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Report Says Apple To Reveal New Gaming Service Soon, But It’s Different
One of the big announcements that Apple could make during its reveal event on Monday is a new video game service. According to Bloomberg, Apple is creating a “premium games subscription” service for the App Store. Unlike the recently announced Google Stadia, or PlayStation Now and Microsoft’s xCloud, Apple’s service is not cloud-based.
Instead, it will focus on iPhones and iPads and bundle together paid games from different developers that consumers can access for a monthly fee,” Bloomberg reported.
One source said Apple will pay developers based on how much time users spend playing their title. The report goes on to claim that the service would only feature paid games, not free-to-play titles. The report also says the service may not be announced on Monday, but instead during its developer conference in June. That timing would be intriguing, as it’s just before E3.
According to analyst Serkan Toto, this kind of package offering is already available in Japan. He also points out that, if free-to-play games are indeed excluded, then Nintendo’s upcoming Mario Kart Tour wouldn’t be eligible. As you may recall, Apple partnered with Nintendo in a big way to promote and release the free-to-play Mario game Super Mario Run.
Problem is: if the article is to be believed, F2P content is excluded.
For Mario Kart Tour, both Nintendo and DeNA confirmed (not only one time) it will not be a paid game.
Let’s see.— Dr. Serkan Toto (Kantan Games Inc.) (@serkantoto) March 23, 2019
Go to Bloomberg to get the full story.
An earlier report suggested the March 25 Apple news conference will include the formal reveal of Apple’s plans for its own Netflix-style TV streaming service. All should become clear soon.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-says-apple-to-reveal-new-gaming-service-soo/1100-6465800/
Sea Of Thieves Is Adding Fishing In Huge Update Coming Next Month
Microsoft’s Xbox One and PC pirate game Sea of Thieves has a big update coming up soon, and it’s set to deliver a number of fan-requested features–one of which is fishing. The “Anniversary Update” arrives on April 30, which is about 13 months after the game launched in March 2019.
Despite being very much connected to and associated with all manner of water-based fishing activities, Sea of Thieves didn’t have a fishing mode–until now. Coming April 30, players will not only be able to cast a line and reel in a big fish, but players will also be able to cook their catch.
Executive producer Joe Neate from Rare joked that the developer will remove fishing from Sea of Thieves if people don’t live up to their word and fish their hearts out.
All everyone has asked for is fishing. I am going to be watching the data on April 30th and if you aren’t all sitting there reeling them in for hours we are taking it straight out again 🧐 https://t.co/kV3A5O1Os2
— Joe “Three Sheets” Neate (@JoeNeate1) March 23, 2019
More seriously, the Anniversary update is the biggest content update for Sea of Thieves to date. Fishing comes to the game through the new Hunter’s Call Trading Company, which is led by Merrick. In addition to fishing (which you can do from shore or on ship), players can hunt animals and other creatures, and, like fish, cook the flesh for energy. However, some meat may be poisonous. Additionally, players can earn gold and cosmetic rewards for fishing and hunting.
The Anniversary Update also adds a new competitive mode, along with a new storyline called Tall Tales: Shores of Gold. “Follow a series of narrative adventures surrounding existing and all-new characters, taking you to undiscovered places and revealing surprising new gameplay features,” reads a line from the description. “Fans of the expanded game universe will recognise some of the iconic characters and locations in Shores of Gold, yet this is only the beginning of a series of Tall Tales that will allow players to immerse themselves in the legends of Sea of Thieves.”
Finally, the Anniversary Update promises a number of improvements to the base game, including a more advanced ship damage system that is capable of damaging specific ship elements.
“Expanded ship damage means that your beloved vessel can suffer a broken mast, capstan, or even wheel, meaning that sailing and escaping battle could get very tricky indeed,” Rare said. “Meanwhile, the arrival of the harpoon means that treasure can be nabbed by a skilled enemy and ships can make some surprising manoeuvres.”
Being such a large update, Microsoft will hold a series of livestreams to talk about its different content elements. These will be help on April 10, April 16, and April 23 leading up to the update’s release on April 30. You can watch the streams on all the usual places: Mixer, Twitch, and YouTube. The full programming schedule can be seen here as written by Microsoft.
While you have to wait a bit longer for the Anniversary update, Microsoft has released a series of freebies to celebrate the game’s first birthday. This includes various cosmetics, the Captain Bones Original Pirate Cutlass, a set of Gamerpics, and discounts. Visit the Xbox Wire to see a rundown of the freebies.
Sea of Thieves is available now for PC and Xbox One; the console edition is in the Xbox Game Pass library, which means subscribers get it at no extra cost.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sea-of-thieves-is-adding-fishing-in-huge-update-co/1100-6465799/
Persona 5 The Royal Announced For PS4, Trailer Teases New Character
Following the special event dedicated to Persona 5: The Animation, developer Atlus also revealed just a tiny bit more of the mysterious game Persona 5R. A trailer, which you can watch below, confirmed that the PS4 title is actually called Persona 5 The Royale.
While further details on what the game is weren’t provided, Atlus has teased that more will be revealed on April 24. Based on previous Persona releases, and the trailer, we suspect Persona 5 The Royale will be a kind of Game of the Year edition that features some additional content.
The trailer for Persona 5 The Royale is focused on a new female character who is a student at Shujin Academy, the school where the main cast are also enrolled. At the start of the trailer she’s asked what she thinks about the Phantom Thieves, the vigilante group the player controls in the game. She indicates that she doesn’t entirely approve of them.
It is likely that this new character will be the focus of the new content. Atlus likes to throw in something new for its re-releases and, as previously seen with Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden, it’s usually quite substantial. We‘ve got our fingers crossed for a new Palace as well the character and accompanying storyline.
In GameSpot’s Persona 5 review, Lucy James awarded it a 9/10. “Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end,” she said.
”At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it’s the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It’s a game I could talk about for hours; I haven’t mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I’ve not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus.
But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn’t be missed. It’s stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes–there’s an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It’s a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come.”
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/persona-5-the-royal-announced-for-ps4-trailer-teas/1100-6465797/
