Boring, Uncultured Leaker Only Shares Government Secrets Instead of Next Smash Bros Release Date

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gamers around the world are sure to be disappointed as reports surface that a boring, uncultured anonymous source has leaked confidential government secrets, instead of information about the next ‘Super Smash Bros.’ game.

“We plan to neutralize multiple high-profile threats to our democracy within the next month,” reads the documents, which make no gesture as to whether a future Smash title would be on the Switch or a potential successor.

According to reports, names on the “hit list” include Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, instead of names people actually want to see like Crash Bandicoot, Doomguy, and Maxwell from Scribblenauts. The document had other details, but they’ll only bore you if you don’t live in one of those countries, unlike the worldwide appeal to information about the globally popular fighting game Smash Bros.

The leaker coupled the information together with a manifesto that seemingly confirms that they were too full of their own interests to even think about one of the best-selling game series of all time.

“Action needed to be taken. I just couldn’t sit in silence while the government hides these atrocities,” says the leaker, clearly sitting in silence while Nintendo hides any potential roster cuts. “We must no longer keep forcing ourselves to the whims of the military industrial complex. Its use of exceptionalism has done nothing but bring destruction.”

On a more positive note, the leaker also said they have “much more information to disclose” including people who Joe Biden held secret meetings with, leaving the door open for one of those men to be Masahiro Sakurai.

Bill Burns, Director of the CIA, refused to answer any questions about a sequel to ‘Ultimate” in his statement to the press on the leaker.

“This defector doesn’t understand that such callous behavior is unacceptable when dealing with global conflict,” he said, leaving it unclear as to whether such conflict is the form that may bring back wavedashing.

When asked about Smash, Burns replied that he “had no clue what that is” and that he “has never played it,” showing that those in charge of our government are truly out of touch with the lives of the people. “I find it honestly insulting that you would invite me to this interview and ask me about a video game,” he continued in a way that showed blind contempt.for an entire artform. Pompous, demeaning and obsessed with a constant barrage of projectile fire – if he played Smash, he’d definitely be a Ness main.

Hard Drive will continue to update this article as the story develops.

Chris Pratt Announced as New Voice of Your Internal Dialogue

HOLLYWOOD – In a shocking new development, famed film and television actor/voice actor Chris Pratt has been announced as the new voice of your internal dialogue.

“I’ve done my best to involve myself in as many massive franchises as possible for one reason and one reason only: I have a nice voice and I want you to hear it,” explained Pratt via press conference inside your own head, addressed directly to you. “But for the longest time, I couldn’t be sure whether or not you would ever actually go see any of the movies my voice is in. I did Jurassic World, Mario, and Garfield because lots of people love those franchises. Even the Lego Movie. Everyone loves Legos! But maybe you don’t. Now I don’t have to worry about that. Why waste time starring in all these roles I’m not even sure you’ll see when I can put my beautiful voice directly into your head?”

Though Pratt declined to provide any details that may indicate how exactly he managed to become the voice of your internal dialogue, or why he chose to be your internal dialogue rather than anyone else’s, he became visibly excited as he detailed all the ways his new voice role will impact you specifically.

“Reading a book? No, Chris Pratt is reading a book to you. Remembering a funny joke? No, Chris Pratt is telling you a funny joke. Fantasizing about that cute barista you saw last week? Lo and behold, that barista sounds like Chris Pratt.”

At this point in the press conference, Pratt sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and sighed contentedly, a pleased look on his face.

“I will be every thought you ever have. Every doubt. Every hope. Every memory. As you go about your day it will be my voice guiding you through every little decision you make, and as you sleep my voice will permeate your dreams. Do not try to run. Do not panic. My voice will be there to comfort you. There is no escape.”

Pratt then proceeded to promote the Garfield Movie, starring him as the titular character, to be theatrically released in the United States on May 24, 2024.

Incredible: Indie Game You Wishlisted 6 Years Ago Now 18% Off

United States – Gamers awoke this morning to find long-time indie darling, Raven’s Curse: Dusklight, on sale for a whopping 18% off.

“I’m not really sure why I was interested or what it’s about, but I know a discount when I see one,” remarked Eric Lowe, a passionate fan from Boston. Many gamers were shocked to find the game had been on their wishlist at all, with a few recalling vague memories of saving the indie project years ago. “Sure, it’s not 60% off or anything, but you can bet this game was made with a lot of passion at a really small studio,” Lowe continued.

Pricing for the game has certainly never been better, as cost history shows the game sitting at full price for the last 5 years, only receiving a 5% discount for a single day in 2018 – likely due to a brief regional pricing mistake by the developer.

