Welcome to the Weekender, your weekly look at the best new games, sales, and updates. We’ve got a couple new games, a couple updates to great games, and a whole bunch of sales for you.
Yes, iOS Universal. Now you can play the latest installment of the turn-based classic franchise not only on your iPad but your iPhone. The game has been completely reworked to work well on a much smaller screen. The result is surprisingly good. The menus are well-optimized for a smaller screen and it’s easy to see what’s going on in your empire, albeit with a bit more panning around. In celebration of going universal, Civilization VI is also 60% right now, making it a great time to pick it up if you haven’t yet, or if you don’t have an iPad on which to play it. Be aware, however, Aspyr says the game requires a more recent iPhone, 7 or newer. I did install it and poke around on my 6S Plus, however, and it seemed OK.
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Chroniric XIX (iOS Universal)
The interactive-fiction genre is a popular one on mobile. Phones are the perfect platform to deliver these modern Choose-Your-Own-Adventure like content. Chroniric XIX is the latest title in the genre and features real-time conversations with an entity from an alternative past. The game imagines “what if” scenarios—like what if a scientist discovered an inexhaustible supply of energy way back in 1889—and drops you into the story. I didn’t get a chance to play Chroniric XIX, but if you’re a fan of interactive fiction it seems to have plenty of promise.
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Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (iOS Universal and Android)
The pastoral-based franchise Harvest Moon is celebrating 20 years and now Light of Hope is out on iOS and Android. After a monsoon and ship wreck, the game’s protagonist recovers from injury in an all-but-abandoned town. Your job is to grow crops, herd animals, gather materials and rebuild the town. Light of Hope appears to be a direct port of the PC and Switch version and might scratch that farm-simulation itch.
One of my favorite games of the year is the action hack-and-slash fest Barbearian. At launch the game was universal, but without iCloud support there was no way to share game saves, effectively forcing you to choose your device. That hole has been closed with a recent update and Barbearian now includes iCloud support. If you haven’t tried the game and enjoy explosive combat games I highly recommend grabbing it. You can read my 5-star review for much more on why.
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Sales
A Dark Room (iOS Universal and Android): $.99
Minimalist, text-based RPG A Dark Room was a viral hit in 2014 and is on sale for just a buck. It’s entertaining and well worth the price if you enjoy text adventures.
Ensign (iOS Universal and Android): $.99
The prequel to A Dark Room, Ensign, brings more of the same great RPG feel. Also just a buck.
Evoland 2 (iOS Universal and Android): $1.99
Adventure your way through the history of video games in Evoland 2. It came out earlier this year and is at its lowest price ever.
Evoland (iOS Universal and Android): $.99
You can also get the original Evoland for just a buck.
Planescape: Torment (Review) (iOS Universal and Android): $1.99
Classic post-apocalyptic RPG Planescape Torment‘s special enhanced edition—with remastered music, updated graphics, and a new user interface—is at its lowest price ever, down from $10.
Project Highrise (Review) (iOS Universal and Android): $1.99
Skyscraper simulator Project Highrise puts you in charge of the growth and management of a building. You decide how to grow—office space, shops and restaurants, hotels, and more—and work to attract visitors and keep your tenants happy by offering the right mix of amenities. It came out earlier this year and is at its cheapest price ever.
Seen anything else you liked? Played any of the above? Let us know in the comments!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-06-2018, 06:40 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4's Release Date / Pre-Order Guide (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
It's almost Call of Duty day. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lands on October 12 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. While it won't feature a traditional campaign like the ones found in previous installments, it will come with single-player missions, plus loads of multiplayer content, including a battle royale-style mode and, of course, Zombies.
If you're ready to lock in your pre-order for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, you've come to the right place. Below, you'll find all the information you need about pre-order bonuses, what editions are available, and which retailers are offering per-orders for what prices.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Standard Edition
Here's where you can pre-order the standard edition of the game and for how much. Note that Newegg is offering it for $10 less than everyone else, though Best Buy is giving a $10 reward credit for pre-orders). Also note that digital copies from Battle.net, Microsoft Store, and Sony Store all come with 1,100 Call of Duty Points.
This edition is exclusive to GameStop. It comes with the game, the Black Ops Pass (which may or may not include all DLC eventually released), Steelbook, Pop Socket, 10 Specialist Patches, 3 Zombies Inspired Collectible Art Cards, 1,100 Call of Duty Points, and a Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Calling Card.
If you're looking for the most ornate, pricy edition of the game, this is it. It comes with a skeleton-themed box that lights up and makes sounds. Everything you see in the image above comes along with it, including Zombies heroes Figpins, a 1,000-piece puzzle, a comic book, lithographs for each Zombies stage, a Popsocket, a Steelbook, Specialist icon patches, the Black Ops Pass, as well as "additional bonus content."
