Feeling extra good about last week's Axios video game newsletters. I was first to report on:
- Stadia's lost exclusives
- Embracer's Saudi $$ defense
- EA CEO's $20m pay drop
- uh...Sonic not kissing women anymore
More to come! It's free. Emailed daily:
Stephen Totilo
@stephentotilo
Covering video games for Axios. Co-author of Axios Gaming newsletter (sign up for it here: axios.com/signup/gaming). Former EiC. DM for Signal. he/him
Stephen Totilo’s Tweets
For those of you playing Game Freak's newest game, the Apple Arcade version of Pocket Card Jockey, Taya has a tip for you about a hidden strategy that was previously accessible only to players of an older Japanese version of the game:
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Game Freak game designer Masao Taya tells me the studio is committed to making non-Pokemon games, but that the resource demands of modern game development are pushing the studio to partner with more outside teams
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Metroid Prime Remastered isn't the only remaster/remake to not list the people who made the original game it is based on.
The says those names should be in there. And listed first.
And there is a big publisher who did do it that way recently....
... Nintendo
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Original Metroid Prime dev tells me: "When my son plays Metroid Prime on the Switch for the first time, the fact that he won't see [my] and my colleagues' names in the credits as the original creators is a punch in the gut."
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Dead Island 2 release date changes again.
Not another delay, believe it or not. Moves up a week from April 28 to April 21
No longer releasing the same day as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which was recently delayed to the 28th
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Nintendo's refusal to share digital sales really messes with charts like this
Nintendo said last week that sales had "greatly increased" for the digital versions of Pokemon S/V compared to previous versions
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US NPD PREMIUM GAMES - January 2022 Top 20 Best-Sellers (Dollar Sales, Excludes DLC/MTX)
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Rest in peace. One of the best to ever do it.
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David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip hop trio De La Soul, has died at 54. apnews.com/article/trugoy
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"On information and belief, Opposer is the only video game development company to be honored twice by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its QUAKE franchise and related 3D technology. "
Sounds right!
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Trademark news, as noted in yesterday's Gaming newsletter:
"Id Software is opposing an attempt by gambling company Novomatic to trademark the term 'FRUITQUAKE,' out of concern over market confusion."
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Looking for Steam NextFest demo recommendations. Anyone play anything particularly good?
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I asked Nintendo if people should expect new GB/GBA games each month on Nintendo Switch Online.
Answer: "There is no set schedule for new releases, but each collection will continue to grow.”
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Switch is now Nintendo's 2nd best-selling platform at 123 million units shipped as of Dec. 31, sailing past Wii (102m) and just passing Game Boy (119m). DS reigns at 154m
Portables like Switch/DS/GB have an advantage: Nintendo is good at selling one person multiple versions
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As of the end of December, more games have been sold for the Switch than for any other Nintendo platform, with the Switch's software totals passing those of the Wii and DS
While Switch also now exceeds lifetime PS4 hardware sales, it lags that system's billion-plus software mark
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Sony is very unhappy with all the documents Microsoft is asking for in the Activision FTC case. They want at least seven PlayStation execs' files
To wit, from Sony: "Microsoft’s demand for performance reviews for SIE’s leadership is obvious harassment"
axios.com/newsletters/ax
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Sony is very unhappy with all the documents Microsoft is asking for in the Activision FTC case. They want at least seven PlayStation execs' files
To wit, from Sony: "Microsoft’s demand for performance reviews for SIE’s leadership is obvious harassment"
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Also, for fans of fine print contractual clauses, confirmation that despite mechanisms in place to restore Bobby Kotick's salary (he asked in Oct '21 to be lowered to the legal minimum with no bonus) and even pay him a $22million bonus as of July 2022, none of that has happened
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NEW: I spoke to Activision's head of corporate affairs
- Thoughts behind those Last of Us / FTC tweets (and risking angering Sony: "Were they worried about pissing us off when they tried to kill a really good deal...?"
