New Games/Video Gaming News

[MoKat]

Failed: Nobody really wants NFT from Ubisoft [Cheraw Chronicles]

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You can safely call it a failure. Ubisoft thought it could earn more with NFTs from Ghost Recon Breakpoint, among others. But apparently no one is waiting for that.

In addition to DLC, game studios have created something new to earn money from the game. That is, by means of a non-fungible token (NFT). By offering NFT to the game, fans should be induced to buy it. Unfortunately, in practice it does not go smoothly. At least for the NFTs launched from Ubisoft.

Ubisoft launched NFTs but it’s a total failure [geaRX News]

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Ubisoft had announced a few weeks ago, its intention to include NFT in its video games. While the CEO of the firm seemed most optimistic, the public gave him a cold shower, while the studio offered NFTs for sale on the game Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

These NFTs were used above all to buy products and skins in the game, nothing that helps the user to advance in his game, so as to maintain a “free to play” aspect in Ubisoft’s games, l ‘purchase of NFT is not compulsory to have the most complete experience possible. But according to Liz Edwards, who works for the game Apex Legends, Ubisoft reportedly failed to sell more than 15 NFTs, a bitter failure for the French firm.

{Edit: Upper Echelon Gaming did a video about it - The Ubisoft NFTs Have COMPLETELY FAILED }

*waits for major sites/publications to chime in*

Edited December 24, 2021 by MoKat
added a link to a video

[MoKat]

Nintendo's Entire 2022/2023 Year Just LEAKED... (New Hardware, MK9, Donkey Kong, Metroid DLC & MORE)

 

{Edit: one commenter tried to explain the Fire Emblem bit...

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"Echoes" is the name of the Fire emblem re-release series, so when a leaker says there will be a Fire emblem Echoes release in 2022, that would mean they are re-releasing an older game from the series, not necessarily that they're re-releasing the first echoes game from 3ds (Titled Shadows of Valentia). So it could realistically be a remake of any FE game (the fans have been hoping for a remake of 4 since 3 Houses' release)

 

[Mike Arcade]

On 1/6/2022 at 1:14 PM, MoKat said:

Nintendo's Entire 2022/2023 Year Just LEAKED... (New Hardware, MK9, Donkey Kong, Metroid DLC & MORE)

 

{Edit: one commenter tried to explain the Fire Emblem bit...

 

So the video is gone, but by MK9 does this leak mean that we could see a Re-Release of Mortal Kombat 2011? If so, I'm all down for that.

I know that we'll get some sort of Remaster of FFIX and Crono Cross in the future if those leaks are right. Seems like we'll have some cool stuff in the future.

[MoKat]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:14 PM, Mike Arcade said:

but by MK9 does this leak mean that we could see a Re-Release of Mortal Kombat 2011?

I wouldn't rule it out. Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath Kollection -did- have the MK9 skin packs

[MoKat]

Blizzard is in the news again...

Activision Blizzard confirms 37 people "fired or pushed out" in wake of lawsuit [GameIndustry.biz]

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Activision Blizzard has reportedly "fired or pushed out" 37 employees and disciplined 44 more since July last year in the wake of a slew of misconduct allegations, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

That number is an increase on the 20 people that had "exited" the company by October last year, and the further 20 that had faced disciplinary action, as shared by EVP for corporate affairs Fran Townsend.

According to WSJ, the updated figures were slated to be released in December, but were held back by Bobby Kotick over concerns that the number could make the company's workplace issues seem bigger.

Activision Blizzard Pushes Out Dozens of Employees Over Workplace Misconduct [The Wall Street Journal] Can only see part of this story; stupid paywall >.<

Also:

Microsoft to Buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion in Cash [Yahoo! News]

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Microsoft, the maker of Xbox, has purchased “Call of Duty” producer Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash in a megadeal that values the video game producer at $95 per share.

The deal, which has already been approved by both company boards, will make Microsoft the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind only Tencent and Sony. Microsoft will soon have 30 studios in house. The deal, which is subject to typical regulatory review, is expected to close in fiscal year 2023.

 

[TheRedStranger]

Hey guys, is anyone actually getting civil or legal action yet for the Blizzard debacle? I mean, that’s the ultimate standard of Justice. If people have been hurt, especially in that, way, I care little about mergers and corporate chess games. I care about the individuals hurt. Bars or reciprocity for wrong doing matter more than anything in bettering the already crappy workplace culture of AAA gaming. 

