TGO Daily | September 30, 2020 | Apple vs Epic Sent To Jury
I’ve got another list of news items for you today. Before the newsletter existed, I would have just chosen three stories and extrapolated them into a 5 minute show. But I think something I’m learning is that not every story needs a lengthy explanation. On days like today, when there aren’t any standouts, we can do shorter blurbs :)
I hope you’re well. Reach out any time!
Adrian
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The Stories
Epic vs Apple sent to trial by jury
The ongoing antitrust despite between Epic Game and Apple is now going to next level, with the overseeing judge determining that the case should be elevated to a trial by jury. It is expected to take place in July 2021.
No ruling was made on Epic’s attempted restraining order, which was used to try and bring Fortnite back on to the App Store.
“I think this is going to be a fascinating trial…Walled gardens have existed for decades. Nintendo has had a walled garden. Sony has had a walled garden. Microsoft has had a walled garden. In this particular industry, what Apple is doing is not much different.”
— Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers, quoted in gamesindustry.biz
I won’t get into any more of the details of the case, feel free to read the extensive information provided by gi.biz, but I wanted to point out that there is still a long journey ahead for these two companies.
Exciting things on the horizon
For some reason there was a lot of news today dedicated to things that will be coming out in the future. Here’s a handy list of updates:
“The Crown Tundra” expansion for Pokemon Sword & Shield due October 22nd. The gimmick for this expansion is that every legendary Pokemon that has ever existed will be able to be captured. Unfortunately they will be split between the two versions of the game, so if you want them all you’ll have to own them both (or trade). It is the second and final expansion for this generation of Pokemon games. Time will tell if it’s a concept they’ll want to revisit.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will include EA Play starting November 10th. That is not-so-coincidentally the same day as the Xbox Series X/S launch date. EA Play includes most of EA’s back-catalogue, including for major series like The Sims, FIFA, and Mass Effect. It will start for console players only, and will be available to PC players in December.
Torchlight III will launch on all platforms on October 13th (except Switch, due before 2021). It’s been in Early Access for a few months on Steam, so this will be the official launch, and a first-time release for consoles.
The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth is getting the “Repentance” expansion before the end of the year. In the latest blog post from Edmund McMillen, he said that the expansion is so large, it’s “basically a sequel.” Apparently it’s more substantial that Rebirth was to the original Flash Isaac game. Wowza.
Exciting things available now
Spelunky 2 is now out on PC, after being available on the Playstation 4 for the past month. It’s been received incredibly well, for veterans and new players alike. The PC version doesn’t yet have online multiplayer, like the PS4 version, because it’s still being worked on. It will eventually have cross-play.
Doom Eternal is available on the Xbox Game Pass, starting tomorrow. This will be the first new game from Zenimax, following its acquisition from Microsoft. It’s joined by Brutal Legend, Forza Motorsport 7, Drake Hollow, and Ikenfell.
Get In Touch
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