The Microsoft Flight Simulator Website has details on how to participate in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Technical Alpha this month. Neither ownership of Microsoft Flight Simulator nor pre-ordering Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is required, but not everyone who applies will be accepted. Word is testers won't be required to offer feedback, as simply participating will help track the health of the game's new online services. If you're interested, you should sign up for the Insider Program. Read on for more:

In October we’re hosting a technical alpha to gather feedback on some of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s new services. Please note the focus of this technical alpha is validating new services in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and the scope of available content will be limited. Because the focus of this technical alpha is services, it will also be limited to the Windows PC (Windows Store) platform.

Please review the PC System Requirements before signing-up to participate. As part of the sign-up process, you will be asked to provide your PC specs (DxDiag). If your PC does not meet the minimum requirements, you may not be selected to participate.

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection is now available for Windows and consoles, offering a collection of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 with enhanced remastered graphics. The PC edition is available on Steam, and while there's no launch discount, there are loyalty markdowns if you own either or both of the original games. Cast your eyes on the Official “Relive the Magic” Launch Trailer for a look and read on for more:

The LEGO® Harry Potter™: Collection brings LEGO® Harry Potter™: Years 1-4 and LEGO® Harry Potter™: Years 5-7 together in one game, now remastered with enhanced graphics.

This compilation unites the creative prowess of LEGO and the expansive world of Harry Potter, with an exciting journey full of spell-casting, potion-making, puzzle-solving, lessons, dueling and much more for players of all ages to enjoy.

Continue here to read the full story.

Duck Paradox is now available on GOG.com* and Steam, offering a roguelike platforming adventure for Windows from Magic Games and Midwest Games. This involves both rescuing and murdering ducks, hence the paradox. This can be seen in the Launch Trailer, which also shows how hard this leans into weirdness. Each site has a demo to sample. Here's more:

Equipped with a reliable ray gun and an unyielding quackitude, you’ll traverse three distinct treacherous worlds teeming with dangerous Quark imposters: find Krono Shards in the fundamental Lab Dimension, collect Disco shards in the flashy Disco Dimension, and Wash shards in the reality-bending Duckwash Dimension. Navigate tricky platforms and fire bouncing bullets at waves of enemy ducks. But beware — every missed shot ricochets, creating even more problems for Dr. Paraducks. Precision and timing are key as you dodge deadly obstacles and avoid pixelated pits of doom.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item. Continue here to read the full story.

Management sim Whimel Academy is now an Early Access release on Steam, offering Windows gamers the chance to apply to another magical school (there are enough of these to fill a sorting hat thanks to the magic of imitation). This will help you quench your thirst for knowledge as well as your, well, thirst, as it includes a dating simulation component. Here's the Out Now Trailer and more:

Live the day-to-day life of a witch/wizard student! Whimel Academy is a cozy time-management dating simulation game set in a magic academia. From the 1st person perspective, you can study magic, develop hobbies and befriend (or romance) classmates in this wholesome and enchanting world!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 15% on Hidden in my Paradise on Steam (Windows, macOS, Linux). "Hide objects, decorate, and complete missions in this cozy hidden-object game where you can create little paradises and share them with the world!"

• Bloodshed on Steam (Windows). "Bloodshed is a Roguelite Survivors FPS; an exhilarating fusion of Roguelite elements merged with retro-styled visuals and first-person “Survivors-like” frenetic combat action!"

• Saber on Space Marine 2: We Could Have Made an Open World Game Where Players Can -Hide in Tall Grass- but Doubts Fans Would Like It; Wanted a Perfect Sequel for Them - MP1st.

• Thunderful Publisher Sale 2024 on Steam.
• Save 50% on Stardew Valley on Steam.
• Save 80% on Blue Fire on Steam.
• Save 50% on Forgotten Realms- The Archives - Collection One on Steam.
• IK Pro Sound Suite (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
• SNEG Video Game Classics (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• Cryptic Studios is laying off staff at the end of October - Game Developer.

• Destiny 2's Red War Campaign Accused of Lifting Plot Elements From Online Story in Louisiana Lawsuit - IGN.

• EmuDeck retro gaming mini-PC crowd funder ends in tears after ‘nobody bought it’ - Tom's Hardware.

Official patch.

• STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter - Patch 1 for Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is now available on all platforms.

• PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for October- Dead Island 2, Two Point Campus, Gris, Return to Monkey Island and more – PlayStation Blog.

• Apple’s Vision Pro leader, Dan Riccio, is retiring - The Verge.

Official trailers.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Campaign Intel Drop.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Rules are for people with less charisma.
• The making of Killing Floor 3 - PC Gaming Show documentary - PC Gamer.
• Metaphor- ReFantazio — Launch Trailer - “Burn the Witch” Radiohead Cover (Mark Evans & Mel Guerison).
• Sea of Thieves Season 14: Official Content Update Video.

• Bandai Namco: Publishers face "new risks" when planning releases - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Black Ops 6 Campaign: The Story So Far, part 2 — Call of Duty.

