Game Bytes: Sony’s PlayStation Plus and Zelda Holding Its Breath
It’s April and with Spring in bloom so is the news in the video game industry, except these buds might have thorns. Activision Blizzard is in the news once more this week, along with the new PlayStation Plus subscription service going up against Game Pass for Microsoft. Zelda and Fortnite took center stage for their announcements this week as well.
Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, have officially unveiled a Zero Build mode for the game that will become permanent. Many predicted that this was a temporary change meant to allow players to get used to new mechanics like sprinting, mantling, and more without having to deal with the challenge of building defensive features, however it’s become a permanent mode now. This mode will sit alongside the normal building battle royale mode in Fortnite, giving players the option to choose between the two before jumping onto the island.
This week PlayStation announced its own version of Microsoft’s game pass which is a way to pay monthly for access to the console’s gaming library. Unlike the one tier of Microsoft, PlayStation Plus will be spreading their games across three different tiers with three different price ranges being the PlayStation Plus Essential (cheapest), PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium (most expensive). All three tiers launch this June, although PlayStation did not reveal an official release date. PlayStation Plus Essential will allow two monthly downloadable games, discounts, cloud storage for saved games and multiplayer access, much like the PlayStation Now service already has and will be $9.99 a month. PlayStation Plus Extra will offer the same as the previous tier along with adding a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games including third-party partners for $14.99 a month. PlayStation Plus Premium includes the same benefits as the previous two tiers, but with an added 340 games from PS3, PSP, PS2 and the original PlayStation. The top tier will also offer cloud streaming access for all previous consoles as well as time-limited game trials where the customers can try select games before they buy, all for $17.99.
Activision Blizzard was in the news again this week due to one of the many lawsuits against it finally wrapping up. A U.S. judge has approved Activision Blizzard’s $18 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit had outlined details of sexual harassment and sex discrimination relating to its handling of pregnancy and retaliation against its female employees. The settlement was originally agreed upon in September 2021 but was put on hold after objections from the California Department For Employment and Housing the following month and had been in a state of limbo since.The court filing from the hearing states: “The Court is generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the non monetary provisions are fair, reasonable and adequate.”
One series that has had many delays in the past has always been The Legend of Zelda. The long awaited Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 that fans have been waiting for was delayed this week with a date some time in 2023. This is not the first time we’ve seen a delay for this much-anticipated game. The original Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was delayed multiple times before release only to be declared a game of the decade. One can only hope this delay will turn out similar results. Producer Eiji Aonuma announced and apologized for the delay in a video, saying “in order to make this game’s experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a while longer.”
E3 has been completely canceled this year, meaning it will not have an in-person show nor a digital event to look forward to. In a statement to VentureBeat, the Entertainment Software Association, which organizes E3, said the following: “We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022.” While there will be announcements around the time that E3 would have happened, it seems like we are starting to see an end to an era with the slow death of E3.
There are some very long awaited games releasing this week and we have the full list for you here. On the 5th of April, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC), and MLB The Show 22 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) were released. On the 7th of April, Chinatown Detective Agency (Xbox One, Switch, PC), Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC), Godfall: Ultimate Edition (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter (Switch), Slipstream (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch), and The House of the Dead: Remake (Switch) we be released.
Let us know what games you are looking forward to in the comments below and remember to follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch and all other social platforms for up to the minute news on all things nerdy.
