Gaming News
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- Written by Daniel O'Carroll
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The average age for both Fathers and Gamers in Australia is around 34 years old. More dads are playing video games as a way to wind down in their spare time.
I know as a father of 2 young girls that after balancing family time with a busy work life that there’s nothing better than relaxing with a game at the end of a day.
It seriously helps to wash away that stress. Generally, my go-to game would be a couple of rounds of Fifa Football, but it also depends on what else I’ve got on my gaming to-do list at the time.
This is why I’ve put together the ultimate shopping guide for Gamer Dad’s because while he loves the socks you get him, it’s nice to show an interest in his hobbies, the way he does your own.
1 - The Last of Us Part 1
If your Dad is any type of PlayStation gamer then he’s probably already played the original Last of Us back when it was released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3. The team at Naughty Dog have rebuilt the game from the ground up to release on the PS5 with improved graphics and character models built on the newer engine. The story is what sets this apart from any other game, as it’s a beautiful tale of a Father who is broken and his journey to healing with the help of a young girl. Available September 2 (PreOrder just in time!)
2 - Subscription Services
There are plenty of different types of services that provide vouchers for your Dad this Father’s Day, If he is an Xbox Gamer, then Game Pass is an amazing value giving him access to hundreds of games at a reasonable cost.
If he is more of a PlayStation Dad then top up his PS Store Wallet so he can check out the new tier options for PlayStation Plus with Essential, Extra or Deluxe.
The top tier gives you access to game trials and the classics catalogue as well as the game catalogue and online access from the bottom tiers. It’s great value and a good place to start to work out what you’ll use and then downgrade from there.
3 - Nanoleaf Smart Lights
Dad’s man cave is about to get a makeover with light panels and strips from Nanoleaf.
These high-quality lights can pump out 16 million colours and come in all shapes and sizes to create the right mood for his gaming environment.
He can link it to his phone to tinker with the features and they are celebrating their 10th birthday so there are plenty of specials at the moment.
4 - New Controllers
If dad is the type of gamer that drops a controller when he loses a match of Mortal Kombat 11, then there’s a good chance he might be ready for a new one. Sony has released a wide colour range of the best controller I’ve used ever, the DualSense for the PS5 (you can also use it on your PC). Galactic Purple, Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, Midnight Black or Cosmic Red which I’m a massive fan of (hint, hint wifey, who am I kidding, she never reads my gaming stuff).
If Dad is more of an Xbox guy then they also come in a variety of colours, but the best option is to use the Xbox Labs service to custom-make your controller. Given the time frame, you might want those socks as a backup because they might not arrive in time.
For PC dads look at the ROCCAT Burst Pro Air Gaming Mouse, it’s super responsive, beautifully designed with great RGBa and water and dust-resistant.
5 - F1 Manager 2022 (PS4/PS5/Xbox Series S/X & One)
Give Daniel Ricciardo the career he deserves with the officially licenced F1 Manager 2022. Dad can make his mark as Team Principal and create a dream team.
The most authentic F1 game he’ll ever play.
6 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
This trip down memory lane for Dad will take him back to a time when video games were in the arcade.
This brilliant collection assembles thirteen classic TMNT games by KONAMI in one incredible package.
This collection provides a unique opportunity for gamers to experience these immensely popular and very influential games on modern consoles and includes a fantastic set of new quality-of-life features.
Perfect for the retro gamer and TMNT fan in all of us.
7 - Lawn Mowing Simulator: Landmark Edition (PS4/PS5)
If there’s one thing dads love more than mowing the lawn, it’s pretending to mow the lawn. Using real-world licenced lawn mowers from multiple manufacturers he can get to work and practise his technique even when it’s raining outside in the real world.
8 - Gamer LED Laptop Stand
This one is for the PC gamer Dads. Bonelk have released a really impressive gamer LED laptop stand exclusively to JB HiFi that raises from 40mm to 200mm giving you better ergonomics and improving dads posture.
