Ahead of The Last of Us Part 1’s release for the PS5 (and eventually PC), content creator Speclizer has revisited the first game in Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic world. They have since shared a compilation of the incredible inclusions from Naughty Dog, many of which can be easily missed on your average playthrough. I am talking about things like Joel’s buttons being embossed with the words “Naughty Button” or being able to spot Tess’ bite before she reveals her infection....

If you are interested in getting your hands on this edition - which comes with the base game, its prequel chapter Left Behind, the American Dreams comic series (which itself has new cover art), a SteelBook display case, and a variety of early unlocks for the game - you can head over to the PlayStation store to pre-order a copy. Its release date is currently listed as Thursday 26th January, 2023....

Modeler and animator The Regressor took Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild sequel trailer it showcased during E3 in June and “demade” it - that is, recreated it using N64-style graphics, with era-perfect audio from Vince94. The video is beat for beat the same as Nintendo’s creepy original, which, for reference, is here. And here’s The Regressor’s demake, which for any N64 fan will tug on those nostalgia heartstrings (watch out for the bit with the N64 controller buttons on the top-right of the screen)....

The announcement was made as part of the seventh anniversary celebrations for the game’s release on last-gen consoles and PC. This is welcome news for Witcher fans, who last month got the bad news that the upgrade was delayed indefinitely after its development was moved in-house from Saber Interactive. At the time CD Project said it was “evaluating the scope of work to be done” and thus had to “postpone” the game’s previously-planned Q2 release....

Although the next-gen consoles are becoming easier to purchase, the disc versions can be expensive- even when bought second-hand. A more affordable way to experience current-gen gaming is by upgrading to the Series S for just £249. However, you can currently pick up the digital-only console for even cheaper thanks to this limited-time trade-in offer happening at Game. The online retailer is offering the Xbox Series S for just £99 or less, when you trade in a PS4, Xbox One S, Xbox One X or Nintendo Switch console....

An official Destiny product, this Shaxx statue has been designed in conjunction with Bungie and features “hand-painted features for extra detail”. He stands 11.7” (29.7cm) tall and is the sixth Destiny statue in the series after The Stranger, The Drifter, Eris Morn, Cayde-6, and Savathûn, the Witch Queen. “Charismatic Crucible Handler and former Warlord, Lord Shaxx commands an audience with ease,” explains creator Numskull. “With his booming presence, unwavering conviction, and reputation as a ferocious warrior, it’s no wonder he’s beloved among Destiny fans....

The membranes register your input by the underside of the key meeting a contact point, which is considerably less noisy than a mechanical switch, as they are all about pushing a plastic panel out of the way and being sprung back into position. And while it is a more tactile and responsive experience for the most part, it’s also liable to aggravate anyone trying to sleep nearby if you’re gaming into the night....

Developed by Black Forest Games, the Destroy All Humans remake takes the 2005 PS2 and Xbox original - in which evil alien clone Crypto-137 rampages across 1950s Earth, obliterating every man, woman, and bovine in his path - and gives it a gloriously lavish lick of paint. The fundamentals remain the same - meaning on-foot and UFO-bound missions across six large, open levels in which players cause devastation using psychokinetic powers and alien weapons of dubious purpose - but it’s all given a fresh lease of life with presentational enhancements including some truly sumptuous visuals....

Howard began the chat by detailing a few of Starfield’s inspirations - 1984 space sim SunDog: Frozen Legacy and pen-and-paper RPG Traveller, if you’re wondering - before moving on to tackle the “hard sci-fi” question. This, he said, was a little tricky to answer insofar as different people will likely have different definitions of “hard sci-fi”, but for Bethesda, “It is more hard to us, where you can draw that line from, okay, here’s how man explored space, and [then] look at our ships and say, alright that has some visual identity back to that”....

Last week, Eurogamer reported on how Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players were terrified of getting banned for playing Zombies to high rounds after a spate of high-profile ban reports from those who proclaimed their innocence. The Zombies community surfaced a disconnect message called “Sail 630 nuclear bug”, which popped up on the PC version of Treyarch’s shooter. Players reported receiving this error message, which forces a return to the main menu, after reaching a reasonably high round in Zombies (between 40 and 70, reports indicate)....

