The Long Walk: A Novel by Stephen King

$29

See at Amazon

The Running Man: A Novel by Stephen King

$29

See at Amazon

Stephen King has published roughly 65 novels, a dozen short story collections, and several book-length pieces of nonfiction. Most of his novels have been reissued countless times in paperback, but they almost always begin their rapid climb up the bestseller charts in hardcover. Constant readers who have picked up the author's books at launch likely have multiple shelves filled with hardcover editions. But even the most dedicated of King fans are missing at least a few of his novels in hardcover by default. Two of those gaps can now be filled thanks to a pair of welcome surprises from King's publisher Scribner. The Running Man and The Long Walk are now available in separate hardcover editions for the first time.

The Long Walk's hardcover edition was published October 7 for $29, while The Running Man released in hardcover today, October 14. Like many reissued King books, these new editions were prompted by the new film adaptations. The Long Walk's first-ever adaptation is in theaters now, and the second adaptation of The Running Man premieres November 14. King's books typically receive movie tie-in paperback editions, but these two classics have a unique publication history and missed out on the traditional hardcover to paperback pipeline.

So, why didn't these novels release in hardcover back then? Because Richard Bachman wrote them. From 1977-1982, King released four novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Since his alias was a completely unknown author, The Long Walk (1979), The Running Man (1982), Rage (1977), and Roadwork (1981) were published as paperback originals. Bachman's true identity was uncovered following the release of Thinner, the fifth Bachman novel, in 1984. Thinner was the first Richard Bachman book to receive a standalone hardcover edition, while the first four were collected in a hardcover omnibus in 1985.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Lego Icons: Tropical Aquarium (4,154 pieces)

$480 | Releases November 16

Preorder at Lego Store

An aquarium can be a striking addition to any room's decor, but it can be expensive--and precarious--to maintain. Luckily, Lego is launching a new Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set later this year that could add the aquatic vibe to your room without the need for water, and at a comparatively lower price point. That said, it'll still cost you--preorders for the 4,154-piece set are available for $480. If you're part of Lego's free Insider program, you'll also receive the Lego Fish Tank Filter and Fish Food set for free--valued at $20--as a preorder bonus. You'll also get the Aquarium set three days early on November 13. It'll launch worldwide for everyone else starting November 16.

Lego Icons: Tropical Aquarium (4,154 pieces) $480 | Releases November 16

This set is all about creating a thriving aquarium ecosystem full of tropical fish. The finished aquarium measures over 20 inches wide and features brick-based replicas of real-life fish like rainbowfish, angelfish varieties, and a special striped brickfish created by the Lego Designers team. Each one has mechanical elements that allow it to wiggle and "swim" through the aquarium. There's also a hiding crab, moving anemones, and a crank-operated treasure chest.

Preorder at Lego Store

This isn't the first time that Lego has released a fish tank set, but this new build dwarfs the Lego Creator Fish Tank kit by several thousand bricks. It's also no longer available, as it was retired some time ago--so this new set is your only option if you're looking for a Lego aquarium.

If fish don't grab your attention, you can prepare for the end of the year with a Lego Advent calendar. Like previous releases, these offer 24 miniature builds--one per day in December--themed around franchises like Star Wars, Minecraft, Lego City, and Lego Friends.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Blue Prince (PS5)

$35 | Releases November 21

See at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Walmart

One of the year's best indie games, Blue Prince, is getting an official physical PS5 release on November 21. Until now, it was only available digitally on consoles and PC, but fans can now preorder this new PS5-exclusive Blue Prince physical edition for just $35 at Amazon. While the digital version of the game is also available on Xbox Series X and PC, PS5 is the only confirmed physical version--which isn't surprising, since that seems to be the case with most physical indie game releases these days. Along with the base game, physical copies will include an exclusive poster. Preordering also gets you a digital version of the game's soundtrack. It's probably wise to grab an early copy soon if you're interested--preorders for the Blue Prince PS5 edition initially went live about a month ago, and the first wave quickly sold out, so there's a chance this could disappear again soon.

Blue Prince Physical Edition Preorder BonusesBlue Prince preorder bonus

Preordering Blue Prince physical edition gets you the Blue Prince: Day One Edition, which includes an exclusive download code for a digital copy of the game's official soundtrack.

Blue Prince (PS5) $35 | Releases November 21

The Blue Prince PS5 release includes the full game on disc and an 18 x 12 inch fold-out poster featuring Mount Holly Manor, plus the digital soundtrack if you preorder the Day One Edition. Preorders are available for $35 at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. There is also a special version available at the iam8bit store that includes an exclusive O-sleeve.

See at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Walmart Blue Prince Commissary Bundle$150 | Releases November 21Blue Prince Commissary Bundle

In addition to the Day One Edition, the Blue Prince: The Commissary Bundle is also launching the same day, which is essentially a $150 collector's edition of the game that's available exclusively from the iAm8Bit store. The Commissary Bundle includes a copy of the PS5 physical release plus a selection of collectible merch. Here's everything in the bundle:

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The last big content drop for Helldivers 2 added new toys to play with and sandboxes to wreak havoc in, but with persistent player grievances about poor performance, studio Arrowhead is delaying future content updates to tackle these issues.

Speaking in a video interview for the Helldivers 2 YouTube channel, game director Mikael Eriksson admitted that after the Into the Unjust update in September, which added terrifying new enemies and labyrinthian cave systems, the game experienced "more issues than [the studio] were comfortable with."

Eriksson said that feedback from players was "very justified," and that the team was taking the issues seriously "to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Templars really seem to have it out for Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2, as another apparent leak has now provided a release date for the port. It's looking like the action-adventure game could come to Nintendo's new system on December 5.

Spotted by VGC, Dealabs reports that Assassin's Creed Shadows will arrive digitally and physically on Switch 2 in December. The boxed version lines up with the French retailer listing for the action-adventure game from yesterday, which noted it will be on a Game Key Card. These have been controversial since they require a download rather than including the game on the physical cartridge. However, Ubisoft has defended them previously for performance reasons with Star Wars Outlaws because cartridges aren't as fast for streaming in-game worlds compared to digital storage solutions.

The leaked release date also comes with a price tag of 50 euros, which could convert to roughly $50 in the US, but this would be a significant price drop compared to other platforms. The box art shows the standard edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows. With Star Wars Outlaws, which retails for $60, Switch 2 got the Gold Edition (includes Season Pass) for that open-world title.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft has released another ad for The Outer Worlds 2 featuring comedian and actor Ben Schwartz dropping in on a focus test group meeting for the upcoming RPG and making some odd suggestions.

"Before a sequel can be great, it must first be tested. Repeatedly, in front of a group of complete strangers," reads a line from the video's description.

Schwartz plays a character with the title "Head of Sequels." In the video, he offers up some strange ideas to help people understand and appreciate The Outer Worlds 2. One of his ideas is to bribe people to like the game. Another is firing t-shirts at them. This is all done under the idea that The Outer Worlds 2 has "big sequel energy." The video also features Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place actor Marc Evan Jackson--take a look at it below.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Team Cherry has rolled out a small new patch for Hollow Knight: Silksong. The update is focused on bug fixes and controller-support improvements (especially on PC and Mac), while larger adjustments will likely come in the future. For instance, the patch notes do state that more controller fixes are on the way. Please do be aware that some of the adjustments could be considered spoilers.

On Steam, the first change listed for Silksong version 1.0.28891 is the addition of DualSense Edge support, the premium PS5 wireless controller with mappable back buttons. Mac players are also receiving "improved support for various controllers," and Team Cherry has made it where Silksong will pause now when a controller is disconnected.

A bunch of bugs have been stomped out, such as out-of-bounds situations and an issue with using a Silkeater while swimming. There is a bit of balance tweaking, too. Team Cherry has lessened Hornet's "Thread Storm damage at higher needle levels," for example.

Continue Reading at GameSpot