Three years after the initial reveal, First 4 Figures has finally announced its Mario and Yoshi statue will be available for pre-order after a Q&A live stream next Friday.

The announcement was made on the F4F blog page and Twitter account, with a YouTube teaser trailer for the figurine also shared. Check it out below:

Here’s a bit more about the statue, when to pre-order it and the live stream planned for next week:

After more than three years since the 2015 Christmas sneaks, it has officially been announced that MARIO AND YOSHI will finally be available for pre-order after the Friday Q&A with Chocks and A #110 Facebook live stream on FRIDAY, 8 MARCH 2019, 10:00 PM HKT. We’ve prepared a short teaser trailer for everyone to appease the wait.

Be sure to join Alex and Chockles as they go through all the juicy details during the Reservations stream, as well as FAQs, numerous high-resolution images, and their “Making of” documentary video to name a few. You may watch them live on First 4 Figures’ main Facebook page or Official Collectors Club Facebook group. Also, be sure to check out our Events page linked above as not to miss out on the highly anticipated MARIO AND YOSHI product launch.

First 4 Figures CEO Alex Davis has been posting a fair amount of sneak peeks throughout 2018, and what we could presumably derive at after all these years is that this beauty is going to be quite the massive centerpiece for one’s Super Mario collection (or any collection for that matter). Bowser has been sitting atop the F4F pyramid as the unofficial ultimate F4F showpiece since it first launched—and rightfully so—but we think that this 2-characters-in-1 statue might just be the one to oust the reigning titleholder. Do you think that Mario and Yoshi have what it takes to take the crown from King Koopa himself?

For more information on how to pre-order, kindly refer to our guidelines HERE.

Have you ever wanted a highly expensive and overly large statue of Mario and Yoshi? Tell us below.

Following a teaser in February, FDG Entertainment has now confirmed Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom will be receiving a Switch demo later this month.

It’s not just any old demo, though. This one will allow anyone who downloads it to play through the first chapter for free and transfer their save file to the full release.

FDG Entertainment has previously gone on record saying how the number of copies sold on Switch was eight times the amount of combined sales on other platforms. We can only imagine this demo will widen the lead.

We gave Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom nine out of ten stars and said it was a gorgeous looking game that did its spiritual predecessors proud.

Will you be downloading this demo when it arrives on the Switch eShop later this month? Have you already bought and played the full game? Tell us below.

This week at Bungie, we’ve been cast adrift on a sea of action. 

Next Tuesday, a new season begins in Destiny 2. When the Drifter assumes control of our shared adventure, he’ll have much more to offer than the Gambit you’ve known since the release of Forsaken. New quests and pinnacle weapons will become available for players who want to rank up in their favorite activities. There will be new Triumphs to complete and lore to collect. Gambit Prime and the Reckoning also become available to owners of the Annual Pass, with a call to embrace and master one of four distinct roles in combat: Reaper, Invader, Collector, and Sentry. To get a full rundown of what’s coming, make sure to check out the ViDoc that was released earlier today:

Below, you can find a calendar showing off a more in-depth view of Season of the Drifter. Save these dates! The Drifter will also offer Annual Pass owners a unique set of Power Surge bounties, granting 640 Power gear to get players right into the content.

We’re excited for you to jump in and play. March 5 is just a few sleeps away, and we still have some time to get into the nitty-gritty. Let’s dive in.

Prime Accessibility

With Season of the Drifter, we’ve kept accessibility in full focus through the development process. This isn’t just from a standpoint of entering the activity at appropriate Power levels, but also making sure that each role is readable to all players. As you can see in the ViDoc above, each role has a specific color applied to their armor. Tech Art Lead Nate Hawbaker has some information on how colorblind settings will apply to these armor pieces:

Three Peaks

With each season, Guardians have new ways to become legend: climbing the ranks in Crucible, mastering new modes, or racking up the most kills with new, powerful weapons. Sandbox Designer Victor Anderson is back to unveil three new pinnacle weapons, available to all players, coming with Season of the Drifter. In other words, here’s a preview of the bread you’ll be baking next season.

Victor: For Season of the Drifter, we have another set of pinnacle weapons for players to acquire. Like with the last set, we have one each for Vanguard, Crucible, and Gambit.

Vanguard
Oxygen SR3—Precision Scout Rifle (Solar)

Oxygen SR3’s unique perk is “Meganeura: Dragonfly deals more damage based on the number of precision hits made beforehand.”

Scout Rifles have had a long history with Dragonfly and its predecessor over the history of Destiny. This weapon seeks to double down on that history and improve upon it in a simple and effective way. The general design ethos of a pinnacle weapon is that if it approaches an Exotic-esque effect, it must work conditionally—such as activating on a kill event or asking you to risk getting into melee range—and if it works in a neutral setting, then it must only change the way you can do something, not necessarily what you can do. This is an example of the former.

Crucible
The Recluse—Lightweight Submachine Gun (Void)

The Recluse’s unique perk is “Master of Arms: Kills with any weapon improve this weapon’s damage for a short time.”

Submachine Guns are in a contentious spot in the game after the Forsaken release. With Shotguns occupying a similar engagement range while also offering that one-shot-kill potential that is so highly valued, alongside always being in competition with Sidearms and even the Last Word as the close-quarters primary weapon of choice, Submachine Guns have fallen slightly to the wayside. So we created the “Master of Arms” perk so it could find its place in any given loadout. We look forward to seeing people experiment with it.

Gambit
21% Delirium—Rapid-Fire Machinegun (Arc)

21% Delirium’s unique perk is “Killing Tally: Kills increase this weapon’s damage until it is stowed or reloaded.”

This will be our first Rapid-Fire Machine Gun for Destiny 2—how many of you out there guessed the archetype, but not the sub-archetype? With the reintroduction of bullet-hose-style Machine Guns, we figured a perk that played with their large magazine sizes and dealing with waves of enemies would be appropriate. Unlike the other two weapons, this one also has one of the new weapon perks we’re introducing in Season of the Drifter—“Overflow,” to kick the magazine size out even further for true spray ’n pray action.

While we’re on the subject of weapons, here’s another preview of some changes made for Season of the Drifter:

Exotic Power Weapons in Destiny have been the go-to for quite some time due to getting the most bang for your buck from raw damage. These changes, along with others that will be shown when the full patch notes for 2.2.0 are revealed, are intended to make Legendary Power weapons a good option for those who enjoy their Exotic Kinetic and Energy weapons. We believe that the Exotic you choose to run should be an expression of your playstyle rather than just the math working out in your favor. 

Exotics will always have their unique properties, but a well-rolled Legendary Power weapon should be able to compete in raw damage with an Exotic Power weapon, although the Legendary weapon may need conditional setups and mods to outright match. Nonetheless, the gap should not be so wide that you, the player, feel it necessary to run an Exotic in any specific slot.

Grenade Launchers

• PvE damage increased by 25%
• Reserve ammo increased on most Grenade Launchers
• In most cases, Grenade Launchers gained three rounds in reserves, but this amount may vary based on the perks you have (Field Prep, etc)
• Magazine perks and mods no longer affect ammo reserves

Grenade Launchers had a bit of a reserve issue due to the magazine having an impact on reserves—and as a result, the reserve total wildly changed, typically not in favor of the player. This was addressed, and they got a PvE damage bonus on top of it to make them more competitive in that slot.

Rocket Launchers

• PvE damage increased by 60–65% (Exotic Rocket Launchers have had their damage tuned separately)
• Cluster Bomb 
• Damage reduced by ~80%
• This lost damage was moved to the Rocket Launcher’s main projectile, as noted above in the damage increase

Rocket Launchers were entirely too dependent on Cluster Bombs to be effective. Like the Full Auto perk on Shotguns, Cluster Bombs would nearly double the damage output of any given rocket (under optimal conditions). The result was that on any target that you couldn’t get all the Cluster Bombs to impact and detonate, Rocket Launchers fell by the wayside pretty harshly. By moving most of the damage of Cluster Bombs into the rocket itself, Rocket Launchers will now be more reliable and more effective all around—especially against aerial targets that Cluster Bombs would almost never damage.

