Steam

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will include some special rewards for players who also own a copy of Hogwarts Legacy. With more than two decades since the release of last official Quidditch video game, Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions looks to revive the magical sport this fall. View the full article

Gathering items is an essential gameplay aspect in Disney Dreamlight Valley. You need them for quests, cooking, crafting, gifting, and so much more. One of the more versatile items you need to collect is Bamboo. The process for obtaining different types of items varies, and since this one can be used for multiple activities, knowing how to obtain it is extra tricky. Here’s how to get Bamboo in Disney Dreamlight Valley. View the full article

Soccer fans scare me. Their level of deadly, city-burning fervor for their chosen passion is matched only by the fabled Swifties, or perhaps the legions of the BTS Army. Evidently, that passion extends to the digital realm, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s new YouTube channel. Ronaldo, who already commands over 100 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), launched an official YouTube channel just yesterday, which rather unsurprisingly exploded. Within 90 minutes—the same official length as one of his matches—the channel had already hit the coveted million-subscriber mark, making YouTube history and earning Ronaldo a gold play button (which he then gave to his kids, like the stand-up guy he is.) View the full article

If there's one strategy series everyone's heard of, it's Civilization. If there's another, it's Total War. But maybe you also remember Heroes of Might and Magic. Whether it's just in passing, or because you're a ****-hard fan, the strategy series has etched itself into history yet struggled in recent times to maintain its status among the greats. After almost a decade of silence following the middling reception to Might and Magic Heroes 7, the series has remained relatively silent - until now. At Gamescom 2024, Ubisoft just announced Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, a brand-new title that takes us back to Enroth. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

A couple of months after launch The First Descendant is whirring up for its first season, and there's plenty to unpack. With a new character, new weapons, and much more coming to the game, there should be lots for fans of the game to get stuck into. That said, it's not all good news, as some players have already expressed disappointment with The First Descendant Season 1's staggered launch - there'll be months to wait until everything is released. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The First Descendant codes August 2024 New The First Descendant update makes farming and finding gear easier Nexon issues cryptic The First Descendant warning over system exploits View the full article

It’s time to see what the future holds for Call of Duty. And as has been said before in the franchise, the future is ******. ****** Ops 6 is set to launch in about two months, but gamers can add to their arsenals way ahead of time by watching the Call of Duty Next livestream and earn some free viewership drops that will be available in the game when it’s released in October. View the full article

At Gamescom, Ubisoft announced Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, the eighth mainline game in the series. In an official statement, Ubisoft promised that the new strategy game will stay true to the franchise's roots while incorporating modern features that appeal to veterans and newcomers. View the full article

Update 1.18 for Dying Light 2, also referred to as the Community QoL Update, has just been released, adding a number of bug fixes and changes to the game. Prior to this latest build, the last major update for Dying Light 2, Update 1.17, was released in late June. View the full article

Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann has reassured fans that the next Tomb Raider is progressing well, despite recent turbulence at Crystal Dynamics parent Embracer. It was announced back in December 2022 that Amazon would be publishing the next Tomb Raider game, which is being developed by its modern creator Crystal Dynamics. Crystal Dynamics was one of numerous studios hit with layoffs last year, following a “restructuring program” which its owner Embracer Group said would lead to some studios being closed and some projects being cancelled. Read More... View the full article

