Steve Thomas - IT Consultant

Turtle Beach announces the Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset alongside a new wave of PDP controllers

Posted on August 20, 2024 in: Gaming

Gaming hardware manufacturer Turtle Beach has announced a new product in its lineup of Stealth gaming headsets. Additionally, PDP (now owned by Turtle Beach) has confirmed new Realmz and Afterglow controllers, and all are launching very soon.

First up is the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset. This will be a multiplatform headset that's compatible with PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as PC, Steam Deck, and mobile. Its Bluetooth connectivity option means it should work with the Nintendo Switch, too. Three versions will be available for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox users and each will have unique colorways to set them apart.

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 seems to be a pretty premium gaming headset, launching on September 22, 2024, for $199.99 / £179.99. Turtle Beach says the Stealth 700 will feature its proprietary 'CrossPlay dual wireless transmitter system,' allowing users to swap between audio sources at the press of a button. Other high-end features include 60mm drivers, AI-powered noise cancellation, and a whopping 80 hours of battery life.

Next on the docket is a new addition to the PDP Realmz lineup of Nintendo Switch controllers. Realmz controllers are very kid-friendly, featuring an officially licensed aesthetic with a collectible figure embedded in its transparent shell. Previous Realmz controllers featured Sonic the Hedgehog and Pikmin variants. This new one, though, will be Minecraft-inspired and known as 'Forest Biome'. Available from September 12 for $29.99 / £19.99, this new Realmz controller is wireless and packs in up to 40 hours of battery life. Pretty impressive for its budget price.

Lastly, a new set of PDP Afterglow Wave controllers, headsets, and accessories are on the way. A pretty big expansion to the Afterglow Wave lineup, the new controllers are Nintendo Switch-compatible, and add a number of color options including black, white, blue, and purple. They'll be available from September 22, costing $54.99 / £49.99.

The Afterglow Wave family is also expanding with new wireless gaming headsets. Compatible with Xbox, PC, and mobile devices, these will also be available from September 22 at $99.99 / £79.99. 

If that wasn't enough, there is also an Afterglow Wave Dual Charger on the way. There will be versions for both PlayStation and Xbox, allowing you to dock your PS5 controller or Xbox controller for a quick charging solution. Expect these to arrive on October 1 at the price of $29.99 / £24.99.

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is reportedly coming to PS5 in 2025

Posted on August 20, 2024 in: Gaming

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is reportedly coming to PlayStation 5 next year.

This comes from Nate the Hate, an industry insider known for sharing reveals ahead of official announcements, who reports that the upcoming MachineGames title will be making its way to PS5 in the "first half of 2025" after first releasing on Xbox Series X|S and PC in December as a timed exclusive. It will also be available on day one on Xbox Game Pass.

"After this timed-exclusive window expires, Indiana Jones & the Great Circle is planned to come to PlayStation 5 in the first half of 2025,” Nate the Hate said on X / Twitter. 

The news comes ahead of Gamescom's Opening Night Live presentation tonight, where we could potentially hear the official announcement from Bethesda or MachineGames during the showcase, as well as a firm release date for the game.

It was reported back in February (via The Verge) that Microsoft was considering bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5 months after its Xbox and PC launch, in a bid to push its new multi-platform approach.

Windows Central also reported last week that Microsoft was planning on bringing another Xbox exclusive game to PS5, perhaps Indiana Jones, with the reveal slated to arrive at Gamescom. 

Announced in January and developed by the studio best-known for Wolfenstein: The New Order, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person action adventure game and will feature an original narrative that draws from the iconic film franchise. It currently has a release window of 2024. 

Xbox confirmed earlier this summer that it will be bringing its "biggest booth yet" to Gamescom 2024 and shared some of the upcoming games that will be available at the convention, including World of Warcraft: The War Within, Avowed, and Age of Mythology: Retold.

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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, the official mobile version of the TCG, is launching in October

Posted on August 19, 2024 in: Gaming

There's a new trailer for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket mobile game, and it confirms the highly-anticipated app's release date.

