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GUNDAM BREAKER 4 Landing on Consoles and PC August 29th 2024

GUNDAM BREAKER 4 will launch on August 29th 2024 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. The game, developed by CRAFTS & MEISTER Co., Ltd, is the next entry in the hack and slash looter franchise and pre-orders are available now.

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In this new GUNDAM BREAKER 4 trailer, players can discover more about the customisation, including the presence of SD Gundam, the possibility to change the size of all parts individually and to create their own colour preset based on either their preferences or their favourite Gundam.

GUNDAM BREAKER 4 will have players fighting their enemies solo or with up to two friends in co-op multiplayer. In addition, the game goes back to the roots of the franchise letting players create the Gunpla of their dreams with a large collection of mobile suits and parts, as well as a new diorama mode.

Digital pre-orders for the Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate edition of GUNDAM BREAKER 4 are now live on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. Digital pre-orders on Nintendo Switch will come at a later date.

Players can now pre-order to get the following bonus:

– RX-78 Gundam Recirculation Color Early Unlock
– Builders Parts Early Unlock

The Deluxe Edition of the game contains the following:
– Season Pass
– Season Pass bonus – Gambarrel Strike Gundam parts (Gundam Breaker Ver.)
– Early unlock for 15 Gunpla parts

The Ultimate Edition, in addition to the Deluxe edition includes:
– Diorama Packs and Diorama Pack set bonus

In addition, a Collector Edition for the game is available on the Bandai Namco Store. This edition includes the Ultimate version of the game, along with a limited edition Gunpla, Gunbarrel Strike Gundam (GUNDAM BREAKER ver.), the digital soundtrack and a steelbook.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM is a franchise that celebrates its 45th anniversary this year and was created by Sunrise Inc. The first animation series of the franchise, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM was first broadcasted in Japan, 1979. Known for its giant mechas called “Mobile Suit” as well as its sci-fi military stories, the franchise grew in popularity and throughout the years and counts now more than 50 TV series, films and OVA, along with lots of merchandise with the most know being Gunpla, plastic model kits with whom people can recreate small versions of their favourite mobile suits.

For more information on GUNDAM BREAKER 4 visit the official page. For other BANDAI NAMCO Europe products, visit their website, follow them on Facebook or X, or subscribe to their YouTube channel.

First Playable 2022

Italian Video Game Awards

International Industry Leaders Celebrate a lot of Talent!

Milan, 9 June 2022: Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association (IIDEA), Italy’s video game trade body representing the national games industry and fostering the growth and development of the sector, is proud to announce the nominees of this year’s prestigious Italian Video Game Awards. The ceremony is set to air in July on the opening night of First Playable 2022; originally the premier international gaming B2B event in Italy, First Playable is making an in-person return following the pandemic for its 4th edition of bringing together the Italian games industry.

In addition to the trio of categories whose nominees are listed below, the Italian Video Game Awards will also bestow recognition on the worthy winners of Outstanding Italian Company and Outstanding Individual Contribution.

“There’s so much talent in the Italian games industry, it’s a privilege to play a role in championing and celebrating it”, said Thalita Malagò, General Manager at IIDEA. “The Italian Video Game Awards put the spotlight on the growth and excellence of our industry. Seeing the work that’s being produced, by larger studios and indie developers alike, it’s clear that the future of Italy’s games industry is bright.”

The jury for this year’s awards was built on a foundation of different perspectives, from both games industry figureheads and leading specialized members of the press. Renowned game developer, studio founder and consultant Rami Ismail, ex-PlayStation Access host and currently Head of Influencers and Engagement at Frontier Developments Hollie Bennett, and Jon Goddard of metaverse developer Lockwood Publishing and formerly Jagex brought their vast industry experience and expertise to the judging panel.

Leaders in specialist video game media approached the judging process with their broad, industry-wide scope of knowledge to access submissions to the highest standards. MCV/DEVELOP’s Editor Richie Shoemaker, Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+ Sam Loveridge and Vikki Blake whose work can be seen across some of the world’s largest games B2B and B2C outlets including BBC, Eurogamer, GamesIndustry.biz, MTV and PC Gamer formed the second half of the 2022 jury.

With the judges having evaluated submissions and cast their votes, here are the chosen nominees (in alphabetical order) for the Italian Video Game Awards 2022:

Best Italian Game

  1. Dice Legacy by DESTINYbit
  2. Faraday Protocol by Red Koi Box
  3. Hot Wheels Unleashed by Milestone
  4. Martha is Dead by LKA
  5. Vesper by Cordens Interactive
Italian Video Game Awards

Best Italian Debut

  1. Angry Giant by Jokerrsoft
  2. Faraday Protocol by Red Koi Box
  3. Nostalgici Anonimi by Hufu Interactive Storytelling
  4. RiMS Racing by RaceWard Studio
  5. Vesper by Cordens Interactive
Italian Video Game Awards - Chris Jones Gaming

Best Innovation

  1. CUCCCHI by Fantastico Studio
  2. Dice Legacy by DESTINYbit
  3. Hundred Days – Winemaking Simulator by Broken Arms Games
  4. Martha is Dead by LKA
  5. Vesper by Cordens Interactive

You can check out the nominations for this year’s awards, and read about the jury, over at www.firstplayable.it/italian-video-game-awards/. The Italian Video Game Awards ceremony will take place on 5th July at 6pm BST/7pm CEST, hosted by internationally revered games industry presenters, and will be available to stream in English via FirstPlayable – Twitch.

Italian Video Game Awards - supported by Chris Jones Gaming
Chris Jones Gaming

Let’s Make a Game

Chris Jones Gaming was founded in Late 2006 by Chris Jones and Mindwipe. Chris Jones had been a well known member of the Star Trek Gaming Community for a number of years, modding games in the Starfleet Command series and 2002’s Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

It wasn’t long before Modders who’d known him in the past joined Chris Jones Gaming and began work on the Ultimate Universe Mod for 2006’s Star Trek: Legacy.

The team grew to a respectable size and the Ultimate Universe Demo was released just four months later. Over the next four years, the Ultimate Universe Mod and Chris Jones Gaming continued to grow, releasing expansion packs to the mod in between the feature installs, which were named Ultimate Universe Version 1.0 and Ultimate Universe Version 2.0, as well as attracting some of the brightest talents from other communities, their scratch-built models reaching professional standards.

The Ultimate Universe Mod is one of our proudest achievements. Through its various incarnations, it has been downloaded many thousands of times from various websites, in our own way greatly expanding and extending the life of Star Trek: Legacy beyond what would have been its natural life.

What’s Next? We are alive and well here – and are in the discussion stages for creating a brand new game! (as of June 4, 2022).

so.. Let’s Make a Game!

Chris Jones Gaming Let's Make a Game
Kim and Ken Jones with Playstation T-Shirts

Does Chris Jones Still Game?

Backstory: From December 2006 until December 2008 I coordinated a team of 7-20 people (varied from month to month) in the extensive modification of an online computer video game known as Star Trek: Legacy.

This required top notch people skills in handling different talents, skill sets, and personalities from people across the world via the Internet. Our project was released in October 2007, and still, in 2022, gets several downloads a day.

I stepped down from the top position in December 2008, but continue to this day (2022) as a consultant. Our project, known as The Ultimate Universe, has garnered Tens of Thousands of downloads, and is a success story. ‘Chris Jones Gaming’ is ongoing with gaming industry news of the day.

Does Chris Jones Still Game? Moving Forward, I would very much like to ‘Make a Game’.

Would it be Science Fiction? Likely Yes.

I keep saying there’s more news coming on my gaming exploits. Once a Gamer, always a Gamer.

Safe to say there is more to come from Chris Jones Gaming.

Virtual Reality is alive and well!

The Rewinder

Launching this fall on Steam is The Rewinder. Currently, a free Demo is available on Steam! This Game is based on Chinese folklore.

The colors are subdued, and the pastel palette focuses on more neutral colors. The backgrounds, even done in a pixel-art style, stay close to the art style seen in traditional paintings.

The forms of the characters are distinct, and the volume conveyed through the 2D art is nothing short of impressive.

The Sounds effects are excellent, and when the full thing is released, I hope that the story and gameplay are as elegant.

A screenshot of one of the scenes in the game: screencap from the game’s Steam page

How to Create Factions: Part 1

Starting with…

The World ready!

The easiest way to determine factions would be to simply split them by location, or world history.

Then, the conflict could revolve around gaining or maintaining territory, and that could include groups being pushed out of their original territories and then trying to take them back.

You can also split it by the each of the area’s history, using previous conflicts to shape the factions, i.e. political ones.

The Characters ready!

Build your factions around your characters’ core beliefs.

What do your characters care about? What is their worldview? What about the opposite?

With a focus on the characters, the creation of the factions can become integral to your OC’s story. Will they need to grow out of the faction? Will the faction grow and change as the character does? Will they leave one for another as their story moves forward?

And conversely: what does being in that faction say about the character? What does a monster being in a Hunter’s faction, for example, say about the monster? Are they guilty? Do they doubt their identity, or are they a wolf in Sheep’s clothing waiting to strike?

by Abby Zarakovich

How to Create Factions: Part 2

Video Games have long graduated from simple fights between good and evil. Games are now tied with intricacies and multiple sides, each believing that they are the ones that are correct.

