1RBC Gaming Weekly!
https://youtu.be/aA4Tw_okVLg
Regarding PAX Unplugged, the new show is set to take place November 17-19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia; as you may guess by its name, PAX Unplugged has a focus on tabletop games instead of video games; while the various versions of PAX have all been home to tabletop games, it’s nice to see there’s now a show focused primarily on them.
If you’re curious about Windows 10’s upcoming Game Mode, what you should know is that it’s set to see a broad release in the spring with the Creator’s Update, and it brings small performance enhancements to games- essentially, you’ll see more consistent framerates across games thanks to Windows prioritizing their access to system resources- your CPU and GPU. This probably isn’t a big deal for folks with high-end PCs, but on mid to low-end rigs? This is huge. On the topic of PC gaming, the market hit an all-time high in 2016 according to Jon Peddie Research– worldwide, the market for PC hardware passed $30 billion last year and is on track to continue climbing.
This week, we took some time to focus on crowdfunding- it’s really taken off in the last few years and, for better or worse, become an integral part of the development process for a number of games. It’s something I talk a bit about in Playing the Press; essentially, these days many games have two “launches”- there’s the launch of the game itself, as a finished product, but before then? There’s the launch of a Kickstarter or other crowdfunding project, which can be just as much work to promote as a finished game!
We talked about a few different crowdfunding projects, which are detailed below. Enjoy!
1. The Banner Saga 3
Developer: Stoic
Projected Release: December 2018
Platforms: Windows, Mac
A game series I’ve spoken of many times before, The Banner Saga hardly needs introduction, but in case this is your first time hearing of it, you should know that it’s a brilliant SRPG set in a world inspired by Norse mythology; it features some of the best writing I’ve encountered in a game, and has some gorgeous art and music to boot. If you’re into story-driven games, you absolutely must check out The Banner Saga as a series- if you back the third game for $40, you’ll get the first two games in the series at the end of the campaign, and the third as soon as it’s launched.
2. The Pedestrian
Developer: Skookum-Arts
Projected Release: June 2017
Platforms: Windows, Mac
The Pedestrian is definitely one of the more unusual puzzle platformers I’ve seen- I can’t remember the last time a game about that little guy on the bathroom signs looked like fun, but here we are. Speaking seriously, however, it’s a game about moving from sign to sign, rearranging things in order to progress and solve puzzles in between a 2D and 3D space- it looks clever, and I adore the aesthetic- check this one out if you’re looking for something different out of a puzzle platformer. If you’d like to try the game out, there’s a demo available to download from the game’s Kickstarter page.
3. Robo Puzzle Smash
Developer: PxlPlz
Projected Release: April 2017
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Robo Puzzle Smash is about robots who smash each other with puzzles. Well, sort of- it’s a game that draws inspiration from Dr. Mario and multiplayer Tetris; it’s a block matching game with a rotating board. In order to win, you have to match and eliminate blocks faster than your opponent, who’s going to be doing the same thing- it’s a simple premise, and from what I’ve heard, it’s well executed in Robo Puzzle Smash.
4. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Projected Release: Q1 2018
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln_plWALAoI
Frankly, I’m not familiar with CRPG series Pillars of Eternity, but I do know that the first game in the series was one of the biggest crowdfunding success stories of all time- and it seems that the sequel is on track to do the same thing. In a day, they blew past their $1.1 million goal, and they’re still going strong. This project isn’t being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, but on Fig- the new kid on the block, Fig is a crowdfunding platform that allows users to invest in a project instead of just making a monetary pledge. Hence, if Pillars of Eternity II makes money, people who invested will see a profit.
5. Southern Monsters
Developer: Kevin Snow
Projected Release: October 2017
Platforms: Mac, Windows
It’s not every day that Arkansas is the setting for a video game- that’s the case for the upcoming Southern Monsters, which tells the story of a teen who spends his days online, patrolling cryptid forums to talk about creatures that may or may not exist. The premise for Southern Monsters is pretty unusual (in a good way)- this is the sort of game that’s going to need strong writing and presentation if it’s to become a success. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out!
What do you think of these crowdfunding projects? Any of them catch your eye? Have you ever crowdfunded a game before, or is this your first rodeo? Sound off below or hit us up and follow @1RuleBeCool on Twitter for all the greatest game news and editorials.]]>