Life is stressful, which is a phrase I hate saying because it reminds me of all the stressful things in my life. We're living in crappy times, and many of us are in crappy situations. Thankfully, things are starting to improve for me, but every day is a constant battle. I'm not trying to turn this into a competition, though. You all know how it is.
Given that video games are my hobby of choice, it seems natural that I use them to relax. But not every title is fit for this purpose. For example, I wouldn't want to play Overcooked with my parents as a way to unwind. I'd probably only use that if I wanted to give myself a reason to be disappointed in them for a change. Likewise, I don't use games for escapism. Some people can get lost in World of Warcraft for days at a time, but my mind doesn't work that way. I just need something calming that sets my mind on the right track and slows my heart rate.
So, what games do I use to max and relax? That depends on what kind of stress I'm under, but here's a few examples:
A celebration of Hidenori Matsubara's Sakura Wars art opens in Japan this month
For decades, Sega's cult JRPG franchise Sakura Wars has been typified by its beautiful character design, excellent music, silly sense of humor, and charming artwork. This latter element in particular will be celebrated in Japan this month, via a traveling art exhibit.
The Sakura Wars Art Festival 2021 consists of a trio of installations which will stop in Tokyo (April 29-May 1), Osaka (May 14-16), and Nagoya (May 28-30). The exhibition spotlights the portfolio of Hidenori Matsubara, who worked as a character designer and artist on the Sakura Wars video games, as well as their anime and TV adaptations.
The festival will showcase Matsubara's work with the franchise, and will include Q&A and signing sessions with the artist himself. Attendees will also get the opportunity to bag exclusive merchandise from the events. Matsubara has been an industry veteran for decades, having also worked on popular anime such as Ah! My Goddess and Evangelion.
I can't help but get a little jealous of Japan's close relationship with the Sakura Wars franchise, with the legendary series often adapted into anime, manga, merchandise, and even live-action stage shows. 2020's Sakura Wars made a brave effort to finally break the west, and delivered a charming and very funny adventure that was unfortunately a little lacking in the action department. Here's hoping that one of the many trademarks filed by Sega last year will pay off in the form of a localized Sakura Wars collection or similar.
Sakura Wars Art Exhibit to be held in Japan [Siliconera / Famitsu]
Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Wrath of the Druids expansion has been delayed
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was due to get its first major expansion this month with Wrath of the Druids. Ubisoft announced today that Eivor's trip to Ireland will have to wait just a hair long, though.
Wrath of the Druids was previously set for April 29, but will now be going live a few weeks later on May 13. Ubisoft has confirmed there's an article coming as well, to provide some transparency on the dev process behind Valhalla.
To deliver a more refined experience, we’re sharing that:
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) April 14, 2021
â›°ï¸Wrath of the Druids will now release on May 13
ðŸ"We’re working on an article to provide transparency and share insights on our dev process
Thanks for your patience. Keep an eye on our social channels for future news! pic.twitter.com/aQUPR8cWNV
I'm still working my own way through Assassin's Creed Valhalla, so a minor delay isn't a huge concern. Though this is set to be the first of two big expansions to the game, with the second taking place in France, the need for a little more time is understandable. The strain of the pandemic has been—and will likely continue to be—felt across the industry, so delays are going to happen.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has hit a few stumbling blocks, mostly in cleaning up its bugs post-launch. That said, a few more weeks gives me a bit more time to try and finish out the base game before I open up a new Pandora's box of quests and collectibles.
Call of Duty: Warzone is preparing to nuke Verdansk/Cheaters
Raven Software is getting set to hit the big red button on its multiplayer shooter Call of Duty: Warzone. After weeks - months even - of speculation, the developer is now teasing a cataclysmic event that is about to befall the explosive locale of Verdansk.
A new tweet from the developer denotes April 21, 2021 as a date when anybody not wearing two-million sunblock is gonna have a bad fucking day. It is believed that the recent undead problem - that has been slowly infesting the entire island - is about to be taken care of, Dr. Strangelove style. It's beginning to look like Gen. Ripper exceeded his authority.
What does this mean for Warzone? Well, it appears that doomsday will mark the culmination of Black Ops Cold War's integration into Warzone. Once the fallout has settled, Verdansk will re-emerge with a new/old 1980s aesthetic. It remains to be seen whether this will be the only change to the somewhat stale map. Verdansk has been Warzone's battleground since its March 2020 launch, after all, and the battle royale 'berg could use a little more than just a mullet and some day-glo legwarmers. For now, we'll just have to wait and see.
In related news, publisher Activision has already dropped a nuke on the Call of Duty community, revealing that it has banned over 475,000 accounts from Warzone since launch. As CoD players are fully aware, Warzone has been a haven for cheats. Activision has been regularly shuttering thousands of accounts in efforts to remove the battalion of hackers, modders, and cheat-sellers that are invading Verdansk. But the cheat scene is like a Hydra and Activision is perpetually outnumbered. This is one war that will never be over.
Life is Strange True Colors comic book will bridge the gap between games
Life is Strange fans who are eager to dive into the shoe-gazing drama of new entry True Colors will be able to get a sneak peek at protagonist Alex Chen and the town of Haven Springs this summer, courtesy of a tie-in comic coming for Free Comic Book Day.
Published by Titan Comics and available exclusively on August 14, Life is Strange True Colors will feature several new stories featuring favorite characters and locations taken from the award-winning series of graphic adventures. Fans can look forward to a new story starring Before the Storm's Steph Gingrich, while beloved characters Max Caulfield and Chloe Price will also put in a fan-pleasing appearance.
Alex Chen's story is expected to bridge the gap between games, providing a little context to the events of the upcoming sequel, which will see Alex arrive in a new town to reunite with their brother. Of course, things will not go quite as smoothly as planned. The comic is penned and drawn by Life is Strange comic regulars Emma Vieceli, Andrea Izza, and Claudia Leonardi. Back in the gaming realm, Life is Strange True Colors launches September 10 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Stadia platforms.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection will see Dead or Alive stars return to battle
Koei Tecmo has released a new trailer for its upcoming compendium Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection. The video focuses on a bevy of babes from 3D fighter Dead or Alive, who will be coming to lend Ryu Hayabusa a hand as he relives the challenging adventures of his past.
Up to their elbows in dead ninja bits are DoA's poster girls (and bitter rivals) Kasumi and Ayane, who bring their mastery of both martial arts and magic to the fracas. Joining them are Hayabusa's apprentice Momiji, who debuted in Nintendo DS release Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword but is perhaps best known for breaking jaws as a guest star in Dead or Alive 5 and 6. Rounding out the quartet is Ninja Gaiden veteran Rachel, who has also spent recent years making her presence felt in DoA's electrified ring.
Koei Tecmo is obviously sticking to the kunoichi theme, as there no sign of Lei-Fang, Hitomi, or any of the non-ninja DoA gals. This is a shame, as I'd love to see Tina giving a samurai a frankensteiner. Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection will contain remastered editions of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, complete with all previously released DLC and some exclusive artwork, making it a fine package for those yet to experience these tough-as-nails hack 'n' slash classics.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection launches June 10 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Oculus announces potentially game-changing feature that lets the Quest 2 stream PC VR games
The Oculus Quest 2 is a fantastic little device, and with software update v28, it's getting even more impressive.
