
Blake Hester spends two days in Columbia with the founder of Rockstar San Diego to talk about how he used to run the company, lying to Nintendo, and living life by the seat of your pants. Renegade Cut's essay on the policing of Disco Elysium, Mathew Olson interviews arcade owners trying to survive the pandemic, Megan Farokhmanesh interviews developers to see how they are adapting to working from home, Jason Schreier reports on changes Rockstar has made for a less abusive work environment and is leaving Kotaku which he talks about with Kinda Funny along with their current and former media owners, Games Done Quick's coronovirus relief stream, Doom Eternal's composer won't work with id Software again, Joseph Cox looks into how resellers are driving the Switch shortage, music producer Alex Moukala on the soundtrack of FF7's remake, 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)
Crysis Remaster Appears To Be Coming To Major Platforms, Including Switch
QuoteIt was there and then it was not there, as multiple people spotted a teaser image on the website for the first-person-shooter Crysis this morning. That teaser promises that a Crysis Remastered will be released for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch. Update: It’s official and coming out this summer.
Bloober's next-gen sci-fi horror remaster Observer: System Redux gets first trailer
QuoteNew visuals! More story! Gameplay enhancements!
Streets of Rage 4 - Official Release Date Trailer
QuoteCheck out the latest trailer for Streets of Rage 4 that reveals the game's Battle Mode and the official release date. Coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One (and game pass) and Nintendo Switch on April 30th.
Industries of Titan has the potential to be one of the great management games
QuoteI'm not sure what's worse, that I can't figure out why my Citizens keep dying, or that I don't especially care. My smokestacks are at least partially responsible, belching out toxic fumes as they burn the waste littering the surface of Titan like crisp packets across the Pacific. Building my habitation pods next to factory equipment probably isn't helping either. Sleep and industrial machinery are not natural bedfellows.
Jalopy dev's new game lets you drunkenly build stuff in '80s working-class Britain
QuoteMinskWorks, the developer behind the car driving sim Jalopy, has announced that its new game Landlord's Super is heading to Steam Early Access on April 30. It's a first-person boozy building sim set in the British midlands during the 1980s.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
QuotePublisher Curve Digital and developer FuturLab have announced Peaky Blinders: Mastermind, a puzzle adventure game based on the multi-award winning TV show.
Gorgeous and surreal bullet-hell adventure ITTA releases this week
QuoteDefeat 18 bosses in a beautiful, mysterious world.
80 Days studio Inkle is looking for a little help making its next gam
QuoteInkle is taking submissions for short 'Campfire Stories' to use in the upcoming narrative strategy game Pendragon.
Cities: Skylines goes cyberpunk in Industries of Titan
QuoteIf the idea of building effective governance and a functional economy sounds a little too far-fetched for you to start up another town in Cities: Skylines right now, Industries of Titan is offering a far more realistic scenario on the moon of Saturn, where sprawling megacorporations take the place of governments and gobble up natural resources in an effort to build the most profitable city of all.
Desperados 3 and its “gorgeous gunslinger” arrive this June
QuoteDesperados 3, Mimimi Games’ upcoming tactical stealth game, has now got a release date. Along with a new trailer presented by the strategy game’s “gorgeous gunslinger” John Cooper, the studio has unveiled the launch date as June 16, 2020 – and pre-orders are now live.
Predator: Hunting Grounds - Official Gameplay Trailer
QuoteGo up against the Predator or become the Predator and hunt your prey when the game launches on April 24, 2020 on PlayStation 4 and PC.
The Inner Friend - Official Trailer
QuoteIn The Inner Friend, players will journey through a fragmented dreamscape, led by a mysterious Shadow. Horrifying monsters stalk The Shadow's memories and the player must evade and fight them while dealing with obstacles and puzzles in the darkness of The Shadow's mind.
This Trailer for SnowRunner, an Off-Road Trucking Sim, Parodies Death Stranding's Launch Trailer
QuoteFrankly, this really does look like another entry in the "strand game" genre.
