Hey! Listen!
Welcome back to Press Start to BGN, Laurier’s gaming show by a bunch of Game Design & Development students here at Laurier’s Brantford campus. The program is very new and so is our show, so for those who don’t know Game Design & Development is headed by Dr Scott Nicholson through the Brantford Games Network or BGN, hence the name “Press Start to BGN” which sounds like “begin.” This week we dive into all the latest game news and releases as well as go over everything we’ve been playing. We also discuss the best games to play with your significant other, just a couple days late for Valentine’s Day <3 <3 Thanks for tuning in!
NOTE: We had originally planned to air this episode February 15th but due to Men’s hockey taking over the broadcast we moved it to February 22nd. Thanks for understanding!
NEWS!
- Disney cuts their ties with YouTube star Pewdiepie after several uploads of anti-Semitic videos
- Humble Bundle has released a 47-game’s worth bundle for $30, with all proceeds going to the ACLU, the International Rescue Committee and Doctors Without Borders
- Nintendo has hinted at bringing GameCube games on Virtual Console
- Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has expressed his concerns with VR, stating that “When I see people play virtual reality, it makes me worry, just as for example if a parent were to see their kid playing virtual reality, it would probably make them worry.”
- Panels for Rouge One’s visual effects supervisor John Knoll, Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s developers, and Hello Games’ founder Sean Murray have all been announced for GDC 2017
- Perception, a horror game from Deep End Games and publisher Feardemic, has been announced to be coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC
- E3 2017 will be accessible to the public, with 15 000 tickets available for purchase
- Nintendo has announced Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition for the Switch
- Up to 10 Switch consoles can be connected locally, as confirmed by Nintendo during their Splatoon 2 press release
- Nintendo has announced the the Splatoon 2 demo will be available on the Switch from March 24 to 26
- Netflix has announced that a Castlevania animated series will be coming this year
- Valve has ended Steam Greenlight and has implemented Steam Direct
- Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA, has licensed a couple of their most popular game titles in hopes of turning them into movies
- Gabe Newell, founder of Valve, has stated that Valve is in the process of developing 3 new full-length VR games
- Gabe Newell has also expressed Valve’s disinterest in developing any games for console
- The map for Horizon: Zero Dawn’s huge open world has been leaked
- Humble Bundle has become a games publisher
- The Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix PS4 collection is getting a limited edition version, and is now available for pre-order
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole has once again been delayed by Ubisoft
- Mass Effect: Andromeda has removed the Paragon/Renegade system, since it reportedly “felt very Shepard”
- Overwatch’s Capture the Flag mode is now a permanent part of the game, and now has an additional 9 maps
- Atlus has released a Persona 5 custom Valentine’s card generator, Check it out!
- Bungie is partnering up with McFarlane Toys to make action figures for Destiny’s Guardians
- Nintendo has announced details regarding the Season Pass for Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
What’s Coming Out Soon!
(There’s a pun there, but I can’t seem to put my foot on it…)
- Deformers (PS4, Xbox one, PC, Feb 14th)
- Do you like cute creatures? Well little blobs of animals, aliens, and just general adorableness are coming to your screen, and are ready to rumble! Deformers is a party game by the creators of Order 1886, Ready at Dawn. The game is getting great reviews, and it’s only $20, so check it out!
- For Honor (PS4, XB1, PC, Feb 14th)
- This Valentine’s day, you favourite samurai, knights, Vikings, and other old fighters have been mushed together and are ready to absolutely MURDER each other. For Honor is a multiplayer action fighting game made by Ubisoft, having you take up one of these factions and fighting everything in your path for your factions glory! You can get the game from your local Viking/samurai/knight Salestore for $80. There’s also a story mode that’s probably about friendship and love but WHO CARES YOU CAN STAB KNIGHTS WITH KATANAS
- Sniper Elite 4 (PS4, XB1, PC, Feb 14th)
- Rebellion is back with more 3rd person action! With improved AI and better overall gameplay, the Sniper Elite series is at its best with its newest instalment. Get it on all platforms for $60.
- Semispheres (PS4, PC)
- Stephan played this game and beat it in 2 hours, and he absolutely loves it. In this game about using both sides of your brain (with a little cute story about a robot in comic form within the game). It’s challenging, it’s cute, and most importantly, it’s actually fun. Pick it up for $15 on all platforms!
- Monster loves you (PS4, PC)
- Take control of a little monster as it grows into an adult, and influence it’s (and it’s humans) lives in the process! Monster Loves You is a choice-based story game where your choices affect the ending. Become a neurosurgeon! Eat Little Red Riding Hood! Live your life! Pick it up on steam for $10.
And that’s it for releases this week! It seems to be an eventful Valentine’s day, hopefully yours is just as eventful! Pick up the games, and have fun!
(I never did figure out the joke. AH well, next time maybe :P)
Topic of the Show:
This week on Press Start to BGN since we were recording on valentine’s day our topic was video games that we like to play with our significant others. Games that you can enjoy with another person, games that you love to play with your player 2. This can range from actual multiplayer games, to games that both of you simply like to play and watch be played all cuddled up and cozy.
What We’ve Been Playing:
Stephan:
- Fallout Shelter
- From Bethesda Game Studios comes the single-player simulation game Fallout Shelter. In this game, players build and manage their own Vault as the coordinator and leader of the citizens that live there with you. Keep everyone happy as you meet to your citizen’s needs of power, food, and water. Rescue survivors, take care of your citizens and pet your dog in this game available on iOS, Android, PC and now the Xbox One.
- Gravity Rush Remastered
- From SCE Japan Studio is the gorgeous action adventure game Gravity Rush. Players play as Kat, a young girl who finds herself forgetting her memories as she wakes up in the floating city of Hekseville. Travelling with your mysterious cat Dusty, use your ability to manipulate the gravity around you to defeat creatures called the Nevi and various villains as you try to protect the people of Hekseville. Find yourself in this story driven game, available on the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4.
Jelena:
- Saboteur
- Created by game designer Frederic Moyersoeon is the tile matching, hand management and bluffing card game Saboteur. In this three to ten player card game, you play as a gnome miner or saboteur. Miners play mine shaft cards to try and reach the gold nugget card at the end of the player’s created path. The gold is hidden beneath
one of three cards so be careful where you lay your path. Also, be on the lookout for a saboteur planning on trying to get all the gold for themselves. You can hinder your opponents with broken tools to try and increase your chances of being the first to reach the gold card. Be the gnome to get the most gold in this card game, available in stores now.
- Created by game designer Frederic Moyersoeon is the tile matching, hand management and bluffing card game Saboteur. In this three to ten player card game, you play as a gnome miner or saboteur. Miners play mine shaft cards to try and reach the gold nugget card at the end of the player’s created path. The gold is hidden beneath
Hunter:
- Saboteur (see Jelena’s section)
Cassie:
- Super Smash Bros.
- From Nintendo comes their fighting action platformer Super Smash Bros. In this game, choose your character from various Nintendo game installments, from Mario to Pikachu to Lucas, and fight against your friends in various battle platforms. Fight using your character’s various abilities in various game modes against various people! Available on the Nintendo GameCube, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 64, and Virtual Console.
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- From Nintendo comes the adorable life simulation game Animal Crossing: New Leaf! In this game, you are the mayor of a town filled with andromorphic animals. Talk to your town residents, explore your little town, and enjoy various activities such as bug hunting and fishing. Modify your wardrobe and get yourself a lovely house in this charming game available on the Nintendo 3DS.
Paris:
- Agricola
- From game designer Uwe Rosenburg comes the strategy board game Agricola. In this game, you are a farmer with their spouse and a simple home. Using your two actions per turn, you can explore what is on your farm land from clay, wood to stone to build up your farm property. Manage your recourses carefully in this board game available now.
- Persona 5
- From Atlus comes their next instalment in their Persona franchise, Persona 5. In this roleplaying, social simulation game, you play as a silent protagonist who has just transferred to Shujin High School after having been put on probation. During the day, you go to school, make friends, and go through various leisurely activities. At night, you are a part of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, protecting the citizens of your community and using your powers called Persona to attack various creatures in a supernatural realm called Palace. Begin your own adventure on April 4th 2017. Available on PlayStation 3 and 4.
WRAP
That’s everything! We’re super excited to be doing this show and we hope you’re enjoying it too 🙂 We’re on every Wednesday at 7 pm on this site and if you have any questions or feedback feel free to tweet Stephan (@StephanReilly) or email reil4130 (at) mylaurier (dot) ca. Thanks again and catch you next week!