Category: Rock, Paper, Shotgun

In the latest unredacted document oopsie stemming from the US Federal Trade Commission’s efforts to stop Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, an email from Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer has surfaced in which he discusses the idea of buying Nintendo.

The email was sent 6th August 2020 to Microsoft’s current chief marketing officer Chris Capossela and commercial chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto. It begins with Spencer speculating that Nintendo may be receptive to approaches, thanks to one of Microsoft’s allies, San Fran investment fund ValueAct, buying up Nintendo stock and so, attempting to steer the company’s board towards accepting an acquisition.

“Takesji, I totally agree that Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in Gaming and today Gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance,” the email begins.

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Following in the wake of last month’s sizeable 4.0 update, Genshin Impact’s latest patch is arriving next week – and we now know what to expect from the 4.1 release.

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Unity has apologised to developers for “confusion and angst” caused by its proposed new pricing structure that sought to charge game creators a fee every time their game was installed, promising that changes will be made – but without suggesting that it would pull away completely from implementing the much-criticised plans.

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Could Titanfall 3 finally be on the way? It’s a hope that fans of Respawn’s beloved shooter have been holding onto for the best part of a decade now, but recent evidence in the form of quiet updates to Titanfall 2 and a cryptic teaser for its spiritual successor Apex Legends has given them renewed hope that something new might be on the way.

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With its steadfast love of imploding skulls and disintegrating ribcages, Mortal Kombat has always been the most adolescent of fighting games. Mortal Kombat 1 might be using its conspicuous numeric digit to suggest a reset or rethink of some kind, but in truth it isn’t remotely concerned with reinventing its world of misfits. While part of me wishes this surface-level overhaul had been more radical, it’s maybe unwise to expect that. For decades this series has embraced its love of brainless ultraviolence and childish storytelling. If Mortal Kombat 1 can be praised for anything, it is unwavering kommitment to the bit.

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My assumption thus far was that Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin, whatever its eventual qualities, would be the kind of big-campaigned strategy game I’d never make time for. Then I watched the new “game overview” trailer below, and now I’m thinking it might have something for me after all.

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Bad news: sci-fi co-op bug hunt Helldivers 2 is no longer coming in 2023. Good news: it now has a more specific release date of February 8th, 2024. That’s progress.

That’s it, that’s the news, but there is also a new trailer below if you’re interested.

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The Logitech G502 is one of the most popular gaming mice in the world – and also the reigning champion of the last RPS Readers’ Peripheral of Choice Awards or whatever we called it at the time. There are both wired and wireless versions available across multiple generations, with the wireless models normally holding a steep premium – but that’s not true at the moment.

Today, the G502 Lightspeed wireless model is down to $75 at Amazon US when you use the $20 coupon on the product page, making it 50% off MSRP. Note that this deal is only for Amazon.com, not Amazon UK or other Amazon regions.

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We often hear that videogames can have a positive impact upon the world, but this is the first time I’ve seen somebody use one – an antique strategy sim, no less – to advocate for appropriately balancing the level design of your front lawn so as to stop indigenous insects being overrun by smaller invading species. The scientific research paper in question – uploaded in August this year, and brought to my attention by RPS contributor and apparent ant enthusiast Matt Cox – sees researchers Samuel J. Lymbery, Bruce L. Webber and Raphael K. Didham use Age of Empires 2 to study how human shaping of the environment affects the balance of power between the indigenous Australian “meat ant”, or Iridomyrmex purpureus, and the Argentine ant, or Linepithema humile, who are one of the world’s more invasive ant species.

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Alas, more sad news today, folks. Our brilliant guides writer Hayden Hefford has just completed their final day at RPS. From the end of September, they’ll be starting a new life of scholarly enlightenment as they head off to university, undertaking that most noble of pursuits: the quest for infinite knowledge. We’ll miss them dearly, so please join me in the comments below to say farewell.

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