We Run Down Every Mario Game Ever
Eager to learn even more about your favorite video game franchises, consoles, and the history behind them? If so, you're going to love Every Ever, our encyclopedic series that takes a deep dive into the most iconic titles, characters, and series in all of gaming, and breaks them down with expert analysis.
Join us in Episode 3 as we take a comprehensive look at the incredible history of Mario, who appeared in over two hundred games. The beloved Nintendo mascot, who's revitalized an industry and saved the Mushroom Kingdom a hundred times over, has led the Nintendo library for nearly as long as the company’s made video games.
Saudi Arabia Grants Citizenship to a Robot
Saudi Arabia has just granted citizenship to Sophia, the Hanson Robotics robot.
As reported by TechCrunch, the announcement was made during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia.
While the announcement lacked details on what that citizenship might mean, this is the first time citizenship has been granted to an artificial life-form.
Sophia (courtesy of Hanson Robotics)
Ragnarok Brings Death, Destruction and Great Thor Comics
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to expand in some interesting new directions with the release of Thor: Ragnarok. Not only are we basically getting a Planet Hulk adaptation squeezed into our Thor sequel, the film is tackling one of the most fascinating pieces of Thor's mythology - Ragnarok. This is very fertile ground for the MCU. Ragnarok is a vital piece of Thor's story, and it's been at the heart of many of the best Thor storylines over the past few decades.
While I recommend reading Arnold Blumberg's Ragnarok Explained feature for more on this particular Thor trope, the gist is that Thor and his fellow gods are constantly under the threat of extinction. As in classic Norse mythology, the gods of Asgard are bound by a cycle of death and rebirth that unfolds every couple thousand years. The exact catalyst and circumstances may change, but the end result is usually the same.
EA: Visceral’s Star Wars Game Not Canceled for Being Single Player
The decision to close Visceral Games and refocus the studio's Star Wars project wasn't made because it was a single-player title, according to Electronic Arts executive vice president Patrick Söderlund.
"This truly isn’t about the death of single-player games—I love single-player, by the way—or story and character-driven games," Söderlund told Kotaku. "Storytelling has always been part of who we are, and single-player games will of course continue."
He went on to note that the publisher's decision to refocus the project also "isn't about needing a game that monetizes in a certain way."
Canceled Visceral Star Wars Game Story, Gameplay Details Revealed
Visceral's now-defunct version of a Star Wars game would have a heist story with a focus on "scoundrels in space," according to a new report.
Kotaku's new report on the production and eventual shutdown of both Visceral Games and its untitled Star Wars project, codenamed Ragtag, delves into vision for gameplay and story director Amy Hennig and the studio attempted to create. According to the report, which involved the input of nearly a dozen former Visceral employees, the game would have followed Dodger, a "'cracked mirror version' of Han Solo" in a story of crime families, heists, and more.
Amazon’s eSports Game Breakaway Is Going on Hiatus
Breakaway, Amazon Game Studios' 4v4 brawler, is officially on hold as the development team takes time to "iterate and evolve" its "core gameplay."
"Over the course of the Alpha we received a lot of feedback from you that we’re taking to heart," reads an update on the game's official site. "In order to get it right, we’re letting our team take the time to iterate and evolve Breakaway’s core gameplay to deliver what you’ve asked for. We aren’t sure how long this will take, but we think it’s the right thing to do for the game, and you, the community."
Following its reveal in September 2016, a public alpha for the mythological brawler, which places a heavy emphasis on streaming, ran from June through September. As the developer notes, it won't host further alpha matches at this time.
The Best Cooperative Board Games
Board games can be a competitive hobby that pits friend against friend in a ruthless contest for victory points and bragging rights. But sometimes it’s good to set aside your differences, sit on the same side of the table and work towards a common goal. Luckily, there are plenty of quality cooperative games with which to set aside competition and forge bonds of friendship in the fires of teamwork. And if you're not necessarily concerned with co-op, check out IGN's list of the Best Board Games of 2019.
Here are 10 of the best coop board games ever made.
Team Keeping Old Battlefield Games Running Told to Stop
Revive Network, a service keeping old Battlefield games alive via its own multiplayer servers, has been asked by EA to "stop distributing and using their intellectual property."
In a post on its website (via Kotaku), Revive explained it will comply with EA's request and immediately disable all file downloads.
"Electronic Arts Inc.'
legal team has contacted us and nicely asked us to stop distributing and using their intellectual property," the post explains. "As diehard fans of the franchise, we will respect these stipulations."
Sony to Announce 7 New Games at Paris Games Week
This coming Monday, October 30, Sony will announce seven new titles at Paris Games Week 2017.
While the PlayStation Media Showcase doesn't begin until 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm UK (October 31 at 3am AET), Sony will hold an "introductory livestream featuring 21 game updates, including seven all-new game announcements for PS4 and PSVR" the hour prior, according to a post on PlayStation Blog.
Meanwhile, the Media Showcase itself will provide an "exclusive new look at the next wave of huge PlayStation titles." According to Sony, "E3 was only half the story."
Resident Evil 7 Doubled Average Time People Spent in PSVR
Resident Evil 7 singlehandedly contributed a large amount of total PlayStation VR use among players.
In an interview with Engadget, a Sony representative revealed Capcom's latest horror game turned out be quite the success in PSVR. Before Resident Evil 7 launched in January 2017, the average play time session in PSVR was around 25 minutes. Resident Evil 7 increased that average time to nearly an hour.
Prior to RE7, most time spent in VR, according to Sony, came from bit-sized play experiences. Part of RE7's success, Sony believes, comes from its genre.
"Different users enjoy different experiences, and it's hard to pinpoint a particular app or experience that is most popular, but we've found that certain genres work very well with VR, and horror is one example," the Sony spokesperson said. "When Resident Evil 7: Biohazard launched earlier this year, the average amount of time PSVR users spent playing doubled."