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Kojima Productions New Game Updates Not What Players Were Hoping For

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Kojima Productions from renowned video game icon Hideo Kojima revealed several new updates a few hours ago, but the news is not at all what players had been hoping for. A few days ago, the studio set the gaming community alight by revealing that it would commemorate its fifth anniversary by sharing “exciting updates”, which fans took to mean updates about a Death Stranding sequel, a PlayStation 5-exclusive Silent Hill remake, or an entirely new IP.

Obviously, fans across the community were off to make speculations and wondered what Kojima and his team had up their sleeves. Perhaps, a new game announcement or even clues about a possible non-video game-related project were thrown out.

Even the smallest of teases more than likely would have been enough to satisfy the desires of players for more. After all, the post made by Kojima Productions told fans to keep a close eye on its social media channels at an exact time. It said nothing of curbing expectations, but the studio possibly should have made that clearer.

Kojima Productions began its festivities as planned late last night, first revealing a wallpaper for the studio’s mascot, LUDENS. Not too long thereafter, another tweet was posted, revealing fifth-anniversary products that are now available to order through the company’s official online shop.

The new merchandise includes a hoodie, sweatshirt, and t-shirt all printed with a LUDENS art print, and a third post celebrated Kojima having been awarded a BAFTA’s Fellowship Award last March. Although gamers were filled with excitement with how the set of announcements would end, Kojima Productions’ final commemorative tweet serves as a simple acknowledgment to its supporters, complete with a link to an exclusive fifth-anniversary video.

To fans’ disappointment, none of these announcements provided news about the studio’s upcoming projects and are hardly a surprise. Even if one of the famous internet rumors about Kojima’s next game is indeed true, Kojima Productions possibly has very little, if anything to display, for its next big project as of the moment.

Death Stranding released on the PlayStation 4 only late last year, and the studio used up the succeeding months working hard on updates and preparing the game’s summer 2020 launch on the PC. Once the PC version released, it, too, started getting post-launch updates, all while the development studio balanced work from home arrangements. As such, it could be a while before Kojima is prepared to show off anything solid.

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The development team has begun working on a new project, though. Casual information hit the internet back in October, as Kojima Productions confirmed that job openings were available for “best-in-class talent.”

For now, fans would be best advised to not expect anything until the studio is finally ready to reveal what that project could be.

When The Past Was Around Is An Indie Point-And-Click Game Now Available On Nintendo Switch

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The latest Nintendo Indie World Showcase presentation was hosted recently, which gave fans a preview of all the indie titles arriving on the company’s platform. Some of those titles won’t be launched until next year, such as Spelunky and Spelunky 2, but there are also games that you can purchase and play right this second.

One of those available games is When The Past Was Around, which is developed by Mojiken Studio and published by Chorus Games Worldwide. That being said, this wouldn’t be the first time that developer Mojiken Studios released a game.

Some of the games in its repertoire are She & The Light Bearer and A Raven Monologue, and you might even find that When The Past Was Around has a similar style. The developer has a pretty recognizable style for its games, as it mostly utilizes pastels and hand-drawn art.

When The Past Was Around touts itself to be a charming point-and-click puzzler following themes of joy, love, loss, and moving on. You will be following the story of Eda, a young woman in her early 20s, as she recounts the happy memories she made in the advent of a brand-new relationship, which was later followed with so much sorrow.

She reflects on these experiences, finding a way to let go and move forward along the way. This latest title by Mojiken Studio doesn’t need dialogue or words to make sense. The art will tell you everything you need to know, along with the various puzzles you’ll encounter along the way as Eda looks back on her memories and experiences.

The trailer is a definite must-watch, as it tells you all you need to know about the game with as few words as possible. Plus, it comes with a heartwarming violin score and a bit of gameplay footage.

That being said, the indie title caught the eye of many, and rightfully so. During the Taipei Game Show 2020, When The Past Was Around received an award for Best Audio. Not only that, but the title also received another award during Gamescom for Best Game of the Indie Arena Booth.