The question now becomes “How do I put that into my game?”. As with my other articles, there are multiple ways to go about this!

It is best to begin at the beginning!

I want to start with the factions…

The Question to ask here is “Why are there factions in the first place?”

Usally a group splits over an arguement; as creator, you decide what kind of disagreement causes the breakup.

What do people believe in enough that their goals and ideals split? Is it something simpler, like a land disagreement or a family squabble? Are the factions gunning for power, splitting politically? Are the factions after a superweapon, an their reasons for wanting it are causing the divide?

In this way, the creation of the factions and therefor, their very existence drives the story.

Emphasis

By creating them first, it puts more emphasis on them, rather than other aspects. This works in your favor if you want to use your story to explore methodologies or philosophies, and what causes people’s differences.

Having factions be at the center of your story allows for discussions with lines drawn in the sand, and it’s up to you (or your players) to decide if they stay, move, or fade entirely.

Effect

A good way to gauge how much your factions affect the story you’re creating is this:

What happens if something about the faction changes?

If destroying the faction of choice does nothing, then it has no impact on the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing: If it impacts the World or the characters, it can stay! Asking this question can help gauge how much you want to focus on that faction. If it’s deemed insignificant, than you can skim over it, or maybe change your story if you’re really attached to the idea of it.

What does the faction add to your story?

As mentioned above, if the addition of this faction bolsters other parts of your story, it should stay in. Depending on how much it affects the rest, you can draw the players/readers attention to it by having the story be more closely tied to the factions.

Larger than Light

from their site

Larger than Light‘s gameplay takes full advantage of the medium its made for, with a playful style that’s a feat for the eyes.

The gentle pastels and harsh shadows don’t just look good: they’re used for gameplay! You maneuver Characters that represent both Shadow and Light source to traverse this puzzle-platformer.

You help the main characters Skia and Lux overcome their differences and bond as siblings as you adventure, and listen to their conversations as you go along. This game not only looks good, but also sounds good, with fully-voiced dialogue!

This game can also be found on steam, for the more than reasonable price of $4.99!

by Abby Zarakovich

Two Strikes

Two strikes is a samurai-based fighting game, and technically a sequel game to the pixel-style One Strike!

This sequel uses masterfully done Black-and-White sprites in full-res on colorful, elegant backgrounds as parts of its showcase. There are currently 6 options for fighters, and it’s set to be released on the 31st of May on Steam.

Time to get Hackin’!

From the Dev’s facebook

by Abby Zarakovich

Chess variations II: Alternate rules and situations

Hostage Chess:

Any piece taken by you becomes your piece. You can then drop onto your side of the board in any free location, at any point in time.

Difficulty: Just above average chess; 5.5/10. The difficulty is now in placement and knowing gthe consequences of losing a piece.

Fun: 10/10!!! Rub salt in your enemies wounds by using what they lost. Adds an additional boost to eating and really reinforces the consequences of losing pieces.

Edits to be made: Have an extra set of pieces set aside for use.

Dark/Fog of War Chess:

Your opponent’s moves and pieces are not visible. Pawns, who’s movement may be blocked by a piece will be informed that a move forward is an illegal move- on this point some variety is seen on informing players, as some versions have an umpire who can decide on whether they announce what piece has moved or where it may be moved to.

Difficulty: Extreme: this style of game play requires knowledge of common moves and tactics. It works best for people who know how to play, and play well. 10/10.

Fun: If you like puzzle games and riddles, and deductive reasoning, this is the variation for you. If you love battleship, this is perfect.

Edits to be made: For an in-person game, this version would require 3 boards (you, opponent, 3rd party) and an umpire (to decide legality of moves).

Omega Chess:

Two pieces are added: The Wizard moves 1,3 or 3,1. It’s placed in the corners of the board, starting just off it. The Champion can either jump 2 diagonally, or move up to 2 horizontally or vertically, reminiscent of Chaturanga.

Difficulty: With a larger board and two new pieces, I feel the difficulty will be found in learning and adapting to the new pieces over anything else. 6/10.

Fun: Yeehaw WIZARDS!!!!!!! The names of the new pieces and the added gameplay gives this version a 7.5/10.

Edits to be made: 10×10 board, 4 additional pieces per side (2 wizards, 2 champions)

Cannibal Chess:

Difficulty: Definitely on the higher end: Remembering all the pieces that were eaten, and by whom, and doing so for your opponent as well is hard. A good way to train one’s memory!

Fun: Perfect opportunity for obnoxious munching noises during gameplay. 10/10.

Edits to be made: None to the board or pieces themselves. I would recommend marking the figures with some sort of symbol and then writing out which ate what on a sheet of paper.

by Abby Zarakovich

Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe