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Here are the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016
The Strong Museum has announced the finalists competing for a spot in the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.
The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon Red and Blue, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders were all nominated last year, but ultimately weren’t selected by the Hall of Fame’s international committee. They’ll get another shot in 2016, alongside Elite, Final Fantasy, John Madden Football, Nurburgring, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Street Figher II, and Tomb Raider.
Any and all of these titles would be worthy of enshrinement in the World Video Game Hall of Fame, but only a handful of titles will make the final cut when the inductees are announced on May 5 at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time).
If you’re unfamiliar with any of these classic games, a quick rundown of all 15 titles (provided by The Strong) is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Minecraft, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, The Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
Nordic Games plans to release four massive RPGs in the next two years
Nordic Games has updated their release calendar for the next two years and it includes a quartet of new RPGs in addition to a few games we already knew about (The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for mobile/Wii U, Battle Worlds: Kronos for PC/PS4/Xbox One, MX vs ATV Supercross Encore for Xbox One, and Aquanox Deep Descent for PC/PS4/Xbox One).
The publisher is referring to their upcoming RPG slate as the “Big Four” and it includes a mix of sequels and original properties. This year, Nordic will release multi-generational saga The Guild 3 and RTS/RPG hybrid Spellforce 3 exclusively for the PC. And next year, they plan to launch the action RPG ELEX and the traditional JRPG-styled Battle Chasers: Nightwar for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
More information about Nordic’s “Big Four” can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Battle Chasers: Nightwar, ELEX, SpellForce 3
Minecraft: Story Mode’s final chapter will be available next week; 3 bonus episodes will launch later this year
Telltale Games has announced that Minecraft: Story Mode‘s tale will come to an end next week with “Order Up,” the game’s fifth and final episode… though fans should get ready for more adventures with Jesse and friends. Later this year, the developer plans to launch a three-episode miniseries following the further Adventures of the New Order of the Stone. Unlike the standalone The Walking Dead: Michonne, these bonus episodes will be released as add-on content for Story Mode.
But first, let’s look at the upcoming finale:
In the upcoming Episode 5, on a tip from Ivor, Jesse and friends head to an abandoned temple holding mysterious treasures. Ambushed by former Ocelot Aiden and his crew, our heroes find themselves in an entirely new world: Sky City! As they explore, the Order finds that resources are at a premium, and nothing but ‘The Void’ exists below the known world. When Aiden convinces Sky City’s ruler that the New Order of the Stone are up to no good, you’ll need to make some tough choices to clear your name, and keep Aiden from destroying an innocent world.
Minecraft: Story Mode – Order Up will be available to download for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on March 29. Unfortunately, a release date for the episode’s Wii U launch wasn’t announced.
Telltale reconfirms that The Walking Dead Season 3 will be released this year
We say it all the time, but Telltale Games really does have a lot on their plate. From The Walking Dead: Michonne to Minecraft: Story Mode to Batman, and beyond, the team probably has a dozen games in various stages of development. But it looks like one of those games is still on track for a 2016 launch.
Speaking to Mashable, Telltale’s CEO, Kevin Bruner, confirmed that The Walking Dead Season 3 will make its debut later this year. According to the executive, Telltale is working very hard to make Season 3 appeal to new players, as well as returning fans:
“How do we go back and make sure all Walking Dead fans can get in while still keeping all of our storylines going? I think where we’re landing with the story for Season 3 does a really good job of both of those things.
“It allows people who maybe haven’t played [the first two seasons] to come in and get up to speed really quickly. But it definitely respects, honors and facilitates all of the various end points that Season 2 had.”
Telltale plans to shamble into this year’s San Diego Comic-Con with the first details of The Walking Dead Season 3, so we definitely shouldn’t expect to see it before the Summer. For now, you’ll have to be satisfied with the second episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne, which will be released on March 29.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Comic-Con 2016, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
Telltale revealed a few details about their Batman series… including that it’ll debut this Summer
A team from Telltale Games took the Batplane down to Austin this weekend to talk to the crowd at SXSW about their upcoming Batman series. While it’s still too early for a sneak peek at the game, Telltale was able to confirm the first episode will be available sometime this Summer. A quick recap of the presentation was also posted to the Telltale Blog, where the developer revealed that players will spend just as much time with Bruce Wayne as they will with Batman:
Batman is the perfect character for the studio to explore in a Telltale series, giving the team the opportunity to dive deeper into the mind of the man behind the mask. Each night, Bruce Wayne chooses to change Gotham for the better. The team wants to explore what the consequences are of the player’s actions when decisions made as Bruce have a critical impact on his nightly crusade as Batman, and vice versa. Certain key situations will give the player the decision to approach a scene as Bruce or Batman, with consequences for both sides.
They would go on to say that their Batman game won’t be tied to any existing continuity, and that the Bat Family (Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc) won’t play a large role in the story. However, they did announce that Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, GCPD officer Renee Montoya, and reporter Vicki Vale would all appear in the game. Naturally, the game’s villains are currently a closely guarded secret within the halls of Telltale.
Some of these characters will interact with both Bruce Wayne during the day, and Batman at night. And how players handle these interactions could change the outcome for certain characters. Whatever decisions you make, they’ll have serious consequences as Telltale also said that their Batman series will be rated Mature and have a “cinematic approach [that] will feel more akin to an R-rated film.”
Holy bursting anticipation, Batman!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is “Game of the Year” at 2016 GDC Awards
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt might be the last game in CD Projekt’s Witcher saga, but it’s first in the eyes of voters at the 2016 Game Developers Choice Awards. The final adventure for Geralt of Rivia was awarded “Game of the Year” honors at the annual ceremony, as well as “Best Technology” for “its complex game engine that combines brilliant visuals with a huge game world.”
However, the big winner of the night was Sam Barlow’s Her Story. After cleaning up earlier in the day at the IGF Awards, Her Story also collected the “Innovation Award,” “Best Narrative,” and “Best Handheld/Mobile Game” at the 2016 GDC Awards.
The only other multi-award winner was Ori and the Blind Forest, which shone brightly as the winner of “Best Visual Art” and “Best Debut.”
As they do every year, the Game Developers Choice jury also distributed a trio of special awards at this year’s ceremony. The “Ambassador Award” was given to Tracy Fullerton, professor and Director of the University of Southern California Game Design program. Bethesda’s Todd Howard won a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his work with The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. And finally, Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of Minecraft, was praised with the “Pioneer Award.”
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged GDC 2016, Her Story, Life Is Strange, Ori and the Blind Forest, Rocket League, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Her Story wins Seumas McNally Grand Prize at 2016 IGF Awards
Sam Barlow’s Her Story won the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize” at the 2016 Independent Games Festival Awards last night. The game, which resurrected full motion video storytelling to tease out its central mystery, was also the recipient of the “Excellence In Narrative” trophy.
It was a great night for independent gaming as several other games were also honored at this year’s IGF Awards. The spooky Oxenfree won “Excellence In Visual Art,” the ultra-tense Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes won “Excellence in Design,” and the hypnotic and soothing sounds of Mini Metro won “Excellence In Audio.” “The Nuovo Award,” which recognizes “abstract and unconventional games,” was awarded to Cibele for its look at online relationships. And the “Best Student Game” of the year was Jenny Jiao Hsia and Alec Thomson’s Beglitched.
Finally, the “ID@Xbox Rising Star Award” was given to Girls Make Games for The Hole Story and Undertale, developed by Toby Fox, won the “Audience Award.”
Congratulations to everyone who was a winner last night at the 2016 Independent Games Festival Awards. The complete list of winners, in handy list format, can be found after the break. And don’t forget, if you’re in San Francisco for the Game Developers Conference, every nominee from this year’s contest is available to try out at the IGF Pavilion. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged GDC 2016, Her Story, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Mini Metro
RBI Baseball 16 will be available to download on March 29; Retail disc is on deck for April 5
Video Games! Get Your Video Games Here!
MLB Advanced Media has announced that RBI Baseball 16 will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices on March 29. The publisher also revealed the game will be released as a retail disc a week later, on April 5, for the PS4 and Xbox One.
RBI Baseball 16 will add a number of new features to the retro-styled sports sim including the opportunity to simulate a single game or an entire season, the ability to dive for a hard hit ball, the chance to make pre-game changes to the lineup, and an improved batting engine. And in a first for the franchise, RBI Baseball 16 will be available as a digital download throughout Europe.
And don’t forget, Opening Day is April 3. Let’s play ball!