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

[JEMC]

And here’s the third part of the gaming news:

The game where you build a symbiotic village on the back of a giant monster is finally done
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/the-game-where-you-build-a-symbiotic-village-on-the-back-of-a-giant-monster-is-finally-done/
Delightful city building game The Wandering Village has hit its 1.0 release and celebrated with a delightful animated trailer about life in a toxic world where you're safest at home in your village—which happens to be built on a mesa atop the back of a gigantic six-legged monster named Onbu.

Ubisoft's annual financial report includes claim that monetizing games with microtransactions 'makes the player experience more fun'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisofts-annual-financial-report-includes-claim-that-monetizing-games-with-microtransactions-makes-the-player-experience-more-fun/
Ubisoft's annual financial report isn't exactly "for us"—that is, people who like videogames and not stocks—but surely someone at the company had to know saying microtransactions make games "more fun" in a publicly-available document wouldn't play well.
>> Yeah, as fun as being kicked on the balls.

The dairy industry would like Gen Z to drink more milk, so they made a Fortnite diner tycoon game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-dairy-industry-would-like-gen-z-to-drink-more-milk-so-they-made-a-fortnite-diner-tycoon-game/
Dairy MAX, an organization that represents some 700 dairy farmers, would like kids to drink more milk, and so they've sponsored a Fortnite Creative level.
Diner Tycoon, a custom game mode inside Fortnite, was made as part of Dairy MAX's Level Unlocked digital initiative, a plan "designed by Dairy MAX to connect youth with the power of dairy in a way that fits their modern lifestyle." Thus, Diner Tycoon, where you can "collect ingredients and cook recipes, create delicious dairy-fueled meals, hire workers," and "expand your diner" in a lowkey business simulation.

Armies in Total War: Warhammer 3's siege beta won't carry ladders in their pockets any more
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/armies-in-total-war-warhammer-3s-siege-beta-wont-carry-ladders-in-their-pockets-any-more/
When my units of ashigaru in Total War: Shogun 2 used to procure grappling hooks out of nowhere to climb enemy walls I didn't question it, but as the games have gone on the use of "pocket ladders" (or "ass ladders" if you prefer) has become a point of contention among players. The ease with which any unit can produce them has led many players to treat walls as a waste of time and instead defend the narrow interior chokepoints of settlements, abandoning the outer defenses entirely.
Which is why Creative Assembly's plan for the upcoming siege update includes the removal of pocket ladders. Or at least, turning them into a menu option you can toggle on or off. As Milcho Vasilev, battle team lead at Creative Assembly Sofia Sofia writes, "Even though it is not perfect and there are many more aspects that can be improved we believe that the ability to pull a huge ladder out of your…nothing, can be quite immersion breaking for the players and takes away from the more strategic planning of the battle."

The prison breakout RPG where you can be a fox or a panther has left early access
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-prison-breakout-rpg-where-you-can-be-a-fox-or-a-panther-has-left-early-access/
After more than a year spent bribing guards, climbing walls, shivving rivals, and digging a tunnel with a sharpened spoon, Back to the Dawn hit version 1.0 this month. If you're not familiar, it's a time-management RPG where you have 21 days to escape a high-security prison and can spend your time inside getting to know other inmates, building your stats, and finally finding one of multiple escape routes to break free.

Grow a Garden has rolled out another update, but this time we are abandoning dinosaurs for something a little more laid-back
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/grow-a-garden-has-rolled-out-another-update-but-this-time-we-are-abandoning-dinosaurs-for-something-a-little-more-laid-back/
Even though it's only been a handful of weeks since Grow a Garden unleashed its prehistoric update, it's time to clear your plots and prepare for the newest release—the Zen Update. As its title (sort of) explains, this new look aims to target all things Zen garden, which lend itself to the routine of Grow a Garden pretty perfectly if you ask me. As long as no one is coming in and stealing my crops.

'Dangerous on a whole new level'—while Steam's policy change is new, the shadow of credit card porn-hibition has been looming for a while, with Nier: Automata's Yoko Taro sounding the alarm last year
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/dangerous-on-a-whole-new-level-while-steams-policy-change-is-new-the-shadow-of-credit-card-porn-hibition-has-been-looming-for-a-while-with-nier-automatas-yoko-taro-sounding-the-alarm-last-year/
Last week was a weird one for videogames—with Steam clamping down on games featuring adult content due to the pressure of credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard which, apparently, was itself a decision made due to an Australian anti-porn group.
But this isn't a new phenomenon. Back in 2021, Mastercard began a policy forcing adult websites to go through stringent requirements that were, logistically, impossible to keep up with. In Japan, Visa's also been coming down on doujinshi and manga archives to, quote, "protect the brand", as stated in a briefing last year.
Further proving this, Yoko Taro, creator of Nier: Automata, took to X last year to decry the practice (thanks, Automaton, for the spot and translation)

One Dune: Awakening player 'will not bend the knee' to hackers laying waste to ornithopters—'I am personally on their hit list now'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/one-dune-awakening-player-will-not-bend-the-knee-to-hackers-laying-waste-to-ornithopters-i-am-personally-on-their-hit-list-now/
I've always said that the worst part of any multiplayer game is the people you play with. Yes, there are some absolute gem moments of camaraderie and teamwork, but most of the time, you have to deal with the worst sides of people, as some players in Dune: Awakening have sadly found out for themselves.
>> Funcom is also blamed for not doing anything against this.