Author: Trafficblast

Dragon Age franchise writer David Gaider have the keynote address at PAX Australia today where he shared stories and interesting insights from his time at BioWare before leaving the company.

Gaider, who announced a brand-new game and studio at PAX Aus, started off by recalling his time with BioWare which started in 1999 when he was recruited by BioWare’s James Ohlen to work on Baldur’s Gate II. Gaider was working in hotel management at the time, and he initially turned down the job to work as a writer on Baldur’s Gate II. However, as fate would have it, the hotel he was working for at the time was acquired by a larger hotel chain, and as part of this, Gaider lost his job.

He called Ohlen to ask if the Baldur’s Gate II writing job was still available–and it was. It was a big job working on Baldur’s Gate II, as Gaider and his team wrote an astounding 1.2 million words for the game. After completing that game, Gaider wrote for Neverwinter Nights and the Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic, which is one of the most highly regarded Star Wars video game stories. Gaider said during the panel that he’s proud that some of what he wrote for the game is Star Wars canon, along with the HK-47 Assassin Droid that went on to become a fan-favorite. He described HK-47 as a combination of C-3PO, Bender from Futurama, and the dog from the Canadian TV show The Littlest Hobo.

Also during the panel, Gaider spoke about how he became known as BioWare’s “romance guy” for the characters he wrote in Baldur’s Gate II and Neverwinter Nights. However, some female fans complained about the romance options in those older games, and to make better characters and romance options, Gaider and his team looked at various online forums, including “Ladies of Neverwinter,” to help improve things.

The conversation then shifted to Dragon Age, the franchise that Gaider is perhaps best known for. He was the lead writer on Dragon Age: Origins, and he said part of his guiding philosophy for the title was for it to steer clear of what Gaider saw as pitfalls from Dungeons & Dragons. Specifically, Gaider said it was important for him to writer the world such that it didn’t have the kind of all-power, unquestionable gods like in D&D. Gaider pointed out that “faith requires doubt,” and it was important to him to communicate this in Dragon Age.

Gaider also shared an interesting, if not completely new, story about how BioWare came up with the name of Dragon Age’s setting, Thedas. The team struggled to come with a name for the Dragon Age setting, so they called it “The DA Setting.” The shorthand became (The) (D)ragon (A)ge (S)etting. Later, in an editorial meeting, a writer asked if they could just call it “Thedas.” And that’s it–that’s how it happened.

Here are some other takeaways from Gaider’s keynote at PAX Aus today.

• People assuming Gaider is the reason why BioWare games have same-sex relationship options, but in fact, a separate team inside BioWare that made Jade Empire is responsible for making BioWare’s first same-sex relationships.
• Gaider said around the release of Dragon Age II is when the interaction with fans began to change, due in part to the access fans had to the team–it wasn’t always positive. Gaider remarked, “Maybe familiarity breeds contempt.”
• Some people thought BioWare focused too much on same-sex relationships at the expense of other content. “There should gave more much more focus on making sure us Straight Male Gamers were happy,” Gaider recalled someone saying.
• A Dragon Age II expansion called Exodus was canceled, and Gaider remarked, “I was devastated.” The idea, he remembers, was that BioWare would cancel the expansion to focus on making Dragon Age: Inquisition bigger and better.
• Dragon Age Inquisition was designed to be a “comeback” story for BioWare after Dragon Age II disappointed some fans. There were 850,000 words in the script.
• Gaider broke down and began to cry when discussing an Inquisition storyline he wrote involving Dorian that related to themes about gay conversion.
• He said this storyline, and the impact it had, proved to him the power of video games and their ability to communicate important, powerful, and impactful stories.
• Gaider worked on the world-creation elements of Anthem, but he ultimately moved on. “It just wasn’t the same for me; something was missing,” he said.

Gaider is now heading up the Melbourne studio Summerfall, which is working on a musical adventure game called Chorus. For lots more, check out GameSpot’s interview with Gaider.

PAX Aus runs October 11-13 in Melbourne. GameSpot will be at the show all weekend, and you can follow along with all the action from the GameSpot Theatre.

