Our intrepid Senior News Editor is out of the office today, so this week's update notes were compiled by Senior Editor Bryant Francis. The list includes stories about game writing, new hardware from Valve, investigations related to The Game Awards Future Class, and much more.
through the game developer // Valve's dreams of Steam Machines are alive, and the timing (for Valve) couldn't have come at a better time. This week the company introduced a new line of hardware with a console PC at the center, built on SteamOS. The idea is surprisingly similar to the one Microsoft wants Xbox to promote, but Steam is home to a huge library of PC games, not Windows. It's not going to dethrone the Xbox (or any other console) overnight, but a polished all-in-one PC that runs seamlessly on your TV does raise the question – what's the point of a console anyway?
through the game developer // Fired Rockstar employees won't go down without a fight. This week Independent Workers UK launched a legal challenge in its fight against… Grand Craft Auto VI Produced by Rockstar Games. It will be an exciting fight as the UK has stricter labor laws than other regions such as the United States. Will Rockstar simply take the hit, since no royalties can hurt its Grand Theft Auto-fueled coffers? Or will workers see their jobs restored?
via The Guardian // Reporter Alyssa Mercante spoke with other former Future Class Game Awards winners about our report about the program be frozen (possibly forever). Their testimony tells the story of alleged negligence that occurred in the early years of the program. And when the contestants spoke – it looks like host Geoff Keighley has had enough. “As a result of standing up for ourselves … we were punished for the very same thing we were supposedly celebrated for,” said community manager Natalie Cheko.
through the game developer // Legal pressure on Roblox continues to bubble. Roblox Corporation says this new lawsuit filed by the state of Texas is based on “misleading and sensational claims” but given that so many minors have been harmed and exploited by predators preying on them. RobloxWhat responsibility does the company have? Is it enough to say “we did our best, sometimes these things happen” when your platform is so popular among young players?
through the game developer // Halo Infinite was to become Halo's home for the rest of the decade. This lasted 10 years. Ugh. This, of course, is not the fault of the talented people who worked to get the game to the finish line, but of parent company Microsoft, which seems to change its strategy regarding the Xbox and the Halo franchise almost every year. More Halo games, including a remake of Halo: Campaign Evolved, are on the way, but can the company figure out how to strengthen the series that made Xbox a household name?
through the game developer // Sony's problems after the acquisition Destiny 2 And Marathon developer Bungie has already achieved its balance. The company said it recorded an impairment loss on part of Bungie's assets due to slower game performance. Again, the people who did Destiny 2 It's not to blame for its long-term success – although this time we should look inside the studio to former CEO Pete Parsons and other senior executives. Reports about Bungie have given us reason to question its leadership ahead of the sale to Sony.
via game file // Any opportunity to explore Obsidian Entertainment's incredible in-house storytelling tools is welcome. “Every time I think I know, 'This is what this tool does'… some narrative designer will say, 'By the way, did you know it can do that too?'” says veteran writer and designer Josh Sawyer. If Sawyer is still surprised by what their tool can do, imagine the potential for the company's future RPGs.
via game developer// Just when it looked like Epic and Google were about to bury the hatchet, a federal judge wanted to know why they were suddenly best friends. Will the battle to open mobile game stores ever end? Or will we one day find Tim Sweeney in a raincoat in the Arctic ice, still tracking down the last Apple lawyer who refuses to hack the iOS App Store?
through inversion// “We definitely cut some sex scenes. What, looking back, we shouldn't have done,” he said. Send writer Pierre Schorette in an interview with Inverse. “Maybe people will see them one day.” Oh my god.
