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    The AJSA is on Playstation 4! Join us for weekly Game Nights with a selection of the best games the PS4 has to offer!

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    The AJSA Xbox One Division: We Got You Covered!

    The AJSA Xbox One Division is ready to connect with you on XBox Live with a ton of events for the best Xbox games!

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    The AJSA News Collection Team is hard at work condensing a week's worth of news into one giant-sze digest for you to chew on and discuss! Links to source articles are always provided!

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    The AJSA Expeditionary Force: Deploying to Play the Best PC Games!

    The elite vanguard of the AJSA, the Expeditionary Force (EF) chooses a new PC game every week! Join us for weekly events and help decide if the game has a future in the AJSA.

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    Joe can't stream every game, but our talented AJSA Stream Team covers a wide variety of games and personalities! Check them out, and show them some AJSA Love!

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    The AJSA Community YouTube Channel

    Featuring news, gameplay clips, and more from the community! The Community is a chance to showcase the best moments in AJSA Gaming!

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    Latest News

    By Legolas_Katarn, in Articles,


    NetherRealm employees speak out about months of forced crunch and low pay during the development of multiple titles, People Make Games' new series The Games I Made has Peter Molyneux walking us through his entire career one game at a time, Satchell Drakes' short film on Night in the Woods, Jeremiah McCall discusses how and why games are a powerful tool for teaching and learning history, Megan Farokhmanesh learns of the second Stranger Things game Telltale was working on, Persona 5 The Royal receives first trailer and Cian Maher explores the mythology of the series, Riot files motion to block employees from taking legal action against them prompting employees to prepare to walk out, Writing on Games' Exploration of Star Citizen, Kate Willaert looks into the origin of the term gamer, and more.
     
     
    Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)
     
    Here are the Thinblood abilities coming to Vampire The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
     
    Persona 5 The Royal - Official Japanese Trailer
     
    Fire Emblem: Three Houses Introduces The Garreg Mach Monastery, Geralt, Sothis, Edelgard, Dimitri, And Claude

     
    Episode 2: The Heroes of Total War: Three Kingdoms
     
    Borderlands 3 trailer shows Amara’s skill tree
     
    A Personal Exploration of Star Citizen
     
    Nowpunk and the politics of the personal in Neo Cab

     
    How the Command & Conquer devs tamed the Barbarian for Conan Unconquered

     
    Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus spill some intriguing new Death Stranding details

     
    Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark finally, fantastically and tactically exits early acccess
     
    A Plague Tale: Innocence - Uncut Gameplay Trailer
    6 reasons we're excited for A Plague Tale Innocence
     
    The Sinking City ‘A Delicate Matter’ gameplay
     
    Vambrace: Cold Soul story trailer
     
    Escape zombies or become one in this 30-player FPS
     
    Madden NFL 20's new career mode will take players from college to the pros
     
    Observation isolates the player by turning you into HAL 9000

     
    Warhammer Underworlds: Online is bringing the tabletop game to PC
     
    Root Letter: Last Answer Sends Its Way Westward For PS4, Switch, And Steam In 2019
     
    Premature Evaluation - Sigma Theory: Global Cold War

     
    This new narrative noir adventure stars a 1950s private dick who is also a housecat
     
    Car combat game Dark Future has a release date and trailer
     
    Mordhau sounds the charge into stores
    Mordhau Is A Clunky Game For Swordplay Nerds That I Can't Put Down
     
    Hitman 2 expands its competitive Ghost Mode today
     
    Risk of Rain 2's roadmap lays out plans for 4 new characters and even more bosses by spring 2020

     
    Mortal Kombat 11's Microtransactions, Explained

     
    Respawn Details Its Plan To Keep Apex Legends Fresh, But Avoid Employee Burnout

     
    Valve officially unveil the Index VR headset, shipping June 28th

     
    Riot Files Motions To Block Current Employees From Taking Legal Action

    'League of Legends' Studio Faces Employee Walkout, Promises Changes
     
    EPIC WOULD END EXCLUSIVITY DEALS IF STEAM OFFERED 88% REVENUE SHARE FOR DEVELOPERS
     
    Google CEO: Publishers "want to see our commitment" to Stadia

     
    ‘Minecraft’ Creator Excluded From Anniversary Due to ‘Comments and Opinions’ (EXCLUSIVE)

     
    AbleGamers reveals plan to get accessibility experts into AAA studios

     
    Esports News
     
    Why games like LoL and Hearthstone produce so few women pro players

     
    Report: Rick Fox is leaving Echo Fox over shareholder's use of racist language

     
    Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)
     
    Playing with the past: history and video games (and why it might matter)

     
    A SECRET STRANGER THINGS GAME DIED BEFORE IT WAS EVEN ANNOUNCED

     
    A Video Game Developed To Detect Alzheimer’s Disease Seems To Be Working

     
    How Bullet Hell Games Helped Me Work Through Anxiety

     
    How Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Devil May Cry 5 Are Empowering For Those Who Live With Prosthetics

     
    Former devs speak out about 'severe crunch' at Mortal Kombat studio
     
    'I just broke down crying': Canadian video game creators face gruelling 'crunch' hours
    A Story of Crunch
     
    Swery's White Owls is building a better work culture for Japan

     
    The heavy toll of making games in the San Francisco Bay Area

     
    'My Childhood Dream Had Come True': A Belated Interview With Skies Of Arcadia's Producer
     