Announced at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is coming to both Android and iOS devices on October 30. Pre-registration is also available now on the App Store and on Google Play. You can also sign up to the free newsletter on the app's official website to stay up to date in the run-up to launch.

While the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket app will be free to play, TouchArcade notes that it'll feature a premium currency known as 'Poké Gold'. It's not yet known what the currency will be used for, but it seems there is also going to be a monthly premium pass costing $9.99 / around £7.99. It's likely that the pass and premium currency will be used to earn limited booster packs.

The store pages for the app also confirm that players will be able to open two free booster packs per day, not dissimilar to other mobile card games like Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel. Again, we're not quite sure on how cards will be categorized, but there's a likelihood it'll be a rotating selection of cards here, with rarer cards being more likely to drop in premium packs.

Lastly, the trailer ends on a tease for an 'immersive' card featuring Mewtwo. These cards appear to be the cream of the crop in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket and play out animated scenes when tapped. Going off of gacha standards, there'll probably be one or two of these cards available to pull for on a rotating basis.

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s release date trailer finally gives us our first look at them dragons

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's release date trailer is officially here, giving us a brand-new look at the upcoming role-playing game (RPG).

Although the release date was leaked ahead of time, we finally have official confirmation that The Veilguard will launch on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. 

Alongside this announcement, we also received a new story details following the first 20-minute gameplay demo that debuted this summer. In the trailer, we see the playable protagonist Rook on a quest to recruit their companions in order to fight back against the ancient elven gods they mistakenly let loose, with spliced-in scenes of some third-person gameplay.

Perhaps one of the most exciting reveals of the trailer is the confirmation that fan-favorite character Morrigan will be making a return, with a new wardrobe fit for a mage. We also get so see Solas seemingly in his Dreadwolf form taking on a dragon, something fans have waited to see for a decade.

"As someone who’s been working on Dragon Age for over 15 years, I know just how much our community has been looking forward to this day, and I’m equally excited to share and celebrate that the game will officially launch on October 31," said creative director, John Epler. 

"We wanted to give you the choice to really express yourself, and do that in a world full of adventure and danger. So whether you’re a Warrior, Rogue or a Mage, we can’t wait for you to gear up, gather your party, and set out for another thrilling adventure through Thedas this Halloween."

Pre-orders have also gone live, with pre-order bonus details, and there are several options to choose from, including a Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, and a special Rook's Coffer Edition, which comes with all sorts of collectible goodies, including a replica of the Lyrium Dagger highlighted in the trailer. 

Now that we finally have the release date, fans can look forward to even more spotlights in the coming weeks thanks to the latest roadmap, which will offer a more in-depth look at The Veilguard in the lead up to its official launch.

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Until Dawn remake gets an October release date

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

Sony and Ballistic Moon have announced that the Until Dawn remake will officially launch on October 4 for PlayStation 5 and PC.

This version of the 2015 interactive horror game from Supermassive Games has been rebuilt and enhanced for PlayStation's current gen console and PC. It features overhauled visuals rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, among other improvements.

In a new PlayStation blog post, creative director at Ballistic Moon Neil McEwan highlighted some of the many enhancements coming to Until Dawn when it launches later this year.

McEwan revealed that the team has updated all character models, environments, interactable props, visual effects, and animations with Unreal Engine 5, thus improving all textures, rendering, and animation performance. This will all contribute to "higher fidelity characters who we hope will resonate with both new players and existing fans of the game."

"We have completely relit the game to take advantage of Unreal Engine 5’s rendering features, including raytracing and enhanced materials, focusing on a more atmospheric and 'modern horror' experience," the developer said.

Until Dawn is one of the best horror games of recent years and is known for its immersive movie-like atmosphere, impactful decision-making and quick time events. In the remake, it seems as though all of these have all been improved upon.

According to McEwan, the remake will blend the cinematography of the original with a modern third-person camera to bring the characters and locations to life.

"The camera’s flexibility allows us to place new emphasis on important moments and tell the story from a view closer to the characters," he said.

Some minor story changes have also been implemented. McEwan explained that although Ballistic Moon were committed to Supermassive's original narrative vision "we felt the Prologue would benefit from some adjustments to its narrative pacing".

