TGS gameplay and reveals, Jason Schreier reports on the exploitation of publisher Nicalis while Nathan Grayson learns the secret to the success of Supergiant Games, Kate Willaert covers the first narrative video game and the woman that wrote it, Patrick Klepek talks to Rod Fergusson about his career of salvaging trainwrecks, Cecilia D'Anastasio looks at the rise of GameStop and former ideas of online and offline identities through the lens of adolescent escapism, excerpts from David L. Craddock's book Arcade Perfect tell the story of the slog to port Double Dragon to the Genesis/Mega Drive and how Mortal Kombat's blood changed the industry, some idie devs claim Steam's new recommendation update had made things even worse for them while others see no difference, Gears 5 has poor sales but is the most successful launch for the series, Discord removing games from their Nitro Subscription program, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Resident Evil spin-off Project Resistance gets its first gameplay overview trailer

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When it was teased earlier this week, Capcom described its forthcoming Resident Evil spin-off, Project Resistance, as a "team-based survival horror". There was little else in the way of solid information save a cinematic trailer, but now a thorough gameplay overview has hit YouTube, and you can watch it above.

Resident Evil Project Resistance makes being evil so much fun

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Playing as the cruel Mastermind is an intense and immensely satisfying experience

Capcom producer addresses concerns about Resident Evil spin-off Project Resistance

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Capcom producer Matt Walker has responded to “a lot” of Resident Evil fans unhappy the company is trying something new with upcoming spin-off Project Resistance rather than focusing on the franchise’s established formula.

New Gameplay Today – Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

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Joe Juba and Ben Hanson join Cork and Leo to weigh in on new gameplay from a hotly anticipated take on a historic franchise.

Empire Of Sin Gameplay And Impressions | Empire Of Sin Is XCOM meets The Untouchables

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Empire Of Sin puts you in the shoes of a selection of both real and fictionalised cheeky criminal mafia mobster pals and tasks you with building up your crime empire in intricate detail, and to retain control of that empire with tactical turn-based combat that is like XCOM meets The Untouchables. Alice Bell gives us her impressions with some Empire of Sin gameplay.

Death Stranding: 49 Minutes of New Gameplay (Japanese VO) - TGS 2019

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Hideo Kojima shows off monsters, motorcycles and more in this gameplay commentary from TGS 2019.

Hideo Kojima Answers Our Questions About Death Stranding

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The last week has been a busy one for Hideo Kojima. Even with Death Stranding in the final stretch approaching release, the legendary creator took the stage at Tokyo Game Show for two separate live presentations showing off his unique and difficult-to-explain project. While we learned a lot from watching those demonstrations, they also raised many questions about how Death Stranding works and what it tries to convey. What is the goal behind the asynchronous multiplayer? What do "likes" do? How has the game changed since its inception? To get the answers to these questions and more, we visited the Kojima Productions studio in Tokyo for an interview with Hideo Kojima himself.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Tokyo Game Show 2019 Trailer (Closed Captions)

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The evil Shinra corporation rules the world with an iron fist and continues to spin its web of lies. Have the rebels, known as Avalanche, bitten off more than they can chew?

Final Fantasy VII Remake Seems Popular At The Tokyo Game Show

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In what should surprise absolutely no one, Final Fantasy VII Remake is drawing long lines at the Tokyo Game Show. I think people in Japan might be excited about this game. Call it a hunch!

Human Head's Viking action-RPG Rune 2 gets a release date

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Align with Thor, Hel, or Odin, and finally put a stop to Loki's nonsense this November.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection introduces a clever twist on speedrunning with Z Chaser mode

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Teased during the initial announcement, Capcom has unveiled the details surrounding Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection's new "Z Chaser Mode." A clever twist on speedrunning, Z Chaser will allow you to verse a computer ghost in a split-screen battle to best your own times on different levels. It will even feature support for local versus and online scoreboards. This is bringing back memories me downloading ghosts in PGR2 to perfect my lap times.

System Shock 3 Pre Alpha Gameplay Teaser 1080p

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Here is some new pre-alpha gameplay footage for System Shock 3!

PS4, XB1, PC | TALES OF ARISE – TGS 2019 - A Fateful Encounter

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A man numb to pain, and woman whose very touch deals nothing but...pain. How will the story unfold between Alphen and Shionne?

Nioh 2 - TGS 2019 Trailer | PS4

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Nioh 2 launches early 2020.

Nioh 2 adds more complexity, also lets you pet a cat

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Team Ninja adds more of just about everything for its Nioh sequel

Here are 20 more minutes of The Outer Worlds gameplay from TGS

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The Tokyo Games Show is underway this weekend, and there’s new footage on display from The Outer Worlds, Obsidian’s upcoming Wild West-flavored spacefaring RPG. The build is for the TGS audience, which means the UI is in Japanese, but it does give you a sense of some moment-to-moment gameplay and character dialogue thanks to the English voiceover.

Why Yacht Club is Handing Shovel Knight Dig to Nitrome

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“We wanted another Shovel Knight game,” says Alec Faulkner of Yacht Club Games, “but we didn’t want to make it. We’re sick of making Shovel Knight games. And we’re still making one of our own!”

Thinbloods and the Politics of Living Forever: An Interview with Bloodlines 2 Writer Cara Ellison

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The idea of Bloodlines is that humans themselves are worse than vampires. Humans themselves are destroying the world. For vampires, they want to live forever, but humans are destroying the world. Humans are creating climate change. The world is going to burn up at some point and vampires live forever; they're like, "Humans are not going to let us [live forever]." That's a big problem for vampires, is that they live forever. So, especially because Seattle is this big tech center and our game is centered on Seattle, it's going to be a big problem for vampires in particular because they live here.

Book of Travels is a TMO: A tiny multiplayer online game

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How do you make an MMO on an indie studio's budget? Well, you don't. It'll never work. So instead Might and Delight, the studio behind Shelter and its sequel, are making what they call a TMO instead: A tiny multiplayer online game.

Onion Games interview with Moon writer Yoshiro Kimura at TGS 2019

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After the first day of Tokyo Game Show 2019 came to an end, Gematsu met up with Moon writer Yoshiro Kimura to discuss the recently announced Switch port of the 1997-released PlayStation RPG, as well as his thoughts on role-playing games, sequels, and their plans for the future.

Stalker-like Chernobylite hits early access next month

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The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a real place where (almost) nobody lives, but it’s been packed to the gills with its own modern mythology and lore largely thanks to the secrecy that surrounded the nuclear plant disaster there in 1986. Videogames have visited the site many times, and we’re about to get a new chance to check it out in Chernobylite, a new game from The Farm 51 that wears its Stalker influences on its sleeve.

Mondo Museum will help put together your dream exhibition next year

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Running a museum, I imagine, is probably quite hard work. Academia is a nightmare to deal with, VIP visitors and families want to be entertained. Ben Stiller’s chasing a tiny wax Owen Wilson all over the shop and the T-Rex skeleton has gotten loose, again. Developers Viewport Games reckon that sounds like an absolute riot, and have only gone and thrown together their own museum-builder. Scrap your plans to go to the galleries with your gran next year – we’re planning a trip to Mondo Museum.

Undertale creator shares a development update on Deltarune, including new music

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It’s been close to a year since the first part of Deltarune launched, and while it was a tantalising glimpse of what to expect in the wake of Undertale, we still don’t know much more about what the full game will look like. Over the weekend, creator Toby Fox shared a few details on Deltarune’s development in celebration of Undertale’s fourth birthday.

New GUILTY GEAR Sol and Ky Trailer - TGS2019

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Released for the first time in 1998, the 2D fighting game series GUILTY GEAR celebrated its 20th birthday in 2018.
We know you have already seen the trailer of the long-awaited newcomer to the series.
And we will reveal another one during the upcoming CEOtaku, which will take place on September 27-29th, 2019.

Gungrave GORE Official Cinematic Trailer - TGS 2019

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Gungrave GORE is a true sequel of Gungrave O.D, a cult classic game that was released 15 years ago.

Resi-inspired zombanger Daymare: 1998 is out now

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Daymare: 1998 is the zombie survival horror shooter from the team who started out with a fan remake of Resident Evil 2, before getting an awkward “could you not” from Capcom in 2015.

The Division 2 Developers Promise Some Good Changes For October

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Ending a month-long hiatus, The Division 2’s otherwise weekly State of the Game stream returned today with promises of a wave of encouraging changes to the game’s loot, and a change in how content will be beta-tested, that should make the game’s season pass a less regrettable purchase.

Total War: Three Kingdoms revising plans following Eight Princes DLC feedback

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How curious it was the first DLC following the mega-hit launch of Total War: Three Kingdoms (the fastest-selling of the series so far, they boast) skipped past the end of the Three Kingdoms era to tell a story of a follow-up civil war. Developers Creative Assembly now suggest that the Eight Princes DLC was perhaps a misstep, and say they’re bending their plans following player feedback. They also assure they are working on DLC that “adds significantly to the main campaign.”

Thank God, Next Year's 'Control' DLC Will Apparently Involve [Redacted]

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The premise for 'Control' gives Remedy a chance to do almost everything, and they're really gonna go for it.

The Small But Important Change 'Celeste' Made to Its Celebrated Assist Mode

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More than 100 new levels were added to Celeste this week, alongside a small bit of story, a poignant goodbye to Madeline and their attempt to scale a magic mountain. It also features a small but important tweak to the text introducing the game’s “Assist mode,” a way to alter Celeste’s finely tuned rules and mechanics, up to and including death. Among other changes, it now says Celeste was “intended” to be difficult. Before, it was “essential.” It’s an alteration that came because of a collaboration between Celeste’s developers and its fans, a way to bridge the gap between well-meaning creatives and players impacted by their choices.

Discord’s Nitro Games library is being shut down due to lack of use

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Developers can still sell their games through Discord, however

PewDiePie Has To Explain That His $50,000 Pledge To An Anti-Hate Group Is Legit

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In a video yesterday, Felix “Pewdiepie” Kjellberg announced a generous $50,000 donation to the Anti-Defamation League, a 100-year-old advocacy organization founded to combat anti-Semitism. Kjellberg, who was celebrating his 100,000,000-follower touchstone on YouTube, explained in his video that “I feel like I’ve finally come to terms with the responsibility I have as a creator—about 100,000,000 subs too late, but you know.”

PewDiePie pulls $50,000 pledge to Jewish anti-hate group after fan backlash

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Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg is pulling his $50,000 pledge to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after his initial announcement drew backlash from parts of his fan base.

Nintendo files multimillion-dollar lawsuit against ROM website

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The company alleges the site, RomUniverse, is ‘built largely on brazen and mass scale infringement’

Borderlands 3's Review Situation Sure Is Strange

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Borderlands 3 reviews hit the internet this morning, but only at a select few websites, thanks to a bizarre scenario that publisher 2K says is in place because of security concerns.

Borderlands 3 has doubled Borderlands 2’s peak player count on PC

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Borderlands 3 is a six-month timed exclusive on the Epic Games Store, and since at this point Epic does not share sales figures or aggregate player data, it isn’t possible to independently verify Pitchford’s numbers. But if he’s right, that means in its first day in the wild, Borderlands 3 hit a peak of nearly 250,000 concurrent players on PC alone. Borderlands 2 hit an all-time peak player count of 124,678 back when it launched on Steam.

Steam's Discovery update is making things worse for some indie developers

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Affected developers claim it still favours games that are already popular, but others haven't noticed any changes.

Rockstar Has Its Own PC Games Launcher Now

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Rockstar Games has released a new digital launcher for its games on PC. The new launcher, creatively titled the Rockstar Games Launcher, is a way for players to buy and play Rockstar games. It’s very bare-bones at the moment, but it works. Mostly.

Twitch Suspends Streamer After She Wears Chun-Li Cosplay

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“I actually bought one size up to ensure that the slit wasn’t too high,” said Quqco in an email to Kotaku. “The slit of this dress is cut lower than some runner shorts I own.”

Twitch's Latest Crackdowns On 'Sexual' Content Are Leaving Streamers Baffled

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In addition to Quqco, several other notable streamers have received suspensions or warnings from Twitch about sexually suggestive content in the past few days. Late last week, IRL streamer Bridgett Devoue was given a three-day suspension for “sharing or engaging in sexually suggestive content or activities,” but Twitch did not elaborate any further. Over the weekend, Overwatch streamer Fareeha got hit with a warning (and a 90-day probationary period) after wearing a sports bra and baggy shorts at the gym. Also over the weekend, art streamer Saruei found herself on the wrong side of a warning for drawing “nudes,” despite the fact that her characters—while hentai-inspired and scantily clad—are clothed. Today, Twitch suspended her for three days.

Gears 5 sales are bad – it is also the most successful launch in series history

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It’s 2019, and the standards for a game’s success are rapidly shifting. Gears 5 sales – at least in the UK – have been just a fraction of its predecessors, yet Microsoft is saying that this is “biggest launch week of any Xbox Game Studios title this generation.” Microsoft has run a whole bunch of heavy promotion for Xbox Game Pass leading into the new title’s release, and it looks like the subscription era is truly upon us.

DCMS recommends UK Government regulates loot boxes under the Gambling Act

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The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has recommended the Government regulates loot boxes under the Gambling Act.

Esports News

Video Games Get One Step Closer To Being In The Olympics

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Although the Olympics are known more physical competitive pursuits like gymnastics and swimming, the organization has been inching closer and closer to the world of esports over the last few years. Its latest toe dip into the water comes in the form of a $500,000 gaming tournament hosted with Intel, held during the lead-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Hearthstone pro caught playing Auto Chess during Grandmasters league match after making huge mistake

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Linh "Seiko" Nguyen threw a Hearthstone match because he was playing a qualifier for a $1,000,000 Auto Chess tournament at the same time.

Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)

Savior

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Use wits, combat and parkour to rebuild a divided world in this 2D action-adventure game.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

Inside The Ghosting, Racism, And Exploitation At Game Publisher Nicalis

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Ghosting stories like these are common when it comes to Nicalis, a game developer and publisher that has grown big in the independent scene thanks to smash hits like Cave Story and Binding of Isaac but also has cultivated a reputation for mistreating employees and outside developers. Nicalis, based in Orange County, California, employs a staff of around 20 and handles a number of ports, re-releases, and original games, usually developed with external partners. In recent years, fans have noticed some public scuffles between Nicalis and game developers, but the extent of Nicalis’s troubled history has not yet been revealed.

The Secret To The Success Of Bastion, Pyre, And Hades: No Forced Crunch, Yes Forced Vacations

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It’s been ten years since Supergiant Games opened its doors. The team put all of their hopes into the studio’s debut game, Bastion, an action-RPG with a narrator. It succeeded with flying colors. Since then, the studio has released Transistor, Pyre, and Hades, every single one receiving critical acclaim and financial success. The team’s big secret? Everybody’s actually happy about working there.

Why Super Meat Boy Forever Is Taking Forever

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Super Meat Boy designer Tommy Refenes knew that the name Forever was cursed territory in video games. Originally, he wanted to give the sequel to his pioneering tough-as-nails indie platformer a different title: Super Meat Boy ∞, pronounced “Super Meat Boy Infinity.” He decided, though, that it’d have been too confusing.

THE SUMERIAN GAME: THE MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO GAME YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF

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Long before Carmen Sandiego or The Oregon Trail... …there was The Sumerian Game.

Designed for grade schoolers in 1964, it was as innovative as it is forgotten.

Confessions Of A Teenaged Strip-Mall GameStop Delinquent

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Like a drug store or a supermarket, GameStop has become more of a utility provider than something a teen might wrap their identity around. Games, too. Playing Fortnite doesn’t furnish a special identity so much as a communion with pop culture at large, eating a tasteless wafer with an image of Ninja pressed into it. The games industry generated $135 billion in 2019, and not purely off the backs of outcasts and idiosyncratics. In 2019, the fact that a person plays video games doesn’t say a lot about them. The escapist tendency is strong in most of us, no stronger in gamers than in those who compulsively use Instagram or comment on New York Times articles. We can’t pretend anymore that the places online we escape to are entirely separate from what we’re escaping from when escapism itself has become an industry optimized to distort these base desires.

The Story Behind the Tireless Slog of Porting 'Double Dragon' to Genesis

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Back then, game companies basically dumped an arcade machine in your lap and said "good luck."

Nearly 30 years ago, Mortal Kombat’s blood forever changed the video game industry

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Two engineers from Midway pulled their truck up to an arcade, threw open the shutter door, and rolled out a plain black cabinet. They wheeled it into the cool, dimly lit den of flashing screens and plugged it in near two of Capcom’s Street Fighter 2 machines. Then they waited.

The Perpetual Tomorrow of Virtual Reality

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VR still hasn’t matched the reveries of science fiction. But for developers, hope springs eternal.

'Gears 5' Director on His Career of Salvaging Game Development Trainwrecks

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A lengthy chat with Rod Fergusson about his long road in games, going from a fixer who helped ship 'Counter-Strike' for Xbox, 'Gears of War,' and 'BioShock Infinite,' to running a studio.

Life is Strange 2 interview with Michel Koch: Family, religion, and race

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Life is Strange 2 has been a heavy story from Dontnod Entertainment, one that Shacknews was eager to speak to co-game director/art director Michel Koch about. We get raw about the past two episodes, the role of religion, forgiveness, and the touchy subject of race.

Why are games journalists giving Kentucky Fried Chicken free advertising?

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I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator appeared earlier this week as an official, free KFC-themed dating simulator set to roll out Sept. 24. The game features a romanceable (and ridiculously attractive) Colonel Sanders, along with multiple endings, anime-style art, and a full-fledged story to enjoy. Oh, and it looks fun.

Masahiro Sakurai's Arcade Days Taught Him To Be Mindful Of All Types Of Players

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In the arcades, when I was younger, there was a game called King of Fighters 95, and I thought I was pretty good. I had a 50-strong win streak on Street Fighter 2 around that time. So I was playing King of Fighters once – and the way arcades are set up in Japan, you can’t really see the person you’re playing against, because you’re on opposite sides of the cabinet. I was feeling pleased with myself because I was winning, and it turned out to be a total beginner with their partner, just trying to have fun, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I shouldn’t have beaten them so badly. Now they’re going to feel like they never want to play it again!’ It’s important to think about the beginner crowd.

Most video games ask me to do everything, which makes doing nothing so fun

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Adam Robinson-Yu’s indie exploration game subverts my expectation of ‘winning’

Control freak: Inside the narrative design of Remedy's least linear game

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In an effort to better understand the making of the game's critically-acclaimed narrative Gamasutra chatted with Brooke Maggs, a narrative designer at Remedy who has previously worked on The Gardens Between, Florence, and Paperbark, about her experience working to craft Control's eerie setting.

It's Hard to Keep Returning to Video Game Apocalypses

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Postscript is Cameron Kunzelman's weekly column about endings, apocalypses, deaths, bosses, and all sorts of other finalities. There’s a part of the back story for Remedy’s Alan Wake that I’ve been entranced by since I first played the game.

Decades before the plot of the game takes place, a writer named Thomas Zane discovers that he can use his writing talent to resurrect his dead wife. It goes awry. You can’t turn back the clock. It’s a deal with dark forces. You know the drill. In the horrible aftermath he realizes that he can use the same power to reverse everything, to unring a bell, and so he does. He writes himself and the horror he’s brought to the world through his necrography out of existence.

This is the last regular Postscript column.

20 years later, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is still a frightening prophecy

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Should the good guys always win?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the Cruel Realities of White Phosphorous

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Regardless of the rationale behind the variety of wars throughout history, there's one commonality they all share: they are all a tragedy. As a Marine, I tried my best to conduct myself as a humane, professional warrior. No matter who you fight for, your job is to kill the enemy. People were trying to kill me and I, in turn, was trying to kill them. But I also had no desire for anyone to suffer needlessly. I believe in the Laws of War. The battlefield is hellish enough with us already trying our hardest to kill one another. Adherence to the accepted international rules of combat prevent unnecessary suffering, provide guidelines for proportional responses, and define humane treatment of prisoners of war.

A tale of revenge and murder in Rust

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We often publish uplifting articles on here about the positive impact of games. Whether that be a Skyrim-playing grandma immortalised in the next Elder Scrolls game, or a memorial to a modder's dog - games have an incredible power to heal and soothe. This story's about vengeance.

Designing the Powerful Loneliness of The Long Dark

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Become a PATRON to unlock more videos https://www.patreon.com/noclip

We talk to Raphael van Lierop about designing the solitude of The Long Dark, how people have used the game to escape, and creating a world which challenges the player to make impossible decisions to survive.

Insurgency Documentary - The Mod That Started it All | Gameumentary

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Escapist Magazine and Gameumentary are proud to present our first documentary series here on Escapist featuring the Insurgency franchise developed by New World Interactive.

Greedfall: Colonial Bullsh*t? - Conquest of Dread

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Okay whanau, had to smash this one out super quick because I'm big mad about the made up videogame people!

Because I smashed this one out so fast it doesn't really have all the bells and whistles that my videos normally do, it's more like my first video, just a relatively straight forward video essay/rant; so my apologies for that I just really needed to get it off my chest!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/conquestofdread

The Animation of Hollow Knight

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At long last, I'm enjoying this beautiful game and making a video on it!

Please consider supporting the channel through Patreon to help improve the quality of research, editing, footage capture, animation and overall production of each episode: www.patreon.com/DanRoot

The World Design of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | Boss Keys

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Metroid Prime 3 might be best known for its inventive pointer-based control scheme. But in this video, let's take a close look at its world(s) design to see what it can tell us about making Metroidvanias.

Remembering The Bureau: XCOM Declassified / GAMESD

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In this video, I explore 2013's bygone XCOM period piece The Bureau.

If you want to see your name here, consider supporting the GAMESD project for a dollar per video: https://www.patreon.com/hotcyder

Suda 51's Blood+ | The Missing Link Between Killer7 & No More Heroes

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https://www.patreon.com/thegamingbritshow

Suda 51's Blood+ One Night Kiss, a No More Heroes Prototype.

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

Larian Studios breaks into Valve for Divinity: Original Sin 2

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What happens when you use magic to bypass an ironclad security system that include the best creations that Valve games have to offer? Watch Swen as he attempts to pull off the greatest heist of all. Deep in the depths of the Valve Server Vaults. Our save files, adventure and treachery await...

Nintendo Direct reveals new games, ports, and translations. Eurogamer on reaching 20 and adapting to industry changes, Game Maker's Toolkit's new series aims to chart the history of game design by looking at the most influential games, Daryl Talks Games examines Dead Cell's connection with the psychology behind loss aversion, Doc Burford on the desire people have to see their hobby validated by championing games that attempt to be intellectual and his desire to see people seek out more for themselves, Steam designer explains why Valve doesn't comment on exclusives after previous comments acted as a lightning rod for harassment, Nintendo wins case to block piracy and modding websites, Anthony McGlynn on the growing alliance between esports and the US military, Jimmy Maher covers the history of the Origin Systems and EA merger, Jacob Geller on Control and Anatomy and the legacy of the haunted house, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Nintendo Direct 9.4.2019

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Watch exclusive Nintendo news-broadcast directly to you, the player!

Nintendo Direct Recap: A Deluge of Ports From September 2019 Onward

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From Overwatch to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, here's a recap of all the announcements.

Cult-classic RPG Moon coming to Switch on October 10 in Japan, later worldwide

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Onion Games will release Moon, the cult-classic RPG that first launched for the original PlayStation in October 1997, for Switch via the Nintendo eShop on October 10 in Japan for 1,980 yen, and at a later date worldwide, the company announced.

Wii U Gem Tokyo Mirage Sessions Is Coming To Switch

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Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, the crossover between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, is coming to Switch. Rejoice!

The Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Beta Is A Debate On What A Ghost Recon Needs To Be

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Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, the follow-up to 2017’s popular and controversial Ghost Recon: Wildlands, kicked off its closed beta weekend yesterday, letting players who pre-ordered the game take on two early story missions and a host of side missions that ostensibly will give players a clearer picture of what to expect when the game launches October 4. Almost immediately, players have been polarized over what’s arguably the game’s most prominent new features: its new gear system.

Kerbal Space Program 2 Will Have Real Science Underlying Its Wacky Spaceships

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One generally accepted idea about outer space is that it’s really, really hard to get there. It took pretty much the whole of human existence for any of us hairless apes to sail among the stars, and we basically had to break the concept of physics to make it happen. That in mind, the developers of Kerbal Space Program 2 have an interesting challenge on their hands: They want their pseudo-sim to be both more accessible than its predecessor, but also more grounded in authentic, mind-bogglingly complex science.

Deadly Premonition 2 gets a surprise announcement

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Deadly Premonition is one of the best, or worst, videogames of all time, depending who you ask. I sit firmly in the former camp, so it's very exciting indeed that a surprise sequel has just been announced. It's called Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise.

V1 Interactive's Disintegration Interview - Pax West 2019

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Kahlief gets his hands on one of his most anticipated titles in Disintegration and comes away with an exclusive interview with Game Director Marcus Lehto.

Predator: Hunting Grounds Interview - Pax West 2019

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After wrecking fools in his first play session of Predator: Hunting Grounds, Kahlief talks with Illfonic's CEO Charles Brungardt to talk about how they are integrating all the goodness from the 87' film into the game and much much more.

Rogue Company is the new game from Paladins and Smite maker, will support cross-play and cross-progression

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Rogue Company is a 5v5, third-person, class-based shooter/melee hybrid. Although it was announced on last night’s Nintendo Direct, the game is also coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One, alongside Switch at some point in 2020.

Daemon X Machina’s Flashy Mech Gameplay In Action

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Daemon X Machina, out September 13, is a stylish third-person action game from Marvelous with a feedback loop fine-tuned for finding fun in blowing stuff up, getting money, and upgrading your mech. The fact that it’s on the Switch makes its snack-sized levels ideal for grinding on the go. The game dishes out chunks of fun anime-style action on funky color palettes. It gets a little repetitive, and the plot is barely intelligible, but there’s still a decent amount to like about Daemon X Machina.

‘1000 Days To Escape’ Deals With Climate Change, Space, And Irony

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1000 Days to Escape has a unique origin story according to programmer Alexey Kashlakov. “During development, me and the game designer decided to leave our jobs to finish the game. We rented an office at a Soviet-era factory. Workers that manufacture train parts outside have no clue about what we are doing here,” he writes.

Journey to the Savage Planet is the comedy Metroid Prime I didn’t know I wanted

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The developers of Journey to the Savage Planet have been calling the game a Metroidvania since it was announced back at The Game Awards, but it wasn’t until I got to play it that I realised the influence is much more specific than that – it’s Metroid Prime. Sure, we’re trading foreboding galactic jungles and decrepit research stations for a much more colourful, pulp-inspired flavour of sci-fi, but there’s no mistaking the influences of this first-person exploration game.

