It was first announced in early 2020 that the third season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai would take the original Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), back to Japan, the setting for The Karate Kid Part II. Since then, we’ve learned that some familiar faces from the movie will appear this season, and gotten hints at what brings Daniel back to Okinawa in the first place.
The first video for the new season teased the possibility that Mr. Miyagi held back some secrets from Daniel–secrets that Daniel’s Karate Kid Part II rival Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) knew. While those have yet to be revealed, Macchio spoke to GameSpot about another piece of information his character learns about Miyagi while in Japan.
“Being over there and tapping into Miyagi’s life and learning the importance of Daniel-san to Mr. Miyagi versus it only being one direction was really important,” the actor said. “To hear that information and to learn that information was so moving and yet fulfilling to Daniel LaRusso.”
As for the other secrets Daniel might learn about his late mentor and father-figure, Macchio simply teased, “[Okinawa is] a place to do a deeper dive and learn something about him or learn something about Miyagi that he didn’t know that could inform his life and stories going forward.”
For fans of Karate Kid Part II, though, the return of not only Chozen, but the film’s love interest Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), are sure to be exciting moments. Naturally, they were for Macchio as well. “It was a great usage of lead characters from Karate Kid Part II, in the lovely and talented Tamlyn Tomita as Kumiko and the most awesome Yuji Okumoto as Chozen, and then even other surprise characters from Karate Kid Part II that drive the story forward,” he said.
As for who those other surprise characters could be, Macchio made sure not to spoil what was to come.
Cobra Kai Season 3 premieres on Netflix in January 2021.
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A lost, unreleased Game Boy add-on known as the WorkBoy has been discovered after 28 years and reveals an accessory that could have brought PDA-like functions like an address book, calculator, appointment book, and so much more to Nintendo’s beloved handheld device.
Video game historian Liam Robertson shared his quest to find out what happened to this add-on in a new Game History Secrets video on DidYouKnowGaming? and, not only did he track down the original creators behind the WorkBoy to learn the story behind why it was never released, he was able to get one of the only prototypes in the world working.
As you can see in the image below, the WorkBoy was a keyboard that connected to the Game Boy via Link Cable and would allow you to take advantage of 12 apps, including an address/phone book and appointment book.
Image Credit: Liam Robertson – DidYouKnowGaming? – Game History Secrets
The WorkBoy was set to be an officially licensed accessory for the Game Boy that was designed by Source Research and Development and produced by Fabtek Inc. in close collaboration with Nintendo.
In January 1992, WorkBoy was officially trademarked by Nintendo of America and even made an appearance at CES 1992. It was profiled by various outlets, but following a brief swell in coverage, it more-or-less vanished.
Robertson was able to track down Eddie Gill, the architect of the WorkBoy and the founder of Source Research and Development, and he discussed how the WorkBoy was originally planned on being released in late 1992 or early 1993 for around $79-$89 USD, but various issue prevented it from ever reaching the public.
Gill said there were only two WorkBoy prototypes left in the world that he knew of, and he said that one was probably “deep in the vaults of Nintendo,” while the other was in possesion of Frank Ballouz, the founder of Fabtek.
Robertson got in touch with Ballouz and he did indeed have a WorkBoy prototype. Ballouz did not, however, have a Game Boy to test it out, so he sent it to Robertson in hopes he would be able to get it working.
When Robertson first connected the WorkBoy keyboard to a GameBoy, nothing happened but a short alarm beep. It turns out that the WorkBoy needed a cartridge to fully function, although none could be found.
As fate would have it, Robertson was able to find a ROM of the software in one of the big recent leaks that followed the Nintendo Gigaleak earlier this year. After burning the ROM to a blank cartridge, Robertson got it to work.
Seeing the WorkBoy in action is a glimpse at what could have been. It’s also very interesting to see this in action in 2020, where many of the functions of the WorkBoy are commonplace. Back in 1992, this was ahead of its time.
Due to that, it needed to carry a pretty high price. That high price was one of the main reasons the project was cancelled, as the $89.99 USD Game Boy was set to get a price drop, meaning the WorkBoy would most likely have been more than the system itself at $79-$89 USD.
