Outages, Leaks, and Big Fan Games

Are there any PlayStation fans out there who had a bit of trouble getting online yesterday? You’re not alone! The Playstation Network suffered a major global outage that caused problems on both the PS4 and PS5. The outage lasted for around eight hours and meant players couldn’t sign-in, play multiplayer games, load videos, or play any singleplayer games with online requirements. Sony hasn’t said much about what caused this problem in the first place, but (at the time of writing this) things at least seem to be running normally again.

Pictures of the upcoming Sims game (Project Rene) have been leaked from it’s playtest and fans are not happy. This comes only weeks after EA announced that Project Rene is not, as most people assumed, the Sims 5 and they aren’t planning a Sims 5 at all. EA assured players they would be taking the series “beyond linear, sequential releases and offer more options for players than ever before.”Unfortunately, to a lot of players, these pictures from Project Rene suggest a bland, basic, and possibly micro-transaction fuelled mobile-gaming experience: Not what anyone is asking for.

On the 1st of October, Devolver Digital announced the launch of a new publishing label under its belt – “Big Fan”. This new branch will focus on working with indie creators who want to make games with existing IPs, as well as the people who own those IPs and want a game made. This isn’t about making marketing tie-in games for other media; it’s about creating fun and inventive games that stand on their own. In their own words “We believe (and have seen firsthand) that great games that propel existing franchises can offer a connection with a fan that only an interactive experience can offer. Independent games created in these universes can explore them in new and unexpected ways, and it’s our goal to raise the bar of what fans can expect.”

Upcoming Game Releases:

On October 4th –
• SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
• Until Dawn is coming to PS5 and PC

Then October 8th is a big day for game releases, which will see:
• Turn-based tactic game Dead Season release on PC.
• Diablo IV’s Vessel of Hatred DLC will release on all platforms.
• The remake of Silent Hill 2 is coming to PC and the PS5.
• Annd if you have the ultimate edition, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|