So, the game's memorable prologue has also been reworked, giving the Washington sisters extra screen time and reframing some original scenes by giving the infamous prank some more context.

New collectibles have also been introduced, including 'Hunger totems' which are a special type of totem that "holds a different kind of vision to the others", along with new interactions and context sprinkled throughout the world.

Players will can expect new accessibility and usability settings, too. One of the main gameplay features of Until Dawn is a mechanic called 'Don't Move' that will force the player to keep still while confronted with danger.

With the remake, Ballistic has created an optional alternative to this mechanic called 'Stay Calm', designed for third party peripherals "that do not feature a gyroscope or for players who prefer a different challenge."

Pre-orders for Until Dawn on PS5 and PC go live on August 21.

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Until Dawn remake gets an October release date

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

Sony and Ballistic Moon have announced that the Until Dawn remake will officially launch on October 4 for PlayStation 5 and PC.

This version of the 2015 interactive horror game from Supermassive Games has been rebuilt and enhanced for PlayStation's current gen console and PC. It features overhauled visuals rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, among other improvements.

In a new PlayStation blog post, creative director at Ballistic Moon Neil McEwan highlighted some of the many enhancements coming to Until Dawn when it launches later this year.

McEwan revealed that the team has updated all character models, environments, interactable props, visual effects, and animations with Unreal Engine 5, thus improving all textures, rendering, and animation performance. This will all contribute to "higher fidelity characters who we hope will resonate with both new players and existing fans of the game."

"We have completely relit the game to take advantage of Unreal Engine 5’s rendering features, including raytracing and enhanced materials, focusing on a more atmospheric and 'modern horror' experience," the developer said.

Until Dawn is one of the best horror games of recent years and is known for its immersive movie-like atmosphere, impactful decision-making and quick time events. In the remake, it seems as though all of these have all been improved upon.

According to McEwan, the remake will blend the cinematography of the original with a modern third-person camera to bring the characters and locations to life.

"The camera’s flexibility allows us to place new emphasis on important moments and tell the story from a view closer to the characters," he said.

Some minor story changes have also been implemented. McEwan explained that although Ballistic Moon were committed to Supermassive's original narrative vision "we felt the Prologue would benefit from some adjustments to its narrative pacing".

So, the game's memorable prologue has also been reworked, giving the Washington sisters extra screen time and reframing some original scenes by giving the infamous prank some more context.

New collectibles have also been introduced, including 'Hunger totems' which are a special type of totem that "holds a different kind of vision to the others", along with new interactions and context sprinkled throughout the world.

Players will can expect new accessibility and usability settings, too. One of the main gameplay features of Until Dawn is a mechanic called 'Don't Move' that will force the player to keep still while confronted with danger.

With the remake, Ballistic has created an optional alternative to this mechanic called 'Stay Calm', designed for third party peripherals "that do not feature a gyroscope or for players who prefer a different challenge."

Pre-orders for Until Dawn on PS5 and PC go live on August 21.

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Destiny 2 players have had their account names changed by mistake, but Bungie is looking into the issue

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

A number of Destiny 2 players just lost their account names due to a mistake caused by Bungie's moderation tools.

As reported by GamesRadar, many players who have logged in to play the game from August 14 have noticed that their accounts have been renamed to "Guardian" followed by a sequence of random numbers with no reason provided.

Typically, Bungie account names are automatically changed if they violate the company's terms of service, like in instances of offensive language or personal information, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

According to the developer, its name moderation tool is at fault and has mistakenly changed a "high number" of players' account names. 

"We are tracking an issue where a high number of account names have been changed by our Bungie name moderation tool," the Destiny 2 Team said in an X / Twitter post. "We are actively investigating and expect to have more information tomorrow, including details on an additional name change token for all players."

Although Bungie is now investigating the issue, it seems some players are having no luck changing back their names from "Guardian" if they already possessed a name change token, saying that they are now unable to claim their original name.

