Hi, I’m Jeff and welcome to the The Geek Dojo Weekly for the week of April 8th 2021! This is a weekly video games newsletter featuring my top 5 stories of the week.
Monster Hunter Rise prints money, E3 is all online, 99 Pac-Men appear out of thin air? That’s a lot of Pac-Men. I assume that’s the plural of Pac-Man, but anyways let’s get into the news!
Monster Hunter Rise is Selling a Lot
Via: Capcom
Monster Hunter Rise has surpassed 5 million units globally, in just 10 days. This is pretty impressive for a game exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, but it has a ways to go before matching Monster Hunter World’s 16 million global sales. With the demand being so strong this soon after release, I’d imagine Capcom is not too worried about Rise failing to meet that goal.
I, myself, have had a fantastic time with Monster Hunter Rise so far. I have about 60 hours in it already after completing the story, grinding for gear, and hunting with friends. Capcom has done a wonderful job combining aspects from the older MH games and MH World, while also adding even more quality of life improvements. It’s easily the most action packed Monster Hunter game to date.
The Build-A-Bear Animal Crossing Collection Went Live This Week
Via: Polygon
And it was a bit of a mess. Isabelle and Tom Nook were the only featured options for the collection and they went on sale with sort notice. Since the pandemic started, it has been such a pain to buy anything online and buying from this collection was no different. The buying process was similar to the PlayStation 5 Direct system. You signed up on the website and then you were assigned a spot in queue. Once you got your turn, you got a limited amount of time to make your one per person purchase. Needless to say, the Animal Crossing Build-A-Bear collection sold out quickly. According to Build-A-Bear, if you missed out on this drop, you will have another chance this summer in the Build-A-Bear Workshop retail stores. Good luck Animal Crossing fans.
E3 Will Be An All-Virtual Event, The ESA Confirms
Via: E3
E3 will be an all online event this year and will take place June 12th through June 15th. There are no details on how the event will be structured, but the ESA confirms they will be working with media partners and developers in an effort to bring the latest game announcements to the public for free.
The ESA states, “For more than two decades, E3 has been the premier venue to showcase the best that the video game industry has to offer, while uniting the world through games,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.”
Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Koch Media have all been confirmed to be attending E3 2021. Sony is still a no show, but I’m sure we can expect some sort of presentation from them around the time E3 goes live. As far as Nintendo goes, E3 will more than likely be when we get the next Nintendo Direct. E3 has been a bit of a polarizing topic over the past couple of years, but I am glad to see them try something different this year. I will take a week full of gaming news over 3 months of gaming news any day.
The Diablo II: Resurrected Technical Alpha Goes Live April 9th
Via: Game Informer
Those anxiously awaiting a chance to experience Diablo II again, but in 4K, will get that chance this weekend. This alpha will only feature single player content of the first two acts and you will be able to choose from the Barbarian, Amazon, or Sorceress. The alpha will run from Friday April 9th at 7am PST to Monday April 12th at 10am PST. If you miss out on this chance, a multiplayer test is planned for sometime later this year.
PAC-MAN 99 Came Out of Nowhere
Via: YouTube
Pac-Man 99 is the latest battle royale offering from Nintendo. Much like Tetris 99, and the now defunct Mario 35, this game will have you chomping your way through your own Pac-Man level, collecting power ups, eating ghost and sending obstacles to your 98 other opponents. Pac-Man 99 is available as of April 7th, will be exclusive to the Nintendo Online Store and free to play while also offering paid DLC to customize your experience.
Noteworthy:
More Mass Effect Legendary Collection details: EA
Marvel’s Avengers headlines PlayStation Now: PlayStation Blog
Guilty Gear open beta breakdown: Guilty Gear
NieR Replicant has gone gold: Twitter
Edge of Eternity hits consoles later this year: Game Informer
MLB The Show 21 on Game Pass was the MLB’s decision: Game Informer
Notable Releases:
Tuesday, April 6th:
Oddworld Soulstorm: PS5, PS4, PC (PS5 PS+)
Star Wars: Republic Commando: PS4, Switch
Thursday, April 8th:
Cozy Grove: PS4, Switch, XB1, PC, Mac
Friday, April 9th:
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV: PC
Catch me every Monday on The Skill Tree: A Gaming Podcast
Madness (Episode 17) – The Skill Tree (A Gaming Podcast)
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The Geek Dojo 