Half-Life: Alyx Details – Release Date, Price, Pre-Order Bonuses, VR Platforms, And More

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A new Half-Life game is on the way. On November 18, Half-Life: Alyx was officially announced, with Valve describing it as the developer’s “flagship VR game,” but leaving out key details. Its official unveiling happened Thursday, November 21 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET–we got the release window (though no exact release date), information about which VR platforms it’ll be coming to, how to get Half-Life: Alyx’s bonus content, and its highly anticipated announcement trailer.

All this news comes just a few days after Half-Life 2‘s 15th birthday and 12 whole years after the last real Half-Life game in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The series has since been long dormant, its iconic cliffhanger ending fueling over a decade’s worth of Half-Life 3 rumors, jokes, mods, and more. In 2017, retired Valve designer and former lead writer of the Half-Life series Marc Laidlaw published details on what would have allegedly been the plot of Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Countless user-created mods and even a fan-made remaster called Black Mesa have filled the void for Half-Life fans over the years, but no Half-Life 3.

But now, new rumors and the subsequent announcement from Valve has finally brought Half-Life back into the spotlight. Here’s everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx so far.

Half-Life: Alyx – What Is It?

Half-Life: Alyx is a “full-length entry in the Half-Life series,” according to Valve. It was officially unveiled on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

It’s developed by Valve and built for VR. That means it’s a PC, Steam, VR-exclusive experience. You can pre-purchase it now on Steam.

Release Date – When Is Half-Life: Alyx Coming Out?

Half-Life: Alyx’s release window is March 2020, according to its Steam page. We don’t have an exact confirmed release date just yet, but the game’s Steam page is currently running a 10% off “pre-purchase” promotion that ends March 30, which would suggest it’s coming out March 30 or March 31. This is just speculation based on information available on the Steam page. In any case, it’s coming in March 2020.

Announcement Trailer – First Footage Of Half-Life: Alyx

We got our first look at Half-Life: Alyx in its announcement trailer, which you can see below.

Platforms – Which VR Headsets Are Compatible?

Half-Life: Alyx is coming to PC (Steam) and will work with all SteamVR-compatible headsets, according to its official website. That includes:

  • Valve Index
  • HTC Vive
  • Windows Mixed Reality
  • Oculus Rift
  • Oculus Quest With PC and Link Cable

If you already own or buy a Valve Index before the end of 2019, you’ll get access to special bonus content, which you can find more info about later in this article.

Exclusive – Is VR Required?

Yes, Half-Life: Alyx is a VR exclusive; you won’t be able to play it without owning one of the supported headsets outlined above. Valve is insistent that it simply would not work outside of VR without compromising what it’s trying to do with Alyx.

Controls – How Do You Play Half-Life: Alyx?

It seems Valve is trying to make the experience as accessible to players, especially VR newcomers, as possible too–you’ll be able to play Half-Life: Alyx in roomscale, sitting, or standing, and movement controls include teleport (which lets you fade out and back in from point A to point B), shift (which lets you smoothly move between two points), and continuous (which lets you use the analog stick to freely walk or run around.) Half-Life: Alyx also features two controller styles: finger tracking and trigger-based. The finger tracking style is unique to some VR controllers, like Valve Index controllers. Keyboard and mouse controls are not supported.

Free Bonus Content – How To Get Half-Life: Alyx Gun Skins And More

Half-Life: Alyx comes with free bonus content, including environments from the game in your SteamVR Home space, alternate gun skins for Half-Life: Alyx, and Half-Life: Alyx-themed content (probably more gun skins, but that’s just our speculation) for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

To get the free bonus content, you need to have already owned or buy a Valve Index VR headset by the end of 2019. So if you’re trying to make a decision on which VR headset to buy, that’s one factor to measure.

Price – Pre-Order Discount And How To Get Half-Life: Alyx For Free

Half-Life: Alyx is a fully-priced PC game at $59.99, though if you pre-order you can get it for 10% off through March 30, 2020, bringing the price down to $53.99. Want to bring the price way down and get Half-Life: Alyx for free? Buy a Valve Index, Valve’s newest VR headset. Or just buy the Valve Index Controllers–you don’t even need the full VR kit. Already own the Valve Index and/or the controllers? Congrats, you already own Half-Life: Alyx. According to Valve, the game will appear in your Steam library “upon release.”

