Attempting to walk back controversial changes made to its fee structure, Unity clarified new runtime fees for titles using the popular game engine. The changes to the Unity Runtime Fee come on the heels of a new pricing structure that some developers claimed could force them out of business.

Unity announces changes to its controversial Runtime Fee policy for creators using the engine

As spotted by Wario64 on Twitter, Unity has issued a public statement on its blog outlining changes coming to the Unity Runtime Fee in response to the recent backlash.

The statement, written by Unity Create head Marc Whitten and posted on the official Unity blog, begins with an apology to the development community. Stating that it “should have spoken with more of you” and incorporated user feedback before implementing the new Runtime Fee, Whitten claims that the company wants to continue supporting creators who use the Unity engine in their titles.

Under the new terms, developers using Unity Personal will no longer be subjected to a Runtime Fee and will see the revenue and funding limits raised from $100,000 to $200,000. They will also no longer be required to use the “Made With Unity” splash screen on their titles and won’t be subject to fees unless their game earns over $1 million in trailing 12-month revenue. This is likely to come as welcome new to smaller developers, over a dozen of which led a protest against Unity last week by shutting off Unity Ads in their titles.

Users of Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise will also see changes to the Runtime Fee for their projects. Under the new rules, the Runtime Fee policy will only apply to projects made with the next LTS version of Unity, expected to arrive in 2024. Games that are already shipped or are still in development won’t be required to pay the new Runtime Fee unless they upgrade the title to a newer version of the engine.

Unity’s FAQ page for the new licensing rules also reveals that the company has abandoned changes that would have seen developers charged for each install of their game. Developers will now self-report their user numbers and can decide between paying a 2.5% revenue share to Unity or an amount “based on the number of new people engaging with your game each month.”

While these changes may not diffuse all of the anger directed towards Unity CEO John Riccitiello in recent weeks, they represent a significant improvement from the earlier Runtime Fee policy.     

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From the publisher that brought us Kerbal Space Program comes Tales of the Shire, a “heart-warming” game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world. The title is set to launch on PC and console sometime in 2024.

Described as “cozy”

Developed by TV, film, and game studio Wētā Workshop, and published by Private Division, not much is known about Tales of the Shire. A brief teaser trailer was released but doesn’t reveal anything beyond its rather snug aesthetic, as a woman is seen sketching in her notebook.

The game will be set in Middle-Earth as part of the Lord of the Rings universe, but there don’t appear to be any details about the story so far. A press release says it will be “fully revealed next year.”

All we really know at this stage is that a pleasant and rather restful “Hobbit life awaits.” You can follow the game on social media to stay up-to-date.

In terms of platforms, we don’t know that either. We know it’s coming to PC, but we can also expect it to be released on current-gen consoles, possibly even previous-gen. However, that’s just speculation on our part.

By far one of the most influential fantasy franchises of all time, The Lord of the Rings has been a dense source for video game adaptations. While the majority of titles typically focus on action and/or the original books/movies, Tales of the Shire sounds like it may be offering something a little different.

No doubt additional information will be inbound soon, so we’ll hopefully be able to reveal more as time goes on.

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Steamforged Games has announced Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion board game in collaboration with Guerrilla Games. The companies are working closely to craft an “official story” that’s set before Aloy’s arrival in the Forbidden West.

Horizon Forbidden West board game will land on Kickstarter in November

Steamforged plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund the project. The board game is designed for 1-4 players and promises a “fully cooperative, narrative-driven experience.”

Alongside a new narrative, Seeds of Rebellion will feature new machines, exploration, a new cooperative stealth system, and a bunch of new abilities. The board game will be backward compatible with Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game via a compatibility pack that will be free for returning Kickstarter backers. A synopsis reads:

In the distant lands of a far-future Earth, colossal machines rule and humans exist in pre-industrial tribes. Your adventure will take you to the majestic yet deadly Forbidden West, before Aloy’s arrival. Much of this frontier is the territory of the warlike Tenakth. Though the tribe is currently united under the great Chief Hekarro, a rebellion is fomenting in the dark corners of this mysterious place. This potential insurrection threatens the hard-won, fragile peace between the Tenakth’s three clans.

You and your fellow Marshals must uncover, investigate, and fight this threat before unnecessary blood is shed and the fate of the Clan Lands is changed for generations to come. Along the way, you’ll explore the vibrant world, earn powerful equipment, and undertake life-or-death quests, testing your skills against an ever-present menace: the deadly, ever-evolving machines.

Will you fall to the spear, the claw, or the toxic blight? Or will you rise against the odds together and unravel the untold mysteries of the Forbidden West?

Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion’s Kickstarter campaign will launch on November 21, 2023.

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Nacon has announced a new Revolution 5 Pro controller for the PS5 and PS4. The officially licensed controller will launch in October with the same price tag as Sony’s own DualSense Edge.

