Steve Thomas - IT Consultant

Voting for the 42nd Golden Joystick Awards is now open.

The longest-running annual award show will return on November 21, 2024, and can be watched live here, but ahead of the event fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite games of 2024 in a total of 19 categories.

Included in those categories are Console Game of the Year, PC Game of the Year, and Best Storytelling, but it's worth noting that the nominees for the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist will not be announced until November 4, with voting in that category opening the same day.

Among the games nominated in the Console Game of the Year are the critically acclaimed Astro Bot for PS5 which was released last month, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Dragon's Dogma 2, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and the latest game in The Legend of Zelda franchise, Echoes of Wisdom.

This year's event will also introduce a few brand-new categories, including Best Soundtrack and Best Audio Design, which will replace the Best Audio award, and the Still Playing Award has also been split into two, with separate ‘Mobile’ and ‘Console & PC’ categories.

A new Best Indie Game - Self Published award has also been created to sit alongside the long-standing Best Indie Game category.

You can vote in the currently available categories here. Voting closes on November 1 at 4pm PDT / 7pm EDT / 11pm BST.

"2023 was one of video gaming’s best years ever, with Baldur’s Gate 3 and Larian Studios claiming a record seven trophies at last year’s Golden Joystick Awards," said Daniel Dawkins, content director for games, video, and digital events.

"2024 has been a challenging year for the games industry in so many ways, but the variety and diversity of releases over the last 12 months has made this one of the most difficult - and exciting - Golden Joystick Awards nominees list we’ve ever compiled."

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Ahead of the release of Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, GSC Game World has released a documentary recording the lives of its developers amid an ongoing war.

The 'War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Documentary' can now be watched on YouTube, featuring first-hand accounts of members of the development team and what it's been like to make a game since Russia's invasion of their home country Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The 90-minute documentary touches on the history of the Ukrainian studio and details the personal lives of employees following the invasion, while also depicting the harrowing images that have been documented of the war for the last two years.

Since the war began, the GSC Game World has had to work under challenging conditions to complete Stalker 2, which creative director Mariia Grygorovych calls "the biggest game in the history of the company".

The documentary highlights Ukraine's history and how the Chornobyl nuclear disaster influenced the studio, along with recollections of the months leading up to Russia's invasion.

According to Grygorovych, when rumors began circulating about the invasion in 2021, GSC already had transport booked for its developers to escort them to safety in Uzhhorod, from Kyiv.

As the conflict escalated, the team was ultimately forced to evacuate, with many employees being moved from Ukraine to Budapest, a decision that came with a lot of issues, like roadblocks and crossing borders on foot (via Xbox Wire).

One developer, named Anton, discussed his experience during the invasion, recalling how he had to take shelter in a cellar with his family, saying "Like a Stalker, you have to learn how to live in such situations".

There was no internet for weeks and Anton switched to drawing on paper, "so I didn't stop developing", saying that Stalker 2 was "my goal in life to do this project".

GSC eventually moved the studio to Prague in 2022 where they were able to continue working safely, however, the team had to work from scratch in some aspects.

Some actors who had roles in the game had to be replaced as they had joined up to fight in the war, while others had moved elsewhere or lost contact.

Due to the ongoing war, the game has seen many delays.

The game was set to launch on September 5, but in July, GSC announced a two-month delay for emergency bug fixing.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is now expected to launch on November 20, 2024, for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC and day one on Xbox Game Pass.

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J Allard, the co-founder of Xbox, has officially joined Amazon as vice president of devices and services.

As reported by GeekWire, the first sign of Allard's career change came from his LinkedIn profile where his latest role was updated to read "vp, product - amazon".

Amazon has since confirmed the news to the publication, stating that Allard has joined the company’s Devices and Services team, the division responsible for Alexa and Echo devices, among other products.

Speaking to The Verge, Allard confirmed his new role but was unable to discuss the projects he'll be working on, saying it's "too early to have anything to say" beyond Amazon's "new ideas".

Allard worked at Microsoft from 1991 to 2010. As chief experience officer and chief technology officer of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, he co-founded Xbox, which was released in 2001, Xbox Live, Live Arcade, and 2005's Xbox 360.

He also helped launch more than 40 products at the company, including the Zune portable media player, as well as had a hand in Windows NT and Microsoft's Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

After leaving Microsoft in 2010, Allard spent time running his own company called Project 529, a community-led service that specializes in combating bike theft and promoting cycling.

