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Sony has confirmed its interest in aquiring FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa. The PlayStation manufacturer cleared the air regarding reports that it was looking to pick up the gaming and anime mega company in a recent interview with Yahoo Japan. It’s acknowledgement of what could be a bombshell moment for entertainment fans everywhere, but until a deal is finalized, it is probably best to keep expectations for a potential buyout at a minimum. “It is true that we have made an initial statement of intent,” Sony said regarding its interest in Kadokawa (translated via DeepL). “We would appreciate it if you would allow us to refrain from further comment.” Rumors that Sony may soon acquire Kadokawa first emerged from a Reuters report last month. It stated that talks between the two companies were ongoing, with one of its sources adding that, should negotiations proceed in a positive direction, a deal could be signed soon. Today’s confirmation from Sony suggests that talks remain active, though it’s unclear where things sit now. Kadokawa oversees a number of entities that could no doubt benefit Sony in the long run. One that many gaming fans have their eye on is FromSoftware, which helped launch gaming into the 2010s with its critically acclaimed Dark Souls series. The developer also found tremendous success with 2022’s George R. R. Martin collaboration project, Elden Ring, with its follow-up DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, launching earlier this year. Kadokawa also owns other gaming studios such as Spike Chunsoft (Danganronpa), Acquire (Octopath Traveler), Gotcha Gotcha Games (RPG Maker), and more. While some experts believe that bringing the media company under Sony’s wing may prove to be difficult, Ampere Analysis research director Piers Harding-Rolls previously explained to IGN that news of the company’s interest shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It already owns about 14% of FromSoftware thanks to a deal made in 2022. “At the time, Sony mentioned a broader interest in cross-media development of anime and games IP to support its other media businesses,” Harding-Rolls said. “So, in that sense any deal for the parent company Kadokawa, which also operates extensively in manga and anime, is a natural extension of this earlier deal. These other areas align nicely with Sony’s anime businesses.” There’s no telling when or if the deal will proceed for now. While we wait for any updates, you can read about why FromSoftware isn’t currently interested in making Elden Ring 2. You can also learn about the ransomware attack that hit the game developer earlier this year. Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx. Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

When your city has been overrun by zombies and survival is a brutal daily grind, you wouldn't expect there to be much time for seasonal festivities. Well, despite it being a huge tonal shift, Dying Light 2 insists that even the infested city of Villedor should celebrate Christmas, and Techland has brought back its Winter Tales event once again. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Big Dying Light 2 update brings back the roguelike mode, and makes it way harder Surprise Dying Light 2 update transforms how you play the zombie game Dying Light 2 and dozens of other spooky bangers up to 80% off in new ***** View the full article

The Seat of Eternity mystery is one you can stumble upon while exploring Gizeh in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. You do have to go out of your way to find this location, and once you do, you’ll need to continue the work of a previous archeologist. The one who discovered this location could not figure out the puzzle and suffered for it. Thankfully, they provided a few clues on what you need to piece together the final details of this area. You’ll need to search around for every piece of this puzzle, and after you have them all together, it’s about placing them in the correct locations. Once you do, you can unlock the tomb and obtain a helpful collection item you might be hunting for. Here’s what you need to know about how to complete the Seat of Eternity mystery in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. View the full article

After much anticipation, MachineGames' Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has released to widespread acclaim from fans of the classic Hollywood blockbusters. It successfully interprets the familiar tropes and essence of Indiana Jones into an interactive experience which is consistent and authentic to both its stealth-action adventure gameplay, and the movies themselves. This sentiment is expressed straight away thanks to the excellent reinterpretation of a classic Raiders of the Lost Ark scene in The Great Circle's tutorial. View the full article

Path of Exile 2 has launched into early access, and with it comes a revamped skill system. PoE 2 will stay in this early access state for about six months, but that doesn't mean it will lack content. The early access has three full acts to enjoy, with plenty of new content coming until the official launch. Perhaps the biggest downside is that only six of the 12 classes are currently playable, many of which are the best classes from Path of Exile. However, these new classes will also trickle in over the six months. View the full article

