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Shenmue III sales flopped - DSOGaming
The game was first funded through Kickstarter with more than 80.000 backers. Sadly, the developers made a few decisions that upset many people. Also the game is very archaic in every form. Meaning fewer people will find interest in something like that in the year 2019.

Personally I was a big fan of the series and also a backer, but Ys Net disappointed me in every possible way.
 
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Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms Official Teaser Trailer


Krakow, Poland – December 2, 2019. All in! Games has announced a new partnership with Gamera Interactive, bringing another dimension of resources to the production and distribution of Alaloth - Champions of The Four Kingdoms, the studio’s upcoming project. Alaloth is planned to be released on PC and Xbox One.

Alaloth takes players to a vibrant fantasy world created with the support of the RPG legend Chris Avellone. The game lets players explore a fully realized ARPG landscape that is a mixture of old school classics and modern action games. The dark god Alaloth has descended to the mortal realm, lying imprisoned in the Valley of Storms and wreaking havoc. Destroy Alaloth within his prison to free the lands from demise. Do it as a hero… or as a dark lord. Alaloth has been shown at several events already, to great acclaim, winning prizes including Best Game Overall (Infogamer 2018), Best Indie Game (SGC 2018) and Visual Excellence (Reboot Develop Blue 2019). In February, All in! Games will showcase Alaloth in their booth at PAX East 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Gamera Interactive did a lot of research and, additionally, fantasy is something that is still appealing for a very large audience. The game is set between old school classic RPG and modern action games. All the animations used for the combat system are motion captured for a gorgeous effect. Moreover, every single environment is hand painted by the studio’s artists. "Alaloth is Gamera Interactive's flagship project and partnering with such a great partner and respected publisher as All in! Games will be invaluable to its success. They loved the game right from the very first pitch at GamesCom,” said Alberto Belli, CEO of Gamera Interactive. “All in! Games really respects our vision and, along the way, they will be able to provide the resources we didn't have access to, turning Alaloth into a bigger and better game."

All in! Games is a publishing house and development team creating and supporting unique games for PC and consoles. Apart from Alaloth, there are dozens of titles in their portfolio, including Tools Up! (The Knights of Unity) and Ghostrunner (One More Level). "We are thrilled to be working together with Gamera Interactive,” said Piotr Żygadło, COO of All in! Games. “We want to help Gamera Interactive reach the full potential of Alaloth, which has a strong foundation in the fact that the lore is incredibly rich and Chris Avellone has been involved in the project. We plan to make Alaloth an amazing game together."

Chris Avellone, who was a writer for such titles as Pillars of Eternity, Planescape Torment and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, provided creative support for the game. He advised the developers and gave feedback on design content, assisting in the creation of the lore and the characters’ backstories within the world of Alaloth.

All in! Games and Gamera Interactive plan to release Alaloth in 2020 on PC and Xbox One, aiming to make a polished finished experience in respect to scale and content.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Interview - VentureBeat
In some ways, Owlcat feels like a Pathfinder studio, similar to Beamdog and its focus on lovingly preserving old Dungeons & Dragons games.

“[Pathfinder’s] catalog is fantastic. When you browse through their world guide and see a nation, you want to have an adventure there,” Owlcat creative director Alexander Mishulin said in an interview last week. “The stories told in the adventure paths are really great, and you either want to play them or game-master them. And here, what we’re doing, we’re really game-mastering to the whole RPG audience.

“This is what draws us. All the stories about this world are great and inspire us to bring even more to this world and tell more stories about it.”

Owlcat Games head Oleg Shpilchevskiy notes how using Pathfinder for their studio’s base is akin to working from a foundation.

“Pathfinder is based on a very mechanical system, with which you can build everything,” he said. “So combining deep mechanical stuff with the imagination of the Golarion setting, which we’re crazy about, with great characters –”

And Mishulin interjects with “and great, great character building. And the people who are into these kinds of games are into the mechanics and the fighting, and Pathfinder brings both stories and mechanics into the mix.”
 
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Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Developer Blog - Kingdom Decisions
Medieval kingdoms were fraught with internal power struggles, and in many instances, the most powerful people in a realm didn’t sit directly on the throne. Instead, they wielded their influence to shape the kingdom in their image or changed the course of history completely by throwing their weight behind sweeping changes that eroded the power of those above them. Bannerlord’s kingdom decision system is a solution that allows us to represent these kinds of internal politics, leading to a more dynamic sandbox that evolves and changes throughout a playthrough as clans rise and fall. In previous blogs, we briefly touched on the subject of decision making, however, the rabbit hole goes a lot deeper, and so, in this week’s blog, we will be expanding on this topic by discussing how decisions are brought forward, and the outcomes and consequences of voting.

Kingdom decisions come in various types. Kingdoms may have to make decisions on which policies to enact as well as things like who will get a newly captured fief. In these cases, while the ruler makes the ultimate decision, all clans in the kingdom get to have their say by supporting one or the other choice by putting their influence behind one of the options.
 
