We start with Sony’s reported plan to close the PlayStation 3, PSP, and Vita digital stores for good this summer. It’s a blow for game preservation, but will it also be a blow to Sony’s bottom line? And does Sony have a responsibility to preserve its gaming history in the first place? Speaking of game preservation, Nintendo’s plan to stop selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars in shops and even on the eShop at the end of March gets the full ‘what the hell are you playing at, Nintendo?’ treatment from the News Cast crew. Seriously, what the hell are you playing at, Nintendo? Meanwhile, we dig into the confirmation that Microsoft has officially rebranded Xbox Live to Xbox network - although “Xbox Live isn’t going away”. Then we chat about Microsoft’s reported interest in Discord for a whopping $10bn. Why is Microsoft willing to shell out so much cash on Discord, and how may it work with Xbox? And rounding out the Microsoft talk is the news Xbox party chat will no longer require Xbox Live Gold - and what this means for the future of the subscription. So, in the video above you’ve got all that plus our regular ‘what we’ve been playing’ check-in (spoilers: my pick isn’t a video game), and as is News Cast tradition, we end with a mug check. And yes, Emma knocks it out of the park again. If you’d like to check out previous episodes of the Eurogamer News Cast, you’ll find them handily rounded up here.
