During an interview Polygon, Laura Miele, chief studios officer at Electronic Arts, reveals that EA is delaying the next Need for Speed game. This is because they have temporarily reassigned developer Criterion to work with DICE on the next Battlefield. She explains that EA's Codemasters acquisition means they will release a racing title this year, giving them leeway to push Need for Speed into 2022. Here's the explanation:

Rather than hustle to push the next Need for Speed out the door, when it might get lost or cannibalized by a Codemasters release around the same time, Criterion’s capabilities would be better spent on Battlefield, Miele said. But, she stressed, Criterion Games will return to work on Need for Speed — the series is not being shut down, taken from the Guildford, England studio, nor given over to Codemasters, which is two hours away in Southam. The next Need for Speed will also launch on current and previous generations of PlayStation and Xbox, Miele said.

“They own the Need for Speed franchise; that’s why they managed the remaster,” Miele said. “Anything that’s happening within the Need for Speed brand, they are responsible for, or things come through them to ensure that they’re on board with it.”

An update from Frogwares follows up on their recent request that no one buy the version of The Sinking City that's relisted on Steam (thanks Kxmode). This includes a video titled "How Nacon Cracked and Pirated The Sinking City," something that's detailed in their article, which alleges that Nacon has attempted to pirate the game three times now. Here's a bit:

Since the release of The Sinking City was released on the 27th of June 2019, Frogwares has encountered continual problems with its licensee, Nacon. This post/video will look into a particular aspect of the game’s contract and the findings that we, Frogwares, have made.

Steam is one of the listed platforms of commercialization in the contract between Frogwares and Nacon. But since the release of the game, Nacon’s unlawful actions have forced Frogwares to defend its property and react in front of the French Justice for lack of payments, attempts to steal our IPs, etc which we made a public letter about back in August 2020.

Since then Nacon has tried to force Frogwares to deliver a new master version of the game through the use of their lawyers. The French Justice refused Nacon’s demands twice, first in July 2020 and then in October 2020 during an appeal. The final decision on whether Frogwares is obligated to deliver the Steam version that Nacon is demanding is still set to be judged in trial court in the next months or even years.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Dota 2Blog offers a spring 2021 update on what's going on with Dota Plus, the monthly subscription add-on for Dota 2, Valve's MOBA. They go into detail on what's covered in this concise overview:

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to help cast off the mantle of winter with a refreshing influx of new features and content for Dota Plus. Featuring updates to Hero Relics, added Turbo functionality, a seasonal treasure, and refreshed guild quests and rewards, there’s ample for Dota Plus members to explore.

Indie developer Neosphere Interactive announces 1971: Indian Naval Front, a historical game coming to Steam in Q2. This is set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, a 13-day war between India and Pakistan. Here's a trailer showing that the game features aerial and naval combat. The trailer concludes calling the game a tribute to the Indian navy, which, along with the title and the fact that the developer is based in Mumbai gives a good sense of the side this game takes. Here's word:

In 1971: Indian Naval Front you can revive history and experience the clashes in the Indian Ocean between India and Pakistan during their war in the seventies.

“1971: Indian Naval Front will enable you to take part in pretty much all the Indian Navy operations executed during the 1971 War including transmission of intel through morse codes”, says Hitesh Ramchandani, co-founder at Neosphere Interactive.

The Campaign Mode (Single player) is played from the perspective of Indian Navy, where the player engages in different combat missions like Maritime Interdiction Operations, Naval Air Squadron Sorties, Search and Rescue and others. All the missions are based on actual incidents which took place during the war.

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher Super.com and developer BUSAN SANAI GAMES announce Wonhon: A Vengeful Spirit, a stealthy action/adventure coming to Steam in Q2 of this year. There's a chance to play this right now, though, as a Wonhon: Prologue is now available, and this video shows a playthrough. Word is: "The Prologue is a prequel to the events in the game, where the player will be introduced to both the stealth and combat mechanics of Wonhon." Here are the details:

Wonhon: A Vengeful Spirit is a paranormal stealth-action and tactics game about revenge and its price in a 1920’s era Korea. The main character is a Korean girl who was killed along with her family during an attack on their village. Jeoseung Saja, the God of Death, gives the girl the paranormal ability to turn into a ghost and possess living creatures.

