Nintendo Labo in pictures

Microsoft Flight Simulator will have different airport and aircraft options depending on which pricey package you plump for.

Remember Flight Simulator? It was one of those things that everyone had, but nobody could really remember buying. Where the cool kids were having fun blowing things up on X-Wing or Tie-Fighter (or, indeed, X-Wing vs Tie Fighter) the Flight Simulator aficionados were trying not to blow anything up. It was the corduroy of flight simulators. Even its name is the video game version of a tin of Ronseal wood stain.

The new Flight Simulator – called Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is very imaginative – looks rather interesting, though. Gone are the weirdly flat worlds with, you know, the thing you could land at or on, like the airport or aircraft carrier, being actually 3D. Microsoft Flight Simulator utilises data from Bing Maps and processing power in Microsoft’s Azure cloud for beautifully realised, accurately scaled 3D worlds.

It still promises to be technical in the extreme (and potentially corduroy dull), sure, but being able to flypast places you know in real life that are realistically recreated? It’s suddenly a lot more appealing.

But if one of those places you wanted to see was Heathrow Airport? Well, that’s going to cost you. (We’re not quite sure why it would be, but to each their own.)

There will be three versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator when it releases on August 18, 2020. They are the Standard, Deluxe and Premium editions – priced at £59.99, £79.99, and £109.99 respectively – come with different selections of aircraft and airports.

So if you want to fly the Boeing 787-Dreamliner, for instance? You’ll need the Microsoft Flight Simulator Premium edition. You don’t get to land at Amsterdam Schiphol, Cairo International or Chicago O’Hare unless you buy the Deluxe edition, while Heathrow, San Francisco, Dubai, Frankfurt and, weirdly, Denver are all gated behind the Premium edition.

No, we don’t get it either but, as we said before, to each their own.

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Channel your inner Miyamoto with a massive discount on Nintendo Switch game creation tool, PlataGO! Super Platform Game Maker.

If you’re a Nintendo Switch owner with  a desire to make your own games, the obvious choice is Super Mario Maker 2. However, another excellent game creation tool is currently discounted by 95% on the Nintendo eShop. PlataGO! Super Platform Game Maker is down to just $0.99 in the US, and £0.79 in the UK.

The game creation kit is from UK-based studio Super Icon, who we spoke to back in 2015 when the charming retro platformer Life of Pixel was released for Wii U. (It’s a lovely game that is also on Switch.)

PlataGO! features a comprehensive suite of tools, enabling users to create platform games using a large selection of assets, items, and characters. You can also recreate the feel of your retro favourites with a range of filters that evoke the visuals of the SNES, Commodore 64, and Game Boy, to name a few.

It’s a full-featured package with an impressive array of variables to configure as you attempt to create the perfect platformer. You can also share your efforts with other players, and download creations from the PlatGO! Steam Early Access Community Contest.

Making games is hard, so don’t expect PlataGO! to turn you into a design genius overnight. However, it’s a full-featured and accessible application, and hard to resist with the discount.

The Nintendo Switch is quietly becoming a hotbed of game dev tools. In addition to Super Mario Maker 2 and PlataGO!, the console is also home to the FUZE coding application and Labo. RPG Maker MV is set for release in September.

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Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima headlines this week’s lineup of new PlayStation 4 video game releases.

Another month, another eagerly-anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive. This time it’s open-world action-adventure Ghost of Tsushima from Sucker Punch Productions.

We recall playing Infamous Second Son shortly after the launch of the PlayStation 4, so it feels appropriate to bookend the generation with a demonstration of how far the studio has come. We have a suspicion that Ghost of Tsushima is going to do very well. It’s also another late-generation example of how much power the PS4 still has to give.

We’re not so sure about Rocket Arena, which, following a long period of development, was unveiled at month’s EA Play Live. It’s an artistically bland 3v3 third-person shooter that looks both fun and forgettable.

We’re more excited to get our hands on Superhot: Mind Control Delete. The game began life as DLC for Superhot Team’s acclaimed time-bending action game, before becoming a full-blown follow-up. If you purchased the first game – i.e. you paid cash and didn’t get it through PS Plus – you can download Superhot: Mind Control Delete for free. It’s a fantastic gesture from a talented studio.

Other new PS4 releases include Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus and Neversong.

We are still waiting on release date confirmation for a couple of new PS4 titles. We’ll update this page as soon as we get it.

New PlayStation 4 releases: July 13-17, 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

• No releases

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

• Neon Abyss
• Rocket Arena

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

• Ultra Hat Dimension

Thursday, July 16, 2020

• #Funtime
• Neversong
• Radical Rabbit Stew
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete

Friday, July 17, 2020

• Ghost of Tsushima
• Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

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Ubisoft announces release dates for Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and there’s a first look at Far Cry 6.

We like to get excited by new video games, but it was hard to be too enthusiastic about last night’s Ubisoft showcase.

Another wave of allegations concerning sexual misconduct and toxic work culture has reached the top of the company, resulting in the departures of chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, Canadian studios head Yannis Mallat, and global head of HR, Cécile Cornet. They follow the recent resignation of Maxime Béland, and the suspension of Tommy Francois and Andrien Gbinigie following multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment.

In a statement addressing the problem, Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot promises change:

“Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees. This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised – and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture.”

By all accounts, it’s a deep-rooted problem. We just hope that Ubisoft takes the situation as seriously as Guillemot indicates.

Oh, yeah, and here’s a quick rundown on every announcement from the first Ubisoft Forward of 2020.

Ubisoft Forward – July 2020

• Watch Dogs Legion – Ubisoft Toronto’s upcoming dystopian open-world game is introduced with a short film from Emmy Award-winning director Alberto Mielgo. New gameplay footage shows the game’s flexible character options and approach to missions. Releases on October 29, 2020.
• Brawlhalla – The cartoon fighter is coming to iOS and Android devices on August 6, 2020.
• Might and Magic: Era of Chaos – A sizzle reel trailer for the popular mobile battle RPG.
• Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad – Please be excited for the upcoming Clancyverse mobile game. Please. Released on August 27, 2020.
• Rainbow Six Siege – A thank you video from Ubisoft Montreal to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary
• Hyper Scape – Ubisoft’s new battle royale shooter gets a new story trailer. The open beta is now live.
• Watch Dogs Legion – Confirmation from plucky Phil Spencer that Watch Dogs Legion supports Xbox Series X Smart Delivery.
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – A new gameplay deep-dive details Valhalla’s combat mechanics, environments and missions. It looks too sunny to be Britain, but it does look lovely. Released for current-gen consoles on November 17, 2020.
• Far Cry 6 – Giancarlo Esposito and Anton Castillo star in the next Far Cry instalment. An overwrought story trailer ignites a small modicum of excitement. Released on February 18, 2021.

You can watch the full 50-minute show below. Another Ubisoft Forward presentation is due later this year.

Visit the Thumbsticks new releases page for news of the latest games. You can also follow us on Flipboard, Facebook, Google News, and Twitter.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete and Ooblets top the list of new video games coming to Xbox One between July 13 and 17, 2020.

Our highlight from next week’s lineup of new Xbox One releases is the surprise release of Superhot: Mind Control Delete. The third game in Superhot Team’s innovative time-twisting shooter series promises more of everything, including larger levels and new combat mechanics. Best of all, the game is free to download for anyone who purchased the first game.

One game we have been watching for some time is Ooblets, which comes to Xbox Game Preview on Tuesday. Glumberland’s super-charming life simulation game features many genre staples – farming, furniture, creature collection, and town upgrades – but, most importantly, it has dance-off battles. It’s also coming to early access on PC via the Epic Game Store.

We’re also pleased to see Hopfrog’s Zelda-like adventure Forager finally get an Xbox One release. Other games to look forward to include Neversong, We Should Talk, and Radical Rabbit Stew.

Each new release can be purchased from the Xbox One digital games store or the Microsoft online store.

New Xbox One releases: July 13-17, 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

• No releases

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

• Neon Abyss
• Rocket Arena

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

• Ooblets
• Rez Plz
• Ultra Hat Dimension

Thursday, July 16, 2020

• #Funtime
• Bounty Battle
• Dunk Lords
• Forager
• Neversong
• Radical Rabbit Stew
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete
• We Should Talk

Friday, July 17, 2020

• Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

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Bookmark the Thumbsticks new releases page for the latest games. You can also follow us on social media via Flipboard, Facebook, Google News, and Twitter.