PlayStation Plus March 2022 Update Welcomes Free Games Ghostrunner, Ark: Survival Evolved, Team Sonic Racing, And Ghost Of Tsushima: Legends
In an exciting two first months this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to prove itself with more anticipated releases in behalf of PlayStation Plus. The subscription kicking off 2022 this year welcomed the likes of Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5, and Deep Rock Galactic then. But, February continued that momentum. Upon entering into the second month, subscribers for PlayStation Plus was introduced to UFC 4, Planet Coaster: Console Edition, and Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure as the second refresh of titles at the time. Now with March, Sony Interactive Entertainment is continuing this tradition for the third month running. Announced on Wednesday, Sony Interactive Entertainment shares that March 2022’s PlayStation Plus free titles are Ghostrunner, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Team Sonic Racing. However, there is also a bonus for the coming month featuring online standalone Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. Additionally, there are some caveats worth mentioning for this coming lineup. Ghostrunner is a unique install for PlayStation 5. But the remaining Ark: Survival Evolved, and Team Sonic Racing, and Ghost of Tsushima: Legends will be available for PlayStation 4. Noted, the multiplayer release from Sucker Punch Productions features a PlayStation 5 version as well. Regarding other PlayStation-oriented news, Sony Interactive Entertainment this week showcase the first official glimpse at PlayStation VR 2. The report from the PlayStation firm also verifies some previous reports on the upcoming peripheral follow-up. You can read the full report by heading here. Which title are you most excited to install first next month? Ghostrunner, Ark: Survival Evolved, Team Sonic Racing, And Ghost Of Tsushima: Legends arrives to PlayStation Plus on March 1, 2022 until April 4, 2022. Source: PlayStation Blog
Stadia Pro March 2022 Lineup Welcomes Darksiders Genesis, Dawn Of The Monsters, And More
Alike clockwork for many of these platform holders, even Stadia continues to deliver new and fresh titles to its respected Stadia Pro subscription service as each full moon rotation finishes. So far for 2022, users welcomed an eventful slew of titles bringing unique and anticipating releases to the service already. In January entries such as Darksiders 3, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was scheduled then. Following into February welcomed a new slump of games including Life is Strange, One Hand Clapping, and Phogs! Now March is just on the horizon less than a week away and Google has prepared the next helping for Stadia Pro subscribers. From its new blog post, there is a total of five new additions to Stadia Pro. Those games are: Adam Wolfe Darksiders Genesis Darkwood Dawn of the Monsters Race with Ryan Road Trip Deluxe Edition Understanding where to start in the new list, we point towards Darksiders Genesis just from our review alone. “Darksiders Genesis’s superb blend of action, platforming and exploration make it one of the best games of the year,” we summarized with our time playing the game. Looking ahead, Stadia is told to be welcoming more support for its platform with Samsung displays later in 2022. The initiative is also told to be in favor of Nvidia GeForce Now as well at the same time for this year’s coming flagship displays from the manufacturer. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for the latest titles coming to Stadia Pro? Adam Wolfe, Darksiders Genesis, Darkwood, Dawn of the Monsters, and Race with Ryan Road Trip Deluxe Edition arrives to Stadia Pro on March 1, 2022. Source: Google
Report: 2K & Lego Is Collaborating To Deliver New Sports Titles Including Soccer/Football Helmed By Sumo Digital
While Electronic Arts is associated for monopolizing on the annual sports simulator genre for the past decade with FIFA, Madden, & NHL, there was more competition from 2K in the years before. The publisher previously delivered annual entries for NFL, PGA, and MLB titles prior, but later on liquidated the program. It was more recently that the firm shared its plans to collaborate with the NFL alongside the PGA once more to bring new games to the market. However, this new initiative is now reported to execute similar titles through an additional partnership with a wildcard property – Lego. According to Video Game Chronicles, the 2K & Lego are set to deliver a new set of games based on different physical sports. So far it is said that Soccer/Football are two entries already in the pipeline. Additionally a third game was referenced, but the respected sport was not said. The new reported endeavor is said to be helmed by game studio Sumo Digital (Crackdown 3, Sackboy: A Big Adventure). From sources familiar with the unannounced ambition, it is told that the