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-06-2018, 12:18 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Release Date Buying Guide (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
The newest installment in the time-jumping series is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. This one puts you in the boots of a mercenary in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. In several firsts for the series, players can choose between a male or female protagonist, select dialog options, and even seduce NPCs. The game will also see the return of naval warfare, Layla, and--somehow--even Evie. It launched for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 5, though some special edition buyers got it earlier.
In our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, Alessandro Fillari wrote, "Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting."
If you're looking to get a copy but aren't sure which edition to buy, we've got you covered. Below, you'll find a rundown on the numerous editions--from standard to collectors--and bonuses retailers are offering. If you're interested in the PC version, be sure to also check out the recommended specs.
This version includes only digital content. with this, you'll get some XP and currency boosts, a couple gear packs--the Kronos and Herald of Dusk featuring armor sets for Alexios and Kassandra--and the Capricornus naval pack." There is a digital and physical version of this.
This version will include the title's deluxe content, season pass, and three days early access. Early access will begin October 2, 2018. There is a digital version and a physical version with a steelbook case.
GameStop will offer its own exclusive Collectors Edition. The Kassandra Collectors Edition includes all the Deluxe and Gold Edition content--bonus content, early access and season pass--a steelbook case, and a 9-inch tall figurine of Kassandra.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Spartan and Pantheon Collectors Editions
This collectors edition will come in two different versions--Spartan and Pantheon. Each are nearly identical. The Spartan edition will include just the spartan statue, and the Pantheon Edition will include both the Spartan and Athenian statues to create the Pantheon diorama. Both will include the digital content of the Deluxe Edition and season pass, a steelbook case, 64-page artbook, a lithograph by Hugo Puzzuoli, a map, and soundtrack with select music pieces from the game. Both versions will be exclusively sold through Ubisoft.
For the the true collector, there are three different statues available exclusively from the Ubisoft store. There are two basic figurines of Alexios and Kassandra for $60 each. Alexios' figurine is 32 cm tall, and Kassandra's is 29 cm tall. Purchasing these Alexios and Kassandra figurines together will net you a 10 percent discount.
There is also a highly-detailed, premium statue for $750. The premium statue features Alexios on the head of Medusa in the Hero of Sparta armor and the broken spear of Leonidas. This massive statue stands at 68 cm tall.
As the Chief Technologist at Red Hat for the western region, Christian Van Tuin has been architecting solutions for strategic customers and partners for over a decade. He’s lived through the rise of DevOps and containers. And in his role, he’s found that security is the highest adoption barrier for enterprises interested in harnessing the power of containers.
After all, “Now we’re seeing an increasing level of threats for geopolitical reasons, and we’re seeing the dissolving security perimeter,” says Van Tuin. “Everything doesn’t sit behind the firewall in your data center anymore, and there’s a shift to software-based storage, networking and compute. The traditional network base, the fences, are no longer good enough.”
But as he will share duringhis talk at OpenFinTech Forumin New York City, Oct. 10-11, there are security best practices in the areas of DevOps, containers, and Kubernetes that companies can adopt so that everyone can sleep better at night.
“We’re seeing this evolution to DevSecOps,” he says. “It’s all about reducing security and business risk, lowering costs, speeding up delivery and reaction time, falling in line with DevOps. And we’re doing this with automation process optimization and continuous security improvement.”
This is particularly relevant for FinTech companies. “With the move from physical to digital banking, DevSecOps ensures security is integrated into the process from the start of development rather than appended on in production,” says Van Tuin. “At the same time, it still allows for rapid and frequent releases without security becoming a bottleneck or burden on development.” For instance, OpenSCAP can be used to scan container images for compliance with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Security Standard) and customer security policies for banking.
Van Tuin’s best practices are wide-ranging: addressing security risks such as container images, builds, registry, hosts, and network; automating and integrating security vulnerability management and compliance checking in a DevOps CI/CD pipeline; and deployment strategies for container security updates. And he’s hopeful that there will be more improvements to security around Kubernetes with the growth of Istio service mesh and CoreOS operators.
“One of the keys to DevSecOps is to ensure that you can enable your developers to rapidly innovate and experiment,” says Van Tuin. And the first thing that needs to happen? “Embrace security into the culture of the company.”
To hear all about Chris’s strategies for continuous security with DevOps, containers, and Kubernetes, plus talks from other open source leaders, come to OpenFinTech Forum in New York City October 10-11. You can still register here!
