Carzy Zarx’s PC Gaming Emporium - Catch Up on All the Latest PC Gaming Related News

[JEMC]

Tuesday news, part two:

Hokko Life is a solo-developed Animal Crossing-like coming to early access this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/hokko-life-is-a-solo-developed-animal-crossing-like-coming-to-early-access-this-year/
If you've not hopped on the Switch train just yet and are feeling somewhat left out because of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, then don't worry.
Robert Tatnell (who worked as an artist at Sony and Lionhead, working on games like Heavenly Sword and Fable 3) has announced Hokko Life, a PC game heavily inspired by Nintendo's adorable village builder.
>> Another game that follows TemTem's idea: if Nintendo doesn't do it, "we" will.

Spec Ops: The Line developer receives undisclosed investment from Tencent
https://www.pcgamer.com/spec-ops-the-line-developer-receives-undisclosed-investment-from-tencent/
It's only the second month of 2020, but gaming giant Tencent has taken another step toward expanding its investments into game studios of all shapes and sizes. Earlier this year Tencent partnered with Platinum Games to help the studio fund its self-publishing efforts, and it also announced plans to acquire Conan Exiles developer Funcom entirely. And now, Berlin-based Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager has received an undisclosed investment from Tencent, though it will reportedly retain its independence.

Two-headed skeletons are punching out cowboys in Red Dead Online
https://www.pcgamer.com/two-headed-skeletons-are-punching-out-cowboys-in-red-dead-online/
Like many games, Red Dead Online has its share of hackers. I've met a few myself: one who turned me into a living stick of dynamite, one who nuked my horse from orbit, and one who teleported me and every other player onto a tiny sliver of land at the edge of the map. Good times with cherished friends.
Now it appears that Red Dead Online hackers have picked up a ghastly new trick: playing as unkillable two-headed skeletons who have come back from the grave for a few rounds of cowboy boxing.
>> There's a video in the article showing it.

Duos are returning to Apex Legends for Valentine's Day
https://www.pcgamer.com/duos-are-returning-to-apex-legends-for-valentines-day/
Valentine's Day, the annual celebration of love and romance, is not the sort of thing that immediately invites thoughts of shooting other people in the face. But teaming up with your special someone to do it? That's definitely on the menu, at least in Apex Legends, which will see the return of Duos mode tomorrow.

Here's new footage of Doom Eternal in Nightmare mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-doom-eternal-in-nightmare-mode/
Word of warning: the above video may cause you to grind your teeth into dust. It's footage of Doom Eternal in Nightmare mode, captured by YouTuber TheSpudHunter, and needless to say it's extremely fast and almost intolerably anxiety inducing. There's an Archvile in there (a seemingly very bullet-spongy one), a bunch of those new Gargoyle things, and almost as an afterthought: a Cyberdemon.

T-Pain streamed Doom Eternal for two hours
https://www.pcgamer.com/t-pain-is-streaming-doom-eternal-right-now/
T-Pain, the rapper and producer best known for popularising Auto-Tune, is currently streaming Doom Eternal. He's joined by Hugo Martin, the art director on Doom Eternal.
Update: The stream is over, and the archive is now embedded above.

2K Silicon Valley is now 31st Union and is working on an 'ambitious and inspired new IP'
https://www.pcgamer.com/2k-silicon-valley-is-now-31st-union-and-is-working-on-an-ambitious-and-inspired-new-ip/
2K's Silicon Valley studio, which opened last year with Sledgehammer co-founder Michael Condrey at the helm, finally has a name: 31st Union. The new studio is already expanding, too, opening an office in Spain.

Starbreeze is looking for a publishing partner for Payday 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/starbreeze-is-looking-for-a-publishing-partner-for-payday-3/
Payday publisher Starbreeze didn't have a good 2019, following it filing for reconstruction to avoid bankruptcy in December the previous year. It sold off studios, laid off 25 percent of its employees and put most of its eggs in the Payday basket. It's now released its end of year earnings report, and while much of it makes for gloomy reading, there's light at the end of the tunnel for the publisher.
(...)
CEO Mikael Nermark said that the new DLC for Payday 2 generated better than expected sales and interest, leading to the highest concurrent player count "in some time." The average player count before Payday 2 went back into active development sat around 10,000, according to Steam Charts, but in November it jumped up to 28,000.
(...)
As for the sequel, Starbreeze is currently looking for a publishing partner that can "provide financial stability and possesses the marketing and distribution resources required to power the best possible launch and further development of the product." It's aiming to present a publishing agreement to investors soon, before the end of the first half of 2020.