Articles by Thomas J Meyer

While supplies last.

What you need to know

Google is giving out a free Stadia Premiere Edition for anyone who buys a game from the Stadia Store.
The eligible game must cost at least $60 and be purchased before October 10.
The Stadia Premiere Edition contains a Stadia controller and the discontinued Chromecast Ultra to play games on the TV.

Google is giving away a free Stadia Premiere Edition for anyone who buys a game from the Stadia store before October 10, the company announced today.

The promotion does come with certain restrictions. The only games or game bundles that are eligible must be priced at $60 or above and while preorders do count, the game needs to release on the Stadia store by October 10, 2021. Buyers will recieve an email and redemption code by October 20, and must redeem the offer by November 20, 2021.

According to the FAQ, shipping charges may apply and those that refund the game after the promotion period may have return the hardware bundle. The free offer …

Also opens support for more third-party controllers.

What you need to know

Stadia players can use their smartphones or third-party controllers to play Stadia games on TV.
Works with Android and iOS smartphones, and requires the mobile Stadia app to pair.
Can be used with Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast with Google TV, or any Android TV device.

Google announced today that Stadia players can now use their smartphones as controllers to play Stadia games on a television alongside opening support for more third-party controllers.

Any Stadia-enabled device can use a Bluetooth controller or pair an Android or iOS smartphone itself to play games with touch gamepad controls. The process can be done through the Phone Link option in the mobile Stadia app. With the smartphone and TV tied to the same Wi-Fi network, players can choose a controller from the list or “Phone touch gamepad” to control games directly with the smartphone for the TV. Google outlined the entire process in the GIF below….

Drive with friends or shoot at their cars with a paintball gun.

What you need to know

Rec Room will add Rec Rally, a six-car, multiplayer off-road racing game.
The drivable vehicles can also be used for a road trip with friends or vehicle-on-vehicle combat with a paintball gun.
The new driving feature and game come to the game across all platforms later this month.

Social app and multiplayer video game Rec Room will add drivable vehicles for players to use on Oculus Quest 2, other VR headsets, PC, and consoles later this month, the developer announced during its annual Rec Con community event today.

According to the developer, the vehicles can be used for a variety of possibilities such as going on a road trip with friends or using a paintball gun while in the driver’s seat to shoot at other cars in vehicle-on-vehicle combat. Each vehicle will support dual-wielding objects while driving and has fully optimized controls across all platforms, including a clean intuitive feel on s…

Celebrating the game’s first anniversary.

What you need to know

Cubism adds 30 new puzzles with the free Volume 2 update.
The new puzzles can be accessed after completing 30 puzzles in the original campaign.
The free update is available today for Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR players.

Colorful virtual reality puzzle game Cubism adds more puzzles in a free update available today for Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR players.

The Volume 2 update adds 30 more puzzles in a new campaign and will be free for all players. The update marks the first anniversary of the game released last September and originally contained 60 puzzles. In Cubism, players must assemble complex 3D shapes using different colored blocks and can use hand tracking to pick up the shapes to look around them. New puzzles were a frequent request from players and the update should take “several hours” to play through, according to the press release.

The new campaign is …

Train to be space pirates with friends.

What you need to know

Space Pirate Trainer DX launches exclusively on the Oculus Quest platform today.
The new version adds new Versus and Arena multiplayer modes.
New content will be a free update for previous Space Pirate Trainer owners on Oculus Quest only.

Virtual reality arcade shooter Space Pirate Trainer DX launches today exclusively for Oculus Quest 2 and other Oculus VR headsets.

The updated version of the 2017 VR first-person shooter includes two new multiplayer modes. The first is Versus, where players go head-to-head in taking down waves of enemies. The gameplay is similar to the single-player mode, but shooting a droid will make a new one spawn in the opponent’s game and vice-versa. Versus can be played against a friend or against a random player through matchmaking.

