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Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup! This time, Nintendo reveals new Fire Emblem games, the PlayStation 4 wins December, and we look at the upcoming strategy game Halo Wars 2.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Pieces of flair and opinion
- The DeanBeat: 10 predictions for games in 2017
- Did Nintendo’s Switch reveal set the new console up for success? GamesBeat decides
- Here’s a closer look at Nintendo Switch’s game cards
- Hearthstone’s Jade Golem mechanic used to be a lot different
- Hearthstone’s Hunter class was was once in a different Mean Streets gang
News
- Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney to receive lifetime achievement award at GDC
- Nintendo Switch projected to easily outsell the Wii U
- Talking Tom maker Outfit7 confirms it has been sold to United Luck Consortium for $1 billion
- Tehran will host its first regional Middle East game conference
- U.S. gaming industry earned $30.4 billion in 2016, up from 2015
- 2016 NPD: Call of Duty No. 1, Battlefield No. 2 on 2016’s list of best-selling games
- December 2016 NPD: Final Fantasy XV shows it has a new recipe for franchise’s sales
- ModDrop hopes to reignite interest in the Torchlight games through mods
- Silicon Studio adapts Graphine’s texture software for console, PC, and VR development
- Ubisoft hires an Oscar winner for The Division movie: Traffic’s Stephen Gaghan
- XCOM 2’s Long War 2 fan mod is now available for PC
- Fig raises $7.8 million to expand game crowdfunding platform
- DigiLens raises $22 million to make ‘eyeglass-thin’ augmented reality displays
- HTC launches $10 million VR fund to promote the planet’s sustainability
- Nintendo reveals new Fire Emblem games for Switch, 3DS, and mobile
- EA Play goes to Hollywood as the publisher further distances itself from E3
- Resident Evil 7 gets Play Anywhere support for Xbox One and PC
- Exploration-based puzzle game Solo seeks funding on Fig
- Genvid releases interactive streaming for esports broadcasts
- Former Techland COO starts a new game studio in Poland
- PAX South will host NGE’s Overwatch Winter Premiere Live Finals
- MIT launches Play Labs to help AR, VR, and AI startups get off the ground
- MMOne unveils commercial version of insane giant simulator arm for wild VR rides
- GAConf event to tackle how to make games more accessible to everyone
- Nintendo’s next Direct presentation focuses on Fire Emblem
- LGBTQ-friendly dating game Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker is coming to PS4 and Xbox One
- Survios to launch Raw Data game in virtual reality arcades
- Patches is Hearthstone’s most-played card since Mean Streets of Gadgetzan released
- Valve boss Gabe Newell will hold Reddit AMA this week
- ZeniMax doubles-down in statement against Oculus VR as trial begins (update)
- 505 Games unveils original Steam game Quarantine
Mobile and social
- Super Mario Run drops from U.S. top 50 grossing iOS apps (update)
- Tapjoy: Mobile games are more engaging and fun than social networks
- Clash of Clans maker Supercell hacked; 1 million forum accounts compromised
- Pokémon Go fights poverty with 17 PokéStops at the World Economic Forum
- Sensor Tower: Q4 game revenues grew 70%, downloads up 33%
- Halo Wars 2 inspires a social media strategy game on Twitter
- Decluttr: Pokémon Go makes $2,412.19 in a minute
- Pokémon Go generated revenues of $950 million in 2016
- App Annie: Worldwide app downloads grew 15% and revenue soared 40% in 2016
- Angry Birds maker Rovio opens new game studio in London
Previews, reviews, and interviews
- How Creative Assembly tried to make Halo Wars 2 more accessible on Xbox One
- Halo Wars 2 shows how The Creative Assembly is adapting its PC chops for consoles
- Blitz mode turns Halo Wars 2 into a furious multiplayer fray
- Halo Wars 2’s 2-vs.-2 mode speeds up real-time strategy multiplayer for consoles
- Nintendo Switch hands-on: Intriguing tech comes with some concerns
- How Digital Extremes built Warframe into a free-to-play sci-fi juggernaut
- Hypersuit promises to let you fly through virtual reality
- The State of Hearthstone: How Mean Streets of Gadgetzan changed everything — and where it goes next