Epic Games, the creator of Unreal Engine and the ludicrously popular Fortnite, is reportedly laying off 16% of its workforce, which works out at around 900 employees.
The news comes via Bloomberg, with a person familiar with the matter stating that an internal announcement of the job cuts was sent out in a staff memo. In the memo, CEO Tim Sweeney stated “For a while now, we’ve been spending way more money than we earn. I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect, I see this was unrealistic.”
A total of 870 employees will be affected, and Sweeney states that no more job cuts are being planned beyond this. Around two-thirds of the cuts are said to be within teams that lie outside of Epic’s ‘core development’.
That said, one of the staff members affected was Ed Fear, director and writer at Mediatonic, who worked on titles such as Murder by Numbers. Mediatonic was founded in 2005 and was acquired by Epic Games in 2021.
To coincide with this news, it’s also recently been revealed that the price of Fortnite’s V-Bucks will be increasing in October, with Epic stating that the ‘adjustments are based on economic factors such as inflation and currency fluctuations’.
Here’s how the changes will be reflected going forward:
1,000 V-Bucks – $8.99 (currently $7.99)
2,800 V-Bucks – $22.99 (currently $19.99)
5,000 V-bucks – $36.99 (currently $31.99)
13,500 V-bucks- $89.99 (currently $79.99)
Late last year, Epic Games had agreed to pay a total of $540 million over allegations from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations that the company had implemented ‘dark patterns’ to dupe users into making unintentional purchases.
What do you make of these potential redundancies over at Epic Games? Leave a comment with your thoughts below.
The hilarious music rhythm game Trombone Champ has received a new update on the Nintendo Switch, bumping the game up to Version 1.21A.
Perhaps the highlight is the new content – adding two new tracks. Apart from this, players can also expect some bug fixes (one is for the final boss), improvements for the multiplayer mode, and much more.
If you own Trombone Champ on the Nintendo Switch™, you should receive update v1.21A today. You can tell if the new update is applied if you see “1.21” in the lower-left-hand corner of the title screen.
This patch doesn’t add anything mindblowing: it mostly focuses on fixing the biggest issues we’ve found since launch. Apologies for any inconvenience these issues caused!
Bugfixes
When attempting to beat the final boss, you should no longer get stuck on a black screen if you fail to meet the conditions required to beat the boss.
When playing with more than one player, you should now receive the correct letter grades in the Track Select screen. Previously, the game would use the combined point total, making it far too easy to get S ranks.
The first time you first arrive at the Track Select screen and “Warm Up” is your only option, you can no longer press X to sort tracks.
Several minor bugs that could appear when switching between save slots should now be fixed.
New Content
Added two new tracks: “Down By The Riverside” and “The Barber of Seville.” This means that the Nintendo Switch™ version now has all of the tracks included in the PC and Mac versions.
Improvements
In multiplayer, the indicators for players 2, 3, and 4 have been adjusted so that it’s easier to see the position of all players.
The light bloom effect when reaching Champ mode has been replaced with a new, more visible effect. The previous effect was causing framerate drops and wasn’t rendering as expected.
The system that controls note timing (specifically, missing gaps between notes) has been updated to match the PC version. It should now be much easier to maintain combos when there are lots of short notes that are close together.
The game should now prompt you to connect a controller shortly after launching, instead of at the dark “Trombone Champ” title screen.
The score graph on the Points screen should display more accurate information when playing multiplayer.
Some timers have been adjusted to prevent animation issues from occurring when the user mashes buttons.
Hover states adjusted for the “Long Trombone” and “Rainbow” buttons on the character select screen, making them much easier to navigate with a controller.
When a secret NPC asks you for cards, the display of the cards should look more normal if you have 0 of those cards.
Now, you cannot view a track’s online leaderboards until you have at least one score for that track.
The controller should no longer vibrate when pressing ZR after you’ve finished opening a chest.
Some text issues in card language have been fixed.
Various other tiny improvements, bugfixes, and optimizations.
As for what’s on the horizon, the next update for Trombone Champ will add more control settings, a trombone customiser and even more new content:
We’re already working on our next update! This should hopefully feature:
More control settings, such as the ability to set smoothing for each control type. We are also experimenting with an alternate method for stick control.
The Trombone Customizer, which is already in the PC and Mac versions. This allows you to completely customize your trombone, choosing its colors and textures manually.
New content, which is currently a secret.
Additional bug fixes and improvements!
Have you tried out Trombone Champ yet? Leave a comment below.
Nintendo’s new battle royale F-Zero 99 will be getting more tracks this week. The five-track line up has now been officially confirmed on the company’s Japanese website.
As highlighted by dataminer OatmealDome, the tracks joining the standard F-Zero 99 mode include Mute City II, Port Town I and Red Canyon I. As for the new Pro Tracks, racers can look forward to the addition of White Land II and Death Wind II.
