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Most Recent: Mobile
Nintendo President reveals more about company’s move into mobile gaming
Gamers the world over are still in a state of shock after Nintendo announced they would start developing mobile games. Especially since the “how” of this historic news is still a big question mark. Thankfully, Time Magazine approached Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata, to ask the big questions about the company’s mobile push.
According to Iwata, Nintendo is not outsourcing development of their planned mobile titles to DeNA. The consolemaker themselves will develop the games while DeNA offers assistance with the “service side of things.” Iwata also said that famed developer Shigeru Miyamoto may work on mobile titles in the future, but for now, his time is being spent working on a trio of previously-announced Wii U games (Star Fox, Project Guard, Project Giant Robot) that are scheduled to launch in 2015.
Finally, any discussion of the mobile game market will include the big question… Premium or Free-To-Play? According to Iwata, Nintendo is not committing to either scheme and will chose each game’s pricing scheme on a title-by-title basis: “[F]or each title, we will discuss with DeNA and decide the most appropriate payment method. So, specifically to your question, both can be options, and if a new Nintendo-like invention comes of it, then all the better.”
For more insight into Nintendo’s mobile partnership with DeNA, I recommend reading the rest of the Time Magazine interview.
Nintendo partners with DeNA to produce mobile games and unified network
Nintendo and mobile devices have had a shaky relationship for years now. Investment analysts called out the company for ignoring the market (and thus, forgoing the giant piles of money they’d surely make from mobile games), while Nintendo executives reiterated that the time wasn’t right for a mobile move. I guess today’s the day as Nintendo has announced a partnership with Japanese developer DeNA to produce original mobile games based on existing Nintendo characters.
The word “original” is key here as DeNA and Nintendo will definitely not be producing mobile ports of existing 3DS and Wii U games. All Nintendo-branded mobile games will be built from the ground up exclusively for mobile devices and no characters will be off-limits. That means franchises as varied as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Star Fox, Mario Kart, or even Pikmin could soon appear on your iPhone or Android device. Who knows, something as niche as Earthbound could even be on its way to an app store near you.
Leveraging the strength of Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP) and game development skills in combination with DeNA’s world-class expertise in mobile games, both companies will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide.
To support this move into the mobile market, Nintendo and DeNA will also collaborate on a unified online membership service that will accessible from mobile devices, PCs, the 3DS, and the Wii U. It’s unknown if this service will replace the existing Nintendo Network as details are currently scarce, but we know it will launch in Fall 2015.
Nintendo and DeNA will announce the first titles for their mobile initiative soon.
The PAXpocalypse List: The Best of PAX East 2015
Most of the big publishers chose to skip the 2015 edition of PAX East and even those that did attend (like Nintendo and Microsoft) kept their most anticipated projects home. But that didn’t stop a wide variety of indie developers from setting up shop in the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to wow the assembled masses. These developers set the tone for this year’s expo, which featured a heavy focus on games that attempted to reinterpret classic gameplay concepts for a new generation of players. And the crazy thing is that many of the developers hyping these games looked like they would have been in diapers the first time I fired up an SNES.
It was a welcome sight with the rest of the industry pivoting away from those types of games and towards a competition to see who can push the most polygons. So if you were a fan of gaming in the NES, Super NES, and Genesis days, this PAXpocalypse List is for you. Because these are the games we would have played over and over again if some horrible snow storm had trapped us inside the convention center beyond the last day of the expo. (more…)
Posted in Features, Mobile, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged 20XX, Axiom Verge, Extreme Exorcism, Gigantic, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Just Shapes and Beats, Knight Squad, PAX East 2015, Pit People, Rive, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, Tabletop Games, Tumblestone, We Are Doomed
Dragon Age: Inquisition wins “Game of the Year” at 2015 SXSW Gaming Awards
BioWare’s Dragon Age: Inquisition won “Game of the Year” at the 2015 SXSW Gaming Awards, but 2014’s other big releases walked away with the rest of the categories.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and The Last of Us: Left Behind were the only multi-award winners. Shadow of Mordor collected trophies for “Excellence in Gameplay,” “Excellence in Animation,” and “Excellence in Design and Direction,” while Naughty Dog’s expansion to The Last of Us was awarded with the “Most Valuable Add-On Content” trophy as well as “Most Valuable Character” (for Ellie).
The full list of winners (which also includes Destiny, Far Cry 4, Alien: Isolation, Transistor, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, and many others) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Alien: Isolation, Child of Light, Destiny, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Tabletop Games, The Last of Us, The Last of Us: Left Behind, The Wolf Among Us, Transistor
Destiny wins “Best Game” at 2015 BAFTA Game Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) handed out their Game Awards last night and Bungie’s Destiny was awarded “Best Game.” The top prize was Destiny’s only win at the ceremony as the British Academy decided to spread the Game Awards around to many different deserving titles.