- Reckoning with company's past
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We don't know what's in the subpoenas beyond the logical conclusion that Microsoft and Activision want info from these companies that'd make their case that the FTC is wrong to try to block the deal
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Google and Nintendo of America have also been subpoenaed in the FTC vs Microsoft/Activision Blizzard case. Google by Microsoft, Nintendo by Activision
As with Sony, this is becoming public because the companies are asking the court for more time to limit or quash the subpoena
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Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch includes optional narration that was in the European and Japanese versions
Jarring at first, but I'm going to keep it on to see how it changes the feel
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Just realizing that they basically brought back Style Savvy with this Direct, too. Same dev studio
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Trying a GBA game on my TV via the Switch. Full screen is too much. The smaller display option looks better, though I’ll probably play without the filter that emulates the GBA’s screen.
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As leaked yesterday, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will sell for $70. But Pikmin 4, releasing later, will go for $60.
So Nintendo has not raised the price of new games across the board
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Nintendo used to sell its classic games separately.
Today's announcements of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games for Nintendo Switch Online reaffirms that the company now prefers to offer its classics through as a subscription, for as long as you'll pay
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Pretty incredible that in one Nintendo Direct, Nintendo (and partners) showed a re-issue of Golden Sun, a re-issue of an old F-Zero, teased a new Prof. Layton and a new Fantasy Life. Even showed a Baten Kaitos re-issue.
My conclusion: the return of the Picross 3D series is near
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Xbox shadow-drop: Hi-Fi Rush
Nintendo shadow-drop: Metroid Prime Remastered
PlayStation shadow-drop: ??
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I imagine it's hard to be too worried about the impact of Call of Duty going into Game Pass in the month when Sony's recently-acquired Destiny 2 (which hasn't been in Game Pass for a while) has one of its big expansions being offered for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers
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That said, some glimmers of hope for supporters of the deal:
1) UK no longer concerned about impact of CoD going onto GamePass (had been 1 of 3 markets they were concerned about)
2) Says it will "consider" licensing agreements/promises re: CoD as remedies to allow deal approval
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UK's regulator said it surveyed PlayStation CoD players and found 24% would "divert away from PlayStation" if CoD stopped coming to PlayStation
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As noted in October, the UK doesn't care if Microsoft wants to contractually promise CoD for PlayStation through 2027 or even 3027.
Contracts can be changed, and loopholes can be found to advantage Microsoft (very much Sony's take, notably)
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The UK's competition regulator says it would be okay with Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard if (any of the following)....
- ABK divests itself of Call of Duty
- ABK divests itself of Activision
- ABK divests itself of Activision and Blizzard
Yikes
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Notable that they say their dev teams across Activision Blizzard has increased 25% in the past year. (Read: See? People want to work here)
Also: Diablo IV still on track for June
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Activision Blizzard says Activision itself had 60% higher revenue in the last three months of 2023 compared to end of 2022. Means the newest Call of Duty was a much bigger hit
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Yeah. Notable that Take Two boasted about NBA 2K sales today, but stuck to praising Midnight Suns for being critically acclaimed
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Some news: Marvel's Midnight Suns was a critical success but a commercial flop. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told me in an interview this afternoon that "it's possible the release window wasn't perfect" but that he thinks it could have a long tail, like other Firaxis games
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Take Two obliquely saying layoffs may happen: “believe that we can deliver over $50 million of annual savings, which we will begin to execute on this quarter. Opportunities include personnel, processes, infrastructure…particularly in our publishing and corporate functions”
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GTA V at 175 million copies shipped, Red Dead Redemption 2 at 50.
Take Two: “We were also pleased with the performance of Red Dead Redemption 2, which outpaced our expectations, driven by successful holiday promotions and events.”
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JK Rowling’s transphobic comments in recent years have made the launch of Hogwarts Legacy a flashpoint for fans and reviewers
I spoke to an EiC whose site isn’t just skipping a review but not writing a guide. That’s an even bigger revenue sacrifice
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This happened in November. Has been getting coverage in some outlets lately because I dug it up last month. Subscribe to my newsletter to avoid being weeks behind
axios.com/newsletters/ax
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American judge dismisses Switch Joy-Con drift lawsuit
eurogamer.net/american-judge
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Apex Legends Mobile has been downloaded at least 46 million times since launch, and has generated more than $54 million, according to third-party tracking firm
Doesn't contradict EA's explanations for shutting it down, but still something to see
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