Archived News:

Tuesday, Sep 10, 2024

Space Marine 2 Sells 2 Million

The recruiting stations are busy, as Focus Entertainment xeets that over two million players have enlisted to fight in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 since the third-person shooter sequel launched yesterday:
TWO MILLION Space Marines have joined the fight to protect the Imperium in #SpaceMarine2. ⚔️

We're so grateful!!💙

The Crew Motorfest and The Crew 2 Offline Modes Announced

Ubisoft announces details on a Year 2 update for The Crew Motorfest, saying this will be the biggest update yet for the driving game when it arrives on November 6th. This will add the island of Maui, increasing the size of the game map by 50%, promising seamless integration, allowing players "to travel between the two islands by sea, by air, or by land via a connecting bridge, all without any loading screens." The Crew Showcase 2024 Video recaps the introduction, and while the article includes a video link to what's presumably an announce trailer, it's marked "private" at this time. There are details on new playlists, new PvE content, and season pass rewards. Interestingly, in light of last year's delisting of the original The Crew, the announcement also has details on offline support for The Crew 2 and Motorfest going forward:
Finally, Ubisoft Ivory Tower committed to long-term access for both The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest, ensuring that both games will be playable for many years to come, including in an offline mode coming in the future. Players who still haven't picked up The Crew 2 can do so for just one dollar from September 10-24, and will be able to unlock four different vehicles with only one Crew Credit. From now until September 23, you can save up to 70% on The Crew Motorfest or 98% on The Crew 2.
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Stellaris Cosmic Storms Launched

Paradox Interactive announces the launch of Cosmic Storms, an expansion for Stellaris, its sci-fi strategy game. It requires the base game, and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux on GOG.com* and Steam as a standalone release, part of the Season 08 Pass, or as part of the monthly Stellaris Subscription. The main game is patched too, and this post has details on the new version 3.13 "Vela" update. Here's the Cosmic Storms Release Trailer along with your space weather forecast:
Cosmic Storms is a Mechanical Expansion for Stellaris where the skies teem with eight new storm types filled with peril and promise. From Electric Storms harnessing the power of lightning to the formidable Nexus Storm, a galactic tempest of unparalleled magnitude, these natural phenomena challenge you to make skillful choices to steer your empire safely and profitably through the chaos.

Embark on your journey with the Storm Chasers Origin, uncover the secrets of two new Precursors, or engage with the storms themselves through the Astrometeorology and Storm Devotion Civics.
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Call of Duty Season 6 Next Week

The Call of Duty Blog has the full reveal of Season 6 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, which kicks off on September 18th. This is illustrated by a The Haunting - Season 6 Launch Trailer. Here's a handy summary of all the planned festivities:
Season 6 unleashes a terrifying lineup of Operators and introduces the killer-clown-themed Drive Thru Multiplayer map and six new map variants. Players can dive into the creepy Purgatory and Zombie Royale Limited Time Modes in Warzone and Warzone Mobile, enjoy free Rift Runs in Zombies, and arm themselves with new Weapons and Aftermarket Parts. Season 6 also features a fright-filled Battle Pass, a brand-new Warzone Mobile Multiplayer map, and much more.

To make The Haunting a more terrifying experience, players can step into the shoes of horror legend Michael Myers, Sam from Trick 'R Treat, a cursed Valeria and Makarov from Smile 2, the chilling Art the Clown from The Terrifier, an especially grotesque mutant BlackCell Operator, along with Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead.
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Dead Island 2: Ultimate Edition and New Game Modes Next Month

PLAION and developer Dambuster Studios announce Dead Island 2: Ultimate Edition, an updated bundle of the zombie-infested sequel coming to PC and consoles on October 22nd. At that time the game will be updated with Patch 6, which will add New Game Plus and introduce a new co-op game mode called Neighborhood Watch, as shown off in this Neighborhood Watch Reveal Trailer. There will also be a new Kingdom Come: Deliverance II weapon pack, because you can never have too many guns. Here's more:
Get ready to team up with your friends as you take control of the Bobcats, a group of college kids defending their frat house from the approaching zombie horde. Complete missions, set traps and stockpile weapons to prepare for the final day of the zombie onslaught.

