EA Wants the EA Originals Program to Be as Big as It Needs to Be

This weekend sees the release of another in the EA Originals lineup, Sea of Solitude. And rather than waiting for a later date to reveal what's to come from EA's funding of independent developers, we know more than ever about the EA Originals lineup thanks to this year's EA Play. But EA Originals will only grow as much as it needs to, so long as it can still give each developer the attention they need.

Speaking to IGN, EA's EVP of development and growth Matt Bilbey explained that the announcement of three new EA Originals during the E3 2019-adjacent EA Play saw an increase in the number of new games from years past not because of a desire to simply grow the program but instead "due to the quality of the opportunities."

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Gears 5 Tech Test Open to Xbox Game Pass Members, Dates Announced

The upcoming Gears 5 tech test is available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers, not just pre-order customers, developer the Coalition confirmed, according to Eurogamer.

Starting July 17th, both parties can download the tech test, which will still require Xbox Live Gold, the Coalition director of communications, Dana Sissons confirmed in a blog post. Xbox Game Pass members will see it in their library, same as any other game available through the program.

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The History of Otome and the Legacy of Ruby Team

The Nintendo eshop can be a lawless and bewildering terrain. Updated with seemingly dozens of games every week, it can be hard to wade through the smorgasbord of software to find your chosen gem. Then you see a handful of games adorned with screenshots of androgynous beanpole boys, and titles as convoluted as they are befuddling; Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku - Forbidden Romance with Mysterious Spirit  or Destiny's Princess: A War Story, A Love Story for example, and you might really start to question Nintendo's barrier for entry - but you’d be wrong to judge so hastily.

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Sony Pulled PES 2019 From PS Plus, Not Konami

It was Sony’s decision to pull Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 from July’s PS Plus lineup, says Konami.

In a statement to Eurogamer, Konami said: “This decision was made by SIE and so please make an inquiry to SIE."

Eurogamer posed the same question to Sony, who offered no details as to why they changed PES 2019 for Detroit: Become Human, but did note that “This was a decision we decided to make as a company, and we apologise for any inconvenience.”

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HBO’s His Dark Materials: What You Need to Know

HBO's His Dark Materials has hit San Diego Comic-Con this weekend to get fans excited for the upcoming adaptation, so what better time to catch up on everything you need to know before diving into the highly anticipated series?

His Dark Materials is technically a fantasy series, sure, if you need to file it neatly on a shelf sorted by genre. But it’s also many other things: a coming of age story, a political epic, a cautionary tale about the failings of religion, and a dimension-hopping sci-fi adventure.

But most of all, it’s complex. Not in a convoluted plot or too many characters to remember sort of way, but in an emotional one. Fitting, one might argue, for a story that’s about to become HBO’s latest adaptation of a best-selling series of novels.

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A Zelda: Wind Waker Village Has Been Found in Breath of the Wild

A player has discovered an area in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that’s an almost exact replication of an entire village from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

As detailed by John from GameXplain (via Kotaku), the Lurelin Village location, which can be found in the south-east corner of Breath of the Wild’s world map, is a facsimile of Outset Island, the starting location in Wind Waker.

While the layout and style of the buildings would make it obvious to detail-obsessed Zelda fans, it is the very tall ladder that leads to a lookout platform that gives the game away.

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Get the Best Virtual Reality Experience With These Headsets

Virtual Reality games have come a long way from being simply a collection of activities and tech demos. Nowadays VR titles include full-on games like Vader Immortal and Trover Saves the Universe. Of course, VR headsets have also improved over the years and we're fully into the second generation of virtual reality at this point.

The latest and greatest VR headsets make immersive, room-scale gaming is better (and more affordable) than ever. Better yet, there are plenty of fantastic options to go completely wireless. At this point you don't necessarily need a powerful gaming PC or PS4 to enjoy high-res, motion tracking VR anymore either. If you’re ready to dip your toe into the digital world, here are the best VR headsets you should buy.

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Team Rocket for Pokemon Go Teased Again by Niantic

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has teased that Team Rocket may soon arrive in the mobile monster catching game via a hot air balloon.

Pokemon Go Fest is currently underway in Dortmund, Germany, and Eurogamer reports that a black hot air balloon - sporting a huge red R logo - was flown above the event.

Team Rocket has long been associated with hot air balloons, most notably in the Pokemon anime, where they frequently fly around in a Meowth-shaped balloon.

Alongside the balloon sightings, pictures taken at the Dortmund event with Pokemon Go’s AR mode show members of Team Rocket leaning into the picture. The same effect happened at last month’s Pokemon Go Fest event in Chicago.

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