Computerchairgeneral

I've been grinding away at Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Spent the last few days running up against the brick wall of the Chapter Twelve Two-against-four boss fight that still manages to make you feel outnumbered. I was suspicious of just how the insistent the game was about checking out the battle arena, but it kind of feels mandatory if you want to get through that fight. Also managed to get spoiled for that Chapter 14 boss fight while looking up strategies, so I've got that to look forward to.

EA saw how many studios Embracer has been shutting down and got worried about losing their record for killing off the most game studios.

So, they're no longer part of Activision and presumably no longer part of Microsoft, but they want to keep working with Microsoft? So will they be completely independent or are they just no longer under Activision in the Microsoft hierarchy? Either way I hope a partnership with Microsoft means they might be able to make Spyro 4. Also, excited at the prospect of studios breaking away from Embracer. Obviously there is no guarantee that they'll be treated better, but at least they have a better chance of not being shut down by the end of the month.

I love the commitment to it, especially the spine reveal. It's a shame they were shut down soon after they finished it, but what a note to go out on.

So after banning adult content a few years ago, Tumblr decided to shoot itself in the other foot? It feels like the people in charge are actively trying to drive off the site's users.

I never played Galaxies, but I was always fascinated by the concept of it, especially before it was revamped. The idea of giving you the freedom to just exist in the world of Star Wars was always something I wished more games would do. I mean, I loved KOTOR for what it was, but you were still the main character of a story someone else had written. It's a shame nothing has really tried to emulate the style of Galaxies since then.

It's a shame for everyone involved, but at the same time it doesn't feel that surprising. It doesn't feel like their games after Until Dawn reached the same level of success. I remember the Dark Pictures Anthology getting mixed reviews as it went on and I don't really remember much about the Quarry's reception except the hype around it being the next Until Dawn.

Thirty hours into Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Main story has started to ramp up, but I keep getting distracted by the business management mini-game and the kart-racing minigame that I just discovered while wandering around the map. It never ceases to amaze me just how dense these games are and just how many side activities they managed to pack into one game.

This is what happens when you wish for the resurrection of a beloved IP. Another finger on the monkey's paw curls. The idea of a Crazy Taxi live service game is weird enough, but it's just bizarre that they are using Fortnight as a major inspiration for the Jet Set Radio reboot. I guess at the very least we are getting proper remakes of these games alongside the live service reboots. It will be interesting to see how the games do head to head, especially with the difficulties live service games have been having lately.

It's a shame that people are being laid off, especially when it seems like it's retaliation for complaining about working conditions. Still, I don't think I'd ever be able to buy anything from ZA/UM after they kicked most of the creators out of the company and took control of the IP.

Good. I'm sure the chatbot will be back up and running soon, but anything that reminds companies there are risks to replacing humans with "AI-enhanced" chatbots is good. Unfortunately, I'm sure the lesson companies are going to take away from this is to include a disclaimer that the chatbot isn't always correct. Which kind of defeats the whole point of using a chatbot to me. Why would I want to use something to try and solve a problem that you just told me could give me inaccurate information?

You know if anyone needs to be let go maybe it's the management who were spending like there was no tomorrow and are now throwing everyone overboard to stop the ship from sinking. Or, you know, just keep cancelling games and shuttering studios. I'm sure that'll work out eventually.