Last but not least, the Queen League will also be featured in Grand Prix events. This update will launch on 29th September in Japan, so expect it to arrive elsewhere around the same time. Apparently, the remaining King League circuits will also unlock in mid-October.
Are you excited about this new selection of tracks? Comment below.
Frame rates aren’t necessarily everything in a game, but can be quite important if gameplay relies on quick reactions from the player.
With this in mind, Sonic Superstars development producer and character designer Naoto Oshima recently confirmed the game would run at 60FPS, “even on the Nintendo Switch”. Here’s what he had to say, according to a translation by Noisy Pixel:
“Oshima: Thanks to everyone who has supported Sonic, I am once again able to be involved in development. [Sonic Superstars] will be released on all kinds of platforms, so please try it out, and you will be able to play at a smooth 60 FPS, even on Nintendo Switch. I hope old fans will be nostalgic for the characters, and newcomers will be able to experience Sonic’s speed.”
Considering how fast the Sonic series can be, this is great to hear. It does have us wondering about the game’s multiplayer though. With four-player local and up to eight players online, it will be interesting to see how it holds up.
Will you be checking out Sonic Superstars when it launches on Switch next month? Tell us below.
Eric ‘ConceredApe’ Barone has been busy working on Version 1.6 of the Stardew Valley, and lately, he’s been teasing quite a bit about this new update.
In the latest “sneak peek” via social media, he’s shared a sizable list of everything players can expect from this next game update. This includes new festivals, late-game content and end-game quests, new lines of dialogue, “new secrets” and much more.
In last week’s update, ConcernedApe shared a single screenshot of a bird. You can learn more in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life. As for the current development status, ConcernedApe notes that this update is “still in development” and there’s no release date just yet.
Are you excited about all of this new content coming to Version 1.6 of Stardew Valley? What else would you like to see added? Leave a comment below.
Afterdream is a pixel art horror title that puts atmosphere and puzzle-solving above all else. Taking place within the psyche of our protagonist as she recounts her vivid dreams, this format allows Afterdream to make liberal use of weird imagery to tell an intriguing and engaging story.
Drawing inspiration from classic survival horror games – specifically in how you solve puzzles – Afterdream requires you to observe your surroundings and interact with the objects found within. For the most part, you’ll find items that might be missing a key component, meaning you’ll need to search the adjacent rooms and return once you’ve found what you’re looking for.
It’s basic stuff, but Afterdream manages to maintain engagement by striking a strong balance with its difficulty. Some puzzles may initially seem perplexing, but thanks to the confined nature of each environment, it won’t be long before you figure out what needs to be done. As such, Afterdream’s pacing is one of its strongest aspects, bolstered by a snappy UI that never gets in the way. However, we would have welcomed the ability to run at times during the game.
To help guide you, you’ll obtain a camera fairly early in the game, and utilising this at every possible opportunity is key to discovering Afterdream’s secrets. It has two primary functions: the first is a simple “quick-fire” mechanic where you use the camera’s flash to briefly illuminate your surroundings and power up objects. The other function is, of course, to take pictures. Whipping out your camera, you can move the lens around to locate hidden objects that, while invisible to the naked eye, are illuminated in the viewfinder. Taking a picture of the object then allows it to materialise in the environment. This means that if you’re struggling to locate a key item in the conventional sense, you might need to just give the area a quick scan with the camera to see what might be lurking.
In terms of scares, this is the one area that we feel Afterdream could have pushed a bit further. It’s limited to subtle moments, such as a flickering light, a shadow wandering past a doorway, or a quick jump scare as a creepy figure flashes into view. Given the fact that we’re quite literally navigating someone’s dream, we feel there could have been more opportunities to really freak out the player.
Having said that, it’s the overarching atmosphere that drives the experience home. The ambient music is haunting and amplifies the sense of dread at just the right moments, while the dirty, gritty colour palette combined with a subtle noise filter makes for some effective visuals. Finally, while the lack of screen real estate might be off-putting for some, we found the intentional use of black bars at the top and bottom a great way of keeping the view focused, allowing for a wider perspective of each room.
If you’re looking for a quick jaunt through a beautifully haunting 2D world then Afterdream is a solid choice. While it’s a shame the game doesn’t lean into scares quite as much as we’d have liked, the atmosphere makes up for this and the puzzles should keep you engaged from start to finish.
Running from 28th September 2023 to 7th January 2024, you’ll be able to go in and view some exclusive Pokémon-inspired twists on Van Gogh’s most celebrated art on the 1st floor. Six pieces have been reinterpreted to give them a Pocket Monster flair.
An exclusive ‘Pokémon Adventure’ tour around the museum will be held, which is designed to teach kids about the stories behind Van Gogh’s paintings. Plus, you’ll get an exclusive Pokémon X Van Gogh Pokémon Card for attending. On Floor 0 at the restaurant, you’ll learn how to draw Pikachu. Plus online lessons about how Van Gogh was inspired by Japanese prints will also be held.
