Community MetaSteam | May 2024 - Wake up samurai, we gonna get this Persian kitty home

[rickyson33]

I was meaning to write something about this too. Something is going wrong at Paradox and if I was a shareholder I'd be concerned.

The problems actually started a couple of years ago. Most people know that this company carpet bombs their games with DLCs but in the last 2-3 years they've tweaked their strategy a bit. Nowadays each game only gets one major expansion DLC per year alongside a few other cosmetic and unimportant DLCs. What has happened is that each of their main games has had a DLC release that has been received very poorly by the community. It happened for Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, Stellaris, Vicky and possibly more. Something is going wrong with the development pipeline of their internal studios if they are managing to piss off all their communities.

Then we have the publishing side of things...

Last year they released Lamplighter's League which flopped completely and sank the dev studio Harebrained Schemes. Then came the Star Trek 4X game which sank as well and they abandoned it within months. Then came Cities Skylines 2 and everyone knows what kind of ongoing shitshow that is. Then Millennia which is another 4X with mixed reviews and low player numbers and finally their 3D Factorio clone called Foundry which seems to be doing ok in early access.

For unreleased games, they fired the developers of Prison Architect 2 after delaying it at least twice and have now handed the project over to a new studio 6 months before release. Also, they had a Sims clone called Life by You that was supposed to launch into early access on June 4th and yesterday that got delayed indefinitely as well.

So almost everything seems to be going wrong for the company but I get the feeling that they are fairly complacent about the situation because they (correctly?) believe that they have a captive audience for their games. They brushed off all the criticism of their bad DLCs for their internally developed games and went on to release more and nothing ever came of it. Likewise, I'm certain that Skylines 2 sold a ton of copies (as in, cleared 100 million dollars or more in revenue on Steam) and so all their mea culpas feel hollow. That's why they thought they could start releasing paid DLC for it before having to walk back that decision.

Something is definitely up with this company.



I was just wondering where you were. Hadn't seen you post anything in some time. Always looking forward to your game recommendations for hidden gems and stuff man.

there's also Vampire Bloodlines 2 on the publishing side of things which has certainly had a messy development

at least Age of Wonders 4 seems like it turned out okay(although I haven't personally played it or anything, but it seems mostly positively received)

Europa Universalis 5 seems to be in development at the moment(not officially announced but the Paradox Tinto studio that works on that series has been doing weekly development diaries for a while for something that is very clearly that) so i'm interested in seeing how that one turns out

 

[manchego obfuscator]

New game from the Norco devs, demo available now

 

[spindoctor]

there's also Vampire Bloodlines 2 on the publishing side of things which has certainly had a messy development

Yeah I forgot about Bloodlines 2. That game is fucked in every possible way it can be. Absolutely zero faith that the Chinese Room can make it a good game given their track record of never having made anything even remotely close to being good.

 

[Knurek]

I need to know the prices!

$110 if you buy all of them.

 

[PC-tan]

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yt3.ggpht.com

I just wanted to share that I passed my discrete structures (Computer Science) class!!!!!!! I'm so happy I thought I was going to fail it. It's been well over 6+ years now that I had to do anything remotely close to algebra and I remember at one point here it was recommended to talk Calculus 3 with the class (I dropped Calc 3 in Spring 2018)


I basically had to be taught simple math tricks to pass the class. What's completing the square, what's adding zero to both sides, how do you do a quadratic equation again.... Stuff like that and more.


I dislike subsets. I got a lot of help and was studying some 15-20 hours a week at times for the class.

I'm proud

 

[Panda Pedinte]

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yt3.ggpht.com

I just wanted to share that I passed my discrete structures (Computer Science) class!!!!!!! I'm so happy I thought I was going to fail it. It's been well over 6+ years now that I had to do anything remotely close to algebra and I remember at one point here it was recommended to talk Calculus 3 with the class (I dropped Calc 3 in Spring 2018)


I basically had to be taught simple math tricks to pass the class. What's completing the square, what's adding zero to both sides, how do you do a quadratic equation again.... Stuff like that and more.


I dislike subsets. I got a lot of help and was studying some 15-20 hours a week at times for the class.

I'm proud

Congrats!

 

[yuraya]

Damn some reviews have Hellblade 2 at 5-6 hours long.

That is like 1 year of dev time for every 1 hour of gameplay. Not to even mention all the cinematics where player doesn't have control.

The linear narrative AAA game is unsustainable. The dev time and costs are ridiculous unless you are making a long RPG. Or at the very least something similar to the new God of War games. But these type of action arthouse games are gonna go extinct.

