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

[JEMC]

Thursday news, part two:

Sony apologizes for Sony interview with Sony developer Neil Druckmann
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/sony-apologizes-for-sony-interview-with-sony-developer-neil-druckmann/
Sony has apologized to Naughty Dog studio boss Neil Druckmann for "misrepresenting his words" in a recent promotional interview, which it acknowledged contained "several significant errors and inaccuracies." The interview has now been taken down.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha crave games with 'more meaning' and 'personalisation across everything' according to PlayStation exec—who implies that (you guessed it) AI is the answer
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/gen-z-and-gen-alpha-crave-games-with-more-meaning-and-personalisation-across-everything-according-to-playstation-execwho-implies-that-you-guessed-it-ai-is-the-answer/
Sony's been on a bit of a bender with AI stuff recently, huh—as I'm sure a recently-misrepresented Neil Druckmann will tell you. AI—or I should specify, generative AI—may prove valuable in game development, but as with a lot of new technologies the actual use cases devs are finding clash severely with the executive pipe dream of paying fewer voice actors and writers in the name of "reactivity". 
Flying under the radar of the Druckmann controversy (though nonetheless spotted by IGN) is another ream of buzzwords courtesy of head of PlayStation productions and product Asad Qizilbash, who has a brave new angle on the tech via an interview on Sony's website: You see, AI's got what the kids crave for more reasons like—uh, personalisation, and reactivity, and meaning, and stuff.
>> Sounds a bit like BS to justify their push for AI.

Activision wins $14.5 million in lawsuit against Call of Duty cheat maker
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/activision-wins-dollar145-million-in-lawsuit-against-call-of-duty-cheat-maker/
Activision has won a judgment worth more than $14.5 million against cheat maker EngineOwning, which has also been ordered to stop making cheat software and to turn over its website to Activision's control.

The Sims 4 is about to launch a battle pass-like 'events' system to reward players with new items for logging in regularly
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4-is-about-to-launch-a-battle-pass-like-events-system-to-reward-players-with-new-items-for-logging-in-regularly/
Our Sims 4 main menu experience is crowded enough already, but it's about to get more packed. This week players have managed to dig up proof of an upcoming "events" system that will dole out free rewards for logging in regularly. EA hasn't released any public information about the events feature yet, but there is, for now, an unlisted video on The Sims YouTube channel explaining it in full.

Kerbal Space Program developers confirm layoffs are coming at the end of June
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/kerbal-space-program-developers-confirm-layoffs-are-coming-at-the-end-of-june/
A month after a Bloomberg report claimed that Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games would be closed at the end of June, multiple employees have confirmed that numerous workers, and possibly the whole team, are being laid off.

Diablo 4's strongest weapon isn't a weapon at all: It's a deadly potion capable of dealing billions of damage
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4s-strongest-weapon-isnt-a-weapon-at-all-its-a-deadly-potion-capable-of-dealing-billions-of-damage/
Technically, Diablo 4's latest season doesn't have a unique power like season 2's vampiric abilities or season 3's robot spider pet. Instead, there are a couple seasonal elixirs that speed up the leveling process so that you can get your hands on the new crafting systems. But players who are pushing into the highest levels of The Pit, a new extremely challenging dungeon type, have discovered that one of those seasonal elixirs might be the strongest seasonal "power" the game has ever had.

If you love how Balatro mutates the game of poker, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers is doing something similar to blackjack, and there's a demo you can try now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/if-you-love-how-balatro-mutates-the-game-of-poker-dungeons-and-degenerate-gamblers-is-doing-something-similar-to-blackjack-and-theres-a-demo-you-can-try-now/
In poker roguelike Balatro, poker isn't poker for very long. After a few rounds your standard deck will be anything but, filled with glass cards and gold cards and a dozen or so aces of spades, while your bizarre collection of jokers enchant every hand you play into earning millions or even billions of points. By the time you're facing off against the big boss, what started off as poker has turned into something else entirely.
Now you can mutate and mangle the game of blackjack, too. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers is a blackjack roguelike adventure where you sit down in a stinky tavern and try to play your way through the townsfolk, some of them drunker than others. As you and your opponent try to get as close as you can to 21 without busting, you chip away at each others' health and earn new magical cards to add to your deck.

