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This week, Sony announced that were going to cease production of physical discs from January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles.
It's a decision that means less consumer power for those holding the controller, according to Dr Nick Webber, Professor of Game Studies at Birmingham City University (BCU) and co-lead of the Game Cultures research cluster at the university’s Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research(BCMCR). | ||
It's even easier for game companies to control and remove access to games. Credit: BCU | ||
“Sony's announcement of the end of physical media is unsurprising, given that the majority of video games are now bought digitally,” said Dr Webber.
“But, for both players and for people working in games preservation, the removal of discs from the PlayStation ecosystem, and likely also from XBOX, represents an important shift.
“These changes have to be understood alongside recent, unsuccessful attempts to place legal duties on game providers to support preservation processes and provide ongoing access to games.
“For example, in 2024, the US Copyright Office refused to grant a games preservation exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and just last month, the Stop Killing Games campaign was rebuffed by the European Commission.
“Unfortunately for players, the end of physical media represents a power shift which makes it even easier for game companies to control and remove access to games.
“For game preservation experts, this change will increase the difficulty of preserving games without the explicit permission of game developers and publishers, as the focus shifts away from challenges such as bit rot and media degradation, and onto the relationship between collecting organisations and IP owners instead.” |
An hour into John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, I was curious about what exactly Carpenter had contributed to this game. After all, this PvE zombie shooter has no aesthetic or thematic similarities to his work, and despite his impeccable horror pedigree, Carpenter has never made a zombie movie. If anything, it’s stylistically much more reminiscent of James Gunn than Carpenter.
So I did some research. And…“I was not brought on as a creative force, except they wanted to use my name, so they paid me to use my name.” As it turns out, aside from providing a few pieces of music (which I suspect were lurking on his hard drive long before this project), Carpenter’s involvement, in his own words, was “Well, I played it!”
Fair enough! Might as well be David James’ Toxic Commando then, because I also played it… And I think it’s just great!
In the realm of online entertainment platforms, not all services serve the same audience or follow the same approach. Some prioritise delivering a traditional international casino experience, while others develop ecosystems tailored to local player interests. BigBunny Casino and GameZone exemplify this divergence, offering distinct digital entertainment models. Understanding their differences helps players select a platform that aligns with personal preferences and gaming styles.
I have a problem. Not a serious one, but it costs me time, and it used to cost me enjoyment.
The problem is that I can't stick to one game.
My name's Cael. I'm thirty-one, I work in logistics, and at any given moment I'm actively interested in at least three or four
games simultaneously. Right now, that's WoW Midnight, FFXIV, and Path of Exile 2. A month ago, it was WoW, Helldivers 2,
and I was half-watching someone stream Arc Raiders and getting curious. This is just how I game. Always has been.
The issue isn't the variety. I like variety. The issue is what happens when you try to play multiple live-service games seriously.
Every game on my list has the same structure. There's the part you can play casually — levelling, story, early content — and
then there's the part that's actually interesting once you understand the game. Raids. High-level dungeons. Endgame crafting.
The content that people talk about in communities, that gets patched, updated and discussed.
To access that content, you have to get there first. And getting there, in most live-service games, takes a meaningful chunk
of time.
In WoW Midnight, that's levelling to 90, running the campaign, gearing up enough to get into Heroic raids or high M+ keys.
In FFXIV, it's levelling a job, getting gear for the current Savage tier, and farming gil for consumables. In Path of Exile 2,
It's clearing campaign, building currency, getting your character to a point where the actual endgame systems open up.
None of that is unenjoyable exactly. But when you're cycling between three games, doing it simultaneously is brutal.
You're never fully in the endgame of anything. You're always in the middle of the grind leading up to it.
Details of Shadows of Eldemir are below; information taken from the Arif Games website, the game can be wish-listed on Steam and is due for release in 2027. If their previous work is anything to go by, this will be a beautifully crafted horror adventure dripping with atmosphere and ominous stylings. I for one am keen.
Rich dives into the first big challenge in Demon Tides as we finally uncover those elusive Gear Bits! ⚙️
This early‑game mission throws him straight into the deep end with traps, tight corridors, and enemies that REALLY don’t want you grabbing that loot. In this gameplay slice, we: 🔥 Take on the opening challenge head‑on ⚙️ Track down our first set of Gear Bits 🗺️ Explore the early zones and hidden corners 💥 Test out combat, movement, and survival tactics 🎮 Get a feel for the game’s atmosphere, pacing, and progression If you’re curious about how Demon Tides starts, what the early challenges look like, or where to find your first Gear Bits, this video has you covered. Support the Channel: 👍 Like the video 🔔 Subscribe for more retro, indie & hidden‑gem gameplay
Rich takes some time to step back into Aurai — but this time, it’s bigger, bolder, and way more dangerous. In this video I dive into the Outward 2 Beta and share my raw first impressions as I explore the world, test the combat, poke at the systems, and see how this sequel is shaping up for fans of the original. If you loved the survival‑meets‑RPG chaos of Outward, you’ll feel right at home here. Expect: 🗡️ Tough, stamina‑driven combat 🎒 Proper survival mechanics 🌍 A world that feels alive and unpredictable 🔥 New systems, new dangers, same Outward soul This is early beta footage, so things will evolve — but there’s already plenty to get excited about. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and tell me what you want to see next.
A simple and accessible physics-based game from developer Double Mizzlee and publisher Eastasiasoft, Pengilo is a single-screen puzzle title with fifty stages of circular penguin-chucking action.
A bright and colourful entry in the genre presented in 2D, Pengilo tasks the player with tossing a penguin into the air, collecting stars and keys to unlock the door in order to exit each stage.