Allard rejoined the gaming industry in 2020 at Intellivision Entertainment as the global managing director but left the company a year later.

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Microsoft is expanding its Xbox Research division to include game developers and is looking to hear feedback from more studios outside the company.

In a new blog post, the company said that the objective for the expansion is to listen to partners in the Xbox ecosystem "to bring forward insights and data that could help improve future tools and services," as well as "address pain points".

"By directly engaging with game creators, Xbox aims to get the data that'll help address pain points and enhance the experience of partners across the spectrum of disciplines involved in bringing games to market," Microsoft explained.

The company said it is also welcoming input from developers and studios who aren't currently making games for Xbox consoles.

"If you are making video games, we're interested in hearing from you. If you aren't on Xbox, we'd love to know why," said Dr. Deborah Hendersen, principal user researcher for Xbox. "And honestly, if you are using our competitor's products, you probably have a great perspective we could learn from!"

This will allow Microsoft to gain a "fresh perspective" and avoid becoming an "echo chamber" as the Xbox Research division - which has been active for 20 years - expands.

"We want to hear from everyone who works on games or helps support game studios because if we can make your life easier, it makes gaming better," Hendersen added.

"It's a bit like testing players who play games like yours - they are your target audience and you want to hear fresh perspectives because their expectations may differ from folks who are deep in your community."

This new program will employ methodologies for developers that will mirror those used in player-focused studies, like interviews, usability, playtesting, surveys, and flighting.

"It's the same sort of studies we perform when testing games, just on tools and services," Henderson explained, adding that the program will also offer flexibility and thoroughness for the recruitment process.

Studios based in the US can now sign up to the Xbox Research team, but Microsoft says it's actively working to expand recruitment to more countries.

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Epic Games has introduced new time limit controls in Fortnite, allowing parents to restrict their child's playtime.

The studio announced the changes in a new blog post today, confirming that the new tools apply to both the popular battle royale game and Unreal Editor for Fortnite.

According to the new safety guidelines page, with 'Time Limit Controls', parents will have the ability to limit the total amount of time their child can play per day. They can also choose specific time windows when their child can play each day, and set time limits within that window.

After setting a time limit, kids will start seeing in-game banners notifying them when they have 30 minutes left in Fortnite or the Unreal Editor for Fortnite.

Fortnite - Time Limit Parental Controls

(Image credit: Epic Games)

"Once your child reaches their limit, they will not be able to use Fortnite or UEFN until the next day or until a new window begins, unless you choose to add more time," Epic Games explained.

Parents can also grant extra playtime with the 'Request for More Time' setting. When the setting is on, the player can request more time, but if it's turned off, they can't.

"If you have allowed your child to request more time, and they have 30 minutes or less left in their window, your child can request more time from within Fortnite," the developer continued.

An email will be sent from Epic Games to parents with a link where they can add more time for that day, even if requests are disabled, but the additional time must be added through Fortnite's main menu settings.

Epic has also added 'Time Reports', allowing parents to see how much time their child spends in the game, as well as 'Time Reports Email', which will send a weekly email to parents with a report summarizing their child’s time spent getting victory royales.

Time Limit Controls are now accessible across all consoles and devices, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. As long as a player is using the same account across devices, the time limit will be enforced, no matter where the child plays.

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PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition pre-orders in Japan have been restricted in an attempt to combat scalpers.

Last week, a limited edition collection of PS5 consoles and accessories to celebrate PlayStation's 30th anniversary went on sale and were quick to sell out, including the 12,300 units of themed PS5 Pro's.

Soon after, it was discovered that scalpers who were able to get their hands on the $999 / £959.99 bundles had uploaded eBay listings asking for 10 times the market price.

Now, in a bid to thin out scammers ahead of time, Japan Sony has implemented a new restriction to stop scalpers from ruining the fun.

As reported by Automaton, the Japanese PlayStation homepage now details that those in Japan looking to purchase a PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition bundle will need to meet some conditions.

First, they must have a PSN account registered in Japan, and second, have at least 30 hours of activity on PS4 or PS5 between February 2014 and September 19, 2024.

In the UK and US, it seems stock for the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition has completely sold out on the PlayStation Direct website.

The PS5 Pro is slated to launch globally on November 7, 2024, for $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,200. Pre-orders are expected to start on October 10, 2024 at a wide range of retailers.

When the PS5 Pro was officially announced last month, the console's high cost caused a stir, but according to Sony, the console's many new features, including its PSSR tech, justify the price tag.

If you're looking to get your hands on the mid-generation console, you can check out our PS5 Pro pre-order guide.

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Hideo Kojima has confirmed that Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will get an official release date in 2025.

During a recent PlayStation presentation for the Death Stranding sequel, the director revealed that the game already has a decided release date but he was unable to announce it at the event due to "unforeseen circumstances" (via VGC).

"I haven’t said the release date today, but the release date has already been decided, and I’m currently working on it in preparation for that," Kojima said.

“Since we are talking about 2025, it will be released next year, so we will announce it at some point next year. But, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we cannot announce it today."

Death Stranding 2 was announced during The Game Awards 2022 and is set to launch on PS5. With the PS5 Pro's release only months away, we can also expect the game to be available on the mid-generation console, as well, although Kojima Productions has yet to formally confirm.

The action game is a direct sequel to the 2019 hit, which is now rated as one of the best PS4 games ever, and will once again see the characters Sam 'Porter' Bridges and Fragile headlining the story alongside a new cast of Hollywood actors.

Death Stranding: Director's Cut was released in 2021, followed by a PC version in 2022. It's possible that On The Beach is a timed PlayStation exclusive, so we could see the game eventually make its way to PC, too.

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Ghost of Yōtei has been revealed, in place of what many had expected to be 'Ghost of Tsushima 2'. It's set more than 300 years after the first Ghost game, and as such, isn't quite a direct sequel. How it connects, however, remains unclear, though it's clear that players can expect the same action/stealth gameplay and gorgeous visuals that wowed all the way back in 2020. This time around though, we're looking at a true next-gen experience, built from the ground up for PS5.

While it's still early days in terms of Ghost of Yōtei details, we do know that it's set to arrive next year, so hopefully we'll hear more sooner rather than later. The main question we need to be answered currently is whether Ghost of Yōtei will tie into its predecessor at all, and how gameplay has evolved with the introduction of firearms. Developer Sucker Punch has already given us a glimpse at gameplay, and some details on the game's new setting. It's yet to be confirmed, but we expect to see Ghost of Yōtei make the most of the PS5 Pro as well, making Ghost of Yōtei one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games for 2025.

Here's everything we know so far about Ghost of Yōtei so far, including a look at gameplay, as well as all of the latest news and rumors. As new info drops, and once we hear the full Ghost of Yōtei release date, this page will be updated.

Ghost of Yōtei: cut to the chase

  • What is it? The next entry in the Ghost of Tsushima series
  • When does it come out? 2025
  • What can I play it on? PS5 (exclusively)
  • Who's making it? Sucker Punch (Ghost of Tsushima, Infamous)

Ghost of Yōtei release year and platforms

The Ghost of Yōtei stands looking out at a vibrant yellow meadow

(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Ghost of Yōtei will launch in 2025 exclusively for PS5. The game won't be coming to older consoles, given that it has been developed from the ground up to run on the PlayStation 5. In terms of a PC release, nothing has been announced, but if we look at recent Sony releases, it'll likely follow the PS5 release at some point.

Ghost of Yōtei trailers

So far, we've only received one trailer for Ghost of Yōtei. It was revealed during the Sony State of Play event on September 24, 2024. We see the new protagonist: Atsu, as they travel across gorgeous vistas, and take down enemies while wearing a Ghost mask. It's a mix of cinematics and gameplay and can be viewed above.

We'll likely hear more about Ghost of Yōtei before the year ends. To keep up to date with every trailer release for the game, be sure to check out the official PlayStation channel.

Ghost of Yōtei gameplay

Atsu stands looking up over a huge mountain peak

(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

We've only seen glimpses of Ghost of Yōtei gameplay in the first trailer that was revealed. We see Atsu walking through some beautiful locales, but not much more than that. Thankfully, there are some more details on the PS Blog. Atsu will wear a Ghost mask throughout the game, suggesting that she is somehow following the steps of Jin Sakai. This means stealth gameplay, likely with tools, distraction devices, and new abilities. One key difference between Ghost of Yōtei and Ghost of Tsushima is the inclusion of firearms, which will be a core arm of Atsu's arsenal.

Ghost of Yōtei setting

Atsu rides across a golden field

(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Sucker Punch is keeping the story of Ghost of Yōtei under wraps for now but we do know that it's set in 1603, more than 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. Players will explore the lands surrounding Mount Yōtei, a towering peak in the heart of Ezo, an area of Japan known as Hokkaido in the present day. The story will be based loosely on history, but is being described as an 'original story.' We'll have to wait and see what's in store for new protagonist Atsu, for now, expect sprawling grasslands, snowy tundras, and lush forests.

