Rocket League Is The Next Game To Exceed Peak Player Count On Steam

Following the overgrowing concern that continues to tail the pandemic of COVID-19 for the past few weeks, yet another game has withstand a tremendous influx of additional players in result from the encouragement of social distancing and practicing quarantine in efforts to reduce the spread of the ailment. This time, Psyonix’s Rocket League has taken a large dose of active players which peaked its initial concurrent player count. Esports analyst and industry correspondent Rod Breslau shared on Twitter that Rocket League’s all-time peak player count has increased as it corresponds to a recent trend which continues to be more prevalent on the launcher. According to Steam Charts, Rocket League has accumulated roughly 120K active players in the past 24 hours, which is nearly 20,000 more than the initial 103K that was witnessed back in April of 2016. As of last month in February, the game only received about 80K active players, which is a decrease from 81K that played the month before in January. This happened to become a larger trend with titles across the platform on Steam. It was not too long ago that Valve’s Counter Strike: Global Offensive ticked above its active player count into the millions for the first time in history. Even more, Steam itself also received a new record of concurrent players on the platform recently bouncing well over 20 million. Although Rocket League does not hit seven-digits alike the other two, the number accumulated so far surely is a new milestone for developer Psyonix. Later in the thread on Twitter, Breslau disclosed Psyonix’s confirmation that Rocket League stretches past 500K players across all platforms. And as tensions continue to loom over society with the new virus, this number could only be a projection that could easily be toppled in the coming weeks. Have you been busy on Rocket League this past week? Rocket League is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Latest Gameplay Trailer For Rogue Company Reveals Summer Release Window

Unlike the catalogue of strategic-styled MOBAs like Smite or the arena shooter Paladins that is offered from Hi-Rez Studios already, the latest project being published by the American company is an action shooter being developed by First Watch Games. Titled Rogue Company, the game is a team-based shooter with an economy-centered loadout system and offers unique abilities and a diverse cast of characters to play as. The game initially announced back in September has been lingering with a playable Alpha only available on PC while the title is listed to officially arrive later on in 2020 for all major platforms. Even more, the project is also confirmed to support full-on cross-platform play between each supported system. Today, a new gameplay trailer was released sharing a closer look at the combat and the notion players should expect from the game. You can view the trailer in the video below: According to the press release provided from the game’s PR organization, Rogue Company is expected to release sometime during the mid year solstice. “The game will being releasing for all platforms this summer,” the document reads. Concerning how the release was worded, it does look that certain versions might release ahead of others, but we will find out later on this year. Back in November during Dreamhack Atlanta, I managed to demo the project and dabble with the game’s 2v2 and 4v4 modes on the show floor. I suggest you read up on the full first impressions piece in the meantime. Sign-ups for the alpha is still live and you can register for that by heading here. What platform are you excited to get Rogue Company on? Rogue Company is scheduled to release sometime this summer on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and PC for free.

Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon Peaks In Digital Sales In Franchise History

It has been nearly two months since the seventh mainline installment for the Yakuza franchise released in Japan. Although Like a Dragon is an infamous entry primarily due to the turn-based combat that was abruptly added to this flagship title, the game looked to have outperformed other releases from RGG Studio. When speaking on the SegaNama stream, Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, the game’s Director, disclosed that the latest release for the Yakuza series dominated the digital landscape in the franchise’s history. Toshihiro then goes on to reveal that Yakuza 7 also assisted the team by tapping into a new audience, Dualshockers translates. Despite the fundamental changes that were made to the title’s core gameplay, fans ultimately fell in love with the plot and cast of characters that Ryu Ga Gotoku decided to add and reintroduce into the seventh installment. Later in the interview, Nagoshi was questioned by a fan on the uncertain popularity of one role in the series, where he shared that the notoriety Goro Majima has certainly surprised him for sure. And when you though Yakuza 7 might be the most experimental title yet for the series, Nagoshi went on in a previous interview to disclose that RGG Studio is anticipating to up the ante for future yakuza installments. Rather it being the combat system or subjecting more in-depth RPG mechanics to the game, there is plenty that can be applied with the next game scheduled for the series. In other Yakuza-related news, Yakuza 0 has finally settled onto the Xbox platform nearly a month ago. This only leaves Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 to do the same later on in 2020. Have you been able to play Yakuza 7 yet? Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon is out now for PlayStation 4 in Japan. Source: Dualshockers

