The final Famicom was made 20 years ago today
by Steven Tucker | Sep 25, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Guides
It's twenty years since Nintendo’s final Famicom was made in Japan. We look back at the differences between it and its western cousin, the NES.
Gaming
New Lord of the Rings game, Tales of the Shire, coming in 2024
by Maria Lattila | Sep 22, 2023 | Gaming, News
Private Division and Wētā Workshop promise a new way to explore Middle-earth in a cosy new Lord of the Rings game, Tales of the Shire.
Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal close to being cleared by UK regulator
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 22, 2023 | Gaming, News, Uncategorised
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority previously blocked Microsoft's Activision deal, but it's now happy with a revised proposal.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 3 is in the works at Ubisoft
by Maria Lattila | Sep 22, 2023 | Gaming, News
Good news for the fans of the Tom Clancyverse - The Division 3 is now officially in the works at Massive Entertainment.
Crystal Dynamics | Layoffs reported at Tomb Raider studio as part of Embracer restructuring
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 21, 2023 | Gaming, News
Ten employees have been laid off at Crystal Dynamics as Embracer continues its drive to cut costs.
Intro sequences: a relic of the past, or a lost art to be redeemed?
by Jon Bailes | Sep 21, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Games like Tekken and Silent Hill began with intro sequences that pulled you into their worlds. Jon Bailes mourns the loss of an 80s and 90s artform.
Glen Schofield, co-creator of Dead Space, leaves the studio behind Callisto Protocol
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 21, 2023 | Gaming, News
Following lower-than-expected sales of Callisto Protocol, Glen Schofield has departed Striking Distance Studios.
Unity and the enshittification of the games industry
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 20, 2023 | Gaming, Opinions
The whole Unity Runtime Fee saga is just a taste of how things are going to go. In short, expect to pay more for less.
Evil Dead: The Game | development ceases, Switch port killed
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 20, 2023 | Gaming, News
Evil Dead: The Game and its Switch port have met a grisly fate, as Saber Interactive announces there'll be no new content developed.
Truxton Extreme revives a classic Toaplan shooter for the modern age
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 20, 2023 | Gaming, News
Truxton Extreme is a modern take on Truxton, aka Tatsujin, and it's a modern shoot-'em-up developed by Toaplan's Masahiro Yuge.
Documents reveal that Microsoft's next-gen Xbox in 2028 will be a 'hybrid'
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 19, 2023 | Gaming, News
The Microsoft leak shows the company has plans for a 'next generation hybrid game platform' that will leverage cloud computing.
Huge Microsoft leak reveals redesigned Xbox Series X with no disc drive
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 19, 2023 | Gaming, News
Leaked documents show two new Microsoft consoles and a brand new Xbox controller, as well as hints of a handheld.
Starfield review | A shallow sea of stars
by Carlton Hill | Sep 19, 2023 | Gaming, Reviews
Despite its huge ambition, Starfield never quite captures the cohesion or sense of adventure found in Bethesda’s earlier RPGs. Our review of a flawed sci-fi epic:
Switch 2 | Nintendo reportedly showed upcoming console to Activision in 2022
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 19, 2023 | Gaming, News
Nintendo briefed Activision about its upcoming Switch 2 console last year, internal documents suggest.
Jaws: The Text Adventure is ten years old today
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 18, 2023 | Gaming, News
"You nibble playfully at her toes, then consume most of her main organs." Welcome to Jaws: The Text Adventure by Matt Round.
Unity apologises for 'confusion and angst' over Runtime Fee and promises changes
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 18, 2023 | Gaming, News
After an extraordinary outpouring of anger from developers, Unity has said it will make changes to its Runtime Fee policy.
Our highlights from yesterday's Nintendo Direct
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 15, 2023 | Gaming, Guides, News
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door! F-Zero 99! Trombone Champ! Here's a look at the best bits of the latest Nintendo Direct.
Lies of P review | A Soulslike with no strings attached
by Carlton Hill | Sep 15, 2023 | Gaming, Reviews
Soulslike action RPG Lies of P doesn't quite step out from Bloodborne's shadow, but it's still a slick and stylish experience. Our review:
Most of us wouldn't watch an unfinished film, so why play unfinished, early access games?
by Vikki Blake | Sep 15, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Not all early access games end up as revered as Baldur’s Gate 3 – so why do we take the risk? Vikki Blake has a few thoughts…
Stig Asmussen, director of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, leaves Electronic Arts
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 14, 2023 | Gaming, News
The director behind EA's Star Wars games Fallen Order and Survivor has left the developer Respawn.
Amstrad Addict is a limited-edition magazine dedicated to the Amstrad CPC computer
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 14, 2023 | Gaming, News
The makers of Pixel Addict have produced a one-off magazine to celebrate the Amstrad CPC 464, 6128 and Plus machines.
Unity allegedly "hasn't figured out" how to count installs
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 14, 2023 | Gaming, News
Counting game installs - a cornerstone of Unity's upcoming Runtime Fee - hasn't been "completely figured out", someone claiming to be an employee writes.
FZ: Formation Z | NES-era mech shooter reboot coming in 2024
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 14, 2023 | Gaming, News
Fans of 1980s-style transforming mechs rejoice: FZ: Formation Z, a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up from the NES era, is getting a current-gen reboot in 2024.
Super Bomberman R 2 review | Not a blast
by Alexander Chatziioannou | Sep 14, 2023 | Gaming, Reviews
A couch co-op classic celebrates its 40th birthday. Sadly, Super Bomberman R 2 fails to add anything explosive to the formula. Our review:
The developers quitting Unity: an at-a-glance guide
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 14, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Guides
The makers of Cult of the Lamb, Among Us and Frogsong are among the developers who’ve said they’re quitting Unity in the wake of its Runtime Fee debacle.
Unity's Runtime Fee is John Riccitiello's Don Mattrick moment
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 13, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
The unveiling of the Unity Runtime Fee echos the confusion and outcry of Don Mattrick's disastrous Xbox One reveal ten years ago.
The Sims 5 will be free to download says EA
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 13, 2023 | Gaming, News
The Sims 5 will exist alongside The Sims 4 and will be free to play, EA has announced, though players will still pay for "content and packs."
Unity announces new 'Runtime Fee', developers respond angrily
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 13, 2023 | Gaming, News
Unity is to introduce a ‘Runtime Fee’ in January 2024 that will see developers pay 20 cents per install after a certain thresholds. The response has not been pretty.
Cassette futurism | Alternatives to the sci-fi space aesthetic that almost every game uses
by Chris Farnell | Sep 13, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Guides, Interviews
Starfield's the latest in a long line of games to embrace the cassette futurism looks. But as Chris points out, other aesthetics are available.
Steam is 20 years old today
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 12, 2023 | Gaming, News
Valve's Steam officially launched on 12th September 2003, 20 years ago today, sparking a revolution in game distribution.
Switch 2 | Nintendo patent hints at a possible new Joy-Con design
by Lewis Packwood | Sep 12, 2023 | Gaming, News
A patent issued by Nintendo describes a joystick which uses the Hall effect, which would eliminate Joy-Con drift in the Switch 2.
Internal email confirms that Embracer is looking to sell Gearbox Software
by Ryan Lambie | Sep 12, 2023 | Gaming, News
An internal email confirms that Embracer Group is considering putting Gearbox Software up for sale. "Nothing has been decided yet," Gearbox's chief communications officer adds.
