E3 2020 never happened, but it kind of did, and so it kind of ended this week. Microsoft was the last big player we expected a livestream from, and it put on the Xbox Games Showcase on Thursday. Geoff Keighley has more Summer Game Fest (opens in new tab) stuff planned, but at this point we're moving into Gamescom territory. Goodbye E3 that didn't happen, hello other conventions that are kind of happening, but digitally.
Here's the big news from the final week in a very prolonged not-E3:
Avowed is Obsidian's new Skyrim-like RPG, check out the first trailer (opens in new tab)
We don't know much about it, but a new Obsidian game is exciting. We call it 'Skyrim-like' because of its first-person view, and because it looks like it'll span a large chuck of land—some of the same land the Pillars of Eternity games are set on.
Minecraft players may have found the world of the title screen (opens in new tab)
In the Minecraft 1.8 beta, a blurry background image was added to the title screen. It shows a lovely lake in a Minecraft world that I never thought much about. Some players thought about it a lot, however, and made it their mission (opens in new tab) to find the sequence of digits that forms that world. It's the digital version of finding Windows XP wallpaper look-a-like hills (opens in new tab) in real life, basically, except they can now generate the iconic scene forever.
Star Wars: Squadrons hands-on: the flight sim we've been waiting for (opens in new tab)
Wes got a chance to play and capture video from EA's next Star Wars game, and the space combat sim is looking good so far. You can read his thoughts at the link above, and watch the video below.
What we thought of the Halo Infinite reveal (opens in new tab)
Microsoft's not-E3 event brought us the first campaign gamplay reveal for Halo Infinite, which is scheduled to release before the end of the year. We had mixed reactions. In certain screens and stills, some of the textures looked a bit mushy, although Microsoft says it's still a 'work in progress' even as the holidays loom. As for how it plays, it looks like classic Halo, but with a lot more space.
New report claims Assassin's Creed developers were pressured into minimising female protagonists (opens in new tab)
Ubisoft's management and culture has been under heavy scrutiny these past several weeks, which has resulted in multiple resignations (opens in new tab) and statements of apology amid a variety of allegations. New this week were claims is that former chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, who was one of those who resigned, along with others repeatedly intervened to reduce the prominence of women protagonists in the Assassin's Creed series.
Gabe Newell has been a 'COVID refugee' in New Zealand since March (opens in new tab)
He's throwing a free concert as a thank you to the country.
More things that happened this week
- Sekiro has ruined all other singleplayer games for me (opens in new tab)
- Fable makes its long-awaited return at the Xbox Games Showcase (opens in new tab)
- Oh great, now Windows 10 is breaking the internet on some PCs (opens in new tab)
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a new co-op FPS from the makers of Vermintide (opens in new tab)
- Watch upscaled footage of Diablo 2 in 4K at 60fps (opens in new tab)
- The Outer Worlds' first DLC expansion will add 'a substantial amount of content' (opens in new tab)
- How a spooky game about being alone on a server launched an accidental ARG (opens in new tab)
- The US Army's Twitch bans may violate the First Amendment (opens in new tab)
- The Epic Games Store Summer Sale is live (opens in new tab)
- Nvidia buying ARM would be a seismic shift of power in the chip industry (opens in new tab)
- G4 teases a surprise comeback (opens in new tab)
- Rocket League going free-to-play, new players will have to get it on the Epic Store (opens in new tab)
- Apex Legends developer leaves negative Glassdoor review of at-home working conditions (opens in new tab)
- Mixer is now officially gone (opens in new tab)