It also included a “do not ban” list. This led to plenty of speculation. Why shouldn’t the streamers on this list be banned? Are certain creators exempt? A report from the Washington Post sheds light on the issue, having spoken to several former Twitch employees for answers. Firstly, it’s important to note that those employees confirmed the list is five years old. That means it not only predates more recent trends, but also streamers who have since risen in popularity....

At present the revenue split for partners is 50/50 for a tier one subscription, 60/40 at tier two, and 70/30 at tier three, in favour of the streamer. Some top Twitch partners have privately negotiated an alternative revenue split. However, according to a new report from Bloomberg, this revenue split may be pared down to a 50 percent cut across the board. Though unclear at present, it seems this reduction in revenue split may only affect the top partners as most subscriptions remain at tier one....

Elevated Chat, as it’s known, is currently a limited time experiment for four weeks only available for select streamers. It allows viewers to pay to “elevate” their message in chat, either pinned to the top of chat or at the bottom of the video player. Varying payment amounts allows for various amounts of time for elevation. Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: How damaging are video game leaks? That ranges from $5 for 30 seconds of elevation, to $100 for just 2....

Last month we reported on how creator Constantine Liétard had hooked up a copy of Pokémon Red to his Twitter avatar. It would take a screenshot of the game and upload it every 15 seconds, while waiting for people to input a button control via a Twitter comment. Well, people have continued to play this bizarre version of the game - and have now beaten its Elite Four and captured Mewtwo....

The Assassin’s Creed developer held its latest financial results briefing last night and nodded to the current industry round of acquisitions - Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard, Sony buying Bungie, Take-Two buying Zynga - before commenting on its own position. “Ubisoft’s assets have never been so strong at a time when the value of assets has never been so high,” the publisher said (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz). Ubisoft is still an independent company, owned and controlled by boss Yves Guillemot whose family founded the business back in 1986....

Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Rainbow Six Lockdown, Rainbow Six Vegas and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will all be shuttered on PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms at some point before the end of 2021. Ubisoft doesn’t have a firm date yet, though it has slapped a 1st June shutdown date for a number of other PC games: Assassin’s Creed 2, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands, Far Cry 2, Anno 1404, Might & Magic - Clash of Heroes, Splinter Cell Conviction, The Settlers 7 and Might & Magic X - Legacy....

From Monday 14th November to Friday 25th November, the campaign will offer virtual networking sessions, workshops and presentations, as well as online resources and “some in-person satellite events” to “inspire games industry professionals and companies to make their games more accessible”. You can also expect a series of game-related workshops, talks, and fireside chats at the upcoming accessibility and inclusive design conference, TechShare Pro, which include best practice resources and a workshop on “the importance of considering sight accessibility in games and workplaces”....

In a company-wide email, Rothman wrote: “It is Presidents Day in America, but we are open in most places around the world today and we have another global triumph to celebrate. “With over $100m in box office worldwide in just one weekend, and a 90 percent positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Uncharted is a new hit movie franchise for the company.” Rothman went on to say that the success of Uncharted marked “a great victory for every single division of the company, as the film was our first major production entirely shut down by the advent of Covid, yet we persevered to complete a picture the audience loves and marketed and distributed it with strategic verve worldwide, despite the pandemic....

Over the past week, players have begun to post videos of their efforts to compete in a “Viking space race” to see how far they can launch their buddies through the cold 10th world air. The main method has largely remained the same, and requires two willing test subjects - one of whom must be impaled by an abyssal harpoon, and then flung up a ramp using the stored elastic energy....

The original version of Valve’s Steam mobile app launched over a decade ago, and it’s felt exceedingly outdated for a very long time. As of today, though, iOS and Android users can download a completely refreshed version via their device’s respective app stores. It’s most immediately obvious change is a considerably more streamlined interface - which gives quick access to the store, personalised news, Steam Guard, and notifications, as well as unburying the likes of wish lists and other key features - but there’s plenty more besides....