1. Sony announces the August lineup for PlayStation Plus Essential, featuring older titles like LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, Five Nights at Freddy's Security Breach, and Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. 2. These games will be available from August 6th to September 2nd. 3. September's lineup promises more exciting titles, including day-one access to Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.

1. Sony's PlayStation VR2 headset saw a significant sales increase of over 2000% due to a heavy discount. 2. The price cut led to a reported rise of over 2350% in sales within a 24-hour period. 3. This surge in sales caused PSVR2 units to sell out in many retailers, with more units sold in one day than the rest of 2024 combined in the US.

1. SEGA has delisted the Xbox 360 version of Sonic Generations from the digital store ahead of the launch of Sonic x Shadow Generations. 2. This move might be to promote the upcoming remaster and push more sales. 3. The delisting could also be related to the closure of the Xbox 360 store, although other compatible games are still available.

1. Playground Games, known for the Forza Horizon series, is developing the Fable reboot and has opened a third studio to assist with the project. 2. The original studio continues to work on the Forza Horizon series, while the newer studios focus on Fable. 3. The expansion indicates significant investment and effort into the Fable reboot.

1. The long-running crossover series 'Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games' is officially over, according to a former developer. 2. The series concluded with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and there will be no new games for Paris 2024. 3. The Olympic video game license is now held by nWayGames, which has released two Olympic Games titles.

1. Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, an action-adventure game led by Captain America and Black Panther, is set to be published by Plaion in 2025. 2. The game, directed by Amy Hennig, has found a global publisher in Plaion, which shares the ambitious vision for the project. 3. Plaion, formerly known as Koch Media, operates multiple publishers and it is yet to be confirmed under which subsidiary the game will be distributed.

1. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions releases a new trailer and opens for pre-orders. 2. The game includes online PvP, a single-player career mode, and the chance to win the Quidditch World Cup. 3. Available in Standard and Deluxe Editions, with the Deluxe Edition including House Packs and gold coins.

1. The upcoming title Mafia is reportedly coming to Xbox's Game Pass service in August, following a leak by industry insider NateDrake. 2. It is unclear whether the entire trilogy or just the first entry will be added to the service. 3. With Mafia 4 gearing up for an official reveal, it makes sense for 2K to promote its prior entries on subscription services.

1. Microsoft is reportedly working with Capcom to bring MT Framework support to Xbox, allowing games like Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection to be released on the platform. 2. This collaboration could also enable other Capcom titles, including Monster Hunter Stories and The Great Ace Attorney, to be available on Xbox. 3. The move is seen as an effort by Microsoft to address tech incompatibility issues and strengthen its relationship with Capcom.

1. Atlus has confirmed that Persona 5: The Phantom X, initially released for mobile and PC, will be coming to consoles and additional territories. 2. The company announced this during an in-person event, also revealing plans for collaborations and crossovers with other Persona games and IPs. 3. The game, currently in beta in several Asian countries, aims to balance the gameplay effectively to enhance the experience.

1. Polyphony Digital released update 1.49 for Gran Turismo 7, which included improvements to the game's physics system. 2. The update introduced a humorous bug where vehicles bounce into the air unintentionally. 3. The development team is aware of the issue and is currently investigating the cause.

1. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is set to be added to Xbox Game Pass on August 8th, following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. 2. This marks the third Activision Blizzard game to join the service, after Diablo IV in March and Modern Warfare III recently. 3. The trilogy has sold over 20 million copies since its release in 2017, making it a significant addition to the Game Pass library.

1. Rise of the Ronin, developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, has released a surprise demo on the PlayStation Store. 2. The demo allows players to experience part of the game and carry over their save data to the full version. 3. This move aims to attract more players to explore the game's world and potentially increase its popularity.

1. AMD introduces the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 APU, an enhanced version of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370; 2. Features 4x Zen 5 and 8x Zen 5c cores, clocking up to 5.1 GHz, and a Radeon 890M iGPU; 3. Offers up to 85 TOPS in AI performance, expected to be released in September alongside the HP OmniBook Ultra laptop.

1. Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass price increase, despite being controversial, is expected to significantly boost revenue. 2. Subscribers may pay up to 35% more due to the price hike and incentives for the Ultimate tier. 3. The revenue from Game Pass is projected to grow by over 200% to $5.5 billion by 2025, partly driven by the addition of Call of Duty.

1. GAME UK, a prominent UK video game retailer, is facing significant challenges and is likely to become an online-only retailer soon; 2. The company has struggled to maintain relevance due to the shift towards e-commerce, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic; 3. Despite the challenges, GAME holds nostalgic and formative memories for many, representing a significant part of the gaming culture in the UK.

1. Pacific Drive, a first-person driving survival game, has sold over 600,000 copies since its release in February. 2. The latest update introduces a 60fps performance mode for PS5 players, along with new features such as Photo Mode, paintable car headlights, and an interactive jukebox. 3. The game has received praise for its atmospheric storytelling and survival gameplay, making it a must-play indie title of 2024.

1. Intel plans to extend LGA1700 support with Bartlett-S SKUs beyond the release of Arrow Lake-S. 2. Bartlett-S, initially for network and edge applications, will be available for general consumers with five levels of SKUs. 3. The series will include Core 9, Core 7, and Core 5 variants, featuring Alder Lake and Raptor Lake dies similar to existing 12/13/14th Gen Core processors.

1. Sony Interactive Entertainment announces that the Concord Beta will be available to all PS Plus members, not just pre-order customers. 2. The closed beta will run from June 12th to 14th, with an open beta following from July 18th to 21st. 3. This move aims to attract more players to try out the upcoming live-service Hero Shooter.

1. Xbox is reportedly reducing console sales in EMEA regions; 2. Microsoft is focusing on Game Pass, cloud gaming, PC, and Xbox controllers instead; 3. This strategy comes as Xbox console sales are below expectations and Game Pass growth is slow.