Sherbytes: Industry News Megathread, v.1

[rikwebb]

Not really sure where else to post this and I don’t know if there’s a thread for rampant speculation or a wishlist for games we want to exist, but Quakecon runs from Thursday to Sunday and I really hope that they’ll unveil a remaster of Quake 2 for its 25th anniversary like they did with Quake 1 at last year’s Quakecon. Quake 2 was one of my favourite games of all time.

Quake 2 just got an info update on Steamdb https://steamdb.info/app/2320/history/ , happened last year with Quake 1 too around the same time so i wouldn't be surprised if something Quake 2 related appears at Quakecon

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Quake 2 just got an info update on Steamdb https://steamdb.info/app/2320/history/ , happened last year with Quake 1 too around the same time so i wouldn't be surprised if something Quake 2 related appears at Quakecon

Over on Reddit that was first discussed with optimism as a sign of an impending Q2 remaster when it was first noticed last Thursday, but then on Friday Bethesda updated Quake 2 on steam to make the two expansion packs free and bundled with Quake 2. So now the consensus around there seems to be that looking at the change to steam isn’t a hint of anything more than what they already did last week and shouldn’t be assumed to be anything more.

I have also reached my own conclusion that them making the expansions free and bundled with the base game is actually a sign that they won’t do a remaster of Quake 2 as one of the features of the Quake 1 remaster last year was them bundling in the expansions.

I would love a Q2 remaster release, primarily so I could play the game on PS5, but I am not at all optimistic that they will.

 

[rikwebb]

Over on Reddit that was first discussed with optimism as a sign of an impending Q2 remaster when it was first noticed last Thursday, but then on Friday Bethesda updated Quake 2 on steam to make the two expansion packs free and bundled with Quake 2. So now the consensus around there seems to be that looking at the change to steam isn’t a hint of anything more than what they already did last week and shouldn’t be assumed to be anything more.

I have also reached my own conclusion that them making the expansions free and bundled with the base game is actually a sign that they won’t do a remaster of Quake 2 as one of the features of the Quake 1 remaster last year was them bundling in the expansions.

I would love a Q2 remaster release, primarily so I could play the game on PS5, but I am not at all optimistic that they will.

You never know though, looks like that new base + dlc package is £1.59 on the UK steam store so I'm gonna go pick that up

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

You never know though, looks like that new base + dlc package is £1.59 on the UK steam store so I'm gonna go pick that up

Yeah, it’s on sale because of Quakecon this week. My older brother picked up the Quake 1 remaster yesterday for something like 65% off on steam yesterday.

 

[Valhoven]

Benji with update on Nordics' Embracer Group who'd in recent years acquired a number of game studios and IPs to incl. Square Enix Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, and Tomb Raider, Deus Ex:

Embracer (...) has entered into an agreement to acquire Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company, which owns a vast intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions relating to the iconic fantasy literary works The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as matching rights in other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by the Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins, which have yet to be explored.​

 

[rikwebb]

Looks like any future LOTR/The Hobbit video game projects will be through Embracer Group and their video game subsidiaries (THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Gearbox doesn't feel like a fit for LOTR) as Embracer Group are acquiring the IP rights to the LOTR/The Hobbit (apart from the TV rights - The Tolkein estate still holds those)

Embracer have also acquired this week :
Bitwave Games, Gioteck, Limited Run Games, Singtrix, Tatsujin, Tripwire Interactive, and Tuxedo Lab

 

[Valhoven]

Benji with update on Nordics' Embracer Group who'd in recent years acquired a number of game studios and IPs to incl. Square Enix Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, and Tomb Raider, Deus Ex:

Embracer (...) has entered into an agreement to acquire Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company, which owns a vast intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions relating to the iconic fantasy literary works The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as matching rights in other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by the Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins, which have yet to be explored.​

Embracer now also in agreement to purchase Bitware Games as well as Britain's Gioteck, who make peripherals. Moves, fellas:

​

 

[Valhoven]

I'm elated to have our new megathread aged already a week and change without Tencent featuring, lol. Praise the MF sun, ye lowly unkindled!

 

[rikwebb]

There's another acquisition Embracer have done along with that list i posted but its being kept secret for now

 

[PurpleStorm]

Yeah I loved Quake 2 and Unreal Tournament. Sometimes I wish someone would make new versions of them. Then I think of what Pitchford / Gearbox did with Duke Nukem and say nah.

 

[PEB]

Dang, son.

This sounds like they are trying to block a takeover of a smaller competitor. Unity unlikely to sell privately held? They could go the twitter route except offer an get a billion dollar breakup fee.

 

[KidBaize]

Yeah, it’s on sale because of Quakecon this week. My older brother picked up the Quake 1 remaster yesterday for something like 65% off on steam yesterday.

Me too. Bought Quake as well as the DOOM franchise for under 50 bucks. Great deal.

 

[Valhoven]

I've wanted a dark, gritty Ghost Rider game for years but I guess an Iron Man almost came to pass from Avalanche were it not for Disney's project demands. Rico bless:

DISNEY’S DEMANDS WOULD HAVE “BROKEN” AVALANCHE STUDIOS, CO-FOUNDER CLAIMS

Sundberg, who left Avalanche in 2019 to form a new studio called Liquid Swords, discussed the aborted project during an interview with MinnMax.

...
​

Direct read from VGC team here.

 

[Nova44]

Streamer swatted (never heard of her) but SWAT ends up being on-feed with her and cool about the misunderstanding, lol:

​

Some of these are terrifying. I remember one years ago where they threw the guy on the floor while his little brother was crying his eyes out in fear.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Watched the first ten minutes of Quakecon. No Quake 2 remaster

 

[method115]

Some of these are terrifying. I remember one years ago where they threw the guy on the floor while his little brother was crying his eyes out in fear.

Has anyone ever been killed?

 

[Nova44]

Has anyone ever been killed?

I'd like to hope not, but i dare not google it in case the answer is a bad one.

 

[Nova44]

Watched the first ten minutes of Quakecon. No Quake 2 remaster

Quake 2 was so fucking good!

 

[Valhoven]

Has anyone ever been killed?

I googled and saw three cases between 2017-2019 alone, all of which led to incarceration for swatter to include 20-year sentencing. The home raids are usually triggered by saying it's a hostage situation at this, that address and hostage taker is armed, from what I'd read. Poor souls haven't the faintest when they hear the bang at the door or house being surrounded what's going on.

 

[method115]

I googled and saw three cases between 2017-2019 alone, all of which led to incarceration for swatter to include 20-year sentencing. The home raids are usually triggered by saying it's a hostage situation at this, that address and hostage taker is armed, from what I'd read. Poor souls haven't the faintest when they hear the bang at the door or house being surrounded what's going on.

Wow incredibly sad to hear. At least they able to catch the person who did it and send them to prison where they belong. The idea you would send police to someone's house over a game is psychotic thinking.