• US Cellular tells FCC it's doomed without the T-Mobile acquisition. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Fisker EVs can’t be ported to new server - Ars Technica.

• Gemini is taking over some more Google Assistant tasks - TechRadar.
• Instagram and Threads moderation is out of control - The Verge (may require registration or subscription).
• Tim Walz Rally Goes Live on World of Warcraft Twitch Stream - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723 (Canary Channel) - Windows Insider Blog. Thanks Console General.

• The Internet Archive is under attack, with a popup claiming a ‘catastrophic’ breach - The Verge.
• How Google's new partnership will uncover and disrupt online scams - ZDNET.

• 69,000 Bitcoins Are Headed for the US Treasury—While the Agent Who Seized Them Is in Jail - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• National Public Data files for bankruptcy after info leak • The Register.
• Marriott settles for $52M after years-long breaches • The Register.
• Lamborghini Carjackers Lured by $243M Cyberheist – Krebs on Security.

• Black and White's AI programmer just won a Nobel prize- 'an incredible honor, it's the big one really' - PC Gamer…

Last Link of the Day: Honest Trailers - Deadpool & Wolverine.

Reakktor Studios and Senatis announce G-Rebels, a cyberpunk combat flight simulator coming to PC next year. Its Steam Listing is online with details, images, and the chance to add this to your wishlist. And the Announcement Teaser is here with a look at some spiffy Unreal Engine 5 graphics and a reference to a biblical flood that may hint at a plot point. This sounds ambitious, promising a 12,000 square kilometer open world to explore with no loading screens. Here's a bit:

Upgrade and customize your ship, an ultra-modern Skyblade, by equipping new engines, weapons, shields, AI-controlled drones, multi-warhead missiles or stealth devices. Create your own approach to combat, as you can fight other gliders the old-fashioned way or hack into the enemies’ control unit to hijack use of their Skyblades.

Utilizing the power of Unreal Engine 5, G-Rebels will feature changing weather conditions with volumetric clouds, dynamic sun and moon positions with realistic day-night cycles, real-time simulation of thousands of flying objects in the world, and complete world streaming - i.e. no loading screens!

Continue here to read the full story.

Planet Humble is now available on Steam, adding new DLC to The Planet Crafter, the sci-fi terraforming adventure from Miju Games. As the title suggests, this adds a whole new planet for a "fresh start" to unlock new lore and secrets as you transform it. There's also a version 1.310 patch for the (required) base game, and this post has details on that. There's good news for those playing this co-op, as only one player is required to own the add-on to play it online with friends. Here's a trailer with a look and here are more details:

This exciting new expansion offers players a fresh start on a new planet, filled with unique biomes, exotic flora and fauna and a mysterious storyline. To celebrate the launch, The Planet Crafter is 40% off for $14.39 from Oct. 9th to Oct. 17th. “Planet Humble” DLC is available for $7.99.

Key Features:

• Explore a New World: Discover the secrets of Planet Humble, a mysterious planet with its own unique challenges and rewards.
• Multiplayer Fun: Experience the adventure with friends in co-op mode, with only one player needing to own the DLC.
• Build Your Dream Base: Establish a thriving base on Planet Humble and customize it to your liking.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Blood Bar Tycoon on Steam (Windows). "Blood Bar Tycoon is a vampire bar management game. Build bars and blood factories, lure humans to harvest their blood, process it, and serve your customers: other vampires. Research quirky machines and deal with hunters! Expand through Crimson City to become a mighty Elder!"
• Knights of the Round Peg on Steam (Windows). "Journey through Knights of the Round Peg's magical world with a brave lute-playing knight as you overcome peg obstacles!"
• Nightshade Mysteries: Eternal Moon on Steam (Windows). "In 1930s Southern Europe, dauntless archaeologist Helena Nightshade gets entangled in the mysteries surrounding an ominous eternal lunar eclipse, prophesied by estranged Moon Worshippers also known as the Anaxagori."
• Sword & Seek on Steam (Windows). "Sword and Seek is a cozy fantasy hidden object game set in a medieval world, where players embark on a journey to receive the blessing of the goddesses to become adventurers."
• Virballs on Steam (Windows). "Six outlandish planets are overrun with Virballs - viral elemental creatures that consume each other to create exotic hybrids. Clean up this ecological disaster using Virball hybrids as devastating weapons!"

Garage Flipper is now available for Windows on Steam, offering another of those Games Incubator and PlayWay renovation games. The fill-in-the-blank this time is garages, as who is going to put up with a messy garage or repair shop besides just about everybody ever? The Release Trailer shows the magic in action. Word is that if you have a passion for repair shops (and who doesn't), you're all set:

You're an ambitious contractor with a passion for repair shops. The task seems simple, but is it really? Will you handle demolishing walls without having the roof collapse on your head? Can you give them a nice, even paint job? Starting's always tricky but remember – practice makes perfect!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Roblox an "x-rated pedophile hellscape" driven by "inflated metrics" - Boing Boing.
• Bandai Namco: Publishers face "new risks" when planning releases - GamesIndustry.biz.
• Bloodlines 2 is more "spiritual successor" than sequel to "a competently good game by 2004 standards", say Paradox - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• Paradox Publisher Sale is here, with the release of The Lamplighters League! - GOG.com.*

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

• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. to Report Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Results on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - Business Wire.