The core game mechanic of Wonhon is stealth. Since the girl is not protected by anything, and her only weapon is an ability to turn into a ghost, caution is key to survival. The protagonist can also possess living beings, which allows her to slip past enemies, or engage in combat with them when needed.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 40% on Similo: The Card Game on Steam.
• Save 25% on Littlewood on Steam.
• Humble Book Bundle: Pocket Reference Guides by O'Reilly (pay what you want and help charity).*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Ashes of Creation: 4K February Alpha One Preview Gameplay Update.
• First Look at R.B.I. Baseball 21 Gameplay.

• Black Legend Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S.
• Monster Jam Steel Titans Power Out Bundle Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S.
• Players’ Choice- Vote for February 2021’s best new game - PlayStation Blog.

• Apple Might Use a Punch-Hole Display Instead of a Notch for Some 2022 iPhone Models.

• Zoom sees more growth after 'unprecedented' 2020.
• YouTube’s TikTok clone, “YouTube Shorts,” is live in the US.
• Twitch Star Quits GTA RP After In-Game Jobs Become Too Much Like Real Jobs.

• Intel Discontinues Performance Tuning Protection Plan for Overclocking Warranties.
• German Retailer Sells Core i7-11700K Stock Before Launch, Benchmarks Arrive.
• GeForce RTX 3090 Blower GPUs Vanish Into Thin Air.
• Klobuchar calls on Congress to get serious on tech reform.
• Newegg Honors 2021 Eggie Award Winners.
• Here's How Much You Truly Spend on Gaming Now.

• Biden urged to back AI weapons to counter China and Russia threats.
• Is Your Browser Extension a Botnet Backdoor?
• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of February 22, 2021 - CISA. Thanks Ant.

• The Borderlands movie has cast its Tiny Tina…

Last Link of the Day: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon turns 48 today.

Trademark247 shows that Bungie, Inc. has registered a trademark for BUNGIECON (thanks ResetEra). This seems like a strong suggestion that a Bungie-specific game show will follow, but as is the case with such filings, it's hard to get a sense from the goods and services this is said to cover:

jewelry Instruction guides and reference guides in the fields of video games, science fiction, fantasy and action-adventure stories; posters, calendars, trading cards other than for games, books, namely, novels, graphic novels and comic books in the fields of video games, science fiction, fantasy and action-adventure stories; stickers Halloween costumes and masks sold in connection therewith; costumes for use in role-playing; apparel, namely, shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, hats, baseball caps, jackets, footwear, shoes, boots, namely, boots featuring video game characters, scenes and symbols Toys, namely, action figures and related accessories; playing cards and card games; trading card games; board games; plush toys education and entertainment services, namely, organizing and conducting fan conventions in the fields of video and computer games; entertainment services, namely, providing a website for news, reviews, previews and information, all related to video and computer games

GOG.com has revived M.U.L.E., offering a version of the multiplayer strategy game updated to work on modern Windows systems. Originally released for Atari 8-bit computers in 1983 and PC-DOS in 1985, M.U.L.E. is a true classic designed by late industry pioneer Danielle Bunten Berry. To celebrate the re-release, there's a strategy game sale on GOG.com with discounts up to 90%. Here's a refresher:

M.U.L.E. is about four hopeful explorers trying to make a fortune on a virgin planet. This is done by producing various goods (Food, Energy, Smithore, Crystite). Each of these goods have their uses: if you don't have enough food, you will have less time during your turn. If you don't have enough energy, your output will be lower. If enough smithore isn't produced, there will be a shortage of M.U.L.E.s. Crystite is the big earner that can make or break your game.

