Gaming
Warner Bros. Contradicts Itself While Trying to Fix the Forthog Debacle
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Interactive announced the release of a special Uruk, Forthog Orc-Slayer, for the upcoming game Middle-Earth: Shadow of War in honor of the late Executive Producer Michael Forgey. Originally, this Uruk was available as a $4.99 DLC, and $3.50 from every sale was to be donated to Forgey’s family. While some gamers viewed the DLC as a kind gesture to both Forgey and his surviving family, others saw less-than-hidden signs Warner Bros. would profit from these sales. Yesterday, the company announced it would make Forthog available to all Shadow of War owners for free. However, this decision might have made the controversy even worse.
Let’s start with something I immediately noticed in Warner Bros. recent statement: it notes Warner Bros. Interactive will refund all purchases of Forthog Orc-Slayer and will directly donate money to the Forgey family, but it doesn’t specify how much. Will the donation be a few thousand dollars or several million? Will Warner Bros. Interactive give more or less money than would have been donated from the DLC sales? The news might be good for us gamers, but not necessarily for the Forgeys.
Furthermore, the statement also tries to clarify some information regarding the original donation controversy but ends up contradicting the original announcement. Yesterday’s post explained Warner Bros. Interactive intended to sell the DLC worldwide and donate all profits to the family, but the original announcement video stated Warner Bros. Interactive would donate only $3.50 per sale. Forthog Orc-Slayer originally cost $4.99, and when we subtract the 5% cut platforms such as Steam take from sales and the $3.50 donation, $1.24 would have gone to Warner Bros. Interactive and Monolith Productions.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor sold over 3,000,000 copies on the PlayStation 4 alone; therefore, one could easily assume that the sales for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and its Forthog Orc-Slayer DLC would eventually have reached the millions. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that even with $3.50 from each sale going to the Forgey family, eventually the increments of $1.24 would have added up to a hefty profit beyond the cost of development. Therefore, the new announcement contradicts the claim that Warner Bros. Interactive always wanted to donate all of the DLC profits to the family
The Forthog Orc-Slayer DLC debacle left a really bad taste in my mouth and almost completely turned me off from purchasing Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. While I appreciate Warner Bros. Interactive trying to make amends and satisfy both gamers and the Forgey family, the company could stand to do a better job at fixing this mess.
Gaming
Exciting news for gamers! The highly anticipated PS5 game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be joining EA Play on Thursday
Update: It seems that the PS Store may have acted prematurely, as it has now been officially confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be added to EA Play on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. Once the active members are in, they’ll have the opportunity to download and play the complete game.
Get ready to stand against the darkness in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor! The critically acclaimed game is coming to @EAPlay on April 25, 2024. Learn more: https://t.co/M8UYmfEJvS
— Xbox Wire (@XboxWire) April 22, 2024
Original Story: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, released in 2023, has been added to the EA Play subscription service. This exciting action-adventure game is now available for download and play at no additional cost for active members. While EA has yet to provide any official updates, you can head over to the PS Store and find it listed as “included with EA Play.”
Adding to the mix is the recent announcement of a forthcoming price hike for the subscription, affecting both monthly and yearly payment plans. Starting on May 10th, 2024, the monthly subscription fee will be increased from £3.99 / $4.99 to £5.99 / $5.99. For those who choose the 12-month commitment, the price will be £34.99 / $39.99, which is a £15 / $10 increase.
In April 2023, the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor made its debut on the PS5. After thoroughly evaluating the game, we are pleased to announce that it has earned an impressive 9/10 rating in our review. We praised the game for its ability to build upon the first installment’s foundations and improve upon every aspect. “The combat is highly enjoyable and provides a plethora of options, while the exploration reaches new heights. The incorporation of Metroidvania elements adds an extra layer of depth, resulting in captivating puzzles and rewarding experiences.”
Click the link to access a comprehensive list of all EA Play games available on PS5 and PS4. Are you planning to give Star Wars Jedi: Survivor a try on the service? We would greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments section.
Gaming
Rest assured, the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade, will be available in its original, uncensored form across all regions
Fear not; for those worried about potential censorship issues with the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade, set to release on April 26th, Sony has got you covered. ShiftUp, the developer, proudly assures players that the game will maintain its uncensored content across all regions, including Japan.
We have to admit, we didn’t anticipate this as a potential issue or a potential selling point. The main character, Eve, and her revealing costumes have been heavily showcased in the game’s pre-release marketing. Nevertheless, it is pleasing to witness ShiftUp’s evident enthusiasm as their vision prepares to reach the hands of a vast number of players.
「Stellar Blade」 offers the same uncensored version in all countries, including the Japanese version.
ステラブレードは、日本版を含むすべての国で検閲されていない同じバージョンを提供しています。#StellarBlade #PS5 #Uncensored pic.twitter.com/dJojSgZH9y— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) April 21, 2024
Regarding Stellar Blade, Yoko Taro believes it surpasses NieR: Automata, and we were pleased to learn that the game will be considerate of your PS5 storage capacity. The demo is now available for you to try, and it has nearly doubled the daily active users of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This is quite impressive, especially considering it is the game’s first console showing.
Will you be there to experience Stellar Blade on its release day? It’s certainly a relief to witness the game remaining uncensored until the last moment. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Gaming
Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount
There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.
As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.
The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024
The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.
What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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