Payday 2 Development Restarting Amid Starbreeze Financial Difficulties
Starbreeze will resume work on Payday 2, with some changes, in an effort to get the company back on track financially. A message from CEO Mikael Nermark posted to the Steam Community frankly outlined the company's current struggles and how it's aiming to make changes to its roadmap ahead.
To start, Nermark explains the background of Starbreeze going into reconstruction, a process similar to US Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It has remained afloat despite being very short on funds, but now the company is making changes to assure it can keep going. And part of that includes going back to developing content for its successful game, Payday 2. But in the process, Nermark also recognizes openly that the studio is "breaking a promise," which he says they do not take lightly.
The Payday 2: Ultimate Edition was proposed as a way to get forever-free DLC, and that commitment is being broken. Nermark says, "We want to move forward and make more of Payday 2, and to do so we need your support to continue producing content."
The Ultimate Edition is being replaced by a new Payday 2: Legacy Collection. The studio is also adding back an a la carte option for individual DLC. More Payday 2 content is coming as well, said to be coming soon.
Starbreeze has been struggling since late last year, when it filed for reconstruction amid low sales of its Walking Dead game. Shortly after, its office was raided as part of an insider trading investigation. Nermark was named acting CEO in December 2018.≈
The release of Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds is upon us, and we’re already having a great time exploring the game’s vibrant universe while meeting (and occasionally fighting) some of its fiercest inhabitants. The game combines a darkly humorous narrative and deep RPG elements to create a unique experience. We recently had the chance to chat with Obsidian Entertainment’s Co-Game Director Leonard Boyarsky about the game’s narrative focus, how some of the endings play out, and the ultra-hardcore Supernova mode.
Xbox Wire: How much dialogue was written for The Outer Worlds?
Leonard Boyarsky: I don’t know how much was written (which would include iteration, cut content, etc.), but we have approximately 420,000 words of dialog, including player lines, and approximately 600,000 words total.
Xbox Wire: How do the dialogue trees work in The Outer Worlds compared to your other titles?
Boyarsky: Obsidian has been using the same dialog tool for quite a long time, so I’m not sure there’s much difference in the overall creation of the dialogs. On TOW, though, we tried to get away from using question node hubs in order to get a more conversational feel.
Xbox Wire: How often will players be able to use the gift of gab to get around situations that might lead to combat?
Boyarsky: Players can get through the main story arc pretty effectively using their dialog skills, and there’s a good bit of side content that they can talk their way through as well. We’ve also included passive dialog combat skills for those instances when they do happen to find themselves fighting for their lives, and a disguise system that allows high dialog skill players to talk their way through some specifically combat-related ‘restricted areas’.
Xbox Wire: Have you discussed how many endings The Outer Worlds will have?
Boyarsky: There are two main endings players can play through, but, depending on their skills, there are several approaches they can take within those two endings. And this isn’t counting all the different permutations of end slides players can get, which we have not calculated. Let’s just say there’s a lot.
Xbox Wire: Are those endings dependent on choices you make with dialogue?
Boyarsky: All the endings (including the slides) are dependent on both dialog and gameplay choices the player made throughout the whole game, not just their dialog choices.
Xbox Wire: So, what’s the deal with Supernova Mode?
Boyarsky: Supernova is the hardest difficulty in the game and offers the ultimate challenge for The Outer Worlds.
Xbox Wire: What sort of gameplay challenges will players face when they play Supernova Mode?
Boyarsky:
There’s a bunch:
Enemies have more health and do more damage
Players must eat, drink and sleep
Companions can die permanently
Crippled limbs can only be healed through resting
Weapons and armor work very poorly at zero durability
Players can only fast travel to, sleep, and save games inside their ship
Xbox Wire: How does Supernova Mode impact the approach to combat situations?
Boyarsky: Since enemies do more damage and are harder to kill, the player must make sure their equipment (and their companions) are first rate. Use of special attacks at the right time is crucial, and since companions can die, the player needs to watch their health as closely as his own. Perks that let the player heal them with the medical inhaler are very important to take.
Xbox Wire: How did you decide to create Supernova Mode?
Boyarsky: We wanted something hard than Hard and that was reminiscent of Hardcore Mode in Fallout: New Vegas and Ironman Mode in Temple of Elemental Evil. This mode makes replaying the game even more challenging. It’s designed for hardcore players and players who have played through the game multiple times and/or found difficult not challenging enough.
