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Atari’s “Ataribox” microconsole will be known as the Atari VCS
Yesterday, Atari confirmed that its “Ataribox” microconsole will officially be known as the Atari VCS. The name is meant to stir up fond memories of Atari’s first console, the Atari 2600 Video Computer System, but even with its name out in the wild, the microconsole is still shrouded in mystery.
We know the Atari VCS will come packed with classic Atari games, but the company is also planning to make newer games available for the microconsole through an Internet connection. These games are said to be “designed for today’s living room,” but as of now, we have no idea what the Atari VCS’s game lineup (retro or modern) will actually look like.
That said, Atari did give us a sneak peek at the VCS’s wood-paneled console design, as well as prototypes for its Classic Joystick and Modern Controller:
Inspired by the iconic silhouette of the original Atari 2600 Video Computer System, the new Atari VCS has already generated considerable excitement within the gaming community. Its skillful blend of modern lines and reverential details, combined with contemporary content technology and new innovation, has evoked positive reactions from Atari fans both new and old. The Atari VCS will of course serve up lots of classic content, but it is so much more than a “retro-box.” It is a completely new Atari connected device designed for today’s living room.
The Atari VCS will be available for hands-on testing (by appointment only) during this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, so hopefully we’ll learn more about it soon.
New Retail Releases: Sea of Thieves, Ni No Kuni II, Detective Pikachu, More
Game publishers love to launch highly-anticipated new games just before the end of a financial quarter, so we’ve got a bounty of new games to choose from in this week’s New Retail Releases report.
Leading the way is Sea of Thieves, a multiplayer pirate simulation for the Xbox One from Microsoft and Rare. But if you’d rather explore a different kind of world, Bandai Namco and Level-5 will bring Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, an RPG sequel created in conjunction with animators from Studio Ghibli, to the PS4. Even players who are still attached to their 3DS handhelds will have new options this week with Nintendo’s launch of Detective Pikachu.
Several multiplatform titles will also make their way onto store shelves this week including Hazelight’s co-op prison break sim, A Way Out (PS4, Xbox One); MLB Advanced Media’s retro-styled baseball game, RBI Baseball 18 (PS4, Xbox One); and Koei Tecmo’s second adaptation of the Attack On Titan anime, Attack On Titan 2 (PS4, Switch, Xbox One).
Finally this week, THQ Nordic will bring back Titan Quest in an upgraded new re-release for the PS4 and Xbox One. And Badland Games will make Velocity 2X: Critical Mass Edition available on retail shelves for the PS4 and Vita.
That’s it for this week’s New Retail Releases report, but we’ll be back in a few days with a look at all the upcoming additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch, Vita, Xbox One
Tagged A Way Out, Attack On Titan 2, Detective Pikachu, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, RBI Baseball 18, Sea of Thieves
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is “Video Game of the Year” at 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took home another trophy last night when the “open-air” adventure was named “Video Game of the Year” at the 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards. The Nintendo Switch launch title also scooped up awards for “Excellence in Design” and “Excellence in Gameplay”
PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds also picked up three awards last night (“Esports Game of the Year,” “Trending Game of the Year,” and “Excellence in Multiplayer”), and a handful of other games (Cuphead, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Nier: Automata) were two-time winners.
You can find the complete list of winners from the 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards at Video Game Canon.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Cuphead, Fire Emblem Mobile, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nier: Automata, Night in the Woods, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, What Remains of Edith Finch
UK-developed Hellblade leads the way at 2018 BAFTA Games Awards with 9 nominations
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was developed in the United Kingdom at Ninja Theory, and this hometown advantage helped it lead the way with nine nominations at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards.
With so many nominations, it’s no surprise that Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is up for “Best Game,” and it’ll be competing against Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, Guerrilla’s Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey, and Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch.
The BAFTA Games Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 12, and hosting duties will once again be handled by comedian Dara O’Briain. If you weren’t able to score a ticket to the big show, you’ll still be able to livestream the entire ceremony through BAFTA.org and several other streaming platforms.
The complete list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break. (more…)
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, Tesla Vs Lovecraft, Surviving Mars, more coming to PS Store this week
Sony added another big batch of new games to the PlayStation Store, and fans of the PS3’s heyday should be on the lookout for two big re-releases.
