Publishers go after the big bucks.  The Call of Duties, The Battlefields, or whatever other trend is on top.  I think fans of Metroidvanias are very vocal, but don't compare to the sheer number of mainstream gamers who eat up the yearly iterations of the big blockbuster titles.

Fuck, I love metroidvanias though.

It's the biggest problem the industry had during the transition to HD with the PS360, they forgot the A and AA games and put all its efforts into AAA games. And Metroidvania games don't fit that class.

Thankfully the situation has changed a bit, for the better, and there's also the indie scene on PC (and later, consoles) that hasn't forget about these "niche" genres.

Agreed. It's a major reason I look at the 7th gen with such...disdain.  It the era which moved the industry towards a mainstream (and a much lower risk) focus, and killing (well, not killing, but definitely reducing to afterthoughts) a lot of game genres and studios in the process.  

I'm glad things really opened up in the 8th gen so that what was once mainstream can now at least thrive in the indie world.

Time for the last news of the week... and also the last ones before the E3pocalypse:

SALES & DEALS

Kingdom: New Lands is the free game of the week on the Epic Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/kingdom-new-lands-is-the-free-game-of-the-week-on-the-epic-store/
From today until the 13th of June, Kingdom: New Lands is yours to try and keep for free with compliments from the Epic Store. As part of an ongoing deal with third-party developers, the Epic Store has added the spiritual successor of Kingdom: Classic to a list of free releases they will be making available throughout 2019.
>> Grab it from here. The next free game will be Enter the Gungeon.

Anthem is 50% off in the Origin Infinite Gaming Sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-is-50-off-in-the-origin-infinite-gaming-sale/
EA is hosting another Infinite Gaming Sale, shaving up to 60 percent off a big pile of games, including Battlefield 5 and Anthem. The former's been discounted by 60 percent, while Anthem's 50 percent off.
Those are some pretty big discounts for what are still fairly new, big budget games. Neither matched the—admittedly high—expectations EA had for them, though by the standards of most games a lot of people picked them up. I've seen physical copies of Anthem going for less, but I've not seen it cheaper for this on Origin.

On the Humble Store there's a Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege free weekend, with a 50% discount on the basic game and up to 60% off on the higher editions: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/rainbow-six-siege-free-weekend/

At Fanatical, there are three new sales:

• The Star Deal is GRIP: Combat Racing, 40% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/grip
• Road to Guangdong - Story-Based Indie Road Trip Driving Game (公路旅行驾驶游戏) is 20% off for the next 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/road-to-guangdong-story-based-indie-road-trip-driving-game
• And Bethesda Softworks has put its games on sale for the next 10 days and up to 55% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Google Stadia Pro launches this November, will have 31 games at launch, free model coming in 2020
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/google-stadia-pro-launches-this-november-will-have-31-games-at-launch-free-model-coming-in-2020/
Google has finally revealed the launch date, pricing and launch games for Stadia. According to the company, Stadia will launch this November in 14 countries and will have 31 games at launch. Furthermore, there will be two models available: Google Stadia Base and Google Stadia Pro.
Google Stadia Pro will be made available this November and will cost $9.99 per month. Players will be able to game at 4K with 60fps and 5.1 surround support, and they will be able to purchase games whenever they want. The Pro Mode will come with some free games (as time goes by) and the first one will be Destiny 2: The Collection.

MODS/EMULATORS

-empty-

GAMING NEWS

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been officially announced, coming to Steam and GOG but not on Epic Games Store [UPDATE]
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/baldurs-gate-3-has-been-officially-announced-coming-to-steam-and-gog-but-not-on-epic-games-store/
After multiple hints, Larian Studios has officially announced the third part in the Baldur’s Gate series, Baldur’s Gate 3. In order to celebrate it, the team has released a teaser trailer that you can find below.
UPDATE: It appears that Baldur’s Gate 3 may after all come out on the Epic Games Store. Larian Studios’ representative clarified that Swen Vincke was only talking about the store pages that will go live when the game gets initially announced.

PS4-exclusive Omen of Sorrow is coming to the PC via the Epic Games Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ps4-exclusive-omen-of-sorrow-is-coming-to-the-pc-via-the-epic-games-store/
Following Journey, Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit Become Human, another PS4 exclusive game is finding its way on the PC. AOne Games and Epic Games have announced that Omen of Sorrow, a new 3D fighting game featuring 2D gameplay that is powered by Unreal Engine 4, will be coming to the PC via the Epic Games Store.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint gets a new 4K in-engine trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint-gets-a-new-4k-in-engine-trailer/
Ubisoft has released a brand new in-engine 4K trailer for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Now while the trailer is titled as a “gameplay” trailer, you will immediately notice that there is little to none actual gameplay footage (which is why we’ve named it as an in-engine trailer).