Thanks to Obsidian Entertainment’s Leonard Boyarsky for taking the time out of his busy launch schedule to chat with us. The Outer Worlds is now available now physically and digitally for Xbox One and available for download on Windows 10 PC in the Microsoft Store.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-26-2019, 07:20 AM - Forum: Windows
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Outer Worlds now available on Windows PC and Xbox One
The Outer Worlds, the latest game from renowned RPG developer (and recent addition to the Xbox family) Obsidian Entertainment, has been one of our most highly anticipated games of 2019, so we’re excited to share that it is now available for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. You can download the game on its own in the Microsoft Store or via Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC. The Outer Worlds is a single-player RPG that combines a darkly funny narrative with deep RPG elements and exciting combat to bring a new and unique universe to life.
We’ve taken a look at The Outer Worlds a couple of times here on Xbox Wire. I encourage you to check out our E3 preview and in-depth hands-on feature for details, but here’s the gist: You play as a galactic colonist who is awoken from a decades-long cryosleep after your ship was lost in space. You’ll spend your time gallivanting around the universe, making a name (good, bad, or somewhere in between) for yourself on a variety of unique, vibrant planets on which you’ll meet a bevy of memorable characters.
The choices you make in The Outer Worlds truly affects the way the game plays out, and you’ll be forced to make some tough ones as you navigate your way through this strange new universe. Sometimes, you’ll be able to talk your way through tough situations. Other times, you can sneak in and out of them. Or, if you’re not the sneaking or speaking type, you’ll be able to use one of the game’s many unique weapons to get your way.
The Outer Worlds is an exciting new entry in one of our favorite genres and we think RPG fans are going to love it. It’s available now physically and digitally for Xbox One and available for download on Windows 10 PC in the Microsoft Store. If you’ve got Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC (or are ready to subscribe), The Outer Worlds is available for download now!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-26-2019, 07:20 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Has A Release Date On PC
Earlier this year, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter World: Iceborne would be coming to PC in January, five months after it was initially released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. That timeframe has now been narrowed down to a specific date: January 9, 2020.
A new trailer showcases what PC players can expect from the Nergigante-sized expansion to the critically-acclaimed Monster Hunter World. The PC version will include high-resolution texture pack support, 4K and an uncapped framerate, support for ultra-wide screens, DirectX 12 support, and improved mouse and keyboard controls. Those who pre-order the game on Steam will also receive a Yukomo layered armor set, while the deluxe digital edition includes gestures, sticker sets, a Silver Knight layered armor set, and more.
The trailer does an excellent job showing off all the visual enhancements available on PC. The extra time was clearly put to good use. Back in September, Ginny Woo praised the expansion in GameSpot's Monster Hunter World: Iceborne review, saying "There's no more fussing about with new systems or worrying about ruffling the feathers of hardcore fans with a direction change in the series; those teething problems have already come and gone. Iceborne is a confident step into the future of the franchise, and it's hard not to think about what might come next."
Normal service resumes again today, and there’s a lot to catch up on. Still kind of bummed there wasn’t much more to write about from PDXCon regarding mobile. The Stellaris spin-off was definitely a point of conversation but other than saying “we messed up,” there wasn’t much more for them to say.
Meanwhile, in mobile gaming…
Out Now
This is going to be a bit of a disjointed section this today because there’s quite a few things to catch up on from the past couple of weeks.
First thing’s first, y’all saw Bad North last week, right? Our review is in-progress and coming as fast as we can, but I’ve been playing it on Android and it’s pretty legit. It’s a minimalist game so you may not be able to play it for long periods of time, and the controls are a tiny bit fiddly, but it’s still pretty good.
Add to that is the fact that Rome: Total War – Alexander is now available on iPhone (making the game iOS Universal), as well as Android devices. This is the last of the Rome: Total War releases to complete their mobile journey. You can read our Rome: Total War Alexander review here, otherwise, what are you waiting for?
It also seems 7 Wonders: Duel released onto both iOS and Android this week, to absolutely zero fanfare (hats off to the Stately Play community for the tip). It distils the typical 7 Wonders gameplay into a more competitive one-on-one mode. We’ll try and get on this as soon as we can, but it might have to wait a week or two.
As for other releases this week, there have been a few things that have caught our eye, but nothing we’ve actually played yet:
Cursed Castilla (iOS) is a classic console arcade game that’s been ported to iOS, complete with a baked in Arcade UI.
The Swords of Ditto (iOS & Android) is a “compact” action-RPG from Devolver that people have been saying positive things about.