It’s official: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is set to release for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025 – or on February 6, if you buy one of the pricier editions. This new installment of the long-running strategy series puts you in charge of a fledgling civilization, with the goal of conquering the world. As always, you have a variety of ways to do that, whether it be by might, scientific discovery, cultural influence, or more. Civ 7 is now available to preorder in a number of editions that range from barebones to extravagant (see it at Amazon). For details about what comes in each one, keep on reading. Civilization VII (Standard Edition) PS5 Get it at Amazon - $69.99Get it at GameStop - $69.99 PS4/PS5 Get it at PS Store (digital) - $69.99 Xbox Series X|S Get it at Amazon - $69.99 (currently unavailable)Get it at GameStop - $69.99Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $69.99 Nintendo Switch Get it at Amazon - $59.99 (currently unavailable)Get it at GameStop - $59.99Get it at eShop (digital) - $59.99 PC Get it at Fanatical - $61.59Get it at Steam - $69.99 Preorder the standard edition, and you’ll receive the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack for free. Note that there is no PS4 physical version. For that, you’ll need to buy a digital copy, which includes both the PS5 and PS4 version. The physical Xbox version, however, does work with both Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Civilization VII Deluxe Edition PS5 Get it at Amazon - $99.99 (currently unavailable)Get it at GameStop - $99.99 PS4/PS5 Get it at PS Store (digital) - $99.99 Xbox Series X|S Get it at Amazon - $99.99Get it at GameStop - $99.99Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $99.99 Nintendo Switch Get it at Amazon - $89.99Get it at GameStop - $89.99Get it at eShop (digital) - $89.99 PC Get it at Fanatical - $87.99Get it at Steam - $99.99 Once again, PS4 owners will need to buy this game in digital form to play on their console. The deluxe edition comes with the game itself, plus the following: Early Access on February 6, 2025Tecumseh and Shawnee PackCrossroads of the World CollectionDeluxe Content PackCivilization VII Founders Edition (Digital Only)Get it for PlayStation - $129.99Get it for Xbox - $129.99Get it for Switch - $119.99Get it for PC at Fanatical (Steam or EGS) - $114.39Get it for PC at Steam - $129.99 The founders edition includes the following: Full base gameEarly Access - play the game up to 5 days early on February 6, 2025Tecumseh and Shawnee PackCrossroads of the World Collection, with post-launch content featuring 2 new leaders, 4 new civilizations, 4 new wonders, a special cosmetic bonus, and moreRight to Rule Collection, with post-launch content featuring 2 new leaders, 4 new civilizations, 4 new wonders, a special cosmetic bonus, and more!*Deluxe Content Pack, which includes:2 leader personas4 profile customizations1 alternate scout skinFounders Content Pack, which includes:2 leader personas4 profile customizations1 fog of war tile set1 Founders palace skin * Contains 6 DLCs, all of which will be available on or by September 2025 (subject to change). Civilization VII Collector’s EditionGet it at Final Boss Bundle - $149.99 - $279.99 Exclusive to Final Boss Bundle, this collector’s edition can be purchased with the PC (Steam) version of the game, or without any game at all. The latter option would be good for anyone buying it on another platform, for instance. It includes the game (if that’s the version you choose), and the following: "The Passage of Time" Decorative ClockScout FigureLogo PinChallenge CoinCivilization PostcardsHigh-Quality Art PrintYield Icon Patch SetWhat Is Civilization VII? Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is the latest installment of a strategy game series that dates allllllll the way back to 1991. Developed by Firaxis, it lets you pick a leader from history to lead your people to global domination. You can build your city, populate it with architectural wonders, and expand your rule either through conquest or cooperation with your neighboring civilizations. You have a lot of leeway in how you steer progress for your people. You can do it in a true-to-history sort of way, or you can veer off from the textbook stories to forge a path that’s all your own. The biggest new feature in Civ 7 is that you don’t play as a single civilization from start to finish. Instead, for each run through the game, you’ll pick a new civilization to play as during each of three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. The only thing that stays with you as you play is the leader you’ve chosen. Check out our Civilization VII preview for more information. Other Preorder Guides Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ever since it launched into Early Access back in February 2022, Diplomacy is Not an Option has been a sleeper hit, earning itself a well-deserved 'very positive' review score on Steam. With numerous updates under its belt, developer Door 407 has confirmed that Diplomacy is Not an Option will finally leave Early Access and launch into 1.0 very, very soon. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Six cool indie PC games you need to check out in January Diplomacy is Not an Option is a city builder about trebuchets over tact, out this month View the full article

