GDC used to be an event for purely for game makers. Today, it’s an event that game lovers around the world pay attention to. The once-insular event has become one of the go-to sources for insights into the world of game-making, but also more than a few unexpected announcements and big news breaks. The week has been good to us and we’re devoting our whole column to the biggest news, from the inside the event and out.
General: Why VR Matters to Me
Gareth Harmer, aside from being a fantastic dresser, writer for MMORPG.com, and all around proper British gentleman, is also a prolific blogger. Over on his personal blog, Mana Obscura, he penned an interesting take on Virtual Reality and why it clicks with him. We’ve republished that blog here for you today, in the wake of all this week’s VR news from GDC.
General: Space-Themed Shattered Skies Ready to Launch Closed Alpha
Shattered Skies is a survival open world shooter with an alien space theme going on. Closed alpha is slated to begin by the end of March and will feature a single price with no microtransactions, season passes or paid expansions after — all content will be unlocked solely through game play. Players will take on alien monstrosities and other players in a quest for dominance.
General: One Piece Treasure Cruise Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Mobile RPG One Piece Treasure Cruise is puttin’ on the green for St. Patrick’s Day that sees a special event enter the game that will run through March 18th.
General: Sword Art Online: The Beginning VR Alpha Images
Many have wondered next week’s very limited prototype alpha experience for IBM Japan’s Sword Art Online: The Beginning was merely a technical experiment and not the true herald of a game in the making. While we still don’t have the answer to that question, IBM Japan continues to make us wonder with yesterday’s release of several promotional screens for the event.
General: League of Angels 2 to Begin CBT on March 24th
GTArcade is ready to let players see the sequel to its widely distributed League of Angels. The first round of closed beta testing for League of Angels 2 is set to begin on Thursday, March 24th and will run until Wednesday, March 30th.
General: Shadowverse Closed Beta Ongoing Through March 24th
Shadowverse, an upcoming TCG by Cygames, is now in closed beta testing through March 24th. Interested players are invited to head to the official site to sign up to gain access to the CBT and to check out the video below that features a pair of professional Hearthstone players trying out Shadowverse for the first time. It’s a great way to see the game in action!
General: Shadowverse Closed Beta Ongoing Through March 24th
Shadowverse, an upcoming TCG by Cygames, is now in closed beta testing through March 24th. Interested players are invited to head to the official site to sign up to gain access to the CBT and to check out the video below that features a pair of professional Hearthstone players trying out Shadowverse for the first time. It’s a great way to see the game in action!
General: Oculus Announces Rift’s 30-Game Line Up
Oculus took to its blog today to introduce the world to the thirty titles that will be available for Rift VR over the coming months. To show them all off, Oculus created a video for your viewing pleasure. Check it out!
General: CryEngine Lands in a Humble Bundle – ‘Pay What You Want’
Aspiring game developers may want to check out the current Humble Bundle that features the CryEngine and its “pay what you want” offer. In addition to the base engine, there are also add-ons for the CryEngine including packs of plants, environment packs, prototyping kits, weapons packs, world building tools and many others.