January 2022

The start of a new year means many tech companies are announcing new products, which in turn means last year's products like TVs get discounted. And you'll be pleased to know, this includes the fantastic LG C1 OLED TVs. Right now at John Lewis, you can get 10 percent off this model in all size variants.

This Digital Foundry-recommended TV is available in four different sizes at John Lewis: the 48-inch option is normally £939, the 55" is £1,199, and the giant 83" is £4,999. The 65" model is the most popular and is £1,678.

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Norco, a twisted gothic take on Southern America via a point-and-click-adventure, now has a release date for its full version.

You'll be able to venture into its rusted suburbs and swamps from 24th March, publisher Raw Fury announced today.

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PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Crusader Kings 3 will launch on 29th March, publisher Paradox has announced.

The historical strategy threequel originally launched for PC in September 2020, and has long been set for a console launch at some point.

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A demo for Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is now available ahead of its release.

The full game launches on 15th February, but before then you can test out a demo of the game across PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and Nintendo Switch.

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To probably nobody’s surprise, Halo Infinite is a hit. Not only did it review well back when it was officially released in December – Game Informer gave it a 9.25 out of 10 – but many people played it. A quick scroll through Twitter would have told you that, but thanks to Microsoft’s second-quarter earnings call, we now know just how much. 

Video Games Chronicle reports that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who is likely still riding the high of acquiring Activision Blizzard, said more than 20 million players have played halo Infinite. Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was launched as a beta back in November before the campaign was released on December 8 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (and on Xbox and PC Game Pass as well).

This week's The Book of Boba Fett episode is loaded with surprises and will surely delight fans who consume all of Star Wars' movies, shows, comics, books, and even video games. The focus of this article is just one of the surprises, which is relatively small compared to others in the episode, but still warrants a big SPOILER warning. I urge you all to watch the episode before continuing on, but if you have no interest in the show, or want to see if the surprise will make you watch, continue on.

It's been a big week for Respawn Entertainment. Yesterday, the developer announced three new Star Wars video game projects are in the works, including a follow-up to 2019's excellent Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The star of that game is Cal Kestis, a Jedi in training who just happens to befriend a little droid named BD-1. This new BD droid type was created by Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm and has since emerged in other Star Wars stories, including an issue of the Doctor Aphra comic book.

In 2009, From Software released Demon’s Souls, a game that would go on to be a precursor to a new subgenre of games. Since then, From Software and visionary game director Hidetaka Miyazaki have produced gem after gem, serving up dense atmospheric worlds, brutal challenges, enthralling environments, and incredible triumphs for players to experience. From the horrific nightmares of Bloodborne to the tranquil cherry blossoms of Sekiro, From Software has masterfully applied its core framework of systems to a variety of compelling adventures.

In Elden Ring, From Software’s creation culminates with an absolutely huge open world to explore, with design decisions and features learned from over a decade of honing dark fantasy action/RPG fare. With around 10 hours of hands-on gameplay with Elden Ring and a one-hour interview with Miyazaki, join us on a journey through the early portions of this grandiose epic. After this incredible experience with the full game, I can honestly say I have never been as excited for a release as I am for Elden Ring. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long, as Elden Ring is scheduled to arrive on February 25.

Who isn’t excited for Elden Ring? I mean, the Soulsborne enthusiast himself, Dan Tack, claimed that FromSoftware’s upcoming fantastical RPG will likely be 2022’s GOTY – and that’s just based on the various trailers and his experience with hands-on preview builds! But how long will players be exploring this alleged possible-GOTY sandbox? Well, according to a PCGamesN report, Elden Ring’s mainline story will take around 30 hours to beat, with side content adding in dozens more. Of course, it’s probably safe to throw another ten to twenty hours of “you died” overlays to that runtime, too. 

At the Taipei Game Show, Elden Ring producer Yasuhiro Kitao stated, “This will differ significantly by player, but in terms of the targets set during development, the idea is that the main route should be able to be completed within around 30 hours.” Kitao would later go on to say, “The game as a whole is quite massive, and contains many dozens more hours worth of gameplay, but if we are talking about the main route only, it shouldn’t take much longer than that.” 

