New research to better understand the biological factors of suicidal behaviour Researchers at the University of Glasgow are embarking on two new PhD projects to better understand the impact that biological factors may have on suicidal behaviour.

What does 2023's Scottish Health Survey tell us about Scotland's population - from smoking rates to obesity, and alcohol consumption?

A new Nordic-style Open Kindergarten will be trialled in part of Scotland ahead of a potential roll-out across the country.

A rail service linking Scotland, Wales and England with one train journey is to start running for the first time. 

Health Secretary Neil Gray will address concerns around his use of a ministerial car to attend football games at Hampden.

A film about a campaign to ban greyhound racing in Scotland has won an animal welfare award at a ceremony in London.

Shetland Library and the National Library of Scotland have been praised for "providing optimist for the future."

The concierge team at The Balmoral have helped raise awareness for a special event to raise money for charity in memory of Scotland legend Doddie Weir.

The site, on the shores of a famous Scottish loch, has been acquired for a luxury lodge development

A new digital-first Gaelic language production will be launched in Scotland after a joint agreement between BBC Alba and BBC Scotland.

The best way to predict the review score of a game is to play a demo of it. So never trouble another for what you can do yourself. For every minute you are playing you lose sixty seconds of ignorance. And without Pokémon tooth brushing games, life would be a mistake.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 547: “Cancer Inducing External Hardrive” appeared first on RPGamer.

Chris launches a new MLM. Alex plays Shooty Souls. And Kelley reveals a new screenshot from her upcoming game. Now if you don't mind, we all have resolutions to go break.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 569: “Mario’s Essential Oils” appeared first on RPGamer.

Anna Marie practices equal opportunity violence. Kelley fawns over Sidon Shark (do do do do). Robert is the destroyer of Vitas. Josh is stress. Chris does some Neo Vision shaming. And Alex wonders why he allows this podcast on the site.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 571: “Hospital Hat Trick” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley gets a sweet message from her husband, while Josh is not convinced he wants to play the Untitled Groose Game. Anna Marie is warned off of spitting in Chris's briefs and calling it rain, and somehow we manage to get through two weeks of news including two big presentations!

The post RPG Cast – Episode 574: “We’re a Real Site in Our Hearts” appeared first on RPGamer.

It's just the core trio this week, as Chris tosses a coin to his hunting horn partner Kelley, and Anna Marie rolls her eyes as Chris cracks terrible jokes about what the Vita really means. We all consider MiHoYo's bottom line, as well as whether we're classified as normies.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 580: “Marshmallow Is Canon” appeared first on RPGamer.

It's the Old People Cast! Chris has issues with podcasts. Kelley asks if the gelatinous cube was worth it - it isn't. Pascal is buried under a giant pile of visual novels. Anna Marie comes down with typhoid. And Robert insists there's always room for more zippers.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 587: “The Real Puff Puff” appeared first on RPGamer.

The podcast trio is not at all ready for the flood of September releases. Anna Marie is kind of sick of the trigger, Chris insists Eclipse is owed an apology, and Kelley wants to know what is this garbage and how she can get more of it.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 599: “Serious Health Issues? No, Just a Cat” appeared first on RPGamer.

Josh and Scotty get into a father-son slap fight. Kelley ascends to divinity playing Picross. Johnathan sees how much his ZHP is worth and has to go make a transaction in a back alley. And Chris tries to justify life without a back button.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 601: “Tactical Baking RPG” appeared first on RPGamer.

Robert tells us who the babby daddy is. Kelley plays Dark Souls Tetris. Chris designs a very special bidet. And you get to breed with a ditto. Have fun!

The post RPG Cast – Episode 611: “All the Bidoofs I Released Before” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley ruins Warcraft by including Conker. Chris mortgages his Xbox. Josh's cat won't let him control his Xbox. And Microsoft has announced their new Candy Crush themed Windows 12.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 615: “The New Dialga Looks Like My Brother’s Broken Vacuum Cleaner” appeared first on RPGamer.

This week on RPG Cast, Chris asks Anna to go fix her truckers. Josh wants to date the robots. And Kelley has a hot Raymond.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 618: “Kirby’s Oral Fixation” appeared first on RPGamer.

Johnathan Stringer tries to sate your Saturn lust with a Satiator. Kelley Ryan was a naysayer, then she took a chaos to the knee. And Chris Privitere tries to calculate his age in internet memes.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 623: “Great Value Gundams” appeared first on RPGamer.

