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

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Thursday news, part two:

Devs say Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is so long, they're afraid players won't take it all in unless they binge it 'even at the cost of their health'
https://www.pcgamer.com/devs-say-like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-is-so-long-theyre-afraid-players-wont-take-it-all-in-unless-they-binge-it-even-at-the-cost-of-their-health/
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is coming out early next year, and like its predecessors it's likely to be rammed full of side-activities complex enough to be their own games. We've already seen a straight-up Animal Crossing send-up packed into it. I shudder to think what other dark designs the developers at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have up their sleeves.
Turns out, likely a few—as revealed in an official behind-the-scenes video on the studio's YouTube channel and translated by Automation Media. Studio head and writer Yokoyama Masayoshi says the game has a "monster-class" playtime that creates a unique problem for his team: getting you to actually play the whole thing.

The worst Modern Warfare 3 bug yet means I can't freaking unlock anything
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-worst-modern-warfare-3-bug-yet-means-i-cant-freaking-unlock-anything/
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been out less than a week and my unlocks have slowed to a crawl. Some of that can be attributed to Sledgehammer Games' new Armory Unlock system placing hard limits on how fast players can earn select guns, attachments, and equipment, but the real holdup is an infuriating launch week bug.

Humble Games is the latest to lay off employees, blames 'trends that required this restructure in order to ensure our long-term success'
https://www.pcgamer.com/humble-games-is-the-latest-to-lay-off-employees-blames-trends-that-required-this-restructure-in-order-to-ensure-our-long-term-success/
Just one day after Amazon Games and 505 Games parent company Digital Bros announced significant cuts at their companies, Humble Games has confirmed that it too has laid off employees, telling Game Developer that the layoffs were required "to ensure our long-term success."

Folklore strategy game Howl is a turn-based puzzle for perfectionists
https://www.pcgamer.com/folklore-strategy-game-howl-is-a-turn-based-puzzle-for-perfectionists/
There's something quite enticing about dark fairytales and an ink-y aesthetic, so tiny tactical puzzle Howl had already caught my eye earlier this year. It's surprise launched this week, to my delight, and the demo has its hooks in me with its take on turn-based strategy that requires me to think several moves ahead.

Shockingly, Owen Wilson narrates the new Teardown trailer without saying 'Wow!' even once
https://www.pcgamer.com/shockingly-owen-wilson-narrates-the-new-teardown-trailer-without-saying-wow-even-once/
Teardown, one of our favorite games of 2022, is having a bit of a moment. It's got a new wild west expansion out today called Time Campers which looks great. It just reached version 1.5, which includes DirectX 12, performance improvements, and support for more languages. And it just arrived on consoles, meaning Xbox and PlayStation fans will be able to enjoy its explosive heists and destructive sandbox.

Sega of America accused of union-busting threats after telling whole company it'll 'phase out' temp employees—nearly half the union's membership
https://www.pcgamer.com/sega-of-america-accused-of-union-busting-threats-after-telling-whole-company-itll-phase-out-temp-employeesnearly-half-the-unions-membership/
Back in August of this year, it was announced that Sega of America employees would be forming a union—the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA)—alongside the Campaign to Organise Digital Employees (CODE-CWA).
Then in July, after Sega of America decided not to recognise it, that same union won a election vote 91-26 via the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In short, that means Sega of America has to recognise the union now, or—legally speaking—it could constitute an unfair labour practice.
An internal letter sent by the company's leadership said it would respect its commitments to the NLRB (thanks, Gameinformer): (...)
One might think that Sega of America would play ball after that, but their first negotiations have already prompted a legal charge. Union members have accused the company of threatening its temporary workers, according to a report by Kotaku.

Remnant 2 dev tells players moaning about Apocalypse difficulty OK, fine, you can have your 3 orange slices and medal for participation
https://www.pcgamer.com/remnant-2-dev-tells-players-moaning-about-apocalypse-difficulty-ok-fine-you-can-have-your-3-orange-slices-and-medal-for-participation/
Remnant 2 is one of 2023's unique experiences, a third person roguelike Soulslike shooter with a heavy focus on procgen environments that is really rather excellent. It's a game designed for multiple playthroughs, solo and co-op, all of which should turn out differently. And it's also brutally tough when it starts ramping up with the highest difficulty, Apocalypse, inspiring a bit of moaning even among the die-hards.
>> I can't cut the article enough to fit here while still making sense. You'll have to read the article at PCGamer.

Embracer has laid off 5% of its workforce since its $2 billion mystery deal crumbled to dust
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-has-laid-off-5-of-its-workforce-since-its-dollar2-billion-mystery-deal-crumbled-to-dust/
Embracer has had a bad year. What once felt like the inexorable rise of a games industry goliath began to stagger in May, when a six-year, $2 billion mystery deal the company had drawn up collapsed at the last minute. Embracer announced a "comprehensive" restructuring the following June and since then, news about the company has been a grim parade of studio closures and job losses.
Now, in the wake of Embracer's Q2 (that's July to September this year) earnings presentation earlier today, we have a rough idea of how many workers were affected by those layoffs: 900, or about 5% of the almost 17,000-strong workforce Embracer said it had back in June.