Publisher Serenity Forge is loving life as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, offering a remastered version of Loving Life as a free gift to celebrate the occasion. Word is: "This autobiographical story of Zhenghua Yang (otherwise known as Z) is the real-life tale of the dramatic series of events that led to the founding of Serenity Forge, given to players as a gripping visual novel with hand-painted art. Alongside this remaster comes an array of new themed merchandise and giveaways." The updated Windows visual novel is on Steam for free and a Switch edition is also available for $0.99. Here's more on the giveaway and the anniversary:

Over its first decade, Serenity Forge has released 54 games across PC, consoles and mobile, in both digital and physical formats. With titles like Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, LISA: Definitive Edition, and the recently announced physical editions of Needy Streamer Overload, Serenity Forge continues its mission to realize the emotional power of games to impact, challenge and change players’ perspectives. But it all started with Loving Life.

Loving Life is a retelling of Serenity Forge’s beginnings from the perspective of Z, the company’s founder. In this remastered version of the heart-wrenching visual novel, players can follow Z through a near-death experience that inspired the creation of a company that would go on to become a force in the world of indie games. Included in Loving Life’s remaster is a number of accessibility updates including options to change and fast forward text, as well as an updated resolution to standard 16:9 fullscreen and remastered visuals.

Stop us if you've heard this one before, Paradox Interactive announces another delay to the Early Access launch of Life by You, its The Sims-inspired lifestyle simulation. This is the game's third delay, and it no longer carries a release date. Life by You was announced in March 2023 and was originally expected last September. It was announced in July that Early Access was delayed to March 5th, but as that date approached it was delayed to June 4th. With that date now looming, the game is delayed again. Its launch schedule is now TBD and Paradox admits that there's no certainty it will actually hit any deadline it would set at this point. Here's word from CEO Mattias Lilja:

After much consideration, we regret to announce that we have decided to retract Life by You’s Early Access release date, previously set for June 4th. This was not an easy decision, especially since we understand the anticipation and excitement that many players have for the game. However, we believe that additional development time is needed.

While we would have preferred to commit to a new release window, we believe it is more prudent to hold off while we plan ahead, rather than committing to a new date that we cannot be certain to meet.

We will provide more information as soon as possible, until then we want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and patience.

Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago is now available on Steam, offering the chance to raise a digital pet in this tamagotchi-inspired idle RPG. Developer 14 Hours Productions provides this LAUNCH TRAILER with a musical look at this retro experience. Here's word:

Inspired by the classic Tamagotchis of the 90s, Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago blends idle RPG mechanics with the digital pet sim genre. Raise and care for your hero from egg to adventurer, prepare them for quests, and gain the skills to defeat the dreaded Frog Lord. The local Adventurer’s Guild has all the resources you need to take care of your tiny tot. Train strength, dexterity, and intelligence in their assigned hero class, and tend to their hunger, hygiene, and fatigue when they come home to rest. As an idle game, Yolk Heroes ensures your hero is cared for while you’re away, allowing players to queue tasks for their yolk to complete during some downtime.

• Shift Up is exploring a Stellar Blade PC version and a sequel.
• Ninja Theory thanks fans in advance of tomorrow's launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.

• Raw Fury Publisher Sale 2024 on Steam.
• 💥Publisher Sale Starts NOW💥+ Don’t Miss tinyBuildConnect on Steam.
• QubicGames: Save 80% on 20 for 20 - Anniversary Bundle on Steam.
• Low Poly Game Dev Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Save 60% on Spellcaster University on Steam.
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• Save 75% on ONE PIECE- PIRATE WARRIORS 4 on Steam.

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• China approves 96 new video games in May, with market leaders Tencent, NetEase missing from list.
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• Did video game investment hit rock bottom, and is it ready to go back up?

• Twitch Drop: Get the Eye of the Legion Pet Now Live! — World of Warcraft.

Official patches.

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Adds Free 'Boss Attack' Update.

• The smells and tastes of a great video game. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Blizzard addresses Diablo 4's gold problem in a patch, but nobody is quite sure if it's solved yet.

Official trailers.

• Call of Duty: Warzone & Modern Warfare III - Season 4 Launch Trailer.
• Monster Jam Showdown - Just in Monster Jam Trailer.
• NeoSprint - Release Date Trailer. June 27th.
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Boss Attack Update Trailer.
• XDefiant Preseason Battle Pass Trailer.

• Massive Intel Drop: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Complete Season 4 Intel.
• Diablo II: Resurrected Ladder Season 7 Coming Soon — Diablo II- Resurrected.
• It’s Summer Game Fest, not Summer Games Fest — but why? Pleas don’t say mouthfeel.

• Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 7 FINALLY has a refreshed design, haptic touchpad, and the brand-new Snapdragon X chip.
• Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs will be available this fall.
• Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC just made “AI PCs” obsolete, leaving anyone who bought a 2024 laptop behind.
• Elon Musk confirms his threat- give me 25% of Tesla or you don't get AI and robotics. Thanks Matthew.
• The Best iPad Tips and Tricks- How to Conquer iPadOS. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Intel Teases Lunar Lake CPU Ahead of Computex- Most Power Efficient x86 Chip Yet.
• NVIDIA CEO Is Full Of Praise For Michael Dell & His AI Factory.
• Samsung introduces world's first QD-LED display- The tech that could replace OLED.

• Google takes shots at Microsoft for shoddy security record with enterprise apps.
• iOS 17.5.1 patches cringey bug that was resurrecting old, deleted photos.

Last Link of the Day: Sour Patch Kids Oreos? What's behind the weird flavors popping up. I just saw the Sour Patch Kids Oreos in the supermarket yesterday, and trying to figure out the appeal broke my brain. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Nightdive Studios now offers Po'ed: Definitive Edition, an updated version of this 1995 3DO first-person shooter that's its latest restoration. A real project despite announcing it on April Fools' Day, the game is now available for Windows on Steam. This has updated visuals, refined controls, and support for up to 144 frames-per-second performance at 4K resolution thanks to Nightdive's KEX engine. You can see this for yourself in the new Launch Trailer. Here's more:

Your ship has been overrun by aliens. Your comrades-in-arms have been annihilated, and your soufflé has been ruined! What do you do? Grab your jetpack and rocket launcher, and fry those suckers! PO'ed features 16 of the baddest, maddest, and most unattractive monsters in the galaxy. Rock-throwing ogres, plasma-shooting robots, giant bats ... and walking butts!

Inspired by generational powerhouses DOOM and QUAKE, the original PO'ed pushed first-person action games to new heights with its over-the-top, action-packed, fast-paced, explosive, ridiculous, bloody, smelly, scrumptious, adjective-filled, ultra-violent 3D gameplay. You play as a chef who crashes on an alien planet infested with extraterrestrial foes, using a menu of “household” weapons to deliver a dish best-served cold (by dish, I mean revenge, just in case you were confused).

Continue here to read the full story.

Larian Studios announces the launch of a new studio in Warsaw, calling Poland "one of the greatest RPG development hubs in the world." They are staffing up, and this post puts out the call for those interested in joining the cause. This not tweet notes the timing supports the company's recently revealed ambitions, saying the launch comes "with two very ambitious RPGs now starting development." The announcement includes a couple of eye-opening tidbits, including word this is the company's seventh studio, and that it operates on a 24-hour schedule:

Larian Studios, the independent game developer behind Baldur’s Gate 3, the critically acclaimed RPG and winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards, is about to set up base in one of the greatest RPG development hubs in the world with the launch of a new studio in Warsaw, Poland.

As the team ramps up development on its next games, Larian is excited to boost its existing 24-hour development cycle with the addition of this seventh studio. Larian Studios Warsaw will be joining a global team of sister studios in Quebec, Dublin, Guildford, Barcelona, Ghent, and Kuala Lumpur.

Continue here to read the full story.

One-inch Tactics is now available for Windows on Steam, installing you as ruler of a tiny army. This proves the old adage that if you give some people an inch they'll take umbrage and declare war. And despite its miniaturization, it promises to challenge you with nuanced strategies. Here's a trailer showing off some tabletop-inspired gameplay featuring a Japanese voice-over. The game launches with a 20% discount and there's a playable demo if you want to try before you buy. Here's more:

One-inch Tactics brings the massive battles of military mecha fiction to your fingertips. Presented in the trappings of a hex based miniatures war game, One-inch Tactics focuses on simple turn-based strategy mechanics combined with diverse objectives to create a game that is simple to learn but will put the players’ brains to the test.
The title features 20 diverse missions set in a campaign mode, gaining new pilots and mech parts as the player progresses through the game. Properly utilizing this new equipment and personnel will be key to overcoming the different objectives and terrain the player will face. Should this mech equip a long-range missile pod to strike enemies from a distance, or would it be better to equip a short-range machine gun to get up close and personal?

Continue here to read the full story.

New Farm DLC is now available on Steam for Cafe Owner Simulator as an example of the current trend of fairly random add-ons for asset-oriented tycoon games. Or maybe farm-to-table cafes are the next trend? Anyway, running a restaurant and operating a farm are each part-time jobs, so now you can use your free time to vertically integrate your operation. It only takes 23 seconds to show this off in the Announcement Trailer. Here's more:

Have animals on your farm, care for them, feed them and clean them. The happier the animals are - the more food they will produce. Don't forget, this is organic produce and it's great value and quality. Visitors love dishes prepared from natural products, so the profit of your restaurant will increase in times, but there will be more worries.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 cut ending mystery looks to have been solved after 13 years.
• Leaked gameplay footage surfaces for Ubisoft's canceled The Division Heartland.

