| Hey gamers! Welcome back to the WIRED Games newsletter. Remember last week when I said things were a little slow? Yeah, it's not slow anymore, not with Palworld out there causing mayhem. The game is … complicated, to say the least. Affectionately called "Pokémon with guns," the game is really less that and more of a fever dream mashup of titles like Pokémon but also Ark: Survival Evolved or Rust or Valheim. While there's little dispute that the game is actually engaging (so far it has sold over 5 million copies, according to its publisher), the combination of genres and models and game modes and such make it … problematic in ways the developer either didn't care to think about or just didn't care about at all. Even so, with the fiery online discourse about the developer of this game's opinions about AI or trademarks in general, along with the fact that you can literally catch humans in Palworld (can't wait to see that on TikTok), that hasn't stopped the game from amassing a huge audience on Twitch and incredible concurrent player numbers on Steam. If you're as curious as I am how this all happened, Megan Farokhmanesh has a great rundown of the whole thing here. And of course, if you're planning on playing the game yourself, Reece Rogers has a list of six beginner's tips to help you get your bearings in Palworld, because whether you play it or not, we have your back. Next up, it's worth noting that both last year and the beginning of this year have both been downright brutal when it comes to layoffs, especially in tech and the games industry. And I don't think they're going to slow down anytime soon. Megan Farokhmanesh has been looking into the labor situation, and based on her interviews and a new report from the organizers of the Game Developer's Conference, the situation is indeed dire. Megan isn't done though! If you're a fan of Cult of the Lamb, the delightfully funny and subversive management sim where you essentially run a cult and keep its dark patron god happy, you probably already know about the game's recently released "sex update," which sounds more explicit than it is. Still a fair warning, though. You won't encounter anything NSFW in our coverage, obviously, but maybe don't play it at the office, OK? Over on our Gear Team this week, Simon Hill took a look at a new game console that wants to try to fulfill the promise of the Nintendo Wii—namely that we would all strap controllers to our arms and play games together as a family, getting some modest activity in the living room at the same time. It's called the Nex Playground, and Simon gives the $200 console a 6/10. He notes that it's a lot of fun to play once you get it working, but the lackluster game library and near-essential subscription required to find more to play knock it down a few pegs. Finally, don't look now but Louryn Strampe, cozy-game aficionado, has just updated our roundup of the best cozy games for those low-key, stress-free evenings and weekends when you want to relax and unwind but don't need a game to make you more anxious than you already are. Check it out, see what you like, and I'll see you back here next week! |
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