News Mash-Up - Week # 22

Top News Items

• • Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2022 was a two-hour video presentation which featured 33 games. Almost half the videos were for games with a 2022 release date. Six games had a space theme to them, some games were promoting DLC for titles already in market . Eleven games were sequels or games from an existing franchise, numerous indies got showcased and there were six JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Games) which will have a limited Western market appeal. Geoff Keighley announced next year’s Summer Game Fest will also host a physical event. The ESA restated on social media that E3 2033 will return as a physical event, making for two US-based physical conferences during the summer of 2023.

  • In a 90-minute video Microsoft showcased 33 games at the Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase. Almost all games will be available on GamePass and all games revealed will be released in the next 12 months. Eighteen games are expected to release this year. Over eight games were existing releases but with extra DLC and nine games were coming from Xbox Game Studios and four games announced were from Bethesda. In a surprise announcement, games from PC developer Riot Games, such as League of Legends and Valorant, will be added to GamePass.

  • GamePass will extend its cloud-based gaming platform to include games outside its ecosystem. The new feature is expected to launch later this year. From 30th June you'll be able to play Game Pass Ultimate cloud-based games on Samsung smart TVs. This will be done via an app.

  • Microsoft revealed “Project Moorcroft”, the ability to play indie demos on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has said it will pay indie publishers/studios for their demos.

  • The June PlayStation State of Play was a 30-minute video which showcased 14 games. Six games had a 2022 release, four had a 2023 release, and the rest undisclosed. PSVR2 got centre billing with 5 games announced: Resident Evil 4 Remake, Resident Evil Village, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, No Man Sky and Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain. Apart from the PSVR2 games, no game was a PS5 exclusive, all were available for the PS4.

  • Spider-Man Remastered will release on the PC on 12th August.

  • Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has bought 8.1% of the shares in the Swedish publisher the Embracer Group. The investment is worth just over $1 billion and it will make PIF the second largest shareholder of the publisher. PIF already owns the SNK Corporation (famed retro Japanese games).

  • Activision Blizzard has officially recognized the union, Gamers Workers Alliance, set up by QA staff at Raven Software.
    
    
    
    

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Week commencing Monday 6 June 2022