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LEGO is celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year, with the “Modern” iteration of Lego building sets essentially dating from the early 1980s – in other words, perfect timing to be a formative part of many of our childhoods. With that in mind, we asked the GOA team to share their favourite Lego kits from their childhoods  with our community – and there’s quite a variety! ZULU (Royce) – EL DORADO FORTRESS I’ve always loved the Pirates theme from Lego and have very fond memories of recreating epic battles on my bedroom floor back in the days when Pirates Of The…

ONE of my very favourite games of all time is Jagged Alliance 2, a combination turn-based/real-time tactical game which put you in charge of a squad of mercenaries trying to liberate the fictitious country of Arulco from a dictator. What made the game stand out was that each of its mercenaries had individual personalites – some wouldn’t work with others, some were married to each other, some were pyschos, some were cold professionals, and most of them were very entertaining in their own way. It was an amazing game, but it also came out in 1998(!) and people have spent…

[This media release has been provided by Plaion PR and is presented by the GOA team for the information of readers aged 18+. If you’re under 18 you can’t legally drink alcohol so there’s nothing for you to see here, move along.] It’s thirsty work being The Boss, so in anticipation of the global release of Saints Row, a uniquely Australian collaboration has been announced with Melbourne-based Craft Beer aficionados, Moon Dog Craft Brewery, who will be launching “Keep It Strange, Santo”, a new Juicy Pale Ale on 18th August. For fans of the popular Saints Row franchise who enjoy…

[This press release has been provided by Apple PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — 11 August, 2022 — To mark Apple’s 40 years in Australia, the company today announced new initiatives that will help protect the environment and create opportunity in communities across the country. Projects include developing new sources of renewable energy, expanding coding education programs, and forging partnerships with Indigenous-led nonprofits advancing equity and opportunity. “We’re proud to celebrate Apple’s long history in Australia, and to deepen our shared commitment to protecting the planet and creating opportunity in people’s lives,” said…

LEGO might be synonymous with plastic bricks nowadays, but the brand’s legacy started with wooden toys back in 1932 and has a fascinating history which has seen it become one of the world’s most profitable toy companies. How did that happen? Let’s find out. Ole Kirk Kristiansen was a Danish carpenter living in the town of Bilund wanted to create toys to help children learn about the world. His first collection had 36 items in it – including a fire engine, a car, an aeroplane, and even a yoyo. The toys were well made but the Great Depression made sales…

MARVEL’S Spider-Man was rightly a huge success when it came out on PlayStation 4, being praised by pretty much everyone for its accessible story, intuitive controls, and generally being very good indeed. Now, the experience is coming to PC in the form of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, with the game launching tomorrow (August 12) on Steam and Epic. This isn’t going to be a long review because the game itself has been out for a while and the actual gameplay and plot etc itself is unchanged from its PlayStation release back in 2018. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is the PC port of the…

[This press release has been provided by Samsung PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] SYDNEY, Australia, 8 August 2022 – Samsung Electronics Australia has expanded its market-leading TV portfolio with the launch of its Samsung OLED range, available in 55-inch (RRP $4,079) and 65-inch (RRP $5,249) screen sizes. Consumers in Australia can order the Samsung OLED from August 8, 2022. Unveiled globally at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, Samsung OLED TVs feature over 8 million self-lit pixels partnered with Quantum Dot Technology that can deliver brighter, more accurate highlights and…

[This media release has been provided by Xbox PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] Today, and throughout the year, Xbox is celebrating the rich histories of Indigenous peoples all over the world for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Representation is important. We say this throughout the year for all underrepresented communities, but it’s particularly important for the Indigenous community. Each tribe has a unique style to their artwork as well as medium (e.g. basketry). We worked with Indigenous artists across the world to redesign the Xbox logo in a way that was authentic…

[This media release has been provided by Wargaming PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] August 9th – World of Warships, is bringing the heat this August with its newest update, packed with content including the return of the steel giant ‘Puerto Rico’, Brazilian Independence Day celebrations and a swathe of camera improvements. On top of all this, Update 0.11.7 brings with it the return of Godzilla vs. Kong content and a number of quality of life changes. Puerto Rico sails into the Dockyard Taking the helm of this update is the return of Tier X…

GETTING into Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPG)s can be a daunting experience. As someone who started playing them back in the pre-internet era, when you basically had to hope someone you knew was already playing, or take a punt on expensive books, typically obtained at a premium from a specialist store or mail-ordered from overseas with all the attendant costs, waiting, and difficulties that entailed. Times have changed now (fortunately) and publishers are going out of their way to facilitate getting new players into their game, particularly with developing of starter or introductory kits. Call of Cthulhu publishers Chaosium are one…

[This media release has been provided by Chaosium PR and is presented by the GOA team for informational purposes] The Call of Cthulhu TTRPG had a clean sweep in last night’s 2022 ENNIES Awards, winning in all six categories it was nominated for, including Product of the Year! Best Supplement (Gold) – Cults of Cthulhu Best Podcast (Gold) – Ain’t Slayed Nobody Best Best Aid/Accessory – Non-Digital (Silver) – Call of Cthulhu Masks of Nyarlathotep 3-D Props (TYPE40) Best Production Values (Gold) – Call of Cthulhu Classic Gamer Prop Set (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society) Best Best Aid/Accessory – Non-Digital (Gold) – Call of Cthulhu Classic Gamer Prop Set (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society) Product of…

[This media release has been provided by Bethesda PR and is presented by the GOA team for informational purposes] In only two weeks, QuakeCon will return for 2022 as a streaming event, this year focused on the QuakeCon community and the games they love. August 18-20, the QuakeCon faithful can tune in for meetups on Discord and global livestreams, including updates on existing and upcoming games, giveaways, tournaments, charity fundraising, developer interviews, huge sales on Bethesda games, and much more. More details on giveaways and the QuakeCon Bethesda Sale will be released in the coming days via QuakeCon social channels.…

UNIVERSITY is a formative time in a lot of people’s lives and perfect material for a video game about running one – and doubly so if it’s not taking itself seriously. Two Point Campus, developed by Two Point Studios and published by Sega for PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch is the successor to Two Point Hospital and shifts the gameplay from the healthcare sector to education. The basic principle will be familiar to anyone who’s played similar “base-building” games like Two Point Hospital or Evil Genius 2 – you’ve got a certain area to build in and need to…

NO matter how much you love gaming, you’re going to have to go outside at some point. Whether it’s heading up to the shops for groceries, visiting friends and family, or going on a holiday, there’s gaming-related tech that is designed for portability and outdoor use, covering a wide range of uses and functions. We’ve put together a few suggestions for some of the best of that tech to take with you when you’re out and about – read on and find out more! BOSE FRAMES TEMPO Sunglasses and headphones in one? It sounds like a gimmick but it really…

IT has been a really long time since I’ve been able to put one of Acer’s Predator gaming laptops through its paces, and I’m glad that situation has now been rectified in a positive way. The Acer Predator Helios 300 is the 2022 update of the popular gaming model, and re-establishes itself as a solid all-round gaming laptop on the process. The review model was equipped with Intel 12th gen i7-12700H processor, a Nvidia RTX 3070Ti GPU, and a 1TB SSD along with 16GB RAM. The 15.6in screen was a 2560 x 1440 display with a 165hz refresh and 3ms…

[This media announcement has been provided by PlayStation PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia has today revealed an early look into the user experience features you’ll discover on PS VR. See below for a range of features found on PS VR2. See-Through View With PS VR2, you can see your real-life surroundings while wearing the headset with our new see-through feature. It comes in handy when you want to easily check where the PS VR2 Sense controllers are in your room without taking the headset off. Thanks to PS VR2’s embedded…

WHEN you stop and think about it, a significant proportion of video games involving doing extremely illegal things. Cartel Tycoon, developed by Moon Moose and published by TinyBuild for PC, is no exception – it puts you in charge of a 1980s South American drug cartel. If, like me, you’re a fan of shows like Narcos, Breaking Bad or The Queen Of The South, then the thought of wearing an open-necked tropical shirt, gold neck chain, and having people address you as “Jefe” while surrounded by an opulent mansion, beautiful people, and stacks of money has a definite appeal, and…

[This press release has been provided by Studio Drydock and is presented by the GOA team for your information] Australian game developers Studio Drydock have announced their award-winning game Wylde Flowers will release on Nintendo Switch and Steam on September 20th 2022. Developed by a women-led team, Wylde Flowers is highly anticipated for these platforms after reaching close to half a million players on Apple Arcade. In June the game received an Apple Design Award for Inclusivity, with glowing reviews for its organic portrayal of diverse characters in a cozy, in-game community. This award was particularly important for the team,…

THERE is such a great and diverse range of peripherals on the market now that no matter what your preference or gaming need, there’s something out there that will suit it very nicely. This creates the sort of situation I’ve experienced when reviewing the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard – it’s an excellent product, but not suitable for what I personally need. My first thought on seeing the Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard was “What is this, a keyboard for ants?” Measuring 293mm wide by 103mm deep and 40mm high, it is, as you can imagine, a lot smaller…

WE haven’t seen a lot of RTS games in recent years, and even fewer with a historical bent – the last one I can recall was 2020’s Iron Harvest­ – so the news that there’s a new Company of Heroes game on the way very much has my attention. Company of Heroes 3 (developed by Relic Entertainment and being published by Sega for PC) is set in Africa and Italy during WWII and I’ve had the chance to play a hands-on preview of the game. I was very impressed with what I experienced. The mission cast the player as the…