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Developers Shares First Rendered Shot Of The Sequel

You might have brushed this off already – but it was in the summer of last year that GSC Game World disclosed the first set of details regarding the long-awaited sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. While the developer had a lot to share about the ambitions that would be implemented into the upcoming title; the team, however, failed to reveal any assets or teases for the game itself. GSC Game World, for those who might not be familiar, is the initial developer that harbored figures like Andrew Prokhorov, Oles Shyshkovtsov, and Alexander Maximchuk who later went to form 4A Games to develop the notorious Metro series. Shortly after their departure, GSC has release two other entries for the series, but left a decade long wait for the next installment. This week, GSC Game World on twitter finally released the first glimpse of the second mainline entry for the series. You can view the image in the header of this article. Following the thread on the post, the studio also disclosed their gratitude for the devoted fans who have patiently waited on the next title for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Being inspired by everything you do (including arts, stories, cosplays, and mods), we fully understand we can’t let you down. The second chapter of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga will be out most ambitious game so far. It will live to the legendary legacy. Gifting fans a glimpse at just one render of the game for now, GSC Game World also shares that more detail on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is planned to “come in 2020.” Given from the single image of the game so far, the progress from the last entry in 2009 surely is a major leap from the previously used X-Ray Engine when transitioning to Unreal Engine 4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat all ran on the X-Ray Engine which delivered for all three titles at the time. But now that GSC Game World has migrated over to Unreal Engine, the game will surely be a step up in both appearance and functionality. This would also explain for the prolonged wait seeing that other game development teams adopting Unreal Engine 4 typically need additional time to tackle the learning curve for the engine. Are you excited to see what else is in store for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 later this year? S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has not listed platforms or scheduled release date as of yet. Source: GSC Games World

Konami Flattens Claims On Recent Silent Hill Rumors

This past week surely has come to be one energetic instance for the gaming sphere of things. This past Friday, both Animal Crossing: New Horizons alongside Doom Eternal released the same day. But the most eye-grabbing detail comes from alleged rumors that suggest the potential revival of the Konami-owned Silent Hill franchise and resurrection of the late-Silent Hills project from Hideo Kojima. Last Sunday, the rumor resurfaced from an alleged employee who works at Konami that disclosed Sony holds ambitions to acquire the property from the company. The claim mentions the already leaked Silent Hill reboot alongside unnamed episodic title, which was then told to be Silent Hills. Even more, it was also told that Sony was eyeing to also purchase Metal Gear and Castlevania with their own respected reboots also. However, despite the anticipation that brewed online for the diehard fans, this happened to be one wild goose chase as Konami this week has denounced the claims made. According to a North American PR representative for Konami who spoke with Rely on Horror, the outlet that initially reported the claim, condemns the current rumors to be “not true.” We’re aware of all the rumors and reports but can confirm that they are not true. I know it’s not the answer your fans may want to hear. Despite the unfortunate news that the spokesperson revealed in the email, they do, however, shed light on the possibility of a potential return to the franchise. But, they do clarify that it will not be to the terms of what was referenced in the alleged claims. “It’s not to say we are completely closing the door on the franchise, just not in the way it is being reported.” Although there is official clarification on the previous rumors being false, the PR figure does suggest that the Konami as a whole might return to the series in the future. As for when or where – that will be left for time to reveal until then. Additionally, the claims that told of Sony’s involvement can also be discarded for now since Konami flattened the chances of the rumor’s fruition. Do you think a new Silent Hill is in order or something similar to a reboot that the previous rumors suggest? Source: Rely on Horror

