HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology, Inc., today announced the release of HyperX SoloCastTM USB microphone for streamers and content creators.
SoloCast offers Plug N Play audio recording capability and a tap-to-mute feature that indicates the mute status when the red LED is flashing. Using a cardioid recording pattern, it provides a clear sound ideal for streamers, casters, students, and working from home.
SoloCast microphone offers an easy Plug N Play setup. It utilises a cardioid polar pattern that is more sensitive to sound sources directly in front of the microphone, making it great for in-game voice chat, streaming voice audio, and audio recordings for content creation.
“We are excited to expand our USB microphone line with the addition of HyperX SoloCast,” said Bianca Walter, Business Manager, HyperX EMEA. “We are always looking for new ways to deliver an amazing user experience, expanding our USB microphone lineup with our new SoloCast brings a different option to streamers and content creators.”
The SoloCast small size and rotatable stand with adjustable tilt positions gives it the ability to fit in small or tight places, such as under a monitor. The included mount adapter fits both 3/8” and 5/8” thread sizes and is compatible with most stands and boom arms.
The SoloCast microphone joins the HyperX microphone lineup with the recently launched QuadCast S microphone with RGB lighting. Both microphones are compatible with PC, PS4, and Mac® and works on major streaming platforms like Streamlabs OBS, OBS Studio, and XSplit and is certified by Discord and TeamSpeakTM.
Availability HyperX SoloCast USB microphone is available for €74.99 / £64.99 MSRP through HyperX’s Online Shop. For more information on the HyperX SoloCast USB microphone global availability, please visit the SoloCast USB microphone product page
Developer Joy Way is delighted to announce its parkour and combat game STRIDE on the Oculus store is available now.
Called “A worthy Mirror’s Edge VR tribute” by UploadVR, STRIDE is a high octane VR game which fuses parkour and combat to create one of the most nail-biting virtual reality experiences available. Joy Way wants to put players in the shoes of a master free-runner as they vault, swing, roll, and shoot through an intense, action-packed adventure.
STRIDE has been available in Steam via the Early Access program, but has now launched in full on the Oculus store. The game is due to leave Early Access on Steam on November 4th.
Arena mode: A spacious arena with waves of enemies. Perfect for practicing tricks across a varied terrain and refining shooting skills.
Time Run. Perfect for testing parkour-at-speed skills in a race against the clock.
A full story mode update is planned for release in 2021.
Joy Way has painstakingly crafted an homage to parkour which feels incredibly close to the real thing. Designed specifically for virtual reality play, the rush of leaping across impossibly wide gaps over dizzying heights is replicated perfectly in STRIDE.
Players can navigate city rooftops like a pro, grabbing ledges, jumping from roof to roof, vaulting through windows, sliding down cables, swinging from hooks; with a near unlimited skill ceiling, anyone can put on their running shoes, but it’ll take some work to truly master the city.
STRIDE is now available on the Oculus store for Oculus Rift devices with Oculus Touch support.
STRIDE will leave Steam Early Access on November 4th.
Independent retro-development studio Spacebot Interactive will be shipping Dragonborne on Nintendo Game Boy in January 2021.
Pre orders are live for the 2nd run now and will end on 30th November.
Dragonborne is a brand new 8-bit adventure RPG featuring a turn based battle system and various mini quests and puzzles that you must complete to progress through the game.
Travel through the region of Argon as Kris in search of your missing father Kurtis, the greatest dragon slayer the region has ever known, as you fight your way through dungeons to save the region before the dragon awakes.
Dragonborne contains more than 6 hours of gameplay, dozens of enemies, weapon and armour upgrades, character zapping and ranking systems, collectibles, detailed battle scene graphics, and multiple endings.
Dragonborne is a cartridge available in an original box including a manual and can be acquired at https://www.spacebot-interactive.com for $54.73/£42/€46,46.
The game is fully compatible with all Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance handhelds.
Two months after Battletoads’ big launch, the dust is finally starting to settle and our heroes are adapting nicely to life in this gaming generation!
Since their brand new adventure released with Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam on August 20, the development team at Dlala Studios and Rare have been keeping a close eye on responses to the game. It’s been wonderful to see the positive reception from so many players and journalists, celebrating how the game stays true to form in its multi-genre, couch co-op nature, all wrapped up in that Saturday morning cartoon styling.
The team have loved seeing so many people enjoy the nostalgia trip and share the experience with others, and had an absolute blast watching creators share experiences with their communities too. And to those who’ve completed the game on ‘Battletoads’ difficulty and even picked up the full 1000 gamerscore – congrats!
