Irdeto has confirmed the launch of a new technology designed as a “watermarking solution” to act as a bulwark against gaming leaks.

TraceMark for Games comes from the same company responsible for the contentious Denuvo digital rights management system, with the new release able to add markers to video game content to act as invisible identifiers.

These tags allow content to be traced back to the source, as already utilized across media output such as sports broadcasts, TV shows, and movies.

Irdeto, the digital platform cybersecurity firm, has placed faith in the qualities of TraceMark, taking the view it will act as a deterrent to dissuade individuals from leaking game content when accessing early play tests, beta, or reviews.

Its features include flexible watermark generation to match specific requirements, with quick and easy deployment to the user’s consumer base and a wide range of devices and platforms.

Irdeto positions TraceMark for Gaming as the solution for clients to “enjoy peace of mind throughout the content lifecycle, from development to distribution.”

What’s the problem with hacks and leaking?

The video game industry has been beset with hacks and leaks in recent times, with even non-disclosure agreements being broken as was the case with Skate when early content surfaced. Grand Theft Auto VI is another prominent title to be impacted, with hacks resulting in leaks of the long-awaited release, undermining the official release more than a year later.

TraceMark isn’t being presented as a cure for all ills on leaks, nor does it claim to be. It most likely won’t have a significant impact on the unwanted, unauthorized flow of content from headline gaming titles but for the early stages and development of many new releases, it could prove to be a useful tool.

TraceMark for Gaming will be supported by Windows, Xbox, iOS, and Switch.

Image credit: Ideogram AI

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The Flight sim experts Aerosoft are going to be offering up something a little different in September this year. Today the German studio announced Highway Police Simulator – a new cop game it is working on alongside Z-Software.

Slated for a launch on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 the game will see you as a lone Highway Patrol cop in America [performing a work shift that includes breakneck high-speed chases, shootouts, and routine traffic stops.

When it is released Highway Police Simulator will include:

• Varied open-world environments, each with its own challenges and missions
• A storyline with exciting cases, career progression, ranking system, and more
• Unique vehicles, including different police cars, helicopters, and more
• A wide array of missions with traffic stops, accidents, car chases, and more
• A morality system that challenges players to make difficult decisions with real consequences for the story and the environment

“Highway Police Simulator encapsulates the investigative, often stressful role of law enforcement in a detailed and realistic world,” said Dirk Ohler, Head of Product at Aerosoft. “We’re thrilled to announce the title and our partnership with the talented team at Z-Software, and we look forward to all our new recruits joining the force in September 2024!”

The short launch trailer isn’t giving too much away although it is giving us some Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit vibes, but as well as the car chases it looks as though Highway Police Simulator is going to also feature a little legwork for your cop.

It’s set in the fictional American state of Caminora and can be played casually or with the simulation aspects ramped up. You can wishlist Highway Police Simulator on Steam right now and start polishing your boots in anticipation of its release in a few months time.

Aerosoft is more known for its work on games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, so it is interesting to see it diversifying into a different kind of sim.

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Playstack and LocalThunk have confirmed their highly popular roguelike deckbuilder Balatro has exceeded one million sales, less than a month after its release.

The poker-inspired title launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on 20 February, proving to be an instant smash hit after it grossed $1 million in just eight hours.

A press release from Playstack, via its parent company Tru Fin, confirmed Balatro has been its “fastest selling game to date” with Harvey Elliott, company CEO stating, “We’re incredibly grateful for the support and enthusiasm from players worldwide.”

“The game’s success is a testament to the quality and creativity that the indie sector can deliver, proving that even in uncertain times, innovative games can thrive. We extend our deepest thanks to every player who has joined us on this adventure.”

Developer LocalThunk posted on Steam to express gratitude for the landmark achievement.

“I’m so grateful to all the players and people that have made this happen. I still can’t grasp the response to this game, and I am overjoyed that so many people have been able to have fun with my silly creation. I’m so fortunate that I can continue working on my passion as a career. Thank you!”

This morning Balatro hit a momentous milestone…

ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!

We still have some fun things planned for the future, but for now… pic.twitter.com/S7PEb0qjeG

— Balatro (@BalatroGame) March 18, 2024

What recognition had Balatro received?

Balatro has gained a sought-after “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on gaming marketplace Steam, achieved thanks to more than 17,000 positive reviews in addition to a commendable rating of 90 on Metacritic, the reputable critic aggregator.

