Australia's National Film & Sound Archive recently conducted a survey on international game preservation. The results show how dire the efforts to preserve games are worldwide and how they will hit local industry the hardest.In the NFSA's survey (conducted in 2023), respondents cited key roadblocks such as legal and technical access, a lack of dedicated staffing, and funds. Its summary further notes most groups treat preservation as part of a larger operation rather than a key focus.Like last year's survey from the Video Game History Foundation, the NFSA said the industry is facing a "significant loss of heritage," particularly as it pertains to the Australian game industry.Its website reveals over 96 percent of classic Australian games are "critically endangered," substantially worse than the US's 87 percent of pre-2010 games. And while the US has support from the Library of Congress, preservation is not a priority for every country.Even more recent games are said to be at risk, as organizations have them saved as digital titles rather than physical releases, of which they're "almost twice as likely to have."One respondent…
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Early external playtests of Marathon, Destiny developer Bungie’s new shooter, appear to have been underway this week.In a tweet last night, Halo YouTuber HiddenXperia announced that “I’ve been at Bungie all week playing Marathon.” While the YouTuber wasn’t able to provide any details about his time at the studio, he said that it was a “surreal experience.”I am VERY excited to announce that I’ve been at @Bungie all week playing Marathon :)Can’t give any specifics yet, all I’ll say is man… what a surreal experience lol pic.twitter.com/JdsiSVDYiGOctober 10, 2024Bungie originally revealed Marathon in the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, and it wasn’t long after that before players unlocked a new trailer that suggested Marathon details would still be a long way off. Back then, Bungie general manager Scott Taylor told players “we are going to go dark for a while – for an extended period – while we focus on developing and playtesting the game.”Taylor also suggested that the next time we hear from Bungie about Marathon, the studio would be ready to reveal gameplay, but that’s not what’s happening here. While it’s a positive sign that the studio is bringing in outside…
External development partner Virtuos has just announced its acquisition of Third Kind Studios, a move that they say will, "bolster Virtuos’ AAA co-development capabilities" in the years to come.
In an announcement on its website, the company revealed that the studio will continue to be led by its original co-founders and that it seeks to double its headcount in the coming years in response to growing client demand.Founded in 2016, Third Kind has co-developed several triple-A games in recent years. Many of them come from Xbox (like the new Fable and Sea of Thieves), and also include Predecessor, Omeda's revival of Epic Games' once-defunct MOBA Paragon.Per CTO Ray Tharanee, this is the first UK venture for its new parent company. On the studio's end, this will allow it to take on "new and exciting triple-A projects" and continue its own growth, including doubling its staff over the next two years."We're proud to play a pivotal role in expanding [Viruos'] global footprint, and we look forward to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming together," he wrote.Over the past year, Virtuos has opened studios…
Nintendo has revealed Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will go offline on November 29. The good news? A paid version of the game will go online that same day.The free-to-play mobile spinoff launched in November 2017, and Nintendo called it an honor "to see everyone's lovely, diverse campsites grow and flourish. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many users who have loved Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp."As for the paid version, players will be able to transfer save data from the free Pocket Camp version by linking their Nintendo account. Nintendo explained it will be effectively the same exact game, minus in-app purchases or subscription services.Additionally, the new Pocket Camp will not require a constant online connection, which will affect some features like gifts and visiting players. More details, such as a price point, will be revealed in October.