Proposals are a relatively common occurrence in Stardew Valley, but seeing a proposal that gets creative with the concept can be refreshing. One creative new proposal made between a couple that was already married in real life shows Stardew Valley's potential for cute gestures, especially when they step outside the typical boundaries of the game's romance systems. Although getting the wedding ring to gift to another player can be romantic, taking advantage of the game's primary mechanics to cultivate something special is even better. View the full article

Italian folklore-inspired soulslike comes to Xbox Series consoles tomorrow following PlayStation 5 and PC debut. View the full article

After a rather successful first week in open beta, Team ***** has just revealed a new update for Delta Force that kicks off several in-game events all at once. With varying requirements across both Warfare and Operations modes and a multitude of rewards, it might be tricky to keep track of it all.. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Delta Force guide and beginner's tips Delta Force Twitch drops and how to claim Best Delta Force loadouts and builds View the full article

Despite heaps of ambition and a decent slate of content, things haven't been easy for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown since it launched a few months ago. However, the arrival of Season 2 could be the turning point for the racing game, as it adds several new cars, quality of life improvements, and a second open-world location to race in - and fans of the Test Drive series will recognize it immediately. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown reveals compensation plan after rocky launch Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown review - wasted potential Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown wants you to care about every car View the full article

Creation is an act of kindness. One person sloughs off a piece of themselves, shapes it, wraps it, and sends it out into the world in the hope that it might mean something to someone else. Other people do this for us all the time and mostly we don't even notice. The work is unseen and unremarked upon even as, through repetition, we come to depend upon it. Until, one day, that light that they shine can't be seen. Maybe you left home, or maybe they did, but now it's your turn to perform such acts of kindness. To carry the tradition forward for others - and for yourself. Friends, it's time to play Skeal. Read more View the full article

Epic Games seems to be testing a way for players to only have to add the necessary amount of V-Bucks to their Fortnite account when buying cosmetics rather than a preset amount. Like most free-to-play games, Fortnite has an in-game currency, which gamers can earn or purchase. It is possible to earn 200 V-Bucks per season simply by leveling up the Battle Pass, but since it takes about three months for a new season to start, this would be an inefficient way to acquire in-game currency, which is why many fans buy V-Bucks. View the full article

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is at a crucial point. Despite impressive graphics and a famous cast, the poor performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League overshadowed their future plans for DC games. The game's negative reviews and declining player numbers highlight the dangers of focusing too much on trends instead of solid gameplay. Losing over $200 million on this game is not just a setback; it's a clear warning about the risks of prioritizing a live-service approach over a well-designed single-player experience. View the full article

You’ll find a handful of trusty lockboxes throughout your playthrough of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. These lockboxes require you to know a particular four-digit code to acquire their contents, and the Cloud Atlas lockbox is especially tricky, as you have to do some heavy deduction. Not only do you have to narrow down the exact code, but you must determine it based on a weather station. There are only two particular clues you can use to help narrow down what four-digit code you’ll have to use. If you’ve already tackled many of the other lockboxes up until this point, there’s a good chance you have a decent idea of what you have to do, but it’s still tricky. We’ll be able to help you figure out the exact code you need to use to unlock the Cloud Atlas lockbox, and provide you with another completed mystery in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. View the full article

Today's Steam Client Beta update includes a few improvements that give you more control over when Steam will download updates for your installed games. When downloading game updates, Steam continues to try to strike a balance between keeping your games ready to play and efficiently using your bandwidth. For games you recently played, Steam will download game updates shortly after they are released. For games that you haven't played in a while, Steam might wait a few days to bundle multiple updates together or choose to download the update while you are asleep. While this default behavior works in most cases, there are times when you need more control of when updates are applied. Some users might want to delay updating a 200GB game until they are ready to play it again in a few months, especially if they are on metered connections or have monthly bandwidth caps. For others who play the same game every night, they might want updates downloaded as soon as they are available. What's new?We've added a new section to control the default behavior for when game updates are applied, under "Downloads" in the Steam Client settings. You can set the default to: let Steam decide when to update the game (based on factors like when you last played the game, bandwidth availability, etc.) or wait to update until the game is launched. To set specific game overrides, go to Library > Game> Game Properties (the gear icon). The options remain the same, with cleaned up descriptions. To see which games have specific overrides, head back to the Steam Client "Downloads" settings and click "Manage Exceptions". Looking for even more control?These new settings join a robust set of existing download options that can be found under "Downloads" in the Steam Client settings. Head there to limit your download speed, pause downloads while you play or stream a game, and more. If there is a setting you would like to see and can't find, please let us know!. Learn how to opt into the Steam Client Beta to help test new features like these. View the full article