The game also enjoys a rank of 10th in peak CCU (concurrent users) among all Steam games with the ‘roguelike’ tag, listed in between Warm Snow (44.7k CCU) and Hades (37.7k CCU).

On the ‘roguelike deckbuilder” tag, Balatro is second to the free-to-play roguelike battle royale title Gene Shift Auto, which is not necessarily considered to be a deck-building game, and listed above games such as Slay the Spire (33k CCU) and Backback Battles (36.5k CCU).

Image credit: Balatro/X

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We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when, but now Square Enix has just announced that Final Fantasy XIV Online will arrive on Xbox on 21st March after completing its open beta which has been running since last month.

There are some great games coming to Game Pass already this week, you also do not want to miss out on Lightyear Frontier which arrives on the 19th.

The game will launch at 1 am (PDT) and will be available in the Microsoft Store in several different flavors.

Final Fantasy XIV Online Xbox versions

You are certainly not spoilt for choice when it comes to how many versions of FF XIV you can choose from. Here is what will be available. If you are a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber you can download the basic Online Starter Edition free of charge until April 19th.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Starter Edition

For newcomers, the Starter Edition includes three award-winning titles: the base game, A Realm Reborn, and the first and second expansions, Heavensward and Stormblood.
* Players with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan may download the FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Starter Edition for free until Friday, April 19.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker

Players can experience the main scenario quests and content available in the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions. Requires FINAL FANTASY XIV Starter Edition to play.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker Collector’s Edition

The Endwalker Collector’s Edition includes several in-game bonus items. Requires FINAL FANTASY XIV Starter Edition to play.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Edition

For newcomers, this is the most comprehensive edition and includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker expansions.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Collector’s Edition

This version includes the in-game bonus items from the A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker Collector’s Editions.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Free Trial

Play for free up to level 70 and experience the main scenario quests and content from A Realm Reborn, and the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions with no restrictions on playtime.

Pre-purchasing will get you the rather underwhelming free in-game cosmetics:

• Wind-up Palom Minion
• Menphina earring (grants 30% EXP bonus up to level 80)

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Cities Skylines II has had a rocky start, part of which is down to just how good playing the original Cities Skylines, even today, with all its mods, patches, and tweaks, can be.

A ropy start, poor optimization, and a feeling that the devs Colossal Order were fire–fighting from the off have meant some poor publicity for the game, but things have been getting better slowly but surely.

The lack of official mod support has been a huge bugbear of the community for a while now but a post today on the official blog should now help put that to bed with the news that we are just a week away from getting mod support – albeit in a beta format initially.

The post reads: “With Mods (short for modifications), you can tailor your gaming experience to your unique preferences. Uploaded by creators all over the world, you can pick between anything to create the city of your dreams. Along with Beach Properties, the first wave of Cities: Skylines II Modding will be available. The Beta release of Modding will initially support Map and Code mods.

With the Map Editor, you can make maps with the Terraforming Tools you’re used to, import hightmaps to create highly accurate depictions of your hometown, and upload your creations to Paradox Mods.

With the Code Tools, you can show off your coding skills and create Code Mods to meet your heart’s desire!”

This will be news to warm the hearts of Skylines II players. The prospect of mods to improve quality of life quicker than the devs can push them out should now help propel the games towards where it should have been at launch.

The Mods beta will launch on March 25th alongside a beach Properties Asset Pack that will bring a new Waterfront Zone to the game.

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Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have discovered a vulnerability in cloud-based AI assistants like Chat GTP. The vulnerability, according to researchers, means that hackers are able to intercept and decrypt conversations between people and these AI assistants.

The researchers found that chatbots such as Chat-GPT send responses in small tokens broken into little parts in order to speed up the encryption process. But by doing this, the tokens can be intercepted by hackers. These hackers in turn can analyze the length, size, and sequence of these tokens in order to decrypt their responses.

“Currently, anybody can read private chats sent from ChatGPT and other services,” Yisroel Mirsky, head of the Offensive AI Research Lab, told ArsTechnica in an email

“This includes malicious actors on the same Wi-Fi or LAN as a client (e.g., same coffee shop), or even a malicious actor on the Internet—anyone who can observe the traffic. The attack is passive and can happen without OpenAI or the client’s knowledge. OpenAI encrypts their traffic to prevent these kinds of eavesdropping attacks, but our research shows that the way OpenAI is using encryption is flawed, and thus the content of the messages are exposed.”

