Here we go again…
The next Nintendo console — the Switch 2, Super Switch, whatever you want to call it — may not be releasing until 2025, new rumours are suggesting.
Brazilian journalist Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe (via VGC) made this claim in the O X do Controle podcast after consulting five different sources, who have all reportedly stated that the follow-up to the hybrid console will be launching in 2025.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hello everybody! Hunter Bridges here. I am one of the co-founders of Evening Star, as well as both Game Director and Technical Director for Penny’s Big Breakaway.
Penny’s Big Breakaway is our team’s first 3D game, coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, and we built it using our in-house 3D engine, Star Engine. Building a 3D game engine from the ground up is hard work, but that’s okay with us. Evening Star’s philosophy is that, by blazing our own trails with technology, our creativity will be sparked in unique ways.
Today, I want to touch on our design motivations, how that informs the camera system as well as the control scheme, and the performance we were able to unlock with the Xbox Series X|S.
When we first started Evening Star, we were eager to create a fully 3D game. We wanted to come up with a game concept featuring our own characters and world, all powered by our proprietary Star Engine!
While investing time in our engine, we started generating concepts for 3D games. One person’s idea from one day would inspire someone else’s idea the next day. Our team kicked around a seed of an idea about using a yo-yo, which quickly took root.
With this concept, our game designer Esteban Fajardo drew up a series of sketches representing different “verbs” our character could perform.
We felt like we were onto something. Even in this basic form, the character and yo-yo were kinetic and exciting! Some of these actions even made it into the final game… “throw”, “sleep”, “ride” and “swing” were all present from this early stage.
The team also wanted to create a colorful cast of characters, and we wanted them to live in a fantastical environment. Combined with the Yo-Yo mechanics, this led to fluid action in a unique world.
Once we decided on our core concept, we attacked it from every angle. We asked ourselves: What do we like about our favorite 3D platformers? What are elements we struggle with? What are some fresh things we could bring to it?
Our team surfaced a common point of contention: the camera. In most 3D platformers, the player is often tasked with managing the camera. We’re adding new mechanics designed around yo-yo moves. We wanted the player to focus on controlling that, instead of constantly attending to the camera’s position and direction.
We decided to go with a “fixed” camera that the player doesn’t control. The player never has to think about the camera, but it will always show them what they need to see and where they need to go. This decision profoundly influenced our gameplay and level design.
Alongside the camera, we were exploring control schemes for movement and yo-yo actions. At this time, the character designs were taking shape too. We created Penny, and turned her regular yo-yo into her faithful companion… aptly named Yo-Yo!
A key design pillar was ‘expression’. We wanted to give the player maximum opportunity to move Penny and control Yo-Yo’s abilities, and reward their skill. The ideal is anyone can create their own “style” out of Penny’s strong core moveset.
Quick access to Penny’s Yo-Yo moves, in every direction, was essential to expressive movement. Assigning the right thumb stick was the clear answer.
Since the right stick became so crucial, we also wanted the player to play without ever needing to lift their thumb from it. This lent itself to a “bumper jumper” control scheme, where the jump action is mapped to the L or R bumpers.
We tried a control scheme with just analog sticks and bumpers. Immediately, we noticed the empty set of face buttons felt unnatural. We also felt that players might not adopt an unconventional control scheme. We met in the middle and assigned the face buttons more traditionally– A button to jump, X button to throw, and B button to ride.
The result is a control scheme that feels both familiar to newcomers but provides a level of movement control and flexibility that we believe is unique!
When talking about cameras and controls, responsiveness is the name of the game. It’s crucial that the player’s moves feel snappy and satisfying.
Xbox Series X|S can blast 120 frames per second! But that means our game has to run fast enough to keep up.
Thanks to the power of this Xbox Series X|S, Penny’s Big Breakaway can run at full resolution 120 Hz! On Series X, we support 4K (3840×2160), and on Series S we support 1440p (2560×1440). Plus, by using the new GameInput API, receiving input from the gamepad happens in tight sync with the high frame rate, minimizing player input lag.
When you take a new 3D platformer, give it an expressive control scheme, and run it at a buttery smooth 120 Hz, the result is a visceral action game experience like no other!
But don’t just take it from me– you’ll have to try Penny’s Big Breakaway for yourself. Penny and Yo-Yo make their debut on Xbox early this year!
The post Inside the Dazzling Design of 3D Platformer Penny’s Big Breakaway appeared first on Xbox Wire.
