In what has been a relatively slow news week in gaming, there have been a few stories that stand out as must-reads. This is Fails and Feels, the series that aims to get you all caught up on this week’s worst and best video game news stories.
We’re kicking things off with the Fails (the bad), before we get to the Feels (the good)!
Fails
School Petitions to Ban Fortnite From Homes
Up until now, Fortnite has proven unstoppable in its attempt to take over the universe. Everyone and their mothers seem obsessed with the game, and it’s apparently starting to take its toll. A school in Sydney, Australia, has reached out to parents expressing their concerns about Fortnite and how the game is affecting students. The school’s main arguments for banning the game are that: 1. It doesn’t allow for messaging to be turned off, so the students are accessible to hundreds of online strangers, and 2. The game is played in teams of four, and so can be quite addictive as the players can feel that they are letting their team down if they don’t play.
It should be noted that this email, which is reportedly from an Australian school, is rife with grammatical errors, which leads us to doubt its legitimacy. Regardless, the complaints of the “school” are understandable, as the game has no doubt led to some young people becoming addicted. Too much of a good thing can turn it bad.
Hero Siege Developer Says Women “Don’t Have the Capability” to Be CEOs
Hero Siege developer and founder of Panic Art Studios, Mr. Elias Vigilone, has stated that “women don’t have the nerves” or the “interest or the capability” to be CEOs in the video game industry. In the usual battleground, Twitter, Vigilone told female game designer Jennifer Scheurle to “Gtfo with that flag waiving feminazism [sic],” saying that gaming is a “male dominant” industry, as “geek girls are a really new thing.” Ultimately, Scheurle decided to block Vigilone, to which the man responded, “This just proves women don’t have the nerves to be a ceo 🙂 [sic].”
Monster Hunter World Sales a “Risk” for Capcom as Stocks Drop
Despite achieving over eight million sales, prior to its upcoming PC release which promises even more, Monster Hunter World has become a “risk” to Capcom’s target price on the stock market. Merrill Lynch Japan has lowered the price from 2,800 to 2,300 Yen, which is a significant drop. The fall in price is less to do with the numbers sold, and more to do with the popularity of the game dying down over the last six months. Despite the critical acclaim and high amount of sales, it’s not all rosy for Capcom and the Monster Hunter franchise.
Feels
Nintendo Says It Will Help Publishers With Cross-Play if That’s What They Want
Cross-play is all the rage now, with new games allowing users to play with others across different platforms. Want to play your version of Minecraft on Xbox One and bring your Nintendo Switch-owning friend into your world? Well, now you can. Fancy playing Fortnite with friends across PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iPhone? Again, now you can! While Sony has proven reluctant to embrace cross-play, others like Nintendo are all for it.
Nintendo recently spoke about cross-play during a meeting with shareholders, stating that the company is “inclined to do what [they] could” in order to help publishers incorporate cross-play, but only if “that was what [the publishers] wanted.”
Esports Scholarship Offered for the First Time in the UK at University of Roehampton
An eSports scholarship has been offered for the first time in the UK, realizing the dreams of many hardcore gamers out there. For those truly gifted at video games, who are also looking to study in the UK, the University of Roehampton is offering a scholarship worth £1,500 a year, which supports students undertaking any course at any level. These scholarships will be offered to students enrolling in 2019, with applications being accepted from September 2018 onwards.
According to Roehampton University Registrar Mark Ellul, this scholarship “is about recognizing talent in a field that has a growing popularity both around the world and among our students.”
Epic Games Reveals Incredible New Unreal Engine Revenue Split Plan
It’s no secret that Epic Games is making tons of cash, right now. Fortnite is huge and its players are willing to spend loads on cosmetics and the Battle Pass. Happily, Epic Games is looking to pass on the benefits of having such a “huge volume of digital commerce,” but giving Unreal Engine developers a better deal. Previously, developers using Epic’s engine had to give a 30% share of earnings. Now they need only give 12%, with the developer getting to keep 88%.
What’s even more awesome for Unreal Engine users, is that this percentage is applied to earnings from 2014, meaning many developers are going to get a lot of surprise income. Nice!
