Gaming

Pokémon Go creator has a new Tamagotchi-like game called Peridot

Launching in May

Published

March 8, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Though Pokémon Go remains a juggernaut of mobile gaming today, Niantic, the game’s developer, has had almost no luck in replicating its success through other games. This time, however, the developer is returning to its roots with an all-new original franchise. A new pet simulator called Peridot is launching on May 9.

Call it a lovechild between a Tamagotchi and an NFT. Much like the former, players have to take care of a virtual pet. Though the in-game pets might not die like a Tamagotchi, they still need to be petted, played with, and fed to maintain a healthy relationship with them.

Additionally, as with an NFT, Dots, as they’re called, are “100% genetically unique.” They inherit traits from their parents and will be unique to the player.

Now, talking about parenthood opens up what Peridot is about. Unlike the catch-‘em-all system of Pokémon Go, the new title thrives on breeding Dots together with other players. The new trailer even focuses on the experience of bumping into and interacting with other pet owners while taking a stroll.

Players can start pre-registering for the upcoming game on the App Store and the Play Store. Those who pre-register or play within the first two weeks of launch will get a free party hat cosmetic for their Dots.

Though the launch feels exciting, Niantic has a lot to prove with Peridot. Over the years, the developer has tried to build on Pokémon Go’s success by inking tie-ins with equally popular franchises like Harry Potter and the NBA to little avail. Peridot will be the company’s first original IP since Ingress, the precursor to Pokémon Go.

Gaming

Netflix is working on a cloud gaming platform

Plus over 40 games

Published

March 21, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Cloud gaming is one of gaming’s greatest enigmas. On paper, the technology should have made it big. However, a lot of the biggest players have fallen off and abandoned their cloud gaming projects. Now, eager to make a valiant push towards gaming, Netflix is working on its own cloud gaming platform.

Netflix’s push towards gaming is long and storied. For a while now, the platform offers games for all of its subscribers. Though some are themed content to match the platform’s shows, a good bunch are notable titles that have thrived outside of Netflix such as Spiritfarer. Even then, the platform is still making other strides.

As mentioned by TechCrunch, Netflix is actively working on a cloud gaming platform to brings its titles to wherever a user has the app. The company has not noted how it will offer the service or which games will come with it. However, it is also planning a major expansion this year.

In the same report, Netflix has promised over 40 titles to expand its gaming platform. The titles range from rogue-lites to city builders. The company is going all-in on offering a wide range of genres to cater to most gamers on mobile devices.

SEE ALSO: Netflix Philippines drops prices

Gaming

Microsoft is planning an Xbox store for mobile

Dependent on the Activision Blizzard deal

Published

March 21, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Even outside of its main console, Microsoft and Xbox has become quite a powerhouse in the world of gaming. The Xbox Game Pass offers a wealth of gaming titles for the price of a manageable monthly subscription. Now, Microsoft’s slate of platforms is growing once again. The company officially has plans to open a store on mobile devices.

According to the Financial Times, Microsoft is currently planning to open a game store for both Android and iOS. With a store coming to mobile, the company can start offering its services on all major screen sizes used today.

It will take a while to launch the store, though. Microsoft is hinging the store’s launch on the successful acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Very early last year, the former announced that it was acquiring the latter. However, world governments have prevented the deal from going through, citing claims of anti-competition. More than a year later, the deal still hasn’t officially concluded.

Because of the number of mobile games offered by Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is likely relying on the library to buoy the store amid the availability of other mobile stores. That said, the company still has a good library of titles on its own. Offering an alternative to the Play Store and the App Store is a welcome addition to the tech space.

Computers

Free Steam code awaits MSI RTX 40 series purchases

Review and get free codes too

Published

March 20, 2023

GadgetMatch

MSI recently unveiled its latest set of laptops that are up the date with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core HX processors and RTX 40 series graphics.

These include the following models:

Stealth 16
Katana 15
Cyborg 15
Raider GE78 HX
Titan GT77 HX

Such Intel Core HX processors with 24 cores deliver up to 5.6GHz of processing speed, a big jump which shall be felt by users when it comes to gaming performance, creative applications, and programs requiring the heavy workload.

In the graphics department, the NVIDIA RTX 40 series cards are more efficient and feature Ada Lovelace architecture to take gaming to the next level.

Early bird, review bonuses

To spice things up, MSI is offering US$ 50 Steam wallet codes for customers who will pre-order any of the participating 2023 MSI RTX 40 series models until April 30.

Likewise, customers who post a review of any of the eligible models will also receive a free US$ 50 Steam wallet code as part of the Shout Out for MSI program.

Redemption will be until May 14. To check the full mechanics, click here.