Gaming News
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- Written by Daniel O'Carroll
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The PlayStation Plus July lineup packs in thrilling firefights, wrestling superstars, intense horror and martial arts action. From Tuesday, 6 July, PlayStation Plus members will be able to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and A Plague Tale: Innocence to their console library.
In addition, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is also available to PlayStation Plus members for a second month until Monday, 2 August.
Let’s take a closer look at the games…
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | PS4
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 delivers a trio of action-packed multiplayer modes* for first-person shooter fans. First, there’s the series’ iconic multiplayer experience pitting players against each other worldwide. Second, is the fan-favourite Zombies experience, letting you and friends battle the undead. Last but not least is Blackout, an intense large-map mode inspired by battle royale. Blackout brings together characters, locations, weapons and gear from across the series in all-out survival combat – all with a unique Black Ops twist.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds | PS4
The world of WWE is your battleground with over-the-top, arcade action as your favourite WWE Superstars and Legends battle in interactive environments around the world. Play through a new story mode while unlocking unique characters and Battlegrounds. Compete using special abilities and power-ups in match types like Steel Cage, Royal Rumble, and more! Compete in Online Tournaments or stake your claim as King of the Battleground against players from around the world!* Plus, battle it out in local multiplayer and dominate your friends.
A Plague Tale: Innocence | PS5 version only**
The critically acclaimed adventure releases on PS5 with 4K native resolution***, targeted 60 FPS, highly improved visuals, and fast loading – and makes its debut onto PlayStation Plus. Follow the tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history. Hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by unstoppable swarms of rats, Amicia and Hugo will come to know and trust each other. As they struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, they will fight to find purpose in this brutal, unforgiving world.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown | PS4
Sega’s iconic one-on-one battler gets remade for a new generation by Yakuza and Judgment developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. This console exclusive allows both VF veterans and newcomers to experience the intense martial arts combat, deep strategy, and intricately balanced gameplay of the groundbreaking 3D fighter in stunning HD. New online features* – like custom tournaments supporting up to 16 players and live spectating – join classic modes like Rank Match, Arcade, and VF5’s famously robust Training to deliver the definitive Virtua Fighter experience.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and A Plague Tale: Innocence will be available to download from Tuesday, 6 July through to Monday, 2 August.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is available to PlayStation Plus members until Monday, 2 August.
And remember, players still have time to download June’s PlayStation Plus games lineup, with Star Wars: Squadrons and Operation Tango available until Monday, 5 July.
*Online multiplayer requires PS Plus subscription; fees recur until cancelled. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/PSPlusTerms.
**Benefit not applicable for A Plague Tale: Innocence on PS4 consoles.
***4K display required.
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This might surprise you, but one game we get lots of feedback on and requests on when the latest version is coming out is the Farming Simulator series.
Last years game was actually a lot of fun and while we were playing it we found we lost hours taking in the scenery and being dedicated to making sure our farm prospered.
Well, we are happy to say, Farming Simulator 22 is on the way.
“Here we go, starting the pre-order on our very first self-published title”, comments GIANTS Software CEO Christian Ammann proudly. “We hope fans are as excited as we are about this milestone in the series’ history and enjoy our trailer as we get ready to welcome old and new farmers to our fields.”
The new cinematic trailer is out for FS2 and it is more realistic than ever. Plus we have all this to look forward to in the release.
As new generations of farmers follow in the footsteps of previous generations, both in real life or through playing Farming Simulator, the cinematic trailer shows a father and daughter working the field together, battling the snow and enjoying the rewarding victory of harvested grapes. The emotional story also reveals Mack Trucks as a new in-game brand and shows the iconic Super-Liner in action.
Self-published Farming Simulator 22 will be more widely available in more regions and to more players than ever before, inviting new generations to learn about agriculture, letting crops and the good times grow together in multiplayer.
The new game also lets virtual farmers plant and harvest grapes to produce delicious juice and olives to produce high-quality olive oil – thanks to the new production chains feature. Sorghum, a new type of grain, has been added to the range of arable crops. With the new crops, comes the need for new types of machines. The New Holland Braud 9070L grape harvester is one of the new additions to the fleet of new machines in Farming Simulator 22.
Farming Simulator 22 now available for pre-order
All pre-orders of Farming Simulator 22 receive the CLAAS XERION SADDLE TRAC Pack including the CLAAS XERION 4200 SADDLE TRAC plus four more machines by KAWECO.
We'll be following closely as more details about Farming Simulator 22 will be presented at FarmCon (21st-23rd July).
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It's been an ongoing rumour that Microsoft finally announced this week, yes we are getting a new Windows.
In fact, Windows 11 will be the first major update to the worlds most popular operating system since 2015.
The new system shows the work done behind the scenes to improve productivity with sharper window designs and performance layouts, New Snap Layouts, Snap Groups, and Desktops in Windows 11 allow for easier multitasking and organization of your Windows.
From the look of it, there's a huge push on the "Touch Pen" and voice commands.