Sony revealed the PlayStation Plus games for February 2022. This time around, people are getting access to titles previously released in 2020 and 2021. The most recent title is Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure (PS4). The other two are EA Sports UFC 4 (PS4) and Planet Coaster: Console Edition (PS5). Note that while Planet Coaster is available on both systems, only the PS5 version will be free. All three titles will be available February 1, 2022. They can be claimed until February 28, 2022.

EA Sports UFC 4 is one of EA’s latest MMA games. There are over 200 fighters available, as well as the ability to create a character. Solo and multiplayer options are available. There is also a career mode that can use original characters. It first came out back in August 2020 and normally costs $59.99.

Planet Coaster: Console Edition lets people create an amusement park and its coasters. You can go through preset scenarios or build up a park with no limits. There is also a Frontier Workshop for custom creations. It appeared in November 2020 and typically costs $49.99.

There's a way to try NIS America's next game ahead of its launch. The company announced the Monark demo is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 outside of Japan. While the eShop site page isn't online, people can visit the PlayStation Store in browsers to grab it. However, the trial is only limited to consoles at the moment. While Monark will come to the PC too, there's no demo on Steam. This appeared in Japan back in October 2021.

NIS America released more details about the Monark demo online. First, it took to Twitter to confirm progress carries over. It also shared a new trailer designed to highlight the trial.

There’s a new way to listen to lots of Hololive Vtuber songs. It involves doing so in a huge medley. IOSYS released a Hololive Medley Mix. It takes 100 tracks from Cover’s artists and combines them into an over an hour long presentation. This can then be watched on YouTube or streamed via Apple Music or Spotify.

Here's the full IOSYS Hololive Medley Mix of songs.

Given the size, it isn’t easy to list every track available. However, here is a list of some of the more notable Hololive Vtuber songs available in IOSYS’ mix. In addition to people from the Japanese division, tracks from Hololive En members also appear.

Back in March 2021, Good Smile Company announced the original Bloodborne Hunter figma would be rereleased alongside a new weapon set and The Old Hunters Edition of the figure. It was supposed to appear in January 2022. However, this piece of Bloodborne merchandise is now delayed. It won’t appear until sometime in July 2022.

The announcement offered a reason for the delay. Apparently, this is due to a quality control issue. The news confirmed Max Factory will be “adjusting our production line” to ensure things are as they should be. In addition to the Bloodborne figures, the Cyberpunk 2077 V figma is delayed as well. That’s pushed back to June 2022 for the same reasons. Also, its Makoto female swimsuit body figma is delayed to an unspecified date.

As a reminder, the Hunter figma first appeared back in June 2018. Alongside the rerelease, a weapon set with Hunter Axe, Hunter Blunderbuss, Ludwig’s Holy Blade, and Whirligig Saw items, extra parts, and extra figma hand parts also appeared. People could get that alone or as part of a The Old Hunters version of the figma.

The Bloodborne Hunter figma, the standalone weapon set, and The Old Hunters Edition of the figure will all launch in July 2022. Bloodborne is available on the PS4.

Today third-party developers shared new reveals and assets of upcoming add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

First of all, we learn from Hype Performance Group that the battlefield support version (H145M) of its Airbus H145 helicopter currently in early access will be released by the end of the month.

You can check out a couple of new images below.

Kotobukiya has just unveiled the first images for its upcoming King of Fighters figurine of Mai Shiranui. The statue is just the latest in a long line of long-running Bshoujo figures, and is based on the character’s unique look in the  SNK’s fighting game The King of Fighters ’98: The Slugfest.

You can check out an official google translated description of the product and some pictures below:

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the games that will be granted to PlayStation Plus subscribers in February 2022 at no additional cost.

We’re getting UFC 4 and Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure for PS4 and Planet Coaster: Console Edition for PS5.

They will be made available on February 1 and will stay so until February 28. It’s worth mentioning that we’re not getting the PS5 version of Tiny Tina’s or the PS4 version of Planet Coaster despite the fact that they exist.

If you’re unfamiliar with any of the games, here’s an official description for each.

EA Sports UFC 4 | PS4

No matter how or where you play, EA Sports UFC 4 puts you at the centre of every fight. Develop and customise your character through a unified progression system across all modes. Go from unknown amateur to UFC superstar in the new Career Mode, or challenge the world in new Blitz Battles or Online World Championships* to become the undisputed champ. Fluid clinch-to-strike combinations offer more responsive and authentic stand-up gameplay, while overhauled takedown and ground mechanics deliver more control in those key phases of the fight.

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure | PS4

The behemoth has been slayed, literally. Starting this afternoon, you’ll no longer see Halo Infinite’s worst mode (capture the flag) appear on Halo Infinite’s worst map (Behemoth) in ranked playlists. Halo senior community manager John Junyszek confirmed the news in a post over on the Halo Waypoint forums today.

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Navi. That simple, two-syllable word is enough to send even diehard Legend of Zelda fans into a tailspin. But as it turns out, even Shigeru Miyamoto–the legendary designer behind the action-adventure franchise and countless other Nintendo properties–felt a touch of frustration toward Link’s annoying fairy sidekick…

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Trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh! has been around since 1999 and Konami has been putting out video games versions of the TCG for just as long. So why is the free-to-play Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, released with little fanfare last week, hitting so hard there are a couple hundred thousand people playing it on Steam at any given…

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Valve announced a big feature for its highly anticipated Steam Deck: cloud saving. The cloud saving option will allow players to seamlessly transition from playing on PC, Steam Deck, and back again without losing any saved data.

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No Man's Sky studio Hello Games is bringing its much-loved Joe Danger series back to iOS with various enhancements after an earlier operating system update left the games unplayable.

Joe Danger Touch and its sequel Joe Danger Infinity (which initially came to iOS in 2013 and 2014 respectively) both fell foul of Apple's decision to end support for 32-bit apps with iOS11 back in 2017. However, over the last few years, Hello Games has, as detailed in its new announcement, been tinkering on the titles to get them playable again.

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Valve wasn't joking a few weeks ago when it said that its upcoming handheld Steam Deck was going to hit current shipping targets. Today, the company announced the first batch of Steam Decks will start to be sold to customers on February 25 and sent out shortly after.

More specifically, Valve plans to send out emails to those lucky early reservation holders starting on February 25. From there, customers will have 72 hours to respond and confirm the purchase. If that process proceeds smoothly, a shiny new Steam Deck will be delivered to its new home starting on February 28. Steam Decks held for those who fail to complete the purchase within that three-day period will be available for the next reservation in line. Valve did make it clear that the model that you reserved is locked in as the one you'll have the opportunity to buy. There won't be a way to switch when the confirmation email comes through. 

Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox if you think you'll be eligible to buy the device close to launch. Valve says it plans "to release new order email batches on a weekly cadence." 

Dying Light 2 Stay Human isn’t even out yet – it hits PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as PC on February 4 –and while the base game offers 500 hours of gameplay, Techland is already excited to share what’s next for the game after its launch. 

Techland has revealed that it has a five-year roadmap for the first-person zombie parkour game, meaning you’ll be receiving new DLC for it until at least 2027. While that’s quite surprising to learn, fans of Techland’s first Dying Light game are likely already familiar with the studio’s DLC commitments. 

As you can see in the image above, the first bit of DLC will launch in February alongside free Factions-inspired content. Then, sometime in March, Techland will release its first set of Dying Light 2 challenges, followed by a series of events featuring mutated infected in April. Fast forward to May, and you’re looking at another set of challenges coming to the game. Then in June, you can expect the first paid story DLC. 

People will have a chance to read about Elden Ring in a book before playing it. Yen Press will release The Overture of Elden Ring on February 3, 2022. This ebook will offer insight into the game and its development. It’s described as a “primer” for it.

There aren’t many details about what will be in the book. It does mention an interview with FromSoftware Director Hidetaka Miyazaki will be in it. The November 2021 network test will be discussed as well. People might see art from the game. In addition, other Soulslikes like Bloodborne and Dark Souls will appear.

Here is a full look at the cover for The Overture of Elden Ring.

