Monthly Archives: August 2016

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: August 29, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is a tie between Madden NFL 17 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

The release of Madden NFL 17 on the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360 means that it’s time for FOOTBALL, and for this year’s entry in their annual sports franchise, EA Sports focused on improving Madden’s famed Franchise Mode. That should make the hardcore statheads very happy, but Madden appeals to almost everybody, so most patrons will be happy to see it on the shelves.

Many gamers are excited for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided as well, though it’s a very different kind of game… a science fiction story that has many parallels to our world including civil rights, terrorism, and government surveillance. Its heady themes make it one of the smarter games out there, and one that many PC, PS4, and Xbox One owners are very interested in.

Also of note this week is The King of Fighters XIV, a one-on-one fighter for the PS4. Players familiar with the long-running King of Fighters franchise will want to check it out, as will fans of one-on-one fighting games like Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat X.

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

New Release Round-Up

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Dark Souls Comic Miniseries Will Be Released as Graphic Novel on December 6

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darksouls-graphicnovelThe final issue in Titan’s Dark Souls comic book adaptation is now available to purchase from your local comic shop, but Titan has also announced that a collected edition will be available this December. Written by George Mann, and with artwork by Alan Quah, the Dark Souls comic looks at an unexplored side of the game’s world by following Fira, a “battle-hardened warrior”:

The official comic set in the world of the best-selling Dark Souls videogame franchise! Join Fira – a battle-hardened warrior – as she embarks upon a perilous quest to save her ailing kingdom, fighting countless hoards of demonic foes along the way!

Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus will be released on December 6 and contain all four issues from the miniseries.

Tetris: The Games People Play is a Graphic Novel About the Game’s Creation That’ll Be Published in October

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tetris-graphicnovelMost people know that Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris while working for the Soviet government in the early 80s, but the story will be retold this October in a brand new graphic novel by Box Brown.

Tetris: The Games People Play will be published by the Macmillan imprint First Second, and it’ll reveal the story behind the game’s creation and the subsequent legal battle over distribution rights to the puzzle game outside the USSR:

Alexey Pajitnov had big ideas about games. In 1984, he created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. Once Tetris emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, it was an instant hit. Nintendo, Atari, Sega—game developers big and small all wanted Tetris. A bidding war was sparked, followed by clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, innumerable miscommunications, and outright theft.

New York Times–bestselling author Box Brown untangles this complex history and delves deep into the role games play in art, culture, and commerce. For the first time and in unparalleled detail, Tetris: The Games People Play tells the true story of the world’s most popular video game.

Brown has experience with finding larger-than-life figures from pop culture and adapting their lives into graphic novels. The writer and artist was previously responsible for Andre the Giant: Life and Legend, a well-received graphic novel that was originally published in 2014.

Tetris: The Games People Play will be available on October 11.

Dark Horse Will Release The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in February 2017

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legendofzeldaartandartifactsAfter the massive success of 2013’s The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (including a series timeline that fans are still talking about), Dark Horse and Nintendo are teaming up again to publish The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in Early 2017. Art & Artifacts will be packed with promotional artwork and interviews with the design team, along with exclusive artwork from the next game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:

Fans of The Legend of Zelda are in for a treat with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts. Readers can peruse over four hundred pages of fully realized artistic masterpieces, exclusive interviews with the design team behind the beloved video game franchise, the official pixel art of the early series, and rare promotional art never before published in this format. The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts offers fans a sneak peek at art from the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, prior to its official release. This breathtaking volume is essential for any true Zelda fan!

The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts will be available in stores on February 21, 2017.

Even More Programming Ideas For Pokemon Go @ School Library Journal

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pokemongoPokemon Go is still incredibly popular with gamers the world over, but the intense furor surrounding the game has cooled considerably since its launch in July. However, Karen Jensen of School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox has pulled together another batch of programming ideas to go along with the app, and they might just get your library patrons “Pokemon-ing” again:

Because Pokemon Go is played by people of all ages, we specifically chose to make this an all ages event, which proved to be a very wise move. We had a lot of families come that were obviously enjoying playing the game together. Our event lasted for 5 hours and we placed a lure (a lure draws Pokemon to your location) every half hour. A lot of people came and stayed the entire time and it was fun to see them sitting around talking and then get up to go somewhere and catch a Pokemon. At one point someone declared that Pikachu was nearby and there was an excited mass exodus. As far as I know no one caught Pikachu that night, but they sure did have a fun time trying.

In addition to some very creative Pokemon-themed decorations, Jensen’s programming ideas include “Pin the Tail On Pikachu,” “Pikachu Ears,” and Pokeball Coloring.” Continue reading →

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: August 22, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is F1 2016, the latest open wheel racing simulation from Codemasters. Available now for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, F1 2016 will feature an enhanced Career Mode, as well as the complete 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship schedule with 21 tracks and 22 drivers.

Also of note this week is a pair of 3DS titles from Nintendo. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a co-op-focused spinoff from the main Metroid series that doesn’t star intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran. Instead, players will join up with a squad of Galactic Federation Marines as they do battle with Metroids and Space Pirates on a distant planet.

Meanwhile, Style Savvy: Fashion Forward is the third game in Nintendo’s fashion franchise, and it’ll give budding business owners the chance to stock thousands of items in their boutique or “design clothes fit for a fashionista, style some wicked hair, master the art of make-up, and even become the next top model.”

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

New Release Round-Up

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Best of Gamescom 2016 Winners Selected by Gamescom Committee

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gamescomEvery year, Germany’s Digital Gaming Culture Foundation (Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur) supervises the Gamescom Committee, a small group of journalists who choose the best games that were present at the Gamescom expo. The Gamescom expo is held in the Summer, and serves as the European equivalent to the Los Angeles-based E3 Expo.

While most 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 Gamescom,” and the full list of winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading →

This Week’s New Releases + Game News: August 15, 2016

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vgl-pickThe Video Game Librarian Pick of the Week is No Man’s Sky, a space exploration simulator for the PC and PS4.

Developed by Hello Games, an ultra-tiny developer from the United Kingdom, No Man’s Sky gives players a procedurally-generated playground with billions and billions of planets to play in. Exploring the universe and naming your discoveries is an important part of the game, as is discovering the secret that lies at the very center of the map. No Man’s Sky is one of those games that should appeal to everybody, and might even pull in patrons who just want to see what all the fuss is about.

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

New Release Round-Up

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