Gaming

Goodbye 343 Industries, hello Halo Studios, multiple new games, and a switch to Unreal Engine 5

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October 7, 2024

Goodbye 343 Industries, hello Halo Studios, multiple new games, and a switch to Unreal Engine 5

It’s the end of an era at 343 Industries, as the developer is going by a new name, Halo Studios, with multiple Halo games apparently in development.

Just yesterday, in this story about how Halo Infinite is getting a third person mode, I noted how the future of the series is a bit uncertain given its lack of appearance at Not-E3, and then someone at Microsoft decides to pull a prank on me after I packed up my work desk for the day and share what the future of the series is. It was the 2024 Halo World Championship yesterday, and before that all kicked off the developer formerly known as 343 Industries had a video to share which had some pretty big announcements for both it and Halo.

Watch on YouTube

Off the bat, you’ll already have seen that 343 is now called Halo Studios, with studio head Pierre Hintze explaining in an Xbox Wire post, “If you really break Halo down, there have been two very distinct chapters. Chapter 1 – Bungie. Chapter 2 – 343 Industries. Now, I think we have an audience which is hungry for more. So we’re not just going to try improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games. So, we start a new chapter today.”

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The other big change is that Halo Studios will be switching away from its proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5, something that was first reported to be happening almost exactly two years ago now. The video above talks about Project Foundry, a research project revolving around seeing what Halo looks like on Unreal Engine, which has apparently been worked on for the past two years. While no actual gameplay was shown off, a few different locales familiar to Halo fans have been rendered in Unreal Engine, to set some expectations for what a new game might look like.

Speaking of new games, there are apparently multiple of them in the works, with extra teams being set up to work on them – just don’t expect to see any of them yet, as this whole announcement really is just a case of “don’t worry, the future of Halo is safe.” That obviously remains to be seen, but hey, it’s something!

Old Towers – RetroSouls seriously cool ZX Spectrum game arrives on the Famicom/NES with a version 1.1

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November 15, 2024

Old Towers – RetroSouls seriously cool ZX Spectrum game arrives on the Famicom/NES with a version 1.1

If you’ve been following RetroSouls for awhile you would’ve known they have released games such as GLUF, Old Tower, Twinlight, Alter Ego, and even Tourmaline for the ZX Spectrum. Well today as thanks to a heads up via Facebook, we have been told that they have released a new game update for the NES as an arcade puzzler called ‘Old Towers’. A challenging game in which you have traverse an ancient tower to collect all the treasure within. To coincide with this news, we’ve got some gameplay footage from the game as well as a small write up below the video.

Here’s the latest “Ancient legends say that once every hundred years, when the stars begin to fall from the sky, the doors of the Old Towers open. The abandoned rooms of the Towers hold untold treasures and deadly traps. Many brave heroes, hungry for riches, have traveled to these Cursed Towers, but none of them have ever returned…”

Design,Code,Graphics: Denis GrachevMusic, Sounds: Oleg NikitinFont Design: Damien GuardSpecial thanks to Alex Semenov and Doug Fraker

The PS2 has somehow sold another 5m units since 2013, helping it remain the best-selling console of all time

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November 26, 2024

The PS2 has somehow sold another 5m units since 2013, helping it remain the best-selling console of all time

The Nintendo Switch has slowly making its way toward become the best-selling console of all time, having recently hit 146+ million units sold. That number puts it around 9 million away from the current record holder, the iconic PS2. Or at least, it was 9 million away. You see, Sony has updated its records, and somehow the PS2 has shifted a few more million units.

The last time Sony officially updated us on how many PS2 consoles had been sold was way back in 2011 when the company said 150 million had been shipped. A year later that number was updated to 155 million. A year after that, the PS2 was officially discontinued and since that day Sony has never updated its sales, even though we all knew it must have sold at least a few more units.

It turns out, it did. 5 million of them to be exact. According to the newly updated history of PlayStation on Sony’s official website, somewhere in the last 11 years the PlayStation 2 managed to ship another 5 million consoles, bringing its total to 160 million.

That means the Nintendo Switch now has to achieve another 14 million sales to take the crown. Honestly, that seems quite likely though, as even with the announcement of the Switch 2 coming in 2025 the Switch is still selling very well indeed.

As for the 160 million number, it isn’t the first time we’ve heard it. Former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan revealed in the official PlayStation that the PS2 had sold 160 million. However, since it was a passing comment and because Sony did not update its records, people were not sure whether to believe Ryan’s claims.

Now we just need to wait and see if that number will increase as the Switch inches closer. Perhaps next year Sony will reveal it flogged another few million down local pub. Or if they want to be extra devious they could always produce a PS2 mini pre-loaded with classic games, and use its sales to help the PS2 keep its place at the top of the mountain.

