The Premier League has signed a new multi-year partnership extension with EA Sports FC, as a lead partner and official licensee.

This renewal means 20 Premier League clubs - including clubs, players, managers, stadiums, and kits - will be authentically represented in EA Sports FC 24.

The news follows the acrimonious split between EA and FIFA, as EA last week unveiled EA Sports FC 24 in full.

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Ubisoft's Q1 results are in and net sales are down nine percent year-on-year, but there are still 10 games set to launch in the remainder of this fiscal year.

Net sales for Q1 2023-2024 were €288.9m (approx $321.4m), down from €318.2m last year (approx $354m), according to the company's latest financial report.

Despite the drop, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the company "delivered a better-than-expected performance".

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The Steam Sim Fest is the latest genre-specific event, discounting dozens of games about emerging cities, dad hobbies, tactical warfare, and other stimulating simulations. Heavy hitters such as Disney Dreamlight Valley and the newest Bus Simulator are enjoying nice discounts, but as always, some hidden gems require a little bit of scrolling. The sales last until July 24th, so here are some good old recommendations from the event.

Surprise! Lakeburg Legacies is a hybrid between village management and mediaeval matchmaking , and it’s out now with a 15% sale bringing the price down to £16.50/$19.50. Love is almost as hard-to-manage as the economy, but worry not, a soothing storybook aesthetic should make this one slightly less stressful than couple’s therapy and/or mayoral duties.

Wobbly person sim Human: Fall Flat has a hefty 70% discount and is currently £4.80/$6.50. To celebrate the puzzle-platformer’s seventh anniversary, the team are also sharing some mysterious news tomorrow. That’s in addition to a new level coming in August, so look forward to more clumsy flailing.

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76.1 million console and PC games were sold across Europe during the first half of the year, which is marginally up over the same period in 2022.

The UK was the biggest European market for game sales, representing 15.3 million games sold, a rise of 5.5% over the same period in 2022. This is followed by Germany with 14 million games sold (down 11%) and then France with 11.1 million sales (up 8%). Spain delivered 5.4 million game sales (up 6.8%), while Italy is just behind with 4.9 million (up 2.7%).

Overall 29.1 million physical games were sold across Europe, a drop of 9% year-on-year. 47 million games were sold via digital download stores, which is a rise of 7%.

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I can't remember the last time I struggled so much to get through a game.

You misunderstand. I'm not saying ΔV: Rings Of Saturn is a chore or grind. I found it hard because any time I boot it up, I can get lost for hours just playing it. Not trying to win, not following the story, not looking for (ugh) "progression". Just mining, exploring, idly drifting through the void. It is a game I don't want to exhaust because I'm enjoying it too much. I went back in "for a quick dive" twice during this intro.

It doesn't have Content. It's not one of those compulsive, manipulative forever games. You could barge efficiently through it, finding probably all its secrets and items as fast as possible. That wouldn't be wrong, exactly, but it's missing the point: this is a game to be savoured, not consumed.

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Square Enix has commented on the sales of Final Fantasy 16, claiming they have been "extremely strong".

As previously reported, the PS5 exclusive sold 3m copies worldwide in under a week. However this sparked debate online in comparison to the company's previous two mainline Final Fantasy games: Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Square Enix has now issued a statement to IGN, pointing out the difference in install base between the PS4 and PS5.

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Roblox has experienced a significant data breach, containing nearly 4,000 developer profiles.

As reported by PC Gamer, the personal information included those who attended the Roblox Developer Conference between 2017 to 2020.

According to Have I Been Pwned (a website reporting data breaches), the breach originally took place in December 2020 and the information was republished on a forum in July 2023.

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One peculiar aspect of Microsoft's battle to stave off regulatory intervention in its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard – now seemingly in its final stretch, following the slapping down of the FTC's frankly ill-conceived case for blocking the deal – is that it has required the second largest company ever to exist, a $2.7 trillion dollar behemoth that rakes in profits of over $80 billion every year, to convincingly play an underdog role.

To that end, Microsoft has done something platform holders almost never do, effectively talking down its competitive position versus rivals like Sony, and highlighting the ongoing gulf in the performance of the Xbox compared to the PlayStation.

It's not that this is anything we didn't really know before – although it's generally been de rigueur to at least pay lip-service to the notion that these platforms are equal competitors, however unrealistic that may have been at any point other than the Xbox' golden few years at the outset of the PS3/360 generation – it's just been an odd reversal to see it come directly from Microsoft itself.

