Promising adventure game Chinatown Detective Agency is getting a generous free prologue on Steam next month.

Day One will comprise three full cases of Carmen Sandiego-style investigating and be available to download from Steam on 30th September.

It's a neat idea for a free trial, designed to introduce main character Amira Darma - a private investigator in Singapore who discovers a global conspiracy.

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In this 2020 GDC Summer talk Blackbird Interactive's Rory McGuire and Elliot Hudson walk through the studio's process of designing its unique derelict spaceship slice-'em-up Hardspace: Shipbreaker.  ...

Lo and behold, just a few weeks after I finally broke down and got myself a ship cat, Sea Of Thieves have released a new developer update confirming that they’ll be adding dogs to the high seas as well. Rare say that other updates are coming in September as well, and that monthly updates with bug fixes and new features will continue.

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Alan Wake is waking up. Take a look back at the design process for his last adventure American Nightmare. ...

Today during the Future Games Show, Teamkill Media revealed the first gameplay of its upcoming “Cosmic Horror” game Quantum Error.

We get to see how the game plays a few levels in, but you should consider that this is an early development build, so things can and likely will change.

Below you can check out the trailer that was showcased during the event.

Quantum Error is coming for PS4 and PS5. 

If you want to see more, you can enjoy the first trailer from a few weeks back, a second video, and a third from yesterday. You can also read about the story below.

There are two parallel universes within Fortnite now. One just got a new season full of Marvel superheroes like Thor, Iron Man, and Wolverine while the other is stuck in the past. Most Fortnite players have enjoyed Season 4 since it launched earlier this week--Apple and Android players have been stuck in Season 3 with limited to access to most of what the game has to offer.

"Goodbye, comrades," said iOS player and Redditor LegoRuby360. "We will see you on the other side, someday."

The iOS and Android version of Fortnite lost a host of features since Epic Games began feuding with Apple and Google. Mobile players can no longer utilize cross-play, the battle pass, career stats, team rumble, party royale, or tournaments. They can, however, purchase cheaper V-Bucks.

Professional sports have charted a path for the video game industry to grow into something better

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Paradox Interactive released new trailers and videos of its upcoming grand strategy game (with plenty of roleplay elements) Crusader Kings 3.

We get two trailers focusing on battle and religion, on top of a monthly update video discussing performance, AI, legacies, and achievements.

Last, but not least, an extensive gameplay video delves into some rather… unsavory aspects of ruling.

You can check them all out below.

In news likely to fill undead skeletons across the length and breadth of the Sea of Thieves with utmost dread, Rare has announced that pet dogs will finally be coming to its multiplayer pirate adventure in its September update.

First confirmed in seconds-long, blink-and-you'll-miss-it snippet buried in a Game Pass ad during last night's Gamescom Live showcase, Rare has now formally unveiled its forthcoming adorable doggy pets over on Sea of Thieves' official Twitter feed.

Like the game's previous pet additions - cats, monkeys, and parrots - dogs will be available for purchase using real money via the Pirate Emporium, whereupon they can be selected as an ever-present companion for players as their nautical adventures unfold.

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Now that the first major update arrived, people can take advantage of Monster Crown online trading, NET eggs, and alternate genes.

The post Monster Crown Online Trading and NET Eggs Added appeared first on Siliconera.

In today's contest you can win an MSI GTX 1660 graphics card and a Steam copy of Milky Way Prince - The Vampire Star!

Is your computer in need of a graphical overhaul? Dtoid has ya covered: Milky Way Prince - The Vampire Star hit Steam a few weeks ago, and we're giving away the game and an MSI GTX 1660 graphics card! Think of all the graphics you'll be able to look at. Just imagine.

It seems Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are intent on squeezing every drop of potential income from their upcoming action-RPG, Marvel’s Avengers.

A blog post on the game’s official website today confirmed that while post-launch superheroes added to the base game will be free of charge, those who want to unlock new cosmetic options will have to get on board with a $10 Hero Challenge Card (the game’s Battle Pass equivalent) per character.

A clever modder has taken one of Nintendo's most successful systems of all time and shrunk it down to the size of another of Nintendo's most successful systems of all time. The WiiBoy Color is a modded Wii that fits into a case that's roughly the size and shape of a Game Boy Color.

A video from modder GingerOfMods showed the process. They say that removing the disc drive actually leaves circuitry that doesn't take up too much physical space, allowing for almost the entire hardware to fit into the much smaller space. They made custom circuit boards and a 3D-printed case, but also borrowed pieces like the screen from a car backup camera, and pieces of a GameCube controller.

The result is about the same max dimensions as a GBC, not counting the triggers on the back for full controller functionality. It also has custom settings to replicate some of the Wii motion functions that are missing from the hacked GameCube controller functionality, like shaking the Wii remote. Altogether it's a very impressive build.

This one looks like a possible friendship-ender. Co-op physics are tough enough, as are platforming games. Struggling is both of those things and—as the cherry on top of your character’s horrifying head—you and your partner are each controlling one of two horrifying, connected appendages. This physics disaster is out now if you’re really ready to test your co-op communication.

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The podcast revolution has led to many of us subscribing to dozens of podcasts—and if you’re anything like me, you found yourself with a buffet problem: You’ve put way too much on your plate. More than you could possibly consume. Our feeds are bloated with series we no longer listen to and incoming episodes add to a…

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While the first free add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator have been gradually appearing, they were mostly portraying minor airfields, until now.

Aerosoft, which is one of the biggest third-party add-on providers for various games in the genre, has published the first relatively major airport available for free.

It’s Paderborn/Lippstadt airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and it’s definitely worth downloading from Aerosoft’s website.

It comes with the following features:

• Detailed recreation of Paderborn airport
• Custom aerial images covering the airport and surrounding area
• Current runway, taxiway, and stand layouts
• Custom taxiway signage
• Realistic night time lighting
• Accurate depiction of the terminal interior
• Custom jetway models
• Custom windsock models

Given the level of detail, the download isn’t exactly small, requiring 3,6 gigabytes of storage space.

You won’t even need our guide to install free add-ons, because this one comes with its own dedicated installer.

Below you can check out a few screenshots, directly from my screen.

Magia Record's English version is shutting down after September 2020. Were enough people taking up Kyubey's offer?

The post Magia Record English Version Will Shutdown on September 29, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

The future looks bright and bug-filled for Grounded. When the game was first announced, I liked the idea of a shrunken survival game well enough, but it wasn't until I played it that I appreciated just how much potential there is. Obsidian could flesh out Grounded for years to come and I'd be stoked about it.

After update 0.2.0 with the bird, there's plenty to look forward to in monthly content updates, but what about bigger-picture stuff? The developers have started outlining their plans with a roadmap.

"As a caveat, we are still in active development, and this board is subject to change based on your feedback, the state of development, what's best for the game, the unknown, and our future plans. Nothing is set in stone and features could be moved up, pushed back, or unfortunately removed."

Here's the rundown as of August 2020:

Coming Soon (approximately a few months off)

• New Building: Zipline
• Koi Pond Environment
• Equipped Items Don't Use Backpack Space
• Hedge Environment
• Password Protected Games
• Friend Invites
• New Hostile Creature: Mosquito
• Localization: French, German, Italian, Spanish
• New Neutral Creature: Bee
• New Items: Water Themed Equipment
• Additional Quality of Life Improvements
• Signs / Stickers Base Decorations
• Inventory Management Improvements
• Additional Crafting Stations
• Additional BURG.L Quest Types
• Storage Management Improvements

Planned

That ear-splitting screech you hear, that’s me screaming about new Dragon Age 4 information. While the 4-minute short played during yesterday’s Gamescom opener didn’t reveal any gameplay, story, or character information, nevertheless the keenest of Dragon Age stans (i.e. me) will have caught more than a few hints…

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Fortnite: Chapter 2's Season 4 costumes have some entertaining Easter eggs for players to uncover. Mjolnir, Thor's magical hammer, can only be wielded by skins that it deems worthy. The hammer will transform into a boring pickaxe if you hold the hammer as someone else besides Thor or Captain America.

The hammer became a big part of Season 4 after it created a crater in the map last season. Players had to visit the crater while wearing the Thor skin in order to unlock it. Thor's not the only one that can hold it--Captain America deemed himself worthy in both the comic books and franchise of blockbuster movies by picking the hammer up.

Other costumes have special accessories and Easter eggs as well, but they are limited to the specific Season 4 battle pass skins. Some players are disappointed; they wish they could use the special Marvel back blings and pickaxes with any costume.

This week British game studio Frontier Developments launched its first third-party publishing label, Frontier Foundry, with the promise of already having signed five games to the label in the past year. ...