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Howdy! This week Abubakar Salim of Surgent Studios stops by to discuss the upcoming platformer Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Plus the team talks Helldivers 2 and Tekken 8.
Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE
Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE
Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Bandai Namco has recently revealed that it has canceled five games that were currently in development, along with changing its development structure.
In a recent earnings report, Bandai Namco stated that it has revamped its criteria for evaluating the quality of its games internally and that has lead to the cancelation of five games that were in development, per IGN’s own translation. Bandai explained that is now has stricter rules on which games get to proceed in development, as games have become more expensive and costly to make.
Bandai Namco also said that it is still working on Elden Ring DLC and is planning more games for the Dragon Ball series. On a post-earnings call, Bandai Namco explained that the company’s disappointing financial results to underperforming games. One of them is most likely Blue Protocol, an MMORPG that Bandai partnered with Amazon Games as its publishers. It was released in Japan last year, but still hasn’t made its debut in other territories.
On a brighter note, Bandai Namco revealed that Tekken 8 sold over 2 million copies, and expects the game to contine selling until the next fiscal year.
Bandai Namco currently has other projects in store for 2024, including Little Nightmares 3 and Sand Land. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 and Dragon Ball: Sparkling! Zero don’t have release dates just yet.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
Coming off of 2022’s biggest game in Elden Ring has been a tricky time for Bandai Namco, it seems. The publishers have announced that they have cancelled “at least” five games in the works to help overcome a significant drop in income over the last year, adopting a new approach to development that will focus on quality.
Flashlights and grubby gas masks at the ready: there will be a sequel to Metro Exodus, the developers of the follow-up to Metro 2033 and Last Light have confirmed. Don’t expect it soon, though, as 4A Games say it’ll arrive “when it’s ready”.
Helldivers II developer Arrowhead Studios has announced that players can earn 50% extra XP and Requisition until the end of the day on Sunday in Central European Time thanks to a bug that prevented some players from earning rewards after a mission.
This morning, the official Helldivers II Twitter account posted a statement by Deputy Game Director, Sagar Beroshi in the hopes of addressing reports of the progress-preventing bug. The statement confirms that Arrowhead is working on a fix for the issue and that all players will receive the XP boost, not just those affected by the error.
A message to the HELLDIVERS 2 community from Deputy Game Director Sagar Beroshi about the upcoming weekend: pic.twitter.com/oqFQ9cG0QB
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) February 16, 2024
Players looking to ensure that they’re benefitting from the surge in rewards should look for a Game Master Effect called “Accounting Corrections” while in the Super Destroyer. Beroshi then thanked the Helldivers II community for its support and patience.
Problems with players earning rewards after a mission are only some of the issues the comically-tinged shooter has faced since its launch earlier this month, though Arrowhead studios has promptly squashed many of these issues. Most recently, matchmaking is currently unusable according to Arrowhead Studios’ community manager, Katherine “Baskinator” Baskin, but players can still party up with their friends.
If you’re looking to take advantage of the boost in experience points this weekend, check out our guide for the best stratagems in Helldivers II! Or if you want to learn more about the game, here’s our Helldivers II review in progress.
Charlie Wacholz is a freelance writer at IGN.
Alan Wake 2, last year’s best horror game, best game overall or best-game-featuring-an-unexpected-but-extremely-welcome-musical-dance-number depending on who you ask, has shifted over a million copies. Musical dance numbers don’t come cheap, though, so it’s still yet to turn a profit – despite outpacing the momentum of any of Remedy’s previous games, including Control.
Everything from dunks to dumps.
We’re getting ready for NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 with a look at every basketball game on Nintendo Switch. The three-day event tips off in Indiana on 16th February with contests and challenges taking place every day until the 73rd All-Star Game finale on 18th February.
With all of its high-flying athleticism, nail-biting buzzer beaters, and silky skills, it’s no wonder that basketball is often the number one draft pick for developers looking to make a sports game.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hello, I’m Alastair, the creator of PlateUp. I love deep roguelike games, which you can play over and over, with a different experience every time. And I love playing co-op games with friends. But it was hard to find a game that had the depth I wanted but was approachable enough for everyone to enjoy. So I left my job and made PlateUp – a co-op roguelite restaurant game – to be the game I wanted to play. After the amazing support the game has seen on PC, with over 1.5 million players, I’m excited to bring the game to so many new players on Xbox with Game Pass.
