Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another week of The Iterative Digest! This week, we have news on more charity bundles, E3 schedule, plus some lawsuit action. There are also lots of exciting game releases so do check them out!
Without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s latest - curated by yours truly!
✨ Itch.io creators strike again - this time with not just one, but two charity bundles to support good causes: The Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid will be donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for food and health assistance, and the Queer Games Bundle will directly support solo queer developers as a Pride Month celebration.
🎁 Speaking of bundles, Steam is making it easier to collaborate on cross-developer and cross-publisher bundles offered on a game’s store page. The feature is currently in Beta.
🎪 E3 is almost upon us! A full schedule for the all-digital event has been released - get ready for a jam-packed weekend!
💼 This week’s courtroom updates: Capcom is being sued for extensively using copyrighted photos as references for RE4 and Devil May Cry’s environment design. Nintendo of America won a lawsuit against pirated game seller RomUniverse, earning $2.1 million in damages.
🤝 Welcome to the family: Facebook has just acquired Unit 2 Games as an effort in expanding its categories of gaming content creators; Astro’s Playroom studio Team Asobi is now officially a part of the PlayStation Studios family; and Take-Two has acquired Nordeus, the Serbian studio behind Top Eleven, in a $378M deal.
📢 New games alert! Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is officially getting a sequel, as confirmed by 505 Games and ArtPlay.
⏳ More delays to be expected due to the pandemic: The sequel for God of War is now shifting their release window to 2022, andKing of Fighters XV is also being pushed back until Q1 next year.
🍰 Happy birthday to Valorant! Riot’s popular competitive shooter has amassed a total of 14 million players since release, with more than half a billion matches in total.
Fishkeeper (PC) is a charming management sim that puts you in the role of a professional aquarist. Take care of a variety of fish by providing them with a suitable environment to live in with good food sources and cozy decorations.
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Each week we aim to shed light on a hidden gem by small indie developers. Have a game you want to showcase? We’d love to hear from you - reach out to us at contact@theiterative.co!
8th June
Backbone (PC) is a post-noir detective game featuring a raccoon investigator on a case in dystopian Vancouver. Explore the surroundings, collect evidence, and solve the case that will uncover the hidden secrets of the city.
Chivalry 2 (PC, PS4 + 5, Xbox One + Series X|S) lets you return to the medieval battlefield and prove yourself in ruthless combat to survive. With large scale battles, a variety of playstyles, and cross-play, it’s guaranteed to be a bloodbath.
9th June
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis (PC, Xbox One + Series X|S) marks the return of the popular online RPG, this time with a complete overhaul for game design, gameplay, and graphics engine.
10th June
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PC, PS4 + 5) is a charming adventure game set inside a coloring book. Play as a novice artist making his way through a colorless landscape and trying to put colors back in the world through puzzles.
One Hand Clapping (PC) is a 2d platformer featuring your voice. You read that right - Traverse the musical land and solve puzzles by singing into your mic!
11th June
Game Builder Garage (Switch) is Nintendo’s latest effort in educational content. The game teaches visual game programming and the basics of game design with the help of cute characters.
Guilty Gear Strive (PC, PS4 + 5) takes the series’ 2d/3d hybrid graphics to the next level with more over-the-top fighting action marking the conclusion to the story.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5) follows the story of the iconic duo as they take on another reality and face an evil emperor. Travel between different dimensions and warp across battlefields to gain an advantage!
Wave Break (PC, Switch) is a fast-paced skateboarding/boating hybrid where you can flip your way through an action-packed 80s Miami Vice world. Ride the waves and prove yourself in a variety of game modes, including ranked multiplayer!
13th June
Lumberhill (PC) is a fun-filled co-op party game where you and your squad take on the role of lumberjacks trying to get things done in the midst of chaotic nature settings. From wildfires to meteors and even dinosaurs, work as a team to overcome them all!
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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!