Photo: Bethesda

You’ve done it! You’ve gone and survived another tiring week! Your reward is a (hopefully) relaxing weekend! If you’ve had a busy seven days and haven’t managed to keep up with the latest gaming news, fear not, for Fails and Feels is here to get you all caught up. Here is the best and worst video games news!

First, let’s jump into the Fails, before we crack on with the Feels!

Fails

China’s Social Ranking System is Set to Target Gamers

Gamers in China will soon have their “social ranking” negatively impacted by their gaming habits, it seems. Once the new system rolls out by 2020, players who buy too many video games, or spend too long playing those games, could take a hit to their social credit score. Other ways to negatively impact this score include: wasting too much money on frivolous things, spending too much time on social media sites, posting fake news, and smoking in non-smoking zones. Those who have a low social ranking will apparently be punished by the system, with repercussions including being publicly named and shamed by the government. When it is fully rolled out, the system will also prioritize those with good scores for privileges such as: high internet speeds, good schools, hotels, jobs, discounts on bills, lower interest rates, and having their dating profile boosted. It’s all a bit barmy.

Fallout 76 Collector’s Edition Bag Was Not as Advertised

When you’re a massive fan of the series, investing a good bit of cash into a new collector’s edition version of a game can seem like a fun idea. You often get some cool physical goodies, mixed in with some exclusive DLC, as well as the game itself. Well, the $200 Fallout 76 collector’s edition didn’t quite meet the expectations of hardcore Fallout fans, as Bethesda made a last-minute change to the quality of what was included. Specifically, it was the high-quality canvas bag that was suddenly swapped out to be made of a much cheaper material. This made the collector’s edition a lot less impressive, and not as advertised.

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In a response to the controversy caused by the shoddy bag, Bethesda has gifted CE owners an additional 500 Atoms (in-game credit). This amounts to $4.99. Not exactly amazing!

Rockstar’s Agent Trademark Dropped, Future Looks Bleak

It looks like there’s disappointing news for Rockstar Games fans who were hoping to see a brand new IP from the god-tier development studio. First announced during E3 2009, Agent was supposed to be a “genre-defining” stealth action game set in the 1970s. It was first targeted for a PS3 release during 2010, but when the trademark was renewed in December 2016, the target platform was presumed to have been changed to PS4. Unfortunately, it looks like Agent will never see a release, as the trademark has now been dropped.

While it would be nice to see something fresh from Rockstar, fans of the studio have at least been treated to the excellent Red Dead Redemption 2, which has now received an update to allow players into the Red Dead Online beta.

Feels

Xbox Gamerscore World Record Now Stands at 2 Million

Xbox players, rejoice, for we have found your Gamerscore King! Ray Cox, who goes by the Gamertag “Stallion83,” has reached an incredible milestone of 2 million points. This follows his already impressive achievement of being the first player over 1 million Gamerscore. Halo 2 was the game that helped him hit the exact figure of 2,000,000. (Yes, that is a lot of zeroes!) The Xbox team at Microsoft has acknowledged his feat, sending a customized Xbox One controller with “2,000,000 G” engraved on the front.

Cox spoke to Guinness World Records, saying: “2 million has taken 13 years now. I got my first achievement on Nov. 22, 2005. So, I did the 2 million almost 13 years to the day. I’ll always love video games and achievements and I’ll always be playing and going for them.”

Fortnite’s Tender Defender Skin Is Based Off an Eight-Year-Old’s Idea

Epic Games has made the dreams of an 8-year-old boy a reality. Connor, a big fan of Fortnite, had designed and submitted his own character skin design to Reddit (via his father). Well, Epic Games saw this and decided to put it in the game. The developer has consistently proven to listen to its community, implementing various fan-requested features.

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When news of the skin coming to the game was announced, Connor’s father posted the following message to Reddit: “I surprised Connor with the skin (right before we had to leave to an event) and he and his brother loved it. Thanks to everyone on Reddit who made this possible. You made his day. He is sporting a permanent grin. You guys made me the coolest dad alive.”

Cyberpunk 2077 vs Red Dead Redemption 2, CD Projekt Red Aims to be “Extraordinary”

CD Projekt Red, developer of The Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, is aiming to match Red Dead Redemption 2 when it comes to refinement and overall quality. Speaking during a conference call, CEO Adam Kicinski explained that the success of titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 prove that there is still a need to publish “extraordinary games” and that it “pays to be among the best.” Here’s to more fantastic gaming experiences!

“Without a doubt, quality is of utmost importance,” said Adam Adam Kicinski, CEO. “We strive to publish games which are as refined as Red Dead Redemption 2, and recent Rockstar releases in general. That game is excellent, by the way, we are rooting for it.”