 |
|
|
|||||
Nintendo has purchased the remaining shares of Monolith Soft, according to a report by Automaton. Up until recently, Monoliths founders have held onto a four percent stake in the company, likely for symbolic reasons, but those days are done. Nintendo now owns the whole dang thing. Monolith is primarily known for the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, but recent years have seen the developer assist with big-time Nintendo IPs. It has provided support on games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Additionally, the company helped out on recent Splatoon and Animal Crossing entries. Monolith Soft was originally founded in 1999 by Hirohide Sugiura, Tetsuya Takahashi and Yasuyuki Honne, along with a hefty investment from Bandai Namco. The company created the Xenosaga series, a spiritual successor to Squares Xenogears that co-founder Takahashi originally wrote and directed. Monolith made a trio of Xenosaga games before Nintendo swooped in and bought 80 percent of company shares from Bandai Namco in 2007. Nintendo increased its stake to 96 percent in 2011 and now, well, its got the full hundo. We dont exactly know when this final transaction took place. Monoliths company brochure for 2024 still showed the founders owning four percent. This held as far as October 1, but changed by November 21, as spotted by VGC. We are also in the dark as to what Monolith has been working on, aside from helping Nintendo on key franchises, but Xenoblade Chronicles 3 sure was good. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-buys-remaining-four-percent-of-monolith-soft-as-a-little-treat-173510990.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
There's something inherently compelling about one-button games since developers are giving themselves a tight constraint for their creativity. Sometimes, they take full advantage of that. One of my favorite games from this year, One Btn Bosses, gets it right thanks to tight controls and never seeming like it's unfair. Faraway is an upcoming game in a similar vein. This procedurally generated title from developer Steph Thirion (aka Little Eyes) and publisher Annapurna Interactive is coming to PC in 2025. Faraway has been a long time coming Thirion announced it for iPhone all the way back in 2010. Since the initial unveiling, the solo developer has remade the game with a captivating new art style. You play as a shooting star and you use the gravitational force of the closest star to swing your way toward your destination. When you get there, you'll use the same mechanic to draw a constellation of random stars. If you create loops between them, you'll get a score multiplier. Along with the main procedurally generated levels, there's a mode that asks you to draw specific shapes. Another puzzle mode prompts you to get the highest possible score from a certain formation. During Wednesday's Day of the Devs showcase, Thirion (who made early iPhone standout Eliss) said he took inspiration from Tetris to create a minimalist, replayable game with random elements and lots of depth. On the surface, Faraway has relaxing audio and visuals, but you'll need to keep your brain engaged if you want to get a great score.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/chill-puzzle-game-faraway-sees-you-drawing-star-constellations-with-one-button-172138741.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Astro Bot has a new level coming, and it wont cost a thing. Team Asobi said on Wednesday that Winter Wonder, a surprise bonus stage, will arrive on Thursday, December 12 at 9PM ET. The developer promises jingle bells, new bots and fun for all ages. Team Asobi describes the update as a show of gratitude to fans for their lovely comments and critical response to the Game of the Year nominee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for showing your appreciation, the developer wrote in the PlayStation Blog. It truly means a lot to us. Winter Wonder will only be available after youve completed the game. Team Asobi is tight-lipped about most details, but you can catch a zoomed-out glimpse in the above image. The developer says you can expect a fun-filled level, shiny presents (yay!) and special bots (presumably winter- or holiday-themed) to add to your crew. So, expect more winter delight and less throw your controller difficulty. Team Asobi, a PlayStation Studios subsidiary, had quite the year. Astro Bot launched to rave reviews, making the robot mascot the closest thing Sony has had to a Mario-like tentpole franchise since Sackboy and Crash Bandicoot were in their respective primes. In our review, Engadgets Jessica Conditt called the PS5 game easily one of the best games that Sony has ever produced, describing it as Super Mario Bros. for a new generation of video game fanatics, at once an introduction to common mechanics and also a significant challenge for seasoned players. Astro Bot picked up seven nominations at the Game Awards, including (deep breath) Game of the Year, Game Direction, Art Direction, Score and Music, Audio Design, Action / Adventure and Best Family Game. The Game Awards will be on December 12 at 7:30PM ET. To get the new level when its hot off the press, make sure youve beaten the game and have an active internet connection at 9PM ET tomorrow. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/astro-bot-is-getting-a-free-holiday-themed-bonus-level-171920527.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||