Modern sci-fi survival-horror games owe a lot to Alien, as decades after it was first released, Ridley Scott's film is still seen as the benchmark for cosmic terror. Naturally, we've seen the franchise adapted into several video games, and if Dead Space creator Glen Schofield were given the chance to put his own spin on the series, he'd do it--if he had complete creative freedom to do so.

"Let's say I took on a license," Schofield said to PC Gamer. "Which I really don't want to do--I want to make my own. Let's say somebody came to me and said, 'We're going to give you the Alien license.' Immediately, I could show you, I don't know, maybe 100 different aliens I've made in Midjourney over the last two years, just because I like it. So yeah, I would love to make an Alien game. I have to own the creative. That's not even negotiable. Because I won't make a great game unless it's mine and I'm so ingrained in it--then I will give you 130%."

This probably won't end well for Isaac.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Fortnite's bug-filled Shock 'N Awesome season certainly invokes Helldivers 2's galactic war against the Terminids, but don't expect an official collab between the two games anytime soon.

That's according to Shams Jorjani, CEO of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead. In a response to a question from a fan on the Helldivers 2 Discord about whether Super Earth's Helldivers could make an appearance in Fortnite (via VideoGamer), he said a collab between the two third-person shooters is "not a priority." However, Jorjani didn't rule out the possibility of a crossover entirely.

"But who knows one day," Jorjani said. "[Fortnite] is cool. And quite big."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Looking to upgrade your home office ahead of the dark winter months? Amazon is currently discounting the wildly popular Claiks Standing Desk to just $95 (was $120), which matches its lowest price ever. It's holding down a rating of 4.5 stars with over 4,000 reviews--and while it's probably not going to be as luxurious as something from Razer or FlexiSpot, it looks like an absolute bargain at under $100. There's also another standing desk from ErGear that's a bit more expensive, but it too is budget-friendly and earning rave reviews from buyers.

Claiks Electric Standing Desk (48") $95 (was $120)

This version of the standing desk is 48 inches long and 24 inches deep. That's a pretty good size for most rooms, as it's small enough to fit the majority of spaces yet large enough to hold your monitor, keyboard, and other accessories while still giving you enough real estate to maneuver your mouse. Only the rustic brown color is seeing the discount to $95, with all other models costing at least $127.

The Claiks Electric Standing Desk offers a load capacity of 176 pounds, is adjustable from 28.3 inches to 46.5 inches, and offers a quiet 45dB operating noise. You can even save your favorite heights to three buttons on its control panel, allowing you to quickly go from sitting to standing without difficulty. You'll find hooks off both sides of the desk for easy headphone and backpack storage, while its sturdy metal legs should keep it stable regardless of height. For $95, that's an impressive list of features.

See at Amazon ErGear Electric Standing Desk (47") $100 (was $140)

While the Claiks Electric Standing Desk is cheaper, this one from ErGear is also worth considering. It has the same 4.5-star rating--but it's received over 8,000 reviews. Dimensions are similar (47.2 x 23.6 inches), it's adjustable to similar heights (28.35 to 46.46 inches), and you'll find storage hooks on both ends of the desk.

There are only a few differences between this and the Claiks. For one, this is a standard black design, with a black surface and legs giving it a more minimalistic feel--compared to the rustic aesthetic of the desk above. It also features four programmable height buttons, giving you one more slot for your most-used settings. Beyond that, these two budget-friendly standing desks are quite similar, so be sure to check them both out before making a purchase.

See at Amazon

More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders

• Check Out Arcade1Up's Budget-Friendly Mortal Kombat And Pac-Man Arcade Cabinets At Walmart
• James Bond 6-Film Steelbook Library 4K Blu-Ray Collection In Stock At Walmart
• Walmart Has Exclusive Lego Bundles This Month: Spider-Man, Star Wars, Disney, And More
• + Show More More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Links (5)
• Metal Gear Solid Delta Collector's Edition Restocked At Amazon (September 2)
• 8BitDo Pro 3 Controller For Switch 2 Gets First Price Cut, But It Won't Be Available For Long
• All Zelda And Street Fighter Switch 2 Amiibo Are On Sale For $20
• Preorder The Shining Film Vault Special Edition At Walmart Before It's Gone
• Discontinued Arcade1Up Countercade Randomly Restocked At Amazon

Sony has announced a new PlayStation app, the PlayStation Family App, and it aims to help parents manage and monitor how their children play games on PlayStation.