Star Wars has had a major presence in video games for decades, but the franchise is expanding to somewhere it's never gone before this September: The Sims 4. During Gamescom Opening Night Live, EA announced The Sims 4 is getting a Star Wars expansion, Journey to Batuu, and it's now available to pre-order as a bundle for PS4 and Xbox One at Amazon. The Sims 4 Star Wars bundle gets you the base game and the new Star Wars expansion for $40, so it's a great intro to The Sims 4 if you've never picked up the game. If you already have the base game, you'll be able to download the expansion on its own for $20 when it releases September 8.

The expansion takes your Sims to the Black Spire Outpost on the world of Batuu, which is occupied by both the Resistance and the First Order. Your Sim will have to choose which side to align themselves with, and as you complete missions, you'll earn reputation points with the faction you've associated yourself with, which in turn affects how the locals react to them.

Fall Guys is getting a $50,000 Twitch Rivals tournament today. Top streamers from all around Twitch will be competing in ten rounds of the game show battle royale. May the best blob win.

The tournament kicks off at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 6AM AEST on the official Twitch rivals channel. Big names like Félix "xQc" Lengyel and Edwin "Castro1021" Castro will be competing alongside their four-person squads.

On August 27 we got a special preview of the medieval content coming to Fall Guys Season 2, though it won't arrive until October. New games where players need to dodge giant axes and push blocks in order to get over high walls, alongside special knight and wizard skins, are on the way. Developer Mediatonic hopes this keeps the hype around its game alive as the initial honeymoon phase wears off.

Pick up three armor pieces and the fusion rifle for going Flawless this week

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Summon these legendary trainers with their signature starter Pokemon now.

The post Pokemon Masters EX Adds Sygna Suit Blue, Red, and Leaf to Sync Pair Scouts appeared first on Siliconera.

Left 4 Dead 2 has survived longer than anyone thought it would. The 2009 cooperative zombie shooter is still kickin' around, proving that it has the mettle to not die quite yet. It's even getting an update sometime soon.

The Left 4 Dead community is hard at work on a fan-made L4D2 update called "The Last Stand." This isn't your usual effort from a handful of modders, though. The Last Stand has gotten the blessing from Valve, as the official Left 4 Dead site uses its blog section to link to the teaser trailer.

The name refers to the "Last Stand" map that was available in the original Left 4 Dead in Survival Mode. It's also the only map from Left 4 Dead that wasn't eventually included in the sequel. This update will seemingly rectify that.

Here's the official description of The Last Stand: "It has been many years since the infection first hit. Radio silence, no sign of life, nothing but lingering hopes... CEDA is not going to save us. But there is hope! A few brave souls have continued the fight against all odds, and soon we can all benefit from their resilience."

This isn't the first time Valve has lent a hand in the Left 4 Dead community's efforts. Back in 2012, Valve helped the modder-made campaign Cold Stream launch on PC and the Xbox 360 marketplace. After The Last Stand is finished, Valve can help us yet again by getting around to making Left 4 Dead 3.

Alpaca Ball: Allstars is an upcoming soccer game from Austrian developer Salt Castle Studio. It features alpaca using their long necks as clubs to score goals. I will buy it when it launches on October 15. I hope developers never stop making games that are just “soccer but silly.”

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Head to Titan for some Exotics

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Today Unity unveiled the Unity Distribution Portal, a new tool designed to help mobile game devs efficiently submit, monitor, and update their game across multiple Android storefronts worldwide. ...

Swedish mobile game company MAG Interactive is acquiring all shares of Sventertainment AB, developer of Swedish live trivia app Primetime, for SEK 20 million cash ($2.3 million). ...

With the release of Control's AWE expansion, the game's Ultimate Edition is now available on Steam. The current launch discount brings the $40 game down to $32, but if you want to save even more money, there are a couple of stores that have your back. Green Man Gaming has Control: Ultimate Edition for only $27.19, which is the best price we've seen so far. It's unclear when GMG's deal ends, so you should take advantage of it as soon as you can.

If you'd prefer to buy from Fanatical, then you can snag Control: Ultimate Edition for $28.79--still a great deal. Spending $20 or more at Fanatical right now gets you a bonus free game. Some of the games you can choose from include DiRT Rally, American Fugitive, and Reventure. Fanatical's deal is valid until September 2.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise Of New Champions

is an arcade football meets sports anime with all the wild special shots you’d expect from that intersection. Super-powerful special moves and summoned animals and other extremely anime bits accompany the usual dribbling and scoring of proper football. Kickoff is coming because Captain Tsubasa it out now alongside a new ridiculous trailer.

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A three-part trip that aims to bridge the gap between writers and designers by breaking down conventional structures, removing standard features, and exchanging techniques. ...