Archived News:
Thursday, Feb 02, 2023 Happy Groundhog Day
Get City of Gangsters and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider for Free [8:07 pm ET] – Share – 7 Comments
It's another Thrifty Thursday on the Epic Games Store, where the latest weekly game
giveaway is now available. This time is a two-for, as everyone can collect both
City
of Gangsters and
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider in exchange for a payment of nothing
at all. Either or both are for keeps, just act before 11:00 am EDT next Thursday
when the cycle will refresh. At that point we'll all have the chance to get a
free copy of
Recipe
for Disaster. Here's a quick pitch for each of today's freebies:
In this new management tycoon game you'll start a criminal operation from nothing, and grow it into a well-oiled money machine! Build speakeasies and illegal distilleries. Manage production chains and resource distribution. Set up illicit gambling dens and squeeze your debtors dry. Smuggle goods from out of town and bribe the police to look the other way. Grow a powerful crew and keep your rivals under your thumb. Eliminate competition and rule the city. But most importantly, keep the money flowing.
From the award-winning developers at Arkane Studios comes Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, the next standalone adventure in the critically acclaimed Dishonored series. Be a badass supernatural assassin and take on the role of notorious Billie Lurk as she reunites with her mentor Daud in order to pull off the greatest assassination ever conceived.
Tim Schafer Going Into the AIAS Hall of Fame [8:07 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences announces that Double Fine's Tim
Schafer is this year's inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame. He will be honored
on February 24th at the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas. Tim
wouldn't be getting this honor if he needed an introduction, but for the record,
here's a bit on how we got here:
Schafer - a former computer-science major from UC Berkeley - started his career in the electronic entertainment industry at Lucasfilm Games, where he worked as an assistant designer to Ron Gilbert on the Secret of Monkey Island franchise.Continue here to read the full story.
Later, alongside fellow game designer Dave Grossman, Schafer would go on to co-direct the sequel to Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Maniac Mansion game, entitled Day of the Tentacle. This classic, point-and-click, time travel adventure game marked the start of Schafer’s illustrious career as a game director, with other notable and award-winning titles such as Grim Fandango and Full Throttle coming from under his direction during his tenure at Lucasfilm Games.
Best known for memorable, comedic storytelling with heart, Schafer has gone on to direct and produce several other critically acclaimed games including Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, and Broken Age under the umbrella of his own games company - Double Fine Productions.
No More Back 4 Blood Content [8:07 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments
Turtle Rock Studios
announces that it's working on a new game. The bad news is that this means
an end to active development on Back 4 Blood. This does not mean the
co-op shooter is left for dead, but it does mean no new content is in the works.
There are no details about the new game, but the developer says it may be a bit
quieter for a while as they work on it:
What an amazing year 2022 was for us. First off, we wanted to thank all of you for making Back 4 Blood what it is today. With three expansions – Tunnels of Terror, Children of the Worm, and River of Blood – we’ve traveled on a fantastic adventure together beyond the walls of Fort Hope. This phase of our war against the Ridden now comes to a close.Continue here to read the full story.
Turtle Rock Studios is actually pretty small for a studio making AAA games. We don’t have quite enough folks to continue working on Back 4 Blood content while we spin up another game – yes, another game! Given this, it’s time for us to put our heads down, get back in the lab, and get to work on the next big thing.
Tails: The Backbone Preludes Released [8:07 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Tails: The Backbone Preludes is now available for Windows on the
Epic
Games Store and
Steam, offering a narrative adventure as a new entry in the crowded
post-noir raccoon detective genre. This prequel to Backbone returns to
the setting of a dystopian Vancouver populated by anthropomorphic animals. All
this plays out in hand-drawn pixel art style, as shown off in this
Release
Trailer. Here's more:
Taking place years before the events of Backbone, Tails: The Backbone Preludes is a narrative game following four characters through formative moments of change, circumstance, and consequences in life and told through a series of interactive vignettes.Continue here to read the full story.
Your choices are what’s most important – what traits are you bringing with you in your story, and what is the impact you make on the characters around you?
NVIDIA Discord Workaround [8:07 pm ET] – Share – 5 Comments
NVIDIA
Support offers a workaround for gamers who own NVIDIA graphics cards and run
Discord. Users on
Reddit and the
Linus Tech Tips forum noticed a recent Discord update causes memory clock
speeds to drop by up to 200 MHz (thanks
The Verge). A fix is in the works, but in the meantime, there's a workaround
that involves a manual settings edit. In short:
Issue:
After a recent update to the Discord app, users may notice that the graphics card memory clocks will not reach full speeds when launching a game.
Solution:
A fix will be pushed to users PCs via an over the air update at a later date. If you do not receive the update or if you wish to apply the fix manually, you may do so by following the instructions below:
The Day Before Gameplay Footage [8:07 pm ET] – Share – 8 Comments
Developer Fntastic offers
a new
video with gameplay from The Day Before, the MMORPG that was
recently delayed again. There have
long been questions about this upcoming MMORPG based on its use of unpaid
developers, multiple delays, and no lack of gameplay footage. This speaks to
that last concern, showing off 10 minutes of gameplay, including exploration,
inventory management, combat, and, well, wandering. There's also another
new
short running 39 seconds purportedly showing someone playing the game in
real-time. There's no HUD in either clip, and there are comments from gamers who
remain skeptical that these videos show actual
gameplay. Continue here to read the full story.
On Sale [8:06 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Marvel's Spider-Man Franchise Sale on Steam.
- Taipei Game Show 2023 Sale on Steam.
- Save 70% on Overcrowd: A Commute 'Em Up on Steam.
- Save 35% on OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition on Steam.
- Weekend Sale: embark on gaming adventures with bargains up to -85%! - GOG.com.*
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Evening Multiplex [8:06 pm ET] – Share – 9 Comments
↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.
Evening Consolidation [8:06 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Console General.
- Hands-on with Gran Turismo 7’s free PS VR2 update, out February 22.
- Yankees legend Derek Jeter is your MLB The Show 23 Collector’s Edition cover athlete.
- Free Play Days - For Honor, Eiyuden Chronicle- Rising, and Naruto to Boruto- Shinobi Striker - Xbox Wire.
- Take The Journey Of A Lifetime In Deliver Us Mars, Out Today On Xbox Series X-S and Xbox One.
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2302.230130-2200).
- Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2302.230130-2200).
Evening Tech Bits [8:06 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Thanks Console General.
Evening Safety Dance [8:06 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Into the Black [8:06 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Last Link of the Day:
Scientists created a weird new type of ice that is almost exactly as dense as
water.
Obituary: Not sure what this predicts but Quebec’s groundhog Fred la Marmotte has died. Thanks Shaul.
Obituary: Not sure what this predicts but Quebec’s groundhog Fred la Marmotte has died. Thanks Shaul.
Deliver Us Mars Delivered [12:59 pm ET] – Share – 12 Comments
Deliver Us Mars is now available for Windows
on Steam,
offering a sci-fi sequel from developer KeokeN Interactive and publisher
Frontier Foundry.
This post discusses the release, illustrated by a new
Launch Trailer setting up the game's narrative. A
subsequent post mentions a first minor update that's now live. Here's more
on this follow up to Deliver Us The Moon:
Sequel to the award-winning Deliver Us The Moon, Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure offering an immersive astronaut experience. Explore new frontiers on a suspense-fuelled, high-stakes mission to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward.Continue here to read the full story.
Ten years after the Fortuna mission, humanity is closer than ever to extinction. After a mysterious distress call from Mars, Earth’s youngest astronaut Kathy Johanson joins the Zephyr and its crew on one last mission: to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward, and with them, ensure the survival of the human race.
PERISH Released [12:59 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
PERISH is now available for Windows on the
Epic Games Store,
GOG.com,* and
Steam, offering
a throwback first-person shooter with single-player and co-op support. Console
gamers worried they won't get this should perish the thought, as it's coming to
PlayStation and Xbox by the end of this year. The
Release Trailer is here with a look at some fast-paced gameplay. Word is
this may not be FPS heaven, but at least it's purgatory:
Set forth as Amyetri, a corporeal spirit condemned to live a shadow life in the halfway realm of Purgatory. Armed with nothing but a broken sword, Amyetri must escape a dark eternity.*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item. Continue here to read the full story.
Slaughter cultic spirits and bestial creatures to the riffs of a heavy-metal soundtrack. Press onward throughout the holy domain of Elysium, traversing daunting paths littered with lifeless bodies and undying enemies ready to return Amyetri to the darkness.
Abolish hordes of undead and rare colossal deities in epic boss battles. Raid corpses to gather gold danake. Meet with the high priestess to exchange danake for more than 10 handcrafted and ornate weapon types including javelins, swords, bows, and guns, each with its own unique and upgradeable offensive capabilities. Deposit the blood-soaked currency into the Pantheon or risk losing it all upon death. Reap the spoils of combat and carry on through collapsing cliffs, decaying labyrinths, and fiery pits.
Limerick: Cadence Mansion Demo [12:59 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Limerick is a game with a dream. In the works at the Jenito Studios team. It
will fill you with fear. When it launches this year. But for now there's a demo
on
Steam. Limerick: Cadence Mansion features puzzles to solve and evil
creatures (including a marionette) to overcome. Here's a previously released
IP Announcement Trailer, and here's more:
Limerick is a story-rich, atmospheric thriller-adventure set on the foreboding Nightsonnet Isle. You awaken in an empty cell with your past and purpose shrouded in mystery. Responsive puzzles, otherworldly monsters, and enigmatic clues will challenge you each step of the way as you explore, experience, and engage with the riddles of Cadence Mansion.Continue here to read the full story.