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As mentioned, When The Past Was Around was announced during the most recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase alongside other titles such as Among Us and even an adorable game about cats and a cat cafe.  The livestream presentation revealed a variety of indie games that are definitely worth checking out as well, as most of which are already available on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

That being said, interested players who don’t have a Nintendo Switch console don’t have to worry, as they will also be given a chance to experience this one-of-a-kind title. When The Past Was Around is set to release on the PlayStation 4 on December 17 and then on the Xbox the day after, December 18.

As for the Nintendo Switch version, the game is listed on the eShop for $8.49 and supports all three modes for the console. If you’re looking for a heartwarming and bittersweet game about the fleeting reality of love, then When The Past Was Around just might be for you.

Valorant’s Limited-Time Snowball Fight Game Mode Is Now Live

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Sometimes, Valorant fans just want to play a quick and fun game without having to go through the intense and competitive vibe of a single match — which is something that Riot Games’ tactical first-person shooter offers in most of its game modes.

Now, it appears that this is not necessarily the case anymore, as a brand-new winter-themed game mode has officially gone live. It’s fun, casual, and definitely different from what you’d expect from a typical Valorant match.

The limited-time Snowball Fight game mode is a comparably quick 5v5 match, and the first team to get 50 kills will win the deathmatch. All the players use Brimstone’s Molotov launcher, except it releases an unlimited number of snowballs instead of fire. Players need to be cautious, however, because a single direct hit of a snowball will get them killed.

It’s a fun and silly mode that can sometimes lead to enjoyable standoffs, where you and your enemies attempt — and most of the time fail — to fire snowballs accurately enough to kill each other off. As you know, Valorant is a game that requires precision, and so you’d need to stand as still as possible to get that winning shot.

However, this concept doesn’t apply to the new game mode, as every single player is jumping and running around like little kids. Needless to say, it’s incredibly fun and definitely the kind of chilled-out game mode that Valorant needs. After all, it’s not good to be so intense and stressed out all the time during a match — video games are supposed to be fun!

That being said, it didn’t come as a surprise when Riot Games announced the new game mode. Back in October, a dataminer leaked the possibility of snowball fights arriving in Valorant, and it was only a matter of time before it did. Since it’s now December and therefore the winter season, it makes sense for the developer to launch it now.

Some players were skeptical about it at first, thinking that firing snowballs at each other probably wouldn’t be as fun as it sounds. However, Riot Games made sure to spice things up with the inclusion of power-ups.

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There are four different power-ups available in this game mode, namely Skates, Ricochet, Rapid Fire, and Growball. Utilizing the Skates power-up allows your character to increase their movement speed; Ricochet, as the name implies, gives snowballs the ability to bounce off walls and other surfaces; Rapid Fire increases your fire rate; lastly, Growball increases a snowball’s size while it’s airborne.

Valorant’s winter-themed game mode probably isn’t the best one out there right now, but since it’s the game’s first Christmas since release, let’s all go easy on it. Besides, it’s nice to finally have a game mode that won’t completely stress you out or leave you frustrated.

Asides from the new Snowball Fight, Valorant only has a handful of other game modes for those who want something different from the typical big matches. It appears that this new game mode will only be available for a limited time, but we hope that it will pave the way for more casual game modes in Valorant in the future.

20M PlayStation 5 Scalper/Bot Orders Canceled By Walmart Within Two Hours

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Retail giant Walmart was able to stop the attempts of PlayStation 5 scalpers/bots trying to buy the new console during its November 25th online restock, canceling 20 million various scalper/bot orders within the first few hours of the restock alone.

The PlayStation 5 preorder period and its ensuing online restocks have infamously been full of website crashes, inconsistent listing times, and most of all a myriad of scalpers/botters trying to avoid reaction time and human errors in order to secure consoles for resale.