Eververse Seasonal Update

With each season, we have an opportunity to update our goals surrounding Eververse, and the ways players engage with it. In Season of the Drifter, we’ve put more focus on giving players control in the ways they acquire the items they wish to equip. From the Dev Team:

Destiny Dev Team: Last year, we talked about our efforts to give you more control over how you purchase Eververse items. We released the Prismatic Matrix as an experiment to partially address this, but we believe we can do even better.

For Season of the Drifter, we want to try something new. We will be removing the Prismatic Matrix. Instead, every week, there will be unique bundles available that can be directly purchased for Silver, allowing you to directly buy exactly the items you want. All unique bundles will also contain an exclusive vanity item available only through that weekly bundle.

If you currently have any Prismatic facets, you can still use them up until March 5. After the beginning of the new season, they will turn into Expired Prismatic Facets that will dismantle into 150 Bright Dust. The Bright Dust Storefront will also continue to offer a direct path to acquiring items found within Bright Engrams.

As always, we will continue to monitor feedback and work to improve the Eververse experience each season. And when we are ready to try something new, we will share those plans directly with you. For now, here are a few items you can expect to see in next Season’s Bright Engram:

Sealing the Deal

With the release of Forsaken, many among you have been on the hunt for titles to augment your Guardians with. Whether it be a Dredgen dominating the competition in Gambit, or Cursebreakers fighting for the Queen, titles are a unique way to ornament your guardians and show off your accomplishments.

Some titles require the completion of Destination Badges, which are dependent on earning every piece of gear from various destinations or vendors. We have been collecting feedback and are currently working on a change to drop weights associated with vanity items from the Dreaming City and Last Wish raid. Additionally, we are looking at BrayTech weapon schematics, and One Thousand Voices. We will provide additional information closer to the release of these changes.

We are also extending the availability of the Bungie Rewards Medallion Pins tied to each Seal. The Bungie Rewards Help Article has been updated with the following information: 

Premium Seal Pins: The Bungie Rewards offer for the Premium Seal Pins has been extended from March 30, 2019, to August 31, 2019. Codes that are redeemed from the Bungie Rewards page before February 28 will expire on April 30, 2019; codes generated before or on February 28 will need to be used on the Bungie Store by April 30. If a code expires and players are unable to use a code on the Bungie Store in time, they should make a post on the #Help forums describing the issue for assistance. Codes redeemed after February 28th, 2019 will need to be used in the Bungie Store by September 30, 2019.

For all support information concerning Bungie Rewards, please see this Help Article.

The Only Good Bug…

Next week, Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 will be resolving a number of issues that have been impacting your gameplay. Destiny Player Support has a preview, accompanied with vital information to get you ready for the impending download. Let’s see what bugs have been squashed, shall we?

This is their report.

Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 Resolved Issues Preview—Part 3

With Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 closing in, here’s the third and final preview of player-impacting issues that we expect to be resolved with Update 2.2.0 on March 5.

• Elevated GUITARs: Players are experiencing above average GUITAR errors in the final encounters of the “Last Wish” raid.
• Elevated BUFFALOs: Players are experiencing above average BUFFALO errors on PC.
• Blind Well Matchmaking: Blind Well in the Dreaming City is not matchmaking players consistently.
• Masterwork Inspection: Gear items sometimes do not display as Masterworked when previewed by other players.
• Repeat Triumph Pops: Transferring gear with the bungie.net API triggers repeated Triumph notifications.
• Crucible Damage: Healing abilities in Crucible activities subtract from the overall damage score reported in the post-game screen.
• Hawthorne XP: Clan XP bounties sometimes do not count toward Hawthorne’s weekly challenge.
• Editor’s Note: This is due to system changes for Hawthorne in 2.2.0.
• Blank Director: The Director may appear to be empty for players accessing Destiny 2 in Korean under some circumstances.
• Antaeus Wards Slide: Antaeus Wards do not consistently improve sliding.
• Izanagi’s Burden: The scope on Izanagi’s Burden may sometimes be obfuscated by VFX when ADSing while invading in Gambit or standing in Well of Radiance.
• Le Monarque DOT: Le Monarque applies poison damage inconsistently when fired over long distances.
• Le Monarque Exotic Collection: Le Monarque appears in the Kinetic weapon collection instead of the Energy weapon collection.
• Long Shadow Scope: Relevant scopes on Long Shadow do not highlight enemies.
• The Mountaintop: The Mountaintop cannot use the Quick Access Sling mod.
• Star Map Chest Detection: The Star Map Shell does not detect chests in the Dreaming City.
• Stryker’s Sure-Hand: Some perks fail to activate on Stryker’s Sure-Hand when it is fully Masterworked.