    X-COM creator Julian Gollop discusses his most important games

     
    Red Dead Redemption 2: six months later

     
    Making history about the mass grave of the Obra Dinn

     
    “New Game Plus,” by Daniel Fries

     
    Exploring the vast mythology of the Persona series

     
    'Dreams' Is A Powerful Tool to Create Anything and Own Nothing

     
    Work Is Hell and the Dark Comedy 'Yuppie Psycho' Revels in It

     
    Spending A Night In The Woods
     
    Creating a Likable Video Game Villain
     
    The Tragedy of Halo 3: ODST | Game Maker's Toolkit
     
    Augmented Reaction: Vanquish - 9 Years Later | Design Dive
     
    We showed Peter Molyneux every game he's ever made
     
    "Games as a service" is fraud.
    "Games as a Service" is NOT FRAUD*
     
    Supergiant Games Answers Our Patron's Questions
     
    The Brilliant Design of Left 4 Dead
     
    Hollow Knight DLC - Swansong for Silksong
     
    SHOVEL KNIGHT IS A 3D GAME?! Its Own Developer Explains - Boundary Break
     
    THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM “GAMER”
     
    Games From Underground | Horror #1
     
    The Rise and Fall of Lost Planet
     
    Games as Lit. 101 - Literary Analysis: The World Ends With You (Part 6 - Conclusion)
     
    Glass Rose - Hidden Capcom Murder Mystery | Back From the Dead
     
    Final Fight: How the West was Worse (ft. Matt McMuscles) [SSFF]
     
    The Missing: An Attempt at Complete Cohesion of Gameplay and Narrative
     
    Put Your Name on Your Game, a Talk by Bennett Foddy and Zach Gage
     
    The Making of the Xbox Adaptive Controller
     

    By RuneX, in Frontpage,


    Greetings all, welcome to our Xbox community article for this week. This article series is our way to report and share with you on what is going on with the AJSA in the Xbox community on a weekly basis. We'll have updates on current projects, upcoming activities, community content ranging from interviews to Youtube videos, event recaps and more. These articles will always contain a copy our Game Nights schedule for the week to keep folks informed about what titles we're featuring and supporting. If you're interesting in getting involved with us on Xbox I'd encourage you to check out our 'Xbox Community Guidebook' where you can get up to speed on what we're all about and how you can start playing with us. If you need help and/or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of the AJSA Xbox Staff for assistance. We'll be more than happy to help you out!
    Xbox Reports
    - Kountdown to Kombat Series Finale -
    This past weekend represented the conclusion to our Kountdown to Kombat Fight Night series on Xbox. Our three month long community project wrapped up with Mortal Kombat 11 on Sunday April 28th. Organized by Officer Sickshock, this series was created to celebrate the fighting game genre by bringing people together to play across a variety of titles in anticipation of the release of Mortal Kombat 11.
    We started this journey back in February with Mortal Kombat X and have featured titles like Street Fighter IV, Killer Instinct, Marvel vs Capcom, Brawlhalla, and Injustice 2 since then as part of the Kountdown to Kombat. We would like to extend our sincerest and deepest thanks to all the Kombatants who came out in support of the Fight Nights and played during our sessions. This was an ambitious project and we're pleased to have seen it so well received by members of the community.
    Special thanks goes out to Officer Sickshock, who take up the mantle as the dastardly SHAO SICK, who organized to the Kountdown to Kombat Fight Night series. I'm happy that he was able to share his passion and love for fighting games with the community here on Xbox.
    A video recap of the Kountdown to Kombat, spanning nearly 10 Fight Nears across a three month period, will be published soon on the AJSA Gaming Youtube channel. Once again thank you Sick and thank you to all our Kombatants. Until the next Fight Night...fight on!
    - Minecraft Anniversary -
    This weekend also saw us celebrate an anniversary within the community. On Saturday April 27th during our Minecraft event we recognized our One Year Anniversary of us playing in the new version of Minecraft (also known as the Bedrock Edition). On April 19th, 2018 we upgraded our Minecraft: Xbox One Edition world to Bedrock Edition on console, transferring our world to this new version. We moved beyond the borders of our original 5x5 world to travel to new lands. Since then we've set up a new base and established a Realm server.
    During the event we unveiled our Anniversary Memorial and Hall of Remembrance sites, observing and recongizing those on Xbox who have made important contributions over the past year. We also went on an Expedition to the Desert Biome to mark the Anniversary. I'd like to thank everyone who came out to this event and to all those who have been with us on Minecraft since day one of this world. We've come a long way since the Xbox One Edition. I can't wait to see what new adventures and projects come next. Thank you.
    - April Game Night Recap -
    In April 2019 we featured these titles as Game Nights:
    Division 2 Halo 5: Guardians Halo: Master Chief Collection Halo: Reach Injustice 2 Marvel vs Capcom Infinite Minecraft Mortal Kombat X Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 To learn more about Game Nights and how to get involved the Xbox community, check out our member Guidebook.
    Our monthly Game Night outline for May 2019 will be published next Monday.
    - AJSA Gaming Youtube -
    We have a new video live on the AJSA Gaming Youtube channel. Highlights from the Mortal Kombat 11 Fight Night held on April 28th, 2019. This was the conclusion of our Kountdown to Kombat series. Thank you and enjoy!
    Footage was captured by Sickshock. He livestreamed the event on his channel at twitch.tv/sickshock6
    Xbox Community Spotlight Interview
    - EJGarza -
    Welcome to the Second Edition of of the 'Spotlight Interview' series, a new Xbox initiative where members of the community will be featured and interviewed by me [Rune] about their history, their backround, personalities, and more. These Spotlight Interviews will be part of our Xbox articles going forward and we're looking forward to the feedback you give us on what you think of the interviews.
    For our second Spotlight Interview we are showcasing one of our most active, and wild, members of the community, EJGarza. He first joined the community back in the Summer of 2016 and is one our biggest Game Night supporters and participants. He has been at nearly every single major event, Anniversary, and special festivities since.
    Garza is always ready for a good fight, standing beside his team to take down any enemy no matter the size. Extremely loyal and passionate, he has a unique personality. Thank you Garza for all your support, dedication, and friendship to the community. Enjoy.
    ----
    Tell us a little bit about yourself.
    My name is Garza and I'm from the United States. I live in Washington State (not to be confused with Washington D.C.).
    What sort of hobbies do you enjoy?
    I like listening to music and watching Youtube. When I'm not doing that, I really like to collect and build LEGO sets.
    What are your earliest memories of gaming?
    My earliest memories of gaming is playing Pac-Man and Super Marios Bros.
    When, how and why did you get involved on Xbox with the AJSA?
    I watched one of Angry Joe's review and the first one I saw was Rambo: The Video Game. Fun fact he uploaded that video the same day as my birthday that year.
    After that I signed up on the forums back in 2014 but didn't get really involved until 2016. That is when I joined the Xbox community. I've made a lot of new friends here. I love hanging out and making awesome memories together.
    Do you remember your first event you came to?
    I'm not too sure on what the first event was but it was around the time of the Battlefield 1 Beta. I remember playing in the Overwatch events at the time, meeting people like Wookie and playing in all his crazy custom games.
    Any particular memories you have from being part of the community?
    Playing in the Anniversary Week events (and winning raffle prizes), taking part in the Overwatch marathons, beating the Vault of Glass in Destiny, winning a Chicken Dinner in PUBG, doing the Minecraft quests, and doing crazy custom games in Halo, Overwatch and Grand Theft Auto V. Those and the Fight Nights too, those are really fun.
    What are your favorite games we’ve done as events?
    Overwatch, Halo, Call of Duty, Minecraft, GTA and Fortnite.
    What sort of advice would you give you to new members of the community?
    Be friendly, hang out with us anytime and have a good time.
    Favorite movies, TV shows?
    There is a lot I like and can’t name them all. I do like movies such as The LEGO Movie and for TV Star Wars: Clone Wars.
    What is your all time favorite video game or video game series?
    My favorite video game series is Call of Duty, LEGO and Mortal Kombat.
    What is a secret talent or ability you have that no one knows about?
    I don't know if this is a secret talent or ability but I can have one hand on my controller and I look at my phone with my other hand and focusing on both my phone and playing the game at the same time. So when I kick Sickshock's butt on Mortal Kombat, I can literally say I beat him with one hand on my controller.
    ----
    Weekend Game Night Schedule - May 3rd & May 4th

