Replayed that GOT series after years, really wish we had a second season of that. TWD and the GOT series was probably some of the best games i played. made me remember what we lost!!
So I played LIMBO recently, and I beat it, since then it has left an impression on me, I've been thinking about it a lot, from the very hands off way it tells the story, the puzzles, the atmosphere, the artstyle, all has kept lingering in my mind on a constant basis. Going into the game, I didn't think it would have that sort of effect on me, but it has. Given it fits the mould of a platformer game, and arguably reshaped that mould since it released, I didn't anticipate that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did, as platformers as a genre is something I don't really connect with all that much, at least, this type of platformer is one that doesn't hold your hand or as linear in its design like Super Mario Bros., which I'd say everyone has played.
As much as I love having to be guided in games as my sense of direction is rather poor, that the concept of freedom to explore in games can be a tad overwhelming in some circumstances, the way LIMBO emphasises its trial and error to progression, as frustrating as it was to endure, in how LIMBO was designed, it did leave me feeling fulfilled.
I take no shame in using a guide for the game, I don't care, I'll do what I want, but even then, the guide still couldn't help me in some cases, perhaps my reading comprehension is on a decline but there was a remarkable amount of joy I felt in progressing, not because of frustration I experienced beforehand (which to say there was plenty of), but because the game itself kept me so engaged, the story does take a backseat, but the gameplay itself is so rewarding in its rather merciless nature.
I found a neat little video that goes over the history of LIMBO, it's conception, the development process, and it really is something, it makes me very appreciative for what the final product is, here it is if anyone wants to watch:
So I played LIMBO recently, and I beat it, since then it has left an impression on me, I've been thinking about it a lot, from the very hand… mores off way it tells the story, the puzzles, the atmosphere, the artstyle, all has kept lingering in my mind on a constant basis. Going into the game, I didn't think it would have that sort of effect on me, but it has. Given it fits the mould of a platformer game, and arguably reshaped that mould since it released, I didn't anticipate that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did, as platformers as a genre is something I don't really connect with all that much, at least, this type of platformer is one that doesn't hold your hand or as linear in its design like Super Mario Bros., which I'd say everyone has played.
As much as I love having to be guided in games as my sense of direction is rather poor, that the concept of freedom to explore in games can be a tad overwhelming in some circumstances, the way L… [view original content]
INSIDE is one of, if not, my favorite indie game of all time. It's hard for me to believe it was made in the Unity engine because they delivered the best atmosphere ever presented in a video game.
Exciting times! I'm raising money for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, and it'll be a thing where I will be skydiving in order to raise money. I am terrified of falling, and the idea of landing, but those few minutes of anxiety is well worth it, as the cause of raising money for a charity to assist in Youth Suicide Prevention is a just and noble cause that I am willing to put that fear aside for.
Exciting times! I'm raising money for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, and it'll be a thing where I will be skydiving in order to raise mon… moreey. I am terrified of falling, and the idea of landing, but those few minutes of anxiety is well worth it, as the cause of raising money for a charity to assist in Youth Suicide Prevention is a just and noble cause that I am willing to put that fear aside for.
I'll be equipped with all of the necessary gear, and I'll have an instructor attached behind me to ensure it all goes smoothly, all of that will be sorted through the charity as they are hosting it. A relative of mine, her boyfriend did it last year, he absolutely loved it.
I'm tempted to share it on here but I'm not sure if it's permitted in the Forum Rules. It may be a thing that it's an Irish charity so it'll cater to primarily young people that reside in Ireland, that perhaps some abroad may not wish to donate, but all of us in this world, are here together, borders don't divide us, I won't see a single cent that's earned, it is all for charity.
Because Telltale had red flags and flaws right from the start and I just ignored them because I was naive and kept defending them.
Used to be obsessed with Game of Thrones but now I realize, that game is mediocre at best. I haven't watched any clips of that game in a LONG time. Minecraft Story Mode was an obvious cash grab. How so? That game got three additional episodes in the first season and a second season (One year after, no less) while Wolf got none of it at the time. The Walking Dead Michonne just had NO reason to exist, like it didn't even try to make me feel invested in the story.
That game got three additional episodes in the first season and a second season (One year after, no less)
I just realized Telltale kinda did the same in MCSM with what they did in TWDG Seasons. Season 1 you had your group of friends but in season 2 they cut that in half with only Lucas and Petra, same with TWDG Seasons where we could've gotten Christa or 400 days cast back, but instead made new characters. Again it would be more better if Telltale would have all episodes as one game without the rewrites with writers and actors not leaving for different projects.
The Walking Dead Michonne just had NO reason to exist, like it didn't even try to make me feel invested in the story.
I've only played it once, never played it again because the story and characters were very weak to the actual 4 seasons of the game. Even ANF I remmember more than Michonne which is weird.
Because Telltale had red flags and flaws right from the start and I just ignored them because I was naive and kept defending them.
