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PAX East 2015 Indie Megabooth lineup has been announced
The people behind the Indie Megabooth have announced this year’s PAX East 2015 lineup, which includes 79 games from 76 developers. The mazelike network of booths and carpet will feature a variety of eclectic games including previous PAXpocalypse selections such as Broforce (East 2014), Catlateral Damage (East 2014), Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (Prime 2013), Tumblestone (East 2014), and We Are Doomed (Prime 2013).
Trailers for every game are viewable at the Indie Megabooth official site and after taking in the short teasers, I’m sure a few other games will catch your fancy. I know I’m already planning to line up for Black Ice, a neon-coated beat ’em up/first person shooter; One More Line, a mobile game that feels like a Spider-Man simulator; and Titan Souls, a “Zeldalike” from Acidnerve.
In the interests of journalistic integrity, I’d also like to mention that Warp Zoned’s own Nicole Kline and Anthony Amato have earned a spot in this year’s Indie Megabooth Tabletop Area with their game, Resistor. I know I’m biased, but you should check it out.
You should also check out the complete list of games you’ll find within the Indie Megabooth at PAX East 2015, which is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Broforce, Catlateral Damage, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, PAX East 2015, Tabletop Games, Tumblestone, We Are Doomed
Nicole’s IndieCade East 2015 Diary
Last weekend, IndieCade East was held once again at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City. For three (extremely cold) days, I spent my time attending talks, playing games, and, of course, interacting with some amazing indie talent. Promoted as “IndieCade Festival’s sarcastic, all-black-wearing cousin,” IndieCade East had keynotes, talks, panels, workshops, an eSports showcase, Show & Tell, a curated showcase (entitled “Love & Rejection, Gesture, and Horizons”), and my personal favorite, Night Games. There was so much to do that even after three days, I hadn’t done it all. (more…)
Did You Hear? Video Game Release Calendar Update #1
Don’t Forget! Warp Zoned’s complete calendar of release dates for 2015, 2016, and beyond can be found right here: Video Game Release Calendar.
Welcome to Warp Zoned’s first “Video Game Release Calendar Update.” We’ve collected all the latest announcements and date changes from the last six weeks and added them to one of the most accurate game release calendars out there.
The month of March is filling out particularly well…
- It starts with the March 5 launch of Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, Nintendo’s first 3DS and Wii U Cross-Buy game.
- And then there’s the March 6 release of Zombie Army Trilogy (PC, PS4, Xbox One) and its supernatural WWII shenanigans.
- A week later is the March 10 launch of the PC version of Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, which now features eye-tracking technology for camera control.
- A day after that, on March 11, the “Metroidvania” Ori and the Blind Forest will be available for the PC and Xbox One.
- Finally, the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection closes out the month with a March 24 release on the PS4 and Xbox One.
The Spring and early Summer is also beginning to fill up with the announcement that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D will be available for the New 3DS XL on April 10. Nintendo will follow their massive action RPG with the puzzle-RPG styling of Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition (3DS) in May, which will launch alongside Splatoon, a shooter for the Wii U. And in June, we’ll get the chance to try out The Elder Scrolls Online on the PS4 and Xbox One (on June 9) and Lego Jurassic World (which will be released for every system under the sun).
Speaking of Lego adaptations, Lego Avengers will be available this Fall. As will Skylanders 5, which is currently in development for unannounced platforms.
And lastly, Blizzard has said that Overwatch (PC) and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (PC) will likely launch in 2016 after each receives a beta test in 2015.
The complete list of updated release dates can be found after the break. (more…)
Alien: Isolation bursts ahead of the field with six nominations at 2015 BAFTA Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominees for the 2015 BAFTA Games Awards and the British-born Alien: Isolation leads the way with six nominations. Creative Assembly’s sequel to the 1979 film is up for “Best Game” as well as “British Game,” “Audio Achievement,” “Music,” Game Design,” and “Game Innovation.”
It will be competing for the top prize against some of last year’s most-honored titles including Bungie’s Destiny, BioWare’s Dragon Age: Inquisition, Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8, Monolith’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorm, and ustwo’s Monument Valley.
Monument Valley’s presence in the “Best Game” category is rather fitting as it lead all other games with five nominations. Far Cry 4, which is not competing for “Best Game,” also managed to score five nominations. 80 Days, Destiny, Mario Kart 8, and Shadow of Mordor all took up residence on the next level with four nominations apiece.