Additionally, a large explosion in a factory in Japan that was producing computer chips caused the price of D-RAM to soar, making it near impossible to bring the price down of the WorkBoy, had it been released.
Even though the WorkBoy never saw the light of day, Gill’s original design helped inspire a new device he patented for a personal communicator, complete with a keyboard and touch screen, that would later be licensed by Nokia for its Nokia 9000 series of devices in 1996.
Gill would then go back and work with Nintendo to try to develop a revamped WorkBoy for the Game Boy Advance that would allow for E-Mail, web browsing, and word processing. As with the original, however, it never reached the finish line.
Does being paid to build with legos full-time sound like a dream? Japanese artist Jumpei Mitsui is one of the 21 people in the world who get to do this, and he’s recently recreated a three-dimensional version of Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” entirely in LEGO form.
The project, now displayed permanently in the Hanyu Brick Museum in Osaka, Japan, took over 400 hours. It was built with more than 50,000 different LEGO blocks, and details the waves, boats and Mt. Fuji, spanning just over five feet.
Mitsui described on his Twitter the process of recreating the art in sculpture form, noting he had made one sketch, mostly to determine balance over being a “blueprint.” He said he also read several papers and watched hours of YouTube videos on waves to make sure he was getting the shapes and forms of them correct.
The piece is of course inspired by the original Japanese artwork, created sometime in the 1820’s and often considered one of the most recognizable pieces of Japanese art.
There were plenty of excellent TV shows to binge-watch while we were stuck at home in 2020. But what’s next? While we can’t predict what life will be like next year, we can at least look forward to more great television. Here are the 10 biggest TV shows to watch in 2021.
Very few shows (Cobra Kai Season 3, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) have set release dates due to production being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some of our best bets for anticipated shows that will release in 2021 include The Witcher Season 2 (Netflix), The Expanse Season 6 (Prime Video), American Horror Story Season 10 (FX), I Think You Should Leave Season 2 (Netflix), MODOK (Hulu), and Loki (Disney+).
There are a lot of new Star Wars series on the horizon too! While we wait for trailers for Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and more, we at least know of one show definitely coming in 2021 – The Book of Boba Fett, coming December 2021 to Disney+.
Monster Hunter World may have skipped out on the Switch, but Nintendo’s hybrid console is receiving its own new Monster Hunter game next year: Monster Hunter Rise. Developed on Capcom’s RE Engine, Rise is a sprawling new entry in the action-RPG series, featuring seamless environments and a handful of brand-new mechanics that give the game a more fluid, action-packed feel than previous installments.
Monster Hunter Rise has only been announced for Nintendo Switch. Though rumors have been circulating that the game will also be released on PC later in the year, Capcom has not announced any plans to bring it to other platforms as of yet.
Trailers
Capcom has given us a few glimpses at Monster Hunter Rise since it was officially announced in September’s Nintendo Direct Mini presentation. During TGS 2020, the publisher shared an expanded version of the game’s reveal trailer, which showcased more of Rise’s expansive environments and its major new gameplay mechanics, particularly wall-running, the lasso-like Wirebug, and the new Palamute companion. The video also introduced a couple of new monsters debuting in the game, including Magnamalo, Rise’s flagship monster.
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Monster Hunter Rise – Official Announcement Trailer
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The publisher shared another trailer during the 2020 Game Awards. This one focuses more on the game’s story. As it explains, Kamura Village is being threatened by a monster stampede known as the Rampage, and players will need to protect the village and discover the reason this event keeps occurring. The trailer ends by revealing that a Monster Hunter Rise demo is hitting the Switch eShop in January.
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Monster Hunter: Rise Gameplay Trailer | Game Awards 2020
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Capcom has also shared an assortment of videos highlighting each of the game’s 14 different weapon types, from the Great Sword to the more eclectic Insect Glaive. You can watch these videos on the official Monster Hunter YouTube channel.
New Features
Monster Hunter Rise introduces a couple of new gameplay elements to the series, chief among them the Wirebug. This lasso-like insect functions as a sort of grappling hook, allowing players to propel themselves around the environment and even latch onto monsters. Capcom confirms that players will have two Wirebugs at their disposal, and they can be used in conjunction with the game’s various weapons to unleash acrobatic attacks.
