‘We have a lot of wild ideas we want to put into the game.’ Gaming 

Release of ‘Hyper Light Breaker’ Delayed Until Early 2024

The release of Hyper Light Breaker, the action rogue-lite game that was originally planned to enter Steam Early Access this autumn, has been postponed for a second time. The anticipated launch of this game, which is considered the spiritual successor to 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter, is now set for early 2024. “So we just need a little more time for Hyper Light Breaker before we go into Early Access,” Alx Preston, founder and creative director of developer Heart Machine, said in a video explaining the delay. “This means we will…

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Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable departure for former CS:GO designer Matt Wood. Gaming 

Valve’s Feline-Themed Game That Got Away

Former Valve designer Matt T. Wood has created a unique game called Little Kitty, Big City, which can be seen as the complete opposite of popular first-person shooters like Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Instead of a war-torn, post-apocalyptic setting with intense action and weapons, Little Kitty, Big City offers a third-person perspective in a vibrant and friendly metropolis, featuring lovable characters and possibly even a cute cat as the protagonist. During nearly 17 years at Valve, Wood helped build and deliver the company’s most notable…

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The feature was released today in a beta update from Valve. Gaming 

Steam Remote Play Now Offers 4K Gaming Experience

Valve has released a new update for the Steam Client Beta, bringing a highly anticipated feature to the platform. The latest update now includes 4K support for the Steam Remote Play service, offering gamers a range of presets to easily adjust their preferred high-resolution settings for different games. Previously, achieving 4K resolution while playing remotely was a challenging task that often required extensive tinkering with settings and yielded inconsistent results. This update aims to address these issues and provide a more seamless experience for users. This change will finally allow…

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Valve may make products unavailable to buy in regions where they don't meet the thresholds. Gaming 

Steam to raise prices of games in certain countries

Valve has made changes to Steam’s minimum pricing policy for certain currencies other than USD, potentially affecting sellers of games and expansions priced below $5. Publishers and developers have been cautioned by the company that this update may result in the unavailability of games and DLC with lower pricing in certain regions unless adjustments are made. Additionally, they may not be able to offer discounts as substantial as before. According to Valve, the aim of the revised policy is to adapt the minimum pricing to the recommended currency conversions published…

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Annapurna, Devolver, Netflix and others have stalled the self-publishing standard. Gaming 

Indie Games Receive Customized Publishing Support

In the realm of video game news, it has become difficult to overlook the emergence of Annapurna Interactive, Devolver Digital, Private Division, Humble, Epic Games, and Netflix in relation to independent projects. The approach to distributing indie games has evolved in recent years, moving away from a focus on self-publishing and towards a greater emphasis on securing deals and acquisitions. Currently, this shift is fueling a noticeable surge in the indie gaming industry, albeit on a smaller scale. “I don’t think I ever want to self-publish again.” Ben Ruiz has…

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Valve told the development team it needed permission from Nintendo. Gaming 

Wii and GameCube Emulator for Dolphin No Longer Available on Steam

The Dolphin Emulator, a program that enables users to play classic Wii and GameCube games, will not be available on Steam as previously anticipated. The developers have recently released a blog post detailing the events surrounding the unsuccessful launch and expressing their belief in their legal justification. Essentially, Nintendo’s legal team opposed its presence on Steam, and Valve, unwilling to engage in a potential conflict with a major gaming company, chose not to intervene. The creators of the emulator explained that, contrary to online speculation, Nintendo did not send the…

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It's the first of several Blizzard games that are coming to the platform. Gaming 

‘Overwatch 2’ to be Released on Steam on August 10th

Blizzard has revealed its plans to release some of its PC games on Steam for the very first time. The company made the announcement today, stating that Overwatch 2 will be the first title to make its way to the platform on August 10th. However, Blizzard did not provide any specific information regarding other games that may follow suit. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said in a press release that Battle.net remains a priority for them, but “we’ve heard players want to choose our Steam game selection.” The company would like…

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"We have been trying to figure out what laser eyes are." Gaming 

Simogo Sheds Light on the Enigma of ‘Lorelei and the Laser Eyes’

Typically, the process of creating a game starts with a mechanic. Developers often have a specific input method or a compelling storyline that they want to explore in an interactive environment. The game usually revolves around a central theme, based on a genre such as “first-person shooter” or “isometric roguelike.” As the development progresses, the game’s specific details and proper nouns gradually take shape within this framework. In the case of Lorelei and Laser Eyes, Simogo started as a name. “There wasn’t a single a-ha moment,” Simogo founder Simon Flesser…

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Valve is clearly conflicted about whether or not to include AI-generated art and content in their games, and it has now issued statements clarifying its position on publishing games with AI-generated content. AI 

