Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Steve Knauer
De Blob Is Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018 - GameZone
Bounce and smash your way into the INKT Corporation on Nintendo Switch with de Blob's latest port in 2018. THQ Nordic, the company that saved the THQ namesake and titles like Darksiders, has announced the return of another classic. They’ve announced that de Blob is coming to Nintendo Switch later in 2018. The often forgotten or looked over classic is set to take a second swing at the market with a remastered version of the Wii title.
Monster Hunter: World Food Looks Amazing in Real Life - GameZone
Slay some monsters, build a campfire, cook an amazing meal, post it on Twitter! Check out this mouthwatering recreation of a Monster Hunter: World meal! Monster Hunter: World is very pretty. There’s no debating that claim. So when the fantastically presented food in-game was created in real life, it comes as no surprise that it looks positively mouthwatering. Twitter user Ki-Ki shared a couple of photos of a Monster Hunter: World meal his wife prepared to look just like the one in the game.
CEO and Founder of Paradox Interactive Steps Down After 15 Years - GameZone
The founder and CEO of Paradox Interactive, Fredrik Wester, has hung up the crown in order to help Paradox in new ways. Here's his parting statement. Paradox Interactive is a video game developer you’ve probably heard of. They’re known for creating Grand Strategy games like Crusader Kings II, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris, and Hearts of Iron IV to name a few. They also had a hand in the ever popular Cities: Skylines. The company itself isn’t going anywhere.
Shadow of Colossus Remake 73% Greater Than Original Game's Release - GameZone
The classic has returned and apparently does even better than the original. Shadow of Colossus will forever and always be a pinnacle of video games. Shadow of Colossus for PlayStation 4 has finally released, and just a few days after release, it’s managed to become the best selling game in the UK for the past week. Sure, that’s successful, but not surprising. What’s really interesting is that it has also managed to sell 73% more than the original gem back on the PS2.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Will Get 60 FPS Mode for PS4 - GameZone
Fortnite: Battle Royale is the free-to-play mode of Epic Game’s Fortnite in which players participate in a PUBG-like battle arena. It’s received a number of updates since its launch. Many of these updates include new items and changes to the gameplay. The next one will bring 60 FPS to the PS4 and PS4 Pro. You read that right.
Nintendo Not Opposed to Ditching Mario Movie If It's Not Interesting
The Nintendo movie we've always wanted will be the way we've always imagined it, and if not, Nintendo isn't afraid to pull the plug before release. After months of speculation and insider talk, a Super Mario movie deal was struck between Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment. But Mario has had a rocky history with movies, specifically with the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. In short, the film was so bad, it was good.
Nintendo Wants EVERYONE to Have a Switch, Not Just Every Household - GameZone
Uncle Shiggy (Shigeru Miyamoto) wants everyone to have a Nintendo Switch because it will allow for more ways to play. Nintendo’s success with the Switch has been nothing shy of remarkable. But the Japanese company isn’t done growing their aspirations for the console, stating that they plan on showing that “every single person” should buy the console, not just every household.
Metroid Prime 4 Being Developed by Bandai Namco - GameZone
Internet sleuths have revealed the mysterious developer behind Metroid Prime 4 for Nintendo Switch to be the same ones behind the canceled Star Wars 1313. Rumors earlier this week were floating around about Metroid Prime 4 being developed by an unexpected studio. It turns out, the rumors were true. Metroid Prime 4, previously announced at E3, is indeed being worked on by Bandai Namco Studios Singapore with collaboration with Nintendo.
Ni no Kuni II Will Take 40 Hours to Complete Main Story - GameZone
Level-5 shares the technical details of the long-awaited sequel, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. It's apparently filled with 40 hours worth of content. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is currently being worked on by legendary JRPG developer Level-5. We’ve been teased with some trailers as well as a video showing off a few new features including an RTS battle system. More recently, however, news on the game’s specs and gameplay time have been revealed.
Two Mobile Versions of PUBG Launches in China - GameZone
Chinese publisher Tencent has released two PUBG titles on mobile. Unfortunately, it's only available in China, but you can take a look at its gameplay here. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has been pulling in huge numbers on Xbox One and PC, and now those numbers are bound to increase with the latest releases of two PUBG titles on mobile in China. Chinese publisher Tencent holds the licensing rights to distribute PUBG in China.
