News::Cracker Jack ditches toys in favor of augmented reality

Ah yes, Cracker Jack. The classic American snack food and ballpark staple that offers the thrill of finding a cheap plastic toy at the bottom of the box. Well, I should say offered, since PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division is modernizing snacking by nixing the toy in favor of a "baseball-inspired mobile digital experience." What does that mean exactly? Rather than unwrapping a plastic figurine or trinket, you'll find a sticker that you scan with your phone's camera to "bring the ballpark to life" with a mobile game or photo treatment. Oh yeah, you'll have to download the Blippar augmented reality app first.

Via: Polygon, San Francisco Chronicle

Source: Frito-Lay (PR Newswire)

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News::Go on a bitcoin spending spree in the next Steam sale

Both high-end gaming PCs and bitcoin mining rigs require an awful lot of power to operate at their best, so this next bit of news is a pretty natural fit: You can load your Steam wallet using Silk Road's favorite currency. Cryptocurrency payment processing outfit Bitpay says that Valve approached the company because the gaming juggernaut was looking for a way to process payments in emerging markets like Brazil, China and India. Meaning, countries where credit cards aren't easily accessible.

Source: Bitpay

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News::Babymetal is coming to 'Super Mario Maker'

Nintendo announced that it will debut a new costume set and Event Course for its popular level creator, Super Mario Maker, based on Japanese pop-metal band, Babymetal. The "Mystery Mushroom" costume will feature all three band members mashed together in unison. It's apparently the same basic sprite structure that we saw in December when a Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam mashup came to SMM, though obviously with a different skin and sound effects. Of course, this isn't the trio's first foray into video games. Their first single (and breakout hit), "Gimme Chocolate" made it into the a recent Rock Band 4 DLC.

Source: Nintendo News

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News::Nintendo might stop making the Wii U by March 2018

Nintendo might not be axing the Wii U just yet, but that doesn't mean the console will stick around for very long. While discussing its finances, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima has revealed that production of the one-of-a-kind system could stop by March 2018, or a year after the NX arrives. The timing wouldn't be surprising. While Nintendo has a habit of keeping old systems around for a while after a new device launches, that rarely lasts -- and the Wii U hasn't been a strong-enough seller to merit sales well after its successor appears. From all indications, Nintendo wants everyone to move on to the new hardware once the last wave of big Wii U games is out the door.

Source: Reuters

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News::'Blockhood' is a beautiful game about eco-architecture

What happens when an architect makes a video game? Block'hood, a new "neighborhood-building simulator" from one-man developer Plethora Project. It started life as a research project at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture, where its creator Jose Sanchez is an assistant professor, but has slowly transformed into an educational game published by Devolver Digital, which previously produced games like Hotline Miami and Broforce. With a focus on expanding upwards, rather than outwards, and a pared-down visual style, it's a different take on the building experience offered by SimCity or Cities: Skylines. It instead plays like a cross between Anno, SimEarth and reverse Jenga.

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News::Gorgeous competitive tactics game 'Duelyst' is out today

Duelyst isn't an eSport -- yet. After six months in a free open beta, Duelyst launches today as a full title that's still free to download across PC and Mac. It comes from Counterplay Games, a studio packed with talent from Diablo 3, League of Legends and Rogue Legacy, and it's a brilliant blend of rapid-fire card gaming, complex tactical combat and squad building, all with a competitive edge. But right now, it isn't an eSport.

"We don't consider ourselves an eSport, since that's a very top-down approach and mentality that we don't believe in," Counterplay founder Keith Lee says.

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News::Paranormal thriller 'Oxenfree' hits PS4 in May

Oxenfree is an acid trip wrapped in an enigma and smothered in nacho cheese -- and on May 31st, it's coming to PlayStation 4. Oxenfree hit Steam and Xbox One in January, and both of these versions get upgrades on May 31st, too. Developer Night School Studio created a New Game+ mode for the Steam, Xbox One and PS4 editions, allowing those who have already finished Oxenfree to dive back in and experience a new, yet familiar, adventure. New Game+ includes fresh dialogue choices, new locations and alternate endings (on top of the game's multiple existing conclusions).

"We've heard emphatic, wildly differing opinions on how the game ended, both giddy and rage-filled," Night School co-founder Sean Krankel says. "So, without getting too spoilery, we wanted to make something that let those players push on the surreal rules that govern the island even more by holding up a proverbial mirror to the creatures they've been dealing with. This mode is definitely for the true fans."

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News::'Fallout 4' gets official mod support on PC

Even before Fallout 4 was released, Bethesda was keen to stress that the latest instalment of the post-apocalyptic franchise would officially support mods. In February, it told us that PC support would arrive in April, and sure enough, it's now delivered on that promise. The studio has released its first modding tool -- called the Creation Kit -- on Steam and launched a new hub where players can browse and download each others' tweaks.

Source: Bethesda

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News::Nintendo's 'Miitomo' app passes 10 million users

Nintendo dropped a pile of news on our laps this morning. Along with its earnings, the Japanese game company gave us a release date for its new NX console, announced a pair of new mobile apps and delayed Zelda into 2017. Buried in among these bigger items is the detail that its first mobile app, Miitomo, now has over 10 million unique users.

Source: Nintendo

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News::'Animal Crossing' and 'Fire Emblem' are coming to smartphones

Nintendo is working on smartphone apps based on two of its most beloved franchises: Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. The company announced both projects in a tweet, revealing little about their gameplay or how they would be priced. Fire Emblem is a tactical role-playing game, giving you control of an anime army as it battles through increasingly difficult skirmishes. The latest iteration was Fates on the 3DS, which came in three different versions called Birthright, Conquest and Revelation. Animal Crossing, meanwhile, is a more casual franchise about living in a carefree village, performing menial tasks and furnishing a beautiful home.

Source: Nintendo

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News::Sony says numerous 'Uncharted 4' copies were stolen

Sony's President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has just announced that "a number of copies" of the upcoming game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End have been stolen in transit. A few copies have surfaced ahead of the game's official release on May 10th -- British site Videogamer reported yesterday that discs were appearing at second-hand stores in the country. Not acknowledging the irony, Yoshida says "Sony is continuing to to work with the police to resolve the matter, which is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation." He urges gamers to be vigilant for potential spoilers resulting from the theft, and says it will be "worth the wait" till May 10th.

Source: Sony

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News::Nintendo delays new 'Zelda' to 2017, announces NX version

There's good news and bad for Nintendo's upcoming Legend of Zelda open-world title for the Wii U console. First the bad: It's been delayed again, so it won't arrive now until 2017. The good news is that it's going to come out on the next-gen Nintendo NX console, which, by the way, Nintendo just revealed. In a (roughly translated) tweet, Nintendo Japan says that it pushed back the game "for further quality improvement," adding that it will be released "simultaneously" on the Nintendo NX.

Source: Nintendo (Twitter)

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News::Nintendo to launch NX console in March 2017

We don't know what it looks like. We don't know how it plays. But now, we know when Nintendo's next system will be launching: March 2017. The company's mysterious "NX" platform was first teased more than a year ago, during an investor presentation that also outlined its smartphone ambitions. We've heard and read plenty of rumors since then, including a console-handheld hybrid, a system more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and bizarre touchscreen controllers (including fake photos) based on old patents. Nintendo has stayed tight-lipped throughout, stating only that it will talk about the console later in 2016.

Source: Nintendo

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