News:: Comments of the Week 20: A British Hangover Cure

This opening paragraph is normally the part I write last and, as such, I am writing it whilst still hungover from a stag-do last night, so I apologise if I get a word wrong here or tehre.

(For those in the land of the non-tea-lovers, a stag-do means "bachelor party.")

So today, the hangover is king and for any others out there who had a wild Saturday night I feel your pain and empathises wholeheartedly. However, what better cure for the Sunday recovery than reading the best comments of the week?

This week you are hosted by me, your very own full English breakfast: TheLimoMaker!

[Editors Note: Normally this fine institution would clean up any grammatical or spelling errors for public consumption. However, it has been decided that in an effort to keep the author's post-stag shame intact, the original work would be left as-is.]

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News:: PEGI can't determine if loot boxes are gambling

Loot boxes are...a thing. A thing that has become a big problem in recent years due to their gradual advance into AAA titles that gamers have already paid a hefty chunk of change for.

It started out okay enough; loot boxes were confined to free-to-play titles. Then they infiltrated Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Now they've invaded Overwatch, Halo 5: Guardians, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, and Star Wars Battlefront II. With these microtransactions rooted in every big game these days, it's time for us to ask: Are loot boxes gambling?

Well, if you're PEGI, you tell people to ask someone else.

We reported yesterday that the ESRB doesn't think loot boxes are gambling given that the player is guaranteed content in exchange for money, comparing the consumable items to collectable cards. However, PEGI - Europe's version of the ESRB - has a slightly different stance on the matter.

In an email exchange with Wccftech, PEGI's Operations Director Dirk Bosmans said they aren't the organization that should be defining what gambling is.

"Our approach is similar to that of ESRB (I think all rating boards do, USK in Germany as well). The main reason for this is that we cannot define what constitutes gambling. That is the responsibility of a national gambling commission. Our gambling content descriptor is given to games that simulate or teach gambling as it’s done in real life in casinos, racetracks, etc. If a gambling commission would state that loot boxes are a form of gambling, then we would have to adjust our criteria to that."

What this means is that instead of talking to video game ratings boards, PEGI thinks that we should be asking that question towards gambling commissions. This might seem fine for Europe, but for the United States, there is no national gambling commission. There are instead multiple gambling commissions that govern a geographical area - usually a state. Doesn't that make it difficult to institute bottom-up change in the video game industry?

We get it. Loot boxes seem to be making the industry a lot of money. That doesn't mean the industry and regulatory agencies should pass the buck without giving their two cents. These consumables are infesting our games, and there has to be a better response than flippantly suggesting that it's the consumers problem. 

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News:: ‘Fortnite’ studio Epic Games sues two alleged cheaters

Earlier this week, Fortnite publisher Epic Games filed a civil suit against two people who were allegedly cheating while playing the game online. They were associated with subscription-based website Addicted Cheats and used its services to hunt down and kill Twitch streamers while they played live, according to Kotaku.

Source: Kotaku

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News:: Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw leaves BioWare after 14 years

Dragon Age creative director and longtime BioWare employee Mike Laidlaw has left the studio. He broke the news in a letter posted to Twitter this afternoon, noting it's simply "time to move on."

Hey Everyone,

It's with a mix of emotions that I'm announcing my time with BioWare has ended. After 14 years and a chance to work on Jade Empire, Mass Effect and all things Dragon Age it's time for me to move on.

In my time at BioWare I have been lucky to work with some of the most talented and hardworking people in the industry. It's been an honor to be a part of the Dragon Age team, and I have every confidence that the world we've created together is in good hands and I'm excited for the road ahead.

For the near future, I plan to spend my time reconnecting with all the amazing games and worlds that my peers have created, and I look forward to sharing those experiences with you all on Twitch and Twitter.

To everyone who's taken the time to share feedback and experiences, your amazing cosplays and artistic creations: thank you. You've made my time "in Thedas" amazing. Your passion inspires and I look forward to our next adventure together.

