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Launch problems for H1Z1, Sony’s open-world zombie survival horror game, have dragged on into the sixth day, with the game now completely offline as a major patch is being introduced.

John Smedley, the president of Sony Online Entertainment, apologised on Twitter after a new bug slipped into the code while the team was trying to fix other problems. Fans found that the game’s servers fell offline on Tuesday at 2pm Pacific, then went back online several hours later, and went back down again moments after that.

At the time of going to press, the game is still offline and Smedley–having worked a punishing schedule to combat the launch problems–has decided to try and resolve the new problems as opposed to re-introducing the old patch.

Meanwhile, the game’s popularity has led to extensive queuing, which can last more than an hour, while Sony Online Entertainment is trying to invest in more servers for the EU territory. The burden of its popularity has led to numerous in-game bugs, to the detriment of features such as frame-rate and network stability.

The newest update, when its own bugs are removed and goes live, is expected to come with the following fixes:

• Fixed issue with loot rules which were preventing spawning items inside containers
• Metal Gate should now work properly
• Floating Arrows should no longer cause damage or obstruct vehicles.
• Structures are now more resistant to damage
• Zombies should no longer slide or attack while knocked down
• Dragging a stack of items that was too large to fit in your inventory would not move any of the stack. It now tops off as much as it can fit
• Fixed issue where the inventory wouldn’t accept the maximum it could hold when picking up items from proximity/containers.
• The dew collector should work now, seriously
• Adjusted many items so that they will stack in the inventory properly
• Added a recipe for a Metal Door that is more durable than a wooden door
• Additional server list sorting options are now available
• The inventory option “Delete” has been removed
• “Drop”, “Unload” and “Place” inventory options have been removed from proximity items
• Rebalanced melee damage, including fists
• Enabled melee headshot damage for NPC’s and players Have feedback on the new melee changes? Post them inJimmy’s thread here
• Fixed issue with the Runamok Toxic Cavern container not working
• Stagnant water can now be purified in barbecue.
• Bear meat can now be cooked on a barbecue.
• Rabbit stew can now be cooked. It now requires cooked rabbit meat instead of raw rabbit meat.
• Hammers, wrenches, and combat knives can now be melted down into bars inside of a furnace.
• Some larger items like the machete and AR15 now yield more metal bars when melted in a furnace.
• Animal traps now take damage.
• The animal trap recipe now require four nails.
• Fixed picking overlapping blackberry bushes where players sometimes had crouch to pick them successfully
• Fixed event tickets so that tickets found in the world are granted and the name and count show up properly

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Theme Hospital, the clinical management sim that has amassed a cult following since its 1997 release, is the latest free offering by Electronic Arts.

The iconic Bullfrog-developed game usually costs $4.99 (£3.99), but those who have downloaded the Origin platform can own it for free. As part of EA’s ongoing ‘On The House’ promotion, those who download it will have it in their library permanently.

Electronic Arts launched the ‘On the House’ promo in May with Visceral Games’ 2008 horror title Dead Space. The initiative is part of EA’s wider plan to foster a better relationship with the PC gamer community, having been voted Worst Company in America for two years running.

Other free games have included Plants vs. Zombies, Wing Commander III, Peggle, Dragon Age: Origins, and Bejeweled 3, among others.

‘On the House’ is one of many new digital services hosted by EA. Others include the subscription-based EA Access program, which gives Xbox One owners unlimited access to select EA titles, as well as digital content discounts and early access to upcoming games, for $5/month. Another new initiative is Origin Game Time, which offers up free play for PC games.

Further information on the EA Access deal can be found here.

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Apple has patented an iPhone design that shrewdly incorporates an analogue control stick into the Home button.

The pop-out button, when elevated from the phone itself, behaves in a similar manner to the PSP and Nintendo 3DS analogue nubs, allowing for 360-degree movement. If ever brought to market, the spring-mounted input would be the first time an iPhone used mechanical controls for games.

However, design patents are not solid confirmation of commercial rollout, and Apple has never publicly expressed a desire to change how its games function.

The patent, unearthed by Forbes, was filed in 2013 and only very recently was made public for the first time.

Presently, iPhone and Android games that require a more traditional controller input tend to add virtual analogue sticks and buttons onto the screen, though this imitation has not caught on with all developers. Many of the most successful iPhone games are built specifically for touch-screen input, while a few make use of the device’s accelerometers.

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