Oculus has announced that they're going to be rolling out a new feature called "Air Link," which lets you stream content from your gaming PC to the Oculus Quest 2. Why does this matter? Well the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor on the Quest 2 is powerful enough to run a lot of games confidently, it's no match for a proper gaming PC that can say, run Half-Life Alyx.
You can already do this now with the Oculus Link cable, but the whole point of the Quest line is that you're playing VR without tethers, so they're fully realizing that concept with Air Link. Oculus boasts that you can play "high-end PC titles" using the feature over Wi-Fi, and it'll be available in "experimental mode" [beta] soon before they fully polish it.
Oculus has some other features that are coming beyond Air Link, too. They're boasting an "Infinite Office" concept, which allows you to work from home with a virtual desk and utilize tools like browsers and the like. You can also pair up Logitech K830 keyboards and sync them in real life and the game.
Plus, the Quest 2 is getting 120 HZ support, which developers can now use to essentially boost Quest 2 games to higher framerates. It's good news all around. There's still no word on eliminating the Facebook requirement, which is sadly (and understandably!) shutting a lot of people out from what might be the most influential VR device to date.
Hubris is holding back VR yet again.
Oculus Air Link [Oculus]
Everything shown during the April Nintendo Indie World Showcase
A new Nintendo Indie World Showcase debuted this morning, and it had a little bit of everything. There were Aztec myths, sick tricks, and even FEZ, that precocious little platformer.
In roughly 20 minutes, the showcase ran down a list of games coming to Nintendo Switch as far out as next year and as soon as today. Here's a rundown of everything they showed:
- Road 96: This road-trip roguelite got revealed last year, and it's still looking pretty rad. Also a little unsettling. It's set for Nintendo Switch later this year.
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals: Another Oxenfree is coming, set five years after the first but still featuring plenty of radio-wave ghosts by the look of it. The first Oxenfree was one of my big surprises of the year back in 2016, so I'm definitely excited to see what Night School has in store later this year.
- OlliOlli World: Take one excellent 2D skate franchise, turn it into a 2.5D world with branching paths and quirky characters, and now you have OlliOlli World. It's coming to Nintendo Switch this winter, where I will once again return to the rails and bail spectacularly.
- Hindsight / Last Stop: Annapurna Interactive, the publisher who's picked up previous indie hits like What Remains of Edith Finch and Gorogoa, had two new games to showcase today. Last Stop is the supernatural narrative adventure we've seen at a few other showcases and still looks pretty interesting. Hindsight looks pretty rad too; it's a narrative game about an older woman reminiscing about her family, with objects serving as portals into the past. That's coming this year, while Last Stop is scheduled for July.
- The Longing: The 400-day wait for a king to awaken is coming to Nintendo Switch, which should make the excruciating wait a little more manageable. As your in-game character waits out their painful respite in real-time, you can explore, manage puzzles, and generally vibe in the cave systems. It's also out later today, so hurry up and start waiting!
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge: Not too much info was shown for this beat 'em up, but what more do you need? It's Tribute games and Dotemu, it's coming to Switch later this year, and good lord, it looks absolutely radical.
- GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon: One of the stranger reveals, this game from GuruGuru and Konami (!!!) has a super-stylized look, mixed with a roguelite setup. It looks like there are some gorgeous monsters to hack-and-slash through, but honestly, it was wild enough seeing Konami's name pop up in the showcase. GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is coming to Switch next year.
The House of the Dead: Remake is out this year and here's how it looks on Nintendo Switch
It's been long enough since Forever Entertainment announced it was remaking The House of the Dead 1 and 2 that I was caught totally off-guard when I saw the first remake pop up in a montage during this morning's Nintendo Indie World Showcase. Now that the dust has settled, here's the full-length trailer.
I'm glad The House of the Dead: Remake exists, and I'd be happy to see more rail shooter revivals whenever and wherever that makes sense. That said, I'm trying to reserve judgment on this one until there are concrete details — bullet points like "modern graphics and controls," "true to the original gameplay," and "multiple endings" can't do all of the heavy lifting. There are screenshots, at least.
On Twitter, the HOTDRemake account has been dodging questions about other platforms and whether or not there will be motion controls; the go-to response is "more info coming soon." MegaPixel did confirm a red/green blood toggle, and reiterated that The House of the Dead 2: Remake is happening.
I'm firmly in wait-and-see mode, especially until we know the price. Panzer Dragoon: Remake was $25.
This Zelda: Breath of the Wild demake looks like something I'd play
The draw of demakes is undeniable.
As someone who has played pretty much every retro classic to date, the joy of jumping into a fan-crafted demake just to see how they interpret things differently is a mesmerizing feeling. It's especially transcendent when you take a 3D or otherwise completely different game and transpose it onto the 2D format.
That's absolutely what this creator did here with their Zelda: Breath of the Wild demake in the style of Zelda games of old like Link's Awakening. Ohana Studio (who launched their first game on Steam not too long ago) notes that this is "not a full game," and that it's "just a prototype" made out of love for the original Game Boy line Zelda games. If it gets enough support, they might "make a full non-Zelda survival style Game Boy Color style game" out of the concept, substituting in non-Nintendo assets.
OlliOlli World shows how far Roll7 has come since the first game
It took a bit for today's Nintendo Indie World Showcase to get going, but I immediately latched onto OlliOlli World the moment it showed up. The next skateboarding game from Roll7 looks fantastic — and it's more ambitious than I would've expected. You've got to see these out-there character designs.
According to the studio, we'll be able to customize our skater's looks, tricks, and style while also carving our own path in the wacky world of Radland — literally. The levels have branching paths. That's one way to ease players into the end goal of reaching a hyper-focused zen state with mad combos.
Game director Tom Hegarty says that like the prior games, OlliOlli World boils down to "flow."
The trailer pretty much shows what it needed to at this point. I'm in! One extra note: there will be a separate sandbox mode with procedural levels that players can share using a "Zip code system."
OlliOlli World is coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S from Roll7 and publisher Private Division in winter 2021.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is coming this year, and set five years after the first
Looks like it's time to returned to the haunted beaches of Oxenfree. Today, during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, Night School Studio announced a sequel to its debut game, titled Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.
Set five years after the events of Oxenfree, Lost Signals follows a character named Riley, who returns to her hometown Camena to investigate some mysterious radio signals. As you might expect, she finds something a bit stranger than weird airwaves.
Not much more has been revealed, but Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is set to launch sometime this year, for both Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Coincidentally, it's also been five years since the launch of the first Oxenfree. If you've yet to check out that excellent narrative adventure, well, now's a great time to do so. Just be sure to grab some tissues for the tears, and maybe keep the lights on for the scares.
Fez is back with a Nintendo Switch version out today
Has it been long enough that you could go through Fez again with fresh eyes? I'm at that point and then some — it's been years! The perspective-shifting platforming adventure is coming to Nintendo Switch... today! I love when they're able to pull that off during Nintendo Directs and Indie World Showcases.
The Nintendo Switch version costs $14.99 and it takes up 1.3GB. It's up on the eShop now, if you're so inclined. During the launch window, there's a 10 percent discount knocking the price down to $13.49.
