The new worst gaming trend: killing our favorite games to replace them with sequels

The new worst gaming trend: killing our favorite games to replace them with sequels

There used to be a game called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. You might’ve heard of it—one of the most popular games of all time, played by hundreds of thousands of people every day for over 10 years, the reason every shooter has gun skins now. Anyways, Valve deleted it last month and replaced it with Counter-Strike 2.

That is absolutely wild to think about. One of the biggest games of our time has essentially been swept under a rug, or more accurately, banished to the properties tab of CS2 with broken matchmaking and nothing but community surf servers left to maintain a pulse. 

Years of living in the live-service era have conditioned us to embrace change in our favorite games. We herald the arrival of reworks that transform how games are played, celebrate when longtime bugs are finally squashed in patches, and sometimes have to accept the permanent removal of features we like. 

Sometimes we’re happy about changes, sometimes we rail against them. But what happened with CS:GO and Overwatch—entire games being swallowed up, diminished, or outright deleted in favor of a sequel—is not good for anything, except keeping costs down at some of the biggest and most successful publishers and developers. It’s a nightmare for PC gaming preservation and a huge disappointment for the dedicated players who keep these games funded in the first place.

Some of the biggest games of our time are being wiped off the internet for no good reason, and it’s time to raise the alarm.

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The worrying trend of throwing games into the virtual incinerator once their sequels come around began with Overwatch 2. Blizzard spent three years failing to accurately explain what a sequel to its live-service FPS would look like, which in retrospect probably happened because Blizzard itself wasn’t quite sure either. At first, Overwatch 2 was to be a completely separate full-priced game with a singleplayer campaign, co-op missions, and multiplayer backwards-compatible with Overwatch 1. We all know how badly the PvE stuff went down, but as we learned more about Overwatch 2 over three years, Blizzard began to indicate it saw no distinction between Overwatch 2 and its predecessor.

(Image credit: Tyler C. / Activision Blizzard)

It happened slowly:

  • November 2019: Overwatch 2 is announced as a separate game that would coexist with Overwatch 1.
  • November 2019: In an interview, then-game director Jeff Kaplan says Overwatch 1 and 2 will eventually merge to maintain competitive parity. This does not come up again for years, and Blizzard continues to market Overwatch 2 as its own product.
  • March 2022: Blizzard changes its mind, decides to decouple Overwatch 2’s PvE and PvP content so it can release the game sooner. This confuses everybody. It’s still not clear which parts of Overwatch 2 will be paid content, and if all PvP content is compatible with Overwatch 1, what is the point of having an Overwatch 2?
  • April 2022: Overwatch 2 holds its first PvP beta, and we notice that not only does Overwatch
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Do you don’t forget these rad devices and video games from 1989?

Do you don’t forget these rad devices and video games from 1989?

A wave of new gizmos, gizmos and games grew to become available in the ‘80s as know-how raced to preserve up in the “Decade of Decadence.” A reporter explored the then-modern devices in 1989, outlining the devices and what was obtainable to the conscientious purchaser. The online video began with a large array of digital toys and online games for young ones, every thing from a screaming bouncy ball to a boombox to musical instruments. The selection was as eclectic as it was expansive, even though they all appeared to have dazzling neon hues and a multitude of digital sounds. Also huge in the ‘80s were telephones, and not just standard telephones. The reporter showcased clown phones, LEGO telephones, shoe telephones and even 1 of the first mobile flip phones!It was truly a golden age of technologies. An electronics salesman mentioned kids experienced a strong grasp of the new tech and could figure out how to perform them quickly. Grown ups ended up a small slower to undertake them.Check out the video clip to see if you keep in mind any of the retro tech. Did you possess any of them?If you appreciated this video clip, listed here are a couple of much more stories discovering nostalgic technological know-how from our archive. What 1989’s ‘home of the future’ got ideal, incorrect about lifestyle in 2023This 1989 “Home of the Upcoming” was loaded with slicing-edge technological know-how and revolutionary improvements. Many of the predictions have been eerily exact.Retro Background Obtain: 1997 system promised ability to converse to your pet dog decades before viral TikTok trendA enterprise in 1997 invented the HERO, a canine conversation gadget. It aimed to bridge the hole between barks and phrases, increasing the proprietor-pet romance.Retro Come across: Keep in mind these car or truck mobile telephones from the 1980s?While it wasn’t arms-totally free, a person of the first cellular car phones debuted in the U.S. in 1985.

