Caffeinate With Samuel Adams: Daily Gaming News

DICE LA has returned to work on the Battlefield franchise, according to Creative Design Director Justin Weibe on Twitter. Weibe sent followers on a guessing game of which franchise the team was working on, ultimately leading back to the Battlefield franchise. Respawn's Vince Zampella was put in control over the company, announcing that the team was working on an entirely new "as-yet-unannounced" game, meaning that the team has either expanded their development capacity beyond individual games or have pivoted back to the mothership. Here are today's stories:  - DICE LA Is Working On A New Battlefield Game - Six Days in Fallujah is back after over ten years, with ex-Halo and Destiny devs at the helm - Microsoft: Still no plans for future 'Halo Wars 2' content or sequels - CD Projekt Red hackers have reportedly started leaking their stolen data - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart arrives on PS5 June 11 - Kingdom Hearts Series Coming To PC On March 30, Exclusive To Epic Games Store Follow me on other p

Some PlayStation 5 users have reported that analog sticks on Sony's DualSense controller are drifting. According to Kotaku, these reports started as early as 10 days after the release of the PlayStation 5 last year. While the extent of these issues is still yet to be determined, CSK&D, LLC is "investigating" a class action lawsuit.  Edit: Microsoft's "Vault"  will not be a long-term name used by the company. A document released by the EU shares that “Following this merger, Vault will cease to exist and ZeniMax will survive, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft.”    Edit 2: Ben Schwartz will not be voicing Tails - Schwartz is the voice of Sonic in both the first movie and its sequel. The voice of Tails has not been announced, but Jason Mamoa may be in talks to voice Knuckles and that's cool so I wanted to share that here as well. Here are today's stories:  - PS5's DualSense controller also faces drift issues - Microsoft 'Vault' subsidiary launched as Xbox Bethesda deal adv

The studio behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, and more has been the victim of a cyberattack. The company made the announcement on Twitter, sharing the letter left by the attacker alongside an official company statement. Along with sensitive HR, legal, and financial documents, the attackers have also obtained full source code for The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Gwent. CD Projekt Red has said that they will not give into the demands of the attacker and will instead take the risk of sensitive data being released to the public.  Here are today's stories:  - CD Projekt Red Cyberattack Announcement - Ubisoft Enjoys Strongest Quarter in Company History, Assassin's Creed Valhalla Leads the Charge - Assassin's Creed Valhalla leads Ubisoft's biggest quarter ever - Ubisoft claims it’s ‘undecided’ if it will raise game prices to $70 in 2021 - Steam officially launches in China - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time comes to Xbox Series X and S on March 12 Follow me on other platforms and stay

According to pitch obtained by VGC, the ESA plans to bring back the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo with a digital event spanning three days between June 15 and 17 in addition to a week-long buildup of coverage from publishers, influencers, and media personnel. The future of the gaming industry summit has been called into question in recent years after many big-name publishers and platform holders have stopped attending, opting rather to host their own events independently rather than pay the fees to be included in a conference series that many consider to be archaic. Last year's show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest - a similar premise to E3, but stretched out over the course of the entire summer. This event will also be returning for 2021, creating a very crowded summer season.  Here are today's stories:  - E3 pushes forward with plans for a digital 2021 event - Report: Later This Week, EA Is Going To Decide If Anthem Lives Or Dies - U

An upcoming test flight for Halo: The Master Chief Collection may include a "new place to play", sending guesses flying as to where the legendary bundle of Halo titles is going to land. My personal take - iOS Cloud Gaming testing is likely ramping up soon with their new browser-based solution that was teased last fall.  Here are today's stories:  - Halo: Master Chief Collection may get "a new place to play" in upcoming Halo Insider flight https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/243780d3b80b4bb6ac7917a8942286db/topics/mcc-development-flighting-updates/3e3252e1-297a-4590-a7ab-67c133b3d37d/posts?page=4#post67 - 343 Industries hints “a new place to play” Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming soon - Respawn Would Love To Do Something Like Apex Legends Season 5's PvE Quest Again - LOOKING BACK ON TWO YEARS OF APEX LEGENDS - 'Resident Evil' movie reboot will premiere on Labor Day weekend Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/jampacksam Instagram: h

A new financial report sharing Activision-Blizzard's FY 2020 and Q4 2020 figures, revealing that Call of Duty revenue nearly doubled year-over-year. While revenue was up, engagement across platforms and titles was down between 3 and 9 percent depending on the section of the company.  Here are today's stories:  - Call of Duty drives record year for Activision Blizzard - Benji Sales Resident Evil 3 Report - ZeniMax Co-Founder Robert A. Altman has died Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/jampacksam Instagram: http://instagram.com/jampacksam YouTube: http://youtube.com/thejampackreport

