Join independent journalists and industry decision-makers at GamesBeat NEXT, returning to San Francisco November 2–3. The event brings together 500 executives, founders, investors and tech leaders shaping the $200 billion interactive economy for candid discussions on gaming, entertainment, technology and AI, plus executive networking and opportunities to build partnerships and close major deals.
Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup. This time, Horizon: Zero Dawn has a strong first two weeks of sales, we get a look at Sonic’s next two games, and YouTube gets exclusive broadcasting rights to a big Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Pieces of flair and opinion
- The DeanBeat: Experiential Technology event shows how far VR has to go
- I hate the beards in Mass Effect: Andromeda
- Panel will buck the status quo at GamesBeat Summit
- This hack enables you to see your cat when you’re in VR
- GamesBeat is hiring a general assignment reporter
- GamesBeat is hiring a guest posts editor for PC gaming channel
- Our preliminary agenda for GamesBeat Summit 2017
- Does The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild end with a whimper? GamesBeat Decides
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips: How to kill Guardians, climb in the rain, and more
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s saving system is kind and magical
- How Yoot Saito designed the quirky Seaman for Sega Dreamcast
- How VR startups can survive the slow growth of 2017
News
- Path of Exile’s last update brought a record 40% more players to the online Diablo-like
- Sonic Forces gameplay trailer has the hedgehog outrunning disaster
- Hollywood studio DMG Entertainment moves into VR
- Casual Connect shifts cities for its big game events
- February 2017 NPD: For Honor and Resident Evil 7 top another month of lower revenues for game industry
- Xbox One’s backward compatibility resurrects sleeper indie hit Poker Smash
- Gwent: The Witcher Card Game pits its fans against pros with $100,000 on the line
- Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner resigns; cofounder Dan Connors takes over
- Horizon Zero Dawn sells 2.6 million copies in first two weeks
- YouTube becomes the exclusive home for Esports Championship Series’ Counter-Strike: GO matches
- Sony dominates console market with 57% share worldwide
- Makeblock raises $30 million for education robots
- Poland’s Intel Extreme Masters was biggest event in esports history with 173,000 spectators
- Survios launches cross-platform Raw Data shooter on the Oculus Rift/Touch
- AMD will launch four mainstream Ryzen desktop processors on April 11
- Mass Effect: Andromeda trial is available to download now for EA Access members
- Xbox One controller battery packs recalled due to burning risk
- Capcom will launch The Disney Afternoon Collection of six Nintendo classics on April 18 (update)
- Xbox cofounder Seamus Blackley takes R&D post at augmented reality firm Daqri
- H1Z1: King of the Kill’s active player count has grown 1,000% since September
- Gallium Nitride maker EPC takes a big step forward in its quest to kill silicon chips
- System Shock 3 receives funding and publishing help from Starbreeze
- Nintendo Switch’s traffic data proves new consoles are the lifeblood of retail
- BlizzCon 2017 tickets go on sale April 5 and April 8
- Hearthstone warns of Un’Goro Crater’s hidden dangers in new video series
- Overwatch launches its latest hero, Orisa, on March 21
- Full Throttle Remastered rolls out April 18 for PlayStation 4, Vita, and PC
- Paladins enters closed beta on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
- Newzoo: The esports economy will grow 41% to $696 million in 2017
- Roblox raises $92 million in funding for its Lego-like virtual game world
- JustAd launches Game Zone playable ad platform
- Frostkeep Studios comes out of stealth with Rend fantasy survival game
- Heroes of the Storm’s next college competition is giving bracket-makers a chance at $10,000
- GDC drew more than 26,000 attendees to 2017 event, down slightly
- The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will show how Nintendo made its open-world hit
- Rocket League’s new mode has players fighting over a collapsing floor
- They Shall Not Pass expansion brings trench warfare to Battlefield 1
- Nintendo Switch has reportedly been hacked using old browser exploit
Mobile and social
- Tokaido will soon trek from the tabletop to iOS and Android devices
- Indie publisher Elephant Mouse launches Twisty Sky endless climber on iOS
- Transformers: Earth Wars update is all about Autobots and Decepticons becoming BFFs
- Zynga adds Boggle to its With Friends lineup
- Mag Interactive hits revenues of $29.8 million in 2016 via casual puzzle mobile games
- Lithuania’s Nordcurrent rides Cooking Fever beyond 100 million downloads
Previews, reviews, and interviews
- Mass Effect: Andromeda’s multiplayer is still rooted in the hordes of the Milky Way
- David Jaffe’s Drawn to Death is an ode to crazy and creative video games
- Why Xbox cofounder Seamus Blackley is diving into instant 3D printing
- David Jaffe shows off a not-so-superficial arena shooter Drawn to Death
- Everything makes you feel small as you grasp how all life is connected
- Watch us revel in Mass Effect: Andromeda’s airborne ‘extreme strafing’
- Diablo III’s Necromancer is aiming to be more than a nostalgic act
- Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass hands-on gameplay videos
- First impressions of Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass expansion
- Prey’s Asian protagonist is refreshing in a sea of bearded white dudes
- Sonic Mania has this long-time Sonic fan confident in its greatness