The Bard's Tale IV – Brian Fargo on Kickstarter, immersion, and free-form exploration

We're huge fans of inXile Entertainment here at Green Man Gaming, and given the huge success that was Wasteland 2, that's not really too surprising. The post-apocalyptic, old-school-flavoured RPG was a Kickstarter darling and a critical smash hit – the perfect conclusion to a 25-year journey that finally saw the game released. And what a game it was.

Now, Brian Fargo and his team are looking at breathing fresh life into another classic series with A Bard's Tale IV (you can catch up with the older titles over on the GMG store). The game once again smashed its crowdfunding target, and we sat down for a little chat with Fargo himself to talk about the great things to come. 
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You guys are Kickstarter veterans now, and great success stories. What's been the key to nailing that balance on the crowdfunding platform?

We certainly have some advantages of being in the games business for so long. Crowdfunding is the ultimate test of trust when people give you their very hard earned money up front and count on you to come through with them. We've also struck a nerve for a certain kind of game/genre that was perhaps underserved and that gamers wanted to see more of. The goodwill we try to foster goes way beyond the Kickstarter campaign.

Summer Sale: A Very Big Thank You

The Green Man Gaming Summer Sale might be over, but we've got plenty of awesomeness to deliver over the next few months – watch this space!

It's been a heady couple of weeks, and we're incredibly grateful to so very many people for the fun that's been had since the sale kicked off. With that in mind, we'd like to say thank you to a few folks...

Up to 54% off The Witcher 3!


Geralt's latest, greatest adventure is pretty fantastic, and not just because you can tweak his chin fuzz. I've ploughed well over 100 hours into the game up to this point, and it's an open-world tour-de-force, and a masterclass in expansive storytelling.

We've got an absolutely barnstorming deal on The Witcher 3 this weekend with up to 54% off, so if you're yet to check out CD Projekt RED's magnum opus, now's the chance!

Daily Giggle | Super HD 3D Remix


Yup. This is totally me. Every damn time. And I wonder why I have no money. *weeps*

COMPETITION | Win NoScope Glasses and a Telltale Games Pack – 3 bundles up for grabs!

The Summer Sale may be over, but fret not, dear friends. We'll start announcing the winners of the sale competitions from Monday, but before we do, there's just enough time to slip another little giveaway into the mix.

This weekend, we're offering you the chance to win a pair of NoScope Glasses and a Telltale Games bundle that includes Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead Season 2, and Tales of Monkey Island, with three prize bundles up for grabs!

What gaming story moved you the most? #GMGasks


Video games aren't always about shooting space aliens in the face. Even our cold, battle-hardened hearts can be warmed by a good story.

This week, we want to know - What gaming story moved you the most? #GMGasks

Guess N Win - TinyKeep

New week, new Guess N Win! This time we have 10 Steam keys for TinyKeep to giveaway. Be sure to be logged-in before the competition starts at 7pm UTC or you'll miss it!

Daily Giggle | Things I Could Do When My Wi-Fi Is Down

This is depressingly accurate. [via]

Aldorlea Games giveaway

All Aldorlea Games have a huge discount today at Green Man Gaming. To celebrate, we are giving away 10 bundles with 6 of their games!

To be eligible for one of them, you just need to post on this forum thread. Hurry up, this giveaway will last for just 1 day!

Tech Tuesday | 5 Cities Skylines Mods You Need In Your Life

Cities: Skylines is fantastic. We've already covered this. I gave it the top spot in my rundown of the best games of 2015 so far, and I have absolutely no regrets. It's the modern city-building simulator that we wanted, nay, deserved... and you should probably buy it if you don't own it already.

It's incredibly therapeutic.

Skylines is also a haven for modders, much to the delight of those of us who love variety and customisation and freedom and creativity, and this week we've decided to celebrate five of the best.

Summer Sale | The Encore: Early Access – Up to 90% off

Are you ready for an encore?

The GMG Summer Sale is coming to a close, but before it does, we're going raise the roof with a revival of all of the deals we've featured so far. We've got up to 90% off on hundreds of your favourite games, but get a move on – the encore only lasts 48 hours!

Login now for early access >>

Daily Giggle | Bon Voyage, Pig

Nothing like a bit of salty stealth bacon. [via]

COMPETITION | Out Of This World – 3 Bundles Up For Grabs

Day 11 of the Green Man Gaming Summer Sale is here, and we're blasting off into space for this one!

Again, we've got three bundles of the four hottest games from the sale up for grabs. Here's a look at what you could win...

SUMMER SALE | Day 11 – Out Of This World


Set course for dealtastic awesomeness... ENGAGE!

Welcome to Out Of This World, the last regular day in the GMG Summer Sale. We've got some stellar savings up for grabs in our sci-fi themed instalment, going out beyond the stars to fight aliens, build galactic empires, and explore new frontiers!

Summer Sale: Day 11 Sneak Peek – Out Of This World

It's one small step for man, one giant leap for dealkind.

Welcome to Day 11 of the Summer Sale. Today, we're going into spaaaaace! It's the last regular day of the Summer Sale today, and all of our deals have a sci-fi slant today. We're going out beyond the stars, and given the quality of some of the games on offer in today's array of delicious discounts, we might not be back.

Oh, and there's a new range of awesomeness available on the store from today that should definitely please a whole bunch of people, yours truly included!

Login to your GMG account for Day 11 early access right now >>

Daily Giggle | Street Fighter vs Transformers

Seen something you think would suit the Daily Giggle? Made any awesome fan art yourselves that you want to share with everyone else? Ping me an email at matt[dot]gardner[at]greenmangaming[dot]com with the subject line 'Daily Giggle' or Tweet me @FuzzyPixels.

COMPETITION | Button Bash – 3 Bundles Up For Grabs

Day Ten of the Green Man Gaming Summer Sale is upon us, and today we have fighting games, side-scrollers, MOBAs, frenetic action titles and a whole lot more on sale!

Again, we've got three bundles of the four hottest games from the sale up for grabs. Here's a look at what you could win...

SUMMER SALE | Day 10 – Button Bash


Flex those fingers, folks, and warm up those thumbs!

Day 10's games are all about manual dexterity, epic combo chains, blisteringly fast-paced action, and ultimate satisfaction. Save big on the likes of Ultra Street Fighter IV, Skullgirls, DmC: Devil May Cry and more!

Game Night - 19th July 8pm UTC - Rocket League

Rocket League is the sensation of the moment. It's quickly become one of the most played games since it was launched a mere week ago. As it's a multiplayer game and it's free for the rest of the month, it's an obvious choice for the Console Game Night!

- Game: Rocket League

- When: Sunday 19th July. 8pm UTC 

- How: Post your PSN ID on this thread and you'll be added to the list below. Minutes before the Game Night starts, a party on PSN will be created and you'll be invited

Summer Sale: Day 10 Sneak Peek – Button Bash

Flex those fingers, time for a spot of button bashing.

Welcome to Day 10 of the Summer Sale. Today's games are all about manual dexterity, epic combo chains, blisteringly fast-paced action, and ultimate satisfaction.

Login to your GMG account for Day 10 early access right now >>

COMPETITION | Post-Apocalyptic – 3 Bundles Up For Grabs

Day Nine of the Green Man Gaming Summer Sale is here and it's a day of bottlecaps, bullets, and blasted wastes.

You know the drill by now. We've got three bundles of the four hottest games from Day Nine up for grabs. Here's a look at what you could win...

SUMMER SALE | Day 9 – Post-Apocalyptic


Flex those fingers, folks, and warm up those thumbs!

Day 9 of the GMG Summer Sale is here, and today we've got up to 80% off on a range of post-apocalyptic games. There are some seriously awesome deals to be had, with up to 75% off the Fallout series, 80% off Metro Redux, up to 75% off the Borderlands titles, and a whole lot more. Time to spend those bottlecaps, folks!

The World Of Davo | 2Spooky4U


Since my write up a few weeks ago on Virtual Reality Horror, I've been thinking about horror games for the rest of us who can't afford massive big headsets. For one, I've just got myself a PlayStation 4.

A big reason why is upcoming horror game Until Dawn - I love horror games, and despite already playing it at a chums house, I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to play PT anymore.

But enough about what we can't play anymore (like an 1980's video nasty that's been banned), let's take a look at upcoming spooky titles that will have us cowering under our duvets in fear.

Summer Sale: Day 9 Sneak Peek – Post-Apocalyptic

War... war never changes!

Welcome to Day 9 of the Summer Sale – time to brave the post-apocalyptic wastes! There are some serious fan favourites in here, with up to 75% off the Fallout series, 80% off Metro Redux, 75% off Borderlands 2 GOTY and a whole lot more. Spend those bottlecaps, folks!

Login to your GMG account for Day 9 early access right now >>

COMPETITION | Complete Journey – Win The Valve Complete Pack

Day Eight of the Green Man Gaming Summer Sale is here and we've got sweet deals on a whole bunch of gametastic bundles for you.

Today, we've got one bundle up for grabs, but it's pretty epic. One luck ywinner will walk away with the Valve Complete Pack, which contains a vast number of games.

SUMMER SALE | Day 8 – Complete Journey


Welcome to Day 8 of the Summer Sale – today is all about massive savings on equally massive game collections. If you've been waiting to jump into a series, now's the time to do so. We've got barnstorming deals on every collection from Valve to Saints Row to Tomb Raider.

Calling all lurkers! Forum giveaway

There are two types of people in this world, those who post on the Playfire forum and those who doesn't. If you are one of the last ones, you are missing the fun! Don't be shy, pop over to the forum and share whatever crosses your mind with us. Meeting new gamers, sharing your ideas and getting comments on your gaming activity is probably the best part of Playfire!

As a welcome present, we are giving newcomers the opportunity to win a free Ghostbusters: The Video Game Steam key. All you need to do is post on this thread saying hi and a few words about you. We have 5 game keys to give away!

Develop Conference Roundup


This week was the Develop Conference down in Brighton, and Playfire popped on down there to take a look at new games, technology, and listen to some of gaming's finest minds talk about the industry.

Game Night - 18th July 8pm UTC - Heroes of the Storm

MOBA games are among the favourite genres of Playfire members (surprise?). Since we started hosting Game Nights again, Heroes of the Storm has been the most requested one, so it’s time to pick a hero and join the battle!

- When: Saturday 18th July. 8pm UTC 

- How: Join the Steam group called “Playfire PC Gamers” and enter its chat channel

- Game: Heroes of the Storm

Summer Sale: Day 8 Sneak Peek – Complete Journey

Love a good bundle? We've got you covered!

Welcome to Day 8 of the Summer Sale. Today's deals are all about game collections, epic bundles, and complete game packs. Fancy all of the games in the Valve Complete Pack? Here's 75% off! Need to own every Deus Game game? Have 75% off the collection! We've got massively discounted packs from Bioshock to Saints Row – login now and get involved!

Login to your GMG account for Day 8 early access right now >>