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Gaming coverage gets pulled in two directions: industry analysis nobody wants, and influencer hype everyone wants. The middle — actual game releases, studio drama, technical breakthroughs, the moments when the discourse turns — is where Owl Post lives. Releases worth your weekend, ports actually worth picking up, layoffs and acquisitions that hint at what's coming, and the cultural moments the internet collectively loses its mind over.

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The History of James Bond Games and How the Gaming Industry Failed Him

James Bond is an absolute icon in media, the worlds most famous spy. Yet for every "Moonraker", "Goldfinger" and "Quantum of Solace" film there are at least two video games that absolutely miss the mark. With 007 First Light finally looking to be on the right track, we take a peak at the international man of mystery's history of gaming and figure out why we got here, and how it took so long to get it right.

gamerant.com

Listen to the new Steam Controller buzz to the tune of Doom

You may have heard that Valve's new Steam Controller can ring like a telephone or do the Wilhelm scream. But did you know it can sing songs, too? Let me show you. Here's the new Steam Controller performing the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. 2: Here is "Still Alive" from Portal - fitting for Valve hardware: I even made it play Doom: View this post on Instagram Are you wondering how the controller, which does not have a speaker, is able to make audio at all? Valve's first Steam Controller, even though it was discontinued, was a great gadget for tinkerers - someone even wrote an open-source program to make it " … Read the full story at The Verge.

theverge.com

The Arduboy FX-C is an excellent time killer you might forget you’re carrying

The Arduboy FX-C squeezes a lot of entertainment into a thin, credit card-sized handheld. As handheld consoles continue to grow and push the limits of what you can actually hold in your hands, the Arduboy FX-C comes in a refreshingly pocketable package. It manages to squeeze the best features of past models and some welcome upgrades into a handheld that’s still no larger or thicker than a few credit cards. It’s the best version of the Arduboy so far, particularly for gamers who want to jump into the handheld’s ever-expanding library of games and apps right out of the box, but one of its most compelling upgrades isn’t quite ready for primetime. The original Arduboy was a Tetris-playing business card created by Kevin Bates to show off his electronics skills. It went viral in 2014 prompting Bates to turn the idea into a commercial device a year later that was both a tiny open-source gaming device and a tool that could help would-be developers learn to code. Arduboy FX-C Where to Buy: $79 at Amazon $79 at Arduboy After over a decade of minor iterations, the Arduboy FX-C looks very much like the original. The controls are limited to six buttons, four of which function as a D-pad. They have a minimal amount of travel given the device is just 5mm thin, but a satisfying amount of click when pressed. The piezoelectric speaker is high pitched but more than loud enough, and its 1.3-inch, 1-bit OLED screen is bright enough to be playable outdoors. While the 37-year-old original Game Boy could display four shades of greenish-gray, the Arduboy FX-C’s screen is monochromatic and limited to only white pixels. Developers have to rely on visual tricks like dithering or flickering to create grayscale graphics. Equally limiting is the FX-C’s ATmega32u4 processor that’s paired with just 2.5KB of RAM. Compared to other black-and-white handhelds like the Playdate, the Arduboy FX-C feels primitive but its limitations have forced game developers to get creative and experimental, which is a

theverge.com

Sometimes, a short game hits the spot

Slots & Daggers, a low-key, fantasy-themed slot machine roguelike, was one of my favorite games last year. That may sound like a complicated description, but the game mixes ideas from deckbuilding roguelikes with slot machines to create an engrossing loop, and there's steady meta-progression that helps you push further with just about every run. Perhaps the best part is that Slots & Daggers is short: Solo developer Friedemann describes the game as a mini roguelike, and I completed it, including all 12 achievements, in just under six hours. This month, Slots & Daggers came out on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X / S, and … Read the full story at The Verge.

theverge.com

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 May Get Campaign Early Access – Report

This year’s annual Call of Duty release--Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4--is set to arrive in just a few months. But according to a new report, Modern Warfare 4 may give players the chance to start the campaign during an early-access release period. Well-known CoD leak and news site CharlieIntel shared a screenshot of a “Campaign Early Access” pass on Xbox, which appears to be one of several packs available for installation. However, there's no mention of that pass on Modern Warfare 4’s official store page on Xbox. Instead, the store states that players who preorder the digital version will get early access to the open beta. It wouldn't be the first time campaign early access has been available for a Call of Duty game, however--Modern Warfare 2 had a similar program back in 2022, for instance. https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/2060080572177731642 The details about Modern Warfare 4 have only begun to come out, but developer Infinity Ward is aiming to put players back into the shoes of ordinary soldiers rather than the larger-than-life action heroes from some of the more recent games. Infinity Ward has also laid out some key improvements and quality-of-life adjustments for MW4, including movement and gunplay. Black Ops 7’s omnimovement is being dropped from MW4. The Prestige system is also getting a big change. Some of the announced cast members for MW4 include Shrinking’s Luke Tennie and The Last of Us’ Young Mazino in leading roles as Lieutenant Wet and Private Park, respectively. The game will also feature supporting performances by Prisca Kim, Lanny Joon, William Lipton, and Barry Sloane, who will reprise his role as Price. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be released on Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 23. Preorders are already live, and unlike Black Ops 7, MW4 will not be a day-one release on Game Pass. Infinity Ward has also assured players that MW4 runs smoothly on Switch 2. All Call of Duty Games In Order View Images

gamespot.com

Don't Expect Witcher 4 Expansions, As CDPR CEO Says The Studio Wants To Release 3 Witcher Games In A 6-Year Period