More than the world and puzzles (which I dig), I'm tempted to play Fez again just to sink into Disasterpeace's immaculate soundtrack. It's some of my favorite chill-out video game music ever.
(Update) A new Nintendo Indie World Showcase is coming tomorrow
[Update: The show's about to start!]
May is approaching and the summer months of games soon after, but before we get there, there's always some time for indies.
Nintendo announced today that it's hosting another Indie World Showcase tomorrow, April 14, at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. The live stream can be watched on Nintendo's website or through streaming services like YouTube, embedded below:
The showcase is expected to feature roughly 20 minutes, focused on "fresh and new indie games" coming to Nintendo Switch. And remember, this is an Indie World Showcase; if you go into this hoping for news about Breath of the Wild 2 or Metroid Prime 4, well, I don't know what to tell you, other than you clearly ache for disappointment.
Of course, this will no doubt spur up more anticipation for the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong. There are some other eagerly sought-after indies, like Axiom Verge 2, that would be neat to see again.
I like surprises, though. Usually these showcases are a way to expose Switch owners to games they wouldn't normally seek out or hear about, and sometimes a two-minute spot on a showcase makes the difference. Big reveals are always nice, but with the summer and some version of E3 looming in the distance, I'm happy just to add some charming new experiences to my wishlist.
First Kratos, now Aloy is joining Fortnite
The last few seasons of Fortnite have been extremely video game oriented.
Kratos and Master Chief were two headliners from the last go-around, and Lara Croft kicked off this new season of the game. Now, Aloy from the Horizon Zero Dawn series is joining the fray. It makes sense, given the "primal" theme of the season, and that bows are a big focus of the weaponry shuffle.
As announced on the Fortnite blog, Aloy will be a part of the game on April 15, and will arrive with the lore-heavy blaze canister back bling, a spear pickaxe, a Glinthawk glider, a Shield-Weaver wrap, a Heart-rizon emote (which creates a wireframe heart in the same vein as some of the narrative briefings) and a bundle-only loading screen.
Generally, these bundles tend to go for 2,200 V-Bucks (a little over $15). Just like Kratos, if you play the game on PS5, you'll unlock an extra style (Ice Hunter Aloy) for the skin for free If you're keen, you can also play as Aloy and Lara Croft in a team-up mode, which debuts on April 16 at 9AM ET and runs through April 18 at 9AM ET. Aloy will be kitted out with a bow and Lara will sport her dual pistols.
So when is Nintendo getting in on the action? There's some "primal" characters they could choose from. Also, don't forget that there's a perfect crossover in the form of Monster Hunter.
Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn [Epic Games]
Code Name: X is a Persona 5 spin-off headed to mobile in China
Chinese developer Perfect World Games has announced a new mobile title, Code Name: X, with all signs pointing toward the mysterious new game being a spin-off of Atlus' mega-popular JRPG Persona, specifically its 2016 entry, Persona 5.
At first, Perfect World was keeping everything on the hush-hush, releasing an announcement trailer alongside several screenshots. But given the art style, jazzy score, and unmistakable aesthetic, it's not all that tough to figure out what franchise the mysterious new game is part of... Oh also, the artwork files are literally titled "P5." The collaboration was later confirmed by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad.
Details about the game itself are thin on the ground, but the trailer shows a busy and sprawling metropolis, wherein a hooded figure (Joker?) dashes from rooftop to rooftop while an attractive, grey-haired woman (but not Sae Niijima) tracks his every move. While gameplay cannot be ascertained from this clip, the woman's use of GPS to track our hero suggests that Code Name: X is an AR title.
No release date or western localization has been announced for the new game. Code Name: X will be the latest in a line of spin-offs set in the Persona 5 universe, following titles such as Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, Persona 5 Dancing, and the recent musou-lite, Persona 5 Strikers.
The hits keep coming: Square Enix is taking down the Balan Wonderworld demo
Man, Balan Wonderworld.
I mean, once the demo hit a lot of people weren't super enthusiastic about its success. Even when Square Enix announced that there would be changes based on demo feedback, folks weren't hopeful that they'd essentially be able to overhaul the entire game. Cue the Ron Howard voice: "they didn't."
It's a shame, because that lack of polish reflected in both the reviews for the game and in the sales figures, when Balan failed to chart in pretty much every console's top-seller list. Now, Square Enix is pulling the demo, presumably to put all of this behind them. Announced on the game's official Twitter account, the demo will be pulled from consoles at 23:59 JST today, with the Steam version of the demo scheduled for execution on April 15 at 2AM JST.
If you recall, there was actually a small bonus included for demo players, which is going to be detached from the trial going forward. The account confirms that the "trial benefits" will be distributed "at a later date," presumably as free DLC.
Again, it's a shame it all turned out like this. We need more mascot platformers in the industry, and one coming up short like Balan Wonderworld can deter others from creating more. At the end of the day though the quality spoke for itself.
Balan Wonderworld [Twitter] Thanks John!
Naughty Dog 'wishes' it was working on a new Jak & Daxter, but it isn't
Naughty Dog, a studio seemingly locked into making Uncharted and The Last of Us releases until the end of time, has closed down internet hopes that it is secretly working on a new entry in fantasy franchise Jak & Daxter.
The fevered fan requests were addressed by Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells in an Academy of Interactive Arts & Science's Game Maker interview, conducted by Insomniac Games' Ted Price and transcribed by news outlet VGC.
"We've had a couple of Twitter campaigns where people have been tweeting us every single day... 'I want a new Jak & Daxter, I want a new Jak & Daxter.' And they aren't just simple 280-character tweets, they have Photoshopped memes and everything they're including on a daily basis, and the effort has got to be significant."
"I hate to break it to them," continues Wells. "We do not have Jak & Daxter here in development right now. We still love the characters and I see what you guys [Insomniac] are doing [with Ratchet & Clank] and that makes me wish that we did, and we would have one in development because there's still a lot of love for Jak & Daxter in the studio."
It's tough news to take for fans of the quirky platforming franchise, given that the last (non-compendium) Jak & Daxter release was way back in 2009, with PSP entry Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Still, it will be interesting to see if any impact from Insomniac's upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart can help catch Sony's eyes and ears. But given the publisher's current focus on mainstream blockbusters over all else, any potential J&D return will apparently remain a pipe dream for the time being.
Abandoning Cyberpunk 2077 'not an option' says CDPR, latest patch now live on all platforms
[Update: The newest patch for Cyberpunk 2077 - Version 1.21 - dropped this morning on PC and consoles. You can read the patch notes right here.]
CD Projekt RED has reiterated that it is fully committed to fixing, improving, and growing its ambitious RPG Cyberpunk 2077 over the coming years, adamantly stating that the idea of shelving the troubled title and moving on is not even on the table.
"I don't see an option to shelve Cyberpunk 2077," CDPR executive Adam Kicinski said in a recent dialogue with Reuters. "We are convinced that we can bring the game to such a state that we can be proud of it and therefore successfully sell it for years to come."
After years of hype and development, Cyberpunk 2077 finally launched in disastrous fashion in December 2020. In increasingly volatile launch weeks, the PS4 and Xbox One editions of the futuristic adventure were plagued with technical issues - slaughtering the title's reputation, birthing an array of mocking memes, and raising the ire of players, shareholders, and publishers alike. Cyberpunk 2077 would see itself be pulled from various digital stores, as platform holders such as PlayStation refused to be part of the incendiary backlash toward the release.