 

[Lashley]

2023 Video Game Market Report. PC 22% (+8.4% YoY), Mobile 49% (-2.1% YoY), Console 28% (+0.3% YoY). 90% of new game revenue in 2023 from 43 titles

more at link. https://newzoo.com/resources/blog/last-looks-the-global-games-market-in-2023 revenue per region is also at the link if you want the full report you can sign up for it here https://newzoo.com/resources/trend-reports/newzoo-global-games-market-report-2023-free-version

www.resetera.com

PC Gaming ain't dying after all ya'll

 

[lashman]

PC Gaming ain't dying after all ya'll

it's been dead since 1998, this isn't news

 

[Ascheroth]

it's been dead since 1998, this isn't news

I mean you can't kill what's already dead, so maybe dying early was the winning strategy after all

 

[lashman]

I mean you can't kill what's already dead, so maybe dying early was the winning strategy after all

 

[Durante]

I mean you can't kill what's already dead, so maybe dying early was the winning strategy after all

But remember, with strange aeons even death may die.

 

[Arc]

New Details on Valve's New Game 'Deadlock'

Insider Gaming has been given new details on Valve's new game named Deadlock, which is believed to be released sometime in 2025.

insider-gaming.com

However, Insider Gaming has been provided further information on the game, including gameplay footage, which has been shared with us under the condition that it does not go public. We can confirm that claims from GabeFollower are legitimate and that the game is named Deadlock and is currently in the alpha stage. Officially, the game is described as an “early development build with lots of experimental gameplay features and art assets.”

As already leaked, the game is a 6v6 third-person hero-based shooter. Heroes include magicians, robots, creatures, humans, and more. There are currently 19 different heroes, each with different abilities and playstyles that you’d come to expect from a MOBA including ranged, healers, tanks, assassins, etc.

Players have described the game to me as being very similar to DOTA in terms of its gameplay loop and mechanics. This includes killing enemies and creeps to get the in-game currency of “souls,” which allows you to buy items to make your hero stronger. According to sources, both creeps and enemies will spawn a soul upon death, which floats up and away when they die. You collect the most souls by shooting at them (souls that float away still provide a small amount of souls currency). As for the creeps, they are spawned randomly throughout the map, including a larger AI boss in the middle of the map. Some players also outlined that there is also “spirit urns”, which players can deposit in the middle of the map to give the whole team more souls (the spirit urn carrier is visible to all players on the minimap).

Sounds like Dota 3. That's fine and all, but I don't think it'll be my cup of tea. I played Dota for thousands of hours and don't think I could handle any sort of MOBA again.

XDefiant is first time that Ubisoft didn't put game on Epic Store.

Hyper Scape was Uplay exclusives for a few months before they dumped it on EGS and it died before it could ever come to Steam.

 

[yuraya]

New Details on Valve's New Game 'Deadlock'

Insider Gaming has been given new details on Valve's new game named Deadlock, which is believed to be released sometime in 2025.

insider-gaming.com

Sounds like Dota 3. That's fine and all, but I don't think it'll be my cup of tea. I played Dota for thousands of hours and don't think I could handle any sort of MOBA again.

Wait...

You have to shoot at the souls in order to collect all of them?

But maybe it will sound more fair than that description otherwise it sounds like people will steal your kills.

The game is kind of confirmed to be a 3rd person shooter right? So this could actually make for some fun lane combat.

I wonder if Valve does a console release since its in 3rd person. Also they have to be testing it on the Deck too. Hopefully it runs good enough for some fun casual play. I remember there was some rumors of Valve working on a game that is specialized around the Deck. I wonder if this will kind of be that. Like a more casual Dota for everyone. Kind of like competition against Valorant which is like a more casual take on CSGO and Overwatch.

I don't know if Valve feels this way but to me it feels like they see Riot as their only real competitor nowadays. So this could be that game they want to take casuals away from Valo and League.

 

[MonthOLDpickle]

So is MS actually getting away with paid mods for Minecraft Bedrock!?

Just doign the 15 year thing and I see airplanes (that fly), teleportation things, and TINKERS' CONSTRUCT! Oh man.....

 

[Spamlynguist]

So is MS actually getting away with paid mods for Minecraft Bedrock!?

Just doign the 15 year thing and I see airplanes (that fly), teleportation things, and TINKERS' CONSTRUCT! Oh man.....

Time is a flat circle and companies will keep trying to get paid mods be a thing

 

[lashman]

 

[Bhodi Li]

 

[Parsnip]

Oh a new 3DMark, cool. TimeSpy is getting a bit long in the tooth so it's great to have a new raster bench.
I should probably take a look.

 

[PC-tan]

New manga about making indie games. It's in Japanese only. But I thought some might like it. I didn't get to really read it, just skimmed through it

デベロッパーズ～ゲーム創作沼へようこそ～ - 新井春巻 / 第３話　Hyper Light Drifter | コミックDAYS

山本一途はゲーム会社のプログラマー。ゲーム大好きだし、プログラミングも楽しい。でも一方で、大人数が協力して進めるゲーム開発で、自分の仕事ってどのくらい意味があるんだろうかとモヤモヤしていた。そんな時に参加したゲームイベントでインディーゲームの開発をする女子・貫地谷遥と運命の出会いを果たす！　インディーゲーム開発ってこんなに面白いの！？　一途は仲間とともにゲーム創作の沼へとはまっていく！

comic-days.com

 

[Deku]

I am wondering if each of the Kingdom Hearts games will get it's own entry in the Steam Library or will it be a launcher for each collection? How is it on EGS?

