The Epic Games Store has pulled a lot of exclusives with its promise of advances to developers and publishers, and its more generous revenue split compared to Steam, and now it’s taking another step to make things better for the companies releasing games on it. A change in the Epic Games Store policy means that developers are now free to use whatever payment and purchase systems they want within their games.

As reported by Gamasutra, until this change games on the store had to use an Epic-approved payment system for in-game purchases. “We support developers’ right to choose among the best stores, in-app payment processors, online services, and engines,” Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney told them.

This will mean that developers will potentially be able to retain a larger share of the revenue generated from in-game sales, whether those be microtransactions or the purchase of more substantial downloadable content. From a consumer point of view–and, indeed, for a lot of developers–this change probably will not mean much, but there’s now potential for developers to make more money from their in-game sales.

The latest major Epic Games Store exclusive is Phoenix Point, a spiritual successor to XCom.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/epic-games-store-now-gives-developers-more-control/1100-6472015/

The developers of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint have released a December roadmap, and have made it clear that they recognize one element of the game that is fundamentally not working at the moment. The Battle Rewards system is being deactivated, with the beginning of Act 2 last week causing problems for many players. However, to make up for it, you’ll immediately get all the rewards from the first two Acts.

“In response to feedback, we are granting to all players every reward from Act 1 and Act 2 next week,” the post reads. “The Hill and Walker figures will not be mass-granted until we have resolved the issues with the items. We are also deactivating the Battle Rewards system until we have implemented solutions to prevent reported issues from reoccurring. Our team aims to have everything ready for the start of Act 3.”

Elsewhere in the roadmap, some details are provided about title update 1.1.0, which is due December 18. It will contain bug fixes and improvements, including better enemy AI, changes to the base jump mechanic, and the addition of night vision goggles. There’s also a Terminator Live Event being planned, which will see you facing off against the T-800–that’s coming between late December and mid-January.

Breakpoint recently added its first raid, as well as an update that introduced easier character customization, among other fixes. Ubisoft has promised that a “more radical and immersive” version of the game is being worked on.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ghost-recon-breakpoint-is-deactivating-battle-rewa/1100-6472014/

Nintendo’s Japanese designer recruitment site has shared some interesting concept art and insight into how the trailer to the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel came together. The site, spotted by VGC, explains Nintendo’s expectations from designers and artists, showing off some of the work that has gone into their most popular recent games and characters. It’s not just valuable for potential designers, though, as the page also features some great concept art.

The page includes some concept art for Isabelle, the mayor’s assistant from Animal Crossing: New Leaf who proved so popular that she became a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It shows several iterations the character went through before her look was settled on. It says that they wanted a character who as many people as possible would grow attached to.

There are also various pieces of Splatoon 2 stage and character design throughout the page, showing off the different models and the colorful designs of the game’s levels. There’s no major revelations here, but it’s interesting how the stage art captures the general vibe of the game well.

Much of the page is focused on the work that went into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including the reveal of the game’s sequel. The first image below shows how a mix of motion capture and Maya software was used to map Link’s movements in the trailer, which is embedded above. It’s a small but welcome insight into the process involved. The other images from the original Breath of the Wild below are a mix of storyboards for the game’s iconic opening scene of Link running to the clifftop and environmental design examples.

The Breath of the Wild sequel is happening because Nintendo had too many ideas for DLC. A release date has not been announced, but it will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/zelda-sequel-behind-the-scenes-shots-and-nintendo-/1100-6472011/

Twin Peaks VR is due to release this month, but until now we hadn’t seen any footage from it. Now a trailer has emerged, showing off the Twin Peaks iconography and scenes from the series that fans will soon be able to explore in virtual reality. This is essentially an “escape room” game that will require you to puzzle your way through several situations from the show. The game appears to be heavily based on the enigmatic and wonderful 2017 third series rather than the first two seasons, and anyone who hasn’t watched it should be wary of spoilers in the trailer below.

The trailer begins in Glastonbury Grove, by the pool where Cooper enters the Red Room at the end of the second season, and gets weird from there. The trailer shows off the Red Room, complete with the chairs and statue, as well as Dougie Jones’ waiting body. We also see the white horse from the original series and the Evolution of the Arm, and it seems like you’ll be able to get uncomfortably close and personal with it.

It also looks like the game will take you to the Fireman’s theater room from episode 8 of the third season, as well as the sheriff’s department, the box room in New York, and the traincart where Laura Palmer was murdered. The trailer promises that you can find Easter eggs, including posters of Bob and Laura’s necklace in the woods,

There are several moments from the trailer that match up exactly with the new series, including Naido being flung off into inter-dimensional space in the third episode and the Bob ball from the penultimate episode. It seems likely that the game will not fit within the canon of the Twin Peaks universe, and will instead be a way for fans to explore particular moments from the series.

The game releases on Steam and the Oculus store this month, and according to Welcome to Twin Peaks, Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR versions will follow. Twin Peaks VR comes from Collider Games, in collaboration with Showtime and series director David Lynch.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/twin-peaks-vr-trailer-escape-the-black-lodge-and-e/1100-6472009/

New footage from the much-anticipated Star Wars movie The Rise of Skywalker will premiere inside of the battle royale game Fortnite later this month. Epic Games has announced that director JJ Abrams will showcase new footage of the sci-fi blockbuster at the in-game outdoor theatre Risky Reels on December 12. The footage will debut at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET that day.

As for what to expect, Disney is promising an “exclusive scene” from Rise of Skywalker, but there are no further details available at this time. Epic added that Risky Reels opens its doors at 10:30 AM PT / 1:30 PM ET, so players can head in early to get a good seat.

This confirmation comes after players discovered posters for the Rise of Skywalker reveal in Fortnite at various locations across the map. The new Rise of Skywalker footage will undoubtedly get posted to YouTube very quickly, so you don’t necessarily need to play Fortnite to check out the new movie content.

This is not the first partnership between Fortnite and Star Wars. In November, a massive Imperial starship appeared in the sky, and a Stormtrooper skin also came to the game.

Abrams is working with Epic Games on a new video game called Spyjinx. Epic has said very little about the project, but the company says it is still in the works.

Abrams also recently signed a $250 million deal to make new video games, TV shows, and movies for Warner Bros.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-footage-will-d/1100-6472007/