PS5 Verdicts and Classic Egg Returns🥚

EA not sure if they will increase prices yet

Some publishers have seen the next generation of consoles as an opportunity to hike game prices, but EA is not sure they will follow suit.

“I don’t really want to weigh in on that yet,” said EA COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen during an earnings call. “We’ll address that as we get closer to more games coming into the next-gen console transition.” Take-Two and Activision Blizzard have already bumped prices.

Battlefield 6

• On track for holiday 2021 with a modern military setting
• New maps designed for 128+ players but 32 vs. 32 remains the core experience
• “Epic battles at a scale and fidelity unlike anything you’ve experienced before.”

Star Wars: Squadrons

• Enhanced Xbox Series X / S update with two distinct modes:
  • Visuals (X / S) – 4K at 60fps / 1440p at 60fps
  • Performance (X / S) – 4K at 120fps / 1440p at 120fps
• PlayStation 5 with improved lighting matches PlayStation 4 Pro framerate
• Cross-platform play introduced for both platforms

Apex Legends

• Performance boost up to 1440p, with more upgrades in 2021
• Cross-platform play for all releases

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered

• Cross-platform support confirmed
• Xbox Series X matches Xbox One X
• Xbox Series S matches Xbox One S
• PlayStation 5 matches PlayStation 4 Pro

Other titles

• UFC 4, NHL 21, Madden NFL 21, FIFA 21 backward compatible
  • Matches counterparts; Xbox Series X to Xbox One X etc.
  • All platforms have improved load times and framerate
• The Sims 4 also confirmed next-gen ready

What was EA Gothenburg called while working on Need for Speed?

a) Ghost Games
b) EA Black Box
c) Criterion Games
d) Playground Games

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.

Jedi mind your head tricks

The 2015 Star Wars Battlefront reboot features a head-banging tribute to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. If you watch closely, you’ll notice a stormtrooper bang his head on some stairs during the training mission Overpower.

This is a reference to the infamous shot from the first Star Wars movie where a Stormtrooper bumps his head in a rising door when entering a control room to flush out our intrepid heroes. Battlefront also borrows the slightly more athletic force flip move exhibited by Emperor Palpatine in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today's fact.

PlayStation 5 review round-up

PlayStation 5 is just around the corner, but critics have already had the machine for a while – and some of them have delivered their verdict.

PlayStation 5 launches in some territories on November 12th, and will be available globally a week later, on November 19th. Retailers will not be selling the console in stores as part of COVID-19 measures, and orders have to be placed online.

• The Guardian (Score Unrated) – ”…Perhaps unsurprisingly after a quarter-century of selling consoles, Sony understands the excitement that surrounds a new one, and the PlayStation 5 leans into it. Big, bold-looking and festooned with new bells and whistles, it makes you feel as if you’re buying into something futuristic and novel. With games at £70 a throw, though, you’re certainly paying for it…”
• Expert Reviews (Score 5/5) – ”…The anticipation surrounding Sony’s next-gen console is so great that my impressions of the machine itself will always be drowned out a bit. It’s fortunate, then, that the PS5 is Sony’s best console to date. Effortlessly fast and unexpectedly innovative, the PS5 is more than capable of shouldering the burden of expectation it has been handed by those who have preordered it in their droves…”
• Wired UK (Score 9/10) – ”…It's hard to deny there's a bit more frisson surrounding Sony's next-gen effort compared to its chief rival, not least because it actually brings with it some truly new games. The likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls have some genuine excitement and hype around them and, in at least the case of the former, that hype bears out…”
• TheSixthAxis (Score Unrated) – ”The PlayStation 5 makes a phenomenal first impression with the sheer immersion that's possible through the DualSense controller, the compelling Tempest 3D audio engine and the gorgeous new graphical potential of its games, all of which are more connected than ever. There's quirks and a rigidity to some parts of the system software, and it could be a challenge to fit the PS5 into your TV set up, but this is a generational leap that could really make games feel different to play.”
• IGN (Score 8/10) – ”With a launch line-up dominated by games that are also available on PS4, and on the back of a generation already punctuated with incrementally more powerful hardware revisions like the PS4 Pro, the PS5 doesn’t quite land as a knockout punch yet – but it’s definitely got the power and speed to be a real contender (although the jury’s out on the stamina of that tiny 667GB SSD). However, while the PS5’s well-considered UI and blisteringly-quick loading times for PS5 games make it a pleasure to use, it’s the DualSense controller that’s proven to be the surprise haymaker I never saw coming; it truly leaves other controllers feeling primitive in comparison.”
• Digital Spy (Score 5/5) – ”…Sony has long-held the title as the most popular gaming system, and we really don't see that changing going into the next generation of consoles. The PlayStation 5 is a powerhouse console that will fit into any gamer's set-up. And despite the Xbox delivering an impressive console on their own, we just don't see anything that would make you want to throw away your PlayStation in Microsoft's favour. For us, the chief reason the PlayStation 5 is a must-have games console is from it's potential, both when it comes to the DualSense controller, and what devs can do with ray-tracing…”
• Tom’s Hardware (Score 4/5) – ”…The PlayStation 5 may not be the prettiest or the quietest, but it's modernized, it's powerful, and it's fast as hell. It will need some time to meet its full potential, but with a mix of exciting first- and third-party games and tantalizing tech, the PS5 has an exciting future ahead of it…”
• USA Today (Score Unscored) – ”…As with Xbox Series X and S, the PS5 does suffer from a lack of experiences specific to the console. Most older PS4 games are supported here, which should help bridge the gap, as will games as "Astro's Playroom" and "Spider-Man," but players may find themselves waiting to find more experiences built specific to PS5. However, right out of the box, thanks to its innovative controller, PS5 provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of video games…”
• Ars Technica (Score Unrated) – ”…If you already have a PS4, wait for more truly generational exclusives unless you really need the top-of-the-line right now…
• Push Square (Score Unrated) – ”…In many ways, the PS5 is a refinement of the PS4 experience in all the right areas, but Sony’s sprinkled some next-gen innovations into the mix. On the evidence of Astro’s Playroom alone, the new DualSense controller is a revelation, potentially adding a different dimension of feedback to gameplay – pending proper developer support, of course. Meanwhile, the system’s lightning fast SSD greatly improves the overall speed of games, while new user experience additions like the Activity cards improve the console’s general quality of life…