The winners of the 2015 BAFTA Games Awards will revealed on March 12. The full list of nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Alien: Isolation, Destiny, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4, Mario Kart 8, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Monument Valley
RBI Baseball 15 will suit up for new-gen consoles, mobile devices, and PC this Spring
MLB Advanced Media has announced that the RBI Baseball franchise will get a sophomore season on consoles, mobile devices, and the PC. The retro-inspired RBI Baseball 15 will be available to download this Spring for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, as well as on iOS and Android devices.
Fans who picked up the first game were quite vocal about its many flaws, and MLB Advanced Media has promised to incorporate this feedback into the sequel. That means redone graphics, full stat tracking, customizable rosters, and several other new features:
- Ballparks: Completely redesigned authentic Major League ballparks for all 30 franchises, each crafted with detailed design characteristics fans will easily recognize.
- Full Rosters: Play with complete 25-man Major League rosters for all 30 teams, modifying your batting order or pitching rotation at any point. Set the active 25-man roster from each franchise’s 40-man roster.
- Stat Tracking: Track batting and pitching statistics in season mode for the first time ever, including viewable team, player and season league leaderboards.
- Online Play: Choose to play in online multiplayer mode in friendly and ranked games.
- Gameplay Settings: Pick your competition level with Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty levels.
Even though RBI Baseball 15 is a download-only title, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has signed on as the game’s “cover athlete.” MLB Advanced Media has also signed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to serve as a pitchman for the game.
Shadow of Mordor wins eight awards at 2015 DICE Awards but not Game of the Year
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor won eight awards during last night’s DICE Awards ceremony (out of nine nominations), but it was unable to snag the big prize. Instead, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences chose to award “Game of the Year” to BioWare’s Dragon Age: Inquisition.
But don’t feel too bad for Monolith Productions and their romp through the Lord of the Rings universe. Shadow of Mordor’s eight wins included “Adventure Game of the Year,” “Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction,” “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design,” “Outstanding Innovation in Gaming,” “Outstanding Achievement in Animation,” “Outstanding Achievement in Character,” “Outstanding Achievement in Story,” and “Outstanding Technical Achievement.”
The third game in the Dragon Age series was only able to walk away with a single other award: “Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year.”
Bungie’s Destiny (which took home four awards) and Blizzard’s Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (“Mobile Game of the Year” and “Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year”) were the only other multi-award winners last night. Though Nintendo’s pair of Smash Bros. games were awarded “Handheld Game of the Year” (Super Smash Bros. For 3DS) and “Fighting Game of the Year” (Super Smash Bros. For Wii U).
The complete list of winners can be found after the break. (more…)
Asher Vollmer’s Close Castles is on hold because it’s not very enjoyable
You might not know Asher Vollmer’s name, but you certainly know his work. Vollmer was one-third of Sirvo, the impromptu development team behind the mobile blockbuster Threes. More recently, Vollmer has been working on Close Castles, a real-time strategy game for the PS4 that he says is for people who hate real-time strategy games. But right now it looks like it’s not for anybody as Vollmer has confirmed (via Twitter) that the development of Close Castles is currently on hold.
Close Castles has been set aside for now because Vollmer believes that the game isn’t very enjoyable in its current state. The developer further states that he’s “designed [himself] into a corner” and that he’ll have to “overhaul the game” before he can release it to bring it up to his standards.
In the meantime, Vollmer has begun work on a brand new mobile game that he’s not ready to talk about yet. Hopefully we’ll learn more about it (and the future of Close Castles) soon.
Posted in Mobile, News, PS4
Tagged Close Castles
Kickstart This! Elventales, Threshold, Maestros of the Anthymn
After an extended Christmas break, Kickstart This! is back with a vengeance, sifting through the crowdfunding projects of early 2015 to find those few that stand out from the digital masses. And even better, Kickstarter has now dropped Amazon payments in favour of payment system Stripe, which means not only is it easier for developers to set up payments, but there are also fewer steps for players to make them. Everyone wins.
This week there is top-down RPG Elventales: A Path Foreseen, beautiful hand-painted 2D platformer Threshold, and finally, episodic fantasy adventure tale Maestros of the Anthymn.
Let the adventure begin! (more…)