Game Awards and FMWC Winners, plus Bungie in hot water

The Game Awards 2021 Winners and Announcements – 

The Game Awards took place on the 10th of December, and showcased the best games released this year! Game Of The Year went to Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two, which also took Best Multiplayer Game and Best Family Game. Some of the other winners included; Deathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Life is Strange: True Colors, and Forza Horizon 5.

We also got a look at a bunch of upcoming games, with Star Wars Eclipse by Quantic Dream, the new Sonic game Sonic Frontiers, Alan Wake 2, Slitterhead, and more! We also got to see some more trailers for Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade 2, Forspoken, Elden Ring, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

 

Financial Modeling World Cup Winners! –

In some exciting news, Australian competitor Andrew Ngai (Nyai) has beaten out Canadian counterpart Michael Jarman in the Financial Modeling World Cup this year. In this competition, participants are required to solve a business case study, answering several questions by creating financial models in a spreadsheet in Excel. Consisting of 128 participants from all around the world, qualifications began on November 13th with the finals taking place on the 12th of December.

Click here to check out the stream!

 

Bungie’s Fight Against Toxic Work Culture – 

IGN recently published an article outlying yet more allegations of “sexism, boys’ club culture, crunch, and HR protection of abusers” within the gaming industry, with Bungie being named and shamed. The article claims that many employees believe that Bungie’s recent initiatives to improve working conditions have come “Too little, too late”. It points to several instances of narrative leaders “making life miserable” for the writers underneath them. Despite these many issues, several of the employees that have spoken out have expressed the belief that the studio is slowly but steadily improving with the new initiatives.

This article comes after several similar stories about an array of studios, including Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Quantic Dream. 

Aussies Unionize, NFTs for AAA, and Gaming while Driving

Australian Video Games Industry gets a Union… Finally.

Game Workers Unite Australia also known as GWUA mostly known for its advisory and support of video game workers is now planning to transition into a full-on union. GWUA intends on becoming Game Workers Australia in 2022 with Professionals Australia which is a larger union that encompasses more than just games industry workers ranging from engineers to scientists. This new found union with GWUA will mean that all games industry employees can join the same union and be afforded all the XP and buffs that joining a union involves plus the added bonus of benefits being specifically tailored towards games businesses. Game Workers Australia will launch in the new year but you can register your interest by clicking here.

Ubisoft bring NFTs to Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

Ubisoft are taking to the unique virtual cosmetic NFTs this week by implementing them as an “experiment.” Digits as they are called, will be the first non-fungible tokens to ever be introduced to a playable triple A game. These NFTs will be brought to Breakpoint’s Windows version of the game through the Ubisoft Connect platform.  Ubisoft said in a statement, Each Digit is a unique collectible that features its own serial number for others to see in-game, also keeping track of its current and previous owners for years to come, making players an integral part of the game’s history.” Ubisoft went on to say that NFTs will, “provide players the ability to personalize their experience and complete their missions with style.” Ubisoft said that Digit drops will happen on Dec 9th, Dec 12th, and Dec 15th.

Tesla will let you play video games potentially while you drive.

A new feature has been introduced to Tesla vehicles that the company didn’t advertise called video-games-on-the-go according to Motor Trend the games currently installed are Polytopia and Stardew Valley as well as some classics such as Asteroid and Centipede. We are still unclear about whether you can actually play these titles while the car is in motion. So, if any Tesla drivers out there would like to message us in on the Zed Games FB Page to let us know that would be great.

The week in games releases:

  • December 9th Breakwaters and KEO come to PC
  • December 14th Among Us launches on all platforms [PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO]
    • Clockwork Aquario [PS4, Switch]
    • Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue [PC]
    • Greak: Memories of Azur [PS4, XBO]
    • One Hand Clapping [PS4, XBO, Switch]
  • December 15th Rogue Invader [PC]

Downs and Ups

Discontinued PlayStation services rise again

A sad fact of many online games is that at some point the servers are going to be shutdown and the game will be left unplayable.  Thankfully projects like PS Online Network Emulated exist which aim to restore the online functionality for such titles. They recently announced that Motorstorm for PS3 now had its online functionality restored following on from support for Socom Confrontation, Killzone 2, Warhawk and Twisted Metal Black. The team is also currently working on Ratchet: Deadlocked, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and Resistance as well as the trying to bring back PlayStation Home.  To use the service, you don’t need a modified console. Simply point your Playstation’s DNS at the projects server and you’re good to go. You can find the projects homepage here:  https://www.psone.online

 

Halo Infinite can’t please everyone

Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer launch has gone as smoothly as most could have hoped for with one major exception. Many players have found the game’s leveling system to be less than satisfactory. Gaining levels on the battle pass is tied to completing specific challenges which has been  leading to slow progression and high rates of players quitting matches. To the point that the title’s design lead tweeted that he “feels everyone’s pain on progression”. One day later the community manager detailed changes they had already made to help alleviated the community’s displeasure and said larger changes were still to come.