Nacon Revolution 5 Pro PS5, PS4 controller details

Revolution 5 Pro features Hall Effect technology for precision gaming, with joysticks and triggers that promise “a very long service life.” In a press release, Nacon said that the controller has been designed to allow players to repair and replace key components with ease.

Revolution 5 Pro targets the competitive gaming market with extensive customization. Its battery life is up to 10 hours and it can connect to wireless headsets via Bluetooth as well as wired headsets via its 3.5mm jack. The controller will cost $199.90.

Key features include:

• Over 60 customization options
• 10 hours of autonomy
• Equipped with trigger blockers
• Wireless and wired
• Designed with premium materials

“The Revolution 5 Pro combines the best of our expertise, technological innovation and ergonomics,” said Yannick Allaert, Nacon’s head of accessories division. “I want to thank Sony Interactive Entertainment, our long-time partner, who has enabled us to develop this product in the best way possible.”

A specific release date for Nacon Revolution 5 Pro has yet to be announced.

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Xbox chief Phil Spencer told the court in a recent hearing that if Microsoft‘s gaming division doesn’t significantly grow beyond the console, it may end up exiting the games business altogether, leaving PlayStation with no rival. Spencer’s deposition was recently made public and sheds more light on Microsoft’s push into mobile and PC.

Microsoft-Activision deal goes beyond PlayStation vs. Xbox console wars

It’s no secret that Microsoft’s console business has been in the doldrums for a while. Even the Xbox Series X|S is currently behind Xbox One’s sales on a time-aligned basis. As a result, Microsoft has been pushing Xbox Game Pass on PC and console and has repeatedly said that it wants to make a splash in the mobile market.

Explaining an internal company chart about the future of Microsoft’s gaming business, Spencer told the court that he can “fairly safely say that if we do not make more progress than this off of console, we would exit the gaming business.”

Spencer added that if Microsoft doesn’t succeed in the mobile and PC gaming business, he would not advocate for the company to go back to a closed device like Xbox. “If we don’t gain a foothold on mobile, there’s really no future for us, in Microsoft investment in gaming,” Spencer reiterated.

Spencer also revealed that one of the first questions Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella asked him when they met was why the company was still in the gaming business after difficult years. Spencer is of the view that acquiring Activision Blizzard King will be the gaming division’s saving grace.

The post Microsoft Considering Leaving Games If It Doesn’t Significantly Grow Beyond Console appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Konami has finally confirmed Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 PS4 release date. Last-gen players won’t have to wait as the PS4 version’s launch will coincide with the PS5 launch.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 hits PS4 in October

Both PS4 and PS5 players will be able to get their hands on Vol. 1 on October 24, per Konami (thanks, Gematsu). Pre-orders are already live on the PS Store. Unlike the PS5 version, the collection will only be released digitally on the PS4.

As a reminder, here’s what MGS: Master Collection Vol. 1 includes:

• Metal Gear
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
• Metal Gear Solid (including VR Missions / Special Missions)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (HD Collection version)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (HD Collection version)
• Metal Gear (Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom version)
• Snake’s Revenge
• Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel
• Metal Gear Solid: Digital Soundtrack
• Digital book
  • Metal Gear Solid: Screenplay Book
  • Metal Gear Solid: Master Book
  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Screenplay Book
  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Master Book
  • Metal Gear Solid 3: Screenplay Book
  • Metal Gear Solid 3: Master Book
  • Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Screenplay Book
  • Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Master Book

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Need for Speed and Burnout developer Criterion Games has been moved from EA Sports to the EA Entertainment, where it will assist on upcoming games in the Battlefield franchise. The move comes on the heels of some high-profile departures from Criterion following the release of Need for Speed Unbound in late 2022.

Criterion Games joins the EA Entertainment group under Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella

News of the unexpected move was shared by GamesIndustry.biz, with an EA representative telling the site that no layoffs are planned as part of Criterion Games’ reshuffled role. The EA Entertainment division under which Criterion Games will now be working was formed earlier this year after the publishing giant split the EA Sports brand from its other gaming properties. As part of the EA Entertainment, Criterion Games will now be working under Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella.

Explaining the reasoning behind the move in a blog post on EA’s site, Zampella states that Criterion Games will help usher in a “new era for the [Battlefield] franchise.” The majority of Criterion’s employees will be working with other EA studios like DICE as the publisher begins pre-production on what it describes as a “connected Battlefield Universe.” In addition to working on upcoming Battlefield titles, Criterion will also provide assistance with ongoing updates to Battlefield 2042. While much of the team will now be tasked with working on the Battlefield franchise, Zampella’s post notes that work will still continue on new Need for Speed games.

While Criterion is most well-known for its work on the Need for Speed and Burnout franchises, the developer is no stranger to the Battlefield series. In 2021 the studio was tapped to support EA DICE on the development of Battlefield 2042, leading to a year-long delay for Need for Speed Unbound. Moving such a high-profile developer to its military shooter series is in line with statements made by EA in 2022 indicating that the publisher was taking a “long view” of the Battlefield franchise following what some fans have decried as a drastic drop in quality for recent entries.  