Story – When Does Half-Life: Alyx Take Place?

According to Valve, Half-Life: Alyx is a full-length Half-Life game set between Half-Life and Half-Life 2. You play as Alyx Vance.

Rumors – What Led Up To Half-Life: Alyx’s Announcement?

The most recent rumors, which eventually culminated in Valve’s official announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, started because of an alleged interview transcript between Geoff Keighley (supposedly) and Valve representatives.

The now-deleted transcript suggested a December reveal at The Game Awards and a March 2020 release window. We now know the March 2020 window to be correct, and Valve eventually went on to tweet about the reveal on November 18, a few days before the game was unveiled on November 21.

History – Valve’s Past Work In VR

Half-Life: Alyx isn’t the first time rumors or even official information from Valve on a Half-Life VR game have circulated. In March 2015, Valve programmer Jeep Barnett told Kotaku that Valve was not saying “no” to the possibility of Half-Life in VR.

“…we don’t know what the right thing is [yet],” Barnett told Kotaku. “Our most precious resource is time, and we don’t have enough time for people to do everything. Would we like to make all of our franchises in VR? Absolutely. But we don’t have enough time or people. So we have to figure out what’s the best fit, what plays to the strengths of VR.”

This was the same year Valve unveiled its Portal VR demo, which shipped with its first Vive dev kits that same year. In 2016, Valve released the HTC Vive to the public. The Valve Index, Valve’s newest VR headset, was released in June 2019 along with the Valve Index Controllers.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-details-release-date-price-pre-orde/1100-6471549/

Nintendo Switch Eshop Black Friday 2019 Sales Announced (Europe)

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Nintendo is having a Black Friday in Europe, including great discounts on several big Nintendo Switch games on its digital Eshop. The sale starts November 22 and will continue through December 1.

The sale includes discounts on big first-party games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, among others. The biggest discount is to Dragon Ball FighterZ, which is a whopping 70% off. Nintendo Switch Online members can also claim 20% off Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers from the My Nintendo Store.

Nintendo of America has not announced its own Black Friday deals yet, but we expect a similar sale to come to North America. Check below for some highlights of the coming discounts. For more Nintendo Switch deals, check out our best Nintendo Black Friday first-party deals and top picks for Switch game deals.

  • Super Mario Odyssey – 30% off
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 30% off
  • Cadence of Hyrule – 30% off
  • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 30% off
  • Dragon Quest Builders 2 – 30% off
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – 30% off
  • FIFA 20 Legacy Edition – 30% off
  • Dark Souls Remastered – 40% off
  • Wolfenstein Youngblood – 50% off
  • Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – 50% off
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ – 70% off

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-eshop-black-friday-2019-sales-anno/1100-6471562/

Half-Life: Alyx First Story Details Revealed

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Valve finally announced a brand-new Half-Life game, Half-Life: Alyx. The VR-only title marks the first new installment in the beloved series in more than a decade, and it’s slated to launch on Steam sometime in March 2020. While there is still much we don’t know about the game, Valve has shared some tidbits about its story.

Set between the events of the original Half-Life and its sequel, Half-Life: Alyx follows the story of Alyx Vance and her father, Eli, as they’re relocated to City 17 following the Seven-Hour War. Here’s the official story synopsis from the Half-Life website:

“The loss of the Seven-Hour War is still fresh. In the shadow of a rising Combine fortress known as the Citadel, residents of City 17 learn to live under the rule of their invaders. But among this scattered population are two of Earth’s most resourceful scientists: Dr. Eli Vance and his daughter Alyx, the founders of a fledgling resistance.

“You and your father were relocated to City 17. In the years since, you’ve continued your clandestine scientific activity–performing critical research, and building invaluable tools for the few humans brave enough to defy the Combine.”

According to Valve, Half-Life: Alyx will be a “full-length” game that’s about as long as Half-Life 2, by the company’s estimates. Valve says the title is VR-only because it affords more interactions and possibilities than a traditional mouse-and-keyboard setup could. The game will be playable with any Steam-compatible VR headset, but if you buy a Valve Index before the end of the year, you can get Half-Life: Alyx for free, along with some bonus content.

