Gaming

Former employees were dismissed for “egregious behaviour,” according to the Disco Elysium studio

Published

1 year ago

November 10, 2022

It appears that Disco Elysium must now start and conclude each of my working days, which feels quite Disco Elysium. The studio that created Disco Elysium, ZA/UM, disclosed the reasons why a number of staff were let go last year in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. These consist of “little to no engagement in their responsibilities,” “creating a toxic work environment,” “verbal abuse and gender discrimination,” as well as making an effort to sell ZA/intellectual UM’s property to other businesses.

The departure of game director Robert Kurvitz, art director Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere from ZA/UM before the end of 2021 was made public last month. The studio’s response mirrors, in more formal language, remarks made by ZA/current UM’s CEO Ilmar Kompus to the Estonian newspaper Estonian Ekspress as well as points made in a blog post by Martin Luiga, who was a former employee of ZA/UM and the initial source of information regarding the firings.

Although particular employees are not mentioned in the official statement, Kurvitz and minority shareholder Saandar Taal are mentioned in Kompus’s comments in the Ekspress article (as translated by Google), where he claims that they were “humiliating colleagues and intending to steal IP.”

Taal, who left her position as a director of ZAUM UK LTD in 2021, has not yet made an appearance in this narrative. According to Kompus, Taal and Kurvitz visited other video game firms “secretly and in breach of existing contracts” in order to gain ownership of intellectual property, including Disco Elysium. Disco Elysium’s setting is derived from a lengthy personal D&D campaign that Kurvitz later used as the basis for his novel Sacred And Terrible Air.

Additionally, according to Kompus, Kurvitz and Taal “treated their coworkers very terribly” and Kurvitz “had a history of belittling women and coworkers,” respectively. According to GI.biz, their own sources have made assertions that corroborate these charges. One unnamed source claimed that long-tenured employees were unwilling to criticize Kurvitz’s behavior.

In a statement published yesterday on Medium, Kurvitz and Rostov claimed that Kompus and fellow businessman Tnis Haavel had obtained control of ZA/UM through fraud with the aid of another shareholder, writer Kaur Kender (with whom Kurvitz had previously collaborated and who served as Disco’s executive producer).

According to ZA/response UM’s to GI.biz, “the vast majority of proceeds from Disco Elysium have been invested back into the studio in order to fund our next projects, which are now in development,” and “any charge of financial misconduct or fraud that is being held against us” are denied. Additionally, the studio admits that legal documents have been filed (Kurvtiz’s company Telomer filed last month to “get information and study documents”), but they are certain they “will succeed in court once all the facts are heard.”

Anyone might theoretically be saying the truth at the same time. According to sources cited by GI.biz and Ekspress, the conflict was between the business team and the artistic team, who weren’t as focused on making a profit, and was described as “CEO corporate maneuvering on one side, a poisonous auteur on the other.” The only thing I can be certain of is that I’ll eventually need to make another news post on all of this. On GamesIndustry.biz, you can read the complete statement from ZA/UM Studio.

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Gaming

Helldivers 2 has quickly become one of Sony’s top-selling games in the US

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2024

Zach Riley

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.

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Gaming

The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2024

Zach Riley

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.

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Gaming

Will Stellar Blade be available for PC?

Published

4 days ago

April 30, 2024

Zach Riley

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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