Steve Thomas - IT Consultant

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s official launch trailer showcases new gameplay ahead of release

Posted on December 3, 2024 in: Gaming
  • The official launch trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is here
  • The trailer provides a fresh look at Indy's next adventure with brand-new gameplay
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches next week on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has received an official launch trailer ahead of its December 9 release.

With only days to go, Bethesda has shared the final trailer for its upcoming first-person narrative game which will find the titular character on a brand new adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.

The three-minute video highlights the many features of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, including its story and characters, along with the various locations Indy will be traveling to on his quest, like Egypt and Vatican City.

Gameplay mechanics we've seen before also got their time to shine, with the trailer showcasing new ancient puzzles and environmental obstacles players will need to overcome on their journey.

Mid-way through the trailer, we also got a glimpse at what seems to be a brand new gameplay sequence, never before seen in any former teasers.

It was only a short clip, but we see Indy fighting off some bad guys on a ship during a snowstorm before it cuts away. This sequence could possibly be connected to the Himalayas, a location that was previously confirmed to appear in the game.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC on December 9 as a timed exclusive.

We still don't have an exact release date for the PS5 version, but it's alated to arrive sometime in "Spring 2025".

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PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2024 airs this week, here’s how to watch it

Posted on December 3, 2024 in: Gaming
  • The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted airs on December 5
  • The showcase will feature new trailers and announcements
  • This year's event will be hosted by Frankie Ward and narrated by Baldur's Gate 3's Amelia Tyler

The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted is scheduled to air later this week where it will reveal the most anticipated PC games of 2025, as well as showcase new trailers and announcements.

If you're hoping to tune in to the broadcast, here's everything you need to know, including when and where to watch, and watch to expect.

Start Time

The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted is set to air on Thursday, 5 December, at 12pm PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CEST.

We're unsure how long the showcase will be at this time, but it's expected to at least last longer than one hour.

Where To Watch

You'll be able to watch the PC Gaming Show live on PC Gamer's official Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as on Ginx, Steam and China's Bilibili platform.

A number of Twitch streamers will also be live streaming the showcase, too, including Esfand, MissMikkaa, CohhCarnage, DieHardDiva, Elajjaz, GRONKH, XopO, and SodaPoppin, so fans will be able to watch along.

What To Expect

The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted will be presented by returning regular host Frankie Ward and narrated by Baldur's Gate 3's Amelia Tyler.

The broadcast will count down the 25 most-anticipated games in development for PC, chosen from a shortlist of 100 games, but viewers can also expect deep dives, exclusive trailers, and new game reveals during the live stream.

To name a few highlights, Avowed's game director, Carrie Patel, will answer quick-fire questions on the upcoming first-person role-playing game (RPG). A brand new trailer from The Game Breakers will be shared for its game Cairn, and a new for Killing Floor 3 will also make its debut.

Nightdive Studios will also unveil a new trailer for its restoration of the 2002 third-person survival horror game The Thing: Remastered, and ex-Kindred Aerospace CEO Martin Tweed will share an announcement about Revenge of the Savage Planet.

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Sony announces its PlayStation 30th Anniversary sale, offering discounts on hundreds of games

Posted on December 3, 2024 in: Gaming
  • PlayStation Store’s 30th Anniversary sale is now live
  • PlayStation users can save money on hundreds of titles on the PS Store
  • The event ends on December 20

Black Friday might be over, but Sony isn't ready to drop its discounts just yet as it's announced a limited-time PlayStation 30th Anniversary sale.

In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Sony confirmed that to celebrate 30 years of PlayStation, it's now holding a massive sale on the PS Store starting December 2 and running through to December 20.

This is one of the biggest sales the platform has seen in a while, offering discounts on almost 500 games for both the PS4 and PS5.

Some of those games include some of the best games available on PlayStation, including The Last of Us Part 1, which is now 50% off, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy at 60% off, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which received a massive 80% off price cut.

The catalog is way too long to detail in its entirety, but we've listed some of the best available discounts on some of the best games below. You can also check out the PS Store page here.

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PS5 is getting classic themes and boot sequences for PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, but only for a limited time

Posted on December 3, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Sony is rolling out a 30th Anniversary update for PS5
  • It features dashboard themes inspired by prior PlayStation generations
  • The update will, unfortunately, only be around for a limited time

When you turn on your PS5 today, you might be greeted by arguably the most iconic home console boot-up sequence of all time.