    How can I attend a Game Night? - For new members/first time Game Night participants, I highly encourage you to add all the hosts as your friend on Xbox Live (Gamertags are listed for every host below). We also encourage you to join the community Xbox Club (all hosts can be found in the Club roster as well). We use the Club for a variety of purposes to unite members of the community and play together. As an extra reminder for new members, please make sure to review our Code of Conduct.
    To learn more about the AJSA on Xbox One, visit out our Community Information thread.
    For Game Nights and other community activities we use the 'Xbox Live Party' that are created from the Club for communication, gatherings, and other purposes. In the case of an emergency where Xbox Live is down and we need to group up, we will use the AJSA Discord channel as a backup. In our parties we fully accept and make adjustments for people who are shy in groups and/or for people who have no mics.
    If by chance you do not have a Game Night host on your friend list, please message the host for an invite to the game/party during the Game Night and then exchange friend requests upon entry to the party. All Game Night parties will be visible to Xbox Club members under the "Looking for Group" section. You can join the party via the Club or through the profile of the host.
    If you would like to give advance notice to the host that you would like to participate in a particular Game Night, you are free to do so. If you have any questions, please reach out to any members of the AJSA Xbox One staff and we will be happy to assist you.
    All Game Nights are casual gatherings aimed at bringing people together to have a good time and enjoy their games in a group setting.
    --------------------
    Human Fall Flat - Game Night
    Friday May 3rd - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

    Human Fall Flat returns as an Xbox Game Night this Friday night! A sweet and silly game, we're gathering once more to try out this whacky title on the Xbox Game Pass. We'll also check out the new map that has been added to the game since we last played.
    We must work together solving puzzles, overcoming obstacles, and resist the urge to throw eachother off the map. Curious to see Human Fall Flat multiplayer gameplay? Check out this video from the AJSA Gaming Youtube channel where we played Human Fall Flat for the first time as an event in September 2018.
    Game Night Summary
    - Activities -
    Playing through as many missions in the game as possible Playing the new night level Earning Xbox Live Achievements for first time players Puzzle solving, completing obstacle courses etc - Xbox Game Pass Status: ACTIVE -
    Do you have a subscription to the Xbox Game Pass? You can download Human Fall Flat for free.
    - Date & Start Times -
    Friday May 3rd, 2019 7:30pm ET 6:30pm CT 4:30pm PT 12:30am GMT Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.
    - Host -
    Commander Rune [Gamertag: AScapeRunePlaya] Please contact the hosts if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.
    --------------------
    Battlefront II - Game Night
    Saturday May 4th - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

