Everyone. We have some games.
But before we get to those games, let’s get to some goggles:
Apple Debuts a Pair of Expensive Goggles
On Tuesday, Apple held their Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC23), their annual presentation event that showcases upcoming products.
While the thick of these events often only cater to Apple-dedicated users and big tech money investors, representatives have demonstrated Apple’s intentions to further invest in games, such as releasing developer kits to encourage more developers to port and work for the macOS.
This was further supported by Hideo Kojima, who appeared as a guest speaker to debut a Death Stranding port for Macs.
The big finale capped everything off with the public debut of Apple’s Apple Vision Pro, an AR headset device that will retail at a whopping $3,499. Apple boasts that the expenses of the Vision Pro will not only help and add on to every aspect of your everyday work life—such as using its breathable headband to absorb your sweat while basking in your 3D screensavers in the dark—but that it will be compatible with the Apple Arcade’s launch of hundreds of more games to come to its library.
Apple will also be able to provide developers kits seeking to develop for the device.
The Sands of the Summer Games Fest 2023
The Geoff Keighley show kicked off opening with a new Prince of Persia game. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be a side-scrolling platformer in lieu of the series’ earlier, classic titles, and is slated for release some time next year.
While we revisit sands of time, we are also getting a Sand Land video game adapting Akira Toriyama’s mange of the same name.
Definitely Not the First for Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is slated for release next year in 2024. The game continues the narrative that has so far been established in Final Fantasy VII remake.
The beta for Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is running through late June. The game appears to be a re-imagining of elements from the various Final Fantasy VII games, with the additional inclusion of more backstory for the game’s SOLDIER faction. Ever Crisis is strictly for mobile devices running on Android and iOS.
Other Sequels and Seasons
Coinciding with the release of Chapter 4, Season 3, Fortnite is getting a Transformers crossover. Comic artist KC Green has also caught that a recent update of the game has added a new fire emote inspired by the “This is fine” meme derived from his comic strip “On Fire”—and confirmed that it was with his paid involvement.
Guess that was recently implemented. Now you can set yourself on fire as a joke! (For the pedants, I was paid for this usage) https://t.co/4Z33GUWvTt
— The Comics of KC Green (@kcgreenn) June 9, 2023
Alan Wake 2 gets treated to a gameplay reveal trailer.
Insomniac Games announces Spider-Man 2, hitting the city skies on October 20th.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20th!#SpiderMan2PS5 #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/ft5G5nGihX
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) June 8, 2023
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name gets a November 9 release date.
We know #GollumGame all too well, and it looks we are now being treated to #GimliGame! The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is announced for this coming fall. The game is described as ” the only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth.”
And while it was not part of the Summer Games Fest line-up of announcements per se, developer Dingaling Productions confirms that a LISA: Definitive Edition will be hitting all current-gen consoles this coming July.
Fighting Games and the Fight for Mobilization
A new trailer for the Mortal Kombat reboot is released. To reiterate, this is not to be confused with Mortal Kombat (2011), and will indeed be an entirely new reboot. Last month, Amazon accidentally leaked the game’s first batch of DLC characters, spurring speculation around the game.
Leading up to their union election, AEGIS-CWA representatives report that Sega management has tried to initiate an anti-union campaign towards its employees. The Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (AEGIS) comprises of Sega of America employees. The shop announced their intentions for unionization back in April, and can potentially be the first union in the video games industry to represent multiple departments.
These pending developments have coincided with the announcement of several Sega titles, such as Sonic Superstars, during the Summer Games Fest.
We are disappointed that Sega management has decided to interfere in our democratic right to organize leading up to the NLRB mailing out our ballots on June 16. 🔽 pic.twitter.com/M0RkPlapIH
— AEGIS-CWA 💙 #UnionizeSEGA (@takesAEGIS) June 8, 2023