“18% off for an indie is basically the equivalent of 90% off anything else,” remarked indie game enthusiast John Hues. “I’m basically losing money by not buying four copies for my friends.”

“Hopefully the co-op still works on it.”

Dusklight is one of a handful of games offered by developer Big Tomato, which has produced other indie hits Moth Willow Chronicles and Wilbur’s Day Off, none of which have seen such a steep discount in the years since their release.

“To be honest, I’m thinking about picking up a few copies for friends and family since this price won’t last forever,” mentioned games journalist Sara Reed. “It’s perfect timing, actually. My boyfriend and I have been looking for a way to kill a couple of hours and this seems like a fine way to do it. Wait, it’s not even 20% off?”

Boasting over 3 hours of gameplay, Dusklight tells the story of Stella, a lost raven searching for her family in a dark forest. Players must rely on quick thinking to solve light-based cover puzzles and have to watch out for the “Darkness,” an evil entity always hot on your tail.

Thankfully, those who miss out on the deal can always pick up the game as part of a $15.99 developer bundle.

Uh Oh: Netflix Exec Seen Enjoying Book Series That You Love

Hollywood – Worrying reports out of Los Angeles today indicate a Netflix exec was spotted paging through your favorite book series, seemingly enjoying himself.

“It’s not something I wanted me or my family to see, frankly,” said Mary Evans, a concerned mother of three who also enjoys the book series. “This executive, he was just sitting there reading and nodding, even dog-earing pages and writing in the margins. I shudder to think what notes he might’ve been making.”

“Or even worse, maybe casting ideas.”

Eyewitnesses say the executive took his time paging through each of the series’ four entries, even stopping for one moment to pull out a highlighter to carefully mark a couple of lines.

Tara Smith, a local bookshop owner, offered insight into the likely outcome of this depressing sight.

“I’ll put it bluntly; there’s zero chance this guy was just reading for fun, and to make matters worse the characters in this series are just not meant for the big screen. The protagonist being a ghost is one thing, but I know they’ll absolutely ransack her personality as soon as they find out she used to play guitar. Please don’t make the ghost play a guitar.”

Concern turned to fear as the exec was seen smiling while reading one of the book’s few low points.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this guy laughing at the beginning of the second book – nobody thinks that part is actually funny. The author isn’t known for humor and the fans are willing to accept that; why is he laughing so much?” questioned Alex Peterson, a worried fan of the series. “The nuance of these books would be totally lost in the hands of a bunch of suits. You saw what they did with every single thing released this year.”

Bookstores reportedly began dumping stock of the series as the disheartening news spread across town, with little free libraries everywhere bracing to deal with the fallout.

Opinion: $70 Video Game Sets Dangerous Precedent for $80 Video Game

PHILADELPHIA — Like the price of the Costco hotdog or the melting point of steel, the $60 video game has been a point of stability in the life of gamers, but all that could change, sources suggest, with the introduction of the $70 and, God forbid, $80 video game.

“It’s a slippery slope,” said trends forecaster Aimee Rorke. “Rising sea levels. Dehumanizing rhetoric. Anti-abortion rulings passed on high by unelected judges. I’m not talking about any of that. I’m talking about the price of video games.”

“It’s frankly rare to see a change this sudden when looking at trends, especially where it concerns essential goods like overpriced entertainment. We’re talking about a product that has stood steady at $60 since the industry’s and my own infancy. When you think of $60, what comes to mind? More often than not, it’s a AAA video game. But what about when you think of $70? Unfortunately, the answer can also be AAA video game – and that’s a disturbing truth to acknowledge.”

When questioned about the unexplained price hike, the response from gamers was one of indignation and confusion.

“This can’t be sustainable,” worried Daniel O’Poole, a local gamer. “I mean, $60 was already a big ask, right? And a disc is just a disc. God forbid you don’t own the $500 space heater that actually plays the game and drafts you as fresh blood for the Console Wars. If you asked me five years ago, a $70 video game would’ve been unthinkable. It sets a dangerous precedent, because like what’s next, you know? An $80 video game? A $90 video game? Remasters of 1 year-old games at full price? Where do they draw the line?”

“And also, what makes publishers think gamers will just shrug their shoulders and dish out $70 on a video game? The fact that we absolutely will? The fact that I’m currently frothing at the mouth for the sweet nectar of escapism that only gaming and its power fantasies can provide? Come on, man. What happened to the old unreasonable price?”

When asked for comment, one publisher stepped up to clarify the rising prices.

