January 2025 PCG Article Discussion

[Zloth]

You'd still be out there frostbitten and dying if that earbud was worth $600 million

And you would find it just as the price crashed, so it ended up being worth just 85 cents.

 

[Pifanjr]

Evidence mounts that Marvel Rivals stealthily places losing players in bot matches, and I know because I'm the loser

This sucks no matter how you slice it.

www.pcgamer.com

I read an article recently stating that 88 out of 100 players in Fortnite's OG mode were bots. For the regular Battle Royale mode it's around 60 bots to 40 players, while Ranked is only players.

And it's apparently very common in multiplayer games nowadays to add bots, especially to lobbies with lower skilled players.

I wonder if it's breaking some rules somewhere to do it while pretending they are human players. Something like false advertising, though I assume these companies covered themselves pretty well in their ToS.

 

[neogunhero]

I wonder if it's breaking some rules somewhere to do it while pretending they are human players. Something like false advertising, though I assume these companies covered themselves pretty well in their ToS.

Unsure of the legal rules around that, but it doesn’t seem right to not be transparent about that to players. I at least want to know I’m actually doing good in a match against other players, not just some dumbed down bots disguised as players.


I have noticed something weird in Marvel Rivals. In match based gamemodes, often times when the first match is complete and we are moving to the next one, the entire enemy team gets replaced with other players. This isn’t improbable as there have been times where I joined a match halfway through, but in this case it made me wonder if our team was doing so good that they swapped teams from another match to ours to even the playing field. That first match we did dominate the other team, so they probably just swapped them out for another that was doing good in a different match and just completed the first part like we did. Very strange.

 

[ZedClampet]

Evidence mounts that Marvel Rivals stealthily places losing players in bot matches, and I know because I'm the loser

This sucks no matter how you slice it.

www.pcgamer.com

I read an article recently stating that 88 out of 100 players in Fortnite's OG mode were bots. For the regular Battle Royale mode it's around 60 bots to 40 players, while Ranked is only players.

And it's apparently very common in multiplayer games nowadays to add bots, especially to lobbies with lower skilled players.

I wonder if it's breaking some rules somewhere to do it while pretending they are human players. Something like false advertising, though I assume these companies covered themselves pretty well in their ToS.

I worked briefly in a law library so I'm an expert on this But the only thing I can imagine someone in the US government might be interested in would be if you could show that this deception was causing you to buy things. Then the FCC might step in and fine you. I would find that hilarious since Epic was just fined half a billion for tricking kids into buying microtransactions.

As far as outside the US, I would have no idea, but if there's a law against it outside of the US or China then I bet Epic would just block people from that country from playing rather than remove the bots and let everyone know that no one is playing anything other than ranked.

Personally, I can't believe people are still playing the game at all. But WoW has been around since early Medieval times, so maybe it will just go on forever...

****

Tiktok users wave goodbye to their 'Chinese spies' as they they ditch the app for another, er, Chinese one

I for one welcome our new (still Chinese) social media overlords

www.pcgamer.com

Tik Tok users are really mad. I'm so happy I'm crying.

*****

 

[DXCHASE]

Its weird to get really sad over losing tik tok, once Tik-Tok is gone, if its not purchased by a bunch of youtubers and celebrities, another app is going to jump right in. Even if its one owned by another country like China. Even if it wasnt, there is 0 guarantee that there isnt "crazy chinese hackers" trying to steal data.

Do you really think that tik-tokers like, idk, The McFarlands are gonna lose revenue and views when they jump to another platform that probably all there millions of fans will move to? lol.

 

[Pifanjr]

Its weird to get really sad over losing tik tok, once Tik-Tok is gone, if its not purchased by a bunch of youtubers and celebrities, another app is going to jump right in. Even if its one owned by another country like China. Even if it wasnt, there is 0 guarantee that there isnt "crazy chinese hackers" trying to steal data.

Do you really think that tik-tokers like, idk, The McFarlands are gonna lose revenue and views when they jump to another platform that probably all there millions of fans will move to? lol.

As far as I know a lot, if not most, popular TikTokers already upload their videos to Instagram, YouTube shorts and Facebook as well. It's fairly low effort to upload to multiple platforms and it increases your visibility.