Used t… moreo be obsessed with Game of Thrones but now I realize, that game is mediocre at best. I haven't watched any clips of that game in a LONG time. Minecraft Story Mode was an obvious cash grab. How so? That game got three additional episodes in the first season and a second season (One year after, no less) while Wolf got none of it at the time. The Walking Dead Michonne just had NO reason to exist, like it didn't even try to make me feel invested in the story.
I just realized Telltale kinda did the same in MCSM with what they did in TWDG Seasons. Season 1 you had your group of friends but in season 2 they cut that in half with only Lucas and Petra, same with TWDG Seasons where we could've gotten Christa or 400 days cast back, but instead made new characters.
I didn't even bother finishing my binge for Minecraft S2 because the writing was much worse and boring. What was even the point of having Season 1 of Minecraft on Netflix? Almost nobody bothered playing it as far as I am concerned.
I've only played it once, never played it again because the story and characters were very weak to the actual 4 seasons of the game. Even ANF I remmember more than Michonne which is weird.
I have to agree. As much as I hate ANF, that game is more memorable and more fun to trash on. Michonne is just plain boring. The fact that I'm forced to side with the character that caused the entire chaos in the first place is enough for me to never play it again.
That game got three additional episodes in the first season and a second season (One year after, no less)
I just realized Telltale k… moreinda did the same in MCSM with what they did in TWDG Seasons. Season 1 you had your group of friends but in season 2 they cut that in half with only Lucas and Petra, same with TWDG Seasons where we could've gotten Christa or 400 days cast back, but instead made new characters. Again it would be more better if Telltale would have all episodes as one game without the rewrites with writers and actors not leaving for different projects.
The Walking Dead Michonne just had NO reason to exist, like it didn't even try to make me feel invested in the story.
I've only played it once, never played it again because the story and characters were very weak to the actual 4 seasons of the game. Even ANF I remmember more than Michonne which is weird.
I have to agree. As much as I hate ANF, that game is more memorable and more fun to trash on. Michonne is just plain boring. The fact that I'm forced to side with the character that caused the entire chaos in the first place is enough for me to never play it again.
Actually I remember why I played Michonne originally. Job Stauffer (who was also the guy who tweeted 400 days would have a mild impact on episode 3 of season 2 and said things about ANF like "it was so big we separated episode 1 and 2" said "you will want to play Michonne before Season 3" so in my head I thought ok maybe there's gonna be some tie ins to the first 2 seasons of TWDG. Man I really wish I didn't have that expectation.
Off topic, I just looked at Job Stauffer and he actually used to work for Rockstar Games, mainly GTA 4 and it's DLCs (found out on the GTA Wiki). But unfortunately like any other gaming company, he was under pressure. Some Rockstar employees were forced to work 100 hour weeks for deadlines prior to GTA 4's release. Job Stauffer actually tweeted "it was like working with a gun to your head 7 days a week." This was all under Dan Houser at time.
Here's hoping Job Stauffer is still not dealing with any pressure at his job now.
I just realized Telltale kinda did the same in MCSM with what they did in TWDG Seasons. Season 1 you had your group of friends but in season… more 2 they cut that in half with only Lucas and Petra, same with TWDG Seasons where we could've gotten Christa or 400 days cast back, but instead made new characters.
I didn't even bother finishing my binge for Minecraft S2 because the writing was much worse and boring. What was even the point of having Season 1 of Minecraft on Netflix? Almost nobody bothered playing it as far as I am concerned.
I've only played it once, never played it again because the story and characters were very weak to the actual 4 seasons of the game. Even ANF I remmember more than Michonne which is weird.
I have to agree. As much as I hate ANF, that game is more memorable and more fun to trash on. Michonne is just plain boring. The fact that I'm forced to side with the character that caused the entire chaos in the first place is enough for me to never play it again.
I have to agree. As much as I hate ANF, that game is more memorable and more fun to trash on. Michonne is just plain boring. The fact that I… more'm forced to side with the character that caused the entire chaos in the first place is enough for me to never play it again.
Actually I remember why I played Michonne originally. Job Stauffer (who was also the guy who tweeted 400 days would have a mild impact on episode 3 of season 2 and said things about ANF like "it was so big we separated episode 1 and 2" said "you will want to play Michonne before Season 3" so in my head I thought ok maybe there's gonna be some tie ins to the first 2 seasons of TWDG. Man I really wish I didn't have that expectation.
Off topic, I just looked at Job Stauffer and he actually used to work for Rockstar Games, mainly GTA 4 and it's DLCs (found out on the GTA Wiki). But unfortunately like any other gaming company, he was under pressure. Some Rockstar employees we… [view original content]
said things about ANF like "it was so big we separated episode 1 and 2"
Wasn't Kevin Bruner the one who said that? During Game Awards? That's what I remember but it's been ages.
Yeah it was Bruner at the 2016 Game Awards, he was asked by Geoff when Episode 1 was releasing and he replied that they encountered an issue, that it was too big to fit into a premiere Episode so they split it into two parts. I went digging into the 2016 Game Awards Livestream to find that
said things about ANF like "it was so big we separated episode 1 and 2"
Wasn't Kevin Bruner the one who said that? During Game Awards? That's what I remember but it's been ages.
Yeah it was Bruner at the 2016 Game Awards, he was asked by Geoff when Episode 1 was releasing and he replied that they encountered an issue… more, that it was too big to fit into a premiere Episode so they split it into two parts. I went digging into the 2016 Game Awards Livestream to find that
It's all good. Honestly I am not sure why he said that, two issues come to mind when I think of the statement he made, both are problems.
The first one is obviously hyping it up by saying it was so big that they split it in two, that would've raised the expectations for A New Frontier in delivering a quality season, because on the surface, it does make you think "wow, this must be a jam packed Episode", which it is an eventful one, and does cover a lot of ground, but moves a bit too fast, that it can be exhausting for players, hubs weren't as in-depth as previous seasons so the chill period isn't that long before you are swung back into dealing with the New Frontier.
The second issue is that, and I remember going back and reading those discussion threads from years ago as I liked seeing the discussions, but the second issue is that looking beyond the surface, it does sound concerning that they delayed the premiere by a month, then came to the decision that the original Episode 2 would be pushed to the wayside.
Looking further back in articles I've read from the late 2000's on Telltale, I do think that what Telltale did become from 2015-2017 was the intended end goal from their inception, shorter, bite-size episodes that can be done in one sitting without any worry. That would've been okay if they didn't have major IP's under their belt, and if so, they could've extended the Seasons, but I think the vision from the get-go was sound when they were producing Sam & Max and Law & Order, not The Walking Dead.
For me personally, I really don't mind A New Frontier, it's not a perfect Season, but I do still enjoy it, I admit I do possess an internal bias towards it due to The Walking Dead being a therapy game series for me, and being something that has helped me personally, but I do think in comparison to the other Seasons, it doesn't live up to the standards set, and personally, I do think the reaction towards it is a bit overblown, I really don't think it is that bad, but it's not a world beater of a game, I'd say if it wasn't affiliated with The Walking Dead, it may be regarded as a somewhat positively received, in the middle sort of game, not the inbred cousin that it's sort of looked at today.
Exciting times! I'm raising money for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, and it'll be a thing where I will be skydiving in order to raise mon… moreey. I am terrified of falling, and the idea of landing, but those few minutes of anxiety is well worth it, as the cause of raising money for a charity to assist in Youth Suicide Prevention is a just and noble cause that I am willing to put that fear aside for.
Absolutely fucking horrible news. Those poor devs...
Tango Gameworks put out a critically acclaimed GOTY contender at the beginning of last year with Hi-Fi Rush that had people talking about it until the very end, and this is how they're rewarded. The industry absolutely needs a culling but it's not the developers that should be targeted.
I just finished the first Dishonored yesterday.
Just to clarify, Arkane Lyon, who developed the Dishonored series and Deathloop have survived (for now). Arkane Austin developed Prey (incredible game) and Redfall.
Microsoft lost all my respect after this. I was never into "Playstation vs Xbox" but I can officially say Xbox has no games. They buy studios and they don't do shit with them besides closing them down.
Tango Gameworks put out a critically acclaimed GOTY contender at the beginning of last year with Hi-Fi Rush that had people talking about it until the very end, and this is how they're rewarded. The industry absolutely needs a culling but it's not the developers that should be targeted.
I have Hi Fi Rush installed on my PS5.
Just to clarify, Arkane Lyon, who developed the Dishonored series and Deathloop have survived (for now). Arkane Austin developed Prey (incredibly game) and Redfall.
So I've heard but Microsoft deserves to fail this generation for forcing good devs to work on useless live-service which is gonna die soon, just like the others.
Absolutely fucking horrible news. Those poor devs...
Tango Gameworks put out a critically acclaimed GOTY contender at the beginning of la… morest year with Hi-Fi Rush that had people talking about it until the very end, and this is how they're rewarded. The industry absolutely needs a culling but it's not the developers that should be targeted.
I just finished the first Dishonored yesterday.
Just to clarify, Arkane Lyon, who developed the Dishonored series and Deathloop have survived (for now). Arkane Austin developed Prey (incredible game) and Redfall.
If Microsoft really wanted money because they were in trouble businesswise, why didn't they just sell these companies? Why even bother wasting billions if they don't care about making good games?
They literally pulled an EA this year. This isn't just a mistake. It's a scar. It cannot be healed.
It is official for me to say that the Xbox brand has no first-party titles that are worth buying a console for. I did consider buying one in the future at some point but after this? Hell to the fucking no.
Xbox deserves no future generations.
EDIT: Not only is Microsoft stupid. They are also hypocritical.
343 industries screwed the Halo brand four fucking times in a row. By not launching one Halo game in a good state. But the studio somehow remains intact.
Tango Gameworks never made a single bad game and the latest one was very successful under the Xbox brand. But they get canned anyways.
Trust me, I'm petrified but I strongly believe in the charity it is for so a few minutes of fear is far outweighed by providing awareness to a cause that will save lives, I am willing to put my fear aside for that.