Ma serannas.

-Mike

While Laidlaw sounds positive about the future, any sort of high-profile departure like this is bound to spur speculation and uncertainty, and that's particularly true for a company like BioWare and a series like Dragon Age. The next entry hasn't been officially announced -- BioWare has been discussing its new IP Anthem as of late -- but we have heard bits and pieces about what's in the pipeline.

Mike Laidlaw [Twitter]

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News:: Original Xbox backward compatibility should release before the end of the year

Ever since Microsoft revealed backward compatibility with original Xbox games at E3 this year, there has been something of an air of tempered expectations around it. When it did the same for Xbox 360 games in 2015, it was a major talking point for the rest of the year. This approach is different. We haven't heard a whole lot.

However, in an interview with GameSpot, Xbox head Phil Spencer assures everyone that everything is still going according to plan. "We're close, we're really close," he says before confirming that means it should launch by the end of the year. 

One reason we're hearing less about original Xbox's backward compatibility is because hardly any games have been announced yet. It's still just Crimson Skies and Fuzion Frenzy despite there being a long wishlist. Spencer mentions this can be tricky because these reveals "have to be in partnership with partners."

However, it's maybe more likely that Microsoft has been relatively quiet about backward compatibility because it wants people to look forward to the upcoming launch of the Xbox One X. Spencer teases "There's some stuff we're going to talk about in that space in terms of how compatibility's going to work on [Xbox One] X specifically that I think people will find pretty interesting." Whatever that is might be a nice bonus, but it's unlikely to be what sells anyone on the future of Xbox machines. It's not the bullet point Xbox needs right now.

But, those who are into the idea of stepping back to the beginning of Xbox can take solace in knowing it should happen in 2017. There's not a whole lot longer to wait.

Xbox One's Original Xbox Backwards Compatibility Is Still Coming In 2017 [GameSpot]

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News:: EA rebuffs 'pay to win' loot criticism of 'SW Battlefront 2'

A day after the beta for the extended Star Wars Battlefront 2 beta ended, Electronic Arts thanked the "millions" of fans who participated and asked them to keep sending feedback as developer DICE tinkers with the game before its release on November 17th. But it seems they've already got a few changes in mind that the giant studio listed in a blog post -- along with an extensive clarification of how the contentious loot crate system will work in the final version of the game.

Via: Windows Central

Source: Electronic Arts

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News:: It's the end of an era for Podtoid

This episode marks the end of an era. Steven Hansen, host of Podtoid for the past year or so, is leaving Destructoid. Podtoid will go into remission for a bit, until it springs up again when you least expect it.

On this episode, Steven Hansen, Brett Makedonski, Darren Nakamura, and Ray Porreca talk about prison, weddings, Cuphead, Golf Story, horror movies, and what's next on the agenda for the Podtoid boys.

Of course, the episode rounds out with some listener questions, the last (unfair) round of SATPOTPAQ, and the last (very fair) round of the Hot Dish. It's about communism!

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or download it here.

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News:: Review: Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Way back in 2001, Joe Madureira put his fantasy comic series Battle Chasers on hold after only a nine-issue run over the course of three years. His reason? To pursue a career in game development.

I never read the comics myself, but the imagery speaks for itself. Battle Chasers looks like a Japanese role-playing game shoved into a comic book. So, after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Battle Chasers: Nightwar transforms Joe's cult comic series into a fun and visually striking turn-based RPG.

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News:: DEMOlition - Gran Turismo Sport beta impressions

Hey guys, I'm launching a new show for Destructoid's YouTube channel! Using a name I've been kicking around since my old blogging days on Screwattack, DEMOlition will be a series where I take a first look at demos and betas of upcoming games while giving my first impressions on them. It may be a well worn idea, but I feel that the entire experience of playing something for the first time can be just as valuable as putting in tens of hours and writing a review.