But first, NIS America and Goichi “Suda51” Suda will bring The 25th Ward: The Silver Case to the PS4 in an updated edition. Originally released for mobile phones, and only in Japan, the game’s PS4 debut is also the first time it’ll be available in North America.
Nikola Tesla famously feuded with Thomas Edison, but the inventor will tangle with a very different foe in Tesla Vs Lovecraft. Developed by 10Tons, the PS4 game is a top-down twin-stick shooter that asks players to jump in a mech and do battle with the “inhuman minions” from H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
Also this week, Paradox Interactive and Haemimont Games will bring Surviving Mars to the PS4. The city-building simulation transports the action to the Red Planet and asks players to build a colony habitable for human life.
Finally this week, two PS3 classics will be enhanced for a PS4 re-release. Electronic Arts will bring back the wide-open racing of Burnout Paradise Remastered, and Capcom will package together the first three games from the Devil May Cry franchise for a Devil May Cry HD Collection.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged Burnout Paradise, Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Video Game Hall of Fame will publish A History of Video Games In 64 Objects book in May
The curators from the World Video Game Hall of Fame will offer a peak behind the curtain at some of the historical artifacts found in their collection with A History of Video Games In 64 Objects, an upcoming book from Dey Street Books (a Random House imprint):
Inspired by the groundbreaking A History of the World in 100 Objects, this book draws on the unique collections of The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, to chronicle the evolution of video games, from Pong to first-person shooters, told through the stories of dozens of objects essential to the field’s creation and development.
Drawing on the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s unmatched collection of video game artifacts, this fascinating history offers an expansive look at the development of one of the most popular and influential activities of the modern world: video gaming.
Essays and photographs will provide further insight into how each object contributed to gaming’s history, as well as “the greater culture.”
A History of Video Games In 64 Objects will be available on May 29, and you can get a sneak peek at its Introduction chapter at Unbound Worlds. And don’t forget about the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s 2018 induction ceremony, which will take place a few weeks earlier on May 3.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, Retro
Tagged World Video Game Hall of Fame
New Retail Releases: Kirby Star Allies, Surviving Mars, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, More
A handful of re-releases and the return of Nintendo’s pink puffball take center stage in this week’s New Retail Releases report…
Kirby will make his Switch debut this week in Kirby Star Allies. The side-scrolling platformer includes drop-in/drop-out multiplayer for up to four players, and Kirby will be able to unleash brand new Friend Abilities against the game’s colorful foes. Speaking of things that are colorful, fans of city-building sims will be able to colonize the Red Planet this week in Haemimont’s Surviving Mars for the PS4 and Xbox One.
And if you’re looking to give a classic game from yesteryear a second chance, you’ll have plenty of opportunities this week. Capcom will bring Devil May Cry HD Collection to the PS4 and Xbox One. Electronic Arts and Criterion will hit the gas on Burnout Paradise Remastered for the PS4 and Xbox One. And NIS America will bring Suda51’s The 25th Ward: The Silver Case to North America for the first time on the PS4.
Finally this week, Nintendo will relaunch Splatoon 2 as the Splatoon 2: Starter Edition. It’ll include the original game for the Switch, as well as guide book, and a sticker sheet.
A complete look at all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Xbox One
Tagged Burnout Paradise, Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Kirby Star Allies, Splatoon 2
Flinthook, Earthlock: Festival of Magic, Bleed 2, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
We don’t know what Nintendo has planned for tonight’s Nintendo Direct presentation, but it looks like 18 new games will be available to download from the Switch eShop over the next few days.
Leading the way (because the hero carries a grappling hook) is Flinthook, a roguelike side-scrolling platformer from Tribute Games. Available to download tomorrow, players will get to take control of the famed space pirate, Captain Flinthook, and board ships to steal booty.
But set to launch for the Switch today is Earthlock: Festival of Magic, a turn-based RPG from Snowcastle Games that was inspired by the first wave of 3D RPGs from the late 90s. Also available to download today is Bleed 2, a manic side-scrolling shooter from Bootdisk Revolution.
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Earthlock: Festival of Magic, Flinthook