Enhance your mood lighting with custom lighting effects. Choose between solid colours or breathing effects from 7 different backlit LED colours.
Constructed from premium grade aluminium, optimise your desk space and fold down for easy transportation. Suits laptop sizes from 11” to 17”.
9 - Fishing North Atlantic - Complete Edition (PS4/PS5)
I used to love going fishing, but where do you find the time? In this game, you’ll explore the large ocean of Nova Scotia, try your hand at entirely new fishing methods and enjoy a huge range of highly detailed ships in the commercial fishing simulator.
Who knows you might learn some new tricks and tips for the next time you get to go out there for real.
10 - A Hug (not available on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S/One or Nintendo Switch)
Dad doesn’t need a gift or anything other than a hug and letting him know that you love him. These things above are all great, but they are just things (fun things.. but things). Knowing his kids are safe and well is everything to him. So make sure the thing you give him this Father’s Day is the one thing he can’t get anywhere else, a great big hug.
I hope this Father’s Day Gift Guide 2022 has helped you make your Dad’s day special. Happy Father’s Day.
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- Written by Daniel O'Carroll
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Sony Interactive Entertainment has unveiled the new DualSense Edge wireless controller for Playstation 5, the first-ever high-performance, ultra-customisable controller of its kind.
We’ve seen third-party controllers with customisations before, but this will be the first time an officially released device will hit the market and like their competitor Microsoft does with the Xbox Elite Controller this will give PS5 players more options than ever before.
The DualSense Edge wireless controller is designed to allow players to create custom controls tailored to their playstyle and features a number of hardware and software-based customisation options.
What We Know about the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
Ultra-customisable controls: Players can remap or deactivate specific button inputs, and adjust stick sensitivity, travel distance and dead zones. For example, players can reduce travel distance for faster inputs in competitive FPS games or reduce the dead zone for precise throttle control in racing games.
Ability to save multiple control profiles: Players can save their ideal control settings to unique profiles and swap between on the fly. No more scrolling through huge settings menus between games!On-controller user interface: The dedicated Fn button allows players to adjust their setup in-game; swap between pre-set control profiles, adjust game volume and chat balance, and access the entire controller profile settings while in-game.
Changeable stick caps and back buttons: Three types of swappable stick caps (standard, high dome, and low dome) help players find the right level of comfort, grip and stability. Two swappable sets of back buttons (half-dome and lever), can be configured to any other button input.
Replaceable stick modules: Each individual stick module can be replaced, increasing controller longevity (sticks sold separately).
Built-in DualSense wireless controller features: Tying all the new features together is the signature comfort and immersive experience of the DualSense wireless controller when playing supported games, with haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, a built-in microphone, motion controls, and more.
The DualSense Edge wireless controller comes with a USB Type-C braided cable which features a connector housing to lock into the controller, making it much less likely to slip out at a crucial moment (we’ve all been there!).
It also comes with a carrying case, keeping all the components together and organised while also allowing players to charge the controller while stored in the case.
Daisuke Kurihara, Art Director, led the controller’s design process and shares a few insights on how it was created:
“The opportunity to create the DualSense Edge wireless controller was a dream come true for our team. We wanted to build on the legacy of iconic PlayStation controllers by creating a controller that empowers players to experiment and personalise elements based on their own unique playstyle – whether they are a competitive gamer or someone who just enjoys having more options to customise their play. The DualSense Edge wireless controller also features a number of thoughtful design touches that we hope players will enjoy, including a distinct DualSense controller-inspired black-and-white colour scheme and a unique PlayStation Shapes pattern on the touchpad and trigger surfaces.
“We are thankful to the many gamers, professional esports players, and developers who helped provide feedback on the controller’s design.”
Sony really stepped it up with the DualSense controller on release with the PS5 and then later introduced alternate colour preferences. It’s without a doubt the standout feature of the NexGen consoles so to think that they are ready to offer an “elite” version of that where we can customise to our own preferences is another fantastic step in the evolution of console gaming.