For the full Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 patch notes when they are available, players should monitor our Updates page.

Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 Deployment Timeline

Next Tuesday, March 5, Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 will become available to players and Season of the Drifter will begin. All Destiny 2 players will need to download and install this update when it is available.

Please see below for the Update 2.2.0 deployment timeline for Tuesday, March 5.

• 8 AM PST (1600 UTC): Destiny 2 maintenance is scheduled to begin. Some Destiny Companion features may become unavailable on the web, mobile, and third-party apps.
• 8:45 AM PST (1645 UTC): Destiny 2 will be taken offline. Players will be returned to title screen. Players will not be able to log in.
• 9 AM PST (1700 UTC): Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 will begin rolling out across all platforms and regions. Destiny 2 will be back online and players will be able to resume gameplay once Update 2.2.0 has been downloaded and installed. Maintenance will be ongoing.
• 10 AM PST (1800 UTC): Destiny 2 maintenance is expected to conclude. Destiny Companion features will be re-enabled on the web, mobile, and third-party apps. Players who encounter issues should report them to the #Help forum.

Changing Seasons

With Season of the Forge nearing its end, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind players that seasonal Triumphs and objectives have until the start of Update 2.2.0 maintenance on March 5 to be completed. At the weekly reset, Season of the Drifter will begin, ranks will reset, and incomplete Triumphs for Season of the Forge will expire.

Here are some examples of what will reset and/or expire:

• Nightfall Rank
• Valor Rank
• Glory Rank
• Infamy Rank
• Clan Rank
• Prismatic Matrices from Season of the Forge
• Any incomplete Triumph or quest step that requires players to complete objectives in any single season
• All incomplete Triumphs with “Season 5” in the title will expire and be removed

Here are some examples of items that will not reset and/or expire:

• Quests for pinnacle weapons from Season of the Forge
• Any incomplete Triumph or quest step that requires players to complete objectives across all seasons

Lastly, as a reminder, Iron Banner bounties from Season of the Forge will expire at the end of this season. Players who wish to redeem them for Powerful Rewards must do so before March 5. For more information, please see This Week at Bungie—1/31/2019.

Duty Bound

In case you didn’t know it, there’s a small army of volunteers who patrol the forums of bungie.net. Over the years, Destiny Player Support has recruited a number of dedicated individuals into their ranks, to reinforce our efforts in serving Destiny players.

This week, we’d like to highlight the below individuals, who’ve pledged to make bungie.net the very best place that it can be. For some of them, this shout out is long past due—but there’s no time like the present. Take a look!

Mentors

Mentors are the white gloves of the #Help community. They direct players to support content hosted on help.bungie.net and are sources of guidance for all newly-rez’d kinderguardians. If you’re a #Help regular, you’ll undoubtedly see them around. 

Please welcome:

• DragonWithin
• LA 2395
• SonicF2K
• Spawns
• Sutter
• suttungur
• swfan77
• Tosh

Ninjas

Ninjas are the unseen blades that ensure bungie.net is a welcoming place for all Guardians. Whether you set up camp in #Destiny or #Offtopic, the Ninja’s Prime Directive is to make sure bungie.net is a safe place for you to plant your flag and build your community. For the citizen who abides by the bungie.net Code of Conduct, the Ninja is a gracious ally. All others will be faced with Ninja Justice.

Please welcome:

• machinimagames
• Needless
• Phoenix1710
• Plain Ben
• Pobreloko
• ZER0COOL

If you see any of our moderators making their rounds on bungie.net, make sure to offer them a friendly greeting. Their service often goes unseen, and they are a critical factor in making bungie.net a home away from home. You’ll know that they’re the genuine article when you see their respective moderator badge in the forums.