• Take-Two boss ‘highly confident’ in Grand Theft Auto 6 release timing. Needing to say this days after the announcement is odd.

• With GTA 6 Release Coming Up, Take-Two Boss Talks About Setting Game Prices.
• EA Store forces players to accept new privacy terms before playing, here's a summary of the changes.
• Corsair Gaming to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences.

• Ghost of Tsushima is now the biggest single-player PlayStation release on PC.

• It’s time for the shadows to rise up ⚔️ Gundam comes to Call of Duty in Season 4 🤖.

• Chris Pratt's "Nintendo Cinematic Universe" Tease For Super Mario Bros 2 Faces A Huge Challenge After $30B Movie Franchise.

Official patch.

• Deep Rock Galactic- Survivor - Update 02 - Hoxxes Fights Back.

Official trailers.

• Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 Wrecked - Cinematic Teaser.
• MultiVersus - Official Launch Trailer -Stars Collide. Pies Fly.
• Reverse: 1999 "Notes on Shuori" - Version 1.6 Trailer.
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Official Launch Trailer (ft. Animal Soul by AURORA).
• XDefiant: Play like a Pro.

• The Wanderers – The Team Behind Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s Incredible Landscapes - Xbox Wire.

• NYC Gaymers present Gaymer Pride 2024.

• Microsoft Destroyed Arkane Austin but the Studio’s Soul Is Indestructible.

• V Rising - PlayStation 5 Date Reveal Trailer.

• What to expect from Microsoft’s Surface event today. Details surface.

• Terabytes of Old Usenet Articles since 1980s Restored in 471,000 News Groups. Thanks Ant.
• The hack that almost broke the internet. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• TCL demonstrates 4K gaming monitor with a 1,000 Hz refresh rate.
• The SpaceMouse Wireless retrospective. Thanks Max.
• Raise Your Rank With Turtle Beach – New Gaming Headsets, Keyboards, & Mice – Now Available.
• QNAP called out for dragging its heels on patch development.

• How to Remove Your Personal Info From Google’s Search Results (may require registration or subscription).

• DoJ and ByteDance ask court to speed up ruling on TikTok ban.
• Julian Assange can appeal extradition to the US, UK court rules.
• Craig Wright Lied About Creating Bitcoin And Faked Evidence, Judge Rules (may require registration or subscription).
• Popular iPhone emulator in legal trouble - but not from Nintendo.
• ChatGPT: OpenAI to remove Scarlett Johansson-like voice. What if the voice is just another heavy smoker?

• Ghost of Tsushima- DLSS vs. FSR vs. XeSS Comparison Review - TechPowerUp.

• Case: FSP CUT593A Review - APH Networks.
• Headset/Earbuds: Turtle Beach Burst II Air Wireless Gaming Mouse - Christ Centered Gamer.
• PC: Yeyian Phoenix Gaming PC Review - ThinkComputers.org.

I don't know that it's necessary, but here's a warning that the below include spoilers for the Knicks/Pacers playoff series.


I just want to take my hat off to the New York Knicks, who fell to the Pacers in game seven of their playoff series yesterday. Despite the disappointing exit, this year's team won over the city in a way that it hasn't since the Ewing/Oakley days ended more than two decades ago. Part of this was how the team continued to play at such a high level despite the plague of injuries all season that began with losing all-star Julius Randle. This became tragically comical over the course of the playoffs as the replacements for the injured starters all broke down as well. I'll leave it to others to decide if some of the blame for the injuries falls on coach Tom Thibodeau for not believing players need any rest during games, and just express gratitude to Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and company for never giving up despite the ravaging war of attrition they were fighting. The phrase 'leave it all on the court' tends to get overused, but this team gave every single ounce of effort possible. It's easy to love a team like that, and they have indeed captured the hearts of fans, including myself. Thanks guys. And salute to the Pacers as well. They played with resilience and courage, turning this into an awesome renewal of a great rivalry.

Obituary: Iran’s president has died in office. Here’s what happens next.
Obituary: Bud Anderson, Last of World War II’s ‘Triple Ace’ Pilots, Dies at 102. Thanks Devicer.

Playoff Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• Preventable loss: A billion birds die each year from window strikes. Thanks Max.
• Red Lobster files for bankruptcy.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Researchers develop a detector for continuously monitoring toxic gases.
• Scientists hope fungi-sniffing dog can save species on brink of extinction.
• A Psychologist Explains The Issue With Mental Health ‘Hyperawareness.’
• A wave of retractions is shaking physics.

Media

• I Accidentally Photographed Something Unknown During the Eclipse - Smarter Every Day 298. Thanks RedEye9.
• Guess i wasn't expecting that... Thanks VideoSift.

Creature Features

• How could you not love that job? 🐶. Thanks VideoSift.