The PlayStation Family App, which is free and is rolling out worldwide today on iOS and Android, connects to a PlayStation device in the house and parents can set up real-time notifications for when someone logs in. Parents can set time limits and then approve or deny extensions. The app also lets parents restrict which games their children can play.

Additionally, the app includes activity reports that track daily and weekly play sessions, and it also gives parents the ability to set spending limits from the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation Family App also allows parents to customize privacy settings and decide if their child can use social features or not.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Howl's Moving Castle Deluxe Limited Edition

$20 (was $25)

See at Amazon

Diana Wynne Jones' classic fantasy novel Howl's Moving Castle has been reissued as a collectible hardcover book. Published September 9, Howl's Moving Castle Deluxe Limited Edition is on sale for only $20 (was $25) at Amazon. Fans can also preorder a new paperback box set containing the entire World of Howl Trilogy for only $32.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Rougelike deckbuilders aren't exactly a rarity, but The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike, due out in November, is far from typical for the genre--in this game, you'll be able to build your own manga fight scenes.

The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is an adaptation of sorts of Katsuhisa Minami's The Fable series, which follows a hitman known as "The Fable" as he tries to lie low and live a normal life for a year. That, predictably, doesn't go exactly as planned.

Given the popularity of Sega's Like A Dragon series (formerly known as Yakuza in the West), a franchise also focused on a former Japanese mobster who gets pulled back into a life of crime, The Fable does seem ripe for a video game adaptation.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In the past year, Nintendo has been fairly consistent about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arriving sometime in 2025. While a release date for Samus Aran's next adventure has yet to be revealed, Metroid Prime 4 has picked up another age rating.

Reporter Necro Felipe (via Video Games Chronicle) was the first to notice that Metroid Prime 4 has now been rated +14 in Brazil. Earlier this summer, Metroid Prime 4 received a +12 rating in South Korea, and it was given a T for Teen rating in America by the ESRB.

As recently as August, Nintendo reiterated a 2025 release window for Metroid Prime 4, and there may be further word later this week during the Nintendo Direct scheduled for September 12. For now, we can only speculate about what that might entail.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Apple will have you feeling like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect with the new AirPods Pro 3, because they sport a feature called Live Translation. The company states that headphone users will hear languages like French and Spanish translated to English automatically. There is even the option to respond to someone without the headphones utilizing your iPhone, as it will transcribe your speech on screen to the other person's language.

This all sounds very similar to the Translation Technology from the Mass Effect franchise. Auto-translators are a necessity in the RPG series so that humans, Krogans, and Salarians can all interact with each other easily. It's of utmost importance on The Citadel, where so many alien communities congregate.

Apple will release the AirPods Pro 3 on September 19 for $249.

To start, Apple's upcoming earbuds--releasing September 19 for $249--will support English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish with Live Translation. By the end of 2025, the iPhone maker states that Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) will join that list. Keep in mind that AirPods Pro 3 aren't the first auto-translating earbuds. Google Pixel Buds offer similar functionality, as do select Samsung headphones.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The 10th-anniversary Kojima Productions event that was announced earlier this month will include a "glimpse into future projects," according to the official announcement posted on September 1.

The event is called "Beyond the Strand," and it will be streamed on IGN on September 23. The event takes place at 1 PM in Tokyo, and that works out to 9 PM PT on September 22 and midnight ET on September 23. People in the UK can tune in at 5 AM BST on September 23.

Kojima is personally hosting the event, but we don't know yet what will be discussed. The developer has numerous projects currently in the works, including the games OD and Physint, along with a Death Stranding movie at A24 and a Death Stranding anime.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The time for Genshin Impact's major annual update has arrived, bringing with it the game's seventh major region, new storylines and characters, and special events to celebrate the game's fifth anniversary.

Version Luna 1, aka Song of the Welsin Moon: Segue, debuts Nod-Krai, the latest explorable region expanding the world of Teyvat: an autonomous setting where diverse factions converge for the main stage of the game's new "Song of the Welkin Moon" version series.

Nod-Krai consists of three island areas--Hisi Island, Lempo Isle, and Paha Isle--but players will begin their journey from Nasha Town, the main human settlement southeast of Lempo Isle, after sailing across the sea from Natlan.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Activision has confirmed that, in fact, some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 skins will carry forward to Black Ops 7--but they're limited to a handful of Black Ops 6 Zombies skins.

