10 Recent Video Game Industry Developments That Have Me Excited To Be A Gamer In 2020

Whether or not you are still quarantining full-time, odds are that some of your favorite dining and entertainment spots are still not open like they used to be. In turn, you are spending more time at home and are consuming more digital and streaming-based content that you were this time last year.

Fortunately, video games are still in a “golden age” of sorts. No matter your console of choice, the games these days are amazing, including the music used in them. And even if most of the video game developers were forced to change up how they make their games as of late, there are still plenty of new and exciting things for gamers to be psyched about, no matter how much gaming you do.

Below is a look at 10 recent video game industry developments which recently hit my radar.

Stadia Games

In recent years, when people were talking about the latest and greatest video games, odds are that they were talking about titles produced for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo consoles. But Google’s new-ish Stadia console is still somewhat-new to the video game market and absolutely stands out from the pack. Not only is it box-less and cloud-based, yet the games that you own for Stadia can be played on your television, your tablet, your mobile and your desktop alike — with your progress on each game universally-saved between devices.

Last month, Stadia announced that 16 new games and 5 exclusives are presently in various stages of development representing titles from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, 2K Games, Square Enix and Activision, in addition to partnerships with Harmonix, Uppercut Games and Supermassive Games for upcoming games. Meanwhile, 18 existing games are still available to add to your Stadia Pro collection, including Destiny 2: The Collection, SteamWorld Quest: Hand Of Gilgamech, Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid, and Orcs Must Die! 3.

Stadia On Data

Stadia has the reputation of only being playable “wifi-only,” but this is no longer the case. You can now play games using 4G and 5G on your Android mobile device. This feature may increase mobile data usage, sure, but many mobile-users have unlimited data plans these days.

PSN Plus Games

One of the perks of subscribing to PlayStation Plus is that you are treated to new, immediately-downloadable games each month. August 2020 delivered included downloads of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered and Fall Guys. While veteran gamers ought to be very familiar with the Call Of Duty franchise, Fall Guys is a 60-player, battle royale-style competition game. And if neither of these games strike your fancy, well, new ones are coming in another 3 weeks or so.

New Bomberman Game

Last month, Konami announced a new Bomberman title, Super Bomberman R Online, which will launch on the aforementioned Stadia in Fall 2020. The game will feature a new “Battle 64” mode for up to 64 players and will also be one of the first titles to take advantage of Stadia’s Crowd Play feature that allows players to quickly jump into a game with their favorite streamers on YouTube.

Street Fighter V Summer Update

Capcom has revealed new details on the characters, stages and other content coming to the fifth and final season of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. As announced by the Street Fighter V development team, Dan, Rose, Oro, Akira and one yet-to-be revealed character will be joining the hard-hitting roster; these newly-confirmed characters are currently in production. In addition to these 5 new characters coming to Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, over 30 new costumes and 4 new stages are also being planned, including a Rose stage (Spring 2021), Akira stage (Summer 2021) and 2 new Capcom Pro Tour stages arriving in Winter 2020 and Fall 2021. A new battle mechanic and new battle balance adjustments will be available in Winter 2020 as free updates to all players, adding even more gameplay enhancements and depth to the game’s combat system.

Ubisoft’s Strategic Deal With Parsecd

Parsec — the high-performance, peer-to-peer, remote streaming technology developer — and leading game creator and publisher Ubisoft announced a strategic deal earlier this month that will allow Ubisoft to power new gaming experiences in its products and services. Ubisoft will leverage Parsec’s pioneering technology to advance its game streaming efforts, using Parsec to power in-game experiences, demonstrations, events, and other endeavors. Meanwhile, the first ever Ubisoft Forward provided an in-depth look at London’s resistance in Watch Dogs Legion, the shores of ninth-century England as Eivor did battle in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and a new villain named Antón Castillo (played by Emmy Award nominee Giancarlo Esposito) in Far Cry 6. Thus, big things are clearly planned within the world of Ubisoft for late 2020 into early 2021.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds

2020 has not yet bring a new “2K” video game from the WWE brand, but it is now known that Saber Interactive has developed a new arcade wrestling title called WWE 2K Battlegrounds for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Stadia. As reported by The Sarah O’Connell Show, over 70 WWE characters are expected to be featured in the game and 4 players can be in the ring at once. I am expecting a game format comparable to Super Smash Brothers based on its available game trailers.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will be available worldwide on September 4th for the suggested retail price in the U.S. of $39.99, while a digital deluxe version with unique content and in-game gear will be priced at $49.99 and a “collector’s edition” will be carry a price tag of $99.99. Last month, Activision unveiled the entire lineup of new music that fans can prepare to shred to when Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, as ranging from old-school ‘90s rap and ska-punk to international indie hits and up-and-coming artists, 37 new tracks in all. The big soundtrack reveal was made via a virtual concert on Noisey’s YouTube channel, as including performances by CHAII, Merkules, Machine Gun Kelly and Rough Francis, who are among the new musical talent to appear in the remastered game’s soundtrack.

The Score Of Ghost Of Tsushima

The highly-anticipated Sony Playstation exclusive video game Ghost Of Tsushima was released last month, as included an immaculate score by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi. Inspired by the Sucker Punch team’s desire to bring authenticity to the story, Eshkeri had the privilege of learning the rich cultural heritage of Japanese music from some of the world’s greatest masters. They taught him how to write music for rare and unique Japanese instruments such as the biwa, koto, taiko, and several others which are brought to life in Ghost Of Tsushima’s narrative score alongside a symphonic orchestra for an auditory experience unlike any other. That score is now available for commercial purchase via Sony Music Masterworks-distributed label Milan Records.

The Score Of Assassin Creed Valhalla

And speaking of top-notch scores written for video games, Einar Selvik — the Norwegian composer, musician and creative mastermind behind the Nordic folk band Wardruna, who are widely known for their ability to transcend music genres, cultures and languages while introducing innovative and genre-creating renditions of ancient Nordic traditions — is featured on the score for the upcoming installment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla which will release worldwide on November 17th, and Selvik is featured alongside BAFTA Award-winning Danish composer Jesper Kyd and American composer Sarah Schachner on the official Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack The Ravens Saga. A 7-track EP is available now.

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Tags: Google, Google Stadia, PlayStation, PS4, Sony Playstation, Stadia, Video Games, WWE

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."