Today's Steam Client Beta update includes a few improvements that give you more control over when Steam will download updates for your installed games. When downloading game updates, Steam continues to try to strike a balance between keeping your games ready to play and efficiently using your bandwidth. For games you recently played, Steam will download game updates shortly after they are released. For games that you haven't played in a while, Steam might wait a few days to bundle multiple updates together or choose to download the update while you are asleep. While this default behavior works in most cases, there are times when you need more control of when updates are applied. Some users might want to delay updating a 200GB game until they are ready to play it again in a few months, especially if they are on metered connections or have monthly bandwidth caps. For others who play the same game every night, they might want updates downloaded as soon as they are available. What's new?We've added a new section to control the default behavior for when game updates are applied, under "Downloads" in the Steam Client settings. You can set the default to: let Steam decide when to update the game (based on factors like when you last played the game, bandwidth availability, etc.) or wait to update until the game is launched. To set specific game overrides, go to Library > Game> Game Properties (the gear icon). The options remain the same, with cleaned up descriptions. To see which games have specific overrides, head back to the Steam Client "Downloads" settings and click "Manage Exceptions". Looking for even more control?These new settings join a robust set of existing download options that can be found under "Downloads" in the Steam Client settings. Head there to limit your download speed, pause downloads while you play or stream a game, and more. If there is a setting you would like to see and can't find, please let us know!. Learn how to opt into the Steam Client Beta to help test new features like these. View the full article

