Posts

Showing posts from June, 2023

Developer claims Steam is rejecting games with AI-generated artwork

Image
Valve cites unclear legal status, copyrighted training data in rejection message. http://dlvr.it/SrSBKH

GeForce RTX 4060 review: Not thrilling, but a super-efficient $299 workhorse

Image
60-class GPUs are Nvidia's most popular; the 4060 don't fix what ain't broke. http://dlvr.it/SrPQ5q

The Linux coders turning the ROG Ally and other handhelds into Steam Deck clones

Image
It's not an easy process, but it's getting close to a nearly full SteamOS feel. http://dlvr.it/SrLcfs

Bethesda exec was “confused” over double standard for multi-console Call of Duty

Image
CoD policy was "the opposite" of what Bethesda was "told to do... What's the difference?" http://dlvr.it/SrLcRl

Worries over Starfield “skipping Xbox” helped push Microsoft to buy Bethesda

Image
Spencer says PS5 exclusives like Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo spooked Xbox maker. http://dlvr.it/SrHlLr

42 Times Final Fantasy 16 Is Just Game of Thrones

Image
Warning: full spoilers follow for both Final Fantasy 16 and Game of Thrones. Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has made no secret about drawing inspiration from Game of Thrones for the latest epic in the long-running RPG series, but the influence of A Song of Ice and Fire goes way beyond its gritty mediaeval setting and regional British accents. At some points the similarities are as heavy-handed as Ramsey Bolton’s approach to Theon’s special area. So, let’s take a look at the many characters, plot points, and locations in Final Fantasy 16 that feel less like they took inspiration from Game of Thrones and more like George R.R. Martin warged directly into the minds of the team at Square Enix. Full warning, we are going to be covering the entirety of Final Fantasy 16, right up to the finale, so there will be extremely big spoilers. There will naturally be a fair few for Game of Thrones, too, so now is your chance to back out if you need to. Clive Rosfield Is Basically Jon Snow...

Dave The Diver Review

Image
Dave The Diver is an aquatic adventure RPG that’s wholesome, wonderfully complex, and delightfully hard to put down. http://dlvr.it/SrFDds

How to Play the Five Nights at Freddy's Games in Chronological Order

Image
Here's how to play all of the games before the movie arrives this fall. http://dlvr.it/SrD9Lx

Havendock’s Calm Oceanic City Building Belies Its Ambitious Community Development

Image
Havendock is a city builder – one of those cozy ones that presents goals but low stakes, so you don’t have to frantically sort out a civilization as its populace crumbles in your arms. http://dlvr.it/SrCdcG

Essential Final Fantasy 16 Side Quests Worth Doing

Image
All of the Final Fantasy 16 side quests worth doing with great rewards. http://dlvr.it/SrBn5C

Private email shows PlayStation chief unworried about Xbox-exclusive Call of Duty

Image
In FTC trial, Microsoft also downplays cloud gaming as "stuttering... tiny... niche." http://dlvr.it/Sr8ndc

PlayStation Boss Jim Ryan 'Pretty Sure' Call of Duty Will Remain on PlayStation in Bombshell Email

Image
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wrote in an email “I’m pretty sure we will continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for many years to come” in response to the news Microsoft intended to buy Activision Blizzard. http://dlvr.it/Sr68K7

Todd Howard Says Only 10% of Starfield Planets Have Life on Them

Image
Bethesda's Todd Howard has revealed that only 10% of Starfield's 1,000 planets will have life on them. http://dlvr.it/Sr6882

FTC: Xbox-exclusive Starfield is “powerful evidence” against Activision deal

Image
"Microsoft's actions following... acquisition of ZeniMax speak louder than... words." http://dlvr.it/Sr67fv

WarioWare: Move It! Announced at Nintendo Direct 2023

Image
Nintendo has announced WarioWare: Move It, due out on Nintendo Switch November 3. http://dlvr.it/Sr3F0Y

50 Years of Text Games parses the rich history of a foundational genre

Image
Zork and MUD? Sure. But also Universal Paperclips, AI Dungeon, and Lifeline. http://dlvr.it/Sr0LQg

Best Board Game Deals (June 2023)

