Researchers over at MIT have discovered a new microLED fabrication technique, which could finally give us the pixel density we’ve been looking for when it comes to high resolution gaming monitors. Known as vertical stacking, the process involves, well, stacking microLEDs in order to pack more LEDs into a smaller area, while avoiding the defects associated with high pixel density.
Pixels have been shrinking for years, and recent advancements have seen microLED tech take pixel density to new levels, though not in any way that PC gamers like us can practically enjoy. The problem comes when balancing pixel density, resolution, and size of a gaming monitor.
It’s something of a juggling act, with each one affecting the other. If you want a high-resolution, high pixel density gaming monitor, even with microLED tech at your disposal, it’s simply impossible to pack enough LEDs next to each other into the kind of panel size that’s acceptable to house on your desk.
Right now, the smallest panel that makes use of microLED tech is Samsung’s new MicroLED CX (opens in new tab). That’s fine if you’re using it from halfway across the room, but placing it on the desk in front of you would be a somewhat less palatable experience.
At the other end of the spectrum you don’t want to limit the pixel density for a more appropriate-size gaming monitor, as you really start to notice it when it’s close to your face. The same problem arises in VR. Since your eyes are so close to the panels, screen door effect is inevitable if manufacturers skimp on pixel density.
Now, that could all change. Using this innovative stacking technique, MIT researchers have been able to pack microLEDs into an incomparably high pixel density (opens in new tab) of 5,000 ppi. For context, your average gaming monitor tops out at around 160 ppi.
At just four microns wide, these stacked pixels are set to bring sharper visuals to smaller panels—be that practically-sized gaming monitors, or in MIT’s words “fully immersive virtual reality displays”.
We still have a long way to go before vertically stacked microLEDs grace the gaming monitor space, but it’s a step toward kicking that painful screen door effect, for sure.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675936340_Stacked-microLEDs-could-bring-us-the-ultimate-gaming-monitor.jpg6751200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 15:26:032023-02-08 15:26:03Stacked microLEDs could bring us the ultimate gaming monitor
Developer Respawn has released a nine minute clip of the upcoming Stars Wars Jedi: Survivor and, yep, this sure looks like a Star Wars game with a Jedi, surviving. What it does show is returning protagonist Cal Kestis (and his droid BD-1) making their way around a new planet, Koboh, which they’ve apparently crash-landed on.
Koboh is a lush environment that is host to a Separatist hideout, with various battle droids patrolling around alongside plenty of local fauna, and of course some bigger nasties that demonstrate the game’s lightsaber combat. Respawn had already talked about the combat focus of the sequel, with Cal having five “full realised” stances (opens in new tab) to switch between while fighting
Cal has clearly been in training with new combo moves for his double-bladed lightsaber (this is unlocked near the end of the first game), with the gameplay at various points showing him detaching his weapon into two separate blades, Darth Mauling around groups of enemies and, in one particularly cool moment clipped below, spinning round an enemy and simultaneously stabbing them in the back.
Particularly notable elements are that the environment seems more interactive this time, with bushes reacting to lightsaber swings and Cal force-tossing things like rocks around. The first game saw the player collecting cosmetics in the form of ponchos, but during this sequence we see Cal collect nothing less than a bomber jacket from a chest: So perhaps the jackets are the main cosmetic collectable this time around.