Josh's cat admits that, while he likes Josh, he is disposable. Robert works on his perfecting his boatsona cosplay. Chris orders acrylic bookends for the collector's editions he doesn't need. And Kelley learns that Final Fantasy XIV housing is an NFT in disguise.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 625: “Critical Hit to the Face of E3” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley goes down the Sega Strategy Game Rabbit Hole. Chris becomes a doily shill. And Josh wants Sega to release Valkyria Chronicles as many times as it takes until people like it!

The post RPG Cast – Episode 629: “Legally Distinct Ghost Rider” appeared first on RPGamer.

It's a duo show this week as Chris wants to try the fancy feast, while Kelley is deceived by that Oreo cookie look from her devil of a cat.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 637: “Alice Ate My Licorice” appeared first on RPGamer.

Chris takes his horse in for an oil change. Kelley droplifts bootleg amiibos at Target. Josh fantasizes about Nopon Tom Cruise.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 641: “It’s a Vestigial Wheel” appeared first on RPGamer.

Congested Kelley goes HONK! Chris runs over old people in GTA while distracting Anna Marie with Octopath. RPGamer tip of the week: If your game has more than 12 currencies, it's main stream.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 643: “Kinky Chemical Engineer” appeared first on RPGamer.

Tragedy strikes Kelley on the Beetle core. Phil doesn't expect the balloon inquisition. Chris brings his standard issue cat. And you all get to just sit there and wonder when the next Persona will come out.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 653: “What Really Sank Sega?” appeared first on RPGamer.

Chris gets trolled by the bear cave. Jason sets optics to stun. Josh is hiding in a rest stop bathroom. Kelley stretches harder than she did for The Witch and the Hundred Knight. Also, find out how to increase your poop by 10 and express your opinions about Dragon Quest Soundtracks.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 664: “We Need to Talk About Gambit” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley is the master of the hunting horn. Chris is too old to play Solid Snake. Robert only steals from old people. And Ryan stuffs all the kids into the cannon.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 667: “Nintendo Has an Animal Crossing Jail?” appeared first on RPGamer.

Chris walks in on Anna playing Tactics Ogre. Alex is head of the elemental winds. And Kelley's cat stole a banana.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 669: “The 1 of 1 Ring to Rule Them All” appeared first on RPGamer.

Sam brings the sexy back to RPG Cast. Chris goes down the rabbit hole of Skyrim Mods. Kelley's cannon stuffs kids into itself. And Josh collects a series of progressively larger vegetables.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 676: “Sending All Our Love to the Korok Down the Well” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley "accidentally" barbecues her horse. Josh slaps "Trails" onto Horizon: Forbidden West to get Americans to play it. Jason has to go get a tako taco.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 677: “My Parents Thought Final Fantasy Tactics Was a Strategy Guide” appeared first on RPGamer.

Phil wonders if you can pet the gator. Jason says that the wiener dog in a wheelchair is best companion. Kelley wishes there was CTRL+F in real life. Ryan wants a Trails of Cold Steel Wrestling Game.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 679: “Some People Call Me Toe Fungus” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley plays Atelier Rhianna. Chris puts his DnD characters into wrestling matches. Phil practices creepy gnome-cromancy. Someone fetch my Diablo 4 procrastination bucket.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 688: “Baldur-Curious” appeared first on RPGamer.

Josh enjoys the important things, like a hot springs mini-game. Kelley purchased Legos; sacrifices were made. Bethesda tells Chris it's his fault for not enjoying Starfield. Meanwhile, we just can't quit Kiryu.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 701: “Allergic to Good Games” appeared first on RPGamer.

Chris kink-shames Red XIII. Kelley violates the time space continuum with cat cafes. Josh is better at keeping things afloat than Embracer Group. Robert fails at being family friendly.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 711: “I’ve Always Wanted a Gaming Napkin” appeared first on RPGamer.

Kelley gets bored and cleans her bathroom. Memories of the Virtual Boy make Josh's eyes hurt. Robert can't stop singing about Albuquerque. Chris, meanwhile, decides to make his own farming sim with coffee shops and old people.

The post RPG Cast – Episode 719: “Good morning, everybody. Hairball!” appeared first on RPGamer.

On heritage, identity, and what it means and looks like to be a practicing artist today.