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The RPS 100 is our annual countdown of our favourite PC games of all time, and this year, we're finally doing it at a sensible time - in that semi-quiet lull between notE3 and Gamescom, and definitely not during October when it's actual silly season for end of year releases. And like last year, we're bringing back our Readers Edition so you can join in with the endless debate about what's the correct number one PC game of all time as well. So vote now for your favourite PC games of all time, to be published as a separate list that will be yours and yours alone. Here's how to get involved.

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Hello! Our game of the week is Pikmin 4 - how could we pick anything else? Tom gave this genial strategy-puzzler our first 5-star review. I can't wait to play it.

Watching a trailer for Pikmin 4 this morning reminded me of the special thrill that this series offers. Sure, back when the first game came out on the GameCube it was exciting to see Nintendo launching a new franchise, and one that was so clearly differentiated from all its others. And there's a queasy appeal to the way Pikmin games switch from bucolic exploration to horror as your carroty charges are munched up by the local wildlife.

But that's not all of it, I think. When I think back to my first encounters with Pikmin I remember being dazzled by this sense of exotic domesticity, if such a formulation is possible. After years of conjuring wonders of the imagination with Mario and Zelda, here were Nintendo's designers looking very closely at the world around them: tree roots, flower petals, but also bottle caps and old cardboard boxes.

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Dating and relationship mechanics have become almost expected in visual novels and modern RPGs, but it's when other genres dip their toes into it that my interest is highest, like the weird melding of horror and anime waifus in Doki Doki Literature Club, or the roguelike combat paired with romance in Hades. So when I saw Lakeburg Legacies' cosy setting and inclusive roster of characters had a focus on playing matchmaker and using that love to manage a village, I was hopeful for a more intimate experience in a genre usually pretty detached from its pawn-like citizens.

The first few hours absolutely fulfilled this promise when I was following Adelina and Maryon's tumultuous marriage. Adelina was my very first villager and I immediately put her to work as a lumberjack so I could get wood to start the expansion of my currently miniscule village. Pretty standard management stuff, but then I was introduced to the couples mechanic, where you get the help of local mystic, Tindra, and her soulmate pairing abilities.

As her name suggests, Tundra's basically a one-woman Medieval version of Tinder. Adelina and Maryon went on a date, got married, fell madly in love, and had a baby on the way in no time. Then, Maryon started flirting with every villager that crossed her path. My eyes were glued to the journal in between building farms and sewing workshops, eager to see who Maryon was going to set her charms on next. During this time Adelina and Maryon's child, Christina, took an instant dislike to neighbour Victorin for some reason. This became a problem when Christina grew up and joined Adelina and Victorin in the lumberjack lodge, adding a 'bad' working atmosphere due to their animosity, which affected the production of Lakeburg's precious wood.

Another week means more freebies are available from the Epic Games Store, and this week two very different games have slashed their price tags. Starting today, The Elder Scrolls Online and Murder By Numbers are both free to keep from the digital store. Something for multiplayer dragon slayers and solo picross lovers alike.

The Elder Scrolls Online is, well, The Elder Scrolls but online. The long-running MMO has been unlocking doors into every corner of Tamriel, most recently with the Necrom expansion’s otherworldly tentacles and massive mushrooms. It's good at accommodating solo players who are looking to scratch a Skyrim-sized itch - since the next Elder Scrolls is at least five years away. That approachability got the game into our list of the ten best MMOs on PC.

Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few days. This time: arcade royalty, sunny rainy days, and a beautiful new starship.

If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We've Been Playing, here's our archive.

Developer Housemarque’s Nex Machina has been coquettishly perched on my Steam Deck Home Screen for ages now, promising much but delivering little in its dogged refusal to function even remotely sensibly on Valve’s handheld. As of the latest Proton GE update, though, it’s finally moved from flatly unplayable to intermittently compatible and I could not be more thrilled.

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A free short webinar from GamesIndustry.biz and EGX will discuss the state of live events and their further evolution in helping games companies build, support and maintain communities.

Games companies can sign-up for the webinar here. It takes place Thursday, July 27 at 3pm BST.

The session will detail how EGX is changing. To better work with game communities, the UK's biggest games consumer show is developing new elements and creating new partnerships to engage the most dedicated fans. From cosplay to retro, live panels to meets and greets, photo opps, community meet-ups, competitions, tournaments and more, hear from the EGX and ReedPop teams to discover:

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PlayStation and developer Insomniac Games have revealed a new limited edition Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 bundle releasing this September, ahead of the game’s October release. 

