IO Interactive’s CEO Hakan Abrak recently spoke to gamesindustry. biz about 007 First Light, Hitman, and what’s going on at the studio. During the interview, Abrak hails Dispatch as a “freaking fantastic” game and believes it is full of potential lessons for how to successfully pull off episodic releases in the future. Abrak was asked about Dispatch because of how its success compares to Hitman in 2016. Dispatch is showing episodic releases can still be highly successful, meanwhile, Hitman was heavily criticized. The IO Interactive CEO sings the praises of Dispatch as “freaking fantastic” and a “very, very nice game”. Abrak also admits that IO Interactive was “too early with the concept, and there were many, many mistakes made”. One of the biggest mistakes was the developer “banging on [about how] one Hitman level can yield 50 hours plus of gameplay, whereas the Dispatch structure is a bit different”. This is because “It’s a much more episodic format, where yes, you can go back and kiss Mandy, or not kiss her,” but there’s still less replay, and “when there’s less replay opportunity, then you want to have the next episode coming sooner”. Abrak believes “there are learnings” from Dispatch and that it’s a “huge topic”. These potential lessons raise questions about “the future of gaming,” such as “Do all games need to be 40 hours?”. 007 First Light is coming out on March 27, and IO says they wanted to “make our own James Bond”. The game isn’t episodic, so it doesn’t need to worry about criticisms levied at Hitman, but Abrak is “thinking” about potential lessons from Dispatch “for future instalments”. Dispatch shows path to success for episodic releases Dispatch shows that episodic releases can still be extremely successful. The key reason for its success is that Episodes 1 and 2 came out on October 22, capped off by Episodes 7 and 8 on November 12. All episodes were out in three weeks, which is much faster than Hitman, where it took seven months for all six episodes to release. The Dispatch model is also a lot quicker than Telltale Games’. Telltale attempted to release new episodes every month, but sometimes it took much longer. Thanks to its episodic format, the Dispatch player count got bigger every week, thanks to extremely positive word of mouth. This helped it sell over 1 million copies in just 10 days and also contributed to the game being on track to beat its three-year sales target in just three months.
https://www.videogamer.com/news/dispatch-freaking-fantastic-says-007-first-light-developer/
Tag: interactive
Cities: Skylines development moves to Iceflake Studios
Colossal Order, the studio behind Cities: Skylines and its sequel, are departing the franchise and separating from publisher Paradox Interactive. Development on the Cities: Skylines franchise is moving to Iceflake Studios, an internal studio at Paradox Interactive. Paradox Interactive announced the change in a statement to the Cities: Skylines 2 forum. Described as a “mutual” decision, Colossal Order will hand the reins over to Iceflake Studios. Paradox says Iceflake Studios has already begun work on Cities: Skylines 2, and that players can expect new expansions and content updates for years to come. Colossal Order, on the other hand, will begin work on new projects.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146853/cities-skylines-series-new-developer
GTA+ subscriber numbers are rising in the build up to Grand Theft Auto 6
GTA+ Subscriber Numbers Are Growing in the Lead-Up to Grand Theft Auto 6
The number of subscribers to the GTA+ service has been steadily increasing as fans anticipate the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. According to the most recent earnings call from Take-Two Interactive, CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that “GTA+ continued to grow its membership, achieving over 20% growth year over year” in the latest quarter.
He expressed optimism about the franchise’s engagement, stating, “We’re pleased with consumers’ ongoing passion and engagement with the franchise,” which he believes will contribute to a record-breaking launch for Grand Theft Auto 6.
The GTA+ subscription service offers a range of benefits for fans of the series. Subscribers receive monthly in-game currency drops, bonus vehicles, and unique cosmetic items in Grand Theft Auto Online. Additionally, GTA+ grants access to a curated library of games, including Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on PC and consoles, as well as titles like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on mobile devices, among other Rockstar titles.
Is the excitement surrounding GTA 6 driving this growth? It’s possible that players are exploring older games to prepare for the upcoming launch, which is now scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, following a recent delay. A PC version has yet to be announced.
Stay tuned with TechRadar for the latest updates, and don’t forget to click the Follow button!
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/consoles-pc/gta-subscriber-numbers-are-rising-in-the-build-up-to-grand-theft-auto-6
How to beat Rogue Mega Slowbro in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Mega Evolution is one of the central features of **Pokémon Legends: Z-A**, allowing you to temporarily make some of your Pokémon larger, stronger, and sporting a fresh new look. These battles emphasize your ability to dodge incoming attacks and strategically lead your Pokémon away from danger, all while selecting the right moves to strike your opponent effectively.
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### How to Beat Rogue Mega Slowbro in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
By this stage in the game, you might not have an extensive range of options for this fight, but there is one key Pokémon that can give you a significant advantage: **Absol**.
Mega Slowbro is weak to Electric, Grass, Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. If you chose Chikorita as your starter, you’re likely in a good position since you may have your Chikorita leveled up along with the necessary Mega Stone to enable its Mega Evolution. This grants you two strong options to switch between during the battle.
It’s important to note that while having a Mega-Evolved Pokémon helps, it’s not mandatory to deal damage to Slowbro. For Absol, a recommended moveset includes:
– **Night Slash**
– **Slash**
– **Swords Dance** (to boost attack power)
– **Shadow Claw** (for additional damage output)
Keep a close eye on positioning during the fight. Many of Slowbro’s attacks track your movement, and it has a powerful whirlpool attack that deals significant area-of-effect damage. However, this whirlpool move is quite telegraphed, making it relatively easy to dodge if you stay alert.
Avoid relying on Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, or Steel-type Pokémon for this battle, as Slowbro resists those types and will shrug off much of their damage.
Lastly, be sure to time your **Plus moves** carefully. Look for moments when Slowbro performs longer animation attacks, like its big beam attack. These windows give you the perfect opportunity to land charged attacks, maximizing your damage output and increasing your chances of victory.
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For more tips and detailed locations, be sure to check out our **Pokémon Legends: Z-A Interactive Map**!
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146525/how-to-beat-rogue-mega-slowbro-pokemon-legends-za
How to evolve Sligoo in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
There are lots of Pokémon to add to your Pokédex in *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, and some of them can be a little tougher to evolve than others. Many evolutions require a bit of knowledge, luck, or perfect timing. One such Pokémon is Sliggoo, which can be a bit awkward to evolve. Here’s how to evolve Sliggoo in *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*.
### How to Evolve Sliggoo in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
To evolve Sliggoo, you first need to level it up to Level 50. You can achieve this by having Sliggoo in your party during battles or by feeding it XP Candy. Once Sliggoo reaches Level 50, the next step involves the weather.
The evolution to Goodra can only happen when it is raining. As long as it is raining and Sliggoo is in your party, you will see the option to evolve it appear when you hover over the Pokémon. Simply select that option to complete the evolution.
### Tips for Getting a Sliggoo
If you don’t have a Sliggoo yet, you can evolve one from Goomy. Goomy can be found with the help of various in-game guides and maps. For more detailed information on locating Goomy, check out our comprehensive *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* interactive map.
### How to Make It Rain Quickly
If you need to evolve Sliggoo quickly and want to trigger rain as soon as possible, try this trick: find any bench and sit on it. You can then keep passing the time until it starts to rain, speeding up the weather change and enabling Sliggoo’s evolution.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to add Goodra to your Pokédex in no time! Good luck on your journey!
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146522/how-to-evolve-sligoo-pokemon-legends-za