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"I think it’s unfair to kind of geofence the genre": Original Stalker designer talks Eurojank in not-so-Euro games
PC

"I think it’s unfair to kind of geofence the genre": Original Stalker designer talks Eurojank in not-so-Euro games

Video games, or more so the people who play them, I suppose, have this annoying thing where they assign a genre name as an insult. I don't want to reignite the discourse around JRPG as a term, but it certainly was used in quite a derisive and othering manner in its earlier years. The term walking sim was used more as a point of ironic degradation, even though it was perfectly apt in many ways. Then there's Eurojank, a sort of real but not technically real genre that describes ambitious but imp

Steam's latest update sounds like a step in the right direction for regional pricing woes
PC

Steam's latest update sounds like a step in the right direction for regional pricing woes

The mystery of what you should price your game is one that I am sure will continue to remain mostly unsolved. There's just no right answer, and to make matters worse, there's currencies other than your own to consider. On Steam there have been plenty of occasions where regional pricing differences haven't gone down well, primarily due to games costing too much based on local wages. However, a new Steam update should now make it easier for devs to set better regional prices. Read more

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 translator claims Warhorse have laid him off in preference of using AI going forward
PC

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 translator claims Warhorse have laid him off in preference of using AI going forward

It sounds like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios' future projects won't be translated entirely by human hands. Earlier today, a Reddit post was shared to the game's subreddit from Max Hejtmánek, a Czech to English translator and editor on the developer's most recent game, where he claimed that yesterday, March 27th, he was laid off "in favour of using AI for all translations going forward." Read more

Embark devs playtested Arc Raiders too viciously, so they found a system that let them be Care Bears one day and aggressive the next
PC

Embark devs playtested Arc Raiders too viciously, so they found a system that let them be Care Bears one day and aggressive the next

The problem with playtesting is that it is impossible to predict every last thing any given person may do once a game is out in the wild. It's an imperfect science where you do the best you can in the moment. I imagine a live service game like Arc Raiders to be extra difficult, given how many playstyles need to be accounted for. And based on a recent interview, it sounds like some of the team at Embark took an approach that involved a randomiser determining their own playstyle from day to day

A year on from launching Wanderstop, Ivy Road are closing their doors after struggling to fund their next game
PC

A year on from launching Wanderstop, Ivy Road are closing their doors after struggling to fund their next game

It's been a little over a year since the release of Wanderstop, the debut game of Ivy Road, itself a studio made up of Stanley Parable, Gone Home, and Minecraft talent. Since then, the developer has been trying to find funding for its next game, Engine Angel, but in January announced that this had been unsuccessful, with layoffs taking place as a result. Now, the studio has announced that it is, unfortunately, shutting down. Read more