Video Game Chat

The Steam Sports Fest is officially underway. This event just kicked off and offers tons of sports and sports-adjacent games with sales and demos. The Steam Sports Fest runs from right now through to May 22. This little event encompasses all sorts of sports. You've got your traditional games like basketball, football (both kinds!), baseball, golf, boxing, maybe even some hockey and more. Then you have your less conventional sports titles like table tennis, extreme snowboarding, parkour, and cricket. Yes, even that mysterious sport of cricket is included in the Steam Sports Fest. It seems as though this Steam Sports Fest includes everything remotely sports related except for racing. Racing games had their own Steam Fest. Valve put together a cheeky trailer for the Steam Sports Fest, which you can see right now.

I think the issue is more about people who are emotionally susceptible to certain psychological disorders that predispose them to be more violent. Basically, some people have the inability to separate the two, for the regular mentally healthy person I don’t think video games create violence. But I don’t think it’s entirely impossible that certain people could support their violent tendencies with violent video games.

In an official joint statement from the ESA and new event organisers for 2023, ReedPop, E3 “did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.” Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming for ReedPop, shared that, “This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3.” “We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences,” they conclude. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, a series of publishers announced they would not be attending the event. This includes Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, with Ubisoft, Sega, and Tencent more recently announcing the companies would not be attending. E3 2023 was set to be the first in-person E3 event in four years. After COVID took its toll globally, the event was cancelled in 2020, with a digital-only event being hosted online in 2021. The 2022 event was also cancelled, with it being announced in July 2022 that E3 would be opening its doors again, for in-person interactions and showcases, in 2023. ReedPop and the ESA has said that it will, “continue to work together on future E3 events.”

The next Xbox Showcase is happening later this month. The event will be called ‘Xbox Developer Direct’ and will focus on and include deep dives into Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and new content from ZeniMax Online Studios. According to the report, the Xbox Developer Direct will take place on January 25 at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET / 8 pm GMT on Xbox’s Twitch and YouTube channels. It’s not a full-blown E3-scale type of show but will be a more intimate look at some of the upcoming exclusives. Nothing official has been announced yet but an announcement may come later this week. This comes after Aaron Greenburg, VP, Xbox Games Marketing tweeted out “This should be a fun week, excited for the days to progress!” Greenburg talked about Xbox’s plans for 2023 after the criticism of Xbox’s lack of appearance at The Game Awards 2022. Greenburg told fans “we have a lot planned to show and share about an incredibly exciting year ahead for 2023. Appreciate folks are eager to learn and see more. Timing is always key, but don’t worry you will not have to wait too long for what’s next from us.” Redfall was going to release last year alongside Starfield but both were delayed to 2023. Redfall is reportedly coming out in early May. Forza Motorsport is coming this spring. Minecraft Legends is also coming out sometime in 2023. The report says that Starfield will not be featured at the event because a dedicated showing may happen leading up to its release. Starfield is expected to launch within the first half of 2023. The report says that this new event, the Developer Direct is a new initiative from Microsoft and Xbox to offer information on upcoming games more frequently, outside of the major gaming events like E3 and The Game Awards

Google has announced that its game streaming platform will be winding down. Here's the full statement from Phil Harrison's blog post: At least all game and DLC purchases made through the Stadia Store and all hardware purchased in the Google Store will be refunded to customers.

Valve has listed its Steam sale dates for their autumn, winter, and spring sales. Previously, we had Lunar New Year celebrations on Steam which are now being replaced with a spring sale. Without further ado, here are the dates you can expect your wishlist, and plenty of other games, to be much cheaper. The autumn sale will start on Steam on November 22, running for a week until November 29. The winter sale will run from December 22 to January 5. As for the all-new spring sale, this one will start on March 16 and run until March 23. In a blog post regarding the changes to Steam’s four seasonal sales, Valve says that the spring sale is replacing the Lunar New Year sale because “over the years we've received feedback that Lunar New Year was often much too close to the December holiday sale period.” Valve also believes that some publishers will still opt to discount games around the Lunar New Year, but “we suspect customers will be better served by a little bit more time between the big Steam-wide seasonal sales.”

