One of the most memorable stylistic choices in both Control and Control Resonant is the way The Board—an alien entity whose true nature remains a mystery and whose morals and motivations are never clarified—communicates with the player.
Remedy, the developer, evidently knew exactly how The Board should sound through the player’s speakers. While there is no consensus, many have theorized about what The Board is actually saying, and that is in part due to the way it sounds.
It turns out, however, that what you hear shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
“An important part of the design is that The Board is basically gibberish, not affiliated to any language,” Control Resonant audio lead Lucas Pierrot told Gamespot. “So, when you hear a word, you tend to hear what you want to hear… and that’s pretty neat in terms of audio design, as players can fulfill their fantasies.”
The Board speaks in an oblique language and with a very bassy voice, making it hard to make out what’s being said from voice alone. The games’ subtitles offer what could only be considered an interpretation of some of what’s being said, but they alternate between different words for similar concepts to make it even harder for The Board’s speech to have a definitive meaning.
Pierrot added, “You want to hear The Board praising you for performing an Execution? You can! Maybe you hear them saying ‘Absolute cinema, Combo!’ etc., but if you prefer to think they’re arrogant and only feel disdain for slaying a weak enemy… you can hear that too!”
The Board’s distinct way of communicating with the player was designed to run a gamut of emotions; Remedy wanted it to feel “scary, unsettling, or even funny sometimes”. Pierrot also revealed a trick the audio team used to emphasize certain words, by adding a “pulse” sound and “low, soft kick” to them.
“I used this to give weight when necessary to have a nice flow. You can see it as some sort of trick to articulate sentences. It gives rhythm and punctuation,” he explained.
Control Resonant has apparently done well for Remedy, reaching 1m sales faster than any other game in studio history despite releasing in a very busy period. If you’re looking to play it soon, Eurogamer’s Control Resonant walkthrough is worth bookmarking to help you make good upgrade decisions and pick which activities to prioritise.
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Xbox has extended Arkane Lyon’s consultation period by around a month, as the search for a new owner continues. If one isn’t found, the studio will likely be shut down.
Arkane Lyon – the developer behind immersive sims including Dishonored and Deathloop – was one of several first-party studios impacted by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s sweeping “reset”, which will result in 3,200 job losses by the time the process is complete. Arkane’s leadership was reportedly informed of Xbox’s intention to close the studio on 16th July, but France’s Florange Law meant a three-month search for a buyer must first be undertaken.
Last week, unions – Printemps Écologique and Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo – were said to be fighting to buy more time for negotiations. And now, as per a new report by Le Monde, Microsoft has agreed to extend the original 13th November deadline to December. If a buyer still isn’t found, 217 jobs are at risk.
Documents published on the French government’s website in August referenced a plan for “the complete and permanent cessation of the company’s activities” and another for the “dismissal of all employees for economic reasons.”
A Microsoft representative confirmed the deadline extension to PC Gamer, telling the outlet: “We have extended the consultation period by one additional month as we explore options, including finding a partner to support the studio through the development work still ahead.” That “development work” refers to Marvel’s Blade, which seems to still be under Arkane’s purview even now.
“This is a defined extension, and we remain committed to keeping the Works Council informed throughout the process,” Microsoft added. As for the filings referring to the closure of Arkane and the redundancy of its developers, the company spokesperson said they are a “part of the required consultation process and do not represent a final decision.”
According to members of Printemps Ecologique (thanks VGC), Marvel’s Blade is almost complete. The union says it would be a “monumental waste” for the game not to be released. However, a PC Gamer source also claimed Marvel’s Blade – which has remained something of an enigma since its unveiling back in 2023 – still has years to go until it is finished.
Arkane’s possible closure as part of Xbox’s massive wave of cuts has already resulted in over 1,600 layoffs as restructuring continues. Sharma’s “reset” has also included the jettisoning of beloved Psychonauts developer Double Fine, sweeping job cuts at Halo Studios as it transitions into a support studio, and job losses across various other Xbox-owned studios.
What’s more, it seems Microsoft is far from done. According to a recent report, Xbox is planning three more waves of cuts: one this month, another in November, and a third in January.
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