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World Video Game Hall of Fame announces finalists for Class of 2018
Curators at the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and the Strong Museum have announced the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Eight games will get their first chance to be inducted into gaming’s inner circle, including Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King’s Quest, Metroid, Ms. Pac-Man, and Spacewar!.
Two other games, Final Fantasy VII and Tomb Raider, were previously in the finalist pool for the Class of 2017. They’ll get another chance this year alongside John Madden Football and Minecraft, which were previously on the ballot in 2016.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame will announce the inductees for the Class of 2018 on Thursday, May 3, at 10:30 AM. But this year, fans will get a vote in the first-ever Player’s Choice ballot. According to the rules, “the three games that receive the most public votes will form one “Player’s Choice” ballot, which will join the 27 other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, a supporting group composed of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.” Fans can make their voice heard through the Player’s Choice ballot once a day until April 4th. So vote early and vote often!
And if, for some reason, you’re unfamiliar with this year’s finalists, the World Video Game Hall of Fame has put together a helpful cheat sheet that can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Minecraft, Ms. Pac-Man, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
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.
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
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie will open in theaters in November 2019
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has scheduled the theatrical premiere for Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie on November 15, 2019.
Tim Miller, most famous for directing Deadpool, is the Executive Producer on Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, which is said to include “a mix of live action and CGI to bring the character to life.”
Believe it or not, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie will have an Oscar-nominated director behind the camera. Jeff Fowler was nominated for an Oscar for “Best Animated Short” in 2005 (for Gopher Broke), and he’ll be sitting in the director’s chair. He’ll be joined on set by screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who previously worked on a pair of Team Hot Wheels movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog has starred in several dozen games since his debut in 1991, so we have no idea what the movie will look like when it comes to theaters next year. But it should be interesting.
Posted in Etcetera, News, Retro
Tagged Sonic the Hedgehog
Dark Horse will publish Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia this October
Do you know everything about Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom? Would you like to?
If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then you’re in luck. Dark Horse has announced (via their official website) that they’ll publish the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia this October. Weighing in at 256 pages, this reference work will cover the first 30 years of “Super” Mario’s career, beginning with 1985’s Super Mario Bros.:
The Super Mario Encyclopedia is jam-packed with content from 17 Super Mario games and spans more than 30 years of the franchise’s history—from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World. Track the evolution of the Goomba, witness the introduction of Yoshi, and relive your favorite levels.
This tome also contains an interview with producer Takashi Tezuka, tips to help you find every Coin, Star, Sun, and Mushroom… even explanations of glitches! With information on enemies, items, obstacles, and worlds from over 30 years of Mario, Super Mario Encyclopedia is the definitive resource for everything Super Mario!
The Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia will be released on October 23.
Atari is creating a Pong game show known as Million Dollar Pong
I’m sure there were quite a few cutthroat Pong competitions in the 70s. And it’s easy to assume those head-to-head battles are a thing of the past. But wait… the people of 2018 will soon get their own chance to compete against each other for big money and big prizes.
According to a recent report in Variety, the creative mind behind The Gong Show and Rock and Roll Jeopardy, Scott Sternberg, has teamed up with Atari to produce a game show based on Pong. The show will be known as Million Dollar Pong, and it’ll feature a “brand new” spin on the arcade classic:
“’Pong’ is a cultural touchpoint for generations of people,” said Sternberg. “It’s not often we get the chance to develop a game show concept around such an iconic brand. I can’t wait to give people the chance to see, experience, and play a brand new ‘Pong.’”
If you’re looking to enhance the period atmosphere of your living room before Million Dollar Pong‘s premiere, there’s no need to break out the wood paneling just yet. The show has yet to be signed by a network or streaming service.
The Video Game Canon: 2018’s “Version 2.0” Update
The Video Game Canon is a statistical meta-ranking of dozens of “Best Video Games of All Time” lists that began in 2017 with Version 1.0, and the ranking has been updated several times since then. Which game is #1? There’s only one way to find out…
The Video Game Canon has been upgraded to “Version 2.0” thanks to the addition of four new lists that were published throughout the last year. Edge Magazine’s “100 Greatest Videogames” issue, Jeux Video’s “Top 100 Best Games of All Time,” Polygon’s massive “500 Best Games of All Time,” and Stuff UK’s “50 Greatest Games of All Time” have reshuffled the ranking in a big way.
Let’s take a look…
Visit VideoGameCanon.com for all future updates to this project and to explore the complete Top 1000.
R-Cade Combines Arcade Games and Ramen Noodles in Glasgow: An Interview With Owner Androo Faulkner
In my home city of Glasgow, we are blessed with several small gaming havens where people can enjoy old arcade classics. Last year, I interviewed the guys behind our first-ever “arcade bar,” Super Bario, and now I have the pleasure of talking to Androo Faulkner, owner of the gaming and instant raman noodle emporium known as R-Cade. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, Retro, Top Story