Marvel's Avengers Hands-On: Gear, Skills, and Co-Op Explained

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You know who The Avengers are, but now Square Enix explains how you'll play them.

Haven Is A Sci-Fi RPG About Being In A Long-Term Relationship

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Usually, video game romances are about hot and heavy beginnings or fiery ends. Even visual novels often focus on the new and novel, rather than relationships that are doing their best to withstand the test of time. Haven, set to release next year, is different. It’s a game about a long-term relationship—ups, downs, squabbles, awkward moments, and all.

With FIFA 20, it feels like EA Sports has finally fixed pace

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There's one thing that always stands out above all the other ratings chatter, though: pace. Pace is how fast a player is, obviously, but it's come to represent a couple of very specific things since Ultimate Team really came to prominence. First, of course, it is the actual number on the front of a player's card, incorporating an average of their Acceleration and Sprint Speed stats into a single number. This tends to go up and down each year for most players and if it goes up or down too drastically, people don't really like it.

Project Resistance is a team-based Resident Evil spin-off

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Watch the first teaser, featuring a remote-controlled Mr X.

Cloudpunk trailer teases a new driver's first night in the big city

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The cyberpunk courier game will get its first public showing next week at the Tokyo Game Show.

Kojima on Death Stranding: “Even now, I don’t understand the game”

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“Its world view, gameplay, they are all new. My mission is to create a genre that does not currently exist, and which takes everyone by surprise. There is, naturally, a risk in that…”

Death Stranding has a very easy mode for movie fans, Kojima says

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In a tweet, Kojima said because Death Stranding stars actors such as Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen and Léa Seydoux, movie fans who do not necessarily play video games will be interested in playing Death Stranding. Very easy mode, then, makes Death Stranding accessible to those people.

To totally know this game’s character, you must erase every single page of her diary

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Visual novel If Found... explores memories by wiping them away

The Surge 2 - Exclusive 13 Minutes Of Official Gameplay

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Take a look at this exclusive gameplay of the Surge 2 showing multiple weapons and a boss fight against the Delver!

Smart City Plan brings data-driven urban planning next year

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If you live in the UK, you’ve probably heard those ads about smart meters that’ll tell you what bits of your home are whirring away using the most energy. Take that principle and apply it to all the stuff you might want to do in a city builder and you’ve got Smart City Plan.

Darksiders Genesis - Official "Introducing War" Trailer

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War is returning. Unleash Chaoseater upon unending swarms of enemies when Darksiders Genesis comes to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch, Steam, and Stadia.

Planet Zoo - Immortal guests, exotic architecture, habitat restrictions

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Caroline had the chance to play Planet Zoo, the upcoming zoo management sim from Frontier at Gamescon 2019. She also spoke with Lisa Bauwens, a senior artist with Frontier about the development of Planet Zoo, ranging from cute fuzzy animals to the new Indian architecture.

Luigi's Mansion 3: Scream Park Mode Reveal

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Get your first look at the new local multiplayer mode for Luigi's latest ghost-busting adventure.

Super Kirby Clash Gameplay Reveal

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Gameplay - Nintendo Direct

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A Kirby cameo, Dungeon Maker, and more highlight the latest look at Switch's Link's Awakening remake.

Terry Bogard in Smash Bros. Ultimate REVEAL TRAILER

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The fourth DLC character coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate is Fatal Fury's Terry Bogard, just revealed in the 9.4.19 Nintendo Direct! Check out the trailer here!

Hitman 2’s September roadmap sends Agent 47 to The Maldives

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Looks like Agent 47's summer vacation is officially over.

Remnant: From the Ashes is getting an 'Adventure Mode' and a new dungeon

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The third-person survival shooter Remnant: From the Ashes is getting a new Adventure Mode later this week that will enable players to "re-roll" the Ruined Earth, Rhom, and Yaesha biomes without having to play all the way through the main campaign first. Developer Gunfire Games said the new mode, which can be activated from the World Stone in Ward 13, will let players "explore dungeons,encounter new enemies, or fight their favorite (or toughest!) world bosses" in dynamically generated biomes.

Gears 5 to receive major content updates every 3 months

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Gears 5 developer The Coalition has revealed ambitious plans for post-launch support.

Gears 5 earns praise for its accessibility options

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Gears 5 has been lauded for having excellent accessibility options for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Gears 5 Steam version has been pulled in China

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This is according to ‘TC Octus’, Senior Community Manager at The Coalition, who posted a message on the Steam forums titled “Important notice for Chinese players”. The developer says that there is “a specific issue” that is preventing Gears 5 players in China from “accessing the complete game”.

Gears 5 was pulled from sale in China, so fans are review-bombing it

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Gears 5 is being review-bombed on Steam by Chinese users who are unable to play the game. The latest offering in the series released worldwide last week, but was pulled from sale in China, making it unplayable for fans in the region, many of whom are now registering their dissatisfaction.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is getting Gotrek, Felix, and Brian Blessed

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And the Total War: Warhammer content keeps coming. The Hunter and the Beast DLC is due next week and will come alongside a free Legendary Lord, Gor-Rok, and as if that weren’t enough, the mighty Gotrek and Felix will join the fun on October 17. And they’ll also be free.

Civilization 6 battle royale ditches the civs and cities but keeps the nukes

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Red Death, the new turn-based battle royale mode for Civ 6, starts out slow but gets more fun as the circle closes.

Celeste's Upcoming Free DLC Closes Out The Story

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In a surprise announcement, the folks behind Celeste revealed that the endearing puzzle-platformer will be getting some new content in just a few days. Chapter 9: Farewell will launch, appropriately, on September 9.

Celeste developer says that a sequel is not in the works

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The upcoming free DLC will be the last addition to the game as they move onto a new project.

You can build your own botanical garden in Anno 1800's latest DLC expansion

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Ubisoft's acclaimed Industrial-Revolution-era city-builder Anno 1800 is rolling up its greensleeves and getting ready to turn over a new leaf, thanks to its horticulturally themed second paid DLC, Botanica, which arrives today on PC.

Days Gone’s New Game Plus and extra difficulty modes arrive next week

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I’m excited to announce that Days Gone will be releasing its New Game Plus mode. This has been the most requested fan feature since we launched back in April, and it will be available on 13th September through a downloadable update.

Endless Space 2's Awakening expansion out next week, introduces new Nakalim faction

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Endless Space 2, developer Amplitude's 4X sci-fi strategy game, will be venturing further into the unknown next week, 12th September, with the arrival of its latest expansion, Awakening.

Life is Strange 2 will be removed from digital storefronts in Australia tomorrow

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But don't panic: it's only temporary.

Ikumi Nakamura Departs GhostWire: Tokyo Studio

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Ikumi Nakamura, the creative director of Ghostwire Tokyo who became a fan favorite personality during E3 for her bubbly demeanor, has officially departed studio Tango Gameworks and publisher Bethesda/Zenimax.

'It Wasn't Meant To Be This Lightning Rod': Valve Developer Looks Back At Company's Epic Store Exclusivity Comments

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Speaking to Kotaku during a Valve event in Seattle last week, Steam business developer and designer Nathaniel Blue said the company did not intend to legitimize the outsized backlash to Metro Exodus’ Epic store exclusivity when it put a comment on that Steam page. The use of the word “unfair,” he said, was meant to reference the timing of the announcement rather than the entire concept of exclusivity.

Up to 200 more GameStop stores set to close, with more to follow

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In a conference call with investors today the team at video game and knick-knack retailer GameStop confirmed plans to close 180-200 "underperforming" stores this year, with more to come in the years ahead.

Double Fine Presents could be coming to an end

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The publishing arm was introduced by Double Fine in 2014, with the aim of helping little known indie developers gain traction. Double Fine will continue to pursue this goal whether or not its publishing label comes to an end, however.

Nexon's labor union calls on the management to guarantee job security

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Nexon's labor union "Starting Point" held a rally in front of Nexon Korea's office building and demanded the company guarantee job security on Sept. 3.

Igniting a Chinese fighting game revolution

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China isn't known for its fighting game scene, but Next Studios wants to change that with Metal Revolution

Smash Bros. Creator Just Made "Xbox" Trend On Twitter In Japan

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During a special Nintendo Direct for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Masahiro Sakurai introduced the Banjo-Kazooie DLC. Not only does he want you to get that, but he would also like you to play the original game on Xbox.

Nintendo wins UK high court case to block piracy websites

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The injunction requires five major UK ISPs - Sky, BT, EE, Talktalk and Virgin Media - to "block, or at least impede access" to four websites which help distribute pirated Switch games, modified hardware, or provide information on how to mod consoles for piracy reasons.

The Red Dead Redemption PC emulation project has been halted

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Work on Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project, a fan-made effort to bring RDR to PC by way of the Xenia and RPCS3 emulators, has been halted. Developer DamnedDev didn't say specifically why the project has been suspended, but confirmed in an email that Take-Two Interactive had ordered an end to development.

Esports News

War Games: The Growing Alliance Between Esports and the Military

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As nice as that positive spotlight is, there’s still an elephant in the room: that this is all a marketing gimmick to boost flailing recruitment stats. Army representatives have appeared on major networks talking about wanting to entice gamers into joining the ranks. This may be a great opportunity for soldiers and reservists to explore their hobby, and to help develop a better kinship between civilians and the military, but it’s also an elaborate PR move.

HOW 100 THIEVES BECAME THE SUPREME OF E-SPORTS

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A new kind of entertainment company that blends gaming and apparel

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

Eurogamer at 20: Adapting to a changing industry

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On the 20th anniversary of its first ever post, editor Oli Welsh reflects on the site's identity and legacy, and the challenges the games press faces in 2019

i don’t think i like prestige games

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For all the money, time, blood, sweat, tears, divorces, and whatever else was put into The Last of Us, the end result was a game I’d finished before I even hit the on button on my console.

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Making video games for a living sounds like it would be a dream job but for many it’s frequently a nightmare. Long hours of unpaid overtime are commonplace, as are short-term contracts that can be cancelled at a moment’s notice – and which are often poorly paid and don’t even guarantee you a mention in the credits. But it’s usually even worse if you’re a woman.

The Games Industry Is Wrestling With Multiple New Allegations of Abuse

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Where there is smoke, there is often fire. Last week, there was a lot of smoke in the video game industry, as it grappled with a growing list of allegations against game developers, which ranged from sexual assault to managerial abuse. Some have admitted culpability, others have denied everything and hired lawyers. One of the accused has since died. As we reported last week, what started as three high-profile accusations has snowballed into gaming’s own #MeToo moment, as women and men come forward with stories previously kept secret.

Gaming's #MeToo Moment and the Tyranny of Male Fragility

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The videogames industry is having its #MeToo moment, and the backlash against it has been fast and brutal. Developers and creators are bravely going public about decades of exploitation, including at the hands of respected figures who have contributed to beloved franchises. The response has been moral outrage—not that there's an epidemic of men hurting women and covering for each other, not that sexual harassment has been tacitly tolerated within the industry, but that women have the gall to complain.

A Game Dev Documented Her Discomfort Of Networking As A Woman In This Tiny Game

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After some pretty intense conversations recently about sexism and abuse in the video game industry, there’s been a heightened awareness of uncomfortable behavior by male colleagues towards women. Rosa Carbo-Mascarell, a game dev known for “Sort Your Life Out” and an accomplished wearer of many industry hats, vented some of her own experiences in her new free, tiny, in-browser Itch.io game, A woman goes to a private games industry party.

Origin Sells Out

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One day in early June of 1992, a group of executives from Electronic Arts visited Origin Systems’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. If they had come from any other company, the rank and file at Origin might not have paid them much attention. As it was, though, the visit felt a bit like Saddam Hussein dropping in at George Bush’s White House for a fireside chat. For Origin and EA, you see, had a history.

The Pernicious, Persistent Myth That Games Will Break Our Brains

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“Video games cause ADHD.”

I remember when my college comparative religions instructor said those words during a lecture. It certainly wasn’t the first time I’d heard the claim—a host of headlines, politicians, and “advocates” in special interest groups have parroted it and similar myths about video games for decades—but that didn’t make it any less frustrating. For those of us who live with ADHD and other forms of neuroatypical cognition—such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, and epilepsy, to name a few—the idea that gaming is what “causes” atypical neurocognitive behavior is not only in direct contrast to our lived experiences, it’s also pseudo-scientific.

The Composer of Kingdom Hearts Has Never Stopped Reinventing Herself

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A master of disparate styles, Shimomura achieved greatness without pretense.

A camera hack reveals that in horror classic P.T., Lisa is always right behind you

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P.T., the Silent Hills demo that many consider to be one of the best horror games of all time, was downloaded over a million times on PS4 before the game was cancelled and the demo was pulled. Fans have mourned for it, and uncovered new, weird shit inside it, ever since.

Where is the “Authentic” LGBTQ Content in Games?

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Of course, it’s possible that GLAAD simply does not possess the necessary expertise and familiarity with the video game industry to identify smaller queer titles. However, if the Outstanding Video Game Award is meant to highlight authentic and impactful LGBTQ characters and storylines, how does one single quest NPC compare to games like Robert Yang’s Dream Hard, a beat ‘em up game centered on the late 1990s queer politics of resistance within New York City performance spaces?

Amy Hennig, Hideaki Itsuno, and Other Developers Share Their Favorite Dreamcast Games, 20 Years Later

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For the Dreamcast's 20th anniversary in North America, we asked game developers about their favorite games from Sega's short-lived console.

Video Games Face Mass Extinction. For Some, It’s Already Too Late.

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Eno had a magically eclectic catalogue as a game designer, from the horror series D and the interactive audio drama Real Sound to Panic Restaurant, an NES platformer about a chef who has to fight his own food after being cursed by a rival. In 2009 he released You, Me, and the Cubes for Nintendo. It was a tricky, surrealist game that you could play with friends about lobbing tiny people onto—and hopefully balancing them upon—floating cubes. The development cycle coincided with the debut of WiiWare, Nintendo’s first digital distribution service, so the game released exclusively on that platform. An idiosyncratic gem that mixed a frustrating objective with the calming backdrop of a day spa, it was one of the more unique titles on the overlooked service.

Eno passed away in 2013 due to complications from hypertension. He was 43. You, Me, and the Cubes was his final work as a game designer. As of January 2019, it no longer exists.

EVE Online will one day be sentient, its developers told me during a nude hot tub session

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You don't really know EVE Online until you're crammed into a hot tub full of drunk, naked Finnish players and two developers chatting excitedly about chaos and wormholes. I've traveled thousands of miles to end up here, in a stranger's house on an island called Kemiönsaari in mid-August, the boondocks of Finland. My journey to this county of some 6,000 Swedes and Finns isn't just for pleasure. I'm here to cover a historic event: EVE Online's first-ever Fanfest held inside a player's house.

Catherine: Full Body’s Successes Make Its Reductive Gender Tropes Sting So Much More

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Catherine presents ideas about men and women and dating through the lens of a bunch of hapless adults trying to figure their shit out. The game is full of stories that delve into the complexities of adulthood and gender, and its moments of cleverness in this area make its missteps feel all the more frustrating. While there are some pretty ridiculous views about gender in the game, many of them are very clearly framed as the asinine ramblings of men navigating a sexist society. There are worthwhile conversations to find in the game, and the general interrogation of monogamy was refreshing. Full Body more prominently introduces the idea of love transcending societal boundaries like gender, which was also pretty cool at first. Ultimately, though, Full Body failed to do these topics justice.

“A Loose Grip on Reality,” by Reid McCarter

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Remedy Entertainment’s games have always shown a love for the strange. In Max Payne, the main character, haunted by his wife and daughter’s murders, descends into surreal nightmares and drug-induced hallucinations that blur the line between Payne’s role as videogame character and in-fiction human being. He comes across TV sets that play episodes of Address Unknown—a Twin Peaks homage with a talking flamingo and backward-talking killer. The studio’s other games, Alan Wake and Quantum Break, take these same concepts further. In both, the fabric of reality shifts (and sometimes rips open) to reveal alternate dimensions and undermine their characters’ sense that the world is a logical place. Wake, which riffs in part on Stephen King novels and The Twilight Zone, even includes otherworldly shadow beings and a malicious doppelgänger.

OFFICE

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It’s not surprise now that the emergent ghost stories in video games are about offices. From the ubiquity of indie games, of which every week it seems like there is a new You Are In An Office Late at Night, to Control or even back to F.E.A.R. The office building has started to steal ground from the popularity of the haunted house.

Are they really any different though? If we’re lucky, we’re able to bring a little bit of ourselves to every office we’re stuck living in. These spaces can become the new idea of the home. With access to an internet

Control, Anatomy, and the Legacy of the Haunted House

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A world of made is not a world of born

Support me: https://www.patreon.com/JacobGeller

Space Invaders | Design Icons

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Design Icons is a new series from Game Maker's Toolkit, charting the history of game design through influential and important games. Starting with an invasion from space...

The Story of Celeste's Development

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Become a PATRON to unlock more videos https://www.patreon.com/noclip

We chat to Noel Berry about Celeste's design journey and how a Pico-8 side-project evolved into a multi-award-winning indie darling.

The Animation of Metal Slug

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This time we attempt to cover the animation in the Metal Slug series.

Consider donating $1 a month to my Patreon to help support the channel in getting better equipment, better games to talk about, better software, better research, better quality editing and seeing your name in the credits: www.patreon.com/DanRoot

Outer Wilds Part 2: Being There (Spoilers)

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This episode was made possible by generous support through Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/errantsignal

Let's talk about The Outer Wilds in detail!

Towards an Aesthetic of Latin American Videogames

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What does it mean for a videogame to have a Latin American identity? Does it have to be set in the Caribbean? Is it enough if you put Mexican sombreros in a level somewhere? Shouldn’t we be making “universal” games (like they do in the US)? In this video, we explore some of the common confusions in the search for a Latinx videogame identity, and we point out what videogames can learn from magical realism and other art movements.

How Dead Cells Exploits Your Indecision | Psych of Play

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Have you ever found yourself torn on a decision? If so it’s entirely possible that the reason for that was loss aversion, the human tendency to value avoiding a loss much higher than acquiring a gain. And dead cells is a game full of decisions that really exploit that desire to “play it safe” by teasing you with opportunity. But there is more to the story than that, which is what we’ll be exploring on this episode of Psych of Play!

When a 9-Year-Old Sued Nintendo | Gaming Historian

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In 1989, Clark Thiemann was excited to play his brand new NES game, LJN's Major League Baseball. But when he started playing, his favorite MLB superstars weren't in the game. So what did he do? He sued Nintendo, LJN, & Major League Baseball.

Support the show on Patreonhttps://goo.gl/pQaU9N

We Visited Belgium, a Country that Banned Lootboxes - Fast Travel

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How is life in Belgium after a government ban on lootboxes? We traveled to Brussels to take a look for ourselves and checked out some cool gaming and comic book shops during our visit. Oh, and there's Belgian Waffles. Can't forget about those.

RagnarRox on what makes Pathologic 2 a unique masterpiece that makes struggle, choices, and even death meaningful. Telltale games revived in worst possible way, more developers outed for abusive and sexually abusive behavior including Alexis Kennedy, People Make Games looks at how the more powerful sound of a weapon in Wolfenstein Enemy Territory made players play better, Gearbox crowdfunding Homeworld 3 while Randy is accused of contempt in court filing, Patrick Klepek explores the relationship between Mario Maker hackers and Nintendo, Yakuza 7 is turn based, Chucklefish's exploitation of young devs, Ewan Wilson on brutalism and the concrete foundations of Control, Alexi Alario on being nostalgic for Minecraft and how young players have been urged to monetize their creativity, HeavyEyed's new series The Language of Games begins with an episode about the origins of magic and mana, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Gearbox PAX West Panel 2019

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Tune in to find out more news and announcements from Gearbox from PAX West 2019

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Accused Of Contempt In Latest Court Filing

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Gearbox continues to be embroiled in legal disputes ahead of Borderlands 3's release.

Manifold Garden, Wattam, and No Straight Roads will be Epic exclusives

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Epic announced today that six more games will be launching exclusively on the Epic Games Store: Manifold Garden, Wattam, No Straight Roads, Superliminal, Airborne Kingdom, and The Alto Collection, which packages together a pair of snowboarding sidescrollers that were previously mobile-only.

Untitled Goose Game is coming to the Epic Games Store in September

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Untitled Goose Game is a game about a goose who is a jerk—so, a normal goose—who enjoys causing chaos in a lovely quaint village. The goose, who is you, roams the streets and yards, stealing stuff, breaking things, sneaking up on people and honking at them, and being an overall pain in the ass in whatever other creative ways you can come up with. It was announced in late 2017 by indie studio House House, the creator of Push Me Pull You, and after an unfortunate delay in February, the developers announced today that it will be out on September 20.

Epic revamped the Epic Games Store roadmap to remove target months

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The roadmap now shows what has recently been added to the store, what's being developed now, and what's further away.

Shovel Knight Dig Official Announce Trailer

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Yacht Club Games just announced a brand new game, Shovel Knight Dig, that is a joint development project between them and Nitrome.

Yakuza 7 announced with menu-based combat and new Yokohama setting

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The biggest change, however, looks to be the combat system, which switches away from Streets of Rage-style brawling to a menu-based approach that’s more reminiscent of Persona or Final Fantasy. The Yakuza games have always essentially been JRPGs, and now the connection is even clearer. You can see how it works in the Game Watch video below:

Cyberpunk creator talks clown gangs and making the biggest RPG of 2020 | Cyberpunk 2077 Interview

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The Cyberpunk 2077 Gamescom demo left us with questions, and who better to answer them than Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith? In this Cyberpunk 2077 interview we talk about the making of Cyberpunk, how Pondsmith got involved and how Cyberpunk Red fits into the videogame. Enjoy and stick around for more Rock Paper Shotgun Cyberpunk 2077 coverage this week.

The Making Of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City | Cyberpunk 2077 Interview

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Cyberpunk 2077 impresses for many reasons, but it's the world of Night City that blew us away. Having watched the Cyberpunk 2077 Gamescom gameplay we spoke to concept artist Marthe Jonkers about the making of Night City, how the day night cycle impacts the game and how every area of the city is deadly in its own way.

Cyberpunk 2077 - FULL Gameplay Deep Dive Presentation

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Watch CD Projekt Red's stream, where it will showcase a 15-minute version of Cyberpunk 2077's recent gameplay demo, where we expect to get details on Night City, playstyles, and more.

CD Projekt Red confirms Cyberpunk 2077 will use first-person cutscenes

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CD Projekt Red has addressed fan concerns around which camera perspective Cyberpunk 2077 will use during cut-scenes, confirming it will be "100 per cent first-person".

Greedfall extended gameplay video shows a promising blend of The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age

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Spiders' newest RPG Greedfall releases on September 10, and I for one am pretty exciting about it. Inspired by 17th century colonization, the game is by no means based on true stories (it has monsters and stuff), but its strange amalgam of fantasy and history is fascinating. The video above shows the most substantial chunk of gameplay footage we've seen yet, and I've got my fingers crossed that Spiders nails it with this one. It looks great.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens Shows Off Fusion Magic And Monster Cards In PAX West Gameplay

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WayForward was present at PAX West this past weekend, where they showed off Shantae and the Seven Sirens with a demo that shows off its more Pirate’s Curse-styled gameplay, and the new Newt Fusion that lets Shantae transform instantly.

Aladdin and The Lion King games remaster collection announcement leaked

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A remaster collection including the 1993-released Aladdin game and 1994-released The Lion King game, both originally developed by Virgin Interactive for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (The Lion King-only), will be available to pre-order for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch starting August 28 at GameStop and launch this fall, the retailer announced during a presentation at the 2019 GME Conference.

We can’t tell if this is an NBA 2K20 trailer or a casino ad

Trailer deleted

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While EA’s taken the brunt of the heat in the furor over loot boxes – in fairness, the company did coin the term ‘surprise mechanics’ – but the NBA 2K series has been heavily criticised by its own players for aggressive monetisation. Take-Two has made efforts to turn those purchases a little friendlier over time, but you wouldn’t know it from the latest trailer for the MyTeam mode.

PEGI rating board explains why it didn’t flag NBA 2K20 as gambling

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But, ‘We are very aware that it may get too close for comfort.’

The Sojourn is a lavish love letter to Myst and The Witness

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Myst may not have been the first of its kind when it arrived in 1994, but it brought its particular breed of atmospheric puzzle game into the videogaming mainstream. The Sojourn draws from its beautiful, thought-provoking ancestor, taking players on a cradle-to-grave journey which draws from the whole of human history.

The Outer Worlds: 'Come to Halcyon' Trailer - PAX West 2019

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Straight out of PAX West 2019, a new trailer for The Outer Worlds shows off the fun (and feral) planets you have to explore. Check out what the mega-corporation planet Halcyon offers its dedicated employees, and what beasts lurk in the shadows of Monarch, and all the (only occasionally bloody) diversions in between. The Outer Worlds be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (via the Microsoft Windows Store and Epic Games store) on October 25, 2019. The Outer Worlds is also coming to Nintendo Switch, but no release date has yet been announced.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Gameplay Deep Dive | New Gamescom Impressions

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We got to give the demo for Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 another go at Gamescom. This time, though, we got more juicy info on what to expect from the VTM Bloodlines sequel. Astrid has taken all of this information and arranged it around the Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 gameplay (Gamescom demo) into a deep dive impressions video. Enjoy!

7 Reasons Ghost Recon Breakpoint Is The Game Wildlands Should Have Been | Breakpoint Gameplay

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Ghost Recon Breakpoint is better than Wildlands in almost every way: a better stealth game, an engaging single player experience, more interesting enemies, a map put to better use… as we explain with this Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint gameplay. Here are 7 reasons Ghost Recon Breakpoint is the game Wildlands should have been.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s campaign is linear yet freeform, complex yet accessible

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Cruising along a narrow cliff-top track on a dirt bike, a mission marker on the map is fading to a distant memory. Now is the time to rendezvous with a clique of rebels at their hideout. At least, that’s what Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s story says.