 

[Johnway]

Development of Fortune's Run is 'imploding' as its sole remaining developer announces they've been sentenced to 3 years in jail: 'What I did was wrong and that's all you need to know'

Well, as excuses go it's a good one.

www.pcgamer.com

Yikes. Going to jail huh? That was a shame. I did have this game on my radar and although i had reservations after playing the demo but i was still interested. Well, maybe one to cross of the list for now.

 

[DXCHASE]

Elon Musk and Asmongold are beefing over who the best gamer really is, and no matter who wins, we lose

So this is what it's come to.

www.pcgamer.com

Best title for this article lol. Both these dudes are insufferable

 

[ZedClampet]

Its weird to get really sad over losing tik tok, once Tik-Tok is gone, if its not purchased by a bunch of youtubers and celebrities, another app is going to jump right in. Even if its one owned by another country like China. Even if it wasnt, there is 0 guarantee that there isnt "crazy chinese hackers" trying to steal data.

Do you really think that tik-tokers like, idk, The McFarlands are gonna lose revenue and views when they jump to another platform that probably all there millions of fans will move to? lol.

I suppose someone, somewhere is sad about it, but it may not even be banned now that whats-his-name is taking over. Other than the content creators, I don't really know anyone who has expressed concern about TikTok, but, then again, I mostly know older people.

****

This is not a drill: The Razer Kuromi collab is finally more widely available, offering a pointy-eared headset, keyboard, mouse, and gaming chair

Not so much 'My Melody' as 'Ah! My money!'

www.pcgamer.com

I can easily see @Frindis wearing his cat-ears headset.

 

[ZedClampet]

Elon Musk and Asmongold are beefing over who the best gamer really is, and no matter who wins, we lose

So this is what it's come to.

www.pcgamer.com

Best title for this article lol. Both these dudes are insufferable

I don't really know Asmongold, but in this particular instance, I feel sorry for him having to deal with Musk. How Musk translated Asmongold hiring video editors into Asmongold having an editor is a mystery.

The longer Musk's gaming farce goes on the more embarrassing it is.

 

[Johnway]

The Nintendo Switch 2 has just been announced and it looks a lot more like a handheld gaming PC than a console to me

I admit it, I'm excited for a console.

www.pcgamer.com

Not really surprised with the switch 2 coming out, it just seems more like an upgrade on the switch, switch lite. perhaps only games with a visual upgrade? We'll see...

more interested on the fallout on the early announcement of the switch 2. i hear it pissed off nintendo as they couldn't market and announce the console the way they wanted . For some reason a part of me is gloating that nintendo is upset and a part of me is different.

 

[neogunhero]

Ding ding ding: This is your regular reminder that the HyperX Cloud Alpha is only $80 and still the best wired gaming headset

Head in the Cloud Alpha.

www.pcgamer.com

Just a deal recommendation article, but I wanted to point out that I have had these exact headphones, the HyperX Cloud Alpha, for well over 6 years and they have been mostly great. They are extremely comfortable and the headset itself is very durable. There are a few cons though, such as the wire fraying over the years, mic quality is just okay, and the ear pads have that fake leather crap that flakes over time.

The ear cups are easily replaceable, in fact I got even better memory gel ones that are way more comfortable in my opinion. The mic doesn’t crack or peak so your buddies shouldn’t have an issue. The main issue is the wire, as nearly all replacements you can find online for some reason do not support mic input. The headset uses a single aux cord which I have plugged into a cheap HyperX usb DAC, so that single audio wire carries audio and mic input. Some reason nearly all replacements don’t support mic use. I cannot find a replacement wire on the HyperX website either, or it was quite expensive, I can’t remember.

If you get these headphones, keep the original wire in as good of shape as possible if you want to keep the mic working. My cable frayed and started to get a loose connection over such a long time, but I don’t ever use my mic so the replacement cable actually fixed my issues, but it’s something to be aware of.

EDIT: Apparently a lot of replacement cables actually do support the mic, but there are also a lot that clearly say they don’t. If you need one, be sure to get a cable that supports the mic. The one I got does not.

 

[Johnway]

Ding ding ding: This is your regular reminder that the HyperX Cloud Alpha is only $80 and still the best wired gaming headset

Head in the Cloud Alpha.

www.pcgamer.com

Just a deal recommendation article, but I wanted to point out that I have had these exact headphones, the HyperX Cloud Alpha, for well over 6 years and they have been mostly great. They are extremely comfortable and the headset itself is very durable. There are a few cons though, such as the wire fraying over the years, mic quality is just okay, and the ear pads have that fake leather crap that flakes over time.

