Game Control: Junichi Masuda Leaves Game Freak And Kristen Hines Has A New Role AT Activision Blizzard
Console: One of Game Freak's co-founders, Junichi Masuda, decides to leave the company and the development of future Pokémon games. Masuda served as the director for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, FireRed and LeafGreen, Diamond and Pearl, Black and White, Let's Go Pikachu, and other Pokémon titles. However, because of Masuda's departure from Game Freak, he will no longer be working on future titles in the Pokémon series. Serving The Pokémon Company as a Chief Creative Fellow, Masuda will now be looking more into the Pokémon brand through merchandise instead of games. While some Pokémon fans were sad to hear that he'd be leaving the team, many were glad he was staying with the franchise.
During Nintendo Direct on Tuesday, June 28, Square Enix revealed a new game called Harvestella. The video game is a cross between farming sims and action RPGs set to release on November 4, 2022. Harvestella's game trailer introduced players to Lethe Village with the game's life simulation aspects. Alongside farming, Harvestella features cooking and crafting gameplay, and players can also venture outside the village to fight monsters and gather materials. The in-game combat will feature a magic system allowing the player to perform several attacks. As teased in the game trailer, combat features will also include boss battles.
Persona 5 Royal will launch on Xbox and Windows with every DLC included. First reported by Persona Central on June 27, the previously PlayStation-exclusive Persona 5 Royal arrives on Xbox and Windows platforms on October 21, 2022. The game’s developer made the decision to include all previously released DLC content for Persona 5 Royal’s debut on the Xbox and Windows. The over 40 DLC items for the game include new character costumes for the players to enjoy as well as gaining access to music and costume sets from the four previous Persona games.
The Nintendo Switch RPG Game Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is launching earlier than anticipated through a new trailer reveal on April 20, 2022. The trailer showcased gameplay and unique features of the game and an updated release on July 29, 2022. Initially scheduled for late September 2022, Nintendo’s decision to move the release date forward comes as a pleasant surprise to fans of the Xenoblade franchise. Nintendo also revealed a special edition version of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, sold exclusively through the Nintendo's online store. The special edition will include a copy of the game, a steel-book case, and an art book.
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PC: Activision Blizzard officially acknowledged a union set up by staff at game developer studio Raven Software, and negotiations with the Communications Workers of America will begin soon. In a letter to employees, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick explained that most of the staff have chosen to be represented by the union. As such, Activision Blizzard agreed to negotiations for entering into a collective bargaining agreement. This decision creates the first labor union at a major North American video game company. The newly formed Game Workers Alliance union is backed by the Communication Workers of America.
Activision Blizzard has a new Diversity Chief named Kristen Hines, and she will join the company on April 25th. Hines previously worked at Accenture, a tech firm dealing with IT services, for sixteen years as the lead Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity practice. Hines has stated that she intends to diversify the Activision Blizzard workforce by looking to increase the number of women and non-binary individuals by fifty percent over the next five years. While Activision's bid to restore faith in its workforce has led to some complications, the company may be putting a good foot forward. Hiring an experienced Black woman shows the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion and could lead to improved employee morale.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a free-to-play farm-life sim from developer Gameloft. On June 28, on Nintendo Direct, Disney announced that early access will be on September 6, 2022. The sandbox game's debut will hit not just Steam Early Access, but it will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch platforms as well. The game lets each player create a character and live as a citizen in the fictional Dreamlight Valley, where players can interact and assist with neighbors Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, and WALL-E.
Elden Ring director and FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki is directing a new game. In an interview with the Japanese site 4gamer, Miyazaki discussed his and the studio's production plans. During the interview, he confirmed that FromSoftware has multiple games in development, with one in its final stages. Miyazaki claims that this next game is set to release soon and wishes to avoid any spoilers until the release of the game trailer. He added that for this game, he will strive to be more abstract than in previous works.
Square Enix conducted system maintenance on April 11-12 in preparation for the Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.1 update. The update includes new main scenario quests that begin a new storyline, new side quests, a new alliance raid, and new features designed to improve the solo play experience, starting with A Realm Reborn content. One example of single-player support from Patch 6.1 is a new Duty Support system that enables players to play 4-player main scenario dungeons and trials solo with a party of NPCs alongside the player.
Actor Jason Momoa will star in the Warner Bros. upcoming Minecraft movie. Jared Hess from Napoleon Dynamite has also been recruited as the new director of the adaptation. Minecraft developer Mojang revealed that the plot will center around a teenage girl and her out-of-this-world adventures. After the Ender Dragon leaves a path of destruction in its wake, the girl and her friends must save the Overworld. The film has been in development limbo since 2014 but is now showing signs of progress with this piece of news.
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Mobile: Netflix attended Geeked Week and showcased several games on the last day of the week-long event. The streaming company teamed up with Geoff Keighley to share their selection of games coming to Netflix’s gaming platform. Of the games present at Geeked Week, the ones that received the most attention were a game based on The Queen's Gambit, Lucky Luna from the creator of Alto's Odyssey, and Poinpi from the creator of Downwell. These games are in Netflix’s mobile streaming app, but people can play the actual games outside the app. Netflix’s new games also do not contain ads or microtransactions and are included as part of the Netflix subscription.
usTwo Games has officially announced an upcoming title made in partnership with Netflix called Desta: The Memories Between. Exclusively for Netflix subscribers on mobile, players engage in strategic turn-based action across a fantasy environment. Desta: The Memories Between lets players experience themes of introspection and self-reflection as they follow the tale of Desta, the main protagonist who struggles with a mysterious dream world every night. Players must decipher vague memories as they throw glowing balls and uncover more of their past.
Square Enix released a video on April 10, 2022, advertising three new games for the Kingdom Hearts franchise during a celebration of the game’s 20th anniversary. In addition to teasing viewers on the Kingdom Hearts 4 console sequel, the video unveils a new mobile game and an update for the Kingdom Hearts Dark Road mobile game. The new game is called Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. Not much info is displayed, but the video revealed some gameplay footage and an announcement for the open beta to be released in late 2022. The newest and last update for Kingdom Hearts Dark Road will allow players to access the game’s features in an offline capacity.
China ends its freeze on granting new licenses to gaming companies located within the country. This announcement comes as a massive relief to the gaming companies and the gaming industries in China. In July 2021, China announced that it would stop granting licenses to gaming companies. The freeze went alongside some of China’s new rules for gaming, which included laws on the number of hours teenagers could game per week. The change resulted in the Chinese government granting licenses to forty-five games on April 11, 2022. The move saw a positive jump in market shares for Chinese gaming companies.
VR: Japan-based developer MyDearest has unveiled its upcoming VR sci-fi adventure game for Meta Quest 2, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate. The game will be the developer’s first adventure game. The studio says players take on the role of Hal, a Special Supervisor in Astrum Close City. A futuristic marine location, Astrum Close City, is where crime has been eradicated. However, when the founder of the city is suddenly murdered, Hal must step in and bring the suspect to justice. MyDearest claims that the release is only the first episode of the series. “Episode I” of Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate launches on Meta Quest 2 in late 2022 followed by a console release of the game for Nintendo Switch.
On April 12, 2022, Meta announced the testing of selling tools inside Horizon Worlds for creators to sell things inside of the platform and earn money. The company has offered more details about how that will work, including the fees creators will pay on earnings made through the platform. Meta states that its goal is to allow people to earn income from creating virtual goods through its systems. The company has made plans to gather feedback on the Horizon Worlds selling tools to better adapt the tools over time.