Top Story
Videogame sales rocketed in Q1 2020
The latest market data from NPD Group shows that North Americans spent $10.86 billion on videogames in the first quarter of 2020.
Sales increased by 11 percent compared to the first quarter of 2019. The increase in sales are mostly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has trapped a lot of people at home. Fortunately, games have “brought comfort and connection to millions during this challenging time,” according to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella.
Top Performing US Titles In Q1 2020
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- DOOM Eternal
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- MLB The Show 20
- NBA 2K20
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Minecraft
- Fortnite
“As people have stayed at home more, they’ve utilized gaming not only as a diversion and an escape, but also as a means of staying connected with family and friends,” Piscatella continued. Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more than 13.5 million copies, while Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake has surpassed 3.5 million sales.
Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?
Which Finnish band has performed songs for most of Remedy’s games?
- Nightwish
- Kardemimmit
- Poets of the Fall
- Loituma
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
Matt the Radar Technician got cut from LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2016 movie tie-in LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens by TT Fusion was supposed to feature a tongue-in-cheek character costume. The LEGO games tend to have a rich variety of costumes for famous characters, and the developers had prepared a very special one for Kylo Ren.
Not long before Star Wars The Force Awakens hit the theaters, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch where actor Adam Driver portrays Kylo Ren going undercover among his nervous subordinates as Matt the Radar Technician.
The game files contain code and art assets for Matt, but in the end the content was disabled for legal reasons.
Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.
Game Spotlight
Kholat Mini Review
Version tested: Nintendo Switch
Kholat is an interesting game, mixing a walking simulator with full-blown horror. It looks good and is practically oozing with atmosphere, but its unusual approach to save states might turn off some players.
Autosaves are only triggered by finding notes or returning to the campsite, so you lose all your progress if you perish on your trek. Additionally, there are some technical shortcomings like pop-in and wobbly framerate, meaning the Switch version isn’t exactly the best way to enjoy Kholat.
Despite all its frustrations, Kholat is definitely worth recommending if you’re after something disturbing and discomforting that doesn’t care too much about making you feel good about yourself. It’s got that Eastern European flavour that makes the STALKER and Metro games stand out, and it’s definitely a unique experience. It might be a better experience on PC or another console, though.
Verdict: Wait for Sale