If you’re after the card but can’t make it to Amsterdam this autumn/winter, then fear not. Some exclusive merchandise will be available to buy at the Pokémon Center online in both the UK and USA.
The merch includes a plush version of Pikachu dressed as Van Gogh, TCG sleeves, a jigsaw puzzle, and some figurines (thanks, Serebii!)
Original article [Tue 12th Sep, 2023 15:30 BST]: The Pokémon Company has announced a rather unusual — but intriguing — collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
The collaboration with the world-famous museum kicks off on 28th September, but other than a rather adorable teaser, we know nothing about what to expect from this merging of the art world and Pokémon world.
Still, that trailer is quite lovely, featuring Eevee and Pikachu running through a field of sunflowers, with the sky being transformed into a Van Gogh-style painted sky, and the sunflowers turning into Sunfloras.
We’ll let you know when we know more about this collaboration, but if you’re in Amsterdam after 28th September and love Pokémon, you’ll definitely want to check this out. Perhaps we’ll get a gallery of Pokémon-style interpretations of the post-impressionist’s paintings?
Don’t forget that Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s first piece of DLC — The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask is out tomorrow, 13th September. You’ll be venturing off to Kitakami on a school trip, a land steeped in tradition.
Will you be attending the Van Gogh collaboration later this month? Let us know.
You wait all that time for hotly-anticipated titles like Tears of the Kingdom to drop onto the console of choosing, only to see it land in a year as stuffed with top-notch gaming releases as 2023 that you are forced to play it while juggling 30 other “must-plays” at the same time.
Gosh, we game fans sure do have it tough, don’t we?
We’re exaggerating, obviously. The fact of the matter is, we don’t have to juggle at all. 2023 has been one of those years that many will look back on for a while and say: “Do you remember 2023? Wow, that was a stuffed one, right?” But bouncing between Hyrule, Faerûn and a Galaxy Far, Far Away can take its toll, and it has become more important now than ever to work out how to take a break.
Not a break from games, of course (how absurd!), but rather a break from big games — a palate cleanser between the mammoth titles of the year, something to gently remove the lingering taste of your previous game and leave you feeling minty-fresh for the next one. These palate cleansers can take on a variety of forms: puzzle games, visual novels, replays, etc. But many of us have a preference, nonetheless.
Here at Nintendo Life, we have decided to run through a few of ours before the likes of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Sonic Superstars, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (yes it’s PS5, but come on) release in October. Have a read through some of the titles that we use to get out of the post-completion blues and then take to the comments to share some remedies of your own.
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
Image: Game Freak
My palate cleansers can be broken into the following food groups: fatty puzzles, healthy roguelikes and a small slice of sweet, mind-numbing farm sims. The ones that I come back to time and again after finishing a full three-course, 40+ hour game are Picross and Pocket Card Jockey. It’s the perfect combination of keeping me entertained in the moment while offering the reassurance that I will be able to put it down for six months without any worry of losing where I am.
Despite the fact that it’s a wholly different flavour, the likes of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons occupy the same spot in my gaming diet. I put the hours in when I first downloaded each, but now they lie in wait for the odd revisit between beefier courses. I plant new crops, clear the cockroaches, maybe work on a new feature or two and then put it down, safe in the knowledge that I will have to do the whole thing all over again when the need for comfort strikes next.
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
Image: Capcom
Generally speaking, if I ever find myself between major releases, I’ll always gravitate towards old favourites; games that I know back to front and can blast through in just a couple of short hours. So we’re talking Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Halo… Stuff like that.
There’s something quite comforting in starting a game and knowing exactly what it’s going to entail and how long it will take to complete. Starting anything brand new these days – particularly lengthy RPGs or visual novels – is an exceptionally demanding use of my limited time, so it’s nice to just settle down with something familiar every now and then.
If I were to pick one game, then of course it’s going to be Resident Evil 4. Even with the remake proving its worth, I still enjoy just breaking out the original and blowing the heads off those pesky Ganados. Whether I’ve just finished a cosy platformer or a gritty RPG, Resident Evil 4 is always there as the perfect palate cleanser.
Gavin Lane, Editor
Image: Nintendo
Beyond blasting through an evergreen favourite, I find myself searching out bite-sized aperitifs between the big releases almost all the time — and it’s so easy on Switch thanks to all the short games. In fact, my backlog is filled with amuse-bouches I could blitz through if I put my mind to it. Trombone Champ and the Star Trek: TNG table in Pinball FX have been recent side quests I’ve dipped into between Sea of Stars and TOTK sessions.