    May the 4th be with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day with the AJSA this Saturday night as we gather to play Star Wars: Battlefront II. As part of this Game Night we will be checking out the new 'Capital Supremacy' mode released last month as part of a new content update. Make sure to have the game update downloaded in advance so you can start playing right away this Saturday.
    Game Night Summary
    - Activities -
    Galactic & Starfighter Assault Heroes vs Villains Capital Supremacy - Date & Start Times -
    Saturday May 4th, 2019 7:30pm ET 6:30pm CT 4:30pm PT 12:30am GMT Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.
    - Host -
    DARTH SICK [Gamertag: Sickshock6] Please contact the hosts if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.
    --------------------
    Connect With the AJSA Xbox One Community
    Xbox Section of the Forums
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/forum/32-xbox-one/
    Join the AJSA Club on Xbox One
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/37127-ajsa-xbox-one-club-how-do-i-join/
    Xbox One Gamertag List
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/38719-xbox-one-gamertag-list/
    Xbox Community Information
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/39605-xbox-one-division-information/
    More AJSA Community Content
    AJSA Twitter
    https://twitter.com/AJSAgaming
    AJSA Stream Team
    https://www.twitch.tv/team/ajsa
    AJSA Gaming Youtube
    https://www.youtube.com/user/AJSAGaming
    AJSA Community Content Area
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/forum/42-community-content/
     

    By Conan, in Frontpage,


    Greetings soldiers of the Angry Army, Auraxius calls for War once again. Join us as we make for the planetside, to conquer it in the name of our force, factions will be chosen at the start of the event, to give the opportunity to play a different side. 
    This event will be held Wednesday May 1st, 2019, 2pm EDT/7pm BST in the Angry Joe show army discord.
    And as those may have heard, yes Planetside 2 now has Direct X 11! Meaning it runs better, looks smoother, and lags quite a lot less than it used to, plus for subscribers of the game, currently you can deploy an NS operative a neutral character that will align with the faction that currently has the lowest pop for that server.

    By Legolas_Katarn, in Articles,


    Game Informer Australia shuts down due to falling shares of parent company GameStop, Richard Moss' retrospective on bringing the Game Boy and some of its games to the west, Jeremy Antley looks at Twitch culture and the labor and effects that both growing and entertaining chat has on many streamers, Colin Campbell reports on the months of intense crunch at Epic after the sudden success of Fortnite, Tim Rogers discovers a beat em up with phenomenal writing, hands on with Control and A Plague Tale and new gameplay of Rage 2, developers discuss the making of Into the Breach and creating a language for Heaven's Vault, with the Notre-Dame fire Gilles Roy considers how virtual spaces can carry the memory of real ones and wonders what will carry the memory of the digital, Forest Lassman looks into where the careers of the Uncharted 2 developers have taken them, and more.
     
     
    Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)
     
    A Plague Tale: Innocence explores war, sickness, and the wrath of the French Inquisition

     
    Partisans 41 Looks A Lot Like A Modern Commandos
     
    Cel-shaded FPS XIII is being remade for modern consoles, PC
     
    Here’s 45 fresh minutes of Rage 2 gameplay
     
    New Gameplay Today – Nowhere Prophet
     
    Hands-on with Control, Remedy's most ambitious game yet

     
    Total War: Three Kingdoms Episode 1: Bringing the Three Kingdoms to Life
    Total War: THREE KINGDOMS - How to play as Lu Bu
     
    New Gameplay Today – SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
     
    Investor: Phoenix Point developers got more than $2 million for Epic exclusivity deal
     
    LUCASFILM GAMES VP DOUGLAS REILLY AND RESPAWN CEO VINCE ZAMPELLA ON THE POTENT FANTASY OF STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER
     
    Retro City Rampage followup Shakedown: Hawaii comes out next month
     
    Little Misfortune is a disturbing adventure about an 8-year-old girl on a walk in the woods
     
    Steel Division 2 delayed into June
     
    Mortal Kombat 11 Devs Promise Fixes for Towers of Time, Krypt Progression

     
    BattleTech: Urban Warfare hits the streets on June 4th
     
    "Shovel Knight is Not Done:" Yacht Club Games on the Road to King of Cards and Beyond

     
    Nintendo is deleting what it deems inappropriate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate stages

     
    Atlas Reactor is powering down on June 28th

     
    After 11 years, Burnout Paradise servers will close this August
     
    Epic says new account security features are coming this year

     
    Game Informer Australia Is Shutting Down
     
    All of Infocom's text adventure source code archived and public

     
    New AbleGamers website pairs game devs with disabled players

     
    Esports News
     
    Arcade Setups Keep The Dream Of Competitive Darkstalkers 3 Alive

     
    Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)
     
    How Fortnite’s success led to months of intense crunch at Epic Games

     
    Where Are Uncharted 2's Developers Today?

     
    How fans helped this 11-year-old pirate MMO outlive 2 studio closures

     
    How Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, Tetris, and Pokémon to the West

    The Game Boy Was the Only Console I Needed Growing Up
     
    Running the Numbers

     
    How Inkle developed its own ancient language for Heaven's Vault

     
    The making of Into the Breach: how Subset Games stripped back to the essentials

     
    Warren Spector: "If immersive sims disappear, I disappear"

     
    TWEWY
     
    WOMEN OF UBISOFT – KAITLIN TREMBLAY

     
    Everyone should experience what I felt playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

     
    The Cathedral and the Simulacrum

    After Notre Dame Fire, Players Return to Its Recreation in 'Assassin's Creed Unity'
     
    A Teen Dirtbag Beat-Em-Up With Phenomenal Writing

     
    The Heartache Of A Video Game That Makes You Shred Real Books

     
    'We. The Revolution' Is a Bleak Morality Tale of Revolutionary Violence

     
    The 10 Best Management Sims on Itchi.o

     
    Spyro Reignited is a Joyous but Troubling Trip Through Childhood

     
    “The Unkind-Faced Buddha,” by Chris Breault

     
    Grow Up: Gone Home is Wonderfully, Perfectly YA

     
    A real-life lobbyist was just permanently banned in EVE Online for corruption

     
    How Interface Screws Mess With You | Psych of Play
     
    The Beauty of Parallax
     
    Games as Lit. 101 - Literary Analysis: The World Ends With You (Part 5 - Week 3)
     