Strategy games often take themselves quite seriously - maybe there's intense intergalactic warfare, or a vast kingdom in need of expansion. But sometimes, a strategy game comes along that's just a bit... random. Well, here's one such game. Tactical Breach Wizards has just launched, and it's been a long time in the making. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: XCOM and Into The Breach fuse in high-octane new Steam strategy game Tactical Breach Wizards is an indie XCOM that strips away the uncertainty New games: Tactical Breach Wizards barges into Steam View the full article

Originally known as ********* Protocol, the twin-stick roguelike Section 13 has undergone a complete transformation ahead of its full release in early 2025. What was once a tactical co-op game is now single-player and story-driven, though its roguelike elements remain at its core. The best news? It already has a demo on Steam for you to test. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

Once Human is a survival game requiring Meta-humans to survive in a strange, post-apocalyptic world. Not only are there terrifyingly strong monsters and rival factions around every corner, but players must also manage their hunger and thirst. Thankfully, there are many different ways to power up for the dangerous trials ahead, including growing crops and cooking. View the full article

****** Myth: Wukong's story can be confusing right up to the very end. It's a reimagined version of the 16th-century ******** novel Journey to the West, which follows a ragtag group of misfits who ******* the monk Tan Sanzang to the Buddhist heartlands in order to retrieve a series of sacred texts. ****** Myth: Wukong picks up long after simian protagonist Sun Wukong has completed his journey and become a Buddha. He rejects his newfound status and returns to the mountain of his birth. Sun Wukong duels the **** Erlang, who would force his return to the Celestial Court, and is once again sealed in a stone as punishment. View the full article

NetherRealm has just released a new Mortal Kombat 1 update patch that is largely centered around the DLC character Takeda Takahashi. The techno-whip-wielding Shirai Ryu ninja was the latest post-launch character to be added to Mortal Kombat 1 back in July, and he is far from the last. At this years San Diego Comic-**** event, NetherRealm announced the Khaos Reigns expansion, which will introduce a whole new story campaign set after the events of the base game and add three additional DLC fighters: Cyrax, Sektor, and Noob Saibot. Three more guest fighters will then come as part of Kombat Pack 2, including Ghostface, T-1000, and Conan the Barbarian. View the full article

Gearbox CEO ****** Pitchford has revisited comments he made in 2019 predicting that Steam could be a “dying store” by now, following the news that Borderlands 4 will launch on the platform. In 2019, the last Borderlands game, Borderlands 3, was announced as an Epic Games Store exclusive – a controversial decision at the time, due to Steam’s stranglehold on PC game sales. In a lengthy Twitter thread following the 2019 news, Pitchford had claimed that “when we look back at Steam in five or ten years, it may look like a dying store”, and pointed to Epic’s significant investment into its own platform, and more attractive commercial terms. Read More... View the full article

If you’ve ever had a nightmare that took hold of you so grippingly that you couldn’t sleep that night, or any other night for that matter, you probably didn’t dream of what Riot’s devs mockingly brought up in a recent video: Yuumi’s sister and all of her devilish spells. When asked about removing Yuumi from League of Legends in an Aug. 22 developer update, the devs said they haven’t thought about that. Instead, head of League studio Andrei “Meddler” van Roon jokingly said Riot is going to add Twomi, Yuumi’s long-lost sister who will “have two books, will be permanently attached, will have double crit, a three-hit, a four-hit, and a five-hit passive, multiple dashes, a global ult, yes multiple global ults, [be able to] transform into Lee Sin, has his entire kit if she needs it, and is also Yone and Yasuo’s sister.” Talk about a nightmarish idea. View the full article

The summer time is coming to close, and colder temperatures are almost here. The action on the ice, however, is only starting to heat up with the official release of EA Sports’ yearly hockey title, NHL 25. With new features, a revamped system to ensure accuracy for CPU players, and a ton of new animations to create a much more immersive experience, NHL 25 promises to be one of the best releases in the franchise yet. The developers have even tasked a superstar trio to be the new cover athletes for the game to represent the new generation and a new era in hockey. View the full article