Only the strongest defenses, sharpest skills and tightest teamwork will ensure your survival. Unlock new abilities and make each run more thrilling than the last. Rally your friends and defend the neighborhood. Go Bobcats!

Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York Released

Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York is now available for Windows on GOG.com* and Steam as well as for consoles, with a 15% launch discount. This is the third in a series of visual novels based on the World of Darkness series, offering the chance to suck a little lifeblood out of the big apple. Here's a Launch Trailer with a look at how this works, and here's more:
Dive into the streets of New York City in 2024, where the delicate balance of power hangs by a thread. Navigate the treacherous waters of vampiric politics as you contend with the ever-shifting landscape between the Camarilla and Anarchs. In a city where every move could mean the difference between unlife and final death, will you carve out your own destiny amidst the chaos or will your ambition spell your doom?

Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York invites you to immerse yourself in the third installment of this gripping visual novel series, set against the backdrop of a modern-day metropolis teeming with supernatural intrigue. Embrace the darkness as a Kindred, a vampire thrust into a world of danger and betrayal where survival is paramount.
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As The Leaves Fall Announced

Clay Crown Games announces As The Leaves Fall, a point-and-click adventure coming to PC via Steam with a to be announced release window. The Announcement Trailer shows off stylish retro graphics and introduces the story and its Native American protagonist. Here's a description:
With the untimely death of Ahote's estranged father, the estate settlement calls him to the town of Birchwood Hollow. When a cold case converges with a spiritual mystery, a trio of strangers comes together to prevent a threat of cataclysmic proportions! Secrets will be uncovered, and truths revealed, as the leaves fall.
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Into the Black

Last Link of the Day: Honest Trailers - Borderlands (video).

Satisfactory Officially Launches

Satisfactory has officially departed Early Access after five years, and version 1.0 of the factory automation game is now rolling off the production lines. The official website has all you need to know about this project, and the game is available for Windows on the Epic Games Store and Steam with a 10% launch discount. The Launch Trailer celebrates the occasion and an ongoing Release Stream is live as of right now with thoughts from the developers. Here's the quick pitch:
Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!

Conquer nature by building massive factories across the land. Expand wherever and however you want. The planet is filled with valuable natural resources just waiting to be utilized. As an employee of FICSIT it’s your duty to make sure they come to good use.
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Yars Rising Released

Yars Rising is now available for PC and consoles, offering a new game loosely based on Atari 2600 game Yars' Revenge. The Windows edition is available on the Epic Games Store and Steam, while this page lists a dizzying array of other options for making a purchase on different systems in different regions. The Official Launch Trailer shows off some stealthy platformer gameplay punctuated by sassy dialogue. Here's yar description:
Join young black hat hacker Emi “Yar” Kimura as she unravels a deep secret and her surprising link to an enigmatic alien race. After being hired by a mysterious entity to infiltrate the QoTech corporation, Emi realizes she’s taken on more than she bargained for after she’s taken captive inside the company’s colossal headquarters.

Navigate through an array of challenges, puzzles, and boss fights, supported by Emi’s team of eclectic friends, to unravel what QoTech’s been working so hard to keep secret — including powerful biohacks that may just change everything for Emi.
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Sweet Transit Adds Locomotive Pack and Electrifying Update

A new Locomotive Pack is now available on Steam for Sweet Transit, the rail transport simulation from Ernestas Norvaišas and Team17. The add-on is full priced, but the base game is on sale for half-off. As explained in this post, the DLC comes with a new update for all players adding the 19th century innovation of electric trains. But the modernization goes beyond that with the addition of alternative energy systems. Train your eyes on the Electrifying Launch Trailer for a look. Here's more:
New Electric Trains and wagons, a cost-efficient solution for your railway network, make their debut in the free update, but require you to balance your power network to ensure adequate coverage. A whole new layer of strategic depth for players awaits, with the denizens of electrified worlds from Craftsmen and above relying on electricity to meet their needs as a new optional difficulty setting.

