Testing. Testing. One-two. Is this thing on—or is everyone still playing Silksong? Okay, I’m just going to imagine a few forlorn souls have tuned in and plow on because…
That’s right! I have returned from Gamescom and a fleeting vacation to once again captain the HMS Patch Notes (and do a bunch of other work, I promise).
Unlike most of the population, I never actually got around to playing the original Hollow Knight but made the effort and downloaded Silksong last night. Alas, that’s where the story ends because I recently another journalist I’d take finally take RimWorld for a spin. I think that one has been out for around seven years (are you sensing a pattern here?) and it is absolutely unhinged.
I stayed awake until an ungodly hour tending to my shonky sci-fi homestead. The story so far? We have electricity, two firearms, one knife, a talent for dismembering raiders, and home cooking for days.
You might think my settlement is thriving, but tragedy has a habit or ruining the best laid plans. I’m devastated to report that our beloved pet guinea pig was brutally attacked by a bloodthirsty squirrel. Our retaliation was as swift as it was deadly, but Nibbles remains in intensive care. Get well soon, king.
Alright, I’m going wildly off-piste. I know you’re all desperate to get back to Team Cherry’s latest and presumably greatest, so allow me to hasten your return to the promised land by offering provisions in the form of must-read headlines. Fill your boots with news and then make haste. You’ve got a video game to play.
Related:2K confirms layoffs at Civilization developer Firaxis
via The Gamer // It took over one billion years but Hollow Knight: Silksong finally hit shelves this week and in doing so immediately pulled a Kim Kardashian. Yep, Team Cherry’s wildly-anticipated sequel broke the internet upon arrival by momentarily turning Steam into an inaccessible void. There were also reports of similar outages on the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store. The downtime was as fleeting as it was widespread, but perfectly encapsulates how Hollow Knight has outstripped its humble indie origins to become a true colossus.
via Hollywood Reporter // GUNS. EXPLOSIONS. SOAP. All of those things will likely be thrust onto the big screen when Paramount and Activision Blizzard’s newly-announced Call of Duty movie eventually lands in theaters. Video game movies are generating massive returns at the moment, so it’s hardly surprising to see Microsoft look to turn one of its most lucrative franchises into a live-action sensation. Will it actually accomplish that goal? Who knows. Paramount boss David Ellison said the company hopes to take a few cues from other storming blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick. It’s a good start, but the proof will be in the pudding.
Related:Dragon Front Adventures shows ‘support studios’ can win big with original projects
via Game Developer // A chorus of game developers have rallied together to launch a new charity bundle in a bid to raise $200,000 for Palestinians in need. Community-driven initiative SE Asian Games for Good spent 10 months curating the charity bundle, which includes 382 titles from almost 250 creators. It has raised over $32,000 at the time of writing, but there’s always room for more. All proceeds are being donated to UN-backed non-profit UNRWA USA. Take a look over on itch.io.
via Bloomberg (paywalled) // The ripple effects of Microsoft’s latest round of mass layoffs continue to cascade across the industry. This week, Bloomberg reported that Crystal Dynamics—which had been co-developing the now-canceled Perfect Dark reboot alongside Xbox first-party studio The Initiative—was forced to make layoffs after the project was canned by Microsoft. Word on the street is that developers at both Crystal Dynamics and The Initiative were given a chance to salvage the title by seeking a new funding partner. Yet, despite talks initially progressing with a range of suitors including Grand Theft Auto owner Take-Two Interactive, disagreements regarding who would take ownership of the franchise seemingly created an impasse. The end result? More people out of work.
Related:Wildgate and Sunderfolk developer-publisher Dreamhaven is making layoffs
via Game Developer // Video game journalists, much like developers, have been subject to a debilitating deluge of layoffs of late. Since the turn of the year, those under the umbrella of media conglomerates like Valnet and Ziff Davis have been kicked to the curb in the wake of major acquisitions. The solution for many has been to shun corporate ownership entirely and kickstart independent publications. Enter Rogue, a new worker-owned outlet established by seven former Polygon staffers. The website was formed in partnership with Rascal and will dish out news, guides, interviews, and more. Some articles (including most news and guides) will be free, while other content will be locked behind a subscription. The upshot of that reader-supported model, according to the founding team, is that advertisements and sponsored articles will be consigned to history. How does that sound?
via Game Developer // More layoffs, this time at Wildgate and Sunderfolk developer-publisher Dreamhaven. The company, which was established by former Blizzard president Mike Morhaime in 2020, has brought two internally-developed titles to market this year but has now chosen to downsize. Morhaime didn’t explain why the company is making layoffs but indicated the company is “facing similar challenges” to others across the industry. He also confirmed Dreamhaven’s publishing division will bear the brunt of the cuts.
via IGN // Hitman and 007 First Light maker IO Interactive (IOI) appears to be rethinking its publishing ambitions after the disastrous launch of MindsEye. In case you missed the hubbub, IOI Partners—the publishing division of IOI—was responsible for bringing Build A Rocket Boy’s critically panned open-world shooter, MindsEye, to market. To say the project received a mixed reception would be an understatement. MindsEye was littered with bugs and glitches at launch, resulting in players seeking refunds en masse, an onslaught of negative Steam reviews, and eventually layoffs at developer Build A Rocket Boy. During a recent interview with IGN, IOI CEO Hakan Abrak said the ordeal was so “tough” that the company is wondering whether third-party publishing is worth the effort. “IO Interactive will publish our own games internally,” said Abrak “IOI Partners? That remains to be seen.” If only it had been a hit, man.
via Gamesindustry.biz // Jagex CEO John Bellamy has claimed the company curbed support for Pride content this year to “protect the imminent future of the game.” The decision was reportedly criticized internally when it was communicated earlier this year. It also drew widespread condemnation from players. Yet, despite the backlash, Bellamy feels it’s his job to ensure Jagex titles operate “as apolitically as possible” for the good of players. “Ultimately our games offer escapism to many hundreds of thousands of players every day. If that escapism opportunity is compromised, there’s a very real risk to the business.” I’m sure his latest remarks will go down a treat.