Crying Suns, the FTL-inspired strategy space opera, comes out this month

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The tactical rogue-lite space opera Crying Suns went to Kickstarter last year with a pitch for a game inspired by FTL, but more story-focused: The Galactic Empire has collapsed, and humanity's only hope for survival lies with a clone of Admiral Ellys Idaho, the greatest Imperial commander of all time. The crowdfunding campaign was a big success, nearly tripling its €25,000 ($27,400) goal, and very soon—as in September 19—the game will be upon us.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Official Gameplay Trailer

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Gather your party and journey into the depths in this upcoming roleplaying game from Tactical Adventures based on Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition rules.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - 55 Minutes of Fantasy RPG Gameplay

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See this exclusive look at the Solasta: Crown of the Magister FREE demo before it goes live for everyone on September 3. From Tactical Adventures, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an upcoming fantasy, party-based roleplaying game based on the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition rules.

In The Longing, Time Is Everything

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Time is a fairly arbitrary metric in videogames. Depending on the game you play, it could be your friend or foe. In The Longing, which I was able to see privately at PAX West 2019, it is neither. Time simply is. And in this unique game from Studio Seufz you have no choice but to endure it.

Luigi's Mansion 3's Co-Op Is A Blast | PAX West 2019

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Michael and Jake got hands on time with Luigi's Mansion 3 at PAX 2019. Check out what they thought of the brand new demo.

Eternal happiness awaits when Little Misfortune arrives later this month

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Nominative determinism, eh? It should be outlawed. If I’d been unfortunate enough to have “Misfortune” penned on my birth certificate I’d be off to the Deed Poll before even leaving the hospital. That’s negligent parenting, Mrs Hernandez, and I’ll see you in court – even if you do happen to be a skeleton.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Hops Along to an October Release

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A new trailer showing off the game's Tonic collectibles confirms that Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is coming to the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC via Steam on October 8, 2019, priced at $29.99.

Predator: Hunting Grounds Hands-On Impressions

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Jonathon Dornbush and Sydnee Goodman discuss the 4v1 gameplay of the upcoming PS4 exclusive Predator: Hunting Grounds.

Here's 15 minutes of spoiler-rich Gears 5 campaign footage

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It releases on September 10, or September 6 if you've got Game Pass Ultimate.

NASCAR Heat 4 Launch Trailer

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Take a look at what's in store for you in the lastest NASCAR racing sim, releasing on September 7 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

The Surge 2 Official Combat Trailer

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Get a look at combat from the upcoming action-RPG, set in Jericho City, a dystopian sci-fi megacity under quarantine, where several factions vie for dominance over the various districts. The Surge 2 will be released on September 24, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Wasteland 3 Preview – Rocky Mountain Way

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There’s no doubt that InXile Entertainment has done well for themselves, particularly thanks to the positive reception of Wasteland 2, which turned out to be one of the few crowdfunded games that managed to meet expectations (despite a slight delay) and proved to be the game that people wanted. It engendered a lot of support in the developers and, as a result, when they went back to crowdfunding for Wasteland 3, they surpassed their high goal of $2.75 million.

Is John Wick Hex A Good John Wick Game? | John Wick Hex Gameplay And Impressions

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John Wick Hex, from esteemed developer boy Mike Bithell, probably isn’t the kind of game you’d expect for the John Wick movie series. It’s a turn-based tactical combat game, similar to something like Frozen Synapse. But is this potentially the best way you could make a good John Wick game? Astrid sat down with RPS Deputy Editor Alice Bell, who got to play a bit of the game at Gamescom last week, and had a chat with her about it.

Star Citizen's singleplayer beta release date has been pushed back

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The star-studded Squadron 42 gets swept up in 'staggered development'.

PAX West 2019: Bravery Network Online Evolves Competitive Pokemon

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I love Pokemon. But it’s not the creature designs or the vivid worlds that keep me coming back to the series — it’s the battling. The games have a surprisingly deep competitive core, but access to it is gated behind hours of in-game grinding. That’s where battle simulators like Pokemon Showdown come in, focusing on the battling and letting players freely try different teams and move sets.

CD Projekt is officially making more Witcher and Cyberpunk games in the future

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As it eases into the final push to complete Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red is officially moving to a “dual-franchise model.” That confirms, for both investors and fans, that more games in The Witcher franchise are on the way. The new direction was proudly announced in a financial report issued by the CD Projekt Capital Group covering the first half of 2019.

Mordhau now has an experimental ranked mode for duels

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Mordhau has dipped a heavily-armored toe into the waters of ranked mode, with a new one-on-one ranked duels mode available in the latest version of the game. Developer Triternion says it plans on expanding to a ranked three-versus-three mode once the wrinkles in duels have been ironed out.

Total War: Warhammer 2 is adding forts to Mortal Empires

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A new post on the Total War blog provides some details about an upcoming feature planned for Total War: Warhammer II’s Mortal Empires campaign map: Forts. They’re a new kind of settlement that are located on the mountain passes and other strategic locations around the Empire’s territory, and they’re coming with their own unique siege maps.

Telltale Games is being revived

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Telltale Games, which shut down last year, is being revived after its assets were purchased by a company called LCG Entertainment. The new company will sell some of Telltale’s back catalog and will work on new games based on a few Telltale-associated properties, as well as new licenses.

No, Telltale Games Is Not Being Resurrected - Its Brand's Being Capitalized Upon

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Headlines have stated that Telltale Games is reborn, resurrected, returned from the afterlife. This is not strictly true, and saying so effectively wallpapers over the fact that a lot of folks got screwed.

Telltale's brand and rights have been purchased by two guys who had nothing to do with Telltale, and some of the hundreds who lost their jobs will get offered freelance positions without their previous fulltime benefits.

This isn't a comeback. This is C'AAA'pitalism.

'Doom' Programmer John Carmack Says Games Industry Doesn't Need Laws Against Crunch

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Doom programmer and game industry legend John Carmack recently went on Joe Rogan’s podcast, a show downloaded by millions each month and a favored space for men to launder bad ideas. The pair talked about judo training, the future of virtual reality, the magnificence of space rockets (which Carmack has designed), and labor in the video game industry. Rogan asked about the long hours developers work to ship a game, often under brutal time constraints, which are known in the industry as "crunch."

Steam’s current business model is “unrealistic,” says Ubisoft

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Ubisoft has been very vocal in its aversion to Valve’s 30% take on Steam, which it had seemingly been begrudgingly paying all those years. That’s why, when Epic Games introduced its own store with a more favourable cut, Ubisoft jumped ship.

Chucklefish responds to allegations it exploited volunteer Starbound developers

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The publisher said that unpaid contributors 'were under no obligation to create content.'

Uplay+ launches today with a free month-long trial

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Uplay+, Ubisoft’s answer to Xbox Game Pass and Origin Access, is finally here. The French firm are joining the subscription service club, letting you download and play over 100 Uplay games without paying the up-front cost. There’s a modest monthly fee, of course, but forget about that for now. Starting today, Ubisoft are opening the gates to Uplay+, without the regular £13/$15 monthly charge, until the end of September.

Blizzard sues Chinese game company over its Warcraft ‘ripoff’

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Sina Games’ Glorious Saga is ‘almost entirely copied from the Warcraft games’

GAMING ADDICTION IN CHINA

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This article is a short excerpt from our most recent Asia Trends Report. Niko’s Asia Trends Report is subscription based, timely, in-depth analysis of the market’s most important topics as they happen. Past notes have included topics such as regulatory landscape changes, how the next 150 million mobile gamers will enter China’s mobile games market, analysis of games or genres and what’s behind their growth, and more.

The Messy Relationship Between Mario Maker's Hacking Community and Nintendo

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Some of Mario Maker's biggest fans love to break the game, thinking they're making new tools. Nintendo wants to ban them.

Esports News

Why King Of Fighters Dominates Latin America's Fighting Game Scene

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What’s the fighting game you remember the most from the arcades of your youth? Street Fighter II? Tekken? Mortal Kombat? If you’re from Latin America, there’s an excellent chance that the first game that jumps to mind wasn’t any of those, and the game that defined your formative arcade experience was actually SNK’s The King of Fighters.

Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)

HOMEWORLD 3

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Homeworld returns with the next chapter of the story. Homeworld 3 is the true sequel to the legendary space-faring RTS. Blackbird Interactive, founded by original Homeworld Art Director Rob Cunningham takes the helm on development, returning the series to its roots with a gripping continuation of the story, fully 3D combat, and the classic RTS elements you expect. Further supported by the veterans of Homeworld Remastered Collection at Gearbox Publishing, Homeworld 3 is coming to life and the teams couldn't be more ecstatic. With our partners at Fig, we can give fans both new and grizzled a chance to fuel and profit from Homeworld 3's success.

PleaseFundMe: How Crowdfunding Is Changing the Way We Talk About Games

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Patreon and similar sites have amplified a wider range of voices and topics, but the new new media landscape brings risks of its own.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

Two Women Accuse Skyrim Composer Jeremy Soule Of Sexual Misconduct

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Two women, an independent game developer and a vocalist, on Monday night accused famed video game composer Jeremy Soule, best known for his musical work on games like Guild Wars and Skyrim, of sexually predatory behavior and, according to the game developer, rape.

Night in the Woods Developer Alec Holowka Dies

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Eileen Holowka, herself a developer at a separate company and listed in Night in the Woods' credits as a special thanks, announced Holowka's death mid-Saturday, stating that Holowka died that same morning.

(Either to step away from social media or due to Youtubers, grifters, and probable/literal rapists attempting to mob or threaten people many of the above accounts might be locked leading to messages not appearing and leaving blank areas)

Alec

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There’s a hole in my life where he was until not very long ago. My relationship with Alec was complicated. He was, depending on when you asked, my friend, my collaborator, a nightmare, the origin of my PTSD, and the reason I was in therapy. Sometimes all of those at the same time. There are several people who could say the exact same thing about him. Too many, I’m finding out. My time with Alec was very public in a lot of ways. Which is to say just about all anyone knows about it is what was put online at some point. In a tweet, in a video of a talk, in a podcast. But online is just that- it’s online.

The vast majority of life, of our relationships, the things we do to one another, most of that never makes it onto a screen for a stranger to pick through, to respond to, to form an image with. We end up with these snapshots of personalities and events, most of which barely correspond to the whole reality of a person or the things they fill their lives with. None of that is an original observation. And it’s easy to blame that on the internet. But real life has a way of being this way too, often tragically.

Eighteen Years in, Ace Attorney Is Stuck in Its Past

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It’s not hard to understand Capcom’s handling of Ace Attorney. In the wake of Apollo Justice, it made sense for them to regroup and try to find stories that wouldn’t run the risk of fan backlash. But that was also a conscious choice to opt for giving fans “what they want” over expanding the kinds of stories the series could tell. When the focus of a game is primarily the gameplay, playing to the crowd with a “safe” story reduces the risk that a game otherwise buoyed by its mechanics will upset fans with its narrative. But for narrative-heavy games like Ace Attorney, the story is the appeal, and the risk of stagnation is that much greater.

20 years after Seaman, Saito reflects on creativity and making new, strange things

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Yoot Saito is someone who makes a point of doing things differently. Whether it's the pinball-cross-tactics gameplay of Odama or the gross-but-lovable voice-activated virtual pet in Seaman, Saito's intent has been to surprise players with new kinds of interactions.

How A Colorblind Artist Makes Magic Cards & Video Games

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Paul Scott Canavan is one of the best artists working in entertainment today, with a list of clients and employers ranging from Wizards of the Coast to Valve to Games Workshop. He also used to be an art director at Axis Animation, a company responsible for cinematic video game trailers and intros. So if you’ve ever played Magic, or Destiny, or League of Legends, you’ll likely have seen something he’s worked on.

Canavan is also colourblind, and shared the news of his condition recently on Twitter, to the shock and amazement of peers who had no idea.

Vagrant Story – 1999 Developer Interview

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originally featured in the Ultimania guide book

The Story of Sonic Team – 1997 Developer Interview

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originally featured in the 1/97 issue of Sega Magazine

Lufia – 2016 Composer and Developer Interviews

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originally featured at inside-games.jp and rpgdl.org

The First, Mostly Forgotten Blair Witch Games Were Weird as Hell

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Looking back on a trilogy full of twig monsters, zombie priests, and Confederate ghosts with the people who summoned it.

Videogames Don't Need Defending Because They're Part of the Problem

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Many then flocked to defend videogames, but the truth is games didn’t need to be defended. Videogames aren’t to blame directly for gun violence, but they’re also part of the problem. Videogames have historically ignored, alienated and demonized marginalized people—especially brown and black people. They have rarely fought back against the stereotypes, prejudices and bigotry that emboldened the El Paso shooter to make the 10-hour drive to commit a massacre in a city with a population that is 81.4% Hispanic/Latinx. In fact, they have worked to cement them, and for that, they don’t need an industry with a workforce that is 68% white to jump to their defense.

I Am the Cheapest Bastard In Indie Games

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A week ago, I put up a blog post called "Why All My Games Look Like Crap." It really blew up. A lot of people read it. Some were highly supportive. Others took precious time out of their days to let me know I am a gigantic, gigantic bozo.

Why you may be underpricing your video game

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So, video game pricing. You'd think this was a simple subject, but I'm convinced that at least 50% of all people launching games in 2019 get it wrong. And the core of the reason is this - you're undervaluing your game.

An Ode to the Wine Aunts: Enough with the Dad Builds and Dad Games

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The Wine Aunt does not have a build. She is a lifestyle.

Game of Pawns: Power and Agency in Fire Emblem: Three Houses

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In a game where you control every detail of your characters’ lives, who controls you?

Open Worlds How we became nostalgic for Minecraft

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While the open worlds of Minecraft and Roblox are sometimes touted as an opportunity for children to learn programming skills and develop an aesthetic sensibility, they have also become indoctrination into entrepreneurship for children, shaping their creativity and passion before they have enough life experience to know the alternatives or the consequences of it. Almost every game on Roblox is free to play, but there are opportunities to spend Robux, the game’s universal currency, at every corner.

‘World of Warcraft Classic’ Is a Nostalgia Trip For a Game That Doesn't Exist

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World of Warcraft doesn’t change. Except it has. World of Warcraft Classic is an attempt to capture something special—the game, as it was, when Blizzard released it in 2004. It’s a nostalgia trip for anyone who played at the time, and a curiosity for those who grew up playing different versions of it. A lot has changed in 15 years. The games industry has changed. MMOs have changed. I’ve changed. Azeroth, World of Warcraft's fictional world, is not somewhere I want to be anymore

Remedy's Control is built on concrete foundations

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Everyone has an opinion on brutalism. It's fair to say the architectural style elicits strong emotional reactions - a fact that's handy for games where designers often want their environments to cleverly echo and intensify the actions and events on-screen. With Control, Remedy has designed an entire virtual space around brutalism, with its varied forms and contexts.

The Revelation of Link: The Legend of Zelda at the End of the World

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Sometimes, in The Legend of Zelda, the world ends. Forces that are simultaneously beyond our understanding and all too human align and everything falls apart and then, the game starts. There’s a lot of work about life after the end of the world and there’s a lot of work about the medieval period, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is unique in that it collapses the space between the post-apocalypse and the medieval. The apocalyptic medieval is not just an aesthetic performance but instead an active meditation on the potential at the end of everything. By focusing on the relationships Link builds with the people of Hyrule throughout the game, Breath of the Wild refocuses our understanding of the end of the world as not only a potential site of loss but a potential site of radical, reinventive connection.

The Fonts In Control Make Its World Feel Way Creepier

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There’s a lot to love about the wonderfully weird new Remedy Entertainment game Control, but the first thing that grabbed me were the fonts.

The History of Magic and Mana in Video Games // HeavyEyed

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patreon// https://www.patreon.com/heavyeyed

Welcome to the first episode of The Language of Video Games!

Why We're Wrong About Violence In Games

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Violence in Video Games is a bit of a hot button topic right now- from angry journalists, to even angrier gamers- but have we been talking about video game violence in the wrong way? The Architect thinks we have.

Why the sound of a gun had to be nerfed in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

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The curious case of a weapon that sounded so good, players thought it was overpowered.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeopleMakeGames

How Hideo Kojima Designs Games | The Secret History and Design Philosophy of Metal Gear Solid

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Hideo Kojima is a game designer who is heralded for having a unique creative voice. This video traces the history of his design philosophy as well as how he designed the metal gear solid series. Ultimately , he advocates for an integrated design philosophy, where mechanics , themes, game design, and game development all unite to create the impossible.

Games as Lit. 101 - The Theology of Dishonored

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There are a lot of video games about God, supernatural powers, and other spiritual topics. It's worth considering what they have to say about the real world. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider has some insights to offer on these subjects.

Enjoy the series? Support it on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/gamesaslit101

The Brilliant Soundtrack of Metal Gear Rising | PostMesmeric

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was an over-the-top spectacle of an action game, and no better example of its craziness was its soundtrack. As much of a meme as it's become, Metal Gear Rising has an OST like no other. Time to analyze Metal Gear Rising's strong and confident implementation of a soundtrack, and merging gameplay and music into something awesome.

Support PostMesmeric on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PostMesmeric

You Need To Play Dicey Dungeons

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Dicey Dungeons is the latest creation by indie dev Terry Cavanagh, and it took a great deal of discipline to stop playing the game to make this video. Let's talk about why you NEED to play it!

PATREON ► https://www.patreon.com/snomangaming

The History of The Saboteur

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Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GVMERS

The late 2000s were an evolutionary period for open world games. While the Grand Theft Auto series continued to refine the metropolitan sandbox, more and more titles were showing that the genre could work well beyond the confines of modern-day urbanity. Games like Crackdown and Infamous offered super-powered skirmishes set within near-future dystopias, while the likes of Assassin’s Creed showed that there was plenty of fun to be had parkouring through cityscapes of the ancient past. The size of their worlds rarely exceeded those of Rockstar’s opuses – but the variety of mechanics and subject matter they explored proved that this didn’t always matter.

Video Game Fashion Fire Emblem: Three Houses- Blue Lions

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Join mumbles and I as we review the fashions and glow ups of the Blue Lion in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Support the creation of videos like this at: https://www.patreon.com/AOrlando

5 Completely Broken, Unbeatable Games, Thanks to Developer Stupidity | Fact Hunt

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Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Larry

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

A Red Dead Online player has achieved the impossible and carried a bowl of stew from Valentine to Saint Denis

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When you pick up a bowl of stew in Red Dead Online, your character crams it down in just a few bites. But if you keep moving, there’s no time to cram. This brave hero saw this as a challenge: can one man walk from Valentine to Saint Denis, bowl of stew in hand?

Gamescom previews and features, Super Bunnyhop discusses if and how games can teach history with history professors, Blake Hester spends the day with the man behind Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Megan Farokhmanesh covers how gamer and Youtuber culture has damaged classroom settings, developers warn other women of abuse and sexual assault from composer Jeremy Soule (Elder Scrolls/KOTOR) and developers Alec Holowka (Night in the Woods) and Luc Shelton, with game budgets increasing Samuel Horti speaks to indie developers about working smarter, Riot claims they have no systemic gender discrimination as they settle discrimination lawsuit, SonicFox's 72 hour charity stream, doing accidental Minecraft colonialism with Folding Ideas, Dan Root and Daniel Floyd each look at the animations of Breath of the Wild, Austin Wintory joins Waypoint's podcast to discuss composing music for games and how branching narratives make the job more difficult, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Gamescom 2019 Awards Show - IGN Live (ENGLISH)

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We are live from Cologne, Germany at Gamescom 2019 bringing you all the latest game demos, sights and sounds from the show!

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord Campaign Gameplay (Gamescom 2019) | Castle Siege

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Gamescom 2018 was the first time Taleworlds showed off the story campaign for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, letting us dip into the world and have any adventure we want. Last year Matthew got a bit lost - this year he has a better idea of what he's doing - he builds his army, eats some mule and decides to smoke out the weak in a castle siege. The Mount and Blades 2 campaign is another free form sandbox, letting you pick your fights and carve out your story. Matthew's story mostly involves lying down while others fight for him. Typical.

Everything New in Mount and Blade 2 - Gamescom 2019

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We get an early look at the gameplay in Mount and Blade 2, and learn all about the new features coming to both the single player and multiplayer modes in March 2020.

7 Minutes of New Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Check out 7 minutes of castle siege gameplay in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord from Gamescom 2019!

Desperados 3 has a dangerously distracting cat

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I was up for Desperados III just knowing the real-time tactical stealth series is being resumed by the studio behind the swish Shadow Tactics. But the most important detail of the game has, for reasons I cannot fathom, been kept quiet until this month: one of our squad members has a cat. This cat is named Stella. When Stella’s food-provider talks to Stella, she meows like she definitely does understand. A good cat. Stella is also so adorable that baddies admiring her don’t even notice someone sneaking up to slit their throat. Come meet Stella and her feeder, Isabelle Moreau, in a new video from our Matthew out at Gamescom.

Streets of Rage 4 is disgustingly good – and it isn’t just about preying on nostalgia

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Bringing back a classic series is more challenging than you’d think. There’s a difficult tightrope to walk; stay too close to what came before and you end up with something that feels pedestrian at best or like a dated caricature at worst. Add and change too much, however, and the magic you’re meant to be evoking is lost. Streets of Rage 4 appears to successfully thread the needle – it feels new, and old, and brilliant.

Honouring the Warsaw Uprising With the Developers of WARSAW

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Right in the centre of Poland’s capital, Warsaw, the Rondo Dmowskiego streams as busily as London’s Oxford Circus or New York’s Times Square. It is always a teeming intersection of the city but today, with an abundance of vehicles and people careering by, it is an even busier picture. Where distinctive red and yellow trams would normally glide by the towering commercial buildings, instead countless thousands of all ages are mingling ever-closer together. The only vehicles are the odd interspersed police unit with a few broadcasting trucks, scrambled upon like ants by those wishing to get a better view of the rising groundswell. Amidst the occasional clustered chant breaking out, the electric atmosphere is not down to a megastar’s impending stage entrance, nor the solemnity of a memorial. There is however a rippling sense of pride, an energy bubbling underfoot, all building towards exactly 5pm on this specific day, 1st August 2019.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection announcement leaked

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Includes Mega Man Zero 1, 2, 3, and 4, as well as Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent.

Wasteland 3 is a prettier, more polished post-apocalypse

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Turn-based strategy game simplifies combat and increases narrative elements

Wasteland 3 Improves on Everything Except the Story

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Following the crowdfunding success of 2014’s Wasteland 2, there’s a lot for Wasteland 3 to live up to. Paste traveled down to San Francisco to take a look at the upcoming title, from the newly Microsoft-acquired InXile Entertainment, and even in its relatively early alpha state, it looks to be miles ahead of its predecessor in strategic options, combat, and graphical fidelity. Time will tell if it manages to tell a great story.

Stela PAX West 2019 trailer

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Halo Infinite co-developer SkyBox Labs has released the PAX West 2019 trailer for Stela, its upcoming cinematic platformer due out for Xbox One in 2019.

Everything about Marvel’s Avengers will “continue to change as we polish”

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Since the first footage of Marvel’s Avengers was unveiled earlier this year, the five playable superheroes’ appearances have seen their fair share of discussion. Some fans have taken to Twitter to voice concerns about how Black Widow, Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America appear in the game. Despite this, Crystal Dynamics’ lead creative director Shaun Escayg previously said there were “currently no plans to change our character designs” – but it looks like the heroes will still be getting a bit of a polish before launch.

Marvel’s Avengers confirms Ms. Marvel as a playable character

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Marvel’s Avengers is one of the most anticipated games of next year, but despite that excitement, we still haven’t seen much about it. Most notably, there was the first trailer at E3 earlier this year, which confirmed a few of the playable characters. However, just this week at Gamescom publisher Square Enix revealed a broader look at the Avengers gameplay with 18 minutes of footage. Fans were quick to spot a young girl in the crowd wearing a Captain Marvel T-shirt, and theorized that this was actually Marvel’s Avengers Ms. Marvel, a.k.a. Kamala Khan.

John Wick Hex is a “stunt choreography game,” but not a “director game”

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John Wick Hex will have a replay function to let you see your strategic murder in real time, but it won’t let you direct the action as you’re playing. You won’t have fine control over the camera as you’re playing, since the wider angle the game adopts is better for making strategic decisions – but it’s not out of the question that this “choreography game” could become a “director game” down the line.

Dark Envoy is a Tactical RPG with a Unique Multiplayer Twist - Gamescom 2019

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Inspired by the likes of Divinity and Xcom, Dark Envoy is a procedurally generated tactical RPG with high replayability and a unique angle on multiplayer gameplay that we rarely see in this style of game. Kryzysztof Monkiewicz, Founder of Event Horizon joins us to explain how it all works.

15 Minutes of Spiritfarer Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Check out gameplay from Thunder Lotus Games' Spiritfarer from Gamescom 2019.

Blasphemous is "Deeply Influenced" by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Gamescom 2019

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We talk the Blasphemous devs about this gruesome game.

Dragon Ball Z Kakarot gameplay demo | Gohan vs Cell in new open world Dragon Ball Z game

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Dragon Ball Z Kakarot gameplay is what you’ll find in this video. The brand new Dragon Ball Z game is open world, and sees you really live that super saiyan lifestyle as you explore, train, and even fish with Goku. The Dragon Ball Z Kakarot release date is set for some time in 2020, but before then, please enjoy this Gohan vs Cell demo in which we absolutely smash Cell’s face in.

The Impressive New Tech Behind Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare

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With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward is showcasing impressive tech through a new engine that is able to deliver photorealistic character models and gorgeous scenery within gameplay. The engine has been slowly making itself apparent through Infinity Ward's recent games like Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.

Moons of Madness is One of the Scariest Looking Games We've Ever Seen - Gamescom 2019

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Don't expect this to be a combat-action game like Dead Space, your crowbar is for, uh, crowbaring(?) in this game. In Moons of Madness, your own ever-diminshing sanity is the TRUE enemy. Also, there will be tentacles.

17 Minutes of The Eternal Cylinder Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Check out the first 17 minutes of the bizarre and brilliant Eternal Cylinder from developer Ace Team.

One Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 playthrough will last “about 30 hours”

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How long will it take to beat Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2? About as long as it took to complete the original, according to the developers. Bloodlines 2 will feature a campaign about 30 hours long, assuming you’re the type to stop and smell the roses – but that number might extend if you’re an “obsessive completionist.”

12 Minutes of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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The cult-classic is back, now beautifully remastered from the ground up!

Taking to the skies in Airborne Kingdom's floating toybox cities

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Developer Ben Wander tells us about mixing whimsy with traditional resource management.

Giant's Uprising Turns the Tables on Puny Human Protagonists - Gamescom 2019

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Giant's Uprising is "hack and crash" game where the big, bad, ugly giant is the good guy for once instead of a punching bag for some ancient Greek narc or whatever. What's more, it answers the age old question: "How many hams are in YOUR home?" PLUS! This game has a combat piss mechanic, just like Death Stranding, so that's pretty cool.

Blair Witch gameplay | Upcoming survival horror game

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Blair Witch gameplay is what you’ll find in this video all about the upcoming survival horror game. Not to be confused with the 1999 movie of the same name, the Blair Witch game sees you play a police officer on the search for a boy who’s gone missing in a forest. This might be one of the best horror games 2019 - there are few games with such a renowned license. But if it’s not one of the best horror games PC players can buy, or even one of the best survival horror games in general, it IS set in some spooky woods, and that’s about the least you can expect, right? All the scariest games are.

Ghostrunner Gameplay | Gamescom Demo Walkthrough And Impressions

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This Ghostrunner gameplay takes you through the Gamescom demo, both with Matthew’s wonky cyber parkour, and with the developer’s more experienced hand. Ghostrunner is one of the biggest surprises of Gamescom 2019, so let us fill you in on the story, mechanics and how one-hit-one-kill creates a first person action experience unlike any other.

Cyberpunk 2077 | Creator Mike Pondsmith’s shock Keanu Reeves admission

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Cyberpunk 2077 is coming out next year, on April 16 2020 to be exact. To find out more about the eagerly anticipated sci-fi RPG, Caroline sat down with writer Mike Pondsmith to chat about gameplay details, story beats, and a bit of missing history that you otherwise might not know about. Filling in the blanks, that’s what we do here at PCGamesN.

Cyberpunk 2077's Night City strives to be a unique and grounded cyberpunk city

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Marthe Jonkers is a senior concept artist at CD Projeckt Red working on Cyberpunk 2077. Jonkers actually designed the location in the first very first teaser trailer for the game back in 2013, featuring the cyberbabe with mantis arms, and was resigned to the fact that nobody was really looking at the building behind her.

Cyberpunk 2077 might secretly be a cool hacker stealth game

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Reader, I often tire quickly of the bangs. The shooties. The click click booms. I think it’s because damn near every action game has guns, but not many developers make shooters really bloody good. And indeed, I agree with Matt that, at least from what we’ve seen so far, the guns in Cyberpunk 2077 look mostly like floaty number generators.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City: inside the design eras, the communities, and how they affect the player

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More successful examples though, try to reflect the organic growth of their cyberpunk societies by coding its backstory into the fashion and architecture of its citizens. It’s this approach that CD Projekt Red is taking with Cyberpunk 2077.

Dying Light 2: 26 Minutes of Gameplay With Developer Commentary

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Dying Light 2 lead game designer Tymon Smektala talks you through their just-released behind-closed-doors E3 2019 gameplay demo.

7 Minutes of Disintegration Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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A look at developer provided gameplay showcasing the mechanics of Disintegration.

Disintegration - Multiplayer Mech Gameplay | Gamescom 2019

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Check out some Pre-Alpha footage of Disintegration from Gamescom 2019. Disintegration will release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2020.

6 Minutes of Outer Worlds Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Exploring the new sights of Outer Worlds in this developer provided gameplay.

Watch Dogs Legion's version of London is surprisingly accurate

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As was observed by some guy who used to work here (RPS in peace), it’s really weird when bits of the UK turn up in games in an authentic way. Which is to say, in a way that isn’t over-the-top Victoriana Steampunk. I say I say. Tea and crumpets. (Not that I don’t like crumpets, or drink an amount of tea that means I get caffeine headaches without it, obviously.)

Check out 20 minutes worth of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts gameplay

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Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is out later this year, and this gameplay footage gives you an idea of what to expect.

Eternal Cylinder is like 'Spore' on Drugs - Gamescom 2019

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Eternal Cylinder is a genuinely unique, procedurally generated narrative survival adventure game from the creators of Zeno Clash and The Deadly Tower of Monsters.

Here’s an hour of Halo MCC Firefight gameplay on PC

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While there’ve been some bumps in the road getting us there, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is still well on the way. The flight test for Halo Reach Firefight was delayed due to some unforeseen bugs, but it’s still making progress, and 343 Industries has taken the opportunity this week to showcase a full hour of gameplay footage from Firefight.

Carrion Will Fulfill SOME of Your Gross Tentacle Monster Fantasies - Gamescom 2019

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Taking more than a few cues from John Carpenter's The Thing, Carrion is a horror game that puts players in control of the monster for a change. Tear through hallways of a facility and devouring helpless humans to get stronger. But how does the game strike a balance between being a grisly power fantasy while still posing a challenge? That's what we're here to find out.

9 Minutes of GreedFall Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Check out a nice sampling of GreedFall with character creation, skill tree management, combat, exploration, and some story scenes.

Why GreedFall is the game Bioware fans should care about

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GreedFall is out soon, and if you're thirsting for some Dragon Age 4 or Bioware goodness, this is the RPG you need to look out for. It's flown a bit under the radar, but Eurogamer's Zoe Delahunty-Light explores how this videogame by Spiders is set in a fantastical, 17th Century land where a disease ravages your home country.

Elite Dangerous shows off long-awaited 16-player Fleet Carriers

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Frontier Developments has offered a closer looked Elite Dangerous' long-awaited Fleet Carriers, which are set to join the space sim this December.

Amaru and Goyo Impressions: Rainbow Six Siege - Gamescom 2019

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We got to check out the two new Operators in Rainbox Six Siege, Amaru and Goyo. What did we think of their new grappling hook and Volcan Shield mechanics? Watch and find out!

Mortal Kombat 11 - Spawn, Joker, Sindel & Terminator Official Teaser Trailer

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The Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack trailer revealed a few extra additions including Joker and Terminator alongside our first look at Spawn!

The Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11 will look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but won’t have his voice

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Everyone’s favourite big robot friend is coming to Mortal Kombat 11, but his voice might be a bit different from what you’re used to.

Ion Fury Developer Backtracks, Says It Won't Remove Gay Joke Because Of 'Censorship'

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Upon its release, Ion Fury seemed like a bullet-proof success. The Duke Nukem and Shadow Warrior-inspired retro shooter launched earlier this month to rave reviews, with many praising its bloody, chunky blend of old and new. But, shortly after, players discovered homophobic content in the game, and some began to circulate screenshots of transphobic and sexist comments made by the game’s its developers on Discord. Last week, the game’s developer and publisher apologized and said they’d remove the homophobic content from the game. This week, the Ion Fury team is singing a different tune.

Ion Fury retains controversial in-game content after all

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Update: Facial cleanser name is in, slur is out, company still donating to Trevor Project and mandating sensitivity training

Frostpunk's first paid DLC The Rifts and season pass are out now

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Developer 11 Bit Studios has launched The Rifts, the first of three planned paid DLC updates for its superb post-apocalyptic city builder Frostpunk.

Aliens will invade Two Point Hospital next week

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Forget storming Area 51: storm Chasm 24 in Two Point Hospital instead. It’s less dangerous, and stupid.

New publisher Modern Wolf declare commitment to "ethical game development"

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New wee indie publisher Modern Wolf announced themselves to the world this week, and made a big show of declaring they are “committed to ethical game development.” Their initial lineup of five games sounds pretty neat, including the next games from the studios behind Neo Scavenger and Out There. More folks in the industry do talk openly about its troubles these days but it’s still rare for a publisher to make a big selling point of how they treat workers, so I asked Modern Wolf CEO Fernando Rizo more about what that means.

Riot Games settles class-action suit by female employees who alleged harassment and discrimination

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Riot Games has settled a class-action lawsuit filed by workers who said they were routinely subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination in the course of their jobs at the Los Angeles video game studio.

Riot Games claim they have no systemic gender discrimination as they settle gender discrimination lawsuit

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League Of Legends developers Riot Games have this week agreed to settle one of the class action lawsuits levied against them, paying up to the women who sued them for gender discrimination. Hooray for those women getting what they consider to be a fair settlement; may it be all that they deserve. Boo to…well, where do we begin.

SonicFox to do a 48-72h LGBT charity stream this weekend

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SonicFox, the gay furry icon that captured our hearts first at last year’s EVO tournament, will be doing a charity stream this weekend. He chose to announce that he will be doing so through a Twitter thread . He cites Hbomberguy, the streamer who raised $69,420 for trans charity Mermaids, as his inspiration.

The Best And Funniest Moments Of SonicFox's 72-Hour Charity Stream

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Legendary fighting game competitor Dominique “SonicFox” McLean spent last weekend raising over $20,000 for charity during a marathon livestream that featured copious amounts of Mortal Kombat and Injustice gameplay, surprise guest appearances, musical performances, and one major change to the young player’s facial hair.

After Ori, Microsoft has no plans to bring more exclusives to other platforms

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Ori and the Blind Forest may be on its way Nintendo Switch, but don’t expect other Xbox exclusives to follow.

Investment fund Kowloon Nights signs 10 more games in its second year

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There aren’t many game developers in New Caledonia. In fact, there’s not much of a scene at all — but it’s not nonexistent. Phil Crifo and Thierry Boura recently started a team called Awaceb; they’re New Caledonian developers and friends working from France to create a video game inspired by their home.

Bungie says Activision wasn't a 'prohibitive overlord' on Destiny 2

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"It was amicable, and here we are making this game on our own, doing what we think we need to do to make it awesome."

The move to Steam, implementation of cross-save, the free-to-play version, and other big changes coming to Destiny 2 simply reflect changes in the industry, and Bungie's willingness to evolve along with it, Dague said.

Gamescom 2019 - MachineGames says it never meant Wolfenstein titles to be relevant and that it's "incredibly disappointing" that they are

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"But then, when we started to talk about Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, we started to get comment online about the theme of the game, fighting the Nazis. Somehow some people felt that was problematic, which is just incredibly disappointing. We've seen an increase of right-wing extremism in the Western world. We see that online to a great degree. Right-wing extremists are great at affecting the debate online. And of course, maybe they abused us to whip up some anger when we were making Wolfenstein II."

Steam China will be a curated, separate store for the Chinese market

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Steam is in an odd position in China. It’s like a pirate radio station, sitting offshore and letting the gamers access all that unfiltered content. With no official servers and awkward payment methods, the experience that the huge numbers of users have isn’t optimal. So Valve and local partners Perfect World are setting up a version of Steam for China, named Steam Platform. The first details of which were dropped at an event hosted by Perfect World in China this week.

Valve talks Steam China, curation and exclusivity

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Valve, alongside its business partner in China, Perfect World, has given us an update on the progress of Steam China today, after both companies had been silent on the topic for over a year.

Six Counter-Strike Players Arrested Over Match-Fixing Allegations

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Victoria Police announced on Friday afternoon announced that six Australians have been arrested in connection with an investigation into rigging Counter-Strike: Global Offensive matches, the first major case of its kind in Australia.

Esports News

The International crowns its 2019 champions

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Dota 2’s mega esports event The International has wrapped up, with OG lifting the aegis for the second year running. The team will take home a cool $15 million (£12.2m), as well as the honour of being the first team to win the event twice, let alone twice in a row.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

Escaping the Inescapable

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The idea of games being used as therapy or escapism is well established, as are the debates about their value in filling those roles. Some see the practice as avoidant, an addiction that keeps people from getting help. Others champion gaming as a form of self-expansion—the practice of becoming more interconnected and efficient human beings—in ways that more traditional coping mechanisms can’t always provide, especially in terms of creating, problem solving and socializing.

calling out my rapist

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On November 4 2008 I was contacted by a studio in Vancouver to design and build an ARG for their new IP. I talked about my experiences of working with this company before. For example, in this post. What I didn’t share, when talking about my experiences, is that I was raped by Jeremy Soule while I was working there.

Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule and Night In The Woods co-creator Alec Holowka accused of sexual assault

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When reached for comment, Gardner stated that she had made the same allegations about Shelton previously, first naming him on Twitter in September 2018, then again in June 2018. That these allegations were unnoticed at the time is a fairly good illustration of the power of social media movements, but also of the potential futility of speaking publicly. Shelton denies the allegations.

No one really wants to tell stories like these. The victims will be doubted, questioned, and receive abuse from fans of the accused. The chances of anything resembling legal justice coming to pass are almost nil. The people who share stories like these normally do so with the knowledge of that, but do it anyway in the hope of protecting others. Women and vulnerable people are otherwise reliant on ‘whisper networks’ – friends sharing stories with trusted people – in order to find out information, but those networks are only helpful to people already in the industry. Newcomers remain vulnerable to exploitation unless information becomes public.

How a summer camp is bringing young women into the game industry

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Girls Make Games alumni are gaining places at college and pursuing careers in game development

Waterskiing and running for my life with the guy behind Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

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Everywhere Joel Jewett goes in Ovando, Montana, someone says hi. At the town bar, Trixi’s, and the town diner, The Stray Bullet, and even in front yards as he drives by in his truck, someone stops him. It’s not because he’s famous — he isn’t, really. It’s not because he had a hand in three billion-dollar video game franchises — according to him, people here don’t care about that. It isn’t because he knows Tony Hawk.

The Fight Against Toxic Gamer Culture Has Moved to the Classroom

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Now educators face new challenges: teaching responsibly, while also safeguarding themselves from the very kids they hope to help. “You develop this self-preservation intuition,” Ruberg tells The Verge. “You have to know what’s happening so that you know how to protect yourself.” As misinformation and hate continues to radicalize young people online, teachers are also grappling with helping their students unlearn incorrect, dangerous information. “It has made a lot of us teachers more cautious,” they say. “We want to challenge our students to explore new ways of thinking, to see the cultural meaning and power of video games, but we’re understandably anxious and even scared about the possible results.”

Interview Extra: Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian)

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A little while ago Cane and Rinse had the opportunity to ask a selection of questions to Fumito Ueda, the acclaimed creator behind the celebrated games Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian.

Flash emulation project aims to preserve gaming history

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Adobe have said they'll stop updating and distributing the Flash player at the end of 2020, but fortunately the era of browser games and interactive animations will be preserved. Mike Welsh, who previously worked on the Flash-to-HD video converter Swivel for Newgrounds, is currently working on a program called Ruffle, which will emulate Flash right there in your bowser.

Click, whir, ping: the lost sounds of loading video games

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From the Apple II to the ZX Spectrum, the aural experience of loading a game from a cassette, disc or cartridge was all part of the fun

On Your Marx: The Developers Bringing Socialism to Games

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The first time I ever spoke to Jan Cieślar, he was tucked away in the chaos of the Game Developers Conference, on a delicate cell phone connection, desperately fielding every inquiry he could for Invisible Fist—Failcore Games’ flagship title, and one of the few plainly anti-capitalist products on the show floor. The gameplay brings to mind Slay The Spire, Cultist Simulator, and the rest of the experimental card-battlers that have made appearances on Steam’s trending page. But as soon as you settle into the narrative, you’ll see exactly what Cieślar is angry about.

Yakuza Remaster Translation

As Game Budgets Balloon, Indie Devs Learn to Work Smarter

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When Jon McKellan was working on the UI for Red Dead Redemption 2 at Rockstar Games, he was part of a team with a seemingly limitless budget. “There’s no concept of the money that’s spent. You know it’s a lot, but that’s all,” he told me.

As Games Get More Systemic, Composing Music For Them Is Getting Harder

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Erica is a new FMV game that was announced and then simultaneously released at Gamescom this week. We had the game's composer, award winning Austin Wintory, come on Waypoint Radio to talk about Erica, movie spoilers, and what a few of his favorite brands are. You can listen to the full episode and read an excerpt below.

Problematic Bodies

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Gay people are a punchline to a worryingly vast swath of people. Gay men are thought of as comically feminine, yet also oftentimes hyperbolically muscular at the same time – or at the very least, paired with a muscular fantasy man to satisfy his mincing ways. Often the “gay men are predators” angle is played up, portraying lisping bodybuilders as aggressively pursuing any man with a pulse, even if they’re straight. We’ve seen this trope time and again in games, and it’s honestly wearisome. But though these unfunny jokes are problematic to say the least, we can still reclaim them as icons for queerdom thanks to the power of camp.

“Faceless Murderers,” by Blake Hester

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That’s what makes, in my mind, the Wolfenstein games so great; their simple set up strips away any pretense of there being a gray area. The Wolfenstein games make it painfully clear that the Nazis are very (über) bad at the jump, so they can then move along to the personal stories of a cast of characters they’re more interested in exploring. Aside from the main antagonists, the games’ Nazis are nothing but characterless, nameless, detailless, fodder for bullets. Rather than dwell on what everyone (but, apparently, a substantial amount of America) seems to know, they move past the fact the Nazis are scum and onto exploring the arcs of the good guys. I feel like I really know Blazkowicz, his wife Anya, Set Roth, Max Haas, and the rest of their camp. I care about these characters, and the cutscenes starring them are nice bookends to the Nazi bloodshed.

So why are Soph and Jess, the main characters of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and daughters of Blazkowicz, only given as much narrative depth as the thousands of Nazis I’ve left in my wake?

Final Fantasy XIV's Depiction Of The World Ending Is A Bit Too Real

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To quote my 100% non-fictional friend Barret Wallace: “Planet’s dyin’, Cloud.” As our society feels closer and closer to an irrevocable change, as the Amazon rainforest burns and the ice caps continue to melt, I find the fragility of our world reflected in the narratives of my favorite games. Final Fantasy XIV’s latest expansion, Shadowbringers, has been on my mind ever since I finished it. Part of that is because underneath its tale of magic and heroes, I can’t help but find reflections of my reality.

Crapshoot: The original Duke Nukem, who just wanted to be home in time for Oprah

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We're rerunning Richard Cobbett's classic Crapshoot column, in which he rolled the dice and took a chance on obscure games—both good and bad.

I Played Breath of the Wild With My Sister And Put Her Through Hell

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It’s not often I replay games, but when my sister asked for something to play together, I suggested The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More than two years had passed since I completed Link’s adventure on my own, and I wanted her to experience it ahead of the recently-announced sequel. Let me recount all the ways I led her astray during her adventures in Hyrule.

How Link's Climbing Animation Works in Breath of the Wild

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Watch a professional game animator break down Link's climbing piece by piece to figure out how this animation system is structured!

To request an episode topic, support New Frame Plus on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/newframeplus

How to Wield the Master Sword // Video Game Animation Study

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This is a light collaborative effort between this channel and New Frame Plus, studying a couple of animations in Breath of the Wild each.

Could Games Teach History?

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And also thank you to the hosts of History Respawned for corresponding: https://www.historyrespawned.com/

Want to support the channel? Check out the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/superbunnyhop

The Music of Cecil's Redemption - Final Fantasy IV | Warriors of Leitmotif

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Final Fantasy IV's most famous scene is when Cecil becomes a Paladin.

Let's take a look at how the music of the sequence helps to tell the story. Part 2 of the Final Fantasy IV episode of Warriors of Leitmotif is coming soon.

Support the channel on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/gamescorefanfare

Minecraft, Sandboxes, and Colonialism | Folding Ideas

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Clickbait title: OOPS! Did I Do A Colonialism In Minecraft?!

This video has been "done" for a while now, but I had a lot of trouble finishing it owing to a lingering sickness in my lungs that has made it difficult to record vocals that don't sound froggy and gross. Aside from that bit of TMI I do want to stress that I really love Minecraft, I love creative games, I love construction games, I love logistics games. All of the game footage in this video is mine. I have it because I own all these games and have played them all for somewhere between dozens and hundreds of hours each.

The Rise and Fall of Empire Earth

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Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GVMERS

During the early 2000s, real-time strategy games were booming. From Blizzard and Westwood’s fantastical machinations, to Creative Assembly and Ensemble Studios’ historical excursions, the genre had a game in almost every style and setting conceivable – and they were all consistently great.

Video Game Fashion Fire Emblem: Three Houses- Black Eagles

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Join mumbles and I as we review the fashions and glow ups of the Black Eagles in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Support the creation of videos like this at: https://www.patreon.com/AOrlando

Review: Metal Wolf Chaos XD

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Want to support the channel? Check out the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/superbunnyhop

Richard Garfield On Artifact's Emotional, Stressful Launch

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In this excerpt from The Game Informer Show podcast, the creator of Magic: The Gathering Richard Garfield opens up on what it was like to work with Valve and Gabe Newell in the creation of the Dota card game Artifact. He also says he'd love to work on Dota Underlords

Gamescom 2019 reveals and info, Steven T. Wright interviews developers about what it's like to work on a game in development for over a decade, Nic Reuben tells the story behind a failed Hotline Miami mod, Diego Argüello interviews current and former QA testers to learn about the industry's exploitative practices, Gamestop suddenly lays off half of Game Informer's editors, Michael Goroff talks with the people preserving game's past and future, Samuel Horti on the call that saved System Shock 2, Bioware co-founder Trent Oster talks to Mike Williams about the early days of the company, in his final piece Ed Smith discusses the wall big budget games seem to have hit and The Infinite Zeppelin of Wolfenstein, Mount and Blade II heading to early access, Ion Fury devs apologize for sexist and transphobic comments, Writing on Games appreciates the nonsense of MGS4, Core-A Gaming speaks with tournament organizers about how events grow, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Gamescom 2019: Opening Night Live Stream

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Catch all the news and games coming to gamescom on the gamescom: Opening Night Live stream. Publishers Sony, Xbox Game Studios, Bungie, Capcom, Ubisoft and many more are set to debut new content and information on their upcoming games.

Going Beyond Video Games At Gamescom 2019 [Sponsored]

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When people think of Gamescom, they often think of video games, but there's more to Gamescom 2019 than video game trailers and announcements.

Google Stadia Connect Live Stream

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Check out all the latest game reveals for Google Stadia on the latest Stadia Connect live stream.

Spelunky 2 probably won't be out this year

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Spelunky 2 was announced in 2017 and showed off its first gameplay trailer in 2018, which is also when it revealed a release target of 2019. Alas, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

The First 20 Minutes of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

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Jake and Jean-Luc check out the opening 20 minutes of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Ancestors come to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on August 27th.

Borderlands 3 preview – Gearbox has something to prove

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This is a first-person shooter that lets you use a shotgun that’s also a sniper rifle. There are guns that fire other guns that sprout legs and murder everything like those terrifying dog robots in that one good Black Mirror episode. Some guns fire out brains. Brains! There are grenades that create a vortex, sucking in gas mask-wearing bandits before spitting them back out as bloody chunks. Like I say, it’s extremely far-fetched.

Borderlands 3 doesn’t have loot boxes because they don’t “feel like a Borderlands thing”

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Borderlands 3 is out next month, and it’s one of the most anticipated games of the year. Despite a slight amount of confusion earlier in the year regarding microtransactions there will be cosmetic DLC in the game, but otherwise Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford’s comments about there being no “free-to-play kind of stuff” in Borderlands 3 has rung true so far.

Borderlands 3’s sense of humour: “be edgy, be funny, don’t be cruel, don’t be insensitive”

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The Borderlands series is known for its signature sense of humour, and it looks like its upcoming third instalment is no exception. Maintaining the tone that fans of the games have come to know and love could be tricky in today’s evolving climate, where reception to themes and content can really vary, but it sounds like developer Gearbox has got it all worked out. Speaking to us at this year’s Gamescom, producer Chris Brock said it’s all about finding edginess and humour, without straying too far.

Yakuza 3’s PS4 Localization is Uncut and Uncensored - Gamescom 2019

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Watch exclusive Yakuza Remastered gameplay with developer commentary.

The Yakuza Remastered Collection Brings Yakuza 3, 4, And 5 Back Throughout 2019 And 2020

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All three of the recent Yakuza remasters are heading westward. Sega has confirmed The Yakuza Remastered Collection. The individual titles will receive a staggered release throughout the rest of the year, starting with Yakuza 3’s PlayStation 4 debut today. Yakuza 4 will follow on October 29, 2019. On February 11, 2019, Yakuza 5 will appear. The full compilation costs $59.99, and the digital copies of the games will unlock as they are released.

Why Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is choosing early access after eight years of development

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After so long in development, some fans are understandably somewhat confused: Why an early access period after eight years in development? We spoke with TaleWorlds CEO Armagan Yavuz at Gamescom, right after the trailer and early access date reveal, to find out why.

Dragon Ball Z Kakarot’s Epic Gohan Vs. Cell Fight Gameplay & Interview - Gamescom 2019

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Also, Trunks is playable and has his sword and Goku can drive a car, but only after he goes to driver's ed.

17 Minutes of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Gameplay - Gamescom 2019

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Flying around and taking down Raditz as Piccolo powers up in the iconic battle as well as side-boss fights, and exploring Kakarot.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Gets Driver's License Mission And New Characters

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When Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was named and officially shown off at E3 earlier this year, none of the footage showed anything past the Frieza Saga. In a game about Goku's life, it makes some sense that it would at least go through the part where he becomes a Super Saiyan, but fans were concerned it wouldn't go beyond that. Not only does the game go beyond that into the Android Saga, it includes the best filler episode from the show.

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign aims to be a more “accessible” grand strategy

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Gamescom always brings with it many nice surprises and exciting game announcements, but it’s rare to find one that’s truly unexpected. How about the sequel to a PC-only grand strategy title from 15 years ago? THQ Nordic is happy to oblige, as it has just revealed Knights of Honor II: Sovereign – the sequel to 2004’s Knights of Honor, which will be the publisher’s first grand strategy title.

Need For Speed Heat ditches any form of loot boxes

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One thing Heat isn’t carrying over from its predecessor is casino-style car-part acquisition. Previous entry Payback was a bit rubbish, in large part because car parts and upgrades were doled out through slots and loot boxes.

Need For Speed: Heat Official Gameplay Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The next entry in the storied arcade racing series is bringing the cat-and-mouse chase back to the streets.

Why So Many Former Infinity Ward Devs Returned For The New Modern Warfare

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Following a dispute with Activision over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 royalties, Infinity Ward co-founders and figureheads Vince Zampella and Jason West were unceremoniously removed from the studio. The two went on to form Respawn Entertainment and created the Titanfall series. Several key members of the Infinity Ward team that worked on games like Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 followed Zampella and West to Respawn, leaving a vastly different team to work on Modern Warfare 3 and subsequent titles.

One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Official Characters Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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Play as Terrible Tornado, Silverfang, and Atomic Samurai when One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Explore a doomed health retreat in upcoming Resort

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One great pleasure that you may not all be familiar with is interviewing people who are passionate about whatever it is you’re speaking to them about. You may be able to get something of a sense of it from Resort, which follows protagonist Laura Tanner as she speaks to the people staying there.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes coming to PS4 and PC in October

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Travis Strikes Again, Grasshopper's previously Switch-exclusive No More Heroes spin-off, will be unsheathing its Beam Katana and swaggering onto PS4 and Steam on 17th October.

Psychedelica Of The Ashen Hawk PC Port Will Let Otome Fans Uncover A Small Town’s Secret On August 30, 2019

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Another Idea Factory Otomate visual novel is getting a PC port. On August 30, 2019, Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk will come to Steam. This is a follow-up to Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, though it is a stand-alone otome with a whole new cast of characters and mystery to solve. This comes after a February 2019 closed beta test.

Commandos 2, Praetorians HD remasters get first full gameplay trailers

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Kalypso Media has delved into its shimmering bag of nostalgia and plucked out the first proper gameplay trailers for its upcoming HD remasters of much-loved stealth-tactics classic Commandos 2 and Roman Empire strategy affair Praetorians.

Everspace devs show off new open world space shooter

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The devs of Everspace, one of the best space games on PC, have shown off the first images of their unannounced open world space shooter ahead of a full reveal next week.

PES 2020: Gameplay and Exclusive Licenses Interview - IGN LIVE Gamescom 2019

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We discuss the game's exclusive licenses, the Euro 2020 DLC, and how it felt to nab Juventus from FIFA.

Death Stranding - FULL Gameplay Reveal with Kojima | Gamescom 2019 | Opening Night Live

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Watch Hideo Kojima present gameplay from Death Stranding during Gamescom 2019 at Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live.

Death Stranding: You Can't See Norman Reedus' Penis, Kojima Confirms

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Hideo Kojima premiered brand new Death Stranding gameplay footage during tonight’s Gamescom Opening Night Live press conference. One ability Sam (Norman Reedus) has in Death Stranding, apparently, is relieving himself when he needs to. But don’t worry, Kojima confirmed players won’t accidentally see Sam’s penis in Death Stranding.

Marvel's Avengers Hands-On Preview: We Know a LOT More Now - Gamescom 2019

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While the tutorial portion of Marvel’s The Avengers has been shown behind closed doors at both 2019’s E3 and Comic-Con, we’d been left curiously in the dark as to what the game actually is. The fluid frantic action of the front roster - Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Black Widow - was nice to look at, but Square Enix had given us little information beyond the team’s aesthetics and the basics of how they play in combat...until now.

How Avengers Allows You To Play, Progress, And Customize Your Heroes

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As we already know, Avengers is an original story focused on the superhero team’s fall from grace. The A-Day celebration meant to laud the Avengers backfires as a surprise attack on the Golden Gate Bridge serves as little more than a distraction for the heroes as the real threat involved blowing up the Avengers’ Helicarrier and leveling much of San Francisco. As the city struggles to pick up the pieces, anger and blame falls on the shoulders of the iconic Marvel heroes.

With one year left until launch, Halo Infinite’s creative director leaves 343

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We’ve still got a little over a year before Halo Infinite is set to launch, but that last year is going to come under different leadership. Creative director Tim Longo has departed from developer 343 Industries this week, and executive producer Mary Olson has moved into a lead producer role for the game’s campaign.

Disintegration Announcement Trailer

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Pilot a heavily armed Gravcycle in Disintegration, a new sci-fi first-person shooter unlike any other. Command your troops on the ground as you battle through a thrilling single-player campaign and compete in frenetic PvP multiplayer against other pilots and their crews.

The Surge 2 Goes Full Rockstar in New Gameplay Overview Trailer

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Everyone loves emulating the Rockstar Games approach to trailers nowadays - a voiceover that plays while gameplay does just as much talking as the description the female narrator is giving you. The Surge 2 mixes things up as a male takes control, but it's just as effective at explaining what the game is all about.

Humankind is Sega’s innovative new challenger to Civilization

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Amplitude Studios’ historical 4X epic allows players to mix and merge cultures

Horror Title Remothered: Broken Porcelain Arrives Next Year

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A sequel to Remothered: Tormented Fathers is on the way. This new entry is called Remothered: Broken Porcelain, and it'll release in the summer of 2020.

Earthnight - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

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EarthNight is an illustrated epic 2D platformer about the dragon apocalypse, and a love letter to classic arcade games. Humans have been exiled to space, forced to live in orbit above the planet. But Sydney & Stanley have had enough! They’ve decided to skydive back to Earth taking out as many dragons as they can along the way. Your path to EarthNight will always be different and riddled with danger when it launches in 2019.

Gears 5 Official Story Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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Check out the gorgeous cinematics and story moments coming in Gears 5.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Gears 5 Horde Mode

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Gears of War is the reason everyone knows what "horde mode" is, and so it's fitting that Gears 5 is placing a pretty heavy emphasis on it. This time around, though, horde mode is going to look a bit different, and we have a new trailer that explains a bit about what's changing for horde mode in the next Gears of War game.

Sequel To One Of 2016's Best Roguelike Games Announced At Gamescom 2019

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During Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2019, Everspace 2 was announced via a new trailer. The sequel to the beloved space roguelike seemingly improves upon the original game in several ways, but don't expect to be able to play it anytime soon.

Kerbal Space Program 2 announced

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Kerbal Space Program 2 has been announced with new features, new planets and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, a new developer. Star Theory Games—formerly Uber Entertainment—are taking the reins for the sequel, which will be released on Steam in spring 2020, and on consoles sometime after that.

Kerbal Space Program 2's new devs on adding interstellar flight, colonies and more to the PC's greatest space sim

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Star Theory's creative director explains what's new in Kerbal Space Program's sequel.

Ghostrunner | Official Reveal Trailer 2019 | (PC, PS4, XBOX)

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Ghostrunner is an action FPP video game developed by One More Level studio and published by All in! Games. High mobility of the main character, one-hit-one-kill, and bullet-time mechanics are the bases of the gameplay, which focuses on fast-paced, high-adrenaline combat. The game is set in a world which is a unique, grim blend of cyberpunk and post-apo genres. Coming to PC, XBOX, PS4.

Coffee Talk lets you make coffee for orcs and elves in an alternative Seattle

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Indonesian indie studio Toge Productions are working on Coffee Talk, a game about being a barista in a version of Seattle where fantasy folk live alongside humans. It's a bit like Shadowrun and a bit like Va-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action only the drink mixing is less boring, and you can draw some coffee art in the foam.

Cyberpunk 2077 Behind the Scenes Deep Dive - Gamescom 2019

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Get a sneak peek at Cyberpunk 2077 direct from the developers themselves.

Cyberpunk 2077's post-launch multiplayer still may not happen

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"If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit."

Bloodlines 2 RTX trailer teases sweet graphics and a mysterious woman in red

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A new trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 demonstrates the game's very impressive (and very moody) visual styling when running on one of Nvidia's RTX-capable graphics cards. "Ray-traced lighting and reflections" might be an accidentally ironic angle to take on a game about vampires, but it sure is pretty—after all, you can't have quality shadows without quality lighting.

Battletoads Gamescom 2019 gameplay

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The Battletoads are back! Rash, Zitz and Pimple are returning to steal the spotlight as they smash, stomp and drill their way through an all-new action-packed adventure of choreographed chaos. Couch co-op may never be the same again, as this new Battletoads provides an epic brawl through exciting challenges and hordes of enemies.

Upcoming Exploration RPG Greedfall Has My Attention

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When I was first asked to preview Greedfall, an upcoming RPG by Spiders, I didn’t really know what to expect. Its vast world, packed with ruins and frontier towns, captured a sense of discovery but also evoked a strange apprehension in me. Greedfall brims with potential and clever ideas, yet even after playing it, I can’t tell if it will mark a powerful recreation of BioWare-esque storytelling or a half-measured romanticising of the all-too-violent Age of Exploration.

Little Nightmares 2 Official Reveal Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The gorgeous horror platformer will get a sequel soon.

Learn how to pilot a stolen alien vehicle in Nauticrawl

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Nauticrawl jams you inside a weird alien vehicle that you don't know how to pilot and just lets you get on with figuring it out, or not figuring it out, dying and then trying a different approach. It's part sim, part roguelike and learning how to control your new vehicle is one big puzzle.

Empire of Sin Official Gameplay Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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Conquer the streets as an old-timey gangster from the co-creator of Doom.

New Wasteland 3 gameplay video shows off combat

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inXile has released a new gameplay trailer for Wasteland 3, this one focusing on combat.

Darksiders Genesis Gameplay Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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Hack your way through the forces of hell in this new take on the beloved franchise.

Orcs Must Die 3: Official Reveal Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The orc-killing puzzle series is getting a brand new entry and it's going back to its roots.

Orcs Must Die! 3 - Official Dev Diary | Stadia Connect

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Go behind the scenes and hear from Robot Entertainment as they talk about Orcs Must Die! 3 and what makes it so special coming to Stadia.

Blair Witch Official Story Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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Dive deeper into Blair Witch's story with never-before-seen gameplay, flashbacks and eerie visions that plague Ellis as he ventures deeper into the Black Hills Forest, a glimpse at what awaits as Ellis discovers the infamous witch house, and more.

Blair Witch - Our First Impressions

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We got our hands on the new Blair Witch video game, and dive into the mechanics of this new take on the iconic franchise by Bloober Games.

THQ Nordic reveals Saints Row’s return, Dead Island handover and another Timesplitters tease

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The Third Street Saints are coming back, but there’s trouble brewing on Dead Island 2.

Iron Harvest draws from alt history and Warcraft 3’s storytelling

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In the foreground of the painting hanging on the office wall of Iron Harvest’s creative director, Jan Theysen’s, peasant women harvest hay under a baking summer sun. It’s an evocative scene, reminiscent of work by famous English landscape painter John Constable. In the background of this pastoral idyll, however, half obscured by heat-haze and whisps of cloud, smoke billows from an enormous mech, its canon-like arms casting a threatening shadow over the fields beneath.

Comanche Official Reveal Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The classic franchise is coming back from developer THQ Nordic with a team-based competitive multiplayer.

Beyond a Steel Sky Is a Return to Cyberpunk Dystopia 25 Years in the Making

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The barren, terrifying wastes of devastated Australia are the home for one of the most notable nostalgia-powered trips of recent history: 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Picking up the legacy of a series thought finished decades ago, original director George Miller blended old-school physical filmmaking with modern techniques to create one of the decade’s most memorable blockbusters.

How Burden Of Command Is Aiming To Be An Interactive Band Of Brothers

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“You’re not sending some pixels up that hill, you’re sending your ‘brother’ Lieutenant Dearborn,” writes Hughes. “And if he dies, he dies permanently, no reloads. Imagine, Dearborn, has served you loyally, intelligently, and courageously on and off the battlefield across three years of war. Now it’s 1945 and the war is almost over, does Dearborn deserve one more hill?”

Streets of Rage 4’s new character is a guitar-playing badass

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Beat-’em-up confirmed for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s PvP will have dedicated servers

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“I’m extremely delighted to announce that Ghost War PvP in Breakpoint will have dedicated servers,” said Ghost War’s lead designer, Alexander Rice, at a press event last month. “It’s probably been the most-requested community feature for a while.” Rice also highlighted the advantages of dedicated servers not just for quality of life in general, but in particular when counteracting cheaters, hackers, and exploits.

Predator Hunting Grounds Official Gameplay Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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See the brutal new gameplay from the upcoming 4-v-1 competitive multiplayer game.

Watch Dogs Legion - Official 'Welcome to the Resistance' Gameplay Trailer | Gamescom 2019

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The fate of London lies with you! Recruit your resistance and fight back when Watch Dogs Legion arrives on Stadia.

Synced: Off-Planet: Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The CG announcement trailer for Synced: Off-Planet, from NExT Studios.

Synced: Off Planet: Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer - Gamescom 2019

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The first gameplay footage of Synced: Off Planet, from Gamescom 2019.

SUPERHOT PRESENTS

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We set out on a mission to find cool, fun, unusual games that might need some help (funding) and support (still funding but also unsolicited advice and mentoring). We wanted to focus on developers in a similar time zone to help with communication, games that feel sort of like SUPERHOT (puzzles, shooters), and with a corresponding artstyle.

Darq Developer Reveals Why He Turned Down an Epic Exclusivity Deal

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In a time where it seems more and more game developers are opting to sign lucrative exclusivity deals with the Epic Games Store (and thus angering a certain portion of gamers), the developer behind the indie horror adventure Darq has made the peculiar decision to turn Epic down. In a post to his Medium blog, developer Wlad Marhulets, the one-man team at Unfold Games, revealed what went into making his decision.

Metro Exodus DLC The Two Colonels Releases Tomorrow - Gamescom 2019

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The DLC follows the story of Colonel Khlebnikov and provides more details about the fall of Novosibirsk. Taking place in the Novosibrisk Metro before the Aurora crew arrives, you'll help the Colonel make his way back to his son on New Year's Eve.

You can become a wizard in The Sims 4's next game pack, Realm of Magic

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Harry Potter meets College of Winterhold meets Shadowglen.

Sony's Insomniac Acquisition is Its First Major Salvo in the PS5 Generation

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A common refrain through the Xbox 360 era was that exclusives no longer really mattered. With the explosion of indies and reams of high-quality third-party games, conventional wisdom held that a large library filled with top third-party games could pack more of a punch than a handful of exclusives. But then the current generation hit, and the Xbox One was streamrolled by the PS4. Why? Well, a lot of reasons actually, but exclusives were definitely a major factor.

GameStop Lays Off Over 100 People, Including Nearly Half Of Game Informer's Staff

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The struggling retail chain GameStop laid off over a hundred employees today, both at its corporate headquarters in Grapevine, Texas and at other offices including its subsidiary Game Informer magazine in Minnesota, where nearly half of the editorial staff lost their jobs in a surprise cut.

Ion Fury devs criticized for comments on transgender kids and feminism

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The comments, compiled by ResetEra/GameRevolution and verified by GameRevolution, include Ion Fury developer ‘terminx’ discussing the SlutWalk, a protest that started as a result of a Toronto police officer saying that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” if they wanted to avoid sexual assault. Terminx explained that they didn’t “understand” the concept of the protest, as there are people who complain when developers “portray women dressed the same way” in video games:

Ion Fury studio apologises for sexist and transphobic comments by staff

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"We recognise these statements are insensitive, unacceptable, and counterproductive to causes of equality. We unequivocally apologise both for these comments and language as well as for any pain they have caused the gaming community, particularly women and members of the LGBTQ community. We take full responsibility for any damage that has been done to the relationships we've worked so hard to build.

"Moving forward, Voidpoint will institute a zero-tolerance policy for this type of language and all employees and contractors will undergo mandatory sensitivity training. As part of our efforts to contribute to the work that must be done to further support these communities, we are donating $10,000 from Ion Fury's release day proceeds to The Trevor Project. We are also patching Ion Fury ASAP to remove all unacceptable language."

Now Game Developers Have To Ask Fans Not To Harass Them Over The Epic Store

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On its own, the message might read like any communiqué from a developer to fans eager for an update. But coupled with recent events, it feels like the next step in the slow breakdown in the relationship between the people who make games and the fans who interact with them online.

Respawn apologises for Apex Legends Iron Crown loot boxes, says “we broke our promise”

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Respawn Entertainment has issued an apology for the way it set up the Iron Crown limited-time collection event in Apex Legends, which made loot boxes – Apex Packs – the only way to obtain certain exclusive items. Drew McCoy, Apex Legends’ project lead, wrote a blog post acknowledging the company had “missed the mark” with the event and apologised for “breaking our promise.”

Apex Legends Forum Becomes Heated as Developer Calls Toxic Community Members 'A**-hats'

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It’s been a tough week for Apex Legends, and an even tougher week for its development team, following strong player backlash during the game’s Iron Crown special event. After making some significant changes to how players could earn the new (and prohibitively expensive) legendary skins included in the event, Respawn took a moment to apologize for how it structured the event. A part of that process of making good appears to be reaching out to the Apex Legends subreddit, where things quickly heated up into verbal sparring between at least one Respawn developer and players.

Epic opens a streaming-focused studio with the founders of Rogue Squadron dev Factor 5

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Epic is opening up a new studio in Cologne, Germany, and the location will be manned by the founding members of Factor 5, the German studio probably best known for the classic action space shooter, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. Epic Games Cologne will be focused on “emerging forms of interactive media and streaming technologies.”

BioWare loses two producers on Anthem, Dragon Age

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Anthem's lead producer, Ben Irving, and Dragon Age senior producer, Fernando Melo, have both decided to move on from the studio.

Developer Fumes About Keyseller G2A, But Admits He Was Wrong About $300,000 Complaint

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G2A shot back at Cleveland’s demand last night, saying they didn’t even exist in 2013. In a blog post G2A posted a picture showing G2A.com as an unused domain around that time. “That’s just slander, and we expect him [Cleveland] to at least edit his posts, if not straight up apologize,” the post said of Cleveland’s tweet. “However, if Charlie Cleveland would like us to hire a professional auditing company to check if the keys from before 2014 appeared on a non-existing marketplace, we encourage him to contact the G2A Direct team, as per the initial offer.”

Esports News

The Nintendo 2019 World Championships will work with Eleague to air on CBS

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Nintendo announced today that it is partnering with Eleague to broadcast The Nintendo 2019 World Championships on CBS.

HOW FIGHTING GAME TOURNAMENTS ARE DEALING WITH TOXIC AND UNRULY PLAYERS

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From its inception in 2010 as a little-known tournament attended mostly by Orlando locals, Community Effort Orlando — better known by its initials CEO — has become one of the premier events in the fighting game community (or FGC), with thousands of fans flooding in and dozens of games represented in competition. Hosted and organized by longtime FGC stalwart Alex Jebailey, CEO can get downright theatrical at times. Champions receive roaring Michael Buffer-esque introductions as they strut their way down the ramp to a wrestling ring where they battle it out in the final matches of the event.

Underneath The International's $33m prize pool, a flawed system in continuous need of repair

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Dota 2 tournament analyst and former professor of economics weighs in on the Dota Pro Circuit and the inherent problems that Valve still needs to address in order to better take care of its players and tournament organizers.

EVO 2019: Women of the FGC by Combo Queens (ComboQueens) Panel

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The Women of the FGC panel was produced by Cross Counter TV, powered by Twitch Student.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

What goes right and wrong when games like Diablo 3 take a decade to make

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What does a decade’s worth of work look like? You can start and finish almost any form of education; establish a career; raise a child; build a thriving business. For many, a decade of work could represent a house, a page on a resume, the title on a business card, or something less tangible — a feeling, even.

The Uncertain Future of Video Game History

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“I feel like physical retail releases are pretty safe,” Lewin said. “There were a lot of people who were doing that already, but Frank was the first person I saw to be like, ‘No, we need to save the press releases to save the context around it. We need to know what people’s attitudes were around this, before and after the game’s launch and during development.’ That part has always been really interesting to me as a researcher. So that was like, good, someone gets that it’s more than just saving the games themselves.”

What It’s Really Like to Be a QA Tester

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QA is one of the most vital jobs in game development. For many workers, it’s also the worst.

Remembering the Early Days of BioWare with Co-Founder Trent Oster

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Beamdog and BioWare co-founder Trent Oster talks about the early days of the studio, before Electronic Arts.

The messy story behind the Hotline Miami mod that never was

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When I first spoke to Spencer Yan, I wanted to tell the stories of modders who had poured themselves into passion projects that never saw the light of day. I'd been reading the recent RomChip, and several articles there had made the same, lucid argument: the history of games is also a history of the games that never made it. Not just the big studio failures where everyone, at the very least, ended up with a paycheck, but the hundreds of hours sacrificed by talented amateurs. I wanted to end this piece having told these stories, and maybe finish with some easy, conclusive quotables that might have helped anyone embarking on a creative work in the future. Spencer Yan's story doesn't have any of those, so if you're after a bow to wrap things up, maybe stop reading after this insight from Pi0h1.

Designing Communities for Kindness

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How to better set up your (game) communities for kinder user experiences.

Video game corporate satire is really overdue an upgrade

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Videogame "satires" of giant corporations have never rung that true for me, largely because some of the most prominent examples are developed by giant corporations. GTA aside, the field is led by Portal 2, a historical and architectural cross-section of a dysfunctional science company created by Valve, the owner of the world's largest PC game distribution platform. I don't think it's impossible to critique the upper echelons of the private sector while working for one of the Powers That Be - if I did, I wouldn't be writing this for a website owned by a million-dollar events business. But it's harder to laugh along to jokes about, say, brutal working practices or womanising CEOs when they come from those at the summit of an industry that worships crunch and has a lingering sexism problem.

In Narrative Adventure Games, Even False Choices Have a Real Impact

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“What matters the most is when a player finishes one of our games, he knows himself better than at the beginning,” said Cano.

The Origins of Awesome Games Done Quick

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“We were supposed to have Classic Games Done Quick, the first [Games Done Quick] at MAGFest back in 2010, but they couldn’t provide internet with a decent upload,” Uyama told EGM. “We had to use the option with decent internet—my mother’s house that was roughly a 10-minute drive away from the venue.”

How one phone call saved a tiny new studio and gave the world System Shock 2

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20 years later, Irrational Games co-founders Ken Levine and Jonathan Chey on the immersive sim's rollercoaster development.

There's A Latinx Void At The Heart Of Video Games

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In the games industry’s endless quest to appeal to everyone, to not turn away a single customer—hateful ones included—it hasn’t really welcomed anyone. Called them by name and made them feel at home. If Disney, an entertainment company that is nothing if not ruthless in pursuing universal hits, can produce Coco, Black Panther, and Bao—each an authentic expression of specific cultures filtered through the lens of fiction—it’s baffling that big-budget games have barely tried.

'We Know We’re Not Taking It Far Enough': A Ubisoft VP Wrestles With Politics In Games

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“I do see that we’re being challenged on politics,” he told me. “It hurts me, because we know there’s a disconnect between where we want to take games years down the line and what we’re doing on a day to day basis.” Mending that disconnect is a goal, he said. Maybe it’s his, maybe it’s Ubisoft’s. It was hard to say, but Francois does hold a position of influence at the company. He’s the vice president of Editorial, the Paris-based team at Ubisoft that oversees, advises, and budgets all of the company’s games. He works with the makers of the Assassin’s Creeds, the Ghost Recons, The Divisions, and more. And in a rare interview, he at least opened up the discussion about political ideas in Ubisoft’s games more than anyone in the company before him.

Abe’s Oddysee, Ahead of Its Time

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The most remarkable thing about the PlayStation Classic is how literally everyone agrees it was a weak cash-in attempt that failed to cash in. This is evidenced by the fact that its hit $29 (down from $99 last fall) at some retailers, also signaling that it is, in fact, possible to get gaming’s internet hive mind to achieve consensus on something. While it’s a shame the retro console flopped despite the depth of the original PlayStation’s library, that also means now is the perfect time to grab one cheap and revisit the endearing and sharply prescient Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee.

Fire Emblem's Depiction Of Abuse Feels Real

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In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, there’s a character in Golden Deer house named Marianne. She’s so shy that she barely speaks. At first, I thought this was a confidence problem. I eagerly gave her gifts, not just to get to her next support rank and trigger a new conversation, but because being nice to someone who was clearly struggling felt like the least I could do.

Alone in the Dark

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Most videogame stories are power fantasies. You spend your time getting ever stronger, ever tougher, ever more formidable as you accumulate experience points, gold, and equipment. Obstacles aren’t things to go around; they’re things you go through. If you can’t get past any given monster, the solution is to go kill some other monsters, then come back when you’re yet more powerful and slay the big beast at last. Life, these games tell us, is or ought to be one unadulterated ride up the escalator of success; a setback just means you haven’t yet risen high enough.

“The Infinite Zeppelin,” by Ed Smith

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“Can you believe this?” asks Zofia “Soph” Blaskowicz of her twin sister, Jessie. “We’re shooting Nazis on a fucking zeppelin, dude.” Jess is prideful, incredulous in reply—”if only daddy could see us now!” Me? I’m less than enthusiastic. I’m a killjoy, a cynic, a bummer. I’ve been here so many times before, that is aboard a zeppelin, or at least some kind of large, aviated zeppelin-esque vehicle, shredding videogame enemies one after another with moral impunity, that if Soph and the game-makers who write her dialogue want to ask me whether I can believe it, then my answer is likely to spoil their fun: yes, yes I can believe it; after experiencing the climactic zeppelin level of 2013’s BioShock Infinite, the shootout which takes place aboard a zeppelin in 2015’s The Order: 1886, and then the zeppelin-based opening to Wolfenstein: Youngblood’s 2017 predecessor, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, I can believe it and believe it easily.

Queer Cooperation

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Being queer can get lonely and isolating. As a small percentage of the population that’s treated as taboo or deviant by the majority, we’re in a vulnerable position. That’s why it’s extremely important to hook up with a support system, which can be an in-person LGBTQ support group, a circle of queer friends, or even a network of online queer peeps with a common interest. The latter is often what ends up happening, especially for queer people who live in rural areas. I know that I wouldn’t be as well-adjusted as I am without my circle of Twitter gays cheering me on and passing on their queer wisdom. But support structures come in many forms, and you need look no further than Final Fantasy XIV for an example. Final Fantasy XIV, while an incredible MMORPG, is also home to many tight-knit queer companies that use the game for both its gameplay value and the way it connects people together. Connected games like Final Fantasy XIV have the power to build these support networks organically through play.

OFF THE GRID: GHOST TRICK

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Ghost Trick isn’t really talked about that often, despite being critically acclaimed by the few that did play it. It’s a puzzle game with a fairly unique gimmick, an excellent story, and a great sense of humor. I’ll admit I only bought because it shares a writer with the Ace Attorney series, and that it sat on my shelf un-played from around 2013 until earlier this month. Like its sister series it lives and dies by its story. Ghost Trick’s tries to say something meaningful about how we communicate and how keeping things inside affects a person. In that vein I’m here to talk about talking, Ghost Trick’s sense of identity, and how poor communication can drive a man to madness. Also should be noted that this is a spoiler zone… you’ve been warned.

Why Metal Gear Solid 4's Nonsense is Great, 11 Years On

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Metal Gear Solid 4 was clearly divisive upon its initial release in 2008; it was rife with structural issues, bloated melodrama and fan service whose anticlimactic answers to longstanding series questions could never satisfy the fans that wanted those mysteries solved.

That said, upon revisiting it in 2019, away from that hype and examined in a modern context, there’s something about MGS4's sheer absurdity that helps cement Snake as a character truly out of time, that has us sharing in his struggle to find narrative resolution in an increasingly nonsensical world and, as a result, ends up reflecting some of the anxieties that almost inevitably come with living in the modern age.

Support the show on Patreon - http://patreon.com/writingongames

My Friend Pedro and Potential | PostMesmeric

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From indie developer DeadToast and publisher Devolver Digital comes a brutal ballet of high-intensity madness and off-the-wall action. My Friend Pedro has burst onto the scene with unprecedented excitement, so it's time to see why this already great game has the unique potential to make its wild world even more bananas.