Half-Life: Alyx is available for pre-order now on Steam, and you can get a 10% discount on it if you pre-order by March 30, 2020. For more on the game, check out everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx so far in our roundup. You can also watch the first Half-Life: Alyx trailer here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-first-story-details-revealed/1100-6471641/

Why Half-Life: Alyx Is Only For VR And Why It Won’t Have Mouse And Keyboard Controls

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Valve announced Half-Life: Alyx, the first new Half-Life game in a little over a decade. However, what’s most surprising is that it’s made from the ground up for VR. This fact may shock fans who’ve eagerly awaited a more traditional experience from the beloved franchise. But there’s a reason why its developers are strictly focusing on the platform.

In an interview with Valve conducted by games personality Geoff Keighley for his Final Hours series focused on Half-Life: Alyx’s developement, it was asked whether the game would include traditional mouse-and-keyboard controls. Valve developer Dario Casali responded that the control style was outside the vision of the project.

“We would love to be delivering a version of this where you can play with a mouse and keyboard,” said Casali. “But as we’ve said, [Half-Life: Alyx] began as an exploration of VR. The more we used the controllers and the headset–the amount of interactions and possibilities these things gave us– and the more we explored it, the more we realized that there’s so much opportunity that we can’t translate back to the keyboard when you can track your hands separately from your head. They’re all in 3D space–all simultaneously tracking and moving. And when you put that into game mechanics with the kinds of interactions you can do now, you couldn’t possibly do that with a mouse and keyboard.”

Based on Half-Life: Alyx’s debut trailer, Casali’s response seems to ring true. Keighley and other Valve developers Robin Walker and David Speyrer remarked upon the sophisticated tactics available to you. Actions, like cracking a door open and peaking through with your gun pointed or throwing a grenade and slamming the door shut, are a small sampling of what you can do. But they’re actions that Valve believes can only be in VR and could never translate to mouse and keyboard.

“We would have to map an entire section of the keyboard just to interacting with doors if you wanted to have the functionality [we give you],” said Casali. “But the more we explored those mechanics, the more we realized that in order for us to deliver a keyboard-and-mouse experience, we’d have to ship a game that’s missing those interactions, and they were playtesting so well, that we didn’t feel like that was a good idea.”

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Valve felt that by trying too hard to accommodate a more traditional audience and control scheme that the quality and ambition of the project would be compromised. “You’d end up watering down the VR experience to try to do both at the same time,” said Speyrer. “And the process was what can we do with the controllers and the hmd, and so that as we explored that idea, it just drove us into this place where the game became essentially VR rather than superficially VR.”

Half-Life: Alyx is scheduled for release on Steam in March 2020. The game will be playable on “all PC-based VR headsets” and is set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. For more, check out our roundup of everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-half-life-alyx-is-only-for-vr-and-why-it-wont-/1100-6471644/

Half-Life: Alyx PC System Requirements Are Higher Than VR Minimum Specs

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So much information has been dropped on the next game in the Half-Life series, which is a game built specifically for virtual reality called Half-Life: Alyx. It’s been 12 years since we got an entry in the franchise with Half-Life 2: Episode 2, so fans are sure to be eager to jump into this VR exclusive, but it also begs the question of hardware requirements. Well, if your PC is VR-ready, you’ll likely be set to play the next Half-Life game.

Most, if not all, PC-based VR games abide by closely similar required and recommended specs, though Half-Life: Alyx turns things up a bit. Below are the the minimum required specs for Half-Life: Alyx.

Half-Life: Alyx Minimum PC Specs

  • Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5-7500 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 – 6GB VRAM

Those are noticeably higher than the minimum specs to simply run the Valve Index VR headset, which require a dual-core hyper-threading CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD RX 480. However, if you take Index’s recommended specs into consideration, Half-Life: Alyx’s requirements don’t seem as farfetched. Valve Index recommends a quad-core CPU paired with an Nvidia GTX 1070 or better.

Though Valve Index owners will be able to get Half-Life: Alyx for free when it launches in March 2020, the game will be playable on any SteamVR compatible headset; this includes HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest via PC Link, and Windows Mixed Reality. Finger-tracking will also be featured in the game when using Index controllers, and a number of movement options will be included. For all our coverage on the upcoming Half-Life game, check out our stories below:

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-pc-system-requirements-are-higher-t/1100-6471639/

Before Half-Life: Alyx, Valve Considered A Portal VR Game

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Valve has released the first trailer for the third Half-Life game, Half-Life: Alyx, a VR title scheduled to release for all SteamVR-compatible headsets in March 2020. The upcoming game wasn’t always scheduled to be related to Half-Life, however. The project began with Valve just wanting to create a big VR game–deciding the franchise to explore came second.

“We explored different franchises,” Valve software developer David Speyrer told Geoff Keighley in a Half-Life: Alyx development documentary. “We kind of ruled out multiplayer just because of the small audience for VR, and other issues as well with VR avatars and things like that. We settled on Portal or Half-Life as interesting. And Portal is so much about flinging yourself through space and through portals that we thought, ‘Well, we’re just going to make people sick with this game.'”

“A full-on Portal game seemed challenging,” he continued. “And then we looked at Half-Life and the DNA of that product and a bunch of the elements seemed really enhanced by VR. Half-Life is about this cadence of story, combat, puzzle, exploration, interaction, environmental art–vistas, things like that. And they all seem to be enhanced or reinvented in interesting ways by VR.”

Half-Life: Alyx is a full-length game set prior to the events of Half-Life 2. In a statement, Valve founder Gabe Newell said, “Everyone at Valve is excited to be returning to the world of Half-Life. VR has energized us. We’ve invested a lot of ourselves in the technology. But we’re also game developers at heart, and to be devoting ourselves to a VR game this ambitious is just as exciting.”

If you’re already on board to play a new Half-Life game, Half-Life: Alyx is already available for pre-order. The game costs $60 USD but pre-ordering it nets you a 10% discount–knocking the price down to $54 USD. Half-Life: Alyx is free for all Valve Index VR headset owners, whether you already own the headset or decide to buy it down the line.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/before-half-life-alyx-valve-considered-a-portal-vr/1100-6471638/

Amazon Deals Black Friday 2019: PS4 Bundles, Joy-Con, Fire TV Stick, And More

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Although Black Friday 2019 isn’t until next week, Amazon has been doling out deals for a while as part of its Happy HoliDeals sale, but we can expect even more deals from the world’s biggest retailer when next week starts to roll around.

As with Prime Day, Amazon’s holiday deals page includes a mix of Lightning Deals–which are only available for a limited time–and longer-term deals that should be available throughout the duration of this first round of deals (or while supplies last). The early holiday sale ends today, November 21. But starting tomorrow, November 22, Amazon’s Black Friday sale will officially begin. The week of deals will run right up until November 29, Black Friday itself.

Unfortunately, Amazon is keeping things vague in terms of the actual deals that will be offered, and the retailer’s press release mentions only discounts rather than actual sale prices. We already knew Amazon will be offering Nintendo’s official deals, including the Switch console bundle (older model) with a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $300. We also know Amazon will have select Switch games for up to 30% off and Joy-Cons for a lower price than its competitors. The announcement also confirms Amazon will have the holiday PS4 and Xbox One console bundles; otherwise, the retailer is only teasing discounts on gaming laptops and monitors, the Oculus Rift S, Bose headphones, and other tech as well as numerous other deals across other categories.

Amazon’s Black Friday 2019 schedule

  • November 22-29: Official Black Friday week of deals begins
  • November 28-29, December 2: One-time-only deals will launch throughout the day on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday

Live now: Gaming and entertainment deals

As Amazon’s HoliDeals sale nears its send, the pickings are slim, but the below deals (and plenty more) are still live now until November 22 or until they sell out.

Video game deals

Entertainment deals

Starting Nov. 22: Amazon’s Black Friday week of deals

After the first round of deals has ended on November 22 (or while supplies last), another batch of deals will be posted in the week leading up to Black Friday itself on November 29. In addition to the official gaming console bundles and accessories from Xbox, Nintendo, and PS4, the online retailer has confirmed a wide range of Amazon devices will be on sale starting with several tablets on November 22, including the Fire HD 10 Tablet for $100 ($50 off) and the Kindle Paperwhite for $85 ($45 off). We’ve included the full list of device deals and pricing below, but please note these prices will not be live until their respective sale date.

PS4 Slim 1TB bundle with God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Last of Us Remastered – $200

PS4 Slim (1TB) with God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition, and The Last of Us Remastered | $200

Another official PlayStation offer, the PS4 Slim holiday bundle is a great way to get your hands on some of the system’s best games. The 1TB console will $200 and comes bundled with Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition, and God of War. It’ll be available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other retailers.

Nintendo Switch (older model) with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle – $300

Nintendo Switch bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | $300

No, we haven’t entered a time machine and gone back to Black Friday 2018. Nintendo is offering the same Nintendo Switch holiday bundle that was available last year. For $300, you can get the Switch and a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The potential snag with this bundle? It’s the launch model Switch, which means you won’t get the upgraded battery that comes with the newer Switch model released a few months back. That said, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an incredible game that normally sells for about $50.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons – $53.60

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons (Gray or Neon Red/Blue) | $53.60

Nintendo’s pricey Joy-Con controllers will be down to $60 on Black Friday at many retailers, but if Amazon’s press release is correct, each pair of Joy-Cons will be available for $53.60, a full 33% off rather than 25%. It appears that only the original gray or neon red and blue Joy-Cons will be eligible for this awesome deal. Nevertheless, if you’re gifting a Switch this holiday or want to have some multiplayer fun at your holiday party, you shouldn’t pass up this deal.

Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet – $50

Fire HD 8 | $50 ($80)

Starting November 22, Amazon is kicking off its first wave of Black Friday deals with the Fire HD 8 tablet for $50. Don’t expect a tablet with the power of an iPad, but if you want something to read e-books, watch Netflix, or any other media-based thing, then the Fire HD 8 can handle it. It’s equipped with 1.5 GB of RAM and comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage options.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet – $80

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition | $80 ($130)

The Kids Edition of the Fire HD 8 bundles the tablet with a kid-proof case and a year’s subscription to Free Time Unlimited, which gives its users access to more than a thousand books, movies, TV shows, apps, and games suitable for children. It goes on sale for $80 on November 22.

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet – $30

Fire 7 Tablet | $30 ($50)

The Fire 7 tablet is Amazon’s seven-inch tablet, both cheaper and less powerful than the Fire HD 8. It’s equipped with 1 GB of RAM and comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage options. It’ll be available for $30 starting November 22.

Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet – $60

Fire 7 Kids Edition | $60 ($100)

Like the Fire 8 Kids Edition, this bundle includes the Fire 7 tablet, a protective case, and a 12-month subscription to Free Time Unlimited. The subscription gives your kid unlimited access to a ton of child-friendly books, movies, shows, apps, and games. You’ll be able to pick it up for $60 on November 22.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet – $100

Fire HD 10 Tablet | $100 ($150)

The Fire HD 10 tablet is Amazon’s ten-inch–and most powerful–tablet. It’s equipped with a 1080p screen and 2GB RAM. It comes in 32 GB and 64 GB storage options but also features upgradeable storage via microSD. You can grab it for $100 starting November 22.

Kindle Paperwhite – $85

Kindle Paperwhite | $85 ($130)

The Kindle Paperwhite is Amazon’s most popular e-reader, with a screen that looks more similar to paper than a tablet. It has weeks of battery life and comes in 8 GB and 32 GB storage options. Starting November 22, you can grab it for $85.

Echo Show 5 and Ring Video Doorbell Pro – $190

Echo Show 5 + Ring Video Doorbell Pro | $190 ($240)

This bundle packages the Echo Show 5 with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s compact smart display, similar in size to an alarm clock but with features like video calling, music and video playback, and Alexa voice control. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro, on the other hand, is a camera-equipped doorbell that you can put on the front of your house. It gives you video access to your front door with motion alerts sent directly to your phone, tablet, or PC. You can pick up the bundled pair for $190 on November 22.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote – $25

Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote | $25 ($50)

Starting November 24, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K will be available for $25. It gives you access to a bunch of apps, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, all streamable in 4K. The Alexa Voice Remote lets you control your media with your voice.

Amazon TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote – $20

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote | $20 ($40)

On November 24, you’ll also be able to pick up the regular Fire TV Stick for $20. This gives you the same access to all of your favorite apps but in 1080p instead of 4K. It also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, so you’ll be able to speak to your Fire TV Stick without fumbling with the buttons.

Amazon Fire TV Cube – $90

Fire TV Cube | $90 ($120)

The Fire TV Cube gives you everything the Fire TV Stick 4K does, in addition to complete smart home control, Alexa voice assistant, and a built-in speaker. Starting November 24, you’ll be able to grab it for $90.

Blink XT2 3-Camera Kit – $185

Blink XT2 3 Camera Kit | $185 ($250)

Starting November 27, you’ll be able to pick up Amazon’s three-pack security camera pack for $185. With its cloud storage, these cameras can store hundreds of clips for up to a year. The cameras also feature two-way audio and two years of battery life.

Ring Indoor Cam 2-Pack – $100

Ring Indoor Cam 2 Pack | $100 ($140)

The Ring Indoor Cam pack comes with two cameras for the interior of your house. Starting November 27 for $100, you can equip your home with two Ring Indoor cameras that feature two-way audio, motion alerts, and Alexa support.

Amazon Smart Plug – $5 with the purchase of Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Show 5, or Echo Studio

Amazon Smart Plug | $5 with Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo, Echo Show 5, or Echo Studio

For $5, you can pair an Amazon Smart Plug with the purchase of an Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo, Echo Show 5, or Echo Studio. The Amazon Smart Plug gives you the ability to control whatever you plug into it with Alexa smart home control. This deal starts on November 27.

Amazon Echo Dot with clock – $35

Echo Dot with clock | $35 ($60)

The Echo Dot with clock is Amazon’s compact Alexa speaker that comes with a clock, so you don’t have to ask for the time whenever you need it. Starting November 28, you can pick it up for $35.

Echo Dot – $22

Echo Dot | $22 ($50)

The Echo Dot without the clock comes with all the Alexa features you need in a compact form factor. Ask for music, the news, weather, traffic, and more, thanks to the thousands of skills you can have your Echo Dot learn.

Amazon Echo Auto – $30

Echo Auto | $30 ($50)

Amazon’s Echo Auto puts an Alexa speaker into your car. Even more compact than the Echo Dot, equip your vehicle with all of the Alexa skills and features you can enjoy at home. The auto smart speaker goes for $30 on November 28.

Amazon Echo (Gen 3) – $60

Echo (Gen 3) | $60 ($100)

The Echo is a slightly-less compact speaker with better speakers, so if you’re looking to use it more seriously as a music player, this could be a good choice for you. On November 28, its price goes down to $60.

Amazon Echo Show 5 – $50

Echo Show 5 | $50 ($90)

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s compact smart display that works as an alarm clock, video caller, music and video player, and much more. It goes on sale for $50 on November 28.

Amazon Echo Show – $150

Echo Show | $150 ($230)

The Echo Show is Amazon’s smart display with a bigger screen and better sound. The screen comes in at 10-inches with speakers that feature Dolby processing. You can pick one up for $150 starting November 28.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-deals-black-friday-2019-ps4-bundles-joy-con/1100-6471095/

How To Get Half-Life: Alyx For Free

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Valve’s Half-Life: Alyx was revealed earlier today and information about the SteamVR-compatible title continues to trickle out. While the game’s release date has yet to be confirmed, there is a way to get Alyx for free.

If you own or purchase Valve’s VR headset Index, Half-Life: Alyx will appear in your Steam library when it launches next year. There are no strings attached and no code to enter. Those who pick up Idex before the end of this year will receive a handful of exclusive bonuses, including alternate gun skins and more. Alyx is on sale as part of a pre-purchase promotion through March 30, 2020.