Nintendo Switch Online Service to Be Worth the Wait - GameZone
Nintendo has been pretty quiet about the Nintendo Switch Online Service, but according to Managing Executive Officer Shinya Takahashi, it will be worth the wait. Nintendo recently announced that their online service for Nintendo Switch will be out in September. The service has been long awaited, but with so little information, fans were wondering what was taking so long. It seems that Nintendo is actually putting a bit more effort into the service beyond just providing multiplayer game services.
[Watch] SoulCalibur VI's Latest Sophitia Trailer Goes Back To Roots
Sophitia returns, and so many other aspects of the classic SoulCalibur. Bandai Namco has released its first character-focused trailer for the upcoming SoulCalibur VI. The trailer featured none other than the series classic, Sophitia. The video not only features her move set, but also a few words from producer Motohiro Okubo. He talks about the design of Sophitia and mentions that her and Mitsurgui were the first two characters developed for the new game.
Aonuma: No More Zelda Breath of the Wild DLC, Champion's Ballad Is The Finale - GameZone
Eiji Aonuma, producer of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has confirmed that the latest DLC for the game, Champion’s Ballad, is the game’s final expansion. As much as we’d like to see more of the record-breaking world of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo and Aonuma have finished expanding the game, according to an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. They are, however, adding additional content, but not in the same depth as a DLC expansion.
EA Missing Its Projected Sales After Battlefront 2 Loot Box Controversy - GameZone
Star Wars Battlefront 2 was the powderkeg that started the whole microtransaction/loot box gambling controversy we’re seeing now. While the ESRB and PEGI associations agree that the implementation is not gambling, the gambling commissions in Belgium and UK have said otherwise. Unfortunately, none of this has come out as positive for EA’s sales numbers. Wallstreet’s Cowen reduced its price target and profit forecasts for EA’s shares, predicting poor future sales of Battlefront 2.
Stardew Valley is Getting New Content Beyond Just Multiplayer
Eric Barone, the sole developer responsible for Stardew Valley, has been talking about what he’s been up to since the release of Stardew Valley for Switch. Beyond concepts and ideas, it seems like a new game isn’t quite ready to be talked about. But he did take to Twitter recently to announce new free content for Stardew Valley. This new content isn’t the already announced multiplayer features either, it’s beyond that.
[Watch] Catherine Full Body Announced For Next Winter - GameZone
Atlus, the creators of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series, wrapped up Persona 5 this year and has apparently been hard at work on another title. This title actually being a definitive version of the PlayStation 3 game Catherine. Catherine Full Body was announced today, and it turns out to be much more than an HD version of the last generation game. Catherine was a puzzle-platformer game of its own sort, where the protagonist must battle his nightmares in order to proceed to the next morning.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew is Now Playable Without VR - GameZone
Ubisoft took the plunge into VR with Star Trek Bridge Crew earlier this year. It’s a Star Trek bridge simulator that lets you be a bridge crew member aboard a starship in the Star Trek universe. Originally, it was only in VR, in attempts to get people onboard with the new technology. But now, it seems the bridge is yours even if you don’t have a VR headset. The change comes in the form of a patch.
Apple Weighs In On Loot Box Controversy By Updating App Store Guidelines - GameZone
With the controversy surrounding loot boxes such as New Zealand saying they’re not gambling, the UK and Belgium saying they are, and Blizzard saying Overwatch doesn’t belong in the controversy at all, we expected to see more companies and countries weigh in. Instead, Apple surprises us all by adding their two cents in with a change to their App Store guidelines. In their latest update, they’ve added a few stipulations. One of which directly applies to loot boxes.
Elon Musk Tweeted His Number, Apparently He's a God Of War Fan
On Tuesday, Elon Musk was browsing Twitter, but it wasn’t the casual event it usually is. The SpaceX CEO accidentally tweeted his cell phone number while assumedly trying to private message Oculus CTO John Carmack. What was their conversation supposed to be about? We’re not sure. But we do know that his ringtone (or possibly his voicemail greeting) is a message recorded by God of War creator David Jaffe.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Hits 30 Million Players Across Xbox One and PC - GameZone
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (or PUBG for those who don’t like a mouthful) is officially out of Steam Early Access today! In honor of the big day, PUBG Corp. sent out a press release announcing their latest record: 30 million players across Steam and Xbox One’s Game Preview Program. CH Kim, CEO of PUBG Corp. and Executive Producer announces this. “The day has arrived.
Killzone 2 and 3 Servers To Be Shut Down By Guerilla Games - GameZone
Guerilla Games, known for their wildly popular title Horizon: Zero Dawn, was also once upon a time known for a pretty successful PS3 trilogy: Killzone. We learned this morning that Guerilla Games will be shutting down the servers for Killzone 2 and 3. The Killzone series also had a robust single player campaign for each game, so the shutdown is less foreboding than it sounds, although the online functionality of both games will no longer be accessible.