    Wrestlemania! Games Under Five Hours Q1 2019
     
    How Yoshi's Crafted World Crafts Level Music
     
    Procedurally Crafting Manhattan for Marvel's Spider-Man
     
    Classic Game Postmortem: Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, and Panzer Dragoon Saga
     
    Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry
     
    NFL team reveals its match schedule with a journey through gaming history
     

    By RuneX, in Frontpage,


    Hello and welcome to our Xbox community article for this week. I hope you all had an amazing holiday weekend. This article series is our way to report and share with you on what is going on with the AJSA in the Xbox community on a weekly basis. We'll have updates on current projects, upcoming activities, community content ranging from interviews to Youtube videos, event recaps and more. These articles will always contain a copy our Game Nights schedule for the week to keep folks informed about what titles we're featuring and supporting. If you're interesting in getting involved with us on Xbox I'd encourage you to check out our 'Xbox Community Guidebook' where you can get up to speed on what we're all about and how you can start playing with us. If you need help and/or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of the AJSA Xbox Staff for assistance. We'll be more than happy to help you out!
    Xbox Reports
    - Kountdown to Kombat Series Finale -
    This Sunday night with the inaugural event for Mortal Kombat 11 will represent the conclusion of our three month long Kountdown to Kombat Fight Night community project. This journey started with an idea to bring together fighting game enthusiasts and players in the Xbox community in a series of events that would have us explore fighting games from the past and present. From this idea the 'Kountdown to Kombat' was born. A series of Fight Nights, leading to the release of Mortal Kombat 11, that would bring together members to play fighting games in a fun and casual environment.
    The brianchild of Sickshock6 (who has taken up the mantle the ruthless Emperor, SHAO SICK, for this series) this community project started back in February with Mortal Kombat X and since then we've held numerous Fight Nights covering titles such as Street Fighter IV (via backward compat), Brawlhalla, Injustice 2, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, and Killer Instinct. This became one of our most ambitious community projects in history and first major project for the Xbox community in 2019.
    We look forward to finally playing Mortal Kombat 11 and concluding the series with the community this weekend. Thank you all for your support of the Kountdown to Kombat and the Fight Nights. The final battle awaits you on Sunday.
    - Halo Retrospective Series Finale -
    This weekend will also mark the conclusion of our Halo Retrospective series on Xbox. The objective of this series was to play all the Halo FPS titles on Xbox One. We went back to revisit Halo 5: Guardians as an event for the first time in over a year and played a host of custom games in the Master Chief Collection in the four original titles. This Friday will see us travel back to Halo; Reach via backward compat in what could be our last event for Halo: Reach via backward compatibility as Reach will be heading to the Master Chief Collection soon.
    Please for Halo: Reach all the DLC and map packs are free to download so to ensure we can get to play as many maps and modes a spossible for the Game Night on Friday, everyone will need to make sure you have these map packs downloaded. File sizes are small and shouldn't take up too much time. Thanks all!
    Xbox Community Spotlight
    - Avengers Assemble! -
    One of the biggest blockbuster movies in the history of cinema is releasing this weekend. Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th, concluding a story arc spanning over 10 years of 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' films. For Twitter savvy users you may have seen the people tagging their friends and followers to assemble their own Avengers team. We thought we could take that idea and put our own spin on it.
    For our Xbox Community Spotlight this week, Sickshock6 has crafted an 'Avengers Initiative Report' where Agent Phil Coulson is briefing SHIELD Director Nick Fury on various members of the AJSA Xbox One Community and a few MCU characters they're associated with.
    He wrote the description for each member featured below and decided which member would fit with what super hero. He is a big comic book fan and loves super hero movies, so this was a perfect project for him! Thank you Sick for making this list!
    Enjoy!
    --------------------------
    S.H.I.E.L.D. AVENGER’S INITIATIVE REPORT
    BY AGENT PHIL COULSON
    TO
    DIRECTOR NICK FURY

    To Director Fury: I have completed my task of surveying all of the enhanced humans located within the AJSA Community on Xbox One. Entailed in my report are candidates I believe are eligible for the Avengers Initiative. I hope that this report will help you in you final decision on possible candidates Director Fury. - Agent Coulson
    -----
    IRON MAN | O0PP34 [A.K.A: OP]

    I believe you have approached this individual already boss but I'll provide you with some information nonetheless. Besides the sarcasm and the smart ass remarks, OP is always prepared for any situation. He is always two steps ahead of the enemy. He is smart and has a deep understanding of mechanics, robotics, and systems. His resourcefulness and ability to aid and help his teammates are the true benefits of this individual. Plus Canadian-made Iron suits! We need this guy!
    -----
    HULK | SpartanMaster93 [A.K.A: SPARTANMASTER]

    All I can really say is do not, I repeat DO NOT make him angry you will regret it! You will not like him when he is angry!!
    -----
    ANT-MAN | WookieJedi [A.K.A: WOOKIE]

    This criminal turned terrible jokester is a real piece of work. Don’t let Wookie's underperforming jokes turn you away from this guy boss. What he lacks in size he makes up for it where it counts! He is dedicated to his team members and most importantly he will do anything to protect his family. But seriously boss the jokes are really bad I recommend you carry earbuds or something! 
    -----
    STARLORD | Dylmah93 [A.K.A: DYLMAH]

