'No gay, no pay': The RuneScape community is absolutely mauling Jagex's new CEO over his decision to cancel new Pride Month events
https://archive.ph/20250613162816/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/no-gay-no-pay-the-runescape-community-is-absolutely-mauling-jagexs-new-ceo-over-his-decision-to-cancel-new-pride-month-events/
>Jon Bellamy claimed the choice to dramatically curtail pride was to prevent backlash. That's caused an even bigger backlash.
>RuneScape players haven't relented since news broke a few days ago that new Jagex CEO Jon Bellamy—also known in-community as Mod North—was effectively killing off Pride Month celebrations in RuneScape and Old School RuneScape (OSRS) in order to "ensure the business is protected against those that would wish us harm."
>Speaking to staff, Bellamy said that Pride content was "controversial in a way it didn’t used to be and that controversy now brings more risk than it did previously, risk that I’m personally responsible to protect against."
>That didn't mollify staff—who penned an open letter to Jagex execs asking to be allowed to run Pride content—and it certainly hasn't mollified the community. Across social media, RuneScape players are in a continuous uproar about the rollback.
‘NieR’ Series Producer Says Dev Team Established Hard Rules For Character Creation To “Try And Avoid” International Outrage
https://archive.ph/20250611143147/https://boundingintocomics.com/video-games/nier-series-producer-says-dev-team-established-hard-rules-for-character-creation-to-try-and-avoid-international-outrage/
>According to veteran Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito, a desire to avoid any number of potential cultural controversies has led the NieR series creative team – including creator Yoko Taro – to adopt a set of character design guidelines that take into account the various sensibilities of international audiences.
>Saito, whose design talents have helped shape every NieR franchise entry save Drakengard 3, confirmed this unfortunate reality while speaking to Taro, Goddess of Victory: Nikke director Yoo Hyung Suk, and Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung Tae during a June 9th producers roundtable centering on the ongoing Goddess of Victory: Nikke x Stellar Blade x NieR: Automata content collaboration.
>At one point during the discussion, the four devs were asked by their host, former PlayStation Studios president Shuhei Yoshida, if they could speak to their respective casts of characters, in particular if “When designing them, were there any visual or narrative aspects that you paid special attention to?”
>Giving in to their inner fanboy, Yoo and Kim deferred their time to the NieR duo, thus leaving the floor open for Taro, who began his answer by noting, “Basically, our concept is always to do something that’s ‘not like anything else’.”
>“We tend to take the contrarian route,” the eccentric director further detailed. “We choose that route because competition is fierce in overlapping markets. We’re aiming for the wider blue ocean, so to speak. We want to explore genres and themes that creators often overlook, to try different things with a smaller but dedicated audience.”
>“When it comes to a character’s behavior, I always try to create something genuine,” said Taro. “For example, instead of creating a demure girl who only exists in a man’s fantasy and is inexplicably dedicated to the protagonist, I want to give the characters a more realistic feel- like someone who could actually exist around me. I hope that is something that resonates with many people too.”
>Pressed by Shuhei for his thoughts on the matter, Saito told his host, “To be honest, of course Director Yoko has his own vision of what he wants to make. However, there are, of course, certain things that are ethically or morally inappropriate -even if they’re just aspects of a character.”
>“We try to draw a line by establishing rules about what’s acceptable and what’s not,” he explained. “While certain things might be acceptable in Japan, they could become problematic in certain overseas regions, and even characters could become problematic as well. These are the kind of situation we usually try to avoid creating. As a result, there are actually countries where we couldn’t officially release NieR: Automata.”
>Closing out his answer with a bit of levity, Saito ultimately asserted, “Earlier, Director Yoko mentioned creating characters that could exist around him – not ones with overly unrealistic settings. But focusing on creating characters who would feel out of place even if they existed around him. If you think about the Drakengard characters as the kind of friends Director Yoko is surrounded with, you would begin to understand Director Yoko’s worldview.”
>“All of them are weirdos,” he laughed, “and among them, Director Yoko is the weirdest one.”
