Windmill, windmill, for the land. Is everybody in?
Is it just us, or does it really, truly feel like things are looking up? First came news of the USA pulling the world’s most anticipated U-turn in the middle of a chaotic political motorway (cheers for that, by the way, American readers). Next, news of an effective vaccine for Covid-19 – then another, and another. After the year we’ve had, we initially struggled to identify the emotions we were feeling. Hope? Relief? Joy? Never heard of ‘em.
Alright, that’s not strictly true. It’s just been a while. One-and-a-half years ago, in fact, we featured the physical embodiment of a sunny disposition on the cover of Edge: Playdate, Panic’s bizarre little crank-controlled handheld console, designed to deliver a brand new indie game to you once a week for an entire season. But with unabashed positivity and excitement sometimes comes a touch of naïveté – and the team at Panic soon found itself reckoning with unanticipated challenges. In Knowledge this month, we catch up with them to discuss how Panic is dealing with the responsibilities of Playdate becoming a platform.
Still, we imagine you might be preoccupied with a certain other console this month. And while Team Xbox can rest easy in the knowledge that Xbox Series’ worldwide launch was clean, professional, and successful, in the end it paled in comparison to the delightful hysteria of the launch of PlayStation 5. Those who’d ordered one were bouncing off the walls, and those who hadn’t were suddenly trying to force themselves through the shambolic online retail process. The difference? Well, the brand endures, undoubtedly, what with last generation’s win – built on great exclusives. But there’s also the DualSense, an astounding new controller that really only makes sense in the hands – something that’s been impossible to achieve this year. Now, the secret’s out, and the thrill of the genuinely new is in full effect. It’s that crank all over again, but this time the innovative consequences could well extend further into the mainstream sector of the industry. It feels like the future. It feels good. The story begins on p52.