“Our investigation into the network traffic of several prominent AI assistant services uncovered this vulnerability across multiple platforms, including Microsoft Bing AI (Copilot) and OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4. We conducted a thorough evaluation of our inference attack on GPT-4 and validated the attack by successfully deciphering responses from four different services from OpenAI and Microsoft.

According to these researchers, there are two main solutions: either stop sending tokens one by one or make tokens as large as possible by “padding” them to the length of the largest possible packet, which, reportedly, will make these tokens harder to analyze.

Featured image: Image generated by Ideogram

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Minecraft devs Mojang has urged players not to update their Minecraft games for fear of losing all their worlds in what is a pretty major big deal when you think some people have been creating their worlds, for like, oooh, ten years or so.

Mojang, who today also launched the Minecraft Marketplace monthly subscription, posted the following message on its official Mojang Status X account:

“Do not update Minecraft through the Xbox app on PC. If you do, your worlds may be lost. We recommend that you run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC before installing the Minecraft update.”

This is all well and good, as long as you actually see this post, which is on an ancillary account on X before pushing the update button in your Game Pass app and potentially crying yourself to sleep for the rest of your days.

A further post on the linked Microsoft support page states:

“Do not download the recent update for Minecraft through the Xbox app for PC.

Do not update Minecraft through the Xbox app on PC. If you do, your worlds may be lost. We recommend that you run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC before installing the Minecraft update. For more information, go here: https://t.co/9X1am8dzHG

— Mojang Status (@MojangStatus) March 15, 2024

If you do, your worlds may be lost. We recommend that you run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC in the Xbox app on PC before installing the Minecraft update. Using this tool updates the Gaming Services to version 19.87.13001.0, which will avoid the update error. Below are instructions on running the tool;

• Launch the Xbox app on PC.
• Click your Profile picture.
• Click on Support.
• Click on Gaming Services Repair Tool
• Click on Start Troubleshooting.

For more information about this tool, see our support article here: Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC.

A further issue is that the Xbox App will probably try to automatically update the game for you, regardless of whether you are even in the building so this could be a blocky disaster.

There is no indication as yet as to what the problem is, but Minecraft is not the first game to suffer save game issues this year, with Baldur’s Gate 3 players also losing hours of gameplay due to save game corruption.

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The team at Flexispot has been rolling out stylish furniture with an emphasis on mechanized sitting/standing desks that have found their way into many a gaming setup for a few years now. Popular with influencers and YouTubers, Flexispot’s desk has offered an easy and affordable way to get an adjustable height surface into your setup.

It’s not only perfect for day-to-day work with your PC or console but the ability to alter the desk height if you are playing fighting games with an arcade stick to make it more akin to the height you would find on an arcade cabinet, or even lower it to a driving height for racing games in VR has meant they have become popular choices, especially if you are redesigning your gaming space.

The new GT5 desk brings all that technology and models into a gaming desk that would fit into just about any scenario while looking less like an office desk and more like you are a pro influencer in the bargain.

Large enough to hold multiple monitors and covered in a carbon-fiber texture that looks stylish, the GT5 is powered by efficient duel motors, one on each of its sturdy legs, and controlled by a simple panel mounted at the front of the desk, which can be locked to make sure you don’t lean on it by accident.

The height can be adjusted between 58 and 123cm (the standard for sitting is generally around the 85ish cm) and it only takes seconds to switch between heights. You can also set favorite heights say for seating and standing and effortly switch between the two.

In an accessory pack that comes with it, you also get a cup holder, headphone hanger, and cable management system, and the control panel has a built-in charger for your phone.

Optional extras such as a keyboard tray or castors increase the cost but certainly aren’t necessary.

Another nice feature is the contoured cut-out at the front of the desk meaning you can improve your posture while sitting by getting that bit close, or better still, when you have finished playing you can get your gaming chair an inch or so further underneath it and create a little more space in your room if you need to.

The price is around the $499 mark but Flexispot has regular sales on which may mean you can pick it up cheaper. 

The GT5 probably is not an impulse buy at that price but it is very good value for what you do get. The desk surface comes in two different sizes 160x80cm or 180×80 if y ou need the extra length for more screens.

If you are in the market for a new gaming desk, especially if you are upgrading your gaming space then the Flexispot GT5 could be just what you are looking for.