Image
When you think of board games, you might think of dusty old standbys like Monopoly and Clue. But board games have exploded in recent decades, producing incredible tabletop experiences that offer as much depth, strategy, co-op, and competition as you’re willing to try. One thing that holds lots of people back from amassing a huge board game collection is the price. Some of these games can cost upwards of $100 at MSRP. Thankfully, many of the best and most popular board and card games are cheaper than that. Better yet, they're often on sale. TL;DR - The Best Board Game Deals Below, we’re tracking all the best deals on board games, card games, dice games, and everything in between. So whether you’re looking to play solo, with the family, or at a party, we have you covered. Let’s take a look at what board games are on sale right now. Board Game Deals When Is the Best Time to Find Board Game Deals? Board games go on sale at sites like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and even GameS...

Persona 3 Reload for Nintendo Switch Rumours Spiral Following Play Asia Listing

Image
Rumours surrounding a Nintendo Switch version of Persona 3 Reload have spiralled after the game was listed on online retailer Play Asia. http://dlvr.it/SqvPnQ

The sleeper hits of Summer Game Fest 2023

Image
Games about time travel, foam spraying guns, and... space hospitals? http://dlvr.it/Sqs5D4

How to Play the Wolfenstein Games in Chronological Order

Image
Traverse the many wild timelines of Wolfenstein. http://dlvr.it/SqrWQf

Valve gives Steam its biggest update and redesign in years

Image
It's a night-and-day difference for macOS and Linux users. http://dlvr.it/SqpYpf

Spider-Man 2 Collector's Edition Preorders Are Now Available in the UK

Image
Here's where you can preorder the Spider-Man 2 in the UK, including info on the new Collector's Edition. http://dlvr.it/SqmJYx

Layers of Fear Review

Image
Not since 2016’s Suicide Squad was followed up by The Suicide Squad in 2021 has there been such a flagrant attempt to make something as needlessly difficult to Google as the new Layers of Fear. This 2023 psychological horror game is neither a sequel nor a total remake of the 2016 original of the same name. Instead it bolts together the first installment, its 2019 follow-up, previously released downloadable content, and a couple of new playable stories to form a Frankenstein’s monster of manipulated hallway horrors freshly reimagined in Unreal Engine 5. Yet while there’s no question that this Layers of Fear is the best-looking and most extensive version of these disturbing stories to date, it’s a package that fails to add up to anything greater than the sum of its parts – and none of those parts are strong enough to provide more than a handful of surface-level scares, let alone layers of them. Heavily inspired by Hideo Kojima’s masterful and now depressingly unobtainable P.T., Layers o...

Nicolas Cage Met Hideo Kojima and Now Fans Are Convinced He Will Cameo in Death Stranding 2

Image
Fans are convinced that actor Nicolas Cage will cameo in the sequel to Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding, after the actor was pictured with the director at Kojima Productions' Tokyo studio. http://dlvr.it/Sqltbn

One-person company that makes League of Legends stat tool gets $55M buyout

Image
A website, a plug-in, an API, and an endlessly stat-hungry audience. http://dlvr.it/Sqlt6H

Sony Testing Cloud Streaming for 'Supported PS5 Games'

Image
Sony announced today that it has begun testing cloud streaming for "supported PS5 games". http://dlvr.it/Sqj2jg

Federal judge temporarily blocks Microsoft/Activision deal

Image
Restraining order "maintain[s] the status quo" as FTC's case moves forward. http://dlvr.it/Sqj2GD

Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert “wasn’t even told” about Sea of Thieves DLC

Image
Disney owns the LucasArts catalog, and Disney only calls you if it needs to. http://dlvr.it/Sqf7Y7

Microsoft’s GeForce Now Game Pass offering is aimed straight at UK regulators

Image
UK regulators were concerned about cloud gaming. Is this a useful concession? http://dlvr.it/SqbFCP

Bethesda’s “Starfield Direct” shows off a massive, galactic-scale space RPG

Image
A deep dive on "over 1,000 planets" worth of open world exploration. http://dlvr.it/SqXP9L

Access-Ability Summer Showcase Spotlights Sniper Elite 5, Bossgame: The Final Boss Is My Heart, and More

Image
The first annual Access-Ability Summer Showcase just aired, unveiling varying accessibility options and design practices across 15 upcoming and current titles. http://dlvr.it/SqVL81