The post Interview: Tschabalala Self appeared first on Fact Magazine.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has swapped out its envoy on Virgin Australia’s board, putting in Warwick Negus.

A 10-year analysis of air accidents reveals good news for most passengers but worrying trends in training and drones.

THE world’s tech will undergo a transformation over just three weeks with a bonanza of new phones, tablets, smart watches and OLED 4K TVs.

KLEINER Perkins Caufield & Byers has agreed to invest in ephemeral message service Snapchat at a valuation of close to $US10 bn.

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Team Asobi in Sony's latest earnings report have announced Astro Bot has sold over 1.5 million units as of November 3, 2024.

Astro Bot released for the PlayStation 5 on September 6.

Our own Lee Mehr gave the game an 8.5 out of 10 in his review and said "As an ode to PlayStation, Astro Bot succeeds at meaningfully infusing its history; as an all-ages theme park, it succeeds by infusing each location with an overwhelming sense of joyous wonder most often felt in Nintendo platformers, but with a level of technical sophistication not yet seen from its hardware."

Read details on the game below:

Join ASTRO on a supersized space adventure.

When the PlayStation 5 mothership is attacked by ASTRO’s long-standing galactic nemesis, scrambling its wires and scattering the crew throughout space, only ASTRO can make things right! Setting off on his biggest mission yet, he needs your help to rescue the stranded crew and rebuild the mothership.

Make the most of ASTRO’s new power-ups, handcrafted to level up your immersion: from springy punches and rockets all the way to a giant sponge!

Buckle up for some epic PlayStation camaraderie, join forces with your favorite PlayStation icons and show the universe that small is mighty in this fresh new ASTRO adventure, exclusive to PlayStation 5 consoles!

Features:

• Embark on a galactic quest and explore more than 50 planets in search of ASTRO’s lost crew.
• Dash, swing, and rocket-punch your way through this journey, with all-new power-ups.
• Feel the world come to life via your DualSense wireless controller.
• Team up with iconic PlayStation heroes to save the galaxy!

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463015/astro-bot-sales-top-15-million-units/

Square Enix has revealed the lifetime sales for two of its biggest franchises Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

The Final Fantasy series has now sold over 195 million units worldwide and the Dragon Quest series has sold over 91 million units worldwide.

"The Square Enix Group also boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: Final Fantasy, which has sold over 195 million units worldwide; Dragon Quest, which has sold over 91 million units worldwide; and the legendary Space Invaders," said Square Enix.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463021/final-fantasy-series-sales-top-195m-dragon-quest-series-tops-91m/

Sony has released the US and European PlayStation Store downloads charts for September 2024.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 topped the PlayStation 5 charts in the US and Canada, as well as on the European charts. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero was number two in the US and Canada, as well as in Europe. Undisputed was number three in the US and Canada, while it was EA Sports FC 25 in Europe.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the most downloaded game on the PlayStation 4 charts in the US and Canada, while it was EA Sports FC 25 on the European charts. Minecraft was number two in the US and Canada, while it was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in Europe. Red Dead Redemption 2 was number three in the US and Canada, while it was The Forest in Europe.

Arizona Sunshine Remake topped the PlayStation VR2 charts in the US and Canada, as well as in Europe. Beat Saber VR was number two in the US and Canada, while it was The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR in Europe. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR was number three in the US and Canada, while it was Metro Awakening in Europe.

ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission topped the PlayStation VR charts in the US and Canada, while it was Batman: Arkham VR in Europe. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR was number two in the US and Canada, while it was The Exorcist: Legion VR in Europe.

Throne and Liberty topped the free-to-play US and Canada charts, and in Europe. Fortnite was number two in the US and Canada, and in Europe.

Here is the complete list of charts:

PS5 Games

PS4 Games

PS VR2 Games*

PS VR Games

Free to Play (PS5 + PS4)

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463025/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-tops-the-ps5-ps-store-download-charts-in-october/

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has remained in first place on the Australian charts, according to IGEA for the week ending November 3, 2024.

There were three new releases in the top 10 this week with Dragon Age: The Veilguard debuting in second place, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered in fourth place, and Life Is Strange: Double Exposure in ninth place.

Hogwarts Legacy is up one spot to third place, EA Sports FC 25 remained in fifth place, and Super Mario Party Jamboree dropped from second to sixth place.