As for the game itself, things seem to be on schedule. Bandai Namco and FromSoftware confirmed it went gold at the Taipei Game Show 2022. This means the master version already shipped out and development is officially done. Producer Yasuhiro Kitao also noted at that time that someone who doesn't want to do and see everything could probably beat the game in around 30 hours.

People will soon have access to the next Alter Ego Extravaganza in FFXI. Square Enix announced the New Year’s Alter Ego Expo is about to kick off. Instead of happening in January 2022, it will begin on February 1, 2022. As usual, one of the two sets of characters will be available. This time, the Set A characters will be available to get.

There are 26 Alter Egos available total in FFXI, and during an Extravaganza event about half are available. These tend to be available in two batches. The official site confirmed which half of the NPCs wwill show up for people to get this time.

Here’s the full list of characters whose Trusts will be available.

• Elivira
• Ferreous Coffin
• Gilgamesh
• Joachim
• Kayeel-Payeel
• Kukki-Chebukki
• Leonoyne
• Lhu Mhakaracca
• Margret
• Maximilian
• Mihli Aliapoh
• Noillurie
• Tenzen
• Valaineral

As a reminder, you have to be level five or higher to start using Trust magic in FFXI. Once you go through the initiation questline, you can begin summoning alter egos. You can have three of these NPC allies around at once when playing by yourself.

Final Fantasy XI is available for PCs. The New Year’s Alter Ego Expo extravaganza will run February 1-28, 2022.

The post First FFXI Alter Ego Extravaganza of 2022 Dated appeared first on Siliconera.

We now know the official Steam Deck release date. Valve confirmed that yes, the first units will appear on February 25, 2022. Those who placed reservations and are in the first round will get theirs in that group. Once they place their orders, their systems will ship on February 28, 2022.

Valve offered some details about how the order emails for the Steam Deck will work once the release date rolls around. People will get an opportunity to order the unit model they reserved. Once they get an invite, they have 72 hours to purchase their Steam Deck. After the first round of invites, eventually each week more chances to order will appear.

As a reminder, this comes after a brief delay. Back in November 2021, Valve pushed the handheld out of December 2021. As usual, the global shortages and supply chain issues were to blame. Certain items needed to create the Steam Decks ended up not being available when expected.

As a reminder, the Steam Deck will be available in three variants. The least expensive bundle is $399. It is the 64GB eMMC model. There is also a 256GB NVMe SSD variant for $529 and a 512 GB NVMe SSD model for $649. Each one comes with a carrying case. People who place reservations now are expected to be able to buy and get one in Q2 2022.

The Valve Steam Deck release date is February 25, 2022.

My personal top Twitter tip: add pleasant breaks to the nightmares of your feed by following a few good image accounts or bots which regularly post nice things. I like accounts which post rock formations or bots which generate landscapes. Perhaps you find comfort in violence? If so, you might enjoy interrupting your doomscrolling with the Doomscroll Doom Bot, a Twitter bot which is very slowly posting a complete playthrough of Ultimate Doom, one frame every hour.

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After a short delay at the end of last year, Valve have announced their portable Steam Deck PC is officially launching on February 25th. Sort of. The very first units won't actually ship until February 28th at the earliest, but the 25th is the day Valve will be sending out their first batch of order emails to existing reservation holders.

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Today Microsoft and Asobo Studio hosted a livestream showcasing upcoming plans for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

As usual, we hear from head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann, Asobo CEO Sebastian Wlock, and executive producer Martial Bossard.

Neumann started by mentioning that the simulator is continuing to break engagement records and there are now almost twice as many people swimming as there were in the middle of 2021.

We get a detailed roadmap for 2022 including world updates up to 17, Local Legend aircraft up to 7, Famous Flyer aircraft up to 5, and major releases including Top Gun: Maverick, helicopters, gliders, and two “surprises.”

What is the only thing better than Hellboy and giant Mechagodzilla-style robots? A Giant Robot Hellboy Statue. And that is exactly what Dark Horse Direct has just unveiled for fans of Mike Mignola’s epic sci-fi fantasy series.

