Starting today, you can change your Twitch username. What's more, you can do it every 60 days, and, seemingly as a shot at Microsoft and Xbox Live, it won't cost you a dime to swap from "FluffyJungle9991" to something a that's easier to commit to memory.
Source: Twitch
As the NBA's eSports league proves, video games are quickly becoming mainstream. Games are having a moment, and so are the tools used to make them. Case in point, the Unity game engine recently reached a big milestone. French animated show Mr. Carton just became the first cartoon TV series made with Unity.
Source: Unity
One of the oldest wrestling video game series (and one in which famed Suda 51 got his start making games) appears to be getting a new installment, as Spike Chunsoft has launched a teaser site and video titled "Pro Wrestling." Not only that but it appears to be just the fifth game in the long-running series's history to officially be localized in the west, as the "Pro Wrestling" Twitter account name is "3/2 in San Francisco."
Whatever they plan to show on March 2 in San Francisco (cough couch GDC), they likely wouldn't bother if they had no plans to release it stateside. The first Fire Pro Wrestling game to come to the west was incidentally the last new title in the series: Fire Pro Wrestling Returns. The Game Boy Advance saw a port of Fire Pro Wrestling A and also got Fire Pro Wrestling 2, and there was a really bad avatar-based Xbox Live Arcade title.
We're a week out form The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and most of what I've seen (and played) is somewhat context-free open-world gallivanting. For a series remembered fondly for its oddball characters and personality, gallivanting is only part of the equation. Enter all the folks currently playing Breath of the Wild and discovering a treasure trove of...horndoggery?
I regret to inform you that Nintendo is horny now. http://pic.twitter.com/OQaT4CeqUK
— Jeffrey Grubb (@JeffGrubb) February 24, 2017
If that second dialogue choice adopted the modern parlance of "really tho?" it would be 100% the thirstiest line ever written in a video game. Link really needs to follow some sagely advice: "always horny, never thirsty."
I mentioned it on the podcast but Lonely Arrow Girl is Peak Thirsty Nintendo. http://pic.twitter.com/UkAbtV340d
— austin walker (@austin_walker) February 25, 2017
Nock me up, daddy! Jesus. This is Fire Emblem-levels of lewd. I'm supposed to let my beautiful round son Tadley play this game?
So here's what I'm asking from you, dear reader. You have a week before Breath of the Wild comes out and presumably nothing to do in the interim. No children to pick up from school. No coursework to do. No owed wage-slavery to an exploitative system. Just thumb twiddling. So let's go back throughout the Zelda canon and find some examples in the series of horniness. Let's get prepared to definitively declare in one week's time whether Breath of the Wild is or isn't the horniest Zelda game in series history.
Thank you and God bless.
Next week marks the 21st anniversary of the Pokemon franchise. To celebrate, Niantic is holding a small event to commemorate "Pokemon Day." From February 26 until March 6, every Pikachu in the game will be wearing a festive party hat. There's a photo below for anyone interested in what they look like.
Players will be able to keep this special Pikachu forever. There was no mention of whether or not Raichu or Pichu will have hats, but I would assume at least Raichu does (since the Christmas variation did).
Pokemon Day is on February 27, which is the date that Red and Green were released in Japan.
Pikachu Parties in Pokémon GO! [Pokemon]
Its sales week over at Bethesda as the publisher is scattering their catalog of games at a discount across multiple retailers, with some PC titles hitting respectable pricing. The biggest deal of the bunch should be Dishonored 2, which has hit a new historic low price of $26.99. Mixing in with the Bethesda is also an "Intel Core i7-inside" sale, where select popular titles are discounted at GMG. We suspect as AMD's Ryzen 7 gets introduced more to the market, Intel will continue with more marketing promotions like these to keep PC gamers in their ball court.
Noteworthy of the other group of Bethesda deals are Fallout 4 and Doom - both now $19.99 a piece for the Steam copy over at DLGamer. If you want the Season Pass, Fallout 4's Season Pass is $30 at GMG, while Doom's Season Pass is $24 at Bundle Stars.
While Bundle Stars pricing on their group of Bethesda titles are so-so at best, you can pick up The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for a cheap $13, making it a potential springboard if you ever want to upgrade to the Morrowind expansion, releasing later this summer.
All the deals below are running through Monday the 27th at 9AM Pacific.
Bethesda Sale at DLGamer
Intel Sale at GMG
Bethesda Sale at Bundles Stars
New media that's based on existing characters from another medium almost always runs into something of a stumbling block. Even though it's a new project, it's often beholden to the canon of the original. Those stories caught on for a reason and it's understandable that the property holder doesn't want someone coming in and mucking that all up.
In an interview with IGN at DICE, Marvel says that it has a looser mindset with its video games that are currently in production. According to Marvel Games creative director Bill Rosemann "We want to give [developers] freedom to tell their story and we want to make it an original story." He cited Insomniac's Spider-Man having a white chest piece as a deliberate move to message that these developers don't have to paint by the numbers.
Elaborating with a pretty good analog, Rosemann said "We want to give our partners...freedom to look at all of Marvel history and to pick from what interests them. It's a bit like we're saying, 'Hey you're the chef, you're going to make this meal. Here's all of the ingredients. You pick the ingredients that you like and make a new meal."
Marvel hasn't let go of the reins entirely, though. Rosemann explained that while Marvel wants developers to execute their own vision, everyone also needs to be aware that an audience is going to best relate to what's popular now. For instance, Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy game is going feel like the movie because that's what has been tremendously successful in recent years.
That being said, Rosemann also insists that Marvel isn't aiming for day-and-date video game launches to coincide with film releases. "We're also not going to try to do the very tricky balancing act of trying to make a game that adapts a movie and get it out in the same window as the movie," he said.
It's a commendable approach, one that feels like it could be both commercially viable for Marvel and creatively fulfilling for the developers. It might be risky to give someone else control of your property, but it probably also has the most upside. You just need to have faith in the ability of your partners, and it seems like Marvel certainly does.
DICE 2017: Marvel Games To Tell Original Stories, Not Held To Canon [IGN]
Running a graveyard sounds like a recession-proof gig. Everyone bites the dust, after all. It doesn't matter if you were a noble hero or a poor-ass person; sooner or later you're going to wind up six feet under the ground.
In Graveyard Keeper, players get to manage and operate a medieval cemetery, all while taking advantage of a constant flow of cadavers
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences held the 20th annual D.I.C.E. Awards last night in Las Vegas, and unlike last year, the game of the year selection isn't bound to shock. It was Overwatch!
Other highlights include Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Inside, both of which also took home multiple awards, and both of which are also generally thought of as excellent games. Even though it's only February, I feel like I'm already so far into 2017, so it's nice to take a moment to reflect on last year.
Find the full list of winners below.
Clear the next three minutes from your schedule. Maybe six. The Horizon Zero Dawn launch trailer is good enough that you may want to watch it twice. It's a stylish mixture of entrancing tribal rituals and cinematic robo-dino fighting. The gorgeous vistas are just the cherry on top.
It doesn't come as much surprise that the launch trailer is good because the source material appears to be good. Horizon Zero Dawn reviews posted earlier this week, and it's receiving near-universal praise. We gave it a 7.5, but many outlets were north of 8.0. At time of writing, review aggregator OpenCritic has 49 of 67 reviews sitting at 8.5 or higher. It seems we have a hit on our hands.
Next week, you can decide for yourself if open-world robotic dinosaur hunting is your kind of thing. Horizon Zero Dawn launches on February 28 in North America and on March 1 in Europe. For now, find retreat in watching Aloy tango with mechanical beast after mechanical beast. It's a sweet dance, indeed.
When I critiqued Halo 5: Guardians, the lack of split-screen co-op was low on my list of gripes with the game. But that's not to say it wasn't a problem. In the lead-up to the 2015 game's release, developer 343 Industries crowed that there were no sacred cows on the road to hitting 60 FPS in the campaign mode -- including the local co-operative play that'd been a part of the series since 2001. That's changing, though. "I would say for any [first-person shooter] going forward we will always have split-screen," 343's head Bonnie Ross said recently at the DICE summit in Las Vegas, according to Polygon.
Source: Polygon
Twitch is currently holding a promotion that is far too complicated to spell out in a simple headline. Right now, The Banner Saga 1 is free for all Twitch Prime members until February 28. Then on March 2 until March 6, The Banner Saga 2 will be free. Twitch will donate $1 to the Kickstarter for The Banner Saga 3 for every person who plays either one of those games through the Twitch launcher during those periods. If you're worried this is because the campaign is currently not funded, put your fears to rest; the game has easily surpassed its $200,000 goal and this effort seems to be solely for the extra stretch goals.
Twitch will match up to $200,000, effectively granting all current stretch goals for the upcoming game. All Twitch Prime users who participate will also get some unspecified content in The Banner Saga 3, should you need more incentive to take part in this promotion.
I think this is a neat promotion on part of Twitch, even if it is a simple marketing ploy to get users signed up for Twitch Prime. Apparently it comes free with a subscription to Amazon Prime, so there are probably a lot of you who are eligible for this offer without even realizing it. You might as well take a crack at these games and help the developers create the best possible finale.
Twitch Prime members get both Banner Saga games for free [MCV]
Anyone looking to blast off to Mass Effect: Andromeda's universe next month needs to know if their rocket can even get off the ground. Don't worry, space cadets; there's no need for a super-futuristic rig to travel to worlds beyond.
Today, EA released the minimum and recommended PC specs for running Mass Effect: Andromeda. Here's the baseline requirements needed to get the game up and going:
Apparently racing your very own Mario Kart is a booming business over in Japan, because this is the second time I'm posting about a company offering such a thing. It looks like the Marika Company didn't get clearance from Nintendo, because the Big N is now suing them for infringing on their intellectual property.
Announced via a press release from Nintendo of Japan, Nintendo insists that, "They [Marika] use it for publicity and sales without obtaining our permission, and we insist that such an act falls under unfair competition and copyright infringement acts against us." That is fair enough, I suppose.
"In addition, when the defendant company rents a public road cart to that customer, they lend a costume of a famous character such as our 'Mario', etc., and the image and the video of the costume are displayed," the press release continues. As you can see in the image gallery, that claim certainly can't be refuted.
Marika's website is currently offline, so that probably doesn't bode well for the company. I would try to settle for something out of court, because not getting permission from the original copyright holder is basically an open and shut case. I'm mostly surprised that real life Mario Kart is so prevalent in Japan. Where is that in Yakuza 6?
Nintendo sues company that let you race Mario Karts in real life [Eurogamer]
A handful of games have done the whole "swap aesthetics" thing over the past few years or so, and it's a really great feature. Although I would have settled for an "either or" option that would entice me to beat the game twice, going above and beyond and allowing players to swap it at any time is a nice selling point and still achieves the same goal of cramming two different styles in one game.
That's just what Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is going to do -- you can switch between 8-bit and HD whenever you want. In case you weren't aware this is a remake of the Sega Master System original, and developer Lizardcube has confirmed that you can use your original passwords in the updated game. I haven't been following this project that closely, but they got me one fell swoop.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap will hit the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch later this spring.
I play my Nintendo 3DS more than any other system I own. I love the little thing, and have loved it ever since I picked up an OG model six years ago. But lately, I’ve been wondering about its future. Nintendo says it will continue to support it and has announced a few games, all of which look great, to back up that claim. I’ve also heard there may be more games that haven’t been announced yet.
Of course as we near the end of the handheld’s lifecycle, I kind of only expect the best from here on out. Developers have been working with this technology for more than half a decade, so anything releasing this late in the game should be doing everything it can to impress, or at the very least, should be doing more than what Nintendo has done with Tank Troopers.
Gravity Rush continues to get good support, including costume collaborations with Phantasy Star and NieR: Automata. Now it's time for more story. Previously announced for sometime in March, Raven's DLC is now confirmed to release worldwide on March 21, 2017. Without spoiling the first game, the DLC's story will focus on Raven attempting to help certain people who were in trouble at the end of the first game.
