Epic is fed up

Neither the Xbox Series X or PS5 Are Really Ready for This Holiday

This week started out with two huge bits of news: Halo: Infinite was delayed until 2021 and the Xbox Series X's release month is officially November. While I think the latter bit of news is pretty huge, albeit expected, the news about Infinite took the hot seat as fans and critics anticipated a tough launch ahead for Microsoft's next-gen consoles.

It is a bummer to see the game that was supposed to be the huge next-gen release title have to be delayed, especially when you consider that employees will probably be subject to more crunch and hard work to even meet the delayed release date. This leaves Series X in a tough place, but, as this article puts it, PlayStation isn't in much a better place either.

PlayStation 5's heavy hitter is a big DLC to Marvel's Spider-Man. While I'm sure it will be great, it's not exactly a huge standalone triple-A title. In the current state of the world, I think those who are excited for next-gen have already decided which console they'll purchase. They aren't doing so much to play a new game but more for the excitement of being in the group of the first people who get to play next-gen.

While it will be a quiet first quarter for next-gen, I'm excited to get my hands on it and see what the future of gaming will look like.

Image credit:

Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store

Easily the biggest story of this week, Epic is fed up with Google and Apple taking a 30% cut from microtransactions in apps. We've covered this for the past few weeks, but if you missed it, this article links a roundup of what you need to know at the bottom of the page.

This is really crazy to see happen. I somewhat expected it, but to see it all pop off so soon is what surprises me. In Apple and Google's cases, Epic quickly responded with legal papers once Fortnite was removed, which shows that Epic expected this to happen. I've seen a lot of people compare it to Epic playing a game of chess with these companies.

I've also seen varying levels of discourse over this topic. Some refuse to take sides and say that it's two multi-million dollar companies fighting over money, a capitalist's love story, if you will. Others are saying Epic is doing this to fight for the small developer who wouldn't be able to create a career from their app because of the 30% fee. Both are good takes and I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

While I recognize the importance of what's going on, I do think it's ridiculous when people are actively speaking out about it while saying nothing about Black Lives Matter. Obviously, the Fortnite problem pales in comparison to human rights, yet some are still more bothered by Apple than systemic racism.

If you want to hear more of my thoughts, check out the Load Save Twitter. All in all, I'm interested to see what affect this has on the industry as a whole.

Image credit: Epic

Epic's Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite video is an irresponsible piece of corporate propaganda

I considered linking this in the body of the other Epic/Apple/Google article, but I felt that it was too important to be hidden underneath another article.

This really hits the issue on the head. My immediate reaction after watching the Fortnite short was disgust. This comes across as fighting for a human right or for something so much bigger than it is. #FreeFortnite is very obviously inspired by other hashtags created to bring awareness to those who are unjustly arrested or prosecuted, so this hashtag is effectively Epic saying "hey, we're being prosecuted too!"

That is grossly incorrect. While 30% off the top is an issue, Fortnite is still the most popular video game today that doesn't show signs of slowing down. This short was a gross misuse of power and it will forever change my view of Epic as a company.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Image credit: Epic

Ubisoft's #MeToo Reckoning, Two Months Later

This is a great article that looks at everything leading up until now regarding the Ubisoft #MeToo movement. It goes beyond headlines and dives deep into each individual's story who was brave enough to come forward.

Sadly, when looking at all the facts, it looks like Ubisoft's action are performative. It doesn't seem like Ubisoft is truly trying to solve the terrible issues running rampant in their company and they continue to install executives who are white males, which doesn't instill hope of a change throughout the company.

Image credit: Ubisoft

Quick, there's no time

We have so many good articles this week that I won't even take up your time with an intro. Get to reading and awe at all the crazy stuff going in industry!

Development

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Has The Best ‘Squeezing Through Narrow Passage’ Moments

A few weeks ago, we looked at an article about the use of crawling through spaces to allow for asset loading in modern games. That old article used Jedi: Fallen Order and the PS5 Unreal Engine demo as evidence of it and really dug into how much they hated it. But this article takes a different path. It celebrates the use of this mechanic and how it gives little moments of closeness between the player, Cal, and BD-1.

I've been thinking about these moments a lot recently as I've been playing through Ghost of Tsushima. There are many hidden areas that require you to squeeze through a crack that your hat definitely couldn't fit through but hey who cares, but most of these instances are very quick. In fact, I think these squeeze through moments are less about fitting in a time to load things and more about hiding collectibles or making an area feel more like a puzzle.

Regardless, Ghost of Tsushima's narrow passages are nothing compared to Fallen Order. There's no cute companion to watch squeeze through with you (you might see a fox dash into them but that's it) and, if anything, it just leaves me questioning how Jin could squeeze through there while wearing a huge brimmed hat and have two large bows on his back.

All that to say, every time this happens in Ghost, it makes me remember my adventure with Cal and BD-1 and how I can't wait for the next installment in that series.

Image credit: Respawn

How Spider-Man and Avengers sparked Marvel's next phase of blockbuster games

Try to ignore that worried feeling that comes around when anyone brings up Marvel's Avengers by Crystal Dynamics and get hype for the next "phase" of Marvel video games.

The beginning of this article is the highlight for me because it talks about Spider-Man: Miles Morales. I'm excited to see what this game can do on PS5 and I'm only a bit worried that the story won't be as full fledged as Peter's, but the inspiration behind Miles' story is really incredible to read. I'm excited to see that he's going to be his own person and we'll get to learn even more about him in this game.

While Marvel's Avengers has not been doing well in beta, I'm still excited about the principle of this game. Marvel is full force ahead with gaming and Bill Rosemann seems to be excited too. Hopefully Avengers can pull itself together before launch.

One side note: if the Spider-Man in Avengers is different from the Spider-Man in Insomniac Games' title, why is it a PlayStation exclusive? I know the legal answer, "because Spider-Man is owned by Sony," but overall I still think it's a dumb exclusive DLC that will continue to give gamers cannon fodder for Crystal Dynamics.

Image credit: Insomniac Games

Community

Animal Crossing and the Stories it Tells

I love reading reasons howAnimal Crossing: New Horizons has impacted so many people, especially during the crazy times we're living in.

AC:NH recently became one of the most successful Nintendo games ever and it's easy to know why. This game does so much for so many people, it's just incredible.

Image credit: Nintendo

Take a look inside the virtual Lockpicking Mechanics Museum

This is incredible.

You would be amazed at how often I think about lockpicking minigames. It's easily one of my favorite minigame types in games and I love it when a developer takes a different approach with it (I'm getting a bit tired of the Skyrim/Fallout style).

My favorite has to be from Oblivion. Every lock feels challenging and it's such a unique experience. It feels bizarre at first, but the more you do it the more normal and fair it works out.

I can't wait to see the next evolution of lockpicking minigames. What's your favorite?

Image credit: ElderScrolls Fandom

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Remake Is Ditching the "Mute" Grab For a New Name

Everytime I see a story that includes Tony Hawk, I end up with a smile on my face. That's because Hawk seems like a good guy through and through, and this story adds to that reputation.

The "Mute" grab is being renamed to honor the legacy of the skater who pioneered it. I love this because it removes a derogatory term from a community that, as an outsider looking in, seems to be widely accepting of people. I feel like this is a victory for the skating community and gamers who are excited to return to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

Related question: did you buy the Chipotle burrito to get this demo code? I'm really tempted to and try out this demo. Let me know if its worth it!

Image credit: Tony Hawk

Before You Go

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks for checking out another issue of Load Save! My schedule is about to get crazy, but I'm not quite sure what that will look like on my day-to-day.

How does that affect Load Save? Well, I don't completely know yet. If anything, it'll mean less in-depth commentary on my end, but you can still expect great articles each and every week.

I'll see you next time!