Triplepoints of Interest – Nov. 27

In this week’s TPoI, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds gets a mobile port in China, Destiny 2 fans are upset by dishonest XP system, and the Nintendo Switch tops sales charts over the Black Friday weekend.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Goes Mobile

The PUBG Corporation released a cinematic trailer on Thursday showcasing two new mobile versions of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds which will launch first in China. Polygon confirms that the two games, Army Attack by Timi Studios and Battlefield by Tencent, will try to bring the PUBG experience to the Chinese audience by adapting the games to better fit the Chinese mobile space. Comicbook.com reports that PUBG Corp has partnered with Tencent and Timi to adapt the game for the Chinese region by porting it to a more accessible platform and incorporating “socialist values” into core gameplay. PC Gamer featured the newly released trailer and highlighted new features including attack helicopters, large squad-based matches, and a large naval destroyer.

Destiny 2 Fans Upset Over Experience Scaling Issues

Bungie received negative backlash from fans this week after the discovery of an experience scaling system which some believe was created to encourage players to purchase microtransactions. GameSpot reports that the system, which limited the amount of XP which players can earn during a play session, was meant to restrict the rewards which a player can receive by leveling up. PC Gamer featured a blog post from Bungie which confirms that the developers will be removing the system, but also doubling the amount of XP required to level up, which also upset the fanbase community. True Achievement reports that head game designers Luke Smith and Chris Barrett are aware of the community’s criticism and are actively adjusting the system to match the expectations of their fanbase.

The Nintendo Switch Tops Console Sales Charts During Thanksgiving Weekend

Despite the fact that the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro were on deep discounts during Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, data from Adobe’s Digital Insights Initiatives system shows that the Nintendo Switch was the highest selling console of the weekend. Gamesindustry.biz reports that the Nintendo Switch was able to secure the highest selling spot during the period without receiving major discounts at any big-box retail store. VG 24/7 notes that these numbers are not surprising after the system approaches its 4th month as the highest selling console in the United States but that the continued sales should help the platform reach a large audience in the west. IGN reports that Nintendo’s recent success is reflected in the company’s stock, which has gone up 88.5% in the last year alone.

Triplepoints of Interest – Oct. 30

In this week’s TPoI, Super Mario Odyssey sells over 2 million units in its launch week, EVE Online developer CCP closes two studios as they exit VR development, Sony reveals more details about its 2018 PlayStation lineup at Paris Games Week, and Bluehole Software announced the release date for the record-breaking PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Xbox One.

Super Mario Odyssey Sells 2 Million Units in a Week

Early Thursday morning, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Odyssey is the fastest-selling game in Super Mario History. This announcement follows reports from Fortune that the game has sold over two million units worldwide and 1.1 million domestically. Since the game’s release last Friday, Super Mario Odyssey has received universal acclaim from fans and press alike, receiving near-perfect marks from outlets like Forbes, IGN GameSpot, and Trusted Reviews. VentureBeat references the game’s high sales numbers as a good indication of the Nintendo Switch’s potential and future.

EVE Online Developer CCP Shutters Studios and Halts VR Game Development

EVE Online studio CCP announced in a statement sent to Gamesindustry.biz that the company will be restructuring their studios worldwide and halting further VR games development. TechCrunch featured statements from company representatives which said that the company will continue to support their previous VR title EVE Valkyrie but will be closing its Atlanta VR development studio and selling off their Newcastle studio in an effort to focus on their main three studios in Reykjavík, Shanghai, and London. Eve Valkyrie was one of the first major virtual reality titles to launch alongside the Oculus Rift and it led to discussions among developers about the state of VR. In the meantime, CCP has announced that no changes have been made to EVE Online’s development schedule and that the company will continue to support their products.

Sony Showcases 2018 PlayStation Lineup at Paris Games Week

During a press conference at Paris Games Week on Tuesday, Sony featured trailers for the 2018 PlayStation games lineup. Outlets including The Verge, GameSpot, and Glixel highlighted some of the best trailers from games like The Last of Us 2, Ghosts of Tsuhima, and Spelunky 2. The press event featured first party titles as well as games made by independent developers which will launch first on Playstation 4 like Star Child and Guacamelee 2. Fans and press seemed to be excited for the announcements, but IGN reported that the trailer for The Last of Us 2 was distasteful and drew additional responses from gamers who disliked the violent content of the video.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Release Date for Xbox One Announced for December

During an announcement at Paris Games Week, as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer Bluehole revealed that the game will arrive on Xbox One early access on December 12. GameSpot reports that the game will retain its $30 price point on Xbox One and that the the 1.0 P.C version is still on track for a late December launch. The Verge has confirmed that the development roadmaps for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will be platform specific and that features may come earlier to PC than to consoles. CNET reports that the game is still selling incredibly well and has sold over 18 million units since its initial launch in March.

Triplepoints of Interest – Sept. 25

In this week’s TPoI, Atari releases more information about their new Ataribox console, YouTube changes policies on external links for non-monetized users, and Bluehole confirms negotiations with Tencent.

Atari Unveils Details on the Ataribox

Atari sent a newsletter Tuesday morning with details on their upcoming Ataribox retro gaming console, including details on the hardware and initial pricing. TechCrunch reports that the system will run Linux and will be powered by a customized AMD processor and Radeon graphics processing unit. These components, which SegmentNext reports are very similar to parts used in traditional PCs, allow the Ataribox to run modern games as well as arcade classics. The Verge reports that preorders for the system will begin this fall on Indiegogo and that the system will start at $249 and could go up to $299.

YouTube Restricts External Links for Non-Partners

Non-partnered YouTubers have recently been reporting that they are no longer able to post links to online merchandise stores, personal websites, and their crowdfunding platforms. A representative from YouTube told Polygon that the site is changing their external links policy to “combat inappropriate and abusive content.” Engadget reports that this policy change affects non-partnered YouTube channels and that a YouTube channel needs 10,000 views before it can be considered for partnership, a number which many smaller content creators are struggling to meet. VentureBeat mentioned that this change follows YouTube’s recent demonetization policy changes and the decreased advertising revenue which many content creators are struggling with.

Bluehole Begins Business Negotiations with Tencent

South Korean developer, Bluehole Software confirmed on Thursday that they are talking with Chinese publisher Tencent about publishing PlayerUknown’s Battlegrounds in China. Gamesindustry.biz reports that while Bluehole had previously denied rumors of the partnership plans but that Bluehole chairman and cofounder Chang Byung-gyu has now announced that Tencent is interested in buying an equity stake in the company to help encourage development.  Bloomberg reports that Bluehole, which is now worth over $4.6 billion dollars, is interested in expanding the feature set of their game and launching it before the end of 2017. PCGamesN reports that Tencent has now purchased a 5% share in the company and is planning to buy a larger stake in the company in the future.

Triplepoints of Interest – September 4

In this week’s TPoI, esports tournament DreamHack lifts ban on Counter Strike: Global Offensive match fixer, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS sells 10 million copies, and GamesBeat reporter Dean Takahashi receives backlash after difficult Cuphead demo.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS Sells Over 10 Million Copies Worldwide

Bluehole Softwares’ hit game PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS has become the most played game on Steam in the past few months and the developers just announced that the Early Access game has now sold over 10 million copies worldwide. GameSpot reports that the game has now topped Steam’s highest peak concurrent user mark after the PUBG Invitational Tournament at Gamescom last month, topping out at over 1 million players all playing at once. Destructoid reports that the team’s plans to release the final version of the game before the end of the year hasn’t changed and that the XBOX one port will release in early 2018. Gamesindustry.biz featured a quote from Bluehole’s Vice President Chang Han Kim which highlights the team’s enthusiasm and appreciation of their fanbase – “It is amazing and gratifying to see the love and support the passionate fans have shown to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.”

DreamHack Lifts Ban on Counter Strike: Global Offensive Match Fixer

Earlier this week, the esports tournament organization DreamHack joined ESL and adopted a new ruleset which complies with ESL standards and lifts lifetime bans for competitive players that have been caught cheating or fixing matches. Dot Esports clarified that this change affects players that received lifetime bans prior to February 25, 2015 and that returning players will not be able to compete in any Valve run tournaments such as the American or European Majors. Compete reports that the decision to remove lifetime bans follows the ESL allowing banned players to return to their tournaments in July of last year. Critical Hit reports that the new ruleset will allow many players to return to the game professionally including iBUYPOWER’s entire North American lineup, who were found guilty of match fixing last year.

GamesBeat Lead Writer Dean Takahashi Criticized Over Cuphead Demo Footage

During Gamescom last month, GamesBeat Lead writer Dean Takahashi played through the first level of the upcoming platformer Cuphead and footage from the event has drawn criticism from many members of the gaming community. Gamers took to forums and social media and criticized Takahashi for not being able to learn the mechanics of the game quickly and used his gameplay as an example of games journalists not being competent enough to take seriously. Since then, outlets like Geek Reply and GameRevolution have posted opinion articles about the skill level required to be part of the games media, with many writers coming out in support of Takahashi. Takahashi posted an article on VentureBeat responding to the controversy and explained that platforming games like Cuphead aren’t his favorite genre but that unskilled gameplay is still valuable for the games industry as a whole.