From Pokémon and Tetris to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, we round up some of the most interesting and significant quotes from the last week in video games.
How to port a game to the Nintendo Switch
Feral Interactive’s Edwin Smith speaks to Nintendo Life about the right way to port video games to the Nintendo Switch.
“There are a number of factors in that process, not least our enthusiasm for the game as a game. But also, technical feasibility, sales potential, platform suitability, code quality, etc. If we are unable to port a game to the level of quality we wish to achieve, then we do not proceed, and occasionally that has happened. You see quite a few ports, which have dropped a number of features from the original game or else are released to run on a limited range of the latest hardware. We think that is self-defeating in that it generates disappointment rather than enjoyment.”
HDMI ports in a storm
We expect there were some rapped knuckles for the presentation team at AMD who probably shouldn’t have used an Xbox Series X render from TurboSquid in their CES 2020 presentation. Those hoping for two HDMI ports on the next Xbox look like being disappointed, with Microsoft saying:
“The Xbox Series X imagery used during the AMD CES press conference was not sourced from Microsoft and does not accurately represent the design or features of the upcoming console.”
Retail woes around the world
The decline of video games retail continues apace with EB Games closing 19 stores across Australia. Speaking to Kotaku, the company says:
“Like all businesses, we are constantly evaluating our property portfolio to ensure that our stores mix is in-line with the ever-changing retail landscape. After careful consideration we will be closing 19 unprofitable stores at the end of January.”
Things are not much better in the UK, with high street retailer Game about to embark on a ‘store rationalization program.’ In a press statement the company says:
“We are facing a challenging retail market and Game, with its extensive retail footprint, needs to restructure and landlords need to work with us in setting realistic, fair rents.”
Sony promises more on PlayStation 5
As the new PS5 logo brings joy and happiness to the world, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan reassures us that there’s more news to come regarding the company’s next-generation console.
“There are still more unique elements for PlayStation 5 to come that separate it from previous consoles. The ‘bigger differences’ have yet to be announced.”
An Xbox is an Xbox is an Xbox
Don’t hold off buying an Xbox One X, Microsoft has you covered. Speaking to MVC, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty confirms that all first-party Xbox Series X video games will also be playable on this generation’s devices.
“As our content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices. We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we’re committed to them with content.”
Tetris still challenges its creator
Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov reveals his plan to expand the game’s eSports reach to USGamer. He also admits that he’s as fond of battle-royale puzzling as we are.
“Tetris 99 is absolutely a great title. Basically, I think the one-player version of Tetris has been more or less stabilized over the years. That’s good, and we’re just adjusting the game to new user interfaces. But for two-player modes and serious competition, there are several challenges to overcome.
Lucasfilm’s lack of faith is disturbing
It turns out that Lucasfilm wasn’t too keen on a Jedi-focused Star Wars video game. Speaking on the Game Maker’s Notebook podcast, Respawn game director Stig Asmussen recalls:
“We had been on the game, unofficially, for months before I got my first visit to the Presidio, headquarters. I met with them, and they weren’t super comfortable. I pitched, “Hey, what if we do a game about Jedi and Force powers?” They were not super comfortable with that. They kind of threw it back and were like, “What about blasters, and maybe, bounty hunters?” I was like, you know, that’s not the background of the team that we built.
VVVVVV source code released
Terry Cavanagh releases the source code for VVVVVV, warts and all.
“I dunno, what can I say? I was young and more interested in getting something on the screen than implementing it properly. Maybe the best thing about VVVVVV’s source code is that is stands as proof of what you can hack together even if you’re not much of a programmer.”
More Pokémon on their way to the Galar region
Two content expansions for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will add new areas, trainers, gyms and Pokemon, including a slew of Legendaries and other absent species. GameFreak’s Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori explain how in this week’s Nintendo Direct.
“On The Isle of Armor and in The Crown Tundra you’ll see some familiar Pokemon that didn’t appear in the Galar region before. There will be more than 200 Pokemon species from these areas to add to your team, including the Legendary Pokemon mentioned before. Additionally, we’ll be distributing free updates for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. Thes updates will allow people who don’t have the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield expansions to obtain the Pokemon that appear on The Isle of Armor and in The Crown Tundra through other means, such as trading.”
Ctrl+D our new releases page for weekly updates on the latest Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 games. And follow us on Flipboard, Facebook, Google News, and Twitter for the daily gaming news updates.
