Doublejump Digest: November 4, 2017
This week in gaming: Paris Games Week dominates headlines, PUBG is headed to Xbox One in December, and Microsoft gears up for the Xbox One X launch with 70 enhanced games!
In the spirit of keeping our readers up-to-date with what’s going on in the video game industry, the Doublejump Digest is a brief collection of the major news stories that happened in the past week. Keep an eye out for the Digest every Saturday night, and head into the archive if you’ve missed any!
From Doublejump:
- The Doublejump staff attending PAX Australia over the last weekend, gaining strong impressions from Detroit: Become Human, God of War, Far Cry 5, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption, and Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. We’ll have even more coverage for you next week!
- Alex took the time to review Pylon: Rogue, finding the game to be far too difficult and poorly constructed to properly enjoy.
Major news releases:
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is headed to Xbox One this December:
Game Producer Chang Han Kim has confirmed on Xbox Wire that PUBG is scheduled to launch on Xbox One on December 12, 2017 via Xbox Game Preview program. This follows the developer’s presentation at Paris Games Week, where the announcement was officially made alongside Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene.
“Beginning December 12, Xbox fans will be able to play PUBG while it’s still in early access through the Xbox Game Preview program,” Kim confirmed. “We’re approaching development on Xbox One with the same community-driven focus that we’ve taken with the game on PC. As a result, the ultimate battle royale experience that fans play on Xbox One will be slightly different than what players know today on PC.”
Kim also highlighted that the game’s PC version was set to fully launch at around the same time.
“Both versions are being developed at the same time, but they both have their own separate roadmaps,” Kim noted. “Various Xbox One features and functionality will change and come online over time just like they have on PC, with our goal being to have both versions align to each other as soon as possible.”
PLAYERUNKOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is available now on PC.
Xbox One X will have approximately 70 “enhanced” games “around” launch:
Xbox’s Albert Pinello took to Twitter earlier this week to reveal that Microsoft currently plans to have approximately 70 Xbox One X-enhanced titles “around release” that will take advantage of the system’s increased horsepower. He later clarified that these titles are set to be patched within the system’s launch week.
Blizzard celebrates its history with World of Warcraft Classic, unveils new Overwatch map and hero, buffs Ana in the PTR:
At BlizzCon last night, the veteran video game company finally fulfilled a longstanding fan request to release official World of Warcraft servers that feature a pre-Cataclysm map of Azeroth. The company did not provide a release date for the new servers, collectively referred to as World of Warcraft Classic, but mentioned that the developer will require a significant amount of time “to making an authentic, Blizzard-quality classic experience”.
The company also unveiled not one but three pieces of Overwatch content: an Assault/Escort map named Blizzard World, a new support hero named Moira, and an animated short that explores part of Reinhardt’s backstory.
Earlier in the week, Kaplan confirmed on the Battle.net forums that Support character Ana will be buffed sometime soon.
“Yes. We’re increasing her damage,” he noted. “We’ve been testing it internally for a while. Last night, we threw our competitive group at it (Masters/GM level players) and they really liked it also. So it will probably make the [Public Test Realm] soon.”
Sucker Punch’s next game is a samurai adventure:
Infamous developer Sucker Punch Productions surprised PlayStation fans during Sony’s Paris Games Week media event with the announcement of Ghost of Tsushima. The “action stealth adventure” open-world title begins during 1274 in Tsushima, Japan and stars a samurai who takes on the Mongolian Empire threat.
The developer did not announce a release date for Ghost of Tsushima but did confirm that it will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Bungie formally reveals Destiny 2’s first expansion:
Bungie also made an announcement during Sony’s event, revealing the identity of Destiny 2’s first expansion, Curse of Osiris. As previously-rumoured, the expansion follows the exploits of infamous Warlock Osiris as he takes on a new Vex threat. Additionally, Bungie also revealed that players will meet Osiris’s lost Ghost, Sagira, and Trials of Osiris host Brother Vance on their adventure, will get to explore a patrol zone on Mercury named Infinite Forest, and will take on new Strikes and a new “Raid activity”. Bungie declined to confirm whether or not this new “Raid Activity” is a completely new Raid or will reuse content from Destiny 2’s Leviathan Raid and/or the ones from the original game.
