Your October gaming news roundup

After multiple reconnaissance missions, back-alley bribes, and a string of other unmentionable activities, we’ve managed to acquire all gaming intelligence that took place within the month of October 2017. The list that follows contains all information our Lord Editor has deemed fit for public consumption.

If you feel there is something that needs to be addressed or lacking from this list, please let us know in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to deal with you… I mean, your issue.

Epic Games sues Fortnite Cheaters

Earlier this month Epic Games sued two cheaters in Fortnite’s recently-released battle royale mode. The individuals in question are both associates of the popular site, AddictiveCheats, whose services aid players with tracking, aiming and killing enemies in PVP games such as Fortnite and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds.

In order to implement these cheats, the cheat-crafters had to alter Fortnite‘s source code, which Epic Games considers a breach of the game’s End User Agreement License and the Copyright Act.

In a statement to Kotaku, Epic Games had this to say on the subject: “When cheaters use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly. We take cheating seriously, and we’ll pursue all available options to make sure our games are fun, fair, and competitive for players.”

IGN acquires Humble Bundle

Humble Bundle, a popular charity-supporting digital distribution service and game publisher, has been acquired by the well-known gaming outlet, IGN.

“We chose IGN because they really understand our vision, share our passion for games, and believe in our mission to promote awesome digital content while helping charity,” said Jeffrey Rosen, CEO and co-founder of Humble Bundle.

This acquisition has raised some concerns considering the conflict of interest that comes into question when IGN would potentially, and most probably will, cover games published by Humble Bundle.

In a statement to Polygon, IGN’s executive vice president and general Manager, Mitch Galbraith, had this to say: “Editorial integrity is something we take very seriously at IGN, and I am confident that we will strike the right balance when it comes to our coverage of Humble Bundle and the games they sell. Our readers and customers have always come first — and that won’t change.”

Lootboxes and Microtransactions – Forza and Shadow of War players are unhappy

By now, most of us have probably encountered the pay-to-win scourge that’s been plaguing our beloved pastime over the last few years. But it seems some big game publishers have levelled-up their greed stat and players aren’t happy about it. The two games currently in question are Shadow of War and Forza 7.

In Shadow of War there is much controversy surrounding the inclusion of a loot box system where you can buy (with real money) various tiers of loot boxes to gain items and orcs for your army.

As a practice prominently found in multiplayer games (usually just to clean out players’ wallets), Shadow of War players feel, as a single player game, this loot box approach detracts from the
gameplay experience. Part of the experience is defeating orcs or cultivating a relationship with them to get them on your team. With this loot box system, you can essentially bypass one of the game’s biggest features and just buy yourself an orc army.

Forza 7 has also received its share of criticism for its “egregious” microstransaction system. In old Forza games, you could earn more in-game currency by adding challenging modifiers to your race, such as driving at night or in the rain. You can still add these modifiers but now you have to use consumable “mod cards”, which of course can only be found in loot boxes.

While these loot boxes can’t be directly bought yet, some feel it’s only a matter of time. Otherwise, why set it up in this way in the first place? So basically you will be paying real money to earn more in-game money.

Dragon Age and Mass Effect creative director leaves Bioware

Mike Laidlaw, Bioware’s creative director, writer and designer of Mass Effect (2007) and the Dragon Age franchise, has left the company after fourteen years. This comes a little over a year after veteran writer, David Gaider (Dragon Age: Inquisition, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) left Bioware after more than seventeen years at the company.

At this point in time, Gaider has not yet revealed his reasons for leaving but had this to say: “It’s with a mix of emotions that I’m announcing my time with BioWare has ended. After 14 years and a chance to work on Jade Empire, Mass Effect and all things Dragon Age it’s time for me to move on.”

First look at Jurassic World Evolution gameplay

Frontier Developments’ (Planet Coaster, Elite: Dangerous) upcoming Jurassic Park sim, Jurassic World Evolution, has released its first in-game footage… and it looks marvellous.

The trailer gives us a closer look at a few of the dinosaurs we will be managing, such as the iconic T-Rex and devious Raptors, all of which boasted smooth and life-like animations. The scenery looks gorgeous, with dreamy sunset lighting and a lush Jurassic Park-ian (yes, I’ve decided that’s a word now) jungle environment.

Unfortunately, Jurassic World Evolution is set to be released in June 2018, so get comfortable and ready yourself for the age-old waiting-game.