Sending the Season out with a Bang

Introduction goes here. No, this is not a placeholder. I just know that whatever I type won’t be as awesome as the content found within these videos. I think this week, I’ll let them speak for themselves as I rewatch for the 10th time.

Movie of the Week: Hammer Time

The most insane throwing hammer streak of my Destiny career. pic.twitter.com/UOXlEsUrN4

— True Vanguard (@TheTrueVanguard) February 27, 2019

Honorable Mention: All alone…

As we said earlier in the article, we’re a few short sleeps away from Season of the Drifter. If there are any Triumphs you’re trying to complete or ranks you’re trying to achieve, get ’em done before time is up!

We’ve got plans for a few Gambit Prime Bungie Bounties in the next few weeks. These will take place on Xbox, PlayStation 4, and PC. Next week, we’ll give you dates and times, so you’ve got some leeway in preparing to battle. I think my role will be Sentry. Anti-invader, and yellow is my favorite color. I’ve got some grinding to do before then…

Cheers,

dmg04

Here we are, folks! We’ve made it to the end of yet another week. It’s been a busy one, what with all the Pokémon goodness and the Resident Evil pricing shenanigans, but now it’s time to sit back and chat about which games we’ll be playing over the next couple of days. As ever, we’ve left our entries down below, and we’d love for you to get involved via the poll and comments sections. Enjoy!

Gavin Lane, staff writer

After digging out my old Game Boy Color last weekend, I’ll be going retro with the turquoise beauty. My library is very lean, but I’ll probably blast through Super Mario Bros. Deluxe; I remember being in awe of the calendar that told you the actual day of the week of any date – past or future – that you cared to look up. Yes, all you internet kids will never understand! I recall looking up my hypothetical 100th birthday. Think it was a Tuesday.

I’ll also fire up Mario Golf and wish that Nintendo went back to its brilliant RPG-lite style with a modern golf game. I didn’t get around to Golf Story on Switch – perhaps I should give that a whirl, too.

Ryan Craddock, staff writer

I’ve actually finally got around to playing a PS4 game I’ve been meaning to get stuck into a for a while now (it rhymes with Todd of Floor) so I’ll likely be playing that in every waking hour of the day as I’m pretty hooked. I did manage to play through the ever-so-wonderful GRIS on Switch during a break recently, however, so I’m going to gush about that instead.

It had been sitting on my Switch for a good month or two, just waiting to be played, and I’m incredibly glad I finally got around to it. Sometimes, taking a step back and playing something with moderate challenge and simply beautiful aesthetics is just what is needed, and everything about the game suited that vibe perfectly. I’d definitely recommend giving it a go if you haven’t tried it already.

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer

As most people who read my work will know, I continue to have an unhealthy obsession with shooters. That’s why I’m still playing Modern Combat Blackout’s janky but just about serviceable multiplayer. I just need to scratch that FPS itch. On top of that I’ll be getting my funk on in Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove and battling waves of bothersome monsters in Hell Warders. I’m going to wear my Switch out at this rate!

Dave Letcavage, contributing writer

Only three Donkey Kong-related spirits left to capture in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. THREE. But it’s too bad I’m struggling to acquire them. Nevertheless, as an enormous Donkey Kong Country fan, I remain dedicated to the objective. So, this weekend, I aim to make some sort of progress – ANY progress. Even one new DK spirit would be enough to consider the effort an accomplishment. If only I could put down the Xbox One controller and take a ‘brake‘ from Trials Rising… That, I anticipate, will be the real challenge.

Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer

The Switch is two years old tomorrow!? Where does time go? Obviously it goes into playing games in it! To celebrate this occasion I will take a plunge into my retail pile of shame and play my latest six acquisitions: BlazBlue CentralFiction, Spintires: MudRunner – American Wilds Edition, Riot – Civil Unrest, Aragami: Shadow Edition, Trials Rising and Rad Rodgers Radical Edition.

