A bit of a shorter intro this week, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty to get stuck in to. We saw Sony cause a stir by increasing the price of the PS5 in multiple countries around the world, we had a raft of game reveals from Gamescom Opening Night Live, a bunch of new game-to-TV announcements and plenty more to get video game fans excited and/or angry. You can catch up on all of the details in the news section below.

A quick word of warning; next week sees the release of the controversial Last of Us Remake on PS5, so you may want to stay away from, well, the internet for a little while if you're not a fan of endless online bickering. We'll be hearing an awful lot about that one over the next few weeks I'm afraid.

The Last of Us is one of modern gaming's greatest achievements, if playing the best version of it is worth £70 to you, you won't be disappointed. If not, the PS3 and PS4 versions are still just as essential as they always were. Pretty simple if you ask me.

If you'd like to get in touch about the newsletter or just talk games with me, simply reply to this email or catch me over on Twitter.

Take care everyone, I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter and have a lovely weekend!

Jeff

NEWS

• Sony has increased the PlayStation 5 price, effective immediately, in most markets around the world. Microsoft responded to Eurogamer to say they are "...constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options."

• Gamescom Opening Night Live aired this week with a nice batch of new game announcements and trailers. Here's a round-up of everything shown.

• A bunch of new Xbox Game Pass 'day-one' releases for this year and next have been announced.

• The Mega Drive Mini 2 gets a European release date, and a full game lineup reveal.

• Hideo Kojima is launching new Spotify podcast named Brain Structure next month.

• Netflix's live-action BioShock movie will be helmed by I Am Legend director.

• The new Fear Effect has been revealed as a third-person cover shooter in its first gameplay trailer.

• Aloy has been confirmed for Netflix's Horizon show, which will be helmed by Umbrella Academy showrunner.

• Xbox head Phil Spencer believes games exclusive to a single console will become something we see less of over time. 

• Sonic Frontiers gets a November release date and a new story trailer.

• PlayStation is planning to adapt Gravity Rush into a movie, it has been reported. 

• Lies of P, a soulslike inspired by the story of Pinnochio, got a new trailer during Gamescom's Opening Night Live. 

• Battlefield 2042 gets an explosive Season Two gameplay trailer.

• PSVR2 will be playable for the first time at TGS 2022 in September.

• Steam Deck production outperforms Valve estimates as shipping ramps up.

• PlayStation has announced a new "DualSense Edge" controller with removable thumbsticks.

• Amazon has just announced its September line-up for Prime Gaming members.

• Deliver Us mars may have been delayed into next year, but at least we have a new story trailer to tide us over.

• Microsoft Flight Simulator celebrates gamescom with its first-ever city update and shares new details of its 40th Anniversary Edition

Deals!

• PlayStation's Games Under £20 sale rolls on, with hundreds of games reduced to, well, under £20. The sale ends on August 31st. There's also currently a bit of a Destiny 2 sale going on, which you can find here.

• Sony are still offering 7-day free trials for their new Extra and Premium PlayStation Plus tiers, if you're not already a subscriber.

• Xbox are running a Ubisoft Publisher Sale with up to 75% off new and backwards compatible Ubisoft games, a Summer Spotlight promotion with new games and deals added every week, and an End of Summer Sale, with deals on over 300 games and add-ons.

• There's no specific promotion running on the eShop at the moment, but there are still hundreds of games on sale anyway.

• If you're looking forward to the new Monkey Island game, Fanatical currently have a Monkey Island Special Edition Bundle for just £2.25, which includes the special editions of both The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2.

• As always there are plenty of games on sale at the Epic Games Store and Steam, which you can find here and here. The Hitman Trilogy plus Hitman 1 & 2 access passes for 60% off is Steam's Weekend Deal.

• Finally, a quick heads-up that Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be free on the Epic Games Store next week.

More!

• The Story of Steam Deck

Valve has released a digital version of a new booklet made for the Tokyo Game Show to celebrate Steam Deck's release in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. You can view and download the booklet for free here.

• GoldenEra

Seminal N64 shooter GoldenEye 007 celebrated its 25th anniversary this week, and in case you missed it, the brilliant documentary GoldenEra released not long ago. It's available to buy on Amazon and is well worth a watch.

NEW RELEASES:

Not too much to shout about this week in terms of new releases, aside from the reportedly buggy, rough but still enjoyable Saints Row.

Next week sees the highly anticipated/hugely controversial Last of Us remake hit PS5. Much has been said about this remake and its £70 price-tag, but in the end, only you can decide if the upgrade is worth it.

What can't be agued is that The Last of Us is one of the greatest and most influential experiences from any entertainment medium in modern times. Utterly essential if you haven't played it.

Midnight Fight Express 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – August 23

Saints Row 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC) – August 23

F1 Manager 2022 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC) – August 25

SD Gundam Battle Alliance 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – August 25

Pac-Man World Re-Pac 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – August 26

Soul Hackers 2 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC) – August 26

UPCOMING RELEASES:

Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC) – August 30

Immortality 

(Xbox, PC, iOS, Android) – August 30

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – August 30

Tinykin 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – August 30

Ooblets 

(Xbox, Switch, PC) – September 1

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – September 2

LEGO Brawls 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – September 2

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness 

(PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) – September 2

The Last of Us Part I 

(PS5) – September 2

GAME OF THE WEEK

A randomly selected game each week! Any and all games are eligible for selection regardless of age, platform, popularity, or otherwise.

This week, the honour goes to…

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)

After the revolutionary GTA III proved the series’ formula could work just as well in three-dimensions, Rockstar’s designers went all-out for its sequel...

More ambitious and more refined, the 80’s-themed, Scarface-inspired Vice City’s unparalleled atmosphere and sense of place (and peerless licensed soundtrack) means it remains the pinnacle of the series for many to this day.

RECOMMENDED READS

The great consolidation of the video game industry

By Lewis Gordon - The Ringer

Amid an ongoing spree of mergers and acquisitions, fewer companies own more of the gaming industry than ever before. But what does consolidation mean for workers, players, and the medium itself?

TV key to taking cloud gaming mainstream

By James Batchelor - GiBiz

Microsoft's Harrison Hoffman says streaming a game needs to be as simple as watching a movie on Netflix.

An oral history of Tim Curry’s escape to the one place uncorrupted by capitalism

By Duncan Fyfe - Waypoint

How an unforgettable performance in Red Alert 3 became legend.

State of the Game: Red Dead Online

By Emma Kent - Eurogamer

Earlier this month Rockstar announced that it will no longer introduce any major new updates for Red Dead Online. Is it still worth playing?

More for your inbox!

The Sample - A brilliant discovery tool that sends you recommended newsletters and blogs to match your chosen topics.

Refind - Every day Refind sends up to 7 curated links from around the web based on topics of your choosing - including, of course, gaming.

(The Sample and Refind are part of a cross-promotion. Any clicks/sign-ups directly help The Week in Games to grow)

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS

Nara: Facing Fire

Glowing Glade Studio - Campaign ends September 2nd

— www.kickstarter.com

Inspired by Hollow Knight, Ori, and Celeste with focus on fluid and responsive movement, difficult bosses, and epic escape sequences.

Old School Gamer Magazine

Ryan Burger - Campaign ends September 14th

— www.kickstarter.com

The next generation of retro gaming magazine - Adding more content, more History - more Style and more Subscribers!

Filmmakers Without Cameras: The Trilogy

Eryk Sawicki - Campaign ends September 14th

— www.kickstarter.com

A journal filled with gorgeous art and thoughtful writing on film, video games, and roleplaying games.

Please support The Week in Games!

The Week in Games remains possible thanks to the ongoing support of members such as @BitBloggist and @johnXprinter. If you enjoy it, please consider showing your support either with a tip, or with a sub from only £1 a month.

Friends of The Week in Games!

From custom framed art and premium journals, to gaming sites, fellow newsletters and beyond, our friends share similar values, a passion for quality and a willingness to support others.

Please click the images below and show them some love!

...and that's it for this week!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Week in Games! I’d be delighted if you would consider forwarding this email to anybody you think may like it, by sharing this link on social media, or simply telling people about it!

I'm always looking at ways to improve this newsletter, so if you have any comments, suggestions or enquiries, please reply to this email directly, write to [email protected], or catch me on Twitter!

Thanks again, see you next week!