If I wanted to go skydiving, I'd sit next to the emergency door of a Boeing airplane and unbuckle my seat belt.
That's a brave thing for … moreyou to do, but you could not persuade or pay me enough to jump out of an airplane unless my life was actually threatened.
I literally saw one guy with an unreal take on Twitter (shocking I know) saying that it's not all bad, those Devs will be fine, which is honestly so tone deaf, the room was not read when they made that tweet.
343 Industries have honestly let down the Halo series, Infinite has great gameplay, and it has an interesting campaign, but there's always some sort of caveat to the good they do, like I remember playing Infinite when the multiplayer launched, the pricing for bundles was ridiculous, you couldn't earn anything through playing matches, unlike other live service multiplayer games. Then there was a report that came out saying that 2/3's of the Halo Infinite campaign was cut and what we got barely scratched the surface of what the game was meant to be. I haven't touched Halo Wars that much, it plays okay but hard to keep invested in. Master Chief Collection was broken at launch for many years, and it's only over the past three or so years it's in good shape, but supposedly they've pulled development on future updates for MCC, because it wasn't "profitable". Don't get me started on Halo 5: Guardians, graphically it is beautiful, gameplay is tight and feels good, but the Story is bare bones, and some plot points from the game get resolved through the books, with little to no reference in the sequel games. 343 Industries is just a mess, management isn't great, a lot of execs have left and they're in a state of limbo, but if I were to summarise their handling of Halo, I'd say it has been disappointing, there are some wins, but plenty of losses.
Haven't touched Hi-Fi Rush but I've heard great things, mostly through the Forums, so I have installed it via Game Pass and plan to play it soon.
Honestly it's unreal and very hard to believe that a company like Microsoft is "struggling", they're a mega corporation, literally too big to fail, if they were to declare bankruptcy tomorrow, they would be bailed out by the federal government, I wouldn't even say that they are struggling financially because they just aren't, the Xbox branch isn't profitable sure, Game Pass operates at a loss, lack of enticing first party games doesn't bring people into the ecosystem, which reduces unit sales of the consoles, they do have their toes dipped into PC but they're competing against the likes of Helldivers 2, and even internal competition from the Fallout games, which have seen a massive resurgence since the Prime show. All that would impact the new titles they've got coming out.
I'm only really still in the Xbox ecosystem due to my rather massive games library being on it, familiarity with the interface, some Community/Club features that have been scaled back or discontinued on PlayStation, but between the two, PlayStation does provide a better player experience, but they too have made some silly decisions that made little sense.
I read a tweet from Mike Ybarra, who used to be at Xbox, and Activision Blizzard (he's not a great guy either if you read up on him) and he basically said that Phil Spencer himself is struggling with the layoffs, it isn't something he's proud of, which, maybe so, but like, why make it about an executive that oversees the Xbox division and divert focus from those affected by the studio closure that were part of that division? Phil still has a job, he makes tens of millions per year, and will continue to do so, the same can't be said for Devs, so whether or not Phil is "struggling", I genuinely couldn't care, I'm sure he'll be wiping away those tears with the sizeable bonus he'll receive at the end of the fiscal year. Obviously it's to soften criticism of Phil, to humanize him, he has thoughts and feelings too, but in turn, make him the focal point, make it seem like he really had no choice in the matter, he was just along for the ride and was powerless to do anything. Yeah, no, I don't buy that.
In regards to Phil, I don't really back his leadership, he knows all the right things to say to get the Gamers™ on his side, but what positives has his leadership brought to Xbox aside from being a good face for PR? Studios are under incompetent management, 343 was one major example, if I remember correctly, The Initiative is suffering from bad management, Perfect Dark is in development hell, games are being hurried out the door with no adequate time to polish and putting more pressure on QA testers, State of Decay 3 is also trapped in development hell, like sure it does seem like that Xbox take a mostly hands off approach, which on the surface looks good, but if you're still allowing toxic or incompetent leadership to fester in your studios, then you're complicit in the treatment that staff receive.
There is no going back after this.
If Microsoft really wanted money because they were in trouble businesswise, why didn't they just sell … morethese companies? Why even bother wasting billions if they don't care about making good games?
They literally pulled an EA this year. This isn't just a mistake. It's a scar. It cannot be healed.
It is official for me to say that the Xbox brand has no first-party titles that are worth buying a console for. I did consider buying one in the future at some point but after this? Hell to the fucking no.
Xbox deserves no future generations.
EDIT: Not only is Microsoft stupid. They are also hypocritical.
343 industries screwed the Halo brand four fucking times in a row. By not launching one Halo game in a good state. But the studio somehow remains intact.
Tango Gameworks never made a single bad game and the latest one was very successful under the Xbox brand. But they get canned anyways.
Imagine defending this shit.
On the bright side, we still have Arkane Lyon. Arkane Austin did Prey (great game) and Redfall (not so great). That being said, this news pisses me off.
To make it even worse, Jason Schreier just reported this: "Before its closure, Arkane had been looking to return to its roots by pitching a new single-player “immersive sim” game, such as a new entry in the Dishonored series, according to the people familiar."
Instead, we have the main studio working on a fucking Blade game, when it could have been a Dishonored 3.
Blade has potential but I no longer trust Microsoft to deliver.
If they don't care about making good first party titles for Xbox, then what is even the point of buying an Xbox console? I was never into this console war bullshit but Microsoft is officially the worst of the bunch.
I do hate Sony as well in some occassions but at least they didn't close down any beloved studios (yet), they still make great single player games and they do take the feedback seriously (They recently retracted the PSN account creation for Helldivers 2).
On the bright side, we still have Arkane Lyon. Arkane Austin did Prey (great game) and Redfall (not so great). That being said, this news pi… moresses me off.
To make it even worse, Jason Schreier just reported this: "Before its closure, Arkane had been looking to return to its roots by pitching a new single-player “immersive sim” game, such as a new entry in the Dishonored series, according to the people familiar."
Instead, we have the main studio working on a fucking Blade game, when it could have been a Dishonored 3.
So Xbox laid off staff, and Microsoft invest $3.3 billion in a data centre in Racine to further develop AI, leading to 2,300 union workers to build it, and 2,000 people to work in that centre. And yet any attempts for game developers to unionise is shot down...
More layoffs may be coming at Microsoft, what a week it's been so far, my heart goes out to the Devs at all of the studios affected, like I know it may sound stupid, but given the juggernaut that Microsoft is, I think it's justified to ask this, but why are they laying off staff and closing studios? It's not like they're some up and coming indie studio that needs another round of funding to stay open, and like, I'm not sure if they're aware, but they have an issue with available first party games, so trimming down your workforce that does that for you, especially when one of the studios that shuttered developed a game in Hi-Fi Rush that you need more of, it's such a self-own.
It's just laughable to me that given their financial prowess, and that they already contract people on an 18 month basis to work and develop for them, that they actually are like "Man, we're really strapped for cash, gotta lay off our staff, bye bye", it's not even financial struggles, it's financial greed in its purest form. I've already mentioned how Microsoft is a company that is too big to fail, and if it were strapped for cash, they'd be bailed out in a heartbeat by the US Federal Government, so like, they aren't going anywhere, they won't shutter or anything, they'll exist long into the future.
There are companies that can't and won't fail, because they are too powerful and beneficial that the economy, on a global level, would suffer in levels of astronomical proportions.
Do I even need to remind you that Hello Games, being an indie studio, kept improving No Man's Sky with FREE updates for 8 years and did NOT do any layoffs (As far as I am aware)?
Microsoft didn't even show any signs of losing profit. They are 3 trillion fucking company. I refuse to believe these layoffs are anything but due to greed.
I am still trying to understand why Tango, of all the companies, gets a knife in the back. With Arkane Austin, I can kind of understand but never with Tango who literally made the best Xbox title in years. I feel like the entire logic took a vacation on Jupiter.
Comments
Replayed that GOT series after years, really wish we had a second season of that. TWD and the GOT series was probably some of the best games i played. made me remember what we lost!!
The more I grow up, the more I feel embarrassed about my fanboyism for Telltale in the past.
So I played LIMBO recently, and I beat it, since then it has left an impression on me, I've been thinking about it a lot, from the very hands off way it tells the story, the puzzles, the atmosphere, the artstyle, all has kept lingering in my mind on a constant basis. Going into the game, I didn't think it would have that sort of effect on me, but it has. Given it fits the mould of a platformer game, and arguably reshaped that mould since it released, I didn't anticipate that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did, as platformers as a genre is something I don't really connect with all that much, at least, this type of platformer is one that doesn't hold your hand or as linear in its design like Super Mario Bros., which I'd say everyone has played.
As much as I love having to be guided in games as my sense of direction is rather poor, that the concept of freedom to explore in games can be a tad overwhelming in some circumstances, the way LIMBO emphasises its trial and error to progression, as frustrating as it was to endure, in how LIMBO was designed, it did leave me feeling fulfilled.
I take no shame in using a guide for the game, I don't care, I'll do what I want, but even then, the guide still couldn't help me in some cases, perhaps my reading comprehension is on a decline
but there was a remarkable amount of joy I felt in progressing, not because of frustration I experienced beforehand (which to say there was plenty of), but because the game itself kept me so engaged, the story does take a backseat, but the gameplay itself is so rewarding in its rather merciless nature.
I found a neat little video that goes over the history of LIMBO, it's conception, the development process, and it really is something, it makes me very appreciative for what the final product is, here it is if anyone wants to watch:
If you haven’t played it the game Inside is made by the same developers and is essentially a spiritual successor to Limbo.
INSIDE is one of, if not, my favorite indie game of all time. It's hard for me to believe it was made in the Unity engine because they delivered the best atmosphere ever presented in a video game.
I've made a start on it! Been too busy with work to give it the appropriate time but I'm off for a few days so I'll get back to it this evening!