Call of Duty removes “NickMercs” skin following FaZe Clan star’s LGBTQ tweet

Image
Move highlights reputational risk of in-game promos linked to real-world players. http://dlvr.it/SqS9zV

Marvel's Spider-Man 2: Release Date, Collector's Edition, Preorder Bonuses Revealed

Image
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 release date is officially October 20, 2023, and Sony shared details about preorders and the various editions of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Preorders start June 16. Marvel's Spider-Man Collector's Edition The collector's edition of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is priced at $229.99 and "includes a voucher for the Digital Deluxe Edition," and all the bonuses that entails, a Steelbook case, and "an extraordinary, high-quality 19-inch statue featuring our Spider-Men battling fan-favorite Venom." The Collector's Edition will only be available from PlayStation Direct beginning at 10 AM "local time" on June 16. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe Edition The Marvel's Spider-Man 2 digital deluxe edition costs $79.99 and comes with the two early-unlock suits available on all preorders, and also comes with "10 unique suits (5 for Peter, 5 for Miles), additional Photo Mode frames and stickers, and 2 addit...

Perils of Always-Online Highlighted After Diablo 4 Player’s Level 100 Hardcore Character Dies After a Disconnect

Image
Diablo 4 player loses max level Hardcore character to a disconnect http://dlvr.it/SqLJXL

Twitch reverses overlaid stream sponsor ban after mass creator backlash [Updated]

Image
"I've never seen creators so pissed," one industry watcher said of the furor. http://dlvr.it/SqLJ2F

RoboCop: Rogue City - The FPS That Walks When Others Run

Image
When you think of RoboCop, you think of a one-man tank. A heavily armed and armored dealer of justice who patrols the streets of Detroit while walking really slowly. Honestly, it’s a surprise he ever makes it to the scene of the crime on time, given the pace he ambles along. It’s even more of a surprise that RoboCop’s methodical movement from the movies has made it into Rogue City, which is a first-person shooter – a genre traditionally dominated by games where speed and agility are key. Of course, RoboCop’s slow and precise movements are two crucial parts of his identity, so it was always the plan to make that an important part of the game. However, it meant rethinking the way the developer approached making a first-person shooter. “It was one of the biggest design challenges, to get that slow and heavy character into the game,” explains Piotr Latocha, RoboCop: Rogue City’s game director. “He's kind of slow and tankish, and we need to be true to the lore, but also we cannot be su...

What to make of Apple’s intriguing $3,499 Vision Pro headset

Image
Some instant analysis of Apple's boldest product experiment in years. http://dlvr.it/SqD1fv

Sony Boss Warns Cloud Gaming Still Technically 'Very Tricky'

Image
As Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard buyout hangs in the balance, the boss of Sony has warned cloud gaming is still technically “very tricky”. http://dlvr.it/Sq9VZ9

System Shock Remake Is an Essential History Lesson for BioShock’s Biggest Fans

Image
Nightdive Studio's fantastic System Shock remake is the perfect opportunity for BioShock fans to see where it all began. http://dlvr.it/Sq7lzg

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Will Feature a World With a 'High Degree of Freedom'

Image
While we still don't know a ton about exactly what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is, its director Naoki Hamaguchi has confirmed it will feature a "multifaceted world with a high degree of freedom." http://dlvr.it/Sq783h

The 10 Best Puzzles for Adults to Enjoy in 2023

Image
From big franchises like LOTR to horror puzzles, these are the best puzzles out there for adults right now. http://dlvr.it/Sq6Bgc

They plugged GPT-4 into Minecraft—and unearthed new potential for AI

Image
A bot plays the video game by tapping the text generator to pick up new skills. http://dlvr.it/Sq51XT

8 Best PS5 SSDs For 2023

Image
If your M.2 SSD fits Sony's requirements, it shouldn't be a problem, probably. http://dlvr.it/Sq3JLv

PlayStation Players Are Reporting a Diablo 4 Error That Locks Them Out of the Early Access Launch Period

Image
Some PlayStation 5 players who purchased deluxe versions of Diablo 4 are still unable to play the game thanks to a persistent "invalid licence" error. http://dlvr.it/Sq2sts

Alan Wake 2 and the death of disc-based video games

Image
Big-budget digital-only release could be a preview of console gaming's future. http://dlvr.it/Sq10hD