They have modernized the design and user experience in Windows 11, from the new Start button and taskbar to each sound, font and icon.
New Teams integration directly into the Taskbar can instantly connect you through text, chat, voice or video with anyone, anywhere across Windows, Android and iOS.
Widgets is a new personalized feed powered by AI, opens a curated view directly from your desktop. For creators and publishers, Widgets also opens new real estate within Windows to deliver personalized content.
Microsoft can see huge potential in the future of gaming and we've seen that with the integration of Xbox Game Pass across PC systems and even mobile devices.
This new update to Windows will add multiple features for gamers including two key features seen on their popular Xbox consoles. Those features are Auto HDR and DirectStorage.
To break it down, Auto HDR will essentially make it easier to turn on (or off) the "high dynamic range". That's if your hardware supports it. It will also create better stabilisation for it and automatically upgrade titles on your machine to HDR where available.
DirectStorage is there to improve load times. how it works is that it loads your game's assets directly to the GPU (Graphics Processor) rather than the CPU. This should avoid bottlenecks that cause issues affecting gameplay or even crashes. DirectStorage also makes great use of the higher read and write speeds of NVMe storage of PCIe 4.0 and the upcoming PCIe 5.0 standard. The key feature here is speed and performance while keeping your images crisp and clear.
Today marks the beginning of a new generation of Windows. With Windows 11, we’re reimagining everything from the operating system to the store, to unlock new opportunity for people and the world. https://t.co/IuMxrS262d
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) June 24, 2021
As mentioned above, the company is heavily invested in integrating the Xbox gaming features into products we use every day so the announcement that the app will also be built directly into Windows 11 and have deeper integration of Xbox Game Pass is not a surprise and very welcome. This means that subscribers will be able to download from the catalog of over 100 games that they offer. You'll also be able to stream those titles via Xbox cloud gaming and of course greater integration of cross-play between consoles and PCs which we've seen on titles like "Sea of Thieves".
There's also information on the new Microsoft Store that will be a single trusted location for apps and content, creating a more open ecosystem for developers and creators, as well as a faster, more secure experience for IT professionals.
While we don't have a launch date for the Windows 11 upgrade other than "Holiday season" but we do know that it will be a free update and if you are a brave early adopter of upgrades you'll be able to see the benefits to your gaming setup straight away.
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Video Games based on the Olympic Games have always struggled to be taken seriously as none have managed to capture the excitement and fun like the old “Summer Games” on Commodore 64. So it was interesting to see if “Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Sega's official recreation of the delayed 2021 competition) would be a quality title or just a cash in on the brand. After all, we already had Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games a year ago, and it’s usually 4 years between titles.
Thankfully, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (which is the official game of the Olympics) plays in the same “universe” as its predecessor but improves on it making it a fun family-friendly game that at times is ridiculous in the best possible way.
This is mostly thanks to the avatar creator which gives you a lot of freedom. Either create your character to be a serious recreation of your favourite athletes or go silly and put them in a life-sized Sonic suit, or in some buddy smugglers with a fancy hat. The choices are limitless and everyone will appear unique. You’ll also be able to choose from 80 national teams to represent your country.
The game doesn't take itself too seriously in the events either, bringing that classic “Sega” style to some over-the-top athletic events and adding in mini-games that are easy enough to grasp for the younger members of the household and people who don’t game on a regular basis.
If you are looking to play on your own, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is not the game for you. The lack of a career mode speaks clearly of the intent of the designers to make a game for groups of friends to play at once.
In fact, Ian Curran President & COO at SEGA of America says of the game “SEGA has a long history of developing fun, family-friendly, and inclusive Olympic-themed video games that bring home the thrill of competing on the world’s biggest sporting stage, Whether you aim to top the global leaderboards or just want to create a fun Avatar and compete in your favourite arcade sport, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 offers a fun and authentic Olympic experience for fans of all ages.”
There are 18 arcade-style events to choose from:
• 100m
• 110m Hurdles
• 4x100m Relay
• 100m Freestyle (Swimming)
• 200m Individual Medley (Swimming)
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Beach Volleyball
• BMX
• Boxing
• Football
• Hammer Throw
• Judo
• Long Jump
• Rugby Sevens
• Sport Climbing
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
But some stand out well above the others. For example, BMX is so much fun even though there’s really only one track, but Sega shines here by adding trademark arcade elements that give it longevity and ultimately more crazy fun. Rugby Sevens and Judo will also deliver for you.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a fun party game that features arcade recreations of 18 sports from the games. It’s best played with friends or online. Character creation could be a game of its own to see who could make the most realistic or ridiculous athlete. If the games are on the TV at your house constantly make it a real party by playing them yourself in the downtime. You'll be able to identify with the real-life action as you'll be playing in actual Olympic venues like the Olympic Stadium and Toyko Aquatics Centre which are fully recreated and also use a day/night cycle to add a more realistic flair.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game is available at Australian retailers for an RRP of $59.95 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox systems.
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