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Antstream Arcade, a massive library of retro games available to Xbox owners and PC gamers for an annual fee of $30/year, is adding 14 new titles to the service this month.

The app launched in July 2023 and provides subscribers with instant access to over 1,300 classic titles. The games range from the Atari, through the NES, to the Game Boy, all the way up to the PlayStation 1 (calling the PlayStation 1 retro makes me concerned I might be about to crumble into dust) and more. As well as games, the service has sweetened the pot by providing tons of extra features and continually expanding its game library.

With their subscriptions, players gain access to over 600 minigame challenges, a vast number of which Antstream Arcade is adding to every month. There are global weekly tournaments for the really competitive players, and couch co-op for people looking to recapture the feeling of a classic games night.

Although $30 for an annual subscription to such a vast library plus extra features may seem like a great deal, it gets better: you can get a lifetime subscription for just $80. One subscription allows you access across all of your devices.

That (game) belongs in a museum!
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis has resurfaced from the depths of watery bugs & is back on Antstream! Have you played this classic Indy adventure? pic.twitter.com/4uuxloUZBg

— AntstreamGDC (@AntstreamArcade) March 12, 2024

What games are coming to Antstream Arcade in March?

• Bristles (Arcade)  – can you navigate Peter the Painter through the house and paint every wall?
• Demons of Asteborg (Arcade) – fight the demonic hoards and save your homeland in this action platformer.
• Firelord (Amstrad) – explore the cursed kingdom of Torot and recover the four charms of eternal youth.
• First Samurai (C64 and SNES) – a beat ’em up platformer that sees you defeating rival swordsmen to prevail as the first Samurai.
• Hobgoblin (Amstrad) – cross the swamps of the hobgoblin hoards and retrieve the stolen Golden Orb.
• Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (Amiga) – help Indie discover the fate of Atlantis in this classic point-and-click adventure.
• Mr. Tuff (SNES) – never originally released, now is your chance to check out this action platformer.
• Pitstop (Atari) – put your foot down in this semi-first-person racing game and see if you can win the championship.
• Pitstop 2 (Atari) – a more complex older brother to Pitstop which adds split-screen racing for two players.
• R-Type (Arcade) – dive into this side-scrolling shooter and destroy the alien threat before they wipe out humankind!
• Streak Hoverboard Racing (PS1) – famed for being extremely difficult, are you up to this racing challenge?
• Switchblade (Arcade) – a side-scrolling run-and-gun action platformer where you must defeat the enemies and collect the shards of the Fireblade.
• Xenon (Amstrad) – become a future space pilot in this vertical-scrolling shooter to help win the war against the aliens.

Antstream Arcade has also announced multiple future titles on their way to the platform, including the ultimate game night game, Worms Armageddon. Don’t forget to grab yourself an 8BitDo keyboard for maximum retro immersion.

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As fans get stuck into Genshin Impact’s 4.5 release across the world, leaks have revealed more details about the hotly anticipated five-star character Arlecchino, known as The Knave. Reliable sources have shown off her splash art and her weapon.

ARLECCHINO SPLASH ART — GENSHIN IMPACT

Via Dimbreath#Genshinlmpact #原神 #Genshin pic.twitter.com/MXQGLLG2UC

— K O V A K (@KdeKovaK) March 13, 2024

Arlecchino is a Fatui Harbinger, the fourth of eleven, and initially appeared in a trailer that showcased eight of these mysterious characters. She has also been a part of the Fontaine storyline, leaving fans wanting more.

The leaks, which have been shared by reliable sources, come from the Genshin Impact 4.6 beta testing server. The splash art is eye-catching, with its black, red, and white color scheme. Arlecchino stands atop the “Ancient Mountain of Doom” and sports a single red wing.

Equally as exciting is the reveal that Arlecchino’s signature spear weapon transforms into a scythe as she uses it. The attack, named “Crimson Monn’s Semblance” has been shown by other leaks to have a very high attack value, making Arlecchino a valuable DPS character.

The new leaks have added to the hype though, and people can’t wait to add Arlecchino to their rosters. Her weapon’s sub-stat is CRIT rate, a huge boon for damage-dealing characters. It also grants a Bond of Life effect of 25% max hit points whenever a charged attack lands. This prevents opponents from healing mid-fight. The cherry on the cake is that having an active Bond of Life grants a damage bonus to Arlecchino.

When will Arlecchino be released?

