Persona 5 R Is Real | YOUR WEEK IN GAMES

THE FIVE HEADLINES

#1: Persona 5 R is a real project
Atlus released a 30-second video which stated that new projects in the Persona universe are in the works, but they won’t be officially revealed until March 2019. Currently, the working title of Persona 5 R is confirmed for PlayStation 4. With Joker’s inclusion as DLC in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, fans expect P5R to be a refined version of Persona 5, a la Persona 4 Golden, but with a Switch version to be considered alongside PS4.

#2: Nintendo is code-naming their Smash Bros. DLC characters
Speaking of Persona 5’s Joker, speculation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s remaining DLC characters is at a fever pitch. Fans have sleuthed their way into the code of Ultimate’s patches and discovered that instead of naming the characters outright like Wii U’s DLC did, Nintendo is using code words for the identities of the future Smash characters. Among the three discovered codes, it is highly believed that Packun represents Piranha Plant and Jack corresponds to Joker, but Brave remains a mystery.

Based on the rest of the current Smash Bros. rumor mill, don’t be too surprised if this is Dragon Quest’s entry point into the franchise. Sure – Crono, Geno, or even a character from Bravely Default would be great Square-Enix representation, but as Dragon Quest XI S is about to become a very real thing for the Switch, don’t be surprised to see Erdrick or Luminary get the call.

#3: Former top Hearthstone devs are making a Marvel game
After former Hearthstone director Ben Brode left Blizzard last year with some of his colleagues, there’s been speculation in the industry on what their next move would be. It turns out that after $30 million of investment from the Chinese company NetEase, the new indie studio Second Dinner will be working on a game that’s set in the Marvel universe. The easy assumption to make is that it will be some sort of collectible card game in the works, but we’ll have to wait and see how Marvel’s game lineup continues to develop. After all, we’re waiting any week now for an update about The Avengers Project.

#4: Soulja Boy stops selling game hardware
The SouljaGame Handheld and the SouljaGame console have been pulled from rapper SouljaBoy’s online store, surprising no one who has followed the story of selling knock-off game emulation hardware. When the rapper tweeted “I had to boss up, I didn’t have a choice,” it was pretty clear that the jig was up on the legal front, despite boasts about what Nintendo wasn’t going to do. SouljaBoy still continues to try and sell his SouljaWatch online, because you might as well try and make some money as an entrepreneur when that whole music thing doesn’t continue to pan out.

#5: AGDQ 2019 is under way
The speedrunning marathon known as Awesome Games Done Quick 2019 has begun, running from January 6th-13th. AGDQ is looking to top last year’s total of $2.26 million raised for charity and this year’s donations go to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. You can watch the event live on Twitch at gamesdonequick, but the on-demand video archives will be active on the speedrun subreddit, in case you miss any of your favorite games.

GAME AND RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Meditations (OUT NOW – PC/Mac)
  • Catherine (TEASE – PC)
  • Hitman HD Enhanced Collection (January 11 – PS4, Xbox One)

OUT THIS WEEK

  • Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (January 11 – PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
  • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (January 11 – Switch)
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr’s Journey (January 11 – 3DS)

Until next time, I’m at @petespeakeasy

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Peter Spezia

Editor-in-Chief at Rhymes With Asia
Speaking into a microphone about nerd culture is a passion project for Peter Spezia, formerly known as SMYNYouko. Peter has been an Internet broadcaster since 2007, with past shows including Show Me Your News and WTF, Pokémon. His latest ventures include hosting The PowerSwitch - gaming's call-in talk radio show - and writing for RhymesWithAsia.com. A University of Michigan alum, Peter lives in the Great Lakes State with his wife Rachel as he works in video production for FCA US LLC. When he isn't keeping track of the latest video game industry news, Peter is either playing the guitar or staying fit.