Ghost of Yōtei: FAQs

Atsu enters a dimly lit building filled with people

(Image credit: Sucker Punch)

Can you pre-order Ghost of Yōtei?

Pre-orders for Ghost of Yōtei are not currently live. This will likely change once the full release date is revealed. We're betting this happens next year, so stay tuned for updates.

Who is the Ghost of Yōtei protagonist?

Atsu is the protagonist of Ghost of Yōtei. She is a brand new character in the series, and at present, we know almost nothing about her. She's definitely connected to Jin Sakai in some way, given that she wears a similar Ghost mask, and looks to be following the same style of stealth/action from the first game.

Is Ghost of Yōtei PS5 Pro enhanced?

Ghost of Yōtei has not been confirmed as one of the PS5 Pro enhanced games. This is likely set to change, as we'd certainly expect a first-party PlayStation exclusive to make use of the PS5 Pro in some way. For now, it's not confirmed, but we're betting this changes at some point before launch, so could be a good reason to put in a PS5 Pro pre-order while you can.

Ghost of Yōtei news

Ghost of Yōtei has been revealed
Sucker Punch has announced Ghost of Yotei, the next installment in the Ghost of Tsushima series. You'll play as Atsu, a new protagonist, in a story set more than 300 years after the events of the first game.

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Sports Interactive has announced that Football Manager 25 will launch on November 26 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC, and day one on Xbox Game Pass.

The Nintendo Switch version of the sports game, Football Manager 25 Touch, is also planned for a December 3 launch, with more information promised "in the coming weeks".

For the first time ever, the next installment in the Football Manager series will utilize the Unity engine. The developer claims this marks "the biggest technical and visual advancement for the series in a generation", featuring enhanced graphical fidelity and new volumetric player animations taken from real football matches.

Football Manager 25's UI has been revamped, too. It will also be the first game to feature Women’s Football thanks to Sports Interactive's multi-year partnership with the Premier League.

"It’s a great honour today to be confirming the forthcoming release of Football Manager 25," said studio director, Miles Jacobson. "As I’ve mentioned in interviews and development updates, the FM25 cycle has been challenging for the entire SI team.

"FM25 is just the starting point for the studio’s next 20, 30 years. It’s also the point where the world gets to see two of our multi-year projects come to fruition: the switch to the Unity engine and the introduction of Women’s Football. It gives us a real sense of achievement to begin sharing our hard work with you and we're really looking forward to showing you more of the game in the weeks before the game’s release."

Sports Interactive has also promised the first look at the game's official roadmap starting October 7, where fans will receive new announcements and details about the game leading up to the game's November launch.

PC pre-orders are now available, with Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch pre-orders coming soon.

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Popular gaming hardware manufacturer Razer has announced a batch of new products at its annual RazerCon event.

The headlining products are the Razer Kraken V4 Pro and the Razer Freyja. The former is a seriously premium addition to the brand's gaming headset lineup, while the latter is described as "the world's first HD haptic gaming cushion." 

That right, it's a vibrating seat cushion for your gaming chair.

The Kraken V4 Pro joins the headset's fourth-generation lineup alongside the standard Kraken V4 and the wired Kraken V4 X which Razer revealed last month. The Pro model looks like quite the step up in terms of features (and price, but we'll get to that). Razer's bespoke Sensa HD haptics are included here, causing the headset to react to in-game activities with directional haptic feedback.

A handful of games will directly support the technology, including Final Fantasy 16, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and Silent Hill 2. I got to test the haptics for myself at a Razer briefing last week and they definitely felt like an improvement over the Razer Kaira Pro's HyperSense feedback, feeling much more nuanced and, well, less like you had a bee in your headset.

The Kraken V4 Pro also includes a PC-compatible OLED Control Hub that allows for on-the-fly tweaks to your settings as well as the monitoring of volume, battery life and other metrics. You're getting customizable Chroma RGB on the ear cups, dual audio support and instant switching between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth (handy if you need to take a quick call while gaming), 40mm drivers supported by THX spatial audio and a retractable mic. 

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro is available to buy now from Razer's website and other retailers, but it doesn't come cheap. Expect to pay $399.99 / £399.99 which is a pretty giant step up from other models in the Kraken V4 lineup. Still, it's in with a chance of landing in our list of the best PC gaming headsets with its stacked feature set and intelligent Sensa HD haptics.