While there is no firm release yet for when players can get their hands on Arlecchino, it has been confirmed by HoYoverse that she will release with Version 4.6, the next major patch due for the game. Genshin Impact has a tendency to follow a 6-week release cycle, and if that continues to hold true, Arlecchino might be available on April 24. 

Naturally, all information gained from leaks, no matter how reliable, should be taken with a pinch of salt. All this information is subject to change as HoYoverse gathers information from the 4.6 beta testing server.

Image credits: HoYoverse

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If you like War Thunder you are in for a treat with Gaijin Entertainment’s new Alpha Strike content update.

Alpha Strike contains dozens of new military vehicles including the European Alpha Jet attack aircraft, the M60 120S tank, the most up-to-date Chinese infantry fighting vehicle – the ZBD-04A, the American F-20A Tigershark fighter jet, the Hungarian aviation subtree, as well as the North Holland map and other content and improvements.

The Alpha Jet is a compact two-seat attack and trainer jet created by European designers in the 1970s for the local Air Forces. It was exported to a couple of dozen countries, is still in service with France, and is actively used by the Nigerian Air Force in missions against Boko Haram.

Every nation in the game has received at least one new ground vehicle, so no matter who you play as there is something fresh to try out.

If you like playing as Japan, the Imperial Japanese Navy now has the IHN Mutsu, which has the largest guns in the whole game.

Map-wise another new addition is the North Holland location for ground forces which features a city battleground complete with a large mall that is big enough to get your tank into!

The update isn’t all vehicles and new stuff however, a lot of fixes and balances are included in the patch which is the first major update for War Thunder in 2024.

All new vehicles in War Thunder Alpha Strike

Aircraft

Ground Vehicles

Helicopters

Naval Fleet

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Epic Games and streaming service Steam are going head to head over the best deals to grab this Spring. Seasonal sales are nothing new, but they do give people scanning for deals a great excuse to pick up a heavy-hitting title for just that little bit less than usual. After a busy festive season, these Spring sales are the first port of call for the heavyweights in gaming to offer discounts for a limited time.

We’ve got the best deals and info on the titles lined up for both the Epic Spring Sale and Steam Spring Sale.

Epic Games Spring Sale

Epic is giving gamers the chance to grab some flagship titles like EA Sports FC for a generous 80% off, which is the biggest discount to date for the soccer sim and Madden 24 is also getting a 70% price cut for a limited time. Steam is also offering the exact same offer on their EA Franchise section, so both platforms are neck-a-neck on value.

Epic Games isn’t holding back on large discounts to some other major games like Hogwarts: Legacy, at 50% off, Alan Wake 2, and Red Dead Redemption are also discounted to the tune of 20% and 67% off.

Epic Games is also bumping up the Epic Rewards scheme from 5% to 10% as an added incentive for those purchasing games across this limited-time Spring Sale. This added bonus is applied at the checkout as a credit for future purchases and lets gamers get a little bit back from each title they pick up.

Steam Spring Sale

Steam offers a host of games for a reduced price across this time-sensitive sale, with the now redeemed Cyberpunk: 2077 being half-price compared to Epic’s 37% offering and Game of the Year-winner Baldur’s Gate 3 getting a little trim off the marquee price point with a 10% deduction.

Two other great deals are Lies of Pi, the Souls-like adventure in a steampunk Parisian dystopia, and the space setting Starfield getting 25% and 33% whipped off their usual price points respectively.

Those hoping to get in the mood for Dragon’s Dogma 2 can pick up the original game for under $5 alongside some great grabs like the acclaimed Disco Elysium, Horizon Zero Dawn and It Takes Two for under $10.

Both stores offer a little added incentive to pick up some of the best titles to drop across 2023 and we’d suggest combing both the storefronts to make sure you get the best out of these sales.

The Epic Games Spring Sale runs from now until March 28 and the Steam Spring Sale shuts its doors that little bit earlier on March 21.

The post Epic and Steam Spring sales go head to head – who has the best deals? appeared first on ReadWrite.

Oh good. Another monthly subscription. This time for Minecraft and its catalog of DLC. Fed up with rarely spending any money in the Minecraft Marketplace for skins? Great news, now you can hand over a monthly fee to Mojang and Microsoft so you can access all the things you mainly never wanted for “free”.

As the world surely closes in on critical mass for subscription services even though humans everywhere continue to sign up and forget to cancel, never really noticing the drip, drip, drip of monthly cash from their accounts, the options keep coming.