A wave of new gadgets, gizmos and online games turned readily available in the ‘80s as engineering raced to keep up in the “Decade of Decadence.” A reporter explored the then-present day gadgets in 1989, outlining the units and what was obtainable to the conscientious purchaser.

The video clip began with a huge array of electronic toys and game titles for youngsters, everything from a screaming bouncy ball to a boombox to musical instruments. The assortment was as eclectic as it was expansive, though they all seemed to have shiny neon colors and a multitude of electronic seems.

Also huge in the ‘80s ended up phones, and not just typical telephones. The reporter showcased clown telephones, LEGO telephones, shoe phones and even one of the 1st mobile flip telephones!

It was certainly a golden age of engineering. An electronics salesman mentioned kids experienced a reliable grasp of the new tech and could determine out how to do the job them swiftly. Grownups ended up a minimal slower to adopt them.

Look at the video to see if you

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GFN Thursday: 24 Games To Join in September

GFN Thursday: 24 Games To Join in September

Just like that, summer falls into September, and some of the most anticipated games of the year, like the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion, PAYDAY 3 and Party Animals, are dropping into the GeForce NOW library at launch this month.

They’re part of 24 new games hitting the cloud gaming service in September. And the next Game Pass title to join the cloud at launch is Sea of Stars, part of 13 new games this week.

Keep an eye on GFN Thursday to see the next Microsoft titles joining the cloud this month, including Quake II, Gears Tactics and Halo Infinite. 

Plus, NVIDIA has worked with Google to give Chromebook owners a new offer that includes three free months of a GeForce NOW Priority membership. GeForce NOW cloud gaming ‌goes perfectly together with Chromebooks, which provide up to 1,600p resolution and 120Hz+ displays.

Party Hard in the Cloud

Party Animals on GeForce NOW
The cloud is about to get wild.

Make painfully great memories with friends in Party Animals, a hilarious, physics-based party brawler from Recreate Games and Source Technology. Fight friends as adorable puppies, mischievous kittens, magical unicorns or other fuzzy creatures or terrorize them as fearsome sharks and ferocious dinosaurs to be the last one standing.

Battle it out by picking up an assortment of weapons to get an edge over others or punch, toss, jump, kick and headbutt others in the brawl. Bring the action across multiple game modes — each requires a different strategy to win.

Get fierce for party game night, whether playing with friends locally on the couch or across devices online. Party Animals joins the cloud at launch on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Work Hard, Play Hard

Chromebook offer for GeForce NOW membership
Shiny new GeForce NOW offers for Chromebook owners.

One of the best ways to stream games from GeForce NOW is with the new Cloud Gaming Chromebooks, which feature screens that display beautiful scenes at up to 1,600p and 120Hz+.

Chromebook gamers can jump right into 100+ free-to-play titles and over 1,600 hit games, like Baldur’s Gate 3, Remnant II, supported games from the Xbox PC Game Pass library and more. GeForce NOW Priority members can also explore the worlds of Cyberpunk 2077, Control and other titles with RTX ON, and Ultimate members can level up and access new NVIDIA technologies like DLSS 3.5 in upcoming games like Alan Wake 2 and Portal with RTX. Compete online with ultra-low latency and other features perfect for playing.

Starting today, Google and NVIDIA are offering all Chromebook owners three free months of a GeForce NOW Priority membership to get gamers started. And those interested in leveling up to an Ultimate membership, the highest-performing tier, are already able to get three free months of a GeForce NOW Ultimate membership with the purchase of a Cloud Gaming Chromebook. Find more details on how to redeem the offer in Google’s Keyword blog or on the Chromebooks Perks page.

