Game News 2.0

RedXIV

This is a shame, I was over in Liverpool at the weekend and within an hour of the hotel there were 2 decent arcades with variety of machines, Token was arguably the best example of that in the capital. Since I moved out of Dublin, there's basically no chance to get an arcade fix in.

Will have to look at getting my own cab again :D

Retr0gamer

Mad that even token can't stay open in Dublin.

I never got to visit but have heard their cabs and pinball tables were in really bad nick and never really maintained well which put me off.

johnny_ultimate

IGN has bought Gamer Network.

Infuriatingly, they’ve also immediately started laying people off. The excellent Alice Bell at RPS and Brendan Sinclair at GI.biz have lost their jobs, though I’m sure more will follow. Why buy a website only to immediately make it worse?

**** consolidation, man.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ign-entertainment-acquires-eurogamer-gi-vg247-rock-paper-shotgun-and-more

Retr0gamer

This one hurts a lot because the gamer network was one of the few places with actual videogame journalism. I'm sure the gamergate knobheads and fanboys are happy.

Mr Crispy

FFS. I like Sinclair's weekly column and Alice Bell is always a good read. Sounds like more lay-offs are on the way too. Hopefully we see them again soon, with a bit of luck at more independent ventures in the same vein as Aftermath or Second Wind.

johnny_ultimate

Independent is increasingly the way to go, but I fear that’s not a viable strategy for all. I know there’s plenty of independent publications I’d love to support, but realistically can only commit to two or three a month due to cost. I just wish the legacy outlets - at least the ones that have remained committed to good journalism and criticism - were able to survive the way they always have done in the past, without this dire consolidation situation continuing.

No defending IGN immediately starting to gut the staff - and therefore identity - of these sites. That it could’ve been even worse - heaven forbid a private equity firm - is what’s grimmest about it.

johnny_ultimate

https://aftermath.site/ign-gamer-network-eurogamer-gamesindustrybiz-layoffs

Alice Bell - based in Ireland - suggesting many of the layoffs hit staff based outside UK.

Also RPS left without a senior editor due to her abrupt departure.

Also, her comment hits the bullseye - especially when Google is continually **** up how SEO works and prioritising junk content.

Bell: “I am most worried about people's livelihoods, but I am also very worried that they won't be allowed to be weird and write thoughtful, critical things. I worry that, now that the machine has increased in size, it will necessarily crush my most talented peers from the Network into writing boring, SEO-focused things designed to appeal to the averaged-out reader. But people aren't average, so when you try to appeal to the average you end up appealing to nobody."

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166810#Comment_122166810

Agreed re: only being able to support a couple of outlets. If my friends were into gaming as much as me I'd suggest pooling our resources and sharing our support amongst worthy outlets, but they're all filthy casuals. 🤷‍♂️

johnny_ultimate

The full scale of the layoffs across GN isn't fully apparent yet (though clearly immensely short-sighted by what we've seen), but one slight glimmer of good news is that Eurogamer staff survived the cuts (at least for now).

https://www.eurogamer.net/eurogamer-has-a-new-parent-company

Retr0gamer

Wouldnt be too sure. Bob Mackey is on twitter reminding people that this is the same company that gutted and closed down 1up.

marcbrophy

So it's IGN themselves that made the acquisition then?
And not their parent company Ziff Davis? 🤔

johnny_ultimate

LOL remaining RPS staffers going full scorched Earth shitposting today in protest over the acquisition and in tribute to their fired colleague(s) 🤘

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-alices-in-pc-games

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/screw-it-im-building-a-house-of-graphics-cards

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/you-can-get-my-old-battered-gamer-chair-for-oh-i-dunno-50-quid-1

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/heres-every-spear-i-spotted-in-the-new-elden-ring-dlc-trailer-rated-for-their-predicted-plot-relevance

Retr0gamer

New Swery metroidvania just announced:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2286600/HOTEL_BARCELONA/

CatInABox

https://www.ft.com/content/3bae6c74-dee6-4cc5-9b8b-fcd22d7b8382

A brief FT run down on the games industry, again behind a paywall, but it's got an incredibly grim view. They think that the industry is going through a correction, and is closer to being finished, but there thing that jumped out at me is that they believe that the industry will shed 10% of the workforce this year.

Jesus.