Nintendo's mobile efforts
Nintendo has released multiple mobile games over the years, most of which have shut down. This marks the latest closure since Dragalia Lost in late 2022.It…
Activision Blizzard is reportedly trying to bring Overwatch Mobile to your phone screens.That’s according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier in his new book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, in which he interviews over 300 developers from across the company’s history on everything from its fabled cancellations to the turmoil that followed it at every step.Despite being a massive breakout hit and launching a short-lived hero shooter craze, Overwatch has never really been able to capitalize on its viral characters outside of the main game’s offerings. The Overwatch 2 team scrapped its promised PvE campaign that pretty much justified the sequel’s revamp, and a Netflix Overwatch series was also canned after a legal fallout.But Blizzard Entertainment apparently still has plans to expand the franchise. “Overwatch was led by Walter Kong, who oversaw the release of regular heroes and content for Overwatch 2, as well as new projects like a mobile version of the franchise,” Schreier writes. (Thanks, Dexerto.) There’s no word on how far along the mobile version might be, whether it’s a straight-up port or a new take on the series, or if it’s even still in develo…
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How to beat Eddie
Weaknesses, tips and strategies
The Silent Hill 2 Remake Eddie fight is one of the game’s toughest bosses, and has been built up to for a while. Occurring after you complete the Labyrinth sequence and explore every combination of the Silent Hill 2 Remake rotating cube puzzle, Eddie finally turns his dwindling sanity on James – which wouldn’t be so concerning if he wasn’t armed with a giant revolver in a funhouse abattoir. The Eddie fight can be surprisingly difficult, and is all balancing a mix of speed, cover and perception, as Eddie’s strategy is to lunge out of the darkness and try to gun you down without warning – something you can’t let happen, considering the lethality of that revolver. If you need a helping hand, here’s how to beat the Eddie boss fight in Silent Hill 2 Remake, with weaknesses, tips and strategies laid out.How to beat the Eddie fight in Silent Hill 2 Remake The fight against Eddie in Silent Hill 2 Remake is one broken into three stages broken up by short cutscenes, but the only major difference here isn’t Eddie, but the environment, as first he creates a cloud of obscuring mist, and then the hanging meat of the slaug…
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is stuffed with references to A Link To The Past, A Link Between Worlds, and more niche parts of the series’ history – but it might also be hiding a tribute to two Nintendo legends in plain sight. In Echoes of Wisdom’s Lake Hylia area, Zelda stumbles across two Zoras who come from different tribes and eventually work together to make sure the River Zora and Ocean Zora can co-exist. TheGamer theorizes that the two Zoras – Inawa and Rogma – might actually be a callback to the friendship between former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata (RIP) and former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.Of course, their names are loosely similar. Inawa, Iwata. Rogma, Reggie. Then there’s also the fact that they come from two different tribes (Nintendo Nintendo and Nintendo of America) but share similar goals and ultimately fall under the same umbrella.”If the developers did indeed reference the friendship between Mr. Iwata and me, I am incredibly touched,” Reggie tweeted today after spotting the potential callback.
REGGIE vs IWATA HD – Super Smash Bros annonce Mii – trailer [E3 2014] – YouTube
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Satoru Iwata was the company’s president for w…
The Baldur’s Gate 3 community is back with yet another lewd creation – and this time, it’s a hyper-realistic doll that Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke himself has now spotted.”Don’t ask me where I got this,” a viral post highlighting the doll reads, “but there is a girlie out there with a $20,000 life-sized Astarion sex doll. I just have to ask, were the fanfics not enough?” Alongside the text is an image of the massive mannequin, and boy is it something. Vincke’s response speaks volumes here, I’d say. All that his reply consists of is a simple emoji of eyes, giving strong “I see this, but why do I see this” vibes.👀 https://t.co/IGqKYozoqjOctober 9, 2024The most shocking part of the doll’s existence is the supposed review that goes along with it, indicating that an Astarion stan actually went as far as purchasing it. The mysterious shopper calls the life-sized figure “amazing,” declaring the head a “handsome” one of “great quality.” They love the doll so much, in fact, that they’d even buy another if they could: “If I can get the funds again I would purchase again.”As a dedicated Baldur’s Gate 3 fan myself, I can’t say I’m surprised. After all, the fanbase has done everythin…
The Finals’ 3.4 update rolled out across PC and PS5 last week, but Xbox fans have yet to experience the shorter wait-times and party chat as the patch hasn’t yet been released on Xbox consoles.
Developer Embark has apologised for the “lengthy delay” for the Xbox update, but whilst it’s “currently working together with” Microsoft to resolve the issue, it’s unable to provide an ETA as to when the hold-up will be resolved.
The Finals – Extreme Destruction! PC Tech Review – PS5 Comparisons + Optimised Settings
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Frontier has officially announced Planet Coaster 2, the sequel to its popular theme park management game.
The studio has been teasing news for the past couple of days on its Twitch channel, with an ongoing stream of park noises. Now it’s shown a short in-engine teaser and revealed water parks will be a major new inclusion.
The game will be released this autumn, with a full gameplay reveal set for 31st July.
Planet Coaster 2 | Announcement Trailer
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