Top Story
More expensive next-gen games
Games have cost pretty much the same for the last 20 years, although microtransactions and DLC have increased the total amount you can spend on them. But it looks like that’s about to change.
2K Sports’ NBA 2K21 will cost $69.99/£64.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. According to IDG Consulting CEO Yoshio Osaki, “other publishers are also exploring moving their next-gen pricing up on certain franchises.”
Flagship inflation: “Not every game should garner the $69.99 price point on next-gen, but flagship AAAs such as NBA 2K merit this pricing more than others,” he continued. Neither Microsoft nor Sony have announced price points for their next-gen consoles, or recommended retail prices for games.
Costs are up: Just last week former SIE Worldwide Studios boss Shawn Layden said that “the cost of games have gone up ten times. If you don’t have elasticity on the price-point, but you have huge volatility on the cost line, the model becomes more difficult. I think this generation is going to see those two imperatives collide.”
Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?
What was the first game Ubisoft published in English?
- Iron Lord
- Zombi
- Fred
- Puffy’s Saga
The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today’s issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.
Daily Fact
Ratchet & Clank started out as villains
Insomniac’s Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! had a very curious pair of enemies that you wouldn’t see again until 2002.
When Ratchet and Clank made their PlayStation 2 debut, you might have had a feeling of deja-vu. That’s because Ripto’s Rage had you fight a large, furry orange enemy brandishing a wrench and his smaller robot buddy.
Looks like the Ratchet & Clank character designs were already kicking around the Insomniac office long before they became heroes of their own series.
Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.
Hyper Scape Begins
Ubisoft announces Hyper Scape
Hyper Scape is Ubisoft’s contender for the battle royale throne, a science fiction shooter set in a future where virtual world are the primary means of entertainment.
There’s a closed PC beta underway, and Hyper Scape will launch on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this summer. If you want to give the PC beta shot, you can earn a spot by watching streams and earning drops on Twitch.
- Hyper Scape: Official World Premiere Trailer
- Hyper Scape: First Look & Dev Diary Trailer
- Hyper Scape: Gameplay Overview Trailer
- Hyper Scape: 5 Essential Tips For New Players
Tweaked formula: If you’ve played a battle royale before, you’ll immediately recognize the basic idea but Hyper Scape has some ideas of its own, such as the end-game, where it’s either a free-for-all or a so-called Crown Rush, where teams need to hold onto a crown.