Cloud Imperium Games announces the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo is now underway, a virtual showroom of spacecraft from Star Citizen and Squadron 42, the crowdfunded space exploration games. This leans into the car dealership mechanic, as virtual ship sales have been a big part of the crowdfunding that's kept the games in development for well over a decade. But besides showing off and selling these ships, there are test-drives to be had in another Free Fly Event. This means almost everything on display is available to fly or drive for free between now and the end of the month. Here's a trailer and word:

During the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, anyone can explore Star Citizen's incredible Persistent Universe for free. Even if you don't have a Star Citizen Game Package, you can try it for free and fly to the in-game event in style with Drake's new starter ship, the Cutter, which we're loaning to all players for free for the duration of the event.

Starting on November 17 (4pm UTC), each day a different ship manufacturer will take over one of the expo halls for 48 hours. There's something new to see every day, and nearly everything on display is available to test-fly for free!

Continue here to read the full story.

Valve reminds everyone that the Steam Autumn Sale will begin on Tuesday, November 21st. So heads-up when making game purchases, the title you seek may be cheaper in just a few days. This was previously announced in this post, which lays out the near-future schedule for several upcoming events on the store. Here's a Steam Autumn Sale 2023 Official Trailer, and here's word:

Tens of thousands of discounted games await you during the Steam Autumn Sale, November 21 - 28. You'll find games of all kinds to stock up on, whether it's for yourself or for your buddies on your holiday shopping list (gift cards too)!

The Autumn Sale also marks the official opening of nominations for The Steam Awards. Beginning November 21, nominate your favorite games of the past year across 11 categories, and earn a badge!

Continue here to read the full story.

Developer Strollart and publisher Apogee have launched Early Access to Below the Stone, giving players the chance to dig into this mining roguelike. This is available for Windows on Steam along with a playable demo, and next year's full launch will come to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch. The Early Access Trailer provides a look, showing this leans into the first fantasy dwarf stereotype that comes to mined. Here's more:

Drill to the depths in this all-or-nothing roguelike tour de force where fame and fortune lie beneath ruins. Design a dwarf to match the latest underground styles with customization options for beards and haircuts, then pick up a pickaxe and provide for the kin back home. Make wise decisions while scouring the unknown for shimmering rewards, or risk becoming another lost soul buried beneath the rubble.

A gauntlet of procedurally generated dungeons and caves awaits enterprising explorers. Hack through dozens of unique biomes including fluorescent fungi fields, magma-marred mazes, and gorged caverns. Scrabble to survive amidst the blows of club-wielding trolls, lumbering Yetis, and stinging scorpions.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Is Dead.

• Gabe Newell on why game delays are okay- 'Late is just for a little while. Suck is forever.' As true today as when Shigeru Miyamoto originally said it. Update: Or not (thanks RedEye9).

• Half-Life anniversary sale on Steam.
• Up to 81% OFF during the “EARTH DEFENSE FORCE” SERIES FRANCHISE SALE.
• Save 75% on Gears 5 on Steam.
• gamigo group Publisher Sale.

• WoW Tokens now require you to buy a real-money subscription first.

• Alan Wake 2- Update 12 notes. Thanks Console General.
• Deep Rock Galactic - The November Maintenance Update is now live.
• The Last Starship - Alpha 7.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: November 17, 2023.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• This Metal Gear Solid 3 PC Mod implements crouch walking.

• Assassin's Creed Nexus VR- Advanced Combat Guide.

Thanks Ant.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III - How We Made The Music for MWIII.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Firearms Expert Reacts To Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)’s Guns.
• I Want Karlach - Baldur's Gate 3 Ep 6 - Carbot.
• Spider Mates: Quick Time Event.

• ChatGPT can make fully playable 'choose your own adventure' games. Thanks Ant.

• Video Game Award Categories Are Broken. Easier to argue video game awards are broken.

• Call of Duty- Modern Warfare II — First look at a colossal MWIII Season 1 content drop.

