The 8bA Podcast is a podcast bringing you the latest and greatest geeky news of the past week.

NEWS ITEMS

Blizzard. The Verge reports that Blizzard will start offering some of its games on Steam. The first title will be Overwatch 2 on August 10th. Other titles have not been announced, but Blizzard did say that more info will be shared, “when the time is right.”

Corsair. The Verge reports that Corsair is acquiring Drop, an online retailer that currently focuses on mechanical keyboards and keyboard accessories. This will allow Drop to offer specialized Corsair and Elgato-aligned products. Drop’s previous endeavors include specialty keyboards for Lord of the Rings and Marvel.

Gex Trilogy. IGN reports that Limited Run Games has announced that it is remastering the Gex games with the Carbon Engine and releasing them as a trilogy bundle. The bundle will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Steam.

Handhelds. Eurogamer reports that the Council of the European Union has passed regulations that portable electronic devices, such as gaming handhelds, must have batteries that are removable and replaceable by the user by 2027. The intent is to make it easier for consumers to replace batteries, while also make it easier to recycle them, reducing carbon emissions.

Microsoft. IGN reports that a judge for the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has paused Microsoft’s appeal against the Competition Markets Authority. This will allow both parties time to negotiate. Microsoft is hoping this will give them time to work out a deal with the agency, which is open to renegotiating after the publisher’s win against the FTC.

Additionally, The Verge reports that it is now confirmed by Kari Perez, head of global communications at Xbox, that a deal has been struck between Microsoft and Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for another 10 years.

Neopets. The Verge reports that the virtual pet website announced it will launch into a “new era” on Monday, with a unified website, updated games, and a mobile game title World of Neopets. The brand is now owned by an independent company, World of Neopia, Inc.

Purple Dragon Games. Sadly, the Williamstown games store is closing at the end of August. In a statement, Niko explained that Williams College is changing the rent structure to cost significantly more money, and the store did not generate enough revenue to pay himself minimum wage.

LINKS

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“1-UP” is by Professor Shyguy. You can find his work at https://professorshyguy.bandcamp.com