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Star Citizen Developer Threatens Legal Action Against The Escapist

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Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games has threatened legal action over an article published by The Escapist. Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) claims the article, published October 1, was defamatory and damaging to their reputation. The article, written by Lizzy Finnegan, claims multiple CIG sources commented on alleged troubles the developer is facing. The sources also claim that CIG has a “toxic culture” and has a pattern of discriminatory hiring practices. After the article was published, CIG boss and Star Citizen creator Chris Roberts sent The Escapist a strongly worded letter, threatening legal action if the article wasn’t retracted.

But that’s a bit of an oversimplification. The drama really started on September 25, when Finnegan published a separate article asking if Star Citizen was going to “crash and burn.” The article examined a series of blog posts by a backer of Star Citizen called Derek Smart. Smart has obviously come to regret his decision to back the game, and spends his time posting about CIG’s apparent misuse of Kickstarter funds and the woes of Star Citizen’s development.

The reason there’s so much drama around CIG is that Star Citizen is a crowd-funding superstar. The game garnered a massive $90 million in funds, which means any drama that goes on surrounding CIG also pulls that $90 million into question. Finnegan’s September 25 article spoke about the misuse of those funds, as well as long delays and changes to the Terms Of Service that the backers agreed to.

The October 1 article was, allegedly, published after multiple sources from CIG came forward to give more information about the developer’s woes. These sources added a string of new serious allegations. Most notable were allegations that Sandi Gardener, CIG’s vice president of marketing and Roberts’ wife, refused to hire people over 40 and, on one occasion, refused to hire somebody based on race, saying, “We aren’t hiring a black girl.”

The second article also claimed that Roberts was using Kickstarter funds to purchase a mansion and that CIG has already used up $82 million of its funds. Finnegan’s claims apparently come from 9 different current or former CIG employees.

CIG has since responded to the article in a strongly-worded letter. They’ve refuted some of the claims directly and cast some doubt on others. The Escapist claims it vetted its sources with documentation that proved they were employees of CIG, saying they saw “pay stubs and a Cloud Imperium Games ID.” Roberts says no CIG employees are given employee ID cards. It’s also emerged that many of the quotes in The Escapist’s article are word-for-word matches with quotes from Glassdoor Australia, an anonymous employment review site. While it’s possible the employees also posted on Glassdoor, it does cast doubt on The Escapist’s sources.

CIG’s letter concludes with three demands. First, they want The Escapist to apologise to Sandi Gardener. Second, they want that apology published, as well as to have the article retracted. And third, they want The Escapist to have an independent party investigate the events that led to the article’s publication. They effectively gave The Escapist until October 5 to meet these demands, or else they would take legal action in both the US and UK (which has tougher anti-defamation laws).

What this all means for Star Citizen and its backers remains yet to be seen.

Rhiannon likes video games and she likes writing, so she decided to combine them. As well as writing about video games, she also belts out the occasional science fiction or fantasy story, edits videos, and eats strawberry oreos. In that order.

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Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 introduces an exciting addition to the roster of exclusive cars available in the PS5 and PS4 racing game

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Gran Turismo 7 has just received an exciting update to version 1.46 on both PS5 and PS4. This latest update introduces a unique addition to the game: the Škoda Vision Gran Turismo, a car that you won’t come across in any other game. Škoda makes its debut in the franchise with a visionary study of a single-seater, all-electric racing concept car, designed exclusively for the Polyphony Digital racer.

Once you’ve downloaded update 1.46, you’ll have the opportunity to test drive not one but two additional cars: the AFEELA Prototype 2024 and the iconic Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe ’70. Get ready for an exhilarating ride! Watch as they take to the track in the video above.

Additionally, the update introduces a new menu for players to tackle in the GT Café. At Collector Level 38, players have the opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of Ferrari 12-cylinder engines, gaining knowledge and expanding their collection. In World Circuits, players can look forward to exciting new events such as the Japanese Clubman Cup 550, the American FR Challenge 550, and the Vision Gran Turismo Trophy. For all the avid fans of Photo Mode, there’s an exciting opportunity to explore the captivating city of San Diego in a brand new Scape.

What are your thoughts on the latest update for Gran Turismo 7? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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ReFantazio Takes a Different Approach to Romance, Setting Itself Apart from the Persona Games

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Atlus’ highly anticipated RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, appears to incorporate familiar systems reminiscent of the developer’s acclaimed Persona series. The game features turn-based battles that heavily rely on exploiting enemy weaknesses. Additionally, players have the ability to summon warrior spirits during combat. However, the most significant aspect of this game, which will be discussed in this article, is the bonding system. Through this system, players can spend time with important characters and gain deeper insights into their personalities and stories.

In contrast to the Persona games, the bonding system ends at that point. Unfortunately, players will be unable to pursue romantic relationships with their beloved waifus, which may come as a disappointment to those who have developed strong feelings for Hulkenberg, the party’s charismatic red-haired elven knight.

According to Siliconera, the absence of romance came up during a recent question and answer session. Atlus emphasized the continued opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with your allies while also introducing additional narratives through substories. In addition, familiarizing yourself with the supporting characters will grant you access to new archetypes, which serve as the game’s character classes.

In the Persona games, romance is not obligatory; rather, it serves as a means to customize your playthrough. However, it is quite unexpected that Metaphor has chosen not to pursue such a venture, considering the significant amount of discussion it typically generates!

Were you anticipating any romantic elements in Metaphor? If you’re not satisfied with your pre-order, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Shift Up unveils the intriguing details behind the physical packaging of Stellar Blade for the PS5

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It appears that many

are eagerly anticipating the launch of the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade. Shift Up, the developer, has shared a lengthy video showcasing the “secrets” found in the physical box of the game for PS5. From what we can gather, these secrets include a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for cosmetic items.

We must clarify that while we do appreciate the variant cover, it may be more appealing than the game’s standard art. However, it is not something we would typically classify as a “secret.”. However, what’s interesting is that Shift Up has confirmed through the comments section that this will be the case in all regions. Additionally, the visually striking action RPG will remain uncensored worldwide.

It’s refreshing to witness a developer going the extra mile for physical collectors, and it’s evident that the developer is determined to leave a favorable mark in the console realm. Stellar Blade is set to make its highly anticipated debut this Friday, April 26th, exclusively on the PS5.

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