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It’s Friday! Or is it? Time is a social construct, so I could tell you it’s Wednesday today, and how could you prove me wrong? It’s Friday because it’s the fifth day this week, but when did this week start? Can’t prove that either, I’m afraid. Well, the calendar in the bottom right corner of the monitor says it’s Friday. Who told the computer that it’s Friday? Anyone could change that display in the settings. What I can say, for certain, is that events occurred and news transpired in this indefinable time period, and it’s been turned into bite-size chunks, here in the round-up…
I’m quite good at photography. Well. I imagine that I would be quite good at photography, because I sometimes spend more time taking screenshots in games than playing the game itself. The act of photographing is something that interests me, too. It’s about choosing the most important element in a scene, and how to show its importance with the tools available. Also, in these tumultuous times, there are a lot of photographs of dormice in flowers that periodically (re)appear on my Twitter timeline, and I think that’s excellent. Dormice in flowers is the glue that keeps us all together.
As evidenced by these animals in these sweet, overly saturated settings, photography is a reaction to what is happening in the world. From the early 1920s, there was a group of seven American photographers who formed Group f/64, seeking to rediscover the ordinariness of life after the Great Depression. Serious social and economic unrest led to shared Marxist ideals among workers and artists alike and a focus on the western United States as the centre of industrial rejuvenation. These photographers, who included Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke, Imogen Cunningham, and John Paul Edwards, wanted precisely exposed photographs of natural forms and found objects that would remind people of their roots.
Photographs of flowers and vegetables, sand dunes, shells, and the forests of Yosemite National Park attempted to show that life persisted in the face of disaster, and they complemented and contrasted with the photos of public works projects in the American West. Group f/64 photographs told a story with a happy ending, though that ending may take time to arrive, like a tree covered in snow waiting for spring. Their manifesto felt particularly pertinent here and now, and though it is frustrating to be in lockdown and cut off from our friends, we are the fortunate ones in this scenario. Here’s the news.
The Last of Us Part 2 leaks came from hackers, not an employee
Reports claimed that an employee lashed out against Naughty Dog for withholding pay in a pandemic, and leaked The Last of Us Part 2 in response. However, this is not accurate. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier said that he had contacted “two people with direct knowledge of how TLOU2 leaked as well as some Naughty Dog employees” about the rumours. “Short version: hackers found a security vulnerability in a patch for an older ND game and used it to get access to ND’s servers,” explained Schreier. “I think the footage that leaked is from devs playing an early build (I haven’t watched it). Most importantly, rumors of this being an act of protest by a contractor whose pay was robbed are not true. (ND actually extended pay and healthcare benefits for contractors due to covid).”
Xbox Series X titles may be delayed, even if the console launch is on schedule
If this does come to pass, Xbox Series X players will have an aesthetically pleasing box to place next to their telly. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the teams are “in line with where we thought we’d be,” iterating that there will be no delay to the launch of the new console. Nevertheless, he stated that games may not be ready for that launch, owing to the distribution of the industry. “I’d say the bigger unknown is probably the game production. Game production is a large scale entertainment activity now, you have hundreds of people coming together, building assets, working through creative.” Spencer also added that the security of Xbox first-party and partner teams is paramount, and the company will not “push when things just aren’t ready.”
Star Wars Battlefront 2 players thank EA DICE for making the “ultimate Star Wars game”
“The turnaround from launch to where you guys got the game in the end… the fact it's a poster [child] for turnaround games… is a pretty amazing feat,” said YouTuber SammyBoiii in the compilation of compliments. “You’ve been the best team we could have asked for, and I wish the best of luck to you on your next project,” affirmed YouTuber Azzatru, and the video is an expression of gratitude from Star Wars Battlefront 2 players from all over the world. The game didn’t get off to a stellar start, and it was skewered by governments for loot box and microtransaction controversies. EA DICE recognised that it had made mistakes with Star Wars Battlefront 2, however, and its efforts to ameliorate the game have paid off.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets outfits from Marc Jacobs and Valentino
Animal Crossing Fashion Archive, set up by photographer Karen Chung, lets players try on designs from designer labels Gucci, Chanel, Acne Studios, Jacquemus, Supreme, Noah, and more. Marc Jacobs and Valentino have thrown their lot in with the riff-raff, and players are able to download the pieces from the terminal in the Able Sisters shop. “I didnʼt think that the page would be incredibly meaningful beyond a group of small friends who were designing outfits, but everyday Iʼve seen people message me saying that itʼs brightened their day and given them a reason to smile amid the current events,” said Chang.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC adds story content and welcomes familiar faces
Launching on May 26, the DLC will task Raiden, Liu Kang, Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and Fujin with the reclamation of Kronika’s crown. With this act, they hope to stop the events of Mortal Kombat 11 before they ever occur, and bring about a better future for the world. Time-travelling is never so simple, though, and the developer hopes that Aftermath “tells the best story we can.” Furthermore, the DLC will add Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop to the playable roster. Peter Weller has even lent his voice and likeness to RoboCop in Mortal Kombat 11, which is just excellent. And finally, the Aftermath DLC will bring back Friendships, which are a wholesome parody of the gruesome Fatalities.
Concept art of Retro Studios’ cancelled Zelda game looks spectacular
“Zelda games have wacky weird stuff, and this game was setting out to be ten times weirder,” said Sammy Hill, a former Retro Studios pre-production artist. The game would have centred on Sheik, and would have been an action RPG set in the time of Ganon’s birth. With bold and dynamic shapes and palettes, this game may have progressed the themes introduced in Twilight Princess for an even darker exploration of the legend. It’s sad that this game never saw the light of day, but Retro Studios has its hands full producing the next Metroid game. Maybe, we’ll see it in Nintendo’s June showcase.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla “won’t be the longest or biggest game in the series,” says Ubisoft
Valhalla may be the work of fifteen Ubisoft studios, but that doesn’t mean the game is delivering a scale replica of the European continent. “FYI, it won’t be the longest or biggest game in the series. They addressed criticism on this one,” said Malek Teffaha, head of communications for the Middle East. The comment about hearing the criticism of Odyssey is an interesting one, because Odyssey is one of the most highly-regarded games in the series. However, it did provide a ginormous map of the Greek islands, and a two hour session might only progress one small part of the main story. If Valhalla is more modest in scale and scope, the game might offer a focused exploration of Viking and English conflict in the Dark Ages.
