Hello, and welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup! This time, the video game voice actors strike ended, Middle-earth: Shadow of War showed off its mobile version, and we tried to figure out what makes a “core” Mario game.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Pieces of flair and roundup
- The DeanBeat: The wonderful diverse world of games
- PC Gaming Weekly: Atari searches for a market
- Cuphead: Watch Dean conquer his demons
- What makes a ‘core’ Mario game? GamesBeat Decides
- Is the Super NES Classic worthy of the hype? GamesBeat Decides
- How indie studio Accidental Queens emerged from a game jam
- Vainglory’s esports tournaments are about more than competition
- Why we’ll always love Toys ‘R’ Us: It was gaming’s first megastore
- PlayerUnknown’s Battleground zombies: I feel like a master necromancer
News
- The Commodore 64 is the next gaming classic to get a retro makeover
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is getting its own subsidiary from Bluehole
- YouTube creates confusion by herding creators into partner program to fight ‘abuse’
- Tripp raises $4 million for mood-altering virtual reality experiences
- Nvidia Shield gets deep integration with Google Assistant voice controls
- Agents of Mayhem’s dismal August sales precede reported layoffs
- SuperData: Digital games market generated $7.9 billion in August
- Thrustmaster launches $80 flight stick for Xbox One and PC
- SteelSeries unveils $40 Rival 110 gaming mouse with 1-to-1 tracking
- Oculus now has a refund policy for the Rift and Gear VR
- Cities: Skylines is going green with its next expansion
- Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s newest trailer, like Obi-Wan, promises a larger world
- Ataribox runs Linux on AMD chip and will cost at least $250
- Nvidia targets China with hardware and unveils software to slash AI costs
- Video game voice actors end 11-month strike against EA, Take-Two, and 9 other publishers
- Planet Coaster’s Halloween-themed pack can scare the money out of your wallet
Mobile and social
- Angry Birds maker Rovio’s shares debut in IPO that values company at $1.1 billion
- IronSource launches ‘world’s first’ AR ads for mobile games
- Plarium acquires Rumble Entertainment to expand into RPG market
- StandUp Digital launches Gold Ambush with Kevin Hart mobile game
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War brings orcs and the Nemesis System to iOS and Android
- Osmo combines iPad app and toy cars with Hot Wheels MindRacers game
- NetEase is bringing its Chinese sensation mobile RPG Onmyoji to North America
- Synergy Blue’s HAWG takes arcade games into casinos
- Playbuzz raises $35 million from Disney and others for sponsored social content
- Zen Studios’ Pinball FX3 lets you play dozens of pinball games in one app
- Stack AR is the first ARKit game to top Apple App Store’s free-to-play category
- Carnival cruise operator launches PlayOcean mobile games for vacationers
- Google Play’s top indie games: Flipping Legend, Slayaway Camp, and Tiny Bubbles
Previews, reviews, and interviews
- Midnight Scenes takes adventure gaming into The Twilight Zone
- Ruiner is a Polish indie studio’s unique spin on cyberpunk
- SNES Classic Edition — mini-reviews for all 21 games
- FIFA 18 Switch: Watch a full match running on Nintendo’s hot hybrid
- Sennheiser’s GSX 1000 gaming amp is packed with power and features
- Why musician Steve Aoki decided to make an endless runner game for casinos
- Cuphead gameplay — watch us run, gun, and fight bosses
- Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed takes fans to ancient Egypt — without the assassinations
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus — How American TV helped a Swedish designer craft a ‘Nazified’ America
- SNES Classic Edition review — Nintendo makes another magical box
- SteamWorld Dig 2 review — diggin’ it
- Total War: Warhammer II — the High Elves storm a citadel