With PS5 and Xbox Series X editions currently in the works, years worth of plans for DLC and expansions, and millions of dollars of development investment, CDPR has no choice but to regain full control of this situation - repairing Cyberpunk 2077, polishing the next-gen ports, and hoping that a pseudo-relaunch will go some way toward fixing the reputation of both the brand and its developer.
It's completely doable - there have been numerous major releases that finally found their feet after a poor launch. For CDPR, a studio with a near-pristine reputation for developing excellent titles, Cyberpunk 2077 was expected to be its magnum opus - a release that truly launched a new generation of gaming. There's no denying that moment has long passed. But it doesn't mean that CDPR can't ensure that future iterations of Cyberpunk 2077 do deliver on audience expectations of its audience, which might go some way to salvaging the franchise lest it becomes completely lost in time... Like tears in rain.
CD Projekt has no plans to shelve Cyberpunk 2077 [GamesIndustry.biz]
Monster Hunter has become the only game I buy at launch
[In this community blog, Destructoid user Moths delves into why the Monster Hunter series still has so much goodwill after 15-plus years, and why players keep coming back for more without burning out. The hunt can't stop. -Jordan.]
We live in an era of effectively infinite games. Whatever your tastes, it has never been easier to find a game you'll enjoy and to play it. It's true that there could always be more: more variety, more quality, better preservation of old titles. But ultimately the fact of playing games in this day and age is that there is already more than you need in your entire lifetime. And yet they just keep coming.
That can be overwhelming. Presented with such a vast territory, there's an impulse to come up with ways of dividing and traversing it. We create or are presented with niches for ourselves: loyalties, habits, aversions, etc. Shortcuts. Maybe you don't play racing games, maybe you often play whatever happens to be on PlayStation Plus. The zeitgeist is a big one. There's always a handful of games that have enormously more cultural traction than the rest... until they don't. But that's the crux of it: an external force that is able to answer the question "what should I play next?" whenever it is called upon to do so.
Personally, I'm a little uncomfortable with that. For one thing, the games of the moment are usually new, and the industry is such that a game at launch is typically both more expensive and worse than that same game two years later. Coming late to the party has become a smart move if you're more interested in the contents of your glass than you are in the ability to clink it.
I also just don't like the idea of letting somebody else tell me what to play. And I really don't like the idea of letting the sum of everybody else do it. I've ended up designing a little system designed to give me a balanced gaming diet while alleviating the burden of choice. This is completely neurotic behavior, but fuck it. It works. I enjoy games more with my nonsense than I did without it.
Anyway, Monster Hunter Rise is the only thing I've played since it came out.
Alexa can start up Xbox Game Pass downloads now
Smart speakers can do a lot: control your music, maintain a grocery list, and wake you up in the morning. Now, you can also tell them to start downloading some Halo to your Xbox.
Today, Amazon and Microsoft announced a new Alexa skill that will allow the smart speaker to download Xbox Game Pass games to connected Xbox consoles. It doesn't require any special invocations either—according to a press release, you can just ask Alexa to initiate the download by saying "Alexa, download (whatever game) from Xbox Game Pass" and then link their accounts through the Alexa app.
Alexa can also read off what's popular, what's new or leaving the lineup, and the user can also enquire if specific games are available. I tried it just now with my Echo Dot, and it definitely works.
I don't have an Xbox Series X or S, but if I do ever pick up Microsoft's console, it's novel to me that I'll be able to remotely start downloading Game Pass games by just asking Alexa. In the course of a generation, we've gone from dedicated storefronts to apps and now smart speakers—it's pretty impressive.
More importantly, if you own an Echo device, an Xbox, and have a Game Pass, you can just say "Alexa, download Yakuza 0 from Xbox Game Pass" aloud right now and instantly make your day better.
Former Dragon Age 2 dev reflects on what they would change, a decade later
Dragon Age 2 has had a swerving legacy. It launched to poor critical reception, yet its stories and characters endured in the fandom, and the sequel garnered its own following.
It was also a famously troubled project, with the team having an extremely small development window to work in and an expansion leading into Dragon Age: Inquisition left on the table. It's hard not to wonder what could have been if the studio had been given more time.
Today, just over a decade since Dragon Age 2 launched, several developers who worked on the project are now reminiscing on it and wondering what-if. It largely kicked off with David Gaider, lead writer on Dragon Age 2 and current Creative Director at Summerfall Studios, answering a simple question: "If you could Zack Snyder [Dragon Age 2], what would you change?"
"If you could Zack Snyder DA2, what would you change?"
— David Gaider (@davidgaider) April 13, 2021
Wow. I'm willing to bet Mark or Mike (or anyone else on the team) would give very different answers than me, but it's enough to give a sober man pause, because that was THE Project of Multiple Regrets.
Gord is a fantasy town-builder with 'adventure strategy' questing
We're never going to run out of city-builders and management games, but what about something like Gord? It immediately stands out with its roots in Slavic folklore, a survival-oriented premise, and the ability to head out on quests. This isn't a game to peacefully chill out with, that's for dang sure.
As your settlement grows, you'll have to tangle with threats on multiple fronts: other tribes, freaky beasts, hunger and illness, crumbling sanity, and even monstrous gods, who can grant your people incantations. (I'm willing to do potentially unspeakable acts to earn powerful spells.) Taken as a whole, Gord seems like it'll be in a similar headspace as games like Frostpunk, RimWorld, and Darkest Dungeon.
About those quests — Gord uses an "AI-driven" system, according to Covenant.dev. "Main objectives will guide your gameplay, while versatile side quests and random encounters will send you off into the wilderness to hunt down a legendary creature or fight off a nasty scourge that has infected the region."
I also like the sound of custom scenarios in which "almost anything can be adjusted." That sentiment stems from a keeping-things-fresh-over-time perspective, and also the desire to eventually win with the annoying stuff scaled back; Don't Starve comes to mind. In Gord, we'll be able to change elements like "the level size, the intensity of raids, the environment you'll play in, the types of enemies you'll face, starting resources, and even the severity of weather. Of course, don't forget the Horrors."
The studio, founded by CD Projekt Red and 11 bit studios producer Stan Just, is expecting a 2022 PC launch for Gord on Steam. We'll be keeping tabs, for sure. There's a lot to like just in this first showing.
Go ahead and wishlist the game on Steam as needed (or just wishlist it in your heart).
Janina Gavankar joins Borderlands movie as new character Commander Knoxx
Lionsgate is not done casting for its upcoming Borderlands big-screen adaptation. As reported by Deadline, the multi-talented Janina Gavanakar has been added to the movie's star-studded cast, which already includes Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramirez, and Jack Black, among others.
The American-Indian actor is renown for a body of work on both big and small screens, having appeared on TV shows True Blood, The L Word, Arrow, and The Morning Show, as well movies such as 2018's Blindspotting and 2020's The Way Back. Away from the cameras, Gavankar is a noted musician, having recorded many songs for film and television. Despite her stocked resume, video game fans might best recognize Gavankar from her role as Iden Versio, the protagonist of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II.