[MoKat]

Aside from certain leaders stepping down, not much has happened. This is the most recent article I've found so far - 2022 Update – Activision Blizzard Lawsuits & Allegations Explained news [The Black Chronicle]

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The original harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard has made predictably slow progress. Major litigation of any kind takes its time, offering the plaintiffs and defendants ample opportunity for pre-trial mediation and out of court settlement. Since the time of the lawsuit filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), a second lawsuit was filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that promptly settled on the same day for $18 million. Activision Blizzard employees have pushed for unionization and faced an uphill battle due to the company’s retention of a reputed “union-busting” law firm. Microsoft recently purchased the company for $68.7 billion despite the pending litigation against Activision Blizzard, adding to the complications and controversies surrounding the high-profile game developer.

 

[MoKat]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Official Master Splinter Trailer

 

Well, that's sweet, but -still- no release date?

[Mike Arcade]

On 2/24/2022 at 7:50 PM, MoKat said:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Official Master Splinter Trailer

 

Well, that's sweet, but -still- no release date?

No idea, but I love that Splinter is in. While I know Casey only appeared in like one episode of the 80’s Cartoon, I’d love to have him in.

[MoKat]

6 hours ago, Mike Arcade said:

While I know Casey only appeared in like one episode of the 80’s Cartoon, I’d love to have him in.

Me too. Casey would make a lot more sense than April.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge gets 2022 release date and fighter April O'Neil [Games Radar]

Everything I dug up didn't give a specific month, just 2022.

I discovered that there will be a Switch version of it tho' - The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-’em-up is coming to Switch [Polygon]

And it will be available on Steam.

{Edit: I hope the PS4 version has a "couch co-op" mode;  a physical release would be nice too cuz my Internet lags so hard... }

[Mike Arcade]

I’m so getting this on Steam, I’d imagine that it already has local co-op, considering they helped make SOR4 its a given.

[MoKat]

Elden Ring Patch 1.04 Notes, Massive Changes to Sorcery, Incantations, Weapon Skills, and More! [Fextralife]

 

[MoKat]

Sunsetting the Bethesda.net Launcher & Migrating to Steam [Bethesda.net]

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You are now able to transfer over your Bethesda.net game Library to your Steam account. Please follow the instructions on the Transfer Page to start your transfer. If at any point you run into issues with your transfer, we encourage you to reach out to Customer Support by visiting help.bethesda.net. We have also included several new entries to the FAQ below, so take a look to see if your question is already addressed.

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Starting on May 11, you will no longer be able to play your games on the Bethesda.net Launcher, but you will still be able to access the Launcher and your Library. So you don’t have to worry about missing the window to transfer. Even if you can’t play your games on the Bethesda.net Launcher, you can still transfer them to your Steam account.

 

We’re saying goodbye to the Bethesda.net Launcher this year. We would like to thank you for your support and assure you that all of your games are safe. If you’re not playing PC games through the Bethesda.net launcher then your work is done here. Thanks for reading! If you do have games through the Bethesda.net launcher, don’t worry. Starting on April 27 you’ll be able to migrate your games and Wallet to your Steam account. For more details on what this process will look like, read on.

 

[MoKat]

Square Enix sells off Tomb Raider, Deus Ex IPs and the studios behind them [Polygon]

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Square Enix is selling off Western studios Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montreal, as well as the franchises those studios develop, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief, to Embracer Group, the companies announced Monday. The $300 million deal will give Embracer Group ownership of more than 50 back-catalog games from Square Enix’s library and will affect 1,100 employees across three studios.

Sweden-based Embracer already owns publishing and development studios Gearbox Software, THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Koch Media, Deep Silver, and Coffee Stain Studios. Embracer has also expanded beyond video games to acquire comic book publisher Dark Horse and tabletop game publisher Asmodee. Embracer will have more than 14,000 employees, 10,000 game developers, and 124 internal studios, when the deal with Square Enix closes.

Square Enix says the sale of its studios and IP will establish “a more efficient allocation of resources” and enable “the launch of new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud.”

