Game News

 

It's been a tumultuous week in game news.

Cyberpunk 2077 got delayed again. Not just again but for the third time. I absolutely support finishing a game before releasing it, and it is a simple fact that COVID has made everyone's lives difficult. A third delay, however is fairly unheard of, even though it may be needed. Then CD Project Red's boss made some really dumb comments about crunch and was forced to apologize. The end result was a 25% drop in stock value which is never good, although it is rising again. I'm sure Cyberpunk 2077 will be released one day before 2077. Maybe.

Speaking of delayed, the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands got delayed a while back but the new release date is set as November 23-24 (depending on region) for those who are interested but maybe hadn't heard.

*edit* I got the date wrong when I wrote this. the above date should be correct*

 

Google Stadia Games & Entertainment Creative Director, Alex Hutchinson caused a storm when he tweeted that streamers and let's players should pay a license fee to game companies in order to stream games. This elicited a reaction ranging from scornful laughter to pure anger from gamers and creators worldwide.

Many sources from developers to journalists pointed out that game companies benefit hugely from the streaming community as it is, and in fact many give out free copies of their games to streamers in order to promote their product. Live-streams and let's plays are one of, if not the best form of advertisement in the games industry today, which makes Alex's statement ignorant and foolish. Google Stadia has since stated:

“The recent tweets by Alex Hutchinson, creative director at the Montreal Studio of Stadia Games and Entertainment, do not reflect those of Stadia, YouTube or Google.”

Hutchinson has also been forced to state that all his opinions are purely his own. Way to prove you are out of touch from your own job.

Finally, EA got their asses handed to them by the Dutch District Court. The debacle surrounding EA's FIFA lootboxes is nothing new and back in 2018 they became illegal in Belgium. Now the Dutch court has given the Netherlands Gambling Authority, Ksa (Kansspelautoriteit) the authority to fine EA $10 million for illegal gambling.

EA, of course, will still try to appeal, forever claiming that they don't agree with scientific evidence concerning lootboxes, gambling and minors. They also keep yammering on about how the card packs and lootboxes are “surprise mechanics” and so on. The sands are running out on this anti-consumer practice, and in my opinion, game publishers who push for this aggressive monetization should read the fable about the goose who laid golden eggs. It fits today's game market perfectly, and there are quite a few publishers who are sharpening the knives.

On top of this, there is a class action lawsuit in California and one in Canada accusing EA of illegal gambling and promoting gambling to children. After all, FIFA is rated E for Everyone, which includes the kids.

That is that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe! (Don't forget to wash your hands).