• The Last of Us Part II Remastered coming to PS5 on January 19, 2024. 2020 game finally getting a remake.
• Atari 2600+ now available. MSRP $70 cheaper than the original from 1977 (which would be $1000 today).

• MoviePass Adds Online Ticketing Support by Introducing a Virtual Card.

• Elon Musk Calls Advertisers "Oppressors" After Comcast, IBM, and NBC Universal Abandon X.

Thanks Console General.

• GeForce RTX 4090 removed from official NVIDIA China website.
• Evernote v10.66.4.
• Visual Studio Code v1.84.2.

• The Legend of Nayuta- Boundless Trails - Christ Centered Gamer.
• Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Review - IGN.
• ‘The Walking Dead’ Just Released A Shocking, Hilariously Bad Game. To be shocked at this seems naive.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: EK-Quantum Vector² RTX 4090 Strix-TUF GPU Block Review - TechPowerUp.
• Mini PC: GEEKOM Mini IT13 PC Review - The fastest Mini PC we've tested - TweakTown.
• SSD: Samsung 870 EVO 4 TB Review - TechPowerUp.

Happy birthday Graham Parker, who turns 72 today. I feel like everyone should have at least one favorite musical artist that most people don't get, and Graham is mine. His music and lyrics are both smart and clever, as well as catchy, funny, poignant, and exceedingly honest. He made a decent splash in the 1980s, but has mostly faded into obscurity since. But that never slowed down his creative drive, and he's continues to put out great stuff over the years, and he just released a new album called Last Chance To Learn The Twist. We last got to see him in in 2015 when he was just 63 years old. But I'd gladly see him perform again, and hope to get the chance.

Rumoured Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• Nurse Earns Lifetime Cruise Ban Over CBD Gummies.

Stories

• A US 5th grader's message in a bottle found in France 26 years later. I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my...
• Masterpiece found hanging in French woman's kitchen headed to the Louvre.
• Frozen first as Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes landing in Antarctica.
• Former inmate pulls Houston officer to safety during shootout. Thanks RedEye9.

Science

• The Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Here's how to see it.

Media

• Quick Moves (NSFW).
• Why Americans Fell Out Of Love With Canned Tuna. It's not you, it's us. Thanks RedEye9.

Creature Features

• Adorable capybara dramatically rescued from storm drain.

Follow-up

• Barefoot workers, bacteria found at factory that made big-brand eye drops.

A free weekend is now underway on Steam for Victoria 3, the Windows, macOS, and Linux historical strategy sequel from Paradox Interactive. This gives everyone a couple of days to experience the game with no obligation, and here's a handy post to help new players get started. For those who want to continue on in the Victorian Age after the free period ends, the game is on sale for half-off. Read on for a refresher:

SHAPE A GRAND TOMORROW

• Paradox Development Studio invites you to build your ideal society in the tumult of the exciting and transformative 19th century. Balance the competing interests in your society and earn your place in the sun in Victoria 3, one of the most anticipated games in Paradox’s history.

THE ULTIMATE SOCIETY SIMULATOR

• Lead dozens of world nations from 1836-1936. Agrarian or Industrial, Traditional or Radical, Peaceful or Expansionist... the choice is yours.
• Detailed population groups with their own economic needs and political desires.
• Reform your government and constitution to take advantage of new social innovations, or preserve the stability of your nation by holding fast to tradition in the face of revolutionaries.
• Research transformative new technology or ideas to improve your national situation.

Stardock announces the launch of the first Expansion Pass for Galactic Civilizations IV, the 4X space game set in space, where no one can hear you explore, expand, exploit, or even exterminate. The post is on Steam, and the pass is available there. And while GalCiv4 is also available on the Epic Games Store, the pass is not there for some reason. We asked Stardock to explain this, but got no reply. This comes with a new version 2.1 Genesis Update for the base game, and here's the Change Log for that. Finally, the patch and the pass are discussed in detail in this post. Here's word:

We’re thrilled with the feedback from our players. Many of the updates in v2.1 have been inspired by their invaluable suggestions across forums, Discord, Reddit, and more.

