This week in video games: Player Unknown’s reaches 10 million copies sold and 1 million concurrent players, LA Noire returns, and Destiny 2 tickles critics. Here’s our round-up of the week’s most important gaming news.
This week in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
It’s the game that never sleeps. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – AKA The Little Shooter That Could – has now reached 10 million copies sold. Not bad for a game that isn’t officially released, and has yet to come to console. This means PUBG has already made it into the top ten best-selling PC games of all time. In what position, you ask? Well, that would be telling.
PUBG’s other milestone this week was reaching 1 million concurrent players on Steam.
Destiny 2 review round-up
Destiny is back, and although the game may not live up to it’s wild commercials, Destiny 2 has received a broadly positive response from critics. Much of its success will depend on how its playing community coalesces, but at first blush – and a few shader controversies aside – things are looking good. Many outlets are holding back a final review, but here’s a sample of the general consensus.
Mike Williams, writing at USgamer, appreciates the game’s new visuals:
“Leaving behind the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this time around has paid off handsomely. The new worlds and maps that Bungie has crafted here are big and beautiful. The use of color and attention to detail is top-notch, making you feel like you’re wandering through the ruined remnants of Earth or exotic alien worlds.”
Samit Sarkar, writing at Polygon, speaks for many in calling Destiny 2 an evolution rather than a completely fresh start:
“It seems like the sequel Bungie needed to make — not a fundamentally different experience, but improved enough over its predecessor to reel veterans back in and attract people who skipped the original Destiny.”
Eurogamer is holding back on a final review, but in an impressions piece, Martin Robinson was more cautious about the game’s iterative approach.
“It’s more of the same – a lot more of the same – which is absolutely fine when that formula proved so popular with so many the first time around, but after three years I was expecting something beyond a handful of quality of life improvements.”
Destiny 2 DLC outed
“Curse of Osiris is not a leak. It’s real! :)” said Bungie marketing director Eric Osborne on Twitter, after news of Destiny 2’s upcoming DLC was, erm, leaked in error on the Xbox Store.
Star Fox 2 manual
Nintendo’s Star Fox 2 online manual makes us pine of the real thing. It’s a small things: the lovely artwork, charming descriptions, and the game’s early design concepts. If you feel as nostalgic as we do, you might want to pick up the recent Switch release of The Binding of Issac Afterbirth+, which includes its own wonderful homage to the game manuals of yesteryear.
Rockstar to reissue LA Noire
Rockstar Games have announced that their 2011 crime story, LA Noire, will be reissued on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and HTC Vive on November 14th, 2017. The game will have improved textures and 4K support on Xbox and PlayStation 4, with the Switch edition getting motion and touch screen controls. The HTC Vive version will be released under the name LA Noire: The VR Case Files, and features seven selected missions from the game recreated in full VR.
Take Forza Motorsport 7 for a spin
There’s a lot riding on Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport 7. It’s one the Xbox One’s exclusive highlights – we’ll ignore the fact it’s a Play Anywhere title for a moment – and also one of the graphical trailblazers for the Xbox One X. You’ll be able to get a taste of what the game has to offer in a free demo released on September 19th. (And if you do want to play on PC, here are the specs you need.)
NBA 2K18 demo
Speaking of demos, here’s a quick reminder that NBA 2K18’s The Prelude, is out now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4. And if NBA Live is more your jam, you can play it early on Xbox One via EA Access
Blizzard opens its own esports arena in Los Angeles
Blizzard have announced the opening of a dedicated esports arena in Burbank, Los Angeles. The Blizzard Arena will open its doors for the first time on the weekend of October 7-8, 2017, when it plays host to the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs.
Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, said:
“We’re at a tipping point for esports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment.
Nintendo Switch supplies
Despite ramping up production from 8 million to 16 million Nintendo Switch consoles in this financial year, it appears there could still be supply constraints this holiday. In an interview with Variety, Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Amie, says the company hopes to sell 10 million consoles this year.
“Certainly the demand is there, and our supply chain is there. Are we going to have enough for the holiday? That’s what we are focused on.”
Our advice? If you want one, and see one, get one.
Pokemon CEO had Switch doubts
It’s easy to criticise Nintendo for a lack of Switch consoles in stores, but we shouldn’t forget that the console’s success was by no means assured. Pokemon Company CEO, Tsunekazu Ishihara, revealed to Bloomberg this week that he was extremely doubtful about its prospects.
“I told Nintendo that Switch wouldn’t be a success before it went on sale because I thought that, in the age of the smartphone, no one would carry around a game console. It’s obvious I was wrong.”
Games done quick done good
The past few weeks have reminded us of the devastating impact that Mother Nature can have. As ever, the gaming community has pulled together to make a significant contribution, with Harvey Relief Done Quick raising over $220,000 dollars in aid of disaster relief.
Also worth reading
Legendary game designer Yu Suzuki reveals his approach to bringing back Shenmue to Eurogamer.
William Turton at The Outline looks at the bizarre fallout from Dean Takahashi’s Cuphead video
