PlayStation Plus Subscription Numbers Drop In Q1

Sony Group adjusts profit projections

Sony is making more money than expected, having just adjusted its profit projection from ¥660 billion to ¥700 billion for the financial year ending in March 2022.

Both the music and consumer electronic divisions have been doing brisk business this quarter, offsetting the declining revenues from the PlayStation business due to the launch of the PlayStation 5 and its manufacturing costs.

• Sony says it has enough semiconductor chips to reach its target of 22 million units by the end of the current fiscal year
• PlayStation Plus subscribers were up by 1.3m year-on-year, but dropped by a million in Q1 2021, going from 47.6 to 46.3 million
• Sony isn't worried about the decline in monthly active users and PlayStation Plus subscribers
• Industry Analyst Daniel Ahmad backs this claim, suggesting that the pandemic makes the dip more "pronounced" and that it's normal to see a decline in Q1

Fewer games: As COVID-19 lockdown measures are gradually eased, videogames sales are dropping from its recent highs. Sony reported its largest annual net profit ever in 2020.

Great expectations: Net profits rose by 9.4% to ¥211.8 billion from April to June, with first-quarter sales up 15% to ¥2.26 trillion. Sony Group's annual sales forecast remains at ¥9.7 trillion for now.

How long was Duke Nukem Forever in development?

a) 5 years
b) 10 years
c) 12 years
d) 15 years

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.

Season 21 begins in Sword & Shield

It's time for the next Ranked Battles season in Pokémon Sword & Shield, with Season 21 following Series 10 regulations. Only Pokémon caught in Sword & Shield are eligible, so no transferred Pokémon can enter. In other news, Pokémon Unite will have a server update later today.

Pokémon Masters EX

• Flying- and Psychic-Type Egg Event from August 2nd until 16th
  • MC Sync Pairs: Exeggcute, Spearow, Farfetch'd and Abra
  • Shiny variants for Exeggcute, Spearow, and Farfetch'd

Pokémon Sword & Shield

• Ranked Battles August 2021 – Season 21
• Only Pokémon caught in Sword & Shield allowed
• Battle Team limited to one special Pokémon:
  • Mewtwo, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, or Calyrex
• Rewards increase with tiers from Master Ball to Poké Ball

Pokémon Unite

• Server update on August 4th at 12:00am PDT/7:00am UTC
• Various text and bug fixes applied
• Spectator feature test release between August 4th and 6th
• Adjustments to Pokémon abilities to improve game balance

Axiom Verge 2 release could be imminent

Axiom Verge 2 could finally be just around the corner. Originally slated for an autumn 2020 release, it was delayed until the first half of 2021 and then delayed again.

The game is currently expected sometime in the third quarter of 2021, and updates to the Nintendo eShop suggest that a release is imminent – perhaps as soon as this month.

Possibly maybe: It's pretty likely that Axiom Verge 2's release date will be announced at the next Indie World Showcase. Nintendo often times its showcases to coincide with game

WB Games Publisher Sale up to 85% off

It's discount time once again as the WB Games catalogue goes on sale at Humble Store in the aptly named WB Games Publisher Sale, featuring up to 85% off on major titles.

You can find the classic Hitman games, fighting game action with Injustice and Mortal Kombat, more Lego than you can shake a stick at, and spine-tingling horror in F.E.A.R.

• Third part of Pokémon Go’s Ultra Unlock event revealed with focus on Sword & Shield’s Galar region
• Play Far Cry 5 for free from August 5th to 9th on PC, Xbox and PlayStation alongside an 85% discount
• Grab yourself a pack of Mario Hanafuda Cards from the My Nintendo Store
• Fan recreates Knights of the Old Republic intro using Unreal Engine 5 ahead of upcoming miniseries
• Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania features Beat from the beloved cult classic Jet Set Radio

How long was Duke Nukem Forever in development?

ANSWER: 15 Years!

It has been a decade since Duke Nukem proved that you can’t always bet on him with the singularly disappointing Duke Nukem Forever. That’s still not as long as the game was in development, though: The legendarily interminable process started at 3D Realms in 1996, and eventually came to a head at Gearbox Studios in 2011. Going through multiple engines and a veritable horde of developers, it was a truly epic exercise in hubris.

3D Realms collapsed in 2009, laying off most of its staff including the Duke Nukem Forever team, and only barely kept its lights on. Take-Two promptly filed a lawsuit for breach of contract and forced 3D Realms to sell the Duke Nukem license to Gearbox Software. Gearbox eventually finished Duke Nukem Forever and launched it in 2011. While not a smash hit, it eventually proved financially successful – at least for Take-Two.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!