Gaming
Star Citizen Backers Grow Restless As Development Falters
Star Citizen, an upcoming space sim MMO, is starting to run into trouble with its Kickstarter backers. The game made headlines back in 2012 when it reached record-breaking crowdfunding success, but those backers are voicing some concerns. One of Star Citizen’s key backers recently had his pledge refunded over an apparent dispute with the developer, Cloud Imperium Games. Now, three years on from the campaign, the game is still in development with no end in sight and many backers are after a refund.
It all started three days ago. One of Star Citizen’s earliest backers, Derek Smart, the founder of development studio 3000AD, got a curt email (via gamerant) telling him his pledge of $250 was being refunded and that he no longer had any agreement with Cloud Imperium Games.
According to Star Citizen developers, Smart was cut off because he was using his pledge to further promote his own games.
“It was obvious he was not a supporter of our project and was just using our visibility as a platform to gain attention and promote his current game and his past games. We have strict rules about people using our forums and chat for self-promotion and it was clear that he didn’t care about the project, or the backers, or a good game being made. He was just trying to create a huge fuss to make himself relevant at a lot of other people’s expense and distress. So we enacted our rights through Kickstarter (that we also have on our own TOS) and refunded him and turned his account off.”
Smart wasn’t happy about this statement and took to Twitter to accuse Cloud Imperium Games of looking to refund all $2.1 million Kickstarter funds in order to get out of their contract with their backers. That might seem like a lot of money, but Star Citizen actually has a massive $85 million budget. It’s a little convoluted, but back when the Kickstarter campaign finished in 2012, Cloud Imperium took to other avenues to raise further funds. In short, over 900,000 people contributed a total of more than $85 million to Star Citizen. So refunding the $2.1 million Kickstarter funds wouldn’t put much of a dent in the game.
Despite that massive budget, however, the game is well past its original November 2014 release date. Currently, there is no official release date. Smart says that the backers will be “screwed” if Cloud Imperium refunds them outside of taking legal action through the courts. Smart also says Cloud Imperium wanted him gone because he was the one most able to call them out on their “dev nonsense with regard to the game.”
Smart isn’t the only backer to voice concerns about Star Citizen, with many others worried about the litany of promises made by the game’s creator, Chris Roberts. There have been too many delays to count, and on top of that, Cloud Imperium has lost a couple of its highest-ranking members. Smart’s assertions that the developer is looking to be free of its contract with its Kickstarter backers is only leading them to be more restless about the state of Star Citizen.
Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.
According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.
He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.
Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.
Gaming
The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship
Shift Up, the Korean developer, seems to be reconsidering its contentious alterations to the Stellar Blade outfit. In a message to fans, they have urged everyone to stay tuned for updates and expressed gratitude for the passionate feedback from players. For those who may not be aware, a petition gained significant attention over the weekend when gamers discovered changes made to a few of the game’s costumes through a day-one patch.
The launch day update includes a fantastic New Game + mode, but some players were disappointed by the changes made to protagonist Eve’s outfit. These alterations sparked debates about censorship. Director Hyung-Tae Kim later clarified that this was the studio’s original vision, but he acknowledged that it may require further persuasion to win over users. Internal discussions were also underway to address any concerns.
Thanks to all our Stellar Blade fans for your passion & feedback. Stay tuned for updates🤍 pic.twitter.com/jCRzM4OQBS
— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) May 1, 2024
There is no definitive confirmation regarding the reversal of the outfits, but considering the language used in the statement and the widespread controversy surrounding the alterations, it is highly likely that a future patch will restore the original costumes. If you want to get a sneak peek at all of Eve’s different outfits and learn how to unlock them, be sure to take a look at our comprehensive guide, All Outfits and How to Get Them.
It’s quite possible. Fans all over the world are interested in Shift Up’s highly anticipated action-adventure game, Stellar Blade. With its captivating post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Nier and a compelling protagonist named Eve, it’s no wonder the game has generated such widespread attention.
The game consistently impresses with its stunning visuals and high-octane action, leaving players in awe with each new trailer.
Yet, just like other noteworthy second-party and third-party game releases, fans are pondering: Will Stellar Blade be available on PC?
In this article, we delve into the details to determine the platform availability of the highly anticipated title.
Will Stellar Blade be available on PC? Allow me to provide you with the answer.
Unfortunately, Stellar Blade will not be available on PC, at least not initially. Currently, the game is only available on PlayStation 5 starting on April 26, 2024.
Regrettably, it appears that there is no indication of a potential PC release for Stellar Blade in the future. In most cases, trailers for PlayStation timed-exclusive titles conclude with a disclaimer that specifies the duration of their exclusivity.
In the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch trailer, it is explicitly stated that the game will only be accessible on other platforms starting on May 29, 2024.
Regrettably, when it comes to the stellar blade, there is no indication of such.
It’s important to note that Sony Entertainment Interactive published Stellar Blade, unlike Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means that the chances of it being released on PC or other platforms in the near future are even slimmer.
However, it is worth noting that there is a chance the game might be released on PC in the future, given PlayStation’s track record of bringing their exclusive titles to the platform. However, it could be a while before this comes to fruition.
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