A new Call of Duty release also means it’s time for a new experience and update for Warzone, and Activision has confirmed that this year will include a new map for the battle royale game. CoD’s *** Twitter/X account revealed the new map is called Area 99, and it looks and sounds as though it’s been designed by Treyarch. The image posted by Activision says Call of Duty Next will include a “new map premiere with Treyarch,” but that’s not the only hint. View the full article

Some of Asus's new AMD 800-series motherboards feature a brilliant new graphics card retention system that makes it easier than ever before to remove a graphics card. The new Asus Q-Release Slim feature uses an automatic release system such that there's no need to press a button to unhook your graphics card. The new Asus feature will be coming to its AMD-based best motherboard contenders in the near future and will make it a breeze to swap out your gaming GPU. While such a swap for actual graphics card upgrades might be relatively rare for most gamers, the need to remove a card for other system upgrades or maintenance - such as cleaning your PC - is a relatively frequent occurrence. This new system could save time and reduce the risk of a damaged graphics card, motherboard, or grazed knuckles. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: You won't be allowed to buy the Asus Warhammer 40K GPU after all Save $150 on the Asus ROG Ally right now, if you act fast A special Space Marine 2 graphics card is coming, thanks to Asus View the full article

In recent years, Amazon Games has become known for MMOs like Lost Ark, Throne & Liberty, and Blue Protocol — massively multiplayer games from predominantly ****** publishers built around grinding. But even with several new releases on the horizon, including a Lord of the Rings MMO, there are signs that Amazon Games is ready to move on from one of the genres that has defined it. In an exclusive interview with IGN, Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann talked about the label's plans in the wake of revealing King of Meat, a new hack-and-slash co-op game that Hartmann calls Amazon's "first step out of the MMO genre" as it seeks to expand its publishing portfolio. "As you know, we have Tomb Raider and others, so that's obviously happening regardless," Hartmann says. "But I think what's even more important is that we are taking bets on new ideas and new developers, which is very few... Well, we are not yet established publisher, but we're still a big company." While Amazon Games has been mostly quiet through 2024, Hartmann says that the publisher has been busy behind the scenes, calling it one of its most important years to date. Amazon Games currently has 10 games in development, he says, and are currently negotiating "a couple more." These include blue chip games like Tomb Raider and the Lord of the Rings MMO, as well as a new driving game from the former developers behind Forza Horizon. Still, questions remain. Despite saying as recently as June that a reveal for Lord of the Rings MMO is "not too far away," Amazon Games CEO Christoph Hartmann says that it's still early days for the anticipated online game based on the blockbuster fantasy franchise. "We're still trying to find the *****, find that idea of what it is because we don't just want to go and do the same thing over," Hartmann tells IGN in an exclusive interview. "While it's tempting sometimes with an existing IP, that's not the point of doing it. You've got to find a fresh twist, and we're still, I think, in that ******* where we really want to find out what could be the *****, what could be the thing which is different to all the other games out there. So it's a little bit early.” There are also plenty of questions around Tomb Raider, which has been caught up in the mire around the Embracer Group. Hartmann mostly waves them off, saying that developer Crystal Dynamics is "fairly sheltered from everything going on with Embracer." "People obviously look at what the parent company is doing, but it never impacted on resources, never led to any changes on management for them, so they're fine. I mean, doing a new Tomb Raider, the bar is so high. The longer you go, the expectation goes higher, so it's a huge, huge task, but things are progressing. I mean, there's some really great ideas here," Hartmann says. "Obviously, we're not going to share any with you even would love to, but things are going well, things are moving forward. And from what I could tell, Crystal was pretty sheltered, because also when you look before...they went through a couple of ownership changes anyway before, it's not brand new for them." Hartmann goes on to talk about the state of the games industry, Amazon Games' stance on the Switch 2, the label's outlook on AI, and more. Read on for the full interview. King of Meat, quite the name. What does it say about Amazon's portfolio and strategy going forward? Christoph Hartmann, CEO of Amazon Games: What it says about Amazon's game strategy going forward? It's a couple of things. First, we're moving out of being a MMO-only publisher...King of Meat is the first step out of the MMO genre. As you know, we have Tomb Raider and others, so that's obviously happening regardless. But I think what's even more important is that we are taking bets on new ideas and new developers. Well, we are not yet