Gaming

Mario Kart Tour just beat out its fellow licensed gaming properties in terms of day-one downloads — and not by a small margin either. By any metric, the game is the biggest out-of-the-gate success on the app market thus far. Too bad it’s such a drag to play. Tour was announced last year, and according to Bloomberg, insiders claimed Nintendo was betting a lot on the app‘s success. I prophesied that it might be Nintendo‘s biggest smartphone hit thus far. In terms of numbers, it seems my prediction isn’t that far off. Hard Fork Summit is coming Join us in Amsterdam on October 15-17 Find out more The app was released on September 25. According to mobile data firm Sensor Tower, it has the highest number of day-one downloads out of any of Nintendo‘s six mobile games, with none of the others even coming close. Data-tracking site Apptopia reports that the day-one downloads surpass those of Pokémon GO, Clash Royale, … [Read more...] about Mario Kart Tour just smoked Pokémon GO in day-one downloads

Photo Source: Streamlabs announced yesterday that it agreed to acquire Streamlabs, which offers a suite of tools made specifically for live streamers, for approximately $89 million in cash. (With the promise of another $29 million in Logitech stock "subject to the achievement of significant revenue growth targets for Streamlabs.") It expects regulators to approve the deal within the next few weeks.an app store for streamers, augmented reality tools and a website creation tool made specifically for popular broadcasters.a blog post about the acquisition:acquired Blue Microphones in 2018, too, in an effort to appeal to content creators. With the Streamlabs acquisition it would be possible for Logitech products to be used for everything in a stream except the actual, you know, streaming part. We wouldn't be surprised if the company decides to rectify that in a future acquisition as well. … [Read more...] about Logitech Buys Streamlabs for $89 Million

Naughty Dog’s survival game The Last of Us breathed new life into the zombie genre, with emotional storytelling that garnered nigh universal praise. It set a high bar for any sequel to clear, a hurdle that creative director Neil Druckmann recognized in 2014, claiming the studio would only do a sequel if they had “a story that’s really worth telling.” Druckmann and company seem to have found that story, having announced The Last of Us Part II at the PlayStation Experience in 2016 and given out very brief bits of content in the years that followed. What story will the sequel tell? How will it build on the gameplay of its predecessor? Here is everything we know so far. Story details Naughty Dog has kept most plot details under wraps, but we know the game takes place five years after the original The Last of Us. Although the first game focused on the loving bond between Joel and Ellie, Druckmann told fans at PlayStation Experience 2016 that the theme … [Read more...] about Everything we know about The Last of Us Part II

Credit: Microsoft Project xCloud, its game streaming service, forward with a public preview. It will begin in October in the United States, United Kingdom and Korea. Those in the U.S. and U.K. can register here, and the Korean sign up is here. Invites will show up in the “coming weeks.” The preview will start with Halo 5: Guardians, Gears 5, Killer Instinct and Sea of Thieves. You won’t need to buy or own the game previously for it to work during the preview, and more games will be added later. To participate in the xCloud public preview, you’ll need a phone or tablet with Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later and Bluetooth 4.0, a Microsoft account and a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller. Microsoft is recommending a phone mount for the controller, although it’s not required. Project xCloud will run over Wi-Fi or mobile networks, so make sure your data plan is ready. In the U.S., Microsoft has partnered with T-Mobile and in the U.K. it has paired with … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s Project xCloud Streaming Preview Opens in October

Ubisoft recently announced it’d be collaborating on a game design course with Concordia University — and now we know the course apparently involves making a For Honor spin-off game that’ll reflect the student’s progress. The online course is called “Game Creators Odyssey,” which recalls Ubisoft‘s latest Assassin’s Creed game. It’s a two-part course, though only “Act 1” of the course is described in detail online. In this part of the course, students study Rational Game Design, a technique for balancing difficulty and player engagement created by Ubisoft itself. The six-chapter act covers pre-production through different kinds of mechanics. All we know about Act 2 is that it’ll cover “ways of creating immersive game worlds and providing players with enjoyable game experiences.” Meet with experts in finance, blockchain, and business Don’t miss Hard Fork Summit in Amsterdam Get tickets … [Read more...] about Ubisoft’s new college course is a game about making games