Baldur’s Gate 3 development has “slowed”, but Early Access still starts in 2020
QuoteBaldur’s Gate 3 will be somewhat delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it seems the developers still plan for the Early Access launch date to hit this year. At PAX East in February, developer Larian said that the game would hit early release “in a couple of months”, but it looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer than that.
Metamorphosis official trailer
QuoteFirst-person puzzle platformer due out this summer.
Age of Wonders Planetfall: Invasions - Official Announcement Trailer
QuoteIn the stardust and disunity of the collapsed Star Union, an insidious new race of conquerors has come to lay claim to the galaxy.
Super Mario Maker 2 – Official World Maker Update Trailer
QuoteThe Super Mario Maker 2 game allows you to unleash your creativity with more new options and the ability to create your own world map. A free update to Super Mario Maker 2 for the Nintendo Switch system adds a new World Maker mode, as well as a host of new content and features on April 22.
18 Months After Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Has Made Big Cultural Changes
QuoteHere’s something remarkable: Over eight-plus years at Kotaku, I’ve never once been told not to write something because an advertiser might pull out, or because it’d piss off a video game company, or because it might upset the wrong people. The story always came first. Serving readers always came first.
Jason Schreier is leaving Kotaku, citing G/O Media as reason
QuoteJason Schreier, a journalist known in the video game industry for covering working conditions inside tight-lipped game development studios, announced his resignation from the video game news site Kotaku on Thursday, citing dissatisfaction with the ownership and direction of parent company G/O Media. Schreier, who will soon take a position with another company he declined to detail, is the latest of several Kotaku employees to depart the company while invoking G/O as the predominant reason.
QuoteTruth is, I’ve decided to leave the media and pursue my life’s calling: becoming a full-time saxophone player. Kidding. I’m staying in journalism, where I will continue to report on the weird, wild industry and culture of video games. I plan to take a few weeks off to put the final touches on my second book and hang out with my seven-month-old, and then I’ll be doing brand new things at a brand new outlet. If you’d like to reach out or share a story, you can find me on Twitter or email me any time.
Leaving Kotaku for Bloomberg: Jason Schreier Interview - We Have Cool Friends
QuoteAfter eight years, Jason Schreier has left Kotaku and announced that he's headed to Bloomberg. Let's hear all about it!
Support us and get the shows early here! http://www.patreon.com/kindafunny
The uncertain, unflinching future of games media
QuoteUpon his departure from Kotaku to Bloomberg News, Jason Schreier talks about his experiences as a reporter, and games journalism's present and upcoming challenges
Doom Eternal’s composer won’t work with id Software again after soundtrack was mixed without him
QuoteComposer Mick Gordon, best known for his work on 2016’s Doom and the recently released Doom Eternal, has thrown doubt on his future with the series following controversial changes made in the mixing of Eternal’s soundtrack.
Cooking Mama Cookstar’s Publisher Insists It Is Within Its Rights to Publish the Game
QuoteCooking Mama Cookstar keeps on serving up drama. This time, its publisher is firing back at Office Create. Planet Entertainment has released its own statement in response to Office Create, the IP holder, claiming this is an unauthorized release and that it is looking at beginning legal action. Essentially, Planet Entertainment says that it can and will publish the Cooking Mama Switch game, as evidenced by the company continuing to directly sell it.
Games Done Quick speedrunners raised $400,000 for coronavirus relief
QuoteOrganizers said Corona Relief Done Quick was its most successful side event ever.
Resellers Using Checkout Bots Are Driving the Nintendo Switch Shortage
QuoteMotherboard traced some of the recent automated Switch buying to a particular, new bot that anyone can use.
Riot Offering Up To $100,000 For Finding Vulnerabilities In Valorant’s Anti-Cheat System
QuoteRiot has posted one of the biggest—if not the biggest—bounties in gaming, offering people up to $100,000 if they can find a security flaw in the company’s controversial Vanguard anti-cheat system.
Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy Voice Actor Keiji Fujiwara Has Died
QuoteKeiji Fujiwara was a veteran voice actor with an impressive resume in anime and Japanese games. Today, it was announced that he has passed away at the age of 55. His talent agency announced that Fujiwara died from cancer.
Paul Haddad, Voice Of Leon Kennedy In Resident Evil 2, Dies At 56
QuotePaul Haddad, who voiced Leon Kennedy in the character’s Resident Evil 2 debut, has died at the age of 56, according to an announcement from Invader Studios.
Germany bans major events through August, effectively killing Gamescom
QuoteThe status of Gamescom 2020, scheduled to start on August 25, has been in question for weeks, as other game industry events like E3 and GDC have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While event organisers have already announced plans for expanded digital events, it seems any hope for the physical Gamescom event in Cologne is now gone – Germany is set to ban major public gatherings through the end of August.
Selena Gomez suing Chinese mobile publisher over using her likeness
QuoteSinger says she did not agree to appear in Clothes Forever - Styling Game, decries "unsavoury" microtransactions
Bush's Press Secretary Bought His Kid a Fake PS4 Controller, Blames China
QuoteAs Republicans attempt to deflect blame from the Trump administration’s demonstrable incompetence in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the malicious negligence and privateering of its crisis response, they have returned like homing pigeons to their favorite roost: aggrieved xenophobia. After some early attempts to blame the uniquely American Covid-19 crisis on China,Trump and his allies have resumed this line of attack, this time via Chinese influence over the World Health Organization.
Esports
Valorant Tournaments Will Have To Turn Off Blood
QuoteIn a recent blog post detailing their plans for Valorant esports, Riot esports director Whalen “Magus” Rozelle provided a long list of guidelines community organizers will need to follow in their competitions. These include restrictions on event sponsors and a requirement to disable in-game blood.
Dear Overwatch community: Fran is not your scapegoat
QuoteLuckily, Fran’s teammates and other professionals in the community have stood up for her and vouched for her dedication and talent. While the community’s treatment of a literal tournament winner is horrific, the situation is being broadcast to a larger audience who may not have known how widespread this problem is.
Crowdfunding News (not sharing everything I find, just ones that look interesting, have known talent behind them, and a chance to succeed)
Equity crowdfunding platform Fig acquired by Republic
QuoteThe hybrid investment slash crowdfunding platform Fig has been scooped up by Republic, a similarly geared investment platform aimed at helping the masses invest in startups.
Content I found interesting this week (interviews, recommendations, think pieces, history, music, culture, design, art, documentaries, criticism, etc)
Two days in Colombia with the founder of Rockstar San Diego
QuoteWe’re sitting here in Medellín on his patio trying to figure it out. I flew in yesterday and have spent the day today talking to Angel about his life, passions, and career. Discussing how he went from a game developer to running numerous restaurants in Medellín. Talking about Rockstar, lying to Nintendo, and everything in between. Everything except why he left Rockstar. We won’t come to a conclusion tonight.
IN A SELF-ISOLATED WORLD, DEVELOPERS ARE LEARNING TO MAKE GAMES FROM HOME
QuoteHow game makers are adapting in a pandemic, from mental health struggles to child care
The Pandemic Could Be the End of Your Favorite Arcade
QuoteWe talk to the arcade owners battling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
With coronavirus closing schools, here’s how video games are helping teachers
QuoteKevin Péloquin, a history teacher from Montreal, hoped to take his high school students of Collège Saint-Hilaire on a trip to Greece. His mixed class from grades 10 and 11 would visit historical sites like the Parthenon and record their observations for a project they would later share with their classmates. Then the covid-19 pandemic scrapped their educational itinerary.
Gaming Sales Are Up, but Production Is Down
QuoteThe coronavirus pandemic is offering mixed news and new challenges for gaming companies, both independent and corporate.
Final Fantasy 11 Devs on the "Huge Hurdles" of Working on an 18-Year-Old MMO
QuoteAs Final Fantasy 11 moves towards its 20th anniversary, the team behind the classic MMO considers its future.
'Call of Duty' Will Sell Me Weed Guns But Won't Let Me Say 'Weed'
QuoteIt's 4/20/20 and 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' still considers 'weed' to be profanity.
Final Fantasy VII Remake’s New Midgar Eerily Reflects Our Crumbling Society
QuoteOver 20 hours into Remake, I’m appreciating Midgar, a portion of the original game I used to speedrun in one sitting to escape. The story of the street is people trying to make it through the day. I catch myself looking over expanses of junk and ramshackle structures, lingering around non-playable characters to hear what they make of the day’s news. I used to relate to Cloud, the disaffected asshole unafraid to tell you where he’d rather be than standing next to you. Now, I think he plays that role to keep people from getting too close, to keep himself from getting hurt
Honey Bee Inn is the Queer Space Final Fantasy VII Remake Desperately Needed
QuoteIt’s not so much that it feels like the game’s assuming anything of the player, as games like Persona 5 or the early Mass Effects do, but it at least makes assumptions about people with little to no hesitation. The sexual tension between Cloud Strife and Jessie Rasberry has reached meme levels so high people talk more about her advances on the hero than they do her actual inner conflicts. Cloud says the name of a woman and someone has to ask if she’s his girlfriend. Little by little, these lines and situations add up to paint a picture of a heterocentric view of the world, and while we are slowly chipping away at these notions in the real world, Final Fantasy VII Remake is based on a game from 20 years ago. Detractors might argue that it makes sense that these dated notions of the kinds of relationships men and women can have are part of being a faithful recreation of what Final Fantasy VII was in the 90s.
So, good lord, was it a relief to walk into the Honey Bee Inn.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Gives Cloud's Honeybee Inn Makeover The Update It Needed
QuoteCompared to the original’s homophobic sexual assault joke, the new Honeybee Inn segment is exactly what Nomura said: a modern take that recognizes that in the culture of 2020, the old version wouldn’t fly. Instead of a series of jokes at both Cloud and queer people’s expense, the new segment seems to almost self-consciously court queer players. The Honeybee Inn now has a perfectly groomed male receptionist who has what I can only call “a really gay voice” (and I’m speaking from experience on that one). Rather than just girls in honeybee outfits, Rhodea’s Honeybee Inn also has “honeyboys:” top hat-wearing twinks in tuxedos. There’s every indication that this new version of the club is built to appeal to various gender and sexuality permutations.
Why the original Final Fantasy 7 remains essential, even after the remake
QuoteIt’s the fear that some may see it not as a companion piece to the original game, but as a replacement for it. Remake may cause some players to conclude that the original PlayStation game, with its dated graphics and old-fashioned, turn-based battles, is now obsolete.
An Ode to Final Fantasy VII’s Aerith Gainsborough
QuoteFor the florist in the slums who prefers the steel sky.
The Games That Let Me Have an Imaginary Social Life
QuoteIsolated due to coronavirus or overwork, some games let you feel like you're still part of a community.
'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Is Not the Game We All Need Right Now
QuoteAnimal Crossing is not designed to replace the outside world, but the pandemic isn't giving people much of a choice.
QuoteThe decaying remains of planet Earth serve as a mere playground for demonic annihilation in DOOM Eternal. Buildings that once hosted people are nothing but bridges and obstacles in the Doom Slayer’s path, each floor now holding undead beings that lack all semblance of humanity. Red eyes, fangs, wings. Civilization is turned upside down, its survivors seemingly cryogenized or otherwise trapped within outer space facilities. The only humans left are just looking for a way to stop their imminent extinction. By the time the player has arrived on Earth, it’s too late to prevent doom.
LEGO STAR WARS, FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
QuotePorter Simmons revisits past lives.
Disco Elysium - All Hobocops Are ... | Renegade Cut
QuoteAbolition of modern law enforcement. How and why? Support Renegade Cut through
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/renegadecut
How Obsidian Designed The Outer Worlds' Quests
QuoteBecome a PATRON to unlock more videos https://www.patreon.com/noclip
In the third video exploring the design of The Outer Worlds, we talk to the level design and writing team about how they crafted some of the game's most complex quests & areas.
Designing the Music & Sound of The Outer Worlds
QuoteIn the forth video exploring the design of The Outer Worlds, we talk to studio audio director Justin Bell about the process of writing the score, voicing the characters and making every sound trigger at the correct time.
The Five Types of Stealth Game Gadget | School of Stealth Part 2
QuoteWelcome back to the School of Stealth, a GMTK miniseries on how stealth games work. In episode two, let’s look at stealth game gadgets. From optic fibre cameras to camouflage outfits to the trusty silenced pistol. Subscribe to ensure you catch future episodes.
Support Game Maker's Toolkit on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GameMakersToolkit
Figuring Out Donkey Kong 64 - A Retrospective | PostMesmeric
QuoteMore than 20 years later, Donkey Kong 64 has turned from a critical darling to a running joke, arguably what killed the collect-a-thon game genre. To celebrate the fourth year of Donkey Kong Month, it's time to revisit this strange title and see what happened in DK's transition to the third dimension. Today, we're looking at DK64 and trying to figure it out.
Why You Get Spooked From 4th Wall Breaks | Psych of Play
QuoteHow many times have you felt just a little spooked when the 4th wall was broken in a game or a movie? Today on Psych of Play, we’re going to be dissecting WHY that feeling is so bizarre and how deindividualization, the dual function of gaze, and the power of anonymity all play a part in making 4th wall breaks such a visceral sensation.
Music Producer Reacts: The Airbuster (FF7 Remake OST)
QuoteFinal Fantasy 7 Remake absolutely broke me, both from a game standpoint but mostly in terms of music.
FF7R & RE3: Remaking games that have "aged poorly"
QuotePatronize: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2285408
The Art of Failure in Video Games | Designing Difficulty, Tragedy and Death
QuoteThe Art of Failure is what Jesper Juul calls Video games, an artform that creates an aesthetic out of failure. In this video, we examine his work, as well as how play has always been associated with hardship and learning, despite being governed by the magic circle of play. The video also surveys many others theorists of failure, from philosophy, psychology and game design, and how video games have incorporated failure into their design.
Support the Channel https://www.patreon.com/gameoveranalyser
QuotePlease consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GVMERS
In the late 2000s, parkour emerged from obscurity, and took over mainstream entertainment. Movies, YouTube videos, and video games alike took to the urban jungle so that they could showcase the activity in all of its glory, and entertain audiences with fast-paced thrills. And no other video game managed to thrill quite like Mirror’s Edge. The brainchild of Swedish video game developer DICE, Mirror’s Edge cast players in the shoes of Faith, a raven-haired courier tasked with delivering messages across the rooftops of a gleaming dystopia. While many found the sum of its offerings to be far from perfect, most agreed that running through the metropolis was a delight, and that it’s clean, minimalist art was a welcome breath of fresh air from the browns and grays of its competitors.
Doom Eternal Developers React to 27 Minute Speedrun
QuoteDoom Eternal is barely a month old and speedrunners have already figured out how to finish the game in under a half hour. So ride along with Marty Stratton (Executive Producer), Hugo Martin (Game Director), Jerry Keehan (Level Design Director) and Evan Eubanks (Lead Game Programmer) as they watch their latest game get absolutely destroyed by world record speedunner: Xamide.
Gusty Garden Galaxy's Perfect Melody
QuoteFor this video I chose to analyze just one piece of music to keep it short and simple. Well, the piece of music I chose was Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme from Super Mario Galaxy, and so after analyzing just the first half of the tune the video is pushing 20 minutes. Short and simple it is not, but the subject of the video is so graceful in the way that it approaches its melody that I just couldn't help myself. Enjoy!
Getting Chased by an Unstoppable Monster: A Review
QuoteMonster-liker Patrick Gill breaks down the ingredients of a good relentless pursuer, like Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 and Mr. X in Resident Evil 2. But they're not the only ones chasing him..
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