In last week’s recap of gaming news, fans got an in-depth look at Master Chief’s upcoming journey in Halo Infinite’s campaign. Sega and Microsoft announced a partnership geared towards next-gen game development. Players who subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack are criticizing the service’s technical issues with N64 games. Amid ongoing controversy and lawsuits, Activision-Blizzard announced the cancellation of BlizzCon 2022’s February event indefinitely. A Quiet Place is receiving a video game adaptation, planned to release in 2022. All that and more in this week’s recap of the biggest gaming news of the past week.
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Halo Infinite Re-Reveals Campaign, Open-World Gameplay
Last week brought the official re-reveal and in-depth look of Halo Infinite’s campaign, showcasing a ton of new gameplay of Master Chief’s newest fight. Over a year after the contentious reveal of Halo Infinite’s campaign during 2020’s E3 showcase, fans received an even grander glimpse on the scale and scope of Halo Infinite’s campaign. Bits of narrative, interspersed between the exploration of Zeta-Halo, showcased Master Chief taking on a variety of Banished threats in the open-world, in various ways.
Sega and Microsoft Announce ‘Strategic Alliance’ Development Partnership
In a partnership announced this past weekend, Both Microsoft and Sega are entering a “strategic alliance” for next-gen game development. Specifically noting the benefit of Microsoft Azure’s cloud systems, Sega intends to utilize this partnership to aid in developing the company’s vaguely named “Super Game” project, among other benefits in working together. Sega president and COO Yukio Sugino hopes that this partnership “utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment” to improve future development efforts.
Fans Criticizing N64 Games On Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
Nintendo is receiving some sizable criticism from fans regarding issues with N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack launched last Monday, but players have since reported low framerates and stuttering, input delay, lagging sound, and some graphical issues as well. Beyond performance issues, one of the biggest criticisms is the inability to re-map the button scheme of older games, especially considering the unorthodox layout of the Nintendo 64 controller. Nintendo has not commented on issues with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack’s N64/Sega Genesis games.
PlayStation State of Play Showcased Third-Party and Indie Titles
Sony’s recent State of Play for PlayStation showcased several third-party and indie titles coming to PlayStation consoles in the near future. Though some fans were disappointed because they believed Sony didn’t properly set expectations for State of Play, several games received trailers and updates during the showcase. Highlights include new announcements from games like Deathverse: Let It Die, as well as updates from games like Bugsnax, Death’s Door, We Are OFK, King of Fighters 15, and more.
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BlizzCon 2022 February Event Canceled
Amid the ongoing lawsuits and controversy surrounding the company, Activision-Blizzard has canceled BlizzCon 2022’s February event. Blizzard was already planning another BlizzConline event similar to last year’s showcase, though with hybrid in-person elements as well. However, paired with ongoing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blizzard has ultimately announced event planning is on hold indefinitely. Blizzard is still preparing game reveals and announcements for the near future.
A Quiet Place Video Game Adaptation Coming In 2022
Popular thriller and horror movie A Quiet Place is receiving a video game adaptation, courtesy of Saber Interactive and iLLOGIKA. Partnered with Paramount Pictures, the developers announced the game would tackle “an original story and gameplay that captures the compelling suspense, emotion, and drama” that A Quiet Place is known for. Not much is known about the game beyond that, but A Quiet Place is set to release at some point in 2022.
Persona Series Composer Leaves Atlus After 26 Years
Persona series composer Shoji Meguro has announced that they are leaving Atlus after 26 years, working on games from Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne to Persona 5. Meguro is moving into indie game development, while also still working as a freelance composer, and he’s also reassured fans that he’s open to working with Atlus on a freelance basis. Meguro will be showing their indie game in development, Megarock, at INDIE Live Winter 2021 on November 5.
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