We also wanted to share some stats with you now that we’ve reached the point where over a million unique players have jumped in to try the game, with the cool, impulsive Rash pipping his partners to the post as the most frequently selected ‘Toad.
As part of the trio’s mission to save the galaxy they’ve collectively died 80,037,506 times, more than half of which were turbo bike crashes. Some things never change! On the flip side, team players have managed to step in and revive their fellow ‘Toads 2,880,267 times, sweep up an enormous 8,677,560 collectibles along the way and tear through enemy forces so ferociously that first level boss Porkshank alone has taken a total of 1,562,508 beatings. Players aren’t being slouches about it either – the fastest full game speedrun recorded so far (‘Tadpole’ difficulty, 100%) clocked in at an astonishing 1:38:51, set by Fuzzyness in the Game Pass for PC Battletoads Speedrun Challenge!
If you’re partial to a Sea of Thieves session between Battletoads brawls, you should toadally take advantage of the Fightin’ Frogs Ship Set that’s still unlockable for free by players of both games – just complete Act I of Battletoads (using the same profile that holds your Sea of Thieves progress) and you’ll earn this mean, green livery to display proudly on the seas!
Want even more Battletoads goodness? Be sure to check out The Lost Adventure comic series from Titan Comics to discover what led to the events of the new game – the first free issue arrived on October 21! If you’d like some audio accompaniment with that, David Housden’s pounding modern Battletoads soundtrack can be enjoyed on various streaming and download services right now thanks to the recent release of the full 32-track album.
Don’t forget, newcomers to the Battletoads series can also relive some of Zitz, Rash and Pimple’s classic ’90s adventures in the Rare Replay collection, now available with Xbox Game Pass.
Once again, we can’t thank everyone enough for their kind words on the Battletoads’ return and for taking the time to check it out, whether that’s with Game Pass or from the Microsoft Store or Steam. We look forward to seeing even more reactions as players old and new continue to get swept up in the wild world of Battletoads!
Videogames Mental Health Charity, Safe In Our World proudly celebrates its first anniversary with the first charity bundle dedicated to providing free Mental Health CBT courses for games industry professionals and gamers around the world.
The Safe In Our World 1st Anniversary Charity Game Bundle is available now exclusively via the dedicated partner Fanatical for $4,99. Only 10,000 sets of keys are available for this extremely limited edition bundle.
The Safe In Our World 1st Anniversary Charity Game Bundle features seven games, each who share a unique and relatable message about mental health:
AVICII Invector by Tim Bergling aka AVICII / Hello There Games
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition by The Chinese Room / Curve Digital
Fractured Minds by Emily Mitchell
GRIS by Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital
Meadow by Might and Delight
RiME by Tequila Works / Six Foot
The Town of Light by LKA / Luca Dalco
Proceeds from the 1st Anniversary Bundle will go towards the creation of Safe In Our World’s own tailored, games-focused Mental Health CBT courses, which will provide much-needed mental health support at no cost to games industry professionals and gamers alike. Gamers can choose to pay the bundle price or, if able to, can increase their donation amount to further support Safe In Our World.
The 1st Anniversary Bundle celebrates an amazing inaugural year in which Safe In Our World has made a significant impact on the games industry, thanks to support from wonderful partners. Since the launch last year on World Mental Health Day, the global non-profit organization has been able to:
Launch the hugely successful #LevelUpMentalHealth campaign featuring over 50 leading and indie games developers/publishers, including 505 Games, the Embracer Group, Wargamer, Curve Digital, NDreams, Mediatonic, Wired Productions, and many more; supporting 10,000 employees. (A full list of partners can be found here)
Further grew the SIOW ambassadors and patron list, with close to 100 key influential members of the industry representing the charity
Launch the COVID-19 Hub, a global resource set up at the beginning of the pandemic to help gamers and industry folk with information, tips, articles and resources, with traffic increasing by 146% from over 130 countries
Help to drive support for 1 million downloads of Fractured Minds, a game developed by BAFTA young game designer recipient Emily Mitchell
Reach 10 million players through messaging in key partner’s games
SIOW spokespersons join panels and events participation to help talk about mental health conditions within the industry, as well as sharing the touching, personal stories of many games industry professionals and their mental health through www.safeinourworld.org
Hire two full-time staff members, each with their own passionate stories, to further increase the impact and support within the games industry
B ecome a fully operational organization in less than 12 months
“2020 has been such a trying year for us all, but we are so proud and thankful for the impact Safe In Our World has been able to make in our industry so far,” said Leo Zullo, Safe In Our World Chairperson. “We now look to 2021, expanding our team and opportunities, as well as further increasing awareness, access and positivity towards mental health and mental health facilities in the games industry. Our message remains the same; it’s ok to not be ok. We have a duty of care to our gamers and our people and we implore the whole industry to unite and ensure this is considered at all times.”
