Gaming

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is close to releasing an updated iPhone SE, which will be its first update to the low-end model since 2022. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to use the phone as a launching pad for its in-house 5G modems. The company purchased the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion back in 2019 after taking steps to be more self-reliant and aggressively recruiting staff to make that happen. But it has yet to release devices that use the modems designed by its internal team.

Apple and Qualcomm have somewhat of a complicated history. Qualcomm sued Apple in 2017, accusing it of violating its patents related to its phones’ ability to quickly connect to the internet after they’re switched on, as well as patents related to battery efficiency, graphics processing and apps’ capability to download data faster. They eventually settled their patent dispute after Apple agreed to pay Qualcomm royalties and to enter a six-year licensing deal, as well as a multi-year wireless chipset supply deal.

At the moment, Apple still equips its devices with Qualcomm-made 5G modems. Qualcomm also announced last year that it will continue providing modems to Apple until 2026. It’s possible that Apple wants to put its in-house modem to the test with just one iPhone first before it puts its technology in more devices.

The iPhone SE 4 will look similar to the iPhone 14 (pictured above), 9to5Mac says, and will be powered by an A18 chip with 8GB of RAM that will make it possible for it to have some Apple Intelligence features. It will reportedly feature Face ID and will no longer have a home button like previous iPhone SEs, and the device will apparently have the iPhone 15’s 48MP wide camera and 12MP front cam. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be unveiled next year, possibly sometime in the spring.

Astro Bot‘s soundtrack is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other music streaming platforms.

The soundtrack is 87 tracks long, the majority of which were composed by Kenny CM Young.

The album features all of the new music included in Astro Bot, as well as the tracks from Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot Rescue Mission, which also appear in the game.

Additional tracks are contributed by Hirofumi Sasaki, Tadashi Yatabe, Kemmei Adachi, and Sachiko Miyano.

Astro Bot will receive 5 new speed run levels later this year.

The DLC will consist of 5 new online speedrun levels. Speaking on the PlayStation Blog, director Nicolas Doucet said”Many of you asked for the return of speedrun levels so we hope you enjoy those. Time to sharpen those jumping skills and shave milli-seconds at every turn,”

10 new cameo bots will also be included in the DLC, including bots based on Helldivers and Stellar Blade.

Astro Bot has been critically acclaimed, earning it a score of 94 on the review aggregation site Metacritic. VGC’s Astro Bot review called it “the best 3D platformer in a decade”.

VGC recently got the chance to visit the studio behind Astro Bot, Team Asobi, for an inside look at the game’s development and the franchise’s history.

Marvel’s Avengers will forever be remembered as one of history’s most expensive and embarrassing gaming flops. Coming off the heels of the widely successful live-action Avengers films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Square Enix partnered with Marvel Games to bring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to the video game format.

The project had the advantage of the Marvel brand, a plethora of popular heroes, and more; however, it failed spectacularly. The gaming community had high expectations for this game and thought it would be on the same caliber as Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac Games, but it was the complete opposite.

Three years after launch with a lackluster sales reception, a low player count, and technical drawbacks, the game developers decided to pull the plug.

The game was initially called The Avengers Project and was teased in 2017. Fans of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were ecstatic after the announcement that a triple-A Avengers video game was in the works and the final product was extremely underwhelming. While the game did have a few redeeming factors, like the gameplay and characterization of each Avenger, that was about it.

Everything else fell apart quickly, especially when the developers envisioned this project to be live service.

Even the live-action version of Ms. Marvel didn’t really enjoy playing the game as much as she thought she would. After she pointed out the lack of enemy variety, Iman Vellani’s complaints and criticisms are all relatable.

Even Marvel’s Spider-Man, a game about one playable hero, had that in spades, especially with the supervillains whereas the Avengers had only Taskmaster, Abomination, and MODOK. The gameplay was extremely repetitive without value as players go through one A.I.M. facility to wipe out hordes of enemies and whatnot; it is all button mashing.

The game developers reused the same assets from each map, slightly redesigned them, and thought no one would notice.