Adventure Time Open-World Game Announced For 2018
Adventure Time isn't new to the video game world, having a number of games launch in the past. But the latest announcement seems to be quite a bit bigger. We learned today that the latest Adventure Time game will be an open-world adventure published by Bandai Namco. Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion takes to the open sea in an open-world pirate story featuring a number of fan-favorites. Finn, Jake, Marceline, and BMO will explore various kingdoms in the iconic Land of Ooo.
'No Microtransactions of Any Kind' in New Obsidian RPG Backed by Take-Two
Publisher Take-Two got some wary looks last month when they announced microtransactions in all of their future titles. But apparently, this only applies to Take-Two proper titles. Their new publishing division, Private Division (aimed to be exclusively an indie publisher) is apparently exempt from that announcement. This is good news for Obsidian Entertainment, the developers behind Tyranny, Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas and many more hidden gems.
Team Ninja Looks Forward To The Future of the Dead or Alive Series
The Dead or Alive 5 Battle Royal 2017 Grand Finals finished at NEC 18 this weekend, and to close it out, Team Ninja brought a little something extra. At the end of the tournament, Team Ninja shared a four-minute video saying goodbye to the fifth installation as they look forward to the future of the series. Take a look below: What does this mean? They're saying goodbye to Dead or Alive 5 after five years, and now they're preparing for what's to come.
Call of Duty: WW2 Devs Open a Twitter Account Purely For Hacker Reporting on PC
Sledgehammer Games is flexing its muscles when it comes to keeping things on the up and up when it comes to Call of Duty: WW2 on PC. A prime example is their latest move to prevent hacking in-game. The studio has always been monitoring reports from players via an in-game reporting tool, but they've taken another step towards keeping the game fair and balanced. Sledgehammer has opened a new Twitter account specifically for PC players to direct all reports of hacking toward.
Blizzard Explains Why Overwatch Loot Boxes Get a Pass
There's been a lot of controversy lately over what constitutes gambling when it comes to loot boxes and other microtransactions in video games. PEGI and ESRB have both said loot boxes aren't gambling, while the gambling commissions in Belgium and the UK say they are. But aside from the 'is it/isn't it' debate, Blizzard believes that the loot boxes in Overwatch don't belong in the debate at all.
Nintendo Has Just Sold 10 Million Switches Worldwide
The Nintendo Switch has been getting a lot of buzz since its release in early 2017. Ever since then, Nintendo has actually had a problem keeping up with demand, seeing units fly off the shelves before they could restock them. Despite this good "problem" to have, Nintendo has recently reported that they've surpassed 10 million Nintendo Switch units sold.
New Zealand Claims That Loot Boxes "Do Not Meet The Legal Definition For Gambling."
Lootboxes have recently been under attack for being a form of gambling. Belgium recently defined the loot boxes in Battlefront II to be gambling, while the Gambling Commission in the UK today defined a practice called "skin betting". However, New Zealand apparently decided not to join the ranks against this practice. New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs made a decision today that lootboxes do not meed the definition of gambling.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Announced as a Story-Driven Mobile RPG
Today, Portkey Games has announced that they're publishing a story-driven RPG based on the Harry Potter world. Before you assume this is old news, don't confuse it with the previously announced Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, being developed by Niantic, the minds behind Pokemon Go. The game is planned to portray the life of a Hogwarts student through a mobile gaming experience.
Gambling Commission: "Children As Young As 11 Introduced to Gambling" Via Loot Boxes
The Gambling Commission in the UK released an annual report where they have reportedly, for the first time, looked into a problem known as "skin betting". They've revealed an alarming number of children from ages 11-16 partaking in this form of gambling. "Skin betting" is typically in a video game where players have a chance to win what is called a "skin" for their weapon or character, which can be turned around and sold to others for real-life money.
The Last Of Us 2 Director On Main Characters: "No One Is Safe"
This weekend at the PlayStation Experience, Naughty Dog teased some story details for The Last Of Us Part II. Some of the details were vague, but a few stuck out as particularly interesting. Talking with GameSpot, director and writer Neil Druckmann said, "Everybody dies at some point." He was speaking generally, as in everybody dies being part of life. But he continues specifically about The Last Of Us Part II. "There are stakes--there are real stakes. With The Last of Us, no one is safe.
[Rumor] The PS4 Topped Sales Numbers for November 2017
With the Xbox One X recently released, and the Nintendo Switch just launching earlier in the years, one would expect either console to have topped the sales charts in November. Surprisingly, it looks like the title of champion would instead go to PlayStation 4. According to Mizuho Securities' latest update, sent to their clients and not the public, PlayStation 4 hit number one, followed by Xbox One, with Nintendo Switch in third.
Sea of Thieves Gets a Limited Edition Xbox One Controller
Sea of Thieves has proven to be a highly anticipated Xbox exclusive, with even more being revealed on it during The Game Awards. As an exclusive, and one that Xbox has been heavily marketing with a positive response, it's no surprise that there's a custom controller based on the game. Some limited edition Xbox controllers have seemed lackluster in the past.
PUBG Team Helped by Gears of War Developers For Xbox One Port
We've known that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is coming to Xbox One, and even that Microsoft themselves was partnering wwith the team to make it happen. Today we learned that they sent in the Coalition to make the porting easier. For those who don't know, the Coalition is the name of the developers for Gears of War 4. They've been tasked with helping them along as professional, exclusively console developers.
Two Ubisoft PC Titles Are Free on Uplay For All Of December
Usually, around the holidays, video game companies put their products on sale for customers to buy. While this is nice, it's just business and not a gift. But now, it seems Ubisoft is in the giving mood this Christmas, because they're handing out presents to everyone with a Uplay account. Series favorite Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and World of Conflict are both available on Uplay, Ubisoft's PC digital distributor, at different times this month.
Digital Foundry Compares Skyrim on Switch vs PS4
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim finally came to the Nintendo Switch today, and ever since its announcement, parallel to the console itself, people have been wondering how the hybrid console would handle it. Skyrim is a rather beefy game in terms of the resources it requires to run, especially with the definitive version on PS4/Xbox One/PC. It's this version of the game that Bethesda ported to the Switch.
SNES Classic Quickly Hits 2 Million Units Sold Worldwide
The SNES Classic. Perhaps you've heard of it? Coming hot on the heels of the extremely quick selling NES Classic, the SNES Classic has already sold 2 million units, according to Nintendo earlier today. Given that the SNES Classic launched at the end of September, effectively making the sales window only a month long so far, this is quite an impressive haul.
Warner Bros. Takes Over Publishing for Rocket League
Rocket League started off as a fun little soccer/racecar hybrid that nobody expected to be a worldwide hit. There's no way Psyonix expected it to be as big as it is today. Meeting such a large demand is something an indie developer may not have the means to achieve. Originally, Rocket League's publishing was assisted by 505 Games, but now the publishing rights have been handed over to Warner Bros' gaming branch.With the handover, a newly updated physical version is on the way.
Nintendo Switch Update 4.0 Adds GameCube Controller Support
Almost a week ago, the Nintendo Switch released its system update 4.0, which added a few new features, including the ability to pre-order/pre-load games before they're released and even capture video while playing games. Now, with a week's worth of digging, it's been discovered that the update added another ability that went unnoticed: GameCube controller support.
Stardew Valley Creator Talks Plans For His Next Game and His Approach to Design
Stardew Valley creator, Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone, took part in a Reddit AMA and like all of his public appearances, it was very charming and sweet. That's almost no surprise really, considering he's the creator of the equally charming and sweet farming simulator that recently hit the Nintendo Switch market after making waves on PC. In this AMA, Barone discussed what he learned during his time developing Stardew Valley.
Wolfenstein II Marketing Takes a Not-So-Subtle Stance Against Real World Controversy
Nazis. They're bad, right? Obviously. They've been the bad guys in countless forms of entertainment. Movies, comic books, video games, especially ones like Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a game about an alternate reality where Nazis won World War 2 and occupied America and still do in the present day.
Bioware Designer Corey Gaspur Passes Away
Game Developer and Bioware employee Corey Gaspur has passed away, Bioware announced in a blog post today. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Corey Gaspur. Corey was a talented designer and an even better person. We offer our condolences to Corey's family and everyone that knew him.
This is How Big Nintendo Switch Digital Game File Sizes Are
A number of Nintendo Switch game's file sizes were revealed on Nintendo's Japanese website, revealing how big of an SD card we'll be needing, or how often we'll be switching them out. To be fair, the Nintendo Switch comes with 32 GB of internal memory, which is nothing to cough at, as most of this list would fit with some wiggle room to spare. However, games like Dragon Quest Heroes I & II are a whopping 32 GB.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Steve
Contact Steve, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack