Sony confirms the shutdown of legacy digital stores on older consoles, whileOutridersandMonster Hunter Risehave great opening weekends in this week’s gaming news roundup. Game Rant has compiled some of the biggest gaming news stories from this past week together into a concise post for fans and enthusiasts to stay up to date on the most important events in the industry per week. Highlighting the most relevant stories, this list is not inherently and totally objective, and will not contain every news story this week. Rather, this is intended for gaming fans who want a quick rundown on the largest/most impactful stories that occurred in the last week in games.
In this week’s recap ofgaming news, an incredibly rare copy ofSuper Mario Bros.on the NES sells for six figures at auction, breaking video game auction records.Cyberpunk 2077sees its first big 1.2 update patch, addressing hundreds of bugs and issues, while causing some other headaches as well. Digital stores for the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita are eventually shutting down this year, Sony has recently confirmed. Anthem’s game director leaves BioWare after 10 years working at the EA developer. Both Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, as well as the ESA’s E3, are returning with digital showcases in 2021. All that and more in this week’s gaming industry recap.
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Rare, Original Super Mario Bros. Sells at Auction for $660,000
Breaking auction records, a sealed and graded copy of theoriginalSuper Mario Bros.on NES sold at a final bid of $660,000this past week. The lot was put up for sale on Heritage auctions on April 1, at which the sealed game reached well over $300,000 in bids, but the auction closed on Friday with the record-breaking final bid. According to Heritage auctions, this is the highest price paid on auction for a video game collectible.
What made this copy in particular special was its near mint-condition quality and its rarity: This particular copy ofSuper Mario Bros.is a 9.6 Wata “1-code” hang tab version, which essentially means it was originally sold in the U.S. test market release, before the widespread general release of the game. In comparison, a newer “3-code” copy ofSuper Mario Bros.sold for $110,000 last year, so it’s comparatively much more rare.
Cyberpunk 2077’s First Big Patch is Here, Multiplayer Being ‘Reconsidered’
This week brought one of two majorCyberpunk 2077patches to the game, addressing hundreds of bugs, issues, and overall performance degradation. Response to the update has been arguablymostlypositive, though manyon platforms like PC and PS5 have noted new issues are appearingas well. Issues and bugs include visual glitches and oddities, unusual AI behavior, among other new issues that weren’t present prior to patch 1.2
In addition to the patch, CD Projekt Red is reportedlyconsidering a different approach to multiplayer inCyberpunk 2077. During a CD Projekt Red “Strategy Update” released separetly from the latestCyberpunkpatch, CDPR president Adam Kicinski stated the developer’s efforts on the game’s multiplayer mode are being “reconsidered.” As for what that means, it’s hard to say, but Kicinski also stated that CDPR is “focusing on bringing online into all of our franchises one day.”
Sony Confirms, PS3/PSP/PS Vita Stores Shutting Down This Summer
After initial reports of digital stores being shut down for legacy PlayStation consoles,Sony has now confirmed the closure of PS3/PSP/PS Vita digital storefronts. PS3 and PSP digital storefronts will be shut down on June 22, 2025, with PS Vita’s storefront closing later this year on August 27. While the purchasing of games digitally for those platforms will be unavailable from those dates onward, Sony has confirmed that existing purchases will be re-downloadable if they’re deleted.
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Anthem Game Director Leaves BioWare After 10 Years
In the wake of the game’s cancellation,Anthem’s original game director Jonathan Warner has departed BioWare. Warner leaves the storied studio after 10 years of working on franchises likeMass EffectandDragon Age, as well as directingAnthemand its once-planned resurgence.
It was not made clear if Warner is moving on to a new position in the games industry or otherwise, but the director expressed good sentiments on his announcement via Twitter. Warner states thatDragon Age,Mass Effect, andStar Wars: The Old Republicare “in good hands, and I can’t wait to play from this side of the screen.”
Outriders Sees Great Success, Despite Intermittent Server Issues
Despite server troubles, it seemsOutridershas been experiencing a largely successful launch thus far. Thousands of players have hopped in to give the loot-based shooter a try, with Steam’s concurrent player statistics recording over 100,000 jumping into the adventure for the first time. That’s without even counting the many potential players on Xbox Game Pass on PC and console, as well as on PlayStation. However,Outridershas lost some momentum due to intermittent server issuesthroughout the weekend.
Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Returns This June
Ahead of a potential E3 resurgence in 2021,Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest is returning once again this summer. Also taking place digitally, Summer Game Fest has events planned for June of this year, though no official dates or schedule has been announced just yet. Programming like Day of the Devs and Summer Game Fest Indie Game Showcase are returning, presumably alongside some surprise announcements as well.
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E3 2021 ‘Free Event For All Attendees,’ Announcement Coming Soon
On the flipside, the ESA seems to be planning an all-digital showcase for E3 this year as well. Unlike last year’s cancellation, and subsequent efforts that allegedly fell through, it seems this year’s show is already in preparation. The ESA was even quick to downplay rumors that this year’sE3 programming would be organized behind a “paywall,“which was not true. According to the E3 Twitter account, the show will be “a free event for all attendees,” and that an official announcement is coming soon.
Monster Hunter Rise Has Successful Opening Weekend in Japan, Worldwide
Similar toOutriders, Nintendo Switch’sMonster Hunter Risehas also seen significant success since launch, minus the server issues. By the game’s first weekend alone,Monster Hunter Risehas already sold four million copies worldwide.Risehas also seen great success in Japan in particular, where the series is especially popular and accounts for a majority of the opening four million sales.
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