The ear cups are easily replaceable, in fact I got even better memory gel ones that are way more comfortable in my opinion. The mic doesn’t crack or peak so your buddies shouldn’t have an issue. The main issue is the wire, as nearly all replacements you can find online for some reason do not support mic input. The headset uses a single aux cord which I have plugged into a cheap HyperX usb DAC, so that single audio wire carries audio and mic input. Some reason nearly all replacements don’t support mic use. I cannot find a replacement wire on the HyperX website either, or it was quite expensive, I can’t remember.

If you get these headphones, keep the original wire in as good of shape as possible if you want to keep the mic working. My cable frayed and started to get a loose connection over such a long time, but I don’t ever use my mic so the replacement cable actually fixed my issues, but it’s something to be aware of.

EDIT: Apparently a lot of replacement cables actually do support the mic, but there are also a lot that clearly say they don’t. If you need one, be sure to get a cable that supports the mic. The one I got does not.

i've got the older original ones and yeah same issues with the ear phones. My problem i have is that unfortunately i damaged my headset and the cables have frayed for the audio so i have to constantly adjust the volume so both phones pick up sound. But all things considered its still working and hasn't failed me in the years i bought it. Might be coming up to 6 years old now. Would like to replace but they still work fine.

 

[Pifanjr]

Some 20 hours in, I can say that Civilization 7's age transitions are the series' most radical and disruptive mechanic yet

Entering a new age feels like a soft reset of the game, which may be just what the series needed.

www.pcgamer.com

I'm excited for Civ 7. It's always been hard to complete a game of Civilization because the turns just take longer and longer the further you get in the game, while you often already know who's going to win well in advance.

 

[DXCHASE]

The longer Musk's gaming farce goes on the more embarrassing it is.

He honestly would be accepted as a gamer more if he had said or done something along the lines of "yea i had someone boost my account, i don't really have time to play this awesome game like this so thank you to so-n-so for helping me out". Instead of blatantly acting like he did all the work then showing that he doesnt know how to play a game where he has a 97 leveled HARDCORE character.

 

[ZedClampet]

It took a decade for NASA to piece together this 416,592,960 pixel image of the Andromeda galaxy and the key takeaway? 'Andromeda's a train wreck'​

As big as the universe is, whoever is driving Andromeda still managed to run into another galaxy. Crushing news for the colony ship filled with CEOs, attorneys and politicians we launched last year. They just made it past Mars, but we told them it was too late to turn around.

 

[ZedClampet]

while you often already know who's going to win well in advance.

Me. It's me who is going to win. I already know.

 

[ZedClampet]

'You’re not supposed to say this out loud!': Baldur's Gate 3 dev reacts to analyst who says some game makers 'hope' Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost up to $100 at launch

Michael Douse says the fact that game prices haven't risen with inflation is "an uncomfortable truth."

www.pcgamer.com

This industry is so stupid it's almost unbearable. "Hey, sales are in the tank. Let's raise prices!"

 

[neogunhero]

Havok, whose software is famed for its use in Half-Life 2 and Elder Scrolls, just showed off its updated physics engine in first YouTube trailer in over ten years

Ready for a hit of nostalgia?

www.pcgamer.com

Man, Havok Physics brings back some memories. Interacting with physics objects in HL2 for the first time was one of the first mind blowing moments in games for me. Picking up a paint bucket, throwing it, and having it react in a fairly realistic way made me so giddy. It is partly the reason why I got GMod shortly after, I wanted to mess with the physics engine to my hearts desire. So glad to see they’re still around and making some awesome looking physics engines. I believe more games could benefit from the use of an engine like this, it adds to the believability and immersion.

 

[Pifanjr]

Havok, whose software is famed for its use in Half-Life 2 and Elder Scrolls, just showed off its updated physics engine in first YouTube trailer in over ten years

Ready for a hit of nostalgia?

www.pcgamer.com

Man, Havok Physics brings back some memories. Interacting with physics objects in HL2 for the first time was one of the first mind blowing moments in games for me. Picking up a paint bucket, throwing it, and having it react in a fairly realistic way made me so giddy. It is partly the reason why I got GMod shortly after, I wanted to mess with the physics engine to my hearts desire. So glad to see they’re still around and making some awesome looking physics engines. I believe more games could benefit from the use of an engine like this, it adds to the believability and immersion.

