The biggest twist of ‘Avowed': Great in fighting, not the writing
Then I noticed something I've never felt before during a game made by Obsidian, the studio that made 'Fallout: New Vegas' and the Pillars of Eternity franchise, all writerly role-playing games focused on character-driven narratives that react to player choices. I stopped caring about the characters. My story choices didn't matter much, either to the narrative or, more fatally, to myself.
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9 hours ago
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Microsoft backtracks on $80 The Outer Worlds 2 pricing
There's hope that the gaming industry won't follow Nintendo's lead with $80 pricing. (Well, at least not yet.) On Wednesday, Microsoft backtracked on the price increase for The Outer Worlds 2 . The game now costs $70, which itself was considered outrageous only a few years ago. Microsoft told Windows Central that those who already pre-ordered Obsidian's shooter at $80 can get refunds at the point of purchase. Unfortunately, you can't simply get a $10 price adjustment. You'll have to refund the full $80 and then pre-order again for $70. I'm beginning to think consumer-friendliness isn't the priority here. The $80 pricing push began with Mario Kart World . Comments by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford initially suggested Borderlands 4 might have followed. Fortunately, 2K Games saw something in the backlash that made it balk; it's launching at $70. A Bluesky user summed it up in a reply to Obsidian's U-turn. "Consumer advocacy in this awful state of the industry WORKS," @johnbrebbia posted. The gaming industry is caught in a godawful whirlwind of layoffs, studio closures and price increases. That's happening against a backdrop of rising costs for consumers. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is projected to reach $189 billion this year, a 3.4 percent increase. That's a combustible mixture if ever there was one. Ironically, Obsidian's sci-fi RPG deals with themes of late-stage capitalism. The developer even deployed in-world satire to announce the pricing change: "Dear Galactic Citizens! We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing..." Winking at one's audience is usually a good thing, but this strikes me as more of a "dude, read the room" moment. Regardless, The Outer Worlds 2 is set to arrive on October 29. It will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.
The Verge
11 hours ago
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