Valve Warns Against Publishing AI-Generated Video Games That Breach Copyright Laws

Valve, the company behind the popular Half-Life video game and Steam game distribution platform, was recently rumored to be implementing a ban on games featuring AI-generated assets. However, the company has now released statements clarifying its position on publishing games with AI-generated content – stating that it is not against AI, but that its current stance is simply due to its evolving policies and should not infringe copyright. This development comes after a game developer known as u/potterharry9 on Reddit claimed to have submitted his indie game for release on…

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Several games were recently rejected for including AI-generated content. Gaming 

Valve Refuses to Release Games Containing AI Assets Violating Copyright Laws

Valve has responded to recent reports suggesting that they were rejecting games featuring AI-generated art and content. In a statement to IGN, Valve spokesperson Kaci Aitchison Boyle clarified that the company is not attempting to discourage the use of AI on their platform. Aitchison Boyle explained that the confusion arose from Valve’s efforts to incorporate AI technology into their existing review process, which is influenced by current copyright laws. “Our priority, as always, is to try to ship as many titles as we can,” said Aitchison Boyle. “We welcome and…

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Thousands of games are discounted until July 13th Gaming 

Steam Summer Sale Offers Discount of up to $130 on Steam Deck

The Steam Summer Sale is currently underway, offering a tempting offer for those who have been hesitant to purchase a Steam Deck. In addition to a vast selection of games, the device itself is available at a discounted price until July 13th. The 64GB model has been reduced by 10 percent, now priced at $359.10, while the version with 256GB of faster NVMe storage is now $449.65, a 15 percent discount from the original price. Furthermore, the 512GB variant, which features an anti-glare screen, is now 20 percent off, priced…

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It's an early chance to check out what UE5 will bring to games. Gaming 

‘Fort Solis’ Sci-fi Thriller to Launch on PlayStation 5, PC and Mac on August 22nd

Psychological horror enthusiasts should take note of August 22nd as an exciting new game, Fort Solis, is set to be released. Developed by Fallen Leaf, the game is described as a psychological sci-fi thriller and follows the story of Jack Leary, an engineer sent to investigate a distant mining base on Mars. The game features a talented cast, including Roger Clark, known for his role as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, as the voice of Leary, and Tory Baker (The Last of Us, Death Stranding) and Julia Brown…

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Valve has turned on hardware acceleration for Mac and Linux users, too. Gaming 

Steam updates notifications, user interface and in-game overlay

Valve has finally released a major update for the Steam desktop client, which many users have been eagerly anticipating. The update includes several features that have been tested in the app’s beta channel, such as updated fonts and menus, a revamped notification system, and a redesigned in-game overlay. Additionally, Valve has rebuilt the platform with a new framework that allows for simultaneous feature releases across all versions of Steam. This means that some of the new features added to the desktop app are already available in Steam Deck as well.…

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It uses Apple's Metal 3 API for elevated graphics. Gaming 

No Man’s Sky is available for Mac from today

Hello Games made an exciting announcement at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2022: No Man’s Sky was finally coming to Mac computers. Now, ahead of WWDC 2023, Mac users can finally play No Man’s Sky to their heart’s content. Hello Games claims to have worked closely with Apple to bring the game to life, and supports the company’s Metal 3 interface “to achieve console-quality graphics while saving battery life on laptops and lower-end devices.” No Man’s Sky is available to anyone with an Apple silicon-equipped Mac (launched in 2020) or…

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The GameCube and Wii emulator was slated to arrive on Steam later this year. News 

The Dolphin Emulator Steam release has been delayed indefinitely due to a Nintendo DMCA notice

Valve removed Dolphin from Steam after receiving a DMCA takedown notice from Nintendo. In late March, the developers of Dolphin, an open-source emulator capable of running most GameCube and Wii games, said they planned to bring the free app to Valve’s store later this year. In a May 26 legal notice seen by PC Gamer, Nintendo’s legal team asked Valve to remove Dolphin from Steam, claiming that the emulator infringes on the company’s intellectual property rights. Because the Dolphin Emulator infringes Nintendo’s intellectual property rights, including without limitation its rights…

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Steam Remote Play (Steam) News 

Steam Remote Play now supports URL link sharing

Steam Remote Play now supports invite URL links that allow players to invite anyone to play with them. The new feature also doesn’t require guests to have a Steam account. However, they will need to use the Steam client on Windows, MacOS or Linux, or the Steam Link application available on Android and iOS. The game host on Steam Remote Play will need to own the game with local multiplayer support and install it on their system. Then the host can share the game’s URL link from the friends list…

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