Month: April 2018

PC gamers know that there are dozens of new games that come out on Steam each week, and aside from the big, obvious releases, it’s hard to tell if something that looks promising really delivers the goods. We’re here to help you find those hidden gems that might’ve flown under the radar, and boy, this week is a good one!

We dive into the Banner Saga inspired tactical RPG Ash of Gods: Redemption, and the unsettling NSA spying adventure Orwell: Ignorance is Strength. Then, we dive into the nitty-gritty of building and maintaining complicated things, first with awful cars in Jalopy, and with real-life gaming rigs in PC Building Simulator.

Have you been playing any fantastic new PC games that we missed? Let us know on Twitter: @EdmondTran + @JessMcDonell

Steam store links: Ash of Gods: Redemption | Orwell: Ignorance is Strength | Jalopy | PC Building Simulator

After 20 years off TV, Roseanne returned with a revival on ABC last week. It was a massive success, picking up 25 million viewers and an astounding 7.3 rating for adults 18-49, according to numbers posted by The Hollywood Reporter today.

25 million includes people who watched the episode live on March 27, as well as 6.6 million people who watched later. The total figure is even bigger, as it does not include the 4.3 million people who watched the re-broadcast on Sunday evening, nor does it count people who will watch it on Hulu or ABC’s other streaming destinations in the days ahead.

The first two episodes aired on March 27, while the third is coming on Tuesday, April 3, and THR mentions that it will be telling to see how the next episode fares in terms of viewership. Nine episodes in all are planned for the first season of the revival. ABC quickly renewed the show for a second season after the huge success of the premiere.

What might have buoyed Roseanne’s appeal, especially the follow-on viewers, was the subject matter. It was revealed in the first episode that Roseanne the character is a Trump supporter, just like Roseanne Barr the actress. Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene Conner and is an executive producer of the reboot, told Watch Watch Happens Live that Roseanne’s character is a Trump supporter but the family as a unit is not.

“She’s the only one–and we never say his name, actually, in the show,” Gilbert explained.

Trump spoke with Barr over the phone to congratulate her on the show’s success. For her part, Gilbert says the new Roseanne is “not about politics.”

“It’s really about what happens to a family when there’s a political divide, which is something that I think the entire country can relate to and something we need to talk about,” Gilbert said. “So, with our show, it’s never about ‘doing an issue’ or ‘doing politics,’ it’s ‘how do these things affect a family unit?'”

Amazon and Twitch are on a role these days, giving away tons of digital goodies to Twitch users with Amazon Prime memberships. Not only do you get five free games this month and free Fortnite goodies, but you can also grab some free Heroes of the Storm loot as well.

Each month between now and July 2, Twitch Prime members will receive free in-game rewards. Starting today and ending May 1, Twitch Prime members can grab one Legendary Loot Chest that’s guaranteed to contain at least one Legendary item. During the month of May, the giveaway is a new Glitch-steed mount and five Rare Loot Chests, which are guaranteed to contain at least one Rare item. And from May 31 to July 2, players will receive five Rare Loot Chests.

Loot Chests in Heroes of the Storm contain things like heroes, sprays, skins, voice lines, banners, and announcers. These freebies for Twitch Prime members sound like a great way to build up a stockpile of digital loot without paying a cent.

To snag the free items each month, first make sure to link your Amazon Prime account with your Twitch account. Then link your Twitch account to your Blizzard account. Once you’ve jumped through those hoops, it’s time to claim your rewards. Head to Twitch and click the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon next to the search bar. There, you’ll find your items waiting for you.

Heroes of the Storm is a popular free-to-play MOBA that pits two teams of five Blizzard heroes against each another. Your primary goal during each relatively short match is to destroy your opponent’s base. In GameSpot’s Heroes of the Storm review, Tyler Hicks gave the game a 9/10, calling it “a must-play for both MOBA players and Blizzard enthusiasts… [It’s] a fantastic casual-competitive game that offers untold hours of enjoyment.”

If you’re looking to offload an Xbox One or PlayStation 4, GameStop has some good news for you. The retailer is temporarily upping the amount of trade-in credit on those consoles by between $40 and $80, depending on the model you have.

Here’s the rundown on the old trade-in values versus the new. That extra $80 for a 2TB Xbox One Slim could go a long way toward an Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, or Nintendo Switch.

But because all good things must come to an end, the trade-in value increase is only in effect between now and April 15. So hurry up and unplug those console you’re not using.

“We’re delivering on our promise to give customers better trade-in deals they can’t refuse on top products–the right products with the right deals. We’re not talking pocket change either,” said Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising for GameStop. “Who doesn’t want to earn an extra $40-$80 on video game hardware that’s just sitting around the house collecting dust?”

GameStop also accepts games and other kinds of hardware you might have lying around, including mobile phones, tablets, and electronics accessories. It even takes broken or damaged items, though obviously that affects the amount of credit you’ll receive.