That's because Sony is rolling out dashboard themes and boot sequences inspired by prior console generations for PlayStation's ongoing 30thanniversary celebrations. This was initially spotted by users over at Resetera, with the thread's creator showing (now deleted) screenshots with the classic themes applied.

You'll know if the update has rolled out to your PS5 console as you'll be treated to that wonderful PS1 boot sequence. Then, you can head to Settings, and a new 'PlayStation 30th Anniversary' option will be featured at the top. Here, you can choose dashboard themes inspired by PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, or a general 30th anniversary one. You can also switch them off entirely if you hate fun.

Each theme also seems to be accompanied by relevant sound effects for each console generation. If you've got a favorite PlayStation generation, then - say one you grew up with - you'll probably get quite the pleasant nostalgia trip out of this 30th Anniversary update.

As great as this is, there is unfortunately a catch. These 30th anniversary themes will only be available for a limited time - as noted on that new settings page. Sony hasn't confirmed an end date for these limited themes, so hopefully we get a good few months with them at least. Though I must say I'll definitely miss them when they're gone.

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What do you mean Baldur’s Gate 3’s next major patch will introduce 12 new subclasses?

Posted on November 28, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 will introduce all-new features, Larian confirms
  • Alongside photo mode and cross-play, the game will also receive 12 new subclasses
  • The Patch 8 stress tests will begin in early January 2025

Larian Studios has revealed new details concerning Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 and it sounds ridiculously good.

It's been over one year since the launch of one of the best role-playing games (RPGs) of all time and still Larian is continuing to provide free updates featuring all-new content.

Most recently, the studio gave us some details on Patch 8, which will finally introduce the long-awaited cross-play feature for console and PC players as well as a highly customizable photo mode with camera, lens, and scene settings.

What's more, Larian also announced that Patch 8 will introduce 12 new subclasses, just in case players aren't yet tired of spending time in the Forgotten Realms.

There's one for each of the existing Bard, Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes in the game, adding even more replayability to the RPG.

"Expect new abilities, animations, VFX, summons and cantrips, and unique voiced dialogue lines for the Oathbreaker Knight with written reactivity for Oathbreakers, along with a touch of homebrewing on certain actions to enhance your role-playing experience," the studio said in a new blog post.

Patch 8 doesn't have a release date just yet, but Larian confirmed that it will be holding stress tests in early January 2025 and will provide an update on how fans can opt-in.

Baldur's Gate 3's 12 subclasses coming in Patch 8:

  • Bard - College of Glamour
  • Barbarian - Path of Giants
  • Cleric - Death Domain
  • Druid - Circle of Stars
  • Paladin - Oath of the Crown
  • Fighter - Arcane Archer
  • Monk - Drunken Master
  • Ranger - Swarmkeeper
  • Rogue - Swashbuckler
  • Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
  • Warlock - Hexblade
  • Wizard - Bladesinging

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CD Projekt Red announces The Witcher 4 has now entered “full-scale production”

Posted on November 28, 2024 in: Gaming
  • The next Witcher game is now in full-scale production, according to CD Projekt Red
  • According to the studio's joint CEO, the team wrapped preproduction several weeks ago
  • The studio also revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 has now sold 30 million copies

CD Projekt Red has announced that The Witcher 4 has officially entered "full-scale production".

The latest comes from the studio's Q3 2024 earnings report, published on November 27, where joint CEO of CD Projekt Red Michał Nowakowski shared a statement regarding the development progress of the next Witcher game, aka Project Polaris.

"I’m proud to confirm that several weeks ago the Polaris team wrapped up pre-production and moved on to full-scale production - the most intensive phase of development," said Nowakowski.

"We are very pleased with our progress on this project, and I wish to thank the team for its dedication."

Polaris was announced back in March 2022 and will kick off a new saga for The Witcher series, though at this time we don't have any details to go on regarding the story and returning characters.

In the same report, it was also revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 has now sold 30 million copies, while Phantom Liberty - the game's sole expansion - has sold over eight million in just over a year since its release.

"I’m very happy to see a large, dedicated community coalesce around our Cyberpunk games," the CEO said before adding that CD Projekt Red is "looking back at another very strong quarter."

"Cyberpunk 2077 and its Phantom Liberty expansion continue to sell very well, but The Witcher 3 is also performing admirably."

At the same time, CD Projekt Red is also currently working on Project Orion, a new game set in the Cyberpunk universe, which is being made by the team responsible for Phantom Liberty.

According to Nowakowski in August, the ongoing projects are "pretty stable" and have been "progressing at a consistent pace".

