Game Control: VR Awards, A New Pokémon Game, ‘Elden Ring’ Release, and Netflix Taking Another Large Step Into The Gaming Industry
Pokémon Scarlet - Nintendo
Console: On February 25, 2022, fans of the Dark Souls franchise got what they have been anticipating for years: the release of Elden Rings. Elden Rings is an action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. What makes fans particularly excited is that the game was made in collaboration with fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, who provided material for the game's setting. Since its release, Elden Ring has received universal acclaim and scores favorably with video game media sites like Metacritic, IGN, and Polygon.
Fans of Pokémon are hyped up for the release of the new Gen 9 Pokémon games, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. The two games were announced on February 27, 2022, along with the reveal of the new starter Pokémon Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quality. Launching off the success of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, these new games also include a new open-world design as mentioned on Pokémon's official game website. While the open-world feature brings excitement to many, some are concerned that the traditional mechanics of capturing Pokémon will be left behind.
Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, announced changes to senior leadership on the development team for the game Halo Infinite. Booty claimed that those who left had differing views from the rest of the team. During an interview with The New York Times, Booty mentioned creative director Tim Longo, executive producer Mary Olson, and former studio head for FPS, Chris Lee are among those who have left. The game’s lead multiplayer designer Andrew Witts has also announced his departure from the team on March 5, 2022.
Hearthstone - Blizzard
PC: In a surprise announcement, Square Enix has revealed that the highly anticipated game Forspoken will be delayed in its release until October 11, 2022. Originally set for release on May 24, 2022, the new RPG sees the player awaken into a world with swords, dragons, and magic. Square Enix expressed their apology, stating their reason for delaying the release is to double-check and polish up the game for a few months.
Indie gaming host and seller Itch.io has launched the charity movement “Bundle for Ukraine,” a massive effort to raise funds for two humanitarian organizations aiding civilians in Ukraine. The bundle was initiated by Necrosoft Game, the studio responsible for Gunhouse and Hyper Gunsport. Since then, over seven hundred creators have joined the effort. Together, they will split all income between International Medical Corps—a medical assistance organization—and Voices of Children, a Ukraine-based organization that helps children cope with the horrors of war, PTSD, readjusting to school, and returning to normal life.
Game developer Blizzard has a lot planned for Spring 2022. The first of three planned expansions for the game Hearthstone will be released on March 15. Along with Hearthstone, Blizzard will also be revealing the next World of Warcraft expansion on April 19. This announcement follows the completion of its latest expansion, Shadowlands. Lastly, the Warcraft mobile game revealed in February will be explored more in Spring 2022. Little is known about this new game due to a lack of information from Blizzard.
A Musical Story - Glee-Cheese Studio
Mobile: Netflix, the leader in streaming services, is also attempting to make a name for itself in the gaming industry. On March 2, 2022, Netflix announced plans for acquiring Finnish game developer/publisher Next Games. This isn’t the first time the two companies have worked together. Back in 2021, in collaboration with Netflix, Next Games released the mobile RPG Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. Many believe that this acquisition is not only conducted to develop Netflix Game’s services, but also as a response to companies like Sony and Microsoft doing the same thing.
Gamers can get groovy in 2022 with the new game A Musical Story. A Musical Story, set in the 1970s, is a rhythm-based story where the player assumes the role of musician Gabriel. The game tells the story of Gabriel through music and visuals alone. The soundtrack comes with 26 original songs, and a secret chapter is available once all the songs are completed perfectly. A Musical Story is the debut game of independent French developer, Glee-Cheese Studio.
VR Awards
VR: Despite changes brought about by COVID-19, the annual VR Awards will return to London in late 2022. The VR Awards honors virtual reality innovators in recognition of their projects that shaped the way people interact with VR. The event, run by The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR), will be hosted on November 3, 2022. The ceremony presents awards to the best in VR applications ranging from gaming to healthcare. AIXR will be running events throughout 2022, and nominations for this year’s awards will open on April 25.
Pokemon Go technology provider and mobile gaming company Niantic recently purchased the web-based AR gaming company 8th Wall. 8th Wall’s acquisition could help Niantic provide a more accessible set of tools than its existing platform, enabling the company to build interactive AR content with a vaster distribution potential rather than through mobile apps. With its previous acquisitions of companies Hoss and 6D.ai, Niantic appears to be making efforts to end its dependence on platforms like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android for distributing its AR games and experiences.