Rise’s other big addition is the Palamute, a new type of canine companion. Much like the Palico, the Palamute can join players on hunts and offer backup when battling monsters. Whereas the Palico is more of a support companion, however, the Palamute specializes more in offense, and players can even ride it to traverse environments more quickly.
Multiplayer Details
Like previous Monster Hunter games, Rise supports up to four players locally or online. As is the case with most other Switch games, you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take advantage of online play. Individual memberships cost $4 for one month, $8 for three months, and $20 for one year, while an annual Family Plan runs for $35 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts.
Although Capcom has shared few details about Rise’s multiplayer content, the basics remain the same as in previous Monster Hunter games. You’ll be able to party with up to three other players and embark on quests together. These missions entail hunting or trapping fearsome monsters and gathering resources, which you can then use to fashion new weapons and armor for your hunter.
DLC/Microtransaction Details
Capcom has not yet announced any DLC for Monster Hunter Rise, although some sort of post-launch content is expected to arrive for the game. Previous Monster Hunter titles have received free crossover gear and quests based on other video game series (the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild armor in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate being one such example), and that tradition will likely continue with Rise. Capcom, however, is not ready to discuss any crossover plans yet:
“[Collaborations have] obviously become a staple of the series, so we’re looking into what we can do with this game, but we haven’t really decided on anything yet, and the team is still very much hard at work on getting the actual main game finished, so that’s our priority right now,” producer Ryozo Tsujimoto told GameSpot.
Beyond potential collaborations, there’s also the possibility of some paid DLC. Monster Hunter World set a precedent for this when it received its big Iceborne expansion, which introduced an entirely new world to explore and many new and returning monsters to hunt. It remains to be seen if Rise will likewise receive a paid DLC expansion, but given Iceborne’s success, it’s certainly possible.
Amiibo
Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo
Monster Hunter Rise is launching alongside three new Amiibo figures of the Palamute, Palico, and Magnamalo. Each one unlocks a special set of layered armor in the game. However, the standalone figures will be sold exclusively at GameStop (in the US) and EB Games (in Canada), and no pricing details have been announced yet.
Preorder
Monster Hunter Rise is already up for preorder. The game will be available in three editions. The standard release costs $60, while the Deluxe edition runs for $70 and includes a variety of extra in-game bonus items. Finally, Capcom is offering a premium Collector’s edition. This costs $100 and comes with all of the content from the Deluxe edition as well as some physical goodies, including the Magnamalo Amiibo and a sticker set.
Regardless of which edition you preorder, you’ll receive a few in-game bonus items for reserving Monster Hunter Rise ahead of its release. These include the Retriever Costume and Forest Cat Costume for your Palamute and Palico companions, as well as the Novice Talisman, which will give players a little bit of extra assistance during the early hours of the game.
The Far Cry series has been one of Ubisoft’s most defining open-world action-adventure franchises, focusing on exploration and fighting hostile forces in exotic locales. In Far Cry 6, the franchise heads to a new location known as Yara, loosely based on the island and history of Cuba. Set during a political and social revolution, Yara’s citizens begin their campaign to overthrow the cruel dictator Presidente Castillo. Here’s everything we know about Far Cry 6 so far.
Though previous entries in the Far Cry series have had some loose connections, Far Cry 6 is an entirely standalone game that doesn’t have many ties to the previous games. This is likely for the best, considering Far Cry 5 and its spin-off New Dawn unexpectedly brought the series into the post-apocalyptic setting. Far Cry 6 takes place in the present, with the modern world still intact. However, this game’s setting is on the island of Yara, a country isolated from the rest of the world due to economic sanctions, as the developers explained in a talk with GameSpot shortly after the reveal Playing as a native of Yara who joins the rebel forces, you’ll make your way through the island dismantling the country’s systems of power before facing off against Presidente Anton Castillo, who’s played by Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian actor Giancarlo Esposito.
Release Date
Following its reveal back in August 2020, it was announced that Far Cry 6 would release in February 2021. However, with the growing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the game’s release was pushed back to sometime later in the year. Currently, there’s no firm date for a release just yet. We’ll keep you updated on when Ubisoft reveals the final release date for Far Cry 6.
What Platforms Will It Release On?
Far Cry 6 will be a cross-gen release, and it is currently set to launch on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia.
Is There Multiplayer?
Like previous games in the series, Far Cry 6 will have co-op play, allowing players to join up and explore the world together. While the developers haven’t spoken to the exact scope of the next game’s co-op component, we do know that it is similar to previous games. In co-op, you and your friends can take on side-missions and in-world activities, but story missions are left as solo only engagements. Once more details are shared, we’ll update this post to explain further how the co-op will work.
Trailers
While no gameplay of Far Cry 6 has been shown just yet, the reveal trailer for the game is a great mood piece that sets the stage for what’s to come. In the trailer, we see Presidente Anton Castillo speaking to his son about the necessity of harsh rulership within Yara. This exposition is set against the backdrop of Yara in turmoil, with the country’s rebel citizens in conflict with Castillo’s military. It shows off a bleak situation, and it’ll be interesting to see how the final game will flesh the narrative and key villain, who may have more ambitious plans for rulership than it may initially appear. Check out the video below to see the full game.
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Far Cry 6 – Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer
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While Ubisoft has confirmed that Far Cry 6 will have a season pass for post-launch content, no details have been shared just yet about what to expect. We anticipate that once we get closer to release, we’ll see more of the developer’s plans for what we can expect from the game following its launch.
How To Preorder
Right now, you can preorder Far Cry 6 on Amazon or through Ubisoft’s online store. In standard fashion with the publisher, there are multiple versions of Far Cry 6 to preorder, including the Standard Edition, the Gold Edition, the Ultimate Edition, and the Collector’s Edition–the latter of which adds in maps, stickers, and a model replica of the game’s flamethrower. Here are some links below to see the different editions of the game.
Call of Duty is one of the most prolific game franchises of all time with over two dozen titles. The game has covered World War 2, modern conflicts, future wars, the zombie apocalypse, and more recently battle royale with Blackout and Warzone. Multiplayer has always been the main focus with Infinity Ward and Treyarch, among other studios, leveraging different design styles around maps, guns, killstreaks, and perks. In this video we are going to take a look at some of the biggest blunders developers have tried throughout the series when it comes to perks.
Perks were first introduced in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, giving players the opportunity to customize their loadouts beyond what weapons they could carry. Some of these would buff your weapons, impact how you interface with killstreaks, stave off death, or kill unsuspecting (and soon-to-be-frustrated) players–as anyone who has been killed by a Martyrdom grenade can attest. Over the years, players have been frustrated by Juggernaut, Commando, Danger Close, Martyrdom, Last Stand, Stopping Power, and a number of others that have been introduced.
Subsequent games have modified or removed many of these problematic perks (after doubling down on them, in at least one case) and continue to experiment with new perks and the ways in which they can be equipped. We continue to see adjustments made to both 2020’s Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, and while we’re always hoping for the best, the next annoying perk is always just around the corner. Let’s just hope Last Stand never comes back.
That statement reads: “The All Elite Wrestling family is heartbroken. In an industry filled with good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and beloved in every way — a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor and simply a very kind soul that starkly contradicted his persona as Brodie Lee. Jon’s love for his wife Amanda, and children Brodie and Norman, was evident to all of us who were fortunate enough to spend time with him, and we send our love and support to his beautiful family, today and always. Jon’s popularity among his peers and influence on the wrestling world was worldwide and transcended AEW, so this loss will be felt by many for a long time. We were privileged at AEW to call Jon Huber a brother, a friend and one of our own.”
Huber, who joined AEW just this past year after a multi-year stint in WWE as Luke Harper, a member of Bray Wyatt’s Wyatt Family stable, was last seen on AEW TV in October when he lost the TNT Championship to Cody Rhodes. Here is Cody’s tweet, remembering the man who friends knew as “Big Rig”…
Huber’s wife posted the following on Instagram, citing the cause of death as “a non Covid related lung issue.”
“I never wanted to write out those words. My heart is broken. The world saw him as the amazing @brodielee (fka Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet. No words can express the love I feel or how broken I am right now. He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue. The @mayoclinic is literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who surrounded me with constant love.”
In WWE, Huber was a former Intercontinental Champion and a three-time former tag team champion.
Many more from the wrestling world have passed along their love and condolences to the Huber family while remembering Jon as a one-of-a-kind man.
WWE is saddened to learn that Jon Huber, known to WWE fans as Luke Harper, passed away today at age 41. WWE extends its condolences to Huber’s family, friends and fans.https://t.co/hZnBguE4Mj
I’m devastated by the loss of Jon Huber, known to fans as Mr. Brodie Lee, formerly Luke Harper. Jon was a great man. His family came first, his loving wife Amanda & their sons Brodie + Nolan. He loved wrestling & was great at it, he loved you fans. Please keep him in your hearts.
I hope you all get to know someone like Jon. He was the biggest family man & someone who made me laugh daily. I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life. I love you, Brodie, and I thank you so much for loving me.
Gutted to hear about Jon passing away. He saved me from a broken neck. He would get so mad when I pulled up a chair for him to sit in and referred to him as ‘Taker-sir.’
“You’re gonna get me heat, kid.”
Condolences to his family and peers that loved him dearly. #RIPBrodieLee
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
With 2020 just about wrapped up and all its best games recognized in our annual Best Of awards, the team at GameSpot would like to help you anticipate what lies ahead by accurately predicting the future (or attempting to). 2021 is looking to be an exciting proving ground for new-generation consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as they both enter the next phase after their recent launches. Will the year bring fantastic games and experiences that will push the new hardware toward exciting new heights? Or will we still have to wait a while before the heavy investment we made this past holiday season becomes worth it? And let’s not forget; Nintendo just might use this year to release the long-rumored upgrade to the Switch–we think as much, at least. Whatever may happen, time will tell (or we will in our predictions)!
In GameSpot’s annual prediction series, we’ve put our brains together to determine what could happen next year in the world of games. While our accuracy in predicting the future isn’t always on the mark, it still won’t stop us from speculating.
Below you can find our gaming predictions for 2021. No matter how plausible or absurd these predictions might be, these are what we believe will come true in some form next year.
Since we do this every year, you should check out our feature covering our 2020 predictions to see just how correct (and painfully incorrect) we were. Otherwise, be sure to look to our Most Anticipated 2021 hub, which contains features detailing the biggest games to play next year.
What do you predict will happen in games next year? Let us know in the comments below.
Halo Infinite Will Actually Release, And It Will Be Great
After years of development and a big delay, Halo Infinite will finally release in 2021, and it’s going to be great. I’m calling it now. After the struggles of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 343 Industries is understandably taking its time to make sure Halo Infinite starts out strong.
It’s a bummer the game didn’t release as a launch title for the Series X as was expected, but I am in full support of the team taking the time it needs to really nail it. This must be an especially tall task as the teams work from home during the pandemic.
The developer update for Halo Infinite released in December provided some excellent insight and depth on what 343 is spending its time on, including improving the graphics and ensuring fans that the free-to-play multiplayer element won’t be a pay-to-win catastrophe riddled with excessive microtransactions. It all sounds very positive, and I am very excited to see the fruits of the team’s labor in 2021.
I am particularly excited to see what 343 has in store for multiplayer, which is the bread and butter of the Halo franchise. The recent Halo Infinite map tease was certainly exciting, promising a gorgeous art style and incredible graphics. Master Chief has saved the universe countless times, and I’m not going to bet against him now. — Eddie Makuch, Associate Editor
Nintendo Will Celebrate Mother 3’s 15th Anniversary By Finally Localizing It In The West
2020 may not have been the best year, but that won’t stop me from continuing a time-honored tradition. Like last year, I was wrong about Mother 3 coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020. While it might be wise of me to give up hope at this point, I know that doing so would dishonor my former boss, Justin Haywald, who I imagine, like me, is just as disappointed that we’ve still not seen the third entry in Nintendo’s cult-favorite RPG series come to the West. Cumulatively, we’ve spentfouryearsnow predicting that Nintendo would fulfill our wishes and release Mother 3, but no such luck.
In the past, I often justified a potential release based on how Nintendo was moving toward making its classic catalog more readily accessible via its online service. I even thought it might follow suit with other Japanese companies, like Square Enix and Sega, which have been re-releasing classic games on modern platforms. But this year, I think I’ve finally found a firm basis on which Nintendo could yet give us Mother 3.
You need only look at the particular way Nintendo has been celebrating classic games in 2020. In September, the company launched Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of that series’ 3D entries, to commemorate Mario’s 35th anniversary. And on Fire Emblem’s 30th anniversary, it localized and re-released the first Fire Emblem game, making it available to play in English for the first time. Both are limited-time releases, which seems like some strategic way to ensure an influx of sales right at launch rather than the celebratory reasoning that Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser claimed it’s all about. Regardless, Nintendo has become increasingly open to highlighting its classic games in different ways than just throwing them onto the Nintendo Switch Online service.
What makes 2021 special is the fact that it’s the 15th anniversary of Mother 3’s Japanese release. As you can imagine, Nintendo’s recent behavior could very well leave room for the company to localize the game as a limited-time celebratory release. Compared to previous years that Justin and I have spent predicting this game would come, this is perhaps the most likely year for it to really happen. Seriously, I’m getting goosebumps writing about this. Like, what if Mother 3 gets released this way and gets a slick physical collector’s edition along the lines of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade Of Light? It’d be a dream come true.
Of course, time will tell, and in about a year, I might be just as disappointed as I have been for the past two years, predicting this in Justin’s stead. It’s hard to say because Mother 3 is still a problematic game, mostly due to characters and scenes that could be deemed too controversial for Nintendo to be associated with in this day and age. Even so, a smart localization could recontextualize and fix these parts, even if doing so may result in cut content or changes from the original intent. But no matter what happens, I won’t give up hope. I’ve already come this far, after all. — Matt Espineli, Editor
Persona 3 Will Get A Modern Port
This is perhaps just wishful thinking on my part, as someone who had their save erased before completing the game. Nevertheless, I think there is some sound logic in this prediction: Atlus will bring Persona 3 to modern platforms.
Thanks to Persona 4 Golden and especially Persona 5, the series’ popularity has never been greater. And whereas the earlier games in the series adhered more to the Shin Megami Tensei foundation, Persona 3 is where the franchise more closely began to resemble what it is today. And yet, it remains available only on PS2 and PSP, which hardly makes it widely available today.
There have been signs of expanding Persona’s availability: Persona 4 Golden came to PC, and Persona 5 Strikers will come to Switch and PC in addition to the more expected platform of PS4. Persona 3 has not been forgotten, as its characters were a part of Persona Q and Q2, and were revisited for Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight in 2018. But now it’s time to let more recent fans see where they came from without lugging out a PSP, Vita, PS2, or back-compat PS3.
The best-case scenario would be a Golden/Royal-style update for Persona 3 (in addition to what Persona 3 FES did for the original), but a port to modern platforms with some minor quality-of-life improvements would still be much appreciated by fans. The wait for Persona 6 will no doubt be a long one, and being able to re-experience (or newly discover) Persona 3 would make a lot of sense to keep fans engaged. — Chris Pereira. Senior Editor
BioWare Will Reveal The New Mass Effect Connects To Andromeda
Seeing a trailer for a brand-new Mass Effect game during The Game Awards 2020 was a welcome surprise. Given that it’s just a teaser, it’s very unlikely this new game is coming in 2021. However, I predict that next year, BioWare will confirm how this new game relates to the rest of the franchise.
Though The Game Awards teaser zooms in on the Milky Way Galaxy, it initially showcases two different galaxies, something that BioWare project lead Michael Gamble said was “intentional” and that both were shown “for a reason.” Additionally, the trailer features a line that goes, “Ark 6 is away. Godspeed.” The Arks were the massive ships used to travel to Andromeda, though importantly, only five were sent prior to the events of Mass Effect 3.
That line is also very reminiscent to what Nexus Control says to Ryder when taking off in the Tempest for the first time in Andromeda, another “intentional” choice according to Gamble. But this new game will likely connect to the original Mass Effect trilogy as well, given that the asari in the trailer looks a lot like Liara and Gamble confirms that the hunk of metal that she’s climbing in the trailer is a Reaper.
All of this makes me think that in 2021, we will learn that BioWare is developing a game that acts as a follow-up to both Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda. I’d love to see a game in which a sixth Ark is constructed and used by the survivors of the war against the Reapers to leave the Milky Way in order to find a new home, or a game where Liara, as an asari, manages to live long enough to see some of the Andromeda Initiative return to the Milky Way. — Jordan Ramée, Associate Editor
Metal Gear Solid Will Be Remade
Maybe it’s because I’m still riding the high of Bluepoint’s fantastic Demon’s Souls remake, but I’ve got it in my head that Metal Gear Solidhas to be next. Konami’s iconic action franchise is currently languishing in the dusty intellectual property vaults and Sony is more aggressive about delivering exclusive games that stoke nostalgia and give owners of its platforms a sense of PlayStation pride. What could be more effective at doing that than a remake of Metal Gear Solid, one of the games that defined the first PlayStation and a franchise that would drive people to purchase PS5?
A full remake handled by an outside studio would also work in Konami’s favour too, as it can reap the benefits of a brand-new Metal Gear Solid without having to commit astronomical budgets to its development all on its own. If Sony is willing to foot some of the bill and even help out with the heavy lifting, why not take advantage?
Better still, series creator Hideo Kojima, who is now making games at his own independent studio, can be brought in to advise on the project and give it his seal of approval. Fans of the franchise will no doubt demand it, and since Kojima already has a close working relationship with Sony as a result of Death Stranding, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility to get him involved.
The other major benefit for Konami is that it rebuilds some good will. Whether for the right or wrong reasons, the very public bust up between Kojima and Konami soured a lot of fans of the franchise on Konami. And when it followed up with the very questionable Metal Gear Survive, they were incensed. That ill-will has lingered, but what better way to have people warm to the company again than to give their blessing to the remake of Metal Gear Solid? And if Bluepoint, a studio that has a proven track record of doing remakes right, is on the job, it’s sure to help old wounds heal. It feels like the time is right for Snake to make his triumphant return. — Tamoor Hussain, Managing Editor
Nintendo Will Hold A 35th Anniversary Celebration For Zelda
Nintendo celebrated Super Mario’s 35th anniversary this year with multiple game releases and events, and I fully expect the Legend of Zelda series to get similar treatment next year. After all, 2021 marks the franchise’s 35th anniversary, and as one of the company’s marquee properties, Nintendo will likely celebrate the milestone in a big way.
Given what a sales success Super Mario 3D All-Stars has been, it seems like a safe bet that Nintendo will release some sort of Legend of Zelda collection for Switch as part of the anniversary celebration. The collection will likely include the series’ two N64 installments, Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and perhaps even the rumored Switch port of Skyward Sword. The anniversary would also be the perfect occasion to finally bring over Wii U’s HD remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, although I would not be surprised if Nintendo chooses to re-release each of those games individually.
We’ll also likely see some Zelda-themed events in other Switch games next year as part of the anniversary celebration. Since Mario-themed furniture is on the way to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Mario’s anniversary, I fully expect the game to receive Zelda furniture as well. That seems inevitable considering that Zelda items have appeared in every previous Animal Crossing title to date. This would also be a great opportunity to introduce Zelda villagers to New Horizons. New Leaf players could use Zelda Amiibo figures to invite Ganon, Epona, Medli, and Wolf Link to live in their towns, and introducing a similar means to get them in New Horizons would be a fun way to celebrate Zelda’s anniversary.
Of course, there’s also the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel. However, as fitting as it would be to see that released during the series’ 35th anniversary, I think it would be more realistic to expect the game to launch in 2022, especially considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has likely slowed down its development. That’s one prediction I’d be happy to get wrong, however. — Kevin Knezevic, Associate Editor
Final Fantasy XIVFinallyComes To Xbox
It feels like every time I interview Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida, I have to ask him about any updates for Switch or Xbox ports of the game. Square Enix’s wildly successful (and unrivaled) MMORPG continues to thrive on PC and PlayStation systems, and the latest word from the team said that they’ve exceeded 20 million players worldwide. And with every other Final Fantasy available on Xbox (barring the NES/SNES entries), it feels like FFXIV is a void waiting to be filled.
Yoshida-san’s response has always been akin to waiting for platform holders to give the greenlight, telling me last year his goal is always to “strive to have as many people play FFXIV on multiple platforms.” He continued to say to hold on and that fans would be the first to know, but also noted, “I want to allow people to play with their friends without any cross-platform limitations. I am still in discussion with Microsoft and Nintendo to make this a reality.”
Hell, even Phil Spencer acknowledged the idea at X019 last year as well, saying to press at the event, “I wanted you to know, rest assured that we will be bringing that game [Final Fantasy XIV] to Xbox. We have a great relationship with Yoshida-san and we’re working through what it means to bring [to Xbox] a cross-platform MMO that they’ve run for years.”
Well, FFXIV is poised to have a big year in 2021. A major event is planned in February, and we suspect it’ll come with a reveal of the next expansion and the 5.5 update that will bridge players into the new storylines. It’d also be a great opportunity to usher in a new wave of players that would come from the Xbox platform.
A large part of Square Enix’s games live on Xbox Game Pass, even outside of Final Fantasy–but that does pose the question of how a subscription-based MMORPG would function on Xbox’s platform that’s built around its own subscription model. I’m sure they’d devise a way to pitch it all, but subscribing is a hurdle that some face when trying to get into FFXIV on existing platforms. The game currently has a generous free trial available that lets you access the base game and first expansion for free without a subscription (while removing some features), and maybe that’ll help get folks on board.
It’s been all but confirmed at this point, so it’s a pretty safe prediction to make. I’m just excited for more people to see what all the fuss is about. — Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Stadia Will Find Its Footing
Google’s game-streaming service, Stadia, has had a little over a year on the market, and so far it has sort of stumbled. It’s not that Stadia is weak from a technical standpoint–it’s generally a pretty solid cloud gaming service. But Stadia came out of the gate without much of a value proposition. In 2021, I think Google is poised to change that, at least somewhat.
The main trouble with Stadia right now is that it’s expensive. While you can use a lot of your own devices and your current PC, if you want Stadia to run on your TV, you need the $99 Chromecast and controller bundle. Google offers a $10 a month subscription service, Stadia Pro, that provides access to some games, but it still requires you to purchase the most popular titles at full price.
There just isn’t currently a big value proposition for Stadia–you sink in a lot of money before unlocking the additional convenience of streaming games on your devices without the need for high-end PC hardware. But there’s a pretty easy answer to the question of how to make Staida more appealing: make it all cheaper.
As Microsoft has realized with Xbox Game Pass, the big win with a service like Stadia is not selling hardware or games, but locking in users for long-term subscriptions. Stadia could increase its cache by growing its game library and securing deals to include big titles at launch, much the way Microsoft does. I know I’m making all that sound very easy when securing those deals requires major negotiation and investment, but this is Google–it absolutely has the resources to make its streaming service a major contender.
Especially with expensive new consoles being tough to find, Stadia has a big chance to break through with gamers by coming in cheaper than the other guys. With a year of experience in what not to do under its belt, I think Google will try to make some moves with Stadia in 2021 and find a niche where it might be more successful. — Phil Hornshaw, Editor
Nintendo Will Release A New Switch Model
As surely as the sun rises and sets, Nintendo is working on new hardware, and I predict we’ll see the company release a new Switch model in 2021. This isn’t exactly a bold prediction to make; after all, numerous outlets, including Bloomberg, have reported that Nintendo plans to launch an “upgraded Switch” in 2021, so it seems like a safe bet that will indeed be the case sometime next year.
Of course, Nintendo, for its part, has repeatedly downplayed these rumors, but the company’s denials don’t amount to much. Each time reports of new hardware spring up, Nintendo is quick to shoot them down, only to release said hardware a few months later. You can find plenty of examples of that happening over the past few years, even as recently as 2019, when Nintendo dismissed reports that it was working on a cheaper Switch–just before it officially unveiled the Switch Lite.
Releasing an enhanced Switch next year also makes sense from a business standpoint. With Sony and Microsoft recently ushering in a new generation of consoles, Nintendo will want to do what it can to mitigate the power gap between the Switch and its new rivals, and a more powerful model that supports 4K resolution, as Bloomberg reports, would certainly help accomplish that. Time will tell whether those reports turn out to be true, but given how frequently the company likes to refresh its hardware, I certainly wouldn’t bet against Nintendo releasing a new Switch model next year. — Kevin Knezevic, Associate Editor