Ubisoft’s digital showcase Ubisoft Forward airs on September 10th and promises tons of new details on current and upcoming titles. A new trailer has been released that confirms updates on games like Skull and Bones and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Check it out below. A special Assassin’s Creed showcase to reveal the "future of the franchise" is also promised. Assassin’s Creed Mirage, confirmed as the next game in the series after numerous leaks, will be present. It’s reportedly releasing in Spring and brings back the crowd density seen in Assassin’s Creed Unity. The gameplay also allegedly includes various stealth-focused mechanics like throwing knives, hiding spots on rooftops, and slow-mo assassinations. In addition to the main show is a pre-show with updates on new content coming to titles like Brawhalla, For Honor, Anno 1800 and The Crew 2.

Sony has provided some additional information on its PlayStation VR2 headset by detailing the new see-through feature and broadcasting option. According to Sony, with PS VR2 you can see your surroundings while wearing the headset due to the new see-through feature. This feature allows you to check where the Sense controllers are without taking the headset off. This is accomplished thanks to the embedded front cameras. To use the see-through feature, you can press the function button on the headset or use the Card in the Control Center to switch between viewing your surroundings, or viewing content on the headset. The Card in the Control Center also gives quick access to other settings, such as adjusting the play area. There's also a broadcasting feature for PS VR2. It allows you to film yourself while playing when you connect a PS5 HD Camera to the console. You can also set up a customized Play Area using the Sense controllers and the embedded cameras. The cameras allow you to scan the room, while the Sense controllers allow you to expand and customize the play area further. While playing, if you get close to the boundary you've set up, you will be altered by a notification. You can modify your settings any time while PS VR2 is connected, and unless you move to a different play area, your settings will be saved. There's also a VR Mode and Cinematic Mode from which to choose from. In VR Mode, content can be experienced in a 360 view in a virtual environment and displayed in 4000 x 2040 HDR video format (2000 x 2040 per eye) with a 90Hz/120Hz frame rate. Cinematic Mode allows you to view the PS5 system and UI and all non-VR game and media content on a virtual cinema screen. Content in Cinematic Mode will be displayed in 1920×1080 HDR video format with 24/60Hz and also 120Hz frame rate. Sony said that PS VR2 game developers would soon be able to access these new features in an upcoming system software release. The company also promised it would share more information soon on PS VR2, including a launch date and additional games coming to the platform.

Sony has announced that PlayStation Plus will soon be getting over 50 free games from Ubisoft in the coming months. Just a few weeks back, the new revision of PS Plus finally kicked in, which means that more games across both PS4 and PS5 are available to those subscribed to the Premium and Extra tiers of the service. And prior to the end of 2020, subscribers to those versions of PS Plus will be getting a massive influx of Ubisoft titles. Outlined in a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Ubisoft detailed that it's planning to add even more games to its Ubisoft + Classics service down the road. Currently, this service is one that is also available to PS Plus Premium and Extra members and it features 27 games in total. By the end of 2022, though, Ubisoft has made clear that over 50 games will be available, although we don't yet know what all of them will be. "Ubisoft+ Classics initially launched with 27 Ubisoft titles, including Assassin's Creed Valhalla, The Division, and For Honor, as well as classic games like Child of Light, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, Watch Dogs, and Werewolves Within, with plans to expand the library to include over 50 titles by the end of 2022.," Ubisoft said of its plans to grow this service. In the coming week, Ubisoft confirmed that it would begin expanding Ubisoft+ Classics even further with the addition of some beloved Assassin's Creed titles. On Tuesday, July 19th, PS Plus subscribers will gain access to Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Assassin's Creed Unity, and Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered. In total, this lineup contains seven games (if you include the Freedom Cry DLC for Black Flag), which is quite an impressive way to bolster PS Plus that much more in the near future.

And the rest of the games

Microsoft is launching its Xbox TV app later this month, allowing owners of Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs and monitors to play Xbox games without a game console. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to access more than 100 games through Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs, streaming through the cloud-powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware. The Xbox TV app will work very much like Netflix does on TVs and will be available from Samsung’s gaming hub on June 30th in 27 countries. You simply log into your Microsoft account in the app and stream Xbox games just like you would through Xbox Cloud Gaming in a browser. Microsoft and Samsung will support a large number of controllers for the Xbox app, including the range of Xbox controllers, Sony’s DualSense, and many more. You simply connect a controller via Bluetooth, and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, Microsoft isn’t bumping up its streaming resolution to 4K, so games will be limited to 1080p streaming at 60fps. Microsoft has partnered with Samsung here for the initial rollout of the Xbox app, but it’s not clear when the app will be available on other TVs or even older Samsung models. “We are bringing the Xbox App to Samsung Smart TVs first, and our intent is to explore other TV partnerships as part of this next evolution in our vision,” explains Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox gaming experiences and platforms. This latest Samsung partnership follows similar marketing deals for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android as well as other Android and Windows-related partnerships. Originally announced last year, the Xbox TV app is a big milestone for Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass ambitions. Microsoft has been gradually expanding the reach of Xbox Cloud Gaming, bringing the service to iOS devices through the browser and even to the web, Xbox One consoles, and PCs. Microsoft also has plans for separate Xbox streaming devices that can plug into monitors or TVs and stream games very much like this Xbox TV app. The software maker revealed recently that it’s reworking its game streaming device, codenamed Keystone, so this puck-like hardware won’t be appearing anytime soon.

Microsoft plans to go into the games streaming business, according people familiar with the matter. According to a VentureBeat report, within the next 12 months, Microsoft plans to release an Xbox cloud-gaming streaming device which could be similar in form to a Roku puck or an Amazon Fire TV Stick. The report states the device will allow users to not only stream games available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but movies and television shows too. But it's not just a physical stick or puck. Samsung smart TVs are said to be getting an Xbox streaming app for the sets. Like the streaming sticks, it will also roll out sometime within the next 12 months. If Microsoft does produce the aforementioned, it wouldn't be surprising. Way back in 2016 at E3, Phil Spencer noted the gaming landscape was changing, and that while consoles remain a major part of the ecosystem, most people play games on more than one device and it's shifting the way we think about gaming. "At Xbox, we want to deliver a world where you have more freedom and choice to play the games you want, with the people you want, on the devices you want. A world where you can play without boundaries. A world beyond generations," he said. And the company is making good on its promise with its cloud gaming initiative, which has more and more games added to it every month. And most recently, Xbox Cloud Gaming added Fortnite to the service allowing you to play it on iOS, Android, and PC for free.

After nearly 30 years of partnership, EA and Fifa are reportedly splitting up with the Football franchise being rebranded as ‘EA Sports Football Club’. This has been confirmed by Gaming Journalist Jeff Grubb on his podcast Grubnsnax who said that his sources have confirmed the change. “EA Sports Football Club, EA Sports FC, that’s the name of the game, I saw trademarks for it, I thought that could be just a feature like an online mode, I asked around about it and that’s it, that’s the name.” The reason for this split is allegedly due to the documented tension between Electronic Arts and Fifa. EA stated last year that they believed that their games would be of better quality without the Fifa branding. Notably, in the previous report, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that Fifa impeded the developers from adding new features into the game and that the football organization wanted to double their license fees to 2.5 billion USD “over the next decade”. “Our players tell us they want more modes of play, different things beyond 11v11 and different types of gameplay. I would tell you, it’s been a fight to get FIFA to acknowledge the types of things that we want to create because they say our license only covers certain categories”. They even stated that they felt Fifa was just the name on the box and that they did not need those four letters for their games to succeed. “Our FIFA license has actually precluded us from doing a lot of this stuff. Again, FIFA is just the name on the box, but they’ve precluded our ability to be able to branch into the areas that players want.” EA’s current contract with Fifa will be expiring after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Sources and other news sites indicate that EA will go ahead with the name Fifa 23 for this year, however, it may be the last. EA usually announces the latest Fifa sports game in June before realizing the game in the fall. We will likely see the name of the latest Fifa game around this time.