Konami announces Metal Gear Survive, a new installment in the stealth series coming to Windows and consoles next year. IGN has the details along with a trailer and their own video deconstruction what the trailer shows. Survive will be the first full Metal Gear game made after the departure of series creator Hideo Kojima, and Konami has been unclear as to how much, if any, of the original Kojima Productions team will be working on the game. Series creator Hideo Kojima quite famously left Konami after the last game, and they say it's not clear if any of the Kojima Productions team are participating in development. Here's word:

Set directly after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Survive sees the members of Militaires Sans Frontières not killed in that game’s finale transported through wormholes into an alternate universe, where they’re forced to battle a force of crystalline zombies and, it seems, at least one Metal Gear itself.

“Metal Gear Survive will offer a fresh take on the series’ famed stealth elements,” said Konami European president, Tomotada Tashiro in a press release, “but within a unique co-op setting that is designed for a truly engrossing multiplayer experience.”

Ubisoft announces The Crew: Calling All Units, a new expansion coming to the driving game on November 29th. This adds a dozen new missions featuring a cops versus street racers campaign. This will be released alongside a new Ultimate Crew Edition of the racing game that includes the new add-on and the previous Wild Run expansion. UbiBlog has all the details and a Gamescom trailer. Here's the roadmap:

Today at Gamescom, Ubisoft announced Calling All Units, the second major expansion for The Crew. As the name implies, Calling All Units puts players in the role of police officers tasked with running down street racers and bringing them to justice. Over the course of a 12-mission story, players will develop their tactics and collect new vehicles, as well as earn new parts and XP. Supercars, motorbikes, and SUVs decked out with police livery will prowl the roads, engage racers in high-speed pursuits, and use special abilities to take down their quarry.

Of course, the street racers aren’t just going to pull over and start rummaging in their glove compartments for their registrations. With blinding flashbangs, unlimited nitro, and other abilities, they’ll make it tough for the police to catch them. And there are going to be a lot of them, as anyone who plays The Crew will have total access to the street racer side of Calling All Units. Chases will happen all over the open world of The Crew, and can be triggered anywhere, anytime.

The Crew Calling All Units is set for release on November 29 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Folks looking to dive into the full experience can pick up The Crew Ultimate Edition on the same day and get the main game, The Crew Wild Run expansion, the Calling All Units expansion, and the Season Pass vehicles with their customization options.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Team Fortress 2 blog outlines plans to improve the new competitive mode that recently came to Team Fortress 2. Here's word on matchmaking improvements they've already added, and more they have planned:

We're currently working on a more comprehensive Elo rating system to improve how Competitive Mode ranks are determined that we'll be shipping in the near future. This update will make the rank system more self-correcting and better distribute players based on performance.

In the meantime, though, we've shipped some rank balancing improvements in today's update that will help distribute ranks more evenly in the short-term. Players with high win-loss ratios will now be "fast-tracked" to higher ranks that better reflect performance (without having to grind through unchallenging matches). Additionally, players in the first tier of ranks (1-6) will now be penalized less for match losses, making it easier to gain low ranks at the outset without getting stuck.

Additionally, with today's update, we are rolling out our first matchmaking bans on problem players you've reported. Problem players will receive a six-month ban from Casual and Competitive matchmaking. We've also made it easier for you to report problem players by adding a new feature that lets you report directly from the scoreboard. (See today's update notes for more information.)

Ubisoft announces details about multiplayer support in Watch Dogs 2, showing off a PvP Bounty Hunters mode. They also delight our chaotic side by continuing to mess how to write the title, referring to it as WATCH_DOGS 2 and Watch_Dogs 2 in one press release, and Watch Dogs 2 on UbiBlog. That blog post has extensive details, and you can get a look in this trailer. Here's word:

Today at Gamescom, Ubisoft® unveiled the new Bounty Hunter mode for WATCH_DOGS® 2, the upcoming installment in the blockbuster WATCH_DOGS franchise. Bounty Hunter enriches the online component of WATCH_DOGS 2 which is seamlessly integrated with the single player experience.

