First Things' First:

Maybe you're used to all of this now, but my attempt is to share an older style of gaming news post. Something maybe a lil bit like the old gaming blogs / news sites that the internet used to have. Casual, opinion-based, image-heavy and maybe-filled-with-things-you-already-spotted.

This week's edition is far less themed (you'll notice the last few have been a bit Steam Deck-oriented) than those before. This one is purely interesting little things I've spotted. There is still Steam Deck content in here, but not as that's-it-folks as the last was.

I hope you might grab a coffee, settle in and enjoy these bits and pieces!!!

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Physical Gameboy (DMG) bricks (literally)

Stumbled over an interesting idea: someone who made literal bricks look like original Gameboys. The website linked at the end is murder on the eyes - seriously, the font used is just straight from Hell itself. But there is a couple of interesting videos in there too, worth looking at.

Here's some photos I grabbed to attach here, where the font is far more sane for your eyes:

And the link to their page is right here!

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The Sony PlayStation 3 has new system update – 4.92 – 19 years after release

The system software update 4.92 improves system performance, according to the patch notes, and also renews the Blu-ray player encryption key to allow for disc playback.

Updates of this sort are an annual occurrence, as the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) encryption key regularly expires - it's a copyright-protection technology that requires a key to be set on both the disc and the console in order to play new films. Will this affect the process to jailbreak a PS3 (good old HEN)? No, they're just going to take some time to make it right. Here's a photo for those who are into the jailbreaking scene, and want to read the news:

The link to an article on is here if you want to read more

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Sega is Metacritic’s highest-rated publisher for 2024.

This will probably come as no surprise, on reflection. With games like Metaphor ReFanzio, Persona 3 Reload, Atlus: Unicorn Loverlord, SMTVV...their ‘stable’ of releases for the year was extremely strong.

Interesting to me is seeing how strong Sega is in the industry after pivoting away from hardware/consoles so, so many years ago. Especially considering the ‘talk’ about Xbox’s plans in the future (I know, all just talk, but they’re definitely one to keep an eye one)

Here’s a link to Metacritic if you want to see all the rankings, and more detail

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KCD II coming to GOG

For those of us who prefer DRM-free gaming (and you should) - Kingdom Come Deliverance II is coming to GOG on March 28th! This is wonderfully quick, by memory the first took longer to get to GOG after release on Steam. KCD II has so much going to it, the optimization makes it run incredibly well on Steam Deck and is currently sitting at Very Positive on Steam, with 53,473 reviews on Steam.

I’ve already bought it on Steam, a rare buy there since I buy 99% of my games on GOG. And being the wuss I am, I’ve downloaded a few mods on it, too. I love what they’ve done, but some bits are a touch too sim-ish for me.

Regardless, this is just great news to see it coming to GOG!

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Prime Gaming giveaways this month:

Available Now (March 6th)

• Saints Row: The Third Remastered [GOG Code]
• Mafia 2: Definitive Edition [GOG Code]
• Crime Boss: Rockay City [Epic Games Store]
• Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master [Amazon Games App]

March 13th

• Wall World [Amazon Games App]
• Syberia: The World Before [GOG Code]
• Endling – Extinction is Forever [Amazon Games App]
• Dark Deity: Complete Edition [GOG Code]
• Beholder 3 [Amazon Games App]

March 20th

• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood [Xbox and PC via Microsoft Store Code] Note: The Wolfenstein: The Old Blood offer is available only in Prime Gaming regions where the game is also offered via the Microsoft Store. Prime Gaming offers may sometimes vary by region. See primegaming.com for more details.
• Mutazione [GOG Code]
• Figment 2: Creed Valley [Amazon Games App]
• Legacy of Kain: Defiance [GOG Code]
• Mortal Shell [Epic Games Store]

March 27th

• The Forgotten City [Amazon Games App]
• Deus Ex: Invisible War [GOG Code]
• Session: Skate Sim [Epic Games Store]
• Let’s Build A Zoo [Epic Games Store]
• Gamedec – Definitive Edition [GOG Code]
• The Wisbey Mystery [Legacy Games Code]

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Next week's free Epic Games title:

Will be Mortal Shell! Free from March 13th to March 20th. This (like a few others so far this year) have been repeats of games already given out over 2022. Nice for those who missed them!

Further, for those keeping count:

Epic Games free for one day previously, and have not not been repeated yet → waiting for their weekly giveaway.

2021 - Shenmue 3, Neon Abyss, Vampyr, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Salt of Sanctuary.

2022 - Sable, Them's Fightin' Herds (now free), Lego Builder's Journey, Encased, Mortal Shell (coming free).

2023 - Melvor Idle, Art of Rally, Human Resource Machine, Cursed to Golf, Cat Quest, Saints Row (2022), 20 Minutes Til Dawn.

2024 - Vampire Survivors, Astrea: Six Sided Oracles, TerraTech, Wizard of Legend, Dark and Darker - Legendary Status, Dredge, Ghostrunner 2, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Kill Knight, [REDACTED], Sifu.

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Dark and Darker pulled from Epic Games Store

Dark and Darker has been taken down from Epic Games Store amid ongoing legal dispute.

Developers of Dark & Darker used to work at Nexon, under Nexon they were making a game called Project Q I think, can't really remember the name, either way, that project got cancelled so the development team decided to just up and leave and continue making the game and eventually it would become Dark & Darker.

Tldr:

The legal issues come from the developers using the information they had from their time working at Nexon, any work they had done under Nexon was deemed Nexon's property, so when the developers left they started using the same assets for common items, they would recreate systems they made essentially copying their own work, but their own work wasn't legally theirs. So when Dark & Darker was on the uprising, Nexon sued the devs for Copyright Infringement. That failed but they were on the hook for Corporate Espionage since they took trade secrets and used it in their own product.

Link to an article hosted on pcgamesn.com

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Legacy of Kain

Sadly the Legacy of Kain writer, Jim Curry has passed away. Along with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Curry wrote Akuji: The Heartless and handled marketing for the Gex games.

I’m unsure whether he kept up with the industry or news surrounding Kain, but if he did, it would have been nice for him to see the recent remaster of Legacy of Kain.

This is obituary for him, worth a visit if you’ve the interest

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Oldest active MMO

Tibia - the oldest active MMO is adding a new 'vocation' to the game, 28 years after release in 1997. Known more in Brazil, Mexico and Poland as a bit of a cultural phenomenon, it's had a dedicated and steady player base for all these years. Previously the vocations were:

• Knights
• Druids
• Paladins
• Sorcerers

But now a new one is coming to the mix: 'monk'. Interesting news for a VERY niche passion for some!

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FSR4:

AMD have collaborated with Sony to create 'FSR4'.

For anyone who thinks this may benefit the likes of current gen base PS5, then it is very unlikely as they are using the 2-generation old RDNA 2 architecture which doesn't even have the required AI Hardware cores to run PSSR let alone the heavier FSR 4.

This collaboration, project amethyst is likely going to benefit console gamers likely for the next generation with PlayStation 6.

Link here (Yahoo) for anyone who wants to read the announcement in full

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RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business

One of the most surprising 'AA' games we saw recently in 2023 was RoboCop. The dev is known for their take on '80's cinema / games of that subject (having done the same for Terminator), and Rogue City took a lot of gamers by surprise.

It played extremely well on the Steam Deck, was nicely optimized, and felt extremely polished for a (admittedly 'on rails') game of their budget.

A trailer for the follow-up has been released, and looks just as fantastic, you can click this link to view it on YouTube if you'd like!

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Nintendo DS

This is just...lovely. An artist shared their work ('ParkingFee6960') which they made in Art Academy on their Nintendo DS. I just thought it was beautiful, and wanted to share it!

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Path of Exile Update:

Path of Exile 2 update featured Steam Deck specific patch. Interesting for Steam Deck fans, this one fixed Steam Deck and other Linux Wine-based clients being incorrectly warned for modifying the client.

Here is a link to the note showing the update!

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Steam Deck + gboperator

User Bitz`Primus has "...designed a bracket to use my gboperator on my steam deck. Finally gameboy games on the go"

A link to their makerworld page on it, with more photos is here, if you want to check it out more!

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Ballistic Moon closes

Until Dawn Remake Developer Ballistic Moon “Effectively Closed”

Article here, because this is the end of my post and I've lost the energy to write my own thoughts

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And...I suppose that's it!

As ever, I hope these might be interesting to some. They're just some fun things I've spotted, and I do so enjoy putting these together. Was it a full week since my last one of these, where I promised I would thereon-in make them weekly? No. No it is not.

Is that just an excuse to link you to my last one of these news posts (click here!)?

Yes, yes it is.

Any errors, they're all mine. Any weird formatting - yup blame me. But...I hope you enjoyed this regardless? LMK! And, as ever, if you wanna lurk my Mastodon, it's here: