Ubisoft is "Reaping the Benefits of the Switch's Huge Success"
Ubisoft have been one of the Switch's biggest third party supporters ever since the hybrid platform first launched. With games like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Starlink: Battle for Atlas (though that didn't sell as well as Ubisoft had expected), and, of course, numerous Just Dance titles, Ubisoft's output on the Switch has been sizeable.
Apparently, it's also been very profitable for them. Speaking during the company's recent earnings call, Ubisoft's chief financial officer Frederick Duguet said that the publisher is "reaping the benefits" of the Switch's huge success, and that it's many games available on the platform have been major drivers for revenue and profits for the company.
"We're also reaping the benefits of the Switch's huge success and our position as leading third-party publisher on the platform thanks to, among others, our Just Dance games and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle," said Duguet (via VentureBeat). "The depth and breadth of our catalog, which goes beyond the brands mentioned, provides us with ever-greater visibility and continues to be a strong driver of profitability."
Currently, with the exception of the upcoming Roller Champions, Ubisoft don't have any major releases planned for the Nintendo Switch- or, at least, none that have been officiall confirmed. Though they haven't confirmed a Switch launch for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, there have been multiple listings pointing to one.
Rainbow Six Quarantine Still Scheduled for 2021 Launch, but it Might Release With a Different Name
First announced back in 2019, Ubisoft's PvE shooter Rainbow Six Quarantine was originally due out in FY 2020, before being delayed to FY 2021, and then again to FY 2022. Besides its brief teaser trailer, we've seen next to nothing of the game so far, and Ubisoft's complete silence on it has raised several questions about the state of the project and when exactly it will launch.
Speaking about the game during Ubisoft's recently quarterly earnings call, chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet confirmed (via VGC) that both Rainbow Six Quarantine and Far Cry 6 – both of which were delayed together – are still on track for their scheduled releases, and the plan right now is to launch both before September 30 this year.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft were also asked in the earnings call whether they have any plans to change Rainbow Six Quarantine's name – which makes sense, given everything that's going on in the world with COVID. CEO Yves Guillemot suggested that that's something that the company is still looking into.
"On Rainbow Six Quarantine, we are creating a product that is actually, as it's named today, it is something we are evaluating and we will see what comes in the future on that product," Guillemot said.
Whenever it launches, and whatever it ends up being called, the game that we currently know as Rainbow Six Quarantine will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake – Recent Announcement Tease Was Based On Mistranslation
Fans are most likely eagerly awaiting the next entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga, with Part 2 being hyped as having plenty of surprises. But the first game's time in the sun may not be done just yet. The exclusivity deal for the game is primed to expire in April of this year, and recent rumors have stated that a PS5 edition of the game could be announced as soon as this month. A recent teased announcement got fans excited that we would know something soon, but it seems that wasn't what it seemed.
It was reported that the Co-director of Remake, Motomu Toriyama, teased some type of announcement related to the game that would only be at a digital concert that will be held this weekend, on February 13th. But as pointed out by Gematsu, which you can see below, that translation was off. Toriyama did not really tease any kind of announcement, instead saying there was some kind of "program" he'll participate in to talk about the game. As pointed out, this does not mean there will be no announcement at the show, it's still possible, but there nothing directly teased at the very least.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now only on PlayStation 4. The games exclusivity on the platform is said to end in April, though as of now no other platforms have been announced.
Does that mean there *won't* be an announcement at the Orchestra World Tour on February 13? No. But Toriyama doesn't explicitly say there will be in this video.
— Gematsu (@gematsucom) February 8, 2021
Pillars Of Eternity On Switch To No Longer Get Updates
With the power gap between the Nintendo Switch and the consoles from Sony and Microsoft, it's been amazing to see what some developers have been able to accomplish in downporting to Nintendo's hybrid. One such example is the massive RPG originally developed by Obsidian, Pillars of Eternity. But is seems that, even with a lot of technical prowess, there are still limitations in place.
Publisher Versus Evil released a statement, which you can see in full below, confirming that there would be no more updates for the Switch version of the game. They say that the game has already been a massive undertaking and they have reached the limitations of what they feel they can do with the hardware. Unfortunately, the Switch version still suffers from several bugs and technical issues that will seemingly now not be fixed. That edition of the game is still largely playable, but it's something to keep in mind if you want to try and take the game on the go.
Pillars of Eternity is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Pillars of Eternity Nintendo Switch update: pic.twitter.com/ZTkGeMRurm
— Versus Evil (@vs_evil) February 9, 2021
Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition PC Patch Improves Frame Rate Performance
The first major patch for Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition on PC has rolled out and contains a number of welcome fixes. Along with providing players the option to remap the confirmation button, it also fixes some issues related to lock-on and mouse sensitivity. An issue that caused frame rate drops to occur when "Effects" was set to "High" has also been alleviated.
Of course, the frame rate issue hasn't been completely fixed by Team Ninja continues to investigate its cause. One issue that prevented the selection of some resolutions and thus caused the game screen to be cut off has also been fixed. Check out the full update notes below.
Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition launched last week for PS4 and PC while The Nioh Collection arrived on PS5. Though the overall game has been praised, PC players reported a number of issues related to performance. One remaining issue involves the lack of keyboard button prompts when playing with mouse and keyboard – this will be addressed in a later patch so stay tuned.
Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition: Version 1.25.1 Patch Notes
- The confirmation button can now be changed from "Controls".
- Fixed an issue where the lock-on target would switch when the mouse was moved, even if the "Move Camera/Switch Lock-On Target" setting was changed to an option other than "Move Mouse" in "Keyboard & Mouse Settings".
- Fixed an issue where the mouse sensitivity could become so high that it became impossible to change the settings.
- Fixed an issue which sometimes prevented the selection of certain resolutions and caused the game screen to be cut off due to the Windows settings.
- Fixed an issue which made the game prone to crashing in certain environments.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash when displaying the descriptions of equipment special effects.
- Alleviated the issue where the frame rate tended to drop when "Effect Quality" was set to "High" in "Graphics Settings". We are continuing to investigate and address this issue.
- Reduced the tendency for the game to run slowly when certain attacks hit the walls.
- Fixed an issue that caused black bars to appear on the left and right sides of the screen during multiplayer on ultra-wide monitors.
Ubisoft "Have Not Made Any Decision Yet" on Prices of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Games
The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S have brought about several shifts in the market, but one that's impacted the consumers more than most is the change in prices for several major releases. While $60 has been the standard price for games for a long time now, the likes of Sony, Activision, Take-Two Interactive, and more have decided to increase the prices of their games to $70.
There are, of course, still several publishers who haven't made that switch. One of them is Ubisoft, who said halfway through 2020 that though their imminently releasing games would be priced at $60, they hadn't yet decided on what their pricing model would look like following that. But now that that's out of the way, have they made a decision now? Well, as it turns out, no, they haven't.
Speaking during Ubisoft's recently quarterly earnings call, chief financial officer said Frédérick Duguet that the company is still analyzing the market, but hasn't made a decision one way or another about whether it will be increasing prices.
"In terms of pricing, we've been analysing the competitive dynamics of the past quarter and we are still looking at new opportunities, but we have not made any decision yet," said Duguet (via VGC).
In 2021, Ubisoft has a number of major games coming out, including the likes of Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Quarantine (even though nearly all of them have been hit by delays and have no specific release dates), so the question of what their future releases are going to cost purchasers is an especially pertinent one.
Similarly, Capcom, too, have been unwilling to commit to a new pricing model just yet, and have said that they remain undecided on the issue. Read more on that through here.
Ubisoft Massive's Star Wars Game is "at an Early Stage of Development"
Ubisoft Massive are going to focus on developing more content for The Division and on developing their Avatar game, but they also have another megaton in the works with their open world Star Wars title. As you might expect from a game that was recently announced without gameplay (or even a name), that title is in pretty early development.
Speaking during Ubisoft's recent quarterly earnings call, chief financial officer Frederick Duguet. said that Massive Entertainment's Star Wars game is "at an early stage of development", and that it's going to be a while before we hear or see much about it (via VGC).
"We didn't mention any specific dates," he said. "The game is at an early stage of development so we will have to wait a bit before telling you more about timing."
CEO Yves Guillemot and Massive Entertainment's creative director Julien Gerighty also spoke about their excitement about the opportunity to get to work on Star Wars lore and making something that becomes a permanent part of the series' canon.
"The Star Wars galaxy is an amazing source of motivation for our teams to innovate and push the boundaries of our medium," said Guillemot. "Building new worlds, characters and stories that will become lasting parts of the Star Wars lore is an incredible opportunity for us, and we are excited to have our Ubisoft Massive studio working closely with Lucasfilm Games to create an original Star Wars adventure that is different from anything that has been done before."
Gerighty added: "This is a lore that we love, and we want to do it justice with a game and story that bring both lifelong and new fans on an immersive and outstanding journey that will stay with them for years."
Meanwhile, in spite of no longer being the exclusive holders of the license, EA are also currently working on multiple unannounced Star Wars games. Read more on that through here.
Sony and Microsoft have adopted completely different strategies for the console market. While Sony are sticking with the traditional console model, Microsoft seem to be de-emphasizing the importance of hardware and going for a platform-agnostic service-driven approach, with Xbox Game Pass serving as the centerpiece of their strategy.
There are, of course, merits to both, and specifically with Microsoft, we haven't yet gotten to see how they're going to handle content for Game Pass (seeing as their flurry of acquisitions hasn't yet led to the kind of output they've been working towards). Speaking recently in an interview with GamingBolt, Hazelight Studios boss Josef Fares, director of A Way Out and the upcoming It Takes Two, talked about the two approaches.
Fares feels that games and content are, at the end of the day, the most crucial factor, and that Sony's approach of delivering single player story-driven titles is much more to his liking. He did add, however, that Xbox Game Pass' "Netflix of video games" strategy is an interesting one, and though Microsoft don't have too many first party exclusives to offer right now, it's going to be interesting to see how Game Pass grows as a service.
"I don't really care about consoles, for me it's always been focused on games, games, games, games," Fares said. "I mean, right now I'm much more a fan of Sony's strategy, because they make more unique IPs and focus more on games that I really enjoy that are story-heavy. So I hope Microsoft goes that way. I mean, with Game Pass, I'm not sure what that's going to give. I mean, if there's no games that makes no sense. Doesn't matter, you know? Another thing, I don't see it as a war as well. Like looking at how [Xbox boss] Phil Spencer talks about this, it seems more that he wants Game Pass to get on PS5 also. But at the end of the day it's about games.
"However, this, like, Netflix of gaming is interesting because I don't really see how it's going to go in the future. It's hard to tell, it's not like movies, you know? Games are a bit different, but it's going to be interesting to follow to see what goes on there. But I sure hope that Sony continues with what they're doing. You know, making great games like The Last of Us and Spider-Man and all that they do."
Microsoft have said on multiple occasions in the past that their first party studios are going to be focused primarily on delivering content and games to drive up the value of Xbox Game Pass. Once the Bethesda deal goes through, it should be interesting to see what level of quality and quantity all of Xbox Game Studios will maintain with their output.
Sony, meanwhile, have no shortage of major first party exclusives coming up, with 2021 itself primed to see the launches of games such as Horizon Forbidden West, God of War: Ragnarok, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, and Gran Turismo 7.
Fares and Hazelight's It Takes Two is out on March 26 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Fares also spoke to us about the possibility of an eventual Nintendo Switch port, and why it might be harder to pull of than people think. Read more on that through here.
Our full interview with Fares will be live soon, so stay tuned for that.
Destiny 2 Update 3.1.0 is Live, Buffs Raid Rewards and Nerfs Stasis
Bungie has released the newest season for Destiny 2, Season of the Chosen, which sees players battling the Cabal in new Battlegrounds and revisiting old Strikes from Destiny 1. A new update is also available, bringing a host of changes and improvements. Armor and weapons from the Dreaming City and Moon have been reissued with a new max Power cap.
On Europa, a new landing zone has been added in the Eventide Ruins for those who finished the campaign in Beyond Light. Another great change is that raids will now reward Masterwork materials. Enhancement Cores and Prisms can be obtained from the hidden chests in The Last Wish, Garden of Salvation and Deep Stone Crypt raids. Completing the weekly director challenge for the featured raid awards an Ascendant Shard.
Stasis has seen a number of nerfs, particularly when it comes to being frozen. Frozen players will now take 50 percent less damage from Primary weapons and 50 percent more damage from Special and Heavy weapons along with non-Stasis abilities. The Revenant's Withering Blade melee also no longer deals critical headshot damage though its base damage has been increased from 60 to 90.
Check out the full update notes here for more details.
Destiny 2 Update 3.1.0.
Activities
Europa
- New Landing Zone added in Eventide Ruins for all players who complete the Beyond Light campaign.
Dreaming City
- The Reverie Dawn armor set has been reissued with a new max power cap and the Combat Style mod socket.
- The Waking Vigil, Vouchsafe, Retold Tale, and Sleepless weapons have been reissued with a new max power cap and new perk pools.
- Dreaming City weapons that have reached their max power caps will no longer drop once you have obtained the item once, allowing collectors to fill out their collections while ensuring that subsequent item drops remain usable in difficult activities.
- Fixed an issue where Petra's map icon could blink even when there was no quest to talk to her.
- Fixed an issue where one-way connection or temporary connections between areas weren't accounted for by the waypoint system.
- Fixed an issue where one of the portals to the Confluence was missing.
- Fixed an issue where some Shuro Chi dialog lines could play twice when picking up a patrol beacon.
- Fixed an issue where lighting would noticeably pop when moving between Rheasilvia and Harbinger's Seclude.
Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide Details Millia's Moves
Guilty Gear Strive will host its first open beta test next week, allowing PS4 and PS5 players to try the game out. To better prepare players, Arc System Works has a spree of starter guides planned. The first is Millia Rage, which you can check out below.
As one of the quicker characters, Millia is capable of dancing around her opponent. Turbo Fall, for instance, allows her to quickly land next to an opponent and catch them off guard. Tandem Top can either unleash a short-range projectile or a long-range version that hits twice and allows her to start a combo from mid-air.
Overall, there's a lot to get into and master when the beta hits. Characters that weren't in the previous closed beta will have starter guides in the coming days with Zato-1 being the next. The open beta commences on February 18th and ends on February 21st. Guilty Gear Strive releases on April 9th for PS4, PS5 and PC.