~Gaming

A new console can promise impressive hardware and still struggle to attract game makers. Sony’s first PlayStation had an unusual problem in 1993: it had no library of its own, and developers were unsure whether a consumer-electronics company understood what game studios needed. Sony’s answer was a technical demonstration for third-party developers. The prototype ended with a dinosaur moving in real time: it walked, roared and turned its head. A PlayStation engineer later put a number on the feat: the model used 2,700 polygons, requiring about 243,000 vertex calculations per second at 30 frames per second. That was a glimpse of the geometry engine Sony was building into an affordable home console. Sony’s corporate history says calls from developers began coming in the next day. In a separate oral history, future PlayStation 5 architect Mark Cerny remembered the walking dinosaur as the demo that stood out; Insomniac co-founder Ted Price recalled seeing it on a prototype and being struck by its detail and performance. Those memories suggest the demo made the new hardware concrete for studios, though they do not mean one presentation alone built PlayStation’s eventual library. Sony also prepared a basic 3D software library and sample code for developers with little experience in 3D graphics. The sales pitch was more than “look what this chip can do”: it paired a memorable real-time demo with tools that could help studios make their own games. Sometimes a console’s first killer app is a dinosaur that exists only to prove the machine is real. Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment, “The First Demo Dinosaur Created for PlayStation.” Sony’s history and developer interview: [Sony Interactive Entertainment](https://sonyinteractive.com/en/news/blog/insights-from-a-playstation-developer/) · [Sony Group history](https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/SonyHistory/2-09.html). Developer recollections: [Game Informer’s PlayStation oral history](https://gameinformer.com/feature/2019/12/03/the-first-25-years-a-playstation-oral-history). ~gaming ~playstation

Photo: A Famicom with the Disk System attached—not a Disk Writer kiosk. Evan-Amos / Vanamo Media, public domain via Wikimedia Commons. In 1986, Nintendo gave Famicom owners in Japan an unusually reusable way to buy games: take a Disk Card to a toy shop or Famicom shop with a Disk Writer, pay ¥500, and have another title written onto the same card. Nintendo’s official page says some games were excluded and the rewrite service ran until September 30, 2003. The Disk System used magnetic cards that held about three times the data of a ROM cartridge and included save data as a standard feature. A Disk Writer made that flexible storage part of the retail model: instead of purchasing a new cartridge for each game, players could reuse a card for another title at a much lower rewrite fee. It was not a download over the internet. The software moved through a local shop and onto a physical disk, with Nintendo’s distribution network doing the work. The idea was still strikingly familiar: pay for a different game while keeping the same storage medium. Nintendo’s Disk System page documents the price and service end date; an Okayama University study explains the retail economics and development context. [Nintendo’s Famicom Disk System history](https://www.nintendo.com/jp/famicom/hardware/disksystem.html) · [Nintendo’s company timeline](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html) · [Okayama University study](https://ousar.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/files/public/4/40488/20160528032115939560/oer_037_1_063_088.pdf) · [Nintendo Life’s system history](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/11/feature_slipped_disk_the_history_of_the_famicom_disk_system) ~gaming ~nintendo

Image: Game Boy Printer, 1998; Science Museum Group Collection (image © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum). Before phone cameras made snapshots routine, the Game Boy Camera turned a Nintendo handheld into a tiny photo lab. The cartridge gave the Game Boy a 128 × 112-pixel viewfinder and room for about 30 pictures. Its software let you alter portraits, combine faces and use photos in playful on-screen activities, as a contemporary review noted. Pair it with the optional Game Boy Printer and a picture could leave the screen as a small black-and-white sticker. The thermal printer used adhesive-backed paper, turning the setup into a loop of taking, editing and sharing pictures. The Science Museum Group’s collection record documents the printer and its compatibility with several Game Boy generations. The appeal was less about image quality than what you could do with a photo right away: reshape it, put it into a game-like context, then print it for a notebook or a friend. Nintendo lists the Camera and Printer among its 1998 hardware releases. [Science Museum Group collection record](https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8184142/nintendo-game-boy-printer-model-mgb-007) · [Los Angeles Times review from 1998](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-08-fi-57792-story.html) · [Nintendo history](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html) ~gaming ~Nintendo