The Best Car Games of the Previous Decade

2020 has a lot of exciting things in store for us, especially in the fields of tech and gaming. Why, we have slowly been applying a lot of modern tech today to make video games much more awesome and much more enjoyable. We’ve been using AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) to make games more interactive, and we’ve been constantly pushing the limits of our hardware and software limitations for stellar graphics and gameplay. In terms of car games, we’ve been seeing much more realistic peripherals, and more fast-paced races. And while we have a lot of games to look forward to this decade, we may want to reflect on some of the more stellar titles of car games in the previous decade. What exactly were some of the best car games from 2010 to 2019? Here’s our top entries: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe  You might wonder why we’ve chosen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe over Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and it’s a valid question. However, the reality is that when you’re looking at car games, even the original CTR was a far throw from the glory and imagination that Mario has brough to the genre. The new CTR looks incredible but doesn’t add much to the original experience that gamers loved. In contrast, Mario Kart 8 brings some fantastic fresh ideas to the table.  Wipeout: Omega Collection proves there’s room for racing games set in the future. The collection – also the franchise’s tenth standalone title – serves as a remastered version of the previous two (2) games in the Wipeout series. Folks from Creative Vault Studios, Clever Beans, and XDev prove there’s a market for futuristic racing games, and their fans’ love for high-speed chases with amazing vehicles is proof this game is here to stay. Players of Wipeout will be controlling ships powered by anti-gravity, each owned by different racing corporations or “teams.” These ships have different looks and different characteristics, such as shield strength, top speed, thrust, and handling. Each ship has an energy shield that loses power whenever they collide with other ships, barriers, and even weapons (!) The game features nine (!) game modes, each from both games. These include Career Mode, Eliminator and Detonator, Zone Battle, Single Race, Time Trial, Speed Lap, Tournament, and Zone. Each of these modes offer different mechanics and thrilling factors, which makes this game quite exciting and offers a ton of variety. Project Cars 2 proves there’s a market for technical and extremely realistic racing games. Unlike other popular car games in the market, Project Cars has gained a bit of notoriety for its extremely realistic and technical gameplay, forcing players to be on top of their game all the time and to focus not just on winning races, but maintaining control of their fast-paced vehicles. It’s this realistic (dare we say, Dark Souls) nature of Project Cars 2 that makes it extremely popular to its fans. This game definitely deserves a spot in our list, thanks to its realistic nature. Project Cars 2 prides in its technical controls, with 140 tracks across 60 different locations based in real world places. The game boasts itself with tracks that have a “living, organic venue,” with changes happening “lap by lap.” This is thanks to a system called the LiveTrack 3.0, which changes elements such as dynamic weather, track temperature, and other elements. This applies to all sorts of cars and environments, which really makes the game very interesting. The game has a whopping 189 cars to select which, alongside its new rallycross cars and tracks, and off-road driving, can add a lot of exciting elements to every match. This iteration of the game also has brands like Nissan, Acura, Honda, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche, alongside their top vehicles. While there aren’t any other vehicles such as Vespa scooters, the addition of these many manufacturers can make other iterations of Project Cars something to look forward to. F1 2019 lets racing fans live their Formula One dreams. In this recent iteration of the Formula One gaming series, fans and racing gamers can finally experience what it’s finally like to be behind the wheel of the fastest types of vehicles out there. And thanks to improved graphics and realistic gameplay, gamers can experience extremely fast-paced races in high-stakes career modes and multiplayer matches. Players can also get to experience riding different Formula One vehicles, each one featuring their signature driver and even featuring tracks familiar with fans. This iteration of the Formula One gaming series, just like its predecessors, features all 21 circuits in the 2019 Formula One World Championship. This also includes all 10 teams and the 20 drivers present across the tournament. This game was touted as “the most ambitious release” in the Formula One franchise history, and it’s evident in its game modes. This is the first game in the franchise to have “driver transfers,” which will have their AI-controlled drivers being capable of switching teams at the end or during a championship year. These will all be randomly-generated, too, definitely spicing up the already-thrilling career mode. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe proves racing games don’t have to be realistic to be fun. Why, what’s more fun than a kart game? Well, it’s to play a kart game with your favorite Nintendo characters! Given the franchise’s age and its reputation to be a game capable of strengthening (or destroying?) the bonds of friends and families, having a Mario Kart game on the Switch seems to make a lot of sense. And given the massive multiplayer capability of the game, players as many as eight can play this thrilling game! Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features franchise staple mechanics, such as driving karts on race tracks, with players capable of getting various items that can help them get advantages or even hinder opponents from finishing the race. New to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would be its feature of anti-gravity sections, allowing players to drive on ceilings and walls. This,