You’re in luck if you own both Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar Games announced that if you play GTA Online, you will get a free Halloween-themed item for Red Dead Online.

It’s as simple as that. Play GTA Online starting today, October 10, through December 12 and you will be rewarded with the Slaughter Mask in Red Dead Online. You aren’t required to play any missions or complete any tasks; just log in and the mask will appear in your Red Dead Online Camp’s wardrobe within 24 hours. The mask looks like a cross between Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask, Leatherface, and something a member of Slipknot would wear–and it’s perfect for the Halloween season.

Rockstar also revealed this week’s legendary bounty: former military sharpshooter Sergio Vincenza. He is said to be toying around in the fire tower at Roanoke Ridge. Turning him in nets you the Inglett Scarf in an exclusive colorway and 100 rounds of Express Rifle Ammo within 24 hours of completion.

After rumors began circulating, Rockstar officially confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 is headed to Google Stadia and PC next month. PC players will get a batch of new story mode content, as well as improved graphics. The game will arrive on various PC storefronts before making its way to Steam in December. Pre-orders for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC are now live and include some awesome bonuses.

Season 11 of Fortnite is just around the corner. Before the new season begins, Epic has one final pair of Season 10 Overtime challenges for you to complete. One of these tasks involves tracking down two more recordings left behind by the Visitor, the mysterious time traveler who is building another rocket in Dusty Depot that will presumably tie into this weekend’s big in-game event.

Specifically, you’ll need to collect the Visitor recording in Starry Suburbs and Gotham City–two new Rift Zones introduced toward the end of Season 10. The areas themselves are easy enough to find, but you may have some trouble tracking down the recordings if you don’t already know where to look, so we’ve put together this map and guide to show you where you need to go.

Where Are The Visitor Recording Locations?

As the challenge states, one of the recordings is hidden somewhere in Starry Suburbs–a small town near Junk Junction–while the other is in the Batman-themed Rift Zone, Gotham City. The recordings are shaped like cassette tapes, so they’ll be hard to spot from a distance. The former is located inside the brick building in the middle of town; you’ll find the tape atop the bed in the top floor. The latter, meanwhile, is in the middle of the street in front of the movie theater.

How To Complete The Challenge

As usual, once you know where to go, completing this challenge is simply a matter of locating the recordings and collecting them as you would any other piece of loot in the game. Pocket both recordings and you’ll complete the challenge, netting you a whopping 10,000 XP.

There are four other Visitor recordings hidden around the map. The first two can be found on the floating island and in Retail Row, while the second two are in Moisty Palms and Greasy Grove. After you collect the recordings, you’re able to listen to them. The actual audio is quite cryptic and may not make a whole lot of sense if you’re not super tuned into Fortnite lore, but they give a bit of insight into the Visitor’s motives and help set the stage for this weekend’s world-changing event, which is scheduled to unfold at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on October 13.

Fortnite Season 10 ends this Sunday, October 13, so you have until then to complete any remaining challenges from this season. You can find maps and guides for all the trickier missions in our Fortnite Season 10 challenges roundup. Epic hasn’t yet confirmed when Season 11 will officially kick off, but with the end of Season 10 in sight, it likely won’t be long. You can catch up on everything we know about Fortnite Season 11 so far here.

The first free update for Monster Hunter World‘s Iceborne expansion is now live on PS4 and Xbox One. The update introduces an assortment of new content and gameplay tweaks to the title, including a new monster to hunt, the ability to invite other players to your room, and more.

Headlining this update is the fearsome Rajang, a returning monster from Monster Hunter Freedom 2. Just as in previous games, the ape-like beast is capable of entering “rage mode.” In this state, the monster’s fur turns golden and it becomes even more relentless. “This ruthless beast offers a challenge for even the most experienced hunters … so it’s not a fight that should be taken lightly,” Capcom warns.