Fans have of course pored over the footage for any little detail, though amusingly enough (as GamesRadar+ notes (opens in new tab)) a lot have chosen to grouse about Cal’s new running animation, which seems fine? I’m not really sure there’s a canon for how Jedi should run, but give Disney time I guess.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was recently delayed, but only by a little: it was due March 17, but will now arrive April 28 (opens in new tab). Director Stig Asmussen says the six-week delay is simply about hitting “the Respawn quality bar” and providing the level of polish fans expect. Personally speaking, the nicest thing about this footage is it shows Cal as he was at the end of Jedi: Fallen Order, without his powers having been reset, which suggests that by the end of this one you really will be the kind of badass that even an Empire would fear.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675866677_Star-Wars-Jedi-Survivor-shows-off-slick-prequel-style-combat-and.jpg6401200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 14:22:422023-02-08 14:22:42Star Wars Jedi Survivor shows off slick prequel-style combat and a weird walk
The creators of the excellent, minimalist Race the Sun (opens in new tab) have once again tasked us with pushing a high-speed ship to its limits, this time in the Star Fox-inspired Whisker Squadron: Survivor (opens in new tab). Instead of a race against time, it’s a shooter, with neon corridors filled with obstacles and laser-spitting enemies. It’s a good time, and you can take it for a spin now by downloading the Steam Next Fest demo.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor is a roguelite deal, where you select a feline pilot, ship, weapons and perks, and then head into a series of increasingly deadly corridors, using scrap claimed from fallen foes to level up through a series of randomised upgrades. If you fail, you have to start over, but with a leg up thanks to the points you earned on the previous run, which let you purchase new ships and perks as well as unlocking different tabby pilots.
It’s straightforward and streamlined, but this is really an appetiser for a beefier game, simply called Whisker Squadron (opens in new tab). It’s also a roguelite shooter, but as well as the deadly corridors seen in Survivor, there are also free-roaming exploration zones, and opportunities to hunt down “loot and opportunities” while you’re dodging lasers and blasting bosses. It doesn’t have a demo just yet, but both games are expected to launch later this year.
When I picked up a Mini SNES a few years back, I rekindled my love of Star Fox, and while Whisker Squadron: Survivor’s demo doesn’t quite boast the same amount of personality and, with its roguelite structure, is doing its own thing, the vibes are still comparable, and boosting my way down its corridors has been a nice way to spend a morning.
Just one piece of advice: You’ll be tempted to use a controller, but stick with the mouse and keyboard. The way the reticle snaps back to the centre made the shooting a bit awkward when I used my Xbox One pad, but that doesn’t happen when you’re using the mouse to aim.
It’s shaping up to be another excellent Next Fest, and we’ve already been having a great time with Shadows of Doubt (opens in new tab), the procedural detective sandbox; but it looks like the game everyone’s interested in is Dark and Darker (opens in new tab), an FPS dungeon romp I’d never heard of until yesterday. The peak concurrent player count yesterday was over 100,000, which is wild. Next Fest runs until Monday, so you’ve still got plenty of time to sift through the huge selection of demos (opens in new tab).
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675863026_Whisker-Squadron-Survivor-is-a-neon-Star-Fox-roguelite-that.jpg6751200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 13:09:122023-02-08 13:09:12Whisker Squadron: Survivor is a neon Star Fox roguelite that you can play on PC right now
Activision overlord Bobby Kotick took to the airwaves for the first time in a while recently, telling us what a wonderful world it would be if various national regulators approved Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (opens in new tab). In a chat with CNBC, the CEO made a case for the acquisition that differed slightly from talking points we’ve heard from Microsoft lawyers, arguing that the merger is the only way for western games companies to break into “protected markets” in China and Japan, and warning that the UK would become “Death Valley” if it shot down the deal.
To be clear, Kotick wasn’t prophesying that the UK would be struck by drought if it defied his will, but rather suggesting that the country’s tech sector ambitions would go down in flames if it thwarted Microsoft’s acquisition. Kotick pointed at comments from UK prime minister Rishi Sunak about the UK becoming “the Silicon Valley of Europe,” and warned that “if deals like this can’t get through, [the UK’s] not going to be Silicon Valley, [it’ll] be Death Valley”.
Kotick said that a “post-Brexit UK” is “probably the first country where you’re seeing a recession, like the real severe consequences of a recession,” and suggested that the country would want to draw on the technical talent of institutions like Cambridge to counteract that. “I would think you would want to embrace a transaction like this,” he told CNBC presenters, “where you’re gonna see job creation and opportunity”. Given that any plans to bolster Britain’s tech sector will need buy-in from titans like Microsoft, it sounds like a threat just as much as a warning.