Razer Freyja

(Image credit: Razer)

The other major reveal from this year's RazerCon is the all-new Razer Freyja. This is a seat cushion that'll fit any of the best gaming chairs that, much like the Kraken V4 Pro, is powered by Sensa HD haptic feedback. That means the chair's multi-directional haptics (with six motors: four behind you, and two where you sit) react to everything from light drizzles to sword slashes and chunky explosions.

Testing this at the Razer briefing last week, I found the default settings to be a little intense. Thankfully, you are able to adjust the haptics' strength on the fly, which made the experience much more tolerable. That said, the Freyja is certainly going to have niche appeal. It doesn't really offer anything to your play session aside from some neat haptics. It is at least very comfy, but I did notice the haptics here were incredibly loud. 

If you live with family or housemates, you might want to consider investing in some soundproofing for your room if you're buying the Freyja. It's also available now from Razer's website for $299.99. The product is unfortunately not available for purchase in the UK at this time.

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Sony has commented on the PS5 Pro's controversial cost, while also revealing that the console was in development before the PS5 was released.

Speaking in a recent interview with IGN, PlayStation's senior principal product manager, Toshi Aoki, confirmed that there were already talks about the mid-generation console before the PS5 launched in 2020 as "technologies evolve every year".

"We started discussing it before the PS5 actually came out...because the PS5 specs were already locked in," Aoki said. "We were ready to launch and everything..."

When talking further about the PS5 Pro's specs, Aoki explained that the console's AI upscaling technology - PlayStation Spectral Super Revolution (PSSR) - wasn't available for the PS5 at the time of its development.

"I think it's more from the technological point of view of... Even the AI upscaling, it's not easy...it takes time to get there..." he said. "So as we were trying to target the best of both worlds...that's why we invested in seeing the other ways that we can get games into that space for high fidelity 60 FPS.

"That's why AI upscaling was the option that we took and we looked into and developed."

When the PS5 Pro was officially announced earlier this month, the console's $700 price tag caused quite a stir. However, according to Aoki, the console's many new features, including its PSSR tech, 8K support, and more, justify the price.

"Well, the technologies that I just mentioned that we are putting in to deliver new experiences for game players, and also not just the technological differences, but the SSD, the Wi-Fi 7, and the new technologies that surround the gameplay as well," Aoki said.

"So it's more of a full package that will give that exceptional value to the players... the most engaged players that we're targeting."

For those who want to stick to playing their physical games, they'll need to buy the optional disk drive, which will bring the total asking price to $800.

Aoki said that having the separate disk drive as an optional purchase was to give players more choice and that it's "more of the balance of the value proposition that we're giving".

"Well, with the PS5 Pro, we are offering all these new tech innovations, and we added the two terabyte SSD, as well as the Wi-Fi 7. We believe as a full package that it offers for the most players," he said.

"For the disc drive, it is an option for players. Not all players have discs, even though most players may...but we have the option for being able to add that for those players. So I think it's more of the balance of the value proposition that we're giving."

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After the PS5 Pro - 30th Anniversary Edition sold out almost instantly, scalpers are now selling the console bundle for thousands online.

Last week, Sony announced a limited edition collection of PS5 consoles and accessories to celebrate PlayStation's 30th anniversary.

Preorders for the bundles, which included 12,300 units of the limited edition PS5 Pro, went live earlier today in the UK and other regions and quickly sold out within minutes, and to the surprise of no one, scalpers are already trying to cash in on the hype.

On PlayStation Direct UK store, the 2TB PS5 Pro - 30th Anniversary Limited Edtion Bundle is priced at £959.99, but scalpers are attempting to take advantage of those who missed out by selling the console at around 10x the retail price.

As spotted by IGN, new listings on eBay show that scalpers are trying to sell the limited edition bundle for up to £10,000, while others are graciously selling them between £4,000 and £5,000.

Scalpers with listings don't have the console in hand at this time, since the 30th Anniversary Edition console doesn't ship until November 21, 2024, so in theory, they're only selling proof they bought one.

There are also counter listings on eBay warning buyers not to purchase a console from scalpers due to the ridiculous price markup.

As there was only a limited supply of the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition on offer, you'll be unable to purchase one from the PlayStation Direct UK website right now as stock seems to have already sold out completely.

If you're currently looking to buy a bundle elsewhere, or even get your hands on a PS5 Pro, you can check out our PS5 Pro preorder guide.

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