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Google discounts its Stadia starter pack for the first time
With Doom Eternal launching today, Google is offering its first-ever discount on Stadia. For today only, you can get $30 off the Stadia Premiere Edition, making it $99 instead of $129. The bundle comes with everything you need to start playing, including a controller, Chromecast Ultra and three months of Stadia Pro.
'Doom Eternal' won't be true 4K on Stadia despite early promises
When Google unveiled Stadia, id Software proudly proclaimed that Doom Eternal would be a marquee title that ran in "true 4K" on the game streaming service. Flash forward a year, however, and that's no longer true. A launch data sheet for Doom Eternal has revealed that the Stadia version of the hellish first-person shooter will run at 1800p upscaled to 4K. That's still much higher-resolution than 1080p and will include perks like 60 frames per second and HDR, but it also means you won't get better performance than an Xbox One X player.
'Doom' re-releases now support add-ons, quick saves and 60FPS
Bethesda's re-releases of the first two Doom games are about catch up to the originals in key areas -- and in a few ways, surpass them. The id Software titles are receiving updates that, among other things, introduce support for add-ons -- yes, even on mobile. This doesn't mean you can load in any old WAD file on consoles, but it will work for Android and PC players -- and everyone will get a mix of official and unofficial add-ons. The initial selection includes the two Final Doom mods (The Plutonia Experiment and TNT: Evilution), No Rest for the Living and John Romero's Sigil. Other packs will be available on a "regular basis."
'Quake II RTX' update delivers more realistic ray-traced visuals
NVIDIA is still committed to sprucing up Quake II RTX's graphics after the novelty has worn off. The GPU maker has released a 1.2 update that adds significant realism to the ray tracing effects -- insofar as you can have realism in a sci-fi game, anyway. Water is now considerably more realistic, with "god rays" that are visible even in reflections and refractions. Many textures have been updated to look sharper or just plain better. Glass is also considerably more realistic, including more "god rays," tinted glass and an experimental option that calculates the reflection and refraction inside thicker glass.
'Doom Eternal' is delayed to March 2020
DOOM Eternal's launch was slated for November 22nd -- but to add some polish, publisher Bethesda Softworks is pushing that date back to March 20, 2020. The developer, iD Software, will also add a new feature called Invasion Mode, which will allow players to enter others' campaigns as a playable demon. This new mode will be a free download available shortly after the game arrives.
'Doom 64' is reborn on Switch November 22nd
Bethesda and id Software aren't just marking the 25th anniversary of Doom by re-releasing the original games on modern platforms -- they're also offering the first game that many console players cut their teeth on. As part of its latest Direct presentation, Nintendo has revealed that Doom 64 is coming to the Switch on November 22nd. Yes, it's back on a Nintendo console more than two decades after its N64 debut. There aren't many details at this stage, but it's getting a conspicuous visual upgrade with higher-resolution, widescreen graphics that feel more appropriate for 2019 than 1997.
‘Doom Eternal’ multiplayer trailer highlights strategic gameplay
Id Software and Bethesda breathed new life into Doom with their 2016 entry into the gory FPS series, but fell short when it came to the game's multiplayer mode. "There was not a lot of Doom in our multiplayer in 2016, and players noticed that," said executive producer Marty Stratton at E3 2019. The explosive Battle Mode trailer for the sequel, Doom Eternal, proves the game's designers are rectifying that.
Bethesda's 'Doom' re-releases will no longer need internet access
Bethesda's re-release of the first three Doom games didn't get the warmest reception, to put it mildly. The titles all required a BethesdaNet account (and thus an internet connection) to get started -- a frustration for a game series that started when home internet access was still a novelty. The publisher is putting things right, however. It's promising a fix that will make the BethesdaNet account optional, letting you slay demons whether or not you're online.
Original 'Doom' games hit PS4, Xbox One, Switch and mobile
Quakecon 2019 is underway and one of the first big announcements from the event is that the first three Doom games are now available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. You'll also be able to carry around the first two entries in the classic FPS series on your iOS or Android device too.
Quakecon's Steam sale offers steep discounts on 'Doom' and 'Wolfenstein'
QuakeCon is right around the corner, and Bethesda is determined to capitalize on the wave of good vibe for id Software's gaming legacy -- including, we'd add, the looming 25th anniversary of Doom II. To that end, it's launching a QuakeCon sale on Steam that runs until July 30th. There are steep discounts on recent id-associated titles like the 2016 Doom reboot (67 percent off), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (also 67 percent off) and Rage 2 (50 percent off), not to mention classics like the Quake Collection (67 percent off) and the original Commander Keen series (50 percent off).
'Doom Eternal' is guns, gore and sophistication
The 2016 remake of Doom reinvigorated the series. It added new gameplay quirks and systems that rewarded your aggression as humanity's savior, the slayer. Depending on how you maneuvered and ended the lives of demons and other threats, you'd pick up health or ammunition. Doom (2016) made you a far more active hunter -- it was not a game where you could hide and wait out your enemies. So when it came to the sequel, Doom Eternal, the challenge was to build on this bold new play style. This has meant a lot of changes aimed at ramping up the urgency and franticness even further.