I have the first game installed and ready to go on my PS4, lacking only the time to sit down and play it. Being behind doesn't bother me though. Not only will Gravity Rush 2 likely be cheaper by the time I get to it, but I'll be able to enjoy all the extra content as I play rather than having to come back to play the DLC later. Trying to get back into a game weeks or even months after I finish it just to play a little extra content is a bit of a chore.
Next Friday's release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has pretty much sold out its Special Edition almost everywhere. Scalpers on eBay are selling the CE for between $140 - $200 (as high as $430 if you can believe that). Well, there's one last chance to pre-order for the original $99.99 price from an unusual retailer: Dell.
Dell is selling the Special Edition and Standard at its list price, and not the crazy markups elsewhere. The Standard Edition is available at GameStop still, but unavailable at other retailers such as Amazon.
We expect Dell's Special Edition to sell out fast, but if another offer pops up elsewhere we'll certainly report about it here. Shipping is free and if you opt into Dell's Advantage membership you'll receive free expedited shipping.
Being a Nintendo fan is often an exercise in managing expectations. For years, we've watched the company just miss the mark with online services, third-party game availability and outdated hardware specifications. The frustration of seeing a company you like make so many odd decisions can wear you down. Now, Nintendo is about to release a new game console, and as always, it's far from perfect. For the most loyal Nintendo fans, these imperfections can evoke one of two responses: anger that the company has failed to live up to their expectations, or denial that the company is doing anything wrong at all. That's no way to live. Instead, let's skip the first four stages of grief and embrace the Nintendo Switch's faults with acceptance. This is everything the Nintendo Switch is doing wrong at launch (so far).
Well, this is it folks. We are one week away from the launch of one of the most anticipated consoles, the Nintendo Switch. I personally can't wait for next week to finally get one. I will be going out to my local Best Buy Thursday night to grab my system when midnight rolls around. While I'm sure there are a lot of you are tired of hearing about the Switch; I couldn't be more excited.
With RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch, the beloved amusement park building series is moving beyond dated 2D graphics and into the modern world. It's strange to say this in 2017, but it's the first mobile version of the game to take advantage of 3D graphics. It's a major leap ahead of 2014's RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile and RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, a rehash of the series' first two games released in December. The free-to-play title is available on iOS and Android, and you can bet there will be plenty of micro-transactions.
Source: Atari
Haha, payment plans for a Mortal Kombat statue. I laughed out loud when I scrolled down on this $1,400 Goro statue listing. I know someone is going to do it!
Yes, it's true, Pop Culture Shock Toys is getting an exclusive Goro statue, based on the design from the first film, and it's going to be $1,400. It'll ship in the second quarter of 2018, and there's going to be a limited run of 150 figures.
Just looking in the eyes of this CG monstrosity makes me want to watch the film again. That amazing soundtrack, the hamfisted take on Enter the Dragon, the cheesy dialogue -- I'll never forget it.
Goro 1:3 Statue - PCS Exclusive [Pop Culture Shock Toys]
Would you want another Sunset Overdrive one day? Insomniac Games could make that happen.
Asked about a potential sequel, Insomniac president Ted Price told Game Informer "You'd have to ask Microsoft. [...] We are passionate about that franchise, and we own it, so you may see more Sunset in the future from us. No promises, and no timeline to speak of [the studio is busy with Spider-Man], but it is something that represents our willingness to create unexpected experiences."
For some, that nothing-to-report-yet message is bound to disappoint, but it's actually more hopeful than I would've expected. Even if we don't get a proper Sunset Overdrive 2, I wonder what the odds are that we ever see the original ported over to other consoles or even just PC. Build up that base.
It feels like Team Ninja is finally back to its old self. 2005's Ninja Gaiden Black (an amazing upgrade on the back of its 2004 predecessor) was its crowning achievement, and beating it on Master Ninja was one of the most fun journeys I've ever taken in my gaming career.
