Proven News Wrap-Up: 5/18

News, and subsequently news stories, can be very fluid. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes stories will slip through the cracks. Well, the Proven News Wrap-Up is here to fix all that! Below are what we have determined to be the top stories for the week of 5/18. Although they are numbered, they are not ranked in any particular order.

1) U.S. Senate Takes the First Step to Reinstate Net Neutrality

This is a story that goes beyond the gaming world, but will directly impact the way gamers interact online. Back in December, the FCC voted to remove net neutrality rules, giving internet providers the opportunity top prioritize content and internet speeds. This, in theory, could allow for providers to charge extra for “gaming internet speeds”. There has been a lot of pushback to the decision to remove net neutrality, and the United States Senate has gotten onboard. With a 52-47 vote, the Senate has decided to reinstate neutrality rules. Although this is an important step, there is still a long way to go for net neutrality rules to be put into place. Next up, Congress will have to also vote to reinstate the rules. Finally, if the vote gets through Congress, President Trump will have to sign on the dotted line as well. There is a long way to go, but having the Senate vote pass is a step in the right direction.

2) Game Delays Coming in Hot

Shenmue III, Metro Exodus, Skull & Bones, a “Highly-Anticipated” sequel in a Take-Two Franchise, these are just some of the games that were delayed out of 2018 this week. Delays are always a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is always a bummer that gamers have to wait to get their hands on titles that they have been waiting to play. On the other, delays give developers a chance to work out the kinks, bugs, and other issues that a game may have. The reward for this, if all goes as planned, a better experience when the game does come out. Let’s just hope that all of the games that were delayed this week are being delayed for the better. Let them cook.

3) Pokémon Switch Rumors

Back at E3 2017, The Pokémon Company announced that they were working on a new, core Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch. However, that was all they said. No trailer, no title, no gameplay, just a quick video letting gamers know the game was being worked on. This week, the rumors started flying about what gamers can expect from this upcoming title.

Pokémon has always been known for its two-game system. The Switch version is no different with leaks and rumors suggesting the two games will be titled: Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Pokémon Let’s Go: Eevee. As the titles imply, the next Pokémon game will be heading back to the Kanto region, in what the leaks and rumors are describing as remakes of Pokémon Yellow.

Additionally, the rumors also stated that the game would tie into Pokémon Go, integrating some of the features of the mobile game. Hopefully, many of these rumors will be put to rest soon, whether it is a standalone Nintendo Direct, or as part of Nintendo’s E3 presentation.

4) Black Ops 4 Announces Battle Royale

There were new specialists revealed for multiplayer, three day-one zombie experiences were shown, new systems for both weapons and health in multiplayer were announced, Treyarch confirmed there would be no campaign, but in the end, the big news from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal is that the franchise will be entering the battle royale space. Treyarch’s take on battle royale, titled Blackout will bring in assets from across the Black Ops games, including Zombies. Additionally, players will have access to both air, land, and sea vehicles, helping Blackout to stand out from other battle royale games. Although it was announced the map for Blackout is the largest that Treyarch has ever made, combining elements from many other Black Ops maps, one thing that wasn’t announced was the player count. It will be curious to see if Treyarch is going for the 100 man experience, or if they have to scale things down a bit with all of the assets they will be putting into the mode.