In addition to the Supernova update, Stardock has introduced its first Expansion Pass for Galactic Civilizations IV. This pass offers players a significant discount on upcoming DLCs and expansions, drawing inspiration from the popular Founders Program of the previous game. The Expansion Pass is a fantastic offer, covering the first years' worth of expansions and DLC, modeled after our successful Founders Program.

Early Access to Heroes Wanted is now underway on Steam, offering a roguelike deckbuilder for Windows, macOS, and Linux from developer Gameplete and publisher NEOWIZ. This promises "strategic battles, unique card mechanics, and engaging storyline," and the Early Access Trailer is here with a look at what to expect if you play your cards right. Here's word:

Recruit heroes and defeat the monsters!
Newbies will be always welcomed.

You must select the most optimal set of cards for each round.
The damage multipliers increase depending on the combination of cards' elements and types.
Plan your next move wisely while considering every possibility.

Build Your Perfect Deck:
Cards that have been given as rewards have their own unique skills.
Plan how it might synergize with other artifacts and cards and defeat the monsters!

Continue here to read the full story.

The calm before the storm is over, as NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is now available for Windows on Steam and for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Switch. Here's the musical Launch Trailer to get the party started. This installment boasts the largest roster in the history of the fighting series, with over 130 playable characters from which to chose. Here's what you need to know:

NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS offers an exciting and robust lineup representing the breadth of NARUTO’s beloved history – from legendary founders of the ninja clans Ashura and Indra Otsutski and the formidable members of Kara like Delta, Boro, Koji Kashin and Jigen, to the iconic Team 7 lineup of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. The game features multiple modes including History Mode, which allows fans to enter the captivating world of NARUTO by reliving his childhood memories and witnessing his most epic battles, including his final epic fight with Sasuke. Special Story Mode takes the chakra-infused experience a step further, presenting a brand-new original storyline in which Boruto meets a mysterious girl in a popular online game called "Ninja Heroes" and soon finds himself in a great battle involving the entire ninja world.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 75% on Gears 5 on Steam.
• gamigo group Publisher Sale on Steam.
• Wargaming By Air, Land, and Sea (pay what you want and help charity).*

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

• Why Snoop Dogg and his son are launching a game company.

Official patches.

• Baldur's Gate 3 - Hotfix #11 Now Live.

Official trailers.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III RICOCHET Anti-Cheat - Splat.

• Modern Warfare III – Warzone Season 1 Intel- New Multiplayer Maps, Gunfight, Zombies update, and the Arrival of Urzikstan in Call of Duty: Warzone.

• Next Week on Xbox- New Games for November 20 - 24.

• RIP uBlock Origin: Google Proceeds With Plan to Shake Up Chrome Extensions.
• Apple to pause advertising on X after Musk backs antisemitic post.
• No more ads on Elon’s X, EU Commission tells staff.
• Lionsgate Has Suspended All Advertising on X, Spokesman Says (may require registration or subscription).

• Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI.
• Amazon is laying off several hundred employees working on Alexa.
• AMD's RX 7900 XTX faces price hikes in China amid RTX 4090 ban — AMD continues to ship highest-end gaming GPU to China.
• You know what's NOT a Black Friday deal- RTX 4090 cards at $2,000 or more as prices soar on this 'banned in China' GPU.
• Ethernet is Still Going Strong After 50 Years.

Last Link of the Day: The Case for Using AI to Log Your Every Living Moment (may require registration or subscription).

Obituary: Kool & The Gang Drummer George 'Funky' Brown Dead at 74.