A new approach to online play in WATCH_DOGS 2, the Bounty Hunter mode is tied to the police heat system and playable by two to four players. When a player creates too much chaos in the single player open world experience and is pursued by the police, the conflict may trigger a Bounty Hunter PVP event pitting the target against up to three rival hunter players who seamlessly join the pursuit and try to neutralize the target. Additionally, players can manually trigger a bounty on themselves using the Contacts app on Marcus’ in-game phone.

Another online mode players can experience is Hacking Invasion, a fan-favorite from the original WATCH_DOGS, the objective of this PVP mode is to download data from a target player while remaining undetected. Finally, Online Co-op allows two players to team up seamlessly and lets them explore the San Francisco Bay Area or participate in cooperative missions. Also in co-op, players can also participate in Hacking Invasion and Bounty Hunter activities, adding even more depth and excitement to their seamless online experience.

In WATCH_DOGS 2, hacking is the ultimate weapon, and players can not only hack into the city’s infrastructure, but also every person and any connected device they possess, to trigger unpredictable chains of events. With the ability to take control of drones, cars, cranes, security robots and much more at their disposal, players can choose whether to use stealth hacking to complete missions without killing a single enemy or go guns blazing for a more ferocious approach.

WATCH_DOGS 2 will release on November 15, 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. All PlayStation®4 players will be granted a 30-day exclusive access to all the post launch downloadable content.

For more information on WATCH_DOGS 2, please visit watchdogs.com.

Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft sends an announcement of a December 2 release date for Steep. At the same time a new post on UbiBlog says December 9th is when to expect the wintersports game. They may be fuzzy on the date, but seem clear on preorder bonus plans. These include a Moonlight pack for all who commit in advance to the Standard or Gold edition, the latter of which includes a season pass. Preorders are now offered on Ubishop. The news is accompanied by the Steep Gamescom 2016 trailer. They also quietly reveal part of the game is delayed. Steep will ship with the Alps environment, but the promised Alaskan setting will come after release as a free update. Here's word:

Steep’s Standard and Gold Editions are now available for preorder. The Gold Edition includes both the game and the season pass. The season pass gives players access to all major expansions as well as additional digital content, outfits, and equipment, including an exclusive costume.

Players who preorder the Standard or Gold Editions will be able to extend their night-riding experiences through The Moonlight pack. This pack contains new challenges and equipment, including:

• Three extra night challenges
• Three new night outfits
• Glowing equipment for each activity (ski, snowboard, wingsuit and paraglide)
• Wingsuit Rocket Flare

With development led by Ubisoft Annecy,* Steep takes players onto the peaks of mountains of the Alps with exhilarating action sports that include skiing, wingsuiting, snowboarding and paragliding. These sports establish a never seen before freedom to explore the game’s open world, allowing players to choose the way they ride and play. Riders can travel the Alps solo or drop in side-by-side with friends and other riders to discover a wide range of activities for them to put their skills to the test, compete and share the most insane tricks and trails ever captured on the slopes. Designed for a generation that’s all about sharing their experiences with the world, Steep encourages players to challenge their friends to see who truly comes out on top of the world.

In addition to exploring the Alps, Steep riders will be able to traverse the majestic slopes of Alaska, available as a free update after launch.

Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft offers a new Gamescom trailer from South Park: The Fractured But Whole. The clip includes gameplay from the upcoming RPG sequel. They also further tout the NOSULUS RIFT idea that doesn't seem to have gotten anybody fired yet. Those hoping for a nauseous gameplay experience are being satisfied at Gamescom, and they promise attendees of future events to rub the noses in this as well. Here's word:

Today, Ubisoft announced the Nosulus Rift, a unique experience exclusively compatible with the South Park: The Fractured But Whole video game. This device, only available during conventions and not for sale, takes virtual reality to a whole new level by allowing players to enjoy South Park: The Fractured But Whole in the most immersive way possible. A new perception through a sense that has never been tickled in gaming before, the sense of smell. To smell what exactly? Farts, obviously.