The Best Games from GMTK Game Jam 2019

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The third GMTK Game Jam has come to a close. In this video, I look at my favourite games from among the 2,600 projects that were uploaded.

Play all the games here - https://itch.io/jam/gmtk-2019/entries

 

Video Game Fashion: Fire Emblem: Three Houses- Golden Deer

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Join mumbles and I as we review the fashions and glow ups of the Golden Deer in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

How Rhythm Drives The Music Of Ace Combat

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Lots of music theory discussion centers around elements of melody and harmony, but relatively little is written about rhythm. Specifically, I haven't found nearly as much discussion on the theory behind how 'beats' work as I have for other aspects of composition, and as a drummer, I found it exciting to explore the rhythmic side of the Ace Combat series' music. Hopefully you find it just as exciting to watch this video!

PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/8bitmusictheory

How Tournaments Go from 10 to 10,000 People [4k]

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Thanks to Jinhee (@UYUJinhee) and Drew (@UYUDrew) at @UYU for sending me around the world to make this video possible.

Support on Patreon: http://bit.ly/2rfySih

The Making of Castle of Illusion, Quackshot and World of Illusion

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The Illusion series was an important pillar for SEGA. It offered a high quality line of family-friendly games. In this episode we discover the history and development of Castle of Illusion, Quackshot and World of Illusion as well as Fantasia

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to our Xbox community article for the week. This news series is our way to report and share with you on what is going on with the AJSA in the Xbox community on a weekly basis. We'll have updates on current projects, upcoming activities, community content ranging from interviews to Youtube videos, event recaps and more. These articles will always contain a copy our Game Nights schedule for the week to keep folks informed about what titles we're featuring and supporting. If you're interesting in getting involved with us on Xbox I'd encourage you to check out our 'Xbox Community Guidebook' where you can get up to speed on what we're all about and how you can start playing with us. If you need help and/or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of the AJSA Xbox Staff for assistance. We'll be more than happy to help you out with any questions you have regarding the community!

Xbox Reports

- Minecraft Two Year Anniversary Recap -

On Friday August 16th we celebrated our Two Year World Anniversary in our Xbox community Minecraft Realm. Since we founded the world back on August 7th, 2017, this world has been our Minecraft home playing host to all our adventures since. This past Friday we celebrated this momentous milestone with a special Anniversary event. In recap...

• We went on a journey back to where it all started.....the Mansion! This was our original base back on Minecraft: Xbox One Edition. As part of a restoration project, we've been upgrading the Mansion courtyard and interior to fit to current times. We also went back the to Empire Sick Building, Wookie Mountain Empire and the Underwater Sea Base in a trip down nostalgia lane.
• We unveiled the Amphitheater of the Architects, a special Anniversary monument built by AceyRenegade dedicated all the architects who have played an important role in the history of the world. Also includes and showcases all major landmarks from 2017 to present day.
• The Chamber of Remembrance was also unveiled. Connected to the Amphitheater, the Chamber documents our world history. We chronicled all our Quests, Expeditions, Game Nights, Architects and significant milestones from 2017 to present day.
• The final piece of the Anniversary was unveiled which was the Arboretum, the Realm's Garden of Trees.  Members were challenged to craft their own custom trees, showcasing their own unique and individual styles, in honor of the Anniversary.

- Summer Games Conclusion -

Connect With the AJSA Xbox One Community

Xbox Section of the Forums
http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/forum/32-xbox-one/

Join the AJSA Club on Xbox One
http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/forums/topic/37127-ajsa-xbox-one-club-how-do-i-join/

Xbox One Gamertag List
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Blake Hester speaks with developers about the time and cost of trying to get the little details right in games, a year after her reporting on the culture of Riot Cecilia D'Anastasio interviews employees about progress made, consoles now require loot box odds disclosure and FTC reveals relationship between streamers/youtubers and loot box creators, recent political blaming of video games for US shooting have Joshua Rivera discuss why we are past the point where games require defending while Rowan Kaiser covers why companies and the ESA are afraid to aggressively call out bad faith attacks, Colin Spacetwinks uses increasingly ridiculous Call of Duty interviews to talk about PR speak and useful idiots that benefits corporate PR, Jacob Geller tells the story of the decade long quest to find the final secret of Shadow of the Colossus, threats against multiple game studios, Richard Meredith on the ignored difficulty of releasing PC games on every storefront, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Morgana Won't Be Such A Bedtime Dictator In Persona 5 Royal

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It’s not as ideal a scenario as being able to sneak out of your room, get some drinks and hang out with magical teens, but it’s something.

GreedFall's new gameplay trailer shows off stealth, skills, and romance

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GreedFall, a pseudo-historical action RPG coming on September 10th, has a new gameplay overview trailer out today. And it is quite the overview, giving a mention to everything from character creation, to classes, action and stealth, and (oh yes) romance with party members.

River City Girls Character Spotlight: Misako

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Say hello to Misako, one of the hot-blooded heroines of River City Girls! Tough, impulsive, and always ready for a fight, she's teaming up with her best friend Kyoko to rescue her boyfriend Kunio by any means necessary when this action-packed beat-’em-up hits Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Sept. 5! Rated E10+.

River City Girls Character Spotlight - Kyoko

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Kyoko is ready for action in River City Girls, hitting Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Sept. 5! Compared to her BFF Misako, Kyoko is definitely the more cheerful and bubbly of the two, but don't get her angry or she'll knock your teeth out, especially if you mess with her boyfriend Riki. Check out her moves in this trailer! Rated E10+.

Skullgirls studio launching Indivisible in October

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I’d almost forgotten about Indivisible, the hand-drawn platforming action-RPG from Skullgirls studio Lab Zero Game. Oh we’ve seen bits and pieces in the four years since its crowdfunding campaign, but it slipped onto the back burner. Soon it will leap onto… the front burner? I’m not sure how to adapt this metaphor. I’m trying to say that Indivisible finally has a release date and it’s coming up fairly soon: October 8th. Here, come have a look in the new trailer. I am delighted to see one potential party member is a giant fluffy dog.

Double Fine’s Rad is a game about disrespecting your elders to save the planet

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The world has undergone ecological collapse. The smug grown-ups who thought they had all the answers, the master plan that would save everyone – they’ve fallen quiet now.

New Impressions Of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare's Campaign And Development

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Game Informer's Ben Hanson, Dan Tack, and Brian Shea share more details from their trip to Infinity Ward to see and play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. They talk about the new groundwar mode and its similarities to a battle royale and share everything they know about the game's campaign and development.

The Origins Of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's Reboot

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FACEBOOK POST TWITTER TWEET EMAIL EMAIL COMMENT COMMENT All month long we're rolling out features to highlight Infinity Ward's reboot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. We've focused on new multiplayer modes and the campaign, but with the video above we wanted to take a closer look at the game's development. While visiting the studio, we spoke with campaign gameplay director Jacob Minkoff and studio narrative director Taylor Kurosaki about their experience so far working on the game and how the project began.

129 Rapid Fire Questions About Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

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Game Informer's Ben Hanson interviews Infinity Ward's studio art director Joel Emslie about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's campaign, multiplayer modes, and Emslie's journey from Infinity Ward to Respawn and back again.

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The longtime developers of 2K's WWE series are moving on to new things. Yuke's, who has been working on mainline WWE titles like the PlayStation One era, will not develop future games in the WWE series, as 2K hands the reins over to NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts.

Vampire: The Masquerade—Coteries of New York detailed

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"You’ll build your Coterie and learn your undead companions' deepest secrets."

New Guilty Gear Will Be a "Complete Reconstruction" of the Series

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Arc System Works is distilling the genre and then reinventing it.

An enhanced version of System Shock 2 is in the works

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Nightdive Studios is working on an enhanced, improved version of the classic System Shock 2.

Still There is a dark, pensive game starring a space lighthouse keeper, out this year

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A game about grief, but with a sense of humor.

Gears 5 lets you create custom maps for Escape, and here’s how it works

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Get ready for your Escape Briefing, a brand new 3 player co-op mode in Gears 5, with the one and only Victor Hoffman.

Shapeshifting Guns, An Evil Fridge And 7 Best And Worst Control Features

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Our Control gameplay is taken from the first two hours of the game. Sadly it’s Control PS4 gameplay - we’ve not tested the PC version yet. But we will in our upcoming Control review. This isn’t our Control PC review, just early Control impressions based on the first areas of the game. The meat of Remedy’s new action thriller unravel after the moments you see in the video, so you don’t have to worry about major spoilers. If you’ve seen the Control trailer, you know the basic Control story: Jesse Fayden is uncovering the truth behind a childhood traumas, things that led her to this ever changing, ominous building.

Grandson Makes WWII Game Based on 92-Year-Old Grandmother's Tragic Memories

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'Brukel' takes inspiration from games like 'Gone Home' to capture what it was like to grow up on the frontlines of war.

Borderlands 3 - FL4K Character Trailer: "The Hunt"

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Meet FL4K, an emergent AI whose three loyal pet companions help them track and claim their quarry on a never-ending hunt across the galaxy.

Remnant: From the Ashes - Official Corsus Gameplay Trailer

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Take a look at the primordial swamp of the ice planet of Corsus, which is inhabited by a race of elf-insectoid hybrids forming the Iskal cult. Remnant: From the Ashes will be released on August 20, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

The Killing Floor 2 devs will sell weapon DLC for real money to keep the game going

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Killing Floor 2 has been around for almost three years now, and while the game presumably still has a fanbase, developer Tripwire Interactive is almost certainly ready to move on to its next game – possibly even Killing Floor 3. However, Killing Floor 2 has mostly stayed popular through the continuous free updates from Tripwire over the years – and while the developer wants to keep the game going, it’s apparently no longer in a position to offer those free updates anymore – and so the next DLC to get released will cost real money.

Shogun 2’s Fall of the Samurai expansion is now a Total War Saga game

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It’s now officially A Total War Saga: Fall of the Samurai. If you already own the game, you’re getting a special gift in the form of all its DLC – except the blood pack – for free. If you don’t have it yet, it’s currently 75% off on Steam, and you can also pick up the previous Total War Saga, Thrones of Britannia, at a 66% discount.

Just Cause 4 expansion adds hoverboards with gosh dang KICKFLIPS

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O, the tale of wiley explosion-magnet Rico Rodriguez is indeed drawing to a close. Just Cause 4‘s third and final expansion Danger Rising brings an end to the series yarn about ludicrous chaos, secretly evil government agencies, and demons(?). And like the final chapter of any great work of cultural significance, the conclusion of Just Cause will feature the most important element of storytelling: Kick-flipping hoverboards.

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock DLC adds new campaign and ships later this month

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The fifth expansion for the space strategy game.

Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony to require loot box odds disclosure

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Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Wizards of the Coast, and other publishers will also comply

FTC panel reveals troubling relationship between streamers and loot box creators

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Content creator says a publisher once offered to misrepresent the odds of winning to viewers

Epic Games promises loot box transparency going forward

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Epic joins Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and more in promising to make loot boxes less unpredictable.

Epic hit with class-action suit over hacked Fortnite accounts

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The suit was brought on behalf of those affected by a security gap in Epic’s log-in system

Discord is launching in-server streaming later this month with new 'Go Live' feature

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Server-based chat platform Discord is rolling out a new feature called 'Go Live' that builds a small-scale streaming platform directly into Discord itself, an addition that aims to replicate the feeling of playing games on the couch with your best pals.

Discord Explains How It Handles Harassment, Doxxing, And Threatening Behavior

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Discord, the only way young people communicate via voice after we collectively agreed to stop answering phone calls several years ago, is trying to be more open about how it handles harassment, threats, doxxing, and other forms of abuse on its platform. In order to do this, it plans to release regular “transparency reports,” the first of which is available to peruse now.

Borderlands 3: Take-Two Addresses Investigation Into Streamer Leaks

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According to sources familiar with the matter, previously listed perks on SupMatto's YouTube channel allegedly offered access to a private Discord channel that included further Borderlands 3 leaked information in exchange for a $5 membership to his YouTube channel.

Time To Break The Silence And Fill You In

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My statement. Big thanks to Bryce Blum for his class and legal advice.

Big thanks you guys for giving me time to figure it out.

Outer Wilds publisher says 'we're not going anywhere' following bankruptcy speculation

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Annapurna Interactive has published some great games over the past few years, including What Remains of Edith Finch, Gorogoa, Donut County, and the widely acclaimed Outer Wilds. But its parent, the film company Annapurna Pictures, isn't faring quite as well. According to Hollywood Reporter, the company is exploring bankruptcy options following the poor box office performance of films including The Sisters Brothers (which I thought looked fun) and Destroyer.

Ninja 'disgusted' after Twitch accidentally promotes porn stream on his dormant channel

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"This is the line," he said. "I'm trying to get the whole channel taken down to begin with, or at least not promote other streamers on my brand, on my frigging profile. So for anyone who saw that...I apologize, and I'm sorry."

Ninja gave out his number to the internet, but it’s a silly marketing scheme

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Blevins is running his outreach program through a company called Community. A brief look at Community’s Terms of Use reveal that becoming best friends with Ninja isn’t exactly what fans are signing up for.

Police are investigating a possible shooting threat at Twitch's headquarters, but say there's no longer an 'active threat'

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The San Francisco Police Department responded to the headquarters of the streaming company Twitch on Wednesday after a threat was made against the company.

Bandai Namco Is Investigating a Potential Bomb Threat At Its US Office

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Acting on a tip, IGN contacted Bandai Namco about a possible bomb threat made to its offices, and whether it was a credible threat. Bandai Namco provided the following statement:

40-Year-Old Man Arrested For Threatening Square Enix With “A Repeat Of Kyoto Animation”

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A 40-year-old man named Kenichi Hiratsuka was arrested for allegedly sending death threats to Square Enix, including a threat of a “Repeat of Kyoto Animation” referencing the tragic incident that took the lives of 35 people last month.

Subnautica dev to G2A: 'You now owe us $300,000'

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Unknown Worlds founder Charlie Cleveland wants the reseller to live up to its chargeback refund promises.

Xbox open to some first-party games appearing on other consoles

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The Xbox One generation started off with a whimper, but has ultimately led to a period of great transformation for Microsoft’s games division. With an increasing focus on subscription and services (bolstered by an ever-improving Xbox Game Pass), cross-platform support, Xbox Live support for iOS and Android, and a newfound commitment to accessibility, diversity and inclusion, the Xbox business of today barely resembles the one that caused consumers so much angst in 2013.

Paradox reports significant revenue increase in expansion-heavy Q2 2020

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Paradox continues to expand its portfolio beyond grand strategy and the PC platform and seems to be working out great.

Fortnite's Teenage World Champ Swatted Live on Stream

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Thankfully, this particular situation was quickly defused because one of the officers attending the incident lives in Bugha’s neighbourhood and recognised the teen.

A Look Back At Some Of The Games Australia Has Banned

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While Australia has a long history of video game development, as a nation we're probably more famous for the games we have banned.

We Do Not Need To Defend Video Games From Politicians

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Video games will continue to be a scapegoat for disingenuous lawmakers and lobbyists for as long as a scapegoat is needed. And as long as gun violence remains a problem in America, a scapegoat will be needed. Every second spent defending video games from blame is a second not spent addressing the root causes of what’s become weekly massacres: a complete lack of sensible gun control, a government utterly disinterested in even entertaining the possibility of said gun control, or combating the racist and misogynist ideologies that fuel the men who massacre the innocent.

Walmart Removes Violent Video Game Signage, Still Sells Guns

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The retailer is asking employees to take down signage and playable demos for violent video games, as well as hunting videos, in the wake of shootings at two of its stores.

The video game industry must stand up against the right’s bad-faith attacks

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There are some explanations, and they’re not good ones. The satirical website Point-and-Clickbait posted a barely joking article after the shootings about how the ESA might consider donating slightly less to President Trump when he blamed games. Meanwhile, Vice’s Rob Zacny makes the clever argument that the ESA’s current scandal of accidentally/deliberately leaking media members’ private information and their inability to rise to the need of the industry when its under attack both stem from its short-sighted profits-over-people mentality, where it praises tax cuts for the megacorporations and seems to stand for nothing else.

Video Game Consoles Won't Get Pricier In America, At Least For Now

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A 10 percent tax on video game consoles and other consumer electronics has been delayed until December 15, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced today. According to President Trump, the purpose of the delay is to prevent the tariffs from hurting the holiday shopping season.

A First-Person Adventure Is One of the Coolest Mario Maker Levels Yet

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They somehow pulled this off using tools meant for a platformer. It must be seen to be believed.

Esports News

Apex Legends tournament pulled from TV following US shootings

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The decision to pull the weekend broadcast was confirmed to RPS by an ESPN spokesperson, who tells us the tournament will now be broadcast on the channel in October. “The decision was made out of respect for the victims and all those impacted in the immediate aftermath of the shootings and it seemed the prudent thing to do given the swirl of that moment,” they said.

You Should Watch Ultra Fight Da ! Kyanta 2’s Tournament at Evo 2019

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As I’m sure anyone who follows fighting games will tell you, the genre is currently in the midst of an extremely strong period in its history. Even if its biggest name Street Fighter V has struggled, other games like Tekken 7, UNIST, or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have only increased in popularity and recognition, leading to one of the most stacked lineups of any Evo tournament ever this year. Despite all this, there was one game in particular that I’ve been obsessed with and eagerly awaiting for weeks, a tiny, free indie game made by one person being played in a small side tournament under the AnimEVO umbrella. That game is, of course, Harameself’s Ultra Fight Da ! Kyanta 2.

Russia wins Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds Nations Cup, UK manages not to come last

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Competitive Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds is a strange beast. Teams rack up points across multiple games for eliminating others and being one of the last few left alive, in various amounts depending on the tournament. That usually means that you can tell who’s going to win before the end, but not this time. Home team South Korea had pulled ahead early and stayed there – until the last game, where Russia pipped them to the post. And down at the bottom of the table, Great Britain managed to save themselves from last place by a single point.

Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)

Dog shelter simulator To The Rescue hits Kickstarter goal after two days

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This pet shelter simulator is all about caring for pups and finding forever homes.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

The 18-month fence hop, the six-day chair, and why video games are so hard to make

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We look at the effort behind the small details in games

Riot Employees Say Company Has Made Real Progress Fixing Its Sexism Issues

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In the year since Kotaku’s investigation into sexism at Riot Games, the 2,500-person company behind League of Legends, the company has crafted and self-injected its proposed antidote to its so-called “bro culture.”

Over the last week, 14 current or recent Riot employees spoke with Kotaku about the game company’s forward momentum toward equitable workplace conditions. Now that it’s all out in the open—the slanted hiring practices, the chauvinism, the ball-tapping frat antics—employees are witnessing the rollout of a belated justice. Everybody we spoke to was optimistic about the future of Riot Games, even as some at the company disagree on how best to implement cultural change.

After It Doxxed 2000 Journalists, Why Should We Ever Trust the ESA Again?

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In a world personal data can be used as a weapon by harassers and hackers, the risk of attending E3 has gone way up.

For MMO diehards, there's only one conversation: is the genre dying or already dead?

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"Where can I find a contiguous, massively multiplayer experience? Not a solo experience. Not instanced. A living breathing economy, a world to exist in. I've been chasing this since I first experienced MMOs with RuneScape and WoW in 2004," they continue. "Does it exist? Am I just missing the shining diamond in the pile of dirt that is this whole genre? … Everywhere I look, it seems people are burnt out on the modern MMO experience, yet where is the alternative? Where is my simulated massively multiplayer world? Emergent gameplay? … Why don't MMOs exist anymore?"

In retrospect, the MMO apogee was about as intense as it was misguided. Just look at some of the names on these tombstones: Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa, Warhammer Online, The Matrix Online, Everquest Next. What about the MMOs that remain online, toiling for a splinter of the boom? Star Wars: The Old Republic and Final Fantasy 14 recovered from famously ignominious launches. Elder Scrolls Online is still telling new stories. Plenty others fight for tiny scraps of the MMO population. But many more have died. As the body count piled up, it became clear that there could really only be one World of Warcraft.

Perfect Character Balance Is 'Boring,' Says Samurai Shodown Director

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During Evo 2019, I sat down with Samurai Shodown director Nobuyuki Kuroki to discuss his work on the new game. Since the game’s release in June, players have noticed some character balance issues in Samurai Shodown. In our interview, Kuroki admitted he’s not a fan of making the power diversity in the game’s cast “too flat.”

Launcher Builds

Meet the YouTubers Using Math to Unlock the Depths of Monster Hunter: World

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An inside look at Monster Hunter Math, a mathematical video series from masterminds JinJinx and Tuna.

Deep-Pocketed Collectors Are Fueling A Retro Game Gold Rush

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Danielle Smith has spent half a million dollars on rare video games, most of it in the last nine months. And she’s just getting started.

Planning Novigrad

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Something about The Witcher 3 makes finding your way around its largest city, Novigrad, surprisingly intuitive. This defies an easy explanation, but at least part of Novigrad’s legibility comes from a quirk of our own psychology.

“Killing Nuance,” by Reid McCarter

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This seems like the logical progression of the increasingly flimsy storytelling that’s filled The New Order and its direct sequel, 2017’s The New Colossus. Both of those games, despite the surface-level exceptions of The New Order’s multinational band of resistance fighters, are pop historical revisionism of an ugly sort. They eagerly reconfigure the nuances of the Second World War’s calamitous fighting into a simplistic core. Rather than confront less obvious facts about the War or the modern world, the games consist almost entirely of digestible moral outrage over a distant Nazi Germany; rather than acknowledge how fascism has slithered into today’s mainstream culture, Wolfenstein is is a series that dangerously attempts to both assert the mythological goodness of post-war America and gesture broadly toward a base acknowledgement of the country’s abhorrent 20th century history.

Fire Emblem Doesn't Just Need Gay Characters, It Needs Queer Life

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In preparing to write this article, I watched video of some of the S-rank romantic supports main character Byleth can have in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. As I'm still playing through the game myself, I needed context for the ongoing discussion about the same-gender romantic supports in the game. I was entirely prepared to be angry at the male/male options in the game, which are—to be blunt—incredibly bad on multiple levels. What I did not expect was to watch Byleth's marriage proposal to Edelgard and be infuriated by it.

One of Judgment’s Biggest Enemies is Male Entitlement

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Judgment is one of my favorite games of this year. Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku, as a spin-off to the Yakuza series, the tonally different Judgment is full of fun but has the heart of a nitty-gritty detective drama by which you can’t help but become enraptured. The story is one of the best I’ve seen and you’ll often feel the weight of the moral choices Yagami and co. have to make long after you’ve put the controller down. Everyone is complex and the line between friend and enemy often blurs.

Baba is You is a Postmodern Masterpiece

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Baba Is You is the unique puzzle game from Finnish developer Arvi Teikari where you solve puzzles by manipulating their established rules in order to get the eponymous Baba to their goal. The distinctive PC and Switch game is clever, difficult, and takes a very postmodern approach to designing both puzzles and games.

Redesigning Hitman's Agent 47

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Become a PATRON to unlock more videoshttps://www.patreon.com/noclip

We talk to Hitman's lead writer Michael Vogt about creating a contemporary Agent 47, and the world of assassination that surrounds him.

The Decade-Long Quest For Shadow of the Colossus’ Last Secret

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a mystery which will never happen again,
a miracle which has never happened before–
and shining this our now must come to then

09 to '19: A Decade of Approachability in Fighting Games

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In this 2019 GDC talk, Iron Galaxy Studios' Noah Sasso surveys the ways developers have attempted to broaden the audience for one of the oldest and most exciting genres in the industry: fighting games.

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

Fire Emblem With Sax

Fire Emblem Voice Actor

EVO announcements, winners, and rivalries. People Make Games investigates the truth of Civilization's Nuclear Gandhi bug, new gameplay for Mount and Blade 2 and The Outer Worlds, phone numbers and addresses of journalists and Youtubers leaked by E3 organizers, Radek Koncewicz looks at 10 JRPGs from the fifth console generation to analyse the generation's effects on pacing and structure, Moira Hicks examines how the magical realism of Metal Gear is used to better communicate the horrors of war and American imperialism while Reid McCarter explores how A Plague Tale does the same with the Hundred Years’ War, Noah Caldwell-Gervais gives his thoughts on the gameplay and worlds of Horizon Zero Dawn vs Days Gone and shares his critique and retrospective of the Alice series by discussing how it subverts the work it was based on, Archipel speaks with Koji Igarashi about development and alternative funding, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

Here's an hour of side-quests from The Outer Worlds—including a murder investigation

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We completed missions involving a missing person, a murdered gambler, a local drug dealer, and more.

You can kill every character in The Outer Worlds

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There are back-up systems in place to make sure you can still complete quests.

The Outer Worlds Is Just As Screwed Up As Real Life

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Before one of the designers of The Outer Worlds talked to me about the game he worked on, he commented on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer patch on the back of my denim vest.

How I wasted my hour with The Outer Worlds

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Ask anyone reviewing an RPG on a tight deadline how they're doing, chances are, you'll receive either stony silence or a murderous glare. These are typically vast things, where the main storylines alone can last upwards of 40 hours: and with such a huge variety of quests, narratives and locations, it's necessary to put the time in to get a feel for the title. There's also plenty of world-building going on, meaning some quests are lore-heavy, and some storylines will inevitably be less interesting than others. Which is fine, because you can simply move onto a better one with ease.

But what happens when you pick the wrong one, and you've only got an hour?

'The Outer Worlds' and Having Politics vs. Just Referencing Politics

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Given the length of most games, it can sometimes be hard to parse their politics or meaning even from a few hours of play. Endgame twists can paint the entire narrative of a game in a different light, strengthening core themes at best, and undermining them at worst. So it's natural to wonder where a narrative might go even if it's opening hours seem to hammer home a specific point of view. On this episode of Waypoint Radio, we discuss how this feels in The Outer Worlds, as well as making new friends in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and just what is up with...the Clancyverse??. You can listen to the full episode and read an excerpt below.

You can kill everyone in The Outer Worlds. It’s a development nightmare.

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Senior designer Brian Heins explains how tricky it is to pull off infinite murder

The Outer Worlds Brings the Stupidity of Capitalism to Space

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When Leonard Boyarsky, creative director at Obsidian, told VGC the company didn’t want to “lecture” its players about politics, I took a mental note I carried with me into my closed door demo with The Outer Worlds in mid-July. How could a game about corporate greed on a galactic scale be apolitical? How could it not lecture? While it might have been expedient for the team behind The Outer Worlds to distance itself from a clear political agenda, the attitude of this game is clear: the horrors of capitalism will follow us into the cold depths of space if we let them.