In Borderlands, Gavankar will be portraying all-new character Commander Knoxx, the daughter of Borderlands villain General Knoxx. Like her father, it does not appear that the Commander is going to be lending our would-be heroes a hand, and will no doubt be raising hell for Lillith and co. in the wastelands of Pandora. It sounds like a role that will suit Gavankar to a tee, and I'm excited to see her in action alongside the rest of Borderlands' rag-tag team of reprobates.
BioWare breaks down Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's visual overhaul
The Mass Effect remasters are coming up pretty soon, and there are some changes in store for Commander Shepard and their intrepid crew.
Last week, BioWare discussed the gameplay changes coming to the trilogy, especially for the first Mass Effect. (Guess some of y'all weren't fans of the Mako?) This week, it's all about the graphics.
The BioWare dev blog details three phases of visual reconstruction: boosting up textures and upgrading the Unreal Engine 3 under the hood; improving assets to reflect the passage of time—Liara, for example—and improving particles and little details, like skin, hair, and eye shaders; re-rendered cutscenes at 4K where possible; and broader improvements to levels.
Some of these are clear tune-ups, like the revised portrayals of series mainstays like Liara, Garrus, and Tali. Others are pretty significant, as locales like Feros look pretty substantially different, and Noveria's lighting has clearly been reworked.
I'm of a few minds about these changes. On the one hand, the updated character models look genuinely fantastic. Ashley and Tali stood out right away, and even though we've seen some touch-ups like Thane's they're still pretty to look at.
On the other hand, some of the lighting changes are taking some time to get used to. Mass Effect has a very distinct visual style, especially the first game. Whether that was intentional or a product of the time, I'm missing some of the more dramatic lighting situations (the scene with Anderson in the drop ship, around 1:27 in the video above, is a good example of what I'm talking about).
We'll see soon enough how it all comes together, though. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is due out on May 14 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Call of Duty is headed back to court yet again, this time over the word 'Warzone'
Activision is once again in a legal tangle over matters concerning its billion-dollar shooter, Call of Duty. This latest courtroom soiree revolves around the publisher's use of the word "Warzone" in the title of its uber-successful battle royale release Call of Duty: Warzone.
The problem began back in June 2020, when Activision filed trademarks with the U.S. patent office for "Warzone" and "Call of Duty: Warzone" as applied to its free-to-play shooter. As reported by PC Gamer, Warzone - a tabletop-style strategy title that has been using the name since 2017 - has continuously blocked these trademarks. Warzone's holding company, Warzone.com, proposes that allowing Activision to secure the word "Warzone" will hinder the former's efforts to effectively market its wares.
Activision has denied Warzone.com's claim that the trademark would cause "consumer confusion," calling the potential mix-up "inconceivable." Activision notes that both Warzone and Call of Duty: Warzone are entirely different games in entirely different genres. Activision also states that the word "Warzone" is featured in the titles of at least 15 other mobile games, asking why Warzone.com has not taken the same fight up with any of these other, similarly named releases.
Activision was supposed to complete its trademark process in December of 2020 but has received numerous extensions in order to tackle this dispute. Last week, Activision filed a new suit in efforts to bring the situation to a close, requesting that the U.S. patent office be allowed to complete Activision's trademark applications, while demanding Warzone.com recoup Activision's "reasonable" legal costs.
Warzone.
Teamfight Tactics is experimenting with new modes, starting with the sped-up Hyper Roll
It's been inching close to two years since Riot Games joined the auto-battler genre with its own entry, Teamfight Tactics. The League of Legends take on the burgeoning game type stood out, and in the time since, has become a frontrunner.
With its upcoming set Reckoning, Riot Games is looking to experiment a bit. Rather than rest on laurels, Teamfight Tactics is continuing to play with ideas like respawning units, pieces that cost health, and a giant abomination that gains power as your units waste away.
What caught my eye about Reckoning wasn't necessarily just some new items and synergies for its pieces, though. As an on-again, off-again player of Teamfight Tactics, it's the Lab portion that's grabbed my attention; Riot is testing out new ways of playing Teamfight Tactics, and its first test is the turbo-charged faster game type Hyper Roll.
Is Discord always safe for women?
Discord, the voice chat and messaging service marketed towards gamers, can be an unkind place to women. But so can many online gaming spaces — according to a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, women gamers often stay anonymous online or play alone. A more recent study conducted by Casino.org in 2019 found that 57% of women gamers are harassed after other players discover their gender.
It's harder to stay anonymous on Discord, though. Games and gaming services where voice chat is made integral, naturally, make concealing one's gender (or perceived gender) a lot more difficult. Although there are plenty of women and girl-only private Discord groups, girl-friendly groups make up only a small subset of what's available on Discord. Other groups can be darker places, with women experiencing gender-based harassment and sometimes even cybercrime. This is mostly thanks to social media's tendency to become sludge, as well as Discord's inability to keep up with the toxicity of its quickly growing platform.
Ryu and Chun-Li are joining the Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid roster
The worlds of Power Rangers and Street Fighter have crossed over before, but Ryu and Chun-Li should feel a little more at home in their latest crossover. The two fighters are coming to Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid as the Crimson Hawk Ranger and Blue Phoenix Ranger.
Revealed over on IGN, the trailer showcases a lot of Ryu's potential combos. Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid has had some excellent gameplay trailers before, and this one's no different. Ryu's classic moves are on full display, though definitely souped-up for the more over-the-top tag bouts of Battle for the Grid.
Chun-Li appears at the end, mostly just to rock out a Spinning Crane Kick, but it's probably safe to assume her move set is similar to her usual Street Fighter kit. You don't fix what isn't broken, right? Both their looks are based off their appearances in mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, according to IGN's reveal.
Developer nWay also announced that Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid — Super Edition is coming on May 25, the same day as Ryu and Chun-Li. While both fighters will be available as a pack for $12.50 or separately for $5.99 apiece, they'll also be included in the Super Edition, alongside the previous Season Pass content. (Super Edition will also be available as a paid upgrade to current owners, though no pricing's been announced yet.)
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid got a middling reception when it first launched, but the studio's stuck by the game and kept updating it with new Rangers and villains. In the search for good tag fighters, it might be worth another try with the Super Edition and some Marvel Vs. Capcom legacy in these new Street Fighter Rangers.
Quantic Dream has successfully appealed against a 2018 ruling in which a former developer sued the studio for unfair dismissal. As ruled by the Paris Court of Appeals, the former employee's accusations have been dismissed. Furthermore, they are now responsible for paying "substantial damages" to Quantic Dream, reportedly in the region of €10,000 (roughly $12,000 USD).
The initial case went to court amidst a slew of articles in the French press, exposing alleged toxic behavior, "bro culture", sexism, and homophobia within the Heavy Rain studio's walls. Specifically noted was the distribution of Photoshopped imagery that presented studio staff members merged with celebrities, engaged in sexualized situations, or dressed in Nazi regalia. The Court of Appeals, however, ruled that none of the images involving this specific plaintiff could be considered homophobic, racist, or degrading toward them.
Furthermore, the court ruled that the plaintiff not only knew about the images as far back as 2015, but that they only complained once another employee put forward their own report about it. The court ruled that this late action showed a degree of "tacit acceptance" from the plaintiff of the images' existence. It should be reiterated that the court isn't saying the images didn't exist, nor that the plaintiff wasn't featured in them, but that the court doesn't believe the plaintiff should be able to claim that their unfair dismissal can be directly related to the images' existence... Press X to side-eye.