As in South Park™: The Stick Of Truth™, farts will be again the most powerful weapon players will be able to handle in its direct sequel, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Through uniquely-produced technology, the Nosulus Rift odor virtual reality mask will deliver the right smell each time the player makes use of his nefarious powers.

The Nosulus Rift is developed by Productman, the Buzzman entity dedicated to the creation of products or services, with the assistance of various experts, including the famous French perfume specialist Isabelle Ferrand. The fully functional mask makes use of sensors activated through inaudible soundwaves from the in-game fart sound to trigger the odor’s puff. Each time the sensors are activated, a smell will be released meticulously and without mercy.

“We are very happy that the first Productman realization has been done along with Ubisoft by creating a product that opens new possibilities for virtual reality” said Georges Mohammed-Chérif, Buzzman and Productman CEO.

Continue here to read the full story.

Here's a new trailer from AGONY, MadMind Studio's upcoming hellish survival/horror game. Another recent look at the game is in the Gamescom teaser trailer. The description provides some details:

Agony is a first-person survival horror game currently in development. Players will begin their journey as tormented soul within the depths of hell without any memories about his past.

The special ability to control people on their path, and even possess simple minded demons, gives the player the necessary measures to survive in the extreme conditions they are in.

By exploring hostile environment and interacting with the other weary souls of the hellscape, the hero will soon understand that there is only one way to escape from Hell, and it will require a meeting of the mystical Red Goddess.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new Gamescom trailer shows off Space Hulk: Deathwing, the upcoming first-person shooter. The clip has cinematics from the Warhammer 40K-inspired game, though no real gameplay. Here's the description detailing the contributions of both "renowned" and "acclaimed" writers:

Powered by Unreal 4, Space Hulk: Deathwing is a first person shooter with tactical elements set in Games Workshop's gritty Warhammer 40k Universe. In today's Gamescom trailer, witness the Deathwing squad inspired by the Battle Hymn of Vengeance (written by renowned 40k author Gav Thorpe), hold a last stand against a swarm of insurmountable Genestealers.

Play in coop with friends in a Dark Angels Terminator squad of the elite Deathwing, dispatched to eradicate the Genestealer threat on Space Hulk Olethros, a cluster of derelict ships and debris collected over years of war. Playable in single or multiplayer, lead your squad through xeno-infested ships and debris as you search for the source of ominous psychic disturbances.

Your Terminator and your squad can be customized - skills can be learned and levelled up, and you can choose a wide variety of ranged and melee weapons to bring in to the Space Hulk. During battle, command your team to hold choke points, hack into doors, and cover your advance. Nothing is as it seems in Space Hulk Olethros, and with a story co-written by acclaimed Dark Angels writer Gavin Thorpe, you can be sure that easter eggs are hidden around every corner.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Reptilians World War -- Steam Greenlight. "After World War 2 and in our weakest hour, they invaded us, Reptilians! They came from the underground and they caught us off guard. Now a group of the best pilots in the world face them day by day fighting their ships and liberating the world from this reptilian menace." Tremors meets Independence Day? There's a playable demo on itch.io.

• No Man's Sky Experimental Branch update.
• Team Fortress 2 update.

• Just Dance World Cup Returns for a Third Year.

• BioShock Remasters on GameSpot.

• Expanding The Xbox Wireless Ecosystem With New PCs And Accessories.
• Binaries Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• You can now buy Xbox Live credit via text message.

• New Pokémon Go maps show you where to catch 'em all. Thanks Ant.

• CenturyLink to Add VoIP to Broadband Bundles.
• Gawker- Will Nick Denton have the last laugh?

Thanks Ant.

• Nvidia calls out Intel for cheating in Xeon Phi vs. GPU benchmarks.
• Oracle VM VirtualBox version 5.1.4.
• CCleaner vv5.21.5700 Released.

• Hackers Use Google's Ad Network To Spread "Fake Login" Malware. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.

• Privacy lawsuit over Gmail will move forward.
• Stealing bitcoins with badges: How Silk Road’s dirty cops got caught.