For anyone just catching up, Activision originally announced that Black Ops 7 would support the Carry Forward program and allow players to bring their Black Ops 6 skins to Black Ops 7. However, Activision later canceled these plans and confirmed that most skins--including ones people paid money for--are not carrying forward.

Now, Activision has confirmed that the four main quest operator skin rewards earned in Black Ops 6 will be available to use in Black Ops 7 at launch. The New Orders prestige level 1,000 operator skin from Black Ops 6 will also be available for the operator Samuels at launch for Black Ops 7.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mega Evolutions are making their grand return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and after seeing how Dragonite, Victreebel, and Hawlucha will look once they've undergone this power-up, it looks like Malamar is also getting an upgrade. So far, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have released Mega Evolution reveal videos that put an interesting spin on the world of Pokemon, and just like the Victreebel Mega Evolution, this satirical news broadcast is a reminder of just how frightening the world would be if Pokemon were real.

In the video, Mega Malar uses its hypnotic abilities on the citizens of Lumiose City, explaining why there has been a boom in popularity for it. Mega Malamar is also slimmed down in comparison to its base form, as this Dark- and Psychic-type Pokemon gets a big boost to its mental powers. Does psychic power burn a lot of calories? Maybe, according to pseudo-science.

"Malamar’s brain has become enlarged as a result of Mega Evolution," its official Pokedex entry reads. "Greatly enhanced psychic power overflows from its body, emitting a bright glow. Mega Malamar views others--even Pokémon Trainers--as its pawns. If it disagrees with an order given to it by a Trainer, it will sometimes respond by hypnotizing them, making this an incredibly difficult Pokemon to interact with.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that the National Institutes of Health are looking into a range of issues as it relates to what may contribute to gun violence in the United States. He also cited video games as a possible cause of real-world violence.

"The firearms question is a complex question, and it's not an easy question," he said in response to a question from PBS about if the government is looking into mental health when it comes to gun violence.

He called out a variety of factors that could contribute to an uptick in real-world violence, including "dependence on psychiatric drugs," along with video games and social media. "We are initiating studies now that look at the correlation and the potential connection between over-medicating our kids and this violence." He did not elaborate on video games, however.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo has secured a new patent that could have major implications for future Pokemon-inspired games. Granted on September 2, 2025, the filing describes a system that “covers the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game.

The patent application (via Games Fray) was filed in March 2023 and was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office without any objection. It appears to be specifically focused on Pokemon-like games with its description and accompanying artwork, but there is concern that the wide-ranging text could potentially allow Nintendo to issue lawsuits against other companies and their games if they feature vaguely similar gameplay mechanics.

While Nintendo probably won't be taking companies like Atlus and Square Enix to court over established franchises with summoning mechanics like Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Final Fantasy, the existence of the patent could be discouraging to smaller studios, given the litigious nature of Nintendo.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo has officially confirmed that a new Direct livestream will be held on September 12. The presentation will run for roughly 60 minutes and will be focused on upcoming Switch 2 and Switch games.

Nintendo Direct start time and runtime

This will be a long Nintendo Direct, running for around 60 minutes.

• 6 AM PT
• 9 AM ET
• 2 PM BST
• 11 PM AET

How to watch the September Nintendo Direct

As usual, you can tune into Nintendo's official YouTube channel to watch the broadcast. An archived version of the stream will be available after the initial premiere, as will trailers for each game shown during the event.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Netflix's BioShock movie remains in development, and now a key detail about the story has been revealed. Producer Roy Lee said in a new interview that the movie is based on the first BioShock game.

"Netflix wants us to keep everything under wraps," Lee told The Direct, before confirming that the film is "definitely" based on the 2007 original.

The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence is attached to direct the BioShock movie, and Lee confirmed it will be the director's next film after The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. That film is in production now in Spain and due for release in November 2026.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Star Trek Day has come and gone, and out of all the announcements that were made, the tease of an official Lego Star Trek could be the best one of all. The first teaser for this upcoming collaboration was short, but it did show off a Lego minifigure of famed Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard beaming into a transporter room, while geared up in his signature Star Trek: The Next Generation uniform. The teaser also featured some Klingon writing at the end, which spells out "coming soon" after being translated.

This will mark the first partnership between Lego and Star Trek; however, details about the upcoming sets have not been revealed yet. There's plenty of potential here for some big builds, from the TNG incarnation of the Enterprise to Borg Cubes, Klingon warships, and much more. Multiple eras of Star Trek exist, and while it looks like TNG will kick this partnership off, fans would probably be happy to build sets from the classic, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Discovery series as well.