April PS5 update will let users stash games in external storage
Video games can take up some memory storage space, and right now, the PlayStation 5's internal storage is your only option for the console. A new update coming this month is trying to make the storage shuffle experience a little easier.
Starting tomorrow, the PlayStation 5 will be able to transfer PS5 games to USB extended storage from its internal storage, much like it can do with PlayStation 4 games. This will let games move back and forth between the drives, but as the PlayStation Blog notes, PS5 games won't be playable off extended storage.
Though it will be faster to reinstall games from USB extended storage rather than re-downloading or copying from disc, you'll still need to move a game back over to the internal storage when you want to play it. PS5 games also can't be directly downloaded to external storage, although they can automatically update when applicable.
Sony confirms that support for expanded storage through M.2 drives is still being worked on, but it doesn't offer any update aside from it still being on the way.
A few other quality-of-life updates to aspects like in-game chat and the PS5 user interface are on the way, as well as pre-downloads for title updates to games, so the console can grab the latest versions of games while in rest mode.
They're some nice features, though I'm really waiting on an actual storage expansion solution. Games this generation aren't getting any smaller, and right now I've just got the internal storage of my PlayStation 5 to work with. Once big games like Returnal and Deathloop start hitting, things might get dicey. Hopefully that M.2 update isn't too far off.
Blizzard Arcade is adding Lost Vikings 2 and RPM Racing as free DLC
Surprise!
Remember the Blizzard Arcade Collection? That nostalgia-tinted package that came out in February and added The Lost Vikings, Rock N Roll Racing, and Blackthorne into the mix? Well, like a lot of other retro games these days, it's back!
Blizzard has announced that they're adding two games to the collection: Lost Vikings 2 and RPM Racing. Now, clearly Lost Vikings 2 is a direct sequel, but RPM Racing is also related to one of the original offerings: Rock N Roll Racing. Instead of the decidedly Mad Max theme of the latter, RPM is more of a general racing affair, a project that Blizzard calls a spiritual prequel.
Lost Vikings 2 in particular is near and dear to my heart. It's a great follow-up that expands up on the puzzle plaforming stylings of the original, while adding in new techno-themed wrinkles into the individual mechanics of each character. It does a great job of preserving the core focus of the first game while doing its own thing.
If you own the collection, you'll get both of these for free today by way of an update, and if you don't, the price isn't going up. The whole game is even getting an upgrade too, in the form of a Design Documents Gallery in the museum, as well as a streamer mode for Rock N Roll Racing, with support for four-player local multiplayer and streamable songs.
Capcom completes investigation into 2020 hack, states users' credit card info is safe
Capcom has announced that it has completed an in-depth investigation into a major breach of security that befell the publisher in November 2020, which led to the theft of hundreds of thousands of pieces of data pertaining to the developer, its employees, and customers.
In a detailed and forthright update regarding the investigation's findings, Capcom announced that it believes some 350,000 items of personal data were stolen or should be considered "at-risk" in the attack. This includes the addresses, contact details - and in some cases passport numbers - of many of Capcom's current and former employees, as well as its shareholders.
The Japanese division of Capcom is believed the hardest hit in regard to sensitive information loss, with sales reports and other financial information pertinent to the company confirmed stolen. However, despite this enormous data breach, Capcom remains confident that none of the compromised data contains the credit card information of its customers.
NieR: Automata's maligned PC port is finally getting patched
Square Enix has announced that the frustratingly clunky PC port of its beloved RPG NieR: Automata will finally receive some much-needed attention, courtesy of a new patch that is currently in the works. Do you believe in miracles? And by "miracles," I mean, "complaints being addressed years down the line."
Released in March 2017 alongside its PS4 brethren, the Steam edition of NieR: Automata left fans bitterly disappointed. Low-resolution textures, unstable frame rate, choppy cinematics, and stuttering gameplay among the laundry list of problems encountered by players. Ultimately, it was left to the community to fix these issues themselves, bringing the PC port to a somewhat improved state with the aid of unofficial mods.
Still, there has been consistent anger vented toward Square Enix and PlatinumGames over the ensuing years, with PC players feeling that they had been simply abandoned now that the cash was in the register. But now, some four years after NieR: Automata's release, it seems that the PC port will finally receive some official love and attention. Although Square Enix is yet to offer either a specific release date or official patch notes, one can assume that help is finally on the way, and will afford PC players the same opportunity to enjoy NieR Automata's somber and evocative story as console owners have for many years.
We will, of course, let you know when more detailed information about the update is forthcoming.
New Outriders patch fixes cross-play woes, still working on inventory wipe bug
Outriders launched with cross-play. Kinda! Since day one players were greeted with a message stating that the system may not work with certain platforms, but now those issues have been smoothed over, developer People Can Fly confirms.
Taking to Twitter, the official account for the game explains that the Xbox version of the game has been patched to account for the cross-play problems, and that you can now properly cross-play between PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
But there's another lingering issue: inventory wipes. Recently some players have been reporting inventory bugs, and People Can Fly are "continuing to monitor performance and feedback." There are aware of the inventory wipe issue, and are attempting to resolve it both on the server and game-side of things.
Now, there is a silver lining. The studio says that they are planning a "restoration for all affected accounts," which is great news as long as they follow through. Annoying and inconvenient for sure to have to deal with such a big bug, but at least all hope isn't lost.
If you're impacted, you can find new context here. The inventory wipe bug is now the "top priority" of the team.
Outriders [Twitter]
Nintendo reveals a new color Switch Lite, but is it blue or purple?
Nintendo has revealed a brand new color variant of its Switch Lite hardware and - mere minutes later - some corners of social media are already getting set to draw swords over whether it is truly the color that its manufacturer claims it is.
Earlier this morning, Nintendo tweeted out images of its brand new "Blue" Nintendo Switch Lite, which will launch on May 25 at a retail price of $199.99. But it seems the internet is less concerned about its price and release date and more focused on whether the new console is - in fact - blue, as many in the gaming community are convinced that the new hardware is clearly purple, with some equating its tone to that of Nintendo's previous little box of wonders, GameCube.
Yes, folks, it's one of those "What color do you see?" deals. Just like "The Dress" back in 2015, people in a bit of a furor over the actual pigment splashed all over Nintendo's new baby. I guess I'm adding to the WaCkiNeSs by writing about it myself. Still, it's been a terrible morning and my head is spaghetti, so you'll all just have to give me this one.
So what color do you see? I don't see "blue" in the common sense of the color, but I definitely see more blue than purple. I guess it's more a sort of Lapis blue... Azure at best. But I still think it veers more on the blue side of the spectrum than the purple side. Then again, if you asked me what color a GameCube is... I'd say purple... What do you think about this, the single most important question facing civilization this hour?
This is what I have become. The Horror.
The success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons could influence future games, Nintendo says
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a hit. It's such a hit that it will probably end up as the number one Switch game of all time, dethroning Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and could hold that top spot forever. So it makes perfect sense that Nintendo is going to try and chase that success.