established publisher, but we're still a big company. Very few people sign up third-party deals. We just have shown it that we heavily invested Europe and we've signed up with [Maverick Games], great talented team, and same with King of Meat. It's someone who maybe would've been able without our help to take it that level, which is financially, as well as resources, technology, service structure, also creative and so on because we have some super experienced people. And it's just us taking risks to do something new in the industry and I think people will see more of that. I think it's important for the industry, it's fun for us to do and hopefully pays off, but that's what it really is... Going early into a stock and maybe one day have the next Tesla. Very few times it happens, but it happens. Amazon Games have had a number of projects enjoy very strong short-term success. New World comes to mind, Lost Ark, but none have really managed to truly break out and establish themselves longterm. Why do you think that is and what steps are Amazon taking to kind of ensure that happens? Or is that a goal? Hartmann: Obviously, it's a goal. Everyone wants to have his evergreen franchise which goes on for 10 years, but when you and me do this for a long time now, we really run through the list of either publishers or developers. Most of the people, it took a while to get there. It doesn't happen on the first game... I was there but it was almost before my time because I was here less than nine months, and that's what makes Amazon great. Eventually we want to have a couple of evergreen franchises where we really can play to the strengths of Amazon, but we just keep on going. With New World and Lost Ark, we had some promising success. Those things are hard to maintain because people invest a lot of time and try out new things, but then they quickly rotate back to their evergreen franchise they have have been playing, so we're just going to keep on going. But yes, obviously we want to have one of those big franchises, that's the whole point. Anything smaller than that would not be interesting to Amazon; we are a larger than life company. We're not in here to try it out and do some cute game development. As you look to expand your portfolio beyond just MMOs and you're placing a lot of calculated bets, are there any particular game types or genres that are really standing out to you as having particularly high upside? Hartmann: Any genre has an upside if you nail it. I mean, look at Fortnite or League — it's the game quality and cycle. It's the game quality and cycles being at the right time at the right place. It's not plannable, but I think if you work really hard, keep on going, eventually it will happen. Sure, we can go through a chart now, I can tell you what market size sports has and action adventure has in this net. And obviously, yes, we are interested in the big trials, but I've done this long enough to also not just say, "Oh, sports is the biggest genre, then let's do a sports game because..." No, you need a license more than any other people. You need a license and a great developer. By the way, knowing from my time at 2K, you know took how long it took for NBA 2K to get big, that game was around forever. And we were always behind EA... At one moment in time, everything went right and we made it big. So, I don't want to be stuck with a genre because the biggest opportunity is almost when you come with a new genre. I mean, look at battle royale. Do you call it a genre? I don't know, is it a genre, is it like a shooter? I don't know what you would call it, but that's kind of the best case which can happen. You have a breakthrough which hits the zeitgeist. Looking at some of the other games that are currently in your portfolio, can you provide an update on how work on Lord of the Rings is going at the moment? Hartmann: It's still early. It's a big IP, it's a big game. I know you're going to fish now probably every little word and try to read into it, but honestly, it's too early to read into every little word. We're still trying to find the *****, find that idea of what it is because we don't just want to go and do the same thing over. While it's tempting sometimes with an existing IP, that's not the point of doing it. You've got to find a fresh twist, and we're still, I think, in that ******* where we really want to find out what could be the *****, what could be the thing which is different to all the other games out there. So it's a little bit early Can you maybe give an update on the status of Tomb Raider at Crystal Dynamics given the recent turmoil at Embracer Group? Hartmann: The studio, from what I can tell, is fairly sheltered from everything going on with Embracer. I mean, it has to because Embracer never was one company. It was just an accumulation of an incredibly large amount of independent businesses; and it's not just games development, they're like books and games and this and that. And they always were very sheltered. People obviously look at what the parent company is doing, but it never impacted on resources, never led to any changes on management for them, so they're fine. I mean, doing a new Tomb Raider, the bar is so high. The longer you go, the expectation goes higher, so it's a huge, huge task, but things are progressing. I mean, there's some really great ideas here. Obviously, we're