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The ESA has officially canceled this year’s E3 Expo
After concerns over the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused the cancellation of this year’s Game Developers Conference and South By Southwest, many assumed that the Entertainment Software Association would follow suit and cancel the 2020 E3 Expo as well. Today, they did just that, with an announcement on their official website:
After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.
The ESA is looking to coordinate an “online experience” for the publishers and developers still interested in making major game announcements this June. While it’s unknown which companies are currently planning to participate in this digital event, further details will be announced soon at E3Expo.com.
Finally, the ESA promised that the E3 Expo will return in 2021 with “a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.”
Doom 64 re-release will include a completely new chapter and other upgrades
Bethesda tapped Nightdive Studios last year to re-release Doom 64 alongside Doom Eternal, but it looks like the long-forgotten shooter will be getting an upgrade for its 21st century debut.
Speaking to USgamer, developers from Nightdive had a lot to say about the psuedo-canonical second sequel to 1993’s Doom. The biggest news, delivered by Senior Developer James Haley, is that Doom 64 will ship with a completely new chapter that’ll link it even more closely to the events of 2016’s Doom:
Doom 64 has been discussed a lot in the lead-up to Doom Eternal, especially by Eternal’s co-director Hugo Martin. Can you talk about any connections Doom fans should keep an eye out for in either game?
James Haley, senior developer: On our end, persistent players will have the opportunity to unlock a new chapter in the Doomguy’s saga, taking place shortly after [Doom 64’s] original campaign concludes. The Mother Demon you defeated in that outing had a sister, and since you’ve been messing up Hell non-stop, she tries to get rid of you by sending you away. If you can make your way back and take revenge, you’ll be rewarded with a bit of lore that fans of both series, new and classic, should enjoy.
This new version of Doom 64 will include a number of other upgrades, including an Autorun option, new brightness settings (Doom 64 was notoriously hard-to-see on CRTs), a blood color toggle (Japanese players got green blood back in 1997 and now everyone will have that option), and touch control of the automap and optional motion aiming on the PS4 and Switch.
Doom 64 will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on March 20.
Activision will launch free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone tomorrow
Activision is dropping a new entry in the battle royale genre with Call of Duty: Warzone, which will be available as a free download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One beginning tomorrow, March 10.
Up to 150 players will be able to compete in a Call of Duty: Warzone match, and more details about how it all works can be found on the Activision Games Blog:
At launch, players can squad up in trios with their friends on Playstation 4, Battle.net for PC, or Xbox One across two game modes: Battle Royale and Plunder.
In Battle Royale, fight to be the last squad standing while escaping the deadly gas in the swiftly closing circle with up to 150 players.
In Plunder, the race is on to collect the most in-match Cash by looting across the map, taking down enemies to steal their Cash, and completing in-match Contracts.
Warzone takes place in Verdansk, an expansive city with multiple named zones and well over 300 points of interest. Each zone features distinct landmarks like the Gorengard Lumber Yard or the Gora Dam; the zones take place across different environment types like cities and rural areas for unique engagements. Change up your drop location in each match to get a better lay of the land and take advantage of what Verdansk has to offer.
Players will be able to move around the map using a wide variety of vehicles (including ATVs, Tactical Rovers, SUVs, Cargo Trucks, and Helicopters), but death isn’t the end if they get caught on the wrong end of an enemy attack. Once eliminated, all players will be able to fight it out in The Gulag 1v1 against another player for a chance to get back into the game.
Call of Duty: Warzone will also share a unified progression system with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and players who own Modern Warfare will be able to bring all unlocked Battle Pass items, Operators, weapons, and customization items into Warzone.
The first trailer for Call of Duty: Warzone has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Mortal Kombat 11 goes to Hell with Spawn beginning on March 17
Real-life kombatants gathered in Chicago this weekend to compete in NetherRealm Studios’s Final Kombat tournament for Mortal Kombat 11, but the developer had a prize for all of us. NetherRealm used the event to give fans their first look at Spawn, the final fighter set to be included as part of Mortal Kombat 11’s Kombat Pack.
Spawn will be voiced by the incomparable Keith David, and his chains and cape will play a big part in his moveset. The demonic character also packs a heavy punch and his use of gadgets gives off a vibe similar to Injustice 2‘s Batman. You can see Todd McFarlane’s creation square off against Scorpion and Erron Black in the new trailer embedded above.
Kombat Pack owners will be able to download Spawn beginning on March 17, while those of us who plan to purchase him as a standalone download will have to wait until March 24.
In addition to his Mortal Kombat 11 debut, Spawn will also inspire Jacqui Briggs’s new “Hellspawn” Skin, and the Matinee Skin Pack will transform existing characters Kotal Kahn, Erron Black, and Jacqui Briggs into “Osh Tekk Vandal” (Conan the Barbarian), “Swashbuckler” (Indiana Jones), and “Space Marine” (Ripley).