    Another Jokester to add to the list here boss. However this one can be actually funny at times but also a bit of a douchebag. Dylmah knows how to band his people together to get the mission done. He packs his own arsenal to say the least. He is caring and protective over his people. Plus he is from earth. I can't seem to get more information on where he is exactly from. All I know is that he plays “Down Under” by Men at Work quite a bit in his ship. Not sure why?
    -----
    THOR | JTK858 [A.K.A: JT]

    With this guy we are dealing with something otherworldly! JT is really in love his viking lore. He even calls himself the Thunder God. This guy is some piece of work. Honestly I think he is stuck in some Shakespeare play. Nonetheless he is powerful and a true force of nature. JT loves a good fight! Boss I tell you this guy is more than just a highly technological light show.
    -----
    DRAX | FOXHART [A.K.A: FOX]

    Fox is a tough dude, boss. He is the powerhouse of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He may take you very literal boss. I would suggest to try and not joke around so much with him because he may not get your joking. He is however very protective of his teammates and is there when you need him most.
    -----
    BLACK PANTHER | AJSA DELTA [A.K.A: DELTA]

    The King of Wakanda is no stranger to danger. Delta will do whatever is necessary to protect and aid his fellow members of the community. Always on the front lines with his people! He will have very big shoes to fill in the future but I feel he is on the way to be a great king. By the way boss have you seen this guys suit? It is kick ass!
    -----
    WAR MACHINE | JJTITANDOG [A.K.A: TITANDOG]

    Titandog is calm, cool, and collected. He doesn't screw around in the battlefield. This guy is the complete opposite of Iron Man. He is a true warrior. He can always count on him in any battle situation.
    -----
    CAPTAIN MARVEL | Toxic Sarah 696 [A.K.A: SARAH]

    I think you know her personally boss but I'll include what I know in this report. Otherwise I won't hear the end of it from you. I can't really seem to find much information since her 1990’s Appearance crashing into that blockbuster. Sarah is very friendly and caring about the people of Earth. I know she gave you that pager to only call her when we need her but boy we could use her around more often!
    -----
    HAWKEYE | Dom54321 [A.K.A: DOM]

    This silent and deadly killer never misses his target. Dom will strike is target quick and efficiently. He will never make a scene and will leave a battle just as quietly as he entered. Personally boss I think it would be a good idea to have someone like this guy!
    -----
    ROCKET RACOON | EJGarza02 [A.K.A: GARZA]

    Don’t let this loud mouth racoon fool you. Garza knows the in’s and out’s of any technology he may come across with. Boss let me tell you this guy…or racoon I should say really knows how to ‘SLOW DOWN’ his opponents. Just like the Hulk he has quite a temper so don't make fun of him or mock the fact he is a racoon. However once on the team I feel that he will make a great asset to us.
    -----
    CAPTAIN AMERICA | AScapeRunePlaya [A.K.A: RUNE]

    Boss let me tell you somethin' about this guy! Rune goes above and beyond the Call of Duty for the community. We can all count on the Cap to see it though. He is always there to help members in any way he can. From his approachability to discuss anything or to something simple as spending an evening playing games to forget that bad day at work or school you had. He'll help us fight the good fight!
    -----
    SPIDER-MAN | StraightUpMelon [A.K.A: MELON]

    Don’t let the age of this kid fool you boss, he has spunk! Melon is a true friend to his neighborhood and community. He looks out for all his friends! He has a good heart and an amazing fighting spirit! Melon also has some quirky one liners. Just try not to call on him too much on missions boss as he still needs to finish college! 
    -----
    VISION | SavvyDoomSlayer [A.K.A: DOOMSLAYER]

    This all knowing artificial lifeform is well informed on all current happenings here on Earth. Doom has a wealth of knowledge that will help teammates. He uses his advanced intellect to survey any battlefield and form important battleplans for his squad to use. Doom knows how to take care of business! He can be useful to us Director Fury. No question about that!
    -----
    GROOT | AwakeningRager [A.K.A: RAGER]

    Boss, this is something I've never quite seen before! Rager is a unique soft spoken, hard hitting specimen. He backs up his fellow teammates while also providing critical supporting roles when it is needed. He says few words and when he does boss he likes to imitate Golum from Lord of the Rings. It is said that he can only be understood by one Individual, Rune.
    -----
    BLACK WIDOW | Psykogrl [A.K.A: PSYKO]

    This undercover super spy can hit the enemy where it really hurts! Psyko has the ability to be the first to notify her fellow teammates of the under dealings our enemies will be sending our way. She will obtain this information by any means necessary and kick butt doing it!
    -----
    WINTER SOLDER | GhostRider [A.K.A: Ghost]

    Ghost is ruthless, unforgiving, and deadly. These are the traits implanted on to him since his capture by the Russians. He is a true weapon of destruction....if he plays for the right team of course! Don't expect any mercy from this man for he will show you none.
    -----
    SCARLETT WITCH | Blivz [A.K.A: BLIVZ]

    She may be shy to begin with boss but when you get to fully know her she is friendly, caring, and dedicated to the cause. Blivz will go out of her way to help our fellow community members no matter what or who gets in her way!
    -----
    DOCTOR STRANGE | Sickshock6 [A.K.A: SICKSHOCK]

