The news, the sequel:
Call of Duty: Warzone patch fixes Verdansk map glitch and end-game screaming matches
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-warzone-patch-fixes-verdansk-map-glitch-and-end-game-screaming-matches/
A small update has just been put out for Call of Duty: Warzone, but it fixes some very big problems.
The ear-splitting cacophony of screeching and bigotry that was happening at the end of Plunder matches has been fixed, with open voice chat being disabled. According to the patch notes, "this was intended to take effect with the release of Season Three last week," but it looks like somebody forgot to push a button at the time.
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey enters its final alpha phase looking worse for wear
https://www.pcgamer.com/elite-dangerous-odyssey-enters-its-final-alpha-phase-looking-worse-for-wear/
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey has entered the final stage of its alpha period, letting pilots finally make landfall with a snapshot of their pilots from the live game ahead of the expansion's launch on May 19th.
44 percent of game developers say Covid-19 pandemic has caused game delays
https://www.pcgamer.com/44-percent-of-game-developers-say-covid-19-pandemic-has-caused-game-delays/
In the 2020 edition of the Game Developers Conference annual survey, 33 percent of developers said that they'd experienced a game delay due to the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to working from home. The hits kept coming throughout the year, affecting big games like Halo Infinite and Far Cry 6. Even the rigorously on-time Final Fantasy 14 had to push back an update. So it's not too surprising that this year's GDC survey of more than 3,000 game developers shows that nearly half have now experienced a pandemic delay.
Nearly half of game devs work more than 40 hours per week, survey finds
https://www.pcgamer.com/nearly-half-of-game-devs-work-more-than-40-hours-per-week-survey-finds/
Crunch—the practice of developers working sustained overtime hours in order to meet a deadline—is a major issue in the game industry. The famous "EA Spouse" missive about the disruptive influence of crunch at Electronic Arts dates all the way back to 2004, and little has changed since then except that it's harder to hide now—so big studios don't even bother trying anymore.
The apparent lack of change on that front seems to be borne out by the latest GDC State of the Industry survey of more than 3000 game developers from around the world. Slightly more than half of the respondents—56 percent—worked an average of 40 hours per week or less over the past twelve months, which strictly in terms of time doesn't seem especially onerous. Less encouraging, however, is the fact that one-quarter of developers say they averaged more than 46 hours per week.
The PC is the favored platform among game devs in the US and Europe
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-pc-is-the-favored-platform-among-game-devs-in-the-us-and-europe/
The PC is still the most popular gaming platform, at least among North American and European game developers.
Each year, the Game Developers Conference conducts a poll of several thousand developers for a "State of the Game Industry" report. That report, which the GDC has conducted for the past 8 years, helps reveal current trends and shifts in interest among game developers around the world. The poll data for 2021, sourced from more than 3,000 game developers, shows some good news for the state of PC gaming, both now and in the future.
>> I'd say that PC is also the favorite platform in Asia, except Japan, of course.
Most game devs don't think Steam earns its 30% revenue cut
https://www.pcgamer.com/most-game-devs-dont-think-steam-earns-its-30-revenue-cut/
Steam is the dominant PC game distributor by far, but the majority of game developers don't think Valve is earning its 30% revenue cut. In a survey of over 3,000 game industry professionals (mostly from North America and Europe), only 3% said that it's fair for stores such as Steam and GOG to take 30% of their revenue. Another 3% said that more than 30% is justified (strange answer!), but most think the cut should be lowered. 43% said that a 10% or 15% cut is justified.
>> I know I'm nitpicking but, shouldn't that question be for publishers, not developers?
Hearthstone's next patch will add 'Battle Ready' decks to buy and the Quilboar tribe to Battlegrounds
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-next-patch-will-add-battle-ready-decks-to-buy-and-the-quilboar-tribe-to-battlegrounds/
In February, Blizzard revealed that Quilboars were headed to Hearthstone Battlegrounds as the next minion type. Today it announced that they'll arrive in the next major update, which is due to drop next week. That patch will include a trio of new heroes, 17 new minions, and a new spell type called Blood Gems that give +1/+1 to friendly minions. From the look of things, some Quilboars will also have special interactions with Blood Gems.
