Unannounced Silent Hill Project Reportedly Outsourced By Konami Is Due For A Summer 2021 Reveal

Looking in the direction of Konami’s Silent Hill, the intellectual property has remained dormant for roughly a decade now and signs of life are virtually nonexistent. But while it is apparent that nothing is being orchestrated for Silent Hill on the surface, rumors still happen to appear regardless. Despite that, Rectify Gaming has pulled the receipts why that might not be the case previously back in December. However, there might be more to the situation than what is told by Konami & Kojima Productions. In that, hopes surfaced that possibly Bloober Team might be responsible for a new, unannounced project following its comments with gamesindustry.bix on working on a new horror IP with a “very famous gaming publisher.” To add to the conversation, Video Games Chronicles indicates a project is for certain to be revealed. While the outlet is not convinced if Bloober Team is completely involved with Silent Hill, the website does issue that Konami has outsourced the property to other developers. It mentions even pursuing Supermassive Games as well, but the venture never manifested. In one claim from Video Game Chronicles’ sources, a Japanese firm is responsible for the unnamed title. Video Games Chronicles does go on to reference an hour-long feature on Bloober Team’s possible involvement on a new Silent Hill title from YouTuber, TheGrateDebate. The polish developer already working with franchise composer Akira Yamaoka on The Medium is said to be under wraps on a second project in which the video suggests to be Silent Hill. And the most recent interview appears to potentially solidify that. Outside of Silent Hill, Video Game Chronicles also relayed from its sources that Konami is looking to contact third-party developers in regards to Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid as well. However, it is disclosed that the separate outsourced projects are further away from the Silent Hill game by a few years. Do you believe a Silent Hill game is in development? Source: Video Game Chronicles

Bloober Team CEO Mentions Its New Horror Endeavor Involves A “Very Famous Gaming Publisher”

Developer Bloober Team while only entertaining the masses with its suspense thriller releases for the last handful of years originally involved itself with a Bomberman clone and a multiplayer experience that never picked up. But upon speaking with gamesindustry.biz, Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno reveals that the team faced two transition points in its life span. The first arose in 2014 as the studio pursued its own ambitions. In that, the Polish game developer went on to offer an Early Access experience which put its name on the map with a positive connotation – that being Layers of Fear. After that came with Observer, Layers of Fear 2, and Blair Witch. Not to mention its most recent project The Medium which is its most ambitious yet, 2021 is where the team turns on all burners moving forward. Later in the discussion with the industry-centered publication, Babieno offers that Bloober Team is already busy with a new project. Even more, the developer is involved with a well-recognized publisher which should grab the market’s eyes. In fact, we’ve been working for more than a year on another gaming project, another horror IP, and we’re doing this with a very famous gaming publisher. I can’t tell you who. I can’t tell you what the project is, but I’m pretty sure when people realize we’re working on it, they will be very excited. Furthermore, Babieno continues to elaborate on the future of Bloober Team. And for the developer’s approach to reel in a larger audience, Babieno tells he is in an ongoing discussion to inject action into Bloober Team’s IPs which has proven to be a plausible approach other studios pursued previously. “We realized we’re in a niche, and we would like to make that niche broader. He continues, “Our future projects will not necessarily be horror games. They could be called thrillers. We’re much broader with The Medium and the stuff we’re trying to do in the future.” Babieno goes on to reference The Last of Us Part II & Hellblade II and strives to be in the same pen as those properties with Bloober Team projects. “We’d like to keep our DNA, showing some fears and emotions, those things which are hidden to our eyes. But again, we’d like to not make environment our storytelling, but to have ‘real’ storytelling with characters, action, and so on.” Are you intrigued by what Bloober Team might be to offer coming soon? Source: gamesindustry.biz

Mario 35th Anniversary Items Arrives To Animal Crossing: New Horizons On February 25

