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

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The news, the second part:

'Every stone will not be turned for years' says Baldur's Gate 3's principal narrative designer, on its many hidden outcomes
https://www.pcgamer.com/every-stone-will-not-be-turned-for-years-says-baldurs-gate-3s-principal-narrative-designer-on-its-many-hidden-outcomes/
While Baldur's Gate 3 is appreciably big in size—its three acts spanning a lot of square miles —its sheer largeness comes more from the amount of pieces on the board. A tool recently discovered that the thing has around 1,800 characters and over 110,000 lines of text.
So when the game's principal narrative designer Lawrence Schick tells Inverse in an interview that "every stone will not be turned for years", I believe him. That's despite the fact we have a pretty stellar list of hidden dialogues already—every time something new pops up on the internet, I'm just staggered that it just keeps happening.

Disastrous survival shooter The Day Before to be extracted from existence, shutting down its servers just one month after launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/disastrous-survival-shooter-the-day-before-to-be-extracted-from-existence-shutting-down-its-servers-just-one-month-after-launch/
It's startling to think The Day Before was once the most wishlisted game on Steam, given how fast and spectacular its fall from grace has been. Earlier this month, the game launched to scathing reviews from critics and players alike, panning it as a shallow, empty extraction shooter that was nothing like what its developer Fntastic originally promised. Just four days later, Fntastic announced it was shutting its doors, with the developer claiming that it "lack[ed] the funds to continue". A few hours after that, the game was pulled from sale on Steam, though the actual servers remained online.
For those players who could still access it, the fate of the game itself has remained uncertain. Until now. Earlier today, The Day Before's official Twitter account posted a statement confirming the game will be shut down next month. "We regret to inform you that the development company Fntastic has officially ceased operations, and as a result The Day Before will be retired and the servers will be turned off on 22 January 2024."
>> While this explains the reason for the offline mod, the main question remains: why would people want to keep playing this awful game?

Witcher actor Doug Cockle says the use of AI voices in games is 'inevitable' but potentially dangerous: 'AI is not the problem. It's the people using AI'
https://www.pcgamer.com/witcher-actor-doug-cockle-says-the-use-of-ai-voices-in-games-is-inevitable-but-potentially-dangerous-ai-is-not-the-problem-its-the-people-using-ai/
In a new interview with IGN, voice actor Doug Cockle, famed as the voice behind The Witcher trilogy hero Geralt of Rivia, says it's "inevitable" that AI will be increasingly used in the process of game development, and that's not necessarily a bad thing—but it is potentially "dangerous" if voice actors don't take steps to control how their voice is used.

TinyBuild closes indie publisher Versus Evil, all staff laid off
https://www.pcgamer.com/tinybuild-closes-indie-publisher-versus-evil-all-staff-laid-off/
2023 is very near its end, but the bad news for the videogame industry keeps on coming. Just three days before Christmas, TinyBuild has laid off all staff at indie publisher Versus Evil and shut it down.
>> That's disappointing.

One of our favorite early access shooters is approaching the finish line with the release of its creepiest chapter yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-of-our-favorite-early-access-shooters-is-approaching-the-finish-line-with-the-release-of-its-creepiest-chapter-yet/
New Blood shooter Ultrakill has released an exciting holiday update. The high-flying Doom Eternal come character action riff launched the first part of its third and final act: Layer 7, Violence.

Shares in Chinese gaming giants tumble as the CCP imposes strict new regulations and spending limits, alongside a ban on login bonuses and 'luck-based draw features' for minors
https://www.pcgamer.com/shares-in-chinese-gaming-giants-tumble-as-the-ccp-imposes-strict-new-regulations-and-spending-limits-alongside-a-ban-on-login-bonuses-and-luck-based-draw-features/
Regulators of the Chinese Communist Party have come down hard on several key pieces in the live service model, leading to spiralling shares for major players in the market as investors scramble to assess the damage.
According to a Reuters report, "nearly $80 billion in market value" has sloughed off Tencent Games and NetEase Games: "Shares in Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), the world's biggest gaming company, tumbled as much as 16% at one point, while those of its closest rival, NetEase (9999.HK), plunged as much as 25% after the National Press and Publication Administrations published the new draft rules."