TODAY: CD Projekt is now the most valuable game company in Europe — EA is planning to release the Command & Conquer source code — Valve has released Half-Life: Alyx mod tools, get ready for the VR mod scene

Top Story

Take-Two gearing up to publish 93 new games over the next half decade

Rockstar’s crime sandbox Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold over 130 million after 7 years, while Red Dead Redemption 2 from 2018 has sold a more modest but still enviable 31 million globally.

That makes Grand Theft Auto 5 the best-selling game in the United States this decade, and it's still going strong: A significant part of Take-Two's earnings come from Grand Theft Auto Online and NBA 2K.

Busy schedule: Take-Two is in rude health judging by their quarterly financial report, and the publisher is preparing to launch 93 games by March 2025. Analyst Daniel Ahmad says that 63 of these will be ‘core’ experiences, while 17 are ‘mid-core’ and the remaining 13 considered ‘arcade/casual’ games.

No IPs named: The publisher didn’t specifically mention any names, but it seems safe to assume that a new Grand Theft Auto is one of them. 2K Games just launched remastered versions of Mafia II and Mafia III, and will launch a complete remake of the original Mafia in August.

Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?

Which classic 70s cult film was adapted into a game by Rockstar?

• The Godfather
• Taxi Driver
• The Warriors
• Harold and Maude

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

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness has one very hidden room for diary reading

Got a secret diary? Do you also happen to have a super-secret room for it?

Nippon Ichi Software’s 2003 tactical RPG Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for PlayStation 2 contained a very hidden room you could discover by pushing some carefully concealed buttons and then found the entrance to Etna's secret chamber.

If you go through all this trouble and you're nosy enough to read every chapter of Etna’s diary entries, you’re eventually rewarded with an item called ‘Testament’. Later versions of the game for other platforms also rewarded curious players with Etna Mode after completing the game.

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

Industry News

CD Projekt is now the most valuable games studio in Europe

Polish company CD Projekt is now Europe’s biggest games company with a market capitalisation of $8.13 billion, just more valuable than Ubisoft at $8.12 billion.

CD Projekt is most famous for The Witcher games based on the works of Andrzej Sapkowski’s, but also owns the GOG.com digital distribution platform and is getting ready to release the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 later this year. Despite the delays, CD Projekt's value has increased in the last six months: their market capitalisation was $6.8 billion in December 2019.

Market value: While no match for the biggest players in the worldwide industry, the Polish company has earned the crown in Europe. For the sake of comparison, Take-Two’s market valuation stands at $16.13 billion, Electronic Arts at $34.34 billion, Nintendo at $53.73 billion and Activision reaches $56.27 billion. Microsoft and Sony are too diversified for a straight comparison.

No more delays: It has been no less than half a decade since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released, and CD Projekt RED is eager to assure that Cyberpunk 2077 remains on track for launch this year. The game has suffered two major delays since the first release date was announced.

C&C Remastered Update

EA and Petroglyph pledges to release Command & Conquer source code

We clearly live in strange times: EA has announced that the original Command & Conquer games will be open-sourced on the official Command & Conquer subreddit.

When the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection launches, the “TiberianDawn.dll and RedAlert.dll and their corresponding source code” will be made available under the GPL version 3.0 license.

Full mod support: Command & Conquer Remastered Collection developer Petroglyph has collaborated with modders from the community throughout the development process to ensure that mod tools live up to expectations. Mods are supported via in-game menus in the Origin editions, and through Steam Workshop on Steam.

LAN post-launch: LAN play won't be available at launch since the COVID-19 pandemic has made it hard to test the mode properly: “We’re bummed this one got away, and will continue to keep this on our priority list going forward,” said Petroglyph. Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is out on June 5th.

What Else Happened Today?

• NEW GAME+ EXPO has been announced for June 6th, a live stream showcasing new and upcoming games from “coalition of developers”
• Frozen Flame is a “multiplayer Survival Action RPG” offering a “fresh take” on survival with deep role-playing and “epic bosses”
• NetEase unveil MMORPG Project Ragnarok inspired by Norse mythology and reveal first footage alongside announcement for PC, consoles and mobile platforms
• LEGO Super Mario Power-Up Packs out August 1st enabling kids to play with Fire Mario, Propeller Mario, Cat Mario and Builder Mario
• New NES and SNES titles now available on Switch Online; as Nintendo adds Panel de Pon, Rygar, Wild Guns and Operation Logic Bomb to its treasure trove of classics

Deal Spotlight

OIVO Switch Pro Controller Clip Mount

Check out the OIVO Switch Pro Controller Clip Mount for the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.

It helps you play for longer without any cramping in your hands from clutching the device. It’s ideal for playing longer sessions without cramping your hands around the portable screen, and fits Nintendo's official Pro Controller. Oh, and you can play while you're charging too!

It's quick and easy to install, and keeps the screen at a comfortable level above the controller, allowing a more relaxed posture while playing. If you buy the OIVO Switch Pro Controller Clip Mount through our Amazon link DailyBits receives a small commission, so you’re helping us too!

VR Bits

Marvel’s Iron Man VR demo soon

Looks like a playable Marvel's Iron Man VR demo is about to appear on PlayStation Store. Gematsu found listings on the PlayStation Store, which were recently updated with performance optimizations and localization fixes. Since the demo is already on the PlayStation Store, it should be made available before the game launches on July 3rd.

Valve releases mod tools for Alyx

Valve has released development tools for Half-Life: Alyx so modders can make their own content and share it via the Steam Workshop. There are already several interesting mods from talented developers:

• Yolokas’ Lightsaber Training mashes up Star Wars and Half-Life, giving you a powerful lightsaber to strike down your enemies
• Manello created a Horde Defence mod to help hone your combat skills
• Last but not least, a custom campaign from SadlyItsBradley called Crash Course. It features unique puzzles, combat and large open areas

Hand tracking arrives on Oculus Quest

Hand tracking is one of the most eagerly anticipated features for the Oculus Quest, and now it's finally leaving beta with the launch of the V17 firmware update. Starting next week, Oculus will accept third-party games with hand-tracking on the store. While hand tracking is still far from perfect, Oculus will be working to improve it over time.

If you want to try out some new games with hand tracking support, check out The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets and Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition. Read the rest of the patch notes to learn more about hand tracking.

Quiz Answer - Did You Get It Right?

Which classic 70s cult film was adapted into a game by Rockstar?

Answer: The Warriors!

EA might have secured the rights to The Godfather, but Rockstar was more excited to adapt one of the great cult films of the 70s.

The Warriors is a brawler inviting you and a friend to duke it out against rival gang members on the streets of 70s New York. The story expands on the film, and Rockstar hired a number of actors from the film to repeat their roles in the game, including Dorsey Wright, David Harris, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, and James Remar.

In the end, the adaptation didn't leave quite as big a mark as other Rockstar games, but it earned a dedicated fanbase nonetheless. If you never played The Warriors, it' still available on PlayStation Store. Let's hope it makes to to PC and Xbox one day!

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