Undead Horde (iOS) seems like one of those games that’s high-concept/but low budget. You are a necromancer who must raise zombie armies to conquer a fantasy Kingdom. Bills itself as a ‘simulation’.
Updates & Future Releases
There are a couple of things to put into this section as well this week, let’s run through the big ones:
Pacific Fire, which we reviewed this week, has been updated recently. I’d tell you when, but I’ve never been able to figure out the date for these things on the Google Play store and since it’s Android only, I’m stuck.
Dota Underlords has received another big update this week, which adds in a few things like Duo Mode, a new ‘Insects’ pieces type and the Underlords themselves. The Trese Brothers are also up to their usual tricks, with a new Star Traders: Frontiers update that adds new talents, new content and tweaks a variety of things.
Black Desert Mobile’s full release isn’t until December, but if you’re an Android user in Canada, Chile, Sweden, Malaysia, Turkey, Ireland or Australia, then you’re in luck! The popular MMO’s mobile port has just been soft-launched in these countries, so you can jump in right now and check it out. Not sure if the same will happen on iOS or not.
EVE Echoes – the latest EVE Online mobile spin-off seems to actually be happening (unlike War of Ascension which we were expecting last year before it disappeared), will have an Open Beta in December this year, and there’s a playable build at CCP’s FanFest Vegas event this weekend. I’ve got one of our freelancers in situ taking a look, so I’m hoping to bring back some impressions of what it’s going to be like. In the meantime, enjoy this gameplay trailer:
Sales
Got a couple of sales for you this week that are worth checking out:
Seen anything else you liked, played any of the above? Let us know in the comments!
Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger Is Riding Onto The Nintendo Switch This December
Update 3 Fri 25th Oct, 2019 10:45 BST: As spotted by Magician on the Nintendo Life forums, an Amazon.com listing appears to show that the game will be digital-only, with the ‘physical’ version being a code-in-a-box. It’s up on Amazon for $19.99.
Update 2 – Fri 25th Oct, 2019 06:10 BST: Techland has officially confirmed Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for Nintendo Switch. It’ll be released on 10th December 2019 and is enhanced with motion controls and rumble. Above is the announcement trailer.
Update – Sun 20th Oct, 2019 13:05 BST: Following a rating by the ESRB earlier this month, Techland has seemingly started teasing Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for Switch.
It recently sent out a postcard to select media (thanks, VG247), showing a picture of a gunslinger playing what appears to be the recently rated game on the Nintendo Switch. The back of this postcard says “more” will be revealed on 24th October. Take a look below:
Keep an eye out for a more official announcement next week.
Original Story – Wed 9th Oct, 2019 04:15 BST: A Nintendo Switch version of the western-themed first-person shooter Call of Juarez: Gunslinger has been rated by North America’s Entertainment Software Rating Board.
This game was first released in 2013 by publisher Ubisoft and was acquired by Techland in 2018. It’s the fourth entry in the Call of Juarez series and received positive reviews by critics when it was originally released.
There’s been no mention before now about Call of Juarez: Gunslinger coming to the Switch, so we’re guessing a more official announcement is on the way.
Is this a game you’ve been wanting to see released on the Switch? Comment below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-26-2019, 01:06 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Cloak And Dagger Is Latest Marvel TV Show To Be Cancelled
As the launch of Disney+ gets closer, Marvel shows on other networks are winding down. The latest causality is the Freeform show Cloak and Dagger, which has been cancelled after two seasons.
As reported by Variety, Cloak and Dagger Season 2, which premiered in April this year, was the final season. The show launched in June 2018, and starred Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as a pair of runaway teenagers who are given super powers after they are fed a dangerous drug. It was based on the Marvel characters that first appeared in comic books in 1982.
Cloak and Dagger's cancellation means that there are now only two active Marvel shows left--Runaways, which returns to Hulu for Season 3 in December, and Agents of SHIELD, the seventh and final season of which is due next year. All of Netflix's Marvel shows were cancelled over the past year, and it was recently reported that a new Ghost Rider series was scrapped at Hulu before production had even started.
However, Marvel TV fans have plenty to look forward to. There are a number of new shows in the works for Disney+, which launches next month. These include Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, and the Scarlet Witch and Vision series WandaVision. There's also the supernatural-themed series Helstrom in development at Hulu.
There have been a few behind-the-scenes changes at Marvel recently. Earlier this week it was reported that Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb is about to leave his role, with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige now in charge of all Marvel creative platforms, including movies, TV, and animation.
