#3 Pixelmuffin Gaming Weekly - $19 Billion unspent games, Warzones Verdansk Return, Crazy Taxi Reboot, Nintendo has announced plans to avoid the scalping issues

Steam users have spent $19 Billion on unplayed games

Steam users have collectively spent around $19 billion on games they have never played, based on research by PCGamesN and SteamIDFinder. This amount is equivalent to the GDP of some small countries. The analysis is based on public data from 10% of Steam accounts, revealing that roughly $1.9 billion worth of games are unopened, and extrapolating this to all accounts. The article encourages gamers to consider the value of their unplayed games and possibly start playing them.

Warzone's Original Map 'Verdansk' Set to Return in 2025

Rumors suggest that Call of Duty Warzone’s original map, Verdansk, will return in early 2025 instead of December 2024. Verified by Insider Gaming, the delay follows a shift in plans after Fortnite OG's success. Since revealed that Verdansk was never actually intended to return to Warzone. Verdansk’s comeback coincides with the 2025 Call of Duty game, codenamed 'Saturn.' The pivot delayed the 2024 map, 'Avalon,' to 2025. Activision hasn't officially commented, but marketing hints suggest a later reveal for Warzone updates.

Crazy Taxi Reboot an Open-World, Massively Multiplayer AAA Game, says Sega

Sega has announced ambitious plans for a Crazy Taxi reboot, describing it as a large-scale, open-world, massively multiplayer AAA game. Originally an arcade hit in 1999, Crazy Taxi tasks players with delivering passengers quickly while performing stunts for points.

At The Game Awards 2023, Sega revealed new titles for Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi. Producer Kenji Kanno confirmed the new game will retain its classic style, featuring a theme park-like map inspired by the U.S. West Coast and possibly new modes like driving a police car.

Nintendo has announced plans to avoid the scalping issues that plagued the original Switch

Nintendo is taking proactive steps to prevent scalping issues with its upcoming Switch 2 by ensuring sufficient stock to meet demand at launch. According to President Shuntaro Furukawa, this approach aims to minimize the need for consumers to resort to resellers. Production delays caused by previous semiconductor shortages have been resolved, allowing for better planning and production.

The Switch 2 is expected to be released in March 2025, a delay intended to secure enough units to meet market demand and prevent resale price inflation. The new console will feature an 8-inch LCD screen, opting for an LCD display over OLED to manage initial costs and facilitate a substantial production run of around 10 million units in the fiscal year starting April 2024. This strategy is designed to avoid the stock issues that new console launches typically face​.