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Viz Media will publish a Dragon Quest Illustrations artbook this December
I think it’s safe to say that the Dragon Quest franchise wouldn’t be quite as popular as it is without Akira Toriyama’s colorful character designs. Going all the way back to the franchise’s debut in 1986, the Dragon Ball creator’s unique style has helped the series stand out in the crowded RPG genre.
Late last week, Viz Media announced an English release of Dragon Quest Illustrations: 30th Anniversary Edition, an artbook that compiles a large number of Toriyama’s sketches and drawings for the series. Writing on Twitter, the publisher said that it’ll be available this December for a retail price of $34.99.
True to its title, Dragon Quest Illustrations will include an archive of Akira Toriyama’s “iconic illustrations and designs” from Dragon Quest titles released from 1986 through 2016.
USC and SMU once again top Princeton Review’s ranking of Game Design programs
It’s a pair of repeats for the schools at the top of the Princeton Review‘s latest ranking of Game Design programs. The University of Southern California notched its second year as the top school for undergraduate programs, while Southern Methodist University held onto its place as the highest-ranked school for graduate programs.
“Game design is an exciting field and for students aspiring to work in this field, the schools on our list offer extraordinary opportunities to launch a career in this industry, said Editor-In-Chief Robert Franek, staying on theme with a nearly word-for-word repeat of last year’s statement. “We want to help students find the best program for their needs and interests. The top schools on our lists have outstanding faculties and great facilities which will give students the skills and experience they need to pursue a career in this dynamic and burgeoning field.
You can find the Princeton Review’s full ranking of Game Design programs for 2018 after the break. (more…)
Video Game Hall of Fame will publish A History of Video Games In 64 Objects book in May
The curators from the World Video Game Hall of Fame will offer a peak behind the curtain at some of the historical artifacts found in their collection with A History of Video Games In 64 Objects, an upcoming book from Dey Street Books (a Random House imprint):
Inspired by the groundbreaking A History of the World in 100 Objects, this book draws on the unique collections of The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, to chronicle the evolution of video games, from Pong to first-person shooters, told through the stories of dozens of objects essential to the field’s creation and development.
Drawing on the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s unmatched collection of video game artifacts, this fascinating history offers an expansive look at the development of one of the most popular and influential activities of the modern world: video gaming.
Essays and photographs will provide further insight into how each object contributed to gaming’s history, as well as “the greater culture.”
A History of Video Games In 64 Objects will be available on May 29, and you can get a sneak peek at its Introduction chapter at Unbound Worlds. And don’t forget about the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s 2018 induction ceremony, which will take place a few weeks earlier on May 3.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, Retro
Tagged World Video Game Hall of Fame
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie will open in theaters in November 2019
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has scheduled the theatrical premiere for Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie on November 15, 2019.
Tim Miller, most famous for directing Deadpool, is the Executive Producer on Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, which is said to include “a mix of live action and CGI to bring the character to life.”
Believe it or not, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie will have an Oscar-nominated director behind the camera. Jeff Fowler was nominated for an Oscar for “Best Animated Short” in 2005 (for Gopher Broke), and he’ll be sitting in the director’s chair. He’ll be joined on set by screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who previously worked on a pair of Team Hot Wheels movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog has starred in several dozen games since his debut in 1991, so we have no idea what the movie will look like when it comes to theaters next year. But it should be interesting.
Posted in Etcetera, News, Retro
Tagged Sonic the Hedgehog
Dark Horse will publish Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia this October
Do you know everything about Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom? Would you like to?
If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then you’re in luck. Dark Horse has announced (via their official website) that they’ll publish the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia this October. Weighing in at 256 pages, this reference work will cover the first 30 years of “Super” Mario’s career, beginning with 1985’s Super Mario Bros.:
The Super Mario Encyclopedia is jam-packed with content from 17 Super Mario games and spans more than 30 years of the franchise’s history—from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World. Track the evolution of the Goomba, witness the introduction of Yoshi, and relive your favorite levels.
This tome also contains an interview with producer Takashi Tezuka, tips to help you find every Coin, Star, Sun, and Mushroom… even explanations of glitches! With information on enemies, items, obstacles, and worlds from over 30 years of Mario, Super Mario Encyclopedia is the definitive resource for everything Super Mario!
The Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia will be released on October 23.
Atari is creating a Pong game show known as Million Dollar Pong
I’m sure there were quite a few cutthroat Pong competitions in the 70s. And it’s easy to assume those head-to-head battles are a thing of the past. But wait… the people of 2018 will soon get their own chance to compete against each other for big money and big prizes.
According to a recent report in Variety, the creative mind behind The Gong Show and Rock and Roll Jeopardy, Scott Sternberg, has teamed up with Atari to produce a game show based on Pong. The show will be known as Million Dollar Pong, and it’ll feature a “brand new” spin on the arcade classic:
“’Pong’ is a cultural touchpoint for generations of people,” said Sternberg. “It’s not often we get the chance to develop a game show concept around such an iconic brand. I can’t wait to give people the chance to see, experience, and play a brand new ‘Pong.’”
If you’re looking to enhance the period atmosphere of your living room before Million Dollar Pong‘s premiere, there’s no need to break out the wood paneling just yet. The show has yet to be signed by a network or streaming service.
Nintendo and Illumination are teaming up to create an animated Mario movie
Nintendo’s Hollywood dreams became a little closer to reality today. The consolemaker has announced they’ve teamed up with Illumination (the studio behind Despicable Me and Minions) to produce an animated movie based on characters and locales from the Super Mario Bros. franchise.
Nintendo will co-finance the untitled film with Universal Pictures, and it’ll be produced by Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto.
A release date for the new Super Mario Bros. movie wasn’t announced.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged Super Mario Bros.
John Cena might star in a Duke Nukem movie
Duke Nukem’s brash and cocky persona (which was borrowed wholesale from Bruce Campbell’s appearance in Army of Darkness) made him the quintessential 90s hero. But even though we’re more than two decades removed from the character’s heyday (Duke Nukem 3D was released in 1996), Hollywood has finally come calling for Duke.
A film adaptation is currently in the works at Paramount, and The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the WWE’s John Cena is in talks to play the intergalactic alien hunter:
The wrestler-turned-actor is negotiations to star in Duke Nukem, a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise featuring the politically incorrect action hero that is set up at Paramount.
Platinum Dunes, the company run by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller, will produce the movie.
Cena certainly looks the part, I’ll give them that much. But giving Duke the same outdated shtick in 2011’s oft-delayed Duke Nukem Forever definitely didn’t win him any new fans.
That said, any Duke Nukem movie adaptation is likely years away because there’s currently no script or director attached to the project.