Each mission has the same objectives of standing in a circle until the meter is filled like capturing the flag in some other live-service game like Destiny, destroying each module to liberate captured Inhumans, or saving rogue A.I.M. scientists. The mission structure is not conducive to the setting, gameplay, and combat.

The developers prioritized making a live service video game with superheroes in the mix and thought it was a billion-dollar idea. Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics had to learn the hard way that this is not what the gaming community wanted, and it shows after players are propelled into the multiplayer feature after beating the campaign.

While the studio promised free post-launch support like constant updates, patches, new story content, and Avengers, it did not take long to fall apart.

The player base was not fond of spending extra money on cosmetic items. Most of the Avengers, like Captain America and Iron Man, have an extensive wardrobe inspired by their outfits from the live-action films and comics.

While there are more original and cheaper skins to purchase through the in-game currency that can be obtained by opening chests and lockboxes containing gear, it is not worth the hassle.

The gear system is tedious and players were not having fun with the individual itemization of whether to upgrade or scrap a piece for extra storage. In the end, the developers gave away all the skins for free, leaving those who paid full price on the short end of the stick.

The newly added Operations, like Taking A.I.M. featuring Kate Bishop followed by Future Imperfect with Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, were both terrific DLCs; however, they were extremely short and not entirely worth the wait.

Fans thought the developers were shifting gears after the War for Wakanda expansion was released and had a decent campaign along with new supervillains to fight. Unfortunately, these efforts could not save the game and other plans, like the additions of She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and other heroes, will never see the light of day.

Ultron was meant to be added into the game in a future operation and the work had already been done. It is a shame that players never experienced it before the game was shut down permanently and removed from all storefronts.

While the game is no longer available for purchase online, the only way to play Marvel’s Avengers is through a physical copy that is likely sold for dirt-cheap. Crystal Dynamics released a final patch allowing players to replay all the campaigns in the best condition possible.

If you want to play a game that allows you to become your favorite superhero for a low price with all the suits from the films, then Marvel’s Avengers is worth grabbing today. There are no more future expansions, meaning there is no reason to rush through the brief campaign and DLCs.

Square Enix fumbled hard after forcing this game into the live service structure, not putting enough content in the single-player mode, and being plagued with bugs. Hopefully, future superhero games will look at this as a cautionary tale.

Have you played Marvel’s Avengers? Let us know in the comments section below!

There are a ton of different heroes in this game, so it can be hard to figure out what the best ones are to use but some are definitely more effective than others. Plus, putting the right heroes into your squad can make or break a game and mean the difference between winning and losing.

Batman is one of the world’s most beloved superheroes, so it goes without saying that a new entry in the long-running Arkham franchise is exciting for fans. The VR-only title Batman: Arkham Shadow sees players take control of The Dark Knight himself in a new adventure on Meta Quest 3, giving you the chance to live out your first-person fantasy of beating down Gotham City’s worst baddies. But if you’re curious about whether the game will ever make it to other headsets like PSVR2, you may be a bit disappointed… at least for now.

Is Batman: Arkham Shadow ever coming to PSVR2?

It appears unlikely that Batman: Arkham Shadow game will make its way to Sony’s PSVR2 (or any other VR headsets) anytime soon. That being said, while developer Camouflaj currently maintains that the game is a Meta Quest 3 exclusive, it’s always possible that this exclusivity could be timed. There is no evidence of the game coming to PSVR2 yet, but given the popularity of Batman as a superhero, it’s reasonable to assume that the caped crusader’s VR-centric title could make it to other headsets, including PSVR2, at some point down the line.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Batman: Arkham Shadow is also not available on older Meta Quest headsets, meaning you’ll be required to own a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S to play the game. However, those who buy one of these two headsets between September 25, 2024, and April 30, 2025, will receive the game as a free pack-in. So if you haven’t picked up Meta’s popular VR headset yet and want to slink around in the shadows as Batman, now is a great time to make it happen.

