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Valve’s Artifact Designers Laid Off, Including Magic The Gathering Creator
Valve has laid off a number of designers from its Artifact team, including Skaff Elias and lead designer Richard Garfield. Both were considered contractors under their consulting firm Three Donkeys. In an email exchange with Artifact fan site Artibuff, Garfield said the decision made sense.
“We weren’t surprised by the layoff considering how rocky the launch was, the team was enthusiastic about the game and were confident that they had a good product but it became clear it wasn’t going to be easy to get the game to where we wanted it,” he said. “The layoff makes sense for a number of reasons.”
Garfield said that now that the game has released, a smaller team may be able to respond to feedback more nimbly, and the expertise from his own consulting firm is less valuable after having already been on the project for so long. But, he also said both he and Skaff have offered to continue giving feedback as the game goes forward.
“We enjoyed working with Valve and I was impressed with their relentless focus on the quality of the game and experience being offered to the player,” he said.
These layoffs do not necessarily mean that Valve’s outlook for Artifact has changed in any significant way. Garfield’s contracting company was brought on for its expertise in making collectible card games, as he’s also the creator of the extremely popular Magic: The Gathering card game. Since the game is now released, Valve may have simply felt that he fulfilled his role. Still, Garfield openly mentioning the game’s rocky launch, paired with its relatively low player count, could mean trouble for the game. GameSpot has contacted Valve, but has not received comment as of time of publishing.
Artifact was conceptualized as a CCG set in the Dota 2 universe, so it borrows mechanics from that genre including distinct lanes of battle. Our review praised its unique take on card game mechanics, while warning that its pricing structure might turn off some players.
“Artifact is a capable reimagining of modern trading card games,” critic Daniel Starkey wrote. “It plays quite a bit differently than just about any of its contemporaries–digital or not–and while the marketplace is volatile to say the least, there’s little evidence that the pricing is straight-up predatory. Just note, however, that the game is not free-to-play and be prepared to spend some additional bit of money coming in. It would be nice to see some more extensive options for those wanting to play by themselves or in non-competitive settings, but beyond that, Artifact is a great showing.”
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valves-artifact-designers-laid-off-including-magic/1100-6465494/
Apple Sets Next Reveal Event For March 25, Might Confirm Streaming Service
Apple has set a date for its next big reveal event, and this one might be a bit different.
The company has sent out invitations for a March 25 event in San Francisco with the intriguing tagline, “It’s show time.” An accompanying graphic shows the “4… 3… 2…” countdown that is traditionally shown before the start of films and TV shows.
Apple is rumoured to be launching a video streaming service to potentially rival Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others. As GameSpot sister site CNET points out, Apple has in recent months inked content deals for new projects from M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah.
We’ll report back with all the big news from Apple’s March 25 event as it unfolds. One of the next big new streaming services in the works is Disney+, which is slated to arrive last this year.
GameSpot’s parent company, CBS, recently launched its own streaming service in CBS All-Access. The next original show for CBS All-Access is the new Twilight Zone, which comes to the service on April 1.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sets-next-reveal-event-for-march-25-might-co/1100-6465504/
New Ni No Kuni 2 DLC Trailer Introduces Nightmarish Foes And An Arena Mode
Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for the Tale of a Timeless Tome DLC for Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. The DLC is scheduled to release on March 19, and the new trailer details what the expansion will add to the game. The trailer can be watched below.
Tale of a Timeless Tome adds a new character to Ni no Kuni II: a mysterious rabbit who’s wearing a suit. According to the trailer, protagonist Evan and his allies encounter this new character in “a curious place where people’s memories mix and mingle.” The trailer gives off a fantastical Alice in Wonderland vibe, before taking a darker turn and introducing The Nightmares, which are the enemies threatening to destroy this charming world.
To fight this threat, Evan gains access to several new magical abilities that he learns through The Wizard’s Companion. The trailer also showcases him relying on Pikman-like creatures in combat, a new method of fighting called spritecraft that Evan learns through Martha’s Methods. The Nightmares aren’t the only new threat Evan encounters either, as the trailer also showcases an arena called Solosseum Slog where the young king and his allies must battle through waves of challenging enemies.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is available for PS4 and PC, and Tale of a Timeless Tome is coming to both systems. Tale of a Timeless Tome is the second and final piece of content included in the Season Pass for Ni no Kuni II. The first piece of content, titled The Lair of the Lost Lord, came out in December 2018. Like Tale of a Timeless Tome, The Lair of the Lost Lord introduced a brand-new world into Ni no Kuni II, and also continued the game’s story, added more items, and implemented additional combat mechanics.
In our Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom review, Peter Brown gave the game an 8/10, writing, “Ni No Kuni 2 is a robust game that offers ample ways to spend your time, and even if they aren’t all up to the same level of quality, it’s easy to appreciate how they collectively contribute to the bigger picture. It’s chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t let this one pass you by too.”
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-ni-no-kuni-2-dlc-trailer-introduces-nightmaris/1100-6465503/
