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All Articles: Super Mario Odyssey
Horizon, PUBG, Nier: Automata, Zelda: BOTW, Super Mario Odyssey will compete for “Game of the Year” at 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards
The nominees for the 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards have been announced, and for once, there doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite in any of the categories.
Six games are currently leading the pack after receiving a total of six nominations apiece. Horizon: Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Nier: Automata, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild all pulled off the double hat trick, and each game also secured a nomination for “Video Game of the Year.” Cuphead and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice were shut out of the “Video Game of the Year” category, but both games also managed to earn six total nominations.
Rounding out the “Video Game of the Year” field is Super Mario Odyssey, which earned five total nominations.
As in years past, fans are invited to vote for their favorites at IGN.com. The winners in each category will ultimately be decided by a 50/50 vote between the public and the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board.
The 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards will be held on Saturday, March 17, and the full list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break. (more…)
Nintendo Switch has officially outsold the Wii U after ten months on the market
It’s official. After launching in March and being available to consumers for just under ten months, the Nintendo Switch has officially surpassed the Wii U in total sales. According to Nintendo’s internal tracking, they’ve sold 14.86 million Switch consoles as of December 31. This milestone easily leapfrogs the Wii U, which sold just 13.56 million consoles before it was discontinued in January 2017.
Nintendo also shared some software sales figures for the Switch’s first year, and leading the way is Super Mario Odyssey with 9.07 million copies sold. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is second place with 7.33 million copies sold, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was close behind with 6.7 million copies sold on the Switch.
Other million-sellers for the Switch include Splatoon 2 (4.91 million), 1-2-Switch (1.88 million), Arms (1.61 million), and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (1.06 million).
Nintendo will announce full-year sales figures for the Switch in April, and it’ll be interesting to see what these numbers look like then.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged 1-2-Switch, Arms, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Call of Duty: WWII was the best-selling game for all of 2017
Call of Duty: WWII earned a spot at the top of The NPD Group’s list of best-selling games for both November and December, and now the tracking firm has confirmed that Activision’s shooter was also the best-selling game for all of 2017.
It looks like Activision had a pretty good year, especially with Destiny 2 checking in at the #3 spot, but Nintendo was the publisher with the biggest presence on the NPD’s Top 10. The consolemaker can claim three games in the Top 10 including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), Super Mario Odyssey (#9), and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#10).
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, The NPD Group also confirmed an uptick for the industry as a whole. Gamers spent $14.59 billion on their favorite hobby in 2017, an increase of 11% over 2016.
Sony’s PS4 was the best-selling console of the year, but the Switch and Xbox One have also benefited from brisk sales:
“Combined sales of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continue on a record-setting pace,” [NPD Gaming Analyst Mat] Piscatella said. “Over the first 50 months in market for each console, the combined hardware installed base of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One now exceeds that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by 18 percent, and that of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox by 4 percent.”
The NPD’s Top 10 best-selling games for 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)
Call of Duty: WWII repeats as the best-selling game of December 2017
Activision’s Call of Duty: WWII has reenlisted for a second tour of duty as the best-selling game of the month. According to The NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz), the shooter was the best-selling game in December 2017, besting Star Wars: Battlefront II (#2) and Super Mario Odyssey (#3).
The holiday season dominated last month’s list, as several games that were tailor-made for gift-giving ranked high in the Top 20 including NBA 2K18 (#4), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#5), Madden NFL 18 (#6), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#9). But perhaps most surprisingly, the Xbox One debut of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds landed at #7 after just a few weeks on sale (PC sales weren’t included in the NPD Group’s calculations).
You can find The NPD Group’s complete list for the Top 20 best-selling games from December 2017 after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed Origins, Call of Duty: WWII, Destiny 2, FIFA 18, Grand Theft Auto V, Just Dance 2018, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Madden NFL 18, Mario Kart 8, NBA 2K18, Need For Speed Payback, NPD, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Pokemon Sun/Moon, Splatoon 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Sims 4, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
2018 DICE Awards nominees announced and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the way with ten
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for this year’s DICE Awards, and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the pack with ten.
