Category: News

Awards shows are a big deal, and any given year is chock full of these spectacles. While we have numerous shows dedicated to movies, music, and television, journalist Geoff Keighley has been trying to get one off the ground for video games for quite some time. His latest attempt, The Game Awards 2015, is a continuation of the project he launched last year and will be presented live from Los Angeles, California next month.

Like previous forays, Keighley and his contemporaries in the official jury have put together a number of award categories, including one dedicated to fighting games, which is great! Unfortunately, it’s a little…confusing is probably the best way to put it.

The first two are no-brainers: Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- and Mortal Kombat X have both had stellar years on the competitive circuit that culminated in appearances at Evo 2015. Every major tournament that selects them for their official lineup (and you’d be hard pressed to find one that hasn’t) sees great numbers in each, with pot bonuses provided by developers and publishers alike.

After that, things get messy. Rise of Incarnates, the arena fighter developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment, fell flat on release and is on schedule to be shut down on December 15. Rising Thunder, while promising, just barely entered alpha testing earlier this year, making its nomination akin to critiquing a meal that’s still in the oven.

But even that small bit of attention is better than our community’s representation in the handful of eSports categories the show will feature. Only one, eSports Team of the Year, tangentially applies to fighting games its Evil Geniuses nomination, but the others (eSports Game of the Year, eSports Player of the Year) are bereft of anything related to our competitive scene.

While the nominations weren’t as much of an issue at last year’s event, these inclusivity problems are definitely a carry-over, and it’s easy to see why. Of the eight people The Game Awards 2015 selected as part of their eSports Advisory Panel, none have anything to do with fighting games. Where are the MarkMans, the Seth Killians, the James Chens? Our community has no shortage of prolific figures, many of whom have given the better parts of their lives to promote the scene, so why aren’t their names on that list? It’s disheartening, to say the least.

The Game Awards 2015 is scheduled for December 3, and I very much look forward to seeing who wins the fighting game category. I only hope we’re heard out and see improvements in future events.

Genki “ABEGEN” Abe has revealed that he will be parting ways with Team Black Eye by the end of the week. The announcement was made through Twitter with a statement promising to continue playing fighting games and contributing to the community.

While ABEGEN is mainly known for his play in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, he has also dabbled in titles like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. His most prestigious placing came at Capcom Cup 2013, where he would finish at the tied fifth-place position.

This is Black Eye’s second high-profile departure in as many months, with Naoki “Nemo” Nemoto having already taken his leave in October. We are unaware of any major shift in policy or potential opportunities that would have contributed to this exodus, but the group still boasts a competent lineup consisting of Evo 2015 champion Nicolas “Kane Blueriver” Gonzalez, Takumi Ichihara, and Akihiro “AO” Abe.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as more details become available.

Source: ABEGEN

 

Yesterday, Nintendo announced that Cloud Strife, the divisive protagonist of Square-Enix’s equally polarizing Final Fantasy VII, will be joining the cast of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. It was like a dream–or perhaps a nightmare depending on how you feel about the character–one that still doesn’t feel real.

But, yes, Cloud will be in Super Smash Bros., alongside similarly iconic characters like Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Ryu, and more. To further drive this point home, we’ve included a handful of beautiful new screenshots in the gallery below.

Click to view slideshow.

It’s yet to be revealed when Cloud will drop, but we should know more by the time Nintendo’s special Smash broadcast rolls around in December.

At a recent launch for their new EDGE line of PC controllers, HORI also took the time to show off their latest fighting game controllers.

The first of these is the Fighting Commander 4. The Pro version of this pad is already for sale in both Asia and North America, but this new version removes the adjustable directional pad and extended left hand grip. This, of course, lowers the price; it’s set to retail for ¥4,299 (~$35 USD) when it hits stores in the spring, about half the price of the Fighting Commander 4 Pro.

Arguably more exciting is the upcoming Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa. This new incarnation of the RAP.V series features HORI’s updated Hayabusa buttons.

While the Hayabusa name was previously reserved for HORI’s top of the line arcade lever, these buttons are designed to give quicker response thanks to a lower profile that gives shorter actuation distance than their previous Kuro buttons. The new Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa will cost ¥15,984 (~$130 USD) when it launches this December.

Both of these controllers will feature support for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The article also mentions that a PS4 version of HORI’s high-end Fighting Edge arcade stick is also in development.

In the meantime, check out these images courtesy of Games Watch.

Source: Games Watch, thanks to hibachifinal for the tip.

During today’s Direct broadcast, Nintendo announced that Cloud Strife, the iconic hero of Final Fantasy VII, will be appearing in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS.

Cloud joins characters like Ryu, Sonic, and Mega Man in the game’s ever-expanding list of third-party characters. He will be accompanied by a Midgar stage as well as Chocobo outfits for the Mii Fighters.

No word was provided as to when players will be able to get their hands on Cloud and his legendary Buster Sword, but we should hear more soon, perhaps during the upcoming Smash broadcast teased for December.

For a look at the RPG action Cloud brings to the table, check out the reveal trailer below.

Sources: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. via Code

Players eager to get their hands on Bandai Namco Entertainment’s unique Pokémon fighter Pokkén Tournament will be pleased to know that the game will be heading to Wii U systems in Japan on March 18. This news comes courtesy of today’s Nintendo Direct broadcast.

In addition to providing a similar experience to the arcade version, Pokkén’s console port will come bundle with an exclusive Amiibo card for Shadow Mewtwo, which unlocks the mysterious character for immediate use.

Pokkén Tournament is still on target for a spring 2016 release in North America and Europe, so be on the look out for more details on those regions in the near future. For now, check out the new trailer below.

Sources: Nintendo, Pokémon via BulbaNews

With the indie fighter’s recent arrival in arcades, there’s only one thing left in Skullgirls 2nd Encore’s current itinerary: a Japanese console launch. And now, folks finally have a date to look forward to.

Arc System Works has announced that Lab Zero’s flagship title will arrive on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan on January 28. Accompanying the unique visuals and tight gameplay will be a brand new cast of Japanese voice actors, all of whom have already built up impressive résumés throughout the gaming and anime worlds.

As the Vita port has yet to arrive anywhere else due to continued polishing, it would be fair to assume this Japanese release means a global launch isn’t far behind, so stay tuned for more details if you’re looking forward to playing Skullgirls on the go.

Source: Arc System Works

Continuing their long-running support of North American fighting game tournaments, Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios will be providing an additional $10,000 to the Mortal Kombat X prize pool at Kumite in Tennessee 2016.

While this year’s installment landed too early in the year to feature Mortal Kombat X competition, the Injustice community showed up in a big way to participate in Injustice: Gods Among Us and Mortal Kombat 9.

Kumite in Tennessee 2016 is scheduled for January 15-17 in Memphis, Tennessee. More details can be found here.

Sources: Kumite in Tennessee, NetherRealm Studios