#but its also on the playstation store

[wjbs-aus]

Honestly, as someone who plays a lot of games, my main problem with this screenshot (aside from the obvious) is that the HUD is so bloody cluttered.

Juging by the minimap in the corner, it looks like it's going to be an open-world game, so I'll compare The Game In The Picture (I'm not even going to say its name) to another open-world game; Saints Row 2, a game that came out 15 years ago.

As opposed to the 10 billion HUD elements on The Game In The Picture's HUD, SR2 only really has 6; a minimap, three follower slots, a money-counter and the big circular thing on the top-right, which tracks health (red bar), stamina (yellow bar), Respect (purple bar) and the currently-equipped weapon (symbol in the middle). If you need to see where you are or how many missions you can do before you need to top up your Respect, you can just look at the relevant part of the screen; any button-prompts are either taught in the optional tutorial, or appear when near an object that requires one, and other information can be found on the phone/pause menus or weapon-wheel.

Meanwhile, The Game In The Picture has almost twice that:

An objective (the button prompt next to it is probably connected)

A button-prompt mapped to R2, seemingly not unlocked yet.

Another not-unlocked thing.

A combo counter.

A blue metre (magic?)

A green metre (health-bar?)

Four abilities, along with some kind of switching mechanic.

Another set of objectives.

Enemy health-metre, seemingly for a single standard enemy instead of a boss.

Attack-damage readout.

Another button-prompt, presumably contextual.

This is way too much information on-screen at once. On a scale of The Stanley Parable to Ubisoft Game, this is definitely right next to the latter side.

Just seen a clip of Hogwarts Legacy which I definitely won’t be playing and the combat looks incredibly dated. Also the UI is a mess.

[halchron]

desperately needed some serotonin so I bought p4g 😂

[heavqn]

ALSO I STARTED PLAYING TLOU!!

[4giorno]

i rlly dont trust that my honkai star rail pre registration worked LMAO

[avocado-writing]

Hi dear! I would like to appreciate your works. I really enjoy everything you wrote, Wish you have a great day! 💗

Since you're taking requests, could you please write Wade with a polite, sweet and delicate partners. He's with a person who's the definition of "Too pure for this world and MUST be PROTECTED at all cost" His partner showers him with love and validation, and always love to listen to him! Thanks! 💓

possibly based on real life events.

Wade Wilson is so in love, it must be sickening to everyone around him. 

In fact he knows it is and he does not care. He’ll say “look at this meme the love of my life sent me!” and the person who he shows will roll their eyes, as if you don’t have incredible taste in cat pictures. He’ll monologue constantly about how cute you are and how much he loves that scrunchy thing you do with your nose. He’s recited committed-to-memory facts about you so many times that his friends can parrot them too. 

“Yes, I know what their favourite film is, I know you took them to a special viewing of it for their birthday. It’s cute, Wade,” says Laura, patting him on the arm condescendingly. Well, it’s not his fault you’re so wonderful! There isn’t a single thing about you that’s not perfect. He’s constantly bowled over about just how much affection he can fit in his body for you. The other night he was going on about something stupid - he can’t even remember what now, maybe it was about the new Taco Bell menu? - and then realised you hadn’t interrupted him once to shut him up like most people would.

You’d looked over the top of your magazine at him when he’d pointed this out, brow cocked.

“Why would I want you to shut up? I like listening to you talk, Wade.”

Marry you. He’s going to marry you. Every day, then divorce you every day too so he can marry you again. 

You are probably too good for him. Most of his social circle thinks so. You’re patient and kind, when you’re not at your job - where you work at a charity adopting out senior animals, as if you could be any more of a fucking angel - you like to spend your time in his shitty little kitchen, baking desserts for him to get home to. He’ll find you getting Al to taste test for you and his apartment full of laughter and joy. 

Man, he’s definitely put on like, six pounds since the two of you started dating. He needs to be stronger in the face of your cupcakes. 

They are really fucking good though. 

He walks in that night with a plushie under his arm. It’s a cow. He remembers you mentioning offhand how cute you thought cows were, so he decided to grab the biggest one the toy store one the way home had just because he knows it’ll make you smile. You don’t need any more stuffed toys; you sleep with them all in the bed and they’re pushing him off the side at this point because of their sheer number but, well, he likes seeing you happy. 

And then he hears sobbing. 

“Sweetheart?” he asks, immediately panicked. Are you injured? Has someone come to hurt you - has he painted a target on your back because of his job? Bile fills his throat as he stumbles forward…

…and there you are, sitting in front of the TV, PlayStation controller in your lap as tears run down your face while the end of the game plays out. Wade has never felt such relief in his life, laughing as the ache of it is taken from his chest. You turn to him with wide, watery eyes. 

“Don’t you laugh at me, Wade Wilson!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But babe… are you crying at the end of Kingdom Hearts?”

“No!” you lie, trying to mop your face off with your sleeve. Then the music hits its crescendo from the crappy speakers and you start wailing all over again. 

He loves you. He’d kill a million billion people for you. It would take a hell of a long time but hey, one word and he’d do it. If anyone even lifted a finger to hurt you he’d execute them so thoroughly that every generation of their family would be wiped out of existence too. 

To put it in terms you’d approve of, he’d do anything for you. But he also knows you’d never ask him to. You’re just that wonderful. 

“… would it help if I got us take-out and you started playing the second one?”

“Uh-huh,” you manage to confirm. 

“I could be in this fucking game, beat Donald Duck’s little feathery ass. Disney, make it happen.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it. Pizza or Chinese?”

Taglist: @falsewordz @malfoys-demigod @belilwen @mildly-salted @tvwebs @childeslegstrap @getmeoutofhell @s1eep-o @just-a-beatlemaniac69 @yrthr @momopad @sugarplumz100 @captainjinkx @madspads @acrosstheunivcrse @yeethaw13 @na-is-salty @florduarte @hunterispunk

[felassan]

New BioWare Journal post -

"Journal #12 Top Things to Know before You Play A few tips from our Team on launch day Hey everyone, Today is the day! Dragon Age: The Veilguard launches at 9am PDT globally on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. We are so excited to share this day with you. Whether you’ve been waiting since Dragon Age: Inquisition or only a few days, we appreciate you and your support.  Dragon Age: The Veilguard is designed with the flexibility to play the game your way, customizing your experience to best suit your play style from the menu options to combat. We have some tips from our team to share as you get started and find what works best for you! Customize your Experience As you begin your journey, we also encourage you to take some time to look through the Settings menus. There are a lot of different customizations you can make to tweak your game to your preferences, including accessibility options. Read more about these options in our Accessibility blog so you can play how you prefer at launch. Combat & Respec Throughout Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you’ll be fighting various enemies in Thedas, from demons to corrupt blood mages, and each type of enemy has their own weaknesses and resistances. When creating your Rook, you’ll be able to choose between three classes - stalwart Warrior, deft Rogue, or spell-slinging Mage. If you want guidance on which class to choose and an introduction to our combat system, we encourage you to check out our Combat blog.  You can swap your abilities, and those of your companions, at any time outside of combat. You can also respec individual nodes or the entire skill tree to try out entirely new builds. We hope you feel empowered to try out multiple builds, abilities, and specializations areas. Read more about the skill tree in our Progression blog. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out a few of our team’s favorite builds:"