• Batman: The Telltale Series, Episode 1- Realm of Shadows on Game Over Online.
• Blade Ballet on GameWatcher.
• Muv-Luv on Chalgyr's Game Room.
• No Man's Sky on Just Adventure.

• Gainward GTX 1070 Phoenix GS on Vortez.
• Gigabyte Z170X-Ultra Gaming Motherboard on Modders-Inc.
• HTC Vive Virtual Reality Headset on Hardware Slave.
• WD My Passport Wireless Pro 3TB Portable HDD on TweakTown.

• No Man's Sky Expectations Vs. Reality. Thanks Ant…

I had another fight with my Aeron chair yesterday. The chair remains undefeated. I followed some different instructions from the Herman Miller website, but the pneumatic tube remains fused in place. I tried again following a cool upgrade, a set of replacement casters that use inline skate wheels. Installing these was easy enough at least, and they are fantastic. I used to have a plastic cover to guard the wood floor, but gave up on it years ago. Now the floor is more protected and the chair is all suped up. Rolling around is so much fun I regret not having enough room in my office to open this baby up and see how fast she can go.

Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Taxi Drift.
Story:	State of Emergency Declared, 82,000 Evacuated After Southern California's Blue Cut Fire Explodes to 18,000 Acres.
Science:	UCI physicists confirm possible discovery of fifth force of nature. New Startup Aims to Commercialize a Brain Prosthetic to Improve Memory. Thanks Slashdot.
Media:	The Animated Adventures of Firefly Teaser. Shiny. Woman and dog pulled from sinking car in Louisiana flooding. Talk about suspense! Thanks nin. Baby Elephants First Attack.

Blizzard offers this trailer for Overwatch, their multiplayer shooter. The video shows off Eichenwalde, a new map that seems to be Reinhardt's home. The description offers a bit more: "Revealed at gamescom 2016, Eichenwalde is an Assault/Escort hybrid map set in an abandoned village on the outskirts of Stuttgart, Germany." They do not indicate when this will go into the game's map rotation. Continue here to read the full story.

Blizzard announces a new Machines of War update coming to Heroes of the Storm. This will add new content to the MOBA including new StarCraft-themed maps. This trailer shows off Braxis Holdout and Warhead Junction, the two new maps. This one shows off new skins and two new heroes. One is StarCraft's Alarak in an attempt to relieve the game's assassin shortage. The other is from Overwatch, rather than StarCraft, as they reveal Russian warrior Zarya is coming to the Nexus. This video highlights the whole update, and says it is nearly upon us. This post has more details. Here's an overview:

Worlds collide as the Koprulu sector enters the Nexus, setting the stage for battles that will shake both realms to their core. Two new battlegrounds filled with signature StarCraft carnage await: time to let the nukes fly and unleash the fury of the Swarm on your enemies. Dominate the battlefield as Alarak, the Tal'darim Highlord, a brand-new arrival to the Nexus hailing from the sci-fi epic Legacy of the Void. Don new, themed Hero skins and fight side by side with familiar characters seen through the lens of StarCraft. The terrans, protoss, and zerg are no strangers to conflict, but the coming war across the Nexus will prove to be more intense than anything they have ever known.

Continue here to read the full story.

After speaking with EA's Patrick Soderlund at Gamescom, GameInformer says EA seems to be leaning towards remastering the Mass Effect series. This is something they've resisted in the past, but now they seem convinced there is an audience for modernizing their space opera. Nothing is set in carbonite yet, but Patrick gives strong indications. Here is the relevant exchange:

Game Informer: One of the things I asked you last year when we sat down at E3 was about Mass Effect. At the time, there were two publishers that hadn't really dipped into the remaster world: you and Activision. Activision has since released a number of remasters or ports, and now they are working on a full-on remaster for MW. Revisiting this as the last man standing on remasters, has anything changed? Like a Mass Effect trilogy remaster?