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The Iron Oath - Combat Sequence Video


George Ziets on Torment Tides of Numenera and his Dreams for Digimancy

Great topics here including ToEE, PoE, Wasteland 3 and Fig, innovation from Indies, unexplored campaign settings, and plenty of game design advice from a pro.
Corven: Path of Redemption & Lord British - Announcement
Lord British, the King of Britannia from the Ultima series and the alter ego of Ultima creator Richard Garriott, will officially be in Corven!

After reading my story outline for Lord British in Corven, Richard Garriott was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to have a brainstorming session with me to further refine this part of the Corven storyline. Once we were happy with the result, he officially agreed to have the Lord British character in Corven!

Lord British will not just be a gimmick in Corven, but will play an essential role in the main storyline.
Knights of the Old Republic II Chris Avellone Interview - Cinelinx
Fifteen years after the launch of Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords; the game still holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. To commemorate the RPG’s 15th anniversary, I chatted with the game’s lead designer and writer, Chris Avellone, about all things KOTOR II. From the rushed production, his favorite elements, and the game’s lasting impact, Avellone offered me a candid look at the development of the RPG sequel…
 
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Shane Plays Solasta: Crown of the Magister Videos



 
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Solasta is looking magnificent!! Thanks for the updates and developers, please take your time and get this one right. We'll wait patiently with wallets in hand!
 
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Bethesda halts Development of The Elder Scrolls: Legends - Reddit
We would like to provide an update on Legends in regard to new content. Our previous roadmap indicated we would be releasing one more set this year. We decided to put any new content development or releases on hold for the foreseeable future. This decision will not in any way affect the release and development of GAEA’s Asia-specific version of Legends, which is operated separately, but will inform our decisions on content and feature development going forward.
Disco Elysium as a Mirror to Mid-life Crisis - Rock Paper Shotgun
In the yard below, a corpse hangs from a pine tree.

It is my failure and my shame for all to see, rotting in plain sight.

Martainaise, the broken-down home of Disco Elysium’s broken-down police story, is an excoriating light shone not just upon its broken-down policeman, but also upon me, and my failure to be the person I thought I was. It is my mid-life crisis writ in grey rainfall, my dread realisation that death is coming and I’m not who I ever meant to be.

In the yard below, a corpse hangs from a pine tree. Decaying in the rain. It’s been there for days. Everyone sees it, no-one mentions it.
The Surge 2 Jericho's Legacy Gear Pack DLC Released -Steam
The Surge 2 continues to get bigger and better with the release of the Jericho’s Legacy Gear Pack today! This brings three brand new gear sets to the game, and is available both standalone and as part of the Season Pass. With the pack out today, new screenshots take you to the heart of the action.

This is the second major release as part of The Surge 2 Season Pass, with a massive story DLC yet to come. Jericho’s Legacy includes the BEAST Tank Buster for pushing back enemies, the Kyoko Hacker Suit, giving extra range to horizontal attacks, and the Jericho Firetails Mascot, which encourages a block-and-attack playstyle.
 
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Jetpacks are cool though! Been meaning to play The Surge 2, heard great things about it. So many games, so many.
 
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GWENT: The Witcher Card Game - Merchants of Ofir Expansion Released

Meet the mysterious merchants from the exotic land of Ofir and behold their magnificent wares! Collect over 70 cards from the new expansion. Experiment with new combos. Reinforce your decks with powerful additions to all factions.
Fallout 76 Patch Breaks Armor And Weapons

I almost want to say I don't believe it, but it's Bethesda so I can indeed believe we have news of yet another Fallout 76 problem.
The Waylanders Update #38 - Kickstarter
The Seer is considered to be timeless- she has existed for as long as anyone can remember, and has held the highest position within Mourian society for hundreds of years. Due to her magickal abilities and confident personality, she’s regarded as the world’s foremost magickal authority, and she absolutely loves it. No one knows magick quite like Nazhedja. She can see every aspect of the past and the future… well, until she meets you.
System Shock Remastered Edition Update #63 - Kickstarter
Big news for this month! To coincide with the Video Game Awards and Steam's first Game Festival, we will be releasing a playable demo of System Shock! This demo will be going live on the 12th at 10 am PST and will be up for 48 hours (longer for you backers!). Make sure to play and let us know what you think!
 
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Disco Elysium Wins Multiple Awards at GameShow



New World: Aeternum Awaits - Official Trailer

Legend has led generations of explorers to the supernatural frontier known as Aeternum. Rich in a powerful substance known as Azoth, which many believe to be the source of eternal life, Aeternum has beckoned both the pure of heart and the wicked to its shores. Learn More: https://www.newworld.com/
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance Interviews

VentureBeat
In the PlayStation 2 days, two of the best co-op action-RPGs on the console were the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance games. Hattem says that Dark Alliance is a spiritual successor to those games, though it changes the story and setting.