• Screening of -PAC-MAN Eats TOKYO- New Artwork Begins - Business Wire.

Official patches.

• Counter-Strike 2 -- Release Notes for 10/8/2024.
• Disney Dreamlight Valley - Discover the Jungle Getaway Update.
• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Patch Notes - Update 32.1.

• PlayStation Move Controller Used to Perform Surgery on a Pig That Was 5,780 Miles Away - IGN. Thanks Max.

• Goat Simulator- Remastered - Official Gameplay Trailer.
• A Quiet Place- The Road Ahead - Live Action Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• This Was Diablo 4 - Carbot. Thanks Ant.

• No more silly workarounds - Blizzard has fixed the Diablo 4 bug that caused many on consoles to lose access to Vessel of Hatred - VG247.
• Camp Sunshine available on Consoles Worldwide today trailer.
• Nintendo News- Make Waking Up Fun with Nintendo Sound Clock- Alarmo – Available Now! - Business Wire.

• iOS 18’s new satellite messaging is already proving to be real lifesaver – here’s how to try it - TechRadar.
• T-Mobile and Starlink enable their satellite texting service in Florida - Engadget.
• You can now book parking spaces in Google Maps, just like in Apple Maps - TechRadar.
• Tesla Is Ready to Roll Out the Cybercab, Its Answer to Robotaxis - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

Thanks Frans.

• MrBeast’s many controversies are rattling YouTube fans - Polygon. A lot of them must be close to aged-out tweens anyway.
• Microsoft confirms New Outlook for Windows will soon launch without internet - Neowin.
• 87% of eBay's trading card experts 'earn less than a living wage,' so the only thing left to do is go on strike - PC Gamer.
• Mozilla Firefox 131.0.2, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 128.3.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 115.16.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.

• Foxconn building Nvidia superchip facility in Mexico, executives say - Reuters. Thanks Max.
• Nvidia’s RTX 5070 reportedly set to launch alongside the RTX 5090 at CES 2025 - The Verge.
• Unmasking Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto—Again - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Evernote version 10.110.3. Thanks Console General.
• Jeff Geerling finally unlocks Raspberry Pi external GPU support, and yes it runs Doom... 3 at 4K! - Tom's Hardware.
• Unmasking Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto—Again - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• Two never-before-seen tools, from same group, infect air-gapped devices - Ars Technica.
• Smoke 'em if you got 'em- Hacker gains root access using cigarette lighter - Tom's Hardware. Like how Jason Bourne can kill you with a magazine.
• How foreign influence campaigns manipulate your social media feeds - Ars Technica.

• Google threatened with break-up by US - BBC.

• Case: SilverStone FARA 514X Review - TechPowerUp.
• Laptop: Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 Gaming Laptop Review - TweakTown.
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero Motherboard Review - TweakTown.
• PSU: NZXT C1500 ATX 3.1 Power Supply - OCInside.

So it was 28 years ago today that Blue's News officially launched on this domain following a run as blue's Quake Rag on my home ISP! A lot has changed over the years, and a lot has stayed the same, which is the good news, at least for some. This run would not have been possible without the help of so many of you, and I want to mark the occasion by offering thanks. This includes thanks to those who've helped on the backend, including Mike and Brian at Fluxx Designs, furn, Bagpuss, Kxmode, Walter "2" Costinak, loonyboi, and of course Frans. And thank you to those who, despite my aversion to self promotion, helped spread the word, including Joost Schuur, Redwood, Mike Wilson, and John Romero. In the past I've endeavored to list all those who send in all those marvelous links, but I'll just give a group thanks to avoid forgetting anyone else (I'm sure I've left people out already). And last but not least, thanks very much to all of you who visit this little corner of the gaming world, with an extra dose of gratitude for our supporters. Words do not suffice to express my appreciation. To celebrate the occasion, we've rolled out Walter's special anniversary logo.

Obituary: Dragon Ball Z Narrator, Voice Actor Doc Harris Dies - News - Anime News Network.

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

Breakfast Link

• Fat Bear Week 2024 in Katmai has a winner - CNN. Still number one on the Colbert Threat Down.

Stories

• Hurricane Milton: Thousands evacuate as monstrous Category 5 storm closes in on Florida - AP News.
• Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded for work on proteins to David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper - CNN.
• 10 least valuable college degrees—only 1 helps grads earn over $50K - CNBC.

Science

• Why NASA is sending the Europa Clipper to search for aliens near Jupiter - Live Science.
• World First- Stem Cells Reverse Type 1 Diabetes in Clinical Trial - ScienceAlert.
• Scientists decode black widow spider venom - Phys.org.
• Scientists Uncover Hidden “Sixth Sense” in Geckos - SciTechDaily. Can see dead people who want to save 15% on their auto insurance.

Follow-up

• Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with union end without a deal - CNBC.

The Funnies

• Savage Chickens.