"Mage: Spellblade Specialization - Meteor - Wall of Fire - Chain Lightning - Ultimate: Thunderous End"

"Rogue: Duelist Specialization - A Thousand Cuts - Lightning Flask - Explosive Daggers - Ultimate: Murder of Crows"

"Warrior: Champion Specialization - Whirlwind - Grappling Spear - Deadly Ground - Ultimate: Warden’s Fire Explore Thedas to Unlock its Secrets Dragon Age: The Veilguard opens up for exploration after the Prologue ends. As you progress through the first several quests, you’ll find more and more places to explore, from the Hossberg Wetlands to Treviso. We really encourage you to take some time to delve into each area you come across for extra side quests and loot. Check out our Exploration blog for more details! Companions & Choices Companions have always been at the heart of the Dragon Age franchise, and there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know each of your allies in this game. Each of their stories, and those of the factions as well, adds to the story and experience of the game. We encourage you to complete side content and companion quests, as they will have a direct impact on how the later stages of the game unfold. We’re so excited to share Dragon Age: The Veilguard with you. This moment has been a long time coming, and we can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts about our game. We hope you enjoy diving back into Thedas! Join our BioWare Discord to join in with other fans, ask questions, and receive tips. Get Dragon Age: The Veilguard on PC (Steam, EA App, & Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S NOW!             — The Dragon Age Team"

Controls:

[source]

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

I shouldn't have to make this post but Nintendo fans are trying extremely desperately to position the company whose cock they love the taste of in a good light and are generally doing this by spreading misinformation about the legalities of emulation so let's go over a number of the fabrications shall we?

Emulation is illegal to monetize This has so far been one of the really big ones that's taken traction, usually partnered with the sister lie that yuzu was paywalling access to early access builds. These are both lies, and are untrue. yuzu is far from the only modern emulator to be monetizing itself, plenty of mobile emulators do it, but developing an emulator for money is entirely legal. We have pretty much all of our emulation precedent set thanks to a series of lawsuits in the very early 2000s thanks to Sony suing an emulator called Bleem. There's a lot to say about Bleem, but Bleem was a commercial emulator. You could buy Bleem, in stores. At no point was there ever a court decision that Bleem was wrong to do so (despite Sony's best efforts).

Emulating current generation software or hardware is illegal. This is also wrong, and kind of fundamentally misunderstands a lot when it comes to emulation. Once again, Bleem was at the time emulating current generation software. It was a generation in its twilight, but Bleem first released in March of 1999: the Playstation 2 was not out yet. The reason why current generation software does not tend to be emulated is because we do not really have the tech or processing power to do it yet. The Switch's lower specs are entirely the reason it has had an emulator developed well ahead of the PS4 or the Xbone.

Yuzu's early access build allowed people to play Tears of the Kingdom ahead of release date This one is a couple of different statements packed together, and while I'm given to believe there's a chance other games may have been playable ahead of release, this specific statement is a lie, and maybe the funniest one on the list because it's a lie that's not even backed up by the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is extremely clear in its language that it was modded instances of Yuzu that could play Tears of the Kingdom ahead of release date, not publicly accessible builds of Yuzu. Nintendo's argument here lies in Yuzu being open source: part of the lawsuit alleges that Yuzu is responsible for any and all acts of piracy done by its users, whether or not they used official or modded builds of Yuzu. This is, of course, a fundamentally fucking insane position to argue from. It is not a particularly uncharitable reading of this as an attack on open source software to begin with, as this precedent would make any developer liable for ANY illegal action taken by someone who modified their code. Supporting this, in my opinion, makes you an asshole and liable to be clocked in the fucking mouth.

4. Literally anything involving this screenshot.

I've seen this screenshot maybe three or four times with different takes on what exactly Illegal is happening here and I'm pretty content to just call it vibes at this point. Whether this is an intelligent screenshot is a different matter, but no one has been able to point to anything actually illegal being done here. There is already precedent in allowing one to make their own back-ups of software they own, even if decryption or bypassing copy protection to do so, which is a large majority of software. Switch games are not the only games that are either encrypted or have copy protection, and this is both not the earliest generation to do it AND its not the only industry that does it.

The only point of interest here is the date, which I've seen literally no one bring up, but this correlates into another point: personal piracy is still not something Yuzu is liable for. It's a dumb thing to broadcast, but it doesn't change anything material about the software.

5. Yuzu folded because Nintendo had a smoking gun

I, I just, I'm sorry this one isn't just a lie its a really naive and incompetent view of the faults of our legal system. If anything, the settlement seems to indicate the opposite. If Nintendo was sure they had Yuzu dead the rights, they wouldn't have fucking settled. Both parties need to agree to settle! Nintendo is actively interested in trying to set legal precedent that emulation is illegal, because Nintendo is great at saying obviously wrong things with a straight face.

This could be a reason, but remember, this was a civil lawsuit, not a criminal one. Civil lawsuits have a difference in how evidence is handled, and it's pretty likely that Nintendo just has more evidence than user does on account of being able to afford a larger legal team and having planned for this lawsuit in advance, regardless of how strong that evidence actually is. It's why most of the arguments in the lawsuit read kind of insane. Civil lawsuits are not handled "beyond a reasonable doubt".

There's also the fact that legal cases can be extremely expensive, even when you know you are absolutely in the fucking right. I want to link this video by James Stephanie Sterling as evidence of this. They were completely in the fucking right, and the lawsuit still took an incredible amount of time and monetary expense to argue, and that's against an opponent who you could reasonably confuse with a scarecrow. This is ultimately how Sony eventually "won" against Bleem. Bleem never lost any of its lawsuits against Sony, in fact Sony ballsed it up twice against Bleem, but Sony continued to file lawsuits against Bleem and its company over and over, until Bleem literally could not afford it and went bankrupt.

There's also the matter of precedent. If Yuzu had taken this court, and lost, it would be really bad. There's a lot in this court case that you don't want precedent leaning towards, and due to, uh, America's current political climate and judicial regime, there's a fair chance the judge would have just sided with Nintendo anyways. Settling the lawsuit, while to be entirely clear, sucks complete ass for Yuzu as they were basically eliminated, protects the sphere of emulation as a whole.