As time continues to tick forward, it becomes more and more apparent that the one year anniversary for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is upon us. And to believe it was nearly 12 months ago that the game graced its fans and instantly became a top seller for Nintendo Switch. And now projected for its birth month is another celebration – Super Mario 35th anniversary. Back in September, Nintendo unveiled that with the welcoming of Super Mario 3D All-Stars that a specialized update will be coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For fans of previous entries, Animal Crossing has done crossover props and items already. But for this new modern take on the tradition, many are excited to see how this will be dealt when it arrives in early spring. During the latest Nintendo Direct that took place on Wednesday, Nintendo officially unveils that the update will be arriving on February 25 and with the items be available for purchase later on March 1. You can watch the segment for the update in the video below: From what can be gathered from the presented footage, Mario apparel and respected props will be available. That includes coins that can be picked up, question blocks work alike in the game alongside super mushrooms chiming its ‘power up’ sound. Additionally, two warp pipes can be placed anywhere on the map allowing players to fast travel to different parts of the island. In other recent news regarding Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Festivale Event featuring Pavé came and went this past Monday. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you returning to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the new Mario update? Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now for Nintendo Switch.

Square Enix Announces Project Triangle Strategy, Demo Live On Nintendo eShop

Handed from Square Enix’s expertise in pioneering the JRPG genre for more than two decades already, even well before the merging of the conglomerate publisher, the firm is recognized extremely well for entries like Chronotrigger and Final Fantasy. But upon moving forward, the firm looks to branch to other avenues while still clinging to the root of its success. With that, Octopath Traveler became. And while unique to the Nintendo Switch initially, the game eventually sprouted on PC as well including Google Stadia believe it or not. However, it does not truly end there. The series did even face a debut for mobile devices as well. But, the project referenced happens to be a prequel entry that only shipped in Japan – Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. But now, Square Enix returns once again to push the this new initiative in a new direction. Although not an eight character-oriented experience, most of its charm remains when announcing Project Triangle Strategy. You can watch the reveal trailer in the video below: “Command a group of warriors as Serenoa, heir of House Wolffort, in a tangled plot where your decisions make all the difference,” the game’s description explains. “Key choices you make will bolster one of three convictions—Utility, Morality, Liberty—which together make up Serenoa’s world view and influence how the story will unfold. “When faced with truly momentous decisions, multiple characters will weigh in by casting their votes on the Scales of Conviction. In these moments, the allies and decisions you make can determine the fate of whole nations and the continent of Norzelia itself.” Even more, the official demo for the game is live now on the Nintendo eShop which you can pick install by heading here. Does Project Triangle Strategy peak your interest? Project Triangle Strategy is listed for Nintendo Switch to arrive sometime in 2022.

Nintendo CEO Promises “Much More To Be Done” With Nintendo Switch As It Meets The Halfway Mark Of Its Life Cycle

When describing the performance of the Nintendo Switch in its near-four year existence, astronomical seems to be fitting perfectly for the hybrid handheld console. While its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii U faulted heavily in the past, the newest Nintendo console proves to be flying past the competition. In the past already, it outsold beyond the lifetime sales of Microsoft’s Xbox One in a third of the time just last December. And despite the recent influx of discussion surrounding the next-generation consoles – namely PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S – Nintendo Switch still proves to be a heavy hitter regardless. While demand is high for the newest consoles on the market, production for Nintendo Switch remains stable enough to outsell this past holiday against the newest machines and its formers as well. Even now at an all time high with roughly 80 million units purchased, Nintendo Switch only sits at the halfway mark of its life cycle. But despite the mid life portion of Nintendo Switch arriving, Nintendo plans to issue more additions for it in the years to come. While rudimentary to suspect, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa verifies this in a interview with Nikkei that Nintendo Everything translated recently. So if you wanted to, you could take steps to extend the hardware’s life cycle? Right. I always say that the Switch is around the middle [stage] of its life cycle. We’re able to offer a wide variety of different games because the Switch is both a home and portable console, but there’s much more that can still be done in the coming years.  In retrospect to previous Nintendo platforms that the Japanese company shipped earlier on, Furukawa emphasizes on the priority of its consumers as hardware advances. “As the Switch enters its fifth year on the market, one of our focal points is ensuring it has a long life cycle. It’s very important for us that customers continue to enjoy playing their Switch. “This includes Switch owners who bought the console at launch all the way through to those who bought in with recent releases like Animal Crossing. It’s about providing new gameplay experiences for all Switch owners. We need to keep in mind that the console base will continue to expand, as well as the types of games that have already been released for the system.” Although the Nintendo Switch presents to be performing swimmingly, Nintendo is not looking to ship a new model anytime soon. Despite the recent reports that Bloomberg issued previously on the claimed 4K SKU, Nintendo issued recently that there are no plans to pursue such a machine in the near future. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for what the Nintendo Switch has to bring later on? Source: Nintendo Everything

Amazon’s New World MMO Faces Another Delay Pitting Its New Release For This Coming August

Given the circumstance of the ongoing pandemic and the capital gains Amazon has received in the height of the novel coronavirus, it is expected that the firm’s video game division would be performing swimmingly with the amount of resources at its disposal. But, the story is actually going in the opposite direction. Already, the firm dismantled operations for Relentless Games’ Crucible with its crosshairs to focus on New World most recently. The news does comes as reassurance since the upcoming MMO is now in development following its second delay. Amazon predating back to July 2020 issued that more time on the game is required for the proper envisioning of New World to be ready for its users. Scheduling a spring release the following year, many continue to indulge in the closed testing for the game until then. And now with the spring equinox just less than a handful of weeks away, New World returns with a new update. And as you might guess, the game is again shifting its release ahead to a new timeframe aimed for late August later this summer. We’ve been hard at work on compelling end-game features we believe are important to include at launch. These features won’t be ready for the Spring timeframe that we had communicated. With that in mind, we will release New World on August 31, 2021. With this extra time we’ll be able to add these substantial improvements while polishing and fine tuning the whole game before we open Aeternum’s shores to the world. While the closed alpha will continue to advance forward for the next few months, New World is expecting the addition of EU servers for the game later on March 30th. Looking ahead, there will be a closed beta that will be taking place starting July 20. Players that already pre-ordered the game will receive instant access to the later playtest, the developer confirms. In other relevance to Amazon and its video game division, it is discovered that the new Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy looks to prioritize the sector over leading founder Jeff Bezos. “Though we haven’t consistently succeeded yet in AGS [Amazon Game Studios], I believe we will if we hang in there,” Jassy issues in a statement. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you surprised by the new release date scheduled for New World? New World is scheduled to release on August 31, 2021 for PC. Source: Amazon

Expect Marvel’s Avengers On Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5 Alongside Operation Hawkeye Later This March

While the titular multi-million dollar film franchise continues to be a glowing response for the box office, the same cannot be said for Marvel’s Avengers – the video game. Despite the amount of anticipation that the starring super heroes will be playable in a cooperative experience just on the brink of the next-generation consoles, what could go wrong? Well apparently a lot by the looks of it. In that, it was reported that roughly $63 million dollars was at loss for publisher Square Enix following the direct downfall in market performance for Marvel’s Avengers. With the Japanese publisher confident in the game to break beyond even upon release, the pay day never truly arrived. Based on sub-average gameplay and repetitive encounters as per players online, word of mouth truly led the game to its death bed. Not to mention the promised next-generation versions that were promised this past fall, Crystal Dynamic required more time pushing the release to 2021. But in a new announcement this week, Marvel’s Avengers plans to hit the newest console hardware this March. You can watch the announcement trailer n the video below: In addition to the game finally welcoming support for PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S in the approaching weeks, Marvel’s Avengers does not stop there. The previously announced Hawkeye DLC is also shaped to release simultaneously alongside the latest versions for the game. “Clint Barton will bring his unique talents to the game’s roster as part of Marvel’s Avengers Operation: Hawkeye – Future Imperfect at no cost to owners of the core game on all platforms. The synopsis continues, “In addition to a new playable Super Hero and the new chapter in the game’s ongoing Avengers Initiative story, Marvel’s Avengers Operation: Hawkeye – Future Imperfect also introduces a powerful new villain: Maestro, a version of Hulk with Bruce Banner’s brains and the Hulk’s strengths and abilities, now driven mad in an apocalyptic future.” Looking ahead, all that is slated for Marvel’s Avengers is the promised Spider-Man add-on. However, the downloadable content experience is said to only be unique to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game. You can read the full report by heading here. Do you see yourself playing Marvel’s Avengers on the newest consoles next month? Marvel’s Avengers is coming to PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S on March 18, 2021; out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Source: Crystal Dynamics

Developer Stonewheat & Sons Schedules Summer 2021 Launch For KeyWe, Xbox/PlayStation/Switch Versions Added

While we continue our best to remain as socially distant with the general public and to stay home as much as physically possible, the rise of interactive video game experiences are continued to face a rise. For those that are looking to enjoy a cooperative endeavor playing as a pair of kiwi birds and to live their dream of running a fully operational post office, KeyWe is the right fit for you. Previously at PAX East 2020, Rectify Gaming spoke with developer Stonewheat & Sons to sample the title and see what exactly the game offers. Upon testing the waters for KeyWe, we discovered the simple on surface appearance of the game is way more complicated once in action. But, the overall experience is on worth sharing with friends at home or even online, of course. Scheduled for a 2021 release, the game at the time was only projected to ship for PC. But now in a new console trailer for KeyWe, fans can get their hands on the title this coming summer for major platforms. You can watch the latest trailer in the video below: “Encounter perilous postal environments and navigate seasonal hazards while waddling through the Telepost’s various mail rooms, and partner up with a pal to help these adorable kiwis complete their tasks, whatever the weather,” the description on the game’s Steam page reads. “Unlock new accessories to customise your kiwi and become the best-dressed mail bird in Bungalow Basin.” While consoles were presumed to be the aimed threshold for KeyWe’s release, the developer also issues one surprising addition to its release – next-generation support. Well, maybe current-generation consoles now, but Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5 are also expecting KeyWe later this year as well. Are you planning to man Jeff & Debra later this summer? KeyWe is scheduled to ship sometime in summer 2021 for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Announced For Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Nintendo Switch For June Release

For the Ninja Gaiden series, the prominent entries for the titular franchise has remained static for close to a decade now. While fans roar in hope to see a new installment grace the three decade-old banner, there is no real indication that is underway. But for fans of the recent trilogy of games that shipped previously, there is some good news to say the least. In that, it happened to be apparent a listing for what looks to be a Ninja Gaiden trilogy is present. While not officially disclosed by Team Ninja nor publisher Koei Tecmo, Hong Kong video game distributor Game Source Entertainment, a compilation of 3D-era Ninja Gaiden titles are to arrive soon as suggested from the finding. The bundle is expected to include Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Simga 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. While the listing pokes at a March 2021 release, no new details surfaced following the initial finding. Even more, it became very opaque on the situation until this past month. Team Ninja studio director Fumihiki Yasuda disclosed new details in regards to Ninja Gaiden is to come. Now on Wednesday as part of the latest Nitnendo Direct, Koei Tecmo unveils Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection. The publisher and respected game developer also listed versions for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as well. You watch the reveal trailer in the video below: “Three extremely high-speed and intense ninja action games are now available in one package,” the description of the trailer discloses. “Enjoy three games from the NINJA GAIDEN series in this single collection. The nostalgic yet timeless high-speed action of the series unfolds on the latest hardware, so look forward to heated battles with fearsome opponents!” Koei Tecmo continues by issuing that Ryu Hayabusa is not the only playable character. Supporting female leads Ayane, Rachel, Momiji, and Kasumi are told to also be active vessels in gameplay as well. Even more, all promised DLC & game modes in the original releases are also to be included in the Master Collection as well. Are you planning to pick up Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection this summer? Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on June 10, 2021.