The Iterative Digest #80
Redfall & Starfield delays, Alan Wake TV series, Dead Space remaster, partnering with a game publisher, and more!
Hello everyone!
Welcome to issue #80 of the Digest! This week we discuss delays, a new Alan Wake TV series, the benefits of partnering with a game publisher, and more.
So without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s latest - curated by yours truly! If you like what you see, don’t forget to share and subscribe, your support means a lot to us. Have a great week!
🕛 Disappointing news for Xbox fans as both major titles Redfall and Starfield have been pushed back to the first half of 2023. Both titles just need a little more time in the oven to reach their full potential, but we do wonder what tricks Xbox will use to fill the gap in their 2022 roster.
📶 Xbox also came under fire for several major Xbox Live Network outages that left many unable to play games across last week, including single-player games they own due to DRM. It’s not the first time the conversation has been had, as the Xbox One disaster of E3 2013 had been originally announced to be an always-online console. Many users were slapped with “the owner of this content needs to sign in” messages, as servers failed to verify the authenticity of ownership of content.
🧟♂️ Fans of the survival horror genre rejoice! EA has announced that the remake of its classic Dead Space is set to launch on January 23rd, 2023. The game has been brought to an alpha state, and Motive is set to deliver on the original thrilling vision with reimagined audio and visuals.
❓That's not the only EA news, however. As per their latest earnings report, there is set to be four undisclosed titles set to launch in Q4 of 2023. These are set to be a major IP, partner title, remake, and a sports title. I’ve got a strong feeling about a sequel to Star Wars: Fallen Order but I would love to know your thoughts down below.
📺As part of the 12-year anniversary of Alan Wake, we got an update on the state of Alan Wake 2 as well as an announcement that an Alan Wake TV series is in the works. Remedy and AMC are teaming up to make this project a reality, and we can only imagine what a survival horror experience this could be.
The Iterative Collective is a video game incubator/publisher, so it's no secret that we believe publishers can bring a ton of value to your game. There are a ton of benefits a publisher can provide such as marketing, community building, development support, project management, influencer outreach, and more. Each publisher will often specialize in various areas, so it is important to consider whether they will meet all your requirements.
Areas a publisher may be able to assist include:
Distribution (ratings, partner relationships with distributors, partner relationships with brands)
Development (advice, financing, porting, quality assurance, talent, localization).
Marketing (media outreach, media buying, influencer outreach, game trailers, promotion).
Community (social media management, community management, public/online events).
Misc (funding, design, PR, admin, etc).
There will be times when you don’t need a publisher, and you are able to accomplish what they may have on offer on your own. To successfully pull off self-publishing you should be set up with the following.
A strong social media presence where your posts get picked up, shared, and interacted with frequently.
Established connections with press and influencers, or large press to discuss/write/promote your game. You would want to be able to reach out to them and follow up frequently.
A large and engaged audience/community, whether it be from past titles, social posts, etc., You want them following you so it's easy to make your game reach as many people as possible.
If you have any questions for follow-up feel free to comment them down below!
18th May
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a hand-drawn adventure that follows a lost gibbon as they embark on a dangerous journey into unknown lands. Discussing real-world environmental issues such as deforestation, poaching, and climate change it sets to swing onto PC and Switch.
19th May
Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is a narrative RPG in which your every choice determines the fate of the three main characters and of the Boston Camarilla, in a world where vampires live hidden among us. It is biting its way onto Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
20th May
Dolmen blends futuristic sci-fi and cosmic horror elements in this new terrifying action RPG. As a player, you’re cast onto a hostile alien world known as Revion Prime with the task of bringing back samples of a crystal with unique properties; the so-called “Dolmen.” It lands on PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
GameOnCancer, a community of gamers, streamers, and content creators for Cure Cancer recently raised over 44,000 AUD for their Superhero Streamers campaign! The campaign has just been extended for 2 more weeks and aims for this to be the very last generation to die from cancer. You can find out more about GameOnCancer here.
Cameron
What do you get when you mix a few friends, chaos, and cooking? Overcooked! All You Can Eat of course! I’ve been revisiting the original two games in this wonderful package as I serve up burgers, wraps, and salads, in a variety of different kitchens. These levels have been a sweet treat to get back into and have left me feeling packed and satisfied. Order up!
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We are The Iterative Collective - an indie games incubator & publisher! 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!