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AppWizard

June 15, 2025

Dark Souls narrator and prolific actor Pik-Sen Lim has died

Malaysian-born British actor Pik-Sen Lim passed away on June 9 at the age of 80. She had a diverse career in theater, film, and television, including notable voice work for the video games Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3. Lim moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to pursue acting, appearing in various UK television shows such as Dr. Who, and more recently in The Nevers and Vampire Academy. She was remembered by fellow actor Daniel York Loh for her joyous personality, comedic talent, and the depth of her abilities. Lim was also known for her candid discussions about the challenges faced by actors of her heritage in the industry.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

The Outer Worlds 2 director offers the most sympathetic answer I’ve yet heard for the $80 game question: ‘We don’t set the prices for our games,’ and ‘You’d have to honestly talk to the Xbox folks’

Brandon Adler, the director of The Outer Worlds 2, stated that game developers do not set the prices for their games, emphasizing that pricing decisions are made by corporate executives. He expressed a desire for broader accessibility to games but indicated that pricing inquiries should be directed to Xbox executives. The economic landscape has shifted, making home ownership difficult while consumer electronics have become more affordable. Gamers now have various options, including subscription services and budget-friendly hardware. The perceived normal price for games has shifted to the range of to , with being a stretch, particularly for highly anticipated titles. Pricing challenges reflect deeper issues in the gaming industry, including recent layoffs and rising development costs. Obsidian Entertainment has adopted a strategy of working on multiple smaller projects, resulting in more affordable pricing for some titles, while the upcoming Avowed is set at a full retail price. Concerns exist that The Outer Worlds 2’s price might hinder its success, especially given the unclear metrics Microsoft uses to evaluate sales performance.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Steam Deck and SteamOS hit 20,000 playable games

Valve's rating system for the Steam Deck and SteamOS has reached 20,000 games rated as at least playable, an increase from 19,000 in May, 18,000 in March, and 17,000 in November 2024. The criteria for rating on SteamOS focus on whether a game can load and be played, while Steam Deck ratings include performance metrics, full controller support, and resolution capabilities. Recently rated verified games include titles such as Stellar Blade, FBC: Firebreak, and Myst: Masterpiece Edition. Games recently rated as playable include The Alters, Dune: Awakening, and Slayaway Camp. The ratings system aims to provide users with a clear indication of playable games, although perceptions of "playable" can vary among users. The current count reflects only games that have undergone testing, with many more titles likely to be playable.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

The 10 Best Steam Next Fest Games You Need to Wishlist

The Steam summer sale is approaching, and Valve is hosting the Summer 2025 Next Fest, showcasing various indie games. Notable titles include: - Dead as Disco: A beat 'em up game where players control Charlie Disco in a rhythmic combat system. Release date is not announced. Platforms: PC. - Voidbreaker: A first-person shooter focused on environmental destruction, set to launch on August 20. Platforms: PC. - Morsels: A twin-stick shooter roguelike featuring magical cards and strategic combat, set to release in 2025. Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch. - Dragon March: An arcade adventure with a mecha-dragon protagonist, release date unconfirmed. Platforms: PC. - House of Necrosis: A survival horror game with a turn-based system, release date not revealed. Platforms: PC, Linux. - DuneCrawl: A cooperative hack-and-slash game for up to four players, set for release in 2025. Platforms: PC. - Hell Clock: An action RPG based on Brazil's War of Canudos, launching on July 22. Platforms: PC. - 1000 Deaths: A platforming game exploring pivotal life moments, set to release on August 7. Platforms: PC. - Passant: A chess roguelike with unique mechanics, available on August 11. Platforms: PC. - Under The Island: A 2D RPG hack-and-slash game inspired by Zelda, release date unannounced. Platforms: PC.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Weekend PC Game Deals: Total War grabs, management freebies, demos to try, and more