Sidenote, I scanned my account the other month to tot up outgoings on subscriptions and the amount was scary. YouTube Premium, Game Pass, Spotify Family, and so on, are all sucking money from my account at different times of the month so I never really notice. Do I, or indeed we now need to pay more to download DLC from the Minecraft Marketplace?

Well, Mojang seems to think we do and the pass is going to cost you $3.99 a month and for this, you will receive access to a rotating catalog of DLC and other Minecraft items and goodies. Long gone is the time when we would just eagerly await a new beta drop of the game from Notch back in the day before corporate Minecraft.

A total of around 150 items will be available at any one time as they come and go and the Pass is available for all Bedrock versions of the game.

If you are mad-keen on downloading the latest and greatest Minecraft worlds like this great Hogwarts one then this could work out well for you, but there seems little point if you only have a passing interest and download the occasional new asset to play around with. A limited free trial is available before you jump in properly. If you do try it, don’t forget to cancel before the billing period starts if you have no intention of staying around.

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Palworld will forever be known as the game that poked its fingers into the cage holding the giant Nintendo bear. Its fairly unashamed take on the Pokemon world attracted a lot of adverse attention on launch, all the while helping to propel it to one of the most talked about games of the game and garner a player base in the multi-millions in the process.

The launch version was still on the janky side, its Early Access roots well and truly showing above ground. Since then the devs have been constantly tweaking and updating in the background, while fending off legal probing from the Japanese gaming giant and is now ready to launch its first boss into the wild.

So which Pokemon is it based on? That’s probably a highly cynical question but the “internet” is generally happy it is loosely based upon Gardevoir. But it might not be. We do still have to give credit to the devs at Pocketpair for this weird purple Pal that would not look out of place in The Nightmare Before Christmas or Beetlejuice.

A post on the Palworld X account announced its impending arrival:

Attention Pal Tamers

A powerful evil Pal has appeared and is laying siege to the Palpagos Islands!
Only the most skilled Pal Tamers stand a chance against her…

Palworld’s first raid, Bellanoir, is coming soon! pic.twitter.com/jZ4iWVl1Qk

— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) March 15, 2024

“Attention Pal Tamers

A powerful evil Pal has appeared and is laying siege to the Palpagos Islands!
Only the most skilled Pal Tamers stand a chance against her…

Palworld’s first raid, Bellanoir, is coming soon!”

But that’s about it to be fair. We know it will be part of a wider patch that will again attempt to address the rampant cheating issue the game is still going through alongside general fixes and balances as the game pushes toward its V1.

In the meantime, the game is included in the current Steam Spring Sale, so if you haven’t picked it up yet, you can get 10% off as we speak.

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As the months go by, excitement in the flight simulator community is growing as the launch window for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 draws ever closer. News on the latest version of the popular sim has been a bit thin on the ground since the end of last year but in a dev stream, Microsoft and developers Asabo have some more to say, including potentially an accidental clue as to the release date.

The potential slip-up came while talking about one of the included aircraft – an upgraded version of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet, of which the current model is available to buy in the in-game store.

Jorg Neumann of the Microsoft Flight Simulator team was talking about potentially pulling the download from the store so as not to upset anybody who bought it in September, only to discover right after that that it comes in MSFS 2024. Does that mean we are looking at a September/October launch? Time will tell.

Microsoft will be present at FlightSimExpo 2024 in Las Vegas at the end of June so we are definitely expecting them to be showing the sim in all its glory by that point.

A whole new world

We did learn that the entire planet in 2024 will be updated using the very latest data from Bing maps. While mountains are unlikely to have moved much, certain areas of the inhabited world will greatly benefit from updated data.

A brief mention was made that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will feature ray tracing and that this is being worked on at the moment, but whether this is something that will appear further down the line is unclear at this point.

With plenty more updates for the current version of MSFS before we get to launch there should be lots to talk about in the coming months.

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You get to play with some crazy concepts in this job, but Vampire Therapist is definitely one of the most out there in a long time. The new question-the-undead-’em-up from Berlin-based Little Bat Games has just dropped a new trailer and it’s done more than enough for me to add this to my Steam Wishlist list of weird and wonderful stuff I want to play this year like Dystopika.

The premise is simple, if utterly bonkers, you are a trainee therapist for the undead and you need to get them sat on the couch and work through their issues and traumas with them. You will get visits from vampires, ghouls, and all manner of specters and spooks and give them the counseling they need to help them rest in peace.

