TGO Daily | September 16, 2020 | Rocket League Goes Free-To-Play
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Immortals: Fenyx Rising changed its name because of Monster energy drinks
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 fastest selling in franchise history
Rocket League goes free-to-play next week
Car-soccer phenomena Rocket League will officially be transitioning into a free-to-play game next Wednesday, September 23rd. On PC, it will also become an Epic Games Store exclusive.
Rocket League has been a premium title since its launch in 2015, though a number of changes have been planned since Psyonix’s acquisition by Epic Games last year. This started with the removal of loot boxes last December.
Making a big transition bring inevitable speed-bumps, and it seems like Psyonix has tried to get ahead of them. Steam owners of Rocket League will still be able to play the game, with the developers promising full support on the platform moving forward. Cross-platform progression will be introduced across every platform, now that the game is easily accessible everywhere. There’s also a number of cosmetic rewards for everyone who has paid for the game in the last 5 years.
Rocket League has been a powerhouse since it launched, and it looks like they’re in it for the long haul. I look forward to seeing what else they can do with the game, especially under a new parent company.
Amnesia: Rebirth launches October 20th
The next title from Frictional Games is Amnesia: Rebirth, and it is now slated for an October 20th release date. While technically the third entry in the Amnesia series, it will be the second for the primary developers. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was developed by The Chinese Room, and is considered an indirect sequel.
Rebirth will follow the usual explorative horror tropes, though the creative director has noted that it will have a greater focus on narrative than previous entries. There isn’t much else to say, but the developers certainly have a lot of momentum going into this release, with their latest game SOMA being very highly regarded.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising changed its name because of Monster energy drinks
You may have noticed that Ubisoft’s Immortals: Fenyx Rising actually had a name change, adapted from the previously announced Gods & Monsters. The cynics among us (myself included) assumed that it was a corporate directive to make it easier for trademarks and SEO. While that still may be true, it turns out there’s more to uncover.
It turns out that energy drink-maker Monster didn’t take too kindly to having the word “Monster” in the title of a video game, and successfully deterred Ubisoft through the court system. They claimed that their company is heavily involved in the gaming industry, "and that “Ubisoft's trademark would likely cause confusion or even deceive consumers as to the provenance of its goods” (Brendan Sinclair — gamesindustry.biz). Ubisoft rightfully pointed out the hundreds of other trademarks that have the word “Monster” in its name, to no avail.
Earlier this month an associate game director at Ubisoft insisted that the name change was a creative decision. This could very well be true, but it looks like they had some assistance in that decision.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 fastest selling in franchise history
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is now the fastest selling game in franchise history, having sold 1 million units in 10 days. The absolutely insane critical reception probably helped with those sales, considering the disappointment that was Pro Skater 5. I can only imagine this will mean more Tony Hawk remasters down the line! (I’m pulling for Underground 2, that was the one I played the most when I was younger).
Also In The News
Sony may or may not have changed the number of PS5 units they’re producing
EA dropping the “Origin” name for PC app, changing to “EA Desktop App”
”Trans games professionals explore Tell Me Why’s landmark depiction of trans identity”
Slime Rancher has sold over 3 million copies, currently has 800k monthly users
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