Take-Two CEO on Red Dead Redemption 2 PC: It’s easy to do, no downside to releasing the game on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/take-two-ceo-on-red-dead-redemption-2-pc-its-easy-to-do-no-downside-to-releasing-the-game-on-pc/
While Red Dead Redemption 2 has not been announced yet for the PC, Take Two’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, claimed during an investor conference that it would be really easy to bring the game on the PC platform.
>> Then why haven't you done it, you f*cking maggot!

Rainbow Six Brand Director: “the Rainbow Six solo/single player experience is dead”
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rainbow-six-brand-director-the-rainbow-six-solo-single-player-experience-is-dead/
It appears that Rainbow Six will abandon all single-player campaigns in the foreseeable future. Despite a certain amount of people wanting a single-player campaign, Rainbow Six Brand Director Alexandre Remy claimed that the solo/single-player experience for the Rainbow Six franchise is dead.

Report: Blizzard has cancelled a first-person shooter game set in the StarCraft universe
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/report-blizzard-has-cancelled-a-first-person-shooter-game-set-in-the-starcraft-universe/
Kotaku’s ‘Jason Schreier’ has reported that Blizzard has cancelled a first-person shooter game that was set in the StarCraft universe. This StarCraft shooter has been under development for two years and Blizzard decided to cancel it in order to focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

Second teaser trailer released for the upcoming Square Enix/People Can Fly game, Outriders
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/second-teaser-trailer-released-for-the-upcoming-square-enix-people-can-fly-game-outriders/
Square Enix has released the second teaser trailer for its new game that will be revealed during its E3 2019 press conference, Outriders. Similarly to the first teaser, this second one only shows a human character in what appears to be a cryo chamber.

Friday news, part two:

Greedfall E3 trailer shows off its colonial story
https://www.pcgamer.com/greedfall-e3-trailer-shows-off-its-colonial-story/
Greedfall, Spiders' colonial RPG, has a new trailer that gives us a glimpse of crisis going down on this magical island. Take a gander above.
It's an interesting one, is Greedfall, putting you in the shoes of a new settler seeking a cure for a disease on a magical island. It's an unspoiled place with its own inhabitants, so of course there's a conflict.

Larian was shot down the first time it wanted to make Baldur's Gate 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/larian-was-shot-down-the-first-time-it-wanted-to-make-baldurs-gate-3/
Baldur's Gate 3 is being developed by Divinity: Original Sin developer Larian Studios, and the pair seem like a good fit. Larian's been designing RPGs for decades, with its most recent games almost feeling like digital tabletop adaptations themselves. But when Larian first approached Wizards of the Coast about making a new Baldur's Gate, the studio was turned down.

PUBG's Erangel remake will hit test servers soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/pubgs-erangel-remake-will-hit-test-servers-soon/
PUBG's first map, Erangel, never looked like a prime holiday location, but after PUBG Corp has finished its visual update... it will still look pretty miserable. But maybe less miserable than before.

Retro shooter Amid Evil's final episode comes out in two weeks
https://www.pcgamer.com/retro-shooter-amid-evils-final-episode-comes-out-in-two-weeks/
There's been a lot of big news today—Baldur's Gate 3, Stadia, Destiny 2 F2P—but there are other things happening, too. Things like, for instance, the announcement of a release date for The Void, the seventh and final episode of the Heretic-inspired FPS Amid Evil.

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick says Fortnite 'never affected the industry'
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-boss-strauss-zelnick-says-fortnite-never-affected-the-industry/
Fortnite isn't just the biggest videogame in the world, it's a phenomenon. It's made gajillions of dollars, brought mainstream fame to previously anonymous streamers, and turned Epic Games into a major force again, all while being completely free to play. It's had a huge impact on the industry—except, according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, it hasn't actually affected the industry at all.

Rumor: Blizzard is working on Overwatch 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/rumor-blizzard-is-working-on-overwatch-2/
Blizzard is working on a sequel to Overwatch, according to a report by Kotaku. Though nothing officially has been announced, the news comes from anonymous sources who told Kotaku that Overwatch 2 is in development and is expected to be revealed at Blizzcon 2019 in November.

My Friend Pedro, the game about a banana who wants you to kill, comes out on June 20
https://www.pcgamer.com/my-friend-pedro-the-game-about-a-banana-who-wants-you-to-kill-comes-out-on-june-20/
My Friend Pedro is a 2D sidescrolling action game about a guy in a gimp mask who commits mass murder because a banana tells him to. To be fair, the guys he kills are trying to kill him too, but it's impossible to know who started it, so is it really self-defense? I honestly can't say.

Baldur's Gate 3 will be at the PC Gaming Show
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-will-be-at-the-pc-gaming-show/
After making our 2017 Game of the Year, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Larian Studios set its sights on the biggest name in RPGs: Dungeons & Dragons. And not just any D&D story, but the D&D story, at least when it comes to PC gaming. The developer has teamed up with Wizards of the Coast to bring back Baldur's Gate with its first new game since 2001, and you can find out more about Baldur's Gate 3 at the 2019 PC Gaming Show.

Journey PC launch trailer features sand, grand music, enthusiastic review quotes
https://www.pcgamer.com/journey-pc-launch-trailer-features-sand-grand-music-enthusiastic-review-quotes/
If you were in any doubt as to whether Journey was beloved by critics or not, look no further than its PC launch trailer. "One of the best games ever made," declares one. "Nearly flawless," proclaims another. The ever-contentious word "art" is tossed around a bit as well.

Breaking Bad-style RPG Family Man is getting a final beta soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/breaking-bad-style-rpg-family-man-is-getting-an-open-beta-soon/
Family Man looks like a blocky, whimsical RPG but is actually a moral tightrope walk where you have 30 days to pay back the mob, while also trying to be a good husband and father. You can grind away in a regular job, or you can take on shady jobs for the mob that pay a lot better. It's now content complete, so Broken Bear Games is hosting a final public beta that will start soon.

Command & Conquer Remastered update shows off the new UI
https://www.pcgamer.com/command-and-conquer-remastered-moves-into-production/
Command & Conquer Remastered has left the pre-production phase, according to an update from EA, so it's time for a sneak peek at what Petroglyph and Lemon Sky have been working on. Multiplayer is already in a playable state and the art team is updating the game for 4K, but it's the UI that's in the spotlight this time.

Rumour: Rainbow Six Quarantine, a new co-op shooter, could be announced at E3 2019
https://www.pcgamer.com/rumour-rainbow-six-quarantine-a-new-co-op-shooter-could-be-announced-at-e3-2019/
Another game has fallen victim to one of the leakiest E3 seasons ever recorded. According to reliable industry insider Nibel, Ubisoft will announce Rainbow Six Quarantine, a new co-op focused Siege spin-off game, at its E3 2019 conference.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair revealed
https://www.pcgamer.com/yooka-laylee-and-the-impossible-lair-revealed/
Iguana and bat duo Yooka and Laylee are being thrown into another misadventure this year. Playtonic's following up its Banjo-Kazooie-inspired platformer with Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. Check out the reveal trailer above.

Destroy All Humans! remake heading to Earth next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/destroy-all-humans-remake-heading-to-earth-next-year/
THQ Nordic has revealed Destroy All Humans!, a remake of the 2005 game of alien conquest. Crypto will once again zip around in his flying saucer, harassing humanity with probes and death rays while harvesting their precious DNA. He's also super into Rammstein for some reason. Watch the reveal trailer from IGN below.
>> Now we know one of the two beloved franchises they promised would make a comeback at E3.

Time now to check the deals at GOG and Steam for the weekend:

+GOG

• GOG is still celebrating its Summer Sale.

+Steam

• The legit daily deal is Age of Empires II HD, 75% off (and the DLCs between 50 and 75%): https://store.steampowered.com/app/221380/Age_of_Empires_II_HD/
• The "fake" daily deal, because it will last until June 13, is Weedcraft Inc, 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/622720/Weedcraft_Inc/
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is free to try and 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/359550/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Siege/
• And Skyworld: Kingdom Brawl is also free to try and 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/977690/Skyworld_Kingdom_Brawl/
• Planet Coaster isn't free to try, but it's 70% off (and the DLCs between 0 and 15% off): https://store.steampowered.com/app/493340/Planet_Coaster/
• Larian Studios is the star of the publisher weekend deal, with up to 90% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/larian/
• And, of course, the weeklong deals.

That's all for this week. Next week, with the stormy that is E3, I'll most likely change the format of the news (to make it a bit more bearable) to just the headline and the link to the article. Otherwise it will be Hell.

But that will be next week. Until then, have a happy and gaming weekend.

I can't believe it. They. Did. It.

How did they manage to convince Blizzard to release what they considered an abomination that they wanted to get rid off forever???

Black magic.

I mean, after doing the Witcher games, they've probably learned a thing or two...

Don't know if this has been posted here already? I've not seen it mentioned anywhere but it was posted on the AoE site about a week ago. Aoe2 Defintive Edition will be playable at e3 on the show floor, probably won't be shown at the conference then.

But they've also said it will have new civilizations! Pleasantly surprised that there's going to be some new content too, thought it might just be AoE2HD + DLC with better graphics.

https://www.ageofempires.com/news/age-of-empires-ii-de-at-e3/

I hadn't seen that before, so thanks for sharing!

Truth be told, I had forgotten about these definitive editions, and I already have AoE2 HD and all its DLCs, so I don't think I'll get the D.E. either.

But I sure hope they finally show AoE4!

Has it been posted here yet regarding the first month of XBOX Game Pass PC for only 1 dollar? Considering the leaks and rumours about the lineup (I won't mention here due to people wanting to avoid spoilers, but it's easy to find) and the cost going forward, I've taken the plunge and subscribed.

https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/9/18658546/xbox-game-pass-pc-launch-date-price-game-lineup-e3-2019-windows-10