    This neurological surgeon turned Master of the Mystic Arts is always prepared for the fight ahead. With the aid of his Eye of Agamotto he is able to plan well in advance of foreseeable events. It is Sickshock's job to protect the world multidimensional creatures and villains! He does tend to joke around from time to time. Don't let that fool you boss I have surveillance footage of him saying that if it came down to saving the time stone or his fellow teammates….he would pick the stone. Hopefully he will change his mind....
    I think however deep down inside he does truly care for this team members safety! We could always use a weird dungeons and dragons wizard on the team boss. It would give us something to do on Wednesday instead bingo night every week.
    --------------------------
    S.H.I.E.L.D. AVENGER’S INITIATIVE REPORT
    Boss I really hope my intel has been of some use to you. I will be on the next flight to Washington D.C. See you then. - Agent Coulson
    -----
    EDITOR'S NOTE

    I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful friends I have here in the Xbox community! For without you guys none of this would be possible for me to do. Personally I tend to think comics have affected and inspired the way we wish to be like the heroes in our favorite stories.
    None would be possible without the great Stan Lee. As Avengers Endgame is set to release this weekend concluding 11 years and 22 movies worth of amazing story telling I feel that a very big thank you is owed to Stan. From the days pretending to be Spider-Man to all the games, movies, and cheesy 90’s cartoons....Thank You Stan!!!
    I encourage you all to go ahead leave a comment tell me you favorite superhero from wherever Marvel or DC. Tell me what character you imitated as a kid, or your favorite TV show that is comic related!!!  - Sickshock6
    Weekend Game Night Schedule - April 26th to April 28th

    How can I attend a Game Night? - For new members/first time Game Night participants, I highly encourage you to add all the hosts as your friend on Xbox Live (Gamertags are listed for every host below). We also encourage you to join the community Xbox Club (all hosts can be found in the Club roster as well). We use the Club for a variety of purposes to unite members of the community and play together. As an extra reminder for new members, please make sure to review our Code of Conduct.
    To learn more about the AJSA on Xbox One, visit out our Community Information thread.
    For Game Nights and other community activities we use the 'Xbox Live Party' that are created from the Club for communication, gatherings, and other purposes. In the case of an emergency where Xbox Live is down and we need to group up, we will use the AJSA Discord channel as a backup. In our parties we fully accept and make adjustments for people who are shy in groups and/or for people who have no mics.
    If by chance you do not have a Game Night host on your friend list, please message the host for an invite to the game/party during the Game Night and then exchange friend requests upon entry to the party. All Game Night parties will be visible to Xbox Club members under the "Looking for Group" section. You can join the party via the Club or through the profile of the host.
    If you would like to give advance notice to the host that you would like to participate in a particular Game Night, you are free to do so. If you have any questions, please reach out to any members of the AJSA Xbox One staff and we will be happy to assist you.
    All Game Nights are casual gatherings aimed at bringing people together to have a good time and enjoy their games in a group setting.
    --------------------
    Halo: Reach - Game Night
    Friday April 26th - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

    Angry Spartans! Come join us this Friday night as we kick off the #AJSAGamingWeekend with Halo: Reach via backward compatibility. We're revisiting planet Reach in epic multiplayer fashion. A variety of online and custom game modes will be showcased throughout the evening. This event will the last of our 'Halo Retrospective' series for April. Thank you all who came out on Friday nights this month to play Halo.
    ICYMI - Halo Reach is coming to the Master Chief Collection later this year. Check out this blog post from Halo Waypoint to get up to speed on the recent announcement from 343 Industries.
    Game Night Summary
    - Activities -
    Variety of online & custom games/modes - Xbox Backward Compat Status: ACTIVE -
    Already own a physical or digital copy of Halo: Reach for the Xbox 360? You can install the game without charge.
    - Date & Start Times -
    Friday April 26th, 2019 7:30pm ET 6:30pm CT 4:30pm PT 12:30am GMT Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.
    - Hosts -
    Commander Rune [Gamertag: AScapeRunePlaya] Officer AwakeningRager [Gamertag: AwakeningRager1] Please contact the hosts if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.
    --------------------
    Minecraft - Game Night
    Saturday April 27th - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

    New adventures await you this Saturday night in our Minecraft Realm! We're checking out the latest expansions and building projects that folks have been working on this past month. This Game Night will have us playing in the main base area around the community Lodge.
    ICYMI - Minecraft has come to the Xbox Game Pass in April! If you've never played Minecraft before but have the Game Pass, we'd love to have you be a part of our Realm.
    Game Night Summary
    - Activities -
    Tour of new buildings Monument unvieling Building projects and more - Xbox Game Pass Status: ACTIVE -
    Do you have a subscription to the Xbox Game Pass? You can download Minecraft for free.
    - Date & Start Times -
    Saturday April 27th, 2019 7:30pm ET 6:30pm CT 4:30pm PT 12:30am GMT Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.
    - Hosts -
    Commander Rune [Gamertag: AScapeRunePlaya] Please contact the hosts if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.
    --------------------
    Mortal Kombat 11 - Fight Night
    Sunday April 28th - 7:00pm EST [12:00am GMT]