Kotick followed up his CNBC interview with a chat with the Financial Times (opens in new tab), in which he blasted the UK government for lacking “any real vision in the leadership for pursuing these kinds of opportunities”. “It seems like a bit of a fragile government,” Kotick told the FT, “Where’s the leadership?”. He also criticised the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority for being “co-opted by the FTC ideology” and “not really using independent thought” to consider “how this transaction would positively impact the UK”. In contrast, he said EU regulators had shown “a lot more insight and recognition” in their approach to the acquisition.
I have to wonder if Microsoft wishes it could restrain Activision executives from ever going near a microphone at this point. Kotick’s inflammatory comments come barely a week after Activision’s chief communications officer Lulu Cheng Meservey made the absolutely baffling argument (opens in new tab) that The Last of Us’ success on HBO showed why the acquisition was a good idea. Now Activision’s CEO is making the rounds and lambasting the very regulators Microsoft needs to persuade, which they probably don’t teach you in PR 101.
Then again, Microsoft itself had to offer a crawling apology (opens in new tab) after a tirade in one of its FTC filings accused the US regulator of violating the US constitution, so perhaps lawyers in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. As the deal drags on and more and more wealthy people with a tenuous grasp on reality get more frustrated, I expect the heated comments will only get more frequent.
What kind of AM5 motherboard are you looking at buying? X670E? Generally, they’re the ones with the best feature sets. But they tend to be on the pricey side. X670 forgoes PCIe 5.0 graphics but has a more I/O potential. How about B650? They typically offer capable core feature sets but as the most affordable AM5 motherboards, some cut out a little too much. How about something in the middle? B650E may be just what the doctor ordered.
In my recent review of the Asus TUF Gaming B650 Plus WiFi (opens in new tab), I felt it was a capable and refined motherboard but it does omit a few important things, such as WiFi 6E and PCIe 5.0 slot support. If you’re looking at a board to see you through several CPU upgrades (AMD says it expects to support AM5 until at least 2025) then those are things you may want to have in the future. The Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master includes both of those things, and more.
Before I get to the Aorus Master, a quick overview of the chipset is in order. B650 motherboards include a ‘one-chip’ chipset as opposed to the daisy chained pair of X670/E. This means B650 has fewer PCIe 4.0 lanes and a generally trimmed down I/O. B650E includes PCIe 5.0 graphics and M.2 support. The former is omitted from B650.
Right now, PCIe 5.0 doesn’t matter, but eventually it will, so if you’re thinking more about Zen 5 or RTX 50-series graphics cards, proper PCIe 5.0 support is a good thing to have.
The B650E Aorus Master—despite being a B series board is far from a bargain bin cheapie. Is it worth the premium over a more affordable B650? Or is it priced too far into X670 territory? I’m keen to find out.
Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master overview and specs
Aorus Master boards are very much high end options, typically associated with the high end chipsets. At the time of writing, it sold for $349 (opens in new tab) / £429 (opens in new tab)/ AU$599. That makes it an expensive proposition, but relative to the X670E Aorus Master, or the Z790 Aorus Master for that matter, it’s at least $150 cheaper.
Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master specs
(Image credit: Future)
Socket: AMD Socket AM5 CPU compatibility: Ryzen 7000 series desktop processors Form factor: ATX Memory support: DDR5-6666+(OC), Up to 128GB Storage: 4x M.2, 4x SATA USB: Up to 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 6x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 8x USB 2.0 Display: 1x HDMI 2.1 Networking: Intel 2.5G LAN, AMD Wi-Fi 6E Audio: Realtek ALC1220-VB Price: $349 (opens in new tab) / £429 (opens in new tab)/ AU$599
The first thing that stands out is just how heavy the board is when taking it out of its box. This thing is metal! The board features a tasteful black and grey aesthetic. I wouldn’t say it inspires oohs and ahhs but I’m a fan of a bit of subtlety. Contrast that to the retina scalding X399 Aorus Gaming 7 (opens in new tab) of old. RGB is here to stay though, and with that in mind, the B650E Aorus Master offers five RGB headers, two of which are addressable.