DICE’s Design Lead on Battlefield steps down, then up

Fawzi Mesmar who acted as the head of design on Battlefield V, Star Wars Battlefront II and the recently released Battlefield 2042 has stepped down from his role at the company. An internal email to staff at DICE revealed Mr Mesmar had been planning to leave once the latest title had shipped.

“It was an absolute pleasure to serve on the best design teams in the galaxy. The incredible design work that you do continues to inspire me every day. Thank you for putting some faith in me, I hope I didn’t disappoint.”

It didn’t take long for Mesmar’s future to be revealed though as later in the week Ubisoft announced he would be taking the role as the new VP of editorial putting him in a high position of influence for the company’s future titles.

The Zed games Release Calendar

Fights In Tight Spaces (Xbox Platforms, PC), Solar Ash (PlayStation Platforms, PC) – December 3

Chorus (PlayStation 5 Xbox Platforms, PC), Danganronpa Decadence (Switch) – December 4

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (PlayStation Platforms, PC, Mac), Heavenly Bodies (PlayStation Platforms, PC) – December 7

Life is Strange: True Colors (Switch), SpellForce III Reforced (PlayStation Platforms, Xbox Platforms, PC), White Shadows (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – December 8

Halo Infinite (Xbox Platforms, PC) – December 9

New Releases, New Horizons, and More News

This week in gaming news…

Updates on the Activision Blizzard Controversy.
In its most recent move to improve public opinion after allegations of misconduct, Activision-Blizzard has announced it has created a new ‘Workplace Responsibility Committee’. This move and the announcement seem to further cement Activision-Blizzard’s support of CEO Bobby Kotick, even after last week’s shocking reveal that he has known about the allegations for years. Still, external pressure for his resignation is increasing with demands from a group of shareholders and a second walkout from employees armed with a petition of over 1800 signatures. According to the Wallstreet Journal, despite company support Bobby Kotick has informed senior leadership he will consider leaving the company if he cannot fix the problems in its culture “with speed”.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl Tops Charts for Release.
Recent numbers out of the UK have shown that the recently released Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl games have been met with unsurprising success. For the week of their release, the games took the first and second spot in boxed game sale charts, while the double pack sat in 9th. As a duo, Diamond and Pearl are now the second biggest boxed launch across all platforms for 2021, just behind FIFA 2022, and just ahead of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Their sales aren’t quite as high as Pokémon Sword and Shield, falling 26% short, but they did come out 13% higher than Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee.

Queensland Primed for Gaming Industry Boom.
In October QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the state’s new 15% rebate incentive designed to draw more games developers and studios to Queensland. This is starting to pay off in big ways with a recent announcement from PlaySide, Australia’s largest publicly listed games developer and best known for its game Age of Darkness, that they will be opening a studio on the Gold Coast in QLD. PlaySide is still scoping out a location for their studio but is hopeful it will be operational by the end of March 2022 and while they haven’t said an exact number of staff for the new studio, there are hopes in a few years’ time it will match the Melbourne Office at 100 employees. It also came out recently that PlaySide have signed an eight-figure work-for-hire agreement with 2K Games. The Agreement will see the two companies working together over the next 23 months to ‘develop a gaming franchise”. Further details are not yet available, but it seems certain we can expect good things from PlaySide and the QLD Gaming scene in coming years.

Hideo Kojima opens Movie Studio.
With the aim of “expanding the reach and awareness” of their games Kojima Productions’ has recently established a new division that will work on music, television, and film projects. The move seems overdue with Kojima’s history of obsessing about cinema in his work and his personal life. “Finding new ways to entertain, engage and offer value to our fans is essential in a fast-moving, ever-changing storytelling world,” Kojima Productions’ Yoshiko Fukuda said. “Our new division will take the studio into even more areas that present our creative narratives beyond video games and to open up ways for our fans to communicate and immerse themselves in these spaces.”

Upcoming Games Releases:

November 26

Date Night Bowling (PC & Switch)

Night Lights (PlayStation 4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X)

November 30:

Evil Genius 2: World Domination (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

Beyond A Steel Sky (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

Clockwork Aquario (Switch, PS4) – November 30

Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X)

December 2nd:

Mechajammer (Mac & PC)

 

And that’s all, this week, in gaming news.

Zombies, Run! – Review

Developer: Six to Start & Naomi Alderman
Publisher: Six to Start & Naomi Alderman
Platforms: Mobile (Android and iPhone)
Released: 2011, May 2015 (Free to Play)
Genre: Audio, Apocalyptic, Zombie, Survival, Horror

You’re on your way to Abel Township, taking a helicopter over the zombie-torn landscape. You’re bringing in supplies for the people who have set up a strong, defensive, base known as Abel, but you have another mission. Your helicopter pilot knows something is up, but before you can get into it, well, somebody fires a rocket launcher at you.

From the wreckage you run, your headset feeding you the voice of Sam Yao from Abel, the radio operator who will be your guide, and hopefully guide you to safety.

All you need to do is run.

