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PLAYING VIDEO GAMES TOGETHER VIA PARSEC – BRIDGING THE DISTANCE IN A
NEW RELATIONSHIP


PLAYING VIDEO GAMES TOGETHER VIA PARSEC — BRIDGING THE DISTANCE IN A NEW
RELATIONSHIP

Kanny is in college in California, and she met her girlfriend, Isabel, who lives
in Indiana, online. Although they’ve never met in-person, the internet has made
it possible for them to forge a relationship across the country while Kanny
finishes school. After meeting online, Kanny and Isabel were looking for a way
to play video games together. One night in college, Kanny’s friend introduced
her to Parsec to host an online Mario Party game night with friends, and she
realized that she could use Parsec to form a deeper connection through gaming
with her girlfriend.

> Parsec has allowed me to bridge that gap a little bit to enjoy playing video
> games together even when we are so far apart and I’m thankful for my friend
> who introduced me to it.

Kanny and her girlfriend connect across the country to play local co-op games as
well as share the controller in games that Isabel wouldn’t normally have the
ability to play since she doesn’t have a gaming PC. While they’re playing games,
they hang out, talk, and bridge the gap that their physical distance creates
while Kanny is in college.

Kanny and Isabel have played games throughout their lives. Kanny told me her
favorite part about gaming is the social aspect that allows her to meet new
people and share an imaginary world together. Her favorite games over the years
have been the Dark Souls and Monster Hunter franchises, but recently Isabel and
Kanny have been playing a lot of Slap City through Parsec. Although it has
online multiplayer, Kanny thinks Parsec’s online functionality is better for her
and Isabel.

When Kanny found Parsec, she was truly “blown away with how smooth it is to
stream video games without much lag while allowing her friends to share
experiences that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible to them.” We are always
excited to hear when Parsec is increasing your access to games and creating new
experiences for friends and two people in love.

If you have a story to share with us, we’d love to hear about it. Shoot us a
message on Twitter or on Discord, and we’ll share your story with our community.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Playing Video Games Together Via Parsec – Bridging The Distance In A New
Relationship was originally published in Blog | Game Streaming – Cloud Gaming |
Parsec on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting
and responding to this story.

Playing Video Games Together Via Parsec – Bridging The Distance In A New
Relationship syndicated from https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

Advertisement


 * WOZUR
 * August 30, 2018August 30, 2018




LET THE PARTIES BEGIN!


LET THE PARTIES BEGIN! PARTY FINDER IS NOW LIVE — FIND OTHER PEOPLE TO PLAY
GAMES WITH AND DISCOVER NEW GAMES

We’re super excited to announce the newest iteration of Parsec — Party Finder.
The new feature allows you to match with other people using Parsec to play
games, hangout, and discover new games with the click of a button. Each party
has a chat room, allows you to connect to the person hosting the party, and
temporarily gives you permission to play offline multiplayer games together
online while the party is live. Only the host needs a copy of the game, but if
you enjoy playing it, you should buy it and host your own party next time. One
of the exciting things about Party Finder that we’re announcing today is the
ability to join party communities dedicated to a specific game or online
community on another site. We’re launching Party Finder with three communities
dedicated to three fantastic games with the support of their developers — Wizard
of Legend, Sausage Sports Club, and Super Clash Bros. We’ll introduce new
communities and games over the next couple of weeks. If you’re a game developer
or the moderator of an online community that would like to host your own Parsec
Parties, join our Discord and reach out to us.


A SOLUTION TO NETCODE AND MATCHMAKING FOR INDIE GAMES

We spoke to a lot of indie game developers and got their feedback about Party
Finder and Co-Play before releasing the Party Finder matchmaking system. Our
goal with parties is to make it easy for a game developer to introduce a
matchmaking system to their community, enable online multiplayer without writing
a single line of code, and make it easier to support co-op gaming without having
to worry about netcode. We truly believe that this will make it easier on game
developers while giving them a path to add value to the people buying their
games for PC.


WITHOUT FURTHER ADO — PARTY FINDER OFFICIAL RELEASE!

The entire Party Finder system has been revamped. Starting with a focus on games
and communities. For instance, you can see that at the top of Party Finder,
there’s a dashboard focusing your attention on the communities and games that
are being highlighted during our official launch of Party Finder.

Each Community moderator or game developer has the ability to control the
presentation of the Community they manage in Parsec.

Here’s a preview of the Party Finder Community For Wizard Of Legend.

Creating a Party can either be public or private with a quick link to share with
friends. The party can be associated with a specific Community or open to the
general public to find via regional search on the main page of Party Finder.

We’ve added location filtering based on your IP and region to optimize your
experience and encourage low ping connections to reduce lag. You can continue
connecting to parties outside of your region, but this filter based on your IP
helps you avoid high ping parties. We were thinking about locking people to
their region, but we’ve heard from a lot of people using Parsec that the
streaming quality and latency is typically good enough to play games between the
US and Europe as well as from the East Coast to the West Coast of the US, so you
can keep doing that if you want. We certainly don’t want to stop you from using
Parsec across an ocean — it’s also pretty fun to tell people that the streaming
quality is good enough for that!


TWO YEARS OF ITERATIVE PRODUCT ENHANCEMENTS TO RELEASE PARTIES

Still at step 2, but making our way to 5 

After Chris came up with the idea for Parsec, it took almost a year of
dedicated, persistent engineering to build our low latency streaming technology.
Even then, we still hadn’t built a significant amount of the technology that
Parsec now relies on, such as our low latency video streaming networking
protocol and NAT traversal techniques that have a 97% success rate on
peer-to-peer connections. When the earliest version of Parsec was finally ready
to test, Chris invited his sister Jamie to join him and watch him play some WoW.
They immediately recognized that Parsec wasn’t just for connecting to your own
gaming PC or a gaming PC in the cloud, but could become a social experience,
opening an entirely new world of opportunities for gaming while returning to the
experience of playing games together on the couch.

Chris and Jamie switching off in Super Mario World

While the core of Parsec was being built, Chris kept this idea in mind and built
the networking protocol, NAT traversal methodologies, and video capture
technology to encompass the flexibility of multiple people connecting to one
host for Co-play sessions. We demonstrated Co-play pretty early on with this
rough YouTube video captured over Chris’ shoulder about a year ago.



https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F-tEhubDjRi0%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-tEhubDjRi0&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F-tEhubDjRi0%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube

Over time, this functionality became a core part of the Parsec experience. We
added the capability to friend someone in the application and invite them to
connect via link sharing from our website. These links gave a friend the
immediate ability to request to connect via our permission system for a short
amount of time. Since then, more than one hundred thousand links have been
generated by users to play games together. People have played a lot of hours of
games, like Cuphead, Overcooked, Wizard of Legend, old school games, and so many
more online via Parsec. In fact, on Saturday this past weekend, more than 10,000
hours of game streaming happened through Parsec.

One of the biggest complaints that we heard about this system was that Parsec
was giving your guests full access to the host PC. To combat this, we first
released granular permissions for each connection. Each time someone joins the
host computer, the host can choose if they have permission to controllers, the
keyboard, the mouse, or some combination of the three.

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FfOSbNNkRgj8%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfOSbNNkRgj8&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FfOSbNNkRgj8%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube

About 6 months ago, Jamie (Chris’ sister and an engineer on the team) came up
with the idea that people should be able to find other random Parsec users to
play games with. She was familiar with this from her many years of playing WoW
and their lobby system. To test her idea, we made a channel in our Discord
Server where people could post links to join them in games. This was our MVP of
the Party Finder system, and it was getting used A LOT. It was a fun and easy
test, and we started using it ourselves during our game nights.

With these random connections, however, people wanted even more control over
what a guest could interact with on their computer. It made a lot of sense to
protect the host’s computer further with a system that locked guests into
specific applications. This was an important protection against unwanted
intrusion into the main parts of the PC. With granular input permissions and
Approved Apps, guests could only use their inputs in specific applications and
only see and hear the stream when the approved applications were in the
foreground of the hosting PC.

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FyuuKly_i7OM%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyuuKly_i7OM&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FyuuKly_i7OM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube

A couple months ago, we announced Party Finder, and people got pretty excited.
There were tens of thousands of people who joined the waitlist to access the
general purpose lobby system that we were building.

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FHIEqCuVIUxw%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHIEqCuVIUxw&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FHIEqCuVIUxw%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube



Due to lots of usability issues with the initial implementation, we decided to
keep the beta list very small. We got tons of feedback from gamers, game
developers, and others and revamped the experience to be what we’re releasing
today.

Last night, the Parsec Team celebrated with some Karaoke and Hot Pot. We’re just
getting started with Parties, but we hope you enjoy the newest iteration of the
social game streaming experience.

Family and friends joined for some Karaoke and Hot Pot



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let The Parties Begin! was originally published in Blog | Game Streaming – Cloud
Gaming | Parsec on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by
highlighting and responding to this story.

Let The Parties Begin! syndicated from https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * August 4, 2018August 4, 2018




E3 2018 ELECTRONIC ARTS PRESS BRIEFING


EA PRESS EVENT E3
SATURDAY, 9 JUNE 2018

Traditionally the E3 process dictates that each major games publisher coordinate
with the ESA so that they can host their annual pre-show press-briefing for the
media in order to cover all of the reveals and important information away from
the show floor, where the signal-to-noise ratio tends to drown out the finer
points in such a presentation and the sharing of that level of information. Once
the schedules are hammered out, the publishers work with their developers to
create an entertaining but informative show for the press, and the event is
held. That is not how games publisher Electronic Arts has opted to do it this
year.

In place of the standard pre-show press-briefing EA opted to make the briefing
part of a new and mostly disconnected side show it calls EA Play – which is held
at an off-site venue and functions as its own stand-alone show for gamers that
is free and open to the public and runs from June 9 through June 11. The annual
three day EA: Play event was held at the Hollywood Palladium, and broadcast live
to the world on EA.com. The press briefing basically opened the free EA PLAY
FanFest.

Essentially it is a sort of EA-centric mini-E3 for gamers to attend who are not
attending E3. While it may be a little odd for EA to roll their pre-show
briefing into this sideshow, it is certainly not improper and it may very well
add a bit more depth for the attendees of the sideshow – as we noticed that
there were some of those in attendance as well as the press.

That said it should be noted that the venue did have something of an impact on
the type of information that was being shared – or in this case not being shared
– as much of the anticipated new game footage was not present at the briefing –
instead being reserved for the Xbox Briefing that was scheduled for the
following day. This actually makes a certain sense considering that it is the
studios and not EA presenting that footage, and as the Xbox Briefing will be
both more widely attended and viewed online, it makes sense to reserve the new
footage for that event. Just saying.

The host for the briefing this year is Andrea Rene, co-founder of What’s Good
Games, a weekly podcast covering video game news, and is a co-host on the daily
video game news show, Kinda Funny Game Daily. Rene MC’s the briefing and deftly
handled both introductions of the speakers and the games in a manner only an
interested gamer and games journo could, so it all worked out both well and
professionally.




 WELCOME TO THE EA / EA PLAY PRESS BRIEFING

The 2018 E3 Press briefing for Electronic Arts took place at the Hollywood venue
for Electronic Arts’ civilian mini-expo. Hosted by Games journo Andrea Rene, the
Press briefing offers the same ordinary pre-show coverage normally found at this
event, just a few days early.  Rene took the stage and proceeded to offer up a
first-class emcee job as she introduced the newest and brightest projects for
Electronic Arts and it’s partner Game Development Studios.



She began the event with the highly anticipated EA DICE next chapter in the
vaunted Battlefield series,  Battlefield V.




BATTLEFIELD 5

While the focus of the presentation was largely devoted to the online
multi-player for this highly anticipated World War II Battlefield Treatment,
among the highlights of the presentation are new features like relocatable
artillery and other weapons, and the new Distraction System, they announced the
inclusion of fan-requested character customization elements that include
characters, vehicles, and weapons for game play and aesthetic purposes.

The single-player war-stories mode of play offer gamers more than simple
scenarios to play through, but levels and stories that are based on real
historical events from the war, as well as featured historical characters.

While the very brief presentation was restricted to the above game elements, the
developers closed their presentation with the revelation that there will be NO
micro-transactions in the game – no loot boxes, and no premium packs. While they
couldn’t offer details the pair confirmed that the Royale Mode for team play is
included with Battlefield 5, explaining that the details would not be available
until later in 2018.

The presentation then shifts to game footage that largely covered ground
operations in play, presenting the players-eye-view of modes that span a variety
of different infantry types with different weapons ranging from light to heavy
as well as the view from within several tanks as driver and gunner, and aerial
views confirming that fighter and fighter-bomber play will also make up part of
game play.

Battlefield V is developed by EA DICE Stockholm, and published by Electronic
Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and will release on 19
October 2018 for all three platforms, worldwide. The next chapter in the
Battlefield Saga, Battlefield V is the direct sequel to Battlefield 1, which is
the most recent chapter in the main series.

Following the current trend for war and combat based first-person shooter
titles, Battlefield V is primarily focused on multi-player in a mixture of Co-Op
and PvP with special emphasis upon the customization of your characters
(plural). Bucking current trends, the wizards behind the game have eschewed
micro-transactions and pay-for-privelege where such purchases would impact game
play and strategy / capability, choosing to not allow game packs, loot boxes, or
other upgrades using micro-transactions that would impact the capabilities of
the payer.

At launch the base game contains a number of new multi-player modes including
the continuous campaign mode called Tides of War, the Royale mode, and Grand
operations (an expansion of the Ops mode originally introduced in Battlefield
One – whose focus is matches taking place across multiple stages that simulates
a campaign in the war). The game sessions culminate in last stands that have the
player using only a primary weapon with limited ammunition and no respawns.



In addition to all of that new MP goodness, the wizards behind the game have
also included a robust single-player story mode as well as the to-be-expected
Multi-Player Modes. The story mode consists of a collection of war stories
featuring historical events from World War II. Battle Royale Mode is based upon
and follows the established franchise “Four Pillars of Destruction” system with
team play and vehicles offering a very destroyable world full of lots of target
of opportunity to satisfy the player’s need to blow things up!

 




FIFA 19

The FIFA briefing began with the classic reveal commercial previously released
reinforced the notion that with each new title in the series it gets more and
more difficult to differentiate game play footage from a real FIFA event! Of
course it’s game play footage because while they may dream of it, no camera crew
can manage that many camera cuts and jumps at that sort of range – yeah we can
only get that close to the excitement in a game.

The development presentation points out that this is epic club football – and of
course it is! But that’s not the point – the point is that FIFA 19 now includes
Champions Mode – which means that the players finally get something that they
have wanted for a long time – the ability to put together an all-stars team of
their own in its own mode and with its own brackets and seasons.

While they teased new features which they can only share later this summer, they
acknowledged that 19 was created with the assistance and consultation of heroes
of the sport – reminding the player base that they just updated the current FIFA
18 with a World Cup expansion – which means players can get out there and their
team on the line!

The surprise was the closing announcement that FIFA 18 including the World Cup
Expansion will for a limited time be available for free trial play and download
for both consoles and PC. That and the announcement that they would end with
some live game play footage from FIFA 19.

Following the FIFA presentation the EA host announced a new subscription based
EA Access feature coming later this summer – EA Origin Premiere Access – which
will offer subscribers access to the full current games catalog as well as the
older games that make up the bulk of the library.

FIFA 19 is created by EA Vancouver and EA Romania, and published by EA Sports
for the Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, and Nintendo Switch
platforms. The game will launch worldwide 28 September 2018.

 




STAR WARS: JEDI – FALLEN ORDER

As the FIFA and subscription drama faded out briefing host Andrea Rene went into
the audience and sat down with a conveniently placed developer from Respawn
Entertainment — Vince Zampella – who enthusiastically partook in a conversation
of the informal sort that in addition to revealing the title for the next game
in the Star Wars video game franchise — Star Wars: Jedi – Fallen Order. — went
on to share some details about the upcoming game.