For the first entry in this series, I took a look at the Gran Turismo Sport open beta to see how it stacks up to the series' past and the current competition of Forza Motorsport 7. To say that racing games don't make the most exciting videos would be an understatement, but there should be some useful information contained in this video to help you guys get an impression of how Polyphony Digital is transitioning their long running series onto the next-generation Sony console.

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News:: The Frozen Wilds will be Horizon Zero Dawn's only expansion

Guerrilla Games is capping off Horizon Zero Dawn next month with The Frozen Wilds, an expansion set in "a boreal wasteland to the north that separates the Banuk homelands from the rest of the world."

The studio has confirmed this will be the game's first and only expansion, and I don't know how the rest of you are feeling, but I find comfort in knowing this is going to be the end of the road. (For now, I mean -- until the IP inevitably picks back up with a new game in the not-too-distant future.)

This latest trailer makes me want to bundle up with a blanket that's fresh out of the dryer.

If you're thinking of buying Horizon Zero Dawn, here's your reminder that a complete edition is planned for early December. Guerrilla says "all DLC items and The Frozen Wild are on the disc," while the supplemental materials -- the theme and the digital artbook -- will be downloadable.

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News:: Steep's Road to the Olympics expansion looks surprisingly good

I'm not sure how many people stuck with Steep, but those folks must exist.

Ubisoft's doing an expansion, Road to the Olympics, later this year. It'll have a separate story mode centered on a hopeful young athlete training "to reach the Olympic Winter Games and be the first athlete ever to win gold in three freestyle events" (Big Air, Half Pipe, and Slopestyle).

Before you digest that summary and click away, you ought to see this in motion. Dare I say it, Road to the Olympics looks more enjoyable than the base game. And while it's set in South Korea, you'll also be able to venture to Japan. I love those gorgeous cherry blossoms set against a stark white landscape.

Players can also expect to compete in events like Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super-G, Downhill, Parallel Giant Slalom, Halfpipe, Snowboard Cross, Slopestyle, Big Air, Ski Halfpipe, Ski Cross and Ski Slopestyle when Road to the Olympics releases on December 5, 2017. It'll be $30 for the expansion itself and new players will be able to nab a Winter Games Edition bundle with the core Steep game for $60.

I'm trying to recall the last time I played an Olympics-themed video game. Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings? Yeah, that must've been it. Something possessed me to rent that for Sega Genesis as a kid and now something else is possessing me to admit this horribly embarrassing fact as an adult.

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News:: Cute Vulpix is cute at Build-A-Bear Workshop

To tell you the truth, I'm not much of a plushie guy. I think of myself as a very conscientious person - my apartment has little need for accoutrements gently positioned on my bed. To me, it looks like clutter, and I'd rather optimize my bedroo-

Okay, I'll make one exception. Just one.

This cute little Vulpix joins Build-A-Bear Workshop's lineup of Pokémon (which includes fan-favorites like Pikachu, Charmander, and Evee) starting today, October 12. This 13'' plush is way too cute to ignore, and that fiery cape is a neat little bonus. One thing to keep in mind is that the cape isn't sold in stores, so if you want to nab it, you'll have to get this online-only bundle.

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of plushies, but this is really tempting me. Maybe I'll finally give my Cartoon Link plush a companion.

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News:: Need for Speed Payback's story is about what you'd expect

We've seen the sprawling open world of Need for Speed Payback. Now it's time to get a feel for its story, which sees a crew of racers -- each with their own specialty -- taking on The House, a major player in Fortune Valley's criminal underworld that exerts control over casinos and cops.

"Play a variety of challenges and events as Tyler, Mac, and Jess," reads the summary. "Each driver must take on races, missions, and challenges to earn the respect of the Valley's underground and compete in the ultimate race to finally take down The House."

I tend to prefer racing games that place less of an emphasis on having a traditional story arc, if I'm being frank. The genre's stories, for me, are often something I work through as a means to unlock cars, locations, and what have you before I'm left to my own devices and can drive the way I want to drive.

Maybe it's the trailer, but this seems like it'll be fine while you're playing and then quickly forgotten.