I just want another game with proper dynamic destruction. I want another Red Faction: Guerilla. I don't need photo-realistic graphics, I need realistic destruction of buildings.

 

[neogunhero]

I just want another game with proper dynamic destruction. I want another Red Faction: Guerilla. I don't need photo-realistic graphics, I need realistic destruction of buildings.

Destruction in games have taken a backseat and that makes me sad. Marvel Rivals has it but it’s so comically unrealistic, just slices of a building slowly fall down. The Finals had destruction but I’m not sure how good it ended up being. R6 Siege is the only game I can think of that uses destruction as a large part of its gameplay, allowing for strategic moves, but I don’t play it so I’m unsure how much the community really takes advantage of it. Even Battlefield has slowed down on advancing its destruction features. Remember BF4’s “Levolution”? Each map had one major destruction gimmick that changed up the map for the rest of the match. I really miss that, it could be implemented in a much better way and be very fun to use in modern games.

 

[ZedClampet]

Destruction in games have taken a backseat and that makes me sad. Marvel Rivals has it but it’s so comically unrealistic, just slices of a building slowly fall down. The Finals had destruction but I’m not sure how good it ended up being. R6 Siege is the only game I can think of that uses destruction as a large part of its gameplay, allowing for strategic moves, but I don’t play it so I’m unsure how much the community really takes advantage of it. Even Battlefield has slowed down on advancing its destruction features. Remember BF4’s “Levolution”? Each map had one major destruction gimmick that changed up the map for the rest of the match. I really miss that, it could be implemented in a much better way and be very fun to use in modern games.

@Pifanjr I like when you can destroy enemy cover with a few well-placed shots. I don't know why developers don't do it more, but I have to assume that, like everything else, it has something to do with money. Instead of making a brick wall, they have to turn it into a puzzle of 6 pieces, each with its own mass, etc. So more art and engineering, which is costly. But that's just a guess.

Off the top of my head, these are two indie games that did destruction recently:

Teardown on Steam

Prepare the perfect heist in this simulated and fully destructible voxel world. Tear down walls with vehicles or explosives to create shortcuts. Stack objects to reach higher. Use the environment to your advantage in the most creative way you can think of.

store.steampowered.com

Instruments of Destruction on Steam

Break thru walls, tear down buildings, and send structures crashing into each other in Instruments of Destruction, a vehicle-action game featuring advanced physics-based destruction. Pilot a variety of vehicles across dozens of missions and high score challenges in this highly-interactive world.

store.steampowered.com

No idea if they are any good or have more to them the destroying stuff.

The Steam "destruction" category might be helpful (but maybe not)

Destruction

Steam Store Hub

store.steampowered.com

 

[ZedClampet]

Trump likes the idea of Elon Musk or Larry Ellison buying TikTok but thinks the US government should get half of the social media app in the bargain

Government ownership of big tech seems like an odd stance for an avowed businessman.

www.pcgamer.com

Hey, this is a great idea. Let's get all the big US tech companies to donate half of their ownership to the US government. Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, AMD, Oracle, Intel, etc. etc. etc. etc. Then we can all stop paying taxes.

Actually that wouldn't even come close to paying our annual defense budget. much less our entire tax burden.

 

[ZedClampet]

Electronic Arts says 'Dragon Age and EA Sports FC 25 underperformed' as it revises its financial outlook downward

Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales projections by nearly 50%.

www.pcgamer.com

Dragon Age only reached 1.5 million players over console and PC. I checked SteamDB and the average estimate looks like about 900k on Steam, which I suspect is being optimistic, but who knows. But 1.5 million in total has to be waaaay below what EA was shooting for.

FC may be even more shocking. Last year's version sold about 5 million on Steam, and this year's version sold about 1.3 million. That's a huge drop.

I suspect EA will just chalk all this up to a rough spot in the gaming market and continue on like nothing happened, though I also wouldn't be surprised if there weren't more layoffs.

 

[Pifanjr]

Dwarf Fortress finally got its roguelike Adventure Mode on Steam, so if you'll excuse me, I've got to go fire up a fresh wombat man

Countless procedural adventures, and horrifying deaths, await!

www.pcgamer.com

By complete accident I stumbled upon this news today while looking up games in which you can play as a bird-person. I also learned that not only can you play as a bird person in adventure mode, you can play as a blood sucking mosquito woman.