This week in gaming: Take-Two officially buys Codemasters, Sony reconsiders PS5’s 1440p support, Xbox enjoys a massive launch, and more!
In the spirit of keeping our readers up to date with what’s happening in the video game industry, the Doublejump Digest is a brief collection of the major news stories from the past week. Keep an eye out for the Digest every Sunday night, and head on into the archive for news from weeks gone by!
FROM DOUBLEJUMP
- Kate and Max collaborated to discuss the immense – but controversial – popularity of Riot Games’s K/DA promotional strategy for League of Legends.
- Ryan donned his big boy boots to review Supermassive Games’s second entry in its Dark Pictures Anthology, Little Hope.
MAJOR NEWS
Take-Two locks in US$1B Codemasters acquisition deal
After confirming reports of its plans to acquire DiRT and F1 developer Codemasters last week, Take-Two Interactive has confirmed that it has been given permission to go ahead with the US$994 million deal. According to Business Wire, the transition should be completed by MArch 31, 2021 with Codemasters senior management holding their positions and leadership responsibilities beyond the takeover.
Sony may add 1440p support to PS5 in future
After Sony Interactive Entertainment disappointed eager players last week by confirming that the PlayStation 5 doesn’t support 1440p display output, Sony’s Hideaki Nishino and Masayasu Ito told AV Watch (via Kotaku) that the company may add support “depending on the market trends or how many requests [Sony] receives.” Neither executives provided a timeline for Sony implementing the feature, but let’s hope that it’s implemented before everyone hops online during the holidays.
Microsoft: Xbox Series S|X launch was company’s best ever
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer announced via Twitter that the Xbox Series X|S launch was “the largest launch in Xbox history” with “more new consoles sold, in more countries, than ever before”. While he didn’t provide specific figures, he implies that the XIS launch saw more than the 1 million units sold for the Xbox One at its launch in 2013. Spencer’s announcement came shortly after his interview with Keza MacDonald from The Guardian, where he stated that Microsoft is “not driven by how many consoles we sell” but that the company’s focus for this console generation is on how many players are engaging with its brand.
In related news, the BBC has reported that that the Xbox Series X│S launch, Call of Duty patches, and releases of Destiny 2: Beyond Light and Assassins Creed: Valhalla led to record broadband data use in the UK. Several internet providers recorded significant spikes in data transfer and many users experienced slowed services. The Xbox Series X is currently sold-out across Australia − and pretty much everywhere else too − with the Series S in almost as much demand.
Twitch aims to clarify its DMCA and Copyright actions
Twitch has taken to its official blog to explain its recent move to delete thousands of videos in an apparent attempt to adhere to thousands of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Takedown notices.
“The point of the DMCA is to strike a balance between the interests of rights holders (the major record labels in this case) and creators,” the company wrote. “Because of this, we were compelled to delete the VODs and Clips that were identified in the notifications. This showed our commitment to upholding our obligations under the DMCA, while affording us the opportunity to sort out the best way to handle issuing strikes in these circumstances.”
Twitch acknowledged that its actions were “frustrating and worrying” and that the emails that it sent alongside the deletions contained little clarification but noted that it plans to introduce new tools to help creators “manage” their video archives, decide which audio that they can keep within “recorded content” (including using Soundtrack by Twitch), and add “the ability to actually review [their] allegedly infringing content”.
The company also provided tips to avoid getting a DMCA Takedown notice and vowed to provide more “transparency” with its decision making for the future.
Arkane’s DEATHLOOP is now coming May 21
Microsoft-owned developer Arkane Lyon has announced that it plans to release its upcoming action title DEATHLOOP on PC and PS5 on May 21 next year. In the post, Senior Content Manager Anne Lewis also shared what will be included with the game’s Standard and Deluxe Editions, revealing a variety of novel skins for protagonist Colt and his arch-rival Julianna.
NOTABLE GAME RELEASES
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, & Xbox Series X|S)
- Bugsnax (PS4 & PS5)
- Demon’s Souls (PS5)
- Destiny 2: Beyond Light (PC, PS5, & Xbox Series X|S)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS4 & PS5)
VIDEOS AND TRAILERS
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Photo Mode Trailer
Insomniac has delivered yet another stunning photo mode!
Sackboy: A Big Adventure — Launch Trailer
Our crafty companion is on a handcrafted adventure to save Craftworld.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection — Wake Up, John
Halo 4‘s finally coming to PC this month.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light — Season of the Hunt trailer
Xivu Arath is still hung up about us killing her brother.
Demon’s Souls — Launch Trailer
Dying never looked so good.
OTHER NEWS
- Report: Police believe that the hostage threat at Ubisoft’s Montreal office was a hoax: Polygon
- Nioh is getting upgraded for release on PS5: PS Blog
- Nioh 2 boasts 120FPS/144Hz on consoles/PC respectively: Twitter
- Nintendo Switch continues to dominate US console sales: The Verge
- Plague Inc goes full Coronavirus with its new pandemic mode: Kotaku
- We finally have US pricing for playing Ubisoft games on Amazon Luna: Gizmodo
- AOC and Porsche have co-designed a new gaming monitor: Kotaku
- Roblox players will have to pay for the “Oof” death sound: BBC
- Valve’s add three-hours of developer commentary to Half-Life: Alyx: The Verge
- PlayMagic has accepted responsibility for the XIII poor remake: GamesRadar
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