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Nintendo Switch Online continues to grow its collection with the addition of three new Sega Genesis games

Posted on November 28, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Three more Sega Genesis games have been added to Nintendo Switch Online
  • ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron, VectorMan, and Wolf of the Battlefield: Mercs are now available
  • The three titles now bring the total number of Genesis games to 47

Nintendo has added three more classic Sega Genesis games to its Switch Online subscription service.

As part of the latest November 2024 update, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass members can now enjoy even more classic titles for the Sega Genesis collection, bringing the total number to 47.

First up, we have ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron, which was released in 1993 and is the sequel to 1991's ToeJam & Earl.

The 2D platformer was well-received back in the 90s and finds ToeJam and Earl, two aliens, on a new adventure after escaping where they originally crash-landed.

Vectorman is another 2D side-scrolling platformer and was developed and released by BlueSky Software in 1995 for the Sega Genesis. The game later received a re-release on the Wii, Steam, as well as part of the Sega Forever line of mobile releases.

Finally, there's Mercs, also known as Wolf of the Battlefield II and originally released as Senjō no Ōkami II in Japan in 1990 for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.

The Capcom game is a sequel to the 1985 arcade game Commando and features two different game modes, including Arcade Mode and Original Mode.

To play these latest titles, Nintendo Switch users must be subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online + the Expansion Pack, which costs $49.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.95 for a 12-month pass.

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PlayStation’s Head of Indies Shuhei Yoshida announces he will retire from the company in January: ‘PlayStation is in really good hands’

Posted on November 28, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Shuhei Yoshida announces he will leave PlayStation in January 2025
  • The current Head of Indie's has worked at PlayStation for 31 years
  • Yoshida said that after he hit 30 years, he thought it was "time for me to move on"

The head of PlayStation's indies, Shuhei Yoshida, has announced he will retire from the company in January 2025 after 31 years.

The news of his upcoming departure comes from a new PlayStation Blog post, where Yoshida reflected on his time at PlayStation and why he ultimately decided to leave the company behind.

"I’m leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment on January 15, 2025… it’s like announcing the launch date of a new game, [something] I haven’t done for a long time," Yoshida said.

Yoshida joined PlayStation in 1993 when Sony was still developing the PS1 and was later promoted to president of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SIE).

In his current role, Yoshida overlooks independent studios as the head of Sony's Independent Developer Initiative.

"I’ve been with PlayStation from the beginning, and this is my 31st year with PlayStation. And when I hit 30 years, I was thinking, hmm, it may be about time for me to move on," Yoshida said.

"You know, the company’s been doing great. I love PS5, I love the games that are coming out on this platform. And we have new generations of management who I respect and admire. And I’m so excited for the future of PlayStation.

"So you know, PlayStation is in really good hands. I thought, okay, this is my time."

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New leak claims a black version of the PlayStation Portal will be released soon

Posted on November 28, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Sony will reportedly release a black version of the PlayStation Portal "soon"
  • The new model will seemingly cost the same as the white version
  • The first quantities will be "limited"

Sony is reportedly planning to release a black version of the PlayStation Portal.

That's according to the reliable data miner 'billbil-kun' of the French blog Dealabs - who previously accurately leaked the first look at the PS5 Pro - which now claims that the publisher will release a new colorway for the handheld "soon" as part of a new accessory refresh launch.

It's unclear when it will launch, but the blog claims that the first quantities available will be "limited", meaning it could lead to a stock shortage from the pre-order phase, like the original white remote player.

The new PlayStation Portal model is expected to be available in Europe, North America, and "other regions of the world", and will seemingly cost the same as the original PlayStation Portal at $199.99 / £199.99 / €219.99.

A white version and a limited edition design included in the 30th Anniversary Edition Collection have only ever been released.

The latest leak of a black PlayStation Portal seems to be related to an upcoming relaunch. Earlier this week, Dealabs also reported that Sony is going to release black versions of several PlayStation accessories, including the DualSense Edge Controller, Pulse Elite headphones, and Pulse Explore earbuds.

Again, there's no estimated release for the new models, but the outlet claims they will be announced "within a month" and that they will cost the same as the original white versions.

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Are you a Call of Duty cheater? Watch out – AI is coming for you, as Activision boasts of 19,000 bans from ranked play with Black Ops 6

Posted on November 27, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Call of Duty has ramped up AI with code optimizations to catch cheaters
  • Since ranked play launched a week ago, 19,000 bans have been enacted
  • But cheating still remains a thorny problem with Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been out for a month, and multiplayer is, of course, where cheaters are doing their best to ruin everyone else’s fun – but Activision is doing its best to catch them with an increasing emphasis on using AI.