Why Square Enix Sold Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics For Just $300 Million [The Gamer]

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Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad broke down the numbers for us. The profit margins on running Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal were far lower than Square Enix's other studios. Crystal Dynamics had an operating profit margin of 3.6%, while Eidos Montreal squeaked by with just 0.65% in 2021. Square Enix overall had an operating profit of 14.2% last year, meaning the sold studios were vastly underperforming compared to other parts of the company.

But this is less about Eidos Montreal or Crystal Dynamics underperforming and more about the fact these studios just make expensive games, and expensive games can sometimes take years to recoup their initial investments--if they ever do at all.

 

 

[MoKat]

7 New Games Out in June 2022 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, Switch [Outside Xtra]

 

 

[MoKat]

Fallout 5 Confirmed by Bethesda, Coming After Elder Scrolls 6 [GameRant]

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Bethesda is venturing into new territory with Starfield, the studio's first original IP in decades. But while many fans are looking forward to Starfield and its massive game world, others would like to see new entries in Bethesda's established franchises, particularly The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. It seems there will be a lot for Elder Scrolls and Fallout fans to look forward to in the years ahead, as Bethesda has confirmed Fallout 5.

Bethesda's Todd Howard was recently interviewed by IGN about Starfield. During the interview, Howard confirmed that Bethesda is going to make Fallout 5 after it's done with The Elder Scrolls 6. "Elder Scrolls 6 is in pre-production and, you know, we're going to be doing Fallout 5 after that," Howard said in the interview. Howard also said that Bethesda has "other projects" that it will be working on as well, though it's unclear what those projects may be.

Bethesda Finally Talks ‘Fallout 5,’ And It’s Not Great News [Forbes]

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We did finally hear Todd Howard talk about Fallout 5 this week on IGN Unfiltered, and here’s what he had to say when asked if a new Fallout could be handed to a new studio (ie. Obsidian, now also owned by Microsoft), with Bethesda itself so busy:

"I don't see... Look, Fallout's really part of our DNA here. We've worked with other people from time to time – I can't say say what's gonna happen. You know, we have a one-pager on Fallout 5, what we want to do."

A one-pager is just a document outlining a potential concept for a game, but as you might expect, turning a single page into a massive AAA video game is a long journey.

In short, Todd Howard is saying that Fallout 5 is not in development past that one-pager yet, nor would he commit to passing the series off to someone else. So, Fallout 5 is probably not on the table for release until…when, exactly?

And from IGN Unfiltered:

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Bethesda's Todd Howard has explained that there is an idea for Fallout 5 at the studio, but refused to commit to any other details, from a timescale to possible developers.

Speaking during an episode of IGN Unfiltered primarily covering Skyrim's 10th anniversary, Todd Howard was asked if there was a world where – with Bethesda Game Studios focusing on creating on Starfield, followed by The Elder Scrolls 6 – the next mainline Fallout game could be passed to another developer (previously Fallout: New Vegas was handed to Obsidian, for example).

Howard seemed to play down that idea, adding that there is a tentative idea for what a prosepective Fallout 5 could be: "I don't see... Look, Fallout's really part of our DNA here. We've worked with other people from time to time – I can't say say what's gonna happen. You know, we have a one-pager on Fallout 5, what we want to do."

Bottom line...

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But don't expect that idea to become reality for some time yet.

 

[Mike Arcade]

I didn’t expect to hear about Fallout 5 for a long time anyway. I’d estimate at this rate to see the 5th entry in about 10 years from now? If that.

[MoKat]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredders Revenge Game Review on Xbox [~ 7 min.]

Game looks awesome! ^.^

*LOL @ Vernon tied up in a chair in the newsroom/studio*

I definitely want the PS4 version now 😎

{Edit: Casey confirmed as a playable charater!}

Edited June 25, 2022 by MoKat
added a comment

[Mike Arcade]

6 hours ago, MoKat said:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredders Revenge Game Review on Xbox [~ 7 min.]

Game looks awesome! ^.^

*LOL @ Vernon tied up in a chair in the newsroom/studio*

I definitely want the PS4 version now 😎

{Edit: Casey confirmed as a playable charater!}

It is awesome, had it pre-ordered on Steam and it's excellent! Definitely worth getting, also you gotta beat Story Mode to Unlock Casey, which isn't too much of a challenge. All the Characters are really well balanced and it's one of the best games of the year. Certainly one of the best Beat em ups I've ever played, right up there with Streets of Rage 4. 