On the other side of the Lego sci-fi aisle, the company's official Star Wars sets continue to be massively popular with its fanbase. The company has just unveiled its next Ultimate Collector Series Star Wars set: the Death Star. This is the biggest Star Wars model and the fifth-largest Lego set overall, as it has over 9,000 pieces that can be used to construct a mobile battle station big enough to end any rebellion.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Hit RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold out its first live concert series in just 45 minutes, meaning more shows are likely on the horizon. The first series of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - A Painted Symphony will be held exclusively in France, but Sandfall Games has teased international events coming next year.

Expedition 33 has seen runaway success since its release this April, and its soundtrack has been no less popular, topping Billboard's Classical Album chart back in May. The soundtrack also reached number 13 on the Official Soundtrack chart, and 31 on the Official Album Download chart. Many of the songs on the soundtrack have reached over a million plays on Spotify, while its most popular track, Lumiere, has almost 21 million listens at the time of writing.

Woww!!
Tickets for the French concert series "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - A Painted Symphony" are sold out!
Those of you who are looking for another chance to buy Paris tickets for the French concert series, there will be a small allocation of tickets available on:
Thursday… pic.twitter.com/qRrPS62Xvr

— Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (@expedition33) September 9, 2025

"If you happened to miss out on this event, don't worry there'll be plenty more opportunities next year as we work on bringing the official international concert series to you in 2026!" the official Expedition 33 account adds at the end of the concert post. While Sandfall hasn't said where it plans to tour the symphony series next year, there are plenty of fan requests for concerts in Europe, the UK, and the US.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory: A Visual History of the Iconic Series

$50 (was $60) | Releases October 21

Preorder at Amazon

More than 30 years ago, Mortal Kombat hit arcades, kicking off the hyper-violent franchise that now spans numerous video games, big-budget movies, comic books, and even an animated series. Soon, fans can get an inside look at the franchise's gore-spattered history thanks to the upcoming art book, Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory, written by Ian Flynn--the lead writer of IDW Publishing's Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and Sonic Frontiers. The $50 hardcover book will be released on October 21, 2025, and is available for preorder at Amazon.

Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory: A Visual History of the Iconic Series $50 (was $60) | Releases October 21

According to the book's Amazon store page, Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory will feature over 300 pages of concept sketches, renders, and illustrations. The art will be presented alongside exclusive interviews with the development team at NetherRealm Studios, commentary from Flynn, and an in-depth look at fan-favorite characters like Scorpion, Raiden, and Liu Kang.

While August 2025 is a bit of a long wait, the silver lining here is that you won't be charged until the book ships, and thanks to Amazon's preorder price guarantee, you'll get it for the best price.

Preorder at Amazon Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a blast from the past

The best way to experience Mortal Kombat history is through the original games, and fortunately, they're all coming to PC and console later this year. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection from retro specialists Digital Eclipse launches on December 12, and this bundle includes the original trilogy of arcade games, Mortal Kombat 4, Game Boy ports, several spin-offs, and a look behind the scenes with archival materials and newly filmed interviews.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection will be available in three editions: Standard, Deluxe, and Kollector's. The Deluxe Edition comes with the game, a steelbook case, magnet, poster, and more, while the Kollector's Edition offers all of those extras and a controller-holder shaped like Goro, an arcade token, and several other extras. Preorders for all editions are now live.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection (4K Blu-ray)

$125 | Releases October 14

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection (Blu-ray)

$88 | Releases October 14

Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Amazon

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection is finally releasing on 4K Blu-ray. The 15-film box set has been available on standard Blu-ray since 2012, but 4K Hitchcock collections up until now have been smaller, 5-film collections. That changes October 14 when The Ultimate Collection arrives on 4K Blu-ray for $125. The 15-disc box set includes over nine hours of special features, a collectible booklet, and digital versions of each film. You can add the films to your Movies Anywhere library to download or stream on all of your devices.

Universal Pictures is also reissuing the 1080p Blu-ray edition for the first time since 2017. The Blu-ray version also comes with digital copies of each movie and mirrors the 4K box set's bonus features and packaging. Preorders for the 2025 edition of The Ultimate Collection on Blu-ray are available for $88 at Walmart and $101 at Amazon.

Continue Reading at GameSpot