Fast Food Dizzy remake free with FUZE

The new Dizzy game you might have heard about is not so new after all. It’s a remake of Fast Food Dizzy from 1989 for FUZE, a game development suite that lets you make games on Switch.

The game will be free and act as an example of how to program games. The original game was developed for microcomputers like ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Atari ST.

COVID code: Dizzy creators Philip and Andrew Oliver developed the remake in FUZE during the first UK lockdown, and they are pretty chuffed: “It's been fantastic working with the team at FUZE who so passionately believe, as do we, that the best way to encourage students to learn to code, is to give them the tools to help them make games,” said Andrew, calling FUZE the “perfect solution as a stepping stone”

Spooky VR game Phasmophobia will be staying in Early Access for a while, since only one person is working on the project. According to developer Dknighter, the game's sudden popularity has "increased everyone’s expectations" and that means he must reconsider his plans for the project.

For the moment, his “only focus is getting the major bugs fixed” before adding more content. “After these bugs are fixed the new content will likely get bundled together in big updates.” Phasmophobia launched on Steam Early Access in September.

Virtual reality shooter Warhammer 40,000: Battle Sister won’t be killing in the Emperor’s name just yet, but the slaughter is expected to begin in December. The game will debut on Oculus Quest 2, but will also be available for Oculus Rift in 2021, and the team is “investigating other options as well.”

The team admits they were a bit surprised by how much demand there was for versions on other platforms as well. The single-player shooter is made by Pixel Toys and will be the first Warhammer 40,000 VR title with free movement.

• Control Ultimate Edition hits next-gen consoles in early 2021 after a delay was confirmed by Remedy Entertainment
• Kerbal Space Program 2 will blast off in 2022 as studio delays the planned autumn 2021 launch, saying “quality is paramount”
• No storage expansion available for PlayStation 5 at launch because the technology requires more engineering effort
• Fresh Godfall gameplay and developer Q&A in 52 minutes long stream featuring PlayStation 5 footage
• Enhanced Warframe coming to PlayStation 5 and Digital Extremes are revealing all the changes

To celebrate the start of a new generation of console gaming we are giving away a new PlayStation 5 to one lucky DailyBits reader. You can find out more about this giveaway on our dedicated page.

Here’s the Giveaway Code for Week 45: 8090

What was EA Gothenburg called while working on Need for Speed?

ANSWER: Ghost Games!

Ghost Games might not have quite the same brand recognition as BioWare or Maxis, but their work has still been quite important for EA. They started out as EA Gothenburg, and they originally focused on developing the Frostbite engine. They later took charge of the Need for Speed franchise between 2013 and 2019, taking over the series from Criterion Games.

They made four Need for Speed games: Rivals, Need for Speed, Payback and Heat. Only Rivals was particularly well received, and sales were not particularly impressive. As a result, EA handed Need for Speed back to Criterion, while Ghost Games will become EA Gothenburg again and acts as a support studio, helping out on projects across EA's roster of studios.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey.

We hope you've enjoyed today's issue DailyBits! Please feel free to send any feedback over to [email protected]. Thank You!