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include: Happy Smissmas 2024! All players who play TF2 during the event will receive a Stuffed Stocking as a gift! Stockings contain goodies for good little Mercenaries. Featuring 6 new community maps: Overcast, Fortezza, Penguin Peak, Patagonia, Cutter, and Maul Added the Winter 2024 Cosmetic CaseContains 23 new community-contributed items The Festivizer can be found as a bonus drop when opening the caseAdded 3 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. StoreTaunt: *****-Head Slice Taunt: Peace! Taunt: Curtain CallAdded 18 new community-created Unusual effects9 new effects for Unusual hats 9 new effects for Unusual tauntsAll cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Smissmas 2024 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include crates. Mann Co. Store winter *****! Smissmas runs through January 7th, 2025 General Fixed a client ****** when previewing imported items in the Workshop dialog Fixed showing an error model when equipping the Scottish Resistance Fixed The Executioner not hiding the Scout's dog tags Updated the Mountebank's Masque to fix a problem with the materials Updated/Added some tournament medals Updated vsh_distillery, vsh_nucleus, vsh_outburst, vsh_skirmish, and vsh_tinyrockGeneralAdded the gamemode intro movie (made by Lacry, thanks) Improved the delivery of VSH-related voice lines for Soldier, Engineer and Sniper Updated some VSH-related voice lines for Saxton, Soldier, Engineer and Sniper (thanks The Rat Man) Added Hale's kill icons Visual improvements to Hale's Ability HUD (thanks Funicular) Added a visual cue signaling an upcoming Saxton Punch! Minor visual improvements to Saxton Hale and his particle effects Fixed the boss bar sometimes starting invisible Fixed a rare ****** caused by seeing blood decals on Hale while playing on low graphics quality settings Fixed a rare bug when Hale's Ability HUD textures become missingBalance Changes - Saxton HaleAdded Brave Jump Fatigue. Each consecutive jump will be less powerful, requiring a short break to restore to full strengthWeightdown ability is disabled during Jump FatigueIncreased Hale's health by ~100HP per opponent Adjusted Hale's health formula against 24+ opponents - Hale now gains 2000HP for every opponent past 23 (thanks Megascatterbomb) Hale's resistance to knockback reduced from 75% to 35% Head Stomp damage now scales with Hale's downward speed, dealing between 64 and 193 damage (previously dealt flat 195 damage)Balance Changes - MercenariesExplosives and fire now deal 50% more damage against Hale The 40% minigun damage penalty now applies to full crits only Broken Demoman shields now retain the charge ability Demoman shields now absorb only 50% of the incoming damage upon breaking (a would-be-lethal blow will leave the Demo at 1HP) Greatly decreased sticky trap damage reduction Removed Scottish Resistance's 20% damage penalty Baby Face's Blaster now loses 20% of its boost upon Wall ClimbingUpdated vsh_tinyrock (additional changes)Improved performance Fixed odd clipping at one of the spawnsUpdated vsh_distillery (additional changes)Improved performanceUpdated vsh_nucleus (additional changes)Fixed setup time ending five seconds too early Improved detailing in some areas Improved clipping on staircases Increased control point capture time to 15 seconds Removed collision on some lights Changed damage model and damage amount of the toxic waste pit and puddlesUpdated vsh_skirmish (additional changes)Fixed setup time ending five seconds too early Fixed an issue where Engineers could build in the crocodile pit Fixed not being able to wall climb certain trees in the main arena Fixed some lighting issues on stalactites and other props Parts of Hale's intro sequence no longer play while waiting for players Improved optimization and detailing in some areas Improved clipping on spiral stairs (Thanks Aar!) Updated security systemUpdated cp_brewThe shortcut from RED spawn to the "A" point now has a nobuild trigger Added floor indicator for the health kit in the "A" point wooden shack Adjusted "A" point wooden shack to allow more breathing room Fixed getting stuck on the "A" gate's frame Fixed teletrap near "A" point ditch route Fixed being able to place buildings inside an out-of-bounds room outside "A" point Fixed some stuck spots near "B" point Fixed being able to shoot through a crack in the BLU forward spawn Fixed floating props in the diner Fixed one way door not forcing itself closed Cleaned up some collisions and clipping across the map Improved lighting on all of the archwaysUpdated koth_krampusFixed missing trees in skybox Improved look of waterfall texture near full health-kit Fixed minor visual errors Minor NPC clipping changes Fed krampus some oatsUpdated pl_emergeSwitched on the cart light Fixed RED players being able to sit on the edge of an exit of BLU's starting spawn Fixed some doors showing incorrect textures Fixed the final capture point displaying an incorrect string Fixed the map occasionally playing incorrect ambient sounds Minor visual and performance tweaksUpdated cp_carrierThe Carrier now has full crits rather than mini-crits The Carrier now uses the robot voice lines Improved hearability of the Carrier's voice lines and footsteps Fixed visual bugs with the boss bar Fixed the Carrier sometimes becoming invisible while taunting Fixed animation glitches when a Demoman Carrier holds a Stickybomb Launcher Fixed occasional phasing through the elevator platform at BLU spawn Decreased size of the frogView the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Preview/Beta channel. General Fixed desktop Steam Clients exiting while running a game if a Steam Deck is resumed while running a non-Steam app. Fixed several issues where navigation could get stuck behind menus or dialogs. Fixed the WiFi auto connect setting being forgotten after a system restart. Fixed a case where the WiFi connection dialog would not show a password prompt for networks that only support WPA3. Updated layout of downloads page for the active item. Game Recording Improved error messages for limited accounts sharing messages in chat or via the share menu. Remote Play Fixed Remote Play Together session not fully starting for some games running on macOS host systems. Steam Input Reduced overhead/latency of controller input in Big Picture Mode and Virtual Menus Slightly reduced steady-state CPU usage of Steam Input overall Fixed some Linux-specific crashes Fixed not being able to use "Export Layout->Save New Layout" when using a "Sharable Personal Layout".View the full article

