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Kickstart This! Deserted, Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse, Night City Assault
Kickstarter recently released a long-awaited Fulfillment Report, an independent analysis of its crowdfunding activities by Professor Ethan Mollick of the University of Pennsylvania. While the report contains a lot of interesting data, the number many media outlets are focusing on is the 9% failure rate of fully-funded projects. The report has this to say about the numbers:
Is a 9% failure rate reasonable for a community of people trying to bring creative projects to life? We think so, but we also understand that the risk of failure may deter some people from participating. We respect that. We want everyone to understand exactly how Kickstarter works — that it’s not a store, and that amid creativity and innovation there is risk and failure.
Let’s look at this another way. 91% of projects across all categories succeed and deliver. What industry can say that? There is an old adage in the film industry that mentions that 7 out of 10 features lose money, two break even, and one film makes enough money to cover the loss. This is almost the opposite.
Personally I have yet to support a successful project, video game related or otherwise, that has not delivered after receiving my funds (or at least been on course to do so). Yes, I practise what I preach and donate on crowdfunding sites. I recently had an update from lead developer James Fletcher about his long-gestating project Knite and the Ghost Lights. In a nutshell, he had to put the project on hiatus to work for six months so he could support his family and then return to the game. Despite waiting longer than I thought I would for the game, James’ commitment to do six months of commercial work in order to realise his dream keeps my faith alive in the crowdfunding community. There are people out there who seek to con others, but that’s why we have columns like Kickstart This!
So what games are we urging you to back this time around? We start off with RPG action-adventure Deserted, before shining a light on not one but two games from Australia. The first is cutesy robot puzzler Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse, while the second is the Streets of Rage-inspired RPG beat ‘em up Night City Assault. (more…)
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is now available for iOS devices
Rockstar continues to muscle into Apple’s turf with today’s announcement that Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is now available to download through the iOS App Store. Liberty City Stories, which was originally released for the PSP in 2005, actually serves as a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III and gives players the chance to visit many of the same haunts:
In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, former trusted wise guy for the Leone crime family, Toni Cipriani, returns home after spending time in hiding for killing a made man. Now, the streets of Liberty City are in turmoil, as warring families vie for control and the town begins to self-destruct under waves of political corruption, organized crime, drug trafficking and union strikes. Deranged hit men, morally depraved tycoons, cynical politicians and even his own mother stand in the way, as Toni tries to bring the city under Leone family control.
With the move to iDevices, Rockstar has added a number of new features and enhancements to the game. Priced at $6.99, the latest version of Liberty City Stories will treat players to “real-time lighting and shadows, upgraded textures and art, greater draw distance, performance enhancements for touch-based gaming, cross-platform cloud saves, support for Apple’s 3D Touch and more.” Players who purchase the game on the iOS App Store will also be able to unlock an “I Heart LC” t-shirt for their GTA Online character in Grand Theft Auto V on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One.
According to Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories will soon be available to download for Android devices through Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. A new trailer for the game can be found after the break. (more…)
Minecraft: Story Mode’s fourth episode will be released on December 22
Get ready to put some cookies and milk, Telltale Games has announced they’ll be dropping down your chimney to deliver the fourth episode of Minecraft: Story Mode for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices on December 22 (Vita and Wii U versions are also in the works). If you’ve been playing along with the first three episodes, here’s what shenanigans you can expect to get up to in A Block and a Hard Place:
In Episode Four, with the fearsome Wither Storm more dangerous than ever, Jesse, Reuben, and the crew discover there is one thing that can destroy the command block at the heart of the monster – but they’ll need to brave the perils of the Farlands to find it. As uneasy allies and ailing friends threaten to tear the group apart, can they defeat the Wither Storm in their final battle? And what sacrifices must be made to succeed? Find out in Episode Four’s epic “Wither Storm Finale” that will turn the page on one chapter, before adventures may begin anew…
According to Telltale, Minecraft: Story Mode’s fifth episode will be released sometime in early 2016.
Telltale will release a new Batman game in 2016
Telltale released a trailer at last night’s Game Awards announcing a new Batman game set for release in 2016. This comes just a few months after they announced they’ll be also releasing a Marvel game in 2017. I can’t believe they’re able to keep such a tight lid on these! Also, they are so busy.
There’s no formal date other than “2016,” and not much other information other than that it’ll be “A Telltale Game Series.” Here’s hoping Kevin Conroy will be voicing Batman!
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: The Telltale Series, Game Awards 2015
The Walking Dead: Michonne is a standalone Telltale Games series that’ll launch in February
Originally announced as a small expansion to The Walking Dead Season 2, Telltale Games revealed that The Walking Dead: Michonne will be released this February as a standalone three-part series during last night’s Game Awards.
Set during Michonne’s previously untold absence from The Walking Dead comic book (issue #126 through #139), Telltale has said that players “will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.” Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black‘s Poussey Washington) will portray the character throughout the series.
“We’ve been hard at work on this very special exploration of The Walking Dead universe that will further bridge together our game series with the canon of Robert Kirkman’s comic though one of its most complex characters struggling to maintain her own humanity,” said Kevin Bruner, Co-Founder and CEO of Telltale Games. “Deeply haunted by the decisions of her past, putting players in the role of a character like Michonne to navigate the broken world around her is an experience that feels uniquely Telltale, and something we simply cannot wait for The Walking Dead fans to play.”
Like Telltale’s other Walking Dead adaptations, The Walking Dead: Michonne is in development for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2015, The Walking Dead: Michonne
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wins Game of the Year at 2015 Game Awards
After racking up more nominations than any other title, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt easily waltzed away with the “Game of the Year” prize at the 2015 Game Awards. Held last night in Los Angeles, the game also secured the “Best Role Playing Game” statue during the awards show, as well as “Developer of the Year” honors for CD Projekt Red.
While The Witcher 3 is known for its size, two smaller games also managed to win multiple awards last night. Sam Barlow’s Her Story took home the Game Award for “Best Narrative” and “Best Performance” for actress Viva Seifert. Meanwhile, Rocket League reached its goal by winning for both “Best Independent Game” and “Best Sports/Racing Game.”
Nintendo had a good Game Awards as Splatoon took home a pair of awards for its unique take on the multiplayer shooter (specifically, “Best Multiplayer” and “Best Shooter”). Nintendo also won “Best Family Game” for Super Mario Maker.
Many other titles took home a trophy last night including Mortal Kombat X (“Best Fighting Game”), Life Is Strange (“Games For Change Award”), Ori and the Blind Forest (“Best Art Direction”), and Lara Croft Go (“Best Mobile/Handheld Game”). And Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain won “Best Action/Adventure Game” and “Best Score/Soundtrack,” though host Geoff Keighley explained that he wasn’t able to accept either award as Konami had barred him from the event.
While that turn of events was a bit shocking (and frankly, rather petty), the biggest surprise may have been that Bethesda’s Fallout 4 was completely shut out at the 2015 Game Awards.
A complete rundown of this year’s winners can be found after the break. (more…)
SteamWorld Heist will be released for 3DS on December 10; Other platforms to follow in 2016
Image & Form has announced that SteamWorld Heist, their turn-based space adventure starring sentient robots, will be released for the 3DS on December 10. SteamWorld Heist will be regularly priced at $19.99, but Image & Form is slashing the price by $3 (to $16.99) for its first three weeks of availability. The developer also revealed that a brand new trailer for the game will be available just ahead of the launch date, on December 8.
SteamWorld Heist will also be released for the PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, and mobile devices sometime in 2016.
Black Friday 2015 Video Game Deals: Amazon
Black Friday is here, is your wish list (and your wallet) ready? Here’s what you can expect to find at Amazon today…
Amazon’s Black Friday deals will begin just before 7:00 AM (Pacific Time) today, and the retail giant has posted a handy guide for when most of their Lightning Deals will go live. We don’t know exactly how much they’ll cost, but if you’re looking for a good deal on Guitar Hero Live, Destiny: The Taken King, FIFA 16, NBA 2K16, Madden NFL 16, The Last of Us Remastered, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Mortal Kombat X, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, and many others, you might want to visit Amazon today.
The complete schedule for Amazon’s Video Game Lightning Deals for Black Friday can be found after the break. And don’t forget to check out their main Black Friday Deals page for discounts on even more titles. (more…)