Doublejump Digest: July 22, 2017
This week in gaming: Bigby Wolf returns, Nintendo hints at an N64 Classic Mini, and Woody and Buzz join forces with Sora and friends in Kingdom Hearts III!
In the spirit of keeping our readers up-to-date with what’s going on in the video game industry, the Doublejump Digest is a brief collection of the major news stories that happened in the past week. Keep an eye out for the Digest every Saturday night, and head into the archive if you’ve missed any!
From Doublejump:
- After seeing the community’s reactions to a couple of high-profile delays this year, Jake implored us all to consider the benefits of delaying such major projects.
- Ayden played through Pixel Titans’ alien shooter STRAFE, and called it a “fun, faithful replica of the sort of balls-to-the-wall alien shooter that overran homes and internet cafes in the mid-90s”.
Major news releases:
Telltale is working on The Wolf Among Us’ second season:
The developer made the long-awaited announcement in an update video tied in with the San Diego Comic-Con this past Thursday, in which it also confirmed that it’s working on new seasons of its Batman and The Walking Dead episodic series.
Telltale didn’t specify a very narrow release window, simply revealing that fans can expect to see Bigby Wolf’s next adventure at some point next year — we can only hope it’s early!
Kingdom Hearts III will feature Toy Story characters:
During Disney’s recent D23 Expo, the company and Square Enix announced that the world of Toy Story will be featured in the next mainline title in the series.
In the reveal video below, Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy are transported to Andy’s bedroom and immediately face off against Heartless goons before meeting up with Woody, Buzz, and friends to join forces against Organization XIII.
During the reveal event, various Pixar staff members revealed that they have been working with Square Enix on the game, with veteran director John Lasseter also providing his input.
Kingdom Hearts III is slated for a 2018 release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Report: Nintendo trademarks hints at Nintendo 64 classic:
NeoGAF users have discovered that Nintendo recently filed for four separate trademarks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for NES, SNES, N64, and Switch controllers that categorise them as physical products.
The Switch is Nintendo’s current flagship system, while the NES and SNES controllers are accounted for by the release of the NES and SNES Classic Minis, which leaves the N64 application as the only one that is not linked to an announced product.
Nintendo has yet to confirm whether or not the company’s first 3D console will also be given the Nintendo Classic Mini treatment, but here’s hoping that we’ll get to play Super Mario 64 and GoldenEye legally in HD next holiday season!
BioWare GM resigns as Mass Effect director returns to head company:
In a blog post earlier this week, current BioWare General Manager Aaryn Flynn announced that he will be leaving the company that he has been working for since he finished university two decades ago.
While he stopped short of announcing what he’ll be doing next, he noted that he had been “contemplating changes” in his life “for some time”, which is understandable given his lengthy tenure. He added that he will be working with former Mass Effect director Casey Hudson as the latter prepares to take over as the new General Manager.
Writing in a separate post on the BioWare Blog, Hudson thanked Flynn for his service to the developer and explained what he’s been up to since he left.
“The last few years have been transformative for me, from having time to reflect on what I most want to do, to working with new technologies at platform scale,” he wrote. “And now, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to lead BioWare — a studio that I think of as home.”
Hudson is best known as the Director of the original Mass Effect trilogy left the studio in 2014 before heading to Microsoft the following year to work on the software giant’s HoloLens mixed reality development efforts.
Here are the official EVO 2017 results:
To avoid spoilers, check out Shoryuken’s recap of the major fighting game event.
Notable game releases:
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo Switch)
- SUPERHOT VR (PS4)
Major video releases:
Call of Duty: WWII — Nazi Zombies Reveal Trailer:
The only thing that’s worse than zombies is Nazi Zombies.
Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite — Exhibition Match Featuring Jedah and Gamora:
Professional fighting game player Ryan “Filipino Champ” Ramirez and Capcom’s Peter “Combofiend” Rosas showed us what the game’s going to look like at the highest level, and it’s looking good!
TEKKEN 7 — Geese Howard Reveal Trailer:
The main man behind The King of Fighters’ tournaments is on a mission to end the Mishimas’ reign at the top of the food chain.
F1 2017 — Classic Car Reveal — McLaren:
Senna, Prost, Hakkinen, and Hamilton. ‘Nuff said.
Indie corner:
Barbaric is slated to release later this year:
Developer Ignited Artists has announced that its cooperative roguelike title, Barbaric, is scheduled to release during Q4 2017 on Windows.
The game is set to enable players to explore procedurally generated dungeons and slay the evil hordes and fearsome bosses that lurk within, utilising brutal combat techniques that take inspiration from games within the fighting genre.
Death Squared is now available on Nintendo Switch:
As of earlier this week, Sydney-based indie developer SMG Studio has successfully launched the cooperative puzzle game Death Squared on Nintendo Switch.
Death Squared involves up to four players working together in navigating robots through a dangerous testing facility, overcoming hazardous obstacles and testing friendships along the way.
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is coming to PS4 and Xbox One:
Publisher Ysbryd Games announced earlier this week that the tactical role-playing game Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is set to debut on August 8 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Developed by Singapore-based indie Witching Hour Studios, Masquerada: Songs and Shadows takes inspiration from Renaissance-era Venice, and is brought to life by the voice acting talents of Felicia Day, Jennifer Hale, Matt Mercer. The game is currently available on Mac and Windows.
Juicy Cupcake is launching Brief Battles next year:
Australian developer Juicy Cupcake has announced that it intends to launch its fast-paced and “underwear-fueled” platform fighter, Brief Battles, during Q1 2018 on Windows and Xbox One.
Brief Battles enables players to use the power of underpants to unleash abilities in a variety of game modes, all in a test to see who has the better buns.
Morphite is getting a multi-platform launch this September:
With the developmental support of Crescent Moon Games, We’re Five Games, and Australian developer Blowfish Studios, atmospheric exploration sci-fi shooter Morphite is scheduled to release on September 7 on iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One.
In Morphite players will take on the role of Myrah Kale, a young woman whose life takes her on an epic interstellar journey across procedurally-generated planets to find a mythical substance called Morphite.
Metroidvania-like Planetoid Pioneers has launched into Steam Early Access:
Data Realms has released its physics-driven, Metroidvania-like title Planetoid Pioneers into Steam Early Access this week, available on Windows.
Planetoid Pioneers arrives as the prequel to the developer’s own Cortex Command, which has been “enjoyed by more than 200,000 players”. The game allows players to explore the galaxy with high-octane vehicles, as well as battle mysterious monstrosities and deadly robots with cutting-edge weapons.
Interesting reads:
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver — the genesis of today’s open world tech?: Eurogamer
- Why the man who oversaw Tomb Raider turned his back on games: Polygon
Other news:
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