Officially launched in 2019 on World Mental Health Day, Safe In Our World is an accredited charity supported by industry luminaries, veterans and ambassadors across the world. Its mission is to create an online destination where people can seek help, gain access to resources and information, and discover stories from real people within and surrounding the games industry. whether its understanding feelings and symptoms using our Support Page or reaching out using our global Helplines & Website page.
Safe In Our World will continue to build and grow its support for those in need, and more announcements will be made in the coming months.
The Japanese gaming lifestyle brand, Bauhütte® (headquartered in Osaka, Japan), has begun global sales of their revolutionary Gaming Glasses that have arms that split into two with a push of a button.
The main feature of the Gaming Glasses is the original adjustable frame. When the button is pressed, the arms of the frame splits open. They don’t have to rest against your ear to be worn, so you can wear them for a long time with headsets without any discomfort.
Regular glasses don’t work well with headsets, which are an essential item for any gamer. Wearing them together results in pain around the ear or difficulty wearing them.
These Adjustable Gaming Glasses were made to solve that issue for gamers and sold out immediately after going on sale in Japan. They are extremely popular and there are a rush of orders whenever they are restocked. We have also received reviews from users that say the glasses have gotten rid of all their ear pain and that they help create a stress-free, comfortable gaming environment since they don’t interfere with their headsets.
Other Functions ・Transparent Blue-Light Blocking Lenses These lenses protect your eyes while being extremely transparent. They do not interfere with the user’s field of vision so you can enjoy a game’s beautiful graphics as though you were viewing them with the naked eye.
・Cuts More Than 90% of High-Energy Visible (HEV) Rays These lenses cut more than 90% of HEV rays, particularly harmful rays that partially make up blue light.
・A Half-Rim Design That Guarantees A Wide Field of Vision The bottom half of the lenses do not have a rim so you can see your keyboard properly. These glasses were designed so you can easily operate your device.
・Original Glasses Case and Cleaning Cloth These glasses come with a glasses case and cleaning cloth, both decorated with the Bauhütte logo. These items make it easy to carry and store the glasses.
Today Gayming Magazine are happy to announce that they will be rolling out the virtual pink carpet to celebrate the Gayming Awards on 24th February 2021 20:00 GMT.
The show will be streamed to viewers around the world alongside a plethora of exciting sponsors, including presenting partner EA Games, Square Enix, Green Man Gaming, Jagex and Creative Assembly amongst others to be announced.
Colin Blackwood, UKI Country Manager from presenting partner EA Games had the following to say on the awards, “EA are delighted to be sponsoring the first ever Gayming Awards. As one of the founding partners of the #RaiseTheGame pledge, we’re committed to celebrating diversity and inclusion within the games industry and the Gayming Awards is a great opportunity to do just that.”
Additionally, the voting window for public nominations for Industry Diversity Award, Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Best LGBTQ Streamer closes on October 31st. You can find the other award categories here.
The Gayming Awards aim to commemorate the achievements of the wider, global gaming industry and how they have championed LGBTQ people through the creative medium of videogames. Critically-acclaimed queer comedian Suzi Ruffell will be hosting the evening, best known for her appearances on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Go 8 Bit and more. Suzi Ruffell has also had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival with stand-up shows racking up critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike.
All games released in the calendar year of 2020 will be eligible for the Gayming Awards and voting will take place through November and December 2020.
Produced in collaboration with Auroch Digital, the event will feature virtual let’s plays, panels, talks and more streaming activities that explore the fusion between physical and digital games with legendary designers, upcoming studios, and you.
Working with Valve, indie studio Auroch Digital is helping curate the program of events and line up speakers such Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu RPG, Quake, Cthulhu Wars and more!), Steve Jackson (Munchkin, Ogre, Car Wars and many more), Ian Livingstone (Co-founder Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy, Chairman Sumo Group plc), Elizabeth Hargrave (creator of the hit game Wingspan) and author and New Yorker writer Simon Parkin talks about how a board game helped the allies win WW2 and many more!
