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The Video Game Canon – The Sims

Posted on April 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon as we contemplate the futility of determining the best-selling video game of all time and The Sims. Here’s a teaser…

What is the best-selling video game of all time? It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer as game publishers, unlike Hollywood film studios, refuse to release sales figures for their games on a title-by-title basis. But for years now, the conventional narrative has been that The Sims became the best-selling PC game of all time in 2002 after dethroning Myst, the graphical adventure game that sold more CD-ROM drives than every other piece of “multimedia” software combined.

Developed by Maxis, The Sims delivered a smaller, more personal, simulation that differed greatly from the macro scale of designer Will Wright’s previous games, SimCity and SimCity 2000. Instead of pulling the camera back, giving the “mayor” control of an entire city, The Sims moved the camera in close, allowing the player to interact with the day-to-day minutiae of a single family. Part Real World, part Demon Seed, and part Barbie Dream House, this approach allowed players to bypass the mayoral office and step right into the shoes of a god. However, it was a literal “Act of God” that encouraged developer Will Wright to create The Sims in the first place.

Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.

Posted in Features, PC, PS2, Retro, Top Story, Video Game Canon |

Get a quick glimpse at a side-scrolling stage from Sonic Forces right here

Posted on April 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sonic the Hedgehog only got a few seconds to shine during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation, but Sega delivered by showcasing a side-scrolling stage from Sonic Forces during that time.

If you’re more of a fan of “Classic Sonic,” don’t worry, the publisher used the remainder of their time to show off a little more gameplay from the retro-styled Sonic Mania.

Sonic Forces will be released this Fall, while Sonic Mania will be available exclusively as a digital download this Summer. Both games are in development for the Nintendo Switch, as well as the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Clutch the Awakened Automaton wants to kill all the humans in this Quake Champions trailer

Posted on April 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

HAL… The Terminator… Bender… Hollywood loves robots that are also remorseless killing machines. So let’s all welcome Clutch to the fray, as the the “Awakened Automaton” is the subject of the latest trailer for Quake Champions. Bethesda and id Software have also provided the public with a rundown of its rather aggressive abilities:

Clutch (Awakened Automaton)
It was just a mining automaton with limited AI and a force-shield to protect organics and drills. But it was the first to return from the cavern filled with floating ruins and strange markings. Its custodians transferred the data it had gathered to their master neural network. But, after analysis, the network… malfunctioned? Suddenly, Clutch was returning to the cavern as automata began killing organics. Clutch killed them, too, if they were in its path. Once at the cavern, Clutch followed the network’s instructions. A dark mass of writhing tendrils materialized. Clutch stepped into it.

Active Ability – Barrier: Whether you’re in team games and want to protect allies, or just need a quick save in Deathmatch, throw down Clutch’s Barrier Active Ability to block incoming attacks for a limited time. This large force-shield once protected organics and drills in the mines, but in the Arena, it serves as a solid defense against enemy Champions.

Passive Ability – Still Defense: Got some aggressive, rocket-happy bunny-hopper coming at you head-on? With Clutch’s Still Defense Passive Ability, stand strong and gain 20% damage reduction against incoming attacks while walking or standing still. In addition, running forward without changing direction will increase your speed. Handy in the mines, devastating in the Arenas.

Quake Champions’s Closed Beta will reopen this Thursday, April 13, and if you haven’t received an invitation yet, be sure to sign up for a chance to enter the Arena at Quake.com.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Kickstart This! Cowgirls Vs Cthonimon

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

Nostalgia is brilliant for selling video games. It’s pretty much half of Nintendo’s marketing strategy. But before the age of consoles, early players were loading games via cassette on legendary machines like the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Dundee-based developers Darrell Flood and Jack Oatley are looking back on those early days of gamingwith their new Kickstarter project, Cowgirls Vs Cthonimon.

Handbags at dawn… (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, Top Story |

Here’s your first look at the new multiplayer maps from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s Continuum DLC Pack

Posted on April 11, 2017 by John Scalzo

After previously teasing fans with “Shaolin Shuffle,” a 70s-set new chapter in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Zombies Mode, Activision and Infinity Ward have returned with a look at the Continuum DLC Pack‘s multiplayer maps.

All four new maps are on display in the new trailer, which also encourages players to tackle them using a variety of different tactics (including “Run and Gun,” “Sniper,” “Stealth,” and “Heavy”):

Multiplayer Maps in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s Continuum DLC Pack

  • Turista – A plush spa and resort, “Turista” is nestled in the middle of a giant skeleton of an ancient creature. With sniper spots scattered across a majestic, central waterfall, Turista also boasts tight interiors for fans of close-quartered combat and a three-lane design that caters to a variety of play styles.
  • Scrap – Set in an abandoned junkyard on the Moon, “Scrap” features a combination of extended sightlines and tactical pathways that reward players who engage in both long and short range combat.
  • Archive – Fast, frenetic engagements set the pace in “Archive,” a post-futurist art gallery where tight engagements contrast with open exterior battlegrounds in this wide three-lane style map.
  • Excess – Perched atop a gilded penthouse in a sprawling future metropolis, “Excess” is a small, circular map re-imagined from the classic Modern Warfare 2 map, “Rust,” that retains the intense, fast-paced combat from the original.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s Continuum DLC Pack will be available to download for PS4 players on April 18. But PC and Xbox One owners will have to wait until sometime in May for a chance to purchase the expansion.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Overwatch goes back to the past and revisits Tracer’s first mission in the new Uprising event

Posted on April 11, 2017 by John Scalzo

Blizzard is taking the world of Overwatch back to the past with the new “Uprising” event, which begins today and will be available until May 1st. Players will travel back to the heyday of the Overwatch, and relive Tracer’s first mission in a special cooperative brawl mode.

As you might have guessed, the “Uprising” event will also feature more than 100 themed Loot Boxes containing new Skins, Highlights, Emotes, and Sprays:

Relive Tracer’s First Mission
Journey seven years into the past and join a group of Overwatch agents fighting through the streets of King’s Row to quell an uprising led by Null Sector, a rogue group of omnics. Team up with your friends and play as Tracer, Torbjorn, Reinhardt, or Mercy to defeat the robots and liberate the city. There are no reinforcements. Failure is not an option. The future depends on you.

Experience a pivotal moment in history from before the fall of Overwatch. Join a strike team of Overwatch agents — including the newest recruit, Tracer — as they undertake a vital mission to stop an omnic uprising in King’s Row. Drop into the action and play as one of the four charged with completing this critical objective.

More information about the “Uprising” event can be found at PlayOverwatch.com. And two additional videos, a new “Origin Story” trailer and another “Developer Update” with Director Jeff Kaplan, can also be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Bayonetta is now available for the PC through Steam

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Well, it looks like the joke’s on us, as what was once an April Fool’s prank has become reality… Bayonetta has arrived on the PC today.

Bayonetta finally makes its way to the PC as a Steam exclusive, complete with support for Steam Trading Cards, Big Picture Mode, Steam Achievements, and Steam Cloud Saves. The game will also feature leaderboards, full controller support, and keyboard/mouse controls. Additionally, Bayonetta on PC will run at 60 FPS during gameplay, and 30 FPS during cutscenes. This version of the game is also capable of running at an unlocked 4K resolution, as well as other graphical options such as scalable textures and shadow quality.

For a limited time, customer will be able to upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition at no extra cost. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes an enhanced artbook (previously included in the Bayonetta: Climax Edition), a five-song soundtrack sampler, wallpapers, and avatars. However, this deal ends on Tuesday, April 25.

“We are dedicated to bringing high-quality, best practice PC conversions of our back catalog games to our fans, and Bayonetta was a great fit.” Said John Clark, the Senior Vice President of Commercial Publishing for Sega Europe. “Bayonetta is one of the most often requested PC conversions of our games, so finally being able to launch it on Steam is fantastic. There’s more to come!”

Is he talking about Bayonetta 2? No one knows at this point, but Director Hideki Kamiya recorded a new Developer Diary that offers insights into Bayonetta’s development and it’s available after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Koei Tecmo’s many characters will mix it up in Warriors All-Stars this August

Posted on April 11, 2017 by John Scalzo

Koei Tecmo is bringing together dozens of characters from their massive stable of games to create the biggest Warriors game ever. Announced this morning, Warriors All-Stars will be available this August and include appearances by Ryu Hayabusa, Kasumi, Zhao Yun, and many more:

Warriors All-Stars features a wide selection of fan-favorite characters from various Koei Tecmo Games franchises. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden, Kasumi from Dead or Alive, William from Nioh, Yukimura Sanada from Samurai Warriors, Zhao Yun from Dynasty Warriors, Horo and Oka from Toukiden, and Sophie Neuenmuller from Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book are among the many rivals who will contend for royalty in Warriors All-Stars.

Warriors All-Stars begins in a mysterious land brought to the brink of destruction when a magical spring, the source of its power, dries up after its king’s passing. Following a legend that calls for the summoning of champions from other realms in times of dire need, the young princess Tamaki performs a ritual that goes horribly wrong when her powers spiral out of control, scattering the heroes across the domain. Emboldened to restore peace to the world, Tamaki must recruit the best and strongest among these visitors to revitalize the spring – and crown the land’s savior as its new ruler.

The publisher’s huge crossover will also include a huge number of retailer-specific pre-order bonuses, and prospective players will be able to choose from a Kasumi-themed costume for Wang Yuanji, a Ryu Hayabusa-themed costume for Yukimura Sanada, an Oka-themed costume for Sophie Neuenmuller, a Millennia-themed costume for Horo, and an Opoona costume for Marie-Rose. Everyone who pre-orders Warriors All-Stars will also receive an instant access to the playable character Opoona.

Warriors All-Stars is currently in development for the PC and PS4, and it’ll be available on August 29.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged