The gaming industry has enjoyed an explosive 12 months, with strong growth, console launches, and plenty of new games to keep us busy. As we find ourselves halfway through 2021, here’s a roundup of the latest gaming news.
PlayStation 5 Shortage Wages On
If you’re a console gamer, you’ll be familiar with the difficulties that we can have trying to get our hands on the latest consoles when they first hit shelves. When Sony launched the PlayStation 5 in late 2020, we saw the same empty shops and price scalping that we see with every release.
However, come the New Year, things have usually settled down and stock levels are plentiful. In 2021, things are different. News outlets across the world are reporting a shortage of the new gaming machine, with Forbes reporting that Sony expects this to continue into 2022.
A global chip shortage is making it difficult for Sony to meet the high demand. Increased demand for silicon from car manufacturers and the temporary blockage in the Suez Canal has made these vital components more scarce than usual.
iGaming Continues to Grow in Popularity
At the end of May 2021, Britain’s Gambling Commission released its latest industry statistics detailing how much UK players spent on casino games and other forms of betting. For the period between April and September 2020, which the May 2021 update covers, showed a Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) of £3.1 billion for online casinos.
On an annualised basis, it shows a £400 million increase from the last full year figures released by the body. If the next set of annual figures fall in line with this, the iGaming industry will have grown by 7% in the UK on top of an 8.1% increase the previous year.
A big driver of this growth is the continued innovations that are put out by the industry. Online casinos now offer their players numerous different versions of popular card games, creating more choice and catering to a wider audience. Across the popular card games, for example, there are multiple variants of blackjack where the basic rules and mechanics remain the same, with the player required to make hands that get as close as possible to 21. However, VIP and Premium Blackjack games are designed to cater to high rollers while Classic Blackjack is more suited to beginners.
Cyberpunk 2077 Leaks
Last year’s release of Cyberpunk 2077 was nothing short of a disaster. Bug upon bug led to huge outcry from players and the game being pulled from the PlayStation store. At the time, CD Projekt Red, the game’s developer went into damage control mode, offering refunds, and promising a series of updates and patches that would fix the bugs. For the most part, it has lived up to its promises, with 11 updates released already and version 1.3 expected imminently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obU_kRGhrPo&t
However, in early June 2021, it became clear that CD Projekt Red knew more about the issues than it was letting on. A ransomware attack on the company led to a “gag reel” video being leaked, showing that developers knew about the bugs and that they found them funny.
It also shows that the released version had been significantly worse in the weeks and months before its disastrous release.
Big Releases
The middle of the year is usually quiet on the release front, with publishers waiting for the holiday season to launch their biggest titles. We’re seeing the same this year, although there are a number of great games that have (or will) go on sale this month. These include:
- Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 — a first-person shooter that focuses on sniping, with a great stealth mode.
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade — released for the PlayStation 4 last year, Final Fantasy 7 was a smash hit. Now an even better version is coming to PS5 (if you can get your hands on one), with better graphics, more content, and more features.
- Mario Golf Super Rush — golf games don’t usually attract much attention, but when it contains Mario, it can’t be ignored. This fun title brings the chaos of Mario Kart to the golf course, with players trying to hold up their opponents in a very unsportsmanlike fashion.