Zombies, Run! Is an immersive story where you are the main character, with the story told as if you are in it, experiencing it yourself, broken up by your own music playlist of choice. Once you start, you don’t need to stop, you don’t need to look at your phone, and you won’t need to take a specific path or make decisions. A completely auditory experience that places you in this world that is so like ours, only filled with zombies, bad guys, quirky characters, and the voice of Sam forever guiding you. Load it up, pick your playlist, and go. Every step you take is a step closer to unravelling the mysteries and conspiracies that surround you.

Now, Zombies, Run! Isn’t like a podcast, it’s not like an audiobook, and it’s not like your traditional video game. Or a fitness app. It’s similar to all these things, but with award-winning writers at work, a full cast of unique and distinctive characters conveyed through voice acting, and a number of features to help you get immersed in this world, it’s perhaps the only constant that motivates me to move.

It’s really as simple as loading up a mission, picking my playlist, and getting a move on. There is over 8 seasons worth of story, with various storylines, mysteries, villains, friends, sometimes-friends, and look, even romance. Throughout your run you will ‘pick up’ supplies and materials, which you can use to build up Abel, and your music will play in between scenes. And often you’ll be chased by zombies, with a warning and the far-too-close sounds of groaning behind you, you’ll need to pick up your pace regularly to keep ahead of the horde.

Your first story mission involves you getting shot down out of the sky with a rocket launcher. Your second mission is a simple decoy mission to lead zombies away from Abel while the gates are stuck open. Your third mission? Well, I’ll let you find out for yourself. Various characters will come to your aid, help guide you, or maybe just decide that it’s weird that you got shot down and managed to survive, and you must definitely be up to something. You don’t give anything away of course, you’re the strong silent type, just a runner here to help. Maybe. The zombie apocalypse isn’t exactly normal, but you’ll find out just how strange it really is.

During my first run, I went as the sun was sinking. Dark streets, quiet, listening intently to the conversations that were taking place around me. AHH! Oh, just another runner, not a zombie. Phew.

Now, let me tell you a secret. I hate running. I despise it. It feels bad, it’s not fun, I’m really not getting better at it. I’m willing to bet many of you also feel the same way. Perhaps you prefer cycling, or a treadmill. Elliptical, rowing machine, weight training. Or walking.

You can still be an Abel Runner.

 

You can adjust the difficulty of each mission, so that you’re chased by zombies as often as you can handle, or not at all. GPS is the default way of tracking your movement, but you can also use a step counter, or even just set your pace, and the game will just adjust accordingly. For some of these settings, zombie chases won’t be enabled, but that’s fine. You can play no matter what your exercise of choice is, except perhaps swimming. It may go without saying however, wearing earphones while cycling outdoors, or any other exercise that requires constant awareness of your surroundings, is not recommended. But if you have a stationary bike, well, cycle your little hearts out.

The zombie story is not the only story! There are a dozen side-stories related to the universe, unique virtual races that will take you across the solar system, through mythological stories, and so much more. But perhaps my favourite minor story involves radio mode, where at the completion of each mission you’ll get to listen to Eugene and Jack chatter and banter like your regular radio hosts, who happen to be playing music from your playlist. After a really intense mission, hearing their lighthearted chatter is a nice break, and you get to learn more about the more mundane aspects of living through the zombie apocalypse.

And the final feature, you get to manage the base! It doesn’t actually affect your runs, but it’s a nice visual way of seeing how much you’ve accomplished. You get to see how the materials you’ve gathered have gone towards farms, wind turbines, barracks, and so much more. You can also track how much you’ve run, but I like a bit of city building.

Obviously, music is up to you! I have a few playlists, and the app works… alright with Spotify. You may need to adjust your settings to allow all the permissions to work together, but the app doesn’t know that you’re about to hit the hardest drop of all time. It is not afraid of interrupting your songs to throw story at you. And sometimes the music wouldn’t start up again once the scene ends. When I first started running it interacted a lot better with music saved directly to my device, but after a bit of tinkering it works most of the time.

There is a robotic voice for warning you of zombies on your heels, or to tell you that you picked up something. It’s a bit of an immersion breaker sometimes, when you have the passionate Sam warning you and then a voice saying ‘picked up a sports bra’. But this can also be changed, and I just have it set up to buzz a little when I pick something up. And the sound of zombies approaching behind you sounds awful, in the best way possible. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise up.

But in a scene, the sound experience is great. Initially they are finding their footing, but it’s always good. The soundscape they create, combined with the voice acting, audio effects, I feel a bit like I am in the middle of a movie. It can be extremely satisfying, especially when you get your hands on a rocket launcher yourself.

I love Zombies, Run! I got into it when it first became free to play, and you initially get unlimited access to the first 4 missions, and then a new mission is unlocked each week. I ended up subscribing for an annual fee, to unlock all the missions immediately. Totally work it, and you get a bunch of other bonuses.

But that’s up to you and how quickly you progress. You’ll still have access to simple supply missions, radio mode, and a new mission each week.

It’s not often that something makes me want to try running, and actually makes me feel kinda cool. I just wouldn’t recommend running after dark if you’re the jumpy type. Or just hop on a treadmill! It all counts.