Top Riot Games executive suspended without pay

It is being reported that earlier this week, Scott Gelb, the COO of Riot Games has been put on a two months suspension without pay and is to receive training, after being accused of sexual harassment. 

Kotaku reported in August that after an eight - month investigation, in which it interviewed dozens of Riot Games employees, Gelb's name kept coming up. Employees reported that he was “ball-tapping (flicking or slapping testicles), farting on employees or humping them for comedic effect" , and that this behaviour was well known across the board. It also reported that the company has fostered a culture of sexism in which a "bro culture" was in place where sexual misconduct and bathroom humour was the norm.

After Kotaku's findings, Riot games had put out a statement, saying that:

We are prepared to make big changes and have begun taking action against specific cases, including removal of Rioters, though we aren’t likely to get into those details publicly on a case-by-case basis for legal and privacy reasons

However, after this press release it looked like not much was being done, and "Gelb remained at the company while other employees whom sources allege also participated in Riot Games’ so-called “bro culture” had left.  It was looking like Riot Games was all talk but no action, with Kotaku again releasing another statement saying that "Riot games says it wants to clean up its mess, but the people who made it are still there".  It is now known that Riot Games had in fact investigated Gelb by law firm Seyfarth Shaw and overseen by a special committee from its Board of Directors. This board has also decided that Gelb is to remain in the company but given a 2 month no pay punishment, which some may argue is nothing, considering that he has a senior role in a company in which last year made 21.9 billion dollars in revenue.  

Needless to say, some employees are also not so happy with the decision made, saying that this is not enough to stop or discourage others from following Gelb's behaviour. In a time when these sexual allegations are coming out every day, maybe it would be more wise and just to give harsher penalties if we are truly serious in eliminating them once and for all.

Disappointment yet again for Fallout 76

Bethesda is at it again! The disappointing launch and endless criticism of Fallout 76, one of the year's most highly anticipated game, was not enough for Bethesda as they started afresh with consumer complaints.

It was already reported that Fallout 76's Power Armor edition, which was supposed to come with a  “canvas West Tek duffel bag”, came instead with what fans are calling a trash bag, as the company ditched the canvas and instead replace it with nylon, which gave the product a cheap and inauthentic look. After all the back lash, the firm said:

        We understand and respect that there is disappointment with the bag in the Power               Armor Edition. We are sorry. Please contact Bethesda Support to provide proof of               your CE purchase. They will assist in granting your account 500 Atoms. 

This promoted fans to complain further and since then, Bethesda has agreed to honor the original advertisement. It seems as if Bethesda has been cursed as yesterday the company was again in the spotlight for revealing the personal information of its customers. Bethesda said: 

       We experienced an error with our customer support website that allowed some  customers to  view support tickets submitted by a limited number of other customers during a brief exposure window. Upon discovery, we immediately took down the website to fix the error.

It seems as if consumers are at the end of their rope with Bethesda with  a lot complaining on the company's forum. Bethesda is also yet to say how they are going to make it right to the affected consumers.

 It is easy for one to get the impression that Bethesda is doing everything in its power to lose its fan base, which took years and dedication to build.  This latest title has only brought a bad image to the firm with new problems arising daily on top 

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a tale of loyalty, conviction and betrayal. Set in the end of the 19^th century, Red Dead Redemption 2 tries to portray the situation in northern America, where the outlaws were being chased to extinction and the wild west was coming to an end. It is one of the most detailed games produced to date, with long hours of game play in an immersive open world.

The year is 1899 and Dutch van der Linde and his gang are on the run after a heist had gone bad, which left two gang members missing, and another one injured. The gang made up of a number of wagons, all with men, women and children are retreating into the mountains in a blizzard, where they hope to lay low till the injured are nourished back to health and till the law gives up its pursuit. The player plays as Morgan, an outlaw who was raised by Dutch after his parents abandoned him as a child.

The story is long, made up of a lot of chapters and characters, ranging from outlaws, bankers, drunkards, women advocating suffrage and even rival families, which are suffering the fallout of the abolition of slavery. It also takes place across different biomes, in a world made up of bright colours and a variety of different creatures. In fact, the game features the most creatures ever put in a game, at a staggering number of 136.

The game also does not feel arcade-ish, making you feel in the protagonist’s boots. Rockstar sparred no detail with this game and this is evident in the care required to both the character and his horse, where you need to eat regularly, change your clothes depending on your environment and also feed and brush your horse to maintain its health.

Personally, I think that this is one of the best games that I ever played. Also, the reviews are not shy on this one, with the game doing quite well globally. It also sold 15 million copies in its first 8 days and generated752 million dollars in the first 3 days of release. Its immersive open world and all its features come together to create what most probably will be game of the year. Rockstar, as always have out done themselves with this one.

Players can buy this game from leading game shops or online. Also, the online features will release in the beginning of December. Something that all avid players are looking forward to.

Introductionary

Welcome to my brand new blog, where one can find the latest video games news  and reviews. I have chosen to speak about video games because as it may seem quite obvious, I like video games but  I am also able to make a good observation about a particular game, which in turn will lead me to make a good, honest review.



I also hope that my reviews can serve as a useful tool in helping you to decide whether you should buy a particular video game or not. This is becoming an increasingly useful tool ever since game studios are putting out extravagant promo and pre-release videos that may over hype or do not show the game for what it really is.

It should also be pointed out that I am not affiliated with any video game company and am doing this purely for the fun of it. That being said I do hope that you readers will enjoy my unbiased news and reviews and then make a decision for themselves.