Soderlund: What's changed is that there is proof in the market that people want it, maybe more than there was when we spoke. There were some that did it before, but I think there is even more clear evidence that this is something that people really want. The honest answer is that we are absolutely actively looking at it. I can't announce anything today, but you can expect us most likely to follow our fellow partners in Activision and other companies that have done this successfully.

Activision reveals Zombies in Spaceland for Call of Duty Infinite Warfare. This is a co-op survival mode set in a theme park during the 1980s, when such zombie incursions were commonplace. If all that is not enough to inspire intrigue, this will feature the voices and likeness of Pee-wee Herman and David Hasselhoff. This trailer offers a look and they promise a livestream on Twitch tomorrow at noon eastern time. Here are further details:

Zombies in Spaceland tells the story of four aspiring actors who come upon a mysterious movie theater for an audition. They’ve been invited by director Willard Wyler, portrayed with voice and likeness by Paul Reubens (Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, Gotham), who was once the shining star of the horror genre. Unbeknownst to the actors, they will be transformed into characters and transported straight into Wyler’s film to fight against waves of zombies in a space-themed amusement park set in the ‘80s.

Fans play as one of four ‘80s archetypes: the jock, the nerd, the valley girl and the rapper. The characters are voiced by a seasoned cast of comedic actors, including Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Austin Powers), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live, Ride Along) and Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live, Inside Amy Schumer). Additionally, players will encounter an enigmatic DJ in the theme park, portrayed with voice and likeness by David Hasselhoff (Knight Rider, Baywatch), who will be an invaluable resource as they try to get out of this horror movie alive.

Continue here to read the full story.

Battle.net announces major changes coming to StarCraft II multiplayer. To help manage the process, a test map is now online to test these in multiplayer games. There are instructions on how to join and an outline of the changes. For even more details, look to this lengthy blog post on the topic. Here's the overview:

Nevertheless, we believe we can make StarCraft II an even more enjoyable and competitive game experience and would like to explore a series of major changes to bring about these improvements. We intend for these changes to receive significantly more testing than the ‘Test Maps’ which we’ve done in the past, both because of the significance of the changes themselves, and also due to improvements we are making which we will discuss in greater detail below.

Xbox Wire has a post about the Windows 10 edition of Gears of War 4. They offer this trailer showing off the upcoming shooter sequel in 4K. They also offer this image with system specifications. Their ideal specs call for a pretty stout machine, with an R9 Fury X or GeForce 980it/1080. Here's word:

Starting today on the gamescom show floor, we’re excited to give fans their first opportunity to play Gears of War 4 on Windows 10 PC. Gears of War 4 is powered by a completely new rendering engine, with the Windows 10 version supporting comprehensive video settings, increased texture resolutions, dynamic resolution support up to 4K and more.

In this short gameplay demo through the “Rescue” chapter of Gears of War 4, our heroes JD, Kait and Del are chasing a large unknown enemy through an old COG fort. Along the way, they encounter two fierce Swarm enemies – Drones and Pouncers – for the first time, and have to battle their way through them before it’s too late. You can watch the video above or view it on YouTube.

Continue here to read the full story.

A playable demo for Space Rift - Episode 1 is now available. This sample of the virtual reality space game is available on its Steam page. They say, "Last week, the first episode of the VR game Space Rift - Episode 1 was released for all established VR headsets for PC via Steam and the Humble Store. Now, the playable demo for Space Rift - Episode 1 is also available via Steam for free. This demo offers players the opportunity to get a straightforward first impression of the action-packed and story-driven cockpit experience."

Wargaming's WG Labs announces Hybrid Wars. This is a top-down shooter from Russian studio Extreme Developers. This is expected later this year for Windows, OS X, and Linux. This short video is an announcement teaser setting the scene with a dystopian double-cross. The Hybrid Wars website is home to the project. Here's word:

WG Labs is excited to announce the next game in their growing portfolio: Hybrid Wars. Created by Extreme Developers, from Miass, Russia, Hybrid Wars brings the nostalgia of classic, top-down shooters of the ‘90s hurtling into the future.

In 2060, humanity is on the cusp of the second technological revolution. Earth has become a tangled web of information, energy and transportation networks watched from orbit by thousands of electric eyes. Sprawling cities, vast spaceports and immense military complexes are dominated by AI-controlled mechs, tanks, choppers and submarines that rule the land, sea and sky. While corporations still pull the strings that control the world, their grip is starting to weaken.

Fight as one of three distinct mercenaries, travelling the world, under the employ of megacorporations, who have their own way of profiting from war, while revolutionizing the history of combat to take back the world. Each mercenary offers countless ways to conquer eight open-world warzones and wreak havoc on robot-kind with dozens of diverse battle mechanics and eclectic equipment. Control power bombers, assault mechs, tanks, boats, and attack helicopters to fully dominate the battlefield. Switch mechs and weapons on the fly to change up your style to face each challenge, and even bring along a cute mech pet to watch your back. Hybrid Wars’ different modes, from story to survival, give you new ways to take on the world.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Absolute Drift on Steam. Save 60%.
• GamesCom 2016 Sale on Green Man Gaming. Save up to 99%.
• Heroes of the Storm Weekly Sale: August 16 - 23, 2016.
• Just Cause 3 on Steam. Save 50%.
• tinyBuild Games on Steam. Save up to 75%.

• Infinite Space Battle Poker is not dead (it only smells funny). Game will get made in spite of Kickstarter shortfall.

• XPO Tulsa Game Festival. September 23-25.

• New No Man's Sky update will make PS4 owners 'very happy.'
• Destiny Nightfall reset for August 16, 2016.
• Titanfall 2 Open Multiplayer Technical Test Dates Announced.
• The Elder Scrolls Online Update 11 Featuring Shadows of the Hist is Now Available for Xbox One & PS4.
• The Tomorrow Children Arrives September 6 on PS4.
• PlayStation Store Update.
• Uno Out Now On Xbox One, PS4.

• XOTIC PC Launches New NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series Powered Gaming Notebooks With Desktop-Level GPU Performance.

• Twitch to Acquire Curse.
• Reports Of Google Fiber Hitting a 'Snag' Are Exaggerated.
• Univision is buying Gawker Media for $135 million. Thanks nin.

• Intel is building its own standalone VR headset: Project Alloy.
• WinRAR version 5.40. Thanks Ant.

Thanks j.c.f.

• PoS Malware Found at 20 HEI Hotels Properties.
• ARMageddon Cache Attack on Android Devices Can Monitor Keystrokes, ARM TrustZone.
• New Windows Trojan Steals Enterprise Data and Microsoft Office Files.
• New FFS Rowhammer Attack Hijacks Linux VMs.
• Sharp Increase in Malware Utilizing SSL.

• Pokemon Go Facing Class-Action Lawsuit.

• NVIDIA Ansel Available Now In The Witcher 3. Pretty screenshots inbound…

Link of the Day: Penis crushes pole vaulter’s Olympic dream.

The promised open beta test for Paragon is now underway for Windows and PlayStation 4. Paragon is a third-person MOBA from Epic Games powered by the Unreal Engine 4. The open beta launch trailer offers a look. Epic is also now holding a livestream on Twitch, saying it is also on YouTube, though we can't find it there. You can download the client through the Epic Launcher on this page. Here are more details:

In Paragon, every match is an epic clash of Heroes, each with their own unique design and play style that can turn the tide of battle. With a new Hero every three weeks, Paragon offers endless opportunity for new players and MOBA veterans alike.

Paragon is designed so that every player can compete and win without ever spending money. All Heroes are always free-to-play. Cards can only be earned by playing the game. Those who would dare reach the highest levels of skill can tackle Master Challenges. As you increase your Hero level, you’ll unlock new card packs, unique taunts, and valuable rewards.

Continue here to read the full story.

The GeForce website now offers new GeForce Game Ready 372.54 WHQL drivers. These support NVIDIA's newly announced GeForce GTX 10-series GPUs for laptops. They are also game-ready for NVIDIA Ansel In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, No Man's Sky, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, F1 2016, Obduction, and the Paragon open beta. Here's word on the new mobile GPUs:

The GeForce GTX 1080, 1070 and 1060 have won countless awards, broken every performance and efficiency record, and powered faster, better experiences in the latest PC and Virtual Reality games. Now, these award-winning Pascal-architecture GPUs are available in laptops of all shapes and sizes, delivering unprecedented performance in form factors you can carry anywhere in the world.

Pascal GeForce GTX 10-Series laptops are up to 75% faster than Maxwell-architecture 800M and 900M laptops, can be equipped with 120Hz 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 G-SYNC displays, can be overclocked, last up to 30% longer on battery power, are VR Ready, and support all of the Pascal-architecture technologies announced alongside the GeForce GTX 1080.

Learn more in our GeForce GTX 10-Series laptop announcement article.

Headup Games announces The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk, saying they are showing this off at Gamescom. This adventure game is a sequel to 1014's The Inner World coming to Windows and OS X as well as consoles and mobile. This teaser trailer offers a look. Here's word:

Headup Games and Studio Fizbin today are announcing the development of The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk, the sequel to the critically acclaimed adventure game The Inner World.

The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk takes you back to Asposia on a quest to find the last legendary wind monk. Accompany Robert, Laura and Peck on their journey, encountering many strange characters and saving the family of the flute noses!

For the very first time you can switch between all three main protagonists - including daredevil flight maneuvers with Peck the maniac Pigeon!


The adventure will be released mid 2017 on every major platform and is being shown for the very first time at gamescom in Cologne, where visitors might even bump into Peck in the hallways of the event or at the Indie Arena booth.

Continue here to read the full story.

Daedalic Entertainment announced The Whispered World 2 in 2013 as the title of their upcoming adventure sequel. Now they've broken their silence on the game, revealing it will also carry Silence as a title, based on the game's setting. They are showing off the game this week for the first time at Gamescom. They offer a new trailer showing things off. They say the game is coming to Windows, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Here's word:

War rages on. During an air raid, 16 year old Noah and his little sister Renie seek shelter in a bunker. There, not only are they protected from the deadly bombardment, but are also at the crossroads of a world between life and death: Silence. When Noah’s sister gets lost in Silence, he is forced to venture into this idyllic yet threatening world to find her.

Silence, however, bears its own scars of war and suffering. Dark creatures haunt towns and cities and ravage this once serene place between worlds. Only a small band of rebels stands against the looming menace. Now it is up to the siblings to save Silence and its fantastic inhabitants from impending doom and thus also save their own lives.

Join Noah and Renie on their exciting journey through Silence where an emotionally gripping story of contrasts between serenity and danger unfolds. Meet fascinating and likeable characters like Spot, the magical caterpillar who helps Noah and Renie on their way through Silence. And witness when the siblings discover that the only thing that can save them is their love for each other.

Continue here to read the full story.

Here's a Gamescom trailer from Seasons After the Fall, a puzzle/platformer coming to PCs next month. Word is: "Enter a world ruled by nature and magic as a wild fox with a fantastic ability: a supernatural control over the seasons to shape the environment and progress in this mystical adventure." Here's more on the clip:

The Gamescom Trailer tells you more about the story and the enigmatic spirit that will guide your way along your adventure. This spirit is in search of the fragments of the Seasons and needs an envoy to meet the Guardians of the Seasons, large ancestral creatures who embody the essence of the Season they are protecting. You need to gather these fragments to complete the Ritual of the Seasons, allowing this mysterious spirit to realize her dreams... and yours as well.

Continue here to read the full story.

• New Homeland by Hot Fudge Games — Kickstarter. "As its core, New Homeland stays true to the gameplay, the look and the feel of
  classics from the 8 & 16 bits era. It blends the fun and precise controls of a platform game, the epic journey in a huge world to explore of an action adventure game, the raw action and challenges of metroidvania's dungeons." Also on Steam Greenlight.

• The International Grand Champions - Dota 2.

• Mushroom Wars 2 on Gaming Nexus.
• We Happy Few on GameWatcher.

