware is, its easy to forget that technology was so limited just a few decades ago. The limitations of the NES in the '80s created a perfect storm for the oddities of FMV gaming to rise. Now digital distribution and vastly superior hardware allows us to relive this crazy concoction, blemishes and all.

Read more...

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Prey was the latest AAA title from Bethesda this year, going live on May 4 for the usual $59.99 price we've grown accustom to in gaming. Fast forward a few months and Bethesda has allowed PC gaming retailers sizable discounts on their lineup meaning their latest Sci-Fi action RPG is down to $29.99 at the WinGameStore - the first time yet at half price. Other hot Bethesda deals are found at GamersGate, where the cheapest Fallout 4 and Doom can also be found for $12.90 a pop. With so many new low prices it's the top PC gaming sale of the weekend.

While discounts on the PlayStation 4 Slim have been as low as $100 off, the PlayStation 4 Pro rarely drops even by $10. The $399.99 price has been a tough nut to crack this year during non-holiday season sale, but this weekend you can slash $40 off after coupon at Jet making the lowest price of 2017. The same coupon works on select gaming equipment and also makes the best price online currently for the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR Core Headset + camera bundle.

Since its April release, Persona 5 on the PS4 and PS3 has been void of discounts until this week. Now GameStop is the first retailer to slash $10 off both the PS4 and PS3 versions dropping the PS4 version from $60 to $49.99 and the PS3 from $50 to $39.99. This is the current lowest price for both platforms on the popular and well-reviewed JRPG garnering a 9/10 rating.

Top Weekend Deals

Hardware deals, use Coupon: ITSELECTRIC40

• PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console — $359
• HTC Vive VR System — $759.99
• PlayStation VR Core Headset + Camera — $409.99

Games

• Prey (Steam) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Fallout 4: Season Pass (Steam) — $24.70  (list price $50)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $12.90  (list price $30)
• Doom (Steam) — $12.90  (list price $30)
• Persona 5 (PS4) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• Persona 5 (PS3) — $39.99  (list price $50)

Upcoming Releases

• 08/29: XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Steam) — $32.79  (list price $40)
• 08/29: Absolver (DRM-Free) — $26.99  (list price $30)
• 09/15: Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (Steam) — $23.99  (list price $30)
• 10/10: Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Steam) — $44.99  (list price $60)
• 10/10: Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Silver Edition (Steam) — $59.99  (list price $80)
• 10/10: Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Gold Edition (Steam) — $74.99  (list price $100)
• 10/27: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Steam) — $47.99  (list price $60)
• 10/27: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $63.99  (list price $80)

PC Game Deals

GamersGate Bethesda Sale

• The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Digital Collectors — $44.29  (list price $80)
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind: Upgrade — $24.55  (list price $40)
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Steam) — $17.60  (list price $40)
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition (Steam) — $17.60  (list price $40)
• Dishonored 2 (Steam) — $16.16  (list price $40)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $12.90  (list price $30)
• Doom (Steam) — $12.90  (list price $30)
• Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition (Steam) — $10  (list price $20)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $9  (list price $20)
• Dishonored: Definitive Edition (Steam) — $8.88  (list price $20)
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited — $7.50  (list price $30)
• Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition (Steam) — $6.75  (list price $15)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Edition (Steam) — $6.75  (list price $15)
• Brink Complete Pack (Steam) — $4.50  (list price $10)
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Steam) — $4.48  (list price $20)
• The Evil Within (Steam) — $4.48  (list price $20)
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Steam) — $4.48  (list price $20)
• Wolfenstein: The New Order (Steam) — $4.48  (list price $20)
• Doom 3: BFG Edition (Steam) — $4.08  (list price $20)
• Quake IV (Steam) — $3.45  (list price $15)
• Dishonored (Steam) — $2.04  (list price $10)

GMG Summer Sale

• For Honor (Uplay) — $40.19  (list price $60)
• Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (Steam) — $39.89  (list price $60)
• Berserk and the Band of the Hawk (Steam) — $39.89  (list price $60)
• Steep (Uplay) — $28.50  (list price $60)
• Stellaris: Nova Edition (Steam) — $23.75  (list price $50)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $22.79  (list price $40)
• Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (Steam) — $19.94  (list price $30)
• Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (Steam) — $18  (list price $40)
• DiRT Rally (Steam) — $17.99  (list price $60)
• Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (Steam) — $16.15  (list price $50)
• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Steam) — $11.40  (list price $40)
• Offworld Trading Company (Steam) — $7.20  (list price $20)
• Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (Steam) — $6  (list price $30)
• Saints Row IV - Game of the Century Edition (Steam) — $4.75  (list price $20)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY (Steam) — $4  (list price $20)
• Risen 3: Titan Lords (Steam) — $3.56  (list price $15)