Speaking to Nikkei (as translated by Nintendo Everything), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explains how the game got so popular, in fairly obvious terms: "It's true that our recent growth has stemmed from the need for people to stay at home. Even though (Japan's) state of emergency is over, people are spending more time at home than before."
OK that makes a lot of sense, but there's a lot to unpack here. New Horizons really tapped into the portable and communal element of the Switch, something consoles can lack on an emotional level. Furukawa wants to tap into that more, explaining: "As games with long lifespans like Animal Crossing become more accepted, we believe this will have a significant impact on future development. We want to provide games that can allow communication between friends and families."
This doesn't sound like anything that's drastically outside of Nintendo's purview. But Furukawa also isn't resting on his laurels, noting "As we spend more time in our homes, we are becoming increasingly spoiled for choice when it comes to entertainment. For people to choose to play our games with their limited free time, the games must be interesting. Competition is fierce and we're not looking at the current situation lightly. We are constantly looking out for new ideas and researching what we can utilize next. In the future, we want to not only work on our staple series like Mario and Zelda but also work on new games and new series."
It's a good day to be a Nintendo executive. Sales are booming and you have the option to capitalize on basically whatever you want at this point. We're going to see some very interesting things coming out of the publisher in the next few years, as they pivot toward New Horizons' success.
Animal Crossing [Nikkei via Nintendo Everything]
Millions of California residents like myself are bracing for what could be a very dry year for our state. Water conservation may have to make a comeback in 2021 as our snowpack is below the yearly average, and I honestly can't remember the last time it rained where I live. While I guess I should be thankful to reside somewhere that's bright and sunny nearly every day of the year, I could sure go for some clouds right about now. Especially a jerk cloud, like the one in Rain on Your Parade.
Let's relive the unspeakable horrors of high school with Mary-Kate and Ashley: Crush Course
There's a method to my madness when picking kusoge. A lot of the time, I go by reputation. I may not have played Carmageddon 64 or BMX XXX until I chose them as subjects for articles, but they're generally understood to be crap games. This helps in two ways; the first is that I'm not going to be stepping all over someone's favorite game, and the second is that more people will recognize it off the hop.
But I'm not always going to do that, and this is one of those times.
This is a time where I'm going to look at a game because it's an easy target. Its relevance is long past stale, I'm not even in the same area code as its target audience, and I'm completely detached from its source material. It's a game that I'm completely divorced from, and I know I'm going to hate it, so let's dive into Mary-Kate and Ashley: Crush Course.
It Takes Two is a blast and I hope Hazelight keeps making co-op games forever
After revisiting A Way Out a few months ago and just wrapping up It Takes Two over the weekend — it was surprisingly long! — it's been tough to muster my usual enthusiasm for other co-op games.
I love teaming up with my girlfriend whenever and wherever our gaming interests intersect, and I know we still have countless hours left on our Year 3 farm in Stardew Valley, which will continue to be our go-to "unwinding" game for the near future. (We still have a few super-expensive purchases left, including two of the four warp obelisks and the Gold Clock, and I guess we're really going for perfection?) Once we've tapped out, I'll be back on my weekend routine of looking for something new for us to play.
A lot of the time, after flipping through stores on multiple platforms and searching in vain for Reddit recommendations, I draw a blank. "This game would be fun... but it's online-only." "That one looks cool, but it's not out for a couple more months." "I don't know when Pikmin 4 or Overcooked 3 are happening."
We either resort to digging out a known favorite (again!) or take a chance on something iffy that one of us probably won't like all that much — or we just do our own thing. It's a sentiment that I think a lot of couples and families can relate to. And while I'll often settle for okay games with reasonably decent co-op modes, I would be thrilled to see more games that follow Hazelight's "co-op only" prime directive.
A year later, you still can't keep Animal Crossing: New Horizons away from the top of the UK Charts
It's been on the shelves for over a year, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to invite new residents onto its islands. This week, the Switch social sim found its way back to the top spot of the UK Charts, usurping Electronic Arts' soccer sim FIFA 21, which now sits at number two.
In terms of the UK's physical sales, it remains The Nintendo Show. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe pulls in at number three, while the remastered Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury sits just behind at number four. The Switch edition of Minecraft and newly released adventure Monster Hunter Rise are at five and six respectively, while Ring Fit Adventure is still toning tummies at number nine. The remaining three spots are taken up by AAA mainstays Grand Theft Auto V, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
As we push into mid-April, the shelves remain relatively bare, with only Housemarque's Returnal, Nintendo's New Pokemon Snap, and Square Enix's NieR Replicant likely to shake up the physical sales scene, if only temporarily. For the near future, it appears the UK Charts will remain a testament to the mainstream appeal of the Switch platform.
Diablo II: Resurrected feels like a magic trick
There is a part of my head, some reptilian section of my brain, that just loves watching numbers go up. It finds joy in methodically kiting and whittling down enemies, clearing the area of loot, and moving on to the next; like a farming simulator for pillaging and plundering.
Because of that, Diablo should be right up my alley. And while I've enjoyed a fair bit of time with the third installment of the series, I have only the faintest memories of Diablo II and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. Diablo II: Resurrected felt like the right opportunity to revisit those distant blobs of memory, and understand better the reverence that fans hold for this particular dungeon-crawler.
The original Shantae will come dancing onto Nintendo Switch next week
WayForward has announced that the original Shantae will launch on Nintendo Switch on April 22, when the classic platformer will be made available to download via the eShop.
Despite the overwhelming popularity of WayForward's Shantae series, many fans are still yet to play the Half-Genie Hero's first-ever foray into video games. The original Shantae title saw the adorable adventurer sashay onto the Game Boy Color back in 2002. Coming at the end of the platform's lifespan, Shantae really pushed the GBC to its limits, and is considered one of the most technically ambitious titles available on the best-selling handheld. Originally published by Capcom, Shantae sadly failed to find success, having gotten lost between the cracks in the jump from GBC to Game Boy Advance.
But, thanks to this new Nintendo Switch release, Shantae fans will finally be offered easy access to our gal's first magical adventure, as she runs, jumps, and hair-whips her way through Sequin Land, gathering the four elemental stones required to put paid to the plans of the troublesome pirate Risky Boots. Shantae for Switch will include both its original Game Boy Color and "enhanced" Game Boy Advance iterations and, with the release, will see the entire Shantae franchise available for the Nintendo platform. Magic!
Epic expected to lose over $300 million in effort to gain market share
Epic and Apple's legal feud over Fortnite is still ongoing, and more details are being brought to light as it carries on. In a new filing, it's shown that Epic is set to lose at least $330 million in minimum guarantees alone.
As reported by PC Gamer, a new filing from Apple (found here) goes into detail over Epic's spending to establish the Epic Games Store. According to Apple's filing, Epic committed $444 million in minimum guarantees for 2020 alone while projecting $401 million in revenue for the year.
Epic also lost $181 million on the Epic Games Store in 2019, and Apple's projections suppose that the Epic Games Store will not be profitable until 2027.
It's already known that Epic has been paying for store exclusives, including spending more than $10 million on Remedy's Control. Third-party games have been selling on the store, but in a breakdown released earlier this year, they made up 37% (or $265 million) of over $700 million spent on the PC Epic Games Store in 2020.
