Weekly Recap: PS Now Vs EA Access And 5 Other Major Stories

The final week of July wrapped up in an interesting way, as general news within the industry was somewhat down, but there were some rocket-busters that fired. The two biggest stories of course were the announcements of EA Access coming exclusively to Xbox One owners, and that the PlayStation Now beta was opening up to everyone.

Additionally, we learned more about Crytek's financial situation, or rather, what the company will no longer be able to do. We found out that TimeSplitters Rewind is still in the making. Destiny's beta has finally wrapped up, and the PS4 still dominates the marketplace even outside of sales. Interesting data right there. These stories and much more in this August 2nd, 2014 edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap.

Crytek Addresses Financial Crisis

Things are apparently not so bad at Crytek as the stories may have let on. The big question of the day is: Will Destiny be bigger than Call of Duty? The PS4 is getting a series of popular games, including Journey and Until Dawn. Ice Laglace has left the modding scene for now due to haters and trolls. Guardians of the Galaxy invades Zen Pinball 2. And the beta has opened up for Rise of Incarnates, the 2-on-2 fighting game from Bandai Namco.

Destiny's Beta Comes To End... Probably

Get in the play-time while you can, because the Destiny beta is coming to an end. The Walking Dead Season 3 is coming and Gaming Blend's Pete Haas votes for a new main character. So just how long is Destiny? Some numbers roll out for Bungie's FPS. Check out the games coming to the Xbox Games For Gold this August. Here's a list of some things we learned about Mass Effect 4. Check out the graphics comparison between the PS3 and PS4 versions of The Last of Us. Controversy erupts over Rust.

EA Access Is Exclusive To Xbox One

As a way to help the Xbox One gain a few extra members, EA has managed to land an exclusive deal with Microsoft called EA Access. Check out the secret performance for the stage play of The Last of Us. New content arrives for NCSoft's Guild Wars 2. Pre-orders have opened up for the Xbox One over in China. Firefall has finally launched on PC... and it did so with a brand new trailer. A new EXP event is underway for GTA V on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Crytek Shutdowns Two Studios

Part of the big news of the week is that Crytek has shutdown both Crytek US and Crytek UK. The company has sold off Homefront: The Revolution to Deep Silver in the process. The Xbox One will launch in late September in mainland China. Activision has announced three new pre-order editions for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Nintendo has lost $97.2 million dollars in the last quarter. Check out Ryan Winslett's review for Rogue Legacy. And Sony slams the new EA Access service.

PS Now Beta Launches

Even the big giants of gaming aren't safe anymore, including GameSpot. The release date for Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare has been set for PlayStation platforms. Gearbox wants to get out of the Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit. Check out the latest Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas guide to help you take on each boss. Here are five things that one of Gaming Blend's writers would love to see changed. The PS4's production costs have shrunk greatly, which could hint at a price cut and PlayStation Now's beta has official launched.

PS4 Dominates Google Just Like It Does In Sales

The hype for the PS4 isn't just in some random sales surge, the console is still going strong on Google, if Google Trends is anything to go by. Square is mixing things up by allowing gamers to participate in trial versions of Final Fantasy XIV. The developers behind MotoGP 14 explain why they opted to develop for the PS4 and not the Xbox One. Capcom will unleash some Mega Man games on Wii U's Virtual Console. TimeSplitters Rewind is still going strong and the team has a big announcement to make. Teslagrad is coming soon for most major consoles at retail stores. And keep an eye out on the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer teaser.