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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice wins “Video Game of the Year” at the 2020 SXSW Gaming Awards
The cancellation of this year’s South By Southwest feels like a distant memory, but in the weeks since the announcement was made, a few people have started to wonder if the winning envelopes from the 2020 SXSW Gaming Awards would also remain locked away forever. Thankfully, the festival’s organizers recently fired off a press release that revealed all the winners.
Drumroll, please…
From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won “Video Game of the Year,” and the one-armed ninja also snuck away with a win for “Excellence in Visual Achievement.” Only ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium (the “Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award” and “Excellence in Narrative”) and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding (“Excellence in Musical Score” and “Excellence in Technical Achievement”) were able to earn more than a single award from this year’s voters.
“Gaming is a key part of the creative ecosystem that brings us together, and now more than ever it provides us with a unique sense of escape and adventure in uncertain times,” said Hugh Forrest, the Chief Programming Officer for South By Southwest. “We were devastated that we weren’t able to celebrate our honorees in person with the cancellation of our event, but glad that we’re still able to share their achievements and creative works with our community.”
A complete list of winners from the 2020 SXSW Gaming Awards can be found at Video Game Canon.
Copyright notice seemingly confirms Evil Dead’s Ash will be included in Mortal Kombat 11’s next Kombat Pack
Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up!
Even though Bruce Campbell told the Twitterverse that Ash from The Evil Dead wouldn’t be appearing in Mortal Kombat 11, it appears that NetherRealm Studios has other plans. IGN is reporting that a recent email newsletter from the developer included a copyright notice for Ash in the footer, alongside similar copyright information for The Terminator, The Joker, and Spawn:
You’ll notice that the notice specifically mentions the inclusion of “Ash from Army of Darkness,” so we can look forward to seeing the character in his S-Mart garb while gassing up a chainsaw. However, Campbell’s earlier denial could mean that we’re also looking at a soundalike, similar to how Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t provide the vocal performance for the T-800.
NetherRealm Studios concluded Mortal Kombat 11’s first Kombat Pack earlier this month with the launch of Spawn, and while they’ve hinted at a desire to release more characters, Kombat Pack 2 remains unannounced as of today.
Mortal Kombat 11 is currently available for the PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. I have no doubt we’ll be hearing more about NetherRealm’s future plans for the game very soon.
God of War: Fallen God is an upcoming comic miniseries that fills in the story between GoW3 and GoW2018
Kratos spent decades wandering the world in between the events of 2010’s God of War III and 2018’s God of War. Rather than leave this story untold, Sony Santa Monica is teaming up with Dark Horse to give fans a glimpse at part of his travels in an upcoming comic miniseries.
Told over four issues, God of War: Fallen God will be written by Chris Roberson, with artwork from Tony Parker (artist), Dan Jackson (colorist), John Roshell (letterer), and Dave Rapoza (covers):
Can a man ever be free of his past? Can the tides of time ever wash away the bloody sands of sin? Or do transpired trespasses permanently and inescapably stain one’s soul?
God of War: Fallen God follows Kratos after conquering Zeus and thwarting Athena. Believing himself to be finally free of his bondage, he sets sail for the desert in an attempt to distance himself from his home and his shame only to find his rage and guilt follow close behind. Kratos rages against the one foe that has proven to be unconquerable—himself. But a war against oneself is unwinnable, and only invites madness.
The first issue of God of War: Fallen God will be available on June 24, with a collected edition sure to follow sometime after its conclusion.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, PS4
Tagged God of War 4, God of War III
Square Enix will summon two Final Fantasy VII artbooks to bookstores this Fall
After more than a half-decade in development, Final Fantasy VII Remake‘s launch date of April 10th is finally in sight. But Square Enix also wants to give fans the chance to delve deeper into the highly-anticipated RPG, so they’ve partnered with their Manga & Books imprint to produce a pair of artbooks that go further behind the scenes.
Priced at $24.99 apiece, Final Fantasy VII Remake: World Preview and Final Fantasy VII Poster Collection were designed to “celebrate the iconic characters, massive world, and beautiful visuals” of Final Fantasy VII Remake:
Final Fantasy VII Remake: World Preview, releasing on September 8th, is a lavishly illustrated, full-color introduction to the world of the beloved game. The hardcover volume offers both new players and long-time fans essential information on characters, gameplay, and more, in addition to exclusive commentary from Director Tetsuya Nomura and Producer Yoshinori Kitase.
Final Fantasy VII Poster Collection, shipping on November 17th, is a collection of 22 full-color, premium-quality removable posters celebrating the game’s rich legacy, with images depicted from the world of Final Fantasy VII, including Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will launch “first” on the PS4, and a demo of the game is currently available to download through the PlayStation Store.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS4
Tagged Final Fantasy VII
Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 have been announced
The finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 have been announced… and they’re on fire.
