The Iterative Digest #93

Embracer Group acquisitions, how best to showcase your game and Homeseek!

Hello and welcome to issue #93 of the Digest! This week we discuss Embracer Group announcing more acquisitions, how to best showcase your game at cons/events, and find out more about upcoming survival RTS Homeseek.

So without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s latest - curated by yours truly! Remember, if you like what you see, don’t forget to share and subscribe. Have a great week!

• Embracer Group has announced another round of acquisitions, including Middle-earth Enterprises (the IP rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), Limited Run Games, Tripwire Interactive, and more.

• Ubisoft’s subscription service, Ubisoft+ may soon launch on Xbox based off a logo for the service found in Xbox’s backend. The service was announced to be coming to Xbox back in January.

• 505 Games announced that Death Stranding will join Xbox Game Pass for PC after a series of recent teases from Xbox. The title was originally released for the PS4 back in November 2019.

• Sonic Frontiers could release on November 15th, after a Taiwanese e-commerce website seemingly acquired promotional material for Sonic Frontiers ahead of its publication. The materials also claim that DLC is already being planned and in development.

• Dead Island 2 details have leaked via Amazon, with a listing that was accompanied by a Feb 3, 2023 release date and a product description. These have since been pulled from the site.

• A number of video game movie adaptions have just been announced with two of Sega’s more niche titles Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone being produced as well Sony reportedly working on a Days Gone movie.

With Gamescom this week we thought it would be a great idea to share how best to showcase your game, whether it be presenting it to players, building the best possible booth you can, how to optimize play sessions and why you should focus on relationships rather than sales at these sort of events.

Nicolae Berbece from Those Awesome Guys discusses all this and more in the 2017 GDC talk “You Suck at Showcasing Your Game.”

Midnight Fight Express

In Midnight Fight Express you’re Babyface, a former member of the criminal underworld lured back into the life by a mysterious AI drone. Your mission is to fight across the city before sunrise, and prevent a citywide criminal takeover. Engage in a brutal and hyper kinetic brawling ballet, using every environmental tool and street fighting technique at your disposal. Take down the mounting onslaught of bozos, cronies, and crime lords.

Coming to Switch, PC, PlayStation and Xbox on August 23rd.

Yars: Recharged

Yars: Recharged is a remake of the cult classic that blends indie-style gameplay with elements of classic arcade gaming and shoot-em-up with moments of chaotic bullet hell. Remain aware of visual and audio cues that hint of impending danger and master the rhythm of each boss as you navigated increasingly complex enemy defenses.

Coming to Switch, PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Atari VCS on August 23rd.

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is a narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up and fall in love as the choices you make and skills you maser will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.

Coming to Switch, PC, Linux and PlayStation on August 25rd.

We're proud to announce we're partnered with Traptics to release Homeseek, a unique post-apocalyptic survival RTS set on a resource-strapped Earth at the beginning of the next century.

Overpopulation, environmental exploitation, and a complete disregard for nature has resulted in the depletion of drinkable water, leading to the collapse of civilization as we know it. It’s up to you to lead a group of survivors to a place where they can rebuild, but it won’t be easy. In a dried-up wasteland where water has become the new gold, every choice becomes life or death. With your guidance, survival just might be within reach.

Niche, Breed and Evolve

Niche, a Genetics Survival Game was one of the first games Kelsey covered back in her freelance game reporting career. She loved the intricate and instructive gameplay and how the mechanics are informed by the real way genetics function. According to Kelsey, the game is unique and an absolutely perfect balance between cute and complicated, adorable and technical, and relaxing and engaging. That all being said, you can imagine then that Kelsey was beyond excited when she heard that the same team has come out with a mobile game: Niche, Breed and Evolve. It’s focused primarily on (you guessed it), the breeding and evolution aspects of the game, and, while it’s different from the original Niche, it’s similar enough for original players to feel like they’re visiting an old friend while new players won’t feel left behind. Read more about the game over on our blog!

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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!