Ark: Survival Ascended was revealed in April as an Unreal Engine 5-powered remaster of the 2015 open-world epic, but it served to quickly irritate fans the world over. It was made clear that current players – regardless of the time and effort they’d sunken into the game – would be forced to completely restart with the release of   Ark: Survival Ascended   as Ark: Survival Evolved (the original game) will be taken offline. There is a staggering suite of changes coming hand-in-hand with ‘ASA’, but it’s still not enough to placate angry and disappointed fans. It was originally supposed to be released in August 2023, but owing to difficulties presented during the development of this ambitious remaster, it has been delayed to October – and a discount has been applied, for some reason. What The Hell is Even That Here’s the timeline, in case you’re confused: Ark 2 announced Ark 2 was delayed, but Ark: Survival Ascended (the remaster) announced Fans were made angry by the revel...

  Remember when Nintendo launched a subscription service last year for Switch repairs in Japan called 'Wide Care'? Well, the company is now about to end the service entirely. In an announcement posted on its official website (thanks, Perfectly Nintendo), Nintendo states that it will no longer be offering new subscription contracts or renewals as of  August 31st, 2023 . That's just over a year since the service launched in July 2022. Customers who are currently under contract will not be immediately affected and their service will remain in place until their contract ends. Theoretically, then, a customer could still take out a year's subscription on July 31st, 2023, and remain covered until July 31st, 2024. The service allows customers to claim up to six repairs each year on the Switch consoles themselves, the Joy-Con controllers, the dock, and the AC adapter at a cost of 200 yen per month (roughly $1.50/£1.20) or 2000 yen per year ($15/£12). Nintendo h...

  It has been a confusing couple of days for the fans of The Last of Us that are eagerly awaiting news of Part III’s development – or any tidbits of information about Factions, for that matter. Recently, it appears that information has emerged regarding both of these projects, but things have gotten a little twisted. From leaks discussing ‘casting info for The Last of Us Part III’ that almost certainly points towards Factions to claims that Part III is ‘starting filming’ this year, there are plenty of notes to clean up. This is what seems to be happening… Set The Record Straight Let’s tackle the ‘casting info leaks’ first of all. DanielRPK posted a claimed leak behind his Patreon paywall that discussed ‘The Last of Us Part III’ casting details, which spoke about a series of characters  ‘surviving on the outskirts of a post-apocalyptic city, crammed into a Victorian house that serves as their base.’  It referenced five characters that Naughty Dog is seeking to cast: L...

  An update to NASCAR Heat 5 that includes the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season and the NASCAR NEXT Gen car released in DLC form on 22nd June for $9.99. The long-awaited 2022 Season Update to NASCAR Heat 5 has finally released as of Thursday (22nd June). Links to the DLC were made public on Steam and the PlayStation Store earlier in the week and the content unlocked around 10:00 pm BST / 5:00 pm EST on PlayStation, Xbox and PC via Steam. Originally planned to release in October of 2022, the update to the title from 2020 was delayed for quite some time. The predecessor to NASCAR 21: Ignition has been the base for the last two releases from Motorsport Games, in the NASCAR Heat Ultimate+ and NASCAR Rivals releases on the Nintendo Switch the last two years. Here’s what is included for the price point of $9.99. This DLC will be playable in Race Now, Career and Online Multiplayer modes. What this DLC will include is, first and foremost, the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series in terms of the cars. That’...

  Today's testimonies in the   FTC's legal battle to press pause on Xbox's merger with Activision   were bookended by a closed session with Microsoft senior finance director Jamie Lawver and a brief questioning of Google Stadia product director Dov Zimring. But the real meat of today was the Phil Spencer show. The suit-clad head of Xbox kept steady throughout a lengthy questioning by the FTC before laying out, in cross-examination, a clear map of Xbox's mobile-focused strategy for acquiring Activision. When Microsoft wrapped up its inquiries, Spencer's stint at the front of the court was concluded by a rather awkward line of questioning during which he found himself patiently explaining to FTC lawyer James Weingarten how, exactly, money works in acquisitions. Relevant Markets Revisited Once again, the FTC spent a solid portion of time focused on defining the "relevant markets" as part of its job in this affair is to prove that Microsoft acquiring Activisio...

  Industry juggernaut Electronic Arts has today announced a huge restructuring that splits its studios into two major organisations - EA Entertainment and EA Sports. As explained by CEO Andrew Wilson, this "evolution" allows the company to give studio leaders more power, including "creative ownership and financial accountability to make faster and more insightful decisions" about development and other related areas. EA Entertainment will be led by president Laura Miele, who will oversee many of EA's key studios. Vince Zampella will helm the studios responsible for Apex Legends, Star Wars games and  Battlefield  IP, Samantha Ryan is in charge of lifestyle and solo blockbuster franchises, and Jeff Karp heads the mobile division. EA Sports' president is Cam Weber - responsible for handling the whole organisation's portfolio of sports games. Other appointments include Stuart Canfield as Chief Financial Officer and David Tinson as Chief Experiences Officer - ...

  Hundreds of video game demos are available to try — for free — on Steam as part of   Steam Next Fest . Valve describes the event, which runs from June 19 to June 26, as “a celebration of upcoming games,” and it   is   certainly that. It can be overwhelming to navigate the sheer number of demos available, but it’s worth digging through the lists. You’re sure to find something that catches your eye, and there’s no limit to how many games you can install and play. We’ve curated a list of 13 games that we   are excited for, but it’s not even close to a complete list of promising games featured in the latest Steam Next Fest. Venba , from Visai Games, is a narrative cooking game set in the 1980s after an Indian mother moves to Canada with her family. The game centers around cooking puzzles that will restore lost family members and unravel a “story about family, love, [and] loss.”  Venba ’s release date is set for July 31. From developer Soft Not Weak,  Spi...