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!
Most of our staff spent the week covering the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, checking out new games and technologies and getting to hear from some of the best minds in the industry. Also, Blizzard revealed a new hero for Overwatch, and Oculus made some of its VR stuff cheaper.
Oh, and something called the Nintendo Switch launched … along with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
GDC 2017
- The DeanBeat: Intel University discovers the best college game projects
- #1ReasonToBe session tells moving stories of game developers around the world
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild makes chemistry just as important as physics
- Final Fantasy XV’s four friends were inspired by some interesting (fake and real) people
- Archrivals in excellence: Epic’s Tim Sweeney received his GDC lifetime award from John Carmack
- Overwatch takes home Game of the Year at the 2017 GDC Awards
- Former White House digital media adviser Mark DeLoura wins Ambassador Award
- IGF Awards host expresses sympathy for game devs affected by Muslim travel ban
- 5 essential Nintendo Switch accessories
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild looks like Wind Waker for a reason
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s first prototype looked like an NES game
- 3 ways Pokémon Go evolved during development
- Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford teases new Borderlands game at Epic event
- Game engine CEOs talk past each other when it comes to statistics
- 8i uses hologram of astronaut Buzz Aldrin to greet GDC booth goers
- IMGA names Pokémon Go as the mobile game of the year
- Blade & Soul: Table Arena makes the Clash Royale formula work in VR
- HTC’s newest virtual reality games include Ping-Pong in VR
- How planning and technology helped Naughty Dog animate Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Unity Technologies offers sneak peek at next-generation game engine
- Google Play unveils new developer tools and games at GDC
Pieces of flair and opinion
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips: How to kill Guardians, Korok Seeds, weapon durability, and more
- In Zelda’s new game, everyone in Hyrule is horny as hell
- Nintendo Switch travesty: Its eShop doesn’t have background music
- Which gameplay streaming platforms are the fastest or slowest?
- Why is Studio Wildcard paying Ark modders $4,000 a month? GamesBeat Decides
- 5 Horizon: Zero Dawn tips that’ll ease your robot-dino hunting adventure
- ‘Minority Report’ science advisor John Underkoffler to speak at GamesBeat Summit 2017
- 5 surprising changes to the Zelda formula in Breath of the Wild
News
- Orisa is Overwatch’s next character — a machine-gun wielding alternative to Reinhardt
- AMD releases its first three Ryzen desktop processors to accolades
- Nintendo Switch uses Friend Codes, and I’m checking to make sure it’s still 2017
- Nexon invests in connected play firm PlayFusion
- SuperData: Nintendo Switch could sell 5 million units in 2017
- Nintendo Switch struggles to get a charge from a lot of battery packs
- Epic releases Robo Recall as a free VR game on the Oculus Rift
- Oculus VR slashes Rift and Touch controller prices by $100 each
- Epic Games, Chevrolet, and The Mill blend augmented reality and film
- Twitch and Reddit partner for live AMA experience at SXSW
- Roblox reaches 1.7 million game creators on its Lego-like platform
- Nvidia unveils new GeForce GTX 1080 TI graphics chip
- 45% of Intel’s new hires are diverse, but underrepresented minorities are just 12.5% of workforce
- Nintendo’s new Switch pitch: Get some local co-op indie action with your Zelda
- GameStop stock price tanks after Microsoft announces new digital-gaming service
- AMD sets the stage for its groundbreaking Ryzen processors and Vega graphics chips
- Xbox Game Pass serves up a 100-game buffet for $10 a month
- Survios announces Sprint Vector VR game that will tire you out
- Unity-based games saw 16 billion downloads in 2016
- EA reveals four expansion packs for Battlefield 1
- Ubisoft is working on an Avatar game using the Snowdrop engine
- 76% of game developers still labor under crunch conditions
- Longtime gaming exec Peter Moore is leaving Electronic Arts to run Liverpool FC
- Amazon’s Twitch will begin selling games alongside live video
- Epic Games shifts strategy to self-publishing with 6 games coming
- Hearthstone’s Journey to Un’Goro expansion will bring new mechanics and dinosaurs in April
- SpatialOS platform for building games of ‘unprecedented size’ gets open beta
- Survios takes Raw Data to Oculus Rift with cross-platform multiplayer
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor gets a sequel late this summer
- HTC unveils Viveport Arcade software to power virtual reality arcades
- HTC’s Vive Tracker will turn any object into a VR peripheral
- Girls in Tech Catalyst conference returns to San Francisco in June
Mobile and social
- Habbo Hotel founder creates Small Giant Games and releases Empires & Puzzles
- Cheetah Mobile rebrands its mobile ad business as Cheetah Ads
- Angry Birds maker Rovio recovers as revenues grow 34% to $203 million in 2016
- January saw more installs but less loyalty for mobile apps and games
- Epic Games unveils Battle Breakers tactical RPG game on mobile and PC
- Nexon invests in South Korean PC and mobile developer IMC Games
- Samsung’s Gear VR headset now includes a controller
Reviews, previews, and interviews
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will make you 11 years old again
- Switch’s Pro Controller is Nintendo’s best traditional gamepad yet
- Steel Division: Normandy 44 is Paradox Interactive’s grand entrance into tactical combat
- Nintendo Switch: It’s a big handheld, an underpowered console, and how I want to play games
- Rogue Trooper: Redux is Rebellion’s return to 2000 AD on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
- Angry Birds maker Rovio recovers as revenues grow 34% to $203 million in 2016
- Watch what happens when Overwatch meets VR’s Job Simulator
- How Owlchemy Labs designed VR’s funny hit Job Simulator
- Bill Rosemann describes how Marvel designs characters we care about