The danger I typically face is when my supposed palate cleanser becomes the main meal. Grabbing some comfort food on Mumbo’s Mountain frequently turns into a full Banjo-Kazooie playthrough, and ‘a quick bite’ with F-Zero 99 or Vampire Survivors can easily become a multi-course banquet. Nomnomnom.
Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor
Image: No More Robots
You can probably break up my palette cleansers into two separate groups — something short and sweet, or something that I can just jump back into whenever I want. something that I know I’ll keep coming back to — Let’s Build A Zoo never leaves my front page, and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is perfect for dipping in and out of. I also use the time between big RPG releases to knock out a platformer or something from my backlog, or sometimes just dive into NSO to play some Tetris or Super Mario World.
These gaps are also the perfect time for me to squeeze in short narrative titles where gameplay isn’t really the focus. There are so many bite-sized indie titles that you can beat in under 10 hours that they make perfect fodder between the big-name releases. This year alone I’ve squeezed in Venba, A Space for the Unbound, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and Paranormasight. Let’s ignore how much time I’ve put into Vampire Survivors, for the sake of this…
So, what do you make of our picks? Do any of them align with yours or will you perhaps be trying any of them out in the future? Fill out the following poll to let us know which type of game you use to unwind and then take to the comments to share any other ideas.
Do you have a video game palate cleanser? (607 votes)
Yep, I always come back to puzzle games15%
It’s farm sims for me5%
I’m all about the replays22%
Yes, as long as it’s short-and-sweet21%
I’m prone to party games between big releases4%
Nope, I have no problem playing big games back-to-back18%
I have a different game palate cleanser (comment below)15%
Initially announced back in 2021, developer Fossil Games and publisher Hound Picked Games have today revealed that the spooky 8-bit RPG Sunshine Manor will be creeping onto Switch on 6th October.
This one is said to be inspired by ’80s horror movies and promises “thrills, chills & blood spills” — is there really anything else that you can ask for to kick off spooky season? You will play as Ada McReady, who agrees to spend the night in a famed haunted house (bad idea, by the way) with the ultimate goal of uncovering the mansion’s mysteries and banishing the ghosts therein. Ah yes, there’s also someone called ‘The Shadow Man’ who will be watching your every move — which isn’t anything to worry about at all, right..?
You can find a little more information about some of the game’s features and get a look at a handful of screenshots below.
– An original 1hr 22m atmospheric soundtrack written exclusively for the game – Sinister outrageously weird story that builds to the events of the infamous Camp Sunshine massacre! – Beautiful hand-drawn 8-bit-esque pixel art in the retro mould – Inspired by classic horror movies of the 1980s and beyond – 6 to 8 hours of gameplay – Deviously devised linear story to constantly uncover secrets and build understanding of the Sunshine Universe and Sunshine Manor – French, German, Spanish, Russian & Japanese language localization
There are only 10 days to go before this one haunts its way onto the eShop on 6th October and we’re imagining that a few more spooky titles will be heading our way around the same time.
Does this one take your fancy? Let us know in the comments.
A whopping six years on from its successful Kickstarter campaign, developer Atooi has announced a release date for Hatch Tales: it’s finally coming on 28th March 2024.
The cute platformer — an enhanced HD port of 3DS title Chicken Wiggle and formerly known Chicken Wiggle Workshop — was successfully crowdfunded back in early 2018, surpassing its $30,000 goal with a total of $35,634 from 1,553 backers.
With an initial estimated delivery of December 2018 and sporadic updates via the campaign page, discontent amongst Kickstarter backers has led to significant criticism over communication from the Austin, TX-based studio throughout development.
Despite its prolonged incubation time — described as an “adventurous development journey” in Atooi’s press release — it seems Hatch Tales is finally preparing to emerge on the sixth anniversary of the initial Kickstarter campaign.
A post to backers of the project informed them of the news earlier today. Here’s some text from the press release:
Image: Atooi
Hatch Tales – formerly known as Chicken Wiggle Workshop – has had an adventurous development journey since its successful Kickstarter campaign in March, 2018. On the sixth anniversary of the campaign, the wait will finally be over.
Hatch Tales is a stylish 2D platformer with climbing mechanics featuring Hatch, a flightless hawk mountaineer, who uses his trusty grappling hook to climb up mountains, stun enemies, and zip across chasms!
We are planning a special Atooi media event that will be announced in the future, where viewers will be taken on a deep dive into the egg-citing features of Hatch Tales. Follow us to stay up to date with announcements.
[embedded content]A 2020 trailer for the game
For backers, this one has been a very long time coming and some may be understandably sceptical at this date announcement until the game is sitting on their Switch and they can see how it compares to the initial vision outlined in the campaign.
We’re in the process of speaking to Atooi founder Jools Watsham about this game’s long gestation (among other things) for an upcoming interview, so keep an eye out for that in the coming days.
Are you a Hatch Tales backer? Did you think this one had been scrambled? Let us know your thoughts below.
