While it was a holiday in the States today, it was still a busy news day with lots to unpack. We learned that Minecraft is getting a huge PSVR update later this month, a patent for a new standalone Nintendo Switch Joy-Con has been located, Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red talked about microtransactions in the game’s multiplayer, and more. Here’s the video game news you might’ve missed on Sept. 7, 2020.
Standalone Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Patent Uncovered
A Nintendo patent depicting a standalone Joy-Con has been discovered, leading some to speculate whether the company will release a new Joy-Con at some point in the future. The patent features images of a Joy-Con that does not have connectors that slide into the original Switch model like the traditional Joy-Con do. Although, it is worth mentioning that patents like these pop up quite frequently — many of which never actually enter manufacturing. Still, many assume if this new Joy-Con gets released, it will be primarily marketed towards the Switch Lite to be used with the upcoming Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Read More: Nintendo Patent Appears to Show a Standalone Switch Joy-Con
Tetsuya Nomura Says His Team Is Already Working on the Next Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura was recently interviewed by Famitsu, and he had some interesting things to say about the future of the series. Most importantly, Nomura said his team is already working on the next installment in the series and implied they are hoping to launch for 2022, to coincide with Kingdom Hearts‘ 20th anniversary. He also said that “everything will probably surprise you” in regards to future KH announcements, which is about as PR-friendly of a response as you can get. Let’s hope it doesn’t take 15 years for the next entry to release.
We also learned today via Nintendo Enthusiast that there are no specific plans for more Kingdom Hearts games on Nintendo Switch, following the launch of Melody of Memory.
Nomura confirms that the Kingdom Hearts team is currently working on something new for the next installment within the Kingdom Hears Series. They're trying to work towards 2022 for the 20th anniversary.
Here's the translation of his newest interview with Famitsu! pic.twitter.com/R5ocMgkG5w
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) September 7, 2020
CD Projekt Red Wants Players to “Be Happy” to Spend Money on Microtransactions in Cyberpunk 2077
The mere mention of microtransactions is often met with unfavorable opinions, but developer CD Projekt Red has a different view on the practice in regards to the future multiplayer aspect of its upcoming game, Cyberpunk 2077. During an earnings report, the developer stated: “Same as with our single-player games: we want gamers to be happy while spending money on our products. The same is true for microtransactions: you can expect them, of course, and [Cyberpunk 2077] is a great setting for selling things, but it won’t be aggressive.” The game’s multiplayer mode will launch after the game’s initial release, but it’s unknown how it will incorporate microtransactions. Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Nov. 19, 2020.
The developer later reiterated on Twitter that the base Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player game with no microtransactions ever.
Cyberpunk multiplayer/online, which is a separate project, will have some microtransactions, but we said that a year ago already. Like always, expect us treating your money with respect.
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 7, 2020
Read More: Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Talks Microtransactions — ‘We Won’t Be Aggressive’
Streets of Rage 4 Has Surpassed 1.5 Million Copies Sold
Today, Streets of Rage 4‘s developer and publisher announced a new patch for the game, featuring nearly 80 updates, and it’s available now. It was also revealed that Streets of Rage 4 has surpassed 1.5 million digital downloads since its release earlier this April. As for the patch, it includes character fixes, gameplay enhancements, and balancing across the game’s various characters. The full patch notes from Dotemu are available to peruse.
Read More: Massive Streets of Rage 4 Update Now Available, More Than 1.5 Million Copies Downloaded
You Can Now Play the Original Doom on… a Pregnancy Test?
Recently, Twitter user Foone somehow managed to program the original Doom to run on a pregnancy test. You read that correctly. While the hardware restrictions limit this version to be presented in black and white, you can clearly tell what it is, even on a 128×32 pixel display. Foone replaced the CPU of the pregnancy test to be able to run the game, and it’s one of the most bizarre — albeit impressive — feats we’ve seen.
A full video of the game in action can be seen below.
Yesterday I had a lot of retweets and reddit posts and such for playing Doom on a pregnancy test.
But as I explained then, it wasn't really PLAYING on a pregnancy test, it was just a video being played back, not an interactive game.Well, now it is. It's Pregnancy Test Doom! pic.twitter.com/Nrjyq07EVv
— foone (@Foone) September 7, 2020
