Archived News:
Thursday, Oct 06, 2022
Overwatch 2 Ongoing Maintenance [5:55 pm ET] – Share – 12 Comments
Updates to the
Overwatch 2 Known Issues Forum Post discuss patches applied today to the
just-launched shooter sequel. Word is the updates are ongoing, and should
continue into the night:
Overwatch 2 Planned Downtimes and Fixes - October 6, 2022
- 3:00-4:00 p.m. PDT: Servers will be down while we’re rolling out a fix to address some bugs related to account merge, login, and the First Time User Experience. Players won’t be able to access the servers during this time.
- 6:00-9:00 p.m. PDT (approximately): We’re conducting significant upgrades to our databases to address player queues. Players won’t be able to access the servers during this time.
- Additional Updates:
- Players on PC may be prompted to update their client. This addresses some reports of crashes and black screen issues.
Bungie Wields the Unban Hammer [5:55 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
A new This Week at
Bungie Update has the latest from the developer on what's going on. As usual
this covers a wide range of topics. The headline is an update from the security
team about account bans. It explains that a recent uptick in bans and appeals
drew attention to a problem in the cheat detection in Destiny 2. Some of
the details are intentionally vague to avoid educating cheaters on how to
succeed at gaming the systems in the online shooter sequel. But word is after an
investigation, a bunch of bans have been reversed. Here's a bit:
Here are some points to consider when discussing the most recent wave:
- The number of accounts caught cheating in other ways is much larger than those impacted by the mistake described above. Looking at just this new detection, which itself is a fraction of all security actions that take place, approximately 60 accounts were false positives. This mistake was a result of human error. We worked as quickly as we could to identify and rectify it. We sincerely apologize for the anxiety and uncertainty this caused.
- Unbans began to occur within 24 hours of the first indication of a problem.
- Anyone who has appealed against their ban, and subsequently been unbanned, has received a direct response to their appeal indicating that reversal.
- We have several ways of detecting cheating in Destiny 2, and those unbanned were those affected by the specific error mentioned above. If a player finds themselves banned in the future, they were detected by one of our other methods.
Wrath of the Lich King Classic Launch [5:55 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Blizzard announces it's time to feed Frostmourne, as Wrath of the Lich
King Classic is now live for World of Warcraft Classic players. Here's a
Cinematic Remaster Trailer, and here's more on this blast from the past:
The Lich King, Arthas Menethil, sits in the ominous Icecrown Citadel scheming to claim the world as his own—a plan that threatens all life on Azeroth. Heroes of the Alliance and Horde must stand against the malevolent being who dares to declare himself the one true king of Azeroth...and seeks to scour all life from the world.Continue here to read the full story.
Explore bone-chilling lands, storm Icecrown Citadel, and halt the Lich King’s baleful efforts. Only the most stalwart can challenge the Lich King and end his reign of terror, and we’ve gathered all the information you’ll need to help guide your way.
HITMAN 3 October Roadmap [5:55 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
The HITMAN 3
OCTOBER ROADMAP lays out IO Interactive's plans for its assassination sequel
for the month. Included is a
Year 2
October Roadmap (Halloween Edition) Video walking us through the news. The
big news is that the October 13th Elusive Target Arcade reward will be (drum
roll) a banana. Here's the elevator pitch:
October has arrived and with it comes the HITMAN 3 October Roadmap. It’s the month of Halloween – and what would Halloween be without some tricks and treats. This month in HITMAN 3 you’ll find 3 new unlocks, Halloween Featured Contracts, two Elusive Targets and more. Let’s take a closer look at what’s to come this spooky October in HITMAN 3.Continue here to read the full story.
Rumor Mill [5:55 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
On Sale [5:55 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- 2022 SpecialEffect's "One Special Day" Charity Event on Steam.
- Humble Software Bundle: Learn to Make Games in Unity 2022 (pay what you want and help charity).*
- Stardock Publisher Sale 2022 on Steam.
- Save 75% on Barotrauma.
- Save 85% on Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
- Save 50% on MORDHAU.
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Game Crossovers [5:55 pm ET] – Share – 5 Comments
Evening Patches [5:55 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Official patches.
Evening Multiplex [5:55 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Official trailers.
Evening Consolidation [5:54 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Console General.
- Medieval Dynasty Now Available on Xbox Series X|S.
- Catan – Console Edition Coming Early 2023.
- PlayStation Store: September 2022’s top downloads.
