Disclaimer

Before talking about anything VDGMS related, it needs to be said that gaming concerns are non issues when looked at under the same microscope as the current global health crisis. They are much bigger problems in the world that we are aware of and its important not only to thank all the people in the health care field, on the front lines working in essential services who are doing the best they can for the benefit of humanity but that we also do our part. With that said we love gaming, talking about it so let’s talk about some of the bigger stories of the week and remember the things that make us happy.

Release Date Changes

As of now we really hadn’t seen a major shift in gaming release dates. Up until now the only thing in the gaming world that has been affected has been all of the shows and events including GDC, E3 and many more. If you are also working from home and that hasn’t been your standard setup then you understand that things just don’t work as smoothly from home. You don’t have the same equipment, there is plenty of noise from the outside world and overall just a lot more challenges to maintain the same output of work. This is why many people are waiting for the other shoe to drop in regard to game delays, even possibly delays of the Series X or the PS5. Although we have heard from Microsoft in the past few weeks that Plan A is still moving forward and I think you have to say that until you are positive you wont make the release date.

Things seem to shift this week with some games announcing official changes to their release dates, although not all delayed. Square Enix decided that with the current logistical situation, trying to launch simultaneously in all regions would be impossible. Square made the official announcement earlier in the week that ahead of the official release date of April 10 “These unique circumstances have made it very difficult to align timing of our global shipping. Our highest priority is that all of you, including those who live in countries currently facing the biggest disruption, can play the game at launch, so we made the decision to ship the game far earlier than usual to Europe and Australia. To everyone we would ask one big favour. If you get the game early, please think of others and don’t spoil it for them”

A few things to unpack here, first, by the end of the week people were already playing the game which is great for them and I think this move by Square is smart and you are less likely to anger fans who have been waiting for this game for a while and who might have preordered it. There is also a chance that the situation gets worse when talking about closing essential and non essential businesses and what will be shipped from online retailers. There is zero predictability as to what will happen moving forward and getting the game into hands of players now is better than it possibly not making it to them for a while.

The other factor is how they are asking people who receive their copy early to not spoil FF7. While that might sound funny due to the fact that the game came out in 1997 there have likely been a lot of alterations to the storyline that lends itself to the episodic nature that Square has chosen for FF7 Remake. Also there are probably many gamers out there who this will be there first time playing this particular game or even the series.

For myself, this was one of the bigger blindspots in my gaming catalogue, we owned FF7 as a household but based on my age and based on the limited time that I was able to get on the system, I only played a few hours of it and somehow I have avoided major spoilers. I played the demo about a month ago and with my memory not remembering much of the original I am very much looking forward to playing this game as if its brand new. Square echoed this sentiment in their post by finishing off by saying “we know that there are potential spoilers that have been out there for over two decades as the original was released in 1997. But FF7 Remake is a new game that still has many surprises for everyone” I think this was a smart move by Square to get the game out when they can and if you are looking forward to the game as well then be careful to avoid spoilers.

On the flip side of the coin, not all games will be coming out early. One of my most anticipated games at the start of 2020 was Minecraft Dungeons alongside other games CyberPunk 2077 and Halo Infinite. Both of which are very much up in the air as to whether or not they will be released as the world will be very different between now and the fall. I never overly clicked with Minecraft but I can very much appreciate its mass appeal. Diablo on the other hand has always been one of my favourite series and from what it looks like Minecraft Dungeons looks to blend these two series together and I for one am very excited. Revealed a few years back and likely in development a few years before that, Mojangs RPG was supposed to be released this April. However, this week it was announced that the game has been delayed but only about a month as the new release date is now May 26.

Minecraft Dungeons looks to tweak the Blizzard formula by randomly generating dungeons which I am all for as someone who is only a few bounties left in one challenge away from a Platinum trophies. Sometimes running the same adventures through the same levels gets a little repetitive but there are arguments to made for either side. There is also local co-op and that is always a great thing as I love playing games together on the couch with my significant other. Minecraft has been supported extremely well since its release and I am very hopeful that Dungeons will be the same and based on the versions of the game with one featuring upcoming DLC there will be plenty of post launch content.

