Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup! This time, we got a better look at the Nintendo Switch thanks to an 3D model, Minecraft is coming to Apple TV, and the PlayStation 4 is getitng some new, fancy controllers from third parties.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Pieces of flair and opinion
- The DeanBeat: Why video game companies — and all of us — need to think more about A.I.
- The Nintendo Switch secrets that may sit inside Nvidia’s Shield
- Why Nintendo’s stock fell after the massive hype for the Switch debut
- Nintendo Switch CG model gives the new console an up-close look
- Nintendo Switch uses cartridges, but not like the N64
News
- Steep’s open beta will let you hit the slopes early
- Minecraft is launching on Apple TV this year
- Pokémon Sun and Moon reveals the final forms of Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio
- Nintendo to unveil Switch console’s price and details on January 12
- Super League Gaming raises $5 million for its movie theater esports business
- PlayStation 4 will get Elite-style controllers from Razer and Nacon
- Oculus and Kaleidoscope set up DevLab to foster new VR experiences
- Hearthstone Championship Tour evolves for 2017
- Ubisoft researcher scouted Watch Dogs 2 by hanging out with hacktivists in SF and DefCon
- Microsoft’s Remix 3D lets you share and print 3D creations from Minecraft and Paint 3D
- Triseum unveils calculus educational game Variant: Limits
- PlayStation Network is down
- Nintendo won’t sell Switch at a loss; plans to ship 2 million units in March
- The Pokémon Go effect: 3DS sales up 19% as the mobile megahit stirs up fan excitement
- Pokémon Go and Mariners sale are the only bright spots in a weak Nintendo quarter
- Cuba’s self-proclaimed first indie game seeks crowdfunding
- The Witcher 3’s Gwent card game launches closed beta test
- Blizzard uses a Facebook Messenger chatbot to tease Hearthstone’s future
- Amazon opens a new game engine team location in Austin
- World of Warcraft: Legion’s biggest patch yet is now live
- Live.me has processed $1 million in virtual gift payments for streamers in 7 months
- How The Oatmeal’s Bears vs Babies card game scored $1.4 million in a week on Kickstarter
- November Xbox Live Games with Gold: Monkey Island, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and more
Mobile and social
- Kongregate adds Steam to its web and mobile portfolio with Splashy Hero
- Sensor Tower: Pokémon Go’s Halloween treat helps it reclaim No. 1 top-grossing spot
- King shutters Heroes of Honor developer Nonstop Games in Singapore
- Bravely Default studio brings its old-school touch to a new mobile RPG for DeNA
- Germany’s Gameforge doubles down on PC games as it lays off mobile staff
- Pokémon Go’s ghosts are out for the Halloween event
- NetEase’s push from China continues with mobile strategy game Immortal Conquest
- Livestreaming app Mobcrush raises $20 million
- The Walking Dead mobile game No Man’s Land is adding content for the show’s new season
- Pokémon Go’s first in-game event celebrates Halloween
- EA tries to go as broad as possible with FIFA Mobile
Previews, reviews, and interviews
- Titanfall 2 gradually eases players into Grunt combat
- HyperX Cloud Stinger is an amazing $50 gaming headset
- Ghost Invasion is a HoloLens game that turns you into a ghostbuster
- Privacy author Violet Blue helped Ubisoft capture San Francisco’s hacktivism in Watch Dogs 2
- Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 game director tells us how to take on the surveillance state