One thing to note is that Bungie has teased the next expansion’s central figure through the key art shown at the end of the video, which players have suggested may be none other than Ana Bray — a mysterious Hunter who defended The City during the Battle of the Twilight Gap.
Destiny 2 — Expansion I: Curse of Osiris is slated for a December 6 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Spelunky 2 is headed our way:
Sony capped off its Paris Games Week event with a surprise announcement of a new Spelunky game from Mossmouth. The upcoming Rogue-like stars the child of the original game’s protagonist and has yet to be given a release date.
November’s PlayStation Plus games include Bound, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and Worms Battlegrounds:
Sony has announced on its European PlayStation Blog that PlayStation Plus subscribers will be treated to Bound, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and Worms Battlegrounds as their free games for the month of November, along with a short selection of smaller titles.
The list is also highlighted by the PlayLink title That’s You!, which combines the uses of a TV and smartphone in enabling players to answer over 1,000 funny questions, take part in drawing challenges, snapping selfies for photo challenges, and more.
The list of free games for November’s PS Plus subscribers also includes Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse, Dungeon Punks, Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, and R-Type Dimensions. These games will be available to download on November 7.
EA experiences losses in Q2 as digital sales outperform physical:
EA has recently published its Q2 earnings report, in which the company confirmed a loss in terms of profits for the period, even despite having improved on its results from the same time last year.
Notable game releases:
- Call of Duty: WWII (PC, PS4, and Xbox One)
- Oure (PS4)
Major video releases:
The Last of Us Part II — PGW 2017 Trailer:
This game looks decidedly more “brutal” than the original.
Detroit: Become Human — PGW 2017 Trailer:
David Cage’s latest project covers some very controversial subject matter.
Marvel’s Spider-Man — PGW 2017 Trailer:
It looks like Miles Morales will be playing a more central role after all.
God of War — PGW 2017 Combat Trailer:
Dad and son return in another short teaser!
Shadow of the Colossus — PGW 2017 Gameplay Trailer:
We’ve now got an official 2018 launch window.
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis — PGW 2017 Trailer:
Noctis’s well-educated mentor stars in his very own side-adventure next month.
Guacamelee 2 — PGW 2017 Reveal Trailer:
This certainly isn’t the “smashed avo” that everyone’s been talking about.
Need for Speed Payback — Official Launch Trailer
Please be a good game, please be a good game, please be a good game…
Super Mario Odyssey — Accolades Trailer
As if any of these accolades were a surprise!
Star Wars Battlefront 2 — Launch Trailer:
Oooh flashy “pew pew” and “whoom whoom” battles!
StarCraft II — Free to Play Overview:
Yup, it’s finally happening!
Indie corner:
Devolver announces The Red Strings Club for PC, release set for January 2018:
Publisher Devolver Digital and Spanish independent developer Deconstructeam have announced the upcoming release of the point and click thriller The Red Strings Club, which is set to launch on Windows in January 2018.
The game incorporates a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone to take down a corporate conspiracy.
Sony announces that Melbourne’s own The Gardens Between is headed to PS4:
Sony has announced during its presentation at this year’s Paris Games Week that The Gardens Between, the adventure and puzzle game by Melbourne developer The Voxel Agents, is set to launch on PlayStation 4 during “Q3 2018”, simultaneously with its Mac and Windows launch.
It was also announced that the game will be playable for the first time on PlayStation 4 at PlayStation Experience in Anaheim, California this December.
Morphite gets a release on Switch:
Publisher Crescent Moon Games, along with developers Blowfish Studios and We’re Five Games, has announced that the atmospheric exploration sci-fi first-person shooter Morphite is available now on Nintendo Switch.
Morphite is also available on Linux, Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One.
Far-off Daydream brings A Near Dawn to Kickstarter:
Canadian developer Farr-off Daydream Games has announced its Kickstarter campaign for A Near Dawn, a point and click adventure game that combines splashes of comedy with a devastating psychological thriller experience.
The game follows the story of a psychologically-disturbed, Seattle-based attorney called Sam Nichols, who struggles to maintain his mentor’s firm from collapse against a ruthless multinational corporation that is defended by some of the vilest people imaginable.
The game’s prologue is currently available on Linux, Mac and Windows.
Interesting reads:
- The Collapse Of Visceral’s Ambitious Star Wars Game: Kotaku
Other news:
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