After an ineffective nerf, Roze is still hard to see in Call of Duty: Warzone
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-an-ineffective-nerf-roze-is-still-hard-to-see-in-call-of-duty-warzone/
Players rejoiced two weeks ago when developer Raven Software announced that Call of Duty: Warzone's despised Roze skin would finally be addressed in the next patch. For months, the popularity of Roze's Rook skin has been a major source of frustration as Roze players have exploited the outfit's all-black appearance to disappear against dark backdrops and shadowy corners in Verdansk. With the skin on, it's very easy to blend into the interior of buildings, and unfortunately, that hasn't really changed since Season 3 began.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is a while off, but here’s a furry fighting game in the meantime
https://www.pcgamer.com/five-nights-at-freddys-security-breach-is-a-while-off-but-heres-a-furry-fighting-game-in-the-meantime/
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is by all appearances the most ambitious instalment in the animatronic horror series. Set inside a creepy shopping centre, it offers real first-person navigation and has been in development for at least three years at Steel Wool Studios: a long time by FNaF standards. Initially scheduled for a late 2020 release, Security Breach is now expected to come late this year, writes series creator Scott Cawthon on Reddit.
New Europa Universalis 4 DLC has the lowest user rating of anything on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-europa-universalis-4-dlc-has-the-lowest-user-rating-of-anything-on-steam/
Earlier this week, Paradox released the Leviathan expansion for Europa Universalis 4, which is aimed at making it easier to 'play tall', gaining power by centralizing rather than expanding. It adds more diplomatic options, specialized colonial nations, and so on. At the time of writing, it has a rating of Overwhelmingly Negative on Steam, with only 10 percent positive user reviews.
Overwatch's new Mei skin draws criticism for cultural appropriation
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatchs-new-mei-skin-draws-criticism-for-cultural-appropriation/
Overwatch has unveiled a new legendary skin for Mei, and that hairstyle ain't it.
The MMA-inspired skin MM-Mei appeared on the Overwatch League store yesterday, sporting a fighter's robe, gloves, and championship belt. But it also gives Mei—a Chinese hero—cornrows, a traditionally Black hairstyle.
>> Seriously, the line that divides the legitimate criticisms with stupidity grows thinner by the day.
World of Tanks players aren't happy about the game's Steam debut
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-tanks-players-arent-happy-about-the-games-steam-debut/
Hear that rumbling? That's the sound of an armoured column making its way to a new battlefield, as F2P tank-battler World of Tanks arrives on Steam.
After over a decade running via its own launcher, World of Tanks made its march on Steam earlier today. The new version is exactly the same as WoT's existing client, offering full crossplay between Steam and current PC players, but progress and accounts aren't carried between the two—if you wanna play on Steam, you'll have to start from scratch.
It looks like Outer Wilds is getting some DLC in the near future
https://www.pcgamer.com/it-looks-like-outer-wilds-is-getting-some-dlc-in-the-near-future/
It looks like the time-looping adventure Outer Wilds is getting DLC, if a SteamDB entry and lots of cheeky eye emojis are anything to go by.
The entry on SteamDB was spotted by Simon Carless over on Twitter, being added on April 28 before being given the name Echoes of the Eye an hour later. It's also listed as having Outer Wilds as the parent, pointing towards DLC rather than a sequel.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's pay has been halved
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-ceo-bobby-koticks-pay-has-been-halved/
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will remain at the publisher for at least the next two years—but that role is about to come with some serious paycuts.
According to Kotick's latest employment extension agreement with the SEC (spotted by Wowhead), the Activision boss has agreed to reduce his base salary by 50 percent, with his generous bonuses similarly halved. The agreement claims that these changes were made to bring Kotick's pay in line with company targets, stating that the new structure better "reflects shareholder feedback, incorporates market best practices, and continues to directly connect pay to performance".
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