No launch date has been announced at this stage, but we’ll let you know as soon as it has.
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- Written by Grant Broadcasters
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Melbourne-made video game Cult of the Lamb has made it to the top of global sales charts within days of its release.
"It's just blown up, it's been pretty crazy," developer Julian Wilton from Massive Monster told AAP.
Since its global launch in the early hours of Friday morning, the game reached number one on the US Switch store, the main outlet for Nintendo games, and Wilton has high hopes for early sales figures.
"I wouldn't be surprised in the first month if we hit like a million units, which is just crazy," he said.
On PC gaming platform Steam, Cult of the Lamb has seen hundreds of thousands of downloads, and while Wilton can't reveal the exact figures due to Massive Monster's backing by UK-listed Devolver Digital, pre-sales numbers show the game has already recouped its investment costs.
It's rare for an Australian-made game to see such global success, with 2017's Hollow Night by Adelaide's Team Cherry a recent example.
Gamers have given Cult of the Lamb the thumbs-up so far, with more than 8000 positive Steam reviews, and some predicting it will become a cult classic.
But the large number of gamers trying the game have uncovered bugs and the Massive Monster team is working to fix them, devoting the next 12 months to updates and new content.
"There's just so many people playing the game that there's no way you can find some of these bugs that people are finding," Wilton said.
Some of the problems that come with Massive Monster's success are nice to have.
"We just got to figure out what to do with all this money now," Wilton joked.
In 2020/21 Australian game development studios made $226 million, with 82 per cent of that money from overseas markets, according to figures from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association.
Recent Aussie hits include Unpacking by Witch Beam in Brisbane, Hollow Knight by Team Cherry in Adelaide, and in Melbourne, Untitled Goose Game by House House and Florence by the studio Mountains.
The federal government offered tax breaks for developers in 2021 and pledged fresh funding through Screen Australia in March.
© AAP 2022
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- Written by Daniel O'Carroll
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There are plenty of live streams online that don't make a lot of sense or does it prove that there is something out there for everyone in today's content-driven world?
Sometimes when you go to your favourite streamer you'll see the same repetitive actions and conversations that you see every night, it's kind of like watching grass grow, not that that is a bad thing for some people.
If you are one of those people, you are in luck because now there is a live stream that will serve just that purpose.
Watch Grass Grow Live Stream
This one-of-a-kind marathon Livestream event is to celebrate the physical launch of one of the more unsual but insanely popular video games Lawn Mowing Simulator: Landmark Edition in Australia.
The special event will begin at 9.00am AEST on Monday 1st August and run until Friday 5th August, lawn care fans can tune into the stream on twitch via the link above to enjoy a week-long stream of… grass growing.
Darren Macbeth from Five Star Games said "If you’re a human being and finding yourself a little stressed out, tune into our grass-growing Livestream or pick up a copy of Lawn Mowing Simulator and let the good times grow.”
Lawn Mowing Simulator is a game where you do just that. Enjoy the challenge and serenity of mowing the Great British countryside in a variety of modes, while ensuring that you get a comfortable cash flow to your ever-growing lawn care empire.
Until recently the game has only been available on Steam on PC and Microsoft Xbox Series S|X and Game Pass, but the Landmark Edition coming to PlayStation means the game can now be enjoyed by even more gamers and gardeners around Australia.
Lawn Mowing Simulator: Landmark Edition includes both DLC expansions currently available for the game: Ancient Britain and Dino Safari, meaning now players can mow the lawns of such vaunted locales as Stonehenge and everyone’s favourite prehistoric dinosaur attraction.
We've sent them an email to ask them to do an Australian Lawn version where we can mow in our thongs or barefoot, wear a beer hat and constantly step on bindis.
It’s available from major game retailers around Australia including online shipping via Amazon, RRP $59.95.
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