General Gaming News II: Steam Helpdesk Site Leak

[Tyrath]

Don't think Telltale games come in physical do they?

Kind of fucked up. I was still thinking of buying the second season of Batman..

[Corrderio]

Well if true only loss was not getting around to the second Batman game.

Don't think Telltale games come in physical do they?

Kind of fucked up. I was still thinking of buying the second season of Batman..

They do, but only have the first ep on them.

[Tyrath]

Well if true only loss was not getting around to the second Batman game.

Is it good? Only 15 bucks might still do it while I can..

Did it finish the story or was there expected to be more that we'll never get now?

[Corrderio]

The first wasn't too bad. Was an interesting take on Batman IMO.

[Anoat]

Don't think Telltale games come in physical do they?

Kind of fucked up. I was still thinking of buying the second season of Batman..

Depends on which version you get. If you get the “season pass” version, it’s just episode 1 on disc with download codes for the others. If you get the version that was released after all the episodes were released, it would have all episodes on the disc.

[Tyrath]

The first wasn't too bad. Was an interesting take on Batman IMO.

I've played the first one. I'm wondering about season 2.

[Andalusian girls]

No. It’s gone. If ain’t on your HDD already, it’s lost to the ether.

wat

why

how

[Tyrath]

Also is there a source on this disappearing game stuff??

[Madeline]

[Nitsuki]

Was just able to redownload my TWD S2 and Wolf Among Us on steam. all good here!

[Anoat]

This has got a good compilation on what works still and what doesn’t: https://www.trueachievements.com/for...1109761&page=1

Minecraft Story Mode is being delisted on June 25th and people are being encouraged to download before then

Tales From The Borderlands has been delisted but 2k Games is working on a new publishing deal to get it back (probably because of BL3 tie ins)

TWD series as mentioned is not in danger because Skybound has picked up publishing rights

Game of Thrones was delisted in May but users are reporting that they can now download it again

Both seasons of Batman are still presently available, but never had a physical version with all episodes on disc, so if it gets delisted it’s gone forever. Ditto for Guardians of the Galaxy.

Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Sam & Max, & Poker Night have all been delisted with no plans to bring them back

[Cantih]

Also is there a source on this disappearing game stuff??

Yeah, need a source. The games are delisted from new purchase, but I'm not seeing anything about non-download for existing owners (a la Scott Pilgrim or PT).
There's a thing with Minecraft: Story Mode, and it being put on sale for $100, but that's because of a workaround Microsoft needs to do to keep the download up because of how their shit is structured.

[Prothescar]

There's plenty of games that can't be purchased at all anymore on Steam (and don't even have a store page) but you can still download them from your library. Until we actually see the games removed from libraries I wouldn't panic too hard.


Edit: yeah standard delisting procedure, at least for GoG, and judging by previous experience with steam it will be the same there too.

GOG notes that the games will no longer be up for sale following that Monday deadline, but those that previously purchased any of those games will still be able to download them from GOG.

Edit 2: can personally confirm. Steam will be fine, at least for some or most of these games. Back to the Future got delisted 7 months ago off of Steam and I can still download that.

[KuroTsuki]

Yeah, same thing happened with Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition. Currently delisted ( it's been a few years now. Was replaced with 20th anniversary edition) but I can download it whenever since I bought it.

[6souls]

https://gamedaily.biz/article/965/fo...rsonal-company

New filing provides documentation that Randy Pitchford shifted funds out of Gearbox and in to a personal company.

One of many allegations included in the suit indicates that Pitchford syphoned $12 million in Borderlands bonuses intended for the studio. At the time this came to light, in January 2019, Gearbox vehemently denied the entirety of Callender’s accusations.

On June 12, 2019, Callender’s attorneys submitted a new 76-page filing that includes an amendment to the Borderlands 3 contract between Gearbox and 2K (originally dated November 29, 2016) that references the $12 million (plus another $3 million for remaining Gearbox co-founder and chief financial officer Stephen Bahl). This contract amendment includes a clause titled “Bonus for satisfaction of dedicated executive requirement.” This clause states that the Developer (Gearbox Software, LLC, as defined by the contract) is eligible for a “recoupable” $15 million bonus.