not going to share any with you even would love to, but things are going well, things are moving forward. And from what I could tell, Crystal was pretty sheltered..the studio went through a couple of ownership changes anyway before, it's not brand-new for them. They kind of were doing games with moving around anyway. And like, okay, new sheriff... you know what I mean, new owner in town. Let's just keep on doing what we do and make games. I would love to hear as an executive in the games industry in charge of one of the biggest publishing labels. I would love to hear some of your current insights into the games industry right now as it stands. Hartmann: I think in the games industry we have to reinvent ourselves because we are competing not just against each other. I don't even think we compete in the metric, and we competing really with all the other things like TikTok, streaming services... you can keep yourself busy forever and without having to touch a game. And we have to overcome our ***** of trying out new things, otherwise we're going to get boring. We can just not keep on doing the same game over and over. While I know the problem also is you have to, because the financial investment is so big nowadays, and the investment into games and games development became so much, much more expensive in relation to the growth of the overall market. The portion of money going to development, it's so high. Obviously, you take a huge risk, so everyone plays it safe. I mean, doing a new Tomb Raider, the bar is so high So, my hope is that AI will help. It's not going to solve it all, but will be one thing where we, for example, can shorten the life cycle. I think games development takes way too long, like five years per game. It's us predicting — especially in a fast-moving world — what the zeitgeist is going to be in five years. It just means basically, everything will be lucky shots and hopefully AI will help us to streamline processes so hand-done work will go fast. Ideally we can get it down to three years so we can iterate more, which then will bring the budgets down a little bit. I don't think they're really going to get cheaper, but at least you fail faster and then you can go on and go on until you find the right thing. And I think we as a games industry need it, and AI is hopefully going to also help us to come up. I mean, we didn't really have that many new games and genres. On the other hand, we'd also be coming and doing this since 1996, we are an established industry. In 1996, you looked out of the window and said, "Let's do a skateboarding game." It was that simple... Movies or music who have been through it much, much longer than us, they have a hard time coming up with something new...But I think eventually, we as an industry definitely have to innovate on many levels to develop faster and also be willing to take more risks. It's interesting because the SAG-AFTRA voice actors were explicitly calling a strike in part because they were seeking AI protections, and you were just talking about how AI is a way to streamline processes. Have you been monitoring that strike? Do you have thoughts on it? Hartmann: Yeah, we have. I mean, I got to be careful what is here because we are a big company and have to deal with all those organizations, so I don't really want to get in the middle of it. But when we talk about AI, first of all, hopefully it will help us to have new gameplay ideas, which has nothing to do with taking work away from anyone. And especially for games, we don't really have acting... The majority of the team sits in programming and that's not going to go away because that's all about innovation. If it takes something, it will be really the boring parts. I think what could be super helpful is localization. Right now, we're localizing our game into a certain set of languages. Basically, does it commercially make sense to have it in a language, yes or no? Having AI actually will help us. That's why I'm thinking it's not going to make it cheap, it's just going to make us translate our games into more languages. Which is great for gamers, because there's countries which maybe not everyone speaks perfect English and they would love to have in a local language, but they're half the size. And I think those are where AI will help us. I don't think it's something where I think actually will create more likely jobs than it will take jobs away. Technology always, always has done that. And by the way, I don't believe any technology can replace human creativity and the uniqueness... There's always something special. Humans will be always, when it comes to that, they will be always one step ahead. The machine might get very close. I don't know what you think, but I don't think it will be able to translate those unique things into fresh ideas. If you find AI designing games, the game's going to be all the same. Since you're looking to expand your portfolio, I'm just wondering, what do you think is the state of MMOs right now? Hartmann: So, MMOs. I ask, I wouldn't say every day, but weekly that question. I mean MMO, it's a tough genre and the good thing is it has a very dedicated audience. There's lots of MMO players out there. They play a lot of hours of games, they're very dedicated players. It's a great, great community. But what I said before, development costs are hard and it's actually not so much the development of the game, it's actually maintaining them. There's things like server costs, coming up with content, a lot of expectations that content is for free because the cat is out of the hat or bag. I'm not sure what you say in English, one or the other, but you get my point. It's not anymore that you sell a game and then charge a certain amount of dollars every month, so that means that money has to come from somewhere. It's not even about someone making huge profits. It's almost the same you have for other games or the industry by itself. It will make it ******* and ******* to sustainable for smaller companies to do that, because either upfront, a lot of money with a lot of risk. Or as MMOs, you know how it goes up and down and up and down, and they almost go pull one year of the market and then come back again. You got to have the financial backing to actually survive that. It will be one of the genres obviously that will be around forever, it's one of the foundations of gaming. But it's a very tough business in the long run, especially I think for smaller developers to innovate because the cost of maintaining the game is just very, very high. Because as I said, technology, servers, creating content and also the consumer... The expectation from gamers that many of the things should come for free and forgetting that someone has to build that. Are you monitoring the situation around the next generation Switch, especially given reports that it's probably not going to be out this fiscal year? Hartmann: Yeah, we obviously plan to develop games for it and I can't wait for it to be out. I mean, honestly, I'd rather have them wait a year and get it perfect than rush it to the market and then we all complain about what doesn't work. Switch has been such a fantastic product, I can wait another year if I have to. And from development, I think most non-Nintendo developers are not exclusively doing titles for the Switch. They're always part of a portfolio mix of platform mix. Just wait. And last question, just how has 2024 been going for Amazon games in particular and games in general, do you feel? Hartmann: I think while it's very not visible to external as much, but I think it was almost the most important year in our... history sounds so dramatic. At the end of our last couple of years sounds better. We have signed quite a few titles. Some of our biggest titles have done major progress, we're also shipping for the first time a console. Yes, everyone ships, so it's not that big of an achievement. On the other hand, putting a huge, huge MMO on a console actually is not as easy as people might think. It's definitely more to deal with than your 22-hour action-adventure single-player game, I can tell you. It has been really, for us, I feel, a year where things are coming together. We have now 10 titles in development, we're negotiating a couple more, and there's a lot of energy going around. Whoever I talk to within our studios or in organization, they're very energized and pumped-up because I think it feels like it's really going to happen. Yes, one title's going to work, the other's not going to work, but we're just going to keep on going and having an exciting lineup, a great mix of the Tomb Raiders, the Lord of the Rings, the kind of blue chips which still have a high bar to it so they're not home runs and doing more adventurous titles like King of Meat, giving younger studios a chance with AAA support, something we have right now. I think it's very exciting to all of us and so far, I'm very pleased with 2024, and if Throne and Liberty and New World do really great, I might be even happier. Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A classic 90s franchise is coming back in the modern era with the upcoming Tokyo Xtreme Racer, a revival of the racing franchise made popular on the ***** Dreamcast set to release as a PC exclusive on Steam. While little is known about the title for now, it serves as the first mainline entry in the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series since 2006, when Import Tuner Challenge was released on the Xbox 360. View the full article

There's no denying that developer Striking Distance looked to create a spiritual successor to ***** Space with The Callisto Protocol. With Glen Schofield, the co-creator of the iconic sci-fi horror at the helm once more, The Callisto Protocol has ***** Space's DNA all over it. Sure, it's not trying to reinvent the wheel, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Now is the perfect time to give it a spin, too, as The Callisto Protocol is free on the Epic Games Store from Thursday, August 22 until August 29, giving you just one week to add it to your library. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Callisto Protocol is underrated, and now is the perfect time to try it Callisto Protocol was forced to ship early, content was cut, dev says 2022's most underrated horror game is currently free on Humble View the full article

The Game Kitchen, the talented team behind the award-winning soulslike series Blasphemous, aren't done cooking yet. Revealed at Gamescom, the developer is now looking to take on the ********* stealth genre with The Stone of Madness, coming to PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch in early 2025. Read the rest of the story... View the full article