Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster May Have A 7 December Physical Release

Rockstar Games confirmed that the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster is real. While no dates were mentioned, it will probably be coming some time this year. And it looks like it will have a physical release for previous generation consoles, and the Nintendo Switch, coming in December.

Polish outlet PPE cites retail sources as saying that the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster will get physical copies for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. These will be available on 7 December. The PS5, as well as Xbox Series X and S, will also be getting physical editions, but later in 2022.

The dates of the physical editions may be an indication of the general release date for the trilogy remaster. That being said, video games leaker Tom Henderson has claimed that the title is scheduled for release on 11 November instead. While it’s not impossible that physical and digital versions of the same game launch on different days, it’s always strange when it happens.

On a related note, VGC reports that retailer Base.com had listed the trilogy remaster as being priced at US$70 (~RM292) for current-gen consoles, and US$60 (~RM250) for previous-gen machines. The listing has since been removed, but they can just as much be placeholder prices as they can be real ones.

Official confirmation from Rockstar as to if any of these numbers are accurate is also said to be coming on 22 October, the 20th anniversary of GTA3. So we may be a short 10 days away from from finding out for sure.

Google To Open Its First Ever Physical Retail Store

In the distant pre-Covid past, few events elicit as much as excitement as the opening of an official Apple retail store. Now, it looks like Google wants in on all that glamour too, announcing plans to open its first ever physical retail store in New York City.

As you’d expect, store visitors will be able to browse and buy Google’s products like Pixel phones, Nest smart home devices, Fitbit watches, and Pixelbooks. Customers can also shop using Google’s online store and then collect their orders from the physical store.

There’ll be staff on site to help people with things like product repairs, troubleshooting, and installation. Google will also hold how-to workshops throughout the year. None of this is surprising, of course.

Still, the retail store will be a historic achievement. Google has flirted with physical retail space in the past, only to abandon the idea later. In 2013, the company constructed two gargantuan barges to serve as high-profile showrooms, CNET said. Then in 2018, Google was reported to have plans to open a retail store in Chicago, according to the news website.

None of these (alleged) plans ever came to fruition.

This Google Store, however, will be part of the company’s urban campus in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood, which is home to many of its 11,000 employees in the city.

Opening the store in the midst of a global pandemic is a curious choice, though it may have been unavoidable. We’ll see if it can match the famously snaking lines of Apple stores.

PlayStation Ramadan Deals Sees Physical Games Go As Low As RM55

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced its PlayStation Ramadan Deals. In addition to discounted hardware like controllers, this sees the discounts going to even the PS VR headset, as well as physical copies of games.

According to the list sent out by SIE, you can get the following deals from PlayStation Authorised Dealers:

• PlayStation VR – RM979
• DualShock 4 – RM179 (selected colours)
• Ghost of Tsushima – RM169
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time – RM169
• The Last of Us Part II – RM129
• Final Fantasy VII Remake – RM129
• God of War  – RM55
• The Last of Us Remastered  – RM55
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End  – RM55
• Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition  – RM55
• Ratchet & Clank  – RM55

 

Beyond physical items, SIE also has discounts for digital copies of games on the PlayStation Store. Discounts here also go all the way up to 80%. Both of these sets of discounts are in effect starting today, 28 April until 12 May.

If you don’t already have a PS Plus subscription, you can also get a year’s subscription for RM127, which is 20% off the usual price. Though this offer is shorter than the ones mentioned above, ending on 5 May instead. But if yours is expiring, there should be little reason to not get it, considering the free games you get every month.

Redmi Gaming Phone Tipped To Feature Physical Shoulder Buttons, 5000mAh battery

Earlier in January, Redmi general manager Lu Weibing revealed that the brand will release its first ever gaming smartphone later this year, which will be equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. While its other specifications are still kept under wraps at this time, leakster Digital Chat Station (via MyDrivers) claims to have additional information regarding the mysterious device.

According to the reliable industry insider, the yet-to-be-named Redmi gaming phone will feature a flat E4 OLED panel by Samsung, with a tiny punch-hole cutout for its front-facing camera. Its battery is said to come with a capacity of 5,000mAh and would also feature support for 65W fast charging, which is able to fully top-up the phone’s energy from zero to 100% in just 30 minutes. The latter isn’t particularly new and has been featured in recent smartphones from Xiaomi (Redmi’s parent company), as well as other brands such as Realme and OPPO.

Most interestingly, Digital Chat Station suggests that the new device would also be equipped with physical shoulder buttons – a feature that is much appreciated by users, especially on smartphones under the gaming variety. Unlike its fellow Xiaomi subsidiary Black Shark, it is quite unlikely that Redmi would equip its own gaming smartphone with mechanical shoulder buttons – especially considering the brand’s usual focus on offering products at affordable price points.

Speaking of which, the leakster noted that Redmi’s upcoming device may be priced around RMB 2,000 to RMB 2,500 (~RM 1,262 to ~RM  1,578) at launch. If proven accurate, this would make it one of the cheapest gaming smartphones available on the market. However, despite the attractive price range, some users might not find its featured Dimensity 1200 chipset all that appealing.

Redmi has yet to announce when it is planning to officially unveil its first ever gaming handset.

ESA Confirms E3 2021 Physical Event Cancellation; Digital Event Still On Schedule

The physical event of E3 last year was cancelled, for obvious reasons. And it looks like the one this year will share the same fate, for the same reason as well.

The Department of Convention & Tourism Development of Los Angeles notes that an event called E3 2021 was supposed to happen on 3 March. The update on the event reads “cancelled live event”, as well as “working on 2022 & 2023 license”. This does suggest that the Entertainment Software Association, the organiser of the event, is already making plans for a physical event next year and the year after that. Assuming of course that the COVID-19 pandemic eases off by then.

The ESA has also since sent a statement to TechRadar, confirming the note in the LA City event list. The company says that it is “transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details”.

Though none of this is exactly surprising. When the ESA announced the cancelling of the physical E3 event last year, the company also mentioned exploring the option for an online experience. Later reports would then add a 15 – 17 June 2021 window for it. So far, everything seems to be going as planned.

Though it remains to be seen if it will be as large as its physical events once was. After all, to plug the gap left by the absence of E3, many companies live streamed their announcements instead. And to great success too, from the looks of it.