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red revealed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which launched way back in 2015, is getting a third expansion next year. Despite the expansion love for Geralt's latest/maybe last adventure, it sounds like you shouldn't expect expansions for The Witcher IV. That's because CDPR CEO Michał Nowakowski recently stated in an earnings call that including an expansion for The Witcher IV might be tough, considering the studio wants to release three Witcher games in a six-year period, as reported by GamesRadar. We still don't know when The Witcher IV, which is set to star Ciri, the Witcher-in-training who fought alongside Geralt in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, will be released. But when it does launch, it will kickstart a six-year period in which CDPR plans to release not just The Witcher IV, but two additional Witcher games, creating a trilogy. It's an ambitious pipeline, something Nowakowski is aware of. "As you mentioned in the question, the plans are pretty ambitious," Nowakowski said in the call when asked if CDPR has any room to develop expansions for the new Witcher saga, which begins with The Witcher IV. "Specifically, it's to release three Witcher games within a six-year period. It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy. This is where we are here and now with this particular issue." Considering just how well-received The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt expansions were – with Hearts of Stone in 2015 and Blood and Wine the following year – and how excited fans are for the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion, this might be disappointing to hear. Hopefully, brand new Witcher games make up for it. While waiting for The Witcher IV, check out the latest Unreal Engine showcase, which gives us another look at Ciri and her new horse, Kelpie. After that, read Game Informer's Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review, and then check out this list of our most anticipated games of 2026 and beyond. [Source: GamesRadar] Would y

gameinformer.com

See How 007 First Light’s Iconic Outfits Compare To The James Bond Movies

James Bond has been a cultural staple for decades, and with his latest adventure--the 007 First Light game--the super-spy gets to wear a variety of suave and sophisticated outfits. Some of these are quite similar to the clothing Bond wears in the film series, dating back to his earliest appearances with Sean Connery, and GameSpot put together a compilation to show off a few examples. https://twitter.com/GameSpot/status/2060047300689350813 As you would expect, the classic tuxedo, appropriately named "Classic Tuxedo" in-game, makes an appearance, and looks almost identical to the tuxedo Connery wore in the franchise's early days. The "Day of the Dead" outfit will be recognizable to anyone who saw Daniel Craig's Spectre. The "Observant Spy" outfit, meanwhile, bears a striking resemblance to a coat Roger Moore wore when he was on his very long run as James Bond, and the "Espresso Command" outfit closely matches a suit worn by Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan's legacy in video games perhaps stands above some of the other Bond actors, as it's his portrayal that was used for the N64's GoldenEye in 1997. Regardless of the outfit you choose to wear, 007 First Light is a fantastic super-spy simulator that blends Bond's signature charm and improvisation with the open-ended design of developer IO Interactive's Hitman games. In our 007 First Light review, Mark Delaney said, "007 First Light wisely repurposes what works in both universes but isn't afraid to reimagine or ditch those parts that don't."

gamespot.com

Witcher Dev’s Mysterious New Game With Saudi Arabia’s Scopely Is Not Releasing Soon

The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red is collaborating with Saudi Arabia-owned game developer Scopely for a new mobile game, but it's not releasing soon. During CD Projekt's latest earnings briefing, joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski was asked for an update on how the mysterious project--which is a game based on a CD Projekt franchise--is coming together. The executive said the game is "definitely not" coming out this year. Nowakowski said the nature of game development is ongoing iteration, and this takes time. "We've been previously suggesting that this would take some time. Scopely and their team are very iterative, and they work very fast and very hard, but it’s more about iteration and reaching a certain level of satisfaction that is felt on both side--them and us--so things are happening, but, once again, it’s definitely not a story for 2026." CD Projekt announced its partnership with Scopely in March 2025, saying at the time that the game was based on one of CD Projekt’s franchises. This came after CD Projekt said it was considering a Cyberpunk mobile game. Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games bought Scopely in 2023 for $4.9 billion–that is the No. 8 biggest gaming acquisition of all time. Scopely is one of the biggest mobile game companies on the planet. The company reached a new stratosphere of success with Monopoly Go. Scopely also now owns Pokemon Go. In 2024, CD Projekt said it was considering the possibility of making The Witcher and/or Cyberpunk mobile games. The company does have experience with the mobile market, as Gwent: The Witcher Card Game received mobile ports, though support for the title ended in October 2023. Another Witcher mobile game, the Pokemon Go-inspired The Witcher: Monster Slayer, released in July 2021 but shut down nearly two years later in 2023.

gamespot.com

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