Author: Game Infliction

Gran Turismo 7’s 1.43 update features three new events, new cars, and Café Menu

Gran Turismo players! Update 1.43* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of Wednesday, February 28 at 11:00pm PST / February 29 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST.


Gran Turismo 7’s 1.43 update features three new events, new cars, and Café Menu

3 new cars added this month

Audi TTS Coupé ’09 

(Can be purchased at Brand Central or Used Car Dealership)

A high-performance model aggressively evolved from the TT. 

The TTS is the high-performance version of the TT, which first debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January of 2008. The powertrain combines a 268.2 BHP @ 35.7 kgfm 2 L direct injection turbo engine with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Though it has the same displacement as the standard 2L turbo model, the TTS features a bespoke engine block, pistons, and connecting rods, and the turbocharger has been improved to increase performance. It produces 71 BHP more power and 7.2 kgfm more torque than the normal 2L turbo unit in models such as the 2.0 TFSI quattro. As a result, the 0-62.1 mph acceleration time is 5.2 seconds for the S-Tronic model, and 5.4 seconds for the 6-speed manual transmission. 

Aside from the standard coupe body, a convertible ‘Roadster’ model was released in certain regions. On the mechanical side, the car is equipped with the ‘Audi Magnetic Ride’ variable dampers system as standard. When selecting the sports mode from the switch on the console, the ride height drops by 10 mm, allowing for more dynamic handling. This also provides a more aggressive ride befitting the TTS name.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR GSR ’06 

(Can be purchased at Brand Central or Used Car Dealership)

The ‘9.5’, the final 4G63 powered Lancer Evolution.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR GSR is the 2006 update of the ‘Lan Evo’ IX GSR which debuted in 2005. On first glance, the car appears to be almost identical to the previous model, but numerous refinements have been made across the entire car. For example, while the maximum power and torque numbers of the 4G63 engine remain the same, the MIVEC variable valve timing system has been retuned, the standard specification turbine wheel has changed to a titanium-aluminium alloy, and the compressor inlet diameter has been downsized. Along with other minor improvements, this resulted in sharper engine response and faster acceleration. The suspension has also been upgraded, employing high spring rate Eibach coils combined with Bilstein dampers, and the electronically controlled ‘Super AYC’ 4WD system has been reprogrammed to focus on cornering ability. 

There have also been refinements to the aerodynamics with the shape of the front bumper being changed to reduce lift. The ‘MR’ of the model name stands for ‘Mitsubishi Racing’. Throughout the company’s history, this designation has been given to the highest performance sports models. For the Lancer Evolution, MR models first appeared in the VIII line-up, making this IX the second MR model in the car’s history.

Renault R4 GTL ’85 

(Can be purchased at Brand Central or Used Car Dealership)

The world’s first hatchback found great success through utilitarian design. 

The Renault 4 (often called the ‘Quatre’ from its French name) is a compact car that debuted in 1961 to replace the best-selling Renault 4CV. Though its predecessor featured an ‘RR’ layout, which puts both the engine and drive wheels at the very rear of the vehicle, the Renault 4 featured a front-engine front-wheel drive (FF) configuration. The car would prove to be a massive success and served as the people’s car for many years to come. The car’s most notable design element is its packaging which formed the basis of the modern hatchback. The FF configuration allowed for a more spacious interior and the 4 also featured a large and lightly usable luggage space behind the back seats. 

The mechanicals of the car are also unique. For example, although it features torsion bar suspension, which uses the elastic force of twisting a metal bar in place of a spring, it uses 2 different torsion bars in parallel for each of the rear wheels, which displaces them slightly and results in a different wheelbase on the left and right of the car. Additionally, as the transmission has been placed at the very front of the car, ahead of the engine, gear changes are operated by a long rod which reaches over the engine and protrudes into the cabin. The driver changes gears by pushing and pulling the rod in and out of the dashboard.

