• Larian CEO Sven Vinke previously mentioned that the studio's next game might come out through the early access model.
• Now, publishing director Michael Daus has also stated that the studio is unlikely to alter its strategy. He believes that traditional marketing is gradually declining, advocating for close communication with the audience as the best form of advertising. Daus sees early access as the optimal way to achieve this.
• He also advised other developers against utilizing early access if they aren't confident in their approach to the model. However, for Larian, Daus believes early access has enabled the studio to cultivate a community and refine the gameplay mechanics of Baldur's Gate 3.
• Furthermore, Daus highlighted that early access mitigates some of the risks associated with AAA game releases and generally streamlines the operation of a large company.

• Users have noticed updates on the website of Starfish, a company studying neurointerfaces. One notable change is a new photo of Gabe Newell, who co-founded Starfish.
• Newell recently participated in filming a documentary about the history of Half-Life, released in November 2023. Since then, the head of Valve has remained out of the public eye.
• Newell has shown interest in neural interfaces since at least 2019, suggesting their potential impact on gaming. For instance, adjusting difficulty levels dynamically to prevent boredom.
• Starfish, now with nine employees, is actively seeking specialists from various fields such as bioengineering and clinical psychiatry.
• The company aims to expand ways people interact with the world, developing minimally invasive wireless sensors. Like Valve, Starfish operates without the traditional hierarchy of bosses and subordinates.
• Additionally, the website showcases photos of Starfish's office located in Bellevue, USA.

Recently, Glitching Queen, a COD Zombies YouTuber, interviewed an ex-Raven dev about the scrapped COD Zombies standalone game, which was intended to be a Free-to-Play Live Service. Here are the key details:

- Developed from 2011-2012 but never got past design documents.
- Would have been fully supported and updated as a live game.
- Featured microtransactions for customization, not a direct port of old zombies.
- Built on COD Online tech, offering a "fun, campy, experimental" experience.
- 1-4 player mode with customizable characters and progression.
- Included an arena mode and portions of open world with waves of zombies.
- Planned seasons for new content.
- Raven was offered the opportunity due to Treyarch's uncertainty about continuing Zombies.
- Eventually scrapped to avoid competition with Treyarch's premium games.

In short, it was a planned experimental Free-To-Play live service COD Zombies game with seasonal content, influenced by COD Online's tech, developed around 2011-2012, but was ultimately canceled due to behind-the-scenes complications and potential competition with Treyarch's premium games.

• In early December 2023, Rockstar Games studio revealed Grand Theft Auto VI. Shortly after the debut trailer's release, fans scrutinized it, speculating about actor Troy Baker's involvement as the voice of the main character, Jason.
• Four months later, Baker addressed the rumors in an interview on the YouTube channel The Movie Dweeb. He mentioned that determining the actor was challenging since the main character in the trailer only utters one word to his girlfriend: "trust."

He says one word! He says ‘trust’. That right there is a lesson in perception – people think and they just automatically assume. I want that guy, whoever it is, to credit for his work because I’m sure it’s going to be great.

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• Some of the fans also believe that the character of Jason could voice actor Brent Antonello. He is primarily known for the series "Law & Order: Organized Crime" and the role in Grand Theft Auto VI could be his first such experience.
• At the end of December 2023, fans found a possible performer for the role of Lucia, another main character in the action game from Rockstar Games. According to their speculation, back in 2021, actress Manni Perez talked about participating in some "major project", and the character's appearance and voice strongly resemble her.

I used to love Devil May Cry, but playing the fifth one today became too painful for my right arm tendon due to the demanding combos. I've had tenosynovitis before, like carpal tunnel for the thumb, and had to wear a splint. So, I've decided to switch to games with fewer inputs like Far Cry and Red Dead. Hopefully, I can still enjoy playing Stellar Blade, though.

• "Jujutsu Kaisen" has soared to the top of the anime charts, earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records due to its immense popularity among viewers. Its rating surpasses the average of similar animated shows by a staggering 71.2 times.
• Produced by the MAPPA studio, this anime has captured the hearts of young audiences aged 13-22, comprising 71.3% of its total viewership. Following closely behind are "One Piece" (56.7%) and "Attack on Titan" (64.4%).
• Parrot Analytics determined the most popular anime by analyzing views, downloads, social media mentions, and user engagement. "Jujutsu Kaisen," which premiered in 2020 and currently boasts two seasons, tells the story of Yuji, a high school student who joins the occult club and finds himself battling spirits that haunt his school.