The Master offers a load of internal headers, with up to ten fan/water cooling pump headers. Five of them are at the bottom of the board, giving it a lot of cooling flexibility. Other on-board features include a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C header. It comes with power and reset buttons, a BIOS programmable multi function button, and a header for a Gigabyte Thunderbolt 4/ USB4 add-in card.
The board supports four M.2 drives. That’s not unusual for a high end motherboard, but in this case, Gigabyte went all in. All four slots support PCIe 5.0 x4 drives, though if you use all four, the primary GPU slot will be limited to 8x. The bottom three slots are located underneath a graphics card, so you’ll need very good airflow to prevent them from overheating. You get four SATA ports too.
The topmost slot comes with a big and chunky metal heatsink which is clearly going to be needed for fast-but-hot PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
In contrast to the VRM of cheaper B650 boards, which can best be described as adequate, the B650E Aorus Master comes with a 16+2+2 phase configuration with 105A stages. Crank up a Ryzen 9 7950X (opens in new tab) to your heart’s content.
I’ve always been impressed with Gigabyte’s cooling apparatus. Though that’s usually in cases where Gigabyte uses its finned heatsink designs, which often deliver the best cooling potential of any given generation. This time, the B650E Master is using the more commonly implemented metallic block. There’s still a lot of surface area though, and looping Cinebench for 10 minutes with a 7950X resulted in a peak temperature of 62°C. Very good!
Moving on to the rear I/O, and it’s USB city. However, due to the I/O restriction of a single chipset B650 motherboard, they are a little speed limited though. The 13 ports consist of five 3.2 Gen 2 including a single Type-C, four Gen 1, and four 2.0 ports. Luckily you get a 3.2 Gen 2×2 header if your case supports it.
Networking is made up of Intel 2.5G LAN and AMD’s RZ616 WiFi 6E controller. The audio is provided by an ageing, but still capable Realtek ALC1220-VB with an ESS ES9118 DAC. Rounding out the I/O are a single HDMI 2.1 port, clear CMOS and BIOS flashback buttons (the latter will be a godsend in the years to come).
Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master benchmarks and performance
System Performance
Gaming Performance
Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master analysis
Moving onto the benchmark results, we see the Gigabyte performing within a margin of error of the Asus TUF Gaming B650 Plus WiFi and ASRock X670E Pro RS (opens in new tab). Note that the Ryzen 9 7950X is set to its default state, with all enhanced turbo functionality disabled.
The gaming results are quite closely grouped as you’d expect. The Gigabyte performed well, though again, the margins are insignificant.
Most people won’t buy a 7950X chip and undervolt it, but if you do like to tweak your system, it’s worth checking out. Depending on your CPU, you might be able to retain almost all of your peak performance while lowering power consumption. The B650E Aorus Master BIOS provides many options for tweaking PBO settings. Of course, you’re free to overclock too. The VRM of the board is very robust and won’t be stressed by anything you throw at it.
Memory overclocking is a much more informative test of a board than cooling limited CPU overclocking. In this case I used a set of G.Skill DDR5-6000 C30. It’s an EXPO enabled kit, meaning it should be a simple set and forget setup, however the kit struggled to run properly on the tested F3H BIOS. It set the SOC voltage too low, but bumping it up to 1.2v solved the issue.
The recent BIOS releases from all vendors include AGESA updates and improvements to memory compatibility and performance. In most cases the shipped BIOS should work with commonly available Micron, Hynix or Samsung based memory, but getting the best out of newer Hynix A-die memory is likely to require a BIOS update. That doesn’t just go for Gigabyte, but for all AM5 motherboards.
(Image credit: Future)
Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master verdict
Whether the B650E Aorus Master is the board for you depends on what you’re looking for. As a board for a gamer with a single current gen graphics card and an SSD or two, it might be overkill, but if you’ve got an eye on future PCIe 5.0 support and a strong VRM design for high core count (and future) CPUs, then the Aorus Master seriously impresses.
It’s good value too… relatively. Compared to the high end X670E boards it most certainly is. You don’t get things like 10G LAN or USB 4 but then you shouldn’t expect it at this price and you honestly shouldn’t expect it from any B650 board.