Half-Life: Alyx was announced with our first look at some gameplay. We’ve compiled a list of everything we know about the game so far, including its estimated length, what platforms it’ll come to, its price, where it takes place in the Half-Life universe, and more. Alyx is expected to launch sometime in March 2020.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-to-get-half-life-alyx-for-free/1100-6471637/

Half-Life: Alyx Has Exclusive Content If You Buy A Valve Index This Year

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It’s been a long time coming, but Valve finally unveiled a new installment in its seminal Half-Life series, titled Half-Life: Alyx. The game is expected to launch on Steam in March 2020 and will be a “full-length” VR-only adventure set between the events of the original title and Half-Life 2. While Half-Life: Alyx is playable on all Steam-compatible VR headsets, you can get the game for free if you own Valve Index, and it’ll also come with some additional content–provided you buy one in time.

If you pick up Valve Index by the end of this year, you’ll receive a handful of exclusive bonuses. First, you’ll receive alternate gun skins in Half-Life: Alyx. You’ll also be able to explore environments from the game in your SteamVR Home space, and there will be “special” content themed after Half-Life: Alyx in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

You’ll get access to all of this additional content starting early 2020. You can read more about the Valve Index bonuses on the official Half-Life website.

As previously mentioned, you’ll also get Half-Life: Alyx for free if you own Valve Index. If you’re interested in playing it on other headsets, the game is available for pre-order right now on Steam, and you can get a 10% discount on it as part of a special promotion that runs through March 30, 2020.

Valve Index was released this past June and is Valve’s flagship VR headset. The company says Index was “built hand-in-hand” with Half-Life: Alyx, but it comes at a steep price–the headset alone is $499, while the Index kit retails for $999. GameSpot’s Michael Higham went hands-on with Valve Index and said, “It’s easy to see how Index can push VR gaming forward. However, like all enthusiastic-level platforms, it comes at a significant cost.”

Half-Life: Alyx arrives 13 years after the series’ last release, 2007’s Half-Life 2: Episode 2, which ended on a cliffhanger. You can read everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx so far in our roundup, and you can check out the first Half-Life: Alyx trailer here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-has-exclusive-content-if-you-buy-a-/1100-6471632/

Half-Life: Alyx Devs Include Firewatch’s Campo Santo Veterans

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Following the official reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, the next game in the series following a 12-year hiatus, games journalist Geoff Keighley released a new video in his Final Hours series focusing on its development. During this extended look at the new VR game, he spoke with Valve developers Robin Walker, David Speyrer, and Dario Casali to learn the inside story of the making of the next Half-Life game and what’s been going at Valve Software. As the developers spoke more about the making of Half-Life: Alyx, it was revealed that Firewatch developers at Campo Santo had been brought on to work on the game as well.

What’s interesting about this news is that in the days leading up to the reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, Campo Santo developers updated their social media and the official site to remove mentions of their follow-up to Firewatch, In The Valley Of Gods. Revealed back in 2017, the next game from Campo Santo would have been in a similar style to Firewatch, except that it was set in 1920s Egypt, and would follow the story of a young filmmaker exploring ancient ruins. The reveal trailer showed a lot of promise, and it featured a similar art-style from their previous game, blending cartoon-like visuals and colors with more realistic characters and a mature story. In April 2018, Valve acquired Campo Santo, and since then, things have been quiet in regards to their next game.

As of this time, the fate of In The Valley Of Gods hasn’t been revealed, though the fact that developers removed mentions of the game on their official site and social media is usually not a good sign. With that said, it is interesting to learn that Campo Santo will be offering up their creative talents to the Half-Life universe, especially for the first game in over 12 years. As a VR game, Half-Life: Alyx leans further on the franchise’s level of immersion and in-the-moment storytelling, which could make for an exciting return for the series. During the interview with Geoff Keighley, Valve developer David Speyrer stated Half-Life’s style and presentation made it the right game to bring to VR.

“We looked at Half-Life and the DNA of that product, and we saw that VR could enhance many of the elements,” said the developer. “Half-Life is about this cadence of story, combat, and puzzles, exploration, and interactions–and they seemed to be enhanced and reinvented in interesting ways by VR.”

For more, check out our roundup of everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-alyx-devs-include-firewatchs-campo-santo/1100-6471633/