Free League Partners with Two Little Mice for Cinematic RPG Outgunned – TGN – Tabletop Gaming News

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December 5, 2024

Free League Partners with Two Little Mice for Cinematic RPG Outgunned – TGN – Tabletop Gaming News

Free League Publishing has announced a partnership with Italian game studio Two Little Mice (2LM) for the cinematic RPG Outgunned. The game is now available through Free League’s Workshop sub-label, which focuses on externally developed titles.

The Outgunned core rulebook, along with expansions Action Flicks and World of Killers, the mini-campaign Project Medusa, and a Director Screen, can now be purchased from the Free League webshop. The game will also be featured at the Free League booth (#3035) during PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia from December 6–8.

Outgunned is a roleplaying game inspired by action and heist films. Players take on the roles of Heroes facing off against Villains in a world of high-stakes scenarios. The game uses a system called “Director’s Cut,” where outcomes are determined by rolling combinations of two-, three-, or four-of-a-kind on six-sided dice.

During its Kickstarter campaign, Outgunned raised €286,323, significantly surpassing its €10,000 goal and achieving all stretch goals.

Two Little Mice is a game studio based in Italy, founded by Riccardo Sirignano, Simone Formicola, and artist Daniela Giubellini. The studio focuses on creative design and production, earning recognition with multiple ENNIE Awards.

Visitors to PAX Unplugged can explore Free League’s lineup, including Outgunned, Dragonbane, and The Electric State Roleplaying Game. The Outgunned team will be present at the booth to sign books, and Daniela Giubellini will create custom sketches at scheduled times.

Cleared Hot looks like the nostalgic helicopter shooter I needed

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October 21, 2024

Cleared Hot looks like the nostalgic helicopter shooter I needed

With fond memories of playing the likes of Desert Strike for endless hours, Cleared Hot looks exactly what I’ve been wanting in a modern take on it. Developed by Cfinger Games and now MicroProse Software are jumping in as publisher it’s sounding really promising.

In Cleared Hot, players step into the cockpit of a fully upgradeable attack helicopter. You get the classic arcade shooter action blended nicely with modern physics-based mechanics. Players will shoot, dodge, and use creative tactics to move squads across dynamic battlefields while using an innovative rope and magnet system to interact with the environment. From picking up vehicles and redirecting heat-seeking missiles to throwing rocks at enemies, the game offers a truly unique and emergent take on how players can achieve battlefield control.

Features:

Fully physics-based mechanics for emergent and dynamic gameplay.
Engaging single-player campaign with immersive objectives.
Customizable helicopters with a variety of upgradable features and loadouts.
Three distinct biomes: Desert, Jungle, and Arctic.
Day and night missions allowing pilots thetactical edge with night vision and thermal goggle upgrades.
A wide range of enemy vehicles, including tanks, boats, fighter jets, and more.

From the press release: “We’re beyond excited to add Cleared Hot to our storied MicroProse lineup,” said Chris Ansell, MicroProse CMO. “Its combination of nostalgia, creativity, and physics-based action makes it a perfect fit for our commitment to bringing fresh, engaging experiences to gamers.”

You’ll need to use Valve’s Proton to play on Linux for this one.

Follow Cleared Hot on Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.

Easy God Mode Glitch Lets You Farm XP & Camos in Black Ops 6 Zombies

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October 25, 2024

Easy God Mode Glitch Lets You Farm XP & Camos in Black Ops 6 Zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is barely out and already one YouTuber has discovered a God Mode glitch to become completely invincible in Zombies mode.

If you’re looking to farm high rounds in Black Ops 6 Zombies, it can be a little tricky, especially when playing solo.

After all, surviving the undead in Treyarch’s new round-based Zombies mode is extremely challenging, particularly when you pass Round 25. So if you’re struggling to stay alive to farm XP and weapon camos, here’s how to activate God Mode and become completely invincible instead.

How to Activate God Mode on Terminus Island

To activate the God Mode glitch on Black Ops 6’s Terminus map and become completely invincible in-game, follow these steps:

First, survive on Terminus as normal until you get the special Amalgam zombie spawning (the first Amalgam should appear at Round 17).

Head to the Docks where you’ll find a zipline on the southeast side of the map.

God Mode Location Black Ops 6 Zombies Terminus

Wait until the Amalgam is close and then ascend up the zipline at the exact same moment that the special zombie grabs you.

Amalgam Activates God Mode in Black Ops 6 Zombies — Source: Caspahz

If performed with the correct timing, you will remain on the ground but the Amalgam (and every other zombie) will now no longer register you as an enemy!

The timing is extremely precise, but if you miss it, simply ascend and descend on the zipline to try again. Be sure to clear out the weaker zombies so you’re not bothered by other enemies first.

You have now activated God Mode, making you completely safe from the undead hordes! All zombies will no longer detect you, and they’ll instead just wander to specific locations around the map, ready for you to kill them.

This glitch was found by YouTuber Caspahz, the master of discovering God Mode glitches in Call of Duty Zombies.

He determined that the best location to farm the undead is either the Shipwreck or Castle Rock Island, as these areas allow you to stand in one place and mow down any enemies who come within range.