Set in the primary Star Wars universe, the game tells the story of a Jedi caught
up in perhaps the darkest era of the history of the Jedi Order, confirming that
players will have access to light sabers.

Fallen Order is still in primary development so this revelation is more of a
deep background sort rather than an official reveal. But among the facts
confirmed is that the protagonist will play as a Jedi, and that they are deep
into the era in which the Jedi Order was made illegal and its surviving members
are being hunted (basically the game story events take place between Episodes 3
and 4) with the projected release date being optimistically set for the 2019
Holidays.

 




STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II

The presence of a game that launched in the 2017 gaming year is a little odd for
a press briefing for pre-show E3 but as it turns out they only have to have new
content in a game for it to qualify as E3 worthy!

Battlefront II is a direct sequel to the original Battlefront, which is itself a
reboot for the side-series whose focus in interactive multi-player and online
play using a loose story-based structure that tells the story of individual
fighters (the player) from both sides of the struggle. Since both sides think of
themselves as the hero in this epic story you really can’t go wrong no matter
which side you play on!

Presently well and deep into the Han Solo Story and chapter, so this
announcement largely is focused around the new Expansion Content in the Clone
Wars DLC – – you know, the planet relating to the Kessel Run and the
record-setting run Han and Chewy completed in their vaunted smuggling campaign.

Among the new content that was confirmed in the briefing today is the complete
overhaul of the story and character progression systems as well as brand new and
unique character-based items and collection sets.

A new “Hunt” Mode beginning with the Ewoks of the planet Endor have been added
that is based strongly on the Hunt Mode from the original Battlefront. The new
content also includes a new Squad System for player and friends play, new
starfighter-focused dogfighting mechanics for ship-to-ship combat, as well as
new mechanics to bring Capital Ships into the fray as attackable and destroyable
entities.

Forward-looking information includes the announcement that the plot and story
lines for the coming year will include (but not necessarily be focused on) the
Clone Wars era! In addition to this new path they confirmed new characters for
the upcoming expansions – including General Grievous and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi
as well as the Dark Lord Count Dooku and Anakin Skywalker (as a padiwan?). So
how is that for some unexpected news?

So new planets, new characters, new weapons and ships and new modes that include
allowing the player to use their own hero-ships to attack capital ships in
space! As you might expect with this new and broad announcement comes a short
delay – which is to say that while much of this content will find its way into
the game over the course of game-year and season 2018/2019 at least some of the
more far-reaching content will probably not arrive until the latter side of that
gap.



As the presentation closed they played some game-footage based video mostly
highlighting expanded weather effects which, while entertaining was not quite as
intriguing as we’d hoped for in new footage. Still it is a game that has already
released so yeah, there is that. In fact and considering that this was more of a
mea culpa announcement than anything else for the most part it went down very
nicely!

Battlefront II is developed by EA / DICE and published by Electronic Arts for
the Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 platforms. It is already out but the
expansion content will arrive throughout the game season.

 




UNRAVEL TWO

The original Unravel was a rather cute and fuzzy story of love involving yarn
and two players who are supposed to both care about and for each other and work
together to get through its story. That being the case you might expect and
anticipate that any sequel would be more of the same, right? Well, no, not so
much really!

One of the complaints that hard core players had with Unravel was the
requirement that you have a play buddy, which basically left them at the mercy
of the game play schedule for their partner. How do you fix something like that
in a game that, let’s face it, is all about the two of you?

As Unravel Two begins it is a story in which you’ve lost that bit of yarn that
connects you with your partner and the spark that represented so much and so
many different things. Depending on how you – the player – viewed it that spark
was everything or nothing – no wait who are we kidding!? The spark is
everything!

For the sequel the wizards behind the game and its story devised a rather simple
solution to address the larger of the complaints that players had – basically
even though this is a co-op and team play story it is possible to play with
yourself. Yup we went there. You get to play with yourself. Playing with
yourself is the solution. So you can basically pick up the other player and
carry them along through the story both figuratively and literally. Cool right?
Wait, what? Well what did YOU think we mean when we said play with yourself
anyway?!

The bulk of the presentation was a two-player live game play demo in which we
get to see first hand how one player can literally pick up and carry the other
while playing in co-op (which is the game mode right?) Moving through the faster
paced and frenetic sections of the story and game together. Which you know if
you think about it is pretty cool and presents some interesting possibilities
since you can easily and fluidly switch back and forth between the two
characters so, when you encounter a puzzle or obstacle – and you WILL encounter
them – you can work to support each character with the other character and that
is wicked cool indeed!

The original Unravel – like the sequel – had an old school adventure feel to it,
and even though they needed to create this fix to allow a single player to work
through areas that otherwise required a partner, that does not mean that the
game was re-imagined as a single-player story and play experience. No! In fact
the point here is NOT that you can play the game alone, the point is that you
can play the game with a friend or lover and, when they can not be there to
play, you can STILL play! Yeah, that’s the point!



The presentation concludes with a jaunting game play video in which we get to
see the team-based actions – mixed with one player managing play – set to a
rather appropriate music, and offering the player a sense of the possibilities
in play and entertainment that all of that puts on offer.

Unravel Two is developed by Coldwood Interactive and published by Electronic
Arts for the Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms and released on 9
June 2018.




SEA OF SOLITUDE

One of the Independent Development Projects that are part of EA’s “Originals”
program – a platform that assists Indy development teams to both complete and
launch their titles, offering support on several different levels for these
innovative teams. Sea of Solitude is one of those games.

Created by a team of wizards in Germany, SoS tells the very personal story of
its creator – a German coder and woman who struggled with the burden of
loneliness as a form of illness. She is not shy about relating the connection
between herself and the player-character who is suffering from severe loneliness
and as a result the various aspects or manifestations of that collection of
feelings turns her into a monster. Her goal – your goal – is to find ways to
balance these conflicting emotions in order to restore her humanity. In a
nutshell that is what the game is about.

But if that were all that it was about it would not be much of a game or a story
now would it? No indeed! So what creative elements bridge the gap to turn what
is already a very depressing story and premise for a game into an adventure you
actually want to play?

We reach that leap through a carefully crafted game world of fantasy mixed with
horror – a sort of mixture of paradises – one for the human deep inside who
wants to get out and one for the monster that has taken over! To effect that
process and transform emotion into game play elements the game world takes you
on a knife-edge journey that includes both of those worlds and a third and less
obvious one – the imperfect one that is the actual goal!

Developed by Jo-Mei Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox One,
Microsoft Windows, and Sony’s PlayStation 4. Sea of Solitude releases in early
2019 and, based on the game play footage in the closing video promises to be one
of the more interesting Indy titles for the coming game year!




EA SPORTS / MADDEN

The next segment of the briefing started out resembling little more than a
commercial for EA Sports – the sports branch of games publisher and developer
Electronic Arts – starting with the slickly produced commercial complete with
game play footage and a rah-rah-rah! voice for NBA LIVE 19 which neatly segued
into a commercial for the Madden 18 eSports Event that found a rather unlikely
candidate and semi-pro amateur gamer carve out a place in the history books for
eSports.



Why this applies – why it matters – has something to do with the epic win that
18-year-old eSports athlete and gamer Shay “Young Kiv” Kivlen pulled off at the
Madden NFL 18 Bowl Championship finals when, facing off against Drini “Drini”
Gjoka (who was widely picked as the likely and favored winner) by a score of
28-24 to earn his first Madden Championship Series title belt. Is that a big
deal? Well yeah! And that win and the sensational elements surrounding it (and
in particular one player’s celebratory end field dance) pretty much explains why
The Young Kiv is standing on stage with Pittsburgh Steelers team member Juju
Smith-Schuster to host this presentation segment.