More

• Watch_Dogs 2 Gold Edition (Uplay) — $42  (list price $100)
• Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $39.26  (list price $85)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (Steam) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (DRM-Free) — $27.99  (list price $40)
• Watch_Dogs 2 (Uplay) — $25.20  (list price $60)
• Grand Theft Auto V — $24  (list price $60)
• Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns — $21.99  (list price $30)
• Expeditions: Viking (Steam) — $21.59  (list price $30)
• Dark Souls III (Steam) — $20.93  (list price $60)
• Total War: Warhammer (Steam) — $17.40  (list price $60)
• Conan Exiles (Steam) — $16.99  (list price $30)
• Bayonetta (Steam) — $13.99  (list price $20)
• Total War: Rome II Emperor Edition (Steam) — $11.99  (list price $60)
• Watch_Dogs Complete Edition (Uplay) — $11.92  (list price $50)
• Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (Steam) — $11.77  (list price $40)
• Total War: Attila (Steam) — $9.99  (list price $45)
• Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition (Steam) — $9.99  (list price $40)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum (Steam) — $6.08  (list price $20)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon World (Steam) — $6  (list price $15)
• Blackguards 2 (DRM-Free) — $2.99  (list price $20)
• Simcity 3000 Unlimited (DRM-Free) — $2.49  (list price $10)
• Blackguards Special Edition (DRM-Free) — $2.49  (list price $25)
• Medal of Honor Pacific Assault (Origin) — FREE  (list price $20)
• Battlefield 4: Final Stand (Origin) — FREE  (list price $15)

Console Game Deals

• For Honor Apollyon Collector's Edition (PS4, Xbox One) — $174.97  (list price $220)
• PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller (Silver, Magma Red, Wave Blue) — $39.99  (list price $65)
• Vikings Wolves of Midgard (Xbox One, PS4) — $19.99  (list price $30)
• Tom Clancy's The Division (PS4 - Pre-owned, Xbox One - Pre-owned) — $9.17  (list price $17)

PS4

• Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) — $39.98  (list price $50)
• Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX (PS4) — $34.43  (list price $50)
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (PS4) — $33.79  (list price $50)
• Battlefield 1 (PS4) — $23.99  (list price $60)
• God Eater 2: Rage Burst (PS4 Download) — $19.99  (list price $30)
• Steep (PS4 - Pre-owned) — $19.20  (list price $60)
• Mafia III (PS4 - Pre-owned) — $19.20  (list price $60)
• Final Fantasy XV (PS4 - Pre-owned) — $19.20  (list price $60)
• Fallout 4 (PS4 - Pre-owned) — $13.03  (list price $30)
• Just Cause 3 (PS4 - Pre-owned) — $13.03  (list price $60)

Xbox One

• Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience (Xbox One) — $19.99  (list price $50)
• Batman: Arkham Knight (Xbox One - Pre-owned) — $9.17  (list price $20)
• Madden NFL 16 (Xbox One) — $7.99  (list price $15)
• Battlefield 4: Final Stand DLC (Xbox One Download) — FREE  (list price $15)
• World of Tanks - Dunkirk Starter Edition (Xbox One Download) — FREE  (list price $22)

Laptop Deals

• Lenovo Yoga 720 15 i7-7700HQ, 8GB, 512GB SSD, GTX 1050 — $1,129.99  (list price $1,400)
• Lenovo Y700-15 i7-6700HQ, 16GB, 1TB + 256GB SSD, GTX 960M, 4K — $899.99  (list price $1,500)

Desktop Deals

• Dell Inspiron AMD Ryzen 7 1700X, RX 580, 8GB, 1TB — $1,028.99  (list price $1,100)
• Dell Inspiron AMD Ryzen 5 1400, Radeon RX 570, 8GB, 1TB — $881.99  (list price $950)
• HP Omen 870 i5-6600K, GTX 1060, 16GB, 2TB HDD — $849.99  (list price $1,550)
• Dell Inspiron AMD Ryzen 5 1400, RX 570, 8GB, 1TB — $783.99  (list price $850)

HDTV Deals

• Sceptre U650CV-U 65" 4K HDTV — $559.99  (list price $900)
• Sharp LC-60N5100U 60" 1080p Smart HDTV (Refurbished) — $359  (list price $700)
• TCL 49S405 49" 4K Roku Smart HDTV — $319.99  (list price $480)
• Proscan PLDED5515 55" 4K HDTV — $259.99  (list price $500)
• Proscan PLDED5514 55" 1080p HDTV (Refurbished) — $209.46  (list price $450)
• Vizio D32HN-D0 32" HDTV (Refurbished) — $119.99  (list price $200)

Hardware Deals

• HTC Vive VR System — $759.99  (list price $800)
• PlayStation VR Core Headset + Camera — $409.99  (list price $450)
• PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console — $359  (list price $400)
• Intel Core i7-7700 Kaby Lake Quad Core Processor 3.6GHz — $258.43  (list price $310)
• AMD Ryzen 5 1500X Four-Core 3.5GHz Desktop Processor — $160.38  (list price $198)
• AMD Ryzen 5 1400 4-Core Processor — $134.99  (list price $169)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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In Conversation:
Trent Reznor
David Marchese,
Vulture

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor helped craft Beats Music, the streaming service that would eventually become Apple Music after the tech giant purchased the popular headphone brand. On the heels of NIN's most recent EP release, Add Violence, the musician sat down with Vulture to chat about a range of topics. Among other things, Reznor talks Beats, Apple Music, streaming, his new music and lessons learned.

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Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to the weekend. We'll take a look back at some of the big stories from earlier this week and Friday's big news including Model 3 deliveries and the conclusion of #FontGate.

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Last weekend's Pokémon Go Fest did not go well, with technical issues and cell coverage problems preventing many players from participating at the event's Chicago location in Grant Park. Afterward, the game's makers refunded players and offered other goodies, but complaints have persisted and there's even a reported lawsuit. Seemingly as a result of all of the issues, Niantic just announced it's postponing two pairs of Pokémon Safari events scheduled in Europe to "guarantee the best possible gameplay experience."

Source: Pokémon Go Live

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