Standing in at ~12” inches tall and towering over a destroyed city base that is ~ 6” inches wide, this imposing figure is quite impressive, boasting plenty of detail that collectors will surely love. At the moment, there are only 500 of these statues available for purchase.

While not a part of the comics, the Giant Robot Hellboy character plays a significant role in the best-selling Kickstarter game, Hellboy: The Board Game! For a brief history of Giant Robot Hellboy, check out the description and some official images below:

A few weeks ago on Disney+, The Book of Boba Fett aired one of the most unintentionally comical chase scenes ever seen in entertainment, as the former bounty hunter’s subordinates chase a vehicle using Vespa-like hover scooters. In fact, the chase was so ridiculous, one fan even went out of their way to make a video with sounds and features from Mario Kart, and it fits in seamlessly.

Posted to the Youtube channel Darth Porg under the title Boba Kart, the following video will have Star Wars and Mario Kart fans rolling in laughter, as it shows off a mock race the Twi’lek Majordomo, Drash, and the other machine-gang members.

Keen viewers will notice a bunch of subtle touches in this crossover, including clever use of the fire flower power-up and a scene at the end where Boba Fett joins the race. This video is just one of many Star Wars-themed pieces of content that Darth Porg has to offer, so be sure to go and check out their official Youtube channel for more interesting clips.

Another year brings with it another exciting line-up of new games to look forward to. As part of Twinfinite’s annual award season, the staff has voted for its six most anticipated games of 2022. These are the landmark titles we think will define what is shaping up to be the first really big year of this most recent console generation.

Most Anticipated Games of 2022

6. Starfield

Editor-in-Chief Ed McGlone: Depending on who you ask, Starfield might seem low on our list, or they might feel it’s too high. Personally, I think just being on a list of most anticipated games is just the right spot.

It’s being developed by Bethesda, so that alone means you have to be hyped for it at least a little bit, as long as you’re into open-world RPG games. Bethesda has earned its reputation for being one of the most prolific creators in that space.

Last night, Microsoft announced that Halo Infinite has been played by more than 20 million people since its surprise release last November. In other words, at any given moment, up to 20 million people (or more!) are engaged in roiling debate over some aspect of how developer 343 Industries runs its hit game. This…

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With February (you may better know it by its more common name, Elden Ring month) less than a week away, it's time to do the subscription service additions dance once more. First up is PlayStation Plus, with Sony now confirming Planet Coaster, UFC 4, and Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep as February's library additions.

It's a pleasingly eclectic bunch, that, starting with Frontier Developments' Planet Coaster, which joins PlayStation Plus for PlayStation 5 only. It's a game that seeks to serve up a heap of classic theme park management action, but even speaking as a huge management sim fan that's happy to hoover up anything the genre has to offer, Planet Coaster comes up disappointingly short if you're looking for a tycoon game with mechanical depth and interesting strategic play. Where it shines, though, is in its immensely powerful creation tools, giving players everything they need to build some truly breathtaking parks and rides.

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Today Valve announced the release date of their highly anticipated handheld PC console. The Steam Deck will launch on Feb. 25, roughly a month from today. This release isn’t entirely open, however.

The Feb. 25 release date will only include those that reserved their order last year when the Steam Deck was revealed. When that date hits, those that ordered one will have three days to confirm and finalize their purchase.

Here are the full details via Steam:

“Hello, the day is almost here! On February 25th, we will be sending out the first batch of order emails to reservation holders. Customers will have 3 days (72 hours) from receipt of their order email to make their purchase, before their reservation is released to the next person in the queue. The first units will be on their way to customers starting the 28th, and we plan to release new order email batches on a weekly cadence.”

Also, Valve added:

• We will start sending invites shortly after 10:00 am on February 25th, PST
• Order emails are sent in the same order that reservations were made.
• You can only order the Steam Deck model that you originally reserved.
• Your reservation deposit will be applied to the final price of Steam Deck, and shipping costs are included.

As the notice above suggests, once this initial backlog is cleared out, they will then begin accepting orders for new people that didn’t get in on the first batch.

The Steam Deck has the potential to be quite a disruptive piece of hardware. We’ll see how it shakes out in about a month.