The second, long and last part of today's news:
UK chancellor wags his finger at CMA after Activision acquisition block, urging it to 'understand its wider responsibilities'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk-chancellor-wags-his-finger-at-cma-after-activision-acquisition-block-urging-it-to-understand-its-wider-responsibilities/
The UK government sure does seem to be a bit antsy about the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) decision to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Two days ago, a gaggle of MPs asked the market regulator if it had not, perhaps, been a bit shortsighted when it decided to stop the deal, and now Jeremy Hunt—the Chancellor of the Exchequer (equivalent to the US Treasury Secretary)—has stuck his oar in too (via The Telegraph).
Wizard of Legend is getting a sequel with 'improved 3D graphics, an expanded storyline, and even online multiplayer'
https://www.pcgamer.com/wizard-of-legend-is-getting-a-sequel-with-improved-3d-graphics-an-expanded-storyline-and-even-online-multiplayer/
Wizard of Legend, the isometric dungeon crawler that we said "is probably the closest we're ever going to get to a good Avatar: The Last Airbender game," was a hit, selling more than 500,000 copies shortly after it launched in 2018. Now a sequel is on the way, revealed today by publisher Humble Games as "an entirely new" experience being developed by Children of Morta studio Dead Mage.
Creator of defunct skyship MMO Worlds Adrift is trying again with a co-op survival game where 'your skyship is your home in the clouds'
https://www.pcgamer.com/creator-of-defunct-skyship-mmo-worlds-adrift-is-trying-again-with-a-co-op-survival-game-where-your-skyship-is-your-home-in-the-clouds/
If you miss the sandbox of floating islands, customizable airships, and grappling hooks found in Worlds Adrift—the MMO from Bossa Games that shut down in 2019—you're about to get another chance to sail the winds and swing around. The developer of I Am Bread and Surgeon Simulator are taking another stab the sky with a new co-op survival game coming next year.
An environmentalist brawler is the second Black Game Developer Fund game that Humble will publish
https://www.pcgamer.com/an-environmentalist-brawler-is-the-second-black-game-developer-fund-game-that-humble-will-publish/
Humble launched the Black Game Developer Fund in 2020 with a pledge of $1 million per year toward projects from Black indie devs, and the program has since funded over 30 games. BGDF funding doesn't guarantee that Humble will go on to publish the game itself, but the company did ink a deal with upcoming BGDF-funded game Protodroid DeLTA, and now it's done the same with a second game.
Breeze in the Clouds, a game about a corgi who winds up on an adventure in a "weather world," will also be published by Humble, the company announced during its 2023 Humble Showcase.
Stray Gods is a musical RPG where your choices also change the chorus
https://www.pcgamer.com/stray-gods-is-a-musical-rpg-where-your-choices-also-change-the-chorus/
Story-based RPG Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical turned up at the Humble Games showcase today to share a deeper look at its choice-driven narrative and some words from studio co-founders David Gaider, Dragon Age's former lead writer, and Liam Esler about how choices also affect the music in the moment.
Developer of The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story reveals new base building RTS
https://www.pcgamer.com/developer-of-the-mageseeker-a-league-of-legends-story-reveals-new-base-building-rts/
One of the moodier trailers shown at the Humble Games Showcase today was for Cataclismo, a new base building tower defense RTS from Digital Sun, developer of The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story.
System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition shows off a major visual upgrade in new screens: 'All cinematics, textures, characters and weapon models have been updated'
https://www.pcgamer.com/system-shock-2-enhanced-edition-shows-off-a-major-visual-upgrade-in-new-screens-all-cinematics-textures-characters-and-weapon-models-have-been-updated/
The System Shock remake is almost here, which makes this a fine time to recall that developer Nightdive Studios is also working on an update of System Shock 2. The System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition, as it's formally known, won't be a full do-over like the upcoming remake of System Shock, but it does promise to make Irrational's great immersive sim look and play as well as it possibly can.
Fortnite has dropped Trios mode with zero explanation, and fans aren't happy
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-has-dropped-trios-mode-with-zero-explanation-and-fans-arent-happy/
The launch of Fortnite's newest season brought with it the addition of Ranked play, and if you're genuinely surprised that Fortnite—the biggest battle royale in the world—is only just now getting a Ranked mode, trust me, you're not alone. Alas, it comes at a price, as the arrival of Ranked play means the Trios mode is gone.
The Matzah brawl: Jewish moms judge The Sims' latest culinary addition
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-matzah-brawl-jewish-moms-judge-the-sims-latest-culinary-addition/
The Sims has added some long-requested culinary items to its world: Matzah / matzo ball soup and challah bread. Recent years have seen the game strive to improve its representation of diverse cuisines, with Arab, Asian and Latin American foods added, and Matzah ball soup is a traditional Jewish dish that is basically chicken soup dotted with delicious dumplings. The soup can be served anytime but is especially associated with the holiday of Passover, and the campaign to add it was mostly led by community member Hufflepom.
You'll be able to finish post-apocalyptic CRPG Broken Roads as a pacifist
https://www.pcgamer.com/post-apocalyptic-crpg-broken-roads-can-be-finished-as-a-pacifist/
"Today we're announcing that Broken Roads will offer pacifist playthroughs for certain character builds," developer Drop Bear Bytes announced in its latest dev blog, "meaning the game can be completed without combat or killing anyone—if you make the appropriate choices along the way, that is."