So what was the salient parts of Nintendo's case?

The parts of Nintendo's case that hold the most weight have to do specifically with the encryption keys used to de-encrypt Switch games, and how those keys interact with the DMCA. There's no legal precedence to back this up, this is thoroughly untested grounds. This is actually where the buck stops with the Bleem cases: this one never went to a judgment for Bleem and hence never established precedent.

There's a pretty reasonable chance that Nintendo had a chance to win the lawsuit off of the back of this point. This doesn't make it a guarantee, but it's the part of the lawsuit that's actually important.

What happened with the settlement?

Well Nintendo got to legally extort the Yuzu devs and their parent company for $2.4 million. This is, strictly speaking, chump change to Nintendo but I in particular hate this part of lawsuits with a passion. In addition, as per the conditions of the agreement, all copies of Yuzu that were released and in development under the purvey of the company must be destroyed, the company and its devs can no longer work on Yuzu in any way possible, and they cannot work on any other emulation software. This is why Citra also closed down by the way: it was an unfortunate emulator in the cross fire. This in and of itself, is a tragedy, since this is basically court mandated brain drain. Undoubtedly Yuzu will be forked and someone will continue development on "Zuyu", but the loss is still felt.

Why should I care? Piracy is illegal.

This is where I'm going to wax philosophical for a moment, but Frankie my dear, I do not give a damn. Nintendo could have had full legal rights to do this, and I would still be of the opinion that Nintendo's legal team are ghouls and shouldn't feel safe showing their faces. This is how I felt when Nintendo shut down Emuparadise. Whether something is illegal does not impact whether it is right. Laws exist in a state of being able to be both just, unjust, or both.

Emulation is extremely important in the preservation of gaming as an artform, something that the game industry is extremely against in all forms. There's money to be made after all, and attempts at making sure that games are available to play are often attacked and criticized. This is part of the reason I'm so against the existence of copyright law. It doesn't matter what the intent of a system is, but it does matter what the system does, and it's transferred an overwhelming amount of power into the hands of large corporations while largely screwing small creators over.

I do not believe art has a price tag to it. I do not believe that art can and should only be enjoyed by the people a company has decided to sell it too. I do not believe that companies like Nintendo should be able to throw their legal weight around and ruin people's lives. You should be able to play Mother 3 and Shin Megami Tensei without having to wait for their parent companies to decide they actually want to sell it to you.

Piracy does not inflict meaningful damages to Nintendo. Despite Nintendo's whinging, Tears of the Kingdom sold over 20 million copies in half a years time, something that we can estimate to have made Nintendo about $1.4 billion in revenue. We live in a game industry which does not care about its game devs: it's perfectly willing to underpay them, to overwork them, and to eventually let them go. Nintendo is not innocent here. They have a history of mistreating their contract workers, and I personally know that these are not the only allegations that hold water.

In short, fuck Nintendo. Pirate all Switch games until the end of time.

[demifiendrsa]

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance - Announce Trailer

Japanese version

Extended Cut

Extended Cut Japanese version

Special Program Spotlight

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) on June 21, 2024 worldwide. Pre-orders will open on February 27, 2024.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of Shin Megami Tensei V, which originally launched for Nintendo Switch in November 2021.

Title logo

Key visual

Overview

The latest title in the series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance allows players to enjoy the story of Shin Megami Tensei V in its entirety, with a new story path, untold in the original. Massively expanded with new areas, demons, and music, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance features more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences, and greater field exploration. Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch family of systems (physical only), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC will begin on February 27, 2024. Details on digital pre-orders for Nintendo Switch will be announced at a later date. When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks the protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He finds himself in a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at. Before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and they unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance delivers a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by existing and new fans. At the start of the game, players will choose between two paths: the story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, an enigmatic cohort of demons called the Qadištu, a new dungeon and map to explore. Additionally, the original Shin Megami Tensei V battle system, demon merging and field exploration have been evolved and expanded in this newest entry in the series.

Further details

■ What is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?

Released in 2021, ATLUS’s renowned RPG Shin Megami Tensei V has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

This highly acclaimed game has evolved in every aspect, including the system and scenario, and will be available on multiple modern platforms!

At the beginning of the story, the player is presented between two routes. The story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, and a brand-new route, Canon of Vengeance, a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen.

The Canon of Vengeance follows the scenario of SMTV, but changes drastically from the latter half of the game. The outcome will be completely different. Enjoy the two divergent stories to your heart’s content.

The battle system, demon fusion, and field exploration have also evolved in depth with the addition of new elements. We are excited to deliver a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by those who have already played SMTV, as well as those who are playing this series for the first time.

■ Story

Thou shalt be God—.

When a grisly murder scence in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a New Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at – but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his live, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.

Revenge Awaits—.

Demons attack humans and seek to create a world of chaos.

Bethel, an organization that seeks to protect God’s order.

Caught up in the conflict between the two, while exploring Da’at, the protagonist meets and starts traveling with Yoko Hiromine.

Using magic, Yoko and the main character stand together on the front line.

The Qadistu, four female Demons stand in their way. “Found it, the Key of Resurrection…” A member of the Qadistu, Lilith calls protagonist the Key of Resurrection, and herself The Oppressed.

What is their purpose? A tale of revenge by the oppressed begins.

■ The Oppressed: The Qadistu

In the Canon of Vengeance, four female demons appear in front of the protagonist. Another story of creation told by new Demons.

■ Characters

Lilith (voiced by Katelyn Gault in English, Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese)

“I am Lilith of the Qadištu The one to restore the world to what it ought to be.”

A woman who is said to have been Adam’s first wife in the Old Testament. Later left Garden of Eden and turned into a demon.

Leader of the Qadištu. In order to achieve an unidentified goal, she stands in front of the protagonist.

Protagonist / Nahobino

A high school senior living in Tokyo. On his way back from school, he is involved in a tunnel collapse and wanders into an apocalyptic version of Tokyo, Da’at. His hobby is reading.

The protagonist fuses with Aogami and becomes a “Nahobino,” using this power to fight back demons.

The decision-making during the Nahobino state lies with the protagonist, and Aogami guides him with his voice.

Aogami (voiced by Damian Mills in English, Toshiyuki Morikawa in Japanese)

“Regardless of what may happen, rest assured that I will always protect you.”

A mysterious man who appears before the protagonist, who is being attacked by a demon in Da’at.

By taking the protagonist’s hand, he transforms into a condemned being, the Nahobino.

He seemingly participated in the war 18 years ago, but his memory of it has slipped away.

Yoko Hiromine (voiced by Erin Yvette in English, Chiwa Saitou in Japanese)

“With no one to save them, in the back of their mind, the victim desires only one thing: revenge against the assailant.”

