Episode 445: Zelda II of the Future

This week features some more Civilization VI talk, as well as discussion of a new side-scrolling RPG Gunmetal Arcadia Zero, which is available for a few days at a “pay whatever you want” price; basically, it’s a science fiction Zelda II.

This week’s news includes:

  • Star Wars Battlefront 2 coming Fall 2017, EA suggests
  • Journey and Flower studio thatgamecompany teases its next title
  • New teaser sets Mass Effect: Andromeda 600 years after the last game

This week’s Question of the Week is for the Civ 6 players out there, “Which civ is your favorite in Civ 6?”

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Episode 708: Hello 2024Episode 708: Hello 2024

The first episode of 2024 is a short one, though the guys discuss the original Mickey Mouse hitting the public domain, Square Enix declaring it will be “aggressive in applying AI”, CD Projekt RED staying independent, and Valve ending all support for CSGO in favor of Counter-Strike 2.

The news includes:

  • Activision Blizzard workers speak out after Bobby Kotick’s CEO exit
  • Star Wars Outlaws releasing “late” 2024
  • Studio behind PlayStation Firewall games shuts down due to “lack of support” for VR within industry

Let us know how your 2023 went.

Australian PSN Restoration DelayedAustralian PSN Restoration Delayed

The Japanese government has not allowed PlayStation Network to be activated for Japanese gamers yet due to security concerns, and now an expert is advising Australia to follow suit.

Professor Bill Caelli told newspaper The Australian, “Why is it that in the IT industry enterprises certify themselves?” said Caelli, noting that PSN didn’t have the same restrictions, and added that the public has “no way of assessing the assurances given by the owners of the (PSN) system themselves”.

Reportedly, Australian privacy commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has been in contact with Sony, and has not judged yet whether Sony has given them enough information to restore PSN. His investigation will be an ongoing one as well, even after PSN is restored.

When it was discovered user information had been stolen during the PSN breach, the Australian federal government announced plans for a law forcing companies to disclose privacy breaches, although it was unclear when it might come into effect. Privacy minister Brendan O’Connor had stated:

“Sony isn’t alone. We’ve seen serious privacy-related incidents in recent months involving other large companies. All companies that collect customers’ personal information must ensure that the information is safe and secure from misuse.”

We’ll stay on this story as it develops.

Activision and Blizzard LayoffsActivision and Blizzard Layoffs

If you’ve ever been through an acquisition or merger you’d have expected this news to come, but for those new to the concept it’s simple: you can’t keep everyone. After a complete merger you end up with two sales departments, two IT departments, etc.

Do you really need them all? No, not really. You’ll need to keep some on board in order to “brain dump” your job onto others and hopefully stick around for the long hall. Some employees will probably be shuffled to other job responsibilities while some get packages and a thank you card.

These are some of the growing pains when working towards a successful merger, so don’t be surprised or start spreading rumors when a few people are let go. As someone who’s gone through it in two big mergers I can say that certain departments already know their fate ahead of time. Many IT and sales folk start looking for new jobs the minute the merger is announced.