Sony's Senior Vice President says the company's live service games will release 'simultaneously' with PC, but single-player launches are designed to 'bring new players' onto PS5
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/sonys-senior-vice-president-says-the-companys-live-service-games-will-release-simultaneously-with-pc-but-single-player-launches-are-designed-to-bring-new-players-onto-ps5/
Sony's policy toward PC has shifted noticeably over the last few years. The publisher has gradually been bringing more of its exclusive titles to PC, and more recently, launching games like Helldivers 2 concurrency on PC and PS5. Now, the company's soon-to-be co-CEO Hermen Hulst has outlined the whys and wherefores of its current strategy, and how we can expect them to approach releases in the future.

Players are up in arms after the WoW Mists of Pandaria: Remix team refuses to budge on the whopping 577,950 bronze cost to upgrade all your gear
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/players-are-up-in-arms-after-the-wow-mists-of-pandaria-remix-team-refuses-to-budge-on-the-whopping-577950-bronze-cost-to-upgrade-all-your-gear/
Mists of Pandaria: Remix is great fun but, as I pointed out last week, it's also a prison of optimisation that's making some people genuinely very upset. The culprits? A couple of changes were made to the Cloak of Infinite potential pre-launch, Gulp Frogs caused huge balance problems between players and, right now, bronze is the source of all heartaches. The Sha are eating good.
In a recent post by community manager Kaivax to the Blizzard forums, the MoP: Remix team announced that it's got no plans to change upgrade costs for the event's end-game, which has led to a lot of booing.

Arrowhead's new CEO says the studio 'knew it would be impossible' to keep up with Helldivers 2's demand for new content, is now focussed on adjusting 'so that in the long term we can make more and better stuff'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arrowheads-new-ceo-says-the-studio-knew-it-would-be-impossible-to-keep-up-with-helldivers-2s-demand-for-new-content-is-now-focussed-on-adjusting-so-that-in-the-long-term-we-can-make-more-and-better-stuff/
Following months spent reacting to Helldivers 2's unexpectedly huge success, developer Arrowhead Game Studios recently appointed a new CEO, Shams Jorjani, to replace Johan Pilestedt as part of broader structural changes to the company. Now, Jorjani has taken to reddit to introduce himself to the Helldivers 2 community, and outline the direction for the company going forward.
>> And it looks like Valve has banned 20,000 players from Russia and Belarus.

One of Larian Studios' next games has a codename—Excalibur, though 'if we're brutally honest, we're trying to figure out what the hell it is', says Swen Vincke
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/one-of-larian-studios-next-games-has-a-codenameexcalibur-though-if-were-brutally-honest-were-trying-to-figure-out-what-the-hell-it-is-says-swen-vincke/
Larian Studios is moving onto not one, but two new RPGs after its uproarious success with Baldur's Gate 3—and one of said RPGs has a codename to get all excited about: Excalibur.
In this year's Digital Dragons conference, Larian co-founder and CEO Swen Vincke revealed the project's working title. I wish I could tell you more about it, dear reader, but as it turns out that's still something Swen Vincke and his team are still working on.

'We're on solid moral ground': If you don't like Still Wakes The Deep's use of yellow paint, then take it up with OSHA and the HSE
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/were-on-solid-moral-ground-if-you-dont-like-still-wakes-the-deeps-use-of-yellow-paint-then-take-it-up-with-osha-and-the-hse/
I've always found yellow paint useful, whether that be for knowing where I can park my car or helping me figure out the best way to traverse an environment in a video game, but as some players have a problem with this bright signpost the developers from Still Wakes the Deep wanted to set the record straight.