You are probably thinking this is all a bit crazy-sounding, but we urge you to watch the trailer because this is in fact going to be very cool.

All of the techniques shown throughout the game and in the trailer have been created with the help and support of licensed therapists, lending authenticity to the game and its overall message.

“We are dead, don’t we deserve to rest in peace?” asks Andromachos in the trailer, a reformed warrior and assassin, and mentor to players on their therapy journey with the terminally blood-thirsty.

You will take on the role of Sam, a trainee Vamp-therapist and you must, “will challenge their fellow undead to face up to their distorted versions of reality, and see if they can battle their demons and come out on the other side.”

The trailer looks at the mental distortion of ‘should statements’ which are a common cognitive distortion or ‘unhelpful thinking style’. The undead do this too it seems.

Vampire Therapist is a hugely interesting concept because, if the trailer is anything to go by, players are going to learn quite a bit about psychology and therapy by osmosis almost as they play the game. A very cool concept.

Vampire Therapist will be released on Steam in June. We can’t wait.

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The greatest rock guitarists of all time have at one point or another wielded the iconic Fender Stratocaster, and now you can too, indirectly, courtesy of a deal between Fender and Epic Games to bring its guitars to Fortnite Festival as skins.

Yes, no item is beyond getting a paid-for skin in the Item Shop. As well as future leaks about character skins such as the Turtles or yesterday’s PS+ exclusive skin, we look forward to exciting leaks about a new skin for a set of Maraccas or a deal with Korg for a keyboard skin. Ah well, such is the world we live in.

Initially, at least Fortnite will get two of Fender’s iconic axes – the aforementioned Stratocaster so you can re-enact your favorite Kurt Cobain moments, and the Precision Bass, in case you are more of a rhythm klng.

Get ready to hit the stage in classic Fender style.

The legendary @Fender Stratocaster and Precision Bass make their debut in the Shop tonight! pic.twitter.com/lYB2QbE37B

— Fortnite Festival (@FNFestival) March 13, 2024

Obviously, this is Fortnite so this stuff is not free. To be fair it is actually more reasonably priced than it could have been, with each coming in at 800 V-Bucks. Now obviously you can’t just buy 800 V-Bucks, but a 1000 will set you back $8.99/£6.99 so if you want both models you are going to be looking at around just shy of $15 in real, actual money.

Epic Games said of the partnership, “Over the years, through numerous live in-game performances to music video debuts, Epic has shown that Fortnite and music go hand in hand. The latest partnership with Fender further solidifies the game’s commitment to working with the most established and forward-thinking brands in music.”

Fortnite currently has a fair bit going on right now with Lantern Fest during Ramadan and the launch (eventually) of Chapter 5 Season 2. It also beat its record for a concurrent number of players this year.

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Embracer Group, a Swedish video game holding company, has sold Saber Interactive for $247 million, less than half of their planned sale. Early in March, it was leaked that Embracer planned to sell off Saber for $500 million.

Embracer’s initial acquisition of Saber in 2020 cost them $525 million.

Selected assets have been divested from Saber to Beacon Interactive. Beacon is a new company founded by one of Saber’s cofounders, Matthew Karch.

This move results in Embracer ceasing all operations in Russia, in line with a decision made by the Embracer board previously.

The company’s CEO, Lars Wingefors, made a statement on the sale. “I am pleased that we have found a win-win solution for Embracer and the parts of Saber that now will leave us. This transaction puts both companies in a stronger position to thrive going forward. Embracer is now able to discontinue all operations in Russia, according to a previous board decision, while safeguarding many developer jobs under new independent ownership.

Ongoing restructuring

“This is the first transaction of the previously mentioned structured processes and marks a small but important step in our journey to transform Embracer into the future for the benefit of all employees, gamers, and shareholders,” finished Wingefors. Embracer previously announced an ongoing restructuring effort aimed at reducing its debt. 

Matthew Karch also spoke about the transaction. “This divestment leaves both parties in much better positions to grow our respective businesses. I will continue to remain a large, long-term shareholder of Embracer and we will remain partners on several ongoing and future projects. This transaction also safeguards the livelihoods of hundreds of professionals, many of whom I have worked with for over two decades.”

Beacon will retain several studios that were part of Saber, including Fractured Byte, creators of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Biomutant, and classic skateboard games Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2.

