Posted by: xSicKxBot - 07-21-2025, 11:44 AM - Forum: Lounge
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News - New FBC Firebreak Update Will Address The Game's "Frustrating" Opening Hour
FBC: Firebreak has been out for around a month, and Remedy Entertainment has revealed how it plans to draw more players in ahead of the game's first big update in September. While Steam only counts for a portion of the game's audience--it's also available through the Epic Games Store, as well as on Xbox Series X|S and PS5--the numbers haven't been too encouraging lately. The game peaked with 1,992 players on launch day, and since then, those numbers have fallen to well under 100 concurrent players on average.
In a blog post, Remedy says that one of the issues it looks to address is the opening of the game, as that crucial first hour has become a point of criticism amongst the playerbase. "We've seen many players come into the game and leave within the first hour. And that's because our first hour can be frustrating; you feel ineffective and confused as to what to do. This needs to be improved," Remedy explained.
The company says that it plans to improve the narrative onboarding experience by placing an introductory video into the game and improving the tutorial section with better pop-up tips. In effect, this should help players figure out "where they are, who they are, and what they are trying to achieve" as members of Firebreak.
Fantasy fiction readers who haven't read Robert Jordan's beloved high fantasy series The Wheel of Time can take advantage of an awesome box set deal at Amazon right now. The first three books in the series are available in a paperback box set for only $12.36 (was $33), which breaks down to $4.12 per book.
To complete the 15-novel series, you'd need to pick up four additional box sets. None of the other sets are as cheap as the first one, but you can get each for $20 or less. Longtime fans who haven't picked up the special 30th Anniversary Edition of The Eye of the World can get the nice hardcover edition of the first book in The Wheel of Time for over 50% off right now.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 07-19-2025, 06:09 AM - Forum: Lounge
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News - Nintendo Is Holding Another Switch Online Playtest Soon, Here's How To Sign Up
Nintendo has announced it is hosting another Switch Online Playtest Program later this month. The closed beta is slated to begin on July 28, and it will give eligible users another chance to sample the same mystery service that was tested out during the October 2024 Playtest Program.
As before, the Switch Online Playtest Program is only open to select players on a first come, first served basis. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old and have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription as of July 17.
We will perform another test in the #NintendoSwitchOnline: Playtest Program. From 8:00 AM PT on July 21st, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can apply to participate on a first-come, first-served basis. Find out more: https://t.co/xed7zzwzBbpic.twitter.com/JfnMRd9eoH
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 17, 2025
This time around, Nintendo is allowing players to apply either individually or as part of a group. You can create an application starting on July 18 at 3 PM PT/6 PM ET, with registration formally opening on July 21 at 8 AM PT/11 AM ET. Full details can be found on Nintendo's website.
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News - Call Of Duty Is Now Asking Players To Verify Their Age
As previously reported by CharlieIntel, some players are receiving messages when logging in to play Call of Duty, requiring them to enter a date of birth before continuing to the game.
An age-verification measure shouldn't be too surprising. Call of Duty games are packaged with a Mature rating in the United States, which means the content is only intended for audiences aged 17 and up, as classified by the ESRB. Call of Duty receives these ratings due to the games featuring blood and gore, strong language, mature themes, and sometimes drug use. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone feature a variety of popular weed-smoking operators, such as Cheech and Chong, Jay and Silent Bob, Seth Rogen, and Snoop Dogg.
Call of Duty now requires players add their birthday to their account. If you’re underage, Parental Consent Required pop up appears with info on how to continue to play. Activision statement: “In accordance with our efforts to deliver a positive community experience as detailed… pic.twitter.com/q8GJg9Bxm6
"In accordance with our efforts to deliver a positive community experience as detailed in the Call of Duty Code of Conduct, Activision players are being asked to provide updated information to their accounts," Activision said in a statement provided to CharlieIntel.
Living through a pandemic isn't entirely unlike being stalked by "a perfect organism" hellbent on tearing you limb from limb. As it turns out, that similarity was not lost on Noah Hawley, showrunner for FX's Alien series, Alien: Earth. During a roundtable chat, Hawley explained how the pandemic affected the Alien series logistically and thematically.
"We went through this COVID period. I was shut down on Fargo [Season 4]. We had six months before we could go back into production," Hawley said. "And I remember, everything's shut down, and no one really knew what to do, and this [Alien] project was already in the works. For about six months, I would just have a weekly call with [FX's] John Landgraf and Gina Balian, and we would just sort of talk around this idea of the show and, you know, it was actually a really great period to be able to workshop it."
Alien: Earth is finally set to debut after a Fox buyout, pandemic, and Hollywood strike each altered its schedule.
While those considerations were more practical, Hawley added that the series and the pandemic naturally share some space in his mind.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 07-17-2025, 12:38 AM - Forum: Lounge
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News - Fallout 76 Will Have More Content Based On The TV Show
Bethesda Game Studios has teased plans to add more content to Fallout 76 based on the Prime Video TV series. Creative director Jon Rush said in an interview with Variety that the game studio and TV teams are in discussion "all the time," but it's too soon to say what specific content may be in the works.
"Lining things up with the seasonal releases of the show, it's stuff that we talk about all the time, and we do have plans for things here and there. I'm not going to go into detail on any of those now, but the two teams do talk to one another," Rush said.
While there may be opportunities for crossover content, Rush pointed out that Fallout 76's story is the furthest back in time for the series and the TV show is the furthest into the future. "So there's a lot of room where we don't necessarily need to overlap. There are some things that we could overlap the stories ,that could exist, but we largely try to keep those pretty simple," Rush said.
