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Daily Briefing: Tuesday 23rd March
🕑 Added 2021-03-23 13:30:00 +0000 UTCMicrosoft are reportedly in talks to buy Discord
That's according to a new report from Bloomberg which claims that the online chat juggernaut is in private acquisition talks with a number of potential buyers. Microsoft are apparently in the running, and the deal could be worth a massive $10bn. Discord Nitro would be a pretty sweet Game Pass perk, wouldn't it?
- However, unnamed sources familiar with the matter say that the deal is far from a sure thing. Aside from there being several other potential suitors involved, sources suggest that Discord may yet decide to go public rather than pursue a private sale. At any rate, watch this space to see if Microsoft open their wallets again.
Are Blizzard working on an Overwatch mobile game?
This rumour comes courtesy of Dexerto's Richard Lewis who, citing various anonymous "good authority" sources, claims that Blizzard have been working on an Overwatch mobile title alongside the mainline Overwatch 2. The original plan seems to have been to release them both together, though that may have changed in the wake of pandemic pressures.
- It'll be curious to see if this one turns out to be true. It makes a lot of sense given Activision Blizzard's growing interest in mobile gaming and the potential success that Blizzard's IP could have in the space - despite its disastrous revel, Diablo Immortal seems to be shaping up pretty well. It would also mean that Blizzard are poring a lot more resources into the Overwatch brand than we previously anticipated - will it pay off?
Sony look set to close the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita stores
A new report published by TheGamer has suggested that Sony are gearing up to permanently close the three online marketplaces this summer - the PS3 and PSP stores on July 2nd, and the PS Vita store a little later on August 27th. This will, of course, make the purchase of digital games and DLC impossible from those dates.
- While this looks very much like a conscious business decision from Sony geared around cutting longstanding costs, it's definitely disappointing for fans. Each of these stores, but particularly the PS Vita marketplace, had a rich library of titles that were only available digitally and as such will be lost to history once the stores close. Just like when Nintendo through all those WiiWare titles in the digital trash when the WiiShop Channel closed a few years back.
Resident Evil Re:Verse open beta launches next month
Following on from a successful closed beta, the next test of the upcoming Resident Evil multiplayer experience will be open to everyone between April 7th and April 11th. The open beta will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, and the full game is set to launch on May 7th and will be free to anyone who buys Resident Evil Village.
- Resident Evil Re:Verse is a competitive multiplayer shooter experience in which players take control of series mainstays like Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine and attempt to hunt down other players. If you are eliminated, however, you take control of one of the series' famous monsters in an attempt to exact revenge. It's an intriguing enough premise, so it'll be interesting to see how the game performs at launch.
