Monthly Archives: July 2016

Teen Programming Ideas for Pokemon Go @ School Library Journal

Posted on by

pokemongoWhere were you when Pokemon-ia swept through your library? If you’re like Teen Librarian Alanna Graves, you put together a huge number of Pokemon Go Programming Ideas for School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox:

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Pokemon Go, the newest app that inspires gamers to GO OUTSIDE! Many libraries have already utilized Pokemon Go as social media content, book display inspiration, and promotional material. Instead of focusing on what Pokemon Go is and how to play, this article is going to focus on doing Pokemon Go themed programs for teens.

There’s a lot of good ideas there including a “Pokemon Safari,” “Pokeball Target Practice,” “Pokemon Theme Song Lip Sync Battle,” and more. Gotta try ’em all! Continue reading →

Pokemon Go: What Do Librarians Need To Know? @ School Library Journal

Posted on by

pokemongoPokemon Go continues to fascinate gamers and librarians alike, and now School Library Journal has weighed in with another How-To Guide for the game.

If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet in the last week, you’ve probably heard of Niantic’s new game, Pokémon GO. Even by viral video game standards, its popularity has been impressive. According to SimilarWeb, within two days of its U.S. release, the game was installed on 5.16 percent of the country’s Android devices. This doesn’t even take into account iOS users, with whom the game has also been popular. Perhaps even more striking, the Wall Street Journal estimates that it has already added $9 billion to Nintendo’s market value.

Academic Librarian Carli Spina talks about how the app works (“Gotta Catch ‘Em All”), privacy and safety concerns some people may have, and how libraries are getting involved with Pokemon Go. Continue reading →

Pokemon Go: An Overview + Safety Issues to Consider @ School Library Journal

Posted on by

pokemongoMore librarians have discovered the joys of Pokemon Go, including Alanna Graves of School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox. She put together a great how-to guide for the app that covers how it works, safety issues to consider, and links to strategies a few libraries are using to lure in Pokemon Go players:

This weekend my timeline flooded with posts about Pokemon Go. Then on Sunday afternoon, The Teen came home from a friend’s house declaring they had walked 3 miles trying to catch Pokemons. So I decided I needed to figure out what this Pokemon Go is because my teens are definitely in to it.

Continue reading →

Pokemon Go and Your Library

Posted on by

Unlike a traditional Pokemon game, Pokemon Go asks players to use the GPS function on their smartphone (iOS or Android) to find Pokemon out in the real world. In addition to searching for Pokemon that appear randomly on the map, players can also use Pokemon Go to find “PokeStops” and “Pokemon Gyms” in their quest to become an accomplished Trainer. It’s easy to think of Pokemon Go as an app that’s very similar to geocaching with a virtual prize at the end, but this gameplay description from The Pokemon Company is very helpful… Continue reading →

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: July 11, 2016

Posted on by

vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Rocket League, a multiplayer sports game that mixes soccer with car combat.

Originally released as a downloadable title for the PS4 and PC last Fall, Rocket League eventually made its way to the Xbox One earlier this year. Since then, it’s won multiple “Game of the Year” awards and become a smash hit with players who love multiplayer-focused games and stylized futuristic sports.

Now it’s available in a retail-exclusive Collector’s Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One, and you should add it to your circulating game collection right away. It has an incredibly broad appeal and Rocket League’s local multiplayer options also make it a good choice for “Game Night” programs.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

Continue reading →

Best of E3 2016 Winners Selected by Game Critics Awards

Posted on by

e3Every year, the Game Critics Awards, a collection of editors from more than 40 major publications that cover the video game industry, get together to choose the best games at the E3 Expo.

While all of these titles are still in development, you should keep them in mind when you add games to your collection this Fall and into 2017.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was named “Best of Show,” and the full list of winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading →

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: July 4, 2016

Posted on by

vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One), the latest Lego game set in a galaxy far, far away.

Based on the latest addition to the Star Wars saga, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will let players recreate scenes from last year’s blockbuster film and go on “New Adventures” that fill in the gaps between Return of the Jedi and the sequel trilogy. Patrons of all ages know what to expect from the Lego series and this game will likely be able to deliver it.

Also of note this week are a handful of RPGs from Japan, a zombie game that’s all about survival, and a popular side-scrolling indie game that’s now available for the Wii U.

First up, there’s Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness for the PS4. As the fifth entry in Square Enix’s series of space-based RPGs, Integrity and Faithlessness is the first new addition to the series in over seven years. Also available for the PS4 (and the Vita) is Grand Kingdom, a tactical RPG from NIS America and Monochrome. Finally on the RPG front, Zero Time Dilemma will close out the trippy Zero Escape franchise on the 3DS and Vita.

Meanwhile, 7 Days to Die is a survival game for the PS4 and Xbox One where players have to craft a shelter and hold out against a zombie horde for as long as they can. It’s been available through Steam as an “Early Access” title for a few years now, but the Minecraft-like graphics and post-apocalyptic setting should appeal to a lot of people.

Finally this week, Terraria, the side-scrolling crafting and exploration title from Re-Logic, is now available for the Wii U.

All Links in “This Week’s New Releases + Game News” are Provided by Warp Zoned.

New Release Round-Up

Continue reading →