After a rather successful first week in open beta, Team ***** has just revealed a new update for Delta Force that kicks off several in-game events all at once. With varying requirements across both Warfare and Operations modes and a multitude of rewards, it might be tricky to keep track of it all.. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Delta Force guide and beginner's tips Delta Force Twitch drops and how to claim Best Delta Force loadouts and builds View the full article

The Plucky Squire has released a new update that adds a new optional mode that does away with some of the game's hand-holding. Developed by All Possible Futures and published by Devolver Digital, The Plucky Squire was released in September to very positive reviews, and has even been nominated in two categories at this year's Game Awards: Best Family Game and Best Debut Indie. View the full article

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes: General Added a global setting for improved management of game updates. Added a panel to manage per-game exceptions to the global setting. Added keyboard controls for dropdown lists in the client. Updated layout of downloads page for the active item. Fixed Steam Client exiting instead of showing a refresh login dialog if another client session starts playing a game or resumes from suspend in a game session. Fixed Steam Client exiting while running a game if a Steam Deck is resumed while running a non-Steam app. Library Fixed friends showing multiple times in the "In-Game" section if they also had the game on their wishlist. Game Recording Improved error messages for limited accounts sharing messages in chat or via the share menu. Steam Overlay Added support for bookmarks saved per game in the overlay browser. Improved reliability of saving for notes. Fixed scroll position, selection, and undo history getting lost when switching between notes. Remote Play Fixed Remote Play Together session not fully starting for some games running on macOS host systems. Big Picture Mode Fixed several issues where navigation could get stuck behind menus or dialogs. Fixed an issue where the guide button would open the menu in the main steam window instead of in the game overlay. macOS Added "End of Life" alert for macOS 10.15 ("Catalina"). Steam Client support for these operating systems will end on February 15th, 2025 at 10am. See here for additional details. Linux Fixed a case where Steam could permanently inhibit the screensaver if it crashed while holding the screensaver lock. Fixed potential ****** when exiting a game if Game Recording is enabled on systems with recent versions of pipewire. Steam Input Reduced overhead/latency of controller input in Big Picture Mode and Virtual Menus Slightly reduced steady-state CPU usage of Steam Input overall Fixed some Linux-specific crashes Fixed a ****** at startup when certain analog keyboards are connected. Fixed not being able to use "Export Layout->Save New Layout" when using a "Sharable Personal Layout".View the full article

Fortnite’s brand new first-person tac shooter Ballistic is out, and players are experimenting with different weapons and flex gadgets to determine their go-to build for grinding ranked. While you can switch your weapons while playing Fortnite Ballistic based on your economy during the rounds, you’re stuck with your Flex Gadgets choice for the rest of the match. The Flex Gadgets are unique tools in your arsenal, which lets you adopt different playstyles to take on your enemies and win more rounds. View the full article

The Epic Games Store will offer 16 free Mystery Games between December 12, 2024, and January 9, 2025, according to a recent leak. The Epic Games Store traditionally offers free games daily at the end of each year, so fans were eager to discover how many freebies they could snatch in late 2024. View the full article

Infamous evolutionary flop Spore, for all its flaws, still had a lot of magic to it. It was fun to design your weird creatures, to watch them try to walk, and - in principle - to turn your humble creations into a spacefaring species. Curiosmos is a very different game, but it has a little of the same appeal. It's a galactic playground in which you smash meteors together to make planets, then tinker with the ecosystems of those planets to make life and watch that life evolve. All while a hungry ****** hole lingers nearby, eager to consume everything you have created. There's an explanatory video below. Read more View the full article

The Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 update rolled out yesterday with some pretty cool additions including new customization options, a range of photo mode enhancements, Johnny in the shotgun seat, and a secret Balatro-based sidequest. But big updates can be risky things, especially for people using mods, and so today CD Projekt launched a new beta branch of the game that lets players revert to the previous 2.13 version on Steam and GOG, so people can keep playing while modders sort out any issues that may crop up... Read more.View the full article

Overwatch 2 has finally added a unique model to Bastion’s A-36 Tactical Grenade ability. Though the change was not mentioned in any patch notes, the loveable sentry’s alt fire officially has an actual model for the first time since the ability was added in Overwatch 2. View the full article