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After the turbulent news cycle, we ease into a week with more consistent ups and downs. This week consisted of highs with Pokemon, Capcom, Star Wars, and Minecraft and lows with Stadia and Blizzard. Let us jump into the news!

Video Games News Pokemon Center in London has Strong Opening

Pokemon continues to be a powerhouse franchise throughout the world. The appeal for Pokemon is popular from young audiences to adults. The love for Pokemon was present in London this week. On 18 OCT 19, a Pokemon Center opened in London. The Pokemon fandom came out in droves to see the Pokemon Center. Though the store opened at 10 AM, there were those that arrived as early as 4 AM. There are not too many brands, especially in this digital age, that can attract people to wait hours in line to enter the store. The store closing hour was 10 PM, and they had to end the line at 1 PM when they determined it had a 9-hour queue. 

Blizzard Cancels Event at Nintendo's New York Store

We dedicated our last Showstopper on Episode 12 about how Blizzard's ineptitude led to mass outrage. That outrage continues to haunt them as they cancel the Overwatch Launch event that was to take place at the Nintendo New York store. The event was scheduled to take place on 16 OCT 19, but Blizzard, on short notice, canceled the event on 14 OCT 19. This cancellation surprised us because of how long these events take to plan. Blizzard even had scheduled to have the voice actors in the Nintendo New York store. This action means, to us, at least, they feared the outrage from their current choices more than the wasted planning and effort. Did the Blizzard make the right choice, or should they have made a different choice?

Capcom Bring Back Past Franchises

Capcom has seen significant success in titles such as Monster Hunter World and Resident Evil 2. Monster Hunter World has sold 58 million copies, and Resident Evil 2 has sold 4 million copies. With these recent achievements, they are looking to revive a few of their titles. Which titles would you want to see be brought back? 

Stadia has No Wireless Function Without Chromecast

We have been open about our skepticism and reluctance when it comes to Google Stadia. From the price of games, the data caps, and latency, there is a decent amount of questions that will need to be answered when the service is officially launched. The next that gives us pause is that as of right now, the Stadia controller will not have wireless capability to connect with other devices. A Chromecast device will need to be plugged into a television or computer to utilize the controller. To use the controller with a cellphone, the controller will need to be physically connected via a wire. This lack of a simple feature seems to be an oversight for the fledgling product. It is not the end of the world, but it seems to be one more hurdle for Google Stadia. 

Blizzard States They Are Not Banning pro-Hong Kong Messages on Twitch

There has been a loud outcry about the suspension of "blitzchung." Many people have rallied around "blitzchung" and in solidarity, have repeated his liberate Hong Kong statement. People have even brought similar pro-Hong Kong messages on the official Blizzard Twitch channel. It has been reported that there have been multiple bans due to these posts. However, Blizzard states that it has nothing to do about the pro-Hong Kong posts. The posts are being banned due to them being spammed in the chat. Though it is understandable, it is another PR debacle that Blizzard seems to find themselves in again. 

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Reveals More Details

Electronic Art's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order continues to intrigue us here at AM: Game Zone. We discussed the game on Episode 2 and how the trailer didn't win us over yet. However, the developers continue to release information about the game that increases our interest in the game. IGN released a 28 new gameplay features in Jedi: Fallen Order. Features such as accessing any of the planets in any order, diverting blaster fire from Stormtroopers is necessary for large crowds, and Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear in hologram form. These features and the new gameplay trailer brings a fresh appeal for the game. Also, the game will have three different difficulties in the game so you can create the experience you want. 

Showstopper Minecraft Earth has Launched in Early Access

Minecraft is a substantial cultural phenomenon that has let gamers vast and expansive worlds. With 176 million sold copies, Minecraft is a cornerstone game in the industry. The game relevance to people's lives is so important that a convention about Minecraft, Minecon, that stated in 31 AUG 10 has convened annually ever since. At this year's Minecon, the Minecraft team announced that they are launching Minecraft Earth in early access in select countries. The game is an Augmented Reality mobile game. Minecraft Earth will allow players to build structures on real-world objects collaboratively. Then after building objects and structures, anyone can take pictures of the creation or save it for later. This game seems to be a new step for the Minecraft series. Will it lead to anything? Only time will be able to tell. If you are in New Zealand or Iceland and interested in the game, then it is a perfect time to pick up the Early Access.

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We have the transcriptions of the show done by Otter for your convenience. It is done by machine so excuse errors, please.

Episode 13Download