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News:: The laziest way to play Nintendo Switch

Have you ever tried playing your Nintendo Switch in bed? It works, but I constantly end up shifting my body weight in a fruitless bid to keep my upper arms from falling asleep. Now I know what you’re probably thinking. “Kevin, this is probably one of the laziest ways that you can play video games.” WRONG! We can go lazier. 

Phawx, a user over at NeoGAF, uploaded this video yesterday detailing a 3D-printed visor similar to those cheap, worthless, plastic VR headsets for smartphones that have flooded the market recently. This one, however, is for the Nintendo Switch, and it’s specifically designed for playing in bed. Seriously, take a look at this shit. You don’t even have to hold your arms up anymore! You can just lie there with this monstrosity strapped to your face while completely ignoring your spouse, friends, family, and pets.

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News:: Swery's The Good Life failed on Fig, so he's gonna try Kickstarter

Barring a surprise injection of approximately $950,000 in the next five hours, Swery's crowdfunding campaign for The Good Life is going to fail. Over a stretch of 40 days, the campaign managed to raise something around $556,000 at time of writing. That really can't be considered anything other than a disappointment, as it's merely 37 percent of the $1.5 million goal.

Swery isn't giving up, though. In a lengthy post on Twitter, he explains all the things this first push got wrong. Here's the tweet (the message is spread across three of the images):

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News:: Dead-eyed zombies battle walking corpses as School Girl / Zombie Hunter heads West

Corpse-killing blast-a-thon School Girl / Zombie Hunter, which was released for the PS4 in Japan last January, will be resurrected in the United States on November 17, courtesy of Aksys Games.

The "Zombie Panic shooting Action" title sees five teenage girls, all with the exact same face and soulless eyes, fighting off waves of the undead who have taken over their private school. The girls can utilise individual special skills and an an ever-increasing arsenal of weaponry, from baseball bats to bazookas, to wage war on the infected attackers.

When the shit really hits the fan, the girls can distract the zombies by taking their clothes off, because of course they can. The game features a story campaign alongside multiplayer action and a host of side modes to test your speed, endurance and sharpshooting skills.

School Girl / Zombie Hunter launches on PS4 in North America on November 17.

School Girl / Zombie Hunter [Aksys Games]

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News:: Sony is making a Settlers of Catan movie

You know who Sony Pictures is. You know the kind of movies it creates, the drivel that its marketing executives spout. Jack and Jill, Fantastic Four, Pixels, Ghostbusters (2016), The Emoji Movie. This studio has generated some of the worst pieces of film I've ever seen. Now, it's looking to do it again.

According to a report by Variety, Sony Pictures is pursuing the rights for Catan, one of the most popular tabletop games ever created. Dan Lin, Gail Katz, and Jonathan Eirich will produce the film, while one Blaise Hemingway will write the screenplay. As of writing this, no director is attached to the project. 

"As huge fans of the game, we're struck by the endless possibilities of stories that it could inspire. It's not every day that you have the opportunity to work in a world beloved by millions of people, and expand its story for the screen," Katz told Variety. 

Uh-huh. Sure.

Now you might be wondering, who are these people? Well, Katz has a few production credits on films from over 20 years ago, like In the Line of Fire and Air Force One. She hasn't been a very active producer in film since the release of The Perfect Storm back in 2000, so she clearly wasn't chosen for her expertise.

Dan Lin on the other hand seems to have some credit to his name. Unlike Katz, Lin has produced several successes over the years, including It (2017), Sherlock Holmes, The Lego Movie, and The Invention of Lying. However, Lin has produced nearly as many bad movies as he has good, with credits for cinematic turds like Terminator: Salvation, Gangster Squad, and even Death Note (2017). Who knows how good of a producer he is?

The final producer, and the screenwriter, have a serious lack of experience. Eirich has a single producer credit for Death Note (2017), and Hemingway has scattered credits all over the spectrum, with his most notable being that of consulting producer for the Shooter television series and a writing credit for Ugly Dolls. 