Café / Extra Menus 

The following Menu has been added:

  • Extra Menu No. 36: Lamborghini (Collector Level 43 and above)

World Circuits (Event)

The following new events have been added to World Circuits:

  • Sunday Cup Classic – Tsukuba Circuit
  • Japanese Clubman Cup 550 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
  • European Clubman Cup 600 – Tsukuba Circuit

Scapes 

Pyrenees has been added as a featured curation in Scapes

*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update. 

GTA 6 Developers Criticise Rockstar’s ‘Reckless’ Decision to Force Staff Back to the Office

Developers at Rockstar Games have hit out at the company’s decision to force staff to return to the office five days a week to close out work on GTA 6.

This week, Rockstar notified staff of its return-to-office order, due to start in April, which it said had to do with completing development on GTA 6 “at the level of quality and polish we know it requires”, and to mitigate security breaches. GTA 6 is developed primarily at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, Scotland, although support comes from a number of other Rockstar studios across the UK and the world.

Now, the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain, which represents video game developers in the UK, has publicly criticized Rockstar for the move, and published testimony from current developers who warn it will significantly affect their well-being.

According to the IWGB, last year 170 Rockstar Games workers in the UK signed a petition opposing mandatory three-day office work. Now, workers accuse Rockstar of “broken promises”, and have expressed concern about health, caring responsibilities, living arrangements, and a heightened risk of overwork (crunch). Some workers have said they moved their lives further away from studio locations that would now need to be reversed in under six weeks to comply with Rockstar’s demands. Rockstar is yet to comment.

The IWGB also alleges Rockstar had insisted flexible work options would remain available in an employee-wide email that said: “This isn’t our first step to five days a week. No one wants to go back to the old way of working.” The IWGB went on to claim Rockstar management has so-far refused to engage with workers on the issue, and will “pull the plug” on remote access to technology on April 15.

After so many broken promises we now fear management may even be paving the way for a return to toxic ‘crunch’ practices.

An anonymous Rockstar worker is quoted as saying: “Working from home has been a lifeline for many of us at Rockstar, allowing us to balance care responsibilities, manage disabilities, and relocate as we need. Now, Rockstar is snatching away that lifeline without a second thought for the workers who’ll be impacted most. After so many broken promises we now fear management may even be paving the way for a return to toxic ‘crunch’ practices. Senior leadership need to rethink their reckless decision making and engage with their staff to find an arrangement that works for everyone.”

Another said: “As usual, there has been zero consultation with us: the people who these policy changes most affect. Just one of my concerns is being forced to work late hours in the office to maintain contact with global teams when before we could log on from home to attend late meetings. This will mean missing out on spending time with our families. I am also aware of colleagues who have health issues preventing full time office work who are now left in limbo.”

And here’s another member of staff: “We the staff care greatly about the games we make and our passion, skill, and talent should never be taken for granted by studio management. It is together, through collaboration and a healthy work life balance and workplace culture that we continue making some of the most beloved and spectacular games in our industry.”

For years, Rockstar had a notorious reputation within the video game industry for brutal crunch in the making of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead games. However, following the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 and the shocking stories about the human cost of its development, media reports suggested changes were made to the company’s culture to avoid the same thing happening during the development of GTA 6.

It is unacceptable that Rockstar leadership have gone back on their word time and time again and have ignored the workers’ requests for basic working conditions.

Austin Kelmore, IWGB Game Workers Chair also hit out at Rockstar: “The workers in the IWGB Game Workers Union at Rockstar are pushing for transparency over pay and promotions, a healthy and inclusive workplace culture, and work life balance centred around what each worker needs. It is unacceptable that Rockstar leadership have gone back on their word time and time again and have ignored the workers’ requests for basic working conditions.

“Workers across the industry are done with letting executives make reckless and harmful decisions and the Rockstar workers are showing us the start of what’s to come if they’re continually ignored. There’s no better time than now to join our union and push for this to be the healthy and sustainable games industry we know it can be.”