The team stated that the slight delay was due to the current situation of the world and the health and safety of the team was the most important factor. “We wanted to guarantee the heatlh and safety of our teams and empower them to deliver the best possible experience to you, our players. We hope you’ll find it was worth the wait”

While the delay of Minecraft Dungeons is one of the first major titles delayed, there was also the delay of Wasteland 3, the upcoming RPG from InXile who were recently purchased from Xbox Game Studios, although this game will be their final title to be released before they were acquired. However, even though a lot of gamers were looking forward to these games, the biggest delay of the week was the Sony exclusive.

Lots of people have been questioning if The Last of Us 2 would be coming out on May 29 considering how some elements of the game might be a little too parallel to real life at the moment and that sales may have been jeopardized. I thought that the with the release date of the hugely anticipated Naughty sequel so close that it was still going to be released. While it might seem like most people are self isolating right now and more people are playing games than ever, the hard part is the logistics. Gaming stores are all but closed right now and more are closing every day, Amazon is shipping essential items in priority at the moment and shipping things globally seems to be a quite an issue based on the statement that Square released regarding shipping FF7 early.

This week, Sony announced on Twitter that “SIE has made the difficult decision to delay the launch of The Last of Us 2 until further notice. Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from providing the launch experience our players deserve” This delay certainly seems like it will have ripple effects moving forward. What does this delay mean for Ghosts of Tsushima? Was the delay truly due to the logistical problems or was Sony more concerned with the subject matter affecting the game sales. There is also the outside possibility that the game wasn’t going to be ready and that with Naughty Dog already delaying the game maybe Sony wanted to be the one to delay it this time. Sony is most likely taking a wait and see approach on Ghosts and will mostly likely give it another month or so to make the decision regarding the Sucker Punch IP.

Assuming Ghosts of Tsushima comes out at the end of June, where does Sony then reinsert The Last of Us 2. I would normally say that releasing in the summer doesn’t make sense for a massive blockbuster game but I don’t the month of the year is that important any more as opposed to the proper timing. Naughty Dog has seen success with games like the original Last of Us, Uncharted 4, and Uncharted Lost Legacy being release in May, June and August.

The bigger question is does this game get the same treatment that Nintendo gave Breath of The Wild when it was released simultaneously on WiiU and Switch. If that is the case then it would be pretty smart on behalf of Sony to get the most polish on the game while maximizing the potential customers for the game as the install base for the PS4 would mathematically be at its highest point and people that are buying the PS5 would have something shiny to buy. Based on how many companies are being forced to work from home there are most likely many games that were slated for the PS5 launch window that will most likely have to be pushed farther. Having a game like The Last of Us 2 launching alongside the new console would be a very smart move as it has clearly worked for Nintendo. Gamers also seem like they are much more understanding of delays due to the nature of the world at the moment.

Mario 35th

Last week we talked about how we are still in the dark when it comes to what Nintendo is planning for 2020. Obviously what they might have been planning at the start of the year is probably very different to what they are planning now. The only major Nintendo release date that is on the table as of right now is Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition which is coming out May 29. We did get a Indie World Showcase Direct and a Direct Mini in March but nothing that will really be giving Nintendo an anchor in the fall, nothing to use for marketing and selling systems around. Nintendo needs something to compete and keep the momentum moving on the Switch as sales have been very bullish since its release. With Switches either scarce or sold out at the moment it will be interesting to see the data when Nintendo releases their FY20 annual report on May 7.

My hope is that we will get a Direct with some big announcements before the May 7 annual report as it will be expected that at least some important dates and plans for the remainder of 2020 will be included in the report. Its expected because you need to keep shareholders happy and entice potential investors as to why your company can take your money and turn a profit with it. I think it would just get a much better reception from fans and potential investors if information was released using a Direct rather than being buried in the pages of an annual report. Although with as much is up in the air regarding release dates, reduced factory production and limited working from the office, there might be lots of potential news that never comes to fruition. There is a good chance that this was what Nintendo had planned for 2020 but with the current state of everything that might be a forgotten idea.

There have been plenty of different rumors that have been floating around but nothing that has really had any credibility until this week, when Video Game Chronicle and Eurogamer revealed some information. According to their sources, 2020 marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario. In 1985, Super Mario Bros was released in Japan on the Famicom and on the NES in North America. This wasn’t the first game to feature the now famous plumber but it was the one that put him on the map. I mean my dentist office had an NES with Super Mario Bros in the waiting room. It could be argued that this game was the main reason that the NES was such a success and could even be argued saved video games. Gaming crashed hard in the eighties and there was a time when it seemed like it wouldn’t rebound. When it came bundled with Duck Hunt a few years later was when my parents bought the system for our household and ever since then I have had a real soft spot not only for Super Mario but also for Nintendo.

The report is that Nintendo has big plans for the 35th anniversary including releasing the majority of the Super Mario games since 1985. Although these two sources corraborating on the story make it seem more authentic, a lot of questions arise. Which games will be released? Will it be a collection like Super Mario All Stars? Will they be remakes or remasters?

According to the articles there will also be a deluxe version of Super Mario 3D World in the same vein as other under appreciated Wii U titles that have made their way to the Switch, including Captain Toad, New Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8, which has gone on to sell over 20 million copies as of the end of 2019. The other big addition to the 35th anniversary celebration is that there will also be an all new Paper Mario.

According to the report, Marios 35th anniversary was supposed to be the focus of Nintendos E3 presentation. Clearly with the cancellation of E3, many things are up in the air as to when companies would be making big reveals. In fact, this week Bethesda made the announcement that they wont be holding any digital event this June as Pete Hines tweeted out that this week. Bethesda was the first major company to step away and indefinitely postpone their plans and I wonder how the rest of the industry will follow. Will Nintendo still an event during the time when E3 will take place?

If these articles are accurate and I am understanding them correctly then it seems like a logical assumption is that we will be getting at least three SKUs with a new RPG Paper Mario, Super Mario 3D World Deluxe and Super Mario All Stars 35th. I can’t imagine them bundling the deluxe version of 3D World with the rest of the entries and I think putting together an all starts package for the rest makes it a must buy at full price. If you separated some of the games like Sunshine, Galaxy and 64 and sold them for 29 per of 39 per then I think Nintendo then risks the chance of people only selecting their absolute favourites and not spending as much overall.

I think with just the new releases that are speculated for this 35th collection is enough to compete with the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft, should they be released this holiday. I am curious if these Mario games will be the only major tentpoles from Nintendo for the second half of 2020. The Breath of the Wild sequel no longer makes sense to me with the amount of new Mario games speculated. The other large factor to consider is that 1986 marks the first release of Metroid and Legend of Zelda, which makes 2021 the 35th anniversary for those two series. Releasing the sequel to Breath of the Wild and giving some of the back catalogue an update would be fantastic and games like Wind Waker have been a big fan request. Zelda and Metroid both seem to make a lot more sense in 2021 when looked at under the same light as the speculated 35th anniversary celebration we are getting later this year.

Something fun to think about is where does Nintendo plan to release some of the other franchises that have yet to make original appearances on the Switch. Series like Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, and Mario Golf come to mind in addition to other huge third party titles that will be coming to the System. What about the speculation about the Pro version of the system? Nintendo did confirm that they did not have any plans to release an update Switch in 2020 but does 2021 make more sense when there isn’t the competition from Sony and Microsoft. One of the more fun things to think about and theorize is what is Nintendo up to. This Mario 35th anniversary definitely has the wheels turning but until they confirm anything don’t get too excited as Nintendo likes to march to their own beat and it has worked out pretty well for them thus far.