As AMD is set to support AM5 for years to come, spending extra on a B650/E board with a strong VRM and PCIe 5.0 support should pay off.
There are caveats though. At this price, there are several X670/E boards available and they may offer some features that appeal to you. This can include better I/O and connectivity options due to the use of two daisy chained chipsets. The Aorus Master has a lot of USB ports, but many of them are of the slower variety. There are just four SATA ports too. For most users this won’t be an issue, but it’s worth pointing out.
I do feel as though the Aorus Master is missing that last bit of BIOS polish with regards to optimal memory support and compatibility. It’s not the only board though. AMD continues to roll out AGESA updates that all AM5 boards use.
Where the board excels is it’s in its M.2 configuration. Four PCIe 5.0 compatible M.2 slots is very impressive. If you use all four then you’ll have to set your primary PCIe slot to 8x but that’s a fair trade off if future looking storage support is a priority for you.
And its the future where the B650E Aorus Master is the board will really come into its own. As AMD is set to support AM5 for years to come, spending extra on a B650E board with a strong VRM and PCIe 5.0 support should pay off. Hello Zen 6? Again, it all comes back to what you value in a motherboard. The B650 Aorus Master ticks a lot of boxes. It’s well worth considering if you’re after a board with a robust feature set while saving yourself a good fistful of dollars over premium X670E options, which remain too expensive.
Reveal the answer to today’s Wordle (opens in new tab) in a flash: just scroll or click straight to today’s winning word. Prefer to take the daily Wordle at your own pace? Then take some time browsing our tips and archives, or check out the clue for the February 8 (599) challenge below.
That was close. The pair of greens I found early on ended up throwing a bit of a spanner in the works, as the yellow I’d uncovered didn’t seem to fit anywhere it was supposed to. Luckily the greys guided the way, and I was able to find today’s answer with my penultimate guess.
Wordle hint
A Wordle hint for Wednesday, February 8
The word you’re looking for today means to swing something around—arms, for example—in a wild manner. It’s also the name of an old-fashioned threshing tool consisting of a wooden handle attached to a shorter stick.
Is there a double letter in today’s Wordle?
Yes, there is a double letter in today’s puzzle.
Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day
Playing Wordle well is like achieving a small victory every day—who doesn’t like a well-earned winning streak in a game you enjoy? If you’re new to the daily word game, or just want a refresher, I’m going to share a few quick tips to help set you on the path to success:
You want a balanced mix of unique consonants and vowels in your opening word.
A solid second guess helps to narrow down the pool of letters quickly.
The answer could contain letters more than once.
There’s no time pressure beyond making sure it’s done by the end of the day. If you’re struggling to find the answer or a tactical word for your next guess, there’s no harm in coming back to it later on.
Today’s Wordle answer
(Image credit: Josh Wardle)
What is the Wordle 599 answer?
Get those greens. The answer to the February 8 (599) Wordle is FLAIL.
Previous answers
The last 10 Wordle answers
Knowing previous Wordle solutions can be helpful in eliminating current possibilities. It’s unlikely a word will be repeated and you can find inspiration for guesses or starting words that may be eluding you.
Here are some recent Wordle answers:
February 7: APPLE
February 6: NINTH
February 5: DANCE
February 4: UNLIT
February 3: TASTY
February 2: SHIRK
February 1: SCOLD
January 31: CROSS
January 30: CRAVE
January 29: FISHY
Learn more about Wordle
Wordle gives you six rows of five boxes each day, and it’s your job to work out which five-letter word is hiding by eliminating or confirming the letters it contains.
Starting with a strong word (opens in new tab) like LEASH—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters—is a good place to start. Once you hit Enter, the boxes will show you which letters you’ve got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn’t in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you’ve got the right letter in the right spot.
Your second go should compliment the starting word, using another “good” guess to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn’t present in today’s answer. After that, it’s just a case of using what you’ve learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there’s an E). Don’t forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).
If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips (opens in new tab), and if you’d like to find out which words have already been used, you can scroll to the relevant section above.
Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle (opens in new tab), as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle (opens in new tab), refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn’t long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures (opens in new tab). Surely it’s only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675844721_Wordle-hint-and-answer-599-Wednesday-February-8.jpg6751200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 08:05:442023-02-08 08:05:44Wordle hint and answer #599: Wednesday, February 8
As I pound my fingers dutifully into the square panels in front of me to create words, I realise my ignorance. While mechanical keyboards are in my wheelhouse, I don’t really know much about how keyboards got where they are today. There’s hundreds of years of development behind these things. How did we get from the first commercial typewriters of the 1800s to these wondrous boards (opens in new tab) of clacky switches and bright RGB lighting? Or even haunted AI typewriters? (opens in new tab)
Thankfully, this question is being answered by Marcin Wichary, who has a long history of turning keyboard nerdery into truly engaging stories (opens in new tab). Wichary has recently launched an already fully funded Kickstarter (opens in new tab) to turn the history of keyboards into a pair of beautiful books. To make this project even better, the collection is called Shift Happens.
These two books will delve into the stories behind typewriters and keyboards in all their forms. We’re not just talking about engineering and construction, but also the development of typing techniques, and heaps of other related history. It promises to look at things like DVORAK vs QWERTY, spies listening to keystrokes, and the stories of people who’ve made keyboards what they are today.
If you’re not that big on reading, there’s also plenty of gorgeous pictures set to fill these books. Shift Happens looks like it’ll be a stunning coffee table edition boasting over 1,300 high-quality photographs, over 500 of which were taken for the book. Plu,s four pictures of keyboards that are using comic sans.
Fonts are also a big passion for Wichary which comes through in this Kickstarter. It has fonts that have been made just it harking back to old newspapers for readability and novelty in equal measure. A $5 backing on the Kickstarter will even get you the Gorton font, as well as what’s called a PDF specimen.
For those who may be dubious about Kickstarters, this one does seem like a fairly safe bet. First of all, it’s already written. There’s still more work to be done to bring the book into production, but none of it seems outrageous. Backing something like a book is usually much less uncertain than tech. If you’re not sold on dropping the full Kickstarter price of $125+ USD for the book, you can always go in for a $20 booklet version.
Those who are already all in on this book about keyboards can go for the highest tier called Ctrl+Alt+Shift Happens. This’ll give you two copies of both the complete books and booklets as well as some more unique goodies including a bespoke keycap. Though if GameCube-styled keycaps (opens in new tab) are more your speed we’ve got you covered there too.
Regardless of the tier, I think this is a worthwhile Kickstarter for any fans of keyboards, books, or both. The passion and knowledge that’s gone into it seems clear from what you can peruse on the Kickstarter page, including full design renders. There’s also plenty of wonderful titbits on the official website too (opens in new tab).
Shift Happens is set to ship in October 2023, making for a potentially wonderful Christmas gift for the nerds in your life. It’s me, I’m the nerds in your life. Please buy me this book.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675833748_Shift-Happens-is-a-gorgeous-book-about-the-story-of.jpg453680Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 05:04:432023-02-08 05:04:43‘Shift Happens’ is a gorgeous book about the story of keyboards
Drop’s newest collab with Middle-earth Enterprises brings us the Black Speech Keyboard. Not only does this mechanical 60% gaming keyboard come with real Black Speech characters written across the keycaps, it also features the piercing gaze of the Great Eye, lidless, wreathed in flame.
Drop’s previous installations of Lord of the Rings gaming keyboards (opens in new tab) included an Elvish keyboard adorned with the Two Trees of Valinor, and a Dwarvish one featuring the Doors of Moria.
The Black Speech keyboard is built around the same ENTR baseboard as the previous models, and comes with the same Holy Panda X Switches. I imagine the Dark Lord would be thrilled to see this board forged in Black Steel, though it’s only Anodized Aluminium, sadly.
And although there are no enchantments here, there are a few keycap designs available to give it a splash of colour. These feature line artwork of the Shards of Narsil, and even a lone Nazgul. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without a One Ring artisan keycap (opens in new tab), to capture the moment The Precious finally sunk into the fires of Mount Doom.