The Humble Store has released two bundles: the Narrative Arc collection, which includes Mutazione, Venba, and Frank and Drake, with additional tiers featuring Season: A Letter to the Future, Dustborn, Harold Halibut, and Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out; and the Case and Consequences Collection, which offers Heavy Rain, Song of Farca, Lacuna, and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, with a second tier including Murders on the Yangtze River, BROK the InvestiGator, and Between Horizons. Both bundles are available for two weeks. The Epic Games Store is offering Two Point Hospital for free until June 19, coinciding with the launch of The Operator as the next free game. Valve's Steam Next Fest is running until June 16, featuring demos of upcoming games, along with several active free events, including Stardeus, Barony, Hell Let Loose, Construction Simulator, and Towerborne. The Steam Summer Sale is approaching, with significant promotions already launched by various publishers, including a Total War historical sale and early summer promotions from 505 Games. The GOG store is also offering DRM-free discounts across various genres.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Sony quietly removes PC sale restrictions in dozens of countries for four huge PlayStation games

Sony has eased regional restrictions on several popular PC games, including God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2, as of June 13. The changes were noted on SteamDB, showing a reduction in the number of countries where these games are unavailable, with only the Russian Federation added to the list of restricted sales. This decision follows a backlash from a previous incident involving Helldivers 2, which was removed from sale in 177 countries due to a PSN requirement. Additionally, Sony's president, Hideaki Nishino, mentioned that the company is considering adjustments to the pricing of its PlayStation Plus service to maximize profitability through a dynamic pricing strategy.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Two Point Museum’s latest update adds memorial exhibits for staff who vanish on expeditions, which you can put on display or sell for cold, hard profit

Two Point Museum is a management simulation game developed by Two Point Studios, recognized for its innovative expedition system that allows players to send specialists on quests to retrieve ancient artifacts. A recent summer update introduced a memorial exhibit feature for adventurers who go missing, along with 30 new posters for museum aesthetics. The update also refined security simulations, making it easier to identify thieves and adding strategic elements to gameplay. Additionally, it included balance adjustments and bug fixes, such as proper installation of robot staff perks and synchronized subtitles for the in-game radio show. The game has been positively reviewed, described as one of the most approachable management sims in recent memory.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Driveclub is almost fully playable on PC with 60FPS via shadPS4

The shadPS4 emulator has made significant progress in running the racing game Driveclub on PC, achieving nearly full playability and supporting 60 frames per second (FPS). A recent demonstration by YouTube content creator ‘talhaONE’ showcased the emulator's performance on a high-end setup, where it delivered a smooth 60FPS experience, a notable improvement from the previous 38FPS. The original PS4 version of Driveclub is capped at 30FPS, prompting gamers to seek emulation for enhanced performance. However, there are still minor visual issues, such as problematic rain effects in the cockpit camera. Optimism exists that Driveclub will be fully playable on shadPS4 by the end of summer 2025, ahead of initial predictions. Other PS4-exclusive titles like God of War III Remastered and The Order 1886 are also potential candidates for emulation enhancements.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

PlayStation is being ‘really thoughtful’ about picking which games to port to PC, says studios boss

Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation studios, stated that Sony takes a careful and strategic approach to porting games to PC, typically delaying non-live service titles by at least a year after their console release to maintain the value of the PlayStation 5. Despite indications of a potential shift towards a more aggressive strategy, Hulst confirmed the company will continue its conservative approach to protect the unique value of the PS5. Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, emphasized the importance of monitoring player patterns and behaviors while expressing confidence in Sony's current strategy amidst competition in the industry.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Stellar Blade is one of the few games that benefits greatly from 8K

Stellar Blade has gained attention for its performance at 8K resolution with DLSS Quality settings, although players have reported significant specular aliasing issues, particularly on metallic surfaces in environments like the Hall of Records. This aliasing affects both PC and PS5 versions of the game, indicating a widespread graphical concern. The comparison between 4K with DLAA and 8K with DLSS Quality shows that 8K provides a more stable and refined image, enhancing clarity and detail in characters and environments. Enabling HDR can worsen specular aliasing, and players may need to increase internal resolution to alleviate these effects. High-end GPUs, such as the NVIDIA RTX 5090, allow Stellar Blade to run over 100 FPS at 8K with maximum settings and DLSS Quality.