You play as either Drizzt, Bruenor, Catti-brie, or Wulfgar. Each has iconic weapons in Salvatore’s novels:
  • Drizzt wields the scimitars Icingdeath and Twinkle
  • Bruenor’s notched axe
  • Catti-brie’s magic bow Taulmaril
  • Wulfgar’s mighty warhammer that Bruenor crafted for him, Aegis-fang
“The way that Salvatore reveals those weapons in the books are some of the best bits of those books, at least for me: when Bruenor’s crafting Aegis-Fang, when Drizzt acquires Icingdeath and Twinkle as well later on,” Hattem said. “We’re definitely going to showcase them.”
GamesIndustry
Given the impossibility of truly replicating a tabletop RPG in a video game, Cocks says the options of limited when it comes to a feasible approach. "We want each game to have a point of view, and to really keep on just a couple of things and do it really, really well," he tells us. "What you don't want to do is have every game in the franchise try to do the same thing, and try to do everything all at once."

Cocks compares Wizards' licensing approach to how a good dungeon master runs the game; it's all about facilitating.

"We really don't limit people," he says. "The D&D team's job is to say 'yes' when people want to play something… The best dungeon masters tend to want to figure out how to say 'yes', and have the players do what they want to do… We want to open it up, open up the narrative possibilities, the character development, open up the level of problem solving and combat opportunities and thrills that players can be able to experience.
 
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Could somebody raise that microphone up for Helen, please??
 
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WARHAMMER CHAOSBANE Tomb Kings - Expansion Trailer

The Tomb Kings DLC is now live! Owners of the Magnus Edition, or Season Pass will have instant access to the content. Start your journey into the shifting sands of Nehekhara! Since Magnus’ return to Nuln, a companion of High Loremaster Teclis, Finreir, has been laying the foundations for what will be known as the Colleges of Magic in Altdorf. You’ve been invited by the fledgling Amethyst Order to explore the desert plains of Nehekhara. Your mission, to protect the expedition from any possible threats and procure any relics hidden in the crypts nestled under the shifting sands.
Grim Dawn Grim Misadventure #166 - Corrupted Wealth
Last time , we delved into what is now Grim Dawn’s largest free content update ever. V1.1.5.0 has since been released, and it represents the culmination of months of work and a new roguelike dungeon absolutely packed with awesome loot to hunt down.

We are thrilled with how far Grim Dawn has come, so we’ve made getting it all at once as painless as possible with the Definitive Edition on Steam. Development has been a tremendous adventure, but it’s not over just yet!

Today, we’d like to give you a first look at what we’re working on for v1.1.6.0, which we expect to release very early next decade.
Path of Exile 2 Interview - Gamebanshee
Path of Exile, Grinding Gear Games' fast-paced action-RPG known for its unique skill gem system and its overwhelmingly massive passive skill tree, is considered by some to be a worthy successor to Diablo II, the gold standard of action-RPGs. Pair that with frequent content updates and an incredibly fair free-to-play model, and you get a recipe for success.

This ongoing success resulted in the recent announcement of Path of Exile 2, a curious sequel that aims to expand the game with a brand new campaign and numerous mechanical changes while preserving all the content it currently has to offer. In order to learn a thing or two about Path of Exile 2, we reached out to Grinding Gear Games co-founder Chris Wilson and asked him a few questions.
 
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The Waylanders Update #39 Combat Theme - Kickstarter


Dying Light 2 Creative Director Tymon Smektala Interview - Wccftech
As we are approaching the release date of this highly desired sequel, Techland's Dying Light 2 Creative Director Tymon Smektala recently spoke to Xbox: The Official Magazine (January 2020, issue 185). In his interview, he expressed the opinion that gamers do not need bigger worlds, they need better ones.
The Best and Worst of DLC - COG
We live in a day and age where some video games simply aren’t finished upon release. Of course, I am referring to the myriad of glitches and lapses in functionality that come from unpolished, rushed projects. But I am also talking about something else: DLC.

DLC, or Downloadable Content, is additional content added to a video game after its initial release. Often times, this additional content costs money, and it isn’t always cheap either. It can be frustrating to feel locked out of content behind another paywall, especially if you have paid full price for the game already.

Sometimes, however, DLC can give you more of your favorite characters, and more time out of your favorite games. Sometimes, DLC can be some of the best content of an entire game. So, what makes some DLC predatory and others excellent?

Well, in order to answer this question, I am going to go through a few examples of good and bad DLC and explain what makes each one spectacular or despicable.
Diablo II and Audio Design - Gamasutra
COTT PETERSEN AND Matt Uelmen rooted through stacks of CD-ROMs. Each disc was filled to capacity with yells, screams, groans, moans, thuds, grunts, slices, cracks, smacks, scrapes, scratches. They had thousands of sounds at their disposal, but when nothing pre-recorded would do, they turned to instruments and technology: drums, guitars, synthesizers, and computers loaded with cutting-edge recording and mixing software.

In this case, nothing they had on hand would do. They walked to the supermarket down the street and loaded shopping carts with melons and vegetables. Back at the office, they wrapped produce in saran wrap, turned on their microphones, and destroyed their groceries. The meaty yet hollow sound of a watermelon exploding was, in Scott's mind, exactly how a zombie skull would sound as it was caved in.
 
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