Report details PlayStation’s planned Game Pass Service

PlayStation plan Game Pass-like subscription service with Spring launch

Looks like Xbox Game Pass is making enough of a splash for Sony to respond with its own PlayStation subscription service, reportedly codenamed Spartacus.

That means a monthly fee access to a rotating catalogue of new and old games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

• Expected to launch in Spring 2022
• Merges PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now
• PlayStation Now will be ‘phased out’ entirely
• PlayStation Plus branding ‘will be retained’
• Xbox Game Pass has attracted over 20 million subscribers

Not finalised: The details are still being worked out, but the new subscription service will apparently feature three tiers, with the first one corresponding to the current PlayStation Plus/Now subscription.

Multiple tiers: The second tier would include a large catalogue of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games, while the third one will also include a library of emulated PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable games, which will likely be playable via cloud-based technology.

What was the last game released for the Sega Saturn in Europe?

a) The Legend Of Oasis
b) Deep Fear
c) Clockwork Knight 2    
d) Lunacy

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.

Halo Infinite and Final Fantasy XIV’s Endwalker expansion due this week

Christmas comes early this year as Halo Infinite launches for PC and Xbox, and the Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker expansion hits PC and PlayStation.

Monday – December 6th

• SpellForce 3 Reforced for PC

Tuesday – December 7th

• Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker for PC, Mac, PS4, PS5

Wednesday – December 8th

• Halo Infinite for PC, XBO, XSX

Thursday – December 9th

• Loop Hero for NS
• Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX for PC, NS, iOS

Activision Blizzard “will not be a part” of The Game Awards this year

Geoff Keighley has announced that Activision Blizzard will not participate in The Game Awards this year, following the tsunami of lawsuits, sexual harassment allegations, and bad management washing over the publishing giant.

“There is no place for abuse, harassment or predatory practices in any company or any community,” said Keighley. The awards show goes live on December 9th from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Safe space: “We all need to work together to build a better and a more inclusive environment so everyone feels safe to build the world’s best games.”

Devs first: “Incredible games – and the talented developers who build them – are who we want to celebrate.” Activision’s senior leadership has also faced criticism from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

The Game Awards will be airing live at 8 p.m. EST / 1am GMT (Early Friday morning in UK) on Thursday via YouTube.

Ubisoft, IMGN.PRO and Digitized sales

Big savings over at Humble Bundle with the Ubisoft Celebration Sale cutting as much as 85% off this collection of franchises that include Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin’s Creed, and Star Trek.

Some more bargains from the IMGN.PRO Publisher Sale with up to 80% off featuring SUPERHOT and Spintires. Lastly, the Digitized Bundle is pay-what-you-want for table-top inspired games.

Upload VR Showcase – Winter 2021

The Upload VR showcase was just broadcast, featuring games like Nerf Ultimate Championship, Against, Smash Drums, Ultrawings 2, Vertigo 2, Little Cities, After The Fall, and more.

Lucky's Tale on its way to SteamVR & PSVR

Lucky's Tale originally launched for Oculus Rift in 2016 and arrived on Meta Quest 2 earlier this year, so now it's time for SteamVR, PlayStation VR, and Viveport to play host to the adorable fox.

Cities: VR alpha gameplay for Quest 2

Fast Travel Games is bringing successful city builder Cities to Meta Quest 2 as – drumroll – Cities: VR. It's still early days, but it's never too early for alpha gameplay

• This Is the President is a nefarious political thriller out on December 6th, and THQ Nordic demonstrates how to retire Supreme Court judges
• Paper Mario for Nintendo 64 is coming to Switch Online on December 10th, complete with a new trailer
• Creators look back on Jak and Daxter for their 20th anniversary and reminisce about the first game on PlayStation 2
• MachineGames adds Horde Mode to Quake alongside the Honey add-on for all platforms
• The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience can now be pre-downloaded from the PS5 and Xbox Store, with a reveal planned for the Game Awards
• Netflix posts 11 second teaser for their Resident Evil show featuring an iconic four-legged foe

What was the last game released for the Sega Saturn in Europe?

ANSWER: Deep Fear!

The Sega Saturn faced stiff competition from PlayStation and Nintendo 64, and simply could not stand up to it. That doesn't mean it was a bad console: It had some stand-out games like Deep Fear, a survival horror game inspired by Resident Evil that never made it to the states.

Though Deep Fear might look like a cheap knock-off, its underwater setting and excellent monster designs by Yasushi Nirasawa gave it a unique atmosphere. Sure, it's a little bit on the easy side and somehow manages to out-cheese Resident Evil with its acting, but let's not be too hard on the Saturn now. It tried very, very hard.

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!