The grand prize for the sweepstakes are tickets to attend the premiere of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in Los Angeles this December, as well as a private tour of Lucasfilm in San Francisco.
How Apple Frittered Away its Early Lead With Apple TV Games
In 2013 Apple had turned the tables on Nintendo. Then Apple dropped the ball.
Atari Revives Retro Gaming Console Ataribox
Just like Nintendo is resurrecting the NES Mini and SNES Mini, so too is Atari bringing back its own gaming console. Design-wise, the Ataribox takes design inspiration from the Atari 2600. One model has the familiar black and wood design, while the other has black with red accents. Both have the raised back and ribbing, with glass and wood finishes for the front. The rest of the specs are all modern. The Ataribox will come with an HDMI port, four USB ports, and SD card expansion slots, which may hint that Atari will allow sideloading. More detailed internals haven’t been released yet, but Atari promises to stuff it full of “modern internal specs” to support “current gaming content.” Pricing and release date information haven’t been released either, and Atari says they want to “get this right” before they make any more announcements.
Nintendo Bringing Back Retro Games with Mini SNES Classic
Nostalgic gamers rejoice, for Nintendo is bringing back its classic console as the mini Super NES Classic console system. It will come with 21 games like Super Mario World, F-ZERO, Final Fantasy III, Earthbound, Super Mario Kart, and Star Fox 2, which was previously unreleased. Nintendo will launch the mini SNES Classic Edition on September 29th for US$79.99. Just like the NES Classic, it will have an HDMI port so you can hook it up directly to your TV. Hopefully Nintendo learned its lesson when it released the NES Classic, which was hard to come by because of limited stock and was discontinued earlier this year. When September finally comes around, it wouldn’t be surprising if the SNES Classic is quickly sold out.
Railway Empire Isn't Coming to Mac [Update]
[Update: I checked with Kalypso on Mac support, and unfortunately the company said Railway Empire won’t be coming for the Mac. Despite being released on Steam—and Linux for crying out loud—there’s no Mac version planned. The original reports of it coming to the Mac were blamed on an error in the press release.] Yeah, I went through two keyboards trying to write this post. They kept shorting out from all the drool. It’s this new game, Railway Empire, which is being teased with the not-subtle tagline, “All Aboard Railway Tycoons!” It looks amazing. It looks like it picks up where Railroad Tycoon and Railroads left off, but bigger and more detailed. Players can invest in 300 technologies. There are 40 different trains “modeled in extraordinary detail.” Players will also have to manage work forces and can conduct raids and industrial espionage against rivals. Zzzzt! Dangit. There went another keyboard…in any event, it’s scheduled for release in the 1st quarter of 2018 for Mac, PC, Xbox, PS4, and Linux. Watch the amazing trailer below.
Dead Plague: Zombie Outbreak Looks Like a Fun Zombie Shooter for iOS
Check out Dead Plague: Zombie Outbreak. It’s a zombie shooter for iOS (and Android, if that’s your thing) by GameSpire, and it looks like a lot of fun. The player is part of BIOCORP’s strike force, and your job is to stop the zombie outbreak and collect DNA samples, too. It’s free to download, with in-app purchases available for boosted play. Check out the gameplay video below.
Feral Ships Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III for Mac, Watch the Trailer [Update]
Feral shipped Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III for Mac (and Linux) this week. This installment of the popular large-scale warfare plaform puts the player as one of three ever-warring factions. It includes giant war machines, new graphics, new weapons, and elite squads. It also has both a single player game and multiplayer. It’s US$59.99, and is currently available direct from Feral and through Steam. The company told me on June 19th that it will also soon be on the Mac App Store. The original trailer for Dawn of War III for Mac is embedded below, and it looks amazing. [Update: Edited with availability through Steam and the Mac App Store. – Bryan]
Microsoft Opens Minecraft Marketplace For In-App Purchases
As part of the Discovery update, Microsoft is also bringing a new feature to the game called Marketplace. Minecraft Marketplace is coming to the Windows 10 platform, as well as Minecraft Pocket edition for mobile platforms. Players can create and sell items in the Marketplace using a form of game currency called Minecraft Coins. When a player creates an item to sell, they can set their own prices as well as take a small percentage of the sale. Once you sell something, such as a custom skin or a map, the app platforms will take a 30% cut. Players can access items they buy through their Xbox Live account. This means that you can access your purchases no matter what platform you use. Microsoft will launch a public beta on Android in mid-April. The beta will test the Microsoft Coins so you won’t see any player creations yet. Microsoft is also hosting a Reddit AMA on April 20 from 9AM-12PM PST.