TIL there is a Detroit: Become Human manga you can buy on the Quantic Dream website set in Tokyo of the same universe.
Here it is
Exciting times! I'm raising money for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, and it'll be a thing where I will be skydiving in order to raise money. I am terrified of falling, and the idea of landing, but those few minutes of anxiety is well worth it, as the cause of raising money for a charity to assist in Youth Suicide Prevention is a just and noble cause that I am willing to put that fear aside for.
Sweet Lord, make sure you are equipped with all the necessary safety. Or are you just gonna have an instructor attached behind you?
I'll be equipped with all of the necessary gear, and I'll have an instructor attached behind me to ensure it all goes smoothly, all of that will be sorted through the charity as they are hosting it. A relative of mine, her boyfriend did it last year, he absolutely loved it.
I'm tempted to share it on here but I'm not sure if it's permitted in the Forum Rules. It may be a thing that it's an Irish charity so it'll cater to primarily young people that reside in Ireland, that perhaps some abroad may not wish to donate, but all of us in this world, are here together, borders don't divide us, I won't see a single cent that's earned, it is all for charity.
It's been years since I last played a game of them, But here I am visiting here every now and again to see what's up, Nostalgia is one hell of a drug.
You said it
Why do you say that?
Because Telltale had red flags and flaws right from the start and I just ignored them because I was naive and kept defending them.
Used to be obsessed with Game of Thrones but now I realize, that game is mediocre at best. I haven't watched any clips of that game in a LONG time. Minecraft Story Mode was an obvious cash grab. How so? That game got three additional episodes in the first season and a second season (One year after, no less) while Wolf got none of it at the time. The Walking Dead Michonne just had NO reason to exist, like it didn't even try to make me feel invested in the story.
I just realized Telltale kinda did the same in MCSM with what they did in TWDG Seasons. Season 1 you had your group of friends but in season 2 they cut that in half with only Lucas and Petra, same with TWDG Seasons where we could've gotten Christa or 400 days cast back, but instead made new characters. Again it would be more better if Telltale would have all episodes as one game without the rewrites with writers and actors not leaving for different projects.
I've only played it once, never played it again because the story and characters were very weak to the actual 4 seasons of the game. Even ANF I remmember more than Michonne which is weird.
I didn't even bother finishing my binge for Minecraft S2 because the writing was much worse and boring. What was even the point of having Season 1 of Minecraft on Netflix? Almost nobody bothered playing it as far as I am concerned.
I have to agree. As much as I hate ANF, that game is more memorable and more fun to trash on. Michonne is just plain boring. The fact that I'm forced to side with the character that caused the entire chaos in the first place is enough for me to never play it again.
Actually I remember why I played Michonne originally. Job Stauffer (who was also the guy who tweeted 400 days would have a mild impact on episode 3 of season 2 and said things about ANF like "it was so big we separated episode 1 and 2" said "you will want to play Michonne before Season 3" so in my head I thought ok maybe there's gonna be some tie ins to the first 2 seasons of TWDG. Man I really wish I didn't have that expectation.
Off topic, I just looked at Job Stauffer and he actually used to work for Rockstar Games, mainly GTA 4 and it's DLCs (found out on the GTA Wiki). But unfortunately like any other gaming company, he was under pressure. Some Rockstar employees were forced to work 100 hour weeks for deadlines prior to GTA 4's release. Job Stauffer actually tweeted "it was like working with a gun to your head 7 days a week." This was all under Dan Houser at time.
Here's hoping Job Stauffer is still not dealing with any pressure at his job now.
Wasn't Kevin Bruner the one who said that? During Game Awards? That's what I remember but it's been ages.
Didn't Job Stauffer do most of the tweeting promoting Season 2 and 3 of TWDG? Either way yeah I don't remmember much.
Yeah it was Bruner at the 2016 Game Awards, he was asked by Geoff when Episode 1 was releasing and he replied that they encountered an issue, that it was too big to fit into a premiere Episode so they split it into two parts. I went digging into the 2016 Game Awards Livestream to find that
Ah ok that probably explains why I didn't know.
It's all good. Honestly I am not sure why he said that, two issues come to mind when I think of the statement he made, both are problems.
The first one is obviously hyping it up by saying it was so big that they split it in two, that would've raised the expectations for A New Frontier in delivering a quality season, because on the surface, it does make you think "wow, this must be a jam packed Episode", which it is an eventful one, and does cover a lot of ground, but moves a bit too fast, that it can be exhausting for players, hubs weren't as in-depth as previous seasons so the chill period isn't that long before you are swung back into dealing with the New Frontier.
The second issue is that, and I remember going back and reading those discussion threads from years ago as I liked seeing the discussions, but the second issue is that looking beyond the surface, it does sound concerning that they delayed the premiere by a month, then came to the decision that the original Episode 2 would be pushed to the wayside.
Looking further back in articles I've read from the late 2000's on Telltale, I do think that what Telltale did become from 2015-2017 was the intended end goal from their inception, shorter, bite-size episodes that can be done in one sitting without any worry. That would've been okay if they didn't have major IP's under their belt, and if so, they could've extended the Seasons, but I think the vision from the get-go was sound when they were producing Sam & Max and Law & Order, not The Walking Dead.
For me personally, I really don't mind A New Frontier, it's not a perfect Season, but I do still enjoy it, I admit I do possess an internal bias towards it due to The Walking Dead being a therapy game series for me, and being something that has helped me personally, but I do think in comparison to the other Seasons, it doesn't live up to the standards set, and personally, I do think the reaction towards it is a bit overblown, I really don't think it is that bad, but it's not a world beater of a game, I'd say if it wasn't affiliated with The Walking Dead, it may be regarded as a somewhat positively received, in the middle sort of game, not the inbred cousin that it's sort of looked at today.
If I wanted to go skydiving, I'd sit next to the emergency door of a Boeing airplane and unbuckle my seat belt.
That's a brave thing for you to do, but you could not persuade or pay me enough to jump out of an airplane unless my life was actually threatened.
I been watching the back and forth between Kendrick and Drake.
I am fucking upset right now. I just finished the first Dishonored yesterday.
Absolutely fucking horrible news. Those poor devs...
Tango Gameworks put out a critically acclaimed GOTY contender at the beginning of last year with Hi-Fi Rush that had people talking about it until the very end, and this is how they're rewarded. The industry absolutely needs a culling but it's not the developers that should be targeted.
Just to clarify, Arkane Lyon, who developed the Dishonored series and Deathloop have survived (for now). Arkane Austin developed Prey (incredible game) and Redfall.
Microsoft lost all my respect after this. I was never into "Playstation vs Xbox" but I can officially say Xbox has no games. They buy studios and they don't do shit with them besides closing them down.
I have Hi Fi Rush installed on my PS5.
So I've heard but Microsoft deserves to fail this generation for forcing good devs to work on useless live-service which is gonna die soon, just like the others.
Microsoft really looked at Sony fumbling the bag with Helldivers 2 and went, "We can do worse."
I know the industry can be competitive but come on.
Hi Fi Rush was a huge hit in 2023 and even got nominated for Best Action Game.
Microsoft: Not enough. Goodbye and fuck off, Tango.
There is no going back after this.
If Microsoft really wanted money because they were in trouble businesswise, why didn't they just sell these companies? Why even bother wasting billions if they don't care about making good games?
They literally pulled an EA this year. This isn't just a mistake. It's a scar. It cannot be healed.
It is official for me to say that the Xbox brand has no first-party titles that are worth buying a console for. I did consider buying one in the future at some point but after this? Hell to the fucking no.
Xbox deserves no future generations.
EDIT: Not only is Microsoft stupid. They are also hypocritical.
343 industries screwed the Halo brand four fucking times in a row. By not launching one Halo game in a good state. But the studio somehow remains intact.
Tango Gameworks never made a single bad game and the latest one was very successful under the Xbox brand. But they get canned anyways.
Imagine defending this shit.
Trust me, I'm petrified
but I strongly believe in the charity it is for so a few minutes of fear is far outweighed by providing awareness to a cause that will save lives, I am willing to put my fear aside for that.
I literally saw one guy with an unreal take on Twitter (shocking I know) saying that it's not all bad, those Devs will be fine, which is honestly so tone deaf, the room was not read when they made that tweet.
343 Industries have honestly let down the Halo series, Infinite has great gameplay, and it has an interesting campaign, but there's always some sort of caveat to the good they do, like I remember playing Infinite when the multiplayer launched, the pricing for bundles was ridiculous, you couldn't earn anything through playing matches, unlike other live service multiplayer games. Then there was a report that came out saying that 2/3's of the Halo Infinite campaign was cut and what we got barely scratched the surface of what the game was meant to be. I haven't touched Halo Wars that much, it plays okay but hard to keep invested in. Master Chief Collection was broken at launch for many years, and it's only over the past three or so years it's in good shape, but supposedly they've pulled development on future updates for MCC, because it wasn't "profitable". Don't get me started on Halo 5: Guardians, graphically it is beautiful, gameplay is tight and feels good, but the Story is bare bones, and some plot points from the game get resolved through the books, with little to no reference in the sequel games. 343 Industries is just a mess, management isn't great, a lot of execs have left and they're in a state of limbo, but if I were to summarise their handling of Halo, I'd say it has been disappointing, there are some wins, but plenty of losses.
Haven't touched Hi-Fi Rush but I've heard great things, mostly through the Forums, so I have installed it via Game Pass and plan to play it soon.
Honestly it's unreal and very hard to believe that a company like Microsoft is "struggling", they're a mega corporation, literally too big to fail, if they were to declare bankruptcy tomorrow, they would be bailed out by the federal government, I wouldn't even say that they are struggling financially because they just aren't, the Xbox branch isn't profitable sure, Game Pass operates at a loss, lack of enticing first party games doesn't bring people into the ecosystem, which reduces unit sales of the consoles, they do have their toes dipped into PC but they're competing against the likes of Helldivers 2, and even internal competition from the Fallout games, which have seen a massive resurgence since the Prime show. All that would impact the new titles they've got coming out.