    The epic conclusion to the Kountdown to Kombat Fight Night series, three months in the making....
    "You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me."
    Emperor of Angerworld, SHAO SICK, presents the final Fight Night of the Kountdown to Kombat this Sunday night. Orchestrated by SHAO SICK, Kombatants of the AJSA on Xbox have been fighting for the past three months, traveling across the fighting game universe. Street Fighter, Killer Instinct, Brawlhalla, Injustice, Marvel vs Capcom, Mortal Kombat X....we've battled through hell and back. Now the final battle, the fight of our lives, arrives this Sunday with Mortal Kombat 11.
    Our Fight Night this Sunday will be the last chance to stop Emperor Shao Sick and his plan to take over Earthrealm. Who among us will emrge as the mightiest Kombatant to take down Shao Sick?
    Game Night Summary
    - Activities -
    1v1 Fights - King of the Kill Settings Checking out all the new modes and characters - Date & Start Times -
    Sunday April 28th, 2019 7:00pm ET 6:00pm CT 5:00pm PT 12:00am GMT Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.
    - Host -
    SHAO SICK [Gamertag: Sickshock6] Please contact the host if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.
    --------------------
    Connect With the AJSA Xbox One Community
    Xbox Section of the Forums
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/forum/32-xbox-one/
    Join the AJSA Club on Xbox One
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/37127-ajsa-xbox-one-club-how-do-i-join/
    Xbox One Gamertag List
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/38719-xbox-one-gamertag-list/
    Xbox Community Information
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/39605-xbox-one-division-information/
    More AJSA Community Content
    AJSA Twitter
    https://twitter.com/AJSAgaming
    AJSA Stream Team
    https://www.twitch.tv/team/ajsa
    AJSA Gaming Youtube
    https://www.youtube.com/user/AJSAGaming
    AJSA Community Content Area
    http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/forum/42-community-content/

    By Legolas_Katarn, in Articles,


    Information on the next generation Playstation, John Walker gives the history of Rock Paper Shotgun, Jacob Geller on the art and sound design of APE OUT and how they lead to one of his favorite gaming moments, Jedi Fallen Order reveal trailer and early information, Eyepatch Wolf on the horror of Red Candle Games, Avelene Perry on the cost of revolution in Ogre Battle 64, Tetsuya Mizuguchi discusses burnout after using all his passion and energy in the creation of Child of Eden, Dia Lacina in pursuit of the perfect photograph in Sekiro, Edwin Evans-Thirlwell interviews Amy Hennig on what is next for her and the industry and her thoughts on Jedi Fallen Order, Chris Avellone explains why he would never work with Obsidian's senior management again and what KOTOR 3 could have been about, and more.
     
    Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)
     
    EXCLUSIVE: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SONY'S NEXT-GEN PLAYSTATION

    PlayStation 5: Why to be skeptical about next-gen console reveals
     
    Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — Official Reveal Trailer
    Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has a big focus on story, and six narrative designers
    Amy Hennig reacts to Jedi: Fallen Order announce, reveals more of her cancelled single-player Star Wars game
    Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order store page touts “cinematically-charged” Lightsaber combat with “striking, parrying, dodging”
     
    Trine 4 is meant to be a nightmare but it’s a co-op puzzling dream

     
    Deep Silver to publish Iron Harvest

     
    Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Captures the Invigorating Helplessness of Being a Primal Human
    New Gameplay Today – Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
     
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    Rage 2: Breaking Down the Deadly Factions - IGN First
     
    Conan Unconquered video showcases rotting corpses and an angry god
     
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    Mortal Kombat 11 - Official Kitana & D'Vorah Reveal Trailer
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    Mortal Kombat 11 has microtransactions, but they’re just ‘time savers’
     
    Utawarerumono Zan Collector’s Editions Gives You A Fan Like Haku’s When It Arrives In Fall 2019
     
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    Alan Wake and Wolfenstein 2 composers worked on Control
     
    Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Release Date Revealed, New Characters Confirmed
     
    Yakuza Kiwami 2’s PC port finally arrives next month
     
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    Announcing ‘Onslaught’, the Newest Expansion Coming to Star Wars™: The Old Republic

     
    Total War: Warhammer 2 Free-LC Will Add Lizardmen Lord Tiktaq’to

    See Total War: Warhammer 2's new doom flayers in action
    Total War: Warhammer 2 will still get DLC, but no new races
     
    Free Celeste DLC Chapter Won’t Be Released In April 2019
     
    Overwatch goes co-op again tomorrow in the Storm Rising event
     
    Assassin's Creed Odyssey: The Fate Of Atlantis takes us beyond Greece next week
     
    Two Point Hospital is getting a free co-op feature later this month
     
    Sea Of Thieves' Big One-Year Anniversary Changes
     
    Respawn co-founder Jason West is the next Epic exclusive
     
    Summer Games Done Quick 2019 announces June schedule

     
    Sony clamps down on sexual content in PS4 games

     
    PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Banned In Nepal Because Of Addiction Concerns

     
    Rocket League nixes loot boxes in Belgium, the Netherlands

     
    This SNES emulator mod makes Mode 7 graphics 'HD' with amazing results
     
    Esports News
     
    $155,000 Mortal Kombat 11 Pro Kompetition series kicks off in May
     
    From Fernando Alonso to Alfa Romeo, the esports team looking to change the face of motorsport

     
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    One Of North America’s Best League Of Legends Teams Is Itching For A Comeback

     
    9-Year-Old Dragon Ball FighterZ Player Faces His Own Dad In Tournament

     
    Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)
     
    Backers have pledged over $1b total to games on Kickstarter

     
    Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)
     
    The Secret History Of Rock Paper Shotgun - Part One: Matters Of Import
     
    You cheated the game
     
    The big Amy Hennig interview

     
    Telltale Co-Founder Opens Up About Studio's Troubling Closure
     
    Obsidian’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 was about battling ancient, monstrous Sith lords

    The long, hard road of creating Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
     
    Weed is worse than murder, if you're selling a video game

     
    “I wouldn’t work with senior management” at Obsidian ever again, says Chris Avellone

     
    “I spent my everything. I broke.” – Tetsuya Mizuguchi on burnout and creating the “new-wow”

     
    How Journals Are Bringing Humanity to Video Games

     
    Forget easy mode. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice needs an equal mode
     
    In Pursuit of the Shot in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

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    Journey — to the Mother Tongue

     
    Ogre Battle 64 and the Cost of Revolution

     
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