However, that didn’t stop Monument Valley from winning big. The mobile title from Ustwo captured the “British Game” award as well as the “Mobile & Handheld” award. Other only other multi-winner last night was Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us: Left Behind, which took home the “Story” award and the “Performer” award for Ashley Johnson’s portrayal of Ellie.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, which won “Game of the Year” at the GDC Awards only managed to come away with the “Game Design” award at the BAFTAs. Dragon Age: Inquisition, which won “Game of the Year” at both Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards and the DICE Awards, went home empty-handed at the BAFTAs.
The complete list of winners can be found after the break. (more…)
Video Game Release Calendar Changelog #2: Post GDC/PAX East Edition
Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find with a 2015, 2016, or unannounced release date.
Even though there’s still a lot of snow on the ground in most places, both of video gaming’s Spring showcases came and went last week. New release dates aplenty were announced at the Game Developers Conference and PAX East, along with a few dozen more since our last Video Game Release Calendar Changelog. Players with a love for AAA blockbuster will want to pay close attention to September 1, as WB Games staked out that spot on the calendar for Mad Max on the same day that Konami attempted to reserve it for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
If you’re looking for games about to be released in the more immediate timeframe, Sony’s Spring Fever promotion has locked in eight of indie gaming’s most interesting titles over the next two months culminating with Shovel Knight‘s April 21 launch on the PS3, PS4, and Vita (it’ll also be available for the Xbox One). Working backwards, April 14’s Titan Souls, April 7’s Bastion, and March 31’s Axiom Verge should also be on your radar if you enjoy retro-styled games.
Moving forward, other big games with confirmed release dates include the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V (now scheduled to launch on April 14), Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (May 5), and the PS4 version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (May 12). Microsoft and Square Enix also confirmed that, respectively, Forza Motorsport 6 and Just Cause 3 will be out by the end of the year.
Finally, a few games slid into “TBA” slots after not being announced at all. Harmonix announced that Rock Band 4 will be released sometime this year while Square Enix did the same for the North American launch of Dragon Quest Heroes. Capcom strongly hinted that Street Fighter V will be in Spring 2016, but wouldn’t officially commit to any specific date. It’ll be joined in 2016 by Level-5’s Yo-Kai Watch, which will definitely cross the Pacific next year.
The full list of games from the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog Update #2 can be found after the break. (more…)
Batman: Arkham Underworld, DC Comics Legends, Game of Thrones coming to mobile
After yesterday’s Mortal Kombat X announcement, WB Games is ready to unveil a few more mobile titles they’ve got in development including a new Batman game, a DC Comics crossover, and yet another Game of Thrones adaptation.
Developed by Turbine, Batman: Arkham Underworld is a villain simulator that tasks players with building a hideout and recruiting an army of henchmen. Players can use this army of mooks to take over turf in Gotham and maybe even take on The Batman himself. A beta test is currently scheduled for later this year, and prospective players can sign up at the game’s official website.
On the other hand, DC Comics Legends is an RPG in development at WB Games San Francisco that will ask players to select a team of superheroes to do battle with an evil plot for world domination.
Finally, WB’s Game of Thrones game is currently untitled, but it too is in development at Turbine. It’s being described as a “combat strategy game” and players will have to “join an alliance, rise to power, and then try to take the Iron Throne.”
In addition to Mortal Kombat X, all of these games will join the previously announced Lego Batman: Beyond Gotham in WB’s upcoming mobile lineup. More details on all of these titles can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News
Tagged Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Mortal Kombat X
A mobile version of Mortal Kombat X is also in development
In years past, NetherRealm’s mobile team has produced a scaled down version of Injustice: Gods Among Us, as well as fighting game spinoffs of Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins. Earlier this year, they turned WWE wrestlers into superheroes and supervillains for the similarly styled WWE Immortals. Today, the developer has confirmed that Mortal Kombat X will get the same treatment this April.
Like their previous efforts, the mobile version of Mortal Kombat X will be a free-to-play fighting/card-battler hybrid. Fatalities will definitely make the cut in the mobile version, as will X-Rays and the “iconic visceral combat” the franchise is known for. Mortal Kombat X on mobile will link up with the PC/console edition and players will be able to unlock content within each version by completing tasks and Achievements/Trophies in the other.
“NetherRealm Studios has created a Mortal Kombat X mobile experience that allows more players than ever before to play this over-the-top fighting game through their ever-present smartphones, tablets or other devices,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “What’s more, we’ve expanded the unique cross-connectivity feature that links the mobile and console versions of Mortal Kombat X, delivering unique rewards to all players for simply playing the mobile game.”
Mortal Kombat X will be available in April for all iOS (iPhone, iPad, iOS Touch) and Android devices.