For all the money spent though, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney seems unfazed. He responded on Twitter to these reports, saying they were right and "it has proven to be a fantastic success" in both reaching gamers and an investment in growing the business.
"Apple spins this as 'losing money,' but spending now in order to build a great, profitable business in the future is exactly what investment is," said Sweeney in a follow-up. "It's equally true whether you're building a factory, a store, or a game."
Epic has already filed in response as well, saying it expects Epic Games Store will start earning annual profits in 2023. It also reiterates Sweeney's comments about investing, saying it has "front-loaded its marketing and user acquisition costs to gain market share." It's also worth noting that Epic generates enough revenue to absorb these losses.
Apple and Epic will go to trial in May over a feud that started with Fortnite's implementation of a way to directly pay Epic through the in-game store, bypassing Apple's cut on the App Store. Apple took the game down from the App Store, leading to Epic filing suit. It also resulted in a bizarre parody of the old Apple commercials, this time in Fortnite.
Stop me if you've heard this before.
You're about to square up with a creature in a Monster Hunter game. You just upgraded your weapon and it's fully sharpened. And you've cooked enough supplies and are all packed and ready to go. You step up to the plate, and you get knocked off a cliff or into some other hazard. Yep, sounds about right.
This clip shared by ThomasWiig on Reddit of their tango with a Rathian is so relatable it hurts. That leaping tail cleave sounded like such a good idea on paper, but right at the apex of the jump, the monster roars and basically punches them off a cliff. Undeterred, they climb back up with a wirebug and all the stamina they can muster, and a wing buffet knocks them on their ass again. Classic.
Now there's ways to combat this, as the game offers "roar resist," you can use a Wirebug recovery, and you can approach the monster in such a way that would avoid this sort of situation. But still, with the Wirebug on offer in the game, why not use it to zip around everywhere? Just remember it could go horribly wrong.
I think what makes the video for me is the bone-crunching sounds of pain that the hunter experiences when they fall.
F**k me, right? [Reddit]
In March, Twitch users spent two million hours watching streamers sleeping
According to a new report by StreamElements' analytical website Rainmaker.gg, March 2021 was a record-breaking month for Twitch, as the premier streaming website recorded an incredible 2.06 billion watched hours. This number represents a year-on-year growth of over 100%, suggesting that streamers - or specifically watching streaming - has never been more popular.
For the most part, video games have taken the lead in regards to viewer interest, with Rockstar's crime sim Grand Theft Auto V pulling in around 181 million hours, celebrating its debut at the top of the streaming charts, despite the title's advancing age. This was followed by Riot Games' League of Legends at 143 million hours, and Epic Games' juggernaut Fortnite at 107 million hours.
Look, some people are just born crafty.
My wife built a lazy Susan contraption for us to play the Marvel United board game with, and I kind of just sat there, stunned, the entire time. That deer in the headlights expression is exactly how I'd look if I watched dr_kelga of Reddit hand paint this custom Monster Hunter themed Switch.
The creator says they used stencils, paint, a matte clear coat varnish, and masking tape to finish their project. It's actually super involved, as evidenced by the creation video linked below. They even dissembled and reassembled most of the components!
"Just" the Switch is kind of a misnomer, too. They also managed to tag the Switch dock, as well as a Pro Controller and a Joy-Con Charging Grip. I love the classy photo too, with the wood surface, the Monster Hunter Rise case in plain view, and the sneaky Magnamalo amiibo.
I will probably never achieve this level of crafting nirvana, but I want to. The step-by-step video gives me hope.
I painted my Switch Monster Hunter themed [Reddit]
Sony aiming to adapt its biggest PlayStation brands for mobile
Sony is in the midst of opening a new unit within PlayStation to focus on mobile output - with hopes of converting some of the biggest PlayStation brands for the mobile market.
As spotted by VGC, PlayStation Studios is currently in the process of hiring a "Head of Mobile" to work at its Californian studios, with the successful applicant expected to deliver a program of PlayStation mobile titles over the next three to five years. The job listing specifically denotes that the studio wishes to see its "PlayStation's most popular franchises" adapted for the mobile market - although no specific franchises are mentioned by name.
The expansion of PlayStation's mobile division comes at a time of change with the industry giant. The first major overhaul happened at the start of April in Japan, when Sony Japan Studio restructured its entire internal development team, shifting most of its focus and resources toward Team ASOBI and its release Astro's Playroom. This restructure has seen numerous Sony Japan alumni leave the studio for roles elsewhere, with some - such as Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama - going as far as to open their own studios.
The changes in Sony Japan were followed by an eyebrow-raising report from Bloomberg last week, that claims PlayStation as a whole is set to focus purely on mega-budget, mega-selling franchises going forward. This report alleges that Days Gone's Sony Bend had a sequel request canned, and had some of its team absorbed into Naughty Dog, with the latter assigned a supposed remake of The Last of Us. The Bloomberg report suggests general unrest at PlayStation due to this new focus, with some developers concerned that Sony is abandoning interest in any franchises, IPs, or games that won't rake in giga-bucks.
Of course, the mobile market is a financially ludicrous one. If the reports of Sony's "All The Money" mentality are true, then it's likely we'll see future efforts to marry PlayStation franchises such as The Last of Us, God of War, or Uncharted to the mobile scene. From a business, or a "bottom-line" standpoint, this strategy is a no-brainer. But from a creative standpoint, it could prove to be - ironically - quite bankrupt.
PlayStation planning to bring the likes of Uncharted to mobile [VGC]
We all know Revali is the best Zelda: Breath of the Wild Champion (before you try to type out your comment, remember how many times you used Revali's Gale compared to every other Champion power), and now he's getting his due in First 4 Figure form.
Yep, the company is producing a PVC statue of the old bird, and although it has "no release date" or pre-order page at the moment, it is confirmed to be coming. It was all revealed via a fairly dramatic trailer (for a statue!), which you can watch below. First 4 Figures is actually calling this part of a "Champions Series," so we'll see Daruk, Mipha, and Urbosa at some point (and Link/Zelda are technically Champions).
Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been such a massive cottage industry for various companies and the crafting community these past few years. Even if you think that someone has been done, you can probably load out the game, find some far corner of the world, and uncover a new craft.
For instance, a Tarrey Town LEGO set would probably go over well. Maybe that's something for the Breath of the Wild sequel to explore!
First 4 Figures [Twitter]
Pokemon Sword and Shield is giving out free items again
Over the weekend Nintendo held a Pokemon Sword and Shield Players Cup III tournament, and you can reap the benefits.
As is the case with these sorts of events, folks can grab a free reward: a Dream Ball. Wait, is that a big deal? Well, sort of! In Pokemon Sword and Shield you can only get one per save file at Wyndon Stadium. The ball makes it more likely to capture sleeping creatures, which can come in handy for finishing the last few entries of your Pokedex.
It's not only useful, it's a collector's item for people who are still keen on playing through Sword and Shield. And given that we're going to be waiting until "late 2021" for the Diamond and Pearl remakes, and even later for Pokemon Legends, it's one of the few options outside of legacy games and Pokemon Go.
To hit up this promo, just enter the code "DREAMB1GPC3" in the gift section of the menu. It runs through today, so depending on your region, you may have one last chance to snag it.
Dream Ball Distribution [Serebii.net]