[MoKat]

Top 20 NEW Games of 2022 [Second Half]

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The second half of 2022 is bringing tons of new game releases for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S/One, and Nintendo Switch. Here's everything big we're looking forward to.

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0:00 Intro
0:25 Evil West
1:14 High on Life
2:00 The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
2:51 Stray
3:36 Marvel's Midnight Suns
4:22 Skull and Bones
5:08 Splatoon 3
5:36 Saints Row
6:25 Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
6:57 Atomic Heart
7:33 Overwatch 2
8:06 Xenoblade Chronicles 3
8:42 Scorn
9:32 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
10:14 Gotham Knights
11:24 Crisis Core: FFVII Reunion
12:03 The Callisto Protocol
12:45 A Plague Tale: Requiem
13:28 Hogwarts Legacy
14:24 God of War
15:22 BONUS

 

[Wulfsbane]

 

No Man's Sky newest update.

 

As someone who got it Day 1, it's still honestly amazing how much of a 180 the game pulled

[MoKat]

Opinion video, but the host might be onto something...

Why Was Fallout 5 Announced?

 

Comment/clarification by Whimsu:

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Just to clarify; I'm not saying Fallout 5 WILL release in 2039. The 8 year development cycle of Starfield was due to Creation Engine 2's development and other "current events". We don't know if the engine will need more upgrades for Elder Scrolls or Fallout, given the leaked dev statements in regards to the engine's quality. (yes Elder Scrolls VI is using Creation Engine 2, but also we don't know what the state of creation engine 2 actually is)

The 2039-2040 release date timeline is really the "worst case scenario".

If the engine needs major upgrades for both Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5, and I assume by that point the developer would start looking into third party engines like Unreal. Otherwise, I'd count on the 3-5 year dev cycle.

 

[Mike Arcade]

1 hour ago, MoKat said:

Opinion video, but the host might be onto something...

Why Was Fallout 5 Announced?

 

Comment/clarification by Whimsu:

 

I’ve seen this video too, and I do agree to this assessment on how far off Fallout 5 would be released. Although I’d say it all depends on how well it’s engine will function in Starfield. Then we’d get a good assessment on how the next Bethesda releases will be like.

I know that’s pretty vague, but it really depends on how Starfield turns out.

[MoKat]

What could go wrong?

Ubisoft And Riot Games Announce Joint Project To Preemptively Stop “Disruptive Behavior” With Trained AI [Bounding Into Comics]

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Ubisoft and Riot Games have announced their “Zero Harm in Comms” project; preemptively stopping disruptive behavior with the help of AI.

Both companies released their own statements. “Ubisoft and Riot Games have joined forces for a new research project in the pursuit of making online video game spaces safer,” prefaced the statement issued by Ubisoft.

“Removing ‘harm’ – a complex word with many tendrils of meaning – in video game chats is crucial and ongoing work, and their project, Zero Harm in Comms, aims to ultimately develop a more nuanced and robust framework than anything else available to do just that. It’s an important goal, and one both publishers recognize can only be achieved as a team,” the developer admits.

Ubisoft stated, “At its core, the Zero Harm in Comms research project aims to create a shared database of anonymized data, used to train Ubisoft and Riot’s systems to detect and mitigate disruptive behavior.” The idea arose from both Yves Jacquier (Executive Director for Ubisoft’s La Forge R&D Department) and Wesley Kerr (Head of Tech Research at Riot Games). 

One Eyed Jack Gaming talked about it here - Ubisoft & Riot Form Censorship Club [~7 min]

[MoKat]

Them's Fightin' Herds trots out as today's Epic Christmas freebie [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

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People like Them's Fightin' Herds, an accessible fightin' game about controlling ponies that punch other ponies. I don't know whether it's as good as its name, but I do know it's the latest game Epic are handing out in their 15 days of Christmas freebies. Grab it now, keep it forever - but only if you click the button before the next game lands.

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Them's Fightin' Herds started life in 2011 as a My Little Pony fan game called Fighting Is Magic, but developers Mane6 switched it up when Hasbro told them no, you can't blatantly reproduce the cartoon characters from our beloved children's tv show in your violent brawler. One name change and a $586,000 IndieGoGo fundraiser later, they launched on Steam in 2015. It's nice when cease and desists don't entirely desist the thing they're ceasing.