Take-Two CEO says AI-created hit games are a fantasy: 'Genius is the domain of human beings and I believe will stay that way'
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-ceo-says-ai-created-hit-games-are-a-fantasy-genius-is-the-domain-of-human-beings-and-i-believe-will-stay-that-way/
Take Two recently released its results for the financial year ending March 31, and what got everyone excited was not the hugely impressive $5.3 billion in net bookings, but its own prediction of $8 billion in the financial year 2025 (which starts in April 2024, thanks accountants). "Several groundbreaking titles" will apparently be the near-$3 billion difference makers, one of which may be Ken Levine's Judas, but of course what everyone's wondering is whether this is the first sniff of a GTA 6 release window.
After the results there was an investor Q&A during which Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick fielded a bunch of mostly operational questions (shareholders don't tend to ask if GTA 6 will feature a co-op campaign). One of these questions was about the emergence of AI tools of various stripes, and how Take-Two was planning to incorporate them into its development pipelines.
I can't get enough of this railroad sim's cute and cosy vibes
https://www.pcgamer.com/i-cant-get-enough-of-this-railroad-sims-cute-and-cosy-vibes/
There's something oddly reassuring about the enduring love we have for trains and the games that let us guide them through the world. Even in 2023, the romantic attachment persists. For as long as I've been playing games, trains have been a constant, from casual puzzlers to dense management sims. And now there's another one that's piqued my interest. Station to Station has a bit of the latter, but is more of a relaxing, minimalist romp—a light-weight puzzler with a few sim elements and lots of style.
Platinum just dropped free DLC for a decade-old game
https://www.pcgamer.com/platinum-just-dropped-free-dlc-for-a-decade-old-game/
The Wonderful 101 was first released in 2013 as a Nintendo Wii U exclusive and, remarkably enough, ten years later is still the last game to have been directed by Hideki Kamiya (thanks mainly to the cancellation of Scalebound). (...)
The game was resurrected in 2020 thanks to a crowdfunding campaign and, shortly afterwards, The Wonderful 101: Remastered found its way to various platforms including Steam (where the user reviews are 'very positive'). Part of the campaign were additional game modes offered as stretch goals which, to be honest, I'd completely forgotten about: But Platinum did not. Today saw the release of The Wonderful One: After School Hero Part 1 out of nowhere, which was originally announced as 'Luka's first mission'. After School Hero Part 2 will complete it, and release next week on May 26. Both DLCs are free.
After Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy, PowerWash Simulator's gonna hose down SpongeBob Squarepants
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-tomb-raider-and-final-fantasy-powerwash-simulators-gonna-hose-down-spongebob-squarepants/
I'm increasingly convinced that the PowerWash Simulator devs are just seeing what they can get away with at this point. Hot on the heels of that free Tomb Raider DLC and the equally free Final Fantasy 7 Remake add-on that let you hose down a Guard Scorpion, FuturLab has announced a DLC that will let you finally clean up… Bikini Bottom. Like, from SpongeBob.
And these are the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:
+GOG
- There are seven new Deals of the Day, that will be available until Monday:
- Decision: Red Daze is 50% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/decision_red_daze
- Fantasy Tavern Sextet - Vol.1 New World Days gets a 52% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/fantasy_tavern_sextet_vol1_new_world_days
- Agarest: Generations of War Zero is 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/agarest_generations_of_war_zero
- Hero of the Kingdom II also sports an 80% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hero_of_the_kingdom_ii
- Euphoria: Supreme Mechanics has a 90% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/euphoria_supreme_mechanics
- Inquisitor’s Heart and Soul, still in development, is also 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/inquisitors_heart_and_soul
- The last one is Hell Division, with a 93% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hell_division
- There's a new GIVEAWAY: Fiendish Freddy's Big Top o' Fun will be free to keep during 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/game/fiendish_freddys_big_top_o_fun
- The giveaway is part of the Throwback Entertainment Publisher Sale, with up to 70% discounts during 3 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_throwback_entertainment
- And the Weekend Sale brings Paradox Interactive titles up to 80% off during 3 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20230519_weekend_sale
+Steam
- Cities: Skylines will be free to try during the weekend and 70% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/255710/Cities_Skylines/
- Super Bunny Man gets a 25% discount until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/673750/Super_Bunny_Man/
- V Rising, still in Early Access, will be 20% off until next Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1604030/V_Rising/
- Isonzo gets a 45% discount until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
- Barn Finders, that has a demo, will be 50% off until May, 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/991170/Barn_Finders/
- Unity of Command II gets a 75% discount until Thursday, 25th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/809230/Unity_of_Command_II/
- The METRO franchise goes on sale with up to 85% discounts until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/MetroFranchise
- And the last one is Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, that will be fre to try during the weekend and 85% off until May, 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/Tom_Clancys_The_Division_2/
And done! You'll have to wait until the next time for more. Until then, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.
Please excuse my bad English.
Currently gaming on a PC with an i5-4670k@stock (for now), 16Gb RAM 1600 MHz and a GTX 1070
Steam / Live / NNID : jonxiquet Add me if you want, but I'm a single player gamer.
