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Bye-bye October, you were a lot of fun and filled with video game news. Halloween around here was a huge success, we ended up having 64 trick or treaters and had just enough sweets for all of them. By the end of the night my dog, Eugene, got sick of getting up and down from his bed to bark, so resorted to half-hearted grumbles while staying comfy. My son also had a great time dressing as Spider-man and fighting ghosts... as Spider-man does. The ghost fighting has continued into November now. I told him that the spooky ghost decorations were gone so he didn’t need to fight them anymore. His reply of “I’m not fighting those ones, I’m fighting the real one” was less than reassuring.
Luckily November is bringing some of the heavy hitters of gaming to help keep me awake so the ghost doesn’t get me. So without further ado, let’s crack on.
I’m currently playing: Dead by Daylight and Call of Duty Vanguard on PlayStation 4 and I’m replaying the excellent Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch.
I’m currently hyped for: Halo Infinite on Xbox, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl. Meanwhile, on PlayStation, I’m waiting for the physical release of the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition.
New Games
October saw the release of Super Monkey Ball: BananaMania and Far Cry 6 across all platforms. Nintendo Switch owners were treated to Metroid Dread and a brand new Nintendo Switch OLED console! Not only that but Mario Party Superstars also hit shelves. Demon Slayer - Kimetsu No Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles, the Crysis Remastered Trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy and PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night also came out across all platforms.
Looking at November we’ve got some big hitters ready for the Christmas wishlists. Speaking of wishlists, have you checked out Zatu’s brand-spanking-new ones? They’re a bit swish and are ready to be filled with lots of lovely gaming goodness. You might want to add Call of Duty Vanguard to it, which came out on the 5th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
If you’re more of a Battlefield fan then you only have to wait until the 19th on all platforms. Another big title coming out on the 19th is Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl. I was a little late to the Pokemon party as I didn’t have a Gameboy at the time, so Diamond was the first title I played. I’ll be getting both and introducing my son to the long-standing series. I can’t wait to enslave wild creatures and force them to fight with him.
We’ve got Jurassic World Evolution 2 roaring onto PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. My Singing Monsters Playground hits Nintendo Switch on the same day too, in case you like your creature with fewer teeth. And finally, Shin Megami Tensei V is released on Nintendo Switch on 12th.
Announcements
EA to drop FIFA name from future football titles
FIFA has issued a statement following reports its negotiations with EA have hit an impasse, saying it believes football gaming and esports “must involve more than one party controlling and exploiting all rights”... not that I’m on anyone’s side but that’s pretty rich coming from the only governing body of football.
EA’s recent announcement that it was “exploring the idea of renaming” its FIFA series comes at a time when negotiations with FIFA have stalled as the two parties struggle to agree on specifics (read: “money”) of a licence renewal. FIFA reportedly want more than double the cost of its licence to over $1 billion USD for each four-year World Cup cycle. The report also claimed EA wants to explore other avenues using the FIFA licence. Including video game tournaments and digital products like NFTs. While FIFA wants to limit the scope of the deal to pursue new opportunities itself.
A recently spotted trademark filing from EA suggests it could be ready to ditch FIFA in favour of “EA Sports FC” for its football games. The publisher has also confirmed it’ll be renewing its contract with FIFPRO. This will enable it to continue using player names and likenesses alongside various official leagues.
Elden Ring delayed a month to February 2022
Elden Ring, the highly-anticipated game from From Software, was originally due out on 21st January 2022. But it’s now coming out on 25th February for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
A collaboration between Souls developer From Software, creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. Elden Ring will see players traversing the world on foot or on horseback, alone or online with other players fight, among other things, sword-wielding Dragons.
Resident Evil Village to get free DLC
Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Rise will get free DLC, Capcom has said.
The business-speak heavy company report states: “Further, we will drive our customer management to understand the playing trends and preferences of users while also building a business model for online operations, taking into account the situation of our free additional DLC for titles such as Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village.” There’s no word on what the DLC will contain or how substantial it will be, but the price is right!
Sir Trevor McDonald is the GamesMaster
The classic gaming show will be returning on E4. After months of speculation as to who would takeover from Sir Patrick Moore. It has finally been confirmed as non-other than Trevor McDonald, who will join presenters Frankie Ward, Rab Florence and Ty Logan.
GamesMaster originally ran on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998. It featured Sir Patrick Moore as the titular GamesMaster. He would offer tips on gaming to viewers and set challenges to studio contestants, who would compete to win Golden Joysticks. The show contributed to the video game boom of the 90s, particularly the release of the PlayStation and N64. Time will tell what impact it will have on today’s audience.
And That’s That!
So there you have it, time marches on ever closer to Christmas! Let us know on the Zatu social media pages which games you’ll be adding to your wishlist! And, if my life doesn’t go all Poltergeist, I’ll see you next time. Take care.