The Swedish company retains control of multiple studios as well as several titles already in development. 4a Games, creators of Metro Exodus, are amongst the studios staying with Embracer.

Featured image credit: Fractured Byte

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Soon after the turn of the new century,  after we had all calmed down about the Millennium Bug bringing planes crashing out of the skies, and nuclear armageddon a little game called RuneScape came out. It’s still going, indeed we talked yesterday about how RuneScape publisher Jagex has been busy strengthening its management team.

The designer Andrew Gower and his brother Paul created one of gaming’s longest-lasting legacies. RuneScape and old-school RuneScape are still played by many to this day. So the news that Andrew has a new MMO coming out this year, and one that he has been working on for ten years should excite a lot of players.

Developed by his studio Fen Research, “Andrew Gower’s Brighter Shores” can be wishlisted on Steam as we speak, and is currently slated for a release at some point during Q3 this year. And to complete the circle of life, brother Paul is the game’s Narrative Designer.

It’s an exciting day today. I’m the narrative designer on Brighter Shores, an upcoming MMO that has just been announced today! Follow the link to our Steam page below, and add it to your wish list if it looks like something you might enjoy!https://t.co/h8g2d65Tmz

— Paul Gower (@PaulJGower) March 13, 2024

Gower told PC Gamer via a statement, “Creating this game has been a real labor of love, At times it has felt like an insurmountably ambitious task, so it’s amazing to finally see it coming together in the way I hoped. I can’t wait to see the world full of players enjoying what we have created.”

Brighter Shores will release as free-to-play but will have a Premium Pass with more quests and professions, as well as a player-to-player trading system.

It has been designed with Gower’s own Fenforge engine, and as you can see from the image above, this has given it a unique look, reminiscent of RuneScape but what interests us most is Fen Research says it will seek to minimize the “grindy” gameplay that plagues the genre.

If they can all pull this off, we could be about to get another MMO that will stick around for the best part of a quarter of a century and more.

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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has advocated for Bitcoin (BTC) as a financial discipline tool, suggesting it could counteract United States deficit spending and echo the fiscal restraint of the gold standard era.

This is (in part) why Bitcoin matters. It’s a return to the gold standard that we left fully in 1971. A return to financial discipline.

Bitcoin will be an important check and balance on excessive deficit spending which is essential to the U.S. and the dollar remaining strong. https://t.co/u4mN5SgPTX

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) March 12, 2024

Robert Sterling, CFO of 20 Dollar Consulting, explained that the United Sates national debt is a symptom of fiscal  expansion. The trend took hold and started accelerating during the Gerge W. Bush administration and never subsided away since then.

Furthermore, the situation was further exacerbated as a consequence of military spending, tax cuts, the Great Recession and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Armstrong commented on this trend by advocating for Bitcoin as a possible solution.

Bitcoin: the new gold standard?

The Coinbase CEO suggested the Bitcoin is a return to how the financial landscape looked up to when in 1971 the Nixon administration abolished the gold standard — one of the causes of the so-called Nixon shock. According to Armstrong, the inability of financial institutions to issue more Bitcoin according to their wishes constitutes “a return to financial discipline.”

The Coinbase CEO believes that Bitcoin could serve as a counterbalance to what he perceives as excessive deficit spending of the United States administration. He also claims that Bitcoin could keep the United States dollar strong.

Still, Armstrong did not explain how Bitcoin would strengthen the dollar or act as a counterbalance to United States’ deficit spending. Eric Voorhees — CEO of instant crypto exchange ShapeShift — voiced his confusion concerning how Bitcoin would achieve anything that was suggested by the Coinbase executive.

How does Bitcoin provide a check and balance on excessive deficit spending?

Very long term, when fiat is gone, I can see how, but while fiat is still a thing, does Bitcoin restrain gov spending at all?

— Erik Voorhees (@ErikVoorhees) March 13, 2024

Voorhees has gone as far as to suggest that in the long-term Bitcoin could end up keeping public spending in check. Still, he suggested that this could only happen after fiat currency become a thing of the past. This is in stark contrast with the Coinbase CEO’s suggestion that it could instead strengthen the United States dollar.

The debate follows recent reports that El Salvador — the world’s first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender — has seen $84 million in gains from its Bitcoin holdings. The country is also working to launch its “Volcano Bonds” backed by Bitcoin.

Featured Image: Ideogram

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