New Games as Far as the Eye Can Sea

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Computer players can get 6 no cost Steam online games appropriate now

Computer players can get 6 no cost Steam online games appropriate now

Listed here at GAMINGbible, we enjoy to hold you up to day on the hottest key releases. The point is nevertheless, gaming can be a pretty expensive passion and we want to make positive that it’s one thing which is obtainable to all.

With that in mind, we also like to make certain that you are in the know on all the most recent totally free choices – and Steam is packed complete with a lot of cost-free concealed gems. Irrespective of whether you’re very low on funds, or you are just wanting for a new download to though away a several hours, you’re in the right position. As reported by SteamGamesPC, Steam customers can now get State of Survival, CSOL, Project Z, Cecelia, Catch Royale, and Sludge Everyday living: The Massive Mud Sessions at no cost at all – and I’m right here to manual you through precisely what just about every activity consists of.

Get a look at the Tag-motivated Capture Royale down below.

We’ll kick points off with State of Survival. A survival RPG, State of Survival was introduced previously this month by FunPlus International AG. In this online PvP entry, you will (somewhat unsurprisingly) face off against hordes of zombies. The major issue with Condition of Survival is that when it’s cost-free-to-participate in, there are a variety of fork out-to-gain style aspects, so you may possibly be limited with how much progress you can make. That aside however, the gameplay has got the seal of approval from gamers.

CSOL is a multiplayer on-line co-op shooter, introduced by FPS OL. There are a few modes in full: Totally free For All, Workforce Demise Match, and Seize The Flag – fairly normal shooter fare. It is then again to zombies for Task Z, a tower defence match formulated by Parisi Interactive Game titles. It is the excellent time to dive in as devs have only introduced the game’s to start with a few degrees, so it shouldn’t get extended to perform via what players are calling an “engaging” encounter.

Cecelia has piqued my interest. Produced by Aifir Interactive, the synopsis reads, “A mysterious island. A big little one created of stone awakens. Discover to have confidence in every single other if you want to examine the perilous terrain, searching for answers from the island’s enigmatic connect with and an ominous pressure awaiting you in the distant lighthouse.” Gamers described the game as “decent” and “worth a try”, especially as you can zoom by the tale in less than an hour.

Catch Royale is the most current from Atzi_ Games – and it’s acquired possible. This totally free-to-enjoy battle royale is a twist on the basic playground game Tag. There are 100 or 250-player modes and you will need to have to try out and tag all of the foxes. Or you could sabotage your team’s attempts and totally free the foxes. Your remaining sport supplying these days is Sludge Daily life: The Significant Mud Periods

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Best video games and consoles for beginners : NPR

Best video games and consoles for beginners : NPR
Illustration: a person floats with a happy expression, with various gaming consoles sticking out behind them. The consoles include a PC, a Nintendo Switch, a smartphone, a PS5, and an XBOX controller. Individual buttons from the different consoles are scattered throughout the image.
Illustration: a person floats with a happy expression, with various gaming consoles sticking out behind them. The consoles include a PC, a Nintendo Switch, a smartphone, a PS5, and an XBOX controller. Individual buttons from the different consoles are scattered throughout the image.

Around 3 billion people play video games. But if you’re not already in on the fun, the barrier to entry can be daunting. New consoles cost hundreds of dollars, not to mention the price of individual games, which can go as high as $70 each.

Thankfully, you can get started on many games for free or for a few dollars on devices you may already own. So if you crave some entertainment for when you’re on the move, want to relive childhood Mario or Zelda memories, or loved HBO’s The Last of Us and want to play the series it was based on, here are some tips to get you started.

Games for your phone

Best for: Casual gamers on-the-go.

Cost: Free to a few dollars.

Classics like Hearts and Solitaire have graced phones for decades. But if you like card games, consider the mobile app Marvel Snap and its dramatic matches that last mere minutes. You’ll aim to conquer locations from Central Park to Atlantis with a personalized deck of superhero and villain cards.

Like most games on the Android and iOS stores, Marvel Snap comes free — with a catch. It’ll initially shower you with new cards but also entice you to spend real money to expand your collection. This “freemium” model dominates mobile gaming especially, along with market-tested psychological tricks to keep you hooked.

