Star Ocean 5 Broadens Its Appeal by Staying True to Its JRPG Roots
One of the major, persistent narrative threads engulfing the games industry since the turn of the century concerns the Japanese game industry's attempts to appeal to Western audiences. From Metal Gear Solid to Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry to Ninja Gaiden, Japanese developers have sought to combat the idea that they fail to see games from a global perspective.
By way of a fix there has been a trend for Japanese games to mimic many of the more cemented and popular ideas typically associated with Western design. Metal Gear Solid's move towards an open-world setting and Final Fantasy's ever more obvious move towards photo-realistic representations of characters, for instance, are two of the more high-profile examples.
Former Uncharted Creative Director to Receive BAFTA Award
Amy Hennig—former writer and creative director behind the Uncharted series—will receive a "special award" from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
The award will be presented in Los Angeles on June 12, just days before E3 2016 begins. The event is part of BAFTA's "renewed commitment" to celebrating the video game industry.
Amy Hennig, lead writer and creative director at EA
"Amy is one of the industry's most successful and respected creative leaders," Harvey Elliott, BAFTA Games Committee chairman said. "Her work in the games industry spans nearly three decades, and throughout this illustrious career she has championed the importance of a game's script, with this creative vision pervading all her work."
The Secret Mastermind of DC’s New 52 Revealed
With the release of Justice League #50 and DC Universe Rebirth #1, surprising secrets have been revealed about the origin of the New 52 universe.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for DC Universe Rebirth #1 and Justice League #50!
If you read our spoiler-filled report on DC Universe Rebirth #1 last week, you know that one of the biggest twists in that issue involves the reveal that Doctor Manhattan was the creator of the New 52 universe. This twist builds on the open-ended status quo in which creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons left the character at the end of Watchmen. There Manhattan announced that he was leaving his world behind to explore the universe and hopefully create new life of his own. Somewhere along the way, that process led him to begin performing experiments on the DC Universe.
Overwatch Fan With Cerebral Palsy Praises Blizzard for Accessibility Options
An Overwatch fan with cerebral palsy has written a heartfelt thank you to Blizzard, the game’s developer, as the new game's remappable controls mean he can comfortably play with every character.
“I was born with Cerebral Palsy,” says Zak on Reddit. “I can't walk and have very limited use of my hands. I love video games of all shapes and sizes and have been playing since I was 3 years old. I play them when I'm happy, I play them when I'm sad, and I've started and strengthened some of my best friendships because of them."
Zak explains how certain games can be tough to play due to only being able to use one action per hand at a time. Imagine playing an FPS. You know how you use your thumb to control the camera and your index finger to pull the trigger? That’s not possible for Zak normally, but thanks to Blizzard’s control options…
Former Valve Employee Sues For $3.1m
An ex-Valve employee is suing her former employer for $3.1m.
Polygon reports the litigant, who has not been named, is pursuing $1m for general damages, a further $1m for loss of earnings, another $1m for special damages, and an extra $150k for unpaid wages.
The suit asserts the woman’s supervisor created a “hostile working environment” — which includes referring to her as “it” following gender reassignment surgery — and accuses her boss of “utilizing people who were interested in their products to provide translation services for free”.
Hello Kitty, My Melody Coming to Super Mario Maker
In partnership with Japanese designer Sanrio, Nintendo is bringing Hello Kitty and My Melody costumes to Super Mario Maker.
According to Nintendo News, costumes for both iconic Japanese characters will be available via a new Event Course that launches this Thursday, May 26 in the United States, and the following morning in Europe and Japan. For an early glimpse at the adorable new additions in action, check out the Japanese announcement trailer below.
Super Mario Maker released last September, exclusively for Wii U, and has gone on to sell over 3.5 million units worldwide. Following its launch, Nintendo has supported the game with a wide array of character skins, including a costume for Wolf Link and Midna, Nisekoi's Chitoge Kirisaki and most recently Ice Climbers Nana and Popo.
Nintendo’s MH Handheld Just a Hypothetical ‘Scenario’
Following reports from a Japanese firm that Nintendo is developing a new handheld codenamed MH, Kantan Games CEO Dr. Serkan Toto has taken to social media to shed light on the rumor, saying it's not confirmation that a handheld development, but rather a hypothetical "scenario" made by Morgan Stanley Japan.
"That Morgan Stanley Japan note on Nintendo does NOT mean a portable console or the name 'MH' is confirmed. They are picturing a scenario," Toto explained on Twitter, noting in a followup post that "such 'rich' forward-looking analysis and also the wording is standard in investor notes."
DC Rebirth Cast Revealed in Massive Image
DC Comics has revealed a massive image featuring dozens of characters from their upcoming line-wide company relaunch, DC Rebirth.
Warning, there are a couple spoilers if you haven't read DC Universe: Rebirth #1 yet.
Here's the full image, which will also appear at the end of DC Universe: Rebirth #1, out tomorrow, as a teaser for what's to come.
Image by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Hi-Fi
As you can see, it features a colorful image with lots of smiling faces and costumes closer to their classic design, a stark contrast to the darker, moodier New 52 that launched in 2011 (and brought about the need for Rebirth in the first place).
The Flash: The Man in the Iron Mask Speaks
Major spoilers for The Flash's Season 2 finale continue below. If you don't know who the Man in the Iron Mask is, read on at your own risk.
The Flash gave away its biggest secret(s) of Season 2 in Tuesday's finale: not only is the Man in the Mask Jay Garrick, but Jay Garrick is the doppelgänger of Barry Allen's father, Henry Allen.
It's a nice bit of poetry for star John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen/The Flash in the 1990 The Flash series that aired on CBS. Now he's a speedster on the show again, and in a role that seems like it will have major repercussions on the series. Shipp got on the phone to discuss the massive reveal and what it means looking forward to Season 3. Read the full interview below.
What You Need to Know About Powers Season 2
Based on Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's mature superhero saga comic book of the same name, Powers became PlayStation's first ever live-action scripted series last year. Sharlto Copley stars as grounded superhero-turned-cop Christian Walker while Susan Heyward stepped into the role of Deena Pilgrim, Walker's hotheaded new partner.
Season 2 comes to the PlayStation Store on May 31st so we thought it'd be a great time to briefly look back at Season 1 while also teasing what lies ahead in this year's batch of episodes.
Powers takes place in the world of superhuman abilities, with the LAPD's Powers Division being charged with handling serious crimes committed by those with these abilities. And Walker's former life as an insanely strong crusader gives him an extra bit of insight into the world of those who soar above normal citizens. And those who think they're above the law.