Blimey, would you Adam and Eve it? Yep, that’s another week done and dusted, and with it a whole bunch of (hopefully) exciting video game news to digest. Being an EastEnders fan, I know how important catching up on stuff is, so that’s why I’m here to guide you through the biggest gaming stories of the past week before you bugger off down the pub, play some Fortnite, fire up Netflix, or do whatever it is you do on a Friday night. But first, I’ll get the important stuff out of the way…
Blimey, look who’s back in Corrie! It’s only Norris, the nosy-parker who works at the corner shop! Fair play to actor Malcolm Hebden making a full recovery after suffering a heart attack a few years back – it’s good to have you back, mate. The cobbles weren’t the same without you.
Elsewhere, Dani Dyer, daughter of Danny ‘I’m fucking Danny Dyer’ Dyer, has hit the headlines again, claiming she’s not with boyfriend Jack for the money. She’s even revealed a five-year baby plan for the couple, so she’s obviously in it for the long haul. Wonder what Mick Carter’s alter ego thinks about that, eh? No doubt the cockney wide-boy will be chuffed to be a grandad!
Gearbox was originally considered to develop Halo 4 at one point
Gearbox is obviously known for its work on Borderlands, but in an alternate reality somewhere, it’s been busy churning out Halo games. No, really. 343 Industries’ Bonnie Ross told IGN this week that at one stage, Gearbox was considered by Microsoft to take the reins on the first-person shooter franchise, although at one point the format holder considered ending the series altogether after Halo 3’s ambiguous ending. What could have been, eh?
Resident Evil series has sold over 90 million units
Capcom’s Resi franchise has passed another milestone this week, with 90 million units shifted since Shinji Mikami’s shuffling zombies emerged from their graves, back in 1996. It’s still the company’s best-selling franchise, with Resi 5 the biggest performing individual game. Still, in terms of best-selling games in Capcom’s portfolio, Monster Hunter World is still leading the pack. Nonetheless, there’s just 10 million sales between Resi and that magic 100 million mark, which Resi 2 remake will probably help contribute to – as well as the inevitable Resident Evil 8.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead officially cancelled
The writing’s been on the wall for a while with Overkill’s The Walking Dead. It tanked upon its PC release last November, something which the team apparently always knew would happen, and received less-than-favourable reviews. Sure, 505 denied last week that the console release was being scrapped, but it’s now turned out this is the case; Skybound’s cancelled its contract with Starbreeze, putting the kibosh on the zombie romp. This also means that support for the PC release will dwindle.
THQ Nordic holds AMA on imageboard that has hosted child pornography
This all kicked off on Tuesday night, and quite frankly, it’s absolutely mindblowing that THQ Nordic could have ever thought this would have been a good idea. 8chan, in case you didn’t know, is notorious for hosting NSFW content, including hate campaigns and child porn. Things got so bad that at one point it was even delisted from Google search, which speaks volumes about its reputation. Why host it there in the first place, then? Well, apparently, some bloke called Mark asked nicely. No, seriously, that’s what happened. Unsurprisingly, it only took 45 minutes for the AMA to transform into something you’d normally see swimming about in a sewer, prompting multiple apologies from THQ Nordic.
Pokemon Sword and Shield announced for Switch
Nintendo’s Direct broadcast this week was brief, but finally confirmed what everyone had been expecting: a dedicated Pokemon RPG for the Switch. Well, two, in fact, as we’re getting companion titles Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. There’s hardly any info available on the games right now, but they’re definitely arriving in 2019, so presumably we’ll find out more details soon, hopefully at E3.
Gearbox set to chat Borderlands at upcoming PAX East Panel
Gearbox might not be making Halo games, but it’s busy working on something just as special: Borderlands 3. We don’t know much about it right now, but that might be set to change at PAX East next month, where the studio will divulge the ‘latest news and updates’ on what it’s been working on. Borderlands 3 is probably going to be there (or possibly Battleborn 2, if Colm gets his wish). Whatever happens, it’ll hopefully steer attention away from the drama surrounding Randy Pitchford’s bank account.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered has leaked again
We haven’t heard about the long-rumoured Modern Warfare 2 remaster since last year, and to be honest, I was starting to wonder if it’d ever happen. From the look of things though, it’s back on the cards, with PEGI listing the game for PS4. Well, to be technical, it’s listed Modern Warfare 2’s campaign. No doubt this will be released to coincide with whatever Call of Duty game comes out later this year, which is hotly tipped to be a fourth Modern Warfare game. To be honest, I loved MW2; Soap and Captain Price were some of the best characters the series has offered (although the bar isn’t exactly high in that respect), and I’m totally up for revisiting the game after a decade.