On the more traditional side, expect me to fight it out during the ongoing ARMS Party Crash Bash, a spot of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a revisitation of Zelda: Breath of the Wild because… two years have past yet the game just refuses to let go. Oh, and I am still playing Modern Combat Blackout on a daily basis, so feel free to join up the Nintendo Life Squad.

My game of the week goes to the surreal jazz fest known as Ape Out. One funky monkey! Also, a very violent one…

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days…

Last month, it was revealed the award-winning PC and mobile indie title To The Moon was on the way to the Nintendo Switch, after a fan reached out via email to the title’s writer, composer, designer and director Kan Gao.

It’s now been confirmed by developer XD Network and publisher Freebird Games this absolute tear-jerker of a tale will make its eShop and console debut this summer, with a special trailer announcement. An exact release date is not yet locked in.

Once again, if you’re not familiar with this upcoming release, here’s a description of the adventure role-playing game courtesy of its Steam page:

Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts have peculiar jobs: They give people another chance to live, all the way from the very beginning… but only in their patients’ heads.

Due to the severity of the operation, the new life becomes the last thing the patients remember before drawing their last breath. Thus, the operation is only done to people on their deathbeds, to fulfill what they wish they had done with their lives, but didn’t.

This particular story follows their attempt to fulfill the dream of an elderly man, Johnny. With each step back in time, a new fragment of Johnny’s past is revealed. As the two doctors piece together the puzzled events that spanned a life time, they seek to find out just why the frail old man chose his dying wish to be what it is.

And Johnny’s last wish is, of course… to go to the moon.

And here is the official Switch trailer:

Have you played this game before? Will you be picking it up when it eventually arrives on the Switch? Leave a comment below.

While Capcom’s announcement that Switch versions of Resident Evil Zero, 1 and 4 are coming on 21^st May should be cause for celebration, the pricing of said games has been the cause of consternation for many fans. North America will get a combined physical version of Zero and Resident Evil, although it seems Resident Evil 4 won’t get a digital release in any territory and us Europeans won’t see any of them on a cartridge.

Prices don’t compare favourably to other platforms, either, where the games have been available for some time. Currently listed for £29.99 each on the eShop in the UK, the triple pack is going for £39.99 on Xbox One and PS4, and cries bemoaning ‘Switch tax’ are doing the rounds once again. This is hardly the first time these games have been exhumed and we doubt it’ll be the last, so where does Capcom get off charging so much?

Well, we’ve discussed the infamous ‘Switch tax’ before, although we’re not sure it really applies in this case. After all, Capcom has form charging top-dollar for everything – digital or otherwise. Regardless of the cost on the countless other platforms it’s available on, is it really a surprise that Capcom is going to charge as much as possible from the outset?

The company’s entrance onto Nintendo’s hybrid platform was a cautious one. It dipped its toe in the water with Ultra Street Fighter II, an HD version of its classic 2D fighter which launched on the console for an eye-watering $40. Fans baulked at paying that for yet another version of Street Fighter II, but it didn’t stop a significant number of them buying the game – it was a ‘smash hit’ according to Capcom itself and prompted the company to jump fully onboard the Switch train.

We’ve seen a variety of releases since, from Mega Man 11 and Mega Man Legacy Collection to the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, and they’ve all done very well on Switch. While Capcom’s strategy remains puzzling at times (we can’t think of a good reason why Disney Afternoon Collection hasn’t come to Switch yet), Nintendo’s console is turning a tidy profit for the Japanese company.

With the release of Resident Evil 4 – one of the best-rated video games of all time – it’s no wonder Capcom is looking to wring as much cash as possible out of impatient gamers eager to play the game on their favourite portable. It’s business, and like any other, making money is the real game.

We’ve seen Capcom experiment before with pricing on Switch; the cloud-based version of Resident Evil 7 in Japan is a good example. Unlike Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Cloud Version which launched with a full ¥8,400 price tag (around £60/$75), Capcom tried a different model with their cloud-only offering. Following a 15-minute taster, a ‘play ticket’ – essentially a six-month ‘subscription’ to the game – cost ¥2,000 (around £13/$18).