She is a senior in high school at St. Marina Academy. Cool and somewhat mysterious.

She meets and works with the protagonist in Da’at. She has always possessed mysterious powers and was once called a “saint”. At the academy, she has been recognized for her power and learned exorcism magic. She also participates in the battles.

■ Over 270 Demons

In addition to existing demons, this title features more than 270 demons, including new demons newly drawn by the character designer Masayuki Doi. Enjoy an incredible demon experience!

■ Includes Shin Megami Tensei V Downloadable Content Demons and Quests!

The demons and quests that were available with Shin Megami Tensei V are included in this title as standard features! Experienced players are encouraged to try their hand at these challenging quests.

“A Goddess in Training”

“The Rage of a Queen”

“The Doctor’s Last Wish”

“Return of the True Demon”

■ Evolution in Depth!

Every system of Shin Megami Tensei V has been brushed up in detail and new elements have been added, including field exploration, demon conversations, battles, growth elements, and new demon experiences! Of course, with multiple endings—this is truly the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V.

Adding unique skills to all demons, new interactions with demons, and more… Many other new elements! Stay tuned for more information!

■ Additional Downloadable Content

Downloadable content featuring new demons will be distributed simultaneously on the release date.

Demon God Dagda from Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final and newly introduced is the demon Goddess Konohanasakuya, newly drawn by character designer Masayuki Doi!

Holy Will and Profane Dissent

When the protagonist goes to investigate a mysterious reaction, he meets Danu, the earth mother goddess, who claims to have come from a world that exists in another universe. Danu is apparently searching for his son, Dagda. The protagonist embarks on a search for Dagda with Danu. By completing the game, Dagda can be made an ally, and fusion will be unlocked.

Sakura Cinders of the East

Konohana Sakuya laments the turbulent world and searches for a hero who can pacify the world. She sees an image of a certain hero within the protagonist and challenges him. Winning the battle will allow you to make Konohana Sakuya your ally, and fusion will also be unlocked.

In addition, earning downloadable content that makes it easier to gain experience and in-game currency will be released at the same time.

[gravitycircuit]

Gravity Circuit has recently hit 60K total units sold!

Never in our wildest dreams did we expect the game to sell as much as it has done in just a few short months. As such, we thought this was a moment to celebrate, with new art provided by @jmanvelez!

Now, you might be asking: why are we taking a moment to celebrate such a specific number? Well, in truth, we were planning on doing a celebratory announcement earlier, at 50K. We were on track to hit that in December, but then the holiday sales happened. Thanks to the holiday sales on various storefronts, we essentially skyrocketed past 50K, climbing all the way up to 60K before the sales were over, so didn't have the time to prepare for it! Goodness, the sales performance just continues to surprise us. All in all, the reception and feedback we have received over these past months have been overwhelming, and we can't thank you, the players, enough. You are the best. Now, you might be curious about the sales distribution among the platforms? Fret not, we have prepared a pie chart for you (based on sales as of January 18th, 2024):

Note: PS4 and PS5 are coupled together due to crossbuy. This means that if you purchased the game on one, you can download it on the same account for the other at no extra cost.

On PC, the game is available on Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, as well as Stove (Korea). Out of these, Steam is the most popular storefront.

On consoles, the game is available on Nintendo Switch and Sony's PlayStation 4 and 5. The game is also physically available on afore-mentioned consoles, by Pix'n'Love (PEGI), Red Art Games (ESRB) and Oizumi Amuzio (Japan).

Given the amount of wishlists on Steam before the game's release, as well as us getting Steam Deck verified by Valve, PC outselling the other platforms is not a wholly unexpected outcome. Steam is a huge storefront, after all.

But after all the sales across these platforms, what about the reception? Well, even on that front, Gravity Circuit has performed better than even our wildest expectations, as shown by the collage below:

Truthfully, before the game's release some six months ago, we weren't sure about what the reception ultimately would be. As a developer, it can be difficult to distance yourself from whatever project you have been working on for so long, to see the game for what it is. So, ultimately, it was up to you, the players, to determine the game's overall quality. Needless to say, we didn't expect the majority opinion to be this good, both from critics and players alike!

To provide some background: throughout the development, there were a plentiful of sleepless nights, fueled by stress, energy drinks, boatloads of work, and constant lingering doubts about the game's potential success. Creative endeavors while on a deadline are never easy, but we soldiered on, so to try and complete the game to the best of our abilities. Now, months after release, it has been a truly humbling experience that players have enjoyed Gravity Circuit as much as they have. Such a warm reception has made all that effort behind the game worth it. Again, we can't thank you all enough.

Of course, it might go without saying that even with all this positive feedback, the game hasn't been without its own sets of issues. Especially around the game's launch we had to do multiple quick rounds of bug fixes, so to address various situations and oversights that had slipped past us during development and Q&A. While doing all this was taxing, it's perhaps thanks to these rapid, quick responses that have helped minimize any lasting impact that the various game crashes and bugs could have otherwise had.

Essentially, on that point, our policy has been to accept any and all feedback from players with open arms. Whether positive or negative, we have read all points of feedback, and even responded to them wherever we have been able. Ultimately, this back-and-forth discussion with players has then resulted in us implementing various additions and changes post-launch (Speedrun Mode, Armor Paints, Boss Rush, small quality of life additions, etc), completely free of charge. And while we do try, it's not exactly realistic to act or respond to every bit of feedback without fundamentally changing some of the game's DNA. Nevertheless, we do try our best -- and perhaps hold onto the lessons learned for any future endeavors.

In the meanwhile, we at Domesticated Ant Games want to thank you all for all the support so far from the bottom of our hearts -- and we wish you all a good start to 2024!

[onboardsorasora]

De aged Daniel looking at the Red Bull shirt max is offering like it offended him. He wants a Ferrari shirt so Charles has to be called

I fully believe that max is taking all the pictures to share with Grace

He loves his red vroom vroom team!

De-Aged Daniel | De-Aged Daniel Pt2 | De-Aged Daniel Pt3 | De-Aged Daniel Pt 4 | Part 6

“No no Daniel, we shouldn’t climb!” Max rushed to lift the little body that was already halfway up his bookcase. To be fair, it did look like a ladder and Little Daniel had already shown a penchant for climbing things. 

Grace had laughed at him when Max had complained to her. Apparently Daniel used to climb the trellises in her garden all the time and then cry when he got to the top because it was so high up.

Little Daniel giggled when Max playfully threw him over his shoulder, his high pitched laughter rang around the house. Max threw him into the couch and tickled his little tummy, grinning happily as Little Daniel screamed and squirmed out of his reach.