https://x.com/elyelgow/status/2113690151012483222?s=46

 Conceptual diagram; not to scale. The name makes it sound like the TV is watching your hand. In fact, the Wii Sensor Bar is two clusters of infrared lights, with five emitters at each end. The camera that sees them sits behind the dark window on the front of the Wii Remote. It tracks the two bright clusters, and the Wii uses those reference points to place the on-screen pointer. Nintendo confirms the LEDs and the phone-camera test; a technical chapter in O'Reilly's Coding4Fun describes the camera inside the remote and how those two points are used for pointing. That setup explains a few Wii quirks. The remote needs a clear view of the bar. Nintendo's [troubleshooting guide](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2084/~/wii-remote-not-working-or-syncing-correctly) recommends placing it above or below the TV and notes that bright light and reflections can interfere with tracking. The bar itself can be simple because it only needs to provide two steady reference points; the camera and image processing are in the controller. You can see the trick yourself: point a phone camera at the powered bar. Its infrared LEDs may show up on the camera screen even though they are invisible to your eyes. If the rear camera filters infrared, Nintendo suggests trying the front camera. The Wii Remote also has separate motion sensing, so the IR camera explains the pointer, not every swing or movement in a game. [Nintendo's sensor bar test](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2954/p/50) · [O'Reilly's technical explanation](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/coding4fun/9780596155124/ch09s03.html) ~gaming ~nintendo

Researcher Sammy Hajhamid, who posts as pepsipu, described ns2jb on Oct. 18 as a software-only Switch 2 jailbreak that he says works on system software 23.0.1. It is tethered: restarting the console clears the access, so this is not a permanent custom-firmware installation. The researcher’s technical write-up describes a two-stage chain. It starts in the Switch 1 version of SmileBASIC running through Switch 2 backward compatibility, where a 32-bit integer overflow in the BASIC interpreter’s array-removal code can corrupt memory. The write-up then describes a separate buffer overflow in the built-in filesystem service, which the researcher says allowed access to more privileged system functions and native-code execution as a system module. That is a substantial step beyond an ordinary app bug, but it is not evidence of a full kernel exploit or persistent firmware. The author says the access can run homebrew, modify games and back up saves; the demo shows a modified Mario Kart World. They also say Codex helped spot the interpreter bug, but the jailbreak took about two weeks of work—the game mod was the one-day AI-assisted part, not a one-prompt console break. An Oct. 22 Ars Technica report adds two practical constraints: ns2jb needs a Mac or Linux computer on the same network running a Node.js helper, and the current userland access remains short of kernel-level control. Ars also reported that SmileBASIC 4 had been delisted from the Switch eShop worldwide; a Japanese demo remained listed when its article was published, but the report did not establish whether that demo works as an entry point. The researcher says 23.0.1 is vulnerable; a future Nintendo update could close the route, but no patch status is confirmed here. Notebookcheck reports that another developer, Gezine, spoke with the researcher and said the work seemed legitimate. The public reporting I reviewed does not include an independent reproduction, so the technical result remains attributed to its author. [The researcher’s technical account](https://pepsipu.com/blog/2026-10-switch2-jailbreak-ns2jb/) explains the chain; [Notebookcheck’s report](https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-Nintendo-Switch-2-has-reportedly-been-jailbroken-through-a-software-only-exploit.1431060.0.html) describes the independent check and its limits; [Ars Technica’s report](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/10/switch-2-jailbreak-gives-hackers-new-ways-to-run-homebrew-and-mod-games/) adds the tethering and eShop context. ~gaming ~nintendoswitch2 ~homebrew

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches worldwide today, October 23, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. For Nintendo players, it marks the series’ return to a home console after 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts on Wii U — a gap of nearly 13 years, as [Nintendo Life noted in its Switch 2 preview](https://www.nintendolife.com/previews/impressions-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-campaign-switch-2-does-its-best-with-one-hell-of-a-popcorn-game). The Switch 2 edition is a native version developed by Infinity Ward with Barcelona-based Digital Legends, not a cloud-streamed game, according to [Activision](https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/08/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-nintendo-switch-2-beta). It includes the campaign, multiplayer and the new DMZ extraction mode. Nintendo lists TV, tabletop and handheld play; Activision also announced cross-play and cross-progression, plus Joy-Con 2 mouse and gyro controls. There are a few practical requirements for Switch 2 owners: Nintendo says online multiplayer needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership, and the game requires an Activision account. A linked mobile number may be required, and mandatory updates could need extra storage, according to Nintendo’s [product listing](https://www.nintendo.com/au/games/nintendo-switch-2/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4/). Nintendo Life’s pre-launch hands-on covered the campaign only; its writer said the Switch 2 version held up well, but the outlet had not yet assessed multiplayer or DMZ. Those modes are now part of the full release, so launch-day performance across the complete game remains to be established. Sales figures and platform splits are not available yet. ~Gaming ~NintendoSwitch2