Way of the Hunter Aurora Shores Announced [12:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
THQ Nordic announces Aurora Shores, new DLC for Way of the Hunter
that will take the hunt to the challenging environments of Alaska. This is
coming "soon" to the PC and console editions of the game, and it will be
accompanied by a patch for all players which will add a crossbow to everyone's arsenal. There's also a reminder that a free UTV DLC was added to the game a
couple of weeks ago. You can find the PC edition
on Steam. Here's the
Aurora Shores DLC Announcement Trailer, and here's more:
As a newly graduated Wildlife Trooper, your mission is to preserve the region's natural resources. Immerse yourself in the untamed wilderness and encounter 14 different species, from Kodiak Bears to Roosevelt Elks and beyond. As a trooper, it's up to you to manage the delicate ecosystem by controlling the population of certain species for the benefit of others. Discover the diverse beauty and open-world habitats of Aurora Shores, from verdant grasslands to soaring mountaintops and lush rainforests. Despite the harsh Alaskan winter, the region boasts breathtaking landscapes year-round. Explore the Nianuk Rise peaks and the sprawling Aivuk Rainforest, and be captivated by the idyllic charm of this unique wilderness.Continue here to read the full story.
Overwatch 2 Anti-Cheat Efforts Take on Boosting [12:59 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
The Overwatch
Website has the latest on Blizzard's efforts at making Overwatch 2 a
better place with its Defense Matrix Initiative. This includes details on
disruptive voice chat detection, custom game moderation, streamer protection,
and further measures being taken to thwart cheaters. This includes the
acknowledgement that boosting is a form of cheating, and action is being taken
to punish players who ride along on cheaters' coattails:
We acknowledge that cheating continues to be a major concern for many of our high-ranked players. So far, we have actioned over 50,000 accounts that we found to be cheating since the launch of Overwatch 2. Along with taking action against cheaters, we want to discourage any incentive to take advantage of cheating, including grouping up with anyone who uses cheats and hacks. Starting in season 3, we’ll be identifying players who willingly group up regularly with those flagged for cheating, and they will also face account action, even if they are not using cheats themselves.
Players who knowingly group up with cheaters are looking to take the same advantage as those who use cheats themselves, including boosting their accounts to skill levels they would not normally belong in with their own skill. Doing so creates unfair and imbalanced matches for many in our community and does not live up to our core value of Play Nice, Play Fair. While those who directly cheat are often permanently banned immediately, we will be issuing severe suspensions for extended amounts of time, and in extreme cases, outright bans, to those grouping up with known cheaters.
On Sale [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Publisher Sale: discover breathtaking 11 bit studios titles up to 85% off! - GOG.com.*
- Time to slash & destroy – get ready for Gore&Fast-Paced Week with titles up to -90% and PERISH release! - GOG.com.*
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Morning Patches [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.
Morning Multiplex [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Mobilization [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- White House goes after app store ‘gatekeepers’ Apple and Google. Thanks Console General.
Morning Metaverse [12:58 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
- Report: Microsoft plans to update Bing with a faster version of ChatGPT in the coming weeks. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
- Twitter's latest monetization effort makes its API go from free to fee.
- Documents show Meta paid for data scraping despite years of denouncing it. This is my shocked Facebook.
- Meta lost more than 4 billion dollars on the metaverse in the last financial quarter.
- Microsoft rolls out Teams Premium with OpenAI-powered features.
- TikTok rolls out its own strike system for creators who violate its rules. Rules? In a knife fight?
Morning Tech Bits [12:58 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
- ChatGPT sets record for fastest-growing user base in history, report says. Presumably an AI-generated report.
- A Vine mess: The choice between rebooting and reviving old software.
- LG Releases OLED Monitor Inspired by Dragonfly Eyes.
- I thought I owned my printer. But my printer owns me (may require registration or subscription). Thanks Neutronbeam.
- LibreOffice 7.5 launches with better dark mode support and much more.
Morning Safety Dance [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Hardware Reviews [12:58 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Out of the Blue [12:58 pm ET] – Share – 15 Comments
Happy Groundhog Day. Here's hoping everyone got off to a great start with
a Sonny and Cher tune and a Ned Ryerson reunion. But of course there's only one
factor that determines whether it's a good Groundhog Day or not, and that's the
weather forecast. It's a clear sunny morning in our area, so it's not shocking
that
Punxsutawney Phil reportedly saw his shadow, a harbinger that winter weather
will persist for another six weeks. On the other hand, the even more local
Staten Island Chuck predicts an early spring. This shouldn't be too shocking
either, as this is the eighth year in a row he's made that exact same
prediction. This dates back to when
Chuck was possibly killed by the mayor, so it may have to do with the
substitution. According to the
this article, Chuck's been on the money 10 out of the last 11 years. Here's
hoping he's right again, because I'm certainly ready for some warmer weather.
Shadowy Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.Stories
- Hong Kong is criminalizing CBD as a 'dangerous drug' alongside heroin.
- New York investors snapping up Colorado River water rights, betting big on an increasingly scarce resource.
Science
- How the immune system changes with age and why.
- Astronomers Say They Have Spotted the Universe’s First Stars.
Media
- Jerry Seinfeld in Pulp Fiction [DeepFake]. Thanks Boing Boing.
- This Baby is loving it.. 💉🤣. Thanks VideoSift.
- If People Golfed in a Rush. Much better.
Creature Features
- Agility trained foxes. Thanks RedEye9.
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