There's a story mode, as well as local and online multiplayer. I hope it recreates the high drama nonsense of a Mortal Kombat campaign but with ponies instead of cyborgs and demons.

It's still getting updates, with new DLC character Texas the bull just added today in version 4.0. You will need to pay for either the Season 1 Pass or his individual Character Pack, though.

You can grab Them's Fightin' Herds for free from the Epic Store, so long as you do so before 4pm tomorrow when the next game lands. There's a big Christmas sale over there, too.

 

[MoKat]

I didn't want this to get buried by the other cybersecurity news that hit recently, so I'm putting it here; since it's about Riot Games, this topic is a better fit anyway.

Riot Games hacked, delays game patches after security breach [Bleeping Computer]

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Riot Games, the video game developer and publisher behind League of Legends and Valorant, says it will delay game patches after its development environment was compromised last week.

The LA-based game publisher disclosed the incident in a Twitter thread on Friday night and promised to keep customers up-to-date with whatever an ongoing investigation discovers.

"Earlier this week, systems in our development environment were compromised via a social engineering attack," the company said.

"We don't have all the answers right now, but we wanted to communicate early and let you know there is no indication that player data or personal information was obtained."

Riot Games also added that the breach directly impacted its ability to publish patches for its games.

"Unfortunately, this has temporarily affected our ability to release content. While our teams are working hard on a fix, we expect this to impact our upcoming patch cadence across multiple games," Riot Games said.

 

[Mike Arcade]

Don't let the funny name fool you, this game (which already got funded on Kickstarter no less than a day after it's Kickstarter was put up) is for anyone who ever liked the Chao Garden.

So, if you've wanted what's essentially a new Chao Garden game, here you go!

...seriously, still can't believe Sega hasn't tried to bank on the Chao. XP

[MoKat]

Bandai posted this on their You Tube channel last week:

 

DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT – The 23rd World Tournament Launch Trailer

 

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Join Goku in his legendary battle at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Strike your way through your opponents or knock them out of the ring to become victorious!

 

[MoKat]

Unified Lara Croft is Underwhelming in Call of Duty Reveal [Melonie Mac]{~17 min)

I'm posting Melonie Mac's critique because it's the most amusing. Do you think she looks like "some girl in cosplay"?😄

This is what the usual suspects are saying about it:

Tomb Raider fans think Call of Duty might be giving us the first look at the new, "unified" Lara Croft [GamesRadar]

Why Fans Hope Lara Croft's New Look in Call of Duty Carries on to the Next Tomb Raider [IGN]

Modern Warfare 2's Lara Croft crossover has me yearning for an original Tomb Raider remake [PC Gamer]

Call of Duty's Lara Croft mixes classic and reboot Tomb Raider designs [EuroGamer]

[MoKat]

I still don't trust NPR, but this article was interesting enough to share.

A forgotten trove of rare video games could now be worth six figures

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When a Nebraska video game store closed in 1998, hundreds of sealed Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis cartridges were placed in storage. After their rediscovery last year, 173 of the most interesting items have now been appraised.

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One of the buzziest items in the group is a nearly perfectly preserved copy of the game Chrono Trigger — a cult classic roleplaying game.

 

[MoKat]

Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer arrives early, but the game won't until 2025 [Engadget]

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Rockstar has released the trailer of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next game in the blockbuster video game franchise a day earlier than expected. Unfortunately you'll have to wait until at least some point in 2025 to play it.

It's been a decade since Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto V. While fans have been more than able to keep themselves busy with GTA Online and a few re-releases, they've been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for more single-player action. The wait now has a theoretical end with Rockstar revealing the first official look at the game and a 2025 release window.

As indicated by a recent teaser image, leaks and various rumors, GTA VI will be set in Leonida, Rockstar's take on Florida, and largely centered on Vice City, the series' stand in for Miami. Given that the trailer features a ton of Instagram-style live streaming, GTA VI seems to be a contemporary game, rather than one set in the '80s like 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It remains to be seen if those streams are an integral game mechanic, purely narrative tool or just an aesthetic choice for the trailer, though.