• Sony’s latest beta update makes PS4 software feel more like a real operating system. Thanks OS news via Ant.
• 500GB and 1TB Xbox One S bundles announced.
• BioShock: The Collection Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Dragon Ball XENOVERSE 2 Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• UNO Is Now Available For Xbox One.

• Record Breaking GeForce GTX 10-Series GPUs Available Now In Laptops.
• Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can't pump up the dull Mobile Strike. Wonder if he's ever actually played it. Thanks Ant.
• Lenovo Gives Virtual Reality Wings to its Newest Gaming Desktop Designs.

• Windows 10 auto-enabled GameDVR last week - here’s how to turn it off and save your frames.
• Windows 7, 8.1 moving to Windows 10’s cumulative update model.
• Rift gets UK price hike as headset heads to retail in Canada and Europe.
• Logitech G Introduces New Gaming Mouse Designed With And For Professional eSports Players.

• Group claims to hack NSA-tied hackers, posts exploits as proof.
• New Banking Malware Touts Zeus-Like Capabilities. Thanks Linux Security.

• Alain Philippon pleads guilty over smartphone password border dispute. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.

• The Girl and the Robot PC on GameWatcher.
• No Man’s Sky on Ars Technica.
• Resette's Prescription:-Book of memory, Swaying scale on Christ Centered Gamer.
• Stellaris on SpaceSector.com.

• AMD Radeon RX 480 Graphics Card on pcGameware.
• Anidees AI Crystal Chassis on Dragon Blogger Technology.
• ASUS Maximus VIII Extreme-Assembly Motherboard on Play3r.net.
• be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 BGW12 Mid-Tower ATX Case on Benchmark Reviews.
• Cooler Master Hyper TX3i CPU Cooler on Play3r.net.
• Cooler Master Masterpulse Gaming Headset on Play3r.net.
• Corsair Dominator Platinum 3200MHz DDR4 64GB RAM on Overclockers Club.
• Corsair Vengeance LED DDR4-3200 32GB RAM Kit on TweakTown.
• Corsair ML120 PRO LED Fans on ThinkComputers.org.
• Deepcool Genome on techPowerUp.
• Motorola Moto G4 Plus Cellphone on TechSpot.
• NVIDIA GTX 1070 Notebook on Hardware Canucks, PC Perspective, and TechSpot.
• Riotoro CR1080 Tiny ATX Case on Legit Reviews.
• Thermaltake Toughpower SFX 450W on PSU LAN OC.
• ZOTAC GTX 1060 AMP! Graphics Card on Play3r.net.

• Good Game Series 12 Episode 27. Thanks Ant…

The box store had a sale on LED bulbs that made them $19.99 for 10. This seemed like as good a time as any to take the plunge, so I bought a pack. The BlueTower switched over to CFL bulbs along with the rest of the world a few years ago. Since then I've only had to replace a couple of bulbs, but all of them were starting to get duller over time. The other thing is that I'm a little sensitive to how CFL bulbs flicker, so switching had additional appeal. The new lights don't disappoint on any level. They are brighter than the old bulbs were when new, far closer to the 60W incandescent bulbs they claim to replace. They are also a more pleasant color that seems more natural than CFL. Finally, though LEDs are also said to flicker under some circumstances, I have noticed nothing of the sort, so the end effect is far more comfortable than before.

R.I.P.: Louis Herman, Who Talked With Dolphins, Dies at 86. Thanks Devicer.

Lit Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Tower Loot.
Stories:	Search Resumes for Nazi Gold Train That Might Not Even Exist. Thanks Neutronbeam. ‘Googly-Eyed’ Squid Found Off California Coast.
Science:	We've been wrong about the origins of life for 90 years.
Images:	There's a sneaky Half-Life 3 poster at Gamescom.
Media:	The Tech That Could Fix One of Wind Power's Biggest Problems. Hella Pursuit, Ditches Coat, Gets Away from Cops. High-speed chase for reckless driving. Kitty says "You Shall Not PASS!"