Here’s a look at just some of the other wide-ranging activities happening during the event:
Plague Inc: Evolved (where James Vaughan, game designer of the digital and physical version plays the digital game’s boardgame scenario while discussing the design of both versions)
Othercide(the tactical-RPG blending strong art style, unique lore and challenging tactical gameplay, presented by its Art Director and Lead Game Designer)
Gloomhaven’s stream, featuring the developers, will discuss the upcoming content for the next major update of Gloomhaven’s Early Access on Steam.
Virtual panel on games about Mars, where game creators will be joined by actual space agency staff and scientists to ask what games get right and wrong about Mars.
Virtual panel on Cthulhu games, where some of the most notable Cthulhu-themed designers from digital and physical ask about the cultural impact of such titles and more.
How to get involved
Join in during the live broadcasts to chat to the devs about the topics of conversations and their games, or catch them via VOD if you can’t make the live steam. More panels and talks will be announced as the event gets closer.
The Steam Digital Tabletop Fest features games that run across the lines between digital and physical games; this can be a digital port of a physical game, a game which has produced a physical version from the digital one, a game that simulates the physical play experience, or a digital game whose aesthetics are inspired by tabletop games.
To learn more and to sign up to be reminded when the event begins, please visit this link.
This Friday, the gamers’ charity SpecialEffect will celebrate their fifth One Special Day fundraiser.
In a new record for the event, over 75 games industry partners have now pledged their support, ranging from mobile and PC developers, through to media and trade bodies.
With demand for the charity’s services increasing and other fundraising events being cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, this year’s One Special Day has taken on an extra significance, as SpecialEffect’s Founder and CEO Mick Donegan explains:
“Despite the challenges of recent months, SpecialEffect has been continuing its work to bring the joy of video games and technology to some of the most disabled people on the planet. Our staff have worked tirelessly to respond to an increasing number of enquiries from all over the world, carrying out remote assessments and providing specialist equipment and advice. Meanwhile, the R&D team have been working hard to finish some exciting new accessible gaming projects, such as Eye Gaze Games, which have the potential to open-up the world of gaming to 10,000s more people world-wide. Securing the future of these services is vitally important for the people we support, which is why One Special Day 2020 is more important than ever.”
Since its inception in 2016, One Special Day has raised over $1,000,000 towards the work of SpecialEffect to help people with disabilities in the United Kingdom and all over the world. The companies supporting the event raise money by donating revenue, holding events and contributing to special Humble Bundles. This year, many will also be staging virtual fundraising challenges, including Zoom quizzes, socially-distanced physical challenges and livestreams.
Some campaign highlights to look out for include:
One Special Bundle, which is available now on the Humble Bundle website and features titles from nine partners.
One Special Night, which takes place on Thursday 1st October from 8pm and sees SpecialEffect hosting eight of the games industry’s leading lights, including Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, for an evening of exclusive online talks.
One Special Game, a competition where fan-artists have been given the opportunity to create their own poster for iconic games such as Mass Effect, Stardew Valley, Monument Valley and Need for Speed, with the winners announced on Friday 2nd October.
The range of events and activities, coupled with the number of games industry companies rallying to the call, makes this the biggest One Special Day yet. And that’s very good news for disabled gamers all over the world!
If you’d like to get your company involved in One Special Day, there’s still time. Go to www.onespecialday.org.uk to donate or, for more information, contact Nick Streeter at nick@specialeffect.org.uk
SEGA Europe Ltd and The Creative Assembly Ltd. today announced that the physical release of A Total War Saga: TROY™ will release on Thursday 5 November.
This follows A Total War Saga: TROY’s enormously successful debut on Epic Games Store in August, where it was claimed by over 7.5 million players in its first 24 hours on launch.
To celebrate that success, the physical edition of A Total War Saga: TROY will initially be released in a limited edition steelbook. This steelbook package includes the Amazons DLC, bringing warrior queen Penthesilea and her sister Hippolyta to the Bronze Age battle, along with new Epic Missions, cavalry units, unique faction mechanics and much more.
Using Total War’s BAFTA award-winning marriage of grand turn-based strategy and spectacular real-time battles, A Total War Saga: TROY™ plunges players into the legendary Bronze-Age conflict of the Trojan War, where they assume the roles of Achilles, Hector, and many other legendary heroes as they fight to defend the great city of Troy… or raze it to the ground.
The physical edition of A Total War Saga: TROY will be released on 5 November and will cost £39.99. Further details on TROY can be found here.
The Train2Game Blog 