August 19, 2016

Rainbow Jam ’16 and how game jams help the industry

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Meghan Kass

As August continues, a number of game jam events are scheduled to take place.  These game jams are giving opportunities for smaller indie developers to showcase their skills and network with others in the gaming community, all while enjoying a fun atmosphere.

One such event in particular taking place is Rainbow Jam ‘16. This is a game jam, in the Scottish community, starting August 20th and continuing until September 4th. What makes Rainbow Jam special is their focus on the LGBT+ community and diversity in gaming. Their goal is promote safety in the gaming community and for developers to create freely and openly without fear. They also have a goal of creating future meetups and opportunities for communication locally in “various Scottish cities”

According to the itch.io page, the theme for this game jam was selected by getting suggestions from participants and then the top category was voted to be the theme used for the games created, this year the theme is “Identity”. The top games in each category will then be awarded prizes. To participate in the jam, you do not have to be a certain nationality, sexuality or gender; everyone is encouraged to join the celebration and use whatever skill they can bring to help create. Submissions are made through itchi.io and participants can work in teams up to four or individually.

The jam was started due to the feedback and discussion from the Facebook group Scottish Rainbow Game Dev. and they are looking for more sponsors and participants for the jam and possibly for future jams. You can join or learn more about this open game jam at the website https://itch.io/jam/rainbowjam16.

This game jam is just one example of how to encourage diversity and new talent in the gaming industry. New voices, ideas and styles can mean a breath of fresh air and more choices for not only publishers, but for consumers as well.

RainbowJamPortraitPoster

Image source: Rainbow Jam 2016 Facebook page

0

Broken Bootlegs- Mario 4: A Space Odyssey

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Erika

Mario 4 header

Broken Bootlegs is a series covering unlicensed games (also known as bootleg games) for mainly 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. This week’s edition covers one of the more difficult Russian-made Mario games for the Mega Drive- Mario 4: A Space Odyssey (Космическая Одиссея).

After having previously covered a Super Mario World deport for the Famicom, I found somewhat interesting gem that was made for Russian Mega Drive systems. Космическая Одиссея (Kosmicheskaya Odisseya), translated to Mario 4: A Space Odyssey, feels like more of a game that would have been released by one of those awful licensed 8-bit computer system games. Mario 4 is a quite challenge to play due classic issues of bad game physics and awful level design that plague many a bootleg game.

Read More

0

Broken Overwatch Auto-Aim On Consoles To Be Fixed In Next Patch

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Console players of Overwatch have brought up an issue regarding the game’s auto-aim feature on consoles. According to several forum posts submitted by players the game’s aim system will actually move away from enemies such as Genji during the middle of a jump.

Here is how the original poster described the issue:

“‘I’m moving the control stick horizontally the whole time. All Vertical movement is due to Blizzard’s built in Aim Assist. Every time Genji jumps, the Aim Assist moves away from him. To hit Genji, you have to fight against the Aim Assist. 
Any other character spamming the jump button will show similar results.” 

They even included video evidence of this glitch occurring:

Members of Blizzard’s development team where quick to respond, including the game’s director Jeff Kaplan.

Here is what technical lead Tim Ford had to say about the auto-aim snafu, apparently Blizzard has found the issue and a fix will be included in the next console patch:

“Thank you all for gathering data on this issue. We’ve identified the defect and a fix will be available with the next console patch.” 

Are you playing Overwatch on consoles? Let us know about your experience in the comment section!

0

Turtonator is the newest Pokémon added to Sun and Moon

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Jason Nason

Earlier today on stage at gamescom in Germany, GAME FREAK’s Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori unveiled the brand-new Pokémon Turtonator which can be found in the Alola region in the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon video games, which are being released in November.

The new Pokémon is a Fire/Dragon type and is classified as the Blast Turtle Pokémon. Check out the details and a video on the new creature below:

Read More

0

Lee Revealed For Tekken 7: Fated Retribution In New Trailer

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Bandai Namco has announced a brand new addition to the roster in the form of a returning character that will be added to the console release of Tekken 7: Fated Retribution – Lee has been revealed. He got it his start in the original Tekken all the way on the PlayStation 1 and now he’s making an exclusive appearance in the Console / PC ports of Tekken 7.

I got the chance to try out Tekken 7 briefly at E3 2016 on Xbox One – check out my impressions here. Alongside Lee’s reveal trailer Bandi Namco also released several screenshots of the character in action.

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution is expected to be released on Xbox One, PC and P4 in the first quarter of 2017.

0

Cities Skylines Gets Destroyed In New Natural Disasters Expansion

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Paradox Interactive announced the first expansion for Cities Skylines in almost an entire year – Cities Skylines: Natural Disasters – which will bring an often requested feature, the ability to destroy your metropolis with a variety of devastating events.  It’s not just fire reigning from the skies that Natural Disasters  adds to the game but also an Early Warning System,Q emergency routes for civilians and response vehicles and so much more.,

Alongside the new in-game events Paradox will also be beginning a unique set of challenges based around disasters and a scenario editor which should let mayors create their own challenges.

Cities Skylines: Natural Disasters is currently scheduled for a Winter release. Here are some of the new features according to the press release:

  • Deep, Impactful Gameplay: Keep your city going through the devastation of several possible doomsday scenarios, from towering infernos to the day the sky exploded
  • With Great Power Comes Great Response Abilities: Plan for, and respond to, disasters using early warning systems, countermeasures, and new disaster responses such as helicopters and evacuations – finally, a Paradox game where “Comet Sighted” actually means something
  • Radio Saved the Video Game: Citizens can go Radio Ga-Ga with a new broadcast network, helping to rapidly spread evacuation warnings and emergency alerts – or simply relax to new in-game music stations
  • An Objectively Good Feature: Scenario Mode allows players to design custom game objectives, including custom starting cities, win conditions, time limits, and more – and share scenarios to Steam Workshop
  • Chirpocalypse Now: Heck yeah, new hats for Chirper

0

Get the latest articles and news from BrokenJoysticks and a selection of excellent articles from other sources.

Simply fill out the form below and you’ll be on your way to getting our upcoming newsletter.