“Maxy! No climb! No climb!” Little Daniel screeched breathlessly, his accent eating half of his words.

“Thank you Daniel. I don’t want you to get hurt, ok?” Max looked at him imploringly, he’s never normally this scared around his nephews and he knew that kids were resilient. His sister told him all the time. But there was something about this being a younger version of his favourite person in the world that made him want to protect him at all costs. He also didn’t want something to happen to this Daniel that could impact the Daniel he knew.

“Otay!” Little Daniel patted Max’s cheeks.

“Ok I got some racing shirts for you, do you want to see?”

Little Daniel’s eyes widened, he loved watching his Dad race. He was the fastest racer ever!

Daniel bounced on the couch while Max took up a little gift bag that was delivered this morning. He opened the bag and brandished the kid sized navy Red Bull polo with a grin, only to bite back his laugh when Little Daniel frowned. 

“What’s wrong? I thought you liked blue?” Max looked at the shirt then back to Little Daniel who was nibbling his palm, his brows were furrowed deeply.

“Ish not wed.” Little Daniel mumbled shyly.

“No it’s Red Bull.” 

“What’s dat?”

“They’re the fastest racing team.” Max said matter of factly, he fought the urge to point to the trophies Little Daniel had been trying to grab at just this morning.

“Nuh uh.” Little Daniel shook his head, contorting on the couch as only toddlers could.

“What do you mean nuh uh?” Max argued.

“Fewawi are de fashtesh.” Little Daniel was still biting at his hand but Max could hear his smile. He sighed, defeated. He couldn’t believe he just lost an argument with a five year old.

“Fine, I’ll get you a Ferrari shirt if you want.” Max rolled his eyes and reached for his phone when Little Daniel cheered. He texted Charles his request then sighed long suffering when Charles immediately face timed him.

“What is going on? Do I need to call the police? Was that one of those ‘I’ve been kidnapped and the kidnappers told me to react normally so you’re texting a code that I should know that its not you things’?” Charles squinted his eyes and Max could tell he was trying to assess his background.

“No, I haven't been kidnapped. I really do want a ferrari shirt. Kid sized if you can find it.”

“Where am I going to just get a children’s shirt from Max? Do you think I just have ferrari t shirts in children’s sizes in my closet?” Charles furrowed his brow.

“Can’t you like go into the Ferrari store and ask for one? Aren’t you like their predestinato or whatever they call you? Of course that should give you special privileges.” Max argued.

“Privileges that don’t include getting children’s clothes?” 

“Charles, look. I need a shirt. Can you get me a shirt?”

“Why are you needing a–”

“No no Daniel! You promised! No climbing buddy!” Max put his phone down to scoop up the child that was giggling away and attempting to climb onto the credenza that held his playstation controller. After this was done, Max promised himself to babyproof his house. He didn’t realize he had so much climbable furniture.

“Ok, that's enough climbing, I thought you promised!” Max put Little Daniel on his hip, watching as the little boy pressed his face into his shoulder, contrite.

“No pinky promise.” Max could hear the grin in his voice, he gasped theatrically.

“You tricked me!” He shook his head and Little Daniel’s laugh and picked up his phone again to a wide eyed Charles.

“Max, why do you have a child… and why does he look like Daniel– is he kidnapped? Do I need to call the police?”

“Charles! Calm down. No, we don't need to involve the police. This is Daniel. Just….small. Daniel, do you wanna say hi to Charles?”

“Poollleeeeeeece” Little Daniel’s mouth widened as he extended the word then he waved at the phone. “Shaaaarrrllllll.”

“Hello mate.” Charles smiled in wonder, “I hear you like Ferrari?”

“Fewawi go vrrooooooooommmmmmm!” Little Daniel mimicked a car driving off with his hand. Charles laughed.

“Seb was right, everyone’s a Ferrari fan.” Charles said smugly and Max stuck his tongue out at him.

[satoshi-mochida]

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC - Gematsu

From Gematsu

ATLUS has announced Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). It will launch on June 21 worldwide. Pre-orders will open on February 27.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of Shin Megami Tensei V, which originally launched for Switch in November 2021.

Here is an overview of the game, via ATLUS:

The latest title in the series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance allows players to enjoy the story of Shin Megami Tensei V in its entirety, with a new story path, untold in the original. Massively expanded with new areas, demons, and music, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance features more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences, and greater field exploration. Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch family of systems (physical only), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC will begin on February 27, 2024. Details on digital pre-orders for Nintendo Switch will be announced at a later date. When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks the protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He finds himself in a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at. Before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and they unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance delivers a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by existing and new fans. At the start of the game, players will choose between two paths: the story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, an enigmatic cohort of demons called the Qadištu, a new dungeon and map to explore. Additionally, the original Shin Megami Tensei V battle system, demon merging and field exploration have been evolved and expanded in this newest entry in the series.

And here are further details:

■ What is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?

Released in 2021, ATLUS’s renowned RPG Shin Megami Tensei V has sold more than one million copies worldwide. This highly acclaimed game has evolved in every aspect, including the system and scenario, and will be available on multiple modern platforms! At the beginning of the story, the player is presented between two routes. The story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, and a brand-new route, Canon of Vengeance, a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen. The Canon of Vengeance follows the scenario of SMTV, but changes drastically from the latter half of the game. The outcome will be completely different. Enjoy the two divergent stories to your heart’s content. The battle system, demon fusion, and field exploration have also evolved in depth with the addition of new elements. We are excited to deliver a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by those who have already played SMTV, as well as those who are playing this series for the first time.

■ Story

Thou shalt be God—. When a grisly murder scence in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a New Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at – but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his live, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino. Revenge Awaits—. Demons attack humans and seek to create a world of chaos. Bethel, an organization that seeks to protect God’s order. Caught up in the conflict between the two, while exploring Da’at, the protagonist meets and starts traveling with Yoko Hiromine. Using magic, Yoko and the main character stand together on the front line. The Qadistu, four female Demons stand in their way. “Found it, the Key of Resurrection…” A member of the Qadistu, Lilith calls protagonist the Key of Resurrection, and herself The Oppressed. What is their purpose? A tale of revenge by the oppressed begins.

■ The Oppressed: The Qadistu

In the Canon of Vengeance, four female demons appear in front of the protagonist. Another story of creation told by new Demons.

■ Characters

Lilith (voiced by Katelyn Gault in English)

“I am Lilith of the Qadištu The one to restore the world to what it ought to be.” A woman who is said to have been Adam’s first wife in the Old Testament. Later left Garden of Eden and turned into a demon. Leader of the Qadištu. In order to achieve an unidentified goal, she stands in front of the protagonist.