I’d be cautious with your software updates if you’ve got a Galaxy phone with a 2019 vintage. An update rolling out from Samsung is reportedly bricking devices from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series of phones. 9to5Google reported some users had the same issue with Galaxy M51 and A90 models. The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are five years old, running Android 12 and circling an age where they may not support updates.

Affected devices were apparently trapped in a bootloop and could not fully turn back on. Don’t factory reset your device, though, as you’ll lose data.

Was this a dark plot to force you to buy a new Galaxy foldable? No. Samsung has now and shared a newer version (2.2.03.1) without the issue — make sure you check that update number.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The lawsuit comes barely a month after the state enacted the law.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the company violated a new child privacy law in the state. It’ll be the first test of Texas’ Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act. It requires social media platforms to verify the ages of younger users and offer parental control features, including the ability for parents to opt their children out of data collection.

Paxton alleges TikTok’s existing parental control features are insufficient, lacking “parental tools that allow them to control or limit most of a known minor’s privacy and account settings.”

Continue reading.

The update will triple the length to three minutes.

Starting on October 15, YouTube is increasing Shorts video limits from one to three minutes. For reference, TikTok, arguably its biggest competitor, has allowed users to share 10-minute videos for over two years. The company is working on letting you pull clips from across YouTube through the Shorts camera and make remix clips. If Shorts aren’t your thing, it will also be easier to skip them as YouTube is introducing a tool to show fewer Shorts, although this is only temporary.

Continue reading.

The James Webb Space Telescope captured the image.

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a supernova three times, at three different periods during its explosion, in one image. The image could help scientists better understand how fast the universe is expanding. One image, above, captures a streak of light with three distinct dots that appear brighter than the rest of it. As Dr Brenda Frye from the University of Arizona explained, those dots correspond to an exploding white dwarf star. It is also gravitationally lensed — there’s a cluster of galaxies between here and the star, which bent the supernova’s light into multiple images.

Continue reading.

Helldivers 2 has been one of the biggest games of 2024. Although it garnered widespread acclaim at launch, the game has suffered from significant player drop-off, community backlash, and a series of poorly received updates. While it may have made a comeback with recent updates, Sony’s handling of the game has been sloppy. Especially considering the PSN fiasco.

For these reasons, while Helldivers 2 might be popular, it shouldn’t win Game of the Year. Allowing it to do so would send the wrong message to the gaming community and enable companies to overlook player needs.

Helldivers 2 initially blew up and went viral with its gameplay and co-op PvE design, attracting a substantial player base. The game peaked with nearly 500,000 active players, a clear showing of its initial success. By mid-2024, player numbers had drastically dwindled due to repetitive gameplay mechanics and a lack of new content.

So Arrowhead’s CCO has been posting quite the storm over players’ less-than-impressed feedback over Helldivers 2’s “balancing”.

Which is kind of exacerbated when many watched the devs stream their gameplay and…failing hard even on D7.

Helldivers 2 reviews have also officially… pic.twitter.com/kXUzDoD7gR

— Perma Banned (@GiveMeBanHammer) August 31, 2024

Arrowhead’s inability to maintain player interest was a part of this falloff. The game’s community was huge, but there was nothing to keep players playing. The initial success, boosted by popularity on social media and community memes, could not sustain the long-term excitement necessary for a live-service model.

Moreover, Arrowhead’s struggles were compounded by Sony’s controversial decision to require a PlayStation Network (PSN) account for Steam players. Announced in May 2024, this move triggered a massive backlash, with the game receiving over 200,000 negative reviews on Steam within days.

The player community’s reaction was swift and severe, leading to review bombing and widespread criticism. This drastic change not only affected Helldivers 2 but also cast a shadow on Sony’s understanding of its player base’s needs and preferences.

Comment
byu/MrShadowHero from discussion
ingaming

The backlash forced Sony to reverse its decision swiftly, but the damage was already done. The incident highlighted Sony’s disconnect with its player community and its failure to anticipate the implications of such a policy, especially in regions without PSN availability, where the game was delisted in 177 countries.