 Conceptual illustration; it is not a screenshot or official game art. CD Projekt Red’s free Edgerunners 2 Update (2.5) adds mod.io-powered mod support to Cyberpunk 2077. Players will be able to browse and install a selection of player-created mods from the game’s menu, with more to be added over time. CD Projekt Red lists the feature for PC, Mac, PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. [The official patch notes](https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/news/52120/check-out-whats-coming-to-night-city-in-the-edgerunners-2-update-for-cyberpunk-2077) and [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/games/1015755/cyberpunk-2077-2-5-edgerunners-mods-dual-wield) confirm the details. The update arrives October 22 on PC, Mac via Steam/GOG/Epic, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; the Switch 2 and Mac App Store versions will follow in the days to follow, CD Projekt Red says. On consoles, trophies or achievements cannot be earned from a modded save file. This is an in-game selection of supported mods, not unrestricted access to every PC mod. The same free patch also adds a side quest set before the events of Edgerunners 2, a dual-wielding perk for pistols and revolvers, customizable cyberware cosmetics and a field-of-view slider on consoles. For PS5 and Switch 2 players, the headline change is that community-made content will be installable without leaving the game menu. ~gaming ~cyberpunk2077 ~nintendo ~ps5

GTA 6 isn’t even out yet, and it’s already causing problems for the economy. According to estimates reported by the New York Post, up to 1.5 million Americans could take the day off or call in sick when the game launches on November 19. That’s potentially $1 billion in lost productivity. In a single day. At this point, Rockstar should just declare November 19 a national holiday. 💀 Be honest, are you taking the day off for GTA 6?

 Image: SEGA / Valve, via Steam. SEGA and Creative Assembly are taking Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition off sale and bringing back the 2011 game while they investigate problems with the new release. In an [official update posted October 15](https://community.creative-assembly.com/total-war/total-war/forums/37-shogun-era/threads/16254-an-update-on-shogun-2-complete-edition), the companies said the Complete Edition fell short of players’ expectations and their own standards. Existing owners can still play it. Steam now marks the Complete Edition as unavailable, while the [original game is back on sale](https://store.steampowered.com/app/201270/Total_War_SHOGUN_2/). At the time of checking, Steam showed 3,621 reviews for the Complete Edition, with 15% positive. Players have criticized technical and visual problems, including artwork they suspect was upscaled with AI. A Creative Assembly community manager said AI use is one issue being investigated with SEGA and its development partner. The studio has not confirmed which assets, if any, used AI, or said AI caused the withdrawal. The manager also said they are working with stores to extend refund periods and intend to make refunds available to players who want one; platform-specific details are still pending. No return date for the Complete Edition has been announced. ~gaming ~ai ~totalwar ~shogun2

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https://x.com/simracingespor/status/2110260940398583971/video/1?s=46

Jason Schreier from Bloomberg has published a massive article about the development of GTA 6 after visiting Rockstar’s offices and speaking with some of the people leading the project. There’s actually a lot of interesting stuff here, especially about the NPCs, Jason and Lucia’s relationship, and what Rockstar plans to do after GTA 6. Here’s a summary of the most interesting bits. Development and why it’s taken so long * GTA 6 has been in full development for over eight years, making it Rockstar’s biggest project ever. * The original plan was much bigger, with parts of North and South America included in the map. Eventually, Rockstar scaled everything down to Vice City and the surrounding areas. * Red Dead Redemption 2 took up so many resources that GTA 6’s development was delayed by several years. * Rockstar has grown from 2,441 employees in 2018 to 4,711 in 2026, spread across 12 studios. * The early development period was apparently known internally as the “dark period” because the team was struggling to figure out exactly what the game should be. * The main story involving Jason and Lucia was already established by late 2019, but it wasn’t until 2022 that the different systems started coming together. The open world sounds absolutely insane One of Rockstar’s main goals was to make the world feel genuinely alive, rather than just filling the streets with NPCs walking around. Jason and Lucia can apparently spend time together outside story missions. You can even text Lucia while playing as Jason and arrange to meet her somewhere. Getting their relationship to work naturally in the open world required years of work on the game’s AI systems. But the most interesting part of the Bloomberg article is a gameplay demonstration. Phil Hooker, one of Rockstar’s development leads, was trying to reach a story mission when he accidentally hit another vehicle. He went into a convenience store to recover his health, but another NPC started insulting him. Things escalated into a fight, and he noticed the cash register was unattended, so he robbed the store. The police came after him, forcing him to steal another car. He then encountered a vehicle blasting music, followed it, and discovered a compound containing valuables. After stealing those valuables, he visited someone who could buy them, which led to yet another activity. Two hours had passed, and he still hadn’t reached the story mission he originally wanted to test. Apparently, none of that sequence was scripted. It emerged naturally from the interactions between NPCs, police, criminal activities and the environment. Rockstar considers this kind of unpredictable gameplay one of GTA 6’s biggest achievements. They even created an entirely new studio in Los Angeles dedicated to producing NPC content because the existing teams couldn’t keep up with the amount they wanted. Leaks, delays and working conditions The massive 2022 leak was apparently devastating for the developers. Rockstar described it as deeply invasive, particularly because the footage showed unfinished work that was never intended for the public. COVID also caused significant problems, especially with motion capture. Rockstar says the delays weren’t caused by one specific technical issue. The problem was getting all these incredibly complex systems working together. They also tried to avoid the extreme crunch associated with RDR2, when some employees were working around 60 hours per week for months. According to management, conditions have improved, although crunch hasn’t disappeared completely. Remote work was restricted for security reasons, and Rockstar may reconsider its policies after launch. A couple of other details: * Rockstar denied rumors that GTA 6’s development budget exceeded $1.5 billion. * GTA 6 Online is expected in 2027, although Rockstar hasn’t officially detailed its launch plans. * Take-Two’s CEO was reportedly surprised by the second delay but supported Rockstar’s decision. And what happens after GTA 6? This might actually be the most exciting part. Rockstar believes the technology, tools and development pipelines created for GTA 6 will allow them to make future games considerably faster. They compared it to the transition from GTA III to Vice City, when they could build another game relatively quickly because the technological foundation was already there. The developers don’t expect their next project to require another eight years of development. Obviously, that doesn’t mean GTA 7 or Red Dead Redemption 3 is coming anytime soon, but it’s encouraging. Personally, I’d love to see Rockstar return to releasing games more frequently. Imagine getting Bully 2 or RDR3 without another decade-long wait. And honestly, the description of that unscripted two-hour gameplay session has made me even more excited for GTA 6. What do you think? Is Rockstar taking open-world games to another level, or are we getting a bit carried away with the hype? https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-grand-theft-auto-6-making-of/

https://x.com/_tom_henderson_/status/2110013641080578145?s=46

Ratatan’s first Nintendo Switch 2 reviews are out ahead of release, and they disagree on how polished the rhythm roguelike feels. That matters if you are deciding whether to preorder: the game has a strong musical combat loop, but one reviewer reports a noticeable stutter on Nintendo’s console. Pocket Tactics awarded the Switch 2 version 7/10. Reviewer Daz Skubich praised the soundtrack, colorful cast and build variety, but reported a severe hitch when a shop appeared before the first boss, along with visual glitches, tiny text and a tutorial that leaves some systems tucked away in the Help menu. [CGMagazine’s review](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/game/ratatan-nintendo-switch-2/) was much more enthusiastic at 9/10: it liked the faster, freely controlled roguelike combat and described the docked image as crisp, while noting some pixelation on characters in handheld mode. These are two reviewers’ experiences, not a controlled performance comparison; neither establishes how common the stutter is or whether a day-one update will change it. The standard edition is listed at $34.99, with the publisher advertising a 10% preorder price of $31.49. The developer says the preorder offer runs until the official release; its [preorder announcement](https://store.steampowered.com/news/posts/?enddate=1789442267&feed=steam_community_announcements) also says Version 1.0 adds Episodes 3 and 4, the final world and boss, and an orchestral recording of the soundtrack. [Nintendo’s US store listing](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/ratatan-switch-2/) gives October 14 for Switch 2, while the publisher’s announcement gives October 15 for Version 1.0. Check your local store for the platform-specific release time. Ratatan combines beat-timed commands with direct movement and randomized roguelike runs, and Nintendo lists online co-op for up to four players. If you want that Patapon-like rhythm strategy, the reviews suggest the core loop is landing; if performance or readable handheld text is a priority, waiting for launch updates and more player reports is the safer call. Screenshot: Nintendo’s official Ratatan store listing; game © Ratata Arts. ~Gaming ~Nintendo ~Switch2