The Iterative Digest #108

Steam's 2023 sale/event schedule, Elden Ring hits 20m sold, and an immersive mystery!

Hello, everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of the Digest!

This week Steam released their 2023 sales and event schedule so you can get a head start on thinking about future games to add to your backlog, Elden Ring hit 20 million copies sold, and we show you a whole bunch of interesting indies coming out over the next few days as well as discuss Shadows of Doubt!

So without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s latest - curated by yours truly. If you like what you see, please don’t forget to share and subscribe! Your support means a lot to us!

• Xbox and Nintendo have signed a 10-year contract guaranteeing Call of Duty ports for Nintendo players if the Activsion-Blizzard acquisition goes through.

• Microsoft has said that it will bring its Xbox PC games to Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud streaming service. It will similarly bring Activision-Blizzard games if the deal is approved.

• Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, the rebuilt version of the original mobile hit is set to be delisted due to the game’s impact on the wider game portfolio. It’s said that the push is to drive players to more free-to-play titles in Rovio’s collection.

• FromSoftware’s 2022 Game of the Year, Elden Ring, has sold 20 million copies!

• Ori developer, Moon Studios CEO, and game director Thomas Mahler has said its next game could “make or break” the company. The game is an action RPG set to be published by Private Division.

• The Ukrainian government wants Atomic Heart pulled from Microsoft, Sony, and Valve digital stores due to its toxicity, potential data collection of users, and the potential use of money raised from game purchases to conduct a war against Ukraine.

• In an effort to give developers and publishers a jump start on planning out promotional activities, Valve has announced the dates for 2023’s official Steam sales and fests.

• Upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has been confirmed to be an always-online game, even in Single Player.

• Thunderful says they’re open to more SteamWorld sequels, with any genre on the table. SteamWorld Build is next in the pipeline.

• EA is currently polling selected Dead Space players to ask if they would be interested in a “similar remake” in the form of a Dead Space 2 or 3.

• Endnight Games has confirmed that Sons of the Forest has sold over 2 million copies in its first 24 hours of early access.

Steam will have just finished its Mystery Fest as this Digest goes live, so do yourself a favor and check out Shadows of Doubt, an immersive detective stealth game set in a sci-fi noir city of crime and corruption.

Voxel art isn’t usually my cup of tea with Echo Generation being the only enjoyable outlier in recent history. However, the first-person nature and range of immersive sim element makes this ambitious title worthy of a wishlist.

Plus did I say the entire world is fully simulated?

PC - Feb 28th

Ever wanted to take the role of a US president? I Am Your President lets you decide the fate of the world and run the country any way you like. Do you wish to start a war or make peace? Take care of the poorest or support capitalists? It’s all up to you!

PC - Feb 28th

The Ouroboros King combines the tactical depth of chess with the build variety and replayability of roguelikes. Build a formidable army, discover powerful relics, and buy surprising gadgets to defeat the Covenant.

Xbox, PlayStation, PC - Mar 1st

Scars Above is a challenging sci-fi third-person action-adventure shooter combining the rewarding feel of overcoming difficulty with a compelling and intricate story, set in a mysterious alien world to explore.

PC - Mar 1st

In Dreadful River, the player explores a vast meandering river on a raft, fighting off enemy forces while trying to keep the crew alive. Improve your gear, find allies, and explore mysteries along the shores. Can you turn the tide?

PC - Mar 1st

Delve into Dungeons of Aether, a turn-based dungeon crawler set in the Rivals of Aether universe. Control four new heroes as they uncover the mysteries of the Julesvale Caverns in Story Mode or test your mettle in the grueling Challenge Dungeons.

PC - Feb 2023

Arto is a colorful hack-n-slash action-RPG, a fast-paced journey into a desolate, desaturated world that you bring back to life with every step you take. Arm yourself with a varied arsenal of weapons and spells to unlock and upgrade, and the magic ability to shoot beams of paint.

The game was initially set to launch in December 2022 before being pushed back to February. Hopefully, we hear more soon.

Each week we will be introducing a member of The Iterative Collective team! This week get to meet Haskel Chua, our co-founder and COO. Learn about his history with game development and what value he sees in video games as a whole.

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We are The Iterative Collective - an indie games incubator! Each week, we shed light on the latest gaming trends for all folks interested in the scene by going through a summary of the latest news from the industry as well as promising upcoming game releases! Click to learn more about us below!