It became such an issue this year that PlayStation 5 bots and scalpers trying to mass purchase the new system has come under considerably more analysis than usual, customers disappointed over the malicious practice and how uncontrollable it appears to be.

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One scalper group in the United Kingdom allegedly boasted about receiving more than 3000 PlayStation 5s during its first month of release, something that was especially upsetting given the reports that fans trying to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 on the secondary market had been targeted as robbery victims. Since then, the consideration around how to stop the practice of scalpers and bots taking advantage of online preorders has been a hotly debated topic.

A few hours ago, Jerry Geisler, Walmart’s Global Tech Chief Information Security Officer, published a blog posted on the company’s corporate website discussing how it managed to stop PlayStation 5 bots from taking advantage of Walmart’s November 25 online restock.

Geisler explained that these “Grinch bots” had seen an uptick this year and that Walmart took preventive measures to stop what they believe was 20 million PlayStation 5 bot attempts within the first few hours of the restock alone. Geisler also noted that the company checks and cancels orders that they believe were made by bots that “slipped through” Walmart’s security actions that were already in place.

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Perhaps the most intriguing implication of the article, however, was that Geisler took the time to ask other sellers to join Walmart in “asking lawmakers to do more to prevent these unwanted bots on retail sites.”

Regardless of the approach of Walmart as a corporate entity, it’s difficult to argue against the fact that it has a decent bit of sway in determining what kind of action could be taken against bots and scalpers in the future.

Hopefully, this call to action is one mirrored by other sellers, and customers – who would benefit considerably from stopping the access of bots and scalpers to be so efficient – will see some improvements soon.

 

Revolutionizing Design Technologies That Will Dominate 2021

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The digital landscape is constantly changing, revolutionizing many industries along the way. Advances in technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, are creating more and more opportunities for designers to create in smarter and innovative ways. They now have the necessary tools to turn their ideas and visions into reality in a market that needs it. The increasing volume of data available helps them make more informed design decisions while keeping in mind the importance of user experience. The following technologies are bound to revolutionize the design process even further.

Cloud-Based Product Design

For decades the base of design has been computer-aided design (CAD). This technology has helped engineers and architects to move from manual drafting to a faster and easier design process, in which they can modify and therefore improve the quality of the end-product. Now, the upgrade that followed CAD is cloud-based design software. By using this software, all members of a team can access the same project and work together in sync. It allows for a seamless workflow that ultimately leads to faster design development. All information is stored in one place, accessible on any device by all collaborators, which makes cloud computing the future of product design.

Artificial Intelligence

An article on technologies of the future wouldn’t be complete without mentioning artificial intelligence. The capabilities and opportunities offered by AI tools are growing at an exponential rate, and one of its biggest advantages is that it can create personalized experiences and content. Moreover, Artificial Intelligence has the potential to become the most thrilling design practice to date. Data collection, which is key to creating a bespoke experience, has also been made easier by AI, and numerous industries are taking advantage of it.

For example, online casinos are now designing high-quality games, with incredible graphics that suit the preferences of any user. The various types of games available from Space Casino, for example, capture the feeling and look of a fantasy world similar to those of video games. Without this development, the possibilities to create an immersive experience would have been tremendously reduced.

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Source: Pexels

AR and VR

Designers have always benefited from sophisticated tools that assisted them in the design process and those tools are becoming even more advanced. The innovative Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies have wide applications in this field and they will allow people to not be confined to a screen anymore. While AR provides designers with an opportunity to create apps based on object, color, and image recognition, VR provides them with an opportunity to engage large audiences in new, never seen before ways. Designers have already used VR to take people to places that are physically there; and are now looking into creating the possibility to experience life as another person.

Devices, such as smartphones, Apple Watches, or Fitbits, are already being designed using these technologies, providing people with on the spot information. The combination of AI, AR, and VR in the design process will see tremendous growth and will provide new jobs and new opportunities for people. Although they are still in the beginning stages and plenty more things are due to be discovered about these developments, designers have already started shaping the future with them.

Monster Hunter Rise May Be Getting PC Release

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The performance details of a Monster Hunter Rise PC port appears to have been leaked, which would serve as a confirmation to the previous leak claiming that the supposedly Nintendo Switch title would one day be released on the bigger platform.

Officially speaking, Capcom only announced that the upcoming title would be released on the Nintendo Switch this March 2021. In other words, the developer hasn’t mentioned a PC version so far, so if this leak is to be trusted, there’s still no indication as to when this version would be launched.

Monster Hunter Rise was announced a few months ago and serves as a sequel to the incredibly popular Monster Hunter: World. For the past few months since its reveal, Capcom has shared several interesting sneak peeks at the game.

For instance, new gameplay footage was revealed during the Tokyo Game Show, which showcased new attack styles and items. In line with this, players will be able to utilize brand-new aerial attacks as they fight off monsters.

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Speaking of monsters, Monster Hunter Rise has a new set of beasts for players to hunt down, including the game’s flagship monster Magnamalo, which Capcom also shared concept art of in the past.

So far, Capcom has pushed that Monster Hunter Rise is going to be a Nintendo Switch exclusive title. However, a recent report by DSOGaming states otherwise. According to the news site, a PC version of the action-RPG may be released sooner than fans anticipate.

According to leaked Capcom documents, which is information we assume was acquired during the unfortunate data breach, there is a list of tech details and specs that allegedly refer to a PC version of Monster Hunter Rise.

The tech details indicate that players will be able to choose between different framerate options, namely 30fps, 60fps, and uncapped. In addition to that, this version will reportedly support GSync and FreeSync.

From what we’ve gathered, it also appears that the developer doesn’t want to limit the PC version to 720p or 1080p, which it will most likely do for the Nintendo Switch version in either docked or handheld mode.

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We can’t even begin to express just how many fans are excited for the release of Monster Hunter Rise, and much of that excitement can be credited to the incredible success of the game that came before it. Monster Hunter: World was so successful that it even became an all-time bestselling game for Capcom just a few months after it was initially launched.

Thanks to this game, a franchise that only had a decent following was propelled into the mainstream, garnering thousands upon thousands of players. This has now opened a path for Monster Hunter Rise, giving it a chance to become even more successful than Monster Hunter: World. With that in mind, the best possible way to do that would be to release the game on multiple platforms, as doing so expands its reach and allows even more players.

Thanks to all the teasers that Capcom has shared, we’re beginning to have a good look at what Monster Hunter: Rise will be bringing to the table and needless to say, we’re all excited.

Call of Duty Warzone’s Rebirth Island Only Caters 40 Players

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Call of Duty Warzone is receiving several updates that come along with the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Season One which means the new Rebirth Island map is now available but it will only cater to 40 players per match. While unification with Black Ops Cold War will alter Warzone’s gameplay considerably, so to will the fact that this new map is much tinier than the existing Verdansk map.

Though Warzone is just less than a year old and developed by Infinity Ward, there was some controversy prior to the launch of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War on just how much support the title would receive once the mainline game developed by Treyarch was launched.

However, Treyarch and Activision have made absolutely clear that the free to play battle royale is here to stay and will continue to transform along with the new title just as it has with Modern Warfare back in 2019.

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In an announcement regarding Black Ops Cold War and Warzone’s Season One, the developers explained how the new Rebirth Island map will play, detailing that the small map will only cater to 40 players per match to force intense close-quarter battles.

There will also be an upcoming Rebirth Island event which features 16 new challenges for players to gather rewards as well as two new Gulags – one for Rebirth Island and another for Verdansk. Players will also be receiving access to over 30 new guns, all of which come from Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

The maximum of only 40 players battling it out on Rebirth Island may be a bit frustrating to Warzone players when the Verdansk map supported 150 players. However, Rebirth Island was deliberately created to be smaller than usual, and the lessened player count is likely intended to cater to that even though the map is meant to encourage engaging and dense firefights that are typically only found in the final circles.