We Talk About World Building in Obsidian's New Game The Outer Worlds

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Kahlief hangs out with the folks from Obsidian Entertainment to check out their new game The Outer Worlds. We catch up with Senior Narrative Designer Carrie Patel to hear all about world-building. The new companion system and dig a little into what players might find while exploring the world.

Watch 20 minutes of Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord beta footage

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It's starting to seem like Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord might actually launch one of these days, what with some lucky players getting to test the skirmish mode in beta and the game's impending appearance at Gamescom later this month. If you didn't get into the beta and need a fix, you can watch some raw footage above.

The upcoming RPG Warsaw taught me an important piece of Polish history

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Today is an important anniversary. At 1700 hours (4pm UK time), Warsaw will fall silent. Sirens will sound and the Polish capital will grind to a halt, as it has on this day, at this hour, for the past 74 years. Today, people will remember the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who died as a result of the Warsaw Uprising. But 75 years ago, it had just begun.

Ooblets is an Epic exclusive, and its creators say it's 'nothing to get worked up about'

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Designer and writer Ben Wasser said the decision to go exclusive was made because Epic offered a minimum guarantee on sales. "That takes a huge burden of uncertainty off of us because now we know that no matter what, the game won’t fail and we won’t be forced to move back in with our parents (but we do love and appreciate you, parents!)," he wrote. "Now we can just focus on making the game without worrying about keeping the lights on. The upfront money they’re providing means we’ll be able to afford more help and resources to start ramping up production and doing some cooler things."

Epic condemns “misinformation and abuse” after harassment of Ooblets devs

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In a statement, Epic says this has “highlighted a disturbing trend which is growing and undermining healthy public discourse, and that’s the coordinated and deliberate creation and promotion of false information, including fake screenshots, videos, and technical analysis, accompanied by harassment of partners, promotion of hateful themes, and intimidation of those with opposing views.”

Regarding what’s been happening

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Content warning for the included screenshots involving graphic language including racist/ethnic/homophobic slurs, threats, violence, rape, suicide, self-harm, and other stuff.

Hey, this is Ben. My wife Rebecca and I have been the target of a pretty big internet storm for the last five days following our Epic Games Store timed-exclusive announcement for Ooblets. We’ve been trying to make ourselves as available as possible to maintain an open discourse with newcomers — some friendly, some extremely aggressive — and unfortunately quite a number of them have decided to cross multiple lines into the realm of harassment. We wanted to take the time to put together an official statement in regard to all that.

Epic Store Rage Has Gotten Out Of Hand

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So far, it seems like the company has been true to its word. “A lot of companies would’ve left us to deal with all of this on our own, but Epic has been by our side as our world has gone sideways,” said Wasser. “The fact that they care so much about a team and game as small as us proves to us that we made the right call in working with them, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”

That’s a step in the right direction, and hopefully one that other companies will follow. But the gaming industry has allowed this problem to grow and grow and grow over the course of many years, and it’s hard to see a future in which blowups like this don’t remain a regular occurrence. In his post, Wasser faced this sad reality.

A new Borderlands 3 trailer introduces Moze and her best friend Iron Bear

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Earlier this week, Gearbox introduced us to the character Zane, a semi-retired corporate hitman turned vault hunter in Borderlands 3 who relies on guile, technology, precision applications of violence, and boozy Irish charm to get the job done. Today it's time to meet Moze, a former soldier who decided to try more solo-focused pursuits after the rest of her squad ran into a spot of trouble on what was supposed to be her final mission.

Borderlands 3 - Official Amara Character Trailer

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Meet Amara, a powerful brawler, renowned champion of the people, and bonafide Siren badass. Borderlands 3 will be released on September 13, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Zachtronics’ next game is a visual novel

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Zachtronics is known for its particular brand of puzzle game. It’s a developer behind games like Infinifactory, Magnum Opus, and Shenzen I/O, all games about learning and adapting automatic processes to produce particular results. So it’s a bit of a surprise the studio’s next game is a visual novel.

Making family matter in Children of Morta

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A few years ago, developer Dead Mage made waves with the Kickstarter for Children of Morta, a pixel art action RPG that gives players control of a monster-hunting family who fight through randomly generated dungeons.

Dark Envoy is a Divinity-like CRPG in which you save or doom the world and get an airship

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The last few years have been an uncommonly good time to be a CPRG fan, with the likes of Larian, Obsidian, and others giving us some of the best entries this classic genre has seen in years. One you may have missed was last year’s well-received (87% positive on Steam) Tower of Time, and developer Event Horizon has just announced its sophomore effort.

The Oriental Exorcist ChinaJoy 2019 off-screen gameplay

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Gamer.com.tw has posted nine minutes of camera-recorded footage of the newly announced 2D side-scrolling action RPG The Oriental Exorcist from ChinaJoy 2019.

New Guilty Gear title announced

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Arc System Works announced a new Guilty Gear title at EVO 2019. It is due out in 2020. An official title and platforms were not announced.

Granblue Fantasy: Versus EVO 2019 Percival gameplay

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XSEED Games debuted first gameplay footage of newly announced Granblue Fantasy: Versus character Percival during its Granblue Fantasy: Versus Cygames Beast Exhibition at EVO 2019 side event series AnimEVO.

The King of Fighters XV announced

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The King of Fighters XV is now in development, developer SNK announced at EVO 2019.

The First 15 Minutes of Rebel Galaxy Outlaw Gameplay (1080p 60fps)

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Juno Markev has a killer to tail, a debt to pay, and more trouble headed her way. In the Dodge Sector it's hard to get by - and even harder to get even.

New Gameplay Today – Trails Of Cold Steel III

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Kim joins Cork and Leo to share impressions from her five hours of early gameplay as a teacher with a poor sense of boundaries.

The Good Life, Swery's life sim RPG, is delayed until 2020

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If you like cats, dogs, life and strange videogames, The Good Life is probably on your radar. The work of Deadly Premonition creator Swery, it was successfully Kickstarter-funded last year, promising "a Daily Life Simulator x SWERISM". Initially scheduled for a Q4 2019 release, Swery has taken to Kickstarter to announce that it will be delayed until spring 2020 (or autumn in Australia).

New Details On Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare's Multiplayer

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Game Informer's Ben Hanson, Dan Tack, and Brian Shea share new impressions for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's multiplayer modes based on our cover story trip to visit Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer feels fantastic - but there's cause for concern

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At a recent Activision-hosted event in Los Angeles, I got the chance to go hands-on with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's competitive multiplayer portion and came away impressed - despite a few niggles and one lingering concern.

How Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will offer the “ultimate multiplayer playground”

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How do you recreate a classic? It’s a challenge that plenty of developers are taking on these days. Understanding the context of the original is key in finding the answer, as it usually illuminates the game’s achievement. Doom brought gore and gunfights to players who had been hanging out with Mario. Square Enix has created magical worlds through Final Fantasy many times, with new stories and better graphics each time, but the essence of the series is in far more than this.

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 Takes The Intense Restaurant Sim On The Road

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The first two Cook, Serve, Delicious games cast players as the head chef and principle operator of small restaurants, cooking and managing their way to foodie fame. Announced today for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 sends players on a journey across war-torn America in a food truck with a trusty robot crew. Gotta love a sequel that switches things up.

Azur Lane: Crosswave ‘Story Mode’ gameplay

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Compile Heart has released a 20-minute gameplay video of the Story Mode in Azur Lane: Crosswave.

Soulcalibur VI DLC character Cassandra launches August 5; Season Pass 2 featuring Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown announced

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Bandai Namco also announced Soulcalibur VI Season Pass 2 featuring four additional characters, the first of which will be Haohmaru from the Samurai Shodown series.

There Wasn’t Originally A Plan For A Season Pass 2 For SoulCalibur VI

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We’ve only seen a little bit of what the Season Pass 2 for SoulCalibur VI has to offer, including guest character Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown, but it seems that things weren’t always going to be this way.

Valve apologise for leaking Street Fighter V DLC characters

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Whoops, say Valve. Yes, we did accidentally put a Street Fighter V trailer up early on Steam this week. Yes, it did leak three new characters who’ll be joining the roster. Sorry. We’ll try not to let it happen again.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – Winds of Magic sends in the cow men on August 13

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Winds of Magic introduces a new enemy type known as the Beastmen, a faction of cloven-hooved bipedal jerks who, according to Warhammer lore, are intent on destroying civilization and being all around bovine-faced hooligans. After a meteor crashes in the Reikland, the Beastmen rush to its epicenter to claim their sacred Herdstone shrine. The result is a bloody mess of dark cow action, a first-person slash-and-prod in a deep fantasy woodland that is explorable by your collective of heroes. Watch the gameplay trailer after the jump.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is getting a free horde mode

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Fight an endless army with just a trio of heroes.

Rocket League won’t have loot boxes later this year

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A change is coming to the Rocket League store later this year, one foreshadowed by fellow Epic Games Store title Fortnite. Epic Games recently removed loot boxes from its Save the World mode. Now that change is coming to Rocket League—which Epic now owns—as well. All paid, randomized loot boxes, known as Crates, will be removed from the Rocket League storefront.

Ducktales Remastered Will Be Delisted From Digital Stores On August 8

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Wayforward and Capcom’s Ducktales Remastered, which originally released in 2013, is getting delisted from digital stores beginning August 8, 2019.

E3 Expo Leaks The Personal Information Of Over 2,000 Journalists

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A spreadsheet containing the contact information and personal addresses of over 2,000 games journalists, editors, and other content creators was recently found to have been published and publicly accessible on the website of the E3 Expo.

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Last week, Twitch partner Heather “HeatheredEffect” Kent breastfed her baby while talking to a friend and streaming on Twitch. She didn’t try to draw attention to the act; she did it then and there simply because babies gotta eat, too. However, Twitch ended up deleting a clip of the moment, and the incident sparked a debate about whether or not breastfeeding should be considered sexual content. Now Twitch has weighed in, saying that breastfeeding does not violate its terms of service.

Mixer's clothing guidelines are very concerned about cleavage

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Yesterday, Ninja announced that he was leaving Twitch to stream exclusively on Mixer, putting a lot of new eyes on Microsoft's platform. Not all of that attention has been positive: Twitch partner Emily Bello checked up on Mixer's clothing guidelines for streamers and found a set of rules that's giving me flashbacks to my days in a Catholic high school.

Rockstar hires testers full-time after criticism – “things have been better since last year”

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As criticism of the game industry’s often abusive labour practices took hold, reported crunch at Rockstar proved to be one of the biggest points of discussion. Things at the QA department, primarily based in Rockstar’s Lincoln studio, seemed especially bad – in addition to mandatory overtime, testers were often employed on temporary contracts with no guarantee of renewal. Now, it seems that things are changing.

Nearly 60% of Take-Two’s revenue in the first quarter came from microtransactions and DLC

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Take-Two, the parent company for Rockstar and 2K Games, has revealed some big earnings in the first quarter of FY2020. The quarter, ended June 30, generated net revenue of $540.5 million, a 39% growth compared to the same period last year.

US president Donald Trump blames videogames for fueling violent culture

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Speaking in the wake of mass murders in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left 30 people dead and more than 50 wounded, the president of the United States has called for a change in the nation's culture, specifically singling out the influence of violent videogames on youth.

Tencent aiding with localization, online services for the Switch's move into China

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Nintendo is working on bringing its flagship game console, the Nintendo Switch, to China in the future, and has started to explain how the Chinese company Tencent will help make that launch possible.

Best XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen mods

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Welcome back, Commanders. I’ve returned to an expanded and finalised XCOM 2 this week. Since the launch of 2017’s War Of The Chosen expansion and last year’s Tactical Legacy Pack, things have been quiet on the XCOM front. The game is finally stabilised, giving modders a nice static test-bed to add new weapons, aliens and features to the squad tactics sandbox. Here’s a deep dive on the boldly named “A Better Everything” – a modular overhaul mod package – plus a few fun extras to freshen up your next scuffle with Advent.

Esports News

GO1 Breaks Down In Tears After Defeating SonicFox, Winning Dragon Ball FighterZ At Evo 2019

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Dragon Ball FighterZ is in a very different place than it was in 2018, especially when it comes to the Evolution Championship Series. The shine has worn off the game a bit due to various factors, and attendance dropped considerably compared to 2018, relegating the once-beloved game to a Saturday finals placement rather than a spot in the arena on Sunday. But all of that outside noise fell away as soon as the Evo 2019 finalists took their place on stage.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Evo 2019 Grand Finals

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Watch the grand final game for Dragon Ball FighterZ held at Evo 2019. Thank you to Evo for letting us host the video. SonicFox vs GOO1

Samurai Shodown Evo 2019 Grand Finals

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Watch the grand final game for Samurai Shodown held at Evo 2019. Thank you to Evo for letting us host the video.

Mortal Kombat 11 Evo 2019 Grand Finals (Sonicfox VS Dragon)

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Watch the grand final game for Mortal Kombaty 11 held at Evo 2019. Thank you to Evo for letting us host the vod.

EVO 2019's best story was the unstoppable rise of Pakistani Tekken player Arslan Ash

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The best Tekken player in the world had to overcome visa and travel challenges to win the year's biggest tournaments.

Smash Bros. Takes Center Stage At The Biggest Fighting Game Event Of The Year

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For the first time since it was released in 2016, Street Fighter V won’t be the final headlining event that concludes the Evolution Championship Series this weekend. Instead, that honor goes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This is the first time in the history of the series that it’s ever received top-billing at the event.

Under Night’s Community Found Validation and Explosive Growth at Evo

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Under cobalt lights arranged into three diamonds, people crowded into the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend. Many more spilled out onto the concrete floor. They were there not for a musical artist or a high-profile comedian, but to watch the top eight competitors of anime fighting game Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] (UNIST) compete for a coveted Evolution Championship Series trophy.

Who Won at EVO 2019? Here are the Results and How They Did It

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EVO 2019 is officially over, and unsurprisingly, it’s been a weekend full of knock-down drag-out fights between competitors at one of the world’s most prolific fighting game tournaments. We’ve had upsets, comebacks, and literal tears from some of the greatest fighting game players out there. We’ve rounded up each grand champion by game, plus the runner-ups, and we’ve got video of each final match to show you just how heated things can get in Vegas when EVO is in town.

The voice of Solid Snake says EVO “failed to consult me or Konami” on that Tekken 7 gag

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At EVO 2019, Tekken 7 action was briefly interrupted by a message from Metal Gear’s Solid Snake, who remarked in a teaser on “some good-ass Tekken.” Fans took it as indication that Snake was coming to Tekken 7, but EVO organizers say it was just “our idea of a little joke.” It doesn’t seem like the voice of Snake is laughing, however.

Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)

Psychonauts 2 investors are getting guaranteed profits before the game even launches

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Psychonauts 2 is getting made because enough people believed in it. Some of those people supported it like a normal crowdfunded game -- chip in at a tier and then earn some rewards. But, because it was funded by Fig, others made actual investments. They believed Psychonauts 2 would be a success and that they'd earn money by the game selling well.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

What it's like to get laid off in the games industry

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It’s easy to see game layoffs as a tragic but disconnected event. 150 people lost their jobs, but that’s easy to reduce to simple numbers. What does it mean? For many developers, it can be anything from the confusing loss of a dream job, to the sudden absence of treasured friends and colleagues. According to one person who requested anonymity—I’ll call him Jason—it meant a $25 Amazon gift card.

Player Two: An Interview with Ben Babbitt

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With the premiere of the final act of Kentucky Route Zero increasingly close at hand, I revisited old conversations with composer Ben Babbitt that we shared back in 2017, just weeks before the official release of the short interlude Un Pueblo de Nada between the acts of the main game. One third of developer trio Cardboard Computer—alongside Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy—Ben Babbitt caught up with me at the PlayStation Experience showcase and followed up afterward for a long conversation about Kentucky Route Zero and his work. Structured around five acts with short, standalone interludes that divide each release, Kentucky Route Zero continues to beguile audiences with its decelerated approach to gameplay and its quietly surreal and folkloric narrative of a crumbling, magical realist South. The game has enjoyed no shortage of critical praise (including my own) since the first act was released in January 2013, and anticipation for the long-awaited conclusion for a game almost a decade in the making is palpable among those players who have plunged deeply into the game’s mythic vision of rural Kentucky after dark.

The moral panic over Fortnite and the “purpose” of play

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The recent Fortnite World Cup stirred up a lot of interesting reactions. It was great to see an increased awareness of esports and the hard work and dedication it takes to play games professionally, but amid the attention a particular narrative developed, that somehow knowing there is a potential career in the game makes it more acceptable to play. The idea that play in and of itself isn’t enough, that there needs to be some tangible benefit, either through the development of transferable skills or by going pro, is common, but it can undermine the play itself.

Thousands of people have come together for the most moving game of the year

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Kind Words is not like any game I’ve ever played. And while Kind Words relies heavily on the input from other players, it’s definitely not like any other multiplayer titles I’ve come across.

THE JRPG STARTUP COST, PART II

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In the previous entry, I analyzed ten notable turn-based JRPGs from the 16-bit era. Each title was measured on how long it took to reach 12 different milestones common to the genre. My goal was to help quantify the amount of time required to “get into” these games by obtaining a certain level of comfort with their mechanics.

An additional goal was to measure how these metrics changed over time, which we can now observe with the 5th generation of consoles.

Making penises in games: it's hard

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Modders and developers tell us the good, bad, and ugly of adding dongs to games.

How Metal Gear Eschewed Realism to Convey the Horror of Imperial Violence

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The Department of Homeland Security was established November 25th, 2002. Immigration and Custom Enforcement was established March 1st, 2003. The War on Terror is harder to formally establish a starting time on — do you start at September 11th, 2001, as many people do, or do you fold the conflict into the Gulf War (August 2nd, 1990)? Either way, the Metal Gear series is older than all of them. It’s also the only piece of art I know that makes the scale and sensation of the escalating American imperialism and violence they represent comprehensible.

A Plague Tale: Innocence Is the Anti–Assassin’s Creed

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Asobo Studio takes a more grounded—and human—approach to historical fiction than you find in most games.

'Hotline Miami' Showed the Futility of Ultra-Violence as Critique

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After a decade of games asking what kind of person commits video game violence, returning to Hotline shows that we need new questions.

The Dark Side of the Video Game Industry | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | Netflix

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Minhaj provides a deep dive into the subject, summarizing the general culture of crunch and layoffs, and specifically discussing the death of Telltale Games and the misconduct at Riot. (He talks to Kotaku reporter Cecilia D’Anastasio about the latter, and she does a great job of helping break down that situation with facts and humor.) He also brings up Game Workers Unite, an organization devoted to helping game developers unionize, and ties it into a larger trend of increasing union activity over the last few years. It’s not a short segment—the entire episode was devoted to this one topic—but it’s worth watching, especially if you’re interested in learning how the games you play are made. Check it out below, and watch the full episode on Netflix.

How the Simulation of a Hitman Level Works

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How does IO Interactive create the simulation of each level in Hitman? We talk to the team about creating the sandbox, positioning targets, and the delicate task of guiding the player.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/noclip

Revealing the Tricks Behind Hitman's Level Design

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How were the Hitman levels of Miami, Mumbai & New York designed? We sit down with the designers at IO Interactive to talk about track teams, creating explorable spaces and creating satisfying targets.

History Respawned: Astrologaster

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Bob talks with Dr. Lauren Kassell about Astrologaster. Topics include Elizabethan London, Medical Astrology, Forman and Napier's Casebooks, and consulting on historical games.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/historyrespawned

Rage 2 and Game Feel

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This episode was made possible by generous support through Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/errantsignal

Why Does Celeste Feel So Good to Play? | Game Maker's Toolkit

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Celeste is one of the most satisfying platformers released in recent memory. And a big part of that is due to the tight and responsive controls of the game’s main character: Madeline. In this video, let’s look at how designers Matt Thorson and Noel Berry made the hero of Celeste feel so good to play.

Support Game Maker's Toolkit on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/GameMakersToolkit

Did Nuclear Gandhi ever really happen in Civilization?

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We investigate* one of gaming's most infamous bugs, Civilization's Nuclear Gandhi.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeopleMakeGames

Monster Mash-- Horzon: Zero Dawn vs. Days Gone

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This is a comparative video critique of Guerilla Game's Horizon Zero Dawn and its Frozen Wilds expansion with Sony of Bend's Days Gone. They're both PS4 exclusive open world titles that are, on a surface level, extremely similar but on closer examination show themselves to be diagonally opposite games. What elements allow them to achieve such difference in such similar formats? SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.

If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervais

Manic Pixie Dream Worlds: A Critique of American McGee's Alice Games

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This is a video critique and retrospective of American McGee's platformer adaptations of Alice in Wonderland. It looks at how they deliberately diverged from the Quake aesthetic while still using the Quake engine, and how Alice's perspective shapes the game world. It goes in-depth trying to examine how this off pairing of artist and subject brought out some of the best of both of them and how the sequel fared in living up to it.

Good Game Design - Super Mario Maker 2: Building Better Creators

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Mario Maker 2 has been incredibly addicting since its release. I've been hooked on creating my own stages and learning new ways to utilize the plethora of tools at our disposal. Let's talk about how this sequel upped the ante in terms of teaching and encouraged better game design in its creators.

Iga's Lair - an alternative path to game creation

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Iga's Lair - an alternative path to game creation We met with game industry veteran Koji 'IGA' Igarashi, who recently released "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night", after a successful Kickstarter campaign held in 2015. As he reflects back on the story behind his title, he was joined later that night by Yohei Kataoka, the creator behind "Tokyo Jungle", another game resulting from alternative funding.

BringBackKI 2019 Killer Instinct: Lead Designer Developer Interview

What Makes Metroid Music Sound Like Metroid Music?

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Nintendo is the best in the biz when it comes to great video game music, producing decades-long-musical-legacy after decades-long-musical-legacy. One such legacy that has somehow avoided analysis on this channel up until this point is the Metroid series, which has a consistent and unique musical identity that goes toe-to-toe with the Marios and the Zeldas of the video game world. At the same time the approach music in Metroid games is very different from all other big Nintendo properties, prioritizing ambience and a dark, creepy tone over the kinds of memorable melodies that you'd find among its peers. So what makes Metroid music sound like Metroid music? Let's find out.

PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/8bitmusictheory

The History of Sleeping Dogs

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Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GVMERS

Making open world games is far from easy. The number of assets necessary to fill them is colossal. The amount of testing required to polish them is unthinkable. And unless your name is Sam or Dan Houser, whatever you make is almost always going to live in the shadow of Grand Theft Auto’s scope and brand power – unless you find a unique way to counter its supremacy.

Death and Religion in Final Fantasy X

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In this episode of Dissecting Final Fantasy X, we examine the history and prevalence of Yevon throughout Spira.

Support the creation of more videos like this at: https://www.patreon.com/AOrlando

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura Retrospective | A History of Isometric CRPGs (Episode 7)

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Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura has obtained cult-classic status over the years due to some excellent worldbuilding and implementation of steampunk technology alongside traditional fantasy elements like elves and dwarves. I've been looking forward to playing this one for a while but didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

What to do when Bolivia hates you

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Lewis Manalo used his life experiences to write on Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and was met with the wrath of both the critics and the entire country of Bolivia

Hello and welcome to our Xbox community article for the week. This news series is our way to report and share with you on what is going on with the AJSA in the Xbox community on a weekly basis. We'll have updates on current projects, upcoming activities, community content ranging from interviews to Youtube videos, event recaps and more. These articles will always contain a copy our Game Nights schedule for the week to keep folks informed about what titles we're featuring and supporting. If you're interesting in getting involved with us on Xbox I'd encourage you to check out our 'Xbox Community Guidebook' where you can get up to speed on what we're all about and how you can start playing with us. If you need help and/or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of the AJSA Xbox Staff for assistance. We'll be more than happy to help you out with any questions you have regarding the community.

Xbox Reports

- Summer Games August Update -

The Summer Games have been a wild ride to say the least. Our latest community Game Night series has seen us travel far and wide across many different gaming worlds wrapped into our own giant Summer vacation. We've featured games such as Forza Horizon 4, Overwatch, Battlefield V, Sea of Thieves, DOOM, Rocket League, and more since we started back in June. We've accomplished numerous milestones and overcome many different challenges together as a group in this Summer Games series.

August will mark the conclusion to this three month long series and we plan to go all out. One of the main highlights for August will be our Two Year Anniversary for Minecraft here on Xbox. On August 7th, 2017 our Minecraft world was born and we've been playing (and building!) in that world ever since. When we moved over to the new bedrock version of Minecraft on console, we took the world with us (by transferring/uploading the world in the new version) to keep playing in it.

We're also featuring titles such as Gears of War 4, Jackbox Party, Overwatch, and more. To officially end the Summer Games, we will be having a special event for Minecraft on August 25th which will serve as our 'Closing Ceremony' filled with Olympic styled mini-games for members to compete in.

Thank you all for your support and engagement in the Summer Games series. We're looking forward in playing with you across all the titles outline for this month as the Summer comes to an end. Cya at the events!

- July 2019 Recap -

Our Game Nights for July 2019 included these titles as part of our Summer Games series:

• Battlefield V
• DOOM
• Friday the 13th: the Video Game
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Halo: Master Chief Collection
• Mortal Kombat 11
• Overwatch
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Rocket League
• Sea of Thieves
• Star Wars: Battlefront II

I'd like to extend my deepest thanks to all our hard working game organizers who dedicate their time and effort to ensure these Game Nights were possible.

- August 2019 Outline -

Our Summer Games community series will be wrapping up this month. To close out the series, we're showcasing a complete package of Game Nights to end the project on a high note. We're featuring a mix of titles across various different genres to hit all the notes this month. Many titles are included with the Xbox Game Pass, making it easier for members to get involved in our gaming sessions. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this Summer Games journey and I hope that this months lineup of games will make everyone happy and satisfied on how we're closing out the series.

Week One [August 9th to August 11th]

• Fri. August 9th - Gears of War 4 - 7:30pm EST
• Sat. August 10th - COD: Modern Warfare Remastered - 7:30pm EST

Week Two [August 16th to August 18th]

• Fri. August 16th - Minecraft - 7:30pm EST [Two Year World Anniversary]
• Sat. August 17th - Overwatch - 6:30pm EST
• Sun. August 18th - The Division 2 - 7:00pm EST

Week Two [August 23rd to August 25th]

• Fri. August 23rd - Jackbox Party - 7:30pm EST
• Sat. August 24th - Battlefield V - 7:30pm EST
• Sun. August 25th - Minecraft - 7:30pm EST [Closing Ceremony + Olympic Mini-Games]

All Xbox Game Nights are planned a month in advance.

Please be aware that Game Nights titles and times are subject to change.

AJSA Gaming Youtube

- Friday the 13th Game Night -

Our latest Xbox video on the AJSA Gaming channel on Youtube features highlights from our Friday the 13th Game Night held on Saturday July 13th, 2019. This was part of Summers Games series where we took a field trip down to Camp Crystal Lake with Camp Supervisor Sickshock6! You can check out all the shenanigans and brutality here:

Weekend Game Night Schedule | August 9th & 10th

How can I attend an Xbox Game Night? - For new members and/or first time Game Night participants, we highly encourage you to add all the hosts as your friend on Xbox Live (Gamertags are listed for every host below). We also encourage you to join the community Xbox Club (all hosts can be found in the Club roster as well). We use the Club for a variety of purposes to unite members of the community and play together. As an extra reminder for new members, please make sure to review our AJSA Code of Conduct.

To learn more about the AJSA on Xbox One, visit out our Community Information thread.

For Game Nights and other community activities we use Xbox Live parties created from the Club for communication (text or voice), gatherings, and other purposes. In the case of an emergency where Xbox Live is down and we need to absolutely group up, we will use the AJSA Discord channel as a backup. All Game Night parties will be visible to Xbox Club members listed under the Club "Multiplayer" page.

When our Game Night sessions are live, please join our Club parties to get invited to our lobbies. Please message the host if you require an invite to the party. If this is your first time playing with us, we will introduce you to the other members in attendance and we'll all exchange friend requests to get you set up and comfortable.

If you would like to give advance notice to a host that you would like to participate in a particular Game Night, you are completely free to do so. If you have any questions, please reach out to any members of the AJSA Xbox One staff and we will be happy to assist you.

• All Game Nights are casual gatherings aimed at bringing people together to have a good time and enjoy their games in a group setting. Trash talking and bad attitudes are not tolerated. We're here to have a good time, help each other out, and build meaningful friendships!
• To view a monthly outline of all upcoming Xbox Game Nights, please view our monthly schedule here.

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Gears of War 4 - Summer Games
Friday August 9th - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

We're kicking off the last slate of events for the Summer Games with Gears of War 4 this Friday night! In this one last ride, we're revisiting Gears of War 4 one final time before the release of Gears 5 in September. Our main goal for this Game Night is to complete all 50 Waves of Horde Mode together as a squad to finally overcome and defeat the Swarm. Recently Gears of War 4 was announced as a Games with Gold title, allowing members with Xbox Live Gold to download the title for free. Members of all experience levels welcome to join!

Game Night Summary

- Activities -

• Horde Mode [All 50 Waves!]
• Casual Online & Customs

- Date & Start Times -

• Friday August 9th, 2019
• 7:30pm ET
• 6:30pm CT
• 4:30pm PT
• 12:30am GMT

Join the Game Night party via the Club or through the profile of the host to get started and invited to our lobby.

- Xbox Game Pass Status: ACTIVE -

Do you have a subscription to the Xbox Game Pass? You can download Gears of War 4 for free.

- Xbox Games With Gold Status: ACTIVE -

Do you have a subscription to the Xbox Live Gold? You can download Gears of War 4 for free.

- Install Size -

Prepare your download in advance! Gears of War 4 is just over 100GB!!!

- Host -

• Rune [Gamertag: AScapeRunePlaya]

Please contact the host if you have any questions or need assistance regarding this Game Night.

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COD: Modern Warfare Remastered - Summer Games
Saturday August 10th - 7:30pm EST [12:30am GMT]

In celebration of the Multiplayer Reveal of Modern Warfare and the announcement of an Open Beta, we're going back to where it all started. For the first time this Saturday we're featuring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered as a Game Night. Not to be confused with the new Modern Warfare, this game is a remaster of the 2007 Call of Duty title of the same name. This session will also serve as a 'going away' party for longtime community Officer StraightUpMelon who is returning back to college later this month and this game was personally selected by him! Let us go out there and kick some ass!

Game Night Summary

- Activities -

• Casual Online & Customs
• Prop Hunt

- Date & Start Times -

• Saturday August 10th, 2019
• 7:30pm ET
• 6:30pm CT
• 4:30pm PT
• 12:30am GMT

- Install Size -

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Patrick Klepek covers the 20 year journey to translate Fire Emblem Thracia 776, Noclip releases part one of their documentary on Hitman which reveals some information on the future of the series, former Naughty Dog employees talk about studio's crunch hours, Mechwarrior 5 is a timed exclusive for Epic and Epic starting to add cloud saves, indie game recommendations from RagnarRox looking at relaxing and non-violent games and Kimchica looking at recent releases, Rockstar receives £42 million in tax relief after not paying taxes, Doom Eternal's Quakecon presentation, Cecilia D'Anastasio reports on the way 25 developers got scammed into working for a nonexistent company, New Frame Plus looks at the animations of Guilty Gear Xrd & Dragon Ball FighterZ, and more.

Gaming News (Announcements, previews, release dates, interviews and writing on upcoming games, DLC and game updates, company and developer news, country news, tech, mods)

What Cyberpunk Dev Actually Said About Religion - IGN Now

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CD Projekt Red clarifies how religion will be handled in Cyberpunk 2077. With special guest, Bruce Greene!

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is delayed, will be an Epic Games Store exclusive

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MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, the single-player game of giant fighting robots in the 31st century, has been delayed by exactly three months, from its scheduled launch on September 10 to December 10. Developer Piranha Games also announced today that when it does arrive, it will do so as an Epic Games Store exclusive.

Warsaw is a harrowing Darkest Dungeon set during WWII

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There are many different depictions of war in videogames. You have the bombastic spectacle of the FPS genre, which uses war as a launchpad to create action-packed experiences. There are strategic war games that test you tactical instincts and tend to favour either the depiction of historical battles or some far-flung future conflict. Then there are narrative-driven games like This War of Mine and Bury Me, My Love that depict a devastating account of war from a civilian perspective.

Phoenix Point release date delayed to December

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The new tactical alien-blasting strategy game from X-COM’s original designer has been a long time coming. And now that the Phoenix Point release date has been delayed – again – it’s going to be a good while coming still. The game’s dropping from a release date just over a month from now all the way to the end of the year – but some players will have something to do on that original launch date.

“Hitman is a trilogy” that will have over 20 maps by Hitman 3

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Io Interactive is at work on the last pieces of Hitman 2’s expansion pass, but the studio is already diving into what’s next: namely, Hitman 3 and something entirely new. In a new documentary on the history of the Hitman series, Io teases what’s coming next for the studio.

NHL 20 Interview: Why Planned Improvements to Its "Be a Pro" Mode Got Pushed Back and More

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We catch up with creative director William Ho to talk improvements to the gameplay, online franchise, and Year 2 of World of Chel.

Jupiter Hell, the spiritual successor to a Doom roguelike, comes to Steam Early Access next week

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The Early Access launch trailer showcases top-down, turn-based demon-killing action.

Death Stranding Official Trailer - Heartman Character Spotlight

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A member of BRIDGES, Heartman is committed to researching the truth of the Death Stranding.

Project Sakura Wars Introduces The Shanghai Combat Revue And Its Action RPG Gameplay

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Project Sakura Wars had a bit of a showing tonight thanks to its monthly livestream for July, which revealed two characters hailing from the Shanghai Combat Revue, as well as revealing the new action RPG gameplay that forms a core part of the game.

First Impressions: Little Misfortune Demo (Gameplay)

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Little Misfortune (yes, that's this adorable child's name!) has the opportunity to gain Eternal Happiness...or so says Mr. Voice. But how can we trust Mr. Voice when he's told us on the side that today is the day that Misfortune dies?! In this adventure game in the same universe as Fran Bow, venture into the woods with Misfortune and guide her safely on her journey.

Doom Eternal details its multiplayer Battlemode

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Id Software have given some more details about Doom Eternal’s multiplayer experience, Battlemode, at its QuakeCon presentation. It’ll be based on an asymmetrical structure, putting one Slayer up against two demons. There’ll be five different classes of demons to choose from, so you can mix up how you play. Or, you know, play Doom like you would in the singleplayer campaign as the Slayer, except you’re goring your pals instead of AI monsters. Here’s a vid showing it off and breaking it down.

Doom Eternal features the series’ first hub area

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The Doom series celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and the latest game in the franchise – Doom Eternal – is due out this November. The series spans numerous games, expansions, and spin-offs, and yet in all that 25 years there has been one gaming feature that none of those games has featured – a hub area.

Dice-roll deckbuilder Dicey Dungeons tumbles out on August 13th

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It’s normal to have a little dice-rolling in a game. Putting them in the hero’s chair, not so much. Dice are normally the silent judge, deciding clutch victory from horrific failure on a whim. They’re what separate mission success from a pile of dead XCOM squaddies. Maybe it’s time to put those bones through the wringer themselves. See how they like it.

Darq, a creepy game about lucid dreaming, was made almost entirely by one person

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How long does it take to learn everything about making videogames, come up with an idea for one, and then build it from scratch? The answer depends on the game and who’s making it, of course, but for the developer of Darq, it’s two specific numbers: three and a half years, and around 100,000 hours.

PS4 exclusive Concrete Genie is a unique exploration of bullying's impact

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"We hope it gives younger people a chance to share their experiences, and talk about them more easily."

UK exclusive: Control’s new trailer is an eerie warning about The Hiss

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The trailer doesn’t identify him, but he appears to be one of the people we’re going to run into over the course of the game. In the footage, the mystery man tells a brief story of a dream he’s had about the arrival of The Hiss – the supernatural entity at the heart of Control’s story.

Borderlands 3 Trailer Introduces Zane The Semi-Retired Corporate Hitman And Tech Expert

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Gearbox shared the latest trailer for Borderlands 3 and it introduces us to one of its playable characters, Zane, who is described as a semi-retired corporate hitman with plenty of experience and gadgets.

Cat Lady to be released for PC, gameplay trailer

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Cat Lady, the June-announced dungeon crawler developed by The World Next Door studio Rose City Games, will be released for PC via Steam, publisher VIZ Media announced. A release date was not announced.

River City Girls Feels Like A Step Forward For The Kunio-Kun Series

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At ACGHK 2019, I was able to give River City Girls, the latest game in the Kunio-kun/River City series a try. The game stars Kunio and Riki’s girlfriends Misako and Kyoko, who previously appeared in games such as Kunio-kun-tachi no Banka on the SNES.

Persona 5 Royal Introduces Haru Okumura With A Bang In A New Trailer

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Atlus shared the latest character introduction trailer for Persona 5 Royal and today we have Haru Okumura who shows a sweet and thoughtful moment followed by a wild ride with Morgana.

Persona 5 Royal ‘Morgana’ trailer

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Atlus has released the Persona 5 Royal character trailer for Morgana, who is voiced by Ikue Ootani in Japanese.

This War of Mine: Stories - Fading Embers | Official Teaser

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The expansion features story-driven scenario that tells a story of Anja living in a warzone and carrying a heavy burden as she has to answer to herself what is more important - survival of human legacy or the survival of a man.

Arma 3's been invaded by aliens in the new Contact expansion

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Livonia. The Baltic frontier. These are the voyages of gruff digital army cosplayers. Their continuing mission: to drive tiny robot trucks. To seek out new assault rifles, new combat arenas. To boldly go where… hold on, is that a ruddy alien? Sergeant, there’s a bloody great extraterrestrial in my area of operations. I’ve seen films before, sir, you can get this one yourself.

Agent 47 starts a prison riot in Hitman 2’s upcoming Siberia expansion

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IO Interactive released a new trailer today for Hitman 2’s upcoming Siberia Sniper Assassin Map, and it shows that Agent 47 has his work cut out for him.

The Division 2’s Big New Update Is As Promising As It Confusing

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Ubisoft’s sprawling loot shooter The Division 2 just received its biggest free update since its March launch...except most of it isn’t really free until next week, except for two parts that won’t even be free then, but some of the free stuff won’t be out until the week after next, and one promised part is on ice and…Shall we start this over?

Male Byleth Lines Being Re-Recorded in Fire Emblem: Three Houses After Controversy, Nintendo Confirms

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After quietly being replaced in Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo has confirmed in a statement to USgamer that it will be re-recording and replacing lines for Male Byleth in Fire Emblem: Three Houses as well. This comes after allegations arose last week over the voice actor's abusive behavior.

Former Naughty Dog Employees Tell Crunch Horror Stories About 24-Hour Shifts

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One of the many issues with crunch culture at video game studios has to do with the way contractors are treated. Several ex-Naughty Dog employees, who did not wish to be identified, told COG Connected stories about workplace practices at the company and revealed that contractors had it worse than full-time employees. But, apparently even full-time staff was not immune from working long hours.

Colorblind Rainbow Six Siege players are begging Ubisoft for basic features

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Ubisoft has no plans for colorblind modes, but ‘wants’ to in the future.

Gambling Laws Appear to Block GTA Online Update In Over 50 Countries

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Stringent local laws appear to be blocking Grand Theft Auto Online players in over 50 countries from gambling in the new Diamond Casino update.

Unity valuation hits $6 billion following latest investment deal

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Unity's valuation has climbed to $6 billion after the company signed an investment deal with D1 Capital Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Light Street Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Silver Lake Partners that will finance a $525 million tender offer to common shareholders.

Epic Games Store starting to support cloud saves

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A player spotted the new function in the setting pages for recent Epic Store freebie, Moonlighter, and Epic boss Tim Sweeney confirmed the feature is enabled right now for a select few new games.

Rockstar under fire for its £42 million tax relief claims

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Research from TaxWatch has found that the amount of tax credits claimed by the makers of Grand Theft Auto in the last three years is the equivalent of 19% of all tax credits granted to the video games industry since the relief was introduced in 2014.

Rockstar North operate within capitalism, says report

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There’s no reason to suspect anything unlawful is taking place, however, and it’s worth noting that although tax dodging and corporate loopholery are very much a Bad Thing, nothing about this is remarkable or unusual. Half the point of multinational business is to set up in whatever arrangement is necessary to take advantage of precisely these kind of tax cuts and opt-outs, and although I’d happily set Astrid loose with her fighting shovel, this is less a story about Rockstar than it is about a specific failure of the HMRC to examine an obviously poor decision. The report concludes with a somewhat plaintive “it is open for HMRC to challenge the allocation of profit under the transfer pricing system and we urge them to investigate this case urgently.”

Hand of Fate 2 studio Defiant is 'ceasing development'

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Studio has 'not been able to change quickly enough' to adapt to changing game market.

You need a Bethesda account to play the original Doom on Nintendo Switch

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UPDATE: Bethesda says login should be optional, working on a fix.

This is just the start: Takehito Soeda

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With console gaming being a nascent market in China, Sony Interactive Entertainment Ltd President Takehito Soeda is working with local publishers and distributors to bring the company’s PlayStation 4 to gamers throughout the country.

Esports News

From 0-40 to champs, the Shanghai Dragons are an esports story for the ages

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The Dragons' unlikely win proves Overwatch League is an anime after all.

A British teenager is taking home $1.25 million in Fortnite World Cup prize money

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A 15-year-old boy from Essex was one of the prizewinners in the Fortnite World Cup Saturday. Jaden Ashman and his partner Dave Jong place second in a duos round in the tournament.

Nyhrox and Aqua Win Fortnite World Cup Duos Finals

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Fortnite duo Nyhrox and Aqua won today’s World Cup Duos finals. The European pair scored 51 points and splits a prize pool of $3 million.

Fortnite World Cup Crowd Cheers Defeat Of Notorious Cheater

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Fortnite fans have had mixed opinions of North American East duo XXiF and Ronaldo since they qualified for this weekend’s World Cup Finals after serving a 14-day ban for cheating. At today’s Duos finals, the crowd booed XXiF when he appeared on the feed, then cheered when he was eliminated.

The Fortnite World Cup Was A Kids' Paradise

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The people who filled Queens, New York’s Arthur Ashe tennis stadium for this weekend’s Fortnite World Cup were people who love Fortnite, or at least those people and their parents. The bulk of the attendees I saw were young kids, swimming in soccer shorts and baggy Fortnite t-shirts. They performed the game’s emote dances. They played miniature golf holes designed after in-game icons like the Durr Burger mascot and the Battle Bus. They competed in Fortnite trivia contests, demonstrating so much knowledge of the game that one young contestant even corrected the host on a prior day’s question. The World Cup, like Fortnite itself, felt like a kids’ world.

THIS INFAMOUS COUNTER-STRIKE TEAM HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR WOMEN IN E-SPORTS

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Five Swedish and two Danish players — Byström, Anna “aNNa” Nordlander, Malin “Malla” Ohman, Emily “Vixen” Clewett, Sofie “zeleNa” Sandager, Thelma “Queen” Lundin, and Louise “AurorA” Thomsen — officially started playing under the Les Seules name in 2004 for a tournament called the Electronic Sports World Cup. In Paris, the team placed fourth after losing to Chinese team EIBO in the third-place match. Only the first three teams in the women’s event in Paris won a piece of the $18,000 prize pool: $10,000 for first place, $6,000 for second, and $2,000 for third. There was no prize for fourth.

Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)

The Near Impossible 20-Year Journey to Translate 'Fire Emblem: Thracia 776'

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The game was built on indecipherable “spaghetti code” where moving one piece can result in the game imploding for no logical reason; there isn’t enough space to fit English translations without crashing the game, which means you’d have to hack it and force it to accept more; one chapter in particular—the dreaded chapter five—was coded in such a perplexing way it lead to the whole “translation patch killer” branding. It’s where translation attempts go to die.

How Over 25 People Got Scammed Into Working At A Nonexistent Game Company

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“Professionally inexperienced but passionate team manager looking for a hobby project to help support and manage,” she posted to a subreddit for assembling game dev teams. It was just a lark, yet a half dozen replies accumulated under the post. One in particular stood out, from an account with an active Reddit history on developer recruitment boards. The poster’s name was “Kova,” and he told Holden that his small team of three developers had recently ballooned into a 48-member operation that needed a manager “on everyone’s ass.”

Holden was exhilarated. On June 22, 2019, she signed a contract with Kova’s company Drakore Studios, accepting the position of junior production manager at $13 per hour.

There was just one problem: Drakore Studios didn’t actually exist.

The irony of Oddworld

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The idea of exploiting workers in order to tell a story condemning the exploitation of workers is grimly ironic to put it mildly, so when we sit down at E3 to speak with Lanning and Oddworld executive producer Bennie Terry III, we ask what crunch was like for Oddworld on Abe's Oddysee, and if it's improved since.

The Witcher Netflix trailer captures Geralt’s most relatable trait: reluctance

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You can understand, though, why somebody might underestimate Geralt’s social consciousness. In his world, witchers are rumoured to have no feelings, and he doesn’t exactly go out of his way to demonstrate emotional range – instead greeting a chaotic world with a visage of eerie calm. He eschews factional affiliation, fighting to stay politically unengaged with the same vehemence as the Ohio man who listens to white noise tapes at the coffee shop to avoid learning anything about US current affairs.

From 50 Cent: Bulletproof to Oxenfree, indie Sean Krankel has wild stories from making licensed games

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The Night School founder tells us his wild licensed games origin story.

The Psychology of Internet Gaming Disorder

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Since 2016, internet discourse has been consumed by discussion on Gaming Disorder. Gaming Disorder is the proposed diagnosis for gaming addiction put forth by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO has approved of the Gaming Disorder diagnosis and will feature in the International Classification of Diseases 11 (ICD-11) diagnostic manual when it releases.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Directors Have No Clue Why The Series Is So Popular In The West

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"I don't know." I'm on the phone with Toshiyuki Kusakihara, one of the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Shadows of Valentina, and an art director on many others. And that's what he tells me through a translator when I ask what he thinks is the reason the series has suddenly skyrocketed in Western success over the last decade. It's a pretty amusing answer. "I actually don't know why it's been so accepted by so many people all over the world."

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Is Catching Heat for Queerbaiting

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The furor largely centers around the treatment of Alois, a male teacher and knight at the boarding school where the game is partially set, and Gilbert, the school priest. They both can achieve an “S-rank” relationship with the protagonist Byleth when the latter is a man (there are binary gender options for Byleth). They are two of the three same-sex “S-Rank” options for male Byleth, along with Byleth’s long-haired, effeminate student Linhardt. Achieving “S-Rank” between characters typically entails a romantic confession and marriage at the end of the game. No unit can “S-rank” more than once; the mechanic is practically synonymous with wedding vows. But players who hope for a romantic ending between Alois or Gilbert and Byleth are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Nihon Falcom’s Toshihiro Kondo On Creating The Trails Of Cold Steel Link Attacks, Rean’s Arc, And Being The First Person In The World To Play Each Entry

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has found its place in the west. This successor to Trails in the Sky has given JRPG fans a saga that has stretched across years and platforms. Ahead of Trails of Cold Steel III’s English debut, Siliconera spoke to Nihon Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo about the series, its reception outside of Japan, and its more unique elements.

Streamer Sparks Debate Over Whether Twitch Should Allow Breastfeeding

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“I thought that I would get some creepy comments, because it’s Twitch,” she told Kotaku. “But I’ve honestly been shocked by the negative community reaction as a whole. It seems like there’s a lot less people coming to my defense in terms of breastfeeding, and it’s been a little shocking and a little demoralizing and kind of sad. It’s actually put me in a corner where I feel like I actually need to take a stand for this, because clearly there’s a lot of minds that need to be changed or enlightened when it comes to breastfeeding, I think there’s still a lot of things that are misunderstood.”

Q&A: Behind the new open-ended design of Wolfenstein: Youngblood

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This week, MachineGames and Arkane Studios launched a pair of new Nazi-hunting slaughterfests. In VR, the pair teamed up to make Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, and on traditional platforms, they've launched Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a co-op first-person-shooter that puts players in the shoes of BJ and Anya Blaskowicz's twin daughters.

Young Women Are Reclaiming The Slur ‘Egirl’

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“Egirl” is a word that has followed female Twitch streamers and cosplayers around for years. Derogatory by nature, “egirl” is wielded by naysaying trolls to undermine a woman’s legitimacy as a true gamer and nerd based on her looks or internet popularity. In 2013, right before it hit the mainstream, one Urban Dictionary user’s early classification of egirls went, “Often seeking the attention of professional gamers. . . Live sightings of eGirls can be found at gaming LANs.” As gaming culture moved onto Twitch, and streamers garnered a modicum of micro-celebrity, public-facing girl gamers like Diaz began receiving the popular put-down and have been waging war on it ever since.

“Street Level Judgment,” by Yussef Cole

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Like Whitehead and Snow, Yagami is well suited to solve the dilemmas and issues facing the people of his neighborhood because he actually lives and works in that neighborhood. He isn’t cooped up in a law office or stuck at a courthouse. Instead, he’s beating pavement across the streets of small, but densely populated Kamurocho. Meanwhile, the story provides us with multiple examples of people from large organizations like the courts, the police, and even the yakuza doing an awful job helping Kamurocho’s residents, thanks to distance, detachment, and ambivalence. But Yagami was raised in Kamurocho; he knows all the drunks at Bar Tender, he recognizes the faces of the yakuza skulking on the street corner, and the more time he spends working in the neighborhood and solving cases, the better he comes to know it and its people. The tragedy that cut short his prestigious legal career did not interrupt his ability to help people; instead it freed him to serve as an engaged amateur, precisely the role where he is able to do the most good.

“Playing for Time,” by Chris Breault

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Back in 2008, when the developers of the TV-aping Alone in the Dark (2008) reboot made “Previously On” sizzle reels for every chapter, they were proud enough of their work to leave gameplay excerpts in. I am not suggesting that Alone in the Dark, which is remembered only as an unintentional comedy, is a better game than Judgment. But I think its creators thought harder about the experience they wanted players to remember—and the danger of suggesting that it wasn’t worth remembering at all.

Why Banjo-Tooie is a True Adventure

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I am twenty-four years old. I have owned a Nintendo 64 for, I’m sure, just shy of my entire life, given that the console came out in 1996. I’ve played and completed Super Mario 64 half a dozen times, super smashed every brother, and know every track in Mario Kart 64 better than the roads of my hometown. I’ve even beaten Donkey Kong 64 to 101% completion at least twice, a fool’s errand and endeavor that is, suffice to say, bananas.

Games from Underground #2 | Non Violent & Relaxing Games

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This channel is made possible by the support of my Patreon supporters - follow this link to support this work: https://www.patreon.com/RagnarRoxShow

IndieWatch: Top 10 "Don't Miss!" Indie Games (July 2019)

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July has gone by so quickly! I feel like I’ve barely gotten to head out and enjoy outdoors this summer...but with games this good, I also can see why my attention has been diverted! While I hope you all have the chance to enjoy the great outdoors, here are 10 indie games that released this month that I think you should be sure to check out!

The Fall & Rise of Hitman (Documentary)

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Become a PATRON to unlock more videoshttps://www.patreon.com/noclip

In the first of our four-part series on Hitman, we investigate IO Interactive's split with Square Enix and how the studio survived long enough to bring the Hitman series back from the brink.

The Animation of Guilty Gear Xrd & Dragon Ball FighterZ - New Frame Plus

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Between Guilty Gear Xrd and Dragon Ball FighterZ, no game studio captures the look of anime in their 3D games like Arc System Works. Let's break down how they achieve this faux-2D look!

To request an episode topic, support New Frame Plus on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/newframeplus

Falling in Love With Super Smash Bros... (Again) // HeavyEyed

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patreon// https://www.patreon.com/heavyeyed

I felt disconnected from Smash for way too many years but recently, I found reasons to love it once more. This is a video on how I fell in love with super smash bros, again.

Exploring the World of Evangelion Games

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Even in the west, Neon Genesis Evangelion goes beyond almost every other anime in terms of its popularity and influence; this is only set to grow with the recent release of the series on Netflix. This got me thinking - where are all the Evangelion games? Turns out there's a bunch, and despite almost all of them releasing exclusively in Japan, curiosity got the better of me. Action RPGs, visual novels, fighters, a strange rhythm game produced by Suda51... join me as I attempt to figure out what it takes to turn this beloved show into a game.

Support the show on Patreon - http://patreon.com/writingongames

Things I found entertaining throughout the week relating to the game industry

Total War Community Manager Calls YouTuber A ‘Dickhead’ On Final Livestream

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In his final public act as community manager for Creative Assembly, makers of the Total War strategy game series, Michael “Wheels” Whelan said this at the end of a livestream earlier this week: “Arch Warhammer is a dickhead. Goodbye.”