 

[Hektor]

I am wondering if each of the Kingdom Hearts games will get it's own entry in the Steam Library or will it be a launcher for each collection? How is it on EGS?

It's a launcher.

 

[Le Pertti]

This was in my library for free, it has been a long time since a remaster was given away for free to previous owners!

 

[lashman]

 

[YunoLumi]

Stardew Valley but in space?

 

[Aaron D.]

This was in my library for free, it has been a long time since a remaster was given away for free to previous owners!

Oh nice!

EDIT:

It just occurred to me that this could be a smart way to juice engagement and visibility for what's ostensibly a "forgotten" game.

I know I'm suddenly interested in revisiting via the Remaster.

 

[lashman]

 

[Le Pertti]

Oh nice!

EDIT:

It just occurred to me that this could be a smart way to juice engagement and visibility for what's ostensibly a "forgotten" game.

I know I'm suddenly interested in revisiting via the Remaster.

Yeah! I had no idea what the game even was, now Im curious to try.

 

[Parsnip]

Yeah! I had no idea what the game even was, now Im curious to try.

Same, just left a note to myself to check it when I get home, since I also apparently own it.

 

[manchego obfuscator]

a couple indies out today and tomorrow, both getting positive reviews though I haven't seen too many yet

 

[Blu]

Out now

 

[toxicitizen]

Damn, looks like the Akuma/Season 2 balance update is going to push Street Fighter 6 past its launch peak CCU.

 

[ExistentialThought]

Been a very busy month in real life. Thought it would be a slow purchase month, but here I am still buying random games with no time to play them, helpppp!!!!

My family has slowly been getting back to normal after all of the craziness of since February and especially March yeeshhh. Daughter just turned 3 end of last month and my son is turning 1 in a week.

 

[PC-tan]

Scenario time.


There is no evidence that this is happening but it does make me question as to why ABK was so expensive. Out of all their IPs isn't CoD and Candy Crush their two most valuable IPs? Or was there something else making them so expensive?

I'm guessing this means that the ABK thing didn't involve straight up cash and that's why this is different? Since that option was for stock options or something and was much more speculative?


Since Steam is as close as you can get to "buying your way" into the video game industry and being a console manufacturer with some presence since Nintendo is not being sold to one company, neither is MS, or Sony. Unless they were extremely desperate for money, they wouldn't sell off their gaming division.

 

[curi0usBystander]

m guessing this means that the ABK thing didn't involve straight up cash

It did, tho.

 

[Stone Ocean]

16b for Steam lmao
Thinking the FTC and the EU won't gun this down instantly lmao

 

[ezodagrom]

I wouldn't be surprised if MS wants Valve, they wanted Nintendo after all, Valve accepting though is another thing altogether.

 

[kio]

16 american billions for steam is hilarious

 

[Mor]

text

No solid foundation here, really.

 

[PC-tan]

It did, tho.

I'd that's the case then $16 billion is really low balling then.

No solid foundation here, really.

Were the ABK prices insanely inflated is one of the things that I want to find out since curi0usBystander pointed out that was paid for in cash.

 

[toxicitizen]

I wouldn't be surprised if MS wants Valve, they wanted Nintendo after all, Valve accepting though is another thing altogether.

They absolutely do. Trying to buy their way to success has been their MO for a while now. And they've tried (and failed) to build a successful PC store several times at this point. Buying the most successful one is a logical move. So thank fuck Gabe isn't likely to sell...

 

[CommodoreKong]

If Microsoft did try to buy Valve I imagine they would have to fight the FTC again in court.

 

[Blu]

Missed this but out a few days ago.

 

[Dinjoralo]

I feel like Microsoft buying Valve has to be a anti-trust suit waiting to happen. That's basically giving Microsoft an absolute monopoly over PC gaming.
When can Xbox just die so they stop fucking up the whole industry in their desperate flailing?

 

[Le Pertti]

16 billion for Valve and Steam, seems very low, isn't that like the profit Valve makes just on lashman daily

 

[lashman]

16 billion for Valve and Steam, seems very low, isn't that like the profit Valve makes just on lashman daily

i personally funded at least 4 of Gaben's yachts

 

[Lashley]

MS buying Steam would put me into an (even bigger) deep depression

 

[jads653]

MS buying Steam would put me into an (even bigger) deep depression

Time for another hobby if that ever happens.

 

[Lashley]

Time for another hobby if that ever happens.

Yeah, gaming is hanging on by a thread for me as it is

 

[Ge0force]

MS buying Steam would put me into an (even bigger) deep depression

Same. No doubt MS would ruin everything that makes Steam great within a couple of years. Besides funding 1st party games, MS has proven to be terrible for gaming the past 2o years.