One could debate that keeping the map at the same size and allowing more players would force this style of combat even more significantly, but there’s little doubt that 40 is the magical number the development team has come at to keep things fast-paced without feeling unfair and random.

It looks certain that Call of Duty Warzone is a new series constant to keep players as the mainline installments come and go. With its success and other battle royale titles, Call of Duty Warzone is becoming the most flexible and long-running title in the series to date, and it will be exciting to see how the 40-player Rebirth Island map will stack up in terms of popularity compared to the tried and tested Verdansk map.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War New Scorestreak Now Available

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Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War released a wide array of new scorestreaks as part of the new update. Although the new game changed how each scorestreak is obtained, the destructive ability and effect of each stayed nearly the same. With Season 1 releasing, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is getting a new scorestreak that many players may find familiar.

The new H.A.R.P. scorestreak should be familiar to experts of the Call of Duty series. This new scorestreak has been hinted in the game’s latest trailers, and with the official launch now here, many players are wondering what this new scorestreak has to offer. This is only the first of what could be many upcoming scorestreaks in the future of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

The new H.A.R.P. scorestreak will require players 6000 points to use. The flying ship will disclose the locations of enemies on the minimap, but unlike the UAV, it will also reveal the direction the enemy is facing.

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Fans might remember a similar feature with the Advanced UAV or Blackbird scorestreak from past Call of Duty games, the only difference being that the H.A.R.P. can be gunned down by enemy players. This is the only content coming in the release of Season 1 that will alter the way that Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War multiplayer is played.

During the Call of Duty Black Ops beta testing, the development team revealed that they would be adding new scorestreaks throughout the game’s lifespan. To see the first one being added is exciting for the whole gaming community, as it opens new chances on the battlefield. Regardless, it makes a lot of fans wonder what other additions the developers might be adding in future updates.

Due to the H.A.R.P. being a revamp of an old scorestreak, a lot of players are now speculating at what other items could be making a comeback to Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. There have been dozens of scorestreaks in the history of Call of Duty that has emerged as well as disappeared over the years. To see them making a return as seasonal content brings the battle pass and seasonal rotation to a new level that fans have not seen before.

This scorestreak has been added along with the Call of Duty Warzone Rebirth Island map and a few new operators and weapons. With Gunfight mode returning, new game modes, and additional maps across all games, players are looking forward to the fresh content in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Season One’s content.

Nexon May Have Scrapped Mobile Version of Final Fantasy 11

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The mobile version of Final Fantasy 11 has been in the works for quite a long time now, but recent news indicates that developer Nexon may have decided to officially scrap the entire project. According to Korean gaming site MTN, the long-running project has been canceled due to the fact that no progress has been made throughout the game’s development.

No one ever thought that creating a mobile version of the MMORPG wasn’t going to be a challenge. There are several hurdles that a developer needs to face, especially in the case of Final Fantasy 11. First and foremost, the initial online multiplayer has been around for a very, very long time — nearly two decades now, to be more specific.

In addition, Nexon would have had to find a way to seamlessly transfer every aspect of the PC game into a comparably small smartphone. Obviously, doing so is no small feat either. There aren’t a lot of MMOs in the current mobile market that gives their players the same PC-like experience. Plus, most of these titles were specifically made to cater to touchscreen devices and weren’t remakes of a classic title.

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That being said, a rough translation of the MTN article reads as follows: “It is a project that adopted the Unreal 4 engine and started developing in earnest from 2016, but the production was not smooth.” The report goes on to say that Nexon One Studio was responsible for creating the game since 2018, but apparently “it is known that the development direction has changed once.”

Clearly, Nexon had a difficult time trying to transform Final Fantasy 11 into a mobile MMORPG, and it appears that the developer just wasn’t sure how to proceed and which direction the game should be going.

