Electronic Arts unofficially kicked off this year’s E3 Expo with their annual EA Play event earlier today, and one of the topics they briefly touched on was Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars game.
While we didn’t get a glimpse of the game in action, we did learn that it’ll be called Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. As you might expect from a Star Wars game with that title, it takes place in the aftermath of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and features a Padawan trying to survive the Jedi Purge:
From Respawn Entertainment comes a brand-new action adventure game which tells an original Star Wars story around a surviving Padawan set shortly after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is currently scheduled to launch in Fall 2019.
Last time on the Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded, we talked about how to whip up a community around your project and keep them engaged through social media and other channels. Now we’re going to look at what they see, hear, and feel when they land on your crowdfunding page.
When I write Warp Zoned’s Kickstart This! spot, I usually focus on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform rather than Indiegogo or the handful of other options available. I find it more intuitive, although recently Indiegogo has changed its page design to mirror its rival. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. All the aspects I’m going to touch on can apply across all platforms, so try both and see which one suits you best.
When I talk about design, don’t confuse this with the design of the game. This is all about how you design and lay out your Kickstarter page, although the aesthetics of your game should influence your Kickstarter page to make it connected for a smoother audience journey.
While you can usually take EA Sports’s Super Bowl prediction to the bank, their prognosticating powers for ice hockey have never been as solid. And 2018 is no exception.
The publisher used NHL 18 to simulate this year’s NHL Playoffs, and they zeroed in on a Stanley Cup matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Winnipeg Jets. Though the Jets managed to make it to the Western Conference Finals, the Bruins were knocked out in the second round.
So instead, this year’s Stanley Cup Finals belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights (an expansion team that never existed before last Fall) and the Washington Capitals. And last night, the Capitals hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
Steel Crate Games’s absolutely incredible bomb squad simulator, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, will make its way to the PS4 (without the PlayStation VR requirement), Switch, and Xbox One this Summer.
In Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, one player takes over as the Defuser, and becomes the poor soul who has to sit in front of a bomb as it ticks down to zero. The other players are Experts, and they have to decipher a bomb defusal manual (usually printed on actual paper, but also available on the game’s official website) to discover the correct sequence of button presses to disable the bomb.
It looks like Crackdown 3 won’t be released for the PC and Xbox One this Fall as originally planned. Earlier today, a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central that the game will now launch in February 2019, giving the team at Sumo Digital more time to polish the “signature antics and explosive gameplay” the franchise is known for:
Our fans’ response to the signature antics and explosive gameplay of “Crackdown 3” has been incredible. To ensure we deliver the experience they deserve, “Crackdown 3” will be launching in Feb 2019.
However, it also looks like we won’t have to wait long to learn more about the game, as Microsoft’s spokesman confirmed that Crackdown 3 will make an appearance at the consolemaker’s E3 press conference this weekend. Fans can tune in to the Xbox E3 Briefing on Sunday, June 10, at 1:00 PM (Pacific Time).
Bright and colorful battles will make their way to the Nintendo eShop this week…
Leading things off is Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, a head-to-head puzzler from Nintendo for the 3DS and Switch. In Sushi Striker, players must defeat enemies and bosses by devouring a meal of matching plates and sushi types. If that sounds too wild, Switch owners can also now download BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, a crossover fighter that mashes together characters from Arc System Works’s BlazBlue, Atlus’s Persona, French Bread’s Under Night In-Birth, and Rooster Teeth’s RWBY web series.
For RPG fans, Versus Evil and Stoic will bring The Banner Saga 2 to the Switch this week. And Switch owners who enjoy side-scrolling brawlers will get the chance to try out Saber Interactive’s Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn this week as well.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Iro Hero, Milanoir, Operation Hardcore, and more) after the break.
GalaxyTrail originally released Freedom Planet, their homage to Sonic the Hedgehog’s side-scrolling adventures, all the way back in 2014. The game eventually made its way to the Wii U a year later and the PS4 in 2017. And now, XSEED Games has promised it’ll race onto the Switch this Fall:
Freedom Planet is a fast-paced combat-driven platform adventure that pits a spunky dragon girl and her friends against hostile foreign powers and alien attack forces. There’s trouble around every turn, from insects to giant robots to sheer explosive destruction, but players will have a variety of special fighting abilities at their disposal to blast through more than a dozen massive, nonlinear stages. The campaign may be played through as Lilac, Carol, or the unlockable Milla, each of whom has completely unique gameplay mechanics, an altered story mode in which the selected character takes the lead, and even a few of her own unique stages.
GalaxyTrail is also hard at work on Freedom Planet 2, and hopefully we’ll more about the sequel in the coming months. But if you’re heading to next week’s E3 Expo, the Switch version of Freedom Planet will be playable at XSEED’s booth (West Hall, Booth #4700) on the show floor.
Confirming rumors we started hearing earlier this month, WB Games and IO Interactive have announced that Hitman 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 13. The seventh game in the franchise will serve as a direct sequel to 2016’s Hitman, however, it won’t feature the episodic release schedule of its predecessor.
But not to worry, Hitman 2 will still take Agent 47 to various locales around the world, including a mission that takes place at a racetrack in Miami:
Hitman 2 takes players on a global adventure across a mix of bustling international locations, including a vibrant Miami setting with the colorful ambience of an in-progress motorsport race bringing a new backdrop to the series. From sun-drenched streets to dark and dangerous rainforests, each intricate location provides multiple paths to discover and unparalleled game depth.
Continuing the ultimate spy thriller story, Hitman 2 allows players to take on the role of the masterful Agent 47 and embark on a mission to hunt the elusive Shadow Client and unravel his militia once and for all. However, when 47 learns the hidden truth about his past, nothing will ever be the same.
The Miami mission is on full display in the E3 Trailer embedded above, but WB Games and IO Interactive also confirmed that Hitman 2 will feature a cooperative mode for the first time:
Hitman 2 introduces new ways to play with the Sniper Assassin mode, a standalone feature that brings a co-op experience to the Hitman series for the first time, allowing two players to work together online to take down their targets. Sniper Assassin can also be enjoyed in a single player mode for those who want to play as Agent 47.
Players who pre-order Hitman 2 will receive early access to Sniper Assassin mode beginning today. And you can find a second trailer, with a closer look at the cooperative mode, after the break.
But speaking of pre-order offers, four different purchasing options will be available for Hitman 2. The Standard Edition ($59.99) will contain just the game, while a digital-only Silver Edition ($79.99) will also include access to the game’s first expansion. A second expansion, and other in-game goodies, will be included with the Gold Edition ($99.99).
Fans who opt for the Collector’s Edition ($149.99), which will be sold exclusively through GameStop, will receive the game, both expansions, several other in-game bonuses, a rubber ducky, a bullet-shaped keychain, and a Signature Coin, all packaged in a replica of Agent 47’s gun case. Details on all four purchasing options can be found at the game’s official website.
We’ll likely learn more about Hitman 2 during next week’s E3 Expo.
