Doesn’t time fly? It’s once again time to take a look at what’s been happening in the world of gaming for the past week or so, and as always, there’s no shortage of things to talk about.
Whether it’s speculation swirling about PlayStation release dates for Xbox games or new studios being started by old hands, you’ll have plenty to think about this week.
As always, then, it’s time to dive right in. Let’s take a look at the week in gaming news.
Starfield and Indiana Jones could be imminent for PlayStation
If you’ve been hoping to play some of the latest and (debatably) greatest Xbox games on PlayStation, then you could be in luck.
First, a PlayStation logo was spotted on the listing for a Starfield mod, sparking speculation that Bethesda’s spacefaring RPG could be heading to Xbox. The logo was swiftly removed.
Second, a reliable leaker claimed this week that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s anticipated PS5 release will be fully revealed sometime in the next couple of days, so it shouldn’t be long before you get to play it on Sony’s console.
An ex-Call of Duty producer has announced a new studio
Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell has become the latest in a long string of industry luminaries to announce their own studio, but this one’s operating under the auspices of PlayStation itself.
As part of an interview with gaming journalist and personality Jeff Gerstmann, Blundell revealed his new studio Dark Outlaw Games, which he describes as “a new studio within PlayStation Studios”.
According to Blundell, Dark Outlaw is currently “working away in the shadows”, and it will “step out into the light” when it has something to announce. Given Blundell’s previous experience, though, we’d be very surprised indeed if Dark Outlaw isn’t working on some kind of shooter.
More Xbox Game Pass games revealed for March
Xbox revealed another wave of Game Pass games coming to the service in March, and although the haul is a little underwhelming, it’s still nice to see the list regularly getting updated.
The second wave of Xbox Game Pass games in March brings Blizzard Arcade Collection and Atomfall, and the service has already been updated with the likes of Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island and 33 Immortals.
It’s not the most exciting or sexy lineup the service has ever seen, but at the very least, Atomfall should keep you busy if you’ve got a reasonably beefy PC (or an Xbox Series console, of course).
The Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster has a release date
Cult 3D platformer Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is finally coming to modern platforms, and a release date for the remastered version of the game was announced this week.
You’ll be able to play this updated version of the 1990s classic on April 2nd, and it’s coming to PC and every console under the sun (except perhaps Ouya, but we don’t think that’s a great loss).
Unfortunately, the Croc remaster won’t be coming to Steam on PC; the developers have stated that they want it to remain DRM-free, so it’ll only be available on the GOG storefront.
First industry-wide, direct-join North American gaming union formed
This week saw the foundation of the first industry-wide direct-join North American gaming union in the form of United Videogame Workers, which was formed in conjunction with the Communications Workers of America union.
The union’s stated aim is to give workers a seat at the table after what has been a pretty brutal year in terms of gaming layoffs; thousands of workers lost their jobs last year alone.
If you’re in the US or Canada, then you can join the union, and it doesn’t matter where in the industry you work (although you will need to be a gaming industry employee, of course).
We now know what kind of PC you’ll need for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
Sony announced the PC specs for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered this week, and as you’ve probably come to expect, you will need a decent machine to run this one at a high resolution.
While the minimum specs only require a GTX 1650 (which is, at this point, a fairly old graphics card) and a processor from several generations ago, you’ll need a beefy RTX 4080 and a more modern processor for 4K.
However, even if your PC is a few generations old, you should be able to have some fun with this one, provided you’re willing to make a few visual and performance sacrifices.
The System Shock 2 remaster is finally coming in summer
Nightdive revealed the release date for its System Shock 2 remaster this week, so it’s almost time to suit up and get back on the Von Braun (if you’ve got the stomach for it).
In a new trailer showing off some of the remaster’s features and visual upgrades, Nightdive revealed that you can expect to play the game on June 26th, and it’s coming to PC and consoles, so it doesn’t matter where you want to play.
This one’s been a long time coming, so it’ll be good to finally revisit one of the best PC games ever created and remind yourself of a time when story-based shooters weren’t quite so rare.
A movie based on Split Fiction appears to be in the works
Split Fiction, the most recent game by Hazelight and Josef Fares, is getting a movie adaptation, according to a Variety story published earlier this week.
Variety claims that not only is the game getting an adaptation courtesy of experienced game-to-movie studio Story Kitchen, but also that several major Hollywood studios are already engaged in a bidding war for the rights to the movie.
Given the massive success of Split Fiction, we can’t say we’re surprised about that, but it’ll be interesting to see whether the project gets off the ground or not. Story Kitchen is reportedly currently looking around for creative staff and cast members.