To hunt the Rajang, you’ll first need to have cleared Iceborne’s main story and explored the Guiding Lands at least once. If you meet those requirements, you’ll be able to take on a new Special Assignment to hunt the monster. You can begin the quest by speaking to the Admiral.

In addition to the Rajang, the update enables you to make your room public. You can choose this setting either by speaking to the housekeeper in your room or by going into the Communication option from the main menu and then selecting Your Room. Capcom has also added new decor for your room in Seliana.

Rounding out the update are a variety of gameplay tweaks, many concerning the aforementioned Guiding Lands. Among other changes, Capcom has adjusted the rate special tracks drop in the area. According to the developer, “Unanalyzed special tracks are now easier to obtain, making it easier to lure out specific monsters and control your region levels.” Additionally, you’re now guaranteed to get special tracks after capturing or carving a monster.

On top of that, Capcom has changed how the region level fluctuates. “In the Guiding Lands, you can obtain different materials at each level, so adjustments have been made to how levels increase/decrease to make it easier to explore,” the developer explains. You can read more about these changes and other details related to the new update on Capcom’s blog.

Capcom has more updates on the way for Iceborne. Next month will bring Resident Evil 2 costumes to the game. PS4 owners will also get an exclusive Event Quest inspired by Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds. Two more Frozen Wilds quests will follow in December.

Iceborne is the first paid expansion for Monster Hunter World. It’s available now on PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC release to follow in January. We gave it a 9/10 in our Iceborne review and said, “Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is at its best when you’re fighting tooth and nail against something that you know could crush you within its teeth in a second, even though this might feel like it came at the expense of a more interesting narrative.”

Developer IO Interactive and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have announced that they are continuing their partnership and will work together on a brand-new console and PC gaming experience.

IOI CEO Hakan Abrak clarified that this project is a “new universe,” so it remains unclear if the developer is working on a new Hitman game. A second IOI studio opened its doors in Malmo earlier this year, and both are actively seeking “high-quality talent” for this new gaming experience.

“We’re looking forward to partnering on this next endeavor to bring a new console and PC gaming experience to players globally,” said Warner Bros. president David Haddad.

Abrak echoed Haddad’s sentiment: “We’re looking forward to continuing this relationship. IO Interactive has a proud history of creating compelling characters and universes for our players to enjoy–it’s in our DNA.”

IOI partnered with a couple of other publishers prior to shaking hands with Warner Bros. The Danish studio collaborated with Eidos Interactive on the first four mainline Hitman games before Square Enix took over Eidos in 2009. Warner Bros. entered the picture with Hitman: Definitive Edition, and the two continued their partnership with last year’s Hitman 2.

Hitman 2 continues to receive new content updates. Over the summer, the game’s first DLC took Agent 47 to The Bank in New York City. And last month, Agent 47 sipped some piña coladas and assassinated a few targets on the tropical paradise of Haven Island.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Nintendo Switch game deals are often few and far between, especially when it comes to first-party titles and other highly anticipated games. But right now, you can find a batch of pretty solid Switch deals at Ebay, most of which are even cheaper than what you’ll find at Amazon. All of these games are brand new and come with free shipping.

Notably, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is included among the offers, selling for only $48 despite having released less than a month ago. The classic Zelda remake has been well-received, earning an 8/10 in GameSpot’s Link’s Awakening review for its charming visuals, expertly designed map, and challenging puzzle-solving.

Several other first-party Nintendo games are marked down to $45, which is about as low as many of these games will drop. Those deals include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2, and Yoshi’s Crafted World. In addition, there’s a solid discount on Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection; it’s available for $24.24.

Note that while Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu is included among Ebay’s deals for $45, it’s actually available at the same price at Amazon. But if you’re interested in that game, we definitely recommend grabbing Let’s Go, Eevee instead as it’s only $30 at Amazon right now. It hasn’t been that low since Prime Day.

There are plenty of non-Switch deals available as well, including some great prices on Xbox One bundles and a one-year PlayStation Plus membership for only $39. You can check out more of the best deals available now at Ebay below.

Nintendo Switch deals at Ebay:

More great gaming deals: