gaming – Page 12 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 3

February 24, 2024January 31, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1980s and 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why they are worth look back at.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for game details and images.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Japanese print ad of Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

*Do you know any Star Wars fan who is aware of the error in this Japanese print ad of Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?*

Back in 1993, the sequel Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in the West and on the Super Famicom in Japan. Having played all three Super Star Wars game, I can say that this sequel was a huge improvement over its predecessor technically and also with gameplay (read my retro review by clicking here).

Like its predecessor, the game was released in Japan by JVC Musical Industries and in the above Japanese market print ad, the marketing team wisely used the game’s official artwork to give gamers a clear view of the concept derived from the 1980 movie plus a few screenshots showing gameplay. What I find hilarious to read is the line (highlighted in red and all capitalized no less): MAY THE FORCE WITH YOU. Clearly someone from the Japanese marketing team who prepared that line lacked English proficiency or might not have watched the movies dubbed in English. In the 1977 movie, Han Solo said to Luke, “May the Force be with you.”

2. Spider-Man (Atari 2600) print ad

*This is an entertaining way to promote a video game based on a comic book icon.*

We are back again with the Parker Brothers company and their promotion of the Spider-Man video game for the Atari 2600 which I myself played long ago. Unlike before, the print ad this time was mainly about the Spider-Man game and somehow Parker Brothers coordinated with Marvel Comics to make a comic book-inspired ad. In the above print ad, Spider-Man was shown playing the game about him with an Atari 2600 controller and console, and the Green Goblin taunts him as he plays. This type of ad is a stroke of genius because it shows the Marvel Comics’ icon as a player and the gameplay was emphasized accurately. Even if viewers are not too fond of video games, they can still find themselves interested in reading the literary adventures of Spider-Man.

3. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin print ad

Apart from emphasizing the fantasy concept of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, this print ad’s hand-drawn art was strong enough to spark viewers’ curiosity and make them interested in the game or even in the Intellivision console.

Here is a print ad I saw many times while reading comic books in 1983. The game at hand is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin released on the Intellivision, and it is the sequel to Cloudy Mountain. Like the ad of its predecessor, the above print ad relied heavily on the spectacle of fantasy (and even a bit of horror) by having hand-drawn art as the eye candy promoting Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin. If you look closely, only one screenshot from the game was shown and it was enough to tell gamers that the new game has a completely different visual presentation from that of Cloudy Mountain. Considering the primitive nature of computer graphics and game design of the era, having detailed comic book-inspired artwork was effective to grab viewers’ attention with the intention to make them interested in buying the game. In today’s age of computer graphics and social media, this type of ad for video games is rare to see.

4. G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike print ad

*The G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise’s early entry into video games.*

Going back to Parker Brothers, the company developed and published the first-ever licensed game of the G.I. Joe franchise – G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike for the Atari 2600. In promoting the game, a 2-page ad was released with comic book-style art work (featuring Cobra Commander and Duke representing different sides) dominating the space, with descriptive text and a hand-drawn illustration of the gameplay (read: not a real screenshot) as well as the game box flling the remaining space. In my personal experience, I saw this ad before I even got to watch an episode of the popular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated TV series, and before I got to read an issue the related comic book series (which started before the TV series). Looking back at the above print ad, I can still remember the time when I was puzzled by the two characters simply because I was not yet familiar with them. Take note that the video game and the ad were released at a time when the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero started rising quickly in popularity on toys, comic books and animation.

5. Alien 3 (SNES) print ad

*This print ad appeared in several comic books I read in 1993.*

Way back in 1992, I had one of the most depressing cinema viewing experiences with Alien 3 which had a very troublesome production and lacked a solid foundation behind its creativity. Then in the summer of 1993, print ads of the video game Alien 3 for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) appeared in several comic books I read at the time. The above print ad was actually entertaining to look at. For one thing, the ad makers used three wide layers of screenshots from the game depicting different areas. Then I noticed the details which showed there were more aliens for gamers to encounter (versus only one in the movie) and the playable lead character Ellen Ripley was armed with guns (versus no guns in the movie) being able to fight the monsters. Not only that, the ad makers knew the specific details from the Alien film franchise which is reflected in the ad referencing the Face-hugger aliens, the acid from the creatures and, of course, the alien eggs. To this day, there are old-time gamers who found the Alien 3 SNES game more entertaining than the movie.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Eiyuden Chronicle and Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama passed away

February 16, 2024February 15, 2024carlocarrasco

Once the anticipated Japanese role-playing game (Japanese RPG) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes finally comes out on April 23, 2024, the absence of the main creator will be felt by many players as the Japan-based Rabbit & Bear Studio announced very recently that its head Yoshitaka Murayama passed away on February 6. For the newcomers reading this, Murayama is also the creator of the Suikoden RPG series of Konami where he used to work at. For my previous blog posts of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, click here, here, here and here).

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the official announcement by Rabbit & Bear Studios. Some parts in boldface…

Hello everyone,

It’s with a heavy heart and deep sadness we must inform you that the scenario writer and head of Rabbit& Bear Studios, Yoshitaka Murayama, has passed away on February 6^th due to complications with an ongoing illness.

Murayama first began this journey of the creation of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in 2020

through the support of his very loving fans on Kickstarter. Throughout the three-plus-year-development of the game, it was always the passion from his fans that continued to drive his creative vision and motivate him to put his all into the project.

His hard work on Eiyuden Chronicle as scenario writer was finished but as his co-workers and friends, it saddens us to know that he won’t get to see the reactions from his fans.

However, even with those feelings we need to accept the reality that he is no longer with us and continue to push his dream forward by releasing Eiyuden Chronicle to the world.

We want to maintain his legacy and vision with this game and know that he would have wanted the rich world he has created with Eiyuden Chronicle to live on.

His family sincerely appreciates your prayers and support but asks for privacy and that no flowers, mail, or other offerings be sent.

We will have more information on organizational changes to Rabbit & Bear as well as changes to some of the Kickstarter rewards in the near future.

So there you have it. The developer behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes made it clear that they will not give up with fulfilling the dream of the late Murayama and there is no stopping the launch of the game (which was supposed to have been released in 2023).

More on the previous works of the late Murayama, I played Suikoden and Suikoden II (read my retro review by clicking here) on the PlayStation console in the 1990s and I had enjoyable times with them. For me, Suikoden II was the not only the best Suikoden RPG of the 1990s but also one of the best RPGs on any platform during the decade. It’s just too bad that the 1999 North American launch of Suikoden II was overshadowed by another company’s JRPG on PlayStation that same year. Considering the many Japanese RPGs that were released on PlayStation in 1999, Suikoden II was the most enjoyable one I played.

Even during his days as a young man working for Konami in the 1990s, Murayama had a very unique vision for digital role-playing and adventuring, as well as fantasy storytelling.

“Eiyuden Chronicle is really (an) evolution of my many design experiences. The many games I’ve made have helped create the foundation for this title. Since I draw my experience from previous games I’ve worked on, of course you will see a little bit of those elements in Eiyuden Chronicle,” Murayama said in response to a question that mentioned Eiyuden Chronicle and Suikoden titles.

With Murayama gone, the spotlight on the April 2024 launch of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be more crucial than before. I myself will be playing the RPG on my Xbox Series X console as soon as it launches. To get yourselves oriented with the said JRPG, watch the videos below (the last one shows Murayama and his fellow creators as special guests at an event in Taipei)…

Watch out for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP) on April 23, 2024. For more about the JRPG, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/eiyuden-chronicle

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Palworld played by over 7,000,000 players through Xbox ecosystem, ends up as the largest 3rd party launch in Game Pass history

February 8, 2024February 1, 2024carlocarrasco

Palworld, the wildly popular online open world game developed and published by Japan-based Pocket Pair, became a massive hit on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and PC Game Pass attracting more than seven million players and establishing itself as the biggest 3^rd party game launch in the history of Game Pass, according to the official announcement by Team Xbox.

For the newcomers reading this, watch the Xbox video of Palworld below…

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Xbox.com announcement. Some parts in boldface…

It’s no secret that Palworld has been sweeping the gaming world since its Early Access launch earlier this month – and we’re happy to announce that, in its first ten days as part of Xbox Game Preview, Xbox players have made it the biggest 3rd party Game Pass launch in history! You’ve also helped Palworld to become the most-played 3rd party day one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass Ultimate.

Across console and Windows PC, Palworld has welcomed more than 7 million players, and has recently reached a peak of nearly 3 million daily active users on Xbox, making it the most-played game on our platforms at that time.

Speaking to Xbox Wire, CEO of developer Pocketpair, Takuro Mizobe, said: “The response from fans has been tremendous and it’s incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld. This is just the beginning for us and Palworld, and the feedback we’re gathering while in Game Preview will allow us to continue to improve the experience for Pal Tamers across all platforms.”

For those yet to become a Pal Tamer themselves, Palworld is an online open world game that sees players dropped into a mysterious land and given the ability to capture over 100 Pals, monsters with a range of abilities – both in battle, and in surviving in a hostile world. Battling, crafting, building are all a part of the experience, and it’s proven a huge draw for players across the world.

Palworld is available in the Xbox Game Preview program, meaning there’s much more to come as Pocketpair refine the experience ahead of a full 1.0 release. Developers are listening to player feedback, and have started applying their learnings to the game already – and they know cross-play is one of the largest requests from fans, and are working quickly to address it.

On Xbox’s part, we’re working with Pocketpair to help provide support for Xbox versions of the game. We’re providing support to enable dedicated servers, offering engineering resources to help with GPU and memory optimization, speeding up the process to make Palworld updates available for players, and working with the team to optimize the title for our platform.

*If you are an Xbox gamer who has yet to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, then Palworld just might convince you to do so.*

Honestly, I never anticipated Palworld to launch with a massive number of players and establish new records with regards to the Xbox ecosystem and overall player count. Going to what was achieved, attracting over seven million players across different systems connected to the Xbox ecosystem is clearly incredible. Not only that, Palworld as of now is not even available (yet) on the PlayStation ecosystem nor that of Nintendo’s.

That being said, the successful launch connected with the Xbox ecosystem not only added to the credibility of Xbox but also will resonate with other game developers of online open-world games looking for potential business partnerships and ideal ecosystems (with millions of active players and subscribers) to launch their games on.

Check out Palworld on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass now. For more information of the game, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/palworld-game-preview/9nkv34xdw014

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Visions of Mana coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC this summer

February 3, 2024January 24, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, and Xbox fans!

If there is anything that surprised me during the 2024 Developer_Direct event of Team Xbox, it was the guest participation of Square Enix which unveiled key details about their new action role-playing game (RPG) Visions of Mana which is coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC this coming summer season. A release date will follow.

For the newcomers reading this, Square Enix announced previously that Visions of Mana is actually a multiplatform game. When compared to Team Xbox’s first party games unveiled during the Developer_Direct – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Avowed – Visions of Mana is the only non-exclusive game, the only 3^rd party game, the only game not coming to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and the first-ever game from the Mana series coming to the Xbox platform.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the Developer_Direct video presentation of Square Enix with Visions of Mana. Pay close attention to the details…

For added insight, posted below are selected excerpts from the Xbox.com article about Visions of Mana for you to read. Some parts in boldface…

What is Visions of Mana? – This sprawling new single-player action RPG puts you in the shoes of Val – a curious and carefree young man and skilled fighter. One eventful night, his childhood friend is chosen as an alm – someone who must travel to the Mana Tree and rejuvenate the flow of mana power. Val joins her as the Soul Guard to protect her on her journey, and an epic adventure begins.

As Val, you’ll explore vast areas, battle monsters, gain allies, and uncover the many secrets of this expansive world. And what a world it is! As you can see from the screenshots and trailer, it’s a beautifully vibrant game with rich colors and expressive characters.

The beauty is matched by equally appealing combat. Aerial combat allows for physical and magic attacks in mid-air, and the grand and mysterious powers of the Elemental spirits can assist players in the form of specialized weapons. It’s fast-paced, strategic, and endlessly satisfying.

In short, it’s a perfect entry point for those of you yet to experience a Mana game, as it brings together everything great about this incredible series.

What is the Mana series? – The Mana games are a long-running series of fantasy RPGs that typically feature fast-paced, action-based combat, appealing visuals and music, and stories that center around themes of nature and the majestic Mana Tree.

It’s one of the most immediately enjoyable series, with exciting combat, colorful worlds, and a desire to always innovate. Here’s how Mana Series Producer Masaru Oyamada defines it:

“There are different opinions on what makes a Mana game – as the Series Creator Koichi Ishii always tries to do something new with each game after all.

*Expect a lot of action and adventuring in Visions of Mana.*

“I think we’ve managed to capture all of these elements in one consistent visual style for Visions of Mana, which really reflects the spirit of the series.” – Masaru Oyamada, Mana Series Producer

“But from my own perspective, I think there’s very much a distinctive Mana style that is easily recognizable to everyone. You can see it in the Tree of Mana illustrations by the great Hiroo Isono, in Mr. Ishii’s unforgettable monsters, and in the characters that inhabit these worlds.

“I think we’ve managed to capture all of these elements in one consistent visual style for Visions of Mana, which really reflects the spirit of the series.”

Each Mana game is a standalone adventure, with its own characters, stories and even gameplay mechanics. There’s rarely any narrative connection between them – instead they’re connected by elements like repeating monsters, such as the adorable rabites.

In other words, you can jump into any Mana game as if it’s your first, and Visions of Mana is no different. In fact, it’s a particularly great place to start as it’s the first entirely new mainline Mana game in more than 15 years!

Which Brings Us to Visions of Mana – Visions of Mana offers a fresh new take on the series, with large areas to explore and a rich story, all portrayed with a beautifully colorful visual style.

That was something that the team was particularly eager to capture, as Mr. Oyamada explains:

“I asked the development team to try to create character models that captured the atmosphere of character designer HACCAN’s illustrations, and experiment to see if they could make a world that incorporated the beautiful depictions of nature from the artist Mr. Hiroo Isono.

“During this process of experimentation, I also managed to secure the support from Mr. Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series and designer of many of its classic monsters, asking him to oversee the updating of his past monster designs into 3D for current generation graphics. All this led to a world that I felt was recognizable at a glance as being from the Mana series.

*There is a lot waiting to be discovered in locations like this in the game.*

For me, Visions of Mana is a very enticing RPG that has open-world environments, nice art style and the gameplay shown looks highly playable. Even though it is not bound for Xbox Game Pass, I encourage Xbox gamers – especially those who love RPGs from Japan – to take a close look at the game and see how it would fit into their games-to-play-in-2024 list. It should be noted that Visions of Mana reflects the reinvigorated business relationship between Square Enix and Team Xbox. The more Visions of Mana sells on Xbox, the better. Lastly, if you watched Square Enix’s Developer_Direct presentation, you would have noticed the game developers/creators acknowledged the Xbox community.

Watch out for the release Visions of Mana on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC this summer.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast

February 2, 2024February 2, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

Today I am launching a brand-new series of articles titled Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) which will explore the many print ads and promotions of video games, computer games, arcade games and handheld games that were published through the decades.

For the newcomers reading this, print ads of games were widely popular and heavily relied on by gamers/players long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and online videos even started. Back in the old days, print media was the most common method for companies to market their games while also helping hardware (machines which played the games) reach potential buyers. Such ads appeared in magazines, comic books and newspapers. Not only that, there were several print ads of games that were made to look creative, compelling and even intriguing.

With those details laid down, here is the first batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Parker Brothers’ Spider-Man-led print ad

Remember Parker Brothers? That was a company that started way back in 1883 founded with a strong focus on the enjoyment of games in the form of board games, cards and toys. In the late 1970s, Parker Brothers started making electronic versions of their popular board games and engaged in the video game development and publishing. They also went on to make home ports of popular arcade games in the early 1980 for several gaming platforms.

Parker Brothers was very active with making games for the Atari 2600 console which became the dominant machine for home gaming in North America in 1982. In the above print ad, their marketing heavily emphasize the Spider-Man video game for Atari 2600 and added two others games they also published – Tutankham and Amidar – which was a clever move to market multiple games. The ad’s focus on Spider-Man was amusing and even without showing a single screenshot of the game, it was enough to entice people to watch out for it. Be aware that the Spider-Man game’s development was done by Laura Nikolich who was hired by Parker Brothers at a job fair. Nikolich had full creative control on making the game and had no contact whatsoever with Marvel Comics.

2. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain print ad

*An ad like this was strong enough to motivate gamers’ imagination and interest.*

Back in 1982, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain was released on the Intellivision game console and I was fortunate enough to watch my next-door neighbor play it repeatedly. The above print ad – which simply referred to the game as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons – only had a few words which directly pointed to the main objective of the game…the golden crown. While only one screenshot of the game was displayed, the advertisers heavily relied on hand-drawn, comic book-style fantasy art work to sell the game.

For those who were born long after the 1980s, let me share with you that ads like these were really impressive for their time. It was common for advertisers to use art works (even though they may not accurately reflect the gameplay or game design) and post at least one screenshot to catch the viewer’s attention with the hope that it would even encourage him/her to anticipate the game. It should be noted that ads like these were strong enough to make gamers’ imagination or curiosity grow stronger.

3. Konami’s collective military video games advertising

*Print ad of four games for IBM, Amiga and Commodore.*

*Print ad of Jackal and Contra for the NES.*

Konami, the Japanese company that has long been known for Metal Gear, Suikoden and the controversial sacking of famous game designer Hideo Kojima, was aggressive in the gaming business in the 1980s and arguably the aggressiveness was reflected in their publishing of several games that emphasized militarism during the late stages of the Cold War. In short, they made the military look cool and their activities fun to do in digital form.

While Konami has always been identified with console gaming, they actually released Rush’n Attack, Contra, Jackal and Boot Camp on IBM, Amiga and Commodore computers (as seen in the first print ad above) which were popular in the 1980s. The said ad also have a very amusing visual concept emphasizing the excitement and fun of military action games coming to gamers at home for their computers.

The 2^nd print ad above – Jackal and Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – was very intriguing to see. It was very clear back in the 1980s that the NES always had a wholesome audience (note: a lot of buyers were parents who wanted to entertain their kids at home) and that includes a lot of very young players. To see the collective ad of Jackal and Contra (for the NES platform) having battle-hardened men in military gear holding guns was openly aggressive to perceive and instantly reminded people about the Cold War (and the menace of Communists, socialists, Marxists and terrorists) and the cultural impact of the mega blockbuster film Rambo: First Blood Part II. This is the kind of ad that would drive today’s woke-minded people crazy and even cause them to panic and pretend to be victims of militarism and patriotism. If you look at the ad closely, you will realize there is simply no room for the garbage of political correctness and wokeness.

Lastly, I myself had played Contra and Jackal with my friends on the Nintendo Family Computer (the Japanese counterpart of the NES) and both military games were a lot of fun to play from start to finish!

4. Batman Returns SNES game ad

*This print ad appeared in some comic books I read in the early 1990s.*

Way back in 1992, Batman Returns (the sequel to the mega blockbuster Batman movie of 1989) was released in cinemas with intense marketing and merchandising reflecting Warner Bros. intention to replicate the commercial success they had in 1989. Along the way, there were several video game adaptations of Batman Returns that were released on different platforms. Among those many video games was the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game of Batman Returns which was developed and published by Konami in 1993 the form of a side-scrolling beat-them-up game.

The above ad was visually appealing with hand-drawn, comic book-style art dominating the spaces while leaving room for some screenshots and a written description of the game. Having seen this ad on multiple comic books I read back then, I can say that the ad was entertaining to see and was effective in making me interested in the game. I played Batman Returns on the SNES but never got to finish it. Oh yes, the game’s audio were really good and there were also digitized images from the movie for the in-game narrative.

5. Flashy Sonic the Hedgehog Japanese print ad

*A dazzling approach by Sega on selling Sonic the Hedgehog.*

1991 will always be remembered as the year of Sonic who eventually became not only Sega’s most defining mascot but also a video game industry icon. That same year, Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis (referred to as Sega Megadrive in other parts of the world) console and it became a massive success with consumers and the game critics.

In the above Japanese print ad, a very captivating display of light and energy rays dominated the space leaving a minority share left for Sega’s console, screenshots and even a UFO Catcher arcade machine picture. While I could not understand the Japanese text, it seems to me that the flashy visual concept of the ad reflected Sega’s high ambitions with Sonic. How many gamers in Japan bought a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog because of this ad remains undetermined.

6. Japanese Super Star Wars print ad

*A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…*

Before Nintendo released its 16-bit game console (referred to as Super Nintendo Entertainment System in America, and Super Famicom in Japan), there were lots of Star Wars video games released on varied platforms and the arcade.

With Nintendo’s 16-bit gaming platform realized, lots of game designers and business partners saw opportunities to make new games with gameplay concepts and designs using the technological advantages of the time. For LucasArts and its partners, taking Star Wars gaming into the next level was inevitable and they made it all come true in 1992’s Super Star Wars video game.

Published in Japan by JVC Musical Industries for the Super Famicom, Super Star Wars was a major leap forward in game design, visuals, sound and enjoyment. Apart from the 2D side-scrolling run-and-gun gameplay, gamers were deeply immersed into Star Wars’ universe with the Mode 7 landspeeder and X-Wing fighter sequences, as well as the first-person trench run sequence.

The Japanese print ad above cleverly presented screenshots from the game while using official imagery from the Star Wars movie poster of 1977 (look at how young Harrison Ford, Mark Hammill and the late Carrie Fisher were back then). The ad is a fine example of combining the greatness of the classic George Lucas-directed film with the highly enjoyable design of Super Star Wars. Lastly, these should remind you that there was a time when Star Wars was not yet tainted by wokeness and the garbage values of the Satanic Leftists (read: woke Disney).

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Avowed coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in late 2024

January 25, 2024January 25, 2024carlocarrasco

During the Developer_Direct video presentation, the Xbox-exclusive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed was highlighted with updates from developer Obsidian Entertainment followed by the announcement that the game will be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in late-2024 (most likely October to December). The final release date will be announced some time later.

For the newcomers reading this, I blogged about Avowed previously and you can read them by clicking here, here, and here. First unveiled in the Xbox games showcase of 2020, Avowed is Obsidian’s latest attempt on the fantasy RPG genre with notable similarities to Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) that include the first-person view, melee combat, magic, and the exploration of a vast fantasy setting. Avowed is set within Obsidian’s established Pillars of Eternity fantasy universe with Eora as the world.

*Avowed is set in the established world of Eora. The game developers promised a flexible approach on combat covering melee, magic and shooting forms of attacks during battle.*

Of course, there are notable gameplay and technical differences that set Avowed apart from Bethesda’s mega blockbuster fantasy RPG. To get to know the game better, watch Obsidian’s segment of the 2024 Developer_Direct event as well as the extended gameplay breakdown below…

For more information, posted below is the excerpt from the Xbox.com article regarding Obsidian’s fantasy RPG. Some parts in boldface…

Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel gave us a first deep-dive into the gameplay in Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from its dynamic combat, to its thoughtful reactivity, to its “colorful, vibrant, strange” world set in the Living Lands. Avowed continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games with deep themes and player choice at the forefront.

*Here is an example of a decision-making moment in Avowed. Before making a decision, you must pay attention to the details on what the other characters said.*

Not only will you make narrative decisions that can impact changes in the game down the line, but Avowed is also looking to offer choice in combat. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed not only how varied your weaponry will be – with melee weapons, ranged guns and bows, and magic-based wands (even dual-wielded wands!) to name a few – but how flexible combat can be, allowing you to quickly change loadouts for enemy encounters. Swappable loadouts mean you can approach combat however feels right to you.

Art Director Matt Hansen then explained how the Living Lands is a mysterious island made up of wildly varied regions offering visually diverse backdrops and intriguing settings to explore. With secrets hidden throughout the regions, you’ll take in barren deserts, verdant forests, blighted wastes, volcanic biomes, and more.

Ever since it was first unveiled in 2020, I have been anticipating Avowed for a long time as I myself enjoyed the fantasy RPGs of Bethesda (specifically The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Skyrim) as well as Obsidian’s work in The Outer Worlds (2019) and Falllout: New Vegas (2010). I should also state that the first-person view makes exploration and combat in RPGs truly immersive and this alone makes Avowed very appealing to me. In relation to the first-person view, I am eager to find out how playable combat will be specifically on the part of the player and what interactive options will be made available. In a recent Xbox.com article, the developers confirmed there will be a variety of ways for players to tackle combat.

I am also excited to see how Obsidian will implement their clever and creative writing skills into the narrative and branching options within their upcoming fantasy RPG. Anyone who has played The Outer Worlds will know how the decisions you made in the game – even during side quests – affected the ending as well as the respective outcomes of your party members. That is something I hope to see again in Avowed, even though it is likely that Obsidian could adjust their methods on establishing the new game’s narrative as well as the outcomes.

*When exploring the many fantasy environments, always pay attention to details as you might find useful items, weapons, money or even details about quests.*

Watch out for Avowed on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass in late-2024. For more details, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/avowed and https://avowed.obsidian.net/

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) later this year

January 23, 2024January 25, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, and Xbox fans!

Recently Team Xbox had its promised Developer_Direct video presentation which emphasized Xbox-exclusive games, a certain upcoming game from Square Enix (a special guest participant in the presentation) and a PC game.

One of the highlighted exclusive games was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle which is being made by MachineGames (a Bethesda game studio) for release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in the later part of 2024. The final release date will be announced some time later.

For starters, watch the official gameplay reveal trailer of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well as the Developer_Direct presentation of the game by MachineGames below…

Now, you can read more information about the game straight from Bethesda.net with the selected excerpt below. Some parts in boldface…

Set between “Raiders of the Lost Ark™” and “The Last Crusade™”, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a first-person, single-player adventure that will take you all over the world, uncovering clues and solving an ancient mystery. Become the adventurer in a race against sinister forces. Your journeys will take you from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas.

“Our game is about putting you in the shoes of an iconic hero,” says Design Director Jens Andersson. “Since we are doing this mostly in first-person, you have the chance to truly become Indy. First-person makes you part of this world – allowing you to explore and experience things more intimately. What will you do when you’re dropped into this adventure with your wits and your whip? The world of Indiana Jones is a world with mysteries around every corner, where you’re racing against the clock and outsmarting your enemies as you hunt down artifacts.”

From their approach to crafting unique and believable stories and characters, to their over-the-top and unforgettable set pieces, MachineGames is the perfect studio to bring Indiana Jones to modern gaming.

“It’s like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit so well together,” says Senior Animator Rebecca Elfstrӧm Hidén. “We have big, sometimes crazy ideas that seem insane on paper, but they meshed really well with the franchise. You’ve got this amazing adventure that digs into the heart of the character and shines a light on all the things that made people fall in love with him in the first place, and then you’ve got these big, complex set pieces that just fit really well in there. Our DNA and the pillars of Indiana Jones just came together so naturally.”

*Indiana Jones and his companion Gina travel to a new destination. MachineGames confirmed that there will be a variety of locations in the game set in different parts of the world.*

The way I see it, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is clearly a major production that involves passionate work by the team of MachineGames. I am very glad that the developers decided to have the story set between the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) to show a version of the iconic hero that stays away from the old Indy of the woke garbage Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

I also like the fact that the developers implemented the likeness of Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones as well as that of the late actor Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody. These visual presentations seem to show that MachineGames decided to move closer to the way George Lucas and Steven Spielberg presented the cinematic icon decades ago.

*The first-person action scenes as well as puzzle solving are impressive to look at. We will find out soon enough how fun and immersive the first-person view experience will be.*

As for the gameplay footage shown, I am very impressed seeing how playable the game is looking with the first-person view implemented within the concept of Indiana Jones adventuring. The whip action shown looks really creative and the game also allowed for stealth gameplay and puzzle solving with the immersive first-person view (which alternates with third-person view for sequences that allowed gamers to see Indiana Jones in full form). For the newcomers reading this, MachineGames is responsible for several Wolfenstein and Quake games over the years and this Indiana Jones game clearly compelled them to be creative with the first-person view and game functions.

Watch out for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass later this year.

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Hideo Kojima’s Xbox project is OD (Overdose)

December 22, 2023December 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Since the initial announcement of the Xbox Game Studios partnership with Kojima Productions (led by legendary game creator Hideo Kojima who is known by many for his Metal Gear works) was made, a lot of gamers could not figure out what kind of game will be realized. The long wait and speculation ended as the two entities announced during The Game Awards 2023 the new game (designed by Hideo Kojima) titled OD (Overdose).

To begin, watch the official teaser trailer of the Xbox-exclusive OD below…

To add punch to the announcement, Kojima himself appeared on-stage during The Game Awards 2023 which you can see below…

To learn more details about OD (Overdose), posted below is an excerpt from the official press release issued by Kojima Productions. Some parts in boldface…

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and XBOX GAME STUDIOS officially announced OD at The Game Awards. World-renowned game creator Hideo Kojima has partnered with Academy Award winning filmmaker Jordan Peele, the acclaimed film director of “Get Out,” “Us,” and “Nope,” who will be one of several talented storytellers involved in the project.

“We are working with Xbox Game Studios and their cloud gaming technology to take on the challenge of creating a very unique, immersive, and totally new style of game – or rather, a new form of media,” said Hideo Kojima, Game Creator and Founder of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS.

A HIDEO KOJIMA GAME, OD explores the concept of testing your fear threshold, and what it means to OD on fear – while blurring the boundaries of gaming and film. The new teaser for OD also reveals Sophia Lillis (“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”), Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”) and Udo Kier (“Flesh for Frankenstein”), who will play the lead roles in the upcoming project.

While there were little details about OD unveiled and the teaser trailer showcased what the production team is doing with the technologies they have, the Xbox-exclusive project is intriguing to say the least. Sure, there was no gameplay footage shown nor plot elements but the unveiling showed that OD was aiming for a new experience with horror, suspense, emotion and immersion in mind.

Kojima Productions’ utilization of cloud gaming technology and Unreal Engine could result in something new and fresh from Hideo Kojima whom I believe must have been experimenting a lot with designs not only for video gaming but also for interactive viewing. It is also interesting to see that OD will involve the talents of selected actors and director Jordan Peele. I can only speculate that, in relation to Kojima’s quote in the press release, the game will be cinematic and will somehow get the gamer/viewer involved in ways not seen before.

A lot of questions about the Xbox-exclusive OD remain particularly on how exactly will it be playable, what the plot is, will the game push photo-realism to the next level, how will it immerse gamers/viewers into it, when will it be released on Xbox Game Pass (XGP), when will it be released and more.

Whatever OD (Overdose) will be, we can only hope that Hideo Kojima and his team will create something groundbreaking and great. Stay tuned for future updates about OD here.

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Grand Theft Auto VI coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2025

December 8, 2023December 6, 2023carlocarrasco

It has been more than ten years since the day I first played Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) on my Xbox 360 and that game was very in-depth and provided loads of fun gameplay. I replayed GTAV on Xbox One and most recently on my Xbox Series X console via Xbox Game Pass (XGP).

Recently, Rockstar Games released the official trailer of the much-awaited new game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTAVI or GTA6 for short) online ahead of schedule (note: someone shamelessly leaked the trailer which compelled the publisher to do an early launch) which attracted many millions of views from fans and gamers on varied platforms online. The new game will be released on Xbox Series X|S consoles sometime in the year 2025. To begin with, watch the official trailer below…

And below is a statement from Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser…

“Grand Theft Auto VI continues our efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this new vision with players everywhere.” (source – official press release)

*A view of a beach and the buildings of Vice City. Clearly the city is inspired by Miami in real-life.*

As expected, the GTA6 official trailer looks really impressive and I would not be surprised that the developers will make the gameplay experience more varied by means of implementing lots of features and play styles. The trailer even showed images of in-game social media which will most likely become a gameplay feature eventually as it will resonate with gamers who mostly spent a lot of years using social media accounts in real life.

In the press release, the fictional Vice City and the state of Leonida were explicitly mentioned. For the newcomers reading this, Vice City was the main setting in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and the said city will be getting the modern game presentation and design similar to what happened to Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, and Los Santos in GTAV. Vice City is clearly patterned after the real-life city of Miami in Florida and within the new game are lots of parties (lots of neon colors too), populated beaches, wildlife, desolate locations for exploring and groove-related activities.

*We will find out soon enough how detailed a populated in-game beach like this will turn out on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.*

*Interacting with the wildlife in the game’s more isolated environments could resonate nicely with those who played Red Dead Redemption 2 extensively.*

Expect Rockstar Games to make adjustments and refinements not only with the core gameplay but also with the way cops and criminals will react to each other. Lastly, it seems that the developers took inspiration from the real-life American crime couple Bonnie and Clyde for the in-game couple that was several times within the game trailer. That being said, the developers are not only staying away from the 3-protagonist formula of GTAV, they are also challenging themselves to create something new and even more compelling with the GTA6 couple for players to experience.

I am also interested to see how Rockstar will design the open-world environments this time. I have never been to Miami but I visited Orlando during my one and only trip to Florida. I noticed how different Florida’s physical surroundings were compared to other states in America I visited, and I noticed in the GTA6 trailer the more desolate locations filled with varied forms of vegetation were inspired by the said state. Oh yes, there were also images of alligators in the trailer which remind me of real-life Florida sightings of the creatures in populated places. I can only imagine how this will add variety to the gameplay and exploration in GTA6. Check out the news videos below…

Grand Theft Auto VI is still far from release and a lot could happen as the release date gets closer. Here is hoping that Rockstar Games will deliver a game that is not only great but also turn out to be truly worth the wait of over a decade. For the Xbox fans reading this, do you think the Xbox Series S version of GTA6 will turn out good? If you already have an Xbox Series S as well as extra money, would you be willing to upgrade by buying the Xbox Series X console for GTA6?

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Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King is now a reality

October 19, 2023October 18, 2023carlocarrasco

Ever since it was first announced, the stakeholders behind the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal worth almost $70 billion went through lots of hurdles that include opposition by Sony’s PlayStation division, a trial with America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a rejection by the United Kingdom’s regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The obstacles are over as the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal recently closed and already the Activision side of the business has officially started integrating into Microsoft. This deal is many times larger than the Xbox-Bethesda acquisition of a few years ago. Watch the related video by Team Xbox below…

Xbox chief Phil Spencer issued a statement related to the newly closed deal. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from his statement published through Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…

We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world.

I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.

As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.

Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favorite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more.

Players have always been at the center of everything we do. And as we grow, we’ll continue to keep players at the heart of it all. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback, build a community where you can be yourself, where developers can do their best work, and continue to make really fun games. As promised, we will also continue to make more games available in more places – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming providers and players to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission. Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too.

For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

For their part, Activision Blizzard issued its own statement related to the biggest deal in video gaming with Microsoft. They are looking forward to the future of gaming with Team Xbox. Posted below is an excerpt from their statement with some parts in boldface…

It’s a big day for us at Activision Blizzard. For more than four decades, our players have inspired us to push the boundaries of imagination with iconic universes including Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch, and Warcraft.

Today we begin a new chapter as we officially become a part of the Microsoft family, uniting with the amazing Xbox team and co-creating the future of gaming together.

In our earliest days we were a modest collective of designers who raided rivers, commanded choppers, and avoided pitfalls. Now as part of Xbox, we will continue our mission to deliver the world’s most epic interactive entertainment experiences to more people, more platforms, and across more worlds than ever before.

All of our history and success leading to this moment is because of you, our incredible gaming community.

Unsurprisingly, the approved Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal made tremendous waves through social media and through YouTube. Watch and learn from the videos below starting with an interview with Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick (note: pay close attention to his words)…

The Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal is not just another multi-billion Dollar business breakthrough…it is a tremendous boost for the credibility of Xbox as a video gaming, PC gaming, cloud gaming and mobile gaming entity.

Not only will Team Xbox have access and control of Activision Blizzard’s multiple game franchises and properties, they will also inherit the many talents and game makers of ABK (Activision-Blizzard-King), inherit the proprietary technologies for making the games, and most notably inherit and do business with the hundreds of millions of Activision Blizzard King customers worldwide!

While it is made clear that Microsoft-controlled ABK will still release games on multiple platforms, the new owners can make the new and upcoming games Xbox-exclusive (meaning released only on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC plus cloud and mobile devices which collectively are more numerous than Nintendo and PlayStation consoles). For insights about potential Xbox-exclusive Activision Blizzard games, watch Colteastwood’s video below…

More on exclusivity that include games, DLC releases and other matters, it is clear that the pre-existing contracts between PlayStation and Activision will never be renewed (read: PlayStation is no longer the home of Call of Duty). PlayStation, whose leader Jim Ryan has been so arrogant and dishonest when opposing the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal, will have a lot to worry about on the gaming subscription side of business once Activision Blizzard games get added into the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service some time in 2024. As much as Team Xbox and Microsoft are benefiting from this mega deal, gamers across different platforms will eventually benefit as well in various ways. Expect new customer-oriented choices to be made through the games under Xbox’s banner.

As of this writing, Xbox fans are rejoicing over the closed Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal while PlayStation fanboys cannot help but agonize with anger and jealousy. All you have to do to see the PS fanboys’ anguish is search for them on social media over their collective negative reactions. The “Xbox has no games” zealots are looking and feeling bad nowadays. Indeed, things are working in Team Xbox’s favor and I personally cannot wait to see the benefits of the ABK deal get realized in my gaming experience. Also there is nothing like seeing ABK’s established franchises like Call of Duty, StarCraft, Warcraft and many others listed with Xbox’s own franchises such as Halo, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Fallout and others.

Personally, I look forward to playing Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot (a game property that started on PlayStation) other Activision titles on my Xbox Series X console through my Xbox Game Pass subscription in the near future.

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