TGO Daily | October 15, 2021 | New CoD and Battlefield Game-Modes
✏️ From the Author
Aren’t video games just so cool?
Writing the newsletter today I was struck by just how much variety and options there are for gamers of all kinds. The sad thing is that I’m interested in all of it, and will only end up playing some of it :(
— Adrian
📰 In The News
1. Call of Duty and Battlefield face off
Both Activision Blizzard (currently in the midst of multiple different legal battles over workplace toxicity) and EA released trailers for their first-person shooters today — at exactly the same time.
Call of Duty: Vanguard: They announced the oft-present Zombies mode. It’s being developed by the mode’s creator Treyarch, rather than the multiplayer developer Sledgehammer Games. The storyline from Black Ops Cold War is being continued, and they are introducing a new perk system that is constantly changing, making each play-through unique. More details in their blog post.
Battlefield 2042: They announced the third game mode, “Hazard Zone.” This is a 32-player mode (teams of 4) in which players have to complete missions and exit the arena. They emphasized that it specifically is not a battle royale mode — the objective is not to be the last person alive, or even to kill your enemies. It’s a unique concept, joining the traditional “All-Out Warfare” mode and the custom-game “Battle Portal” mode. More details in their blog post.
💭Adrian’s Thoughts: I’ve always loved the traditional FPS games having off-the-wall modes like these. While they don’t go as crazy as Halo’s Forge mode did, it’s great to have the variety. I know so many people who exclusively played Zombies, or certain modes in multiplayer. The more options they can provide without seriously segmenting the playerbase, the better.
2. Paradox Interactive in a rough spot
More and more, Paradox Interactive are finding themselves in a tough situation. In the news cycle today is Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester admitting that Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 was nearly cancelled. After an extremely turbulent development process, this isn’t surprising.
The history: Bloodlines 2 was announced in 2019, and it was a big deal! The original release from 2004 is a cult classic, and few expected the franchise to continue. Even more importantly, the original writer Brian Mitsoda was assigned lead narrative designer. The ball starting rolling downhill soon after:
October 2019: The game is delayed to a 2020 release.
June 2020: Following reports of sexual assault by Chris Avellone, Paradox remove his contributions.
August 2020: Paradox fire Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney with little explanation. Senior narrative designer Cara Ellison soon follows. They delay the game a second time to 2021.
February 2021: Developer Hardsuit Labs are removed from the project, and pre-orders for the game are cancelled. A new developer is chosen, and the game is delayed past 2021.
Outside of Bloodlines, Paradox has been facing allegations of gender discrimination and a CEO swap due to “differing views on company strategy.”
💭Adrian’s Thoughts: Be a smart consumer when it comes to Paradox in the next few years — and especially Bloodlines. Wait for reviews, and don’t be too invested!
🦑 Squid Game Brings Inspiration
Netflix’s “Squid Game” has become the most popular show in its history, and it is inspiring a number of different corners of the industry. Netflix themselves, who have recently been making their presence known in gaming, are even considering making their own title around the IP.
TechRadar: Fall Guys developers had a “Red Light Green Light” mini-game that they scrapped. Are considering bringing it back following the appearance in “Squid Game.”
Polygon: Speaking of mini-games, Roblox creators have also been inspired by many different aspects of the show. “Some are focused on the battle royale mechanics, others are just minigames, and some are even adaptations of Squid Game as a standard prison break game.”
Anecdotally, as someone who works with mobile apps, there have been a TON of “Hypercasual” (quickly developed, short lifespan) games that are “Squid Game” themed. Here’s a great article about it.
💡 Worth A Look
Newest Baldur’s Gate 3 update is in, adds a new class and area.
New Swery (Deadly Premonition) game called The Good Life released.
📅 Events & Releases!
October 15: Animal Crossing Direct, Crysis Remastered Trilogy, NHL 22
October 16: Minecraft Live, DC Fandome
October 19: Inscryption
October 21: The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
🔥 Thank You!
Thanks for reading, and please do respond to this email if you have anything you’d like to comment on yourself! I’d love to hear it :)
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