“Trust us, a lot goes into making a game,” spoke a representative for Blizzard Entertainment. “The simple fact is, the cost of production has gone up, all across the board. People put hundreds, often thousands of man-hours into the games and stories consumers love. Our game devs are heroes. What publishers want is to pay our teams fairly, to work them ethically, and if it costs 10 extra dollars on the backend? That sounds like a fair trade to us— and for gamers too. Yeah, is that what you want to hear, little piggy? Oink oink, now be a good boy and buy your $70 game..”

At the time of writing, sources indicate video games are $90 and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Advice: How Accurately Can I Sing This Anime Theme Song Before It Feels Racist?

LOS ANGELES — Local anime fan Tyler Jenkins has recently found himself in a cultural conundrum: wondering how accurately he can sing his favorite anime theme songs without crossing the line into unintentional racism, sources close to the karaoke machine reported.

“It’s like, how precise can my Japanese accent be before it’s problematic?” said the self-proclaimed ‘otaku’. “Is it wrong to be flawless?”

Friends of Jenkins report a noticeable tension during karaoke nights. “Tyler’s rendition of ‘Cruel Angel’s Thesis’ from ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ was a bit too spot-on,” said his friend, Maya Hernandez. “We couldn’t decide if we were impressed or if we should ask people to stop filming.”

Karaoke DJ, Mark Lee, has seen his share of questionable performances. “You get these anime superfans trying so hard to nail the original Japanese lyrics, and it’s like, dude, just sing the English cover. This isn’t the Tokyo Dome; it’s Dave’s Tavern.”

Sociolinguist Dr. Emily Chang warns of the fine line between cultural homage and mean-spirited parody: “Appreciation can quickly slip into something much darker; It’s complex, and the karaoke bar might not be the best place to explore these nuances unless you’ve got just a killer voice.”

Anime enthusiast and weary East Asian friend-of-a-friend groups have started offering ‘Sensitivity Singing Workshops’ aimed at navigating the tricky waters between fandom and faux pas.

The classes seem to be working: At press time, Jenkins was seen sheepishly transitioning from a full-throated rendition of the ‘Naruto’ opening to a safer, less linguistically challenging Disney song.

Observers noted a collective sigh of relief from the crowd, and at least one clearly audible “Oh, thank god.”

REVIEW: MW3’s Online Multiplayer Team Chat Harassment Is Innovative as Ever

CHICAGO – I have been a fan of the Call of Duty series since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The series was a huge part of my formative years and I have continued to be a fan throughout not only the first Modern Warfare 3, but also the second Modern Warfare 3. Like many Call of Duty fans, I was incredibly disappointed with Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Mode. Each level was a bland and repetitive mess whose only redeeming factor being it is mercifully short.

Luckily, Modern Warfare 3 saved its innovation for the multiplayer mode, specifically the harassment from the voice chat feature. The game takes the classic voice chat feature, utter emotional devastation from faceless strangers, and adds some refreshing new twists, slurs, and high-pitched shrieking insults.

There are also some new features.

Past games featured opposing players and teammates alike telling me they “had sex with my mother,” a simple classic formula which we covered in our article “Have Some Empathy: Toxic CoD Tween Going Through Rough Patch With Your Mom.”

But in Modern Warfare 3, a player told me that he took my mom “to an all you can eat fuck-and-suck buffett.” The harassment was not limited to my mother either. Another player wove a tale of a long and romantic courtship of my father, including romantic picnics, horseback riding on the beach and a touching proposal in Paris. Each comment made me feel small and insignificant in new and exciting ways.

Another game, I committed the cardinal sin of finishing a round of Search and Destroy without any kills. Seeing that my teammates were a pack of ravenous teenagers, I expected the classic suggestion that I kill myself that got me into Call of Duty in the first place. Instead they subverted my expectations and went with reverse psychology. Uring to me, unprompted, that life was worth living and that I should not do anything drastic. They even began playing Logic’s don’t kill yourself song “1-800-273-8255” over their gaming headsets, claiming they were saving my life. This not only gaslit me into thinking I was suicidal, but it also turned me into a person who inserts the phrase gaslighting into every potentially applicable situation that arises.

One drawback from the older Call of Duty games is the fact that once you turned off your console, the harassment ended. Modern Warfare 3 fixes this immersion issue. After several games of verbal bombardment with a squad of players with different pornstars as their gamertags, which is objectively hilarious, I got called “a fat virgin who is going to die alone.” I turned off my console and I thought this would be the end of my harassment experience, but it turns out those players looked me up found my address. A few days later I began receiving dozens of Amazon packages all containing blow up sex dolls labeled “Mail Order Bride.” This game delivers a 24-7 mental torture that would make Dick Cheney do the closest thing to smiling that he can achieve.