collaboration is to string in other licensed characters associated with Lego such as DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Marvel Comics. Noted, most Lego titles for the past decade has been processed through the likes of Traveller’s Tales. The team known for originally welcoming Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, and Lego Hobbit is not involved with the new initiative. Furthermore a source told Video Game Chronicles that Warner Bros. is not anticipation to extend its agreement with the U.K. developer. As for confirmed releases coming this year, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is scheduled to arrive this coming spring. Additionally, Red Studios is working on a new platform brawler, Lego Brawls. The reported soccer/football title is told to also be administered later this year close to the FIFA World Cup. Are you interested in seeing more Lego Sports titles? Source: Video Game Chronicles
Fall Guys Gets Cross-Play Update For PlayStation & PC, Versions For Xbox And Nintendo Switch Said To Be Close To Done
In terms of the ongoing Fall Guys experience, Mediatonic is committed to delivering the best humanly possible for its bean competition title across PlayStation and PC. However, it should be noted more versions are on the way. It was previously confirmed that Xbox & Nintendo Switch would be welcoming ports for the August 2020 release later on. Shortly after the initial launch of the game, it was also reported that a mobile version would be welcoming itself through a soft launch uniquely in China. The game was said to be handled by bilibili rather than the original developer Mediatonic. During the wait period for more announcements, the game studio did press that Fall Guys for other platforms is being delayed, but cross-play is in the works. This week during the mid-season refresh, it was announced that cross-platform play has officially been added to the game. Of course, it is out now for PlayStation and PC owners. We’re SO pumped to announce the arrival of cross-platform lobbies! This means that you and your friends can form parties while playing Fall Guys regardless of whether they are on PC or PlayStation. Though you were previously able to form cross-platform lobbies in Custom Shows, this now means you can party-up and enjoy any of our applicable playlists in Fall Guys—from Squads, to Duos, to Main Show and beyond. As long as you and your friends have already linked your Epic Accounts to Fall Guys, you’ll be able to play together by using the “Invite Players” functionality. Don’t worry if you, or others, haven’t linked accounts yet; there’ll be a prompt to do so upon launching the game. […] Anyone that you already have added as friends on PlayStation or Steam will automatically appear in your Epic friends list. Additionally, Mediatonic also presses that the versions for Xbox & Nintendo Switch are close to meeting the finish line in its development. “We know that news regarding Fall Guys on Nintendo Switch™ and Xbox is highly anticipated. We’re finalising development, and though it isn’t within this update, it’s still coming! Until then, we’re super excited to enable this cross-platform functionality for our existing platforms as a first step.” For fans of the game, Mediatonic has collaborated with Hasbro to deliver a unique Monopoly set – Fall Guys Monopoly. The board and its respected pieces reflect the game and its beans that make the game unique. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for more additions coming to Fall Guys? Fall Guys is out now for PlayStation 4 and PC; playable via backwards compatibility for PlayStation 5. Source: Mediatonic
Kao the Kangaroo Returns This Summer! Demo Available Now
After two decades, Kao the Kangaroo is returning from the depths for an all new adventure this Summer. Tate Multimedia made the announcement recently, along with a brand new demo that is available now on Steam Next Fest. Many of you younglings may not remember the original adventures of Kao the Kangaroo, seeing as it was released back on the original Dreamcast in 2000. I was 21 at the time, but I digress. Kao boasts a playstyle akin to Super Lucky’s Tale and Spyro in a 3d platformer with tons of sentient animals both friend and foe. Just imagine Kung-Fu Panda but only ahead of its time. Kao, which is pronounced as the letters K-O, comes with a nifty set of boxing gloves to aid in his quest. At launch, Kao will find himself embarking on his biggest adventure yet, setting out to find his missing sister and solve the mystery of what happened to his long-lost father. Players will join Kao as he picks up his magical boxing gloves and travels the world confronting famous fighting masters who are under the influence of disturbing, dark power, all while exploring a colorful and vibrant world alive with activity and visual flair. Kao the Kangaroo will launch digitally and physically on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam this summer.