Finally, congratulations to Dominique “SonicFox” McLean on their nearly flawless victory in the Final Kombat tournament.
Roundguard is a Peggle-inspired roguelike that’s launching on March 13
Players will get a chance to flex their Peggle muscles next week as they explore the procedurally-generated dungeons of Roundguard, which will be released for the PC, Switch, and Xbox One on March 13 (a PS4 launch will follow “shortly after” that date).
The three members of the Roundguard (a Warrior, a Rogue, and a Wizard) will hurl themselves into the game’s dungeons (and off the walls) to complete quests and collect gold. But rather than crawl their way through torchlit hallways, players will use Peggle’s pinball-like gameplay mechanics to find the exit and return with the loot:
About Roundguard
Roundguard is a bouncy dungeon crawler with pinball physics, lots of loot, and a randomized castle full of oddballs. Press your luck against hordes of dangerously cute monsters and challenging roguelike elements in this all-round bouncy adventure!Features
- Bouncy Fun: Intuitive pinball physics-based gameplay like no other dungeon crawler.
- Multiple Classes: Play as the Warrior, the Rogue, or the Wizard, each with their own unique skills, items, and cheeky sense of humor.
- Randomized Dungeon: Each time you play, levels are procedurally generated, and quest events and elite monsters are randomly placed.
- Permadeath with Benefits: When you die, you’ll have a chance to bring a special trinket with you on your next run. The more gold you grab, the more powerful the trinket!
- A Cast of Oddballs: Chat with the castle’s colorful cast to pick up quests. You’ll meet a goblin poet, a smarmy teenage skeleton, a dark elf master chef, and tons more.
- Lots of Loot: Over 100 items and trinkets, each with effects that present strategic choices and combo possibilities.
- Show Off Your Skills: Compete on the leaderboards and try to master all the challenging, rule-bending relics.
A new trailer for Roundguard, which was developed by Wonderbelly Games and will be published by The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, has been embedded above.
See more of the Trials of Mana remake in this new Gameplay Trailer
Trials of Mana, the third game in the Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu franchise, was originally released for Japan’s Super Famicom all the way back in 1995. But in a cruel twist of fate, it didn’t make its way to the US until 2019 (as part of the Collection of Mana compilation). Thankfully, we won’t have to wait quite so long to play the upcoming remake, which will be released on April 24 for the PC, PS4, and Switch.
Square Enix recently unveiled a brand new Gameplay Trailer for Trials of Mana that gives prospective players a look at some of the changes made to the game in the last two decades, including a gorgeous visual upgrade, character classes, hundreds of abilities, and its unique branching story structure:
Square Enix today released a brand-new trailer for Trials of Mana, a full, high-definition remake of the third entry in the classic Mana series. Launching on April 24, the game will bring the beloved story and characters to the modern era with real-time combat, beautiful 3D graphics, and updated gameplay.
Originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 3 in 1995, Trials of Mana immerses players in an unforgettable adventure filled with exciting gameplay, memorable heroes, and villains. Players will craft varying experiences by selecting a party of three from six unique characters as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime, upgrading their characters’ classes into more power forms, learning over 300 different abilities, and discovering a world of secrets and mysteries to explore.
Trials of Mana’s new Gameplay Trailer has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch
Tagged Trials of Mana
HBO is turning Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us into a limited series
HBO is one of the many channels that have given new life to the “limited series,” and it looks like they’ve zeroed in on their next project… Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO will partner with PlayStation Productions to produce the post-apocalyptic series alongside Craig Mazin (the creator of HBO’s Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (the Creative Director of The Last of Us):
Mazin, who is said to be an avid player of the game, stated, “Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus. Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
“From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us,” said Druckmann in a statement. “With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show.”
The adaptation will cover the events from the first game, but HBO told The Hollywood Reporter that a second season of “additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel” is also a possibility.
Sam Raimi was previously attached to a film adaptation of The Last of Us, but it seems that that version of Joel and Ellie’s story is no longer in development.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, PS4
Tagged The Last of Us
Control and Death Stranding set a BAFTA Games Awards record with 11 nominations apiece
This year’s BAFTA Games Awards are likely to break some records as the nominating process has already yielded two games that can lay claim to the honor of “highest number of nominations in a single year.”
Remedy’s Control and Kojima Productions’s Death Stranding both earned 11 nominations this year, one up on Sony Santa Monica’s God of War, which earned 10 nominations ahead of last year’s ceremony. While both games received a bucketful of nominations, only Control will be competing for the BAFTA’s “Game of the Year” prize, and it’ll be going up against ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium, Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion 3, Mobius Digital’s Outer Wilds, From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and House House’s Untitled Goose Game.
The 2020 BAFTA Games Awards will be held on April 2. You can find a complete list of the nominees in all categories after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Control, Death Stranding, Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Untitled Goose Game