Valve offers a Half-Life 25th Anniversary Update discussing news related to Sunday's quarter-century anniversary of the launch of the classic first-person shooter. The headline is that the game is currently free, so on the off chance you don't own it already, you can download Half-Life for Windows, macOS, and Linux from Steam for keeps right now. This is an updated version, and this page has details on all that's changed. It now includes the integration of Half-Life Uplink, four new multiplayer maps, updated graphics settings, controller and Steam networking support, Steam Deck support, UI scaling, restored content, and content from an obscure 1999 disc called Half-Life Further Data. There are also new sprays, bugfixes, wallpapers, and more. Lastly, the previous version of the game is still accessible as a public beta branch. Here's a new Half-Life: 25th Anniversary Documentary, and here's word:

We launched Half-Life on November 19th, 1998. We are very proud of what we built back then and we remain extremely grateful for the community of players who have been enjoying it ever since. The game hasn't received as much attention in recent years as many other titles in our catalog, so we thought this milestone was a great opportunity to spruce up the player experience and add some fun new ways to play the game.

The same game you played in 1998 - restored, augmented, and revitalized

We created a new webpage to showcase all the updates in detail, but here's a quick rundown of the updates to the base game:

Continue here to read the full story.

Epic announces that voice reporting is now available in Fortnite, the battle royale shooter. Abusive players can now be reported by forwarding audio evidence of their violations of the game's code of conduct. Of course snitches get stitches, so don't let anyone know you're wearing a wire. The post explains that Epic is not recording audio centrally, and the system relies on local records on user machines that Epic can't access without you sending them in. Here's more on the game's new cockpit voice recorder:

When voice reporting is on, the last five minutes of voice chat audio are captured on a rolling basis. This means only the immediate last five minutes of audio is reportable. As new audio is captured, any previous audio that's more than five minutes old is automatically deleted. Voice chat audio is securely captured on your device — for example your gaming console or PC — not the Epic Games servers.

If you report a conversation, the voice chat audio captured from the last five minutes will be uploaded with the report and sent to Epic moderators for review. You can see if voice reporting is currently on or off in the Sidebar. Note: Epic has no way of accessing any voice chat audio unless voice reporting is on and a participant submits a voice report.

Continue here to read the full story.

Anvil Saga is out of Early Access, and this management sim/RPG is now officially available for Windows on Steam, boasting a 30% launch discount for the next week. All the details on what's new are in this post on Steam, which includes the Full Release Trailer. This warns that old save games are not compatible with new content added to the first three chapters, so Early Access players seeking the full experience must start from scratch. Here's a bit on the game:

Turn a ramshackle blacksmith shop into a successful enterprise in a challenging and endlessly varied world! Deal with local bandits, merchants, priests, as well as French and English soldiers. Manage workers with various quirks, improve facilities and tools to create better merchandise, decorate your smithy to attract high-paying customers and most importantly – try not to get yourself beheaded!

Build the smithy of your dreams
Construct new rooms and underground facilities in order to expand your smithy and take on the more challenging orders. From a simple kitchen to living quarters, to logging or woodcarving workshops – each room needs to be outfitted with the appropriate furniture and décor.

Continue here to read the full story.

Outright Games has released Bluey: The Videogame (no relation), an action/adventure for kids of all ages based on the Children's television series. The Windows edition is available on Steam, and there are also versions for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Switch. Here's a Launch Trailer and more:

Get ready for an all-new Bluey adventure as Bluey: The Videogame launches today on consoles and PC. Created by Outright Games, the leading global publisher of family-friendly interactive entertainment, in partnership with BBC Studios, Bluey: The Videogame marks the highly anticipated video game debut of the internationally loved TV show.

Bluey: The Videogameis based on the Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning global TV show phenomenon Bluey , which follows Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, Blue Heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo. Bluey uses her limitless energy to play games that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family and the whole neighborhood into her world of fun.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Diablo 4 players ‘shocked’ by leaked price of Vessel of Hatred expansion.

• WePlay Expo - Discover China Indies (pay what you want and help charity).*

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

• Discover this unique The Last of Us Anniversary art print - Cook and Becker.

• Heroes of the Storm Patch Notes - November 16, 2023.
• Like a Dragon Gaiden- The Man Who Erased His Name -- 1.12 Patch Update.
• Steam Deck - SteamOS 3.5.5 Update.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: November 16, 2023.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 6.5 Available for Download.
• Discovery Freelancer turns the classic PC space game into an MMORPG.
• Starfield's latest must-have mod adds intense survival mechanics to your interstellar exploration.