A Plague Tale: Requiem Collector’s Edition Revealed
Focus Home Entertainment has announced a physical Collector’s Edition for their upcoming hit A Plague Tale: Requiem. It is available only on the Focus Home store and includes a number of excellent items for Xbox Series, PlayStation 5 and Steam. The highlight of the edition is an 8-inch tall statue of both Amecia and Hugo wearing their main outfits from the game. Also included is a bird feather metallic brooch inspired by the feathers Hugo wears in game, a 45 RPM vinyl of the game’s soundtrack (composed by Olivier Derivière, three amazing A4 lithographs of exclusive artwork from the game, and, last but not least, the alternative cover for the game’s box. The soundtrack of A Plague Tale: Innocence was incredibly methodic and peaceful so Requiem’s score should easily follow along the same path. In addition to the physical items, purchasers will also receive the Protector Pack in game including a Red Damsel crossbow skin for Amecia, 13 exclusive cosmetics for Amecia and bonus crafting materials. We still have no firm release date for A Plague Tale: Requiem yet with only a 2022 placeholder, but we should hear more soon. Although it will be on Steam and PlayStation 5 as well, it will be released as a day one release on Xbox Series X Game Pass. Last we saw Amecia and Hugo, they were riding the wagon literally off into the sunset at the conclusion of Innocence. What awaits them now? Check out the alternate image of the box art below, with the main image up top.
Nintendo disrespects legacy eShop games
Nintendo announced that it will no longer sell games for the Wii U and 3DS games digitally after March 2023. While it’s normal for “legacy games” to no longer be in physical production, they are still selling digitally through the other stores. So why is Nintendo removing them? Nintendo says “This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.” Okaaay… In a way, it makes sense because with the Wii U and 3DS systems no longer in production, as time passes, it wouldn’t be feasible for Nintendo sell them when people are “no longer playing them”. Unlike its competitors, you can’t play these games on the Switch (the latest system). This is where the heart of the problem lies. Again, with the competitors, you can play most of the legacy games. For example, you can play Battlefront II (2005) on the Xbox One/Series with the similar control scheme as the original Xbox. You can’t find that on Nintendo. You won’t be able to play Twilight Princess on the Switch because it is not available. Why? Why couldn’t Nintendo copy what its competitors are doing by making the legacy titles backwards compatible with the current one? It worked with the original Wii and Wii U, albeit limited to only the previous generation, but it was there. Yes, the Switch is not on disc format, but Nintendo couldn’t find a way to make these games playable digitally? There is, of course, backlash to this announcement. YouTube gaming commentator, ReviewTechUSA, says “Nintendo doesn’t give a damn about the customer” in his 10-minute video. He has even encouraged piracy because the scarcity of these legacy titles in physical format will skyrocket the prices. (For the record, I do not encourage piracy for not only for legal, but also security reasons; downloading ROMs could install viruses, spyware, malware, or any other x-ware that can damage your computer). Video Game History Foundation says “… we don’t understand what path Nintendo expects its fans to take, should they wish to play these games in the future.” It also calls the practice “actively destructive” in preventing the preservation of these legacy titles. It is possible for Nintendo to make titles for the classsic Nintendo and other systems to be on the Switch. But given Nintendo’s history on how it has handled classic titles, the path to its possibility is mixed at best. You could make the argument that you can still keep the classic systems and still play these titles. But if the games are no longer in print and they break, then where will you get them from? I’ve already addressed the piracy issue. It seems like Nintendo still hasn’t learned anything on its own history dealing with backwards compatibility as well as how its competitors are doing it. I understand that Nintendo wants to be “creative” and “innovative” whenever a new system comes out (the Switch has now sold over 103 million units, making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console yet); but it seems short-sighted for Nintendo to not include most of its legacy titles at the launch of any new system. This is 2022, and its inexcusable for the House of Mario to act like it’s 2002. If Nintendo still wants to continue selling like hot cakes for its next system, it needs to consider the legacy games for the new system. It could sour the fanbase and may make gamers “switch” to other systems to play those games. I don’t believe this is something Nintendo wants to do, but historically, Nintendo will Nintendo. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