However, there’s one game subscription you may already have. Netflix has been broadening its gaming catalog with prestigious titles like the live-action mystery Immortality and the indie adventure Oxenfree II. Just open the Netflix app and hit the “Games” section at the bottom of the screen to download them on your phone.

Level up: More mobile games

Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass offer hundreds of titles for $5/month or $30/year, including: excellent puzzle games like Mini Metro, the monarchical dilemma simulator Reigns: Her Majesty, and Escheresque delight Monument Valley and its sequel.

Streaming games to computers, tablets and TVs

Best for: Those with 5G or Fiber internet who want to try big-screen titles for cheap.

Cost: Anywhere from $5 per month to $15 per month or more, depending on the service and tier.

Popular franchises you’ve likely heard of — Mario Kart, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto — tend to be designed for bigger screens and controllers.

You can buy LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, but you can also stream it and hundreds of other titles with Xbox Game Pass.

Warner Bros. Games


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Warner Bros. Games


You can buy LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, but you can also stream it and hundreds of other titles with Xbox Game Pass.

Warner Bros. Games

Take LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, for example. It’s great for families and has a little of everything: podracing, space battles, lightsaber duels and more. Yet its graphics are demanding enough to require a

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87% of traditional online games are out of print. That’s a trouble for gaming record.

87% of traditional online games are out of print. That’s a trouble for gaming record.
87% of classic games are out of print. That’s a problem for gaming history.

Aurich Lawson

Anybody with a passing fascination in retro game titles appreciates the bulk of vintage movie sport record is effectively “out of print,” with respectable copies constrained to defunct hardware platforms and secondhand bodily copies (if you happen to be fortunate). Now, in a initially-of-its-sort analyze, the Video clip Match History Foundation has determined the entire extent of this situation, getting that a full 87 % of video games unveiled in the US before 2010 are no longer commercially offered.

This large expanse of out-of-print game titles is not specifically “lost,” of class libraries, archives, and even program pirates have helped guarantee the video games will continue to be accessible in some sort. But the VGHF argues persuasively that the weak current market availability of reissued game titles highlights how the recreation industry is not carrying out a sufficient task of preserving entry to its have record.

“The industry has accomplished a excellent job re-commercializing a extensive catalog of [popular] titles, but for the wide vast majority of video games, we can not rely on the industrial industry to address this,” VGHF Library Director and analyze author Phil Salvador explained to Ars in a new interview. “We need to give libraries and archives far more tools to get the task accomplished.”

What is obtainable?

The commercial availability of classic games varies greatly by classic gaming era.
Enlarge / The professional availability of traditional game titles differs considerably by typical gaming period.

The VGHF analyze analyzed a random sample of 1,500 titles pulled from MobyGames’ considerable, crowdsourced databases of about 27,000 online games released in the US in advance of 2010 (around when expanding digital releases and backward compatibility modified the contemporary continuing access equation). The review also took a additional in-depth look at a handful of common platforms, from the Commodore 64 (95.5 % of titles at present out of print) to the PlayStation 2 (88 % out of print).

The 13 % of legacy game titles that are now in print is comparable to the availability of significantly more mature, pre-Entire world War II tunes recordings (10 per cent or a lot less in print), a comparison that Salvador states demonstrates just how at the rear of the gaming marketplace is on this score. “Video clip games have historically been dealt with as disposable toys,” he explained to Ars. “Industrial recreation emulation has been underdeveloped as very long as games have been slipping by way of the cracks legally. We are all nevertheless playing capture-up having this medium very seriously, and sad to say, these are the extensive-expression effects we are working with.”

Past the headline figures, the availability of legacy game titles may differ considerably across distinctive eras of gaming’s brief heritage. A paltry 2.6 p.c of games produced in or ahead of 1984 are in print, when compared to 16.5 % of games introduced since then.

That displays the limited industry worth of the industry’s oldest online games, which Salvador acknowledges are “a little archaic and not particularly enjoyable from a business viewpoint.” But these 30-furthermore-calendar

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