Author: John Scalzo

Breakaway wasn’t the only game that Amazon Game Studios was ready to announce today. The game publishing arm of the retail giant also confirmed that it has two other projects in the works for the PC… New World and Crucible

New World sounds like a rather traditional MMO that also include Twitch integration for “broadcaster-led events”:

New World is a massively multiplayer, open-ended sandbox game that allows players to carve out their own destiny with other players in a living, cursed land. Players decide how to play, what to do, and whom to work with–or against–in an evolving world that transforms with seasons, weather, and time of day. Players can band together to reclaim monster-haunted wilds and build thriving civilizations, or strike out alone, surviving in the face of supernatural terrors and murderous player bandits. With emergent gameplay and rich social features, including deep Twitch integration with broadcaster-led events, achievements, and rewards, the only limit in the New World is a player’s ambition.

While Crucible is a survival game that also includes another player that serves a role that sounds very similar to a Dungeon Master:

Crucible is a battle to the last survivor on a hostile, alien world. Players choose and customize heroes, making alliances and betraying allies on their path to victory. An additional player heightens the drama by triggering events, live-streaming the battles, and interacting with viewers.

Both games are still early in development, but interested players can head over to Games.Amazon.com to keep tabs on them.

When Amazon purchased Twitch for nearly a billion dollars back in 2014, you knew they were serious about their entrance into the video game industry. Today, they let the world know just how serious they are with the unveiling of Breakaway, their first “AAA” game project.

Developed by Double Helix, Breakaway is a 4v4 “sport brawler” for the PC that looks a bit like hockey… though with less ice and more buildable death traps:

Breakaway is a 4v4 mythological sport brawler built for fast action, teamwork, and live-streaming. Players assemble a team from an expanding roster of legendary warriors, including the relentless gladiator Spartacus, the twisted sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and the bloodthirsty warlord Vlad the Impaler.

At the start of each round, warriors can summon persistent buildables onto the playing field that dynamically alter the game. Buildables can besiege foes, shield teammates, or create new pathways through the arena. Players fight for dominance across fabled locations such as El Dorado, Atlantis, and Styx.

They battle to control the Relic–the center of Breakaway’s action–passing it to teammates, defending it from attackers, and smashing it into an opponent’s base to score.

Naturally, Double Helix will be packing Breakaway with a number of Twitch-specific features, including “real-time stat overlays” for viewers and in-game wagering:

• Metastream allows streamers to customize their broadcasts with real-time stat overlays.
• Broadcaster Match Builder lets broadcasters invite their followers to join their matches.
• Broadcaster Spotlight adds to the excitement of streaming. It tells players when they’re in a match that’s being broadcast, and lets them follow the broadcaster with a single click.
• Stream+ gives broadcasters new ways to interact with their viewers through polls, and by allowing viewers to wager loyalty points that are redeemable for in-game rewards.

Prospective players can visit PlayBreakaway.com to learn more about the game’s characters and to sign up for a chance to join the Alpha Test. For a sneak peek at what you can expect, a ten-minute video showcasing the world’s first Breakaway exhibition match can be found after the break. (more…)