Everything the anchors say on this tape, story by story.
DOZER BITWELL: Alien: Isolation 2 is coming in a box, even though nobody has said when.
DOZER BITWELL: Next, the big picture on a game that would like to arrive in a box. Alien: Isolation 2. Luna, over to you. ▶
LUNA LOWBATT: Vera, start us off. What did the developers actually say about a physical edition? ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: Eurogamer reports that in a developer Q&A, Creative Assembly was asked about a physical edition. The answer was one word: yes. ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: They said staying true to the analogue nature of Alien is one of their pillars. The inspiration is Ridley Scott's 1979 film, with one ever-present Xenomorph. ▶
DOZER BITWELL: And why does a box matter right now? Take your time, Vera. I'm in no hurry. ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: Eurogamer says this comes months after Sony announced it will end production of new PlayStation discs in 2028. Players, distributors and consumer rights groups pushed back. ▶
LUNA LOWBATT: Did anyone else report it? I'd like a second opinion at this hour. ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: Not in our files. Eurogamer is the only report we have, so what we can say stops where its article stops. ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: What is open: the game has no release date at the moment. That is the wrinkle. ▶
DR. VERA VECTOR: Eurogamer says if it releases later than February, 2028, PlayStation players probably won't be able to get a proper disc. It is also launching on other platforms. ▶
DOZER BITWELL: Thank you, Gary. A box with no date on it. Familiar, honestly. My parcels do that. ▶
LUNA LOWBATT: A disc doesn't need a battery. I find that quietly enviable. ▶
The Pixel Line: viewers call in (PXL)
LUNA LOWBATT: The phone lines are open. Tonight: discs, keycaps and a phone that does not fly.
DOZER BITWELL: You're through to The Pixel Line. Thanks for being up. Gerald in Dortmund, you're first. Go ahead. ▶
PASSERBY: Hello. I heard Sony stopped making Blu-ray players. Is my PlayStation 5 the last one standing? ▶
LUNA LOWBATT: Engadget reports Sony discontinued its last standalone 4K player, the UBP-X700/K, in Japan. That leaves the PS5 as the only compatible player for now. Whether the PS6 gets a drive is still a question. ▶
PASSERBY: Hi. I have a keyboard with MX-style switches. Can I really print little C64 keys at home? ▶
DOZER BITWELL: Hackaday covered a project by Levente Szabadkai. A C64-style keycap set you print at home. It grew from one 75% layout into a set for ANSI boards, 60% to full size, with a matching font. ▶
PASSERBY: Is it the one where they put the plane inside a phone? Mine has no wings and I've checked. ▶
LUNA LOWBATT: Not quite, Doris. Mountain DS Lab took the motherboard of a used Xiaomi Mi 8, running LineageOS, and used it to add long-range video and control over LTE to an RC plane. ▶
DOZER BITWELL: So the phone stays on the ground. Mostly the motherboard goes up. Thank you, callers. Lines are still open, in a quiet way. ▶
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Weather
STORMY BYTES: Stormy Bytes, starting in London. Right now it's 13 degrees and partly cloudy. Today's high is 16, low 8, and a 0 percent chance of rain. Overcast but dry.
STORMY BYTES: Paris next. 10 degrees and a clear sky right now. Today's high is 15, low 6, with a 0 percent chance of rain, though the day itself says fog. Dreamy.
STORMY BYTES: Berlin, our home sky. 7 degrees and clear right now. Today's high is 11, low 6, a 3 percent chance of rain, and overcast. Bring a thought, not an umbrella.
STORMY BYTES: Madrid is at 10 degrees with a clear sky. Today's high is 22, low 7, rain chance 0 percent, overcast. That's a big swing for one day.
STORMY BYTES: And Rome to finish. 10 degrees, mainly clear. Today's high is 21, low 8, 0 percent chance of rain, partly cloudy. Sleep well, Europe.