The creators of Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology may be in the midst of developing a game that has not yet been officially announced. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be part of the company’s existing IPs, sparking multiple Reddit threads, blog posts, and news articles to ask the all-important question: what’s the game?
What We Know So Far
We know this game is going to be something different due to the trademark listing that the studio put forward. The game is likely to be called The Quarry, and there are no indications that it will be part of any of the current IPs the studio currently has out on the market.
So what makes us think it won’t be part of The Dark Pictures Anthology, for example? Well, think about this: the company has already trademarked five new titles for the series, and this happened not too long ago. Chances are that this sixth entry is something entirely different.
Also, the font and lettering that the studio has teased for the project are also entirely unique. It seems to hint at something that will be unlike anything we’ve seen from the studio in the past.
What we’re really excited about is that this may very well be the highly anticipated multiplayer game that the company has been aggressively hiring for in recent months. The studio has mentioned combat, progression-based gameplay, perhaps an RPG?
Supermassive Games is Expanding its Scope
While this may sound unlike what Supermassive usually does, and it’s true, it’s an entirely different direction, some of the studio’s latest work perhaps hints at what they’re trying to do.
House of Ashes, for instance, has some very Resident Evil-esque scenes. Gameplay features in the game are also completely different to previous iterations from the company, including QTE settings and camera options.
What is clear is that Supermassive Games is looking to expand its scope, offering players an enhanced gameplay experience, doing what they do best, but building to broaden reach and opportunities. We’re excited about what’s ahead!
2022 is Looking Like a Big Year!
The last two years have been challenging for the gaming community. With companies scrambling to get used to a new normal, developers working from home, and changing economic conditions, releases have not necessarily been smooth the last few years. We’re talking big players; Far Cry, for example, was delayed by eight months.
But 2022 is looking like a bumper year so far. Expect to see some seriously exciting releases, in the coming months, and this not only goes for AAA juicy titles, but far beyond:
Beyond AAA
The drive to develop in a hyper-competitive market isn’t just limited to the ‘standard’ video game industry. New gaming niches, like HQ online gambling games are being developed at a fast pace, where new casino games are also being launched monthly and give traditional games a run for their money, where titles like Doom of Egypt, Book of Gods, and House of Doom are just some of the hot releases.
This not only means an increased choice for consumers, but also the rapid development of graphics, gameplay, and overall experience. While we don’t expect these games to match AAA titles with millions of dollars of development budget and big-name voice actors, they’re definitely far better than your old-school slot machine at the pub experience.
Not only that, we’re seeing huge growth in the indie game market as well. In 2021, 40% of all Steam sales are attributed to indie game creators. And that number is growing steadily. Expect to see some serious competition from the ‘smaller’ development studios this year. AAA titles can’t just rely on reputation and marketing budgets anymore.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
When it comes to AAA titles, James Cameron isn’t exactly known for being on time, having delayed the Avatar sequel eight times. But if we assume the Avatar 2 finally hits the big screens, we can also excitedly look forward to its paired video game release.
Dune: Spice Wars
Another game based on a ridiculously popular movie, this one won’t feature Timothée Chalamet, yet we’re more excited about the gameplay than the heartthrob. It’s an RTS; control the spice, and you’ll control the planet.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Perhaps one of the most hotly-anticipated AAA games for 2022. The Zelda sequel doesn’t yet have an official name, but we’re sure it’s going to destroy sales records. Nintendo is even expecting to see record growth for its console just because of this game.
Mobile Gaming Kinda Lags Behind
In the end and to round off this story, the negative of 2022. While we wait for AAA, indie, and online casino games with anticipation, perhaps the growth we’re least excited about is in mobile gaming. That’s not because we don’t like playing on our smartphones, but rather because of the low quality titles that are being churned out every day.
Many of these games are exact copies of one another, with only minor details changed. Facebook and Instagram ads run for these all the time and even though the games look cool and you’ll be tempted to download, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll regret it.