Protagonist / Nahobino

A high school senior living in Tokyo. On his way back from school, he is involved in a tunnel collapse and wanders into an apocalyptic version of Tokyo, Da’at. His hobby is reading. The protagonist fuses with Aogami and becomes a “Nahobino,” using this power to fight back demons. The decision-making during the Nahobino state lies with the protagonist, and Aogami guides him with his voice.

Aogami (voiced by Damian Mills in English)

“Regardless of what may happen, rest assured that I will always protect you.” A mysterious man who appears before the protagonist, who is being attacked by a demon in Da’at. By taking the protagonist’s hand, he transforms into a condemned being, the Nahobino. He seemingly participated in the war 18 years ago, but his memory of it has slipped away.

Yoko Hiromine (vocied by Erin Yvette in English)

“With no one to save them, in the back of their mind, the victim desires only one thing: revenge against the assailant.” She is a senior in high school at St. Marina Academy. Cool and somewhat mysterious. She meets and works with the protagonist in Da’at. She has always possessed mysterious powers and was once called a “saint”. At the academy, she has been recognized for her power and learned exorcism magic. She also participates in the battles.

■ Over 270 Demons

In addition to existing demons, this title features more than 270 demons, including new demons newly drawn by the character designer Masayuki Doi. Enjoy an incredible demon experience!

■ Includes Shin Megami Tensei V Downloadable Content Demons and Quests!

The demons and quests that were available with Shin Megami Tensei V are included in this title as standard features! Experienced players are encouraged to try their hand at these challenging quests.

A Goddess in Training

The Doctor’s Last Wish

The Rage of a Queen

Return of the True Demon

■ Evolution in Depth!

Every system of Shin Megami Tensei V has been brushed up in detail and new elements have been added, including field exploration, demon conversations, battles, growth elements, and new demon experiences! Of course, with multiple endings—this is truly the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V. Adding unique skills to all demons, new interactions with demons, and more… Many other new elements! Stay tuned for more information!

■ Additional Downloadable Content

Downloadable content featuring new demons will be distributed simultaneously on the release date. Demon God Dagda from Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final and newly introduced is the demon Goddess Konohanasakuya, newly drawn by character designer Masayuki Doi!

Holy Will and Profane Dissent

When the protagonist goes to investigate a mysterious reaction, he meets Danu, the earth mother goddess, who claims to have come from a world that exists in another universe. Danu is apparently searching for his son, Dagda. The protagonist embarks on a search for Dagda with Danu. By completing the game, Dagda can be made an ally, and fusion will be unlocked.

Sakura Cinders of the East

Konohana Sakuya laments the turbulent world and searches for a hero who can pacify the world. She sees an image of a certain hero within the protagonist and challenges him. Winning the battle will allow you to make Konohana Sakuya your ally, and fusion will also be unlocked. In addition, earning downloadable content that makes it easier to gain experience and in-game currency will be released at the same time.

Watch the announcement trailer and a special program below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

Special Program Spotlight

English

Japanese

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Video game console and case design

Today's hyperfixation is on the PLAYSTATION 5. Because I want one, but I really shouldn't buy one, so I am just looking up everything to do with games consoles and burning my brain out.

I used to be a proper xbox player, until I got my PC, then I never really touched by xbox again. I got a PS4 to play Persona 5 and since then it's been a blu ray player for my Adventure Time boxset, not much else. But the current gen - PS5, Series X - is arguably more powerful than my gaming PC, and I still have a lot of friends stuck on PS5, so I am considering investing in a unit.

Anyway is it me or did they really shit the bed with design in this generation?

Look at these chunky fuckers! They do not fit smoothly under your television at all. There is no detail or decoration breaking up their unnecessarily large faces, which makes them look bland and ugly. They look like they're made of cheap plastic, with the two controllers being the highest quality thing about them. I can attest the xbox controller is unbeatable, but playstation really made their shot this generation. A shame I can never get used to the dualshock joystick positioning.

The Series S and the PS5 Slim are almost NO improvement on the base designs.

For some reason they made the Series S look like a speaker???

The new PS5 slim FINALLY has a line across that massive faceplate, but the half matte half glossed finish is not doing it any favours. I think it would've looked much better if, for example, the matte and gloss plates were different colours. Like black and white! It also has an even MORE out of place disc drive, which I think is part of Sony's agenda to go digital only, and the two tiny "feet" for its horizontal positioning are pathetic! Personally I like this more than the original but not significantly, disappointing since I was really looking forward to it.

I want you to compare these nasties to the previous generation - the PS4 and the XBOX One.

....Now, what's hilarious about this image is the consoles look ALMOST IDENTICAL from this angle. And, I guess, that would be why Sony and Microsoft decided to make such a departure with the space heater PS5 and the fridge Series X.

But they both look very premium and advanced, and they fit very nicely in your living room.

The companies tried to look a bit more distinguished in their followup versions in the previous gen too. The white PS4 Pro looks a lot closer to PS5 with its quirkiness, but without the atrocious shiny plastic. Sony tended to add or remove a layer whenever they altered the PS4, I wonder what they would look like all stacked on top of each other.

It's not just the games console designs that suffer - Look at the game cases! I know that the companies want to incentivise you to go digital, but Xbox Series X cases are just awful.

So if you're confused - You should be!!! Microsoft have two kinds of case for the Series X. One of them is the EXACT SAME CASE as Xbox One, but with Series X printed on the front. The second newer version foregoes the sexy Xbox logo entirely and just has Xbox Series X printed in some default font. Awful awful awful.

Playstation is doing better, but barely.

They are reusing PS4 cases with a different print on them. It doesn't look as horrible as Xbox's, and it at least has a different colour on the logo, but damn, the jump between PS3/360 and PS4/One was really impressive, and now they've stopped bothering because they want everyone to go digital. If your game cases look like shit, why bother with physical?

I want to contrast with physical media kings Nintendo, who did an outstanding job in 2017 with designing the case for the Nintendo Switch.

These bad boys are mine. They're super thin, easy to stack, decent quality, and F U N. The red colour pallette makes them pop out. You can see one from across the store and go, "damn, that's a Nintendo Switch game".

I just want a thousand of them.

I would say a disadvantage, especially compared to the Gamecube games next to them, and even compared to 3ds, is that you can't tell what game you're looking at without going right up to them. These cases are TOO uniform, and really tiny, so i have to triple check I am picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and not Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Meanwhile you can tell exactly what Gamecube games I have by colour pallette alone. Like, you can instantly tell that's Windwaker.

The switch in general is a very fun looking games console, much nicer looking than its predecessor the Wii U, though I'm not sure how I feel about the white of the OLED. But every time I see a Switch Lite in stores, even though I know it's worse than my Switch, I want to buy one. It just looks so FUUUUUN.