The other new multiplayer mode is Arena and requires a much larger physical space of at least 10m x 10m (32ft x 32ft) in size to play. According to the studio, …

Stadia Pro members also get a new game to claim this week.

What you need to know

Katamari Damacy Reroll and Darkwood release on the Stadia store today.
Stadia Pro subscribers can claim PGA Tour 2K21 for free on September 8.
The Stadia Pro free weekend includes Madden NFL 22 and Rainbow Six Siege from September 9-13.

Google announced a few games coming to the Stadia store this week and more games that Stadia Pro subscribers have access to in its blog post today.

The company revealed two new games joining the Stadia store today: Katamari Damacy Reroll and Darkwood. Katamari Damacy Reroll is a remaster of the 2004 puzzle-action game originally released for the PlayStation 2, and is currently on sale for both Stadia and Stadia Pro users until September 21. Darkwood is a top-down survival horror game from developer Acid Wizard Studio now available on the store for $15.

Meanwhile, Stadia Pro subscribers can claim another free game this week with PGA Tour 2K21 on September 8. The sur…

A cosmic twist on high school.

What you need to know

Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator developer Owlchemy Labs announced new VR title called Cosmonious High.
Cosmonious High features a cosmic high school with a cast of characters and unlockable alien powers.
It is coming to Oculus Quest and SteamVR headsets sometime in Spring 2022.

Owlchemy Labs, the developer behind Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, has announced a new virtual reality title called Cosmonious High. It’s coming to Oculus Quest 2 and other VR headsets next year.

Cosmonious High follows players as they crash into an alien high school that is plagued by “mysterious malfunctions,” and it’s up to the player to learn new powers while finding the cause to the school’s problems. The game features a cast of dynamic characters that respond to natural gestures, such as high fives and fist bumps, and unlockable alien powers that can be used around the environment.

According to the press release, Cosmonious High …

No crowds to check out new games.

What you need to know

The Tokyo Game Show 2021 will be online-only again this year and will offer a virtual reality version.
The VR experience will be available for Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.
The annual games showcase runs from September 30 until October 3.

The organizers behind the Tokyo Game Show 2021 announced its schedule of panels and livestreams today, and revealed a virtual reality version of the gaming event for the Oculus Quest 2 and other VR headsets.

According to a page from the event’s official website, this year’s Tokyo Game Show can be experienced in VR and will be available for Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive headsets. There were no concrete details on how the app would translate the annual showcase into VR, but gave only a brief message.

“See your favorite characters right in front of you,” the website’s message reads. “Visit booths as if you were wandering around inside th…

Four other games can also be claimed for September.

What you need to know

Ark: Survival Evolved can be claimed on Stadia Pro alongside Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition, Little Big Workshop, Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager, and Wave Break.
Stadia Pro members can receive a free $10 credit to use in the store if did not participate in the offer previously.
Ubisoft+ service is now available in all countries where Stadia is and will receive a price increase on September 30.

Google announced a new game available to claim on Stadia Pro alongside a promotional credit to use in the store, a new sale, additional Ubisoft+ availability, and a free weekend for Watch Dogs: Legion in a blog post today.

Ark: Survival Evolved can now be claimed with a Stadia Pro subscription. The survival game filled with dinosaurs joins Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition, Little Big Workshop, Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager, and Wave Break as announced last week. The company not…

The second part of the VR adventure is finally here.

What you need to know

Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 will launch on September 30 exclusively for Oculus headsets.
Part 2 can be purchased separately as downloadable content from the first part on the Oculus store.
The original Jurassic World Aftermath is currently on sale from the Oculus store for a very limited time.

Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 will be coming exclusively to Oculus Quest 2 and other Oculus headsets on September 30, developer Coatsink Software revealed at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2021 presentation.

The second part of the virtual reality survival adventure will feature all-new locations to explore, puzzles to solve, and encounters with dinosaurs. It begins after the first part, which ended on a cliffhanger. According to the official FAQ, Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 can be purchased separately as downloadable content from the first part on the Oculus store and will cost $15 when it launches….