Since then they've dragged a bit, lost one of their marquee members in Itagaki, and have banked on the Dead or Alive franchise while they dabble in the occasionally good project like Hyrule Warriors. But now they're back with a vengeance with Nioh, one of the best games on the PS4, and with the sales to match. Koei Tecmo has announced that as of this week, in both the retail and digital marketplaces, Nioh hit one million in sales worldwide. Players will obtain a golden suit of armor to celebrate.
As a comparison, Dark Souls III, bolstered by the name of an already celebrated franchise, sold three million copies worldwide on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. So pushing one million on just the PS4 with a brand new IP is quite the accomplishment.
Nioh [Gamer.ne.jp via Siliconera]
One of the best portions of this episode of Podtoid was a discussion on how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be received by critics, and especially in comparison to a new intellectual property like Horizon: Zero Dawn. It was spawned from a question by listener Startyde, who we can only assume is attractive and successful.
Otherwise, Steven talked about his time previewing Prey, Darren (that's me!) talked about Fire Emblem Heroes, and Brett talked about the new Resident Evil 7 DLC. Look at us being all current! Of course, we round out the episode with the first SATPOTPAQ and Hot Dish of 2017, and at least one of those is utterly hilarious to at minimum one person in the world. Maybe more. You will have to listen to find out if it works for you.
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or download it here.
Now here's an offer from Twitch and Banner Saga creator Stoic you can't refuse. Twitch Prime members (that is, anyone on Amazon Prime) can download the original Banner Saga for free right now, and on March 2nd, also get Banner Saga 2 gratis. But wait, there's more: For everyone who downloads and plays either game through the Twitch launcher, Amazon will donate a dollar to the Banner Saga 3 game currently in funding on Kickstarter.
Konami has launched a version of Frogger that's suitable for gambling, which is now available to play in a casino. Frogger: Get Hoppin' is a skill-based title that enables players to wager money in exchange for testing their reflexes in the game. It's the first of its kind that's been authorized by Nevada's gambling commission in the hope of creating a new generation of gamblers.
Via: Las Vegas Now
Indie games don't often cross over into the physical world, so it's pretty notable when two separate companies make boxed games at once. Choice Provisions is partnering with Limited Run Games on a physical version of the Runner2 sidescroller on PS4 and PS Vita with 3,500 copies of each for sale online starting March 17th. Limited Run will also sell 1,000 copies of a (separate) limited Runner2 edition at its PAX East booth on March 10-12.
Source: Totally Choice
It's about 9:30 AM on a Thursday, it's an unheard-of-for-Los-Angeles 55 degrees out made worse by intense winds, and I'm ready to see the Nintendo Switch for the second time, days before the console launches. The Switch is ostensibly the reason for my visit, but everyone knows that's only a formality. I don't know that I need to see that Zelda E3 demo for a record-breaking third time. But if I'm not here for video games, why would I trust people that I've never met to drop me in the middle of nowhere?
I chose to put my life in the hands of some Nintendo employees because I heard this media event would feature the John Cena, not unreasonably far from Los Angeles. When you hear about an event where John Cena will be playing some video games, you do whatever it takes to get there. In my case, "whatever it takes" boiled down to "email the PR people and borrow my roommate's car." I needed the car because this wasn't just a regular preview event that also happened to feature John Cena, otherwise I would just take an Uber or something. I had to drive up to Santa Clarita -- which is in the middle of nowhere -- and take a shuttle from the eerie Blue Cloud Movie Ranch to a shack Nintendo constructed in the middle of the desert. Supposedly, this is meant to play off the idea that you can play the Nintendo Switch anywhere you go, but that's real easy for you to say when you can build a fake living room with power and heat in the middle of nowhere.
After spending five minutes in Santa Clarita, I understood why someone would set a horror TV show in this suburb. Being there felt like I was actually in the uncanny valley. Its rolling hills are plastered in rows upon rows upon rows of nigh-identical McMansions, like a neighborhood occupied exclusively by a hive-mind. There's a Westfield mall. There's a Chick-Fil-A. Don't go to Santa Clarita, even if you think seeing the empty sets at the Blue Cloud would be worth the trip. I should have turned around and left as soon as possible, but the allure of Cena was too great. I had to see the man who cannot be seen.