• Microsoft has established a dedicated team tasked with preserving the functionality of old games on future consoles, as announced by Xbox president Sarah Bond in an address to employees. The text of her announcement reached the editors at Windows Central, and Microsoft confirmed the authenticity of her statement.
• The objective of this new division, Bond wrote, is to ensure backward compatibility of future consoles with old games and to safeguard the extensive Xbox library for future generations of players.
• Bond highlighted in her statement that following the release of Diablo IV on Game Pass, Xbox consoles emerged as the most popular platform for Blizzard's ARPGs. Prior to this, the game predominantly saw launches on PC.
• Microsoft is currently in the process of integrating Activision Blizzard King games into its services, Bond noted. The timing of their availability on Game Pass remains uncertain. Previously, journalist Tom Henderson reported that Microsoft is preparing to enrich the subscription service's catalog, with details expected to be unveiled at a presentation in June.
• As per The Verge, Microsoft's major gaming presentation is scheduled for June 9. Alongside other announcements, it is expected to feature the next installments of Gears of War and Call of Duty.

• Apple has announced on its website that it now permits retro game emulators in the App Store, marking a significant change. This adjustment, noticed by The Verge, came into effect on April 6.
• As per Apple's website, developers are now allowed to release emulators in the App Store and provide users with the option to download games. However, the company explicitly stated that emulators featuring "pirated" games are strictly prohibited, and any such applications will promptly be removed from the App Store.
• This alteration means that iPhone owners can now access emulators directly from the App Store, eliminating the need for third-party application stores, which were previously permitted in the European Union, as observed by The Verge. The publication speculates that Apple's relaxation of the App Store rules may be driven by a desire to mitigate the potential rise in popularity of alternative digital stores.
• Until now, developers were unable to distribute emulators through the App Store, forcing iPhone and iPad users to resort to jailbreaking or other methods to download emulators. With the updated rules, developers of emulators for Android devices can now potentially port their programs to iOS.

In January 2024, Apple permitted the use of third-party app stores on iPhones within the European Union, a move made in response to the passage of the Digital Markets Antitrust Act (DMA) by the European Parliament.

Not my work

• Microsoft is planning an early announcement of several previous Activision Blizzard games for Game Pass, as reported by journalist Tom Henderson, who cited his sources.
• Which specific ActiBlizz games will appear next in Game Pass remains unknown. However, Henderson hinted that they intend to include some previous Call of Duty installments in the subscription service as well.
• Microsoft is gearing up to unveil the release of Activision Blizzard games on Game Pass during a presentation scheduled for June, according to The Verge. The event is set for June 9 and is expected to include announcements regarding the next installments of Gears of War and Call of Duty, among other things.
• Henderson specified that the presentation will showcase Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, whose plot is intertwined with the events of the Persian Gulf War. The game's announcement is slated to precede the event, as highlighted by the journalist.
• The first Activision Blizzard game to join Game Pass was Diablo IV, which became available on the subscription service on March 28.

Not just a slight tear or sniffle, but genuine tears of sadness or joy? Bonus if it led to unrestrained sobbing.

Here's mine: The last hour of each game in the To the Moon series had me in uncontrollable sobs. These games are masterpieces of emotional storytelling. I highly recommend them.

• The release date of Star Wars Outlaws story trailer was announced by the developers from Massive Entertainment on their social networks. The trailer will be released on April 9 at 9AM PST / 6PM CET.
• Judging by the information from YouTube, the video will run for almost three minutes. At the summer conferences in 2023, the studio published a debut video, as well as ten minutes of gameplay.
• The upcoming action game will be the first game on "Star Wars", the events of which will unfold in the open world.
• Its protagonist will be the criminal Kay Vess, who in the company of the animal nicknamed Nix plans to carry out "one of the largest heists in the history of the Outer Rim". Ubisoft is probably already preparing to launch a Star Wars Outlaws ad campaign. It recently received an age rating in several countries.
• Earlier, the French publisher announced its next presentation, which will take place on June 10.

I've finished both games, but the thought of replaying them feels like a chore. Don't get me wrong, the main campaign is fantastic, and the game itself is incredibly well-made with great gameplay, story, graphics, animations, art, and lore. However, the semi-open world feels too large and filled with puzzles and loot, making it overwhelming. Many essential gameplay-related items are locked behind optional side content and puzzles. Even though there's a new game+ mode, it's just not as satisfying as starting fresh.

I believe it would have been better to have lighter RPG elements that are unlocked through the main campaign and some through side quests, like armor cosmetics. The RPG elements in these games are too specific, with stats tied to armor, some of which are minor changes. Having to find loot chests spread throughout various realms and their open world is too time-consuming. What matters should be your skill when defeating enemies, not grinding to level up your stats. I feel like these complex RPG elements don't fit well in a game like this.

I can play games like Spider-Man, Batman Arkham, and the original God of War repeatedly because they have simple, substantial unlocks and shorter playtimes. It's a shame that these games are so long. I'd love to hear others' opinions on this. Tell me if I'm wrong.