Anonymous employee accuses RuneScape of kowtowing to Trump as it puts the kibosh on new Pride events: 'The content… is now controversial in a way it didn't used to be'
https://web.archive.org/web/20250611161009/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/anonymous-employee-accuses-runescape-of-kowtowing-to-trump-as-it-puts-the-kibosh-on-new-pride-events-the-content-is-now-controversial-in-a-way-it-didnt-used-to-be/
‘Ninja Gaiden 4’ Director Thinks “Games Are Trending Toward Being Easier To Play”, Promises Team Ninja Sequel “Goes In The Complete Opposite Direction”
https://archive.ph/20250610151056/https://boundingintocomics.com/video-games/ninja-gaiden-4-director-thinks-games-are-trending-toward-being-easier-to-play-promises-team-ninja-sequel-goes-in-the-complete-opposite-direction/
As The Outer Worlds 2 hits $80, director says "we don't set the prices for our games" and wishes "everybody could play" Obsidian's new RPG
https://archive.ph/20250611203149/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/as-the-outer-worlds-2-hits-usd80-director-says-we-dont-set-the-prices-for-our-games-and-wishes-everybody-could-play-obsidians-new-rpg/
>"You'd have to honestly talk to the Xbox folks" about the price, Brandon Adler says
>In the span of just a few months, $80 games have gone from an all-new idea that nobody liked to a reality that more and more of us would have to deal with, with The Outer Worlds 2 now the first Xbox-published game confirmed to boast the heftier price tag. However, the RPG's director has reiterated that the developers "don't set the prices" for their games.
>Following on from the Switch 2 and its $80 launch title Mario Kart World, Xbox confirmed in a recent price hike that some of its own "new, first-party games starting this holiday season" would cost the same. The Outer Worlds 2 is our first confirmed example of this, with pre-orders now open ahead of Obsidian's latest RPG launching on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29 (not what I'd have called the "holiday season," but anyway).
>Asked about the ongoing $80 price conversations in an interview at Summer Game Fest, attended by GamesRadar+, The Outer Worlds 2 director Brandon Adler reiterates that it's ultimately not a decision made by the people making the game. "We're a game developer. We love to make games. We don't set the prices for our games," he begins.
>"Like, personally, as a game developer, I wish everybody could play my game, because that's what I want out of this whole thing. But for the reasons and so like, why the $79.99 price point, you'd have to honestly talk to the Xbox folks," he continues, avoiding touching on his "own personal feelings" during the interview.
>The Outer Worlds 2 likely won't be the only game to hit $80 this year and beyond, but one thing is for sure, fans really don't want Borderlands 4 to be one of them. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has been facing a lot of backlash lately after suggesting that "a real fan" would "find a way to make it happen," even if the upcoming looter shooter did cost $80 – something that's not actually been confirmed, it's worth noting.
GameStop CEO Says The Company's Future Isn't In Games
https://archive.ph/20250613075722/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-ceo-says-the-companys-future-isnt-in-games/1100-6532407/
>Cohen has said that continuing to focus on trading cards, including the incredibly popular recent Pokémon card sets, is a "natural extension" of GameStop's business. He added that the collectibles could have potential for high profit margins.
Sony Re-Commits To Live-Service Games, Says Bungie's Marathon Won't Suffer Concord's Fate
https://archive.ph/20250614041419/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-re-commits-to-live-service-games-says-bungies-marathon-wont-suffer-concords-fate/1100-6532419/
>Sony's live-service game releases haven't all been as successful as Helldivers 2, but despite the failure of Concord and reported struggles with Fairgame$, Sony is pushing ahead and committing to make more live-service games.
>PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst said this recently during a Sony business presentation in which he also commented on the company's next big live-service game, Bungie's Marathon, saying he feels optimistic that it won't suffer the same fate as Concord.
>As reported by IGN, Hulst said feedback from Marathon's latest alpha test was "varied," but he maintains that the live-service category remains a "great opportunity" for the company. Concord, Hulst said, was "insufficiently differentiated" in a "hyper competitive segment" of gaming, referring to live-service multiplayer games.
>"We have reviewed our processes in light of this to deeply understand how and why that title failed to meet expectations and to ensure we're not going to make the same mistakes again," he said.
Hulst said Sony now has a "much more rigorous process" in place for "validating" the company's hypotheses as it relates to a game's creative and commercial possibilities.
>For Marathon, Hulst said the aim is to create a "very bold, very innovative, and deeply engaging title." The response to the Marathon alpha test was mixed, and Hulst said the whole idea of offering early tests is to gain feedback that can then be used to improve the product.
>"This cycle of test, of iterate, test again, that is such a key component of the live-service success, both leading up to launch but also throughout the life of the game," he said.
>Hulst did not, however, comment on the controversy surrounding Marathon as it relates to Bungie admitting it found stolen art assets in Marathon.
Marathon is slated for release on September 23. Some theorized it could be delayed, but it remains on track, at least as of now.
>In regards to Sony's live-service plans in general, Hulst said the company is "very, very committed to building a diverse and a resilient live-service portfolio."
>In related news, it was confirmed this week that Sony cut staff at the studio behind Days Gone after cancelling a live-service game at the studio. Before this, Sony reportedly canceled a live-service God of War title, and developer Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Online back in 2023. Recently, it was reported that Sony's multiplayer heist game Fairgame$ was reportedly pushed to 2026 following concerns.