The video game development industry has wrestled with an increasing call from executives to return to the office following the sea-change sparked by the pandemic. Last year, IGN revealed Ubisoft Montreal employees were left fuming over what they called broken promises in regards to the studio’s return-to-office mandate. And, more recently, Star Citizen developers criticized a relocation plan at developer Cloud Imperium Games.

GTA 6, meanwhile, is expected to launch at some point in 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Some predict it will become the best-selling video game of all time after its debut trailer set viewership records.

Image credit: Ken Jack/Getty Images

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Helldivers 2 Leaks Reveal Mech Gameplay

A series of Helldivers 2 gameplay leaks have revealed a look at the upcoming mech vehicle type.

One snippet of gameplay, revealed by redditor fozzye18, shows a player exit and then enter a mech before stomping around a battlefield firing what looks like an auto cannon.

Since that initial post, more mech gameplay has emerged showing what looks like a datamined stratagem explainer video. In the clip we see a dropship set the mech down on the battlefield for the Helldiver to jump into. This mech, though, fires what looks like a machine gun on one side and a rocket launcher on the other.

And, even more recently, Helldivers 2 mech gameplay is popping across social media, giving us another look at the mechs.

The addition of mechs to Helldivers 2 would come as little surprise, and not just because of these leaks. Mechs were shown in an official Helldivers 2 trailer released on the PlayStation YouTube channel a month ago. Alongside the first look, mechs were said to be coming “soon after launch”.

Meanwhile, players are speculating about the addition of a stratagem that calls in AI soldiers, and another that calls in a nuke-like meteorite. For a game that does explosions so well, a meteorite would no-doubt cause a spot of camera shake.

Now developer Arrowhead appears to have sorted out Helldivers 2’s server issues, it has time to return to its original post-launch plan, so hopefully we’ll get an idea of what to expect in terms of new content soon.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to be getting on with in the world of Helldivers 2, including the ongoing galactic war against the bugs and bots. As revealed this week, Arrowhead employs a “game master” who runs the Helldivers 2 campaign like a D&D dungeon master. Perhaps, if Super Earth loses the current major order to push back the Automatons, the addition of mechs will help level the playing field.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The making of Cobalt Core: how Tabletop Simulator and Inscryption were the secret catalysts behind this clever deckbuilding roguelike

Rocket Rat Games co-founder John Guerra remembers the exact day he started working on Cobalt Core‘s first prototype. He and his fellow co-founder Ben Driscoll had just spent a week playing Daniel Mullins’ mysterious roguelike deckbuilder Inscryption at the end of October 2021, but the combination of a bad storm and a power outage ended up forcing Guerra to decamp from his home in Massachusetts and stay with some family until it all blew over. “I got back late on Halloween, just in time to put out a bowl of candy for some kids, and then the next morning we started Cobalt Core,” he tells me.

The pair had been working on a range of different prototypes in the months leading up to this lightbulb moment. As development on their debut game, the spaceship building puzzler Sunshine Heavy Industries, began winding down, “we were throwing all kinds of stuff at the wall,” he says, including games in 3D, a platformer, with Driscoll revealing they even had “a Terraria-like one for a couple of weeks” with a grid-based world that characters bounced around in. But it was playing Inscryption that brought everything to a head. Both had spent hundreds of hours with Slay The Spire, but “Inscryption proved to us that there was still a lot of space to explore in the genre,” says Guerra. And with increasing calls from Sunshine Heavy Industries players begging them to let them fly the ships they were creating in its shipyard sandbox, “you can kind of see how that went from A to B”.

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Best PS5 and PlayStation Deals Right Now: Huge Discount on This PS5 Slim Bundle, SSD Deals, and More

The best PS5 deal we’ve ever seen has just got a lot better. PS5’s latest slim model bundle with Spider-Man 2 is now down to just $449.99 at Best Buy (see here). That’s huge, and well worth considering alongside all the other top PlayStation offers right now.

Now that PS5 consoles are regularly available to buy, it’s also an excellent time to start picking up games, SSDs, accessories, and more for it. Below, you can find a variety of different sales on everything from games to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now. We’ve also included links to where you can preorder Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ahead of its release on February 29 for PS5.

TL;DR – Best PS5 Deals Right Now

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PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 Bundle Drops to Just $449.99 (Save $50)

This previous Black Friday quality deal has managed to get even better. Now down to just $449.99, you can get both the PS5 (slim model) and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 at a big discount. Plus, considering the cost of buying each of these separately ($69.99 + $499.99 = $569.98), your savings are significantly more than at first glance. This is the best PS5 deal we’ve seen in months, and it should be snapped up ASAP to avoid the disappointment of it inevitably going out of stock.

Preorder Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – Exclusively for PS5

The highly-anticipated second game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is officially up for preorder with a release date of February 29. It comes in a variety of editions, which you can see in our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorder guide, but if you’re just looking to get your hands on the game, we’ve included links to preorder it just below. If you’re still on the fence about purchasing, you can also jump into the free demo that recently released, which is available on the PlayStation Store!

PlayStation Deals: Budget to Best

It doesn’t need to have a massive discount to be a good deal, so we thought it would be a great idea to pick out our absolute favorite PS5 and PlayStation offerings that would be relevant to buy no matter the time of year, or the sales going on. From the latest DualSense controllers, to the very best PS5 SSDs on the market, we’ve got it all right here.

More PS5 Budget to Best Picks

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Best PlayStation 5 Game Deals Right Now

There are quite a few game deals worth checking out right now. One of our absolute favorite deals at the moment is on Armored Core VI, which you can find discounted in its physical format on Amazon for just $37.99 (after clipping the 5% off coupon), 37% off its MSRP of $59.99! We have several more physical game deals listed below, and if you want to check out some digital game deals, make sure to have a look through the PlayStation Store’s digital game sales.

More PS5 Video Game Deals (Physical):

Best PS5 SSD Deals: Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD with Built-in PS5 Heatsink for $145.99

Could your PS5 use more storage? Prices have been plummeting since Sony started letting people upgrade their SSDs. Right now, you can get a Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD with Built-in PS5 Heatsink at Amazon for $145.99. Now’s a great time, in general, to pick up a PS5-compatible SSD and you can see more of our favorite deals below.

More PS5 SSD Deals:

Best PS5 Headset Deals: 25% Off the Razer Kaira Pro & More Headset Deals

There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of the best gaming headsets.

More PS5 Gaming Headset Deals:

Best Time to Buy a PS5

Generally, the best time to buy a PS5 console is during major yearly shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the various Amazon Prime Day sales. Although PlayStation consoles rarely go on sale, you can often scoop up limited-time bundles that include additional an additional game or two, and more.

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Jam Out To The Penny’s Big Breakaway OST, Now Available To Stream

Yo-yo!

We were treated to the surprise release of Penny’s Big Breakaway last week during the February 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and now Evening Star has dropped yet another way to keep us thinking about the 3D platformer at all costs.

Tee Lopes’ vibe-filed score for Penny’s Big Breakaway is now available to stream on just about every platform. You can listen to the 46-track soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and more. Heck, if you listen to music on it, it’s probably there. You can find links to each available streaming platform on the Kid Katana Records website.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Palworld Patch 0.1.5.1 Makes Various Fixes, but the Wait for Xbox Dedicated Servers Continues

Another day, another Palworld patch. Update v0.1.5.1 is available now for the Steam version of the ‘Pokémon with guns’ survival game, and out soon for the Xbox version.

This one makes a number of fixes across the board, makes a small number of changes to balance, and improves the servers. In the patch notes, developer Pocketpair said it was still working on an issue where auto-save fails on the Xbox and Xbox Game Pass versions. “We expect that this will be resolved in an upcoming update,” the developer said.

There’s no word yet on the much-needed addition of dedicated servers for the Xbox version of the game, which continues to lag behind the PC version when it comes to features. Palworld on Steam lets players create and join dedicated servers that enable up to 32 players to play in the same world and create guilds together. On Xbox however, co-op is limited to 2-4 players.

Last month, Microsoft said it would work directly with Pocketpair to assist development. “On Xbox’s part, we’re working with Pocketpair to help provide support for Xbox versions of the game,” Microsoft said at the time. “We’re providing support to enable dedicated servers, offering engineering resources to help with GPU and memory optimization, speeding up the process to make Palworld updates available for players, and working with the team to optimize the title for our platform.”

Palworld has seen more than 25 million players since going on sale in January. Pocketpair said the Steam version has sold an incredible 15 million copies, whereas on Xbox it’s seen 10 million players. But while Palworld is one of the biggest game launches ever, it’s also one of the most controversial.

Pocketpair has said its staff have received death threats amid Pokémon “rip-off” claims, which it has denied. Soon after launch, Nintendo moved quickly to remove an eye-catching Pokémon mod, then The Pokemon Company issued a statement, saying: “We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon.” IGN asked lawyers whether Nintendo could successfully sue.

Here are the Palworld update 0.1.5.1 patch notes in full:

Major Fixes

・Fixed various game crashes

Balance Adjustment

・Fixed a bug where breeding Pals always had fixed passives

・Fixed an issue where the increase in condensation progress was incorrect when using Pal of rank 2 or higher as a condensation material (it will increase by the number of Pals used in previous condensation)

Dungeon Issues

・Fixed an issue where the innermost door would not open after defeating the boss of a random dungeon

Pals

・Fixed an issue where the name of a Pal would not change even after renaming them

Server Issues

・Fixed an issue where it was not possible to search for spaces or Japanese/Chinese characters in the server list

・Fixed so that if the server is no longer registered on the server list, it will be re-registered without needing to restart the server

・Fixed an issue where the settings to enable RCON were not loaded from the configuration file

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

CEO Andrew Wilson tells EA staff 5% of them will be laid off via empty and infuriating email

In Shakespeare’s Anthony And Cleopatra, said famous woman says “Give to a gracious message an host of tongues, but let ill tidings tell themselves when they be felt.” I.e., when you have good news you can go round the houses, but if you have bad news – like sending an all-hands email to the staff at EA to let them know that, less than a year after the last round of layoffs, a further 5% of them are getting booted – then you should just come out and say it as quickly and simply as possible.

This is, apparently, not a sentiment ever internalised by Andrew Wilson, EA’s CEO. Yesterday, when he announced to everyone at EA that a bunch of them were losing their jobs (again), he first spent three paragraphs talking about how EA is doing great, leading the industry, getting increasing engagement from fans, optimising their global footprint and sunsetting games oh yep, there it is, that’s the “you’re about to be unemployed” language right there. The company is moving away from “the development of future licensed IP” and toward “our owned IP, sports, and massive online communities”. Therefore: 670 ish devs (by Eurogamer’s count) must go.

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Dave The Diver Getting Physical Switch Release With Guilty Gear Collab Content

It’s been announced for Japan.

If you’ve already played Dave The Diver and were holding out for a physical release, you’re in luck…kind of. Arc System Works has today announced a physical Switch release, officially titled “Anniversary Edition” will be launching on 30th May 2024.

As part of this collab with Arc System Works, it will also include some content from the fighting game Guilty Gear Strive. This includes themed graphics for the boat, and customers who wear themed costumes. There’ll also be a rhythm game giving you access to the song “The Disaster of Passion”. It’s worth mentioning how this isn’t Dave’s first collab, he’s also teamed up with Godzilla and games like Dredge.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com