You’ll need to build up your restaurant from scratch to make it in the cutthroat world of hospitality. Spend your earnings each day to buy new appliances, then arrange your restaurant to optimise your performance. You’ve got complete control of the layout. Can’t reach the sink easily? Pick it up and move it closer. Kitchen too small? Move some things into another room. Customers too far away? Cook in front of them – just try not to set their table on fire!
It’ll start simple. You’ve got one meal to serve. Your customers behave themselves.
But every three days, the heat turns up. You’ll be presented with a choice of two new random challenges and you (and your team) will have to decide what to take on. You might opt to add more to your menu; maybe adding a side, a starter or a dessert. Or you could increase the complexity of one of your existing dishes by adding a sauce or swapping an ingredient out for a home-made version. Alternatively, you can keep your menu simple and handle more – and fussier – customers. Maybe you’ll need to remember your customers’ orders, or maybe from now on they’ll all turn up at the same time?
I wanted PlateUp to be a game everyone could enjoy. There’s lots of depth, but you only need two buttons to interact with everything. You can join your friends mid-session, and it doesn’t matter if you’re not as experienced as them – everyone can contribute without getting in the way. It’s not a blame game, and there’s no shame in losing; it’s all part of the process! I made it a roguelite, so that every time you start a new run you’ll get new dishes to serve, new challenges to overcome, and new tools to overcome them with. Everything you face will be something you’ve chosen to take on. Never get stuck on your least favourite level again.
Replayability is a core part of PlateUp. It’s great to have games to play with friends, but it’s even better when everyone can keep enjoying them. Each run you play will be different, with everything from the layout of your restaurant to the appliances you can buy changing every time. It’ll be a fresh experience for everyone, experienced and new players alike.
And as you play, you’ll unlock more content, including challenging game modes, dishes, and bigger layouts. You’ll also get a reward when your restaurant closes, which you can bring along to a later attempt, helping you get started. The more you play, the closer you’ll get to building the restaurant of your dreams.
Since the game first launched on PC, I’ve grown the PlateUp team and we’ve been hard at work improving the game. Over the last year, we’ve added relaxed coffee shop and bakery modes (no dishes to clean!); we’ve also added Turbo, a fast-paced way to turn up the pressure and push the limits. Throughout the year we’ve had seasonal maps, each with new gameplay and content. I’m excited to bring PlateUp – and all these new updates – to Xbox players, and we’ve added a brand new dish (the much-requested spaghetti) to celebrate.
I hope the PlateUp experience is something you’ll share with all your friends with Game Pass, both locally and online!
Yogscast Games
Up to four players build and run a restaurant from scratch, choosing dishes, buying and placing appliances – some of which can be daisy-chained together to create ambitious automatic kitchens – cooking food and serving customers.
Players have free rein to design their restaurant which will expand and develop between shifts – with additional content and challenges unlocked through progression.
Can you cook, serve and manage your way through 15 hectic days in your restaurant and unlock a brand-new franchise?
Classic co-op cooking action, with a wide selection of mains, sides, sauces, toppings, desserts, and starters.
Choose your equipment, lay out your kitchen, curate your menu and plate up your dishes.
From bubbling soups to sublime salads, tender steaks to hearty pies, there’s something for everyone.
Look after front-of-house: seating customers, delivering orders, and managing patience.
Equip your restaurant to handle the most fickle of customers and deliver them what they need, right when they need it.
Co-operate with your team like a well-olive-oiled machine or build a name for yourself going it alone.
Exceed your goals and take your franchise to greater heights at a new location, bringing with you new unlocks and upgrade
Upgrade and rearrange your restaurant to your personal taste: when the restaurant closes for the day, the planning begins!
Decide what new equipment to purchase, and place it wherever you want.
Want to go high-tech? Install the turbo-ovens, crank up the conveyors, and make way for the robo-kitchen of the future.
Fancy something a little more… fancy? Curate your art collection, fix up that wallpaper, enlist a friend as a maître d’ and get ready to provide the culinary experience of a lifetime.
Exceed your goals and start over at your next location, bringing with you new unlocks and upgrades.
Tailor your brand towards gourmet dining, or fine-tune your fast food franchise.
Every restaurant is procedurally-generated with its own climate, customers and conditions.
Return to your franchise HQ to view your achievements, customise your characters and upgrade your kit, ready for your next adventure!
The post PlateUp! A Delectable Kitchen Roguelite Combining Kitchen Chaos and Management appeared first on Xbox Wire.