So we have the worst studio in movies hiring a bunch of inexperienced, out-of-touch people to produce it, and according to the report, Sony wants to turn it into a franchise. Looks like we're going to have another cheaply made, poorly executed movie here folks. Honestly, I don't know if I can take another Emoji Movie.

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News:: LawBreakers dropped to a concurrent player count of only 10 players today

While a certain game from a certain unknown individual recently broke 2 million concurrent players on Steam, Cliff Bleszinski's latest game, LawBreakers, is unfortunately bottoming out after two months.

Admittedly, the game's numbers were never all that great to begin with, even at launch. Lawbreakers' concurrent player peak was only around the 3,000 mark. For added context, the free weekend recently was averaging at a peak of 1,000 concurrent players, but that immediately dropped off, and just yesterday the game had dropped below 100 concurrent players for the first time.

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News:: Life is Strange: Before the Storm's second episode is releasing next week

Life comes at you fast. Life is Strange: Before the Storm (arguably) comes at your faster. The original Life is Strange had some drama surrounding how far apart its episodes were released. Chloe's prequel story has no interest in dawdling about. 

Square Enix revealed today that Life is Strange: Before the Storm: Brave New World will launch on Tuesday, October 19. It's the second of three installments, meaning that the game will likely be released in full before the end of the calendar year.

All we know about Brave New World is what this launch trailer shows us. Rachel Amber, more stepdad angst, and a Blackwell Academy robbery. The first episode did a fantastic job setting the stage for this short(ish) story. Just one week until we find out if this one can keep the momentum.

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News:: Finally, a Zelda: Breath of the Wild Lynel cosplay

I see Zelda related cosplay at nearly every event I attend, but this is something else.

Cosplayer TheCrashProject managed to make a full-on Lynel suit for NYCC 2017, a creation that ended up taking them "three long weeks" to prepare. According to his diary-esque gallery, the rear half of the suit was the most difficult party, and consists of "PVC, chicken-wire, and foam." According to TheCrashProject, "the rest is all upholstery foam." And love, they forgot to say a lot of love.

Costumes like this, and the many giant Reinhardts I saw at BlizzCon last year (and will see again in 2017) are among my favorites. While there are some incredible humanoid efforts for sure, there's nothing like having a giant robot or beast walk up to you at a con.

The Crash Project [imgur]

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News:: New report suggests 'games as a service' has helped the industry grow

There are all manner of articles online talking about the positive and negative aspects of "games as a service," but a lot of that could be considered baseless pondering. Without any concrete financial data, we're all mostly guessing about the impact microtransactions and loot boxes are having on our favorite hobby. Time to put that rumination to bed; according to a new report from Digital River, a monetization service company, this new manner of microtransaction laden experiences has tripled the value of the games industry.

The report reads, "In 2016, a quarter of all digital revenue from PC games with an upfront cost came from additional content." At least this isn't without some backlash, as the report also mentions, "Consumers are less willing to pay $60 for a boxed game and instead choose titles with a steady stream of new content."

It then continues, "Publishers seek to meet these expectations and have adopted a 'games as a service' model, releasing fewer titles over time while keeping players engaged longer with regular updates and add-ons." What this all means is apparently DLC, microtransactions and loot boxes are actually bringing in ridiculous amounts of money despite publishers claiming they are operating at a loss.

The rest of the report than focuses on how resellers like G2A are causing a lot of harm to the industry and how publishers are then pushed into finding an alternative to recoup lost revenue from illegitimate CD keys. I could definitely see that being a thing, but I don't see how it causes microtransactions to then become a norm.

At least there is now some hard evidence as to how much publishers have been earning with these money making schemes. We can definitively say that, moving forward, more games will be embracing these models and probably turning out for the worse. I know titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Forza Motorsport 7 and even the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront 2 are decidedly worse off for their inclusion of shady business practices, even if the base game mechanics are solid enough.