I'm only really still in the Xbox ecosystem due to my rather massive games library being on it, familiarity with the interface, some Community/Club features that have been scaled back or discontinued on PlayStation, but between the two, PlayStation does provide a better player experience, but they too have made some silly decisions that made little sense.
I read a tweet from Mike Ybarra, who used to be at Xbox, and Activision Blizzard (he's not a great guy either if you read up on him) and he basically said that Phil Spencer himself is struggling with the layoffs, it isn't something he's proud of, which, maybe so, but like, why make it about an executive that oversees the Xbox division and divert focus from those affected by the studio closure that were part of that division? Phil still has a job, he makes tens of millions per year, and will continue to do so, the same can't be said for Devs, so whether or not Phil is "struggling", I genuinely couldn't care, I'm sure he'll be wiping away those tears with the sizeable bonus he'll receive at the end of the fiscal year. Obviously it's to soften criticism of Phil, to humanize him, he has thoughts and feelings too, but in turn, make him the focal point, make it seem like he really had no choice in the matter, he was just along for the ride and was powerless to do anything. Yeah, no, I don't buy that.
In regards to Phil, I don't really back his leadership, he knows all the right things to say to get the Gamers™ on his side, but what positives has his leadership brought to Xbox aside from being a good face for PR? Studios are under incompetent management, 343 was one major example, if I remember correctly, The Initiative is suffering from bad management, Perfect Dark is in development hell, games are being hurried out the door with no adequate time to polish and putting more pressure on QA testers, State of Decay 3 is also trapped in development hell, like sure it does seem like that Xbox take a mostly hands off approach, which on the surface looks good, but if you're still allowing toxic or incompetent leadership to fester in your studios, then you're complicit in the treatment that staff receive.
On the bright side, we still have Arkane Lyon. Arkane Austin did Prey (great game) and Redfall (not so great). That being said, this news pisses me off.
To make it even worse, Jason Schreier just reported this: "Before its closure, Arkane had been looking to return to its roots by pitching a new single-player “immersive sim” game, such as a new entry in the Dishonored series, according to the people familiar."
Instead, we have the main studio working on a fucking Blade game, when it could have been a Dishonored 3.
Blade has potential but I no longer trust Microsoft to deliver.
If they don't care about making good first party titles for Xbox, then what is even the point of buying an Xbox console? I was never into this console war bullshit but Microsoft is officially the worst of the bunch.
I do hate Sony as well in some occassions but at least they didn't close down any beloved studios (yet), they still make great single player games and they do take the feedback seriously (They recently retracted the PSN account creation for Helldivers 2).
So Xbox laid off staff, and Microsoft invest $3.3 billion in a data centre in Racine to further develop AI, leading to 2,300 union workers to build it, and 2,000 people to work in that centre. And yet any attempts for game developers to unionise is shot down...
I'm going to become the Joker.
Daniel from Amnesia The Dark Descent didn't have THIS much memory loss compared these uneducated execs.
I saw your pain and made a meme.
More layoffs may be coming at Microsoft, what a week it's been so far, my heart goes out to the Devs at all of the studios affected, like I know it may sound stupid, but given the juggernaut that Microsoft is, I think it's justified to ask this, but why are they laying off staff and closing studios? It's not like they're some up and coming indie studio that needs another round of funding to stay open, and like, I'm not sure if they're aware, but they have an issue with available first party games, so trimming down your workforce that does that for you, especially when one of the studios that shuttered developed a game in Hi-Fi Rush that you need more of, it's such a self-own.
It's just laughable to me that given their financial prowess, and that they already contract people on an 18 month basis to work and develop for them, that they actually are like "Man, we're really strapped for cash, gotta lay off our staff, bye bye", it's not even financial struggles, it's financial greed in its purest form. I've already mentioned how Microsoft is a company that is too big to fail, and if it were strapped for cash, they'd be bailed out in a heartbeat by the US Federal Government, so like, they aren't going anywhere, they won't shutter or anything, they'll exist long into the future.
There are companies that can't and won't fail, because they are too powerful and beneficial that the economy, on a global level, would suffer in levels of astronomical proportions.
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-xbox-bracing-for-more-cuts-after-studio-hoarder-microsoft-claims-it-s-spread-too-thin
Do I even need to remind you that Hello Games, being an indie studio, kept improving No Man's Sky with FREE updates for 8 years and did NOT do any layoffs (As far as I am aware)?
Microsoft didn't even show any signs of losing profit. They are 3 trillion fucking company. I refuse to believe these layoffs are anything but due to greed.
I am still trying to understand why Tango, of all the companies, gets a knife in the back. With Arkane Austin, I can kind of understand but never with Tango who literally made the best Xbox title in years. I feel like the entire logic took a vacation on Jupiter.