It’s fair to say that mid-to-late November feels very much like the lead-up to The Game Awards, a major ceremony that takes place in December each year.
At The Game Awards, not only are the most exceptional games of their respective year recognised and lauded, but new game announcements are made as well, making it one of the most pivotal gaming news events on the calendar.
Since we’re currently sitting in the lead-up to The Game Awards, we shouldn’t expect too much incendiary news before early December, but here’s our rundown of what’s been happening this week in the industry regardless!
Roblox is introducing more safety features
Game creation platform Roblox this week introduced more safety controls and features aimed at making its environment a less dangerous one for younger users.
These changes include remote account management for parents, screen time monitoring, and restrictions for communication, with the latter preventing those under 13 from sending direct messages to others “outside of games or experiences”.
It’s likely that these features are aimed at addressing the criticisms raised by a report released last month in which the writers referred to Roblox as an “X-rated paedophile hellscape”.
Sony may be looking to buy From Software’s parent company
Kadokawa, the company that owns a majority stake in Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer From Software, could be purchased by Sony in the near future.
That’s according to reports this week that talks were underway for Sony to buy Kadokawa. Those talks were subsequently confirmed in an official statement issued by Kadokawa itself.
However, it’s important not to get too excited just yet. Kadokawa says that a “letter of intent” has been received, but that no decision has been made, so nothing’s set in stone yet.
Final Fantasy XIV is coming to mobile
A mobile version of MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has officially been confirmed, and it’s currently in development at Tencent’s LightSpeed Studios, a company with extensive experience developing for mobile.
The mobile version of the game will retell the story of Final Fantasy XIV’s A Realm Reborn reboot, but it will serve as an adaptation rather than a straight port or remake.
LightSpeed says it’s committed to keeping the social elements of Final Fantasy XIV intact, so the game “won’t be your typical fast-paced, bite-sized mobile experience”. That’s refreshing to hear.
F1 Manager 25 has been cancelled, it seems
If you’re a fan of management sim series F1 Manager, then you might be out of luck with regards to a new instalment in the series, at least if a report this week is to be believed.
Back in September, F1 Manager developer Frontier said that it had been involved with “commercial discussions with an IP partner” resulting in “the voluntary termination of a contract for a future game”.
Now, further reporting from Eurogamer confirms that the game in question is F1 Manager 25, although no official announcement has been made by Frontier regarding the franchise’s future.
Stalker 2 team acknowledges “rough edges” and promises fixes
If you’ve played a game in the Stalker (or, to give it its proper name, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) series, you’ll probably know that these games have a history of launching with a significant amount of bugs and issues.
Well, it looks like Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is no different, as developer GSC Game World took to X this week to reveal that it’s aware of some of the game’s “rough edges” and is currently working on fixes.
Details of the game’s first patch were subsequently revealed later in the week, and it’s aiming to fix gameplay issues, AI behaviour problems, and quest progression bugs, among other things.
Itch.io now requires AI disclosure
The issue of generative AI is one that’s not going away anytime soon, and so it makes a lot of sense that many companies and studios are nailing their colours to this mast one way or the other.
Digital platform Itch.io joined that effort this week; the storefront now requires developers who list their games on its site to disclose whether generative AI has been used in the creation of the game, and to what extent if it has.
That disclosure includes when generative AI has been used to alter artwork or edit existing human-made assets, so it’s clear that Itch.io is serious about AI.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has been having some problems
This week saw the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the next instalment in the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise, but all is not well in the kingdom of Asobo.
The game met with negative reviews on Steam across the board when it launched, with many users pointing to major server issues and problems with asset loading that meant the game seemed unfinished to them.
Asobo responded by pledging to fix these problems and explaining how they came about in a developer stream, but we suspect that for many players, the damage may already have been done.
Steam overhauls Season Pass rules
From now on, if your Steam game has a Season Pass, then you must follow a new set of Steam guidelines designed to demystify the Season Pass model and provide users with more information.
These guidelines include clearly delineating what DLC is included with the Season Pass, as well as when the DLC is expected to release and what the pricing will be.
It’s also now required to include at least one piece of downloadable content as part of a Season Pass, unless the pass is being included with the pre-order of a game’s Deluxe Edition.
The Invincible developer reveals new “anti-combat action RPG” Dante’s Ring
Starward Industries, developer of sci-fi walking sim The Invincible, revealed its new project this week, and it sounds ideal for those who wish the aforementioned game had had just a little more gameplay.
Dante’s Ring is described by its developers as an “anti-combat action RPG” in which you must traverse a perilous volcano in order to rescue “lost beings”.
The game looks rather like a volcanic Death Stranding; you’ll be using traversal tools to get around and save people, but the focus will, it seems, be on movement and exploration rather than fighting.
