The homebrew and modification community has delved deeper into the recent bout of bricked Nintendo Wii U consoles, unlucky owners are seeing their systems throwing up error codes that indicate an internal memory failure. As covered on TPU almost two weeks ago, it was speculated that leaving a Wii U in a long-term state of unuse was a root cause of the problem. It is now theorized that a simple choice of memory chip is the real issue behind the corruptions, and not a case of leaving your unplugged Wii U stashed in a box somewhere.



An online database has been established on hackmd.io, and a member is collecting hard data from Wii U owners across various online communities and sources. Early indications show that consoles fitted with a Hynix eMMC are leading the pack in terms of number of system failures, Samsung-equipped models are placed in a distant second place, and the Toshiba variant is reported as having zero problems.
Read full story

More...

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gets an Official Story Trailer
Electronic Arts has released the official story trailer for its upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor game, that is scheduled to launch on April 28th. The new trailer not only shows the story behind the new Star Wars game but also has some in-game parts.



Developed by Respawn Entertainment in cooperation with Lucasfilm Games, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a third-person, action-adventure game, set five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and puts the player again in the role of Cal Kestis, who has now grown into a powerful Jedi Knight.
Read full story

More...

(PR) Netflix External Games Division Divulges its Entertainment Library Expansion Plans, Monument Valley 1 & 2 Due in 2024
It's been a little more than a year since we launched games on Netflix to bring even more entertainment to our members as part of their Netflix subscription. In this short time, we've released 55 games, with about 40 more slated for later this year and 70 in development with our partners. That's in addition to the 16 games currently being developed by our in-house game studios. Our goal is to develop a broad portfolio of games - in different genres and formats - because we believe everyone can find joy in games if they discover the one (or many!) that is right for them.



This year we're going to continue building our portfolio - and that means new games every month. Members will discover indie darlings, award-winning hits, RPGs, narrative adventures, puzzle games and everything in between, and we're working with the world's leading studios to bring you these games.
Read full story

More...

(PR) 2bytes Unveils Pentapeak Studios' Upcoming PC Strategy 'Space Gears'
2bytes Corp. released their first gameplay footage of Space Gears, being developed by their game studio, Pentapeak Studios, on their Steam page. Space Gears is a sci-fi, strategy game that has players terraform Mars with an army of mechs. Players must cooperate or compete with each other to gain control over scarce resources on the Red Planet.



The video showcases the game's systems, including land terraforming, base-building, and mech-assembly, as well as its combat system, featuring intense mech-on-mech, squad-based battles. To overcome the limitations of classic RTS games, which have been characterized by difficult and complex micromanaging and a high barrier to entry for new players, the focus was taken off of complex multi-tasking, involving build orders, resource allocation, and base expansions, and instead focused on delivering intuitive combat. Players can enjoy combat and strategy through multiple, fluid and fast-paced PvE and PvP modes that are immersive and easy to play.
Read full story

More...

Grell Audio and Drop Collaboration Prototype Headphone Shown Off at Expo, Targeting Approximate $300 Unit Pricing
Axel Grell was a guest speaker at the New York edition of CanJam 2023, and delivered a talk that expounded on the geometrical design of a headphone in relation to a listener's spatial perception of audio. Attendees of the expo were surprised to find that the ex-Sennheiser engineer had a new gizmo to show off on the show floor. The prototype headphone's origins are clearly linked to his research into the shape and directivity of sound fields, with the result being an unusual front-mounted driver orientation.



The super angled driver design will emphasize soundstage, which is an aspect vaunted by gamers in the search of the ideal headphone for competitive multiplayer sessions. Grell told attendees that the open-back prototype is 'version 1' and that it was constructed via a 3D printing process, he also added that the drivers are made from a biocellulose membrane. The chosen collaboration partner seems to be Drop (formerly Massdrop) and that a launch price of around $300 is being discussed.
Read full story

More...