• Rooms of Realities Launch Trailer - Version 1.00 - End of Early Access.

• MW3 players slam $60 pay-to-lose camo: “I can’t even see.”…

• Worlds Untold Q&A - Ex Mass Effect Writer Gets NetEase Funding to Make a Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Game - Wccftech.

• Unity 6 engine will launch next year with expansion of "responsibly sourced" AI tools. No rainforest AI here.

• New York Game Awards to honour Neil Druckmann.
• Dragon's Dogma 2 Showcase Set For Late November 2023.

• Horizon Forbidden West- Seeds of Rebellion – new gameplay and story details on the upcoming tabletop adventure.
• THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII GLOBAL MATCH released for PlayStation 4 and Switch.
• Microsoft makes custom Bluey Xbox for launch of Bluey: The Video Game.

• Data roaming charges: How to keep costs down when travelling abroad.

• Grok is Elon Musk’s new sassy, foul-mouthed AI. But who exactly is it made for? Thanks Acleacius.
• Amazon's New Internet Service Successfully Completes Testing As It Gets Ready to Offer Affordable Home Internet. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• YouTube will now let breastfeeding and twerking videos be monetized.
• Discord is shutting down its AI chatbot Clyde.

Thanks Ant.

• Microsoft confirms Copilot is coming to Windows 10 in a major update.
• The best note-taking apps for collecting your thoughts and data. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Does screen use really impact our thinking skills? Our analysis suggests it could.
• ChatGPT has entered the classroom: how LLMs could transform education. Thanks Acleacius.
• The secret environmental cost hiding inside your smart home device.

Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of November 6, 2023 - CISA.
• Samsung UK discloses year-long breach, leaked customer data.
• Online ad auction data harms national security – claim.
• Toyota confirms breach after Medusa ransomware threatens to leak data.
• Long Beach, California turns off IT systems after cyberattack.

• US SEC presses judge to force Elon Musk to testify in Twitter probe.
• Hackers report company to SEC after it fails to disclose being hacked by them.

• Howl Game Review - Neoseeker.
• Type for your LIFE! ...and score. - TYPECAST - Indie Ramble.

• Laptop: Razer Blade 18 Gaming Laptop - TweakTown.
• Monitor: LG UltraGear 45GR75DC 45-inch Mega-wide 200 Hz Gaming Monitor Review- Wide Screen, Wide Gamut and Speedy Gaming - Tom's Hardware.
• Mouse: Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless Review - TechPowerUp.
• PC: Lenovo LOQ Tower 17 review- A cheap gaming desktop that's just good enough - XDA. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• RAM: Lexar THOR OC DDR5-6000 2x16GB Review - APH Networks.

‘It never ends’- the book club that spent 28 years reading Finnegans Wake. Trolling James Joyce pretty hard considering he's not around to appreciate it. After all the book "only" took 17 years to write. On the other hand, it's pretty easy to make the case that Joyce was trolling the world when he wrote a novel described as "628 pages of things that look like typographic errors." Congrats to the club for crossing the finish line.

Read-up Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• Taika Waititi Jokes His 'Star Wars' Film Will 'Piss People Off'. Star Wars: Love and Thunder.

Story

• Martha Stewart is ‘turkeyed out’ and canceled her Thanksgiving dinner.

Science

• A Psychologist’s Guide To Dealing With ‘Schadenfreude Shame.’ Thanks Max.
• UK becomes first country to approve Crispr gene-editing therapy.
• Did this chemical reaction create the building blocks of life on Earth? Thanks Acleacius.

Image

• 'Modern Family' cast reunion photos: Sofia Vergara hosts.

Media
Thanks RedEye9.

• Customer States Tires Are Melting.
• Large cracks open in Grindavik as Iceland volcano threat looms.

Creature Features

• Chihuahua "shouts" at dog over bone.

Follow-up

• World's Leading Theory on Alzheimer's in Crisis After Major Drug Trials Fail. Thanks Max.