The action-adventure game from Guerrilla will compete for “Game of the Year,” as well as… deep breath… “Adventure Game of the Year,” “Outstanding Achievement in Character” (for Aloy), “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design,” “Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction,” “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition,” “Outstanding Achievement in Story,” “Outstanding Technical Achievement,” “Outstanding Achievement in Animation,” and “Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.”
Whew.
Other games nominated for “Game of the Year” include Studio MDHR’s Cuphead, PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The 2018 DICE Awards will be handed out in a ceremony at the conclusion of this year’s DICE Summit on February 22. A complete list of this year’s nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Cuphead, Horizon: Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey will expand this February with Luigi’s Balloon World
It looks like the rumors were true, and the newest Nintendo Direct presentation has just been unleashed upon the world. Though the video clocks in at just over 14 minutes, this “Nintendo Direct Mini” still features a treasure trove of new announcements for the Switch.
Super Mario Odyssey took everyone’s favorite plumber around the world when it launched for the Switch this past October. But Luigi will finally get to join the fun in February as part of the free Luigi’s Balloon World expansion:
A new mini-game called Balloon World is coming to one of the highest-rated games of all time. Once players download the free update and complete the main story, Balloon World will become available. In “Hide It” mode, players have a certain amount of time to hide a balloon. In “Find It” mode, players have the same amount of time to locate balloons hidden by other players from around the world. Players can move up the rankings by finding hidden balloons and becoming expert hiders.
Nintendo also announced that the update will include a trio of new costumes (Sunshine Shades and Outfit, Musician Hat and Outfit, and Knight Helmet and Armor) and new filters for Snapshot Mode.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Super Mario Odyssey
Warp Zoned’s 2017 Golden Pixel Awards: A New Beginning for Video Games
When we looked over the gaming landscape at the beginning of 2017, we opined that game publishers had done their best to wipe the slate clean throughout all of 2016. Many of gaming’s most mysterious projects were finally released, Nintendo closed the door on the Wii U, the VR revolution was in full swing, and upgraded versions of the PS4 and Xbox One were on the horizon.
In these first few days of 2018, I think it’s safe to say the last 12 months definitely fulfilled that promise. Nintendo’s Switch roared out of the gate in March and the consolemaker filled the calendar with big titles on “Day One” and throughout the rest of the year. Night in the Woods, Persona 5, and Golf Story told new kinds of stories that gamers had never seen before. Cuphead delivered a decidedly retro side-scroller packaged within a unique visual playground packaged. And someone even managed to create a fun Friday the 13th game.
It was quite a year, and you can find more of our favorites from 2017 after the break. (more…)
Posted in Etcetera, Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Crash Bandicoot, Cuphead, Friday the 13th, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Injustice 2, Mario Kart 8, Night in the Woods, Persona 5, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon: Zero Dawn lead all nominees at 2018 GDC Awards
The organizers of the Game Developers Conference have announced the nominees for this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards.
Nintendo and Sony have a lot to celebrate this year as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon: Zero Dawn tied for the most nominations, with six apiece. Both games are in the running for “Game of the Year,” and both were also nominated in the “Best Audio,” “Best Design,” “Best Technology,” and “Best Visual Art” categories. Breath of the Wild tacked on one more nominations for the “Innovation Award,” while Horizon nabbed a nomination for “Best Narrative.”
Both games should probably be considered the frontrunners for the “Game of the Year” award, but they’ll also have to compete with PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Platinum Games’s Nier: Automata, and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey for the coveted honor.
Outside of the “Game of the Year” competition, Studio MDHR’s Cuphead captured three nominations for “Best Audio,” “Best Debut,” and “Best Visual Art.”
The 2018 GDC Awards ceremony will take place on on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:30 PM (Pacific Time). The full list of nominees, and all the Honorable Mentions, can be found after the break. (more…)