The Games Letter: Honoring Commander Zavala

Welcome to this week's issue of The Games Letter. We’re still experiencing issues with sending emails, but hope to find a solution this week. If you see this in your inbox, you can assume that those of us behind it are doing a little dance.

Saying goodbye to Lance Reddick

You may not know the name Lance Reddick, but if you’ve played Destiny 2, Quantum Break or a Horizon game, you likely know his voice.

The actor, who voiced Commander Zavala in Destiny 2 and Sylens in the Horizon series died last week of natural causes at the age of 60. For those who haven’t played these games, you may know him for playing Cedric Daniels in The Wire and his work in the John Wick franchise.

Bungie, makers of Destiny 2 posted the following:

His death was a surprise to most. Many Destiny 2 players chose to pay tribute in the game. For more on the life of Reddick, you can read his obituary on The New York Times or Associated Press websites.

Would you play an NFT game?

Remember that week in 2022 when NFTs were a thing? Square Enix sure does.

The game publisher was so enamored with NFTs, they created a game around the technology. Unlike other publishers who started games around the trendy technology that it turns out most people hate, Square continued to develop theirs. The first trailer for Symbiogenesis dropped this week.

Details on how the NFTs will work or how they will be acquired are vague so far, and even Square Enix’s communication about it are almost as confusing as the technology itself. In a report on Games Hub, Square says:

“All story chapters can be completed and ‘played to the end even without having any Character NFT’ but these in-game purchases will arrive with specific ‘utility for those who hold the NFT collectible art’.”

However, in the very next paragraph, Square states:

“Some story elements will be withheld from players who do not purchase NFTs, impacting the overall gameplay experience.”

Whether this game will ever show up, and if it does the reaction to it will be worth watching. We will continue to follow the story.

MLB The Show 23 pays tribute to the Negro League

Segregation was a dark time in America, and the Negro League is a part of that history. Unable to play on MLB teams, Black players started their own baseball league, and the Negro League provided opportunities for Black players for nearly 40 years.

After nearly 100 years since its formation, the Negro League is finally starting to get the credit it deserves. In 2020, MLB finally recognized statistics from the Negro League as part of Major League Baseball records. And, in MLB The Show 23, the story mode focuses on the Negro League. From an article by Polygon:

“We needed to figure out: How do we, for a participatory medium, educate our player base on the Negro Leagues, and who these players were, in an appropriate manner for an [all-ages] game?” Ramone Russell, the public face of MLB The Show developer SIE San Diego Studio, told Polygon during a presentation of Storylines last week.

MLB The Show 23 releases on March 28.

One card to sell booster packs, and in the darkness fleece them

And you thought Black Lotus cards in Magic: The Gathering sold for a lot.

Magic recently announced a crossover with Lord of the Rings, creating a set of cards that tie into the J.R.R. Tolkien lore. The most notable card in the series is The One Ring. Notable not for its power in game, but because Magic plans to print only one of these cards.

One card. Ever.

If you are filled with a sense of adventure (and your bank account is filled with money) and plan to partake in the quest for The One Ring, you can find details on the Wizards of the Coast website.

Side quests (more stories worth reading)

Valve’s Steam Deck is celebrating its first anniversary with a 10% discount. If you recently purchased a Steam Deck before the Spring Sale started, you might be eligible for a Steam Wallet credit.

Square Enix reps say part of the reason Final Fantasy XVI is exclusive to the PlayStation 5 is it is the only console with the power to run the game's combat. Also, the the game will take between 35-80 hours, depending how much you dive into side quests.

A film reviewer loved the Tetris move, but never heard of the game? I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I’ll just say you’re a journalist, do your basic research on the subject you are covering.

Those who preordered Diablo IV received beta access to the game this past weekend. Read about the good and the “needs improvement” from those who played.

The Japanese pre-order of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom comes with a somewhat unexpected gift: a fancy spoon and fork.

New releases this week:

3/21: Deceive Inc. (PC, Xbox and PlayStation)
3/21: Tchia (PC and PlayStation)
3/23: Storyteller (PC and Switch)
3/24: The Crown of Wu (PC and PlayStation)
3/24: PGA Tour (PC, Xbox and PlayStation)
3/24: Resident Evil 4 Remake (PC, Xbox and PlayStation)

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