This year’s honorees include titles from every era of gaming, though the Star Power of Guitar Hero looms large over the competition. But that’s OK, because there’s a few other firestarters vying for a spot in this year’s class, including Midway’s NBA Jam, Mojang’s Minecraft, and Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Melee.
There’s also the groundbreaking GoldenEye 007, the unforgettable Nokia Snake, the edutaining Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and the addicting Bejeweled. Rounding out this year’s crop of finalists is Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and a trio of classics from the early 80s (Centipede, Frogger, and King’s Quest).
This isn’t the first opportunity to join the World Video Game Hall of Fame for some of these games, and fans will have the chance to make their voice heard by submitting a Player’s Choice Ballot. The public can vote once per day now through April 2nd, and the three games that receive the most votes will join the 29 other ballots submitted by members of the Hall of Fame’s International Selection Advisory Committee.
The Strong Museum’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the entity that oversees the World Video Game Hall of Fame, will announce the inductees from the Class of 2020 at a date to be determined in a special ceremony. For now, you can learn more about this year’s finalists after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Bejeweled, Centipede, GoldenEye 007, Guitar Hero, King's Quest, Minecraft, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, World Video Game Hall of Fame
Untitled Goose Game wins “Game of the Year” at 2020 GDC Awards
The 2020 Game Developers Conference isn’t happening in San Francisco this year due to global health concerns, but the event’s organizers still put together a a pre-recorded version of the Game Developers Choice Awards, and House House’s Untitled Goose Game won “Game of the Year.”
In addition to The Goose running away with yet another “Game of the Year” award, the rest of the indie world had a pretty good night as well.
Hempuli’s Baba Is You collected statuettes for “Best Design” and the “Innovation Award,” ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium danced away with “Best Debut” and “Best Narrative,” and thatgamecompany’s Sky: Children of the Light claimed the “Audience Award.”
But the most-decorated game of the night was Remedy’s Control, which won in three categories. The mindbending action-adventure game was honored with awards for “Best Visual Art,” “Best Audio,” and “Best Technology.”
A full list of winners, nominees, and Honorable Mentions from this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards at Video Game Canon.
A Short Hike wins the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize” at 2020 IGF Awards
Even though there is no Game Developers Conference this year, the 2020 Independent Games Festival Awards went on as a pre-recorded show last night.
Adam Robinson-Yu’s A Short Hike beat the competition and went home with the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize,” and then he delivered a victory speech from his living room. The bite-sized adventure game also charmed IGF voters, who bestowed the “Audience Award” upon it.
Other winners from last night include Foam Sword’s Knights and Bikes (“Excellence In Visual Art”), Inkle’s Heaven’s Vault (“Excellence In Narrative”), Patrick Traynor’s Patrick’s Parabox (“Excellence In Design”), Die Gute Fabrik’s Mutazione (“Excellence In Audio”), Christoph Frey’s The Space Between (“Nuovo Award”), and Goblin Rage’s Bore Dome (“Best Student Game”).
A complete list of all winners, nominees, and Honorable Mentions from the 2020 Independent Games Festival Awards can be found after the break. (more…)
Nightdive will release Shadow Man Remastered in 2021
Shadow Man was a wild voodoo-themed action game that definitely found its niche after it launched for the Nintendo 64 in the Spring of 1999 (and later that year for the PC, PSone, and Dreamcast). But Acclaim squandered all that goodwill a few years later with a bizarre advertising campaign for Shadow Man 2 that asked “poorer” families to put tiny billboards for the sequel on the headstones of family members.
Acclaim declared bankruptcy not too long after Shadow Man 2’s disastrous release.
The rights to the franchise eventually reverted to Valiant Entertainment, who published the comic that the game was based on, and in 2013 they tapped Nightdive Studios to bring Shadow Man back to the PC. Today, the two companies teamed once again to announce that Shadow Man Remastered will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in 2021.
In Shadow Man, which is based on Valiant’s SHADOWMAN comics, you alternatingly travel through Liveside, the land of the living as mortal man, and explore Deadside, the place where lost souls spend an eternity in torment, as the voodoo warrior Shadow Man. Take a ride into the unexplored territories of the human psyche as you try to stop a marauding band of villains from unleashing unspeakable horrors upon the world as we know it.
Shadow Man Remastered will feature a hefty visual upgrade, including lighting and particle effects, as well as upgraded art assets, and widescreen support for up to 4K resolution. The will also add a “refined gameplay experience” along with the “reintroduction of missing content cut from the original game” to this Remastered re-release.
More details about Shadow Man Remastered will be announced at a later date. For now, be sure to stare into the soulless eyes of the new logo embedded above.