You start the game by selecting your species. Some are easier to play, some harder. There are three levels of difficulty, in the easiest the game only lasts 6 turns, but the real game is 12 turns. Crystite is not available at the easiest level.

Continue here to read the full story.

Bossa Studios announces a new update is coming today for Surgeon Simulator 2. The "Bad Blood" update adds nine competitive levels, leaderboards, and more to the medical malpractice sequel. The game is available on the Epic Games Store where they inexplicably still don't have the capability of posting news about patches like this, so here's an outline of all that this brings:

With Bad Blood, Bossa Studios is looking to test every would-be doctor in the form of nine new competitive levels — all of which are coming today to Surgeon Simulator 2 owners completely free of charge! Jump in and go head to head in these awesome new challenges:

• WASD Heroes: Keep-up with floor targets in a bombastic free-for-all homage to classic arcade dance machines!
• Panel Smash: Channel that inner appetite for destruction in a mad dash to the finish line. Be advised: may involve ball pits.
• Match 4: Supermarket Sweep has swept over the surgery with this organ-fuelled time-trial. It's the perfect speed-run candidate, brimming with challenges!
• Anatomy Theft: The ultimate test of player’s surgery skills in an anatomy-orientated trial. Hopefully distinguishing between kidney and lungs isn’t too hard?
• Limb-Ripper: Self-explanatory: rip and tear until the job’s done!
• Surgical Mayhem: Fight over Bob’s very limited supply of body parts. Whoever secures enough limbs will be crowned victorious!
• Heading Out: A classic, carnival-style coconut shy but with Bob’s heads. Dunk the most Bob heads to win in this fun-for-all-the-family rapid level.
• Top Of The World: The sky may be the limit, but players have to get there first! It’s a race to the top in a series of challenges that must be toppled along the way.
• Surgery Relay: Sports day is back, and this time, it’s surgical. Cooperate in this relay-style challenge, but keep an eye out for competitors, who will take any and all opportunities to sabotage any rivals…

Continue here to read the full story.

• Hammerting - Update 4 - Fluid Update.
• HINGE - Major FPS Boost.
• Digital Foundry explains how a clever programmer cut GTA Online load times by 70%.
• This 8.6GB Mod for World of Warcraft overhauls over 14,634 textures.

• DEATHLOOP Explained.
• Land of War - The Beginning - THRIC3 official music video.
• Noclip is Changing Today.

• Lucid Soul - The Game by Jon Bookout — Kickstarter. "A Villain Protagonist, High Fantasy, Horror JRPG with Turn-Based Combat in a Retro-Inspired Style!"

• Destiny 2's Trials disabled after match-fixing method spreads.
• Riot Games Gets Boost From Expanded Verizon Sponsorship.
• Riot is bringing in-person League of Legends and Valorant tournaments to Iceland.

• Xbox tells fans not to expect ‘world premieres’ events in the immediate future.
• PlayStation Now games for March: World War Z, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, InFamous: Second Son and Superhot.

• iPhone 13 may come with 1TB of max storage.
• Hackers release a new jailbreak tool for almost every iPhone.
• Apple Releases macOS Update to Stop USB-C Docks from Bricking MacBooks.
• ASUS ROG Phone 5 Specs Leak Reveals 18GB RAM; Highest Memory Count on a Smartphone Yet.

• Bell CEO's broadband-connected cottage in Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que., fuels bandwidth envy. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• TikTok removed 89M videos, most of which from US.
• Recipeasly: Food website removed after blogger backlash.
• As Coinbase looks to list, Robinhood rides the crypto boom.
• Google Workspace picks up new features designed for remote work.
• Why a YouTube Chat About Chess Got Flagged for Hate Speech (may require registration or subscription).
• Snoop Dogg Rage-Quit 15 Minutes Into A Madden Stream.

