An inclusive Game Jam and the fight against Coronavirus

Game on: How PlayStation 2 changed the entertainment industry forever

Just a few weeks ago, I linked an article about the impact of the PS2 and it's story of development, marketing, and how it became the best-selling console of all time. This week, the PS2 turned 20 years old (based off the March 4th Japan release), so let's take another look at the creation of a console that changed video games forever.

It's so interesting to hear the story of Ken Kutaragi and his idea to push Sony into video games. It almost seemed as if he was hit with divine inspiration which lead to the original PlayStation and eventually PS2.

In celebration of the PS2's birthday, I posted a picture of the original PS2 box that may parents bought so many years ago. You can find it on Twitter.

What was your favorite PS2 game? If you need help remembering some of the classics, Eurogame put together their top 20 PS2 games. I'm glad to see my favorite, Ratchet and Clank and Sly Cooper make the list. Plus, you'll get to see some blast-from-the-past trailers in this article.

Image credit: PlayStation

Platinum Games interview with Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya at PAX East 2020

Last week, I talked about Platinum Games Inc., their Wonderful 101 kickstarter, and how shady it was that they've already set a release date for the game's remaster. Luckily, Sal Romano from Gematsu asked Platinum Games executive Vice President and studio head Atsushi Inaba where that money really went.

Sal also asked Inaba other interesting questions regarding the Wonderful 101 Remaster, Project G.G., and Bayonetta 3 (spoiler: it's doing fine.) Inaba's explanation for the kickstarter still feels... weird, but we'll see how all of Platinum's plans turn out in the coming months.

Image credit: Famitsu

Have we become too emotionally invested in the catharsis of receiving video game news?

Video game news can be addicting, in a way. You could even say that I'm the dealer. That's a weird comparison, we don't have to talk about it again.

But seriously, this short opinion piece is something to chew on for people, like me, that love getting news about video games. Occasionally, I do find myself irritated by the lack of news in a certain week. My irritation isn't necessarily directed at any one party, but the lack of news makes my week less interesting and the job of creating Load Save more tedious. But in times like this, it's important to remind ourselves that we shouldn't take big announcements for granted.

Let's be honest, the end of 2019 spoiled us. We had so many incredible announcements that we didn't know what to do with ourselves. This first part of 2020 has been sparse, but we're finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let's eagerly anticipate reaching that light and be grateful for it when it arrives.

Image credit: Lora Ohanessian

Just For Laughs

Is Myst still one of the worst games ever?

This is the most opinionated opinion piece you'll read, and it'll leave you in tears.

This one especially connected with me. I remember my older siblings playing Myst and struggling through the puzzles. I tried to play it, but my infantile brain couldn't figure out the first puzzle without help. I remember my siblings talking about how hard the puzzles were, how mysterious the game was (I guess we know where the title came from), and how those thing inevitably made it a good game. Now I understand that we were all young, but this article reassures me that those factors do not constitute a "good" game.

If you've played and enjoyed Myst, good for you! Just don't try to convince others that it's an amazing game.

Image credit: This article

A slight changeup

This week is a little light on commentary as I'm preparing to go on a cruise next week! Since I'll be away for all of next week, the next issue of Load Save is going to be a little different. I'm going to be shouting out other incredible video game newsletters and publications. There won't be any news, but hopefully you'll be able to tide over your need for gaming news with one of my recommendations. Keep an eye out for that!

This past week had a lot of interesting news and some cool interviews from PAX East 2020, so let's jump right into it!

p.s. I stumbled upon the best Chrome Extension. It's the Animal Crossing Music Extension, and it plays music from all of the Animal Crossing games depending on what time of day it is for you and what the weather is like. It's so pleasant and it's the best way to get hype for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

p.p.s. I swear if the PS5 gets a reveal while I'm on a boat in the middle of the ocean, I'm gonna be ticked.

Development

Developers say Google didn't offer enough money to make Stadia games - Business Insider

Another nail in the coffin for Stadia.

There's a lot of reasons why Stadia isn't performing well. I mean, a lot. But this is one specific reason is interesting because it's completely objective: Google is not offering enough to Indie teams to get their games on Stadia. That's the base of it, but there's more that makes it worse. So far, Stadia's performance is nowhere near convincing enough to persuade a smaller dev to port their game on Stadia. On top of this, nobody knows if Google will continue to support this platform. This article mentions multiple projects that Google has totally abandoned, and Stadia could be the next.

One factor that this article discusses is the importance of Indie games to a gaming ecosystem. It's a big reason why the PS4 started out so strong. When the Switch and Xbox One caught up, it also brought success. Stadia is a perfect example of what happens when you don't try to bring Indies to your platform.

Do you think that Google is going to stick this out, or should we prepare for a Stadia funeral?

Image credit: Stadia

Community

A video game is being used to help fight coronavirus

Coronavirus has been really messing up the gaming industry, but that's not stopping people from using a video game to try and "beat" the virus.

No, I'm not talking about Plague Inc. This time around, people are using a game that replicates the Coronavirus spike protein and challenges you to find a protein that can bind and halt the coronavirus. Not only is this an awesome way to use gaming, it's teaching people a lot more about the virus. One of the reasons why so many people are afraid of it is because our lack of knowledge. Once we understand Coronavirus more, we can found out ways to combat it.

Image credit: Foldit

Autistica Play launches inclusive game jam

This really sounds incredible. For those who don't know, a Game Jam is a period of time dedicated to building games. The goal is for different groups to create a game (normally in a very alpha version, but with the majority of the ideas fleshed out) over a short period of time, traditionally 24 or 48 hours, and then a "winner" is chosen to make into a real game. To some, this is seen as a fun competition, but others see it as a dressed-up version of crunch. In order to avoid the latter, Austica is hosting their Game Jam across a week and people can work from their homes. This is just one way that Austica is making this event as inclusive as possible.

I love this idea and I'm so happy that people are committed to making it a reality. I'm excited to see what comes out in the results: not just games, but the stories and experiences shared throughout the week.

Image credit: Autistica Play

Link Dump

Small lil Dumpster Fire

Since PAX East was this past weekend, there's been some cool announcements that I wanted to include. Instead of linking each one individually, I'll drop them below.

Marvel Future Revolution is Marvel's first mobile open-world RPG that looks pretty fun! So far they've only released cinematic trailers, but it looks like it has potential. Also this is a link to their Twitter page because their website doesn't have any of the videos for some reason?

Final Fantasy VII Remake started this week off with a bang by releasing a demo, which I haven't played yet an that makes me very sad. But here's thoughts from Destructoid about how it feels.

Half-Life: Alyx released three gameplay videos and wowohwow it looks beautiful and incredible. The real test will be if the game can be played like that by someone on their first try.

Before You Go

I just have this feeling...

That the PS5 is going to drop some news or have a reveal or something while I'm gone. And I wouldn't know until I get back, because I doubt I'll be on the Internet much while I'm gone. If it does happen, congrats to everyone else! I'll just be out of the loop and disappointed forever.

But hey, once I get back, we'll one week away from Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I'm so hyped. Until then, keep an eye out for next week's special edition featuring other awesome gaming newsletters.

If you want to reach out about any of the articles linked or about the newsletter, you can tweet me, message me on Facebook, or respond to this email! If you like what you're reading, tell a friend! Use Load Save as an icebreaker, or a way to get create a common interest with a friend, or just tell a stranger on the street about it. These are all legitimate ways to grow a newsletter, right?

Thanks again for reading, I'll see you next time!