The Black Speech Keyboard is available for pre-order now from the Drop store (opens in new tab), with a price tag of $199. And while one does not simply walk into Mordor and take one of these keyboards, Orcs and Goblins alike should expect their package to appear in mid-April.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675830088_Make-the-great-Lord-Sauron-himself-jealous-with-this-LOTR.jpg6751200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-08 04:01:312023-02-08 04:01:31Make the great Lord Sauron himself jealous with this LOTR keyboard
It’s frosty outside and a brand new set of Fortnite challenges called “Slurp on Ice” are skating onto the weekly quest lineup. The sixth quest tasks you with finding and destroying Slurp barrels that will grant you +10 HP when they explode. We’ve got you covered on the most optimal strategies for tracking down those slippery barrels so you can collect that sweet 16,000 XP reward.
Slurp barrel locations in Fortnite
There actually isn’t one set location for Slurp barrels in Fortnite. While they do spawn all over the map, we have some tips on finding specifically Slurp-loaded locations.
If you want to grind straight through, try to drop in locations like Faulty Splits or Brutal Bastion where there’s a surplus of scattered Slurp barrels. We recommend heading to the Brutal Bastion on the northeast corner of the map in particular. It’s near the other Slurp on Ice challenges so you can check those off easier.
You’ll want to drop near one of the further buildings by Brutal Bastion and check every basement by breaking all of the lowest walls. The Slurp barrel challenge has you destroy a lot of barrels, and you’ll be able to keep dropping here to rinse and repeat the process for a solid 16,000 XP for each stage.
If you aren’t in a hurry, you can start by hunting down Slurp barrels passively while you’re playing Battle Royale mode, as you’ll likely find some near wherever you drop. Always scan around buildings for hidden rooms and secret basements. At more industrial locations you may even find them outside or in the grass after they’ve fallen off a truck. I’d recommend this casual scanning method if you play Fortnite regularly, because this is a challenge you can definitely clear if you have a keen eye and are always searching for resources.
In September, Electronic Arts announced that a singleplayer Iron Man game was in pre-production. That game, which is being developed by a team at EA Motive in Montreal in collaboration with Marvel, is now officially being worked on, as a recent AMA on Reddit (opens in new tab) (via GamesRadar (opens in new tab)) revealed.
While the team responsible for the well-received Dead Space remake (we gave it an 84 in our review) will get to “take a well deserved vacation before determining what’s next,” the u/DeadSpace Devs account wrote, “We have an amazing team at Motive that has started working on Iron Man and you you [sic] can rest assured that it’s in great hands!”
According to Motive’s careers page (opens in new tab), the studio is currently looking for a development director, senior gameplay programmer, AI programmer, and an audio programmer for Iron Man. Presumably it’s still in the earliest stages of production then.
EA described it as a “third-person, action adventure” with “an original narrative that taps into the rich history of Iron Man, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark, and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man.” It sounds deliberately placed as far from Marvel’s Avengers as it could possibly get, maybe aiming for more of an Arkham Asylum feel.
Development is led by Olivier Proulx, who was senior producer on Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which was a fun example of the kind of prestige game where you spend a lot of time sliding down things and figuring out how to open doors while the characters banter engagingly. (We gave it a Best Characters award in 2021.) Proulx was also lead producer of the singleplayer campaign in Marvel’s Avengers, and before that a producer on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
We recently got to spend plenty of time with the Shellhead in Marvel’s Midnight Suns, where he starts out pretty obnoxious but by the end of my playthrough became an absolute beast on the battlefield. He got some great lines in the Forge too, I mean “Tony’s Spooky Demon Cave,” and any new Iron Man videogame’s going to have to compete with that portrayal. It’ll also be in competition with how much fun it is playing Iron Man in GTA 5.
https://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1675815442_Production-has-begun-on-EAs-singleplayer-Iron-Man-game.jpg6711200Carlos Pachecohttps://gamingarmyunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Website-Logo-300x74.pngCarlos Pacheco2023-02-07 23:59:012023-02-07 23:59:01Production has begun on EA’s singleplayer Iron Man game
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