PixelPlayer

New Doom imminent. Probably controversially multiplatform.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/the-next-doom-is-called-doom-the-dark-ages-with-medieval-themes-and-its-coming-to-both-xbox-and-playstation

RedXIV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122186747#Comment_122186747

A correction seems like the wrong term here. With the way projects work in the games industry and what we've seen, i.e. ramp up for AAA game, game finishes development, cull occurs, makes me wonder if they can't learn something from hollywood industry with their unions. You definitely don't hear about these massive culls in that industry anymore, but the other thing hollywood has going for it, is that it's not quite the monopolised landscape we currently seem to have in games where long established studios are being hoovered up and then dismantled in acquisitions.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122187562#Comment_122187562

I'm sure people in the games industry would love to be in unions but the big publishers will do everything in their power to make sure a union isn't formed.

Retr0gamer

Seems Dragon Quest day is on the horizon and there'll be a lot of dragon quest news incoming. Hopefully they will give a release date for the DQ3 HD-2D remaster, been ages since we heard anything. Also could be some DQ12 news but it might be a long way out. I've a feeling that game is going to get refocused on to PC and switch 2 since the PS5 is performing so poorly in Japan.

Kind of hoping the DS and 3DS ports of other older DQ games get released on console and PC.

Retr0gamer

https://twitter.com/RPGSite/status/1795002673290195127?t=kTAIWvfLZNoPshmR7xo1WQ&s=19

First bit of news, no release date. No PS4 version seems baffling, especially with a switch release and PS5 floundering in Japan. Could be a typo?

RedXIV

Never really got into dragon quest, which surprises me because on paper it ticks a lot of my boxes, but just never got around to giving it a decent go. And that said, I think I own DQ 8, 9 and 11 on various platforms.

Any of these a nice 20/30 hour foray into the game franchise to let me know if it's worth digging into?

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122188884#Comment_122188884

None of them are 20/30 hours. They're pretty long behemoths of games that will take 60+ hours to get to the first ending. However the games also have a real substantial post game ending which is where the game goes from great to amazing and honestly you shouldn't miss out on the post games and takes them to 80-120 hour territory.

They can be slow to get into but once they sink their teeth into you they are some of the best jrpg gaming you can get.

I'd say just jump straight into DQ11. It's incredible looking, has a brilliant battle system and despite being a massive game has a great story, particularly if you go for the true ending.

Might be worth holding on for the DQ3 HD-2D remake if you want a shorter game. It's one of the all time best jrpgs and a good intro to the series and it's the point when the series really got good.

Retr0gamer

Pinch of salt here:

https://twitter.com/HazzadorGamin/status/1795079696629031022?t=yeyLo6EiKeyC9Qo5m9b4iQ&s=19

So no Resi 1 remake but a zero and CV remake. The Resi 1 GameCube ramke is already perfect so I'd much rather see zero and CV as both badly need remakes.

Retr0gamer

Source of the resident evil rumours, apparently quite reliable with Capcom leaks:

https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1/status/1795075103169954210?t=grNhNxd5H499Stt10sbwXg&s=19

OptimusTractor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122190205#Comment_122190205

But will Steve get "lucky" this time.

Zero-Cool

Ya, dusk golem is the only resi leaker I'd trust so this sounds legit. I never played 0 or code Veronica so would gladly play remakes of those.

Mr Crispy

Dusk Golem has been spot on with Resi stuff in the past, but their recent track record is only 50/50 according to the GLAR sub on reddit. Having said that, remakes of Zero and CV make far more sense I think.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122190757#Comment_122190757

The only thing that doesn't sound believable is that they are both in production. However if as they say the DLC team is working on zero then it could be released as the DLC campaign or a Resi 3 release after CV. Zero is a pretty slight game compared to the rest of the series, more in line with the shorter Resi 3.

recyclops

Zero with its dropping mechanic got annoying although I rathered it to CV. As retro said the gamecube remake is top notch so no need to touch it

J. Marston

Why aren't they remaking RE1? Seems odd to not even remake it first, never mind actually ignoring it.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122191576#Comment_122191576

As said it's already got an incredible remake with the RE1 gamecube remake which had a fantastic HD remaster and is currently available on all platforms already. CV and zero are the last two of the mainline games that haven't been updated.

Although I'd love to see something done with Gaiden and Dead Aim (dead aim is a canon Resi entry).