Gaming Newsletter - Issue #20: 1/20/25

Gaming Newsletter

Hi everyone! This is a new Series I've started. I'm working on doing this every Tuesday for now. If it sometimes comes out late, it will definitely still be weekly. Still working the schedule out! So, what's the Video Game News for this week?

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Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal

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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket News

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is gearing up to add a much-anticipated feature to the mobile game. Players will soon be able to trade their Pokemon cards, but there will be a few limitations with the trading system. In a post on Twitter/X, the official Pokemon TCG Pocket revealed that the trading feature would arrive in the game later this month. A specific release date wasn't mentioned, but the announcement detailed some restrictions and costs tied to the feature.

Firstly, players will need to be friends in order to swap cards with one another, and the cards being traded must be of the same rarity. Pokemon TCG Pocket features eight different card rarities, but not all rarities will be available to swap with friends. Only the card rarities with diamond 1-4 and the 1-star cards can be traded, meaning the super rare, immersive, and crown rarities are off the table. The announcement also vaguely mentioned some kind of cost for trading, saying "items must be consumed in order to trade." It's uncertain if this means players will need to spend Poke Gold or one of the other existing in-game currencies found in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

While some players might be disappointed that only specific cards from the Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs can be traded at launch, there are plans to expand the selection of booster packs that can be traded from. Additionally, the next booster packs will also be added later this month, and the company says more details will be shared soon.

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Sony News

Sony has revealed via a Bloomberg article that it has cancelled PS5 projects from both Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio. The two developers remain open and won't be shut down, and Sony is now working with both teams to determine what their next projects are. According to Jason Schreier of the outlet, the project Bluepoint had in the works all of this time was a live-service God of War game.

The game Bend Studio was creating was also a live-service title. Sony hasn't confirmed whether the two cancellations will lead to layoffs at either developer, but they will remain open. Sony is "working closely with Bend and Bluepoint to determine what are the next projects and plan to do everything we can to ensure there is minimal business impact," it told Bloomberg. Sony will continue to make single player and online games, a Sony spokesperson confirmed.

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Bloodborne News

As the years roll on without any word of a Bloodborne remaster, fans are left wondering why FromSoftware doesn't have one up its sleeve yet - and according to PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida, it may all boil down to a busy schedule and the unwaveringly ionate Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Speaking in his first interview after leaving PlayStation, the former president of SIE Worldwide Studios for Sony tells Kinda Funny Games why he believes that Bloodborne isn't receiving the remaster fans have longed for any time soon. "I have only my personal theory," its Yoshida. "Because I Miyazaki-san really, really loved Bloodborne … I think he is interested but he's so successful and he's so busy."

Yoshida continues, speculating that because Miyazaki, who directed the 2015 game, is too busy to work on the potential project himself, it won't come to fruition yet as the FromSoftware lead doesn't want others heading the remaster. "He doesn't want anyone else to touch it, that's my theory - and the PlayStation team respects his wish." Yoshida concludes by clarifying that he doesn't know for sure whether this is truly the case or not, but "that's my guess."

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That's all for this episode. I hope you guys enjoyed! If I left anything out in the news this week that I might have forgotten about on this news week, please comment down below and I'd love to chat Video Games just like I love to 24/7! Thank you guys so much. Happy Gaming!