Call of Duty games use an in-house anti-cheat (at the kernel level) called Ricochet, and on X, the developer has outlined the latest achievements in terms of taking out cheaters.

Apparently, Ricochet has facilitated the ban of over 19,000 cheaters in ranked play since that mode launched (a week ago).

As you can see from the post on X, there are “hourly sweeps” to eject cheaters from the ranked play mode (and leaderboard), and we’re told that AI systems are being ramped up with “code optimizations” to better achieve this goal.

Analysis: The war on cheats

Fewer cheaters is good news for everyone, of course – except the offenders themselves, naturally. However, as someone replying to the above post on X points out, all cheaters do after they are banned is create another account. Or, we should clarify, persistent or dedicated cheaters do this.

So, should Activision just give up and not bother? Obviously not, and some more casual cheaters might be put off by a ban (or repeated bans, certainly). But what about the more hardcore cheats out there? The workarounds to obtain a new account (including buying a hacked one) aren’t expensive or that difficult to do, sadly.

While AI is likely to very much help to police cheating, especially as these systems get honed more and more, it’ll have to be doing so in a really timely manner to start putting proper roadblocks in the way of those who want to break the rules in Black Ops 6 (or other games).

Meanwhile, the arguments continue as to the best way to deal with determined Call of Duty cheaters, including forcing two-factor authentication for accounts to at least help combat the number of accounts getting stolen – but there are thorny issues whichever way you look at this.

Via Neowin

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Activision says Black Ops 6 is the ‘biggest Call of Duty ever’ following a successful launch month

Posted on November 26, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Black Ops 6 is "the biggest Call of Duty ever", Activision claims
  • Within its first month of launch, it's gained the number one total number of players out of any game in the series
  • The game also set a record last month for for day one players on Xbox Game Pass

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch month was the "biggest ever" in series history, according to Activision.

In a recent X / Twitter post, the publisher shared new milestones for the latest Call of Duty game, revealing that since launching on October 25 Black Ops 6 now has the number one total number of players, hours played, and total matches of any title in the series. However, Activision stopped short of actually offering some real meaty statistics for comparison.

Activision also stated that within its first 30 days of launch, Black Ops 6 is "the biggest Call of Duty ever".

During Microsoft's first quarter earnings call on October 30, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Black Ops 6 set a record for day-one players and Xbox Game Pass members as the first Call of Duty game to be added to the subscription service.

"Last week’s launch of Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty release ever, setting a record for day one players as well as Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day," Nadella said.

Microsoft's CEO also shared that unit sales for PlayStation and Steam were "up over 60% year-over-year".

"This speaks to our strategy of meeting gamers where they are by enabling them to play more games across the screens they spend their time on," said Nadella.

Black Ops 6 Season One officially went live on November 14, introducing all new content to one of the best FPS games of 2024, including new maps, weapons, modes, and more.

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Naughty Dog’s next game will see the return of The Last of Us star Troy Baker

Posted on November 26, 2024 in: Gaming
  • Actor Troy Baker will star in Naughty Dog's next game
  • The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann has confirmed Baker's involvement
  • Naughty Dog has yet to officially announce its next game

The Last of Us star Troy Baker has confirmed he will be involved in Naughty Dog's next game.

The news comes from a recent GQ interview, where the actor best known for his role as Joel Miller in The Last of Us and Sam Drake in Uncharted: A Thief's End discussed his life's work and his upcoming projects.

In terms of what next, in 2025, Baker will star in Judas, the next game from BioShock creator Ken Levine, but the actor was also able to confirm that he will be reuniting with The Last of Us director and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann and be featured in the studio's next game.

GQ was also able to verify Baker's return with Druckmann, who said, "In a heartbeat I would always work with Troy."

At this time, we have no idea what role Baker will star in as Naughty Dog has yet to officially announce its new game.

Last month, new insider information about the secret project was reported by MinnMax founder Ben Hanson, who claimed a source "very in the know, who worked on the game" shared that fans "aren't ready" for the studio's next project and that it will feature "a lot of player freedom".

Neil Druckmann also confirmed earlier this year that there are "multiple single-player" projects are in development at Naughty Dog, saying, "I promise you, we will not be The Last of Us studio forever".

In December 2023, Naughty Dog canceled its The Last of Us Online game after concerns that it would impact the studio’s future single-player games, a project that was reportedly in development for four years.

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