As with some previous historic trips to the Moon, this one saw a few issues. Our teams remained calm, worked the problem, and hunted down the bugs to restore services.
The biggest issue was caused by game databases not doing their job correctly, which threw a wrench in the machine. Please don’t blame your new friends just joining the community. This was a complex launch that included platform migrations and new ways for players to begin their journey with us. We aren’t afraid of solving tough problems and will continue to hunt down any issues that arise!
Raid Imminent
The Garden of Salvation will open to raiding parties in fewer than 48 hours. At 10 AM PDT on October 5, we will begin the race for World First (drop the ’s—it’s cleaner).
World First Completion—Championship Belt
Completions within the first 24 Hours—24-Hour Emblem
Completions Before October 15—Raid Jacket Purchase
Completions During Season of the Undying—Raid T-Shirt Purchase
All Completions—Raid Emblem
To the Guardians brave enough to be first to venture back into the Black Garden—we salute you!
One Giant Leap
Player Support is working around the clock to support this launch. Let’s check in with what they are currently tracking.
This is their report.
New Lights
This week we launched Shadowkeep, New Light, and brought Destiny 2 to Steam on PC. If you’re just now joining us on this journey, let’s get you acquainted with your player support resources.
Help.bungie.net: This is our knowledgebase archive where players can search for support articles relevant to their needs.
BungieHelp on Twitter: This is where we communicate deployment times and emergent issues to players on a large scale.
Known Issues thread: Here, Destiny Player Support keeps a running list of the latest issues to emerge in Destiny 2 as soon as they are confirmed.
#Help forum: If you don’t find the info you need from any of the above resources, this is your channel to report issues. Here, Destiny Player Support and our bungie.net mentors patrol to assist players with support issues.
Player Support Report: This is our weekly address to players in the “This Week at Bungie” blog—that you’re reading right now.
Destiny 2 Known Issues
With this week’s launch, we’ve closely monitored for player reports of issues impacting the Destiny 2 experience. Here are the top issues at the time of this writing, straight from our known issues thread:
Players will not receive the Gate Lord’s Eye at Season Rank 7 if they claim it in an equipment-locked activity.
If it has been abandoned, the completed “Essence of Anguish” quest step can be reacquired only by unlocking the Lectern of Enchantment.
The “In Search of Answers” quest step may not appear in a player’s inventory, even after talking with Eris. Please check the postmaster to pick up the quest and continue the campaign.
If the “Firewall” quest step is dismantled after completing Eris’s weekly bounty, players have to wait a week before they can obtain a new one.
If the “Luna’s Calling” weekly quest is deleted before collecting rewards and the bounty is reclaimed, players will have to wait a week to complete it.
Some players who purchase the Shadowkeep Deluxe Edition may not receive all four Season Passes, but may instead receive 1,000 Silver per unredeemed Season. Players may spend this Silver to purchase future seasons through the Seasons tab in the Director menu.
Players who encounter the error “problem reading game content” on Steam should ensure that they are NOT running Destiny 2 with elevated permissions (for example: do not use “Run as Administrator”). They should also make sure there is NO steam_appid.txt file in their Destiny 2 install directory.
Players with 300 or more friends on Steam may encounter crashes when launching Destiny 2. Players who encounter this issue can trim their friends list until they are below 300 while we investigate a fix.
We’re investigating ongoing reports from players regarding issues with PC migration. In the meantime, if possible, players should attempt to retry migration.
Tapes
What is Movie of the Week? I’m glad you asked. This is where we pick a few of our favorite videos created by the community. The winners get an emblem. Make sure you put the player names of the creators in the description of the video if you win. On to the winners!
Movie of the Week: Fan-Made Gameplay Trailer
Honorable Mention: Jumped the Hellmouth
We are in the thick of it now. Launch is behind us, and the raid is coming up next. We’re keeping it short this week after the 4,500-word mega-TWAB last week. Go explore the Moon, and try out all the new changes that arrived alongside Shadowkeep—and tell us what you think.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-26-2019, 12:00 AM - Forum: Minecraft
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Minecraft: Java Edition 1.14.4
Today we’re releasing 1.14.4, a release that addresses left over issues from 1.14. We plan on this being the final release for 1.14 and we’ll continue our efforts on 1.15. Aside from new features, 1.15 will also focus on quality and performance improvements.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-26-2019, 12:00 AM - Forum: Lounge
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First Call of Duty: WWII DLC Pack The Resistance Emerges Today
Epic, Highly-Anticipated First DLC Pack Offers Fans New Multiplayer Maps, War Mode Mission and Nazi Zombies Experience
Global Call of Duty Community Event Featuring New Content, New Gear and Return of Fan-Favorite Game Modes Continues for Fans
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Players can join the Resistance starting today as Call of Duty®: WWII– The Resistance, the first DLC pack for the No. 1 top-selling console video game of 2017 in North America, is out now, available first on PlayStation®4. Packed with new multiplayer content, The Resistance DLC pack delivers three new Multiplayer maps and an all-new War Mode multiplayer mission themed to reflect the spirit of the citizen soldiers who fought for freedom during World War II. The DLC pack also features The Darkest Shore, the terrifying new chapter in the twisted Nazi Zombies saga. In addition, this first DLC pack from Call of Duty: WWII, lands during TheResistance community event (January 23 through February 27), a five-week celebration that features new gear, game modes and Supply Drop content available to all players.