"Appreciate the fast communication on the issue, I have name change tokens still but my original name appears blacklisted now so I had to change my name to something else," one user said in response. 

Global community lead on Destiny 2, Dylan Gafner, also responded to the ongoing issue. They asked players to look for more information today as Bungie continues looking for a fix.

Earlier this month, Bungie laid off 220 employees less than two months after the release of its most successful Destiny 2 expansion, The Final Shape.

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons claimed that due to "rising costs of development and industry shifts", as well as "enduring economic conditions", the studio had to make substantial changes to its cost structure, affecting 17% of the Bungie workforce. 

155 additional employees were also transferred over to Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was also announced that Bungie will be moving one of its projects - a brand-new action game set in a sci-fi fantasy universe - over to PlayStation Studios in order to form a new studio.

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been delayed until 2025

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

Warhorse Studios has delayed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 until 2025.

The medieval action role-playing game (RPG) was set to release in 2024, but in a new post shared today (August 15) the studio announced that it has delayed the game and that it will now arrive on February 11, 2025.

"We aimed for the end of the year, and almost made it, almost is not good enough though, so unfortunately we slipped to 2025," said Warhorse Studios PR manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling. "However, at least we have a real precise release date now."

The new launch date means the game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC during the anniversary week of the release of the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance. 

Stolz-Zwilling adds that there "are a lot of big things" to come between now and February, including a 20-minute gameplay showcase that will debut at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 20.

Pre-orders, including a Collectors Edition which Stolz-Zwilling teased in the video, will also go live for Deliverance 2 after the new trailer is revealed at the presentation.

The developer also noted that press previews and hands on impressions will go live on August 21, followed by a playable demo at Gamescom between August 21 and August 25, alongside more news announcements from Warhorse Studios. 

Following the announcement, Stolz-Zwilling explained in another X/Twitter post that even though the game was closely approaching its slated 2024 release, the team decided that "we need a tiny bit more time". This could mean Warhorse is now aiming to add further polish to the game before it’s ready to ship. 

According the developer, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a "thrilling story-driven action RPG, with a rich open world, set in 15th century Medieval Europe" that will have players embarking on an "ultimate medieval adventure" through the eyes of Henry of Skalitz, "caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal and discovery".

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s release date leaks ahead of official reveal

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

The release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard has leaked online.

This comes just a few hours after BioWare officially announced that it would be unveiling the launch date for its fourth Dragon Age game in a new trailer scheduled to go live later today.

A snippet of the supposed trailer unfortunately leaked ahead of time and is currently making the rounds online. According to the end of the footage, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to arrive on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. 

The 21-second video features a montage of footage we've previously seen from the first gameplay demo that was released earlier this summer, but it's likely the first half of the new announcement trailer will feature a new look for fans.

The end screen also notes that pre-orders will go live after the trailer is released, which BioWare has now verified on social media. 

You can watch the official release date reveal trailer here at 5PM BST / 9AM PST / 12PM EST.

Alongside a release date for the release date, BioWare has also shared a roadmap featuring weekly highlights about the game that will each offer a more in-depth look at The Veilguard in the lead up to its official launch.

Fans can expect new gameplay footage next week showcasing "high-level warrior combat" on PC, as well as get to know The Veilguard's characters in "Companions week", and more.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a few months away, but BioWare has been gearing up for the launch all summer. Last week, the studio confirmed that the upcoming RPG won't feature the tactical camera and won't let players control companions.

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard gets official roadmap teasing PC spotlight and “high-level combat”

Posted on August 15, 2024 in: Gaming

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will finally receive an official release date today as BioWare shares the full roadmap leading up to its launch.

It's been a long time coming, but Dragon Age fans can rest easy because the launch date for the next title in the RPG series is set to be revealed in a brand-new trailer scheduled to go live on August 15 at 5PM BST / 9AM PST / 12PM EST.

Alongside the release date announcement trailer, BioWare has also shared a detailed roadmap featuring weekly spotlights on the game, offering a more in-depth look at The Veilguard in the lead up to its official launch.