This bundle has a PlayStation 5 Disc console, custom console covers, and a matching DualSense controller, and was announced shortly after PlayStation released a new story trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Pre-orders will open for this bundle, and the custom covers and DualSense (both of which you can purchase separately), later this month on July 28. All of it will be released on September 1. The PS5 bundle includes a voucher for a digital copy of the game for when it launches on October 20.

You can check out the limited edition Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 console and DualSense controller for yourself in the new trailer below: 

PlayStation and developer Insomniac Games have released a new story trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. 

Released during a special San Diego Comic Con panel about the game, this trailer features plenty of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, MJ, Kraven, a dose of the Lizard, lots of symbiotic action, and of course, Venom. While the last showing of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 focused on gameplay, today’s is all about the narrative, and it seems to be teasing who our Venom might be. 

Check it out for yourself below in the new Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story trailer: 

As part of the 2023 San Diego Comic Con, Sony and Insomniac made a number of announcements regarding Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. A new trailer appeared for one. While it’s a general story trailer, the highlight is its first appearance of Venom. There’s also going to be a special themed bundle, as well console covers and a DualSense controller. However, the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle release date falls ahead of the game’s. It will be out on September 1, 2023.

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Like many games these days, the highly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 comes in a few different editions at a few different price points. Obviously if you’re a D&D superfan, you might be interested in the most expensive one, but what, exactly, will shelling out that extra cash get you? And what of the other versions?…

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The Epic Game Store's weekly freebies continue, this time pummelling the price of The Elder Scrolls Online and acclaimed puzzler Murder by Numbers down to an affordable zero pence.

The Elder Scrolls Online likely needs no introduction, not least because all the pertinent details are right there in the title. If you're still struggling though, it's an MMO - first released in 2014 - that whisks players to Tamriel for some fantasy japery.

If dragon nonsense isn't your thing, then your other option is Murder by Numbers, a lovely blend of campy detective mystery and - of all things - Picross, as players whizz back to the mid-90s in the role of Honor Mizhari, an actress on a hit TV detective show who's suddenly required to do some real-world investigating when her boss is found dead.

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US antitrust agency the Federal Trade Commission is reportedly preparing to pause its upcoming in-house trial focussing on Microsoft's proposed $69bn USD acquisition of Activision Blizzard, potentially paving the way for settlement talks between the various parties.

The FTC has long expressed opposition to Microsoft's proposed deal and sued to block its progress in December last year, claiming the acquisition would allow the company to suppress its games industry competition. The agency has more recently been in the news after it failed to secure an injunction preventing Microsoft from closing the deal while its in-house court deliberated whether the acquisition should be blocked.

Following that defeat, and a subsequent failed attempt to secure injunctive relief, the FTC is preparing to suspend its own trial - which was due to be heard by its in-house administrative court in August - in response to a request from Microsoft and Activision. Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the case, says the request must be granted after the FTC's unsuccessful federal court bid under the agency's own rules.

The ESL, a large Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports league, announced all the changes it made to its rule book ahead of the upcoming IEM Cologne 2023 competition in Germany. And among the changes is a very important one: Crocs are banned.

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Want a cheap, full-featured Z790 board that supports DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 graphics cards, Wi-Fi 6E and Intel's fastest 12th and 13th-gen processors? MSI's Z790-A WiFi motherboard fits the bill nicely, and it's down to $195.99 on Best Buy at the moment, a solid $85 discount from its usual price.

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Want a dual monitor setup that frees up desk space and provides tons of adjustability? Right now you can pick up a quality dual monitor arm from North Bayou on Amazon US for just $42.90, allowing you to support monitors up to 33 pounds for a fraction over $20 each.

That's an outstanding value on a dual gas spring monitor arm with full height control, allowing landscape, portrait or mixed orientations for monitors up to 32 inches in size.

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Bandai Namco has announced that it will be shuttering the free-to-play title Gundam Evolution.

The game based on the robot media franchise will go offline on November 29.

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Reddit is a place where people come together. Indeed, it’s home to many of the internet’s biggest and most active communities, including, of course, thriving communities dedicated to just about every game, console, and genre imaginable. Now, that collective, collaborative quality is demonstrating itself in a new way. …

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Organization Games for Change has announced the winners of its 2023 awards.

This year's recipients were Free Lives' Terra Nil for Most Innovative and Howard Delafield International's Go, Nisha, Go: My Life My Choice, who took home the Best Learning Game recognition.

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Pikmin 4 is out tomorrow, July 21, and from the sound of it, the Switch game is pretty dope. Despite this, the series has only had four mainline games since the first entry launched on the GameCube in 2001. The games don’t perform as well as other first-party Nintendo games, with the best-selling entry, Pikmin 3 Deluxe…

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A Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Nendoroid is on the way. However, it isn't a figure of the main heroine Lammis. Rather, it's a Nendoroid of Boxxo, the person reincarnated as a vending machine who's the "star" of the novel, light novel, manga, and anime. It will show up in Japan in February 2024 and worldwide in Q2 2024. It costs ¥5,000/$32.99.

While the main character isn't directly killed by Truck-kun, "he" is adjacent to the situation. The person loves vending machines and is on a scooter when one is about to fall off of a truck. The accident then ends up with him hit by the vending machine as both fall off of the side of a mountain. He's then a vending machine in another, fantasy world in the isekai series. As such, the Boxxo Nendoroid has no arm parts, and it comes with smiling, neutral, crying “faces.” There's also a standard "vending machine" facade that makes it look like he's stocking actual products. You also can have canned chuhai, corn soup, or oden cans to “vend,” but you need to attach those sticker labels yourself.

Here's a closer look:
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The Last of Us Part 1 is a brutal game that features a lot of murder and gore. But because the game is played from a third-person perspective, there is a bit of distance between players and its intense action. But that distance disappears when the game is modded into an action-packed first-person shooter.

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Following a first look back in May, Sony Pictures Entertainment has shared a second trailer offering another glimpse at its Neill Blomkamp directed Gran Turismo movie - which is almost upon us, launching in cinemas next month.

Sony's live-action Gran Turismo movie was announced in spring last year, as part of a string of reveals for upcoming PlayStation game adaptations, with others including a Horizon Zero Dawn series for Netflix and a God of War show for Amazon.

Since then, Neill Blomkamp (who directed District 9, Elysium, Chappie, and more) has signed up to helm the project - which dramatises the true story of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills put him on the path toward becoming a professional racecar driver - with the likes of Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Geri Halliwell all joining the cast.

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Square Enix announced a companion app for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest in Las Vegas. It will allow attendees to peruse the stage schedule, view detailed maps of the venue, and reserve slots to attempt the Battle Challenge event. The app is available for free on the Apple and Google Play stores.

In addition to maps and schedules, users who take part in events, games and quests will be able to earn digital badges for their FFXIV Fan Fest app profile. Anyone who wishes to attempt the Battle Challenge against the upcoming boss Gilded Araya will also want to download the app, as it allows them to reserve a slot to make their attempt. Those without the app can still join the standby line, but they are not guaranteed a chance to face the challenge.

Fan Fest attendees can also obtain an official good bag including those infamous polygonal grapes. The game also recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a commemoratory website.

Final Fantasy XIV is immediately available for the PC, PS4, and PS5, with the Fan Fest app available to download on the Apple and Google Play stores for mobile devices. The 2023 Fan Fest itself will take place in Los Angeles over July 28-29, 2023

Ubisoft has said that its Q1 results is ahead of target while net sales are down 9% year-on-year. The Assassin's Creed maker's new financial report also highlighted that net bookings, while down 8% overall, was strong for its Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Siege during the period.

Here's what you need to know for the three months ended June 30.

Ubisoft said that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six's net bookings and daily active users had grown due to its new seasonal content. While The Crew 2 saw an increase in its monthly active users during June.

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SuperCompleteSelectionGames will release Street Fighter gloves that look like what Ryu wears. These Hadoken gloves will sense your movement and release moves based off of them. For example, if you do the Hadoken pose, then the gloves will yell “Hadoken!”

The Street Fighter Hadoken gloves are available on Premium Bandai. Premium Bandai does not offer international shipping, so you will have to use a proxy service. Pre-orders are open and they’ll close on September 15, 2023. The gloves will ship out some time in January 2024. They cost 9900 JPY, which would be around $70.85.

Aside from Hadoken, the gloves can also sense the movements for Shinku Hadoken, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, and Shoryuken. So you can experience what it’s like to live life as Ryu. There’s a training mode and a fight mode; training mode lets you practice the movements and fight mode puts you into the thick of combat. Here is a trailer of how the gloves work as controllers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlTpwaIHM-8&

The trailer utilizes footage from the games. But these gloves are not controllers and you don’t get a copy of Street Fighter with it. It’s more like playing Bop It, in which you “input” the animations based on what the gloves tell you.