GYGO: Pokémon Sword and Shield, Ping Systems, and RIP Vita

Happy Wednesday! What have you been playing lately? Like many in the Sidequest community, I’ve given Apex Legends a try. I like the ping system that makes it easier for players to communicate with their squad without using voice chat (more on the ping system and accessibility below). I also started Destiny 2 because I’m constantly in search of a single-player first-person shooter that I can enjoy when I don’t want the stress of multiplayer (which is most of the time). Let us know on Twitter what you’re playing right now!

Here’s some of the news we’re thinking about this week:

Pokémon Sword and Shield Announced

It’s the news many of us have been waiting for: the first mainline Pokémon games for Switch will release this year. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield introduce a new region, Galar, and new Pokémon, including starters Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. The news came on February 27th, a.k.a. Pokémon Day, the 23rd anniversary of the original Game Boy games’ release in Japan. The game is set to release in “late 2019.”

Pokémon fans wasted no time in creating gorgeous fan art of the three new starters, especially Sobble:

Apex Legends‘ Ping System and Accessibility

One of the most innovative things about Apex Legends is its ping system, where you can signal to your teammates about items, targets, and other locations without needing to use voice chat. Accessibility advocates have praised the system, and given insight on more ways Apex Legends and other multiplayer games are meeting and can improve in accessibility.

Fortnite Season 8

While we’re addressing Apex Legends‘ ping system, it’s noteworthy that Fortnite has quickly added its own ping system in its latest season, which just began. Fortnite season 8 also brings new locations on the map, a pirate ship, pirate camps, and more.

Horizon Zero Dawn Two Years Later: 10 Million Copies Sold

Horizon Zero Dawn just celebrated its second birthday! The game has sold over 10 million copies. HZD is still my favorite archery mechanics game. For a more in-depth look back at this immersive, groundbreaking game, check out Madison Butler’s post about its narrative, leveling, and more.

PS Vita Production Ends

Sony has ended production of the PS Vita. It’s a bummer the Vita never got as much traction in the U.S. I’m still playing VA-11 Hall-A, Persona 4 Golden, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Steins;Gate, and Chrono Trigger on the Vita. Its size is really convenient when you don’t feel like carrying a Switch.

More News and Links

Gita Jackson, writer at Kotaku, wrote about her experiences discussing race and video games, and the hate she has received when she brought up, for example, the lack of Black women characters in Overwatch.

Video game publisher THQ Nordic hosted an AMA on 8chan, a site so notoriously vile that it’s been delisted by Google in the past. Here’s more information about what happened, as well as some screenshots and insight into the AMA on Twitter.

Stardew Valley releases on Android this month! While we don’t usually share about every major upcoming release here at Sidequest, Stardew Valley has a particular appeal to many of us, and we want to make sure as many of our friends can play it as possible! I’m happy to find out it will now be on the world’s most used operating system.

Speaking of Android releases, here are five iOS or Android games that released last month possibly worth checking out.

GTA Online players found a bug that let them easily make millions of in-game dollars.

Devil May Cry 5, which releases this week, has a new trailer:

And finally, The Division 2, which releases this month, lets players perform a favorite mechanic from the first game: making sure car doors are closed and tidy.