Starting on August 19, fans will receive new gameplay footage, this time showcasing "high-level warrior combat" on PC. When the game was revealed earlier this summer with an exciting 20-minute gameplay demo, BioWare showed the rogue class in action, alongside a glimpse of the world we'll be exploring.

The following week, on August 26, will be "Companions week" which will seemingly be a rundown of everything players need to know about The Veilguard's cast of characters, including the seven companions you'll meet along your journey.

On August 30, BioWare will be holding a special developer Q&A in the official Dragon Age Discord channel, where fans will likely be able to ask questions about the upcoming game. Then on September 3, IGN will begin its month-long exclusive coverage of the game where we can expect more interviews from developers and new looks.

The final blank slot in the roadmap mentions "Much more to come in September and beyond", so BioWare clearly has plans to reveal even more about The Veilguard before the game launches later this year on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. 

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Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in April 2025 at the earliest according to reports

Posted on August 14, 2024 in: Gaming

It seems that the next Nintendo console, tentatively being referred to as Nintendo Switch 2, isn't expected to launch until the next financial year according to the latest reports.

This comes from Chris Dring, head of GamesIndustry.biz. On the website's latest Microcast episode, Dring spoke on the expected launch window for Nintendo Switch 2, and that it's unlikely to arrive during the current financial year which concludes March 31, 2025.

As spotted by VGC, Dring said the following: "No developer I’ve spoken to expects it to be launching this financial year. In fact, they’ve been told not to expect it in the [current] financial year. A bunch of people I spoke to hope it’s out in April or May time, still early next year, not late.

"I don’t think any of us wants a late launch for Switch 2 because we all want a new Nintendo console, everyone gets very excited for it, and we don’t want that crunch of Grand Theft Auto 6 and Switch and all that kind of stuff on top of each other."

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa had previously confirmed via X / Twitter that the company's next console will be officially announced before the end of this financial year. Furthermore, he has stated that 'Switch next model' is an appropriate way to refer to the upcoming console, strongly hinting that unlike the Wii and Wii U, Nintendo isn't looking to significantly shake up its design philosophy here.

A Spring 2025 launch for Nintendo Switch 2 wouldn't be too farfetched, either. The original Switch model launched in early March of 2017, on the cusp of the end of that financial year, which could've been a way to bolster that year's earnings after the Wii U's disappointing sales performance.

With the Switch family closing in on 150 million units shipped, the company is in a much stronger position to launch a console at the beginning of a new financial year, and you'd think a souped-up Switch would be a much easier sell than something as unorthodox as the Wii U was.

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The Last of Us Online was reportedly in development for four years with a team of “hundreds” before its sudden cancelation

Posted on August 13, 2024 in: Gaming

Naughty Dog's canceled The Last of Us multiplayer game was reportedly deep into development before it was canceled, a decision that reportedly caused a stir at Sony. 

That's according to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, who shared some insight into the scrapped project on the Friends Per Second podcast (via GamesRadar). While at first discussing the recent Bungie layoffs, as well as concerns about the Destiny 2 studio's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, Schreier soon turned to talking about Sony's current live service games, like Concord.

The reporter called Sony's strategy to push live service games "trend-chasing to the extreme" and "egregious", especially when you look at online games that have "pivoted from single-player studios".

Schreier claimed that the Horizon Zero Dawn online game, which was announced back in 2022, is "still in development" but doesn't know if it will ever come out. He acknowledged that there are rare cases where live service games can succeed, like Helldivers 2.

On the topic of The Last of Us Online, Schreier said it was "in development for something like four years with a team in the hundreds", before it was canceled last December.

"That is an expensive proposition for something that was a miss," he added. "And that project, that getting canceled was not a bloodless endeavor. There were some heads rolling at Sony as a result of that one."

When Naughty Dog shared the announcement, it said that it scrapped the project because it didn't want to "become a solely live service games studio" and that it would otherwise have to put all resources behind multiplayer projects.

"So, we had two paths in front of us: become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage," the developer said at the time. 

Schreier added that he thought Naughty Dog's decision to cancel The Last of Us Online was the right decision, as it wouldn't be beholden to live service games like other studios.

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