• These leaked AMD Zen 4 server specs have us salivating for Ryzen 6000.
• Intel’s i7 11700K sold to consumers a month before release.
• Intel Core i7-11700K apparently falls behind AMD Ryzen 7 5800X in early benchmarks.
• Images Surface of Asus' Radeon RX 6700 XT Cards Ahead of Launch.
• Linux Mint developers will force updates on users like Microsoft does with Windows 10. Thanks Ant.
• Nvidia's GTX 1060 GPU is coming out of retirement to mine cryptocurrency.
• Apparently only 10 people have bought LG's rollable OLED TV – but why?
• Scientists have built this ultrafast laser-powered random number generator.

• Google: Bad bots are on the attack, and your defence plan is probably wrong.
• 'Free speech' app Gab allegedly hacked, 70GB of data and millions of posts stolen.
• Hackers exploit websites to give them excellent SEO before deploying malware.
• Free cybersecurity tool aims to help smaller businesses stay safer online.
• Malware attack that crippled Mumbai's power system came from China, claims infosec intel outfit Recorded Future.
• Here's why VPN services are turning to WireGuard.

• The Medium Review - Spiritually Hooked - MP1st.

• Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact - Overclockersclub (video).
• Chair: MSI Mag CH120 I gaming chair review - PC Gamer.
• Laptop: MSI GP66 Leopard Review- Subtle Powerhouse - Tom's Hardware.
• Monitor: Alienware AW2721D 27- Gaming Monitor Review - TechSpot.
• SSD: Patriot Viper VP4100 PCIe 4.0 NVMe Solid State Drive Review - ThinkComputers.org.

• Dyson Sphere Program - Setting up the scale of the universe - Dev Log#3…
• Overwatch: Tracer Cuts Loose in 'London Calling' Graphic Novel…

So March is upon us, the month that's said to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. As I look out on the frozen tundra I can only hope this is the case. As I often point out, this saying always reminds me of John Belushi's marvelous rant on SNL Weekend Update back in 1976. Here's the quote I first posted from this a couple of years ago: "There's a country where March hops in like a kangaroo, it stays a kangaroo for a while, and then it becomes a smaller kangaroo. Then for a couple of days it's sort of a cross between a frilled lizard and a common housecat. Then it changes back into a smaller kangaroo, and then it goes out like a wild dingo. And it's not Australia! Now you'd think it would be Australia, but it's not!"

Obituary: Legendary Artist Gary Meyer.

Marching Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• 'Nomadland' Wins Golden Globe and Becomes Oscar Frontrunner.
• Florida golfer drowns searching for lost ball.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Artificial Intelligence Powers a Disease-Sniffing Device That Rivals a Dog’s Nose.
• Napping in the afternoon can improve memory and alertness – here's why.
• MIT Neuroscientists Identify Brain Circuit in the Hippocampus That Encodes Timing of Events.

Media

• Face/Off Pitch Meeting.
• Something went terribly wrong with this ship's controls.

A Los Angeles City Report indicates E3's 2021 live event has been cancelled (thanks ResetEra). A report on VGC from earlier this month stated that ESA is proposing that E3 2021 be a digital event. Here's what the report on LA's citywide conventions for the event says:

It says: "Cancelled live event in 2021. Working with production team on broadcast options at LA Live/LACC. Working on 2022 & 2023 license."

The LinkedIn Profile of David S. has some sales information about DOOM Eternal, as the Product Manager at Gearbox Publishing lists a previous position as "monetization designer" at id Software (thanks PCGamesN). He cites SuperData as the source for saying the first-person shooter sequel generated $450 million in its first nine months:

Product Management Lead for id Software products. Responsibilities included product KPI development, game monetization, economy, analytics, feature specs, feature roadmaps, and more. One major focus was on Doom Eternal, which generated over $450m in revenue in the first 9 months of release (per Superdata public information).

Here's the new rundown of the 10 bestselling titles for last week on Steam. Remember, this information is provided for entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering. We're guessing the duplicates at the fourth and fifth positions are due to the Digital Deluxe Edition of Persona 5 Strikers.

1. Valheim.
2. Valve Index VR Kit.
3. 鬼谷八荒.
4. Persona 5 Strikers.
5. Persona 5 Strikers.
6. Stardew Valley.
7. Pre-purchase OUTRIDERS.
8. Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition.
9. Baldur's Gate 3.
10. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - Operation Broken Fang.

• Save 40% on ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game on Steam.
• Save 40% on Pacify on Steam.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Colds War Feb. 27 Patch Notes. Thanks Charlie INTEL.
• Democracy 4 Updated to build 1.23.
• Whispering Hills, the mod that brings Silent Hill to Fallout 4, gets its first episode. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Boundary - Official Exclusive Gameplay Trailer - IGN Fan Fest 2021.
• Diablol 2 Ep 16 "Eyes On The Prize."

• Verizon says you should turn off 5G to save battery.
• I wanted to love foldable phones, but the novelty got old fast. Thanks RedEye9.

• How to import your passwords to Apple’s iCloud Keychain via Safari. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Cryptocurrencies: Why Nigeria is a global leader in Bitcoin trade.

Thanks ConsoleGenRL and Neutronbeam.

• Google Teams With D-Wave in Massive Quantum Computing Leap, Cracking Simulation Problem.
• Intel’s build-in-America emphasis is about more than profits — it’s also about national security. Thanks Cutter.
• Gamers have a lot to thank Dr. Mark Dean for, and the world's first 1GHz chip is only the start.
• ZALMAN Introduces the Z8 Mid-Tower PC Case Series.
• Microsoft Word will soon let you transform your documents into PowerPoint presentations.
• New AI ‘Deep Nostalgia’ brings old photos, including very old ones, to life.
• DVDFab 12 version 12.0.1.9.
• DVDFab Downloader version 3.0.1.8.

• Former SolarWinds CEO blames intern for "solarwinds123" password leak. President Skroob approved.
• Why would you ever trust Amazon's Alexa after this?

• Illinois Facebook users could get $345 each in photo-tagging lawsuit after judge approves $650M settlement. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Graphics Card: Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3060 Advanced OC 12GB Graphics Card Review - Nikk Tech.
• Laptop: MSI GS66 Stealth review (2021)- The gaming sweetspot comes to laptops - Engadget.
• Laptop: VAIO Z Core i7-11375H Review- The Laptop for CEOs and Executives - NotebookCheck.net Reviews.
• Mouse: Corsair Katar Pro XT + MM700 RGB mat - KitGuruTech (video).
• Mouse: Razer Naga X Review: Surrounded By Strong Predators - Tom's Hardware.

• Valorant: new Agent Astra’s ability kit revealed…
• A Minecraft player has invented self-mining TNT. Thanks Neutronbeam…

I'm pretty pleased with the brunch I whipped up for MrsBlue and myself today. I recently made a frittata, which was really good, but very basic. Besides oil and seasoning it was essentially three ingredients: potatoes, onions, and eggs. Today I augmented it with bacon, cheddar cheese, and broccoli. This certainly took away from the healthy aspects of it, but it also definitely upped the ante as far as flavor goes. As I say, I'm pretty happy considering how off-book I was going from the original recipe. But of course it's pretty hard to go wrong by adding bacon and cheese to anything.

Cheesy Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• The Martian Extended Cut Includes 11 New Scenes, Here's What Happens In Them. Thanks The Flying Penguin.

Stories

• Man wins $500,000 Powerball prize with fortune cookie numbers.
• Aging Beer in a Sunken Ship Sounded Like a Good Idea. Thieves Thought So Too (may require registration or subscription).
• Rooster with blade kills man during cockfight in Telangana. Thanks Boing Boing.

Science

• Vagus nerve stimulation- How it works and why it's a breakthrough. Thanks Max.

Media

• I played 10 "Waifu" games on Steam...
• Inside a Covid I.C.U., Through a Nurse's Eyes. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
• 2 skiers defy death in descent of Yosemite's Half Dome.

The Funnies

• How To Walk On Ice – Arcade Rage.