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

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Thursday news, part two:

Nicolas Cage is coming to Dead by Daylight, don't ask why
https://www.pcgamer.com/nicolas-cage-is-coming-to-dead-by-daylight-dont-ask-why/
Hollywood megastar and extremely intense individual Nicolas Cage is coming to Dead by Daylight. Up until now the game has regularly added famous movie killers and various characters from other games, but I think this is the first time it's added a real person. The announcement comes with a short trailer which gives a look at his in-game character model. Which looks a lot like Nicolas Cage.

Here's how to catch all the reveals at this June's PC Gaming Show
https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-gaming-show-2023-how-to-watch/
The PC Gaming Show returns on June 11 with a hot summer showcase of new game announcements and juicy updates. Hosted by the inimitable Sean "Day[9]" Plott and Frankie Ward, the show is set to be a blowout celebration of all things PC gaming, featuring 55 games, including over 15 game announcements, from studios around the world.

I seduced Joe Biden easily in Steam's newest dating sim, then he said I was too old for him
https://www.pcgamer.com/i-seduced-joe-biden-easily-in-steams-newest-dating-sim-then-he-said-i-was-too-old-for-him/
Don't ask why but, on my usual check-in on the latest titles releasing on Steam, one new game positively popped off the page. Reader, welcome to Love Love Joe Biden: The Joe Biden Dating Simulator. Steam is positively awash with low-budget dating sims these days, but sticking the octogenarian president in one did pique my interest more than the usual. I had to play it.

This Fable-inspired hybrid of RPG and farm sim is trying to cram in combat, crafting, and commerce
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-fable-inspired-hybrid-of-rpg-and-farm-sim-is-trying-to-cram-in-combat-crafting-and-commerce/
Perhaps it's no surprise that a game citing Fable as inspiration is trying to do it all; Mirthwood calls itself an "RPG life sim" but it also has some seemingly deep character traits, farming, crafting, and more. Bad Ridge Games has just reintroduced Mirthwood with a new reveal trailer that showcases farming, fighting, and a rather ethereal vocal soundtrack, along with plans to launch sometime in 2024.

BlizzCon is coming back as an in-person event in November
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzcon-is-coming-back-as-an-in-person-event-in-november/
As promised at the end of 2022, BlizzCon is coming back. After being derailed since 2019, first by the Covid-19 pandemic and then by the discrimination and sexual harassment scandal that enveloped Activision Blizzard in 2021, Blizzard announced that its big annual convention will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on November 3.

One of Destiny 2's legendary weapons was doing 40% extra damage for weeks and nobody noticed
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-of-destiny-2s-legendary-weapons-was-doing-40-extra-damage-for-weeks-and-nobody-noticed/
So, this is a weird one. Tucked away near the bottom of today's Destiny 2 weapon changes preview is a note about scout rifles. It reads: "Long Arm was inadvertently receiving the damage bonus vs minors for Exotics, so we've addressed that." Doesn't sound like a big deal unless you're familiar with the nitty gritty of Destiny 2 damage values, but the upshot is that Long Arm was getting a free 40% bonus against all rank and file enemies in the game, which should have made it an easy meta pick in hard activities where even minor mobs have thick health bars.

There's good reason to believe that GTA 6 will release next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-good-reason-to-believe-gta-6-will-release-next-year/
In its quarterly investor report today, Take-Two said that development of the next Grand Theft Auto game is "well underway." That's exactly what the Rockstar parent company said when it first announced GTA 6, and then again a few months later, but today's statement is a little more notable because it came alongside a general promise that "several groundbreaking titles" will release during its 2025 fiscal year, and there are some clear signs that one of those games is the new GTA.

Hogwarts Legacy almost had a morality and reputation system
https://www.pcgamer.com/datamining-shows-hogwarts-legacy-almost-had-a-morality-and-reputation-system/
It's a recurring element of the Harry Potter books that student witches and wizards are constantly judged by their teachers, handed demerits that punish everyone in their House ("50 points from Gryffindor!"), and warned away from forbidden magic like the Unforgivable Curses. Which is why it came as a surprise that, ahead of the launch of Hogwarts Legacy, Avalanche Software explained players wouldn't be judged for casting evil spells.
(...)
As YouTuber GrandTheftDiamonds discovered during a datamine of Hogwarts Legacy SQL files, it seems Avalanche wasn't always convinced that was the right way to go. As their video documents, the PhoenixGameData SQL file contains references to certain actions having a cost in House Points—including the use of Unforgivable Curses like Avada Kedavra.

Lord of the Rings Online 'is not going away' just because Amazon's making a Lord of the Rings MMO: 'It is beloved, it is sixteen, it is evergreen'
https://www.pcgamer.com/lord-of-the-rings-online-is-not-going-away-just-because-amazons-making-a-lord-of-the-rings-mmo-it-is-beloved-it-is-sixteen-it-is-evergreen/
Amazon Games is taking another crack at a Lord of the Rings MMO, it revealed on Monday. The news that it will focus on the period covered by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit puts it in direct competition with the established Lord of the Rings Online MMO, however, and developer Standing Stone Games has been trying to reassure its community that it's not in trouble.

Saudi Arabia now owns 10% of Electronic Arts
https://www.pcgamer.com/saudi-arabia-now-owns-10-of-electronic-arts/
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has in recent times targeted the videogames industry, and now owns a slice of many big players. The Saudi PIF has stakes (some of which are held through subsidiaries) in Activision Blizzard, Capcom, Embracer Group, Nexon, Nintendo, Take-Two Interactive and more. Now it's doubled an existing stake in Electronic Arts, and owns just under 10% of the global giant.

Journey developers' cozy MMO is finally flying onto PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/journey-developers-cozy-mmo-is-finally-flying-onto-pc/
Thatgamecompany is best-known for Journey, a singularly beautiful adventure-puzzler with a mysterious co-op element, whereby unknown other players will drop in and out of your own journey as they make theirs. This idea seemed to be the genesis of the studio's next game, Sky: Children of the Light, which initially launched on mobile devices, aiming to expand the idea of semi-anonymous co-op across more players in environments with greater scale.
I played it on release in 2019 and loved it, particularly how it managed to capture so much of what made Journey special in a more open-ended style, packed with mysteries. It is definitely an MMO but it's also one that works like no other, and one where the limits the game places on interaction and identity work to foster a unique atmosphere. All of which is to say that's very good news Sky has now appeared on Steam and can be wishlisted. And according to its store page, will include cross-platform multiplayer.