Dark Eclipse is PS4?s first ever VR MOBA. Command a team of three Leaders, each with their own unique characteristics and abilities, and battle for supremacy in the post-apocalyptic dark fantasy world of Oldus.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is the first isometric party-based computer RPG set in the Pathfinder fantasy universe. Enjoy a classic RPG experience inspired by games like Baldur's Gate, Fallout 1 and 2 and Arcanum. Explore and conquer the Stolen Lands and make them your kingdom!
Deep Sky Derelicts is an original combination of turn-based strategy and RPG, enriched with tactical card combat and popular roguelike elements. Explore derelict alien ships, fight, loot and upgrade your gear, all in distinctive retro-futuristic comic book aesthetic style.
How Serious Sam set itself apart in the era of Duke Nukem and Quake
“To gain what we want to achieve in the game, that’s huge environments and a huge number of enemies, we had to deliver something that wasn’t actually seen anywhere.“
-Croteam CTO Davor Hunski explores Serious Sam’s need for large environmental scope.
In an interview for Ars Technica’s War Stories series, Croteam’s chief creative officer Davor Hunski tells the story of how Serious Sam’s hand-made engine came to be and how a vertical slice demo ultimately saved the game.
Hunski explains how the early Serious Sam development team set their sights on a first-person shooter game and, lacking the funds to use a big-name engine, set out to create their own 2D Wolfenstein-like engine.
However, as technology continued to evolve throughout the project’s development, games like Duke Nukem and Quake came out and offered features that made the team’s 2D engine something that was no longer viable.
Instead, Hunski explains that they aimed to stand out from the crowd by creating an engine that could handle 10 times the on-screen enemies and projectiles that other games of the time featured.
“So, we invented this caching ahead system, where one projectile or moving object would actually cache [maybe] three or four seconds ahead, everything that it could collide and until nothing changed during those three, four seconds, it wouldn’t have to test again against an environment for collision,” says Hunski.
“To speed up the collision, we were not able to use real geometry of cubes for collision. But we approximated them with several spheres,” he explains. “On the one side, it sped up immensely our collision tests, because actually a test with a cube is a really, really easy one. And the second gain that we got is that we could have multidirectional gravities so characters would be able to walk on ceilings, inside the spheres, so we had several types of gravity and we actually put that into the game as secret places locations, and that was really, really awesome.”
Hunksi’s full explanation of that early engine tech and how a lone positive review of a vertical slice demo can be found in the full video just above.
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina and Oslo, Norway
Funcom is looking to hire not 1 but 2 talented External Producers to handle the management of the company’s publishing projects. The role’s responsibilities include the continuous communication with developers, the management of work pipelines, project finances, team management, internal and external resource management and the successful timely launch of the projects/titles.
Responsibilities:
Oversee development of publishing projects by working with external developers and resources as the day-to-day point of contact.
Strong time management skills with a proven ability to focus on priorities, solve problems, juggle multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
Ability to communicate effectively across a spectrum of Business, Creative, Technology, and External partners/personnel at all levels of the organization.
Work with leadership to establish and maintain the product/game’s vision, feature set, scope, schedule, and budget.
Identify and fix bottlenecks, as well as clearing roadblocks both on the day-to-day and in the longer term.
Act as primary point of contact with Marketing, PR, Sales, Operations, QA, Localization, and other supporting departments.
Use project management tools, production methodologies, and leadership level dialogue to maintain tight schedules and high standards of quality.
Prepare Presentations on status for the Executive Team.
Additional duties include assisting with content creation for game development and assisting with quality control of all products.
Requirements:
5+ years of experience working as a Producer on an internal or external development teams within the video game industry.
Experience shipping one PC/console titles as a Producer.
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Project, Excel, Word, & PowerPoint.
Experience as a Product Owner in an Agile environment.
Open to nationally and internationally travel.
Proficiency with project management & version control software tools such as JIRA and Perforce.
A demonstrated understanding of various Production methodologies is required.
Deep knowledge about game development processes for engineering and art.
Scrum Master certification.
Funcom Offers:
Great employee benefits (Insurance package, vacation/sick days, etc)
Possibility of advancement
Dynamic and challenging work environment
Training opportunities
Team-oriented culture
Social events and gatherings
Funcom was founded in 1993. We were there in the early nineties, guns for hire making games for the big studios to fund our own crazy ideas. We were there in the early days of the massively multiplayer online games, breaking new ground and pioneering features and business models that are commonplace today.
We’ve gone from making pixel platformers on the SEGA Genesis to developing cutting-edge, cross-platform online games and massive open world sandboxes for PC and consoles.
We’ve made over 25 games so join the studio that is responsible for: Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, Conan Exiles, Secret World Legends, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, The Longest Journey and many others.
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