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A leaked Microsoft document reveals the staggering costs of launching AAA games on services like PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft previously said that Sony should offer its first-party lineup via PS Plus to make the service more lucrative, whereas Sony has long maintained that launching AAA games on a subscription service isn’t financially viable.

How much does it cost to add AAA games to PS Plus and Game Pass day one?

According to Microsoft’s internal documents, the company estimated a payment of $300 million for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, $250m for Mortal Kombat 1, around $100m for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and around $250m for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

To put these figures into perspective, it cost $220m to develop The Last of Us Part II and around $212m to develop Horizon Forbidden West. Offering these games via PS Plus would mean that it would take Sony an absurdly long amount of time to break even, let alone make a profit. Interestingly, Microsoft has admitted that Game Pass’s growth has been stagnant as of late, but the company’s overall financial strength affords it the luxury of taking losses in the gaming division.

In other words, PlayStation chief Jim Ryan was right about this at least: following Microsoft’s strategy would hurt Sony’s first-party game development and quality. It also makes no financial sense to spend an entire first-party budget to add a third-party AAA game on PS Plus.

The post Launching AAA Games on Subscription Services Is Ridiculously Expensive, Microsoft Docs Reveal appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Each week Sony brings PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, and PlayStation Plus owners new content, add-ons, games, and more. Here is the complete global PlayStation Store update. PlayStation LifeStyle catalogs the PlayStation Store updates for the major regions across the globe. Check back every Tuesday to keep up to date with each week’s PlayStation Store Update.

North American Update

September’s PlayStation Plus Essential Lineup

• Black Desert – Traveler Edition (PS4)
• Generation Zero (PS4)
• Saints Row (PS5/PS4)

PSVR Games

• Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery VR

PS4 & PS5 Games

• Ad Infinitum
• AK-xolotl
• Another Crusade
• Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party
• Broken Edge
• The Crew Motorfest
• Down and Out
• Fresh Start
• Gloomhaven
• Gravity Oddity
• Heavy Duty Challenge®: The Off-Road Truck Simulator
• Isekai Rondo
• The Isle Tide Hotel
• Labyrinth
• League Of Champions Soccer
• The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
• Lies of P
• Mahjong Woods
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Mystic Gate
• NASCAR Arcade Rush
• PAYDAY 3
• Perry Pig Jump
• Persha and the Magic Labyrinth -Arabian Nyaights-
• RUINSMAGUS: COMPLETE
• Summum Aeterna
• SUPER BOMBERMAN R 2
• Super Brawl Rush
• Teocida + Estigma
• Tetropunk
• Thunder Ray
• We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip
• Wild Pinball Bundle
• Wire Lips
• You Suck at Parking

Next Page: European Update »

The post PlayStation Store Update Worldwide – September 19, 2023 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

A new trailer reveals the Zombies mode for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Zombies have been part of Call of Duty since Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World At War in 2008, with modes appearing in both the World War 2 and Black Ops games. However, the next game will be the first Modern Warfare title to feature a Zombies mode.

Modern Warfare III Zombies Trailer

The trailer opens with a team of operators assaulting a checkpoint with a light armored vehicle. The vehicle covers them as they scale a wall and breach a nearby building. Blasting their way through a wall reveals a hidden basement. This otherwise typical Modern Warfare III trailer takes a turn when they find four desiccated bodies sitting around a strange device. The object opens, revealing several glowing vials. Meanwhile, the lead soldier removes his gas mask to reveal Viktor Zakhaev from the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Zakhaev’s escape is interrupted by the arrival of a police SWAT team. Pinned down by a sniper, he hurls one of the vials like a grenade, releasing a cloud of zombifying gas. From the safety of the armored car, Zakhaev and his driver watch as the undead devour both sides of the battle. The scene then cuts to an operator’s perspective as Kate Laswell and “Soap” MacTavish brief them on the situation.

Modern Warfare III Zombies lore

In a blog post, Activision provided some additional lore about Modern Warfare III Zombies. Players are part of Operation Deadbolt, a CIA contingency put in place after the events of Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies mode. The team arrives a few weeks after Zakhaev released the zombies.

Modern Warfare III Zombies will see players fighting both humans and the undead. Players must stop Zakhaev and his Terminus operatives while battling more zombies than ever. Operators will embark on multi-stage tasks in increasingly difficult open-world PvE extraction missions. According to Activision, the mode combines the best of Treyarch Zombies and Modern Warfare’s map design.

Modern Warfare III Zombies launches alongside Campaign and Multiplayer when the game releases on November 10, 2023. Players can also get the exclusive “Zombie Ghost” Operator Skin by pre-ordering or pre-purchasing any digital edition.

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