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

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Friday news, the second part:

'Fallout wasn't designed to have other players': Fallout co-creator Tim Cain was extremely wary of turning it into an MMO
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/fallout-wasnt-designed-to-have-other-players-fallout-co-creator-tim-cain-was-extremely-wary-of-turning-it-into-an-mmo/
Fallout 76 was not the first attempt to splice the retro post-apocalypse with an MMO. Years before, Fallout's original owner, Interplay, had taken a crack at it. This was actually after Bethesda had purchased the rights to the series, but the two companies came to an arrangement: one that would ultimately devolve into a lawsuit, an out-of-court settlement and the cancellation of Fallout Online.
The concept, though, goes much further back. Bethesda acquired Fallout in 2007, but Interplay founder Brian Fargo had been mulling over the idea since the late '90s. He pitched it to Black Isle Studios, but founder Feargus Urquhart, now CEO of Obsidian, rejected the idea. An MMO just didn't seem very Fallout. Tim Cain, Fallout's co-creator, felt the same way.

Arrowhead Games' heart grows three sizes as it swerves away from its controversial crossover plans for Helldivers 2's Killzone collab, offers the second half for free
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arrowhead-games-heart-grows-three-sizes-as-it-swerves-away-from-its-controversial-crossover-plans-for-helldivers-2s-killzone-collab-offers-the-second-half-for-free/
Ah, Arrowhead Games, never change—in the continual, eternal cycle of "it's so over" and "we're so back", the Helldivers 2 devs have done a 180-degree turn on their current Killzone collaboration, which was incredibly unpopular for a few important reasons. Namely, because it was a bunch of weirdly expensive kit that's only available for purchase on the FOMO-creating Superstore, which is decidedly out of character for the game thus far.
Well, after hearing the community out, the heart of Arrowhead's team has grown three sizes, just like the Grinch. After dealing with an immediate and terrifying series of cardiac arrests, they've proceeded to announce that they'll be giving away the second half of the Killzone collaboration for free.

My favourite extraction shooter, The Forever Winter, adds a playable character with a functional gun for a head, tackles its most divisive mechanic and introduces its biggest region yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/my-favourite-extraction-shooter-the-forever-winter-adds-a-playable-character-with-a-functional-gun-for-a-head-tackles-its-most-divisive-mechanic-and-introduces-its-biggest-region-yet/
The Forever Winter is one of the few extraction shooters I've clicked with—a post-apocalyptic warzone where you play as insignificant scavengers scurrying across desolate battlefields, trying to find loot while soldiers, cyborgs and building-sized machines duke it out all around you. It's tough, intense, and keeps on impressing me with its exceptional art design and oppressive atmosphere.
It's also a bit rough, as early access games often are, but today's huge December update looks set to address its biggest issues and expand it considerably, bringing with it a brand new playable character, significant changes to the controversial water system, the largest region so far, in-game VOIP and performance improvements.

My worst fears of a PlayStation-exclusive future for FromSoftware have been averted for now: Sony is forming a 'strategic alliance' with parent company Kadokawa, but hasn't bought it outright
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/my-worst-fears-of-a-playstation-exclusive-future-for-fromsoftware-have-been-averted-for-now-sony-is-forming-a-strategic-alliance-with-parent-company-kadokawa-but-hasnt-bought-it-outright/
Sony has increased its stake in FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa to 10%, becoming the largest shareholder in the business, while the two corporations have entered into a "strategic capital and business alliance" according to a joint press release. It had been rumored for several weeks that Sony was in talks to fully acquire Kadokawa and thus its subsidiary, FromSoft, as well as a vast library of manga and anime properties.

Only 15% of all Steam users' time was spent playing games released in 2024
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/only-15-percent-of-all-steam-users-time-was-spent-playing-games-released-in-2024/
The Steam end-of-year review always throws up some interesting numbers, and with 2024's stats now out, it prompts some interesting reflections on how we game, both individually and en masse. On a personal level, it turns out I've played about 50% fewer games on Steam than last year (I blame Game Pass, emulation, and my overpriced but utterly captivating Nintendo 3DS XL), while turn-based, stealth, and detective games made up a big part of my 2024 jam.
But the really interesting stuff is on the macro scale, as it shows that Steam users spent just 15% of their total playing time in games that launched in 2024. 47% of the total playing time on Steam was spent on games released in the last one to seven years, while a sizeable 37% of time was spent in games that have been out for eight years or more.

Frostpunk 2 developer 11 bit studios cancels unannounced project and lays off employees
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/frostpunk-2-developer-11-bit-studios-cancels-unannounced-project-and-lays-off-employees/
Less than a week after Frostpunk 2 won Best Sim/Strategy Game award at The Game Awards, developer 11 bit studios has ended development on a game known internally as Project 8, and laid off a number of employees.
Project 8 had been in development since 2018, according to a statement released on December 17 (via Insider Gaming), and was intended to be 11 bit's first-ever game "designed specifically for console gamers." But the project ran into trouble, particularly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the most recent progress review found "unresolved issues and challenges that would require further extensions of the production timeline and corresponding budget increases to address."

A bug's letting Warframe players summon their newly-added motorcycles in more areas than intended, but the devs say it's 'rad and cool' enough to stay—as long as the bikes aren't in outer space
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/a-bugs-letting-warframe-players-summon-their-newly-added-motorcycles-in-more-areas-than-intended-but-the-devs-say-its-rad-and-cool-enough-to-stay-as-long-as-the-bikes-arent-in-outer-space/
There's a lot to love in Warframe 1999, the latest major update for the free-to-play scifi action game about magic space ninjas, mutant biotechnical horrors, and more pregnancy than you might expect. The free expansion launched last week, sending players back in time to an alternate-history 1999 to battle alongside—and potentially romance!—a squad of misfit, proto-Warframe-wearing supersoldiers. It also added sick motorcycles, which quickly proved to be even sicker than intended.

Rocksmith 2014, the one people actually like, is back on Steam due to popular demand
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rhythm/rocksmith-2014-the-one-people-actually-like-is-back-on-steam-due-to-popular-demand/
"Long live rock, be it dead or alive," the man once said, and for a little more than a year now, Rocksmith 2014 has indeed been dead. But now it's alive again, and back on Steam in a slightly retuned format as Rocksmith 2014 Edition Remastered Learn and Play.

WoW's Warband system is getting a facelift soon, with new campsite backgrounds and the ability to sort your alts into cute little themed groups
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wows-warband-system-is-getting-a-facelift-soon-with-new-campsite-backgrounds-and-the-ability-to-sort-your-alts-into-cute-little-themed-groups/
World of Warcraft's Warbands system has been a pretty solid win for the aging MMO, adding a whole layer of alt friendliness to the game—I've particularly enjoyed being able to huck loot at my alts willy-nilly, and the stacking XP bonus you get for hitting level cap on each of your characters isn't bad, either.
Well, there's some more functionality coming to the system with Patch 11.1. As per Blizzard's own patch 11.1 PTR notes, two major upgrades will be arriving alongside Undermine(d), which'll be here early next year.

All Genshin Impact 5.3 livestream codes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/genshin-impact-codes-5-3-livestream/
The Genshin Impact 5.3 livestream codes are now available. These Primogem bonuses are a regular incentive that miHoYo uses to get people to watch each upcoming version's livestream preview. In the stream, it shows off new events, quests, and most importantly, characters that are dropping in the next Genshin update.