Retrospectiva săptămânii 3-9 februarie 2019

Respawn lansează pe neașteptate un joc care e și nu e Titanfall, ba mai mult, e battle royale care se ia la trântă cu Fortnite. Între timp, Fortnite a organizat un concert virtual la care au luat parte 10 milioane de jucători, OpenCritic va avertiza în privința loot box-urilor din jocuri, marii publisheri AAA raportează cifre și măsuri dureroase, iar Steam anunță câștigătorii Steam Awards 2018 și au (încă) un sale.

Linkuri rapide:

• Știri
• Articole (critică, dev, design)
• Anunţuri şi lansări de jocuri
• Prăvălii de jocuri

Ştiri

Apex Legends

• EA și Respawn au anunțat Apex Legends, un battle royale plasat în universul Titanfall, doar că fără mechs și parkour. Și care a fost apoi lansat imediat după ce a fost anunțat… ^{(Games Informer)}
• …și care a ajuns la 3 milioane de jucători în prima zi după lansare… ^{(Destructoid, PCGamesInsider.biz)}
• …și la 10 milioane de jucători în 3 zile. ^{(The Verge, Variety, PCGamesInsider.biz, Shacknews)}
• Succesul rapid și neașteptat a revigorat prețul acțiunilor EA (detalii mai jos). ^{(GamesIndustry.biz)}

Alte știri

• Epic și DJ-ul american Marshmello au organizat un concert in-game de 10 minute în Fortnite la care au luat parte 10 milioane de jucători-spectatori. ^{(Destructoid, Eurogamer, The Guardian, Pocket Gamer)}
• CD Projekt Red au ajuns la o înțelegere cu Andrzej Sapkowski în litigiul deschis privind plata drepturilor sale de autor asupra seriei Witcher, compania urmând a-i plăti acestuia o sumă (necunoscută) de bani pentru a stinge litigiul și pentru a „rămâne în relații bune” cu autorul. ^{(Games Informer, Wccf tech, PC Gamer, Shacknews)}
• Creatorul unui program de trișat în Grand Theft Auto Online, care fusese dat în judecată de Take Two Interactive, a fost condamnat de un tribunal american la plata unor despăgubiri de 150.000 de dolari. ^{(PCGamesInsider.biz, RPS, Ars Technica, Gamasutra)}
• Agregatorul de review-uri OpenCritic a anunțat că va include o notificare suplimentară pe pagina jocurilor care conțin mecanici de tipul „loot boxes”. ^{(Kotaku, Variety, TechRaptor, Open Critic)}
• Microsoft Studios, divizia Microsoft ce reunește mai multe studiouri de gaming, inclusiv recent achiziționatele inXile sau Obsidian, își schimbă numele în Xbox Game Studios. ^{(Destructoid, Shacknews)}
• EA raportează încasări scăzute în raport pentru trimestrul 3 din anul fiscal 2018, principala cauză identificată fiind vânzările sub așteptări ale Battlefield V, care a vândut „doar” 7,3 milioane de unități, în loc de 8,3 milioane, cum fusese preconizat. ^{(Ars Technica, DSOGaming , GamesIndustry.biz)} De fapt, mai toți marii publisheri au anunțat diminuarea încasărilor și o scădere a prețurilor acțiunilor. ^{(GamesIndustry.biz)}
• Angajații Activision-Blizzard se pregătesc de concedieri masive ca urmare a unor restructurări ce urmează a fi anunțate săptămâna viitoare, potrivit unui raport Bloomberg. ^{(Destructoid, Wccf tech, PC Gamer, Kotaku, Bloomberg)}

Articole (critică, dev, design)

• What It Means When We Dream About Video Games ^(Kotaku)
• I Played All 17 Angry Birds Games And I Have Some Thoughts ^(Kotaku)
• January has Slowly Become a Prominent Month for Big Releases ^{(Hardcore Gamer)}
• Why Nostalgia For Video Games Is Uniquely Powerful ^(Kotaku)
• What it takes to be World of Warcraft’s best raiders ^{(PC Gamer)}
• Numbers Game ^{(Real Life Magazine)}
• DeepMind's 'StarCraft' Victory Was as Worrying as It Was Impressive ^(Waypoint)

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Actualitate

• Fallout from Metro Exodus Epic Games store exclusivity gets messy ^(Eurogamer)

Concert Marshmello în Fortnite

• Marshmello’s Fortnite Battle Royale concert was a blast, but highlights Epic’s crediting inconsistencies ^(RPS)
• 'Fortnite' Held a Marshmello Concert—and It's the Future of the Metaverse ^(Wired)

Probleme pentru publisherii AAA

• Fortnite alone can’t explain tumbling game stocks ^{(GamesIndustry.biz)}
• The Flops Are Piling Up for Video-Game Titans ^(Bloomberg)

Apex Legends

• Apex Legends is AAA’s first steps into battle royale as a genre ^{(GameDaily.biz)}
• EA didn’t pre-announce Apex Legends because it was scared to ^{(GamesIndustry.biz)}
• "The world thinks we’re making Titanfall 3 and we’re not - this is what we’re making." ^(Eurogamer)
• Apex Legends is great, but will its first kill be Titanfall 3? ^{(A.V. Club)}

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Not-a-review

• When level design goes awry ^(Eurogamer)
• In praise of Celeste ^(Eurogamer)
• Sunless Skies’ wonderful-horrible Officers make a murderous void feel like home ^(RPS)
• The Influence of Pixar, Power of Lighting in ‘Resident Evil 2’ ^(Variety)
• Parks and Remediation ^(Unwinnable)
• Into The Spine of: Catherine ^{(Into The Spine)}
• Wargroove uses a little-known Steam feature to great effect ^{(PC Gamer)}
• It may not be possible to save Fallout 76 ^(Polygon)
• ‘Kingdom Hearts III’ Is a Lot of Fun—Even If You Don’t Know What the Heck Is Happening ^{(The Ringer)}
• The Serenity Prayer and Rakuen ^(ZEAL)
• Thoughts on Resident Evil 2 Remake ^{(I Need Diverse Games)}
• Hellblade as a Transformational Game ^{(Juliann Fields / Medium)}
• Bioshock: Infinite ^{(Critical Distance)}

Apex Legends

• 5 Things Apex Legends Does Better Than Any Other Battle Royale Game ^{(Finger Guns)}
• Apex Legends isn’t Titanfall 3, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in an FPS since Titanfall 2 ^(Eurogamer)
• 'Apex Legends' Is Not 'Titanfall 3,' But It's Still Great ^{(Motherboard)}
• Apex Legends is the break from Fortnite I desperately needed ^{(PC Gamer)}
• Apex Legends and the Jumpmaster madness ^(VideoGamer)

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Industrie

• How NES launch negotiations, Tetris, and Lode Runner inspired boutique game publisher Tozai ^(Polygon)
• Former Telltale Devs Form AdHoc Studio, Continue Adventure Game Legacy ^(Variety)
• Why selling the Prison Architect IP is Introversion's road to future success ^{(PCGamesInsider.biz)}
• Tearing down the lone developer myth ^{(GamesIndustry.biz)}
• The DeanBeat: Wall Street hates game companies again. How dumb! ^{(VentureBeat)}
• Breaking Down the Idea of a Netflix for Video Games ^{(Roman Luzgin / Medium)}

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Istorie, retrospectivă

• The story of the first esports champion, undefeated since 1972 ^{(PC Gamer)}
• Retro-Tinged Game Controllers: BX Foundry’s Handmade Joysticks ^(Tedium)
• 25 Years On, Super Metroid’s Opening Act Remains Unmatched - Hardcore Gamer ^{(Hardcore Gamer)}
• From Basic Training To Plastic Combat | Journeying Through 3DO’s Army Men, Part I ^(Medium)
• History of Real-Time Strategy: The Rise (1992 - 1998) ^(VGChartz)

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Dev, making of, mecanici

• Apex Legends’ ping system is a tiny miracle for FPS teamwork and communication ^{(PC Gamer)}
• Don’t miss these illuminating interviews with the IGF 2019 finalists ^(Gamasutra)
• Road to the IGF: Free Lives Genital Jousting ^(Gamasutra)
• Keeping the spirit of Lionhead alive in the gorgeous 2D world of Kynseed ^(Gamasutra)
• (Video) Watch Jon Shafer discuss the highs and lows of making At The Gates ^(Gamasutra)

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Design, world-building, artă

• GAME ART: Hannah Piper Burns’s Interior Stroll (2016) ^(GAMESCENES)
• Game Box Art Critique February: Crackdown 3, Anthem, Jump Force ^(VideoGamer)
• Judging a Game By Its Cover, Among Other Things ^{(Alex Basinski / Medium)}
• Cleared To Land ^(Kotaku)
• They Are The Eggmen ^(Kotaku)
• Arise, Sir Skullface Of Skellingtown ^(Kotaku)

Anunţuri şi lansări de jocuri

• EA’s not done with Need for Speed, Plants vs. Zombies — new games on the way ^(Polygon)
• ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ and New ‘Titanfall’ Coming This Fall ^(Variety)
• Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights are heading to consoles this year ^{(Destructoid)}
• Frontier Developments’ next game, based on a new IP, is coming out this year ^{(PC Gamer)}

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Anunţate

• Chernobylite ^{(DSOGaming )}

Acum cu dată de lansare

• Enderal: Forgotten Stories: 14 februarie ^(RPS)
• Galactic Civilizations 3: Retribution: 21 februarie ^{(PC Gamer)}
• The Walking Dead: The Final Season (ultimul episod): 26 martie
• Assassin’s Creed III Remastered: 29 martie ^(Kotaku)
• Imperator: Rome: 25 aprilie ^(RPS)

Amânate

• Phoenix Point: septembrie în loc de iunie 2019 ^{(PC Gamer)}

Lansate

• 4 februarie: Apex Legends ^(Origin)
• 6 februarie: Fear The Wolves ^(Steam)
• 6 februarie: ASTRONEER (iese din early access) ^(Steam)
• 5 februarie: Band of Bastards, DLC pentru Kingdom Come: Deliverance ^(Steam)
• 7 februarie: The Stillness of the Wind ^(Steam)
• 8 februarie: GOD EATER 3 ^(Steam)
• 8 februarie: AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected ^{(gog.com, Steam)}
• 8 februarie: West of Loathing DLC: Reckonin’ at Gun Manor ^(Steam)

Prăvălii de jocuri

• Why Are Gamers Mad About a Real Competitor to Steam? ^{(Motherboard)}

Știri

• Epic’s Support-A-Creator Program Expanding to All Titles on Its Store ^(Variety)
• Epic Games Store achievements, reviews, support tickets will be opt-in features ^{(GameDaily.biz)}
• The Steam Awards 2018 winners announced ^(Shacknews)

Jocuri noi în catalog

• Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the latest triple-A game to come to Xbox Game Pass ^{(Destructoid)}

Jocuri gratis și free weekends

• Crackdown is free, so you should really play Crackdown ^{(Destructoid)}
• Axiom Verge is available for free on Epic’s store until February 21st ^{(DSOGaming )}
• You can play Tetris Effect for free this weekend on PS4, starting tomorrow ^(Eurogamer)

Reduceri și promoții

• Steam is holding a Lunar New Year Sale, includes a one-time $5 off coupon ^{(Destructoid)}
• A new "Undercover Bundle" collects 10 of Steam’s best murder mystery games for $3 ^(Polygon)
• Rule the World With The Humble Paradox Bundle 2019! ^(TechRaptor)
• Tetris Effect is all this PlayStation Flash Sale is good for ^{(Destructoid)}
• Weekend PC Download Deals for Feb. 8: Lunar New Year Steam Sale ^(Shacknews)
• Weekend Console Download Deals for Feb. 8: Free Tetris Effect demo ^(Shacknews)
• Best PC gaming deals of the week – 8th February 2019 ^(RPS)

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