The paid DLC Locomotive Pack introduces 6 all-new trains, from Steam locomotives to Bullet trains, Sweet Transit's new Locomotive Pack has you covered.
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Elsie Released

Elsie is now available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Switch, and you can grab the Windows and Linux edition from Steam, where the action/platformer carries a 20% launch discount. The Launch Trailer takes a look at the story, chaotic environments, and a bit of gameplay. Here's more on the game's look, gameplay, and cast:
Elsie is a neo-retro, hyperkinetic, rogue-like action platformer filled with procedurally generated levels and an army of robots to blast through. Get ready to dash, dive, and shoot your way through stages filled with dynamic enemies and intense boss fights, all while performing perfectly timed precision parrying. In this roguelike rollercoaster, you’ll die and die and die again, but always get back on your feet and back in the fight to embrace the chaos.

Elsie also has a star-studded cast of voice actors, bringing the eclectic cast of characters to life, a high-octane original soundtrack created by the extremely talented Eric Benaim and stunning retro-inspired technicolour visuals!
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ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist in January

Binary Haze Interactive announces January 22 is the official release date for ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist, an action/RPG from Adglobe and Binary Haze Interactive that's a sequel to ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights. This is coming to PC and consoles, though the Windows edition is available right now in Early Access on Steam, where it boasts thousands of "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews. The release date is highlighted in the Full Release Announcement Trailer, which shows off stylish platformer gameplay. Here's more:
Long ago, in the distant reaches of Land's End, an unforeseen rainfall transformed all living things into frenzied undead monstrosities known as the Blighted. Faced with a calamity far beyond their understanding, the kingdom fell into ruin with no end to the accursed rain in sight.

Meanwhile in the remnants of this devastated land, a young woman named Lily awakens in the depths of a church…
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Omni One Full-body VR Systems Shipping

Virtuix announces the availability of the Omni One full-body VR gaming system, a proprietary locomotion system featuring a 360-degree treadmill. Preorders are starting to ship today, while new orders are expected to arrive in January. The previous Virtuix Omni One Trailer is here to help you decide if this seems like more fun, more work, or both. And to answer the question this immediately evokes, the price tag is US$2,595. A Pico 4 headset is included, but shipping is extra. Here's word:
Omni One provides a next-level, all-in-one immersive experience for VR gaming. Featuring an innovative 360-degree treadmill, Omni One invites players to experience virtual worlds like never before. Patrol the streets of enemy-infested cities, survive heart-pounding boss battles, or explore exotic locales while unraveling elaborate mysteries. Physically walk, run, jump, and crouch through favorite games of all genres from an awe-inspiring new dimension.

Omni One comes with everything you need including a customized Pico 4 Enterprise headset along with the treadmill and overshoes with sensors for tracking movement. Assembly and disassembly take minutes, and the system’s wheels make it easy to move and stow away as necessary. Forget dedicating an entire room to a VR setup; Omni One offers a convenient portal to other worlds whenever desired.

New Carmen Sandiego Game Announced

Gameloft, and HarperCollins announce plans for a new Carmen Sandiego puzzle/adventure game coming to PC, consoles, and Netflix in Q1 of next year. This is based on the Netflix animated series, which is based on this edutainment video game property that first launched in 1985. The Announcement Trailer promises the chance to play as, rather than seek out Carmen, who is still pretty spry in her 40s. Read on for some details:
Just in time for her 40th anniversary, Carmen's iconic legacy continues with an all-new gaming adventure set to intrigue gumshoes of all ages in 2025. The original 1985 game, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" introduced her as the main antagonist, leading a global syndicate of criminals known as VILE. In an exhilarating twist, players will now don the signature red coat and hat of Carmen Sandiego and play as her for the very first time. Players will experience the thrill of being the notorious super thief as they navigate a world of espionage, utilize high-tech gadgets, and ultimately capture VILE.
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On Sale

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Morning Crowdfunding

Out of the Blue

Tropical Storm Francine to become hurricane in Gulf of Mexico - Accuweather. Comes just days after discussions of how this Atlantic hurricane season is not living up to the dire warnings of meteorologists. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. Word is this may bring life-threatening conditions, so please be careful if you're in the path.

Stormy Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

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