Removing God Mode Invincibility.

To disable this glitch and become targetable once again, you must return to the zipline and actually ascend it.

Once you’ve had enough of XP and camo farming, you can disable God Mode in this manner and return to standard gameplay.

You can check out Caspahz’s video guide on activating the invincibility trick below:

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swings onto PC in January as Insomniac says no more story content is coming

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October 18, 2024

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swings onto PC in January as Insomniac says no more story content is coming

Sony has announced that the hugely successful Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will land on PC in January of 2025.

Aaron Jason Espinoza, Senior Community Manager at Insomniac Games, made the announcement in an official PlayStation Blog post, revealing that Sony-owned porting house Nixxes will be handling the project.

“Bringing Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales to a new audience on PC together with Insomniac and Marvel Games has been a great experience for us at Nixxes,” says Julian Huijbregts, Community Manager at Nixxes. “We are excited to continue this collaboration and bring Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to PC with a suite of enhanced features, including enhanced ray-tracing options, to take full advantage of a variety of setups and configurations. Stay tuned for more details on features and recommended specs closer to launch.”

“Our amazing partners at Nixxes have once again done an incredible job bringing the world of Marvel’s Spider-Man to PC players,” says Mike Fitzgerald, Core Technology Director at Insomniac. “Our team put a lot of love into this game, and we’re excited that it will soon be enjoyed by a whole new audience with keyboard and mouse controls, ultra widescreen support, and numerous graphical options that make it feel at home on their platform.”

Unfortunately the blog post did not confirm what, if any, upgrades the PC version will get, although we can probably assume the usual suite of options such as widescreen support, higher framerates, DLSS and so on.

The blog post also confirmed that no new story content for Spider-Man 2 is planned.

“While we have no additional story content planned for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, we’re delighted to bring all of our previously released post-launch content to the PC version, including New Game+, new suits and color variants, Photo Mode features, and more.”

Sony will be hoping for a win here as their past couple of PC releases haven’t do so well. The remake of Until Dawn launched day 1 on Steam but peaked at a measly 2,607 players, and before that Concord crashed and burned.

Check Cyberpunk 2077’s latest patch for a secret TTRPG surprise

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December 19, 2024

Check Cyberpunk 2077’s latest patch for a secret TTRPG surprise

In a secret pre-holiday update to Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt Red added a little tabletop-shaped gift. A spokesperson from Cyberpunk publisher R. Talsorian Games told Polygon that “any person who owns Cyberpunk 2077 and can access their Bonus Content folder can now find Cyberpunk RED: Easy Mode in there, of course for free.”

Without mention, Cyberpunk 2077’s update 2.2 quietly offered up the quick start guide to the tabletop role-playing game. Easy Mode has abridged rules and an introductory mission to onboard new players quickly to using dice pools instead of controllers and keyboards. Players will be able to act as one of five pre-generated characters in the quick start: the charismatic Rockerboy, the lethal Solo, the inventive Tech, the lifesaving Medtech, and the hard-hitting Media. Though the guide includes a brief dive into the history and landscape of Night City, fans of the video game should feel intimately familiar with the prequel world of Cyberpunk RED.

Though the preview was released at Gen Con in 2019, the full version of Cyberpunk RED originally released alongside Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020. The tabletop game is latest edition of the original Cyberpunk 2020 RPG (which was released in 1989). The franchise explores the gritty sci-fi fiction of an end-stage capitalist technofuture where, according to the game’s description, “corporations control the world from their skyscraper fortresses.” Perhaps a little on the nose. Set in 2045, Cyberpunk RED takes place midway between the events of Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk 2077.

Polygon has confirmed the gift is available to PC users. To check for your copy of the PDF on PC, navigate to “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\music\Cyberpunk 2077 Bonus Content.” Polygon has not been able to verify how to get the PDF on Xbox or PlayStation, though the spokesperson said it “should have been” confirmed for those platforms as well.

Parallaxian – A cancelled C64/C128 game, gets an early build leak(?) via Quantum

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December 16, 2024

Parallaxian – A cancelled C64/C128 game, gets an early build leak(?) via Quantum

It was some time ago now that we mentioned Jonathan Woods ‘Parallaxian’; A stunning “next generation” shoot-em-up-bomb-em-up game for the Commodore 64, which sadly at the time never reach its £12,500 goal, even though it did reach a half way point. Well fast forward to this month however and if you were still keen to play this game, will be pleased to know that Quantum has released an early build of the game from March for you to try. Just be aware if you’re hoping for the full version however, “KODIAK64 discontinued the development of the game and stopped the activities on the Commodore 64”.

Here’s the latest from Quantum. “Quantum is back with a Christmas present for you. After the coder KODIAK64 discontinued the development of the game and stopped the activities on the Commodore 64, we decided to make the last build (from March 2023) available to the scene. We really hope that the coder will decide to continue developing the game. Enjoy the cool game preview now”.

Links :1) Source 2) Download