Welcome to WarBulletin - your new best friend in the world of gaming. We're all about bringing you the hottest updates and juicy insights from across the gaming universe. Are you into epic RPG adventures or fast-paced eSports? We've got you covered with the latest scoop on everything from next-level PC gaming rigs to the coolest game releases. But hey, we're more than just news! Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite games? We're talking exclusive interviews with the brains behind the games, fresh off-the-press photos and videos straight from gaming conventions, and, of course, breaking news that you just can't miss. We know you love gaming 24/7, and that's why we're here round the clock, updating you on all things gaming. Whether it's the lowdown on a new patch or the buzz about the next big gaming celeb, we're on it.
If you own a copy of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition or Minecraft: Education Edition, you can now grab a free expansion pack based on the BBC's Planet Earth III. Much like the previous Frozen Planet II experience, this new wildlife documentary DLC lets players explore five scenarios through the lens of animals — arctic wolves, ocelots, musk oxen, leopards, Cape fur seals, great white sharks, impalas and more.
We're just a couple of weeks into 2024, but the layoffs that plagued the gaming industry last year are back. An undisclosed number of employees at Lost Boys Interactive have been laid off across seemingly «all disciplines at all levels,» terminated producer Jared Pace told Aftermath. Lost Boys Interactive is responsible for games like Tiny Tina's Wonderlands — which is launching on PlayStation Plus.
Just as we expected, AI was the running theme throughout CES 2024. In this episode, Devindra and Producer Ben Ellman chat with co-host Cherlynn Low, who’s on the ground in Las Vegas with the Engadget team. We dive into AI coming to almost every product category, new standalone AI hardware, and a surprising amount of “shush” tech. In geekier news, we dive into Micron’s new RAM format for laptops, which has the potential to reshape the notebook industry, and discuss why we all may want a rolling house robot like Samsung’s Ballie. And on a sad note, we chat about the wave of tech layoffs from Google, Amazon and others.
Valve may have had a change of heart about fan-made tribute projects “borrowing” its intellectual property. GamesRadar+ reported on the Steam maker’s DMCA takedown notice sent to the creators of Team Fortress: Source 2, a passion project porting TF2 to the more modern Source 2 game engine. In addition, the Steam maker squashed a Portal demake for the Nintendo 64, hinting at a possible shift toward a more protective corporate strategy from the typically lenient Valve.
There may be a lot more real-money gaming (RMG) apps available in the Google Play Store before the year ends — at least in certain locations. Google initially started allowing apps that deal with real money in its store back in 2021, but only if they fall under a game type that's regulated by the government. Now, the company has announced that it's tweaking its rules to allow more «game types and operators not covered by an existing licensing framework.» That will open the Play Store to games that aren't that popular or aren't played widely enough for local governments to create laws around them.
Even though Apple didn't have an official presence at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, the trade show still had a whole area dominated by mixed reality tech. One of the most popular booths there was none other than Xreal (formerly Nreal), which decided to ride on the Apple Vision Pro hype train and unveil its latest AR glasses, the Xreal Air 2 Ultra, in Las Vegas. The Chinese firm claims that its latest headset makes «an affordable alternative to» the likes of the $3,499 Vision Pro, though it's currently priced at $699 — a tad more than the $499 Meta Quest 3 — as Xreal attempts to lure developers into its ecosystem.
Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown launches next week, but players are likely to encounter an amusing bug as they make their way through the game, as reported by IGN. One of the game’s NPCs is voiced by a text-to-speech program, complete with the slightly robotic tones we’ve come to associate with these services.
The cult hit Prison Architect is getting a sequel and it's actually releasing pretty soon. The franchise follow-up launches on March 26 for PC via Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. There’s even a trailer, posted below. Of note, Prison Architect 2 brings the series to 3D, as the original was a strictly top-down affair. The sequel has a cartoonish look that’s slightly reminiscent of newer Dragon Quest games, but the gameplay is anything but a JRPG.