Despite a brief resurgence following a recent update, the game’s troubles are far from over. Helldivers 2‘s latest patch did help in bringing back some players, with the peak player count on Steam tripling post-update. However, this uptick might be temporary as it largely addressed existing issues rather than introducing new content.

We’re so back 🔥
byu/ironhead50 inHelldivers

Giving Helldivers 2 the GOTY award would not only validate Sony’s mishandling of the title but also send the wrong message to the industry at large. It would suggest that companies can get away with launching unfinished or poorly managed games and still receive accolades based on initial success.

Sony’s handling of the PSN account linkage and Arrowhead’s constant missteps should also be considered in the thought process. Rewarding Helldivers 2 would undermine the importance of consistent quality and player satisfaction throughout a game’s lifecycle.

Moreover, Sony’s heavy-handed tactics are a reminder that platform holders must be held accountable for how they treat their players. Sony showed a willingness to sacrifice player experience for corporate gain. And that isn’t very democratic for Helldivers 2.

What do you think of the game’s journey in 2024? Let us know in the comments!

“The Osaka-based (Japan) indie games publisher PLAYISM and indie games developer Lizardry, are today very happy and thrilled to announce that their adventure game hybrid “Refind Self: The Personality Test Game”, is now available for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Eshop (the game is also available for PC and mobile).” – Jonas Ek, TGG.

As we get closer to the release of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, it’s become more and more difficult to purchase the original Complete Edition of the game. This week, it’s starting to be delisted from digital PC storefronts.

It was first removed from the Epic Games Store, as some ResetEra users reported earlier this week. While the store page is still live, the buy button has been grayed out and just reads “unavailable.” There also isn’t a link to purchase the remaster from this page, although you can find it through search and preorder it ahead of its October 31 release date.

When I first saw the ResetEra thread, I went to check Steam and GOG, and found the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition was still available to purchase. However, on Thursday, it appears that it’s impossible to buy the Complete Edition on its own on Steam. If you head to the Valve storefront, you can only prepurchase the Remastered bundle, which comes with a copy of the Complete Edition along with the Remastered upgrade, for $50. You can still buy Remastered solo, but buying the bundle with the $10 add-on is the only way to get the Complete Edition on the platform.

At the time of this writing, the game is still up on GOG for $50. As with other games on the store, it’s digital rights managment (DRM) free. You can also find codes for it on third-party sites like CDKeys.

All of this seems to be a part of PlayStation’s plan to ensure you absolutely get the Remastered edition if you want to play Horizon Zero Dawn, whether you want it or not. This even extends to console players, who began noticing that the cost of the original game on the PlayStation Store had doubled from $20 to $40. The company didn’t announce the price increase and hasn’t publicly made a comment about it, but it’s likely a strategy to dissuade players from getting the older version and steer them toward getting the new one.

The remaster mostly just offers visual and performance upgrades, along with updates specifically for the PlayStation 5, but Guerilla Games and support studio Nixes also added around 10 hours of conversation and new mocap.

People who visited Lego’s website on the evening of October 4 were welcomed by a banner with illustrated golden coins bearing the company’s logo, claiming that the “Lego coin” is now officially out. It even promised “secret rewards” to those who’d buy some. But Lego wasn’t truly launching an official cryptocurrency coin, and according to The Brick Fan, the button to buy led to an external cryptocurrency website selling “LEGO Tokens” with Ethereum. The website was, seemingly, hijacked by bad actors who switched its banner and used it for some sort of crypto scam.

As users on the Lego subreddit have noted, the incident happened overnight for Lego’s headquarters. The company responded relatively quickly, though, and removed the unauthorized banner and links. As of this writing, the Lego Fortnite collaboration banner is back up, and the “buy now” link leads to the collection. Lego told Engadget that no user accounts were compromised and that it has identified the cause of the issue. It also said that it was implementing measures to prevent anything similar from happening again in the future. However, the company has declined to share details about that “cause” or the measures it’s implementing.

Here’s the company’s official statement: