Videogame News Thread

[Tom Guycott]

Originally Posted by Kalyx triaD Content is not 'cut' in most cases but I see what you're saying.

Kinda is.

The original idea behind DLC was being extra shit added to a fully fleshed out and feature complete game later to expand the life cycle. Of course, over time and with the advent of patch culture, it has come to be a way to piecemeal shit that was once expected to be part of a game into a lot of shit that isn't even finished to begin with.

You shouldn't have to pay extra money for a campaign, or menu options, or things that were available in previous iterations of x title, but now are mysteriously missing unless you plunk down extra money. No matter how you try to dress it up semantically, it is fucking cut content.

[ClockShot]

Add Microsoft in the mix of those looking to purchase Warner Bros. Interactive.

[Emperor Smeat]

Rockstar is currently rumored to be working on a new AAA status open world game for VR devices based on a recent Linkedin listing.

The same dev team that worked on L.A. Noire's "The VR Case Files" is suppossedly working on this new game based on the same listing.

Originally Posted by Destructoid It was a pretty incredible sight to see L.A. Noire, one of my flawed-yet-favorite games of the past few generations, get another lease on life in 2017. Billed as "The VR Case Files," the game was handled by former Team Bondi developers who worked on the original L.A. Noire, and it seems like Rockstar is happy enough with the project to greenlight another game. According to a Linkedin listing on Video Game Deluxe's page, the studio is allegedly working on a new "open world AAA title in VR" for Rockstar. They have "a number of job openings" for the project, including Senior Programmers, an Engine Programmer, a Designer and an Animator. The scope of VR has changed so much these past few years, necessitating all of these positions. Although VR originally debuted with a number of tech demo-like experiences, there have been many strides in terms of "AAA" projects or even open world games recently.

https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...e-596534.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

* Bases on a recently released documentary about Valve's past 10 years, the main reason why development for Half-Life 3 and Left 4 Dead 3 were cancelled were due to issues with the Source 2 Engine at the time. The documentary also revealed that Valve had worked on and scrapped five Half-Life series projects in between the time of HL 2: Episode 2 and Half-Life: Alyx's releases. It was also revealed that Valve has been working on a "top secret project" since 2018.
Link to the documentary (paid): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1...__Final_Hours/
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...d-596899.phtml

* According to a report from GameBeat, Sony recently purchased a minority ownership share in Epic Games for around $250 million. In terms of the actual ownership share, Sony now owns around 1.4% of the company.
https://venturebeat.com/2020/07/09/s...er-epic-games/

* EA is currently dealing with backlash from some of their investors in regards to a new proposal for their bonus pay system for their executives that would see them earn even more money than before. The main issue revolves around claims of the company has already become very addicted to spending lavish sums of money on executive bonuses and at a frequent and overlapping pace.
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...s-596771.phtml

[ClockShot]

Read that Sony news and thought "Smart investment."

Then I read it only got them like 1% of the company and that's like a really soft voice in a loud room when Sweeney and Tencent got a good chunk of the shares still.

[Emperor Smeat]

Apparently several details regarding the new Far Cry game, Far Cry 6, were accidentally leaked on Sony's Hong Kong Playstation Store ahead of Ubisoft's E3-like Ubisoft Forward digital event this Sunday.

Originally Posted by Destructoid Players will take up the role of Dani Rojas, a local guerilla fighter battling to free a small nation under ruthless dictatorship. A gameplay description boasts the largest map to date and promises "makeshift weapons, vehicles, and Amigos, the new Fangs for Hire to burn the tyrannical regime to the ground." A single splash-art image features main villain Anton Castillo who, as recently rumoured, will be portrayed by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito. "Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time," reads a roughly-translated blurb. "As the dictator of Yara, Anton Castillo is intent on restoring his nation back to its former glory by any means, with his son, Diego, following in his bloody footsteps. Their ruthless oppression has ignited a revolution."

Besides plot details, the release date for the game was also leaked alongside the game's PS5 upgrade offer.

Originally Posted by Destructoid The listing also suggests a release date of February 18, 2021, and notes that Far Cry 6 will offer a free PlayStation 5 upgrade for players picking up the next-gen platform. Of course, all of this information is subject to change, seeing as how Ubisoft is yet to officially reveal the sequel at all

Following the leak, Ubisoft released an official teaser trailer for the game.

Anton would not be pleased. See you on Sunday at #UbiForward. pic.twitter.com/SCNvo0qB1R

— Ubisoft_UK (@Ubisoft_UK) July 10, 2020

https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...e-596957.phtml

[ClockShot]

Anybody going to check out the Ubisoft Forward show?

I'll check it out probably after work. See if there's anything new to show for Valhalla and how this new Far Cry 6 looks.

[ClockShot]

Sat down yesterday after work and watched the Ubisoft Forward.

Skipped over Watch Dogs. Don't really care.

Creed Valhalla is slowly growing on me. But I gotta dig deeper on the finer things/RPG aspects of it before I'm totally sold on it.

Definitely interested in Far Cry 6. But, I think they need to be care they don't have another Far Cry 4 on their hands. Bad plot with a really likeable villian.

[Fignuts]

All of them seem like the same game with slight innovaions.

In other words, Ubisoft.

[drave]

Watch Dogs was honestly the coolest part. Their "play as anyone" gimmick was on display, and has the ability to make this an amazing sandbox game.

[Emperor Smeat]

According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony is currently working to boost production of PS5 consoles for its launch window from their original plan of 5 million consoles by March 2021 to 9-10 million consoles within the same time period.

Supposedly the huge surge in gaming sales and demand during the midst of the coronavius pandemic led to Sony reconsidering their launch plans and sales expectations for the PS5.

Originally Posted by Destructoid Sony is making a concerted effort to boost production of its upcoming PlayStation 5 hardware, reportedly aiming to double the number of units produced by the end of 2020. As reported by business news outlet Bloomberg, Sony initially planned to create five million PS5 consoles by March 2021, but is now aiming for an optimistic 9-10 million units by the same date. It is believed that the industry giant raised the bar for itself after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused home gaming to surge throughout the spring and summer of 2020. Of course, logistical problems caused by the global health crisis mean that even if Sony achieves its mammoth production goals, the company will still face a huge challenge in delivering stock to high street stores worldwide. This is especially true during the typically-hectic holiday period, which already strains global distribution lines at the best of times. While the plan to double hardware production is yet to be confirmed by Sony itself, several Asian news outlets - such as the Nikkei Asian Review - have received similar reports from their own inside sources.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-demand-surge
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...n-597561.phtml

[ClockShot]

Good to hear on Sony's part.

This upcoming console generation is going to be kill or be killed for a PS5 or Xbox with we're looking at being indoors this winter with the virus having it's way.

[Emperor Smeat]

* For those with Xbox Gold subscriptions, Microsoft recently pulled the ability to purchase a 12 month subscription from their online Xbox stores. No official reason was given for the decision.
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...e-598001.phtml

* For those interested, Atlus announced that they are currently working on two Shin Megami Tensai games for the Switch. The first being a HD remaster of Shin Megami Tensei III: Noctturne and planned for a Spring 2021 release and the other being Shin Megami Tensei V and planned for a potential 2021 release.
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...1-598018.phtml

[Tom Guycott]

Well, that's not good. I specifically do one annual purchase so I don't have some monthly pull or an actual working CC on my account. I've been compromised before, but nothing could be done to me since there wasn't anything to steal except maybe play a couple of games for free up until I changed my password.

Unless there's an overhaul coming that includes gamepass or somesuch, looks like I'm just going to have to buy 12 month cards retail.

[drave]

Hopefully there's a good reason for it, for the same reasons Tom posted.....


Bet they end up relisting it at a higher price

[Seph]

I do the Gamespass Ultimate thing now so it doesn't really effect me. Sucks for most people though.

[drave]

I do as well, but I still bought "gold" at a 12 month interval. Saved money, didn't have to fuck with some monthly crap.


If it is gone forever, that's shitty. That'd be removing a cost savings for their customers.

[Seph]

Honestly its probably part of their scheme to undercut Sony on pricing for the new consoles. They undercut them by 50 or 100 bucks, taking a significant loss in the process just to jack up online pricing to make up the difference.

[Emperor Smeat]

Current speculation going around the net is Microsoft likely is going to combine Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single subscription service instead of being separate services.

[Fignuts]

That’s smart. Game Pass is the best thing going for Xbox one.

[Seph]

Originally Posted by Emperor Smeat Current speculation going around the net is Microsoft likely is going to combine Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single subscription service instead of being separate services.

They've already done that and did it awhile ago. Games Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold. All they are doing is removing the cheaper option.

[Seph]

Basically forcing you to buy all the services instead of choosing which one(s) you want.

[Kalyx triaD]

I've been with Ultimate Gamepass for a while now. I'm cool with it.

[Tom Guycott]

Originally Posted by Emperor Smeat Current speculation going around the net is Microsoft likely is going to combine Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single subscription service instead of being separate services.

Originally Posted by Seph They've already done that and did it awhile ago. Games Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold. All they are doing is removing the cheaper option.

Essentially, this. The option was there, but for me there were still a couple of extra steps considering I didn't want to go monthly. GamePass didn't have an annual option. They want you to opt in for a dollar, then slide into a monthly sub and attach a payment. [Addendum: unless they've changed it since, but I doubt it.] As stated before; no thanks.

Combine the two, give the year option without payment method attachment, then leave me the fuck alone.

[drave]

Tom is on point with it. It just seems "odd" for it to be done without much announcement and reeks of something slimy in the works.


I hope not. I've not had a bad experience with Xbox since the first system. Their customer service has always been amazing and their network is solid.



At this point, there's nothing keeping me from getting a PS5..... not yet. Neither console is a "must buy" for me, but I'll have one of them this time next year.

[ClockShot]

If anything, tomorrow in Microsoft's big shindig for Xbox, all will be revealed.

I honestly think Microsoft will give a price and launch date for the Series X during this as well.

[Emperor Smeat]

For those interested in the upcoming new Yakuza game, Sega announced that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will also feature an upgrade system for PS5 and Xbox Series X console owners who purchase the current gen version of the game.

The Xbox One to Xbox Series X upgrade will follow Microsoft's "Smart Delivery" system format while the PS4 to PS5 upgrade will likely not be as simple due to details that will be revealed at a later time.

https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...--598254.phtml

[Seph]

Amazon France briefly listed the price for both versions of the PS5. The prices included the 20% sales tax in France and came to 560USD for disc based and 450USD for the digital version. Without the tax that brings the systems to 450/360USD respectively.

If true that's a good price.

[Fignuts]

Phil Spencer taking shots at Sony for having first party exclusives. As opposed to what? Asking customers to pay hundreds of dollars to play prettier versions of games I can get on the console I already own? Fuck off Phil.

[Fignuts]

Like they’re spinning it as this consumer friendly feature. Friendly for who? Who has ever had a problem with games coming out for a new console that are exclusive to that platform? That’s the whole fucking point of a new console. To play games that take full advantage of the hardware and can’t be made effectively on the previous gen console.

The only people I can see this benefitting are the dipshits who walk into a store in 2020 looking for a Wii remote and get pissy with the staff when told they’re not carried anymore.

Fuck those people. We don’t need to cater to them.

[Seph]

He's butthurt by all the constant reminders that Xbox has fewer exclusives and that most of them are either shit or just iterative sequels and that they can all be played on PC at vastly better quality than the console.

[Fignuts]

I wouldn’t of even gotten riled up over it if not for his comments. It’s obvious that their launch exclusives have been in development for a while and were probably always intended to be on Xbox one. And that’s fine. I’m sure they’ll be very good games. But don’t come out and pat yourself on the back, acting like a hero over something that was never a problem in the first place.

[ClockShot]

Originally Posted by Seph Amazon France briefly listed the price for both versions of the PS5. The prices included the 20% sales tax in France and came to 560USD for disc based and 450USD for the digital version. Without the tax that brings the systems to 450/360USD respectively. If true that's a good price.

Ugh at the disc version being potentially more. But, you're right. It's fair.

[drave]

Honestly entertaining the idea of getting a PS5....... just not sure yet.

[Emperor Smeat]

* Sony announces that Ghost of Tsushima managed to sell around 2.4 million copies during its first three days on sale. Sony also announced that Ghost of Tsuhima's sales managed to break the record for fastest selling first-party and original IP game in PS4 history.
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...s-598562.phtml

* Paramount Pictures announced that their next Sonic film is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on April 2022. Only details currently known are that the film is currently is the pre-production stage of development, the same director and writers of the first film are currently working on this new film, and several actors will be returning to reprise their roles in this new film.
https://www.destructoid.com/stories/...2-598541.phtml

* During today's Comic-Con@Home event, IGN revealed that former gaming television network G4 will be returning in some capacity later this year.
https://twitter.com/IGN/status/1286704753188261891

[ClockShot]

Daaaaaaaaaaaamn. G4 making a comeback.

Interesting. When's the last you heard a network coming back from the dead?

[Kalyx triaD]

Never. Because it's stupid and risky.

[Droford]

I remember when ZDTV turned into Tech TV which turned into G4.

20 years ago basically


GameSpot tv became Extended Play/X Play which stayed on over the nsme change to G4

[Droford]

The main reason anyone watched ZDtv/techtv back then

[Emperor Smeat]

Seems G4's revival might be focused around esports based on a recent article from Variety.

Originally Posted by PWI According to a Variety article, the new G4 will be run by Comcast Spectator, which focuses on sports and eSports programming. The division just hired former WWE Senior Vice President Of Digital Development Brian Terwilliger as the VP of Programming and Creative Strategy back in May. Terwilliger himself is an alumnus of the original incarnation of G4 acting as one of the producers on "Attack of the Show", one of the flagship shows in the former cable channel's later years.

https://variety.com/2020/digital/new...ch-1234716006/