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Omega (2210.221003-2200).
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2210.221003-2200).
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2210.221003-2200).
Evening Metaverse [5:54 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Mozilla Thunderbird — Release Notes (102.3.2). Thanks Frans.
- Google Web Designer Version 15.0.2.1005 - Shell Build 11.1.0.0. Thanks Console General.
- Wireshark 4.0 Network Protocol Analyzer. Thanks Phoronix via Max.
Evening Tech Bits [5:54 pm ET] – Share – 11 Comments
Thanks Console General.
- AMD Issues Early Q3’22 Financial Results- Misses Guidance By $1B as Client Revenue Craters.
- Some RTX 4090 Graphics Cards Recommend a 1200W Power Supply.
- Cutting an NVIDIA RTX 4090 in Half with a Water Jet- The Science of Cooling (Video). Thanks Simon.
- Intel Claims Major Milestone in Quantum Chip Production. Thanks Max.
- Oops- CPU coolers recalled for not cooling CPUs. You had one job!
- Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25217.
- Visual Studio Code v1.72.0.
- Release Audacity 3.2.1. Thanks Ant.
Into the Black [5:54 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments
Last Link of the Day:
Statement from President Biden on Marijuana Reform.
Obituary: Obituary: Former PC Gamer editor-in-chief Rob Smith has passed away.
Obituary: Obituary: Former PC Gamer editor-in-chief Rob Smith has passed away.
Steam Decks and Docking Stations in Stock [2:14 pm ET] – Share – 9 Comments
Valve announces that the Docking
Station for Steam Deck is now in-stock, and
available for purchase
with no reservations. There's also the surprise news that not only is the
backlog on Steam Deck orders fulfilled, but Steam Decks are now
now available for
immediate purchase. There's a caveat that supplies are still finite, so if
the volume for any particular model gets too heavy, delivery estimates will
extend, and potentially even result in temporary reversions to "reservation
mode" until production catches up. The same applies to the Docking
Station. There's also news that Steam Deck reservations are open in Japan, South
Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Last but not least, there are details on the
latest software improvements for the portable gaming PC.
This
video is included to illustrate the news. Here's more on not the Steam
Dock:
With 3 USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, a USB-C port for power, DisplayPort, HDMI, and a Gigabit Ethernet port, the Docking Station has all the connectivity you'll need. It's the perfect way to connect your Steam Deck to power, up to two external displays, and any number of other peripherals.Continue here to read the full story.
If having the official Dock isn't that important to you, you're welcome to use any other USB-C dock or hub. The work we did on SteamOS to make the Docking Station work great with Steam Deck helps improve compatibility with other 3rd party hubs and docks as well.
Get Rising Hell and Slain: Back From Hell for Free [12:24 pm ET] – Share – 8 Comments
It's another snag-ola Thursday, as there are new freebies to collect from the
Epic Games Store. This week's giveaways are
Rising Hell
and Slain: Back
From Hell. Either or both of these Windows games is yours to keep,
provided you stake your claim before next Thursday at 11:00 am EDT. After that,
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove will take their place as the new gift.
Here's word on this week's offerings:
Rising Hell is a vertical platformer rogue-lite filled with adrenaline-pumping action and tons of heavy gothic metal shreds. Climb out from the ever-changing hell while you fight hordes of blood-lusting demons.
Slain: Back from Hell. A heavy metal inspired arcade combat with puzzle elements and gore galore. Stunning visuals and true old school gameplay accompanied by the most metal soundtrack you've ever heard.
Need for Speed: Unbound Unveiled for December [10:59 am ET] – Share – 11 Comments
As promised, today
EA unveiled the next Need for Speed game, confirming
rumors that it will be titled Need for Speed:
Unbound. The reveal was teased as Need for Speed 2022, and sure enough this
is coming this year on December 2nd. Here's the
Official Reveal Trailer featuring some hard-driving music from A$AP Rocky.
The announcement says this will challenge the conventions of the racing genre
and offer avenues of self-expression. It also discusses gameplay details and
preorder bonuses:
The thrill of the race and the rush of the chase is back. Need for Speed™ Unbound, the latest edition in the Need for Speed™ franchise from Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Criterion Games™, puts players worldwide in the driver seat of their own street racing fantasy as they outsmart cops and prove they have what it takes to win The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Need for Speed Unbound features an all-new, unique visual style blending elements of street art with the most realistic looking cars in the franchise’s history. The innovative single player campaign delivers thrills and consequences through an immersive narrative that engages players in the city of Lakeshore as they race, collect, upgrade, and customize the world's hottest performance cars on their way to the top of the scene. Need for Speed Unbound is built for the new generation of technology and will feature 4K resolution at 60 FPS for the first time in the series when it launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on December 2, 2022.Continue here to read the full story.
