The PlayStation Network outage proves PC gamers were right to resist its mandatory sign-in requirement

Review-bombing campaigns are often motivated by half-baked culture war “controversies” about trans characters, queer developers, or supposed mafias of liberal writing consultants bending multi-million dollar companies to their will. Last May, though, we saw a great example of the review bomb’s utility in pushing back on a genuine consumer grievance: Helldivers 2’s PlayStation Network sign-in…

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Blizzard co-founder and Diablo designer thinks new ARPGs have ‘cheapened’ the genre with fast leveling, throwaway loot and enemies

Speaking to VideoGamer, Blizzard co-founder and Diablo programmer/designer David Brevik expressed a dim view of the current state of Diablo-like ARPGs, arguing that inflated enemy numbers and a deluge of loot and experience have robbed the genre of the friction and weight present in the first two Diablo games. “I think that ARPGs in general…

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