Gaming Control: Highs and Lows Of Game Developers Plus Esports and Game Releases
Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Nintendo
Console: Amidst an acquisition from Microsoft and mounting legal issues, Activision Blizzard has announced their work on a new project. The new game is a survival-based game and the developer's first attempt in the genre. According to the announcement on Blizzard’s website, the unnamed survival game will be made available for console and PC. However, with Microsoft’s eventual acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the game will most likely be only available to the Xbox console and not PlayStation.
The PlayStation 5 has been around since late 2020, but the new gaming system has been difficult to get a hold of due to scalpers and high demand worldwide. Thankfully, there is good news for future PlayStation 5 gamers. PlayStation Direct is now taking registrations for customers in the United States and most of Western Europe. Potential buyers need to have a PlayStation Network ID to register for access to the new stock. Once entered on the PlayStation Direct website, a select few will receive an email providing instructions on how to purchase a PlayStation 5. While this option still leaves the outcome uncertain, many would choose to avoid scrolling for hours through online shops and blogs.
Fans around the world wait in anticipation for the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Nintendo’s first attempt to create an open-world game for the Pokémon franchise has been met with excitement and caution. While future players look forward to setting out in unique, open areas, there is also a concern anticipating a lackluster performance of the new feature. Either way, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a title that goes beyond a simple remake by taking a unique spin on the setting players find themselves in. A new story taking place in a distant age, new Pokémon, and new experiences are what this game has to offer for Pokémon fans.
Venba - Visai studios
PC: The year 2022 has PC gamers excited for new games to play. One to keep an eye on is the narrative action-adventure game, Thirsty Suitors. The game is the joint effort of Outerloop Games and Annapurna Interactive. Both companies have large portfolios in mobile gaming, and both are known to create games that portray underrepresented cultures and themes. The main character, Jala, finds herself back in her small hometown amid her sister’s wedding. The story has players help Jala confront her checkered past, navigate cultural differences, and help her become her best self. The game is a good choice for those to invest time playing an indie game featuring diverse characters and a relatable narrative.
Want to take a step back from the small-town drama and relax at home? The narrative cooking game, Venba, can provide that feeling. Gamers play as an Indian immigrant mother who immigrated to Canada with her family in the 1980s. The game is a relaxed and insightful experience by enabling the player to cook exceptional southern Indian dishes, restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations about love and loss, and explore with a unique soundtrack inspired by Indian Musicals. Visai Studios’ Venba is an example of how family life and learning a new culture can be just as engaging as any other game.
Another emotional rollercoaster to experience is the game Afterlove EP. A mix of adventure, dating sim, and rhythm game, Afterlove EP follows the story of young Jakarta musician Rama. Due to the recent passing of his girlfriend, Cinta, Rama wastes away while brooding about the life and promises he had with her. His friends try to comfort and help him move on but are unsuccessful. By some twist of fate, Rama begins to hear Cinta’s voice in his head, following him alongside his interactions and choices in life. Afterlove EP is illustrated in manga-like art from Indonesian artist, Soyatu, and includes an original soundtrack from the Indonesian indie band, L’alphalpha. Afterlove EP, created by an all-Indonesian team, brings an emotional story of love and loss to the beautiful city of Jakarta.
Mobile: Chinese game developer miHoYo has announced the start of its promotion event, “The Lantern Rite Festival,” on Genshin Impact. “The Lantern Rite Festival” is an annual in-game event that consistently offers a positive experience to the players. Genshin Impact is an RPG featuring an anime-style open-world environment and an action-based battle system. Players use the elements and a diverse selection of characters provided with voices talents from different languages and ethnic groups. In addition to the event enabling in-game rewards and new story content, miHoYo has also announced that the 2.5 update will soon arrive for Genshin Impact as part of its continued effort to create new content monthly.
Square Enix has recently teased the release of its newest mobile game, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis. The game was developed by Japanese game developer Applibot, Inc and published by Square Enix. Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is an RPG that retells the stories of past Final Fantasy VII spin-off games, including Advent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus. A unique feature of the mobile game is players can choose to play the differing storylines outside of their canonical order. An official release date has not been announced, but Square Enix promises to release Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis in 2022.
In Esports news, one of the thirty-seven sports to be played at the 2022 Asian Games will be Esports. This will be the first occasion where Esports will be an official medal event at Asian Games and the second time in a multi-sport event, the last being in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. For this year’s competition, there will be eight medal events and two demonstration events. The contested games are Battlegrounds Mobile India, Defense of the Ancients (DotA) 2, Hearthstone, FIFA 2022, League of Legends, Street Fighter V, Arena of Valor, and Dream of The Three Kingdoms 2. The two demonstration events will be Robot Masters and VR Sports.
Meta
VR: The company Meta announced on February 2 that its Quest store surpassed $1 billion in content sales since its 2019 launch. This statistic represents a massive growth in purchasing through the Quest store. Since the last milestone, the company shared, its average monthly revenue grew from $12.4 million to $51.3 million. VR might not be as commonplace as others claim it to be, but it's certainly making an impact in the gaming industry, with the Oculus Quest being the most favored VR headset in the market. With Meta's current product and its efforts to maintain relevance in VR gaming, revenue could potentially multiply even more.