Red Dead Redemption is in seventh place, NBA 2K25 is in eight place, and Battlefield 2042 rounds out the top 10.

Here are the top 10 best-selling titles in Australia for the week:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard - NEW
3. Hogwarts Legacy
4. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - NEW
5. EA Sports FC 25 
6. Super Mario Party Jamboree
7. Red Dead Redemption
8. NBA 2K25
9. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure - NEW
10. Battlefield 2042

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463028/dragon-age-the-veilguard-debuts-in-2nd-on-the-australian-charts/

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has remained in first place on the New Zealand charts, according to IGEA for the week ending November 3, 2024.

There were two new releases in the top 10 this week with Dragon Age: The Veilguard debuting in second place and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered in fourth place.

Hogwarts Legacy is down one spot to third place, Grand Theft Auto V is up three spots to fifth place, and NBA 2K25 climbed from ninth to sixth place.

Red Dead Redemption is in seventh place, Borderlands 3 is in eight place, Battlefield 2042 is in ninth place, and EA Sports FC 25 rounds out the top 10.

Here are the top 10 best-selling titles in New Zealand for the week:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard - NEW
3. Hogwarts Legacy
4. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - NEW
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. NBA 2K25
7. Red Dead Redemption
8. Borderlands 3
9. Battlefield 2042
10. EA Sports FC 25 

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463029/dragon-age-the-veilguard-debuts-in-2nd-on-the-new-zealand-charts/

Here we see data representing the sales through to consumers and change in sales performance of the three current platforms (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch) and two legacy platforms (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) over comparable periods for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Also shown is the market share for each of the consoles over the same periods.

Year to Date Sales Comparison (Same Periods Covered)

Market Share (Same Periods Covered)

2021 – (January 2021 to October 2021)

2022 – (January 2022 to October 2022)

2023 – (January 2023 to October 2023)

2024 – (January 2024 to October 2024)

"Year to date" sales for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 sales are shown in series at the top of the table and then just below a comparison of 2024 versus 2023 and 2024 versus 2022 is displayed.  This provides an easy-to-view summary of all the data.

Total Sales and Market Share for Each Year

Microsoft

• Xbox Series X|S
• 0.09 million units sold year-to-date
• Down year-on-year 0.03 million units (-23.2%)

Nintendo

• Nintendo Switch
• 2.47 million units sold year-to-date
• Down year-on-year 0.75 million units (-23.4%)

Sony

• PlayStation 5
• 1.16 million units sold year-to-date
• Down year-on-year 0.94 million units (-44.9%)
• PlayStation 4
• 0.01 million units sold year-to-date
• Down year-on-year 0.05 million (-77.2%)

Note: VGChartz 2024 estimates through October includes 44 weeks, while 2023, 2022, and 2021 estimates includes 43 weeks.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463009/ps5-vs-xbox-series-xs-vs-switch-2024-japan-sales-comparison-charts-through-october/

The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales comparison using our estimated video game hardware figures. The charts include comparisons between the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, as well as with older platforms. There are articles based on our worldwide estimates, as well as the US, Europe, and Japan.

This monthly series compares the aligned Japanese sales of the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

The PlayStation 5 launched in November 2020 in Japan, while the PlayStation 4 launched in February 2014. This does mean the holiday periods for the two consoles do not lineup.

PS5 Vs. PS4 Japan:

Gap change in latest month: 277,262 - PS4

Gap change over last 12 months: 300,542 - PS4

Total Lead: 234,400 - PS4

PlayStation 5 Total Sales: 6,121,649

PlayStation 4 Total Sales: 6,356,049

October 2024 is the 48th month the PlayStation 5 has been available for. In the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the PlayStation 4 when compared to the aligned launch of the PlayStation 5 by 0.28 million units.

In the last 12 months, the PS4 has outsold the PS5 by 0.30 million units. The PS5 is currently behind the PS4 by 0.23 million units.

The 48th month for the PS5 in Japan is October 2024, while for the PS4 it is January 2018. The PS5 has sold 6.36 million units, while the PS4 sold 6.12 million units during the same timeframe.

The PS4 crossed 7 million in month 53, 8 million in month 61, and 9 million in month 72. The PS4 has sold 9.68 million units to date. The PS5 is currently 3.56 million units behind the lifetime sales of the PS4 in Japan.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463011/ps5-vs-ps4-sales-comparison-in-japan-october-2024/