And finally a special mention to the 3DS and its games case. The console itself was pretty stylish, if... rudimentary for its release period, but the games cases are high quality and almost make me want to have 3ds games just so I can have the cases.

[estradasphere]

PSP time :D

Initial thoughts:

First of all, absolutely beautiful. Glossy shell. My red one looks kinda pinkish in natural light. Charmingly retro UI.

Not the most comfortable to hold, but it's not bad. I think my hands are either too big or too small for it (probably the latter). Buttons are fine. Clicky. Analog nub is in a weird spot that kinda hurts my thumb to use?

May just be an issue with my unit but the headphone jack fits VERY tightly, not going anywhere while plugged in but also kinda hard to take out

Music and video players are pretty good! A lot more features than the 3DS equivalents (video player has fast forward/reverse, frame advance, screen fit...) Music does not seem to keep playing in sleep mode, which is unfortunate, but it does have some fun visualizers. Photo viewer is just a photo viewer, it's whatever.

Custom theme support is siiiiiiiiick, can't believe that's a built-in feature wow. You can also set a photo on your memory stick as ur wallpaper, overriding a theme's bg while keeping its custom icons n stuff (that's what I did up there).

In general it's worth noting how more *open* this thing feels compared to the 3DS - no region lock! (well except for UMD movies but whatever). Also supports a lot more languages than I expected, this is a Japanese PSP but also has system language options for English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Dutch... no CFW region change needed

As expected, internet browser is super outdated. Apparently had Adobe Flash support tho which is cool. And I was able to use Discross on it. Typing without a touchscreen suuucks though.

A lot of unusable dead shortcuts in the menu that when launched try to download from some defunct server - stuff like 1Seg, a comic reader, x-Radar Portable, SensMe™ (whatever that is), Internet Radio(?), RSS reader, none of those seem to work anymore. The Playstation Network / Store stuff is obviously dead too. I'm not making a Skype account just to see if that still works.

Speaking of Internet, it doesn't support modern WiFi security, so I have to use an unprotected hotspot from my phone in order to get online with this thing.

Installing CFW is dead simple, like, possibly the easiest setup ever, just put the files on the stick and launch the thing and then launch the other thing aaaand you're done. The whole plugin system is weird though (you have to manually add a line like "ms0:/seplugins/npdrm_free.prx 1" to a txt file or two every time you install one)

Since my PSP is Japanese, it uses O for confirm and X for cancel. Which, hot take maybe, is HOW IT SHOULD BE? FOR EVERYONE? WHY WOULD X EVER MEAN CONFIRM? WHY ARE NON-JAPANESE CONSOLES LIKE THAT?

The only game I've tried so far is Bejeweled 2. It plays fine. You really can't fuck up Bejeweled, though. I don't have any discs (hence why I CFW'd the thing, cough), but I have to say that a handheld that uses optical media is extremely cool.

...It's a charming little thing! I like it a lot!

[y2klostandfound]

Sony Aibo on Science et Vie Micro Issue 179 (02-2000)

Translation in English:

Japanese convergence

Twice this year, Sony has marketed its robotic Aibo, a luxurious toy for spoiled children. But the beast could soon change its vocation.

In two, even three years, Aibo, man's best cybernetic friend, could make friends with the Playstation 2! If, currently, the Aibo mainly resembles a gadget for privileged wealthy people, and which we tire of relatively quickly, Sony has other ambitions for future models. His project, in addition to a more affordable price, aims to develop an interface that would allow you to connect your Aibo to another of its great successes: its Playstation game console. Rather clever: with nearly 40% of Sony's profits in 1998 coming from the division which takes care of the video games activity (SCE), the Playstation has become a major business for the Japanese electronics giant.

Aibo on Playstation The Playstation 2 is announced commercially in Japan from March. This new version of the first game console is already making many people dream: not only does it have exceptional computing power, but it is also equipped with sophisticated connectivity. The public's reception promises to be enthusiastic, so this should make it the ideal platform for the Aibo! The latter currently uses an 8 or 32 MB Memory Stick to store its programmed behaviors. Thanks to a remote control which emits sound signals, it is possible to transmit a few simple orders. The next generations should of course go further. Among other things, it would be possible to download a program or a series of instructions created on Playstation 2 directly into the beast.

A multitude of possible applications can be envisaged. For example, an introduction to programming, inspired by the Logo language for children: but instead of moving a "turtle" in the two-dimensional space of a computer screen, it would be the robot that would follow the programmed path.

Another possible application: a "player" could program a route or a mission (forbidding "intruders" from his room, checking the presence in a given place of a person whose "visual signature" or "voice print" the Aibo knows), or even a joust with a friend's Aibo (race, jumping competition or other free figures…). All this could even be accomplished via a virtual Aibo that you move around with the joystick like in some kind of video game, rather than entering lines of code or macros. Once the room had been simply modeled in 3D using primitives (cubes, cylinders, etc.), the virtual robot would then have to be moved around this 3D world, an exact copy of the house, before the Aibo could actually perform the maneuver.

Meet with aibo on: www.world.sony.com/aibo/index.html

[blazehedgehog]

I Love To Shoot At Trouble

During the Steam Christmas Sale I ended up buying Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2012 because it was like $6 or $7 and I'm in the mood for a new racing game to chew up. EA already gave the game away for free in like 2015, but that meant installing "The EA App". I figured having it on Steam would be more convenient.

You'd think so.

It's not! As part of the first time launch, it installs "The EA App" anyway, which also means it found and uninstalled whatever version of Origin I still had (I wasn't aware I'd ever reinstalled Origin since my HDD crash). As part of this process, it also asked me for my EA password, I misread Firefox's stored password incorrectly, and went through the trouble of resetting my EA account with a new password before linking it to Steam. To my surprise, EA's been sitting on my seven year old cloud save from the few minutes I played of this on Origin in 2017, and asks if I want to import it. Sure, I guess.

So that's ten minutes down the drain before I can even boot up the game. Okay, fine, the game finally launches. Gotta wait while it boots up The EA App each time before it boots into the game, gotta wait for the title screen logo animation, gotta wait for a 10-15 second load screen because even though this game came out in 2012 it's gotta ping some always-online "Autolog" leaderboard whatever. Once it connects, it has to do a slow cinematic pan across your car, telling you what your online rivals have done since the last time you connected, and what kind of equipment you have on your car.

All told, every time you boot up Most Wanted 2012, you're looking at a 30-45 second wait before the game actually hands over control and lets you start driving.