If you’re already an eSport fan you don’t need to know any of this because you
already know it but, if not, you might want to hit up YouTube and watch the
rather sensational comeback and story unfold by watching the actual matches that
tell the story. We’re just saying. Very entertaining experience and the reason
that this Young Kiv is sharing the stage with a genuine professional athlete and
footballer.

Smith-Schuster does a mini-interview that covers the high (and some low) points
behind The Kiv’s journey – then we get to see more game play footage from a
selection of EA Sports titles with a message that sort of parallels the story we
just heard. What’s the point? Well mostly the point is that the games and, in
particular Madden 19 – are the vehicle behind the story.

If you are a gamer anywhere outside of North America the impact and the
significance of Madden 19 (and the Madden Series for that matter) is probably
not as strong in you – In America the typical US and Canadian sports fan takes
American Football seriously – wicked seriously. In fact it is fair to say that
they apply the same level of dedication to their favored football team as do
European sports fans for their version of football – what Americans call Soccer
– to the extent of dressing up, painting their faces in team colors, and
following their teams around the nation to watch them play.

The Madden series and Madden 19 in particular is about as close as most gamers
will ever get to the professional arenas in which football is played, and the
closest they will get to BE their heroes. Madden features realistic player
motions, allowing the player to execute realistic and accurate plays as well as
employ high-end strategies, right through the kick-off to the end zone dance!

Its variety of game mode as well as leaderboard-prompted play combined with the
constant and increasing integration of real-world NFL events into the game world
means that the realism for players just keeps getting better and better with
each new season of play. When you take all of that into consideration – and the
fact that the wizards behind the game series routinely put on competitive
eSports events for the game, and what we have is a sports franchise and eSports
that is well established and likely to be with us for a very long time!

Madden 19 is developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports for the
Microsoft Windows and Xbox One platforms, and for Sony’s PlayStation 4. It is
set to release on 10 August 2018.

 




COMMAND & CONQUER: RIVALS

As the next segment in the press event opened we could see confusion etched on
to the faces of the people around us – many of whom were games journalists.
Partly that confusion was due to the various conversations that took place
following the Madden presentation, and the fact that the brief interlude between
these two segments was broken up by some attendees heading for the WC while
others viewed it as an opportunity to pull beverages from bags and otherwise get
distracted. The end result of this was that the details from the setup of the
segment were largely lost – so we’ll forgive some of our colleagues for jumping
to the conclusion that the presentation was simply an extension of the
eSports-focused aspects of the Madden portion.



Once we paid attention to the big screens the reality was a bit clearer as both
the mobile games interface we were seeing and perhaps more significantly the
names of units on the maps instantly revealed the series that the game was from.

On screen and in the room, making excellent use of a pair of eSports-styled
commentators, the folks from EA Mobile did a bang-up job of taking a game play
demo that otherwise might have been weak and hard to follow and transformed it
into an exciting and even entertaining to watch battle between a pair of players
who clearly were not playing C&C for the first time!

If you had told us that a new PvP mobile app game was being created for the C&C
universe our initial reaction would have been confusion at not seeing how that
could be done – but as the demo unfolded the basic symmetry of the RTS format
combined with the multiple levels of strategy being demonstrated on screen
clarified the matter completely.

Command & Conquer: Rivals is a one-vs-one competitive multi-player Real-Time
Strategy (RTS) title in which the players take on the roles of rival factions
Brotherhood of Nod or GDI (Global Defense Initiative), for which they battle by
taking control of platforms nearby their missile silos – the idea being that
they need to prepare and launch their missiles – and hit the opponent – before
the opponent does the same to them. To accomplish that the player must take
control of two or more platforms and their connected silos for a fixed period of
time in order to prepare and launch the missiles.

Command & Conquer: Rivals looks good – it looks like a robust RTS romp with lots
of options and a game that will regard strategic study and knowledge – but we
wonder how much better it might have been if they could somehow include the
eSports commentary as a solid element of the base game?!

The blind reveal here may have added to the confusion but, considering it
actually WAS a world-wide reveal event, we think we can excuse that, right? The
slick commercial videos that followed nicely connects both the mobile game
aspect and its legacy as part of the C&C universe.

This new side-chapter in the C&C universe is the first game since the 2012
release of C&C: Tiberium Alliances, and is developed by EA Redwood Studios, and
is published by Electronic Arts with a target release date of mid-to-late 2019
for the iOS and Android platforms. While the game was demonstrated on the iPhone
platform, we suspect that it will be much more enjoyable either on the iPhone
Plus sizes or even better an iPad. Just saying.

Gamers who pre-register for the game on both Android or iOS on the official game
website will receive a Titan Unit, Credits, as well as Diamonds in-game as a
reward.




EA:PLAY PREVIEW SHOW

Please Note: For reasons that are never made clear the video creator above chose
to include a running countdown at the start of the video that actually runs for
an annoying and long period, with the actual video contents beginning at 27:56
on the play counter . The on-screen timer is at 30:05:00 when it fades to black
and then begins the on-site coverage starting with interviews with gamers on the
street. So you may want to skip ahead to those timer points.


THE EA PLAY PHILOSOPHY

With the press briefing clearly winding down all that was left was the highly
anticipated coverage and briefing for Anthem – but EA surprised us yet again
when it paused the briefing on games to offer up a briefing on their social
welfare and community service aims. You read that right.



Part of its message for the EA: Play Event as well as its Pre-Show E3 EA Press
Briefing was to offer up some facts and something of a progress report on EA’s
global efforts to give a little back to the gamer – and human – communities.

EA wants us to accept that part of the gamer philosophy as a company that serves
the gamer community and with that in mind they explained the current standing in
the EA Play to Give charity – which resulted in a million dollar donation to
three different charities — The United Nations He for She Program, Pacer’s
National Bullying Prevention Center, and Ditch the Label (an anti-bullying
organization).

These sort of social good programs are not unusual – a lot of corporations do
things like this either on a dollar-matching or third-party fund-raising scheme
basis. This though, is a bit more than a little different. For one thing it is a
games publisher behind the effort, and for another they implemented the program
and the effort by not simply providing the opportunity for gamers to
participate, but doing so by building that cooperative effort INTO the whole
gamer and gaming experience.

Specifically this charity effort was structured to leverage the games and their
platforms so that the gamers actually participated simply by playing specific
games, and playing through specific content! The Play to Give Program this time
around consisted of nine in-game challenges inside EAs games – so simply by
playing the challenges in the games the gamer community is responsible for
triggering a one-million-dollar donation to each of those three organizations
and how cool is that?!

This wasn’t simply bell-ringing time either – it was EA thanking the gamers for
taking the time to play the challenges thus triggering the charitable donations.
So hey EA, you’re welcome!




ANTHEM

The closing game for the briefing is Anthem, one of the handful of heavily
anticipated titles that are set to launch in the 2018/2019 Game Season and what
just might be the perfect fusion of Action-Adventure and Alien story telling in
one location.

The presentation began with the E3 Exclusive Reveal Trailer and segued to a
compilation of character shots and then immediately transitioned to a panel made
up of the development team members and our host – who serves as the MC and
interviewer to ask good questions as well as guide us into an in-depth glance at
the guts of the game design process and the story creation process.

Considering that game developer BioWare has a well-earned reputation for
creating solid story-based games that provide bullet-proof story support and
depth we obviously have a lot in the expectations department. Add to that the
revelation that the game world inside Anthem is intended to be a shared world
for broad and deep play that is serviced by a single-player base or satellite
from which the player launches themselves into the larger theme.

To simplify this view consider this: the base game was created and crafted
around the single-player base world in which the player pursues their own unique
story, with the narrative being exclusive to that player. The list of quests and
missions may or may not involve the larger outside and shared world – it is
entirely within the realm of possibility that the missions and quests may be
divided between those worlds, and even shared with them, .



One mission and quest type is set entirely within the shared world, and may
require the player to team up with other players in order to solve it. Other
quests and missions may start in the solo world and then complete in the shared
one, while still other missions may initiate within the shared world with
necessary elements only to be completed in the solo one. In short that unique
construct means that Anthem offers its best fit for gamers who are firmly
standing in one or the other camp, and especially rewards those players who have
one foot in each world.

That duly noted though, the true value of this approach is the way that the
wizards behind it have constructed the story and mission structure to encourage
players from both camps to improve their comfort levels interacting in the world
they may feel weaker in! We can see from the game play samples and the
descriptions that Anthem in addition to being a AAA Action-Adventure and
mixed-mode title may also end up being mode-therapy!

One of the best pieces of information that was offered at the presentation was
confirmation that there will be NO loot boxes, NO pay-for-Advantage prestige
packs, and no way for one player to outspend another to their advantage! Sure,
the ability to pay for cosmetic customization for your armor makes total sense –
and besides that is the model for in-game purchase schemes these days anyway….
We’ve come to expect that. But news that we won’t ever be forced to spend money
to keep the playing field level is very good news indeed.

The game play footage on display illustrates some important elements of the
worlds we will be playing in – and specifically the fact that in addition to
being loyal to ourselves and on the co-op side our teams (we said teams plural
because let’s face it, with this sort of structure we should anticipate ending
up working with multiple groups from day to day) there are also strategic
factions within the story itself.

Whether we play inside the solo world or the shared it is pretty clear that our
armor suit – Mech, Gundam call it what you like – will be highly personal to our
character. So in addition to decorating it how we like we’re clearly going to
want to collect the various bits and bobs and weapons to upgrade it – which
means comfort levels be damned we’re going to have to push through the play mode
therapy this game seems designed to provide!

So it’s not a single-player game, it’s not a multi-player game, it’s not an MMO
title, and it will arrive on 22 February 2019 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as
well as a PC version.




THE WRAP-UP

Anthem closed the press briefing for the E3 Pre-Show Presentation – but we want
to remind you that major elements up to and including reveals were intentionally
held back from the briefing for inclusion in the larger and longer XBox Pre-Show
Press Briefing that took place the following day. So don’t presume that the
somewhat limited information that you read here is all that there is. That
should especially apply to any games you are particularly interested in – like
Battlefield V.

So with that in mind, be sure to check out the articles that follow this one –
as they will follow in the chronological order that the events occurred at for
the Expo and the days leading up to it. Basically you are going to experience
the Expo and its lead-up in exactly the way that we did, and in that order!



The first series of articles cover the pre-show briefings and the plethora of
information that we acquired during those. They will be followed by the
individual and hand’s-on briefings that were experienced at the show, as well as
preview content and articles covering games in the not-too-distant future.

Please be aware that some some of the information that was acquired at the show
is subject to non-disclosure agreements. Which is to say that we have a large
collection of information and some forward-looking game impressions that we are
not permitted to share with you right now. As these games reach their disclosure
dates we will be sharing that information with you. So with that in mind, all of
the articles and material that results from our coverage of the Electronic
Entertainment Expo – including this article – will be tagged with the #E3 2018
Tag so that you can more easily find it on our site without having to wade
through regular and non-E3 related content and game previews and reviews. So if
you are interested in following the E3 related content be sure to follow that
tag.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to our ongoing coverage and interpretation for the 2018 Electronic
Entertainment Ecpo – the annual infustry event in which game publishers,
studios, and hardware manufacturers get together to introduce their newest
projects, games, and gaming related devices to the world game press and gamers.
To follow the articles in this series please tick the keywords in the index on
the right lower menu on any page and select Game On E3 2018 or E3 2018.

Copyright © 2018 CM Boots-Faubert


E3 2018 Electronic Arts Press Briefing syndicated from
https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * July 3, 2018




A BRIEF HISTORY OF E3

The annual tradeshow event known as E3 – the Electronic Entertainment Expo – has
taken many different forms over its two-decades plus history, starting out as a
solution to a conflict that simmered for nearly 10 years before becoming the
solution.

When the video games sector of computer and electronic entertainment first
emerged in the late 1970s it was largely both considered – and treated – like
the red-headed step-child for the toy industry, and as such found that its
outlet on the annual tradeshow circuit – when it was granted an outlet – tended
to be restricted to scattered booths at the pre-Christmas Toy Expo, and at the
Big Show for the year, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It usually
ended up with a ghetto of booths near each other but on the fringes of the main
floor.

When the games sector emerged from a total meltdown in the early 1980s, it
rebounded with considerable success, which made the left-handed treatment it
received from the entertainment and electronics industries that much more
difficult to tolerate. In 1985 organizers within the video games industry
attempted to get broader recognition from the organizers of the annual CES
event, believing correctly that the lack of proper representation at CES – and
specifically obtaining a section of its own for the video games industry – was a
significant roadblock to its future success at garnering the attention it badly
needed from journalists.

Throughout the 1970s and into the 1990s no matter how often they asked or how
logical their reasons for seeking a designated section at the show, the best
that the collective game console makers could manage was something of a video
games ghetto at CES – and the game publishers and studios could not even get
that!

In the midst of the ongoing argument between the games industry and CES, a loose
coalition of games console makers, publishers, and studios had formed their own
trade lobby and organization called the Interactive Digital Software
Association, and it was largely through that lobbying arm that the final attempt
was made in 1994 to obtain the level of representation that the games industry
felt it deserved – and had earned – at least with respect to the annual CES.
They failed.

As the 1995 trade year approached the IDSA was re-organized under the banner of
the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) which is how it is still known
today – and while it performed a number of useful functions for the industry –
from helping to establish the age rating system for video games to lobbying
Congress in the interest of its industry, perhaps the most important single
effort that the ESA undertook was to create an annual tradeshow that was
dedicated to all things video game. An event that would happily host and feature
not simply the video game platforms and consoles, but also serve as the place to
go to unveil new game projects, announce upcoming releases, and otherwise
promote the video game industry as a whole. This new event? It’s called the
Electronic Entertainment Expo – or E3.

The most important activity at E3 is attending the game briefings, second unto
that is hands-on experience playing the games.



E3 – A History

The details above provide you with a better understanding of the circumstances
around which E3 was created – that should be sufficient to establish in your
mind just how important and significant the event was. The first E3 played host
to some 50,000 industry insiders and journalists, and with several unusual
exceptions has done so each year since its founding. That is not to say it was
perfect from the start – the current representation of E3 that we know today is
a very new and different concept and event than the first – with perhaps the
most significant change being that the event was opened to the public in 2017
for the first time – allowing anyone who could purchase a ticket to attend.
Prior to that you had to either be an industry insider or a journalist to
attend.

If your experiences with E3 are restricted to its current form and format –
which is certainly a successful one – you may be surprised to learn that it was
not always the dynamic and powerful force for video games and gaming that it is
now. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that reveal the various movements,
scandals, and surprises that each of the past events offered up for our
entertainment and often those include cringe-worthy coverage of some really bad
press conferences. Those are certainly worth a look see if you are interested in
learning more.

That said though, the purpose of this article is aimed more towards explaining
what E3 is and how it came to be. Now that you know the basics for that, we’re
just left with defining what E3 is as opposed to what it was.

Impressive stage design and choreographed game briefings are the bread and
butter of E3 year-after-year. When it's done right this video game shock and awe
treatment is meant to leave the typical games journo fully informed and maybe
just a little stunned.

..

The Modern E3

While a case can be made that E3 always was and still is about highlighting
changes in the industry and the state of its platforms and offerings, in the end
what the modern E3 is about – what it has evolved into – is one massive
forward-looking statement for the video games industry as a whole.

The structure of E3 has evolved to a very successful and proactive mechanism
that helps to deliver news and information about the industry to both the press
and the public. Each year a variety of information is shared – from the current
and future hardware plans to new and evolutionary hardware such as the recent
forward progress in the VR Realm. In addition to that, it functions as the
traditional location for new title reveals by both publishers and, increasingly
by the game studios that develop them. It is and has become the best source for
big-picture news as well as individual project and game development news and, we
can say with reasonable certainty, it has developed into precisely the venue
that the industry wished it had in the 1980s at CES.



Location, Location, Location!

The movers and shakers in the real estate industry aren’t joking when they use
the phrase “Location, Location, Location” when they discuss land values and
trends, so it probably won’t confuse or surprise you when we point out that
location played a significant role in past E3′s and to a lesser extent, though
circumstances always figure in consideration regardless of where the event is
held. And believe it or not the reception of CES by the media and picking the
right location to host the event is a significant concern and has direct and
palpable measure for how it is received by the news media in general and the
games press in particular.

For its first two years CES was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center Campus
in LA, which was a location that the ESA felt could scale easily to address any
changing needs for the event but beginning in its third year other internal
considerations ended up having significant impact on where the show would
appear. To simplify our coverage and help illustrate the history it would be a
good idea to cover the entire location appearance details for the event now, to
put the matter fresh in our minds.

 * *1995 — Los Angeles, California — 50,000 Total Attendees
 * *1996 — Los Angeles, California — 57,000 Total Attendees.
 * *1997 — Atlanta, Georgia — 40,000 Total Attendees
 * *1998 — Atlanta ,Georgia — 70,000 Total Attendees
 * *1999 — Los Angeles, California — Estimated 60,000 or thereabouts
 * *2000 — Los Angeles, California — 45,000 Total Attendees
 * *2001 — Los Angeles, California — 62,000 Total Attendees
 * *2002 — Los Angeles, California — Estimated 60,000 or thereabouts
 * *2003 — Los Angeles, California — Estimated 60,000 or thereabouts
 * *2004 — Los Angeles, California — 65,000 Total Attendees
 * *2005 — Los Angeles, California — 70,000 Total Attendees
 * *2006 — Los Angeles, California — 60,000 Total Attendees
 * *2007 — Santa Monica, California — 10,000 Total Attendees
 * *2008 — Santa Monica, California — 5,000 Total Attendees
 * *2009 — Los Angeles, California — 41,000 Total Attendees
 * *2010 — Los Angeles, California — 54,600 Total Attendees
 * *2011 — Los Angeles, California — 46,800 Total Attendees
 * *2012 — Los Angeles, California — 45,700 Total Attendees
 * *2013 — Los Angeles, California — 48,200 Total Attendees
 * *2014 — Los Angeles, California — 48,900 Total Attendees
 * *2015 — Los Angeles, California — 52,200 Total Attendees
 * *2016 — Los Angeles, California — 50,300 Total Attendees
 * *2017 — Los Angeles, California — 68,400 Total Attendees

The Scandals of 2006

While there were various events that had measurable impact on E3 overall, none
had quite the punch as the afterparty scandals that went partly public in 2006 –
with several complaints of sexually-related assault as well as claims of
widespread underaged drinking during which some major publishers were thought to
have provided alcoholic beverages to known underaged drinkers with absolutely
zero regard for the law in California.

When these issues were brought to the attention of the ESA, then ESA President
Doug Lowenstein was widely quoted as having privately commented that the show
was out of control, and considering the near-disaster that the ESRB Ratings
Battle had been – and was still fresh in the minds of the ESA, the idea of
absorbing that sort of negative PR hit was simply not acceptable. Publicly
Lowenstein declared that due to budget issues for some of the partner publishers
as well as other monetary-related concerns had caused the organization to
restructure the entire event.

In 2007 and 2008 the ESA (organizers of E3) made the drastic decision to alter
nearly everything about E3 in response to a series of scandals or near-scandals
that took place in the years immediately preceding the change. That safer route
did not sit well with the game publishers and studio, so the Expo returned to
its previous format in 2009.



For 2007 the Electronic Entertainment Expo was renamed the E3 Media Business
Summit. When that announcement was made Lowenstein also confirmed that the show
was now going Invitation-Only, and that it would largely consist of around
10,000 invited guests, of which the vast majority was to be working press.
Working press over the age of 21 was not outright stated but that was the
unofficial policy moving forward.

When the 2007 E3 Media Business Summit took place it was a very subdued event –
in fact almost no event at all considering that the presentations and briefings
were scattered at hotels and conference venues all over the city of Santa
Monica. Basically if you were not invited – and very few were – the happenings
at the 2007 E3 event only became public knowledge after the event, when the
media and games journos returned to their desks and wrote about it.

Needless to say the change was not very well received – either by the games
publishers and PRs or the game studios – though oddly enough the games press did
not weigh in on the issues in terms of party or lack thereof. The Business Media
Summit was repeated in 2008 but, by that point enough heat was generated by
games publishers and studios who voiced the opinion that the event was no longer
even worth appearing at – which caused the ESA to re-think it’s decision, and so
for 2009 the old E3 re-emerged for better or for worse, and nobody looked back
or complained as a result!

Today the various participants – and specifically games publishers and the PRs
they employ – have been diligent in keeping their after-show parties and
invitation-only dinners separate and isolated from the main show. The dinners –
and party events – still take place and if anything are more rambunctious than
they were in previous years, it’s just that the hosts have gone to extreme
lengths to isolate the off-site events and screen their guests for age and
status. It’s also become shiek to invite celebrities to host these events, a
turn that has been particularly popular with the games journo community.

One of the most highly charged issues in the history of E3 its not at all
surprising that the Booth Babes would also be the most popular. In the past
twenty years they've tried several times to reduce the presence of the Booth
Babe but it just didn't work. Attendees know what they want and they want Booth
Babes briefing them on the games.

Wide-Open Gaming

The decision to take E3 to an Invite-Only format following the disaster that was
the E3 Media Business Summits was retained until the 2017 decision to return the
event to a mixture of invite and public access, though the public side requires
the attendees who are not media or industry to pay for their tickets.



That pretty much sums it up for you. If you are interested in learning more, we
recommend you load YouTube and search for the term E3 History – — a surprisingly
entertaining subject in its own right!


A Brief History of E3 syndicated from https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * June 30, 2018




2018 ELECTRONICS ENTERTAINMENT EXPO COVERAGE


THE GAME ON INTERPRETATION OF E3 2018

For more than two decades now the global video game industry has gathered each
summer for its annual trade show at which nearly every element in the industry
is present and represented. From the smallest to the largest game development
studios, game publishers, console makers, accessory and peripheral makers, and
everything in between. All present and many preparing to reveal their newest
projects and products, or update the world games press as to the status of
previously announced and ongoing projects.

In many respects E3 is far more – and something less – than its hype and PR
present – being two-thirds carnival and a third business meeting – the
first-time participant can be easily excused for forming the impression that The
Big Show – which is what veteran attendees choose to call E3 – is little more
than chaos in motion.

It may certainly appear to be that, but a tried and tested eye with a little
experience will reveal that all of that seemingly chaotic mass is in fact a most
carefully planned and executed series of events in which control of the
narrative is at the forefront of every presenter and certainly under the hand of
the PRs who are responsible for each of the many booths hosted by game
publishers in a cooperative effort with their development studios to present
each game and game project with just the right voice and image. Because
ultimately that is the point of the Expo.

Following a well-established and traditional schedule, the major publishers use
the week before The Big Show to hold their own press briefings, while the
smaller studios and hardware makers hold after-event parties and dinners for the
same purpose, all of which are attended by members of the international games
media to learn what is coming down the pipeline that is the modern games
industry.

Between the press briefings and the show they unveil new projects as well as
update existing ones and firms up the release schedules for the games that will
make the current year the best year in gaming so far. Well, that’s the idea
anyway. That trade show and event is known all over the world as the Electronic
Entertainment Expo – E3 for short – and if you ask the average gamer if there is
one gaming event they would love to attend, chances are pretty good that event
would be E3!

That desire is interesting because it probably never occurred to most gamers
that from year-to-year the event we call E3 changes. In fact it is both fair and
accurate to say that while from the outside looking in it may appear to be the
same basic annual event, once you have been on the inside more than once you
will find – as we did – that E3 is never the same event twice. Which is why it
is important that we cover it and the revelations it delivers soberly and
professionally.





Repeating History?

A wise man once said that those who are ignorant of their history and the
lessons it holds are condemned to repeat it. Or something to that effect. That
being accepted, one of the most valuable tools we have is hindsight – and using
that in examining our past coverage of E3 we have come to the conclusion that
how we covered the event and the hundreds of smaller events within it has been
up to now a flawed process.

It’s pretty much a tradition to arrive at E3 a few days before the pre-show
events begin and then carefully plan out the schedule so that you hit as many of
the important events as possible, then race back to the hotel (when possible)
and rapidly write up coverage of the event and get it marked up and published.
When it is not possible to adjourn to the relative peace and quiet of the hotel
the various press lounges at the convention center often must serve, despite the
massive noise-to-signal ratio present in that environment.

The point is this was the level that was repeated over-and-over each year, and
the results were hurried often inadequate articles about the events of the day.
When something truly important and news worthy happened it more often than not
ended up shoved out of sight by the need to maintain that process, and cover the
next event, then write it up and do it all again three or four times a day!

For the 2018 Electronics Entertainment Expo we’ve broken that pattern, and
removed the crippling process in favor of a more sensible approach.

We chose to treat the Expo and its revelations as the news-worthy event that it
is – which means we carefully covered it, taking the time to peruse the details
and revelations that deserve further attention. To consider them, then do what
we are supposed to and pursue them, asking the questions that need to be asked
and reporting on the answers we obtained.

The series of articles that follow include interpretations of the Expo events as
well as deep dives into the facts surrounding the games that are destined to
present the gaming public with its new favorite titles and entertainment
experiences in the coming months. In addition to that we made the time to
properly examine both our impressions and the facts as they were presented, with
the results being a much deeper and more meaningful coverage and, we hope, a
more entertaining and useful reading experience for you.

After all we did all this for you.

We hope that you will consider this both an introduction to our E3 2018 coverage
and accept our solemn promise to you that, from this point forward, we will
treat the subject with the same sincerity and value as you feel it warrants,
providing both the entertaining descriptions and images you are seeking while at
the same time offering a quality and professional measure of coverage such that
you receive a level of satisfaction — and yes, entertainment — in reading and
experiencing each of our articles equal to the effort and the intentions that
went into them.


2018 Electronics Entertainment Expo Coverage syndicated from
https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * June 30, 2018




MONSTER HUNTER GENERATIONS ULTIMATE COMES TO NINTENDO SWITCH!

The highly anticipated Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, the follow up to
Monster Hunter Generations, marks the series debut on Nintendo Switch as an
exclusive when it launches on August 28, 2018 for digital and physical retail
purchase across North America and Europe.

For the first time, gamers have the flexibility to play both local wireless and
online multiplayer with up to three other hunters – whether playing at home on
the big screen or on the go in handheld or tabletop mode.

Hunters can face off against the series’ largest roster of unique monsters in
this nostalgic look back at the series’ beginnings and evolutions. Take on the
role of a brave hunter on an adrenaline-fueled adventure challenging
larger-than-life beasts. Completing quests will yield valuable resources for
crafting countless distinct weapons and equipment fashioned after players’
defeated foes. Along their journey, hunters must defend each of the game’s four
villages from major threats known as the Fated Four, plus an even more dangerous
new Elder Dragon.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate features a blend of classic game play and
unique new twists, brand new explorable areas and monsters, plus returning
fan-favorites like the lightning fast Zinogre and the stealthy long-tailed
Nargacuga. This release introduces a new quest level called “G” rank that
features even more formidable versions of familiar foes, truly testing
experienced hunters’ battle tactics now with different moves and abilities never
before seen in the wild!

For newcomers to the series, the gameplay features tons of powerful super moves
called Hunter Arts that can be executed with a quick tap on the touch screen.
Players can experiment and choose from six different Hunting Styles including
two new ones called Brave Style, which rewards players with new moves for
landing successive attacks; and Alchemy Style, a support style that grants the
ability to create useful items on the fly during combat. Hunters are encouraged
to explore and customize the experience between quests to discover their
preferred, highly personalized playstyle.

Players of the original Monster Hunter Generations can transfer save data from
the previous title to continue their journey in Monster Hunter Generations
Ultimate.

> This is a news article using information supplied by the game’s publisher . 
> this is not an endorsement.  Staff from Game On and the Cape Cod Times have
> not played or reviewed this title.


Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate comes to Nintendo Switch! syndicated from
https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * May 31, 2018




CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF STREET FIGHTER WITH STREET FIGHTER 30TH ANNIVERSARY
COLLECTION TODAY

Hadoken your way through gaming history with Street Fighter 30th Anniversary
Collection, available today for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and
Windows PC. This collection of 12 arcade-perfect Street Fighter games
encapsulates a walk down memory lane with the video game phenomenon that
impacted arcade culture, established the fighting game genre, and paved the way
for esport events such as Capcom Pro Tour.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection marks the first time many of these
arcade essentials are playable on consoles and PC. Street Fighter players can
recreate the classic arcade gaming experience by competing against the CPU and
friends locally, or challenge an opponent online in four online-supported games.
An ultimate tribute to Street Fighter arcade legacy, this all-in-one package
includes 12 classic titles with arcade-perfect balancing including:

 * Street Fighter
 * Street Fighter II
 * Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
 * Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting*
 * Super Street Fighter II
 * Super Street Fighter II: Turbo*
 * Street Fighter Alpha
 * Street Fighter Alpha 2
 * Street Fighter Alpha 3*
 * Street Fighter III
 * Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact
 * Street Fighter III: Third Strike*

*Online play and Training Mode supported

While the collection stays true to the original arcade experiences, Street
Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection also includes some new features and options.
New since the original arcade versions is a robust Training Mode that offers
numerous options for players to customize their experience and train more
effectively for their next match. Some of the options that are universal amongst
all four games are the ability to turn on damage display, input display, dummy
controls, and more.

When players need a break from the action, the collection invites fans to
explore the franchise’s history with early game design documents, see how their
favorite characters have evolved through character bios and sprite viewers, and
even listen to some of its most memorable soundtracks via the game’s built-in
music player.

> This is a news article using information supplied by the game’s publisher . 
> this is not an endorsement.  Staff from Game On and the Cape Cod Times have
> not played or reviewed this title.

 




Celebrate 30 years of Street Fighter with Street Fighter 30th Anniversary
Collection Today syndicated from https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * May 31, 2018




SIGN UP NOW FOR FRACTURED LAND CLOSED BETA BEGINNING JUNE 8

> Newly-Formed Unbroken Studios Challenges Players to ‘Ride or Die’ with New
> First-Person Shooter Fractured Lands

Fractured Lands, a new first-person shooter, last-one-standing game, will be
available on PC in paid Steam Early Access this summer 2018. Developed by
Unbroken Studios, a team of senior industry veterans, instrumental in developing
successful franchises including Battlefield, Medal of Honor, and Call of Duty,
Fractured Lands is an intense, drive-to-survive deathmatch where the sound of
your heart pounding is drowned out only by the roar of a sea of engines.

Strewn across a harsh, post-apocalyptic wasteland lie the weapons, gear, and
fuel you’ll need to earn a blood-soaked victory. Beat down, gun down, and run
down the competition to be the lone warrior standing. A closed beta for
Fractured Lands is slated for the weekends of June 8, June 22, and June 29.
Interested players can register on the official website, fractured-lands.com.

Rise from the ashes of a post-apocalyptic world gone mad and become a deadly
road warrior. Out-drive and out-gun a myriad of survivors in high-octane
multiplayer manhunts where vehicular warfare injects a breakneck sense of speed
and strategy into the Battle Royale landscape.

Your vehicle is your greatest weapon, strongest armor and lifeline out in the
wastelands. It can be mounted with scavenged upgrades, carry surplus inventory,
and be used to mow down the competition. This makes it as integral to the
experience as conventional arms, so stick to your ride, or even steal someone
else’s wheels if you have to!

In a broken world, danger comes from all directions. Stay alert to the rev of
distant engines, gunfire, and the fall of approaching footsteps. Savage
wastelanders hunt you down from every angle. You’ll need to keep an eye and ear
out to take them on before they take you out.

Knowing when to put pedal to the metal or jump out on foot is a calculated risk
you must make. Scavenge weapons, armor, upgrades, and fuel. Stalk your enemies
or make for cover and lay in wait. But don’t overlook the radioactive storm
raging on the horizon. It closes in with each passing minute and will choke out
even the toughest competitor.

“Fractured Lands is an experience that epitomizes our passion for this genre but
also exemplifies both our experience in developing some of the best shooters in
the world and our craving for something innovative, intense and gritty,” said
Paul Ohanian, Chief Executive Officer, Unbroken Studios.

“We’ve got so much on the horizon in terms of new content and features,
including other last one standing modes, but most of all we’re excited to have
gamers join the beta and directly impact our development.”

Whether battling the elements or other wastelanders, the objective remains the
same: stay alive by any means necessary in this every-man-for-himself demolition
derby.

For more information on Fractured Lands, please visit fractured-lands.com. Fans
can also follow on Facebook and Twitter.

> This is a news article using information supplied by the game’s publisher . 
> this is not an endorsement.  Staff from Game On and the Cape Cod Times have
> not played or reviewed this title.




Sign Up Now for Fractured Land Closed Beta Beginning June 8 syndicated from
https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * May 31, 2018




THE FARM 51 ANNOUNCES WORLD WAR 3 COMING TO STEAM IN 2018

> A New Multiplayer First-Person Shooter Set in a Modern Global Conflict
> Presents a Fresh Approach to Authentic Warfare and Battle Royale

The Farm 51, game development studio has unveiled its new modern military FPS
titled World War 3, releasing on Steam Early Access in 2018.

World War 3’s Warzone game mode features large-scale combined arms battles with
infantry, armored vehicles and drones; its Recon mode features a fresh approach
to the battle royale genre. Strong teamplay, national armed forces, real
locations, full body awareness, and a versatile customization system all
contribute to the authenticity of the modern combat experience enhanced by other
essential elements such as a robust ballistic system, advanced armors and
life-like weapons.

Produced in cooperation with military R&D centers and consultants, World War 3
shows the consequences of every battle in the context of a global war campaign
on a strategic war map. During the Early Access stage, the game will be
available at a soft price.



KEY FEATURES

Warzone and Recon — a complete package: World War 3 presents a modern conflict
with tactics, techniques and procedures inspired by true combat engagements.
Warzone offers opportunities for dynamic, intense firefights in teamwork-focused
battles of infantry and armored units over fortified points. The
tactically-oriented Recon allows players to cooperate within small
reconnaissance squads left on their own to survive and capture high-value
targets in hostile territory. Together these modes create a coherent gameplay
experience aimed at presenting the actual feel of modern warfare.

True combat experience – The most authentic bullet vs. armor system in the FPS
genre to date, achieved through years of research and development with military
professionals. Ballistics, a weight system, full body awareness, vehicle
physics, and an extensive customization system all affect the gameplay in a
meaningful way.



Strong teamplay – World War 3 supports team-based gameplay rewarding the
initiative in playing as a part of a squad. Responsible cooperation within a
squad is the best recipe for combat effectiveness. Players can choose between
assuming the role of an Attacker or a Defender, and use any gear available to
support their playstyle – what matters is the victory.



Strategic war map – To show the consequences of every battle, player performance
is rewarded with resources used to conquer or defend a territory, gain
additional bonuses via the metagame and turn the tide of war. Every destroyed
vehicle, every kill, every bullet fired, every achievement affects the big
picture presented on a constantly evolving, interactive war map eventually
covering the entire planet.

National pride – World War 3 is heavily grounded in military realism, offering
accurate depictions of weapons, uniforms and equipment of national armed forces
inspiring players to make their war effort personal and prove their country is
the dominant force on the battlefield. The maps are based on real-life locations
such as the streets of Warsaw, Berlin and Moscow (more locations planned)
recreated with an unprecedented attention to detail.

Versatile customization – Players are able to personalize every part of their
equipment, choosing from hundreds of combinations of unique weapon parts,
attachments, skins, camos and paints. The same applies to vehicles and tactical
gear and uniforms. If it’s possible in real life, it’s possible in World War 3.



No strings attached – No paid loot boxes and pay-to-win approaches to game
design. We consider it very important to stay true to the community and deliver
the best game we can without resorting to such practices – as players ourselves
we believe that the sense of pride and accomplishment should come with no
paywall.

Community Driven Development During Eaerly Avvess

World War 3 is being developed by people who were raised playing FPS games. They
take pride in their cooperation with military professionals and being able to
offer the most authentic modern military shooter experience painstakingly
balanced with entertaining gameplay.

As an indie studio, The Farm 51 considers community feedback crucial in crafting
enjoyable and memorable experiences. They invite the players to take part in the
common effort of making World War 3 the game they always wanted to play.



> This is a news article using information supplied by the game’s publisher . 
> this is not an endorsement.  Staff from Game On and the Cape Cod Times have
> not played or reviewed this title.


The Farm 51 Announces World War 3 Coming to Steam in 2018 syndicated from
https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * May 31, 2018




MEGA MAN 11 CHARGES UP WITH NEW FEATURES FOR OCTOBER 2018 RELEASE

The game wizards at Capcom confirmed today that in celebration of the Mega Man
series’ 30th anniversary the iconic hero will return in brand new release Mega
Man 11.

Blending classic side-scrolling action game play with new features and a fresh
new look, the Blue Bomber’s latest adventures will arrive on October 2, 2018 for
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.

In the events of Mega Man 11, long-time mustachioed series villain Dr. Wily is
back to his mischievous ways and has had a true flash of evil genius, deciding
to invest in an ambitious idea from his time at Robot University where he
studied alongside Dr. Light, Mega Man’s benevolent creator. Dr. Light, who also
recalls this inventive idea, decides to upgrade Mega Man with this powerful
prototype known as the Double Gear system, installing it into his circuits and
expanding his abilities for the greatest fight yet for everlasting peace as they
take on the evil attempts of Dr. Wily to conquer the world.

In a new trailer released today, fans can get a first look at the all-new Double
Gear system as well as formal introductions to two of the game’s new Robot
Master bosses: the egotistical brick-building Block Man and the electrifying
speed demon Fuse Man.

The veteran development team behind this new entry has retained the series’ core
game play gamers have come to know and love. Jump, slide, shoot, and more
through challenging stages and Robot Masters. Defeating them and absorbing their
powers is the heart of the game, and swapping between all the new powers is now
easier and faster than ever through a useful weapon wheel. The Double Gear
system in Mega Man 11 adds a unique new twist on the satisfying platforming
action, offering options to enhance Mega Man’s speed and power on the fly.

Speed Gear – Introduces the ability to slow the flow of time, a useful tool for
many situations such as navigating tricky platforming sections or avoiding
fast-moving enemies or obstacles.

Power Gear – Allows players to charge the Mega Buster to a new level, and
weapon-based abilities become even more robust.

Double Gear – When at critical health, Mega Man will gain access to a hidden
ability to activate both gears simultaneously, unleashing maximum power and
allowing for deft maneuvers in the direst situations.

In addition to Mega Man 11, fans of the Blue Bomber have a lot to look forward
to in this mega year with Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 on Nintendo Switch
newly released this month, with all 10 of the original series now playable on
the platform.

Additionally, all of the games in the more mature, futuristic X series will be
available in Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2, coming this July 24, 2018 to
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

> This is a news article using information supplied by the game’s publisher . 
> this is not an endorsement.  Staff from Game On and the Cape Cod Times have
> not played or reviewed this title.


Mega Man 11 Charges Up with New Features for October 2018 Release syndicated
from https://plazapcgames.wordpress.com/

 * WOZUR
 * May 31, 2018




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WOZUR

I'm a editor of technology blog and spends most of my time in playing online
games. I write for many online publications. since the internet became a
worldwide phenomenon, online games have been gaining in popularity to the point
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