These week we’re scraping the very barrel itself for news. We’re in this weird limbo stage of the year where we’re right before a few game shows. I’m sure the entire community is eager for more gaming headlines so here’s what little we have:
- The setting for the next Assassins Creed game has been leaked and it’s said to be the Aztecs
- A remake for Assassins Creed 1 is being reported
- Bandai Namco got hacked and their 2023 roadmap has been leaked
- Sega & Atlus as well as XBOX are confirmed to be at TGS 2022
- Beyond Good and Evil 2 is being externally tested
- Respawn is developing a single player game in the Apex Legends universe
News Breakdown
I haven’t play the most recent recent Assassins Creed game (Valhalla) but it’s definitely on my “play soon” list. My first game in the series was Origins (“Booooooo you’re not a real fan”) and I loved it so I played Odyssey and I loved that one too. I think I read a while back that the aforementioned games are a part of their own trilogy, but if the new one is going to be set in the Aztecs and it has the same RPG formula I’m more than happy to accept it with open arms. As for the remake of the first one, I’m also excited I know it’s a different style of game and that’s ok. I tried to go back and play the first one but I think it’s just a little outdated. I think, if the report is true, a remake of the first assassins creed can help people in my position as well as give a new generation a chance to see what made the older games such hits.
This past week Bandai was ransomed by hackers and the following games were leaked:
I’m not going to go too in detail about it because there’s a lot of speculation on its validity. What I will say is, FromSoftware said that their next project is in its final stages of development which was already rumored to be armored core. So a Q1 release being armored core makes some sense. On the same note Dragonball Xenoverse 3 was reported to come out next year, but there was nothing pointing to the timeframe. Now, for the speculation with no basis. With Elden ring being the mass hit that it is, I would absolutely love to have a DLC that I could put another 40 hours into. The second game I want to be true more than anything is Tales Of Ascension the more Tales the merrier. Tekken 8 would just be a big deal for the gaming community in general so I’m all for it, anything to make gamers happy.
SEGA and Atlus along with XBOX being at TGS 2022 makes my soul smile. XBOX has been making a big push in the east and we’ve been seeing the results. I hope this is a sign of a big announcement or literally anything to do with more JRPGS or just eastern games in Japanese games in general. On a small side note there was also a report of XBOX in talks with NIS America (publishers for Ys 8 and 9 as well as the Disgaea series) in hopes to bring some of their games to the console.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 has started external testing. I cannot lie, I didn’t expect this game to still be in development. I’m happy about it though. When it was first shown in 2017 I was happy with what I saw, it was something I think I’d put a sufficient amount of time into. All in all I’m going to play the first one and sit and wait for this to come out.
This year I’ve been playing a lot of Apex Legends. I’m a fan of Titanfall 2 and I want another campaign experience from respawn with the same feel. Not much to say except I’m happy about this. Obviously there’s a lot of story because every almost legend has a short at this point. Hopefully it’s good, hopefully it’s soon.
36th Gen Topics of the Week
XmanFiles
1. What’s your read on the state of the industry ?
I personally think the industry is in a very good place. Of course there are pockets of bad situations that are less than favorable, but overall there’s a lot of moving pieces and that’s exciting. XBOX has a lot of announcements that we haven’t gotten updates on which in itself if frustrating/frightening but delivers a good dose of optimism. PlayStation is secretive for the most part when it comes to their games but when they show, they show very well. I remember seeing Ghost of Tsushima and instantly knowing it was going to be a hit game. Nintendo has a lot of good IP that it’s seemingly just sitting one. Beyonetta 3 getting announced for this year was a well timed pseudo surprise because we knew it was coming we just didn’t know how soon. Additionally there has been rumors of a hardware update coming for the Switch (that’ll be my 4th Switch) but take it with a grain of salt as you should for all rumors and leaks. PC always has had good, interesting, unique games. Plus it’s the melting pot for XBOX and PlayStation getting exclusive games from both. Witchfire is a PC exclusive that I really hope comes to console at some point.