Id Software built a framework to make streaming video games better
Bethesda is jumping on the cloud-gaming train with Orion, a software collection that optimizes game engines for streaming. Essentially, Orion is designed to make games run better on platforms like Google's Stadia or Microsoft's xCloud. It works with any game and any platform, lowering latency by up to 20 percent per frame and reducing bandwidth demands by as much as 40 percent.
'DOOM Eternal' lands November 22nd with a new take on multiplayer
DOOM Eternal, the latest installment in gory, frantic, demon slaying will land on November 22nd this year. Bethesda's E3 keynote showed snippets of the Doom Slayer's latest jaunt, which the publisher says will go "across dimensions" to heaven, hell and Mars. In a new multiplayer mode, DOOM Eternal will have two player-controlled demons face off against one slayer.
'Rage 2' will receive at least two paid add-ons after launch
Just because Rage 2 is a single-player game doesn't mean its gameplay will remain all that static. Avalanche and Bethesda have published a 2019 roadmap for the open-world shooter, and it's evident that the developers want to treat the game almost as if it were an ever-evolving multiplayer title. There are two paid expansions in the pipeline, one in August ("Rise of the Ghosts") and one in November. While there aren't many specifics about the plot, there are promises of new stories, areas and gear for both add-ons.
Co-op shooter 'Wolfenstein: Youngblood' arrives July 26th
Bethesda has been mostly tight-lipped about Wolfenstein: Youngblood since unveiling it at E3 last year, but it's not holding back now. The publisher has revealed that its co-op anti-Nazi shooter will debut July 26th on PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One. You play as BJ Blazkowicz's daughters Jess and Soph (either with a friend or an AI substitute) as they track down their missing dad in an alternate history Nazi-occupied Paris circa 1980. The new story trailer (below) makes clear that there's plenty of the modern series' over-the-top action, although there's also a bit of mystery involved -- it's now clear that BJ doesn't want to be found, and that he's up to something big.
Sign up to try 'Doom' on PS4, XB1 or Steam this weekend
So you didn't buy Wolfenstein: The New Order, but you still want early access to the new Doom game? Run, don't walk to the sign-up page and get your information in (those who bought Wolfenstein last year should just search for the download on their respective gaming platforms), because this weekend it's taking testers for the test version on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam. The website is (predictably) crushed by gamers seeking a return to demon-filled corridors of their youth, but with access promised "first-come, first-serve" it's time to give that F5 key or auto-refresh script a workout. Good luck, but if you don't get in then maybe this quick taste of some multiplayer footage will help.Update (12/4): And...that's it, registration is closed. If you got in, we'll see you online!
Mythbusters meet their Doom on January 31
After more than a decade of debunking myths in reality, the Mythbusters are taking aim at the virtual world, specifically id Software's seminal first-person shooter Doom. The January 31 episode of the hit Discovery Channel series will feature Jamie and Adam examining the game alongside id Software creative director Tim Willits. While it's not feasible to properly test the game's premise by dropping the hosts into a Martian portal to hell, the show still plans to determine whether or not a person could simultaneously tote all the weapons, ammo, armor and gas-powered lawn care implements seen in the game. Additionally, with Willits' assistance and the significant special effects experience of the Mythbusters team, the show will feature a real-world replica of a level from the hit shooter. You can find more details on Mythbusters at the series' website, and you can find this upcoming Doom-themed episode by tuning into the Discovery Channel on January 31 at 9PM (8PM for those in the Central Time Zone). [Image: Bethesda]
Celebrate Doom's 21st birthday with 'never-before-seen' development art
Iconic shooter Doom turned 21 this week, but there's one thing to do before it goes for a wild night out on Phobos. Yes, it's time for an "awwww-mommmm" gander at some baby pictures! Designer John Romero took to Twitter to reveal an album's worth of "never-before-seen" development art ... which technically makes them less baby pictures and more fetal scans. Anyway... we've bundled them all into a gallery, so gather round, everyone! D'awwwww! Now what about that next shooter, Mr. Romero? PS: For more on info on what you're looking at, have a peek through John Romero's Twitter feed. [Images: John Romero]
Quake Live hosts free-to-play arena battles on Steam today
Id Software's free-to-play arena FPS Quake Live unlocks on Steam later today, bringing its '90s-styled twitch gameplay to an expanded audience. Based on the popular Quake 3 Arena, Quake Live originally premiered in 2010, and currently features over a dozen gameplay modes across 100 featured deathmatch levels. The core game is free for all players, while subscribers receive access to a broad selection of Create Match options and clan features. [Image: Id Software]
Can you play Doom on a printer? Yes you Canon
With wearable computers like Google Glass and Apple Watch wooing the tech obsessed, it's hard not to feel bad for older machines showing their age. Printers no doubt look at fax machines and imagine a grim future of irrelevance, but they can buck up thanks to hot new game support! Printers are finally getting id's Doom just 21 years after the game came out. Only one printer is actually running Doom at the moment. Michael Jordon, a researcher with Context Information Security spent four months hacking a Canon Pixma printer to get it to run the classic shooter. The Pixma's online access interface lets owners check on the status of their printer remotely via a web browser, but it also created a massive vulnerability to hacking as noticed by Jordon. Once he realized the extent to which he could access one of the printers through the web, he got it running every hacker's delight. "Running Doom, that's real proof you control the thing," Jordon told the BBC.