It’s unclear exactly how this approach fared, but it seemed like a stingy proposition at the time. While Capcom had hinted that success in this area may lead to further streamed games, an answer given during a Q&A with investors last October provides an indication as to its success:

Q. What is your current situation as well as your future outlook on developing for cloud gaming?

A. While we did release a certain title supporting cloud gaming in the first half, this was done primarily for technological research purposes and did not have a significant impact on earnings. Based on the results of this research, we will internally consider further expansion into cloud gaming.

The cloud-based game in question must be Resident Evil 7, and it appears not to have been the money-spinner the company hoped. Of course, the game had expected connectivity issues outside Japan, but even in optimal conditions, it wasn’t perfect.

While it may have been a worthwhile experiment, if Capcom has trouble streaming games in Japan, it’s unlikely to have much success elsewhere and anybody hoping to see Monster Hunter World on Switch in some capacity will likely be disappointed. Monster Hunter World brought the series a global level of success that Capcom must be looking for ways to expand upon, but the message from Switch owners is that it needn’t bother. We can argue about Switch ‘tax’ and greedy businesses until the cows come home, but ultimately 450,000 people bought Ultra Street Fighter II in its first quarter – a game which didn’t enjoy the warmest critical reception – sending the message that they’ll pay the ‘ludicrous’ price of £39.99/$39.99 for the privilege. Seen from that perspective, Capcom probably thinks £30 for Resident Evil 4 is a bargain.

On top of this, the looming economic question block hanging over the UK and EU arguably plays into this topic as well. Europeans have always put up with higher prices in comparison to gamers across the pond and upcoming uncertainty in Britain (we’re not going to even write the irritating portmanteau that’s defining a generation of UK politics) will only make pricing an even more contentious issue in the near future. While the narrative of ‘Switch tax’ is an easy one to subscribe to, Nintendo Life reader James M. points out that, the upcoming Ace Attorney Trilogy has been listed for £30/$30 across all platforms where previous ports Okami HD and Onimusha launched last year for £15.99/$19.99.

That price difference could simply be Capcom being characteristically inconsistent, or it might suggest caution regarding potentially chaotic currency fluctuations in the coming months. The calamitous manner by which the British government is extricating itself from continental Europe isn’t helping any businesses with interests in the UK, and unfortunately, the general public will likely endure rising prices across the board as foreign companies are forced to deflect costs. Selling digital goods may give more control, but they’re subject to exchange rate fluctuations like any other and video game companies will also want to ensure parity between physical goods and digital equivalents as far as possible in order to keep retailers happy. No company will knowingly undercharge for its products, regardless of the financial climate, and the current economic uncertainty only compounds problems (this does not, of course, explain why Capcom is charging $30 for the game in North America).

In many ways, it could be argued that Nintendo gamers have never had it so good. The weekly eShop sales on Switch make it a massive departure from any previous Nintendo home console. No, the discounts don’t compare to the vast savings periodic Steam sales offer, but to see a £20/€20/$20 discount on first-party games without a Player’s Choice line within the first two years of a console’s lifecycle is unheard of on Nintendo platforms.

And is £29.99 too much for Resident Evil 4? Only last week we spoke about Link’s Awakening and its supposed $60 price tag; Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games of all time and we’re hungry for it on Switch. We recognise porting it takes much more work than simply clicking the ‘Export .switch’ button, however much practice Capcom has had resurrecting it again and again. The developer must have its RE porting pipeline running efficiently, that’s for sure. We imagine it’s currently working on Resident Evil 2 for Switch – would we be surprised if that were to launch as a $60 game in a year’s time?

Ultimately, Capcom believes gamers will pay £30 to play Resident Evil 4 – and the upcoming Dragon’s Dogma – on Switch, and based on all the available evidence, that’s probably right. Not buying it is the only way to send Capcom a message if prices like that rub you the wrong way. The only form of protest is to vote with your wallet and not buy the game at that price; it’ll surely join those lovely eShop sales soon enough. There’s more than enough to be playing in the meantime, and more than enough ways to play Resident Evil 4, too.

So, what’ll it be, stranger? Do you have the willpower to wait a few months until these games get an inevitable discount? Is Capcom just being greedy? Share your thoughts in the comments.