2. Are leaks a good thing or a bad thing (why or why not) ?
I think leaks have become an industry standard and I’m on the fence about them. On one hand it’s pretty much the only way we get updates about games in development or the state of games that we’re looking forward to but on the other hand we don’t get to hear or see these games from the devs themselves. I think the word “transparency” is used a lot in the gaming community nowadays and but it’s still not being considered as much as I think it should be. I’m not saying there should be an E3 level event every quarter, but I would love for there to be a regular flow of legitimate exciting information. I know the state of the world has made it harder for shows and events to come to reality as well as games to be developed, but I like the idea of PlayStation’s State of Play and Nintendos Direct update/showcases. I think there’s something for the entire industry to even if it’s not to that extent
3. Do you prefer large game shows or small individual events ?
As I’m coming into my maturity, I’m starting to acknowledge the idea of quality over quantity. Smaller shows give the opportunity to go in depth on title development and what we can expect. I really find this enjoyable especially when the games being announced at big shows are 3 or 4 or maybe even 5 years off. My thought process is “why show us these games if they are just in predevelopment or conceptual stages”. All in all I’d rather have a large game show at the end of the year giving us stuff to look forward to going into the following year, and then smaller shows giving us updates throughout the year.
JusBernard
1. What’s your read on the state of the industry ?
This is one of the most exciting times in the history of gaming. The industry is largely in consolidation. However, we are enjoying quality game after quality game. And while there are flops out there, there are many titles which ooze quality, innovation, and high production value. This is also an unprecedented time for indie developers. We’ve seen a total rebirth and reinvigoration of the 2d genre. If this sounds a bit positive, it’s because my perspective is just that. There are a plethora of games to keep you occupied. So many games in fact, you can hardly finish the game you’re playing before 2 or 3 more new games come out! Additionally, Open world games are flooded with content to keep you playing for 100 hours or more if you desire. The task now is to find a game to concentrate on without getting distracted. I’m grateful to be alive to enjoy this era of gaming!
2. Are leaks a good thing or a bad thing (why or why not) ?
I’m divided on leaks. While the anticipation of waiting for details on a game you’re anxious for can be unbearable, there’s nothing like that big reveal that hits you out of left field. A game that you would have never predicted but knew they were making. God of War 2018 immediately comes to mind. The orchestra that was setting the tone and seeing Kratos step out of the shadows was amazing! I’m pleasantly encouraged by the amount of secrecy that Sony has managed to enforce when it comes to their first party titles. Other publishers and developers should take note and do their best to keep things tightly sealed. It doesn’t help when “so-called Insiders” have inside information that they want to share. It’s like telling a kid what they’re getting for Christmas before they open their gifts. We need to recapture that element of surprise. Just let a game slap you in the face and you never know it’s coming! Greatest! Feeling! Ever!!!
3. Do you prefer large game shows or small individual events
Personally, I do prefer the larger E3 style game shows. It’s nice for us as consumers because we get more content that we can consume over the three four-day period of the show. Which means for weeks we’re going back combing through articles in watching videos for games that we didn’t even know were at the show. However, therein lies the problem that the shows can be so big that great developers get overlooked and games don’t get enough time in the spotlight for people to be aware of how good they really are. That being said, I lie somewhere on the middle of the spectrum where a show can’t be so big that every game can’t get a little bit of shine. Summer Games Fest has hit the right notes in terms of coverage and length and every game there gets about the right amount of time in the spotlight. If we can get greater participation from some of the larger publishers and get more exclusive reveals, it may replace E3.
What’s the latest!?
I’d like to introduce “What’s the latest!”. In this section of the blog, I’ll be covering highlights for innovation in gaming tech hardware and software. You can look for things that I am very passionate about such as artificial intelligence in gaming, gaming engines, immersive hardware, technology, and unique innovation in gameplay. More to come soon!
36th Gen 