In other words, upon satisfaction of the terms, publisher 2K Games would pay out $15 million to Gearbox split into three payments of $5 million each. These are funds earned by Pitchford and Bahl in their roles as Gearbox employees. 2K Games very much wanted Pitchford and Bahl involved in the project, and the clause ties the $15 million to three key development milestones (including “release to master” or what is commonly called “going gold”), their “attentions toward the development and success of” Borderlands 3, and their personal engagement for 30 hours per week. The word “recoupable” is important, because it indicates that the bonus was part of 2K’s funding of Borderlands 3’s development and, like most publisher expenses, must be paid back by way of royalties after the game ships.

In Callender’s original complaint, he alleged the misappropriation of funds. In his most recent amended petition, he and his attorneys have provided both the original contract clause and an amendment to the “Bonus for satisfaction of dedicated executive requirement” clause. The March 1, 2017 amendment authorizes 2K Games to divert Pitchford’s $12 million recoupable bonus to his personal company, Pitchford Entertainment, Media, and Magic. The document, which is redacted, does clearly bear signatures for both Gearbox and 2K representatives.

The case is going to trial January 7, 2020.

[Corrderio]

That's a yikes

[Souj]

There's been something fucked up/shady coming from Pitchford every week for the last few months it seems.

[Tokitoki]

I don't quite understand what's happening.

It looks to me like 2k was giving Pitchford and Bahl an advance on large bonuses for being more involved in the development of BL3, but expect that 2k will make that money back after the game ships. Not necessarily that those specific funds will be returned to 2k, or that the funds were meant for anyone other than Pitchford and Bahl?

This is what's making me think that:

Bonus for satisfaction of dedicated executive requirement.”

Is that incorrect? Was the money supposed to be funds for development of the game itself, or bonuses for the staff? I hate watching YouTube videos. It seems like it's unknown what the funds were for exactly?

[Salodin]

It was my understanding that he took 12million from the company, funds that would expand the business, and just simply paid himself with it. When the games that made him that money were made by teams of people, and you take the business profits for yourself and dont even reinvest it into the business let alone give the dividends to your staff, it looks pretty fucking bad. It's also pretty illegal depending on how he did it. Embezzlement, etc. That really depends on how the company is structured though.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Tokitoki]

From the article 6souls posted:

“If the royalty were just owed to Gearbox on the whole and then Randy diverted it, it would look very much like stealing,” Hoeg told GameDaily via email. “As an officer or director you owe a duty to protect the assets of the company. That’s usually divided into a duty of loyalty and a duty of care. Here the duty of loyalty is very much implicated, as one could argue—as they are in fact arguing—that Randy took a business opportunity directly out of the hands of the company he owes this duty towards."

However, because the clause is written to specifically name Pitchford and Bahl, a case could be made that he earned those funds directly.

“It was likely Randy negotiating the agreement directly, so that brings up its own concerns, especially if the plan was always for Randy to receive this $12 million,” Hoeg continued. “In fact, if he weren’t in functional control of the company, I wouldn’t doubt that if such a provision were in an agreement of this type, that he could go to his board and CEO and say, I deserve a portion—or perhaps even all—of such bonus amount. The issue is that he is in control of the company, and I’m not sure they went through the proper corporate processes to ‘cleanse’ any such decision to divert the funds to his magic company. Such a cleansing action would ordinarily take place through the approval of “disinterested” directors and/or stockholders. In other words, if the folks that are not directly benefiting from the contract or payment approve of it, generally, the law is going to be okay with it. It’s the kind of thing a general counsel would recommend.”

I think the bold is where the question lies. It may have been transferred to his account in a less than satisfactory manner, but since he and Bahl were named directly it doesn't necessarily mean that the money was for Gearbox itself. And then I'd go back to the quote from before about it being for executive involvement.

I dunno. Seems a little shady, but I'm not willing to call it illegal or embezzlement at this point.