In The Resistance DLC pack, players will fight in iconic World War II locations, from Paris to Prague, all centered around historic uprisings in three new Multiplayer maps and an all-new high-octane War Mode map.
Valkyrie – Located in the Masurian Woods, East Prussia, this map was inspired by The Wolf’s Lair – The Fuhrer’s Eastern-front headquarters during Operation Barbarossa – the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. This is a medium-sized map with multiple overwatch positions and mounted machine guns.
Anthropoid – Based in Prague, Czechoslovakia, this map is inspired by Operation Anthropoid – the famous assassination attempt on a high-ranking German officer during World War II. This map is divided by a river, with long-flanking paths that can be used by snipers for ranged attacks.
Occupation – In this remake of a classic Call of Duty® map, players battle through the streets and shops of German-occupied Paris during WWII. Nearby homes and storefronts lend defensive positions for ambush and recovery.
Operation Intercept – Outside of St Lo, France, the next War Mode experience, developed in partnership with Raven Software, leads you on an urban rescue mission to save Resistance fighters being transported by train. The first objective on the Allied side is freeing the fighters, followed by the destruction of key communication equipment, and ends with stopping a train.
The Resistance DLC pack also features the newest horror-filled chapter in the co-operative Nazi Zombies saga, The Darkest Shore. Only days after the horrific disaster of Mittelburg, the crew has received intel that suggests Doktor Straub is on an island just north of Germany. Blanketed in fog, this island is surrounded by enemy air and sea power – and crawling with the Undead. Marie, Drostan, Olivia and Jefferson will need to battle all this and more to uncover the mysteries hidden within.
As part of The Resistance community event, which kicked off on Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 27, all Call of Duty: WWII players will have access to the new “Resistance Division.” The new Resistance Division embodies the skills and experience of citizen soldiers from across Europe, and features the new Tactical Knife Skill, a new Division-specific 9mm SAP Pistol, as well as perks that can alter the tide of battle, such as the ability to scramble enemy maps.
The Resistance community event offers players new Supply Drop content and new weapons and uniforms used in Resistance uprisings across war-torn Europe during World War II. Fans can also participate in new game mode events, including the limited-time return of Prop Hunt and Demolition game modes, along with rotating 2XP playlists across Multiplayer, War Mode and Zombies. Resistance Supply Drops can be earned for free simply by playing Call of Duty: WWII during the event. Players can return to Headquarters each week of the event for a free Resistance Supply Drop, as well as receive special Orders and Contracts that grant new weapons, Supply Drops, XP boosts, Armory Credits and more. Players can also purchase Resistance Supply Drops using Call of Duty Points in-game currency. The Resistance community event features all-new, limited-time Resistance-themed Collection Rewards.
Call of Duty: WWII – The Resistance DLC pack is available now, first on PlayStation®4 for a suggested retail price of $14.99. The Resistance DLC Pack is also included in Call of Duty: WWII DLC Season Pass*, featuring all four DLC Packs planned for the year, as part of the discounted bundle offered at a suggested retail price of $49.99 – a discount of $10 off the individual purchase of all four DLC Map Packs. Season Pass content is available first on PlayStation®4.
*Season Pass purchasers receive 2018 Call of Duty: WWII Season Pass content.Season Pass content is not final, is subject to change, and may not include all downloadable content available for the game. Season Pass content may not be available in all countries, and pricing and release dates may vary by platform. Season Pass content should be downloaded from the in-game store only; do not purchase separately, or you will be charged again. Season Pass content may be sold separately.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates and features of the Resistance community event, the WWII DLC Season Pass and The Resistance DLC Pack, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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