Overall, Modern Warfare 3’s Multiplayer game chat delivers a horrifying experience and provides a new standard of psychological destruction. I rate it 4.5 DSM’s out of 5.

Scream Franchise Drops Actress Who Opposes Shocking, Brutal Killings

LOS ANGELESActress Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming film “Scream VII” after remarks she made condemning brutal, senseless, and often shocking killings in Gaza.

“It’s unfortunate that Ms. Barrera feels this way,” said Gary Barber, CEO of Spyglass Media Group. “It just totally goes against our vision for the movie. I mean, a lead actress in a slasher who doesn’t like horrible, pointless violence? That would be like Lin Manuel Miranda coming out against quirky little raps, or Adam Sandler denounced fart jokes. No one would hire them anymore! Melissa’s perspective is completely inconsistent with the work we’re trying to produce, so we had to let her go.”

Barrera released a statement saying she was shocked by the news while also defending her original post.

“Their logic doesn’t make sense,” wrote Barrera in an Instagram story. “Let me be clear: while I condemn genocide in Gaza, I fully support all of the violence in the Scream franchise and all other violence in mass media. In fact, I advocate for it and think it’s very cool.”

“Ghostface’s brutal kills are indiscriminate and not targeted based on ethnicity, location, or religion. Different thing.”

Many horror fans were confused by the decision.

“I honestly didn’t know you could get fired from a slasher movie,” said Ralph Preston, who hosts a horror movie podcast with two of his friends. “They pretty much take anybody. You don’t even have to be able to act. Emma Roberts is a horrible person, and she still gets cast. Marilyn Manson and Glenn Danzig have both been in horror films. I just don’t see how what Melissa said is beyond the pale.”

At press time, a leaked script revealed that the plot of Scream VII involved the protagonists hiding inside a hospital, forcing Ghostface to kill everyone within.

Gamer’s $60 Steam Purchase “Basically Free” Thanks to $1.07 Earned From Selling Steam Trading Cards

After nearly two years of collecting and selling the cards earned from various games, frugal gamer Adler Gordon felt that it was finally time to put his earnings to good use, sources close to the gamer confirmed.

“It felt great being rewarded after studying the Steam market and carefully selling my hard earned cards at the right time. Since my profits go directly back into my Steam wallet, I used my earnings on a new game purchase, making the remainder of the price feel negligible,” Gordon explained.

According to reports, select Steam games drop digital trading cards rewarded on a player’s time spent in game which can then be traded on the Steam Marketplace. Using his hard earned $1.07, Gordon was reportedly able to reduce the price tag of his new purchase down to $62.53 from $63.30 after taxes – basically free.

Experts in the field call this money hack “Gamer Math.”

When asked for more money saving “Gamer Math” tips, Gordon replied with the following that he would like to share with the gaming community:

“If you pre order a game and pay in full at the time; then, it’s basically free by the time it comes out. Additionally when games are on sale for anything less than 10 dollars you’re practically losing money by not getting it.”

Gordon tells us that he hasn’t had a chance to play his newly acquired game yet but hopes to get to it after working through his backlog.

Mobile Game Ads Clearly Building Cinematic Universe

A series of advertisements for otherwise unconnected mobile video games seem to be teasing an interlocked cinematic universe, observant sources report.

In one ad for popular puzzle game Royal Match, an unnamed character played by actor Red Martin says, “The graphics are beautiful, you don’t need wifi, and best of all? It’s the perfect game to play while crushing a bit of candy,” an alleged reference to blockbuster mobile game Candy Crush. Martin then raises his eyebrows and smirks while an orchestral swell coincides with a cut to black.

Clash Royale, a real-time strategy mobile game, recently ended an ad with a character appearance from Total War: Pharaoh, the most recent title in a separate real-time strategy mobile franchise.

As the Prince, a computer-animated Clash Royale character, finishes a direct call to action, footstep sound effects are heard. The Prince turns around and sees Tausret, a diplomacy-focused TW:P character. “Good evening, Prince,” says Tausret. “I’m here to talk to you about the Unlimited Data Initiative.” The ad concludes with an orchestral swell and cut to black.

Pop culture critic Dana Lawrence calls this kind of cross-title universe-building “unprecedented” in the world of mobile gaming.

“We tend to view games on our phones as personal ways to pass the time,” said Lawrence. “For these different studios to band together and offer connection could revolutionize the industry. Or, it could alienate casual players who don’t want to keep up with continuity.

“No matter how phone users feel,” added Lawrence, “they’ll have to get used to it, because these ads are going to show up on every single app 20 times a day no matter what.”

At press time, no mobile gaming insiders could explain whether the ‘X’ icon is a part of the ad designed to trick you or an actual button that will stop the ad successfully.