Valve has lost a lawsuit from Ironburg Inventions, parent company of SCUF Gaming. Valve will pay at least $4M in damages to the company after a jury unanimously voted that Valve's use of back paddle technology on its Steam Controller was willful patent infringement. SCUF Gaming has had a patent for the back paddle technology since 2011 when the controllers made the scene and provided additional functionality to enthusiast players willing to pay a premium for a controller with additional bells and whistles to enhance gameplay. Here are today's stories:  - Valve loses controller patent lawsuit, to pay $4 million in damages - EA Has Made $3 Billion from Star Wars Games - and It Isn't Slowing Down Anytime Soon - Codemasters shareholders approve EA's $1.2bn acquisition Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/jampacksam Instagram: http://instagram.com/jampacksam YouTube: http://youtube.com/thejampackreport

Sony's Q3 financial report revealed that the company has sold 4.5 million PlayStation 5 units in less than two months, driving the company's Game and Network Services division up to $8.4 billion in revenue, a 25% increase over the same time period the year before. The report also disclosed that the console is selling at a loss, though strong software sales of ¥433 billion offset those losses. The latest projections from Sony show that the company is on track to have its most successful year on record with an estimated $25 billion in revenue and $3.2 in operating profit.  Here are today's stories:  - PlayStation 5 sold 4.5m units in less than two months - THE GEARBOX ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY ACCELERATES GROWTH PLAN WITH EMBRACER GROUP MERGER - Electronic Arts & CLC to Bring Back College Football Video Games - Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Announced - APEX LEGENDS LAUNCHES ON NINTENDO SWITCH ON MARCH 9TH, 2021 - Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Final Fantasy XII, Project Winter, Jurassic World Evolu

Roughly 18 months into the life of Stadia, Vice President and GM of Google Stadia Phil Harrison announced on Monday that they'll be shutting down the Stadia Games and Entertainment teams working to create exclusive experiences on Google Stadia. Instead, the company will be shifting its focus towards bringing more third party games to its service and "to help game developers and publishers take advantage of our platform technology and deliver games directly to their players." Here are today's stories:  - Focusing on Stadia’s future as a platform, and winding down SG&E - EU to rule on Microsoft's $7.5 billion ZeniMax deal by March 5 - Nintendo Switch Has Overtaken 3DS Lifetime Sales In Just Four Years - Introducing our MLB The Show 21 cover athlete Fernando Tatis Jr. - GOD OF WAR (2018) ENHANCED PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE FOR PLAYSTATION 5 - Title Update 12.1 Patch Notes - Plans for a Wall Street GameStop movie are already in the works Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: ht

A new report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier digs into what's happening behind the scenes of Amazon's game development initiatives, interviewing 30 current and former employees who share details of how the company is mishandling more than $500M of investment per year with nothing to show for it.  Here are today's stories:  - Amazon Can Make Just About Anything—Except a Good Video Game - The Medium has already earned back its development and promotion costs - Warner Bros is trying to patent Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system - Josh Sawyer on Twitter - MLB The Show 21 Cover Leak Seemingly Confirms Xbox Version Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/jampacksam Instagram: http://instagram.com/jampacksam YouTube: http://youtube.com/thejampackreport

Much like Xbox, I said something last week that I almost immediately regretted. Starting on February 1st, The Jampack Report is going to be transitioning back into a daily gaming news show. After a week of downtime, it'll be nice to have a drive and a project to work on in the mornings that helps me become better at what I do while creating content for you all to enjoy.    I apologize for the confusion and thank you for the ongoing support - without you all, I wouldn't be here. Thank you.   Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!   Twitter: http://twitter.com/jampacksam Instagram: http://instagram.com/jampacksam YouTube: http://youtube.com/thejampackreport

Going forward, the schedule of the content is going to be changing - but ultimately, it'll be for the better! Between a weekly gaming news show, the weekly lineup of releases on The Drop, our show on OpenCritic.com, and new reviews, there will be plenty of content coming to your feed to enjoy throughout the week!    Most importantly, thank you all for the incredible support for The Jampack Report. When I started this YouTube adventure in high school, I never thought that it would become something that completely shifted the direction of my life, shaped my career, and that continues to shape my future. Thank you. Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date! Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

Confusion has resulted from a claim made by the official Xbox Game Pass Instagram account saying that Fall Guys, the jelly bean parkour game that hit PlayStation and PC last year, would be coming to Xbox Game Pass. The official Devolver Digital, Xbox Game Pass, and Fall Guys Twitter accounts all quickly quashed rumors, sharing that the game is not on the way. However, with so many wires crossed, it's easy to assume that discussions are being held and plans are in the works.  Here are today's stories:  - No, Fall Guys isn’t coming to Xbox Game Pass - Capcom says it’s doing better than expected thanks to Monster Hunter Rise, RE3 - Gabe Newell Confirms Valve is Currently Developing Several New Games - The Predator comes to Fortnite - Takaya Imamura, The Man Who Designed Tingle, Has Retired From Nintendo Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy  Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia  YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladam

After removing their website last year following legal action from Sony, CMP Shells - formerly known as CustomizeMyPlates.com and originally as PlateStation5.com - has announced that they are returning, resuming operations and taking orders. In a statement, the company says that they have created a new design improving upon the ventilation of the original faceplates and says that they are now "untouchable."  Here are today's stories:   - PS5 faceplate seller ‘threatened by Sony’ returns and claims it’s now ‘untouchable’  - THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: FOOTBALL COMES ALIVE IN FORTNITE  - Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Yakuza Remastered Collection, The Medium, and More  Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!   Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy   Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia   YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

Notable leaker Tom Henderson has shared that, according to his sources, Battlefield 6 will be a cross-gen reboot set in a modern setting inspired by Battlefield 3. Henderson also goes on to share that the game will be a cross-gen release across both current- and last-generation consoles, repeating the approach that Battlefield 4 took in 2013. These new claims come after Henderson's earlier claims that the game is targeting 128-player matches was proven to be true.  Here are today's stories:  - Battlefield 6 is a cross-gen reboot targeting 128 players, latest leaker report claims - Apex Legends may launch on Switch on February 2 - A new game in the PUBG universe will release on PC and consoles 'by next year' - No, Rainbow Six Quarantine Isn't Coming Out in March - Rockstar patent could point to significant GTA6 NPC improvements - Xbox studio Ninja Theory shows off photo-realistic graphics in Project: Mara - Control joins Xbox Game Pass for PC this week Follow me on other platforms and stay up to d

BWWMediaGroup reporter Brad Sams has shared that major tech companies are targeting "big names" in gaming for acquisitions as the cloud streaming wars continue to heat up. In a new video on his YouTube channel, Sams shares that Amazon and Google are in serious acquisition talks as they begin to pad out their Luna and Stadia catalogs with major games that will potentially bring in more players from other ecosystems. Meanwhile, Facebook was also mentioned as a potential player in the space as their mobile-focused Facebook Gaming efforts continue.  Here are today's stories:  - Microsoft, Amazon and Google are targeting ‘big names’ for buyouts, journalist claims - Cyberpunk 2077 staff didn’t think game should ship in 2020, the 2018 demo was ‘entirely fake’ and more – report - Children’s Screen Time Has Soared in the Pandemic, Alarming Parents and Researchers - Here are the Games Coming Exclusively to Xbox in 2021 Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/pre

Centro Pokemon has shared that "sources close to the company" say that The Pokemon Company plans to release remakes of Nintendo DS classics Pokemon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo Switch later this year as part of the Pokemon 25th anniversary celebrations. These rumors come alongside the official announcement that Pokemon Snap will be released on April 30th - it's certainly looking like an exciting year for Pokemon fans! Here are today's stories:  - Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Remakes Rumored For Later This Year - New Pokémon Snap is coming to the Nintendo Switch on April 30th - Ubisoft Pushes Riders Republic To ‘Later This Year’, Adding To Wave Of Game Delays - Resident Evil Beta for Secretive Multiplayer Game Revealed - Study chides PS5, Xbox Series X for default power settings Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy  Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia  YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

Ubisoft has announced that Massive Entertainment, the studio most recently known for Tom Clancy's The Division, is making a story-driven, open-world Star Wars game. This news comes after nearly 8 years of Electronic Arts Star Wars exclusivity, bringing plenty of games to market but ultimately leaving gaming fans wanting more.  Here are today's stories:  - New Star Wars game coming from Ubisoft’s The Division studio - Hogwarts Legacy Delayed To 2022 - Cyberpunk 2077’s first big patch arrives in ten days as CD Projekt Red apologises for the launch - Pokémon signs Katy Perry to celebrate 25th anniversary Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy  Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia  YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

Announced on Twitter, Wolfenstein developer MachineGames is working on an entirely original Indiana Jones game. Reception of the announcement online was generally positive, but the conversation quickly turned to the question of where this game will launch. With Microsoft's impending acquisition, could the Indiana Jones game be the first major platform exclusive? Here are today's stories:  - Bethesda is making an Indiana Jones game - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gets next-gen performance update - NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3060 offers ray tracing for $329 - Sony patent describes a system that lets players leave in-game text, image and audio tips Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy  Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia  YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia

As the game streaming war heats up, LG has announced that Google Stadia and GeForce Now are coming to their newest line of TVs in 2021 with the 2020 line to gain support at a later date. This news comes as Amazon, Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Sony are all vying for a seat at the streaming table as network speeds improve and stable connections are able to reach millions of TV owners around the world.  Here are today's stories:  - Google Stadia and GeForce Now are coming to LG TVs in 2021 - CES 2021 – PlayStation Outlines Release Dates For Tentpole PS5 Titles Including Horizon: Forbidden West - Mass Effect: Legendary Edition may be set to release in March - Lucasfilm Games Is the New Home for STAR WARS Games - Spanish Fortnite Streamer TheGrefg Breaks All-Time Twitch Viewership Record Follow me on other platforms and stay up to date!  Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettychillguy  Instagram: http://instagram.com/samueladamsmedia  YouTube: http://youtube.com/samueladamsmedia