Here is what’s arising on RPS in 2023
Howdy people. I believe there’s most likely some kind of legislation in opposition to wishing individuals a Completely happy New 12 months once you’re saying it on the ultimate day of January, however stuff it, I am doing it anyway. Completely happy New 12 months everybody. Let’s discuss all of the cool stuff arising on RPS in 2023.
The primary half of 2023 is positively packed to the rafters with some fairly nice wanting video video games in the mean time. Heck, once we all returned from our Christmas slumber in the beginning of January, the checklist of our most anticipated video games for the yr stretched all the way in which to 101 – and even then, I needed to chunk my very own hand from making it even longer. It is a good feeling understanding there are such a lot of thrilling issues to jot down about over the subsequent six months and counting – particularly when there was a degree final summer time when each sport and their canine appeared to be getting delayed, leaving us with a veritable gap of neat new video games to let you know about.
Naturally, we’ll be doing our greatest to carry you the most recent on all these glorious new gaming nuggets over the course of the yr, however as hinted at in my observe about remark electronic mail notifications final week, I needed to spend a little bit of time speaking about all the opposite new issues I need to do on RPS this yr. Issues like new common options, new neighborhood tasks and, in the end, the inaugural RPS Recreation Membership.
The RPS Recreation Membership! It is a factor!
Let’s discuss that final one first. The RPS Recreation Membership could be very nearly right here. Primarily a ebook membership for video video games, RPS supporters will know this has been a very long time within the making. Principally as a result of we had been hoping to have the ability to supply common free sport keys for it as a part of our RPS Premium tier. Nonetheless, plans to safe a dependable month-to-month supply of mentioned sport keys remains to be ongoing, so fairly than wait and probably by no means get it off the bottom in any respect, we’re simply going to go forward and do it anyway, specializing in free video games primarily, or at the very least ones which have a really low price of entry. As such, the RPS Recreation Membership might be open to all, no matter whether or not you are an RPS supporter or not, and I will be publishing a schedule of what we’ll be taking part in each month very quickly.
Fundamental gist, although: we choose a sport in the beginning of the month, we spend the subsequent few weeks taking part in mentioned sport, and we’ll then host a sequence of debate posts on the finish of the month the place we are able to all discuss it. This can embrace a liveblog session the place you’ll be able to chat to us and different readers concerning the sport in real-time, and different question-style posts the place you’ll be able to chat at a extra leisurely tempo over within the feedback.
Ask RPS something you want
Talking of question-style posts, might I introduce Ask RPS – a brand new sequence of posts the place you ask us a query, and we write a publish containing the reply! Easy as that. Questions could be about something in any respect, and directed to any staff member you want – though I do ask we attempt to hold them as video game-focused as attainable. No asking us what we had for dinner final night time, as a result of I promise you, my weekly Prepare dinner consumption isn’t as attention-grabbing as you would possibly suppose.
To start with, I’ll give RPS supporters (Commonplace and Premium) first dibs on asking Ask RPS questions, however we’ll open it as much as everybody if / once we run out of supporter questions. I am going to additionally do a separate publish calling for these questions, so do not go leaping the gun within the feedback beneath, you keen beavers. There’s an opportunity I would miss it.
Have your say in our reader-voted all-time style lists
The third new factor is one thing everybody can get entangled with, although. Following on from the superb response we needed to final yr’s RPS 100: Reader Version, I am delighted that we’ll not solely be doing one other Reader Version this yr, however that every month I am going to even be canvasing your votes in your favorite video games by style – reader variations of our greatest video games lists, primarily, counting down your favorite RPGs, first individual shooters, horror video games, survival video games and extra, as voted for by you. Once more, look out for a devoted publish about February’s checklist later this week, the place I will be asking what your favorite technique video games of all time are, to have a good time the launch of Firm Of Heroes 3 on February twenty third.
New options and columns
These are the three huge tasks I’ve acquired lined up for RPS in 2023, however there are many different smaller issues occurring alongside them. We’ll be persevering with with all of our common options and columns, resembling The RPS Time Capsule, our GOTY Revisited posts, Alice0’s quest to seek out the perfect factor in video video games in What’s Higher, Sin Vega’s strategy-focused Rally Level column (and her supporter-first indie recs in Scout Report), in addition to Rick Lane’s exploration of all issues VR in his Actuality Bytes column.
However our personal Alice Bee has additionally made a New 12 months’s decision to play each Nancy Drew sport in existence, following on from her November escapades with Nancy Drew: Midnight In Salem, and our guides author and fellow resident The Sims fanatic Rebecca goes to regale us with month-to-month observations and anecdotes from her a few years of Sims-ing in a new month-to-month Sims column. The primary one in every of these might be revealed very quickly, so be careful for that.
Goodbye The Nate Information, good day shiny new video present
Alas, there’s one factor now we have to say goodbye to this yr. Our supporter unique podcast The Nate Information has now come to an finish, however one other cool new factor will rise as an alternative. Vid bud Liam might be placing collectively a supporter-first indie-focused video present, clumps of latest or upcoming video games in the identical style. This might be unique to RPS Premium supporters for the primary month, however then accessible for everybody after that time. We’re nonetheless figuring out the frequency of it in the mean time – along with Stock House and one other new factor I am going to get to in a minute, we’re most likely one present each couple of months or so, however we’ll have extra to share on this quickly.
Much more podcasts
As for that different new factor Liam’s acquired below means, you truly already find out about it. It is our new fortnightly Indiescovery podcast, which Liam co-hosts with Rebecca and critiques editor Rachel. I am very excited that RPS’ podcast empire is increasing on this route, particularly when it is going to be becoming a member of the newly relaunched Digital Wi-fi Present, which is returning later this week after its transient hiatus. And the EWS returns with a brand-new co-host as properly – our very personal {hardware} editor James Archer. He’ll be becoming a member of Alice Bee and Nate (RPS in peace) to speak all issues video video games, and I am excited to see what you consider its mildly revamped magazine-style format, too. Look out for that on the same old channels on Thursday.
(Alice Bee additionally has one other podcast within the works proper now, however it’s nonetheless within the early phases of manufacturing in the mean time and I would not need to spoil the shock. We’ll share extra about it as quickly as we are able to).
Senior employees author Ed and guides author Hayden are additionally revamping their FPS-focused Final Audio Bang podcast barely this yr, introducing a brand new section the place they take a look at lesser-known sub-genres of the FPS alongside all the most recent FPS happenings. To start with, they have been taking part in theHunter: Name Of The Wild, and it’s possible you’ll spot some further phrases about their experiences with Expansive Worlds’ searching sim on the positioning within the coming weeks.
Information in a letter, you say?
And eventually, you will have noticed that we now have each day and weekly newsletters. At the moment, these are fully automated, delivering a group of essentially the most commented posts we have revealed on the positioning that day / week direct to your inbox. However as soon as our tech staff have labored their magic on a few additional code-y bits within the back-end of the positioning, I would like to begin doing a month-to-month publication that is full of curated hidden indie gems that we have been taking part in, both gathering collectively stuff we have written about them on the positioning, or contemporary newsletter-exclusive phrases on them if we’ve not been in a position to match them spherical all the pieces else. Cannot say once we’ll be capable of kick this off simply but, however as quickly because the tech staff have performed their factor, I am going to let you understand.
Phew! I believe that is it. So sure, a number of thrilling issues occurring this yr, and lots of of them are all centered round you, our pretty readers. I will be going into extra element concerning the supporter-specific stuff in my subsequent Letter From The Editor, which is offered to all Commonplace and Premium subscribers, however I would love to listen to what you consider all this within the feedback beneath. Something you are significantly enthusiastic about? Or could not care much less about? Possibly there’s some apparent factor you suppose we ought to be doing already however at the moment aren’t. Any and all suggestions might be gratefully acquired. In any case, I hope you agree that, along with all of the cool new video games popping out, there’s additionally a lot to get enthusiastic about proper right here at RPS as properly – and I sit up for posting extra about all of these items very quickly.
