It is Wednesday, my peeps. And it's a big week! In addition to the great stories we have waiting for you over at WIRED Games, it's a big game release week as well, with one of my most anticipated titles of the year—Deathloop—launching as I write this. I don't want to spoil anything, and we definitely have coverage of the game coming in the next day or two, but I'll say this much: You should definitely pick it up. It's a great, great game. Go, play it! Now then, this week has been a busy one on the gaming news front. First of all, check out Cecilia D'Anastasio on Twitch filing suit against two alleged hate raiders—people who use scripts and bots to attack Twitch streamers, usually small, LGBTQ, and minority streamers. Twitch seems to be taking steps to address the issue, but the problems continue, and the bots still attack, so its work is far from done. Second, also from Cecilia, is the judgement in the Epic vs. Apple case, which in a lot of ways was a win and a loss for both parties. Epic can't force Apple to take a smaller cut of sales through its app store, but Apple can't ban or block apps just for offering alternate payment options outside of its app store. Epic says it plans to appeal, and Apple says it'll continue to defend, so the story goes on. On a more whimsical note, I had the opportunity to add to the page last week, since it was the seventh birthday of the Destiny franchise, and the fine folks at Bungie let me talk to their art team about how the visual language of Destiny has changed over those years. They also shared some amazing concept art from the early days of the franchise, featuring some characters and places that will look familiar to anyone playing the game now, and others that'll be completely new. Please give it a read. And speaking of games you oughta play (seriously, come play Destiny 2 with me!), check out Cecilia's love letter to The Artful Escape, which also came out this week and is just as amazing as the glittering, glamorous, rock and roll aesthetic vibes it gives off. I don't even want to write too much about the game; it's something that has to be seen. Also in the "games to watch out for" category is an indie project called The Light in the Darkness, a game that's designed to teach players about the horrors and history of the Holocaust, while also walking the line between being engaging and fun and being appropriately real and somber. You may be thinking, "Oh, a Holocaust educational game, it must be about concentration camps." If you are, you'd be wrong. Instead, developer Luc Bernard chooses a point much earlier in history to try to explain how seemingly stable societies can quickly fall to infighting, finger-pointing, and hate. It's coming next year, but we have a story about the game right now you can read. Finally, an observation: Have you noticed that more and more games seem to have adorable, quirky, protagonists lately? From adorable talking mice to cunning foxes, Pearse Anderson has a great analysis of a genre we've affectionately taken to calling "redwallcore," and how it's sweeping through gaming as a whole, starting with board and tabletop games. If you're wondering where it came from, he has the answers. Now then! This week, come visit us on Twitch! We'll probably be playing Deathloop later this week, and you'll definitely want to be there for the fun. I'll see you all next week. ⚖️ Twitch sues users over alleged 'hate raids' against streamers. Twitch is taking action against some of the people involved in hate-raiding LGBTQ and minority streamers, and while it's a step in the right direction, the issues on the platform persist. 🧱 Epic leaves a big crack in Apple's walled garden. Apple will no longer be able to ban developers simply for accepting payment methods outside of Apple's ecosystem, but the court said Epic didn't prove that Apple has an unfair monopoly. 🚀 Behind the art and atmosphere of Destiny. Destiny is seven years old, and the game—and its atmosphere—has changed over the years. The Bungie art team took some time out to chat with me about their design philosophy, what they keep in mind when building the world of Destiny, and some of the funniest challenges they've faced over the years. 🎸 The Artful Escape is psychedelic perfection. A colorful masterpiece that will remind you of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, The Artful Escape is a game that's driven by an engaging narrative and striking visuals. And it's absolutely worth your time. 📚 Can a game get young players interested in Holocaust history? The Light in the Darkness is no educational game, although you'll definitely learn something while playing it. When it comes out, that is. The game wants to teach you how slippery the slope of hatred and discrimination in a society can truly be. 🐭 Teeny-tiny talking mice have taken over games. There's just something about tiny mice, tiny people, or anthropomorphized animals that tickles our fantasy bone and gets us thinking about high adventure and impossible odds. Which is why those themes are tearing through the tabletop game community right now. |
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