TGO Daily | September 15, 2020 | NPD August 2020 Report
Few titles manage to be held in such high regard as that of Spelunky. It’s even rarer for these once-in-a-generation games to get follow ups that are also universally praised. I look forward to seeing how we will look back on Spelunky 2 as time moves forward, but the future certainly seems bright for it.
On a personal note, Spelunky always escaped my vision for some reason. I’ve been obsessed with tons of roguelikes, yet something about this one never caught on for me. Maybe this follow-up can make it click.
Nonetheless, I hope you’re doing well :) Back with more news tomorrow,
Adrian
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NPD August 2020 report
The NPD Group have shared their report for August 2020, which tracks video games spending across software, hardware, and accessories in the United States. The key takeaway is that Madden NFL 21 was the best-selling title of the month, with major growth over last year’s entry. It is also the 21st consecutive year that a Madden game has been the best-selling title in its release month, and is the best-selling sports franchise in US history. The #2 spot belongs to UFC 4, setting a new franchise record, and giving EA the top two spots.
Nintendo did very well in August. The Switch set a new August hardware record, beating the record set by the Wii in 2008, with unit sales doubling year over year. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the 6th best selling game of the Switch, which means its been in the top 7 for 42 consecutive months. This also makes it the 10th best selling Nintendo game in US tracked history.
Here’s a look at the 10 best selling games of 2020 so far:
It will be interesting to see how that shakes up with some of the major releases coming later this year.
Spelunky 2 reviews released
The follow-up to one of the biggest indie games of all time, Spelunky, is officially releasing on the PS4 today.
Polygon posits that the first Spelunky was the perfect video game (a view shared by many), so the inevitable question becomes “how do you make a sequel to a perfect game?” Apparently the answer is that you don’t.
“Spelunky 2 isn’t a sequel — or, at least, I wouldn’t use that term. It’s something different, like so many modern games that blur the lines between remaster, reboot, remake, and reimagining. It warrants new words.”
This is a sentiment that is shared among many reviewers. Derek Yu has expanded and improved many aspects of the game, without radically changing or overcomplicating anything. If you are already a fan of Spelunky you’ll likely be happy with the improvements. If you’re new to the series, it’s the best way to get the Spelunky experience that everyone has been raving about.
If you can’t pick it up on Playstation, it’s slated for a PC release on September 29th.
Jackbox Party Pack 7 detailed, releasing in October
The 7th and newest entry in the Jackbox Party Pack collection has officially been announced, detailed, and given a release date of October 15th.
It’s going to feature “Quiplash 3,” one of the fan favourite minigames of all the party packs, as well as four brand new concepts. “Talking Points” has one person making a speech using slides that they’ve never seen before. “Champ’d Up” is a drawing game that has different characters competing for various championship titles. “The Devil and the Details” has you completing a bunch of mini-games against your friends, trying to get as many points as possible. And finally there is “Blather ‘Round,” where you have to describe popular things using vague terms while people guess what it is.
This looks like it will be a pretty fun pack! It’ll launch on all platforms for around $30 USD.
Game Pass adds mobile game streaming
Beginning today, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is fully launching into game streaming (in 22 countries). At no additional cost, members can now stream around 150 games already available through the Game Pass onto their Android devices.
The opportunities here are pretty flexible. If you’re an existing member, you can seamlessly transition games between devices (console/PC>mobile). For new members who maybe don’t have a console or PC, they now have the option to play AAA games on just their phone or tablet. It also has full multiplayer cross-play with the Game Pass library.
I’ll likely be testing this out myself over the next couple of days. I think the value they’re bringing to this service is unmatched in the industry right now, and I look forward to seeing what they can do.
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