Hello and welcome back, dear reader, to Emmen Weekly. It is news, but in a digest format where we cover some of the highlights of the past week in gaming. 

This previous week was another week of ups and downs in the gaming industry. So let’s dip our toes into it and see what it was all about.

Our story begins with Lara Croft, Tomb Raider and Amazon, the company, not the rainforest.

Amazon Working on Tomb Raider TV Series

Following the release of her 2018 film, Lara Croft has taken a bit of a backseat both in the film and game industries. However, it seems that her time on the bench is coming to a close.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant has partnered up with Phoebe Wallace-Bridger, known for the acclaimed show, Fleabag. She is expected to helm a TV series starring Lara.

In addition to this show, there is also a movie planned. The film is to be made by Dmitri M. Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment.

There is also at least one planned video game coming out. 

Reportedly, the plan is to make an interconnected multimedia universe, much like the MCU. But considering how many other companies have tried and failed to create an “MCU” of their own, it might be best to be cautious going forward.

Plus, we don’t know who will play her in the game or in the series yet. 

Regardless, it looks like Lara Croft is going to be back doing some tomb raiding soon.

Naughty Dog ‘Moving On’ From Uncharted

Speaking of intrepid explorers, Naughty Dog’s Co-President Neil Druckmann has stated that the studio has officially moved on from the Uncharted series.

He added that it would be focusing on the next chapter of the Last of Us through the planned multiplayer game.

According to an interview with Buzzfeed, Druckmann stated that Sony does not pressure Naughty Dog to create a sequel just because a game is successful, adding that the publisher has been very supportive in letting the studio follow its own passions.

Druckmann is quoted as saying, “Uncharted 4 was one of our best-selling games, and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.”

It is currently unclear whether he meant moving on from Nathan Drake’s tale or from the Uncharted series in general.

The series’ most recent release was the Legacy of Thieves collection in 2022, which collected 2016’s Uncharted 4 and 2017’s spinoff, Lost Legacy. 

Then there came that movie with Tom Holland which was poorly received but still managed to earn USD 401 million at the international box office.

Whether this spells the end of Uncharted or not… only time will tell.

New Switch App Turns Console into a Tablet

A new app by indie developer and publisher RedDeerGames has added much needed functionality and customizability to the Nintendo Switch.

One thing Nintendo Switch owners will be familiar with is the lack of customization within it. There are only two colored themes, the home screen cannot be rearranged, and it lacks even a note taking app. This was a feature that the 3DS had, by the way.

However, as of today, the Switch might have gotten a tiny bit more customizable. 

With the release of the new app, nOS: new Operating System, we have a little more control over our Switches. 

The app contains some of the features we see in modern operating systems. These include things like a calculator, a gallery, a notebook, a to-do list, a drawing app like MSPaint, a puzzle game, and customizable settings. 

You can also open multiple windows at once, letting you multitask.

How Nintendo keeps getting away with not including the very basics of modern amenities in their console, we will never know. 

But for those who want to add more functionality to their Switches, the app is for sale for USD 1.99 until February 16, after which the price goes back to USD 39.99. 

Wizards of the Coast Promises to Leave OGL “Untouched” After Massive Fan Backlash

This next news isn’t exactly VIDEO game related but it does cast a long shadow over it so we thought it was worth mentioning.

To those not in the know, Wizards of the Coast is a US company that owns many non-video games (such as tabletop roleplaying games and trading card games) such as the popular Dungeons & Dragons. 

WotC has been in hot water recently after it was revealed that it intends to make massive changes to the “Open Gaming License” or OGL of D&D. 

The OGL is a public copyright license by WotC which gives others permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics. 

In other words, it is what allows third-party products based on D&D to exist and make money. Eg: The show Critical Role and the many indie developers who make and sell content for the 5th edition of D&D.

Long story short, Wizards wanted to change the OGL to make it less open and more restrictive. In their bid to further monetize D&D, they became more like a dragon sitting atop its ill-gotten hoard.

This resulted in a massive backlash with many players and fans unsubscribing from D&DBeyond, Wizards’ official D&D website where you can make and keep track of characters.

According to Wizards, a survey showed that 88% of the respondents had no interest in publishing content under the new “OGL 1.1” they were promising.

And so, the company has fully reversed course. According to a blogpost, OGL 1.0 will be left alone with no changes whatsoever. 

It should also be noted that Dungeons & Dragons is the most financially successful tabletop roleplaying game in the market currently. It has been sitting comfortable at the top for several years now. 

Here’s one final thought to end this all on: In December 2022, the CEOs of Hasbro (who owns WotC) and WotC expressed that they felt that D&D was “under-monetized” compared to video games. 

This knowledge paints the new OGL they tried to make happen in a different light, doesn’t it? Let’s just hope that we won’t see a D&D Battle Pass or something soon…

Building Sim Factorio Raises Prices and Community Responds Positively

The topic of rising video game prices has been a hotly debated issue for some time now. We’ve seen video games go from USD 60 to USD 70, with people on both sides arguing for or against this price increase.

However, when building sim Factorio decided to raise the price of the game due to inflation, a significant portion of the game’s community seemed oddly supportive of the move.

According to the developers Wube Software, the game is going from USD 30 to USD 35. The game first launched in early access in 2016 and got its full release in 2020.

The game has no microtransactions and the only extra thing it sells is its OST on Steam for USD 7. The game has also never been part of a sale due to its developers wanting to respect the players who had already bought the game.

In any case, after the price increase was announced on Twitter on January 20, the community’s response has been largely positive. 

Many of the replies to the thread were very positive, with some jokingly asking for an even greater price increase. It is clear that many of the fans of the game are itching to further support it.

That said, it’s not all positive vibes. There are some negative reviews that popped up around when the announcement was made. They accused Wube of being greedy and questioned the inflation as a valid reason to increase the price. 

Factorio is one of the first indie games to raise its prices in response to inflation. But with things being the way they are, they will certainly not be the last.

Meanwhile, several AAA studios continue to push for USD 70 as the new standard for games.