Pull the accelerator and instantly Most Wanted SCREAMS at me:

Fair enough. I'm using a Dualshock 4, and the Playstation 4 did not release until over a full year after this game. Click to the menu it's asking of me and see that the control binding menu is awful -- it's one of those super oldschool ones, like binding keys one by one in Doom 2. I have no idea what these buttons are supposed to be in terms of Xbox equivalents, and I realize that Steam has this thing called "Steam Input" that's supposed to be handling all of this anyway. Steam Input generally makes my Dualshock 4 look like an Xbox controller to most games.

I exit out of Most Wanted, force Steam Input to "on" (I was messing with its settings recently, so I thought maybe it was disabled), and relaunch the game again. Wait for the EA App to boot up, gotta wait through the title screen logos, gotta wait 10-15 seconds on a loading screen, gotta wait another 5-10 on the cinematic pan across my car. I have now spent a minute and a half total waiting for this game to boot while I troubleshoot this.

Pull the accelerator. Instead of it complaining about my controller, straight up nothing happens. That's weird. The Start button works, the analog stick seems to work in the pause menu, but the triggers do not. The face buttons also do nothing. Upon checking the settings, that's because Most Wanted has settled on keyboard mode, even though it's clearly accepting some controller input. After poking at it, it does not seem like there's any way to get it to see my controller.

This makes Most Wanted a special game, because a lot of games I play will happily accept that Steam Input is telling it I have an Xbox controller connected even when I absolutely do not. But this is the rare 1% that seems to be incompatible. It's time to bring in the big guns.

Mayflash makes a terrific little passthrough device called the Magic NS, and the general purpose of this device is that it lets you use any controller on any other platform. An Xbox controller on a Playstation? No sweat. A Playstation controller on the Switch? It'll handle it. If you upgrade to the Magic NS2, you even get full gyro support. Every NS device also doubles as a Bluetooth dongle, so you can stay wireless if that's your thing. I love it so much I bought two, because generally they're only about $20.

A Magic NS2 for my Switch... and Magic NS1 for my PC. Strictly for scenarios like this, where a game expects an Xbox controller and Steam Input fails its camouflage.

Plug the NS1 in, connect my Dualshock 4, and once again boot up Most Wanted and wait the 45 seconds to get through the EA app, logos, loading, and the cinematic pan across my car. More than two full minutes now looking at this junk, and that's not counting the time spent outside of the game troubleshooting this in menus or digging out dongles or whatever.

Pull the accelerator... and my car starts to drive! I can steer! It works! Of course it works. The Magic NS never lets me down. I pull up to the first race event...

Press J and K to start the event.

Those are, uh. Those are keyboard keys. I'm using a controller. The controller is fully functional. You don't need to tell me this in keyboard controls. This isn't going to be one of those games, is it? The kind that still tells you everything in the keyboard shortcuts no matter what?

I drop into the menus again and see Most Wanted is still stuck on Keyboard mode and won't let me switch to anything else, even though I'm clearly using a fully functional controller now. This can't be right. But then I remember: Steam Input is still turned on, and when I forced Steam Input to be on, Most Wanted got stuck in this keyboard mode.

Exit out of the game, tell Steam to turn off Steam Input for this specific game only, and relaunch. Wait through all that crap again. We're up to three minutes just waiting for the game to start, and probably closing in on 20 minutes since I first decided I wanted to try Most Wanted.

Pull the accelerator, it works, drive up to the first event, and...

Pull LT and RT to start the event.

FINALLY. HOLY SHIT.

On the plus side: this game controls a lot better than I remember. It's a decent middleground between Criterion's heavier-feeling Hot Pursuit (2011) and the snappier Burnout Paradise. Though I could do with a lot less full screen flashing or the fact that Autolog alerts hide the minimap for some reason.

Not pictured, but the "always online" nature can also be frustrating if you pause, unpause, and find you have to quickly re-pause again a second time. That second pause will actually incur a loading spinner because it hasn't finished syncing with the server from the first pause, apparently. This game is going on 12 years old.

Anyway. This was a nightmare.

HOT BONUS

"The EA App" now starts up with Windows and is nagging me to enter the login credentials I already entered last night. I have to go through extra steps to get it to leave me alone and not do this

THE RIDE NEVER ENDS

[easternmind]

Inside the office of Fumito Ueda

This is a sequel of sorts to a post of mine from last year where I spotted a number of telling items on Fumito Ueda's office shelves, while more closely inspecting a picture from the Material Book included with the Japanese First Limited Edition of Hitokui no Ōwashi Trico. I'm calling this harmless voyeurism, coming as it does from someone who is exceedingly interested in this author and his work and appreciates the difficulty of such self-imposed challenges.

This new post will be looking more carefully at a this page size picture from The World of Fumito Ueda, a book Kadokawa released earlier this year, from which some detail can be extracted. The photo is stylized with a checkered transparency which makes this exercise substantially more difficult. Should you recognize any item I failed to identify, I ask that you use the comment box so I may improve this entry.

This is a rather pristine-looking 1976 Nintendo Kôsenjû Duck Hunt, a sophisticated light gun toy from Yokoi's R&D department consisting of a battery-powered projector and a plastic rifle whose objective was for the player to shoot at the duck whenever it appeared on the wall.

To the left is Nintendo's Custom Gunman toy, also designed by Gunpei Yokoi in 1976, consisting of a plastic cowboy figure with a receptor in its chest at which the player needed to aim with precision in order to score.

I remember reading about these in Gorges' L'Histoire de Nintendo. Both may have been toys that Ueda had as a child, but this is mere speculation from my end.

Two PSP games stored on this shelf: Metal Gear Acid (2004) and Lemmings (2006), a remake of a game which was highly influential to him, as he as indicated on multiple occasions. In the previous post I wrote, I spotted a big box copy of the original game.

An unexpected find here: a DVD entitled The Animal Motion Show, a visual library meant as reference for artists containing thousands of video clips animals in motion, no doubt very useful in key framing Toriko's unique animations.

A pair of books stand out to me and confirm many of my long-held suspicions on Ueda's influences: Hyperion's From Myst to Riven hardcover from 1997; and the 1974 Dover Publications' Doré Bible Illustrations.

The US and European versions of Shadow of the Colossus sitting beside Saints Seinaru Mamono, the Japanese edition of the Sony Cambridge Studio 2004 game, Primal.

More books, including the 2014 volume The Birth of Rockin' Jelly Beans. If you are not familiar with this reference, he is a Japanese lowbrow erotica artist who wears a mask in public appearances and whose identity remains unknown to this day.

Tucked in a lower shelf are the Gameboy Color edition of Prince of Persia, the Japanese version of Abe's Exodus (ABE '99) for the Playstation and the Wonderswan version of Toshio Iwai's Tenori-On.

Last but not least, here is the the Limited Run Games Limited 20th Anniversary Edition of Another World (either the PS4 or the PSVita edition, it's impossible to tell).