Overwatch 2 Launch Update; SMS Protect Workaround (For Some) [10:59 am ET] – Share – 7 Comments
A
post to the Overwatch Forums discusses the
launch of Overwatch 2. The rollout of
the first-person sequel was
plagued by denial of service
attacks, but the post states these are over, and they are not being used as an
excuse for the issues laid out in the post. Word on that is: "On the day
of launch, these issues were exacerbated by DDoS attacks—while they did not
directly cause any of these issues, they made the environment in which we work
on these issues more challenging. We have not suffered any further attacks."
Issues covered include queue issues, server Crashes, stability, account merging,
incorrectly locked heroes and items, and SMS protect. That last feature has
cause a lot of grumbling from players unable to comply with the need for a
post-paid cell phone account to play. Word is a workaround for this is coming,
though it will only apply to established players:
We designed Overwatch 2 to be a live service, which enables us to be responsive to a variety of player feedback. We have made the decision to remove phone number requirements for a majority of existing Overwatch players. Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, will not have to provide a phone number to play. We are working to make this change and expect it to go live on Friday, October 7. We will update players once it is in effect.
We remain committed to combating disruptive behavior in Overwatch 2—accounts that were not connected to Battle.net as well as new accounts will still have to meet SMS Protect requirements, which helps to ensure we’re protecting our community against cheating. If a player is caught engaging in disruptive behavior, their account may be banned whether they have a new account or not.
As a team, we will keep listening to ongoing feedback and will make further adjustments in this area if it is required.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Preorders and Launch Trailer [10:59 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Call of Duty Blog outlines preorder bonuses for Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare II, which include the opportunity to start playing the game a week
before its official launch on October 20th. The news comes with a
MWII
Launch Gameplay Trailer to make this seem less like buying a pig in a poke.
Here's word:
This intel has been verified: Anyone who preorders a digital edition of Modern Warfare II will receive early Campaign access in addition to a host of other previously announced rewards. This grants you up to a week to complete the incredible multimission, single-player, globe-trotting operation before the full game launches on October 28. Preorder the game here.Continue here to read the full story.
Familiar heroes return and new allies are formed as Task Force 141 faces its greatest threat yet — a newly aligned menace with deep, yet unknown connections.
This Campaign features missions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and is set to be an incredible experience on numerous levels: offshore sieges with underwater combat, all-out explosive assaults from 30,000 feet above enemy strongholds, and high-stakes, low-profile stealth missions in both plain sight and under the cover of darkness. For more information on the game, click here.
Pegasus Expedition Early Access This Month [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Kalla Gameworks and Fulqrum Publishing announce that mankind's quest for
survival begins on October 20th when Early Access to The Pegasus Expedition
begins
on
Steam. A new
Early Access Release Date Trailer celebrates this milestone for the sci-fi
grand strategy game. The post includes a detailed roadmap (starmap?), starting
the countdown to a full launch next year. In the meantime, there's a playable
demo to sample. Word is the Early Access version will include the complete main
campaign. Here's more on the plan:
After many discussions and feedback from all of you - thank you very much for that, keep it coming, please! - we came to the conclusion that the originally planned single story campaign would not be enough content to satisfy our fans. That's why we have decided to launch the game in Early Access - even at launch it will feature the full campaign with a complete story, which should take around 20 hours to complete, but we have prepared a plan to add more variability and new features to the game to significantly increase its replayability and variability.Continue here to read the full story.
We plan to release several content updates, each bringing a new scenario - a customized campaign, very different from the main story - as well as new features, polish and bugfixes based on the feedback from our community.
Do a Triple Take [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Triple Take is now available for Windows
on Steam,
and the precision platformer carries a 20% launch discount. The game features
basic monochromatic graphics from a simpler time, as shown in
this musically challenged trailer. But that simplicity belies the devious
difficulty suggested by the title, as the game tasks you to complete each level
three times. The twist being that the computer will make it more difficult for
each of the three runs. Here's word:
Triple Take is simple but yet cute and amusing in it's visual style. You play in a (un)vibrantly coloured world inside of your computer which in cursed by a entity trying to corrupt the whole game! You must complete the levels in order to beat the entity and save the game.Continue here to read the full story.
But wait! The entity makes you play each level three times, and it keeps making the level harder and harder with each try!
On Sale [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Biz Buzz [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal approved by Brazilian regulator.
- Video game maker CD Projekt rises after strategy update, share buyback. Guess they should've announced 12 games?
Game Crossovers [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Ant.
- "Five Nights at Freddy's" Sets Its Director.
- "Oregon Trail" Becomes A Comedy Musical. The dysentery number will be a show-stopper.
- Tub Geralt immortalised as a cake disaster in Netflix's best baking show. Show based on a show based on a game based on a series of novels. Crossover-ception?
Morning Multiplex [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.
Morning Mobilization [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- The biggest announcements from Google’s Pixel 7 event.
- Pixel Watch Might Need a Bumper Case to Protect the Screen. Fun fact: A majority of worn wristwatches sit at exactly doorknob height.
Morning Metaverse [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Gayle, and the Rise of Meta-Pop (may require registration or subscription). Thanks RedEye9.
- Internet Archive Seeks Donations of Materials to Build a Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
- Meta Rethinks the Philosophy of the Facebook Feed (may require registration or subscription). Part of an overall "flail" philosophy.
Morning Tech Bits [10:58 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments
- Arc A770 Loses Up to 24 Percent Performance Without Resizable Bar.
- MS-DEFCON 2- Windows 10 22H2 expected this month. Batten down the hatches! Thanks RedEye9.
- Noctua Paste Guard for Ryzen 7000 Prevents Thermal Paste Spillovers.
- Vietnam eyes China’s tech crown as firms tire of ‘zero COVID.’ Thanks Max.
- Arctic Liquid Freezer II Service Kit Installation Guide.
- This Atari 2600 gaming PC can run The Witcher 3 and GTA 5.
- Google’s newest AI generator creates HD video from text prompts.
- Elon Musk Is Totally Wrong About Population Collapse (may require registration or subscription). Addition to a not-short list.
Hardware Reviews [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X & Ryzen 9 7900X Desktop Processors - Nikk Tech.
- CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 FLUX CPU Liquid Cooler Review - TweakTown.
- CPU Cooler: DeepCool LS320 Review- Small Size, Medium Bite - Tom's Hardware.
- CPU Cooler: MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R V2 White CPU Liquid Cooler Review - TweakTown.
- Graphics Card: We NEED this to Work - Intel ARC A770 16GB Benchmarks - Hardware Canucks. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
- Laptop: Lenovo Yoga 9i (2022 Model) 14-inch Laptop Review - ThinkComputers.org.
- Mouse: Xtrfy M42 Wireless Review - TechPowerUp.
etc. [10:58 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Out of the Blue [10:58 am ET] – Share – 21 Comments
We recently identified a bug that was preventing users who signed up here from
posting to the forums. This affected accounts created between March and
September. We only received one direct report on this, but it's hard to imagine
no one else was affected. So I mention it here to inform anyone locked out by
the bug that it's now cleared up. Apologies for any aggravation this caused.
Bugged Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Breakfast Links
- Enter the Supersensorium. Thanks Max.
- This $25 million luxury yacht can transform into a submarine.
- (Mostly) Harmless Houseplant Wields Machete. Your move, zombies.
Stories
- Golden retriever catches Francisco Lindor's home run ball. Thanks Acleacius.
- Déjà-Brew: How Coffee Got Bad, Then Worse, and, Finally, Good Again. Thanks Redwood.
Science
Thanks Max.
- A bold effort to cure HIV—using Crispr.
- Man's Cancer Vanished After He Was Injected With Weakened Herpes Virus. Along with his girlfriend.
- Groundbreaking Research Exposes Immune System’s “Off Button.” Now to find the Easy Button.
Media
- Violent Night - Official Trailer. Thanks Gizmodo.
- Pilot Retracts Gear Too Early. Should rename the channel 3 Minutes of Terror. Thanks RedEye9.
- Lightswitch So QUIET They Made it ILLEGAL. Thanks Digg.
- 猫動画 #shorts #446. Cats gonna cat. Thanks Kxmode.
Follow-ups
Copyright © 1996-2023 Stephen Heaslip. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy. Manage Cookie Settings.
News CGI copyright © 1999-2023 James "furn" Furness & Blue's News. All rights reserved.