The studio initially wanted to release the mobile title during the second half of 2019. However, the game’s launch was delayed due to the fact that the third quarter of last year brought about changes in Nexon’s production leadership.

Now, the developers who worked on Final Fantasy 11’s mobile MMO have allegedly been reassigned to other teams within Nexon’s studio, including Tales Weaver M and Project NRG.

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While unfortunate, this sad news isn’t altogether that surprising if you really think about it. There was barely information about the mobile title even after it was announced, and besides, Final Fantasy 11 wouldn’t have survived in the already-saturated market of mobile MMORPGs.

There are several popular MMOs available on mobile right now, all of which were painstakingly created for touchscreen devices. These include titles such as Black Desert Mobile, Runescape, and Lineage 2 Revolution.

Well, it’s worth noting that while Runescape was initially released on PC, the title has since evolved. In addition, it has relatively simple gameplay mechanics compared to Final Fantasy 11, so it wasn’t as difficult to translate to mobile devices.

That being said, if you’re looking for a mobile MMO to immerse yourselves in, we recommend any of the above-mentioned games. At this point, it’s best not to put any hope on Nexon’s ambitious port, as it will most likely be a game that will never see the light of day.

Popular Apple Arcade Title ‘Grindstone’ Officially Released on Nintendo Switch

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It was announced a few months ago that the hit Apple Arcade title Grindstone by Capybara Games would be releasing on the Nintendo Switch, and it appears that today is that fateful day. Before we delve into the specifics, here’s a little context for those who are unfamiliar: Apple Arcade is a subscription service by the tech giant Apple itself.

For only $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, Apple Arcade subscribers are given access to a treasure trove of exclusive games that regular iOS users won’t find on the App Store. Unlike many of the free-to-play titles on the digital storefront, the available games on the digital service are free of ads and in-game transactions. In other words, players are free to play different titles without getting rudely interrupted by commercials.

Now, the sword-slashing puzzle game was a huge hit on the Apple Arcade. As a matter of fact, it was even one of the reasons why many joined the subscription service to begin with. With its easy-to-understand gameplay and quirky cartoon-like art style, many found Grindstone to be highly appealing, especially since it offered an expansive amount of content for a mobile title.

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Since the game was such a major success on the mobile platform, Capybara Games announced in August of this year that it was porting Grindstone to the Nintendo Switch, much to the fans’ surprise and delight.

That being said, the Nintendo Switch is not a stranger to games that were originally mobile titles. After all, the Switch is touted to be a hybrid handheld console, which makes it perfect for major mobile games such as this one.

Nearly half a year since the announcement was made, the highly-anticipated Grindstone is finally available on the Nintendo Switch. The title’s launch was announced during the recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase presentation and was later confirmed by the developer on Twitter.

Interested players can go ahead and purchase Grindstone on the Nintendo Switch eShop. In fact, fans who purchase the game right now will find that 25% has been taken out of the original price. From the original price of $19.99, Grindstone is currently available for only $14.99, so definitely check that out as soon as possible before the discount expires.

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Most of the time, the eShop only shaves off a small amount when it comes to discounts, so the fact that gamers can buy Grindstone for one fourth off its original price is a big thing. Understandably, some may be hesitant to purchase titles that are within the $15-$20 range, but Grindstone has a good reputation that precedes it, ensuring interested players that it’s worth getting.

It’s not entirely unusual for a mobile game, especially exclusive Apple Arcade titles, to be released on consoles. However, it’s still great to see that a game as beloved and as highly-regarded as Grindstone is now accessible to more people.

A lot of people in the gaming community somewhat belittle the mobile game industry or at the very least, they don’t take it as seriously other platforms. Most of the time, they believe that mobile titles make use of cheap, money-grabbing tactics. However, the existence of mobile games such as Grindstone is a clear indication that there are solid ones out there — we just have to find the gold within the rubble.

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