Unless it's Mario or Zelda, there seems to be no guarantee that a Nintendo franchise will remain a constant presence in the company's portfolio. Take it from the heartbroken and frustrated fans of Nintendo properties that have lain dormant for years--decades, even. Until very recently, Star Fox was perhaps the most notable example of this.

The grand return of Fox McCloud and the crew came with little warning, with the reveal of Fox in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and news of the upcoming Switch 2 game blowing up the internet like a Smart Bomb. But while Star Fox devotees celebrate these developments, I'm left contemplating why this series came back--and why others aren't getting a similar treatment.

I've long been under the impression that Nintendo sidelines properties that it simply doesn't have any new ideas for. That was famously the reason why a Metroid game never materialized on Nintendo 64, with Shigeru Miyamoto saying that developers "couldn't come up with any concrete ideas or vehicle at that time." Star Fox itself skipped the Wii era, with Miyamoto recalling that Nintendo "didn’t find an idea that really brought that together for the Wii."

The Entertainment Software Association is opposing new legislation in California that would require developers of online games that are shutting down to give lengthy notice beforehand, offer refunds, and make their games playable offline.

Introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward, Assembly Bill 1921 would require game developers to "communicate specified information to purchasers and prospective purchasers of a digital game 60 days before the operator ceases to provide services." Once that server-closure day arrives, the studio would have to offer "an alternate version of, a patch or update to, or a refund for, the game."

Its aims generally align with the goals of Stop Killing Games, an online game preservation movement that has gained traction over the past year. It also comes in the wake of high-profile live-service game failures like Concord and Highguard, which were abruptly taken offline and delisted shortly after launch.

Players who constantly check PlayStation Store for the best prices may be surprised to hear that Sony has apparently removed the deals tab that has been associated with its online marketplace. A sale was previously scheduled to begin today, but there's currently no sign that it will.

Push Square was among the first outlets to notice that PlayStation Store's deals tab was missing, and we confirmed that going to the deals page on a web browser results in an error message. Pinning down a reason why has been more difficult in the absence of any official word from Sony. GameSpot has reached out to Sony for comment.

Early speculation from the outlet suggested that the move may be tied to Sony's currently in-progress update for PlayStation's UI, which is in beta. Insider Gaming has also reported that the settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Sony could be another factor in the decision to take down the deals tab. If the settlement is accepted by the court, Sony will pay $7.8 million to players in the United States who purchased select games on PlayStation Store.

One of the changes that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma could make as the new boss could pertain to Microsoft's controversial multiplatform strategy. She said as much during a recent town hall, and now new reporting from The Verge states that Sharma is "evaluating a range of options for Xbox exclusive games."

The report said Sharma is "treading carefully" and is not yet ready to sign off on "any major changes" to the policy.

This is hardly a surprise. Before this, Sharma said she's trying to make "the right decision, not the fastest decision." Whatever Sharma and the team land on in terms of exclusives will amount to "long-swinging decisions that have decade-long impact," she said.

Darkstone Digital and DreadXP have announced that they will no longer release Paranormal Activity: Threshold because Paramount would not give them more time to make the horror game.

Brian Clarke, best known for being the creator of the viral horror game The Mortuary Assistant, broke the news on Darkstone Digital's X account on Wednesday.

"It became clear that the game needed more time to ensure it was the best it could possibly be," Clarke explained. "DreadXP stood by my need for more time and, together, we made a request to Paramount for a time extension. Sadly, Paramount did not agree to extend development. This left me with two choices: Rush through development and release a sub-par product I would not be proud of or request we go our separate ways. I chose the latter."

As the halfway point of the year comes into focus, the latest batch of free games for Amazon Luna has been revealed. Amazon Prime members can claim these 11 PC games and six more via the cloud for a total of 17 freebies in May. This month, the selection includes a classic gangland drama that has been overhauled for modern systems, some escape room fun, and one of the best Alien games of all time.

As a reminder, all of the free games that you claim through Amazon Luna are yours to keep forever, even if your subscription expires. If you aren't a member, you can sign up for Amazon Luna for as little as $15 for one month to take advantage of the subscription and its freebies.

• Mafia 2: Definitive Edition (GOG Code)
• Fruitbus (GOG Code)

• Survival: Fountain of Youth (Amazon Games Code)
• 60 Minutes to Extinction: Escape Room (GOG Code)
• Lethal Honor: Order of the Apocalypse (Epic Games Store)

• Space Grunts (GOG Code)
• Palindrome Syndrome: Escape Room (GOG Code)
• Hot Brass (GOG Code)

• Nordic Storm Solitaire (Legacy Games Code)
• Moon Mystery (Epic Games Store)
• Pro Basketball Manager 2026 (Amazon Games Code)

Prime subscribers will also be able to play the following new games in May via the Luna channel:

May 7 is the kickoff day for Humble Bundle's Spring Mega Sale, which includes more than 6,000 discounted games for PC and Mac. No, that's not a typo. Whether you've been waiting on a price drop for a game you want or you just want to grab some games at stupidly low prices, this is an amazing opportunity. The sale runs through May 28, so Humble was kind enough to give us plenty of time to hold off until payday.

May 4 was more than just Star Wars Day--it was also the day a bunch of people tried and failed to purchase a new Steam Controller. Many prospective buyers were met with error messages when trying to check out, and were left without one of the fancy new devices. However, Valve is giving you another chance on May 8, so make sure you're ready.

The Steam Controller will be available for preorder on May 8 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and Valve is changing the process a little bit in an attempt to make it less painful. In order to qualify for a preorder, you must have an account in good standing on Steam already, and you must have purchased a game prior to April 27, 2026. This means new bot accounts will not be eligible to purchase a controller.

Only one Steam Controller will be available per user, and this also means you cannot buy one if you already did during the first drop on May 4.

Project Ethos, the third-person shooter in development at 2K's 31st Union studio, is undergoing major changes and cutting staff from the project.

Studio head Ben Brinkman said in a memo to staff today, shared with GameSpot by 2K, that Project Ethos is becoming a "skill-based PvP roguelike" as part of the "renewed direction" that was announced in 2025. A new piece of concept art for the game can be seen below. Brinkman also said Project Ethos is aiming to be a game that will "challenge and thrill players."

"We've evolved as a team this past year in what has been a defining period of creative growth. While the moves we're making haven't always been easy, they are what is required to push us forward. I believe strongly in our ability to deliver on this vision and the promise of this game," Brinkman said.

Now that gaming's worst-kept (and one of the worst-named) secrets, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, has been revealed, Ubisoft is talking more about what you can expect from the pirate sim. This includes new accessibility features that let you do everything from skipping QTEs to disabling shark attacks to breathing underwater forever--because sailors always had gills.

In a May 7 interview on the Ubisoft blog, director of user experience Jonathan Bedard and game designer Maksym Smolynets detailed the accessibility features that've been baked into the Black Flag remake. There are your usual additions, such as aim-assist options, difficulty settings, and text-size adjustments. There are also some newer features, including autopilot navigation while sailing the Jackdaw and controller configurations for left-handed gamers. But deeper in the interview are some fascinating changes, too, such as turning off those absolutely frightening shark attacks.

You know the ones. Protagonist Edward Kenway would submerge himself in one of the seven seas and, while swimming for treasure, might get chomped to bits by Jaws. Performed as a quick-time event, if you didn't press the buttons in sequential order fast enough, then you'd become fish food for the sharks. That's no fun.