The RGM Weekly News Digest – August 12th

Having trouble keeping up with the gaming news flying off the RGM news desk? Don’t worry, so am I. To help you stay up to date with the big news stories from throughout the week we have put together a brief re-cap of the stories we know you will want to know about.

To get started, as you may have heard, the highly anticipated title from Hello Games, No Man’s Sky released earlier this week on PlayStation 4 and PC. If you are one of many who have purchased No Man’s Sky, then you will most likely have gotten a heartfelt note from Sean Murray of Hello Games. Below is a picture of the note:

CpYlhHxUEAExxd9It’s a very heartfelt note that reminds us all that the developers don’t just make these games overnight, they pour their hearts and souls into the games that they make.

The release of No Man’s Sky seems to have launched with a very positive response from the community so far, if you have had a chance to spend some time in that massive universe, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

Next up Microsoft has acquired the popular streaming service Beam.

Beam is unique among streaming services due to its interactivity. Viewers are able to talk with the streamer and they are also able to affect the gameplay. Beam offers an SDK for developers to enable these features. The changes viewers can make vary from game to game.

This is all good but what does Microsoft acquiring this service mean for you? Nothing.

16494Microsoft and Beam will maintain its current support across all of its platforms. This will allow Beam to benefit from Microsoft’s infrastructure and will improve its services. So if you are a current Beam user and were concerned about the service getting an overhaul that will affect your experience, you can rest with ease.

 

Moving onto one of the most anticipated FPS games of 2016, Battlefield Squads will return on Tuesday, August 16th at 12 PM Pacific for another livestream, similar to what we saw earlier this year at EA Play.

A collection of YouTube, Twitch, and other Internet celebrities will be playing Battlefield 1 for the event, and if you’re tired of seeing St. Quentin Scar gameplay, the livestream will feature one of Battlefield 1’s desert maps, and a new Behemoth – the Armored Train.

Fans have many questions about how the new Behemoth will fit into the game as it’s restricted to railways, unlike the previously-seen Airship. After the livestream, we should have a good idea, as well as what weapon emplacements it features, how many crew members can man it, and how its destruction impacts map geography and movement routes.

Is this the Battlefield 1 map we'll see at Gamescom?
Is this the Battlefield 1 map we’ll see at Gamescom?

It’s also confirmed we will see horses in action, and probably quite a bit of new weaponry. Battlefield 1’s most recent weapons video features tons of new gear that might make it into the build we’re going to see at Battlefield Squads.

This news also raises important questions for Battlefield 1’s upcoming open beta – at the previous Battlefield Squads event, players played a pre-alpha build of the game. The game’s closed alpha contained the same map and gear. With Battlefield 1 showing off a new map at Battlefield Squads, it could mean players will get a chance to play multiple maps (or at least a new one) during the game’s Beta, and will have a greater offering of weapons and equipment.

No official date has been set for the game’s beta – but an announcement during the livestream seems likely. I sincerely doubt it will happen prior, as Electronic Arts and DICE want all eyes on the Battlefield Squads event.

A new trailer has also been confirmed for the same week as the Battlefield Squads event, though it’s unclear if it will air during the livestream. Regardless, Battlefield promises a “trainload” of new information on Battlefield 1 as part of the Battlefield Squads event and Gamescom.

When August 16th rolls around, keep an eye on the official Battlefield website and Twitter for links to the livestream.

 

Now we have news about the upcoming title RiME. Tequila Works have announced that they are collaborating with two new publishers in order to bring their long-gestating project, RiME, to fruition. Grey Box and Six Foot are the newcomers to the party and all three plan to bring the hotly anticipated puzzle adventure title to players sometime in 2017.

RiME follows a young boy who washes up on a mysterious island after being shipwrecked during a raging storm. According to their press release, Tequila Works aims to offer gamers a subtle narrative featuring fantastic cel-shaded artwork and a sweeping soundtrack.

rime_announcement_keyWhat is most interesting about the announcement is that it appears RiME may no longer be exclusive to PlayStation 4. Tequila Works originally teamed up with Sony to make the title but earlier this year, split with them and reacquired sole rights to the game. The wording of the press release specifically mentions “platform availability” and the addition of new publishers possibly suggests that we may see RiME on other consoles.

Look for more details in early 2017. In the meantime, pay a visit to Tequila Works for some screens and a beautiful trailer from GamesCom 2014.

 

To wrap up this week’s review the Xbox One S 2TB Launch Edition console has sold out.

The Xbox One S 2TB Launch Edition which released just last week has sold out at most retailers according to an report from Eurogamer. This is fantastic news for Microsoft as the gorgeous newly designed slim model has appeared to resonate well with fans and consumers.

The bad news however is that if you had plans on picking up the Xbox One S 2TB Launch Edition, you may want to get on the ball as reportedly Microsoft will not be replenishing stock.

xbox one SYour next chance at a 2TB Xbox One S will come in with the Gears of War 4 Limited Edition console which will begin shipping October 7 in North America. There will also be a 500GB and 1TB version of the Xbox One S shipping later this year, although official release dates have not yet been given on those models.

We will of course keep you posted as to when Microsoft gives the official word on availability of the other models.

 

So there you have it, a quick wrap up of some of the news items that landed on our desk during the week, to help get you up to date with some of the big news floating around this week.

Other articles that may interest you include:

DLC Pack #3 Descent, is available tomorrow for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 on Xbox One and PC

Here are the new Xbox One games added to purchase, pre-order or play for free this week

Backwards compatible games update: New title & racing games updated to support steering wheels

UWP Background Music Player App for Xbox One supports playing music from USB

No Man’s Sky First Update – What We’ve Seen Is Not What We’ll Play

This week’s Deals with Gold & Spotlight Sales are in – August 9th

Splinter Cell currently free on Uplay – Rayman Origins is next

The PlayStation Network Weekly Sales – August 9th

Battlefield 1 Amazon Collector’s Edition…

Rainbow Six Siege Popularity Soars

Fallout 4: Top 8 Mods for Xbox One

RGM Reviews – Overcooked