I guess we'll just have to accept these lousy schemes until the less frugal among us finally have enough. I can't wait for Shadow of War's sequel where the intro, middle and end are all hidden behind a random loot drop.

Games as a service has "tripled the industry's value" [GamesIndustry.biz]

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News:: Michel Ancel wants to bring Rayman back after Wild and BG&E2

News:: Hori's cute PS4 controller looks like a relative of the Joy-Con

Sony have revealed a new series of wired gamepads, coming this holiday to the Playstation 4. The colourful range of controllers on display include a small-scale design that is reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con.

The HORI Wired Mini Gamepad, designed with younger players in mind, is a shrunken version of the PS4 controller, that features smaller grips and reduces the touchpad to a small button. Swipe motions are peformed via analog stick movements. Coming in three colours, the cute controller is similar to the miniature hand-held controllers that detatch from Nintendo's baby, Switch.

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News:: Junkrat will be disabled for the Heroes of the Storm BlizzCon HGC Finals

Junkrat was just released on the PTR for Heroes of the Storm for testing, and players (myself included) have...thoughts on him -- I've refrained from even giving out impressions at the moment because I need to get more of a handle on how he works.

That uncertainty is good enough for Blizzard it seems, as they've announced that they're disabling Junkrat for the HGC Finals, which will take place at BlizzCon next month. A lot of the frustration is centered around his mines, which have the same pushback concept as Overwatch, but to an exaggerated degree that allows Junkrat to fling people over walls or get himself to safety. That, and his absurd ultimate that was created for Heroes that lets him ride an invulnerable rocket, blow up, and immediately respawn with a super fast rocket mount.

HGC will be using the Junkrat patch though, just with the title character unavailable to play. The very same patch that has major tweaks for Zul'jin, Nazeebo, and Muradin. It should be an interesting Finals set!

Heroes eSports [Twitter]

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News:: 'Life is Strange' prequel's second episode arrives next week

Life Is Strange was one of our favorite games of 2015 and its prequel of sorts turned out to be pretty great, even though it was made by a different studio. Titled Before the Storm, the game's first episode came out in August of this year. On October 19th, you'll be able to jump back into Chloe and Rachel's story with the second episode, titled "Brave New World." A new trailer sets the scene for the upcoming episode, which will be available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC (via Steam).

Source: Square Enix

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News:: Dark Horse publish Overwatch comic anthology

Today sees the physical release of the Overwatch digital comic, as the first wave of issues are compiled by publishers Dark Horse to form Overwatch Anthology: Volume One.

The new release features the first twelve issues of the comic, adapted from Blizzard's successful arena-shooter. The stories in Volume One include McCree's battle aboard a speeding train, the early days of Overwatch under leader Commander Morrison and the defence of a small village by stalwart of justice Reinhardt.

We learn of incident that cost sniper extraordinaire Ana Amari her eye and even see the hassle Lena Oxton (Tracer) goes through as she desperately hunts down the perfect Xmas gift (in an issue that was ultimately blocked from Blizzard's Russian site.)

It's a great comic. The stories are fun, fast and easy reads, with nice art and a wealth of interesting lore and backstory. Many will be quick to point out that all issues of the comic are completely free to read online, but having enjoyed the story thus far, I personally have no drama dipping into my funds to give something back to the artists and writers responsible.

There are still a wealth of characters and events to explore, so I'm hoping we'll see many more issues of the online publication in the future.

Overwatch Anthology: Volume One is available now from comic book retailers.

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News:: Review: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood (Patch 4.1)

Final Fantasy XIV has now entered its "catch-up state." Whereas 4.0 was all about catering to the hardcore side with a four-level raid tier and new item cap to work toward, 4.1, known as The Legend Returns, doesn't shake up the formula in any monumental way until its single "Ultimate Coil" battle drops in a few weeks.

While catch-up patches aren't quite as exciting, I'm still going to be actively playing until 4.2 hits -- so Square Enix did something right!

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