A budget title that currently costs under a fiver, Pengilo only allows you to take control of your penguin for a follow-up directional shove after a single bounce; this means that you have to be accurate if you don’t want to fall off the screen, resulting in a retry of the stage.
A sliding puzzle game in the Sokoban style. GluMe casts you in the role of a cartoonish blob who must move around the single-screen stages collecting gems by sticking to other blobs in the correct sequence. A single miscalculation means that you won’t be able to complete the stage – which can be but a few seconds long if you know the route! – and requires a restart.
I found the whole approach of GluMe quite appealing. There’s a heavy sense of cartoonishness with the animated blobs having large eyes and gently bouncing around. The chiptune music by Liniker Nasciento is absolutely a perfect match for the breeziness of gameplay and keeps things bright and light to match the visuals.
Hyperkin’s symmetrical twin‑thumbstick controller, The Competitor, made a splash with PC and Xbox players when it first launched — and now the fan‑favourite gamepad has returned with a bold new look. Introducing the Competitor Murasaki Edition, a regal purple variant that’s exclusive to UK gamers via Argos.
The original Competitor earned applause for bringing premium features to an affordable price point, and the Murasaki Edition continues that tradition. It retains the controller’s fast polling rates, segmented classic D‑pad, and trio of hall effect sensors, supported by metal glide rings and anti‑friction gates for smooth, precise thumbstick control — even during the most heated gaming moments.
Designed for versatility, the Competitor Murasaki Edition works seamlessly across PC, Steam, Xbox consoles, and cloud gaming services including Game Pass. With accurate button mapping, a symmetrical stick layout, and Hyperkin’s trademark build quality, this controller is built for players who want style without sacrificing performance.
Available today for an MSRP of £39.99, the Competitor Murasaki Edition delivers a premium feel wrapped in a striking purple finish — gaming royalty without the royal price.
Find the Competitor Murasaki Edition exclusively at Argos:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7995589
Stay up to date with Hyperkin’s latest announcements, product drops, and more by following the brand on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Over the years, whenever I cover word-based puzzle games, Letter Quest often crops up as the standard-bearer for quality. It seems unusual to retrospectively cover a game released over a decade ago, but I was sure that I had sung the praises of Letter Quest in an article upon its initial release - I had certainly played it enough! - but I checked during my research for Beyond Words, and no, I hadn’t. So I’m getting to rectify that here.
The circus is back in town — and this time, it’s packing paintbrushes, skyscrapers, and a honk button. Clowntown, the latest off‑beat creation from 30XX developer Batterystaple Games, made its grand debut at the PC Gaming Show, inviting 2–8 players to embrace their inner fool in a campaign of co‑operative calamity.
Launching soon on PC via Steam, Clowntown is a co‑op party campaign where teamwork, laughter, and mild chaos collide. Players join forces as noble jesters under the watchful eye of the mysterious Ringmaster, tackling over 100 unique minigames and action puzzles designed to make you think, fail, and laugh in equal measure.
From painting masterpieces and constructing skyscrapers to composing cacophonous symphonies, every act of this circus demands creativity and coordination — or at least a convincing attempt.
The main Campaign Mode offers 5–6 hours of hand‑crafted clownery, where friends juggle charades, sabotage, and slapstick teamwork across evolving challenges. Each minigame set grows more absurd as you progress — Face Paint becomes Also Paint, then spirals into Probably Not Paint, turning simple art prompts into time‑pressured chaos.
Wordplay fans can expect escalating madness too: Spelling Bee morphs into Spelling Wasp, and finally Bees Spelling, where clowns literally chase letters with wings.
Between campaign sessions, Clowntown’s Party Mode lets players pick curated or randomised minigame sets, tweak difficulty, and add mutators. Feeling competitive? Flip the script in Contest Mode, where co‑op turns cutthroat, and every clown fights for solo glory.
And yes — every mode includes a dedicated honk button. You can customise the sound. Your teammates cannot mute it.
Clowntown will launch with full support for English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Follow Batterystaple Games on Bluesky or X for updates, and watch the Clowntown reveal trailer now to see the mayhem unfold.
Unboxing the LEGO SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis kit — a perfect mash‑up of retro gaming nostalgia and brick‑building goodness. In this video, I crack open the box, check out every piece, and give you a close look at this beautifully detailed tribute to SEGA’s legendary 16‑bit console.
Whether you're a LEGO collector, a SEGA fan, or just love retro hardware recreated in brick form, this set is an absolute treat.
The refreshed lineup introduces two new models for streamers and podcasters, alongside an updated illuminated USB microphone designed for gamers and everyday creators.
Sony’s June 2026 State of Play delivered a stacked lineup. From long‑awaited first‑party heavy hitters to surprise remasters, genre revivals, and a few “wait, WHAT?” moments, this showcase felt like a confident flex of what the PlayStation 5’s mid‑generation stride looks like.
Below, you’ll find a full breakdown of the show, plus a complete release table covering every title revealed or updated during the event.
Sony came out swinging with a mix of blockbuster reveals and deep‑cut fan favourites. Marvel’s Wolverine finally has a release date, Tomb Raider returns with a mythological twist, and Capcom surprised everyone with not one but two Onimusha projects. Add in rhythm‑action royalty, cult classics, and a few ambitious 2027 projects, and you’ve got a showcase that hit almost every corner of the gaming world.
In A.I.L.A, you play as a video game play-tester in a postmodern sci-fi world. You get the new VR gaming system- AILA. It is a brand-new system that uses the user’s